Chapter 1176: Hard Labor
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Han Sen thought super creatures and king spirits were awesome beings of an unbridled power, coupled with near-prophetic intelligence and behavior that presented them as deity-like figures. This image he had of them became extremely distorted when he witnessed them enter the Sky Fruit: their grace was discarded in favor of being simple, hard-working miners.
The Sky Fruit nuts were not too tough, but the shells around them were like spherical bulwarks. To retrieve the nuts, the shells had to be broken. But there were also barriers to break.
The barriers were a little harder than the physical shells of the nuts. He had tried to break a shell with his Phoenix Sword previously, but he had been unable to. Without such weaponry, and with the barrier being stronger, he was in for a trying time.
Han Sen accepted a shovel, given to him by Dry Bone King. Upon striking the barrier before him, he was only able to peel away a thin section. Digging through it all was sure to take a long time.
There wasn't just one barrier there, either. The entire fruit was composed of various nut rooms, with entries separated by additional barriers of their own. Han Sen's job was to break through the barriers to obtain the geno treasure that was said to reside inside. The lower tier creatures would then come and take the nuts.
Seeing them all working hard, Han Sen's mind drifted back to wonder who might have placed the slip of paper in his room. And why the note said what it did, telling him to follow Qing Jun King.
"Weird." Han Sen suddenly heard Dragon King's voice, as if he had spoken directly into his ears. Han Sen looked around, seeing if anyone else might have heard him. It didn't seem that way, so he peeked at his ring.
"Don't worry; this is a secret method of communication. They won't hear me," Dragon King said.
Han Sen wanted to talk, but he didn't know how to do so without alerting the others. He'd look like a madman, babbling to himself.
"This Sky Fruit is weird." Dragon King paused, and then went on to say, "I can't feel the presence of geno treasure."
Han Sen thought, "The tree is dead. Isn't the lack of a geno treasure normal?"
It looked as if Dragon King could read Han Sen's mind, as he then said, "I can sense the presence of geno treasures, even if they haven't been created yet. I know where they would be. Here, there is absolutely nothing."
"Forget about the treasure; just find out where the tree we're looking for might be." Han Sen used dongxuan aura to hide himself and his speech.
"I don't sense that, either," Dragon King said.
Han Sen wanted him to find out where the Sky Tree was. Now, unable to find a trace of it, Han Sen was starting to suspect Dragon King was seeking to double-cross him.
Han Sen and Dry Bone King's people continued digging for another hour, and that was when they uncovered a path that led to the nut.
"This place serves as a junction that leads to four nut rooms. We should split into four teams to cover each path. Whoever finds the geno treasure first can claim it; if you can't claim it, others can try," Qing Jun King said.
"Dry Bone, Baby Ghost, group up with Earth Beast," Qing Jun King said.
Eleven people split into four teams. Qing Jun King did not put Han Sen in a team. One other super creature was left out, too, and so she said, "You're new, so who would you like to team up with? Me or the creature?"
"I'll go with you," Han Sen said.
This choice surprised Dry Bone King and Baby Ghost King. Qing Jun King was shocked, too. Qing Jun King's face went cold again, and she walked towards the barrier. Dry Bone King wished to say something, but everyone would have heard him speak. Regretfully, he had to hold his tongue.
Han Sen saw that he wished to say something, and guessed his words would have been something like, "You're committing suicide."
But Han Sen did not choose Qing Jun King because of the paper. He wasn't afraid of her, and he could use this opportunity to find out why she so desperately wanted Qiu Ping to kill Zhang Yuchen.
She could have killed them both with the greatest of ease, so her need for drama seemed unnecessary and uncharacteristic of a king spirit.
They broke the nut and then started to work on another barrier. Han Sen was only able to dig up a thin slice each time, but Qing Jun King was able to dig up a whole lot more. It took them two hours to dig a path that was big enough. After going through, they arrived in another nut room. They had to dig a path that was big enough for the creatures to come through and carry the fruit out.
For now, though, they were alone together. Han Sen knew he had to be careful, but Qing Jun King seemed focused on the task at hand. She got to work on yet another barrier.
Han Sen followed, but kept his wits about him.
"This is strange. Real strange." Dragon King's voice started to sound in Han Sen's ear again.
Qing Jun King was standing one meter away from Han Sen, so no matter how quietly he sought to speak, she'd hear any response he made to Dragon King.
"I can feel the presence of geno treasure ahead. It is behind this wall, but it's strange," Dragon King said.
Han Sen was happy, hearing he was about to stumble across the treasure. But with Qing Jun King there, they'd probably fight over its ownership.
Dragon King said, "There is something very wrong with this geno treasure."
Han Sen wanted to ask him for more details, but couldn't on account of Qing Jun King being right next to him.
"Furthermore, I know where the Sky Tree is!" Dragon King suddenly screamed.
Chapter 1177: Geno Treasure
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Where is the Sky Tree?" Han Sen almost blurted out.
