Standing over a glowing red flying sword, in High Union Elder robes, was a tall, red head hunter who was handsome and appeared to be in his early thirties.
He was looking at White with his ruby-like eyes in scrutiny and held an amiable smile on his handsome face. He was the 22nd High Union Elder from the Hunter Race, Grady.
Ace was naturally surprised by seeing a High Union Elder, of all people blocking his way despite knowing his identity and the assurance he got from the Union Guardian.
Although he didn't see anyone outside the library except for some hidden fellows who were clearly spying on him, but they didn't dare to approach him, so Ace ignored them. But this guy couldn't be ignored.
So, he appeared respectful and greeted, "Greeting, High Elder."
Grady's smile widened, and he said amiably, "Greeting to you too, Lord Jr. It's an honor to meet Milord, and the rumor about you being hardworking were not even come close to the real thing. I hope I didn't bother you with my abrupt appearance."
'Is he a bootlicker?' Ace thought, while White kept his calm composure and replied while shaking his head, "Please, don't embarrass me, High Elder. I'm just pursuing the cultivation path like everyone else and working toward the Union's better future. As for you bothering me, I don't think someone like you will bother me at all."
Grady nodded in acknowledgment as the cordial smile didn't vanish and said, "You're indeed gallant and virtuous. I expect nothing less from the future Lord of us all. So, I won't waste more of your precious time and get straight to the point.
"I'm actually appointed as your escort by the High Union Elder Council for one month before another High Elder will replace me. The cycle will continue like this until you are as strong as us, which I'm sure you'll be very soon."
'What?' Ace was astonished as he never expected to get a High Union Elder as an escort. This was a de facto Law Awareness Realm Expert, and he was going to be a Soul River realm junior escort.
If it were anyone else, they would've been gloating at their luck, but for Ace, it was nothing but putting more restrictions on his freedom. But he can't tell them that, now, can he?
"High Elder, how can I even dare to bother someone like you? Much less make you my escort. I'm flattered by the High Union Elder Council's care for me, but I don't think I need to waste High Elders' time like this. I'll be fine on my own." White quickly rejected.
Grady shook his head, "This is a final decision made with unanimous voting. Even the Sun Lord has approved of this, and your Master also didn't make any comment on this as well.
"This was done because the event took place here after you closed the library, and we were quite ashamed to see those juniors' behaviors. So, I'm afraid you can't reject this, and this is for your own safety and for the sake of your peaceful cultivation. So please don't make it difficult on me, or I'll be punished."
'Well, now that he put it this way… they probably sent him here after thinking about how everyone will try to approach me, and I got annoyed so easily. The Union Leader also took this thing into consideration, and that's why he took care of it for me.
'Don't tell me it's also part of his countermeasure so no one will disturb me, and having a High Elder will me all the time will also be assured no one can approach me, and he can lead him anywhere I want even faster, or they're simply afraid they might get implicated if someone from their family offended me…'
After Ace thought about the benefits of having a High Union Elder as an escort, he finally gave in. Besides, he seemed to have no choice in this matter since even that wily Sun Lord approved of it.
"Then I'll be troubling High Elder." White smiled wryly.
Grady couldn't help but smile widely when White agreed and said, "Don't worry, I won't interfere with Lord Jr.'s actions, and you can go anywhere you want. Just consider me as a protector who protects from afar."
White nodded and said, "Alright then, let's head toward the cultivation tower of the outer sun domain. I was heading there."
A hint of surprise flashed past Grady's eyes as he asked, "Outer Sun Domain? Why don't you go to the Inner Sun Domain Cultivation Tower? It has more advanced trials and floors than the outer sun domain cultivation tower."
'Oh, they didn't know about the true inheritance hidden in those cultivation towers.' Ace remembered the Union Leader's words.
"That's not it. It's a kind of task by my Master that without clearing both cultivation towers of the sun and moon outer domains, I can't enter the inner domains' cultivation towers. The same goes for the core domain cultivation towers. It's better for me to gain and build my experience." White then quickly made an excuse as if he had just remembered something.
Ace deliberately appeared tense while lying to a high elder because he might be getting observed, and if he lies like a pro, then it would really arouse suspicion.
Grady naturally noticed the hint and thought, 'Could it be the Union Leader has given him far more than just this task? It might be true, but how could just someone becomes the Union Leader just like that? There have to be far more difficult trials involved than we could even imagine…'
With this thought process, Grady solemnly nodded, "It's seemed I overstepped my boundary just now. Please forgive me, Lord Jr. Let' go; I'll take you there much faster. Please stand behind me."
Ace was more than happy to comply since it would really save him much more time than he anticipated, so he stepped on the red sword of Grady, who had just increased his flying sword size, while Ace stowed away the Dark Feather Sword.
Grady then enveloped White in his gentle red Qi to protect him before he suddenly looked in a particular direction and coldly snorted. Then, his sword moved, turning into a red streak and vanishing almost instantly.
Just over a mile away from where Grady and White just vanished, a few figures suddenly came out from a forest while sweating profusely. They were a devil, hunter, demon, human, and every race present in the inner sun domain. They all have a person present in this group with grim and horrid expressions.
"It seemed the High Elder Council warning of not approaching the Jr. Union Leader was not just empty words. They even sent a High Elder to make sure we can't bother him…" A pale-yellow demon gloomily uttered.
"The High Elder clearly noticed us, so we might not escape punishment this time. Well, this will at least teach those blind fools who still want to sneakily approach Lord Jr." A devil snorted in frustration.
"Alright, I'm going and report this, and I hope I won't see you lot anytime soon." A dwarf snorted before he quickly flew away.
The others were the same as they no longer dared to stay there, afraid the High Union Elder might come back to punish him.
The human in the group was the same, but his expression was ugliest from the bunch as he thought while flying toward the Human Sector.
'Don't tell me as the Clan Head predicted; those other races' high elders are really doing this purposely to stop the human race from rising by forming a good relationship with Lord Jr., who is clearly from our race….'
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