Salas and the three Hegemons reassembled at the center of the Misty Sea. They all wore dark faces. The four overgods had been setting up their traps and barriers all around the Misty Sea for days. They had even been practicing joining forces against Han Shuo.
But despite their long, careful planning and preparations, despite having Han Shuo right in their palms, Han Shuo still managed to slip through their fingers. If the outside world was to learn of their failure that day, they would have no reputation left.
In the end, Salas had managed to dodge the Deicide Slash and not squander the slightest energy to resist it. When the Orbs of Destructions destroyed the barriers in the sky, Han Shuo had the seventeen flying swords return into his body so that he could escape with it.
“This is all your fault, Salas! If you did not retreat, there is no way he could have escaped!” As soon as the four overgod reassembled, the masked man on the white bone throne angrily started the blame game.
Salas was not in a good mood either. He rebuked, “That’s easy for you to say when you had not even fought him once. Had I taken that strike directly, I would have to spend at least hundreds of years to recover from the injuries!”
The Hegemon of Destruction named Dhaka looked at Salas before he turned to his fellow Hegemons, nodded, and gravely said, “Dagmar, Asser, that youngster is definitely not easy to kill. Now is not the time to point fingers. What we should do now is to think of a way to finish him as soon as possible!”
After listening to those words, Dagmar, the Hegemon of Death, seemed to recall that they still needed Salas’ knowledge of the Fringe for their invasion plan and therefore did not further berate Salas. After thinking for a moment, Dagmar bunched his brows and said, “This youngster is indeed as sly as a fox. The four of us having failed to kill him today meant that it will be much harder to kill him in the future. But I still cannot understand – when he was escaping, he made a dozen hallucinations. All the hallucinations are indistinguishable from an actual god and they even gave off divine auras, as though they all possessed souls. I cannot understand how he had managed to fool us.”
Dagmar, Asser, and Dhaka turned to Salas. Of the four, Salas knew Han Shuo the best and naturally, they would look at Salas for answers.
“He cultivates a bizarre energy that seems to allow him to manipulate souls. I don’t know how, but I’m sure he could transform the souls he controls to take his appearance and aura,” Salas pondered deeply for a moment before he continued, “Compared to the last time I met him, his strength has improved. Even until now, I have no clue what energy he cultivates. If we do not kill him soon, I’m afraid that there might come a day that it will take all Twelve of your Hegemons just to get a shot at killing him.”
“Given his temperament, I doubt that he would let you off easily, especially after what you’ve tried on him today. Have you thought of a countermeasure, Salas?” asked Dhaka in a grave face. He felt that Salas was not exaggerating and he vaguely felt that Han Shuo was becoming the greatest threat to the Godhunter Alliance.
“He may run and hide, but not those he cared deeply about. All of them live in a place in the Fringe called Pandemonium. If we siege that place, he will have no choice but to show up and fight,” answered Salas after thinking for a while.
“Wonderful. As long as he has people that he cares about, then he is vulnerable!” Dagmar put on a sinister smirk and said, “Well, we are going to invade the Fringe anyway. We could end him along the way. Salas, you still remember what you’ve promised us, right?”
“If I cannot have it, then no one will. Go ahead and destroy it. I care not.” replied Salas. As a former Sovereign, Salas had a good understanding of the terrain and forces distribution of the Fringe. With his assistance, the Godhunter Alliance’s invasion of the Fringe will be buttery smooth.
“Very well. I will contact the other Hegemons and discuss how we should take down the Fringe,” said Asser, the Hegemon of Darkness.
The four overgods had a brief discussion and left the Misty Sea that was no longer misty.
*** Han Shuo heaved a sigh of relief after having freed himself from the trap laid by four overgod.
Had Salas not dodged his ‘Deicide Slash’ and taken the blow directly, Han Shuo would have a very hard time escaping from their barriers. Once the four barriers were compressed to a certain degree, with the energy in his body bound by four overgod energies, Han Shuo might not even be able to deploy Demonic Blood Disassembly to escape.
Of the four overgods, Han Shuo could sense that Salas was the weakest. The three Godhunter Alliance Hegemons possessed extremely formidable strengths. This was especially true with Hegemon Dhaka. His true strength might not be weaker than Sovereign Tyre of the Fringe.
Had Han Shuo not made use of psychology, exploiting Salas’ fear of him, quick-witted use the Pearls of Annihilation to trigger Dhaka’s Orbs of Destruction, and sacrificing a few spirit demons, his life might have ended on the Misty Sea that day.
