A slight sound of breaking air rose, signaling that the Star Guard had launched a stealth attack, having already arrived beneath the position of the Little Refining Demon, and thrust his long spear fiercely.
The monster was highly agile—it dodged to the side at once, avoiding the Star Guard’s attack, and then with a push of its feet, it pounced straight toward Zhang Xiaoman.
Seeing this scene, Lin Sisi immediately grabbed Zhang Xiaoman’s sleeve anxiously, while the two Wencheen brothers beside her involuntarily held their breath.
But faced with the attack of the Little Refining Demon, how could Zhang Xiaoman be frightened?
Not to mention his 21 points of constitution, which made him completely unafraid of close combat, there was also the barrier of two Star Guards in front of him that the creature would probably not be able to breach.
He lifted his finger, releasing the Burst Spirit Skill he had prepared earlier, aiming directly at the monster in midair.
A faint sound was heard as the Little Refining Demon’s leaping figure suddenly paused, an energy ray piercing through its head almost instantaneously, before continuing unabated to make a small hole in the ceiling.
The empty basement was enveloped in purple light at this moment.
The Little Refining Demon fell to the ground, and before it could act, several Star Guards rushed forward, each driving a spear into its body and pinning it firmly to the floor.
The people around them viewed this scene with some disbelief, particularly the Wencheen brothers who were now wide-eyed with a look of confusion and shock.
They had not expected that the fearsome demon from Hell, the fire-breathing monster that had seemed so arrogant before, would lose its ability to resist with a single strike from this mysterious robed figure.
They had thought they were in for a tough fight, but never did they imagine the battle would end so abruptly.
"He’s not dead yet!?"
At this time, Dane had already come over with the support of his brother, looking at the still struggling Little Refining Demon on the ground with eyes full of surprise.
He had clearly seen the purple magic launched from the robed figure’s finger pass through the monster’s forehead!
Yet, it was still alive!
And it seemed to be struggling quite vigorously...
"Could it be, this is a demon..."
Dane seemed to suddenly think of something, his mouth slightly open, murmuring to himself:
"The demons from Hell, their form of existence is beyond what humans can comprehend. What is fatal to us, may not be much to them..."
As he spoke, he looked at the Little Refining Demon struggling on the ground, then said to Zhang Xiaoman, "At least now it has been subdued. May I ask what you plan to do with it?"
A hint of hope flickered in the eyes of the two Wencheen brothers.
Zhang Xiaoman was somewhat surprised and looked at them. The words they had just spoken were indeed somewhat accurate, although not without errors...
"I will kill it, but it is not a demon from Hell."
Zhang Xiaoman spoke up, correcting them:
"It is a monster from another universe, which we call Alien Species. What you see now is called the Little Refining Demon. Though its name and appearance may fit your legends, strictly speaking, it is not the demon you understand."
The two brothers were stunned for a moment. After a while, Dane let out a light sigh and said:
"I see. Thank you for helping us resolve the family mystery. I believe our father and mother can now rest in peace."
After he finished speaking, he suddenly looked up, a hopeful expression in his eyes as he continued to address Zhang Xiaoman:
"Your Excellency, I have another request. I hope you can give me a chance to kill it myself, to avenge my parents!"
Zhang Xiaoman glanced at his severely burned arms and asked, "With your current condition, can you do it?"
Standing beside him, Sam also spoke up, "Your Excellency, I am here too. My brother and I will kill this monster with our own hands!"
Zhang Xiaoman sighed, "Alright, it’s up to you then. Just chop off its head, that’s the only way to truly kill it."
The Wencheen brothers repeatedly thanked him and then borrowed a Star Guard’s long spear from Zhang Xiaoman. The two brothers stood together, united in their effort to lift the huge weapon and fiercely chopped off the Little Refining Demon’s head.
As the monster’s head fell to the ground, Dane dropped to his knees with a "thump," the intense pain in his hands distorting the burly man’s expression.
The headless Little Refining Demon continued to struggle for quite some time before it finally ceased moving. Zhang Xiaoman, observing this scene, couldn’t help but feel apprehensive.
The last time he encountered Little Refining Demons, after losing their heads, they also struggled, but soon died completely.
However, the one today persisted much longer than before—several times longer, in fact.
He even started to doubt whether high-order "demon" species monsters would die after losing their heads...
The thought of the strong constitution and Fireball Technique skills possessed by today’s creature made Zhang Xiaoman wonder if these monsters from another universe also had some sort of evolution mechanism?
Just like the current Little Refining Demon, whose strength was perhaps slightly stronger than that of a single Star Guard. If it were allowed to grow further, would it become a Refining Demon, a Great Refining Demon, or even some other more terrifying monster?
He suddenly realized he had overlooked a critical issue all this time.
The real world isn’t a game. Low-level creatures don’t stay low forever—they can grow, just like today’s Little Refining Demon.
Therefore, he had to be more cautious with every type of monster and also accelerate his power increase. Otherwise, if he grew slower than the monsters, it would be over for him.
Lost in thought, Zhang Xiaoman had already squatted down and extended his right hand, where a light shone from his palm, absorbing the Little Refining Demon’s carcass and converting it into points.
"Ding, Little Refining Demon essence absorbed, points increased by 14."
The System’s notification arrived as expected, and Zhang Xiaoman understood—14 points. No wonder a single Star Guard couldn’t take it down; these monsters were indeed not as simple as they appeared.
"Your Excellency... I’m sorry, but we still don’t know how to address you and this young lady..." Dane once again stood up with his brother’s assistance.
Zhang Xiaoman looked at his trembling hands and sighed slightly, saying,
"In the organization, my codename is Ji Xing, and this young lady, like your ancestors, is a Guardian of the Star Alliance. As for how to address her, just call her Lin..."
The Wencheen brothers, hearing him mention their family’s ancestral title, immediately turned their gaze towards the girl dressed in a white outfit with golden edges, their faces showing some expectation.
"So she is the Guardian... Our ancestors must have been like her, right?"
Envy flickered on Dane and Sam’s faces as they turned their gaze back to Zhang Xiaoman, full of longing and hope.
Zhang Xiaoman shook his head slightly and said, "Today, when I saw the state of the Wencheen family, I was very disappointed. The Guardians of the past had completely forgotten their identity..."
The two brothers’ heads drooped in disappointment upon hearing this.
Zhang Xiaoman surveyed the surroundings, his expression turning more serious, but the words he spoke next were different from before:
"However, just now, your actions have made me change my opinion of the Wencheen family again. In facing the Alien Species, you supported each other, defended valiantly without retreat, and in the end, despite the pain, you were determined to personally avenge your family. This comforts me..."
He turned his head and looked at them once more.
"It seems the Guardians have rediscovered their glory..."
A smile appeared on Zhang Xiaoman’s face.
"Congratulations, you have successfully passed my test."