These guardians were all at the early stage of the fourth realm. They had been stuck in that stage without hope of advancing although they knew that they were realms above their current realm, they still acted willfully because they were certain that they were the masters of this realm. To the cultivators of this desolate realm, they were akin to gods. What these guardians didn't know did not exist, what they don't think is possible, would be made so, their words are the law, these cultivators would follow everything they say to their death.
The young man Ryker who "fought" with Sernon turns out to be one of the grandchildren of one of the guardians, Zion. He was sent there on the orders of his grandfather to claim that mine before the other guardians would know of its existence. This wasn't anything unusual; all the other guardians do the same thing when they discover anything helpful to their cultivation or the cultivation of their faction's disciples. Who wouldn't?
When Ryker and his entourage got back to the faction's ground, he immediately sought an audience with the faction's leader and elder who was in fact his grandfather. At first, he wasn't granted permission which was normal after all to them their leader and elder was their god plus, his dwelling was not accessed easily due to its properties. When he told the guard who had been sent to deliver the response of the elder to him that his visit was concerning the Mana mission he was entrusted to complete, he was immediately granted an audience with the elder.
The elder's abode was in fact a temple. It was no ordinary temple. This temple was an artifact that had been forgotten by a God here. It had defensive properties which could defend against a full out power of multiple Peak ascended cultivators without fail. One would have to climb exactly nine hundred and ninety nine steps to get to the temple's entrance. This was by no means something a normal human would be able to accomplish. If at all they were able to accomplish that, they would use days, if not weeks to accomplish such a feat.
This almost seemingly impossible was in fact accomplished by an injured Ryker within twenty minutes! Well, he is a cultivator and all so, he shouldn't be compared to normal human beings.
When he got to the temple's entrance, he took off his shoes before proceeding to enter the. On entering the Temple, he felt his mana become calm. The disoriented mana which Sernon had caused was calmed by the healing effects of the artifact. This artifact, although coming off as useless to beings in the fourth realm, it was a sacred treasure to those in realms below. Right now Ryker felt that if he was allowed to stay here for a week, he would be able to comprehend his very own aura. But alas, he wasn't deemed worthy of such a treatment due to his inferior talent. Which was why he was hoping that the information he was going to give the elder would grant him access to cultivate in the temple.
While he was having these ideas, the elder guardian, a man who looks to be in his mid forties although he was already more than a century old, with hair as black as the night and eyes full of silent deceit clad in pure white clothes appears before him and calls out softly. His appearance was like those of an otherworldly Angel. That is, if you were to ignore the scheming and deceitfulness of his eyes. His voice was so soft and smooth to the ears like a piece of children's lullaby music "Little Ryker," on hearing his elder's voice, he immediately kneels down with his head adjacent to the ground "I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest" he apologizes sincerely, although, the elder just dismisses his apology and asked with a very calm and soft tone, "Not to worry, but what is this I hear about the Mana Vein? You did not manage to acquire it?" On hearing his tone, Ryker felt cold sweat rolling down his face. He was scared shitless. He knew first hand how cruel this angel looking elder is. His heart was as dark as the devil's. 'Maybe he's the devil's spawn?' he thought.
As if reading his thoughts, the air around them turned extremely frosty. "Do you have a death wish?" The elder asked with his voice still maintaining the same octave. "No-no great elder. I was just-" Ryker stutters as he tries to explain. However, the elder didn't care for that. "Save it, just report what you have to about the Mana vein. Else, you know what would happen to you if some other faction claims it right?" He asks with a seemingly harmless smile which in fact held daggers within.
Ryker knew there was no need explaining things. He might as well just complete his agenda for coming here. "That…" he and his entourage were about to claim the Mana vein and mark it with the faction's Mark when they encountered Vanya and her group and how they decided to solve everything with a duel which he was defeated by just a breath from Sernon.
Author's Note: I urge you guys to please add my book to your collections and can someone please tell me why I still can't upload my book cover?😅