Purple Manor

Perhaps Han Sen got lucky, but after entering Firetail Bamboo Forest, there wasn't any real danger. They saw a few Firetail Butterflies on the way, but they didn't pose much of a threat. Over the course of the next two days, Han Sen had managed to collect nineteen gold Core Lights.

Elysian Moon had a gemstone geno core, so those gold Core Lights were useless for her. Because of this, Han Sen was able to collect them all.

One thing Han Sen did not understand, though, was that Elysian Moon had a gemstone geno core. That meant she had to collect super Core Lights to level it up.

But with her power being what it was, how could she ever hope to take down a Super Geno Battle Soul, a king spirit, or any super creature, for that matter?

If she couldn't kill them, it really was pointless for her to enter the Geno Battleground.

While this confused Han Sen, he didn't ask about it. It was a personal matter of hers, and he decided he didn't want to be nosy. If they were lucky, they could get out of the bamboo forest and leave via a Geno Core Tablet. It wouldn't matter at that point.

They both traveled through the bamboo forest, until all of a sudden, they heard footsteps. Something was fast approaching. The bamboo forest wasn't very dense, so there was nowhere for them to hide. It also meant Han Sen was able to see what was coming.

It was a human, one that Han Sen recognized. And he called out, "Old Zhuo, why are you here?"

It was Zhuo Donglai, one of the original members of the Demi-God Association. Han Sen hadn't expected the man to be able to enter the Geno Battleground.

"Han Sen, why are you here?" Zhuo Donglai, seeing Han Sen, looked surprised. He came towards them with greater speed.

They both had a chat, and through it, Han Sen was able to learn a bit.

Zhuo Donglai was unlucky. He was a demi-god with a gemstone geno core, and he was widely considered to be the best out of all humans.

He found an abandoned shelter with no one there. He explored it, and eventually noticed there was an access point to the geno core storage. As a result, he decided to stay there.

But when Zhuo Donglai used the Geno Core Storage, he didn't end up in front of the Rockman. Instead, he ended up here.

Zhuo Donglai was quite strong. He had managed to kill a few Geno Battle Souls already, but the low tier geno Core Lights were useless for him. He was eventually attacked by a greater creature, which prompted him to flee. After escaping, he wandered into Han Sen's path.

"So, that's me. Han Sen, why are you here?" Zhuo Donglai asked.

Han Sen didn't know how to explain succinctly, so he said, "Someone forced me. A crueler fate, I imagine."

Zhuo Donglai gave a wry smile. "Your geno core is only bronze, isn't it? This place is dangerous for you. Why don't you follow after me?"

Han Sen shook his head. "No. You follow me. I know the way out of here. We just need to find the Geno Core Tablet."

Han Sen proceeded to tell Zhuo Donglai about him and Elysian Moon.

Zhuo Donglai looked very happy hearing this, and he said, "This is great! I guess I'll follow you, then."

Han Sen allowed Elysian Moon to lead the way. Zhuo Donglai and Han Sen followed behind, talking a lot. Zhuo Donglai told Han Sen that he had wished to take him as a student, but the possibility for that to occur had never transpired, for some reason.

When it was time for them to rest, Zhuo Donglai asked them to wait a bit. Then, he summoned a stone palace. He smiled and said, "This is my geno core: Purple Manor. You can sleep in here without fear of being attacked."

"Your geno core is very useful! It's like a mansion you can fit into your pocket; one like the rich snobs have." Han Sen was making fun of it.

Zhuo Donglai sighed and said, "There's still a lot more to it than that. It's just that people don't understand. I was going to teach you the Purple Manor Sutra, even. It's a shame that never came to pass."

Han Sen followed him inside the Purple Manor. Inside it, there was a stone statue and a big purple bell.

"My Purple Manor Sutra was never mastered, so the manor looks a little cheap. But its defense is good! And what's more, we are hidden. The bell is like an alarm, too. It'll ring if something ill comes our way. You guys should sleep for a bit," Zhuo Donglai said.

Han Sen didn't mind doing that, so he went to a corner and rested against the stone. Han Sen had been quite busy the past few days, and now he had the opportunity to sleep worry-free.

He was able to sleep uninterrupted there. Not even the rustling of the bamboo was able to disturb him. When he woke up, he felt very energized.

After getting up, he found that Elysian Moon was continuing her healing process and Zhuo Donglai was still fast asleep.

Han Sen walked into the hall and tried to push the door open, but nothing happened. It seemed as if only Zhuo Donglai could do that.

When Han Sen pushed the door, Zhuo Donglai woke up and smiled. "Why not sleep longer? You won't get many chances to sleep like this, the further we go."

"Did I wake you up?" Han Sen asked apologetically.

"No, I am fully rested. Don't let my age fool you; I'm still as active as a young buck." Zhuo Donglai proceeded to open the door while he spoke. He looked outside, and after doing so, his face changed. He quickly shut the doors again.

Han Sen heard something pounding at the door, trying to get inside.

Although Zhuo Donglai had only opened the door for one second, Han Sen had managed to get a glimpse of what was outside. It was those pretty Firetail Butterflies. They were resting on the bamboo outside, glittering with their beautiful blue fire.

When Zhuo Donglai opened the door, he alerted them. And now, like snowflakes, they were descending on the door. Fortunately, he was able to shut the door quickly. Otherwise, they'd have rushed in like a blizzard.

"It's fine. Those butterflies are like mutant creatures. They can't break the Purple Manor, so we should be safe." Zhuo Donglai smiled.

But after he said that, the Purple Manor's big door began to melt like molten lava. A hole formed in the door, which spread and got bigger. Then, the beautiful blue flames entered.