Blade General

Before long, Carl returned with a beaming smile and a large bundle of materials. With a thought, her Flame God Armor could form a backpack, so it was convenient for Planetary Level Fighters to carry things.

Alpha, the bald man, had just learned about the Flame God Armor from Guen. He watched Carl enviously, but he also knew that if he joined a major faction, he'd have a good chance of getting one himself.

Carl landed and said with some feeling, "Guen, we have you to thank for killing this sea beast. Your strike severely wounded the Squid Sea Beast, and since we were on land, I was able to kill it easily. Otherwise, sea beasts are so tenacious that without a Force Weapon, they're incredibly difficult to injure."

The Aoyu Empire had plenty of Secret Methods, but weapons and Battle Suits were a major weakness. The most powerful weapons they could mass-produce were Diamond Level. They were sharp enough for Apprentices, but not much use to Planetary Level Fighters. It was common for several Diamond Level weapons to break in a single Planetary Level battle.

Only a handful of people could produce First Order Force Weapons, so most of the Aoyu Empire's Planetary Level Fighters had none to use.

Guen merely smiled and said nothing.

Just then, Alpha suddenly spoke up. "Seniors, I've heard a lot from Senior Guen, so I've decided to join the Forest Goddess Temple. Would that be possible?"

Guen was helpless. "I told you, you can just call me brother. Besides, I'm younger than you. You can call me Guen."

Alpha hurriedly waved his hands. "How could I do that? If you two hadn't saved us, my brothers and I would all have died in the beast tide. And if I hadn't seen Senior Guen display such incredible strength, I wouldn't have realized how to advance to Super Tier—Planetary Level. I have to repay this debt of gratitude. How could I call my benefactors brothers?"

Guen exchanged a helpless glance with Carl.

Alpha might have looked rugged, but he was extremely stubborn. Guen had no idea what to do with him.

Carl smiled. "No faction would turn away a Planetary Level Fighter. Even the top ten in the trials aren't as valuable as one, and not everyone in the top ten will advance to Planetary Level."

Carl sighed.

The trials were held once every four years, and the odds of advancing to Planetary Level were measured over a decade. Only three or four of the higher-ranked contestants would make it. Although everyone had a stronger foundation nowadays, raising that number to six or seven, it was still low overall.

With all the talent the Aoyu Empire gathered over four years, only five or six people would advance within a decade. That was already a small number, and it was only possible because the Aoyu Empire had enough foundational knowledge and training methods. On some ordinary Life Planets in the universe, it was hard to say whether even one Planetary Level Fighter would emerge.

Of course, if you extended the time frame to twenty or thirty years, more Planetary Level Fighters would appear. But compared with those who advanced within a decade, they had far less potential.

The Forest Goddess Temple had nearly a thousand official members, all Planetary Level Fighters or people with a good chance of becoming one. Compared with the Aoyu Empire's population of over a billion, that wasn't bad. Still, it showed just how rare Planetary Level Fighters were. Besides, even when an official member died, their number was retained. In reality, perhaps only five or six hundred were still alive. Some had failed to advance to Planetary Level and died of old age after a century; others had perished in various conflicts.

Planetary Level Fighters faced plenty of dangers on this planet, too.

After all, a Planetary Level Fighter could live for a full thousand years.

Many of the Planetary Level Fighters here had lived for centuries, and their numbers had built up over time. If you counted only those who had advanced within the past century, there would be only thirty or forty in the Goddess Temple.

So Guen and Carl certainly wouldn't turn away a Planetary Level Fighter who wanted to join. As his sponsors, they would also receive a certain amount of contribution credit.

Alpha hesitated, then asked cautiously, "But I do have one small request. Could you two possibly grant it?"

Carl kept her expression neutral. "The higher-ups at the Goddess Temple decide whether you're accepted; we can't make that call. But you can tell us first, and we'll give you some advice."

Alpha took a deep breath. "I want to bring my brothers along and have them join the Goddess Temple, too. They're all capable fighters. Even the weakest among them is now a Ninth-rank Warrior—in other words, Apprentice Level 9, as my benefactor Guen calls it. My brothers and I have faced life and death together. I know them better than anyone, and they're all good people. There's no problem with their character. In fact, we learned about the Goddess Temple years ago, when we took part in the trials. We wanted to join, but we searched all over the Aoyu Empire and couldn't find it, so we joined the Lion-Tiger Legion under the Imperial Council instead."

Alpha was anxious. He'd only learned of the Goddess Temple when he'd taken part in the trials, but even so, he could sense how mysterious it was!

Extraordinary!

While Carl had been chasing the Squid Sea Beast, Alpha had talked with Guen and discovered that they both belonged to the Goddess Temple. The mysterious temple had produced two Super Tier Warriors at once. The impact on Alpha was easy to imagine, so he wasn't sure whether his request would be granted.

To his surprise, Guen and Carl laughed when they heard his request.

"Alpha, do you know who serves as guards at our Goddess Temple?"

Alpha shook his head. He didn't even know where the Goddess Temple was, let alone what kind of people guarded it.

Carl continued, "They're all disabled fighters. The Goddess Temple is full of experts, and the empire's strongest person, the High Priest, is stationed there. Who would dare cause trouble? It doesn't really need guards. But these disabled fighters made great contributions while fighting off the savage beasts' invasions. Should they be neglected just because they're disabled?

"That would be completely unfair! So the Goddess Temple's guards are all fighters with distinguished records. Those who aren't too severely disabled often receive guidance from Planetary Level members. Over time, some of them have even advanced to Planetary Level. It's become a celebrated story, so you don't need to worry about that."