Dragon King continued talking, saying, "I cannot believe Sky King is doing this. He wishes to sacrifice everyone here. He wants you all to become fertilizer."
Han Sen wanted to ask Dragon King to elaborate, but seeing Qing Jun King right next to him, simply decided to continue digging and listen.
Dragon King sighed and said, "When you break the barrier, you have to get the geno treasure. If you don't, we will all die here."
Han Sen frowned, thinking he might be exaggerating. If Sky King had been scheming, he couldn't enact a plan to wipe them all out in an instant. It wasn't as if Dragon King was the nicest person, either. He sacrificed a multitude of super creatures to revive himself.
Dragon King quickly said, "Even if you leave the tree, you'll be killed. Everyone who has eaten the walnuts will die, and that includes you. What? Do you think this entire forest isn't associated with the Sky Tree?"
Han Sen's heart jumped, but Dragon King did not stop explaining. He said, "You have to grab that geno treasure. Trust me on this. I will explain everything once this is over."
Han Sen could not reply to him right now, but he decided to follow his wishes. He was determined to take the geno treasure now. Even if Dragon King was lying and this was all just a scheme, there was no harm in obtaining geno treasure, after all.
Qing Jun King was right there, though. He wondered how he might grab it before she did. The rule was, whoever found the geno treasure could keep it. If two people discovered it, the person who was stronger could keep it.
Han Sen was not weak, but if he wanted to beat Qing Jun King, he might have to activate super king spirit mode.
A small portion of the barrier had been dug all the way through now, revealing a glimpse of the nut room on the other side. The nut room was strangely empty. Han Sen leaned in to take a closer look, and that was when he saw a pair of red eyes peering at him from the other side of the hole.
Han Sen jumped back as the red thing started to emerge from the hole he had created for it. As it started to come out, Han Sen quickly activated his gene locks to scan and get an idea of what he was faced with. The results surprised him.
It was a bronze mirror. Its surface was red, and the frame was adorned with a number of strange glyphs and symbols. The reflection, Han Sen had seen, depicted him as an enigmatic red being.
"Those red eyes... were they mine?" Han Sen wondered to himself.
Qing Jun King lashed the mirror with her whip.
"Aargh!" Han Sen screamed.
Qing Jun King lashed the mirror, but Han Sen felt the pain of that attack strike him. Looking at his clothes, he noticed they had been torn.
Han Sen looked back at the mirror and saw himself inside it. His body in the mirror was a reflection of himself, wound and all, but then he started to smile. Outside of the mirror, a smile was the last thing he could raise.
"Oh, snap!" Han Sen knew the moment he looked at that mirror, he had been tricked.
"Aargh!" Qing Jun King lashed the mirror again.
The mirror was fine, but the doppelganger inside the mirror was damaged. That same amount of damage was delivered to the real Han Sen, standing outside, hopeless and unsure of what to do.
"Stop! You are going to kill me." Han Sen gathered up his power, preparing to stop her.
She wanted him dead, anyway, so now she had a perfectly valid chance to do what she had hoped.
"The message on that paper led me here. It wanted me to follow her and die!" Han Sen's mind raced for a solution to the current predicament.
Even if Han Sen stopped Qing Jun King, the mirror had already copied Han Sen's image. Just as Han Sen moved to stop her, though, she listened. She stopped attacking due to his plight.
Han Sen did not have the time to mull the exact reason why, so he just turned his attention back to the mirror and thought of a way he could kill it without bringing harm upon himself.
Han Sen's mirror-residing doppelganger gave another crooked smile. Then, he raised his fist and hit himself. Han Sen's real face then started to bleed in response.
Han Sen's nose was pummeled repeatedly, and blood oozed from it. In a few more hits, Han Sen believed it'd be flattened like roadkill.
It looked like fitness level did not matter in this situation. If the shadow-self was damaged, then true person himself would be damaged. There didn't seem to be a way to avoid it.
Han Sen didn't think he could break the mirror, as that would be the same as dealing a copious amount of damage to himself. But the person in the mirror seemed happy to hit himself and ensure Han Sen was dealt damage, anyway.
All of a sudden, in a matter of moments, Han Sen felt all of his powers were useless.
"Dumb*ss! Go break it," Qing Jun King commanded.
"How?" Han Sen asked.
"Just break it! He is you, so only you can break it," Qing Jun King explained.
Han Sen did not believe her words to be true and didn't think she'd be so kind as to offer a solution to his current sorrow and pain. This was her best opportunity to kill him, so it wasn't likely she'd squander it.
Chapter 1178: Angel Arrives
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Aargh!" The shadow inside the mirror continued to punch itself, causing Han Sen constant pain.
They both looked identical, but fortunately, it couldn't—or at least wasn't—making use of Han Sen's full, insane powers. He'd have been killed fairly quickly if it had.
