Super Gene

After Han Sen concluded another round of training, he opened his eyes and looked at the gourd with much surprise.

Han Sen noticed strange streams of energy circling around it like wind. It was not unlike what occurred to the Queen on the day she improved her Heavenly Go alongside him.

"Does this gourd possess the ability to channel energy? Did this thing absorb my pleasant fragrance?" Han Sen looked at the gourd with a puzzled expression, as he observed the streams of energy wandering around it.

The energy was faint, however. And the scent it carried was quite light, despite having done an entire cycle.

The energy inside the gourd was amazing, and almost as good as the Queen’s Heavenly Go. There were many curious aspects to it that Han Sen could not explain.

A while later, the gourd refined all the fragrance it could and Han Sen could no longer spot the energy traveling around it. He reached out his hand to touch the gourd and could immediately tell that its gentle pulsations had gotten stronger.

All of a sudden, Han Sen thought of something. He looked at the silver fox and remembered he used to smell a pleasant scent off it. He initially believed the silver fox just carried his master’s scent due to being around him most of the times he trained, but now he believed there was more to it than that.

"The silver fox must have absorbed that pleasant smell of mine every time I practiced the Dongxue Sutra. It simply refined too quickly for me to catch the energy streams circling him," Han Sen theorized.

"Is that why the silver fox follows me? And is that why the gourd allowed me to remove it from the vine? Is it because I practice Dongxue Sutra?" Han Sen frowned at the thoughts, but he couldn’t be sure.

He held the gourd and played with it for a little while, unable to ascertain another reason for the state of these things. So, he put the gourd aside and decided to observe the silver fox intently the next time he practiced Dongxue Sutra.

The next day, Han Sen got to practicing the Dongxue Sutra once again. After completing his first cycle of training, he opened his eyes and quickly observed the silver fox.

He could immediately tell the silver fox was carrying his pleasant fragrance, but it was mild. After a short while of observation, it disappeared entirely.

The silver fox, who was lying down next to him, opened its eyes now, as well. It was surprised to see Han Sen watching. So, it leapt onto his chest and rubbed it with its fluffy head.

"This little guy is strange. Do creatures know how to channel energy, and make it flow in and around their bodies?" Han Sen stroked the silver fox’s head as he pondered the idea.

The next time he decided to practice, he would remember how the gourd did it. The way it trained was largely different to the way humans did, and he wondered if he’d be able to adopt its method.

A few days later, the Queen finally arrived back at the shelter. But she didn’t stay for long, as she only came back to tell Han Sen that she was still busy with matters in the Alliance, and that she’d be gone for a long time. Then she left.

Han Sen then decided to return to the ice fields. The mystery island was still there and many creatures had arrived because of it, bringing many much-needed resources to the area.

Not many people in the ice fields had wings, and for this reason not many people could visit the island. Since no one was really able to take on the mystery island, Han Sen decided to rush back and lend them a hand.

If he managed to conquer the royal shelter on the mystery island, it would give him possession of a space castle. With the crystal palace, he’d have forces for the land, seas, and skies.

Thinking of the benefits, Han Sen was now worried about missing out. If someone didn’t claim it soon, it’d return to The Empty and be lost.

Han Sen had received a map for returning to the ice fields from Huangfu Ping Qing and with that in hand, he delayed no longer. He set out back to the ice fields.

Not long after exiting the shelter, Han Sen was traveling through a mountainous region. It was a desolate and lonely place, devoid of any sign of human life. But then, Han Sen stayed his travel and said out loud, "Old Chen, since you’re here, why not join me?"

"Those are some strong senses you possess," Chen Ran said as he came out from behind a big tree.

Another twenty people emerged from a thicket of trees to surround Han Sen.

They were brandishing bows and the weaponry of assassins. As if they were prepared to attack, they all took aim at Han Sen. One signal from Chen Ran was all it would take to turn Han Sen into a hedgehog.

"Old Chen, is this petty gathering all due to me refusing to transport your beast souls? Are you planning to kill me?" Han Sen was still atop Golden Roarer when he spoke, and the tone of his voice was as mellow as ever.

Chen Ran smiled and said, "That was only a minor order of business; I would not harbor ill sentiments over your refusal of that request. You interest me a great deal, boy. As such, I am merely here to ask you a number of questions. If you answer them, I will bring you no harm."

"Then tell me, what is it you would like to know?" Han Sen did not move.

Chen Ran’s first question was straightforward. "You have only been in this Second Shelter for a year; how have you managed to unlock your gene lock and amass such a high number of geno points?"

Chen Ran’s eyes were fixated on Han Sen, and it was evident from his question that he had done a lot of research on him. He seemed to be in disgruntled shock at what he had learnt, as well.

When Han Sen was in the First Shelter, he may have received aid from Qin’s family. But in the Second Shelter, he had been dropped into the ice fields, a place that wasn’t half as good as the island.

With no resources and no relationships to count on, reaching this stage and becoming so powerful by himself was an incredible feat. It was unheard of and quite frankly, unbelievable. Chen Ran believed he must harbor a big secret.

Chen Ran thought if he learnt this secret he could become even stronger. He thought he might even be able to beat the super creatures of legend and become the strongest evolver in history.

He had been in the Second Shelter for almost a hundred years, and this had been his lifetime goal. But no matter how hard he tried and no matter how much he learnt, he was still too weak and unable to kill even the smallest super creature.

Now that Han Sen had entered his life, he thought he might have found a way to achieve this innermost desire.

Chen Ran believed Han Sen had to have been supremely talented to have unlocked his first gene lock in the single year he had spent in the Second Shelter. He also believed that he must have had powerful backers in order to accomplish so much.

But the truth was, Han Sen did not have those resources. He must have had some reason to make it so far so quickly, though, and that was what Chen Ran wanted to learn.

"I thought you were going to ask me a question of some importance. This is nothing, and there was no need for you to put on a show and build an audience for my answering." Han Sen laughed.

"Then tell me!" Chen Ran was not amused, nor in the mood for jests, so he coldly looked at Han Sen.

"I have amassed so many geno points and have already unlocked my gene lock because of one simple reason," Han Sen said, with a heightened tone of gravitas in his voice.

"What reason?" Chen Ran asked, with widened eyes.

"It is because I am a genius." Han Sen laughed.