Alpha's eyes widened. "Even fighters with disabilities can advance to Planetary Level? Are there treasures that can restore their bodies?"

"Of course. There's a treasure called Spirit of Vegetation. Some of them can repair limbs or even regrow severed ones. But there aren't many, so they're only given as rewards to guards who perform well or have great potential," Carl explained.

Alpha said gratefully, "You two saved my life, and now my brothers have been given this opportunity, too. If we really can join the Goddess Temple, I'll do anything to repay your kindness."

Guen shook his head inwardly, then said solemnly, "This beast tide has been incredibly fierce. There must be more than one Planetary Level sea beast that came ashore. The ones still in the sea are one thing, but now that they've come onto land, we have to make sure they don't get away."

"Right. Blood for blood! Three of my brothers died in the beast tide. I'll make those animals pay," Alpha said through gritted teeth.

Guen warned him, "You don't have a Flame God Armor, and you've never fought a Planetary Level sea beast. Be extremely careful. Don't act rashly."

Alpha nodded solemnly.

The three of them then flew off in different directions.

It was easy to track down the beast tide. Even if they didn't spot it directly, they could quickly gather intelligence through the Goddess Temple's Smart Watches.

For three or four hours straight, Guen led the other two around, killing and driving back countless sea beasts. Even Carl's Planet Level 5 body grew exhausted, and they finally had to rest.

And Guen came to be known as the Blade General!

Whenever his blade flashed, the sea beasts were routed.

Guen had already made a name for himself among many Fighters by killing Fighters from the Imperial Council. This time, he earned even greater renown. Wherever he went, defeated human troops immediately found the courage to keep fighting—and even counterattacked.

The ordinary soldiers didn't know who Guen was. Since he defeated his enemies with a single strike every time, they called him the Blade General. Within three or four hours, the name had reached the ears of Planetary Level Fighters, who agreed it was a fitting title.

"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!"

Guen found a place to rest and began absorbing Cosmic Energy. This time, he absorbed dozens of times more than before, which amazed him. He was starting to understand: when he exerted force with his whole body, all his cells became "hungry." In his previous training, only some of his cells had grown hungry, which was why he absorbed so much more energy this time.

This full-body exertion seems to have major benefits for cultivation, too. It just puts a lot of strain on my body. I can't keep going all out.

Guen pondered silently.

Carl and Alpha heard the commotion and looked over. Carl exclaimed, "Brother Guen, in just a few months, you've gone from a newcomer to a renowned powerhouse! Most Planetary Level Fighters aren't even qualified to earn a title. Your progress is incredible."

A title wasn't handed out casually. Being strong wasn't enough; you also needed a remarkable record and recognition from others.

Having a title didn't necessarily mean someone was overwhelmingly powerful. For instance, if a Planet First Order Fighter was skilled with hidden weapons and once fought three opponents at once, winning decisively, they could easily earn a title.

A powerful person could also go without a title if they kept a low profile.

A title usually meant that someone stood out among their peers, had a special skill, or had some particularly remarkable experience. Carl had no reason to envy Guen.

"It's really nothing. These sea beasts are so stupid. For years, the ones that attacked the land always followed rivers. These ones came straight ashore, and they're practically helpless. I just happened to make a bit of a name for myself," Guen said seriously. "If a human went deep into the sea and encountered sea beasts, they wouldn't stand a chance either."

Alpha muttered, "Who'd be stupid enough to go into the water on their own?"

Guen wholeheartedly agreed. The sea beasts might do something that stupid, but surely humans wouldn't.

Suddenly, Guen's Smart Watch vibrated. He raised his hand to look and saw that the East Guardian was calling. He quickly accepted.

"My lord, it's me."

The East Guardian's voice came through the Smart Watch. Even after seeing it several times, Alpha still found it novel. "Guen, I heard your strength has improved significantly, and that you're now at Planet Level 5 or 6. You didn't use any potions, did you?"

The East Guardian was worried Guen had used a Tempering Potion to hunt the sea beasts that came ashore and earn contribution credit. That would be shortsighted and a waste.

"My lord, I just had a realization after stopping a Four-Claw Red Crab earlier. I didn't use any potions."

"The Four-Claw Red Crab is still alive? There's only one in the deep sea. It isn't especially strong, but it's always behind the trouble it causes. The Demon Hunters and Dinghai City have tried to get rid of it several times. Anyway, never mind that. Since you didn't use potions, your progress must be tremendous. A year ago, you were only a Tier 7 Apprentice, and now you can match Planet Level 5 or 6. You're no longer relying on weapons to produce similar attacks. At this rate, you'll probably surpass me soon."

Alpha, standing nearby, nearly popped his eyes out.

Just a year ago, Guen had been a Tier 7 Apprentice, and now he could match a Planet Level 5 Fighter?

Guen humbly replied, "Even if I'm progressing quickly, I have no idea how long it'll take me to reach your level, let alone surpass you."

The East Guardian didn't agree. "The gap between us is still considerable, but it took me more than three hundred years to cultivate from Planet First Order to where I am now! My chances of reaching Star Level aren't great, either. You've only spent a year getting this far. It's only a matter of time before you surpass me. I wouldn't even be surprised if you advanced to Star Level within a century—no, even within fifty years. If I hadn't met a genius about as talented as you, I probably wouldn't sleep tonight."

A genius about as talented as me? Guen's thoughts stirred.

The East Guardian changed the subject. "By the way, Guen, I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in going under the sea."

"What?!"