Chapter 556: Jade-Sun Force
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Han Sen returned to his room and began studying the five-page copy of Jade-Sun Force. With his knowledge of ancient lexicon, he had little trouble in deciphering the text.
The characters were archaic, and the content of the hyper geno art was rich; overall, it seemed like a good skill to strengthen one’s kidneys.
As he continued to stare at the parchments, they emanated a mystical aura. As Han Sen studied them, he felt that he was understanding more and more about it.
The closer Han Sen looked, the more his understanding and perception of that enigmatic aura clarified.
"This is what the Jade-Sun Force is. It’s not as disgusting as Zhu Ting said. It isn’t unlike the Heresy Mantra, though that one strengthens a person’s heart. Instead, Jade-Sun Force just strengthens your kidneys." Han Sen finished reading and came to this conclusion with much surprise.
Han Sen became ever more surprised when he realized how good this skill actually was. It was definitely a skill that wasn’t easily attainable and which could be greatly sought after. But why had Zhu Ting give it to him with such little resistance?
From the way Han Sen saw it, Jade-Sun Force wasn’t far off the Heresy Mantra. If strengthening your heart was meant to strengthen your force and amplify your powers, then strengthening your kidney was like upgrading your power storage tank.
If your kidneys were not upgraded with Jade-Sun Force, it would be like using coal to produce fire and warmth. It was effective, but not efficient; it wasn’t a clean burn, either. But if you were to upgrade your kidneys, it would be like using a clean-burning gas like propane; effective, efficient and longer-lasting. The improvements were huge.
Right now, it was like using regular fuel to try propel a rocket into space. Once he was was strengthened, Han Sen suspected he’d be able to learn a wider variety of skills, and to use them more effectively than ever. His stamina and strength would reach a whole new level.
If all this was correct, Han Sen’s combat abilities would be greater than ever, and his peak-performance duration during prolonged fights would almost without equal. In the past, it had been determined that to be among the best, you had to be able to remain unexhausted of any amount of power for up to two hours. But by strengthening your kidneys in this way, he believed he could fight at maximum capacity for 24 hours.
Han Sen was wary, however; he was suspicious of why Zhu Ting would so casually present him such a significant skill. Had he realized the full extent of this skill beforehand, he would have gladly traded more Berserk beast souls to get his hands on it.
Han Sen then guessed that Zhu Ting must have already learnt the Jade-Sun Force himself. It was likely that many others had learnt it too, before it had somehow fallen into Zhu Ting’s lap. But when they learnt it, it wasn’t as efficient, and it only worked to slightly increase their typical strength, alongside their outstanding capabilities. This was most likely due to their lesser understanding.
Truly understanding the entire texture and richness of the words on those parchments was a talent only possessed by a few. Han Sen was able to understand the full extent of the hyper geno art, first, because his brain had been combined with Blood Crystal. This had already led to a natural increase in abilities of perception. But the second reason rested in his recent understanding of the Dongxue Sutra. His manner of perceiving and thinking was clearer, and so, reading the copy of the Jade-Sun Force provided him the greater subtext that had been missed by so many others.
For ordinary people, the power bestowed upon them through Jade-Sun Force was weak and unsubstantial. Their perception was too limited to glean the small differences that separated what they learnt and what Han Sen could learn. Put simply, they couldn’t understand Jade-Sun Force.
After Han Sen practiced Jade-Sun Force a few times, he felt his kidneys vibrate like warm stones. He felt as if there were two little stoves alight inside, energizing him. He felt like he wouldn’t need any rest, even if he was to run for three days and nights.
"This is a great skill. After I master it, I would have no problem battling ten creatures, all at once." Han Sen was in a great mood.
But perfecting Jade-Sun Force was sure to take a long time, and Han Sen wasn’t in a rush. He was still wondering how he might slay the silver-eye ice snake king, after all. If he lacked two sacred-blood swords, an infinite amount of stamina wouldn’t matter against the Twin Spirit.
Luckily, Han Sen was in control of the Blackgod Shelter now. Although the elites of their former master were not under his direct command, they still secretly listened to Dong Lin and not Han Sen. But if it was for the slaying of a sacred-blood creature, they would definitely come along.
Han Sen carefully looked at the list of elites belonging to the Blackgod Shelter, and hand-picked ten people to join him on his quest to slay the silver-eye ice snake king.
"Boss, we tried hunting the silver-eye ice snake king once before with Blackgod. We didn’t succeed, as it was far too difficult. In the domain of that wretched creature, the efficiency of our powers was dampened and subdued. To be surrounded by snakes is no small task - it is wickedly dangerous." A few of the elites that had accompanied Blackgod in the hunt had their faces contort with fear as they heard Han Sen’s plan to venture there and slay the beast. They attempted to change his mind.
"I have already made my decision. Stop the chatter and follow my commands," Han Sen responded coldly.
At this, some of the elites lost hope. Dong Lin and Han Sen had already come to an agreement, so for this task, those who had been selected had no choice but to accompany him.
Han Sen brought ten people with him to Ice Snake Valley. They had cartographic documents with them, so they had little trouble navigating through the snow to get to where they wanted to be. They all reached their destination in fine health.
It was said to be an ice valley, but in reality the location appeared more like a Glacier Grand Canyon, where colossal rifts in the frost-bitten grounds had parted to form narrow basins, and where snow could collect in dangerous amounts. If you were to fall into it, you would be sure to be submerged in the snow.
On the snow fields they now treaded, movement from beneath the snow could be seen. It was movement from a silver white ice snake, tunneling forward like a rabid earthworm.
The ice snakes were white, with eyes of deadly silver. When they were submerged in the piles of snow, they were camouflaged and nearly impossible to see. If one didn’t pay close attention, they’d never see them before it was too late.
They did not know how many ice snakes populated this perilous canyon, and that if any of the creatures bit you, you would be immediately paralyzed with frostbite. A well-armed person might be able to withstand the bite of an ordinary ice snake, but if they were to be bitten by a mutant variant, it wouldn’t matter if their fitness level was over 100. Succumbing to such a bite would freeze you in no time at all.
Those ten evolvers were over 100, but their great talents did little to stave off their fear. They did their best to delay and drag out the venture there, taking their time as if their life depended on it because it did.
Han Sen noticed this, but wasn’t upset. Instead, he smiled and said, "Well, how about this? You don’t have to risk your lives and enter the valley. I will go alone to draw out the silver-eye ice snake king. I will lure it all the way here, so that we can fight it together, free from the intrusions of the other snakes.
"Good, good, good!" The elites all nodded in delighted agreement. They didn’t want to set foot in that valley at all. The dangers there were too much for them. And if Han Sen went in alone, it wouldn’t be their fault if he died.
"But there is something I must tell you first; if I draw out the silver-eye ice snake king, and someone decides to flee, do not blame me for being cruel in my response to your desertion. Even Dong Lin will be unable to help out any cowards that run." Han Sen eyed each of them coldly.
In response, one of the evolvers said, "Do not worry, Boss. We aren’t like that. We will do our best to help you slay it."
Though his mouth said that, his heart felt something else. Like the rest, he believed that if Han Sen truly ventured there alone, he wouldn’t be coming back.