Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

But back then, the wars had only involved small tribes. Even when pushed to the brink of survival, the warring parties would, at most, send a few Guardian Gods who had completed their Transformed Form into battle.

A war of that magnitude was terrifying in its own right.

But it couldn’t compare to the oppressive presence of more than ten Guardian Gods now before them.

Nearly every member of the Fusang Tribe recognized that giant wolf. Even those who didn’t had heard fragments of discussion about it from the frontline soldiers.

Giant Wolf Svira, a Guardian God of the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe, and a Guardian God in the Dao Realm at the very least!

They couldn’t recognize all of the other Guardian Gods.

But that hardly mattered anymore.

The mere presence of Giant Wolf Svira meant this group of mysterious, suddenly-appeared Guardian Gods all came from their enemy, the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe!

To dispatch over a dozen Guardian Gods at once—a group that included not only masters of the Transformation Realm but possibly even hidden experts who had attained the Dao or higher…

For such a terrifying force to suddenly appear in the very heart of the Fusang Tribe’s territory… Even the dimmest members of the Fusang Tribe could sense the enemy’s sinister plot.

Clearly, the so-called fifty-thousand-strong army was merely a feint. The Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe had never expected to defeat the Fusang Tribe with a battle of attrition.

Their true trump card was this very contingent.

If they could destroy the Fusang Tribe’s Ancestral Court and kill its Guardian God, all conflict would end prematurely. It wouldn’t matter how many soldiers the Fusang Tribe had left; without the protection of their God, they would be nothing but lambs waiting for the slaughter.

The mere thought of the potential consequences was enough to make the scalps of countless Fusang tribespeople tingle with fear.

…

As the people of the Fusang Tribe stared on in horror, completely at a loss, the host of Guardian Gods from Nine-Tower Mountain had already sprung into action.

Several bizarrely-shaped Guardian Gods took nine broken Turtle Shells from their Storage Bags. They simultaneously poured Power of Incense into the shells, which swelled rapidly like balloons. In just a few breaths, a colossal barrier shaped like a turtle shell, formed from an immense amount of Power of Incense, materialized in the sky.

The Turtle Shell barrier descended like a curtain, precisely covering the entire sky over Santi Town and completely sealing it off from the outside world.

The middle-aged man swept his gaze over the surroundings. Once he confirmed the Turtle Shell barrier had blocked all outside observation, he fixed his eyes on the large Temple built by the Fusang Tribe nearby. He spoke coolly, “Guardian God of the Fusang Tribe, come out and let this King see what you’re made of. We’ve brought such a grand formation to deal with you. You’d better not disappoint me!”

Li Chang’an had sensed it the moment the portal appeared.

Hearing the man’s voice now, he wasn’t particularly surprised. He shrank his Divinity to a length of two meters and flew out of the Temple, appearing high in the sky as well.

The instant he left the Temple, dozens of figures emerged from it in perfect sync, following close behind him.

These were the elite Martial Artists of the Divine Hidden Guard, all with accomplished Cultivation.

Now, with their Guardian God, Li Chang’an, threatened by a foreign enemy, this group—these Sharp Blades who had spent their lives honing their skills in the shadows—finally had a chance to be unsheathed!

When a crowd of people suddenly swarmed out of the Temple, the middle-aged man’s expression flickered. ’His first reaction was that his opponent had been prepared. Otherwise,’ he thought, ’how could so many people have emerged from the Temple?’

But when he saw they were merely a group of humans following Li Chang’an, his expression quickly reverted, and he sneered, “Heh. I thought you had secretly recruited some help. To think you’re only followed by a group of lowly, insignificant humans. It seems I’ve overestimated you!”

When Li Chang’an had dealt with the smaller surrounding tribes before, the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe hadn’t faced him directly, but they had thoroughly investigated his strength afterward.

According to their investigation, though Li Chang’an was suspected to have only recently achieved his Transformed Form, his combat prowess clearly surpassed the limits of that state.

His exact level of power, however, had remained a mystery ever since.

For this very reason, the middle-aged man was, in the end, still extremely wary of Li Chang’an.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought so many allies with him from the outset, mobilizing nearly every subordinate Guardian God the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe could muster.

Li Chang’an sized up his opponent.

He first glanced at the giant wolf beneath the man, then stared at the middle-aged man himself for several long moments. Finally, he rubbed his chin and asked, “So, are you a man or a wolf? Or perhaps a Werewolf?”

Although Li Chang’an’s words were delivered casually, without a hint of hostility, the Guardian Gods in the opposing camp still took it as a provocation.

Among the dozen or so Guardian Gods, an elephant as large as a small mountain swung its long trunk and bellowed, “A mere inferior being from a minor tribe! Not only are you blind, but you’re arrogant and conceited, daring to provoke the Tower Mountain Wolf King. You’re truly courting death!”

With that, it took a step forward, swinging its massive trunk to launch the first attack at Li Chang’an.

Li Chang’an paid the elephant no mind, not even shifting his feet.

From behind him, two members of the Divine Shadow Guard stepped forward and, with their bare fists, brutally knocked the elephant’s massive trunk back.

The middle-aged man’s pupils contracted. His gaze toward the members of the Divine Shadow Guard was filled with shock and disbelief. “What in the world are these creatures? Humans? No, they can’t be. Don’t tell me you’ve colluded with those monsters from Hell?”

He couldn’t be blamed for his overreaction.

The very idea of mere mortals physically contending with a Guardian God was simply too absurd for him to accept. Thus, even with the proof right before his eyes, he refused to believe it.

…