Chapter 331: The Guardian's Pursuit
Six-Armed Demons, like Lizardmen, were part of the Star Raiders. They were immune to elemental attacks from strong warriors of the Universe Continent, and their physical defense was extremely high.
But Johnnie had mastered the Nine Heavens Tribulation Lightning, which carried a touch of the Power of the Way. It was the perfect counter to them.
When the lightning struck Harris, he finally realized just how terrifying Johnnie was.
"Damn it, how could there still be someone who wields the Power of the Way in this world!" Harris was covered in wounds from the lightning.
His strongest attack."Final Cut." hadn't even been able to kill Johnnie. Now, he had no idea how to fight him.
Harris looked angrily at the bodies of the other Six-Armed Demons on the ground, and memorized Johnnie's face deeply.
"Retreat! Everyone, get out of here!" Harris shouted.
He didn't hesitate at all. He and the other Six-Armed Demons flew away as fast as they could.
Even if Johnnie chased after some weaker demons, Harris didn't stop. He flew at full speed while saying:
"I remember you! Wait and see — you'll soon learn just how bad it is to mess with us!"
Johnnie chased them for a while, until he was almost out of sight from the old village chief and the others. Then he stopped.
This time, he had killed a lot of Six-Armed Demons. Not only did his stats improve, but he also leveled up — now he was level 1 again.
Johnnie had thought his level-up speed would slow down soon, but these demons had just come to him.
Still, there was one thing he had to worry about: the Way of Heaven Divine Stele. He couldn't stay in the guardian village forever, always watching out for the appearance of Six-Armed Demons and Lizardmen.
Now, most players aren't as strong as the NPCs from the Universe Continent, but their growth is really fast.
If the Way of Heaven Divine Stele is destroyed, the protection for the players would disappear, and that would be a big problem for the entire Montemar Empire.
At that moment, the old village chief walked quickly to Johnnie's side. His face was pale, but full of gratitude.
"Saver, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, everything would be over." the old man said, bowing slowly.
Around him, the young people also began to bow to Johnnie.
Johnnie waved his hand, saying."Even without these guardians, I would find a way to protect the Way of Heaven Divine Stele."
Lizardmen and Six-Armed Demons — these Star Raiders — must have even stronger warriors out there.
The magic array of the Way of Heaven Divine Stele was something Johnnie had to get.
If he had that, he could fight even stronger when the Star Raiders attacked the Montemar Empire.
So Johnnie directly asked about the magic array that protected the Way of Heaven Divine Stele.
The old village chief looked at the staff in Johnnie's hand, and explained. The magic array needed a Guardian Scepter to work at its best.
The array itself wasn't hard to use. The real challenge was that the people inside had to work together.
He pulled out an old-looking parchment and handed it to Johnnie, saying:
"This shows how to learn the magic array of the Way of Heaven Divine Stele. But if someone in the array has bad intentions and tries to break it at the right moment, the array will fight back."
"Saver, you must make sure the people in the array can be trusted."
As he said that, the old man looked a few times at the young people in the village.
Johnnie understood what the old man was thinking.
Sure enough, after a short hesitation, the old man said:
"Saver, we've been cut off from the outside world for too long. Now that the invaders have come, it's time for the young people to go out and see the world."
"If you don't mind, I'll let the young people in the village go with you. It's a chance for them to gain experience, and they'll be better able to protect the Way of Heaven Divine Stele in the future."
These young people in the guardian village were strong. If Johnnie could get them to follow him, it would be a good thing.
But before that, there was one thing he needed to ask clearly.
"What about this place?" Johnnie looked down at the mountain beneath his feet — the Way of Heaven Divine Stele.
The old village chief looked determined. He stared at the Guardian Scepter and said."Saver, don't worry. I have a way to protect the Way of Heaven Divine Stele."
As soon as he finished speaking, the young people around the village seemed to realize something. Their expressions turned sad, and some even started to cry.
The old man waved his hand, and the Guardian Scepter returned to him. He was the master of the Guardian Scepter.
"Chief, there must be another way!" A young man in his early twenties stepped forward.
The old man didn't answer him. Instead, he introduced him to Johnnie.
His name was Seth. He was a Lesser God, one of the strongest among the village's youth, and a top candidate for the next village chief.
