Chapter 30: Guardian

The green ball of light contorted several times and the outline of something that resembled a human face emerged.

However, the human face rapidly disappeared as the ball of light continued contorting and it became a monster.

The head of a crow, the body of a human.

When Chen Xiaolian saw the shape it took, he froze for a moment. He then coughed out with exertion and laughed out bitterly. “As expected… as expected, I got it right again.”

“What did you get right?” The crow headed monster asked.

“You are a Guardian,” Chen Xiaolian wiped his bloodied mouth. He could feel his strength diminishing and his body becoming increasingly colder. He shivered a little before slowly continuing. “A Guardian… and also… one of King Solomon’s 72 Demons, right?”

The crow headed Guardian issued out a “jie jie” sound of laughter. The ball of light then drifted before Chen Xiaolian’s face. “You got it right. Unfortunately, you are on death’s door. What is the point in that?”

Chen Xiaolian blinked, then he suddenly took on a peculiar tone of voice. “Correct, I am about to die, I am losing too much blood and my injuries are too serious… But since I am dying anyways, why did you have to appear and spout all these nonsense with me?”

The Guardian seemed momentarily stunned.

“Thus… I surmise that you must have a purpose, right?” Chen Xiaolian continued. “Could it be… all of us dying here is not what you have in mind?”

He had caught on to a crucial detail!

And this crucial detail is: Since all ‘Players’ are dead, why would a Guardian show itself at the last moment? Could it be trying to fulfil the traditional stereotype image of a villain by appearing to spout off a few nonsensical lines?

“…” The Guardian fixed its pair of crow eyes upon Chen Xiaolian for a moment. It then flicked its fingers.

With a snapping sound, a ball of green light landed on Chen Xiaolian’s chest.

Chen Xiaolian’s chest had Snow Edge piercing right through it. However, after being struck by the green ball of light, Snow Edge was seemingly pulled out by some type of force!

In addition, the green ball of light made it so that the wound on his chest did not bleed out at all!

“Just stopping the bleeding for you,” The Guardian laughed coldly.

Chen Xiaolian coughed out twice, his face set in a sneer – in his heart, he knew that he had won the bet once again.

The Guardian said with indifference. “Ever since all of you entered this cave, I have been watching all of you, each and every one… your every team, all of them were within my watchful eyes. As for you, you happen to be a candidate of interest for me.”

“Oh?”

“Although you are very weak, you are the one who found the ‘Passage of Death’ in the Hexagram Hall. The few people who manage to reach this place only did so by relying on your wisdom to find the correct path.”

Hearing that, Chen Xiaolian smiled with resentment. “The correct path? It is indeed correct. The Passage of Death… what a fitting name. As of now, they have truly died here.”

Chen Xiaolian narrowed his eyes and stared at the crow headed monster before speaking out slowly. “You used some method to confuse Newton’s mind, causing him to start a massacre, killing off his own team mates… en, that is right. Back then, he assumed everyone to be Awakened ones… the reason for that, I heard that he had once fallen in love with an Awakened… in the end, he personally killed the one he loved.

"That being said, I do not know the specifics. I do not even understand what an Awakened is.

"However, I suspect… an experience like this would certainly end up becoming a mental issue for Newton.

"A more general description of it would be that it had become a demon in his heart. And you must have taken advantage of this factor, confusing his mind!

"You can pry open the secrets of the heart… this meant that, as a demon, you possess the mind-reading ability.

"I believe… the 72 Demons; each of these Demons would have its own special abilities.

"En, the ability to read the mind of others, the name of this ability is ‘Astute Comprehension’.

"As for the ability that could cause teammates to kill one another, the name of that ability is ‘Falling Out’.

"And so…”

Chen Xiaolian’s expression flickered. “If I am not mistaken, there happen to be one amongst the 72 Demons with the same specifications as you. That is why… you are the one ranked seventh among the 72 Demons, Marquis of the Blaze. Your name is… Marquis Amon!”

The Guardian fixed its pair of crow eyes at Chen Xiaolian. After a while, he nodded his head. “Very good, it seems you really do have some understanding of us.”

“All right, we have been spouting enough nonsense, time to add spice to the topic.” Chen Xiaolian slowly continued. “You did not kill me, rather you were unwilling to see me die and helped me to stop my bleeding… in the end, what is it that you want?”

Peng!

A metal rod landed before Chen Xiaolian.

“In this square, there are a total of 72 pillars,” Amon’s voice seemed laced with traces of ferocity. “One of them has sealed my core spirit.”

“En, and then what?” Chen Xiaolian curled his lips in a grin. “Could it be that you want me to find it, then release you?”

Amon slowly nodded his head.

