Release Varkal

Two months later, all the geno trees had grown to maturity. Trees that were supposed to germinate in decades did so in a matter of months.

"Simply incredible," Hope Spirit muttered. Even with her powers boosting the metabolism of the trees, it would still take several years for the trees to reach maturity.

"Maybe for you," Bian responded with a scoff. Two months was way too much time 'wasted.' He had only managed to reach the fourth gene lock of the Dongxuan Sutra.

He could effectively make his opponents blind, and the range of his Dongxuan Aura had stretched far and wide, allowing him to sense a good portion of the walking shelter.

The inner cylinders were on the verge of a breakthrough, but something was missing. Bian had tried everything, all to no avail. He could only try to open the fifth gene lock after increasing his fitness.

With the Emperical Aura, Bian was like a living cheat. Eight mutant Rock Turtles, with all six of their gene locks opened, five mutant Aerial Scavengers, also with all six of their gene locks opened.

Last but definitely not least were the six sacred-blood Bloodfang Sentinels with eight gene locks opened. It could only be said that Bian had a small overpowered army.

Even the mutant Rock Turtles and Aerial Scavengers could take on sacred-blood creatures with only two or three gene locks opened.

The Bloodfang Sentinels were just overkill for any sacred-blood foe. With eight gene locks opened and the blood element, these werewolf-like warriors were peerless among sacred-blood creatures.

'Just you wait, Hellfire Lion!' A dangerous glint flashed in Bian's eye.

[Geno points acquired: 100 Ordinary Geno Points; 86 Primitive Geno Points; 92 Mutant Geno Points; 7 Sacred Geno Points.]

Bian looked at the thirty-five fruits in front of him. With the use of the rainbow liquid, the original mutant trees had given rise to sacred-blood fruits.

[Geno points acquired: 100 Ordinary Geno Points; 86 Primitive Geno Points; 92 Mutant Geno Points; 42 Sacred Geno Points.]

Boom!

With an explosive punch, a tower-like structure was blown apart. Bian looked at his fist, satisfied. With Jadebody, his current physique was above even top-notch sacred-blood creatures like the Bloodfang Sentinels.

With less than ten percent of his strength, he blew away the tower-like structure. If Jadeskin were still a geno art, he would have to keep training and unlock several gene locks to be this strong.

Hope Spirit could only shake her head as she kept working. Over a thousand buckets had been secured with life drops. She kept feeding her tree, hoping it would bear fruit soon.

The tree had been severely damaged by the Hellfire Lion, but it had recovered most of its vitality and would eventually mature in due time. Bian also summoned a short minotaur-like creature, which Hope Spirit fed life drops regularly.

After a couple of hours, the sun reached its highest point. A sense of foreboding rose in Bian's heart and after the spirit pillar fused with the intent mantra, Bian never doubted his instincts.

He didn't know where the danger was coming from, but it was approaching the shelter.

Without another moment's hesitation, he released the Emperical Aura. The world was drowned in indigo light in nearly an instant.

The light spread past the shelter and into the expanse of No Man's Forest. As the light traveled through the ground and up into the sky, Bian noticed something coming toward the shelter.

Its main body was twice as big as the hundred-meter-tall Spirit Hall. Eight tentacles, each stretching out for half a kilometer, swayed in mid-air. The Ink Sun Dragon was approaching the shelter.

"Why now!" Bian let out a silent curse. He unsummoned Hope Spirit and the Strength Overlord.

The white snake had gotten to work, already swallowing the buckets of life drops and even the geno tree Hope Spirit had been tending to.

With sufficient experiments, Bian found that whatever was kept in the snake would remain intact even after it was unsummoned.

There weren't many options on where to run in the shelter. Bian made his way to the Spirit Hall, the visage of the Ink Sun Dragon appearing over the horizon.

"That monster is back, isn't it? Some beasts just don't learn." Varkal's dark voice reverberated through the massive halls.

Bian was still observing the Ink Sun Dragon with the Emperical Aura. He didn't dare deactivate it. He looked toward Varkal, not entirely surprised that the Ink Sun Dragon was a regular visitor. The forest was like its playground, after all.

'But how would he chase it off?' The fact that Varkal still hadn't shot any beams at Bian made him feel like this spirit couldn't do much now that it was bound. How would he fight against the unbound Ink Sun Dragon in the afternoon when it was at full strength?

"Release me, or we will both be killed," Varkal said.

Bian gritted his teeth and prepared himself for death. He reckoned Varkal wouldn't attack him before he was free.

"I refuse to believe this is the first time it has attacked this shelter. Releasing you will surely be the death of me." Bian was planning how to seize Varkal's spirit stone as he spoke.

"The methods to keep the beast at bay have been exhausted. I may still survive its onslaught, but you surely won't.

That spirit stone is encased in a barrier meant for the entire shelter. It is impenetrable when shrunk to such a small size. Release me now, and I will spare your life," Varkal said, noticing Bian's stare at his spirit stone.

There were many questions Bian had, but there was no time left. The Ink Sun Dragon