“The Godhunter Alliance is indeed a force to be reckoned with. If Salas is associating with them, they will surely try to invade the Fringe. It appears that the peaceful days of the Fringe will soon be over,” muttered Han Shuo under his breath after thinking about Salas’ appearance with the Hegemons. He thought that he should return to the Fringe as soon as possible to prepare for the impending war.
“Oh?!” exclaimed Han Shuo in surprise. He suddenly sensed a familiar life aura in the distance.
Han Shuo had now stepped out of the Death Dominion and was heading for the Space Dominion through a remote region. He was currently on a vast mountain range between the Space and Death Dominions. When Han Shuo detected the pulse of life aura, he calmly sensed it for a moment. Joy suddenly appeared on his face.
The Han Shuo now could remember the soul signature of those he had met and he could detect the energy wave naturally emanated by a soul within a certain range. That was one of the countless abilities of the consciousness.
Han Shuo was delighted because the soul signature he detected belonged to Donna!
Han Shuo also detected many life auras around her but he couldn’t care less. Without thinking, Han Shuo immediately flew in her direction. Donna seemed to be entering the Death Dominion from the Space Dominion and was traveling in the exact opposite direction that Han Shuo was going. Therefore, Han Shuo reached them in no time.
“Ahem… “ Han Shuo suddenly appeared standing before Donna. He looked around at Felder, Dolores, and other members of the Lavers Family. He seemed rather awkward.
The House of Lavers had been declining since the day Han Shuo stepped into the City of Shadows. Not only were they ousted from the City of Shadows, but they also had to flee from Larikson soon after they found refuge in the City of Gorging Clouds because of Han Shuo.
It was as though Han Shuo was the Lavers Family’s bane.
It was obvious that the members of the Lavers Family did not have an easy time. Not just Donna, but every member of the family clan seemed tired and exhausted. Their eyes, however, were still glistening with ambitious lights. It was as though their body were driven by an unknown willpower.
But the Lavers turned despaired when Han Shuo suddenly appeared. Felder who was leading his family clan was jolted and stepped backward in fright. In a bitter smile, “Truly, I did not expect that you could locate us on such a remote path. It seems that this will be the end of us Lavers.”
Unlike Hofs and Wallace, the House of Lavers who had been hiding in the Phantasia City of the Space Dominion, due to its close proximity to the Fringe, they managed to learn a thing or two about Han Shuo’s achievements in the Fringe. In addition, they were aware of the shocking news that came from the Death and Darkness Dominions recently. They knew just how terrifying Han Shuo’s current strength was.
Felder was on his journey back to the Darkness Dominion to take the place of Hofs as the new City Lord of Hushveil City. He was filled with hope and thought that his Lavers Family would finally have a new beginning. But now, Han Shuo found them and everything is over. He felt utterly defeated.
Other than Donna, every member of the Lavers Family looked at Han Shuo with frightened faces. Some of those with weaker minds even shat their pants and begged, “Please, please spare us! Look at us, we haven’t lived a day without misery. Have you not punished us enough? Please let us live!”
“Don’t beg him, even if we die, we will die with honor!” reprimanded Felder. With a staunch look on his face, he said to Han Shuo, “It is indeed me who assaulted you with Larikson at Soaring Cloud Mountain Range. I know you’ve figured it out. Come, carry on and exterminate us. I won’t make a flinch!”
Han Shuo lightly sighed and replied, “Let bygones be bygones. I won’t do any harm to your House of Lavers. I did not deliberately look for you guys. I just happened to pass through this area and sensed Donna’s aura, I wished only to talk to her. You don’t have to be so nervous.”
Felder was astounded and seemed baffled after hearing those words. He looked at Han Shuo puzzlingly and asked, “I don’t understand. With your power now, you could exterminate us with a snap. Why would you suddenly let us off now?”
“All along, I’ve never initiated any hostility towards your House of Lavers. I merely reacted to your attacks. Had Avery not tried to kill me over and over again, I wouldn’t have killed him. And I’ve never asked the House of Sainte to chase you away from the City of Shadows – it was Avery’s attempt in killing Carmelita that led to it. I have always been fair to your family clan and I say that with a clear conscience.” Due to all sorts of reasons and circumstances, Han Shuo did not have the chance to have a discussion with Felder. But now, he could finally justify his actions before his victims.
“Bryan, let’s talk, alone,” proposed Donna suddenly.
Han Shuo took a deep breath and nodded. He and Donna walked into one of the jungles in the mountain range.
