Transfer of Hatred

Guen obtained a large amount of materials and quite a bit of beast flesh. The materials could be taken away, but the flesh couldn't all be carried—a single Planetary-level Beast rolling over could crush a stone house, so one could imagine its size.

He left what he couldn't take for the soldiers. Though the taste of Planetary-level flesh wasn't great, it was rich in nutrients and greatly beneficial to Apprentice-level warriors.

As soon as Guen and Cal returned to the Armory Camp, they saw a slender man in a black robe with green hair waiting for them.

"Ah, it's the Temple Guardian." Cal and Guen recognized the visitor at once.

Within the Goddess Temple, Planetary-level fighters held high status, but a few people ranked above them.

The High Priest went without saying—one of only two Star-level powerhouses in the Aoyu Empire, and the strongest at that. As the supreme ruler of the Goddess Temple, his authority was unmatched.

Next came the two mages, four guardians, and two Temple Legion Commanders.

The two mages were the Prayer Mage and the Holy Word Mage. The former handled religious affairs and internal work for members below Planetary level, while the latter managed all matters on behalf of the High Priest.

The four guardians were named after the cardinal directions—East, South, West, and North. They roamed widely, guarding all quarters, appearing wherever Goddess Temple members were active, and also coordinating actions among Planetary-level members and above.

The two Temple Legion Commanders were permanently stationed with the Temple Legion. The legion's combat power was formidable; its most basic soldiers were all Apprentice Level 9 warriors, and many Planetary-level fighters served within its ranks.

These eight individuals represented the authority of the Goddess Temple beyond the High Priest.

The man before them was one of the four guardians: the East Guardian.

Despite his youthful appearance, all four guardians were Planetary Level 9 fighters, each equipped with a Force Weapon and even a Force Inner Armor. The High Priest couldn't forge a full-body battle suit like the Flame God Armor, but with a layer of Force Inner Armor underneath, even if someone attacked, the oscillation force would be weakened twice over, posing little threat.

Unless a Star-level powerhouse intervened, the four guardians were the empire's ceiling of combat strength.

Guen and Cal exchanged glances and landed respectfully before the East Guardian.

The East Guardian looked at Guen with satisfaction. "You've only just joined my Goddess Temple, and already you've accomplished such a feat. Haha, no wonder the High Priest personally brought back a genius like you."

Guen lowered his head. "You flatter me, sir."

The East Guardian smiled faintly. "Whether I do or not, I know better than you. Alright, go back and rest first. With me here, no one dares to touch you."

He spoke with pride.

As a Planetary Level 9 fighter, he stood at the peak of the Aoyu Empire. Above him were only the two Star-level powerhouses. If those two didn't act, who could threaten him?

Guen breathed a sigh of relief and naturally took his leave.

In theory, the deterrent of the Trial Grounds meant those powerful Planetary-level fighters wouldn't cause him trouble. But he was too dazzling. After hearing Cal's words, Guen understood that killing him didn't require overwhelming force, and sometimes, they didn't need to kill him to slow his progress.

With such an expert stationed here, Guen could finally relax.

Guen returned to his room, sat cross-legged, and began absorbing Cosmic Energy while calming his mind and reviewing the day's events.

The sky had fully darkened, leaving only the sound of waves crashing against the shore.

"Hmph!"

Suddenly, a discordant cold snort rang in his ears, as if the speaker were right in front of him. Guen opened his eyes in shock. This application of Force technique startled him, especially the powerful presence he sensed behind it.

"So you're here. Come out, you two from the Goddess Temple." A flat voice sounded.

Old Fifteen was a highly respected senior within the Imperial Council.

In their generation, Old Fifteen and his third brother had personally cut off the cultivation paths of the other princes. In the end, the Emperor had no choice—only the two of them remained among the direct line.

Now, Old Fifteen had reached Planetary Level 5.

As for his third brother, he was already at Planetary Level 7.

Guen's expression turned serious. He knew this was aimed at him. The various fighters of the Goddess Temple were stationed in different Armory Camps to better detect beasts. In this camp, the only Planetary-level fighters were Guen and Cal.

Guen and Cal stepped out of their rooms one after another, their gazes immediately locking onto Old Fifteen.

