The Garrison Commander

When Chen Fan opened his eyes again, the sense of time and space shifting had disappeared.

What came into view was a completely different starry sky.

There is no peace and prosperity in the rear, only endless desolation and devastation.

The massive ruins of the War Fortress, like the skeleton of an ancient behemoth, floated silently in the void. The cold metal surfaces still bore the terrifying marks of the erosion by the laws of nature.

Broken celestial bodies are everywhere, some cut in half, others with their cores pierced, all lifeless.

The air was thick with an almost impenetrable aura of iron and blood, mixed with the lingering resentment of countless powerful beings who had perished, creating a chilling pressure.

This is the First Defense Line for the Human Race.

First Defense Line, Thirteenth Garrison Node.

This is a steel graveyard floating in a desolate universe.

The massive ruins of the fortress were riddled with jagged holes left by the erosion of the laws of nature, and the broken cannon muzzles silently testified to the brutality of the bloody battle that had taken place not long ago.

On the only remaining platform of the Central Fortress, eleven men clad in dark red Battle Armor stood silently, like a group of silent statues.

They were the only remaining top combat force in this place, and the iron-blooded aura condensed from Corpse Mountain and Sea of Blood on their bodies almost distorted the surrounding light.

The man at the head was burly and had a resolute face; he was Wei Changkong, the former Adjutant of the Guardian.

His cultivation level at the mid-stage of the Eighth-Order Undying and Immortal Realm made him like a pillar of strength, supporting the last will of this remnant army.

Beside him, a Seventh Rank captain with a missing arm spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Commander Wei, the Federation's appointment should be coming soon. No one but you can sit in this position, and no one dares to sit in it."

Wei Changkong gazed intently at the Federation Emblem in the Void, awaiting orders, and slowly shook his head.

"It is our duty. Whoever comes, we must guard this place well, so as to do justice to the old marshal's spirit in heaven."

That being said, his clenched fists and the fleeting expectation in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

At that moment, the entire silent starry sky seemed to be gently caressed by an invisible hand.

The space wasn't torn apart, but it rippled gently.

That dense, menacing aura was instantly soothed and vanished without a trace.

A figure bathed in pure white light quietly appeared.

Beside him stood a rather thin boy with a calm expression.

The moment they saw that figure, the eleven battle-hardened warriors, including Wei Changkong, felt a primal sense of awe welling up from the depths of their souls.

Before they could even think, their minds went blank, and their bodies instinctively bowed down, deeply lowering their heads—heads that had never bowed before thousands of Alien Races.

I dare not look directly at it, I dare not speculate.

"The Thirteenth Garrison Node cannot be without a leader for even a day."

The White Emperor's voice was calm and serene, yet it contained an unquestionable supreme will, resonating clearly in everyone's heart.

"From this day forward, Chen Fan will assume the position of Guardian."

Boom!

Wei Changkong's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

That heart, which had just been burning with hope and responsibility, suddenly felt as if it had fallen into an icy abyss.

Shock, bewilderment... countless emotions surged into his heart like a tidal wave, but were instantly crushed before the vast, universe-like will of the White Emperor.

All he could do was bury his head even lower, as if trying to hide his entire face in the shadow of his breastplate.

As if he had only come to announce a trivial matter, the White Emperor's figure turned into specks of light and vanished without a trace as soon as he finished speaking.

The starry sky returned to its original deathly silence.

But the atmosphere was a thousand times more somber than before.

Wei Changkong and the ten veterans slowly raised their heads, and eleven pairs of eyes, filled with doubt and scrutiny, focused on the young man.

A child who looks no more than fourteen or fifteen years old?

Guardians?

Are you kidding me!

This is the First Defense Line!

It's a meat grinder for the Human Race Territory!

Chen Fan remained unmoved in the face of those eleven gazes.

He stepped forward, bowed deeply to the crowd, his posture humble and his tone sincere and modest.

"Junior Chen Fan greets all seniors."

"Having just arrived, I will be guarding this place from now on, and I hope that you seniors will not hesitate to offer your guidance."

These words were like a boulder thrown into a deep pool; they didn't create any ripples, but they made the undercurrents beneath the surface even more turbulent.

The Guardian... refers to himself as a junior?

Wei Changkong and the others fell completely silent.

Looking at the clear-eyed boy before them, the turmoil in their hearts only intensified.

Is it just empty politeness, or... is there a deeper meaning?

Wei Changkong and the other eleven veterans stood motionless, like eleven silent, cast-iron sculptures.

Eleven gazes, like eleven invisible blades Bone Refinement in Corpse Mountain and Sea of Blood, repeatedly scraped across his body, scrutinizing every inch of his bones and every breath he exuded.

This fierce and murderous aura is enough to make any Martial Artist has just entered the Eighth-Order lose their composure and waver in their Dao Heart.

But when it came to Chen Fan, it was like a gentle breeze sweeping across a hillside, without causing the slightest ripple.

Wei Changkong's mind raced.

He dared not disobey the White Emperor's appointment, but he absolutely refused to believe that a seemingly immature boy could be the Guardian of this meat grinder, the First Defense Line of defense for Human Race.

This place cannot tolerate the slightest negligence.

He suppressed his surging resentment and decided to wait and see.

If this young man makes any wrong decision, he will have ample reason to apply to the Federation Supreme Military Council in the name of his Adjutant to reclaim the position that rightfully belongs to him.

Seeing that everyone remained silent, Chen Fan didn't care.

He spoke again calmly, his voice clear.

"Senior Wei, may I ask what the responsibilities of the Guardian are? I am new here, please enlighten me."

Wei Changkong suppressed the inexplicable irritation in his heart, his voice hard and unyielding.

"The Guardians have three responsibilities: to monitor the Void sector within three hundred light-years ahead, to eliminate all invading enemies, and..."

He paused, his gaze fixed on Chen Fan, deliberately emphasizing the last part of his sentence.

"When faced with an insurmountable threat, request assistance from superiors!"

He emphasized the words "seek help" heavily, the sarcasm in them self-evident.

The words had barely left his mouth.

"Beep beep!"

The piercingly loud alarm suddenly shattered the deathly silence of the Central Fortress!

Beams of Dao Blood- red light flashed wildly on the dilapidated platform, casting a grim and menacing light on everyone's resolute faces.

On the central control console, a huge Holographic Light Screen instantly popped up.

In the distant Void, a pitch-black rift was forcibly torn open by a brute force, and countless bizarre creatures, shimmering with ghostly blue soul flames and shaped like skeletons, swarmed out from it!

They wielded scythes formed from shadows, their forms shifting constantly between reality and illusion. A chilling aura seemed to seep out even through the Light Screen, freezing one's soul.