Chapter 622: The Bone of the Mountain Guardian
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Dong! Dong! Dong!
A lance fell, a sword dropped, and a dagger broke.
Tyrant, Sky Jealousy, and Lazy Cat were robbed of their weapons. With pale faces, they now looked at the motionless Han Sen with eyes of resentful surprise.
Despite their combined effort, they lost the battle. Han Sen’s fitness was so strong he was barely human, they thought. His dexterity and proficiency in every aspect of combat was at the pinnacle of what they believed a person could achieve.
Every sword skill Han Sen used was a raging one, blazing with an unimaginable power. None of the three could withstand the barrage of attacks cast upon them.
They couldn’t retaliate with a display of power remotely resembling what he had done.
Lazy Cat’s eyes looked lost and devoid of hope, realizing now why Queen so desperately wanted Han Sen to join. His power was terrifying and none of them were a match.
Sky Jealousy’s eyes were bewildered. He believed that a person like Han Sen was out of their league, and they were foolish to attempt competing with him. But still, he could not accept that Queen was abandoning them for someone who was practically a stranger.
"Let’s go!" Tyrant did not say any more before turning around to abandon the fight he instigated. Who knew what emotions now ravaged his heart?
Tyrant never would have thought Han Sen, the person he looked down upon, actually possessed such fantastic talent. And it wasn’t just him who had lost to Han Sen, it was the three of them, all in a combined effort.
Watching the three of them leave, Han Sen sheathed his sword. Then, he turned around to look at a thicket of trees. He called out, "You can come out now!"
Queen’s slender shadow appeared from behind an ancient tree. She approached Han Sen to whisper, "Thank you."
"For what?" Han Sen asked with a smile. Of course, he already knew. She was thanking him for sparing the lives of his attackers.
Queen did not reply. She just looked in the direction her three former compatriots had left and sighed.
It was rare for Han Sen to see this woman in such a downtrodden mood. The likelihood of seeing her in such a state was far less than seeing her smile. Han Sen thought there was nothing in this world that would even prompt her to frown, but there she was, actually sighing.
"Sky Pillar mountain? Let’s go." Queen’s emotions frosted over once more.
"Is it really okay for you to just leave them hanging like that?" Han Sen really wanted to understand what Queen was thinking.
"I only require people who are useful to my cause. If one day I find out you are of no use to me, I will leave you without hesitation." Queen started walking ahead, and said without looking back, "The same applies to you. If I am of no use to you, please be rid of me."
"What plagues this woman’s heart?" Seeing Queen’s silhouette step forward, aloof, Han Sen could not help but sigh.
Han Sen had many questions weighing on his heart and mind, but he chose not to ask them. It was just like Queen said; she needed his power and he needed hers. That had to be enough.
Killing a super creature solo would be too difficult. Even a person like Han Sen had to consider cooperating with others, and the same was true of elite evolvers like Queen.
Sky Pillar mountain was almost like a spire in its structure and formation. It was difficult to recognize as a mountain from afar, as it resembled some sacred pillar that tethered the world and sky. This semblance had become its namesake.
When they reached the mountain’s foot, Queen looked at Han Sen with concern and said, "This Sky Pillar mountain belongs to the Chen family. If you encounter anyone from the Chen family, be wary of Chen Ran in particular."
"Is he powerful?" Han Sen had met two people from the Chen family before; Chen Zi Chen and Zhu Ting. Han Sen had always desired to learn the Chen family’s special Seven Twists skill, but he never had.
Even though Zhu Ting had learnt it, being a bastard son of the family, he was tight-lipped about its practice.
"Eighty years ago, Chen Ran unlocked his gene lock," Queen said, and then did not say any more.
Han Sen knew how frightening Chen Ran was, merely from hearing his name. The history of this world only went back a hundred years. If he unlocked his gene lock eighty years ago, he had to be an old elite. To have been able to train with his opened gene lock for eighty years, who could fathom what mighty powers he might have learnt?
Even if he hadn’t totally unlocked the first gene lock, the amount he had opened it must certainly be more than any other evolver.
For Queen to warn him about this person was a testament to his abilities.
Han Sen thought Sky Pillar mountain was huge, and it was nearly impossible to determine an optimal path up. Therefore, he picked a trail at random and began hiking. He also believed their presence would go unnoticed if they climbed the mountain in such a manner. He was wrong, for shortly after they began their trek, a group of people approached them.
The leader of the group had grey hair, but his face put him in his forties. There weren’t any wrinkles Han Sen could see, and his body looked toned and well-trained. He was clad in silver armor. He rode a tiger that was three meters tall and looked like a bona fide badass.
"You there, who has selected to ascend this glorious Sky Pillar mountain, tell me; why have you not made your presence known to us? Our hospitality knows no shortage." Chen Ran stopped before Queen, leading an entourage of a hundred in his wake.
"We have only come here to hunt a few Sky Falcons. It was not in our interest to trouble you," Queen politely said in response.
"You speak as if you were unknown to us. The Chen family and the Huangfu family have borne a relationship extending back many generations. You are half of the Huangfu family, which makes you a relative of mine, whether you wish it or not. There is no trouble, I assure you." Chen Ran smiled and said, "The Sky Falcons of your pilgrimage reside at the top of this mountain, and it is a trying campaign to reach them. I beseech you to allow me and my fellow elderly men to escort you."
"Sure," Queen agreed. Chen Ran commanded many of his followers to remain at the foot of the mountain. He rallied ten others to his side, and with them, Queen and Han Sen resumed their ascent.
Han Sen knew that it was not for their own safety that Chen Ran was willing to escort them. He was afraid they would seek to kill the super creatures that resided there.
That was okay, however. Han Sen did not wish to slay the super creatures, so he was not against the company. With them leading the way, it would be a much safer journey to the peak.
Out of the ten who followed Chen Ran, two had unlocked their gene locks. But they did not belong to the Chen family. After all, the Second God’s Sanctuary was a big place. Even if the Chen family was large, the chances of them remaining all together in one area was incredibly slim.
Han Sen raised his head but could not see the peak of the mountain, for its top was buried in the clouds. He imagined the mountain resembled a long, slender dragon reaching into the sky.
"It is fortunate I did not bring the silver fox. If Chen Ran didn’t encounter any creatures on this outing, it would most certainly raise his suspicions about us."
Han Sen came here to hunt, and thus he could not bring the silver fox. He left it in Whitesand Shelter, in a room he had rented for it to wait in.
Sky Pillar mountain was easily three thousand meters high. And now, they noticed they were walking through a garden of bones. They weren’t ordinary bones, as they were grand in size. They were easily a few dozen meters long, each. They looked incredibly powerful, representing exhausted powers from the ancient ages of the world. Although they were merely bones, having long lost their flesh, they were still unnerving to see.
"The legends say that these bones belonged to the creature that once guarded this mountain. When it reigned supreme over this place, no one dared approach for a thousand meters," Chen Ran explained.