The eight governing gods of the wood puppet race tried their best to hold on but it was extremely
difficult.
Thankfully, they were all stronger than the Eight Stone Saints and the gnome, who were struggling
even harder.
"Ah! Please stop it!"
Asa shouted.
"Come closer to me."
Austin turned to face them and released the great cosmos force in his body, enveloping the Eight Stone
Saints and the gnome.
Immediately, they sighed in relief.
Noticing this, the eight governing gods also moved in to form a tighter circle.
Once the great cosmos force shield was protecting everyone around Austin,
they continued to climb down the abyss.
Finally, they landed on the floor of the abyss.
Down here, it was so dark that nothing could be seen
and everyone's spiritual sense was greatly restricted.
Even Austin was surprised to discover that he could only see a few meters around him.
The range of perception of the eight governing gods was even narrower.
And the gnome and the Eight Stone Saints couldn't see anything. They were completely engulfed in the
darkness.
"Whoa. I didn't know that a place like this existed in this supreme universe.
This abyss is so mysterious
that a governing god wouldn't even dare explore it.
Is this place related to an ultimate master?"
Austin asked, looking up from where they had climbed down.
This wasn't a place where he could walk around casually. He needed to use his spiritual sense to
constantly take note of his surroundings.
"Austin, if we had known that the abyss was this bad, we wouldn't have followed you.
Now, we're practically blind.
We have become your burden."
Asa sighed and slumped his shoulders.
The gnome and the Eight Stone Saints only tagged along because they wanted to learn.
After all, Austin was extremely powerful; and the eight members of the wood puppet race were all
governing gods.
There was a chance that they could increase their realm and strength from this experience alone.
Witnessing Austin dealing with the eight governing gods of the face race had impacted them
dramatically.
The way that they thought about things around them had undergone a profound change.
It could be said that the gnome and the Eight Stone Saints had gained a lot just from following Austin
and watching him fight.
However, in that moment, they felt like they were all going to die,
both in flesh and spiritual soul.
"I have an idea.
I'll hide you inside my human world,"
Austin suggested. Since they were friends, he wouldn't belittle them for being afraid.
"Of course, Austin. That's exactly what we want,"
the Eight Stone Saints answered.
"Fine. Since we are not strong enough, this is the best solution,"
the gnome added hesitantly.
With a wave of his hand, Austin teleported them into one of the human worlds inside his body.
"Now as for the rest of you, have you found the holy weapon yet?
The only reason I'm here is to protect you.
You eight are the only ones who can take the treasure."
Austin focused back on the eight governing gods of the wood puppet race.
After hiding the others inside the body, Austin felt like the task had become a lot less stressful.
"Young man, we can sense that the holy weapon is close."
Austin watched as the eight governing gods fumbled their way to the left before activating their spiritual
senses.
The maternal tree must have given them its guidance so that they could find the holy weapon once
they arrived.
Since he couldn't help them look, Austin kept releasing his law energy to protect the eight governing
gods.
As they continued to move forward,
Austin felt the energy pressure ahead pressing down harder.
He peered ahead and saw waves of horrifying energy spreading and imprisoning the darkness.
The pressure was becoming so strong that Austin was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
Cuts sliced deep in his skin and
his spiritual soul felt like it was being squeezed.
The tremendous energies were crushing Austin's spiritual soul, causing a headache to circle his skull.
'What is happening in front of us?
This kind of energy pressure is too advanced to have been created by a master at the level of
governing god.
Could it be that...'
Austin looked ahead of him, not daring to blink.
Still under the protection of Austin, the eight governing gods were relaxed and working at a faster pace.
"Young man, the holy weapon is so close!"
one of them exclaimed, causing the rest to chatter excitedly.
"Oh?
Really?
Then hurry up and grab it. We need to leave this place as soon as possible,"
Austin urged.
"Look! There's someone in front of us!"
one of the governing gods warned in a muffled voice, pointing ahead.
"Where?"
Austin looked around, trying to put a face to the presence he had also detected.
Suddenly, a white figure appeared in the darkness in front of them. From where Austin stood, all he
could make out was their back.
It was beautiful and slender.
He immediately determined that it was a girl.
And what shocked Austin more than her sudden presence was that the sight along of this girl's back
gave him a sense of familiarity.
"That's weird. Have I met her before?"
The closer he got, the stronger this feeling became.
"Young man, we don't know if she's hostile. Be careful!"
a governing god said to Austin in a trembling voice.
"Of course!"
Feeling at a loss for words, Austin said no more.
He continued to get closer to the girl in white, and all the while, the pressure Austin felt increased.
Thus, he began walking slower and slower.
In the end, it was difficult to even take a step.
Seeing Austin try and walk made the eight governing gods realize how much pressure he was under.
Without Austin, they would never have stood a chance in the abyss.
"Young man,
the holy treasure of our race is beside that girl!"
a governing god exclaimed in surprise as he spotted it.
"Yes! That's the holy treasure of our wood puppet race!"
the other seven governing gods also cried out.
"Oh?
Really?
I didn't notice anything."
Stunned, Austin looked in the direction they were pointing.
It was true. There was something on the ground beside the girl in white.
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