"Stop."
A single sentence, a single word. But this seemingly simple command was as if it was the only thing that mattered in the world.
The aura commanded by the owner of this voice was irrevocable, inviolable and supreme. Such that, by the time this single word was spoken, all the haphazard scene happening on the battlefield right now immediately stopped, as if the frost of winter had arrived.
Even Duan Li, whom was busy rummaging and on a fetching-spree of monster cores from the fallen Iguanas had halted his action and looked up.
"This voice.." Duan Li narrowed his eyes in alarm as he gazed towards a certain direction on top of the volcano.
The voice came from on top of that volcano!
Then, like a streak of lightning, a figure abruptly appeared on the sky and descended down at a speed surpassing that of sound.
BTOOOMMM!!
When this figure landed, the ground beneath his feet cracked like cobwebs due to the devastating impact, and it took quite a long while before the spread of these cracks stopped altogether, and by the time it stopped, the whole battlefield was already filled with these cracks, looking like a destroyed world!
Huuu!!
The figure that appeared in front of Duan Li wore a simple battle Gi uniform that was white in color, devoid from any dirt on it. At first glance, this person seemed to be like a mortal martial arts practitioner, but Duan Li knew that there was more than what meets his eye.
This bald old man with a weird moustache and no beard, was in fact not that simple at all!
From the aura that the latter was radiating out, it was unlike anything that Duan Li had experienced before. Usually, an expert of the highest caliber would have fine control over their aura such that no one would be able to tell that they were a cultivator. Yet, this aura felt extremely viscous,wild and unabated, causing natural deference to anyone that felt it up close like what Duan Li was feeling right now.
"This old man.. he must be the Guardian of this second region!" Duan Li thought of a plausible theory.
This was because the old man in front of him, whom had both hands clasped behind their back was extremely powerful! Even the might of old man Jing Zhianghu, the Guardian of the First region whom he had met before, could not be compared to this old man at all!
It was like the difference between Heaven and Earth!
"You are.. the Guardian of the Second region?" Duan Li asked out in a polite manner.
"Indeed I am." Dugu Liubai said with an indifferent tone and expression. Even though he was shocked thoroughly by the fellow in front of him so many times before, to the extent of almost turning deranged, now that he was standing in front of him, he need to show his dignity and prestige as the Guardian of the Second region.
"I have to ask you to stop whatever it is you are doing right now." he then continued as he said it with an authoritative air.
Hearing this, Duan Li couldn't help but to feel a little bit resentful.
Stop? I've went to such lengths in order to collect all these monster cores, and I'm still not done yet..
Still, Duan Li nodded as a sign that he complied with the latter's command. After all, not only was the other party's cultivation realm was beyond his means, this old man was also the Guardian!
Therefore, Duan Li had no choice but to concede!
"Forgive me for asking, but if its not too much trouble, can I have the honor of knowing elder's name?" Duan Li said.
Again, Dugu Liubai found the need to show Duan Li his dominance, thus he snorted for a bit and said "Dugu Liubai!"
Seeing this elder acting a little bit unfriendly towards him, Duan Li couldn't help but to wonder;
What the heck is up with this old man?
All I ask was just his name, must there be a need for him to harrumphed on me like that?
Forget it! He must be one of those eccentric experts with 'who knows what's going on in their mind' type of person.
Hais!
"Old man Dugu, what do you mean by stopping us? This final battle between the two species had long reached its climax point and was unavoidable after several years of becoming archenemy with each other.." Duan Li said with a curious tone. He wanted to know why the Guardian was intervening in this last moment where the Iguana species was doomed to fall.
Old man Dugu?
"Puu!!" Dugu Liubai almost spat out his old blood from the sheer anger after hearing what the fellow used to call him.
Old man Dugu your head! Do you think I'm one of your uncles or something? How dare you address me so casually!
Had this been the old him, the moment Duan Li called him out like that, he would have already lashed out to hang the latter dry in the sun!
But knowing that the fellow in front of him was far too bizarre, to the extent that even the Heaven's punishment was fully absorbed by the latter, thus he didn't dare to pull his weight for too much. After all, he was afraid that other world-breaking phenomena would occur! If the second region were to be truly destroyed to bits and pieces under his watch, then he wouldn't know how to explain that to the other eight Guardians, much less to the Grand Immortal himself!
"Hmph! My job as the Guardian is to not let the balance tipped off for far too much in this region. If I allow you lot to continue this farce, one race would inevitably go extinct, and that must not happen at all cost!" Dugu Liubai answered with a stern voice.
When Chief Zolak and Bulu heard this, they had to grit their teeth in indignance. However, although they were feeling as so, the person in front of them was none other than the Guardian himself! If they even were to let out as much as a single fart in complain, who knows what this Guardian would do to them?
In contrast to this, both Nuhulak and Valak was joyful and elated, feeling that their life has been spared. At this moment, they stared towards their respective opponent with a look full of killing intent!
They vowed that after today, they will strive to multiply their numbers even more, such that the Komodo's advantageous strength would not have any sort of effects on them at all!
But, before this feeling of complacent could sunk in deeper, they were shocked to hear the next pair of sentence from the Guardian;
"However, what I do not allow is just extinction. Other than that, feel free to do as you guys like. But I remind everyone here, do not go overboard!" Dugu Liubai explained.
Oh!
The meaning behind the Guardian's sentence was loud and clear for all to hear; it's that as long as both species still remain by the end of this all, they could continue their war for all they like!
Naturally, the feelings for both parties was swapped after this, both Nuhulak and Valak had their countenance paled, but Zolak and Bulu gave them a wide murderous grin!
Dugu Liubai then turned to Duan Li "And you, haven't you taken enough of those monster cores? Any more than that and it would be equal to an act of desecration towards the dead!" he said with a serious expression.
"Ah!" Duan Li said in surprise, seemingly to be taken aback by the Guardian's statement.
Indeed, he had been doing nothing but fetching their monster cores all these while, if the Guardian did not mention this, perhaps he would still be like lunaric fetching non-stop!
...
One more chap before the battle ends, and after that, entering the maze!
Enjoy and thanks for reading! ;)