Demi-God Association

"I assure you, folks, the Hidden Valley is where the Starsea Beast is buried. If we can find its bones, we will be showered with the most magnificent of rewards." Inside the room, Green Cow reclined backwards on two hooves against a wall. With her two raised legs, she alternated between crossing them casually, patting her chest, and playing with her udders.

Han Sen had come to the understanding that the Hidden Valley mentioned by Green Cow was once occupied by a sacred-blood creature named Starsea Beast, who had been very territorial.

It was dead now and had been for quite some time. Green Cow had heard a story recited by a person who had ventured into Hidden Valley, that there were vast swathes of treasure there. That was the catalyst for her ardent desires to venture there, in the hopes of collecting—at the very least—the bones and geno cores.

However, the valley had been taken over by a variety of strange plants. They were lethal, and countless creatures and spirits had lost their lives in pursuit of Green Cow's goal.

"After getting all those people killed, you expect us to go there? Who's to say it won't be just a repeat?" Cheap Sheep said.

"You have to take my word for it. I know how to get the treasure this time, minus bloodshed. You must trust me," Green Cow pleaded.

Cheap Sheep was quick to respond with a rebuttal. "If you know how to get there safe and sound, why do you need us?"

Green Cow said, "I just do! Gah, okay, do you really want to know the secret of how to get to the treasure and avoid harm? I'll tell you. The last time we went there, we discovered a cave in the valley. The bones most likely reside there, but unfortunately for us, the cave had a massive stone blocking its entrance. I was unable to push it away."

Green Cow continued her explanation, saying, "If you two follow me, and adhere to my guidance, I can assure your safety. No grievous harm will come to you."

"If you were unable to push the stone, what makes you think we can help with it?" Han Sen asked.

"I may not have been able to move this hefty boulder out of the way completely, but I was able to make it wiggle. With you lot there, it should definitely be possible to move it out of the way entirely," Green Cow said.

Han Sen wouldn't mind collecting the bones there, and he was interested in the plants Green Cow had briefly mentioned, too.

The geno plants did not provide people benefits, but Han Sen imagined he might be able to get the Black Crystal to feed on them. When the Bulwark Umbrella finished its formulation, the size of the Black Crystal had reduced once again.

It had shrunk by another ten percent, and it would be quite concerning if this continued with each geno core he created. The Black Crystal was now twenty percent smaller, and Han Sen thought a little bit of nourishment was all it needed.

Han Sen still had the Blood-Pulse Sutra to unlock a geno core for, and whatever else he might learn in the future. If he kept allowing it to shrink, the crystal might disappear entirely.

The Black Crystal, through its ability to absorb lifeforces, might be able to recover its power and size with the plants.

Of course, Han Sen wasn't going to believe what she told him entirely. He was dubious regarding the validity of her claims, and to avoid danger befalling Bao'er, he decided to return to the Alliance and drop her off, just in case.

Han Sen chatted with his mother and Ji Yanran while he was there for a bit, but just before he returned, he received a call.

It was Old Man Ji giving him a ring, and when Han Sen answered, he said, "Hey, what's up?"

Old Man Ji didn't frequently seek Han Sen out, and the chats they had together were usually organized through Ji Ruozhen.

"I was looking for you earlier. We have a Demi-God Association meet coming up, where we exchange information to broaden our pool of knowledge regarding the Fourth God's Sanctuary. You're eligible to join now, are you interested in attending the next meeting?" Old Man Ji paused for a brief moment, and then went on to say, "Of course, this won't be forced upon you. It's not imperative that you come. You don't have to join if you don't want to."

"No, I'd love to. It benefits everyone, after all. Is there an entry fee, by any chance?" Han Sen asked, genuinely interested in the event.

"There are no fees, no. But you will need to sign up for it, and then attend via the virtual community. I can call for someone to guide you there," Old Man Ji said.

"That's okay, I can go by myself," Han Sen said.

"Ordinary people aren't able to, so just wait there." Old Man Ji then hung up the phone, rather abruptly.

Han Sen did not think anyone would be coming soon, so he went to see Ji Yanran again.

The next day, an envoy arrived to guide Han Sen there. Han Sen thought it was strange, and he wondered why he couldn't simply register through Skynet.

Before joining, a test also had to be conducted.

"It's just a formality-thing. Everyone has to go through this, so don't think much of it," Old Man Ji said explained to Han Sen.

Han Sen looked at the machines and equipment they had, and he noticed they looked quite different than the usual ones he used to check his fitness. These looked state-of-the-art, and of a much higher quality.

Inside a room, there were three men and a woman. They were watching Han Sen via a video feed.

These were the founders of the association; they were the oldest demi-gods.

If Han Sen had a good memory, he'd remember one of them as Zhu Donglai. And the blue-haired gentleman there was called Green from the Lan Te family. There was another demi-god in the room, who looked as cold as ice. He was the Steel-Fist Demi-God, named Jia Shidao. He was the owner of the Iron-Fist Martial Hall.

The female demi-god amongst them was far younger than the rest, but her contributions were grand, and the respect given to her by Zhu Donglai and Green was immense.

"I didn't expect Han Sen to become a demi-god so soon, especially after taking the time to max out all his geno points. I wonder what his fitness is?" Zhu Donglai wondered out loud.