Seth bowed to Johnnie with a sincere expression and said."Sir, the plan the chief mentioned is to sacrifice himself and the elders in the village, and temporarily seal this space."
Johnnie was surprised. He hadn't expected the old man's plan to be so severe.
Seeing that Johnnie was about to speak up, the old man raised his hand and said firmly."It's the duty of the guardians to protect the Way of Heaven Divine Stele."
But right now, the only one in the village who had the Power of the Way was himself.
Against the Six-Armed Demons and Lizardmen — who were immune to elemental attacks and had extremely high defense — no one else could protect the Way of Heaven Divine Stele.
The old man hoped that the young people in the village would follow Johnnie and grow quickly.
"Can you trust me with them?" Johnnie thought for a moment and asked.
He always respected people who sacrificed themselves for peace and protection.
Both the Universe Continent and the Earth need people like this.
The old village chief smiled, his eyes full of hope. He said."Of course I trust you. I've never heard of anyone at your level being able to hold even a little bit of the Power of the Way."
Trouble brings monsters!
In the old man's eyes, Johnnie was exactly that kind of monster.
...
Soon, the young people in the village had all packed their things. They stood at the village gate, looking at the old man and the other elders with heavy hearts and sadness.
The old chief carefully handed the Guardian Scepter to Johnnie and said."Saver, if one day you think one of these young people is strong enough, please give them this staff. Let them continue to protect this place."
"I will." Johnnie said, taking the staff.
[Guardian Scepter: A special artifact. It is a family heirloom of the guardians of the Way of Heaven Divine Stele. When used with the magic array, it can raise the user's cultivation, power, and amplify the Power of the Way. It is now bonded to you and can be used for now.]
Then, the old man took a deep breath and said to Johnnie."Saver, you'd better go now. Soon, this place will be completely sealed."
A series of golden lights flew from the old people in the village and merged into the air around them.
Some lights also left the old man's body. He smiled and waved goodbye to Johnnie.
Johnnie suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, like something was stuck in his chest.
He looked down at the bodies of the Six-Armed Demons on the ground and took a deep breath. He thought, when he killed all the invaders in the future, there wouldn't be any more situations like this.
Johnnie flew into the sky with the young people from the guardian village.
Soon, he left the place completely and arrived near the Dark Forest.
At that moment, he looked again at the Guardian Scepter in his hand.
[Guardian Scepter: A special artifact. It is a family heirloom of the guardians of the Way of Heaven Divine Stele. When used with the magic array, it can raise the user's cultivation, power, and amplify the Power of the Way. It is now unowned and can be claimed by someone.]
[Ding, Guardian Scepter has been successfully bonded.]
Seth walked up to Johnnie's side, bowed politely, and asked."Sir, where are we going next?"
Johnnie looked at Seth and the other young people behind him. There were 33 of them in total.
Among them, 10 were children who hadn't reached adulthood. The other 23 included 13 Half-God warriors and 10 Lesser God warriors.
This group was strong enough to cause great damage to other empires.
Johnnie took a deep breath, about to answer, when he received a message from Dylan.
Haldrem Empire and the Mecha Divine Nation had attacked Montemar Empire again, while he was in the guardian village!
Johnnie immediately realized: someone had leaked his location to them!
The Six-Armed Demons had suffered heavy losses and wouldn't be able to attack Montemar Empire for a while. Johnnie decided to use this time to deal with the Haldrem Empire and the Mecha Divine Nation once and for all.
Speed was important.
If they waited too long, he thought the Six-Armed Demons and Lizardmen would find a way to get involved. That would make the situation much more complicated and harder to handle.
He looked at the young people from the guardian village and said slowly."We're going to Montemar Empire. Soon, there will be a chance for you to show your strength."
Seth clenched his fist instantly, his eyes full of anger. He asked."Is it about those cursed Six-Armed Demons and Lizardmen?"
"It's related. We must deal with the enemies inside before we can fight the outsiders." Johnnie said firmly.
The people of Haldrem Empire and the Mecha Divine Nation had to either submit and fight together, or be destroyed.
One young man asked."Why can't we all fight the invaders together?"
Johnnie answered calmly."It's like the magic array of the Way of Heaven Divine Stele. If someone betrays us at the right moment, the result could be disastrous. You should understand."
The young man suddenly realized and nodded hard.
Then Johnnie led the group quickly toward Montemar Empire.