"It's him, Lord Fifteen! It's him! I'd recognize him even if he turned to ash!" A man behind Old Fifteen shouted.

Guen looked over—it was the Planetary Level 2 fighter who had fled first during his pursuit.

His face was twisted, his eyes brimming with the unmistakable thrill of impending revenge.

"Shut up, you coward. If you really had the skill to recognize him as ash, I'd call you 'lord' myself." Old Fifteen's expression didn't change, but his voice turned colder. The man immediately swallowed his arrogance and stood aside sheepishly.

"You're Guen?" Old Fifteen sized him up.

Just as Guen was about to speak, a domineering voice rang out: "Don't waste words with him. So brazen and reckless—seize him directly and make him kneel in repentance!"

When Scarface Old Three saw that Guen was truly only at Planet First Order, his expression grew grim. He had been observing from the shadows, but now his killing intent flared.

He almost dared not capture Guen. Doing so would violate the Trial Grounds' purpose of nurturing geniuses.

The better one performed in the trials, the more the Trial Grounds paid attention. For exceptionally talented geniuses, capturing, imprisoning, or killing them made no difference in the Trial Grounds' eyes—it would directly interfere. But merely teaching a lesson was fine.

Scarface Old Three aimed to seize this chance to shatter Guen's will, leaving a deep shadow in his heart that would slow his cultivation to a crawl.

Scarface Old Three was of a higher rank and planned a sneak attack. Guen and Cal had no time to react before a "bang" sounded. A black figure flew backward from in front of them, and a slender silhouette stood before them—small in stature, yet giving a sense of towering strength.

"How dare you! To lay hands on someone from my Goddess Temple right in front of me—even Us wouldn't have the nerve!" the East Guardian barked.

Scarface Old Three landed, and both he and Old Fifteen's faces changed as they recognized the newcomer. They exclaimed in unison: "East Guardian!"

Scarface Old Three's face turned ugly. He knew the chance to teach Guen a lesson was lost. Miss this opportunity, and he might not get another before Guen left Eastsea Province. By their next meeting, Guen might already have the strength to face him alone.

He had seen how terrifyingly fast true geniuses could progress.

"Hmph! East Guardian, don't get cocky. You're not worthy of Ancestor Us's attention. Send your Goddess Temple's High Priest instead." Scarface Old Three and Old Fifteen stood together, his voice cold and sharp.

"The High Priest? A Planetary Level Nine, and you need the High Priest for that? If Us truly wants to challenge the High Priest, he'll have to get past me first to see if he's even qualified." The East Guardian was utterly arrogant.

Scarface Old Three and Old Fifteen shot into the air: "I won't waste words with you. If you're really that capable, try breaking into my Lionheart City."

"Come as you please, leave as you please—you really don't take me seriously, do you?" The East Guardian raised an eyebrow and vanished from before Guen in an instant.

Before long, two dull thuds and muffled groans sounded. The East Guardian drifted back slowly from afar, glanced at the Imperial Council Fighter frozen in place, on the verge of tears, and said, "What, still not scramming?"

The Imperial Council Fighter had just started to rise when the East Guardian said with a smile, "Can't read? Didn't understand I told you to scram?"

The Imperial Council Fighter shuddered, hesitated again and again, then gritted his teeth and actually rolled on the ground.

As expected of a Planetary Level Fighter—one roll carried him hundreds of meters away, and after two or three more, he rolled right out of everyone's sight.

The East Guardian was stunned: "He actually rolled. If he'd rather die than submit, I couldn't really do anything to him. Damn it, Guen, boy, you're in big trouble now."

Guen blinked, staring at the East Guardian in confusion.

Cal couldn't help but explain: "The East Guardian holds high rank and great power. It's only natural for him to teach them a lesson, but he couldn't just kill them outright—otherwise the Aoyu Empire would fall into chaos. We can't possibly withstand an assassination from Old Emperor Us, so usually, it's just a lesson, unless the offense is severe. Then it's just humiliation.

"But telling a Super Tier Fighter of the Imperial Council to roll away—that's a blatant slap in the face to the Council. It might not be a fight to the death, but it's a deep grudge. Lord East Guardian, they can't afford to provoke him, so the debt naturally falls on you, Brother Guen."

What a loss!

Guen finally understood and couldn't help cursing under his breath.