“I am not going to ask you why you cannot do it yourself. Considering the fact that you are sealed here, there must be some kind of prohibition that stops you from doing so yourself,” Chen Xiaolian gave a bitter smile. “How is the seal lifted? By using this rod to break the pillar?”

“You only have one chance. This rod could only break one pillar. If you choose the wrong one, then… this place will completely collapse.”

“It is not… wait, what do you mean… choose the wrong one?” Chen Xiaolian’s eyes suddenly bulged out. “You own seal… your own… you are telling me you do not even know which pillar to break?”

Amon shook his head. “I do not know.”

Chen Xiaolian became dumbfounded.

He turned and looked around. Within this square were tens of those pillars!

All of them looked completely identical!

Probability of success was one out of tens, it was necessary for him to find and break the correct one on his first try… if he made the wrong choice, then this cave will collapse and… everyone will be buried alive…

Chen Xiaolian picked up the metal rod and appraised it for a while… the rod was covered with patterns of indeterminable significance.

“Are there no tips?”

“There is only one,” Amon slowly replied. “I need to personally touch the pillar, then my spirit will give off a reaction.”

“Personally… touch?”

Chen Xiaolian looked at Amon… his body was a mass of illusory green light. It was clear that he did not have a real body.

Then… personally touch?

Chen Xiaolian’s heart suddenly palpitated. “You… you can’t be thinking of…”

“I need to borrow your body,” Amon grinned, uttering his “jie jie” laugh. “I had previously chosen the one called Newton. Unfortunately, he was killed by you all. Thus…”

Chen Xiaolian’s face changed, he abruptly pounced towards the ground and grabbed Snow Edge! With a backhand, he directed it towards the sphere of green light that was Amon!

The scimitar’s edge swung through Amon’s body of light. However, Amon only let out a contemptuous sneer!

“Fool! I am a spiritual body, how can you hurt me?”

After his scimitar swept through empty air, Chen Xiaolian’s eyes flashed with determination. He reversed the blade to cut towards his own neck!

This senior would rather die than allow my body to be taken over!

Pu!

The scimitar landed upon his neck, but a mass of green light lightly bounced off the scimitar!

Chen Xiaolian plopped down onto the ground. His arms became weak, bereft of energy.

After all, he just had all his attributes purified. As of now, his Physique and Endurance were at the critical low point of [E].

“It is useless,” Amon sneered. “If I do not want you to die, I have methods to ensure that. Besides… even if you die, there are three people here… your fellow friend here, the little girl who released the fire phoenix… oh, I nearly forgot, there is also the woman at the cliff of the other side of the iron chain bridge. Even if you end up dying, I can still choose someone else.”

Chen Xiaolian smiled resentfully. “If that is the case, why did you not let me commit suicide…”

“Unless as a last resort, I do not want to possess a woman,” Amon shook his head and sighed. He then cast a glance at Han Bi. “As for this fellow… his looks is too ugly.”

“Hey! Who are you calling ugly!” Han Bi coughed out violently to the point of spitting out blood. Still, he could not help but shout. “I can be killed but never humiliated! This senior will fight you to the death!”

Han Bi moved his hands and legs in an attempt to get up. However, Amon only let out a sneer as he continued standing at the same spot.

Chen Xiaolian moved over to help support Han Bi. Then, he turned his head to look at Amon. “So, you want me to offer my body as contribution?”

“Even though your strength is weak, it is at least stronger than the other three who are alive. In addition, that sunlight magic you used at the end against Newton seemed very good. Thus… I have decided to make your body mine. As for the fellow beside you… I saw his magic before, he actually turned himself into stone. That magic would only allow oneself to be beaten senseless. If I were to possess his body, that would be an insult to a demon’s intellect.”

Amon shook his head and sneered. “After my core spirit is released, I will need a suitable body for long-term use. The suitability of this body is very important for me before I fully recover my strength. You are quite good… that is why I chose you.”

“When you put it that way, I should actually feel honoured?” A strange look flashed through Chen Xiaolian’s face. He then let out a derisive smile. “It seems I have no other choice. In that case, bring it on!”

He threw the Snow Edge within his hand onto the ground – unexpectedly, it happened to fall onto the ground beneath Han Bi.

Han Bi had wanted to say something; but when he turned to look at Chen Xiaolian, he saw Chen Xiaolian throwing a cue at him, looking down at the Snow Edge that fell down.

Without waiting for Han Bi to understand, Chen Xiaolian turned back to look at Amon.

“Then bring it on, since I cannot resist…” Chen Xiaolian smiled bitterly. “How unexpected… today had been a truly remarkable one.”

Having said that, he closed his eyes.

Amon laughed out with his “jie jie” as his body transformed into a ball of green light which slowly entered Chen Xiaolian’s body.

Chen Xiaolian felt a chill through his body, as though a stream of icy water had been injected into his blood stream. Soon, it flowed through his entire body…