Han Sen withstood the pain and threw a punch at the mirror.
The mirror did not avoid Qing Jun King's attacks, but it made sure to dodge Han Sen's. This lent credence to what Qing Jun King had told him, and he was relieved to hear she was telling him the truth. Only the person who the mirror mimicked could deal damage to it.
When the mirror dodged, Han Sen decided not to waste any more time. He threw another punch at the mirror, but this time, it was with all nine gene locks of the Blood-Pulse Sutra. That, combined with Curse of Immortality, Jade-Sun Force, and his phoenix techniques firing on all cylinders, he was aiming to devastate the reflective fiend.
Pang!
The bronze mirror was sent flying backwards, directly into the barrier.
Aside from the shadow in the mirror, it did not look like the mirror could attack in any other way.
But the mirror was tough, that much was certain. Despite sending the mirror flying, Han Sen was unable to actually deal it damage. Not a single scratch blemished the glassy surface of the mirror, and much to Han Sen's discomfort and pain, the shadow-self continued to self-harm.
Han Sen gritted his teeth to withstand the constant pummeling and punched the mirror again. The mirror was against the barrier, so it was a clear shot. Like a hurricane, Han Sen unleashed a flurry of attacks against the mirror's surface.
Han Sen punched it countless times, but despite his best attempts, he could not shatter the mirror. And all the while, the doppelganger continued to hurt himself.
The shadow smiled, as if laughing and mocking Han Sen. He was spiting Han Sen, as if to say he was useless and there was nothing he could do to rectify the situation.
"You think I'm a coward?!" Han Sen thought.
Han Sen and Qing Jun King had seen the mirror together, but the mirror had chosen Han Sen for some inexplicable reason. Han Sen thought it must have meant the mirror believed he was the weaker of the two.
Han Sen did not have any of his weapons on him, and the Blood-Pulse Sutra only bettered the body. It wasn't really a skill that lent itself to dealing massive amounts of extra damage. It wasn't a proper combat ability.
Han Sen was unable to break the mirror, and he felt as if he had exhausted all options. He couldn't think of anything else to do.
Han Sen could have used super king spirit mode, but he didn't want to expose himself as The King to Qing Jun King.
Han Sen looked into his Sea of Soul. Little Angel and the gold raven were still in the process of evolving. And them aside, he had no super weapons to call upon.
Han Sen might have been able to use Saving Money to break the mirror. But the shadow would hit Han Sen while he was performing it, which would render it ineffective.
Han Sen could have summoned Disloyal Knight, but his attack power wasn't very high. And if a pet beast soul could deal damage to Han Sen by striking the mirror, that would be very bad news for him.
Han Sen could not think of a way out of this situation.
"Next time I return to the Alliance, I need to get myself a strong attack skill," Han Sen thought to himself.
Just as Han Sen decided to activate super king spirit mode, he heard a movement stem from the Sea of Soul. Han Sen looked inside there, and he noticed a strange energy permeating it.
The Sky Fruit wasn't very big, so the fight against the mirror was easily noticed by the other king spirits and super creatures.
Baby Ghost and Dry Bone ran over, in shock at what was going on. When they looked into the mirror, though, they quickly understood what was happening.
"This is bad. If Han Sen can't break the mirror, this will most certainly be the end of him," Baby Ghost said.
"The bronze mirror has a reflective power. If someone else hits it, it means hitting Han Sen. We can't help him. He has to help himself," Dry Bone King said.
It was difficult to find someone else to go up against Qing Jun King, so if Han Sen was to die there, it'd be a grand shame.
But they couldn't help. And if they tried, Han Sen would be beaten to death.
All the super creatures came over to watch the events unfolding around the mirror. They were waiting for Han Sen to fail, so they could take the geno treasure.
Qing Jun King looked at Han Sen, and she seemed to be deep in thought over something.
As Han Sen continued to beat the mirror, he was actually more invested in investigating what was transpiring in the Sea of Soul. The light around Little Angel was now very holy. She was like a flower in the midst of blooming, with petals opening to reveal what was inside.
A powerful light was being unleashed, and it even frightened Disloyal Knight.
"Has Little Angel finished evolving?" Han Sen was delighted, feeling the warmth and abundant power that was slowly swelling within the Sea of Soul.
Han Sen thought a pet beast soul from another sanctuary needed to open gene locks for themselves, and he thought it'd take another long while for her to become effective enough to fight.
But seeing all that power now, Han Sen understood there was more to Little Angel than he had first thought. She was a lot more than simple eye candy. She was in battle mode already, and many of her gene locks had already been opened.
The petals had all peeled away now, revealing a package of bright golden light. The light sent ripples through the entirety of the Sea of Soul.
When it was fully exposed, Little Angel's form came to be. She was divine, clad in a beautiful white robe. She had angelic wings, and in her hands, she clutched a transparent greatsword. Her curly blonde hair waved, painting her like a goddess.