"This...it can't be. The Old Guard left their post? YOU left your post after all these years? You and the Blade Lord both...it can't be." The Angelic Commander suddenly showed signs of unease for the first time in a generation. First The Bladelord who was all but presumed dead, and now the Old Guard who had not left their position in countless eons? Who would be next, the Demon Generals of the Hells?

"Well? Will you leave in peace or do you wish to taste mortal steel? I'm willing to give your masters face and let this end here dogs of Heaven!" The smiling and gentle white haired elder suddenly displayed his stern side. His strong halberd shrunk and returned to a "normal" height of 5 meters in his hands. The Angelic Commander eyed the titanic tear in the void which the white haired geezer had seemingly torn open on a whim. However...he was a proud commander of the Heavens! How he could retreat without even testing the mortals?

"Heh. A bunch of ants who have lived too long think they can summon the winds and rains. Very well! Take one of my strikes and I'll let you all leave!" The Angelic Commander suddenly raised his hand and unleashed a technique.

Heaven's Heights-Hand of the Celestials!

A massive hand which dwarfed the stars and drowned the hopes of humans and demons alike enveloped the sky above the world. It was many times larger than the spacial tear which the white haired geezer had torn with his tri-bladed halberd. However, it was not a spacial technique and did not reach the level required to split the void. The white haired geezer twirled his giant tri-bladed halberd seeing this sudden attack. However...he did not put it in his eyes for in his youth he had challenged far greater emissaries of the Heavens!

"Truly...presumptuous to issue a challenge and attack without even waiting for a response from the other party. Very well, I will receive your attack!" He said and instantly a massive distortion appeared around him. It was as if space itself was pulsating around him and he was the stone which had been thrown into the pond of space.

Spacial Severance-Distortion!

VroooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM

There was a sort of undecipherable hum as space suddenly vibrated in tune with the old geezer's halberd. As the Hand of the Celestials technique pressed down upon the rippling space around the old man...it was absorbed and disappeared as if it had never been!

"What?" The Angelic Commander's eyes widened as his technique was canceled and he hastily called out to leave.

"All forces. We're leaving!" He looked at the Bladelord. "Don't think that because I give The Old Guard face that we are done here. Now that we know you've returned, you had better not show a single hair in this dimension. Heaven's Eyes are always watching!" Then he turned and marched off into a space gate of white light which opened in front of him. Behind him the Angelic Cohorts quickly followed suit. After they were gone the Bladelord nodded to the old white haired geezer.

"Heh, old man, you still got it huh? Why am I bothering to guard humanities younguns when you're still around?" He joked. However, his usual petulant air was not present. It was clear Dahn was genuinely touched that The Old Guard had left their post to honor their obligations. In the cultivator's world, that was an important detail. The old geezer smiled and clasped his hands before tearing a huge hole through which the heroes of humanity also began to leave.

"A debt owed is a debt paid. Thank you Dahn, I hope you will continue to guard the young ones. After we are gone...you will survive and watch the coming of the new era. Is that not worth watching over a few seeds?" The old geezer left without saying much more. His post was too important to abandon for long. However, before he left he secretly sent a mental transmission to Dahn.

"The one you're guarding...you must not let the Heaven's discover him! If you do, the consequences would be unimaginable! He walks The Nine Path's of Asura like the Unbound One. If he is not mature when the last Pillar crumbles there will be no one to stop that one."

As the space gate closed a surprising noise rang out.

KEEEEEEEEKKKK

It was a loud snort. Dahn smirked,

"Yea right like a little ungrown brat is really that important. I see right through you old man." He said. However...the seeds of doubt were planted in that moment. What if the boy was really someone important to humanity's survival in the future?

"Heh comeon, that old man can still challenge the Heaven's. There's plenty of time till the time of end." Dahn tried to shrug it off but it had to be said, something still nagged at him and now the thought of wiling away the hours in another dimension ceased to appeal to him.

"Maybe I SHOULD keep a closer eye on him...." He said as he cast an eye down upon Lineir who had been hiding in the lip of the collapsed Hellhole. However as he looked at Lineir who was furiously waving for his attention he caught sight of Mizuchi in Lineir's hand....

"THAT FREAKING ***** DIDN'T CALL FOR HELP WHEN SHE CAUSED THE TROUBLE!!!!!!!! AAOGNESOGNSE********* ***** ************" He cursed wretchedly and briskly went down.

"Kid. Go here. I'm sending you to the true higher realms. Good luck. I'll be on vacation if you need me." So saying he suddenly grabbed Lineir and tossed him into a spacial portal before he could even say hello.

"Whaaa---------!!!?" Lineir was at a loss at the senior who had never shown up to pick him up from the collapsing Hellhole suddenly tossed him into the void willy nilly. However, as he went he swore he heard a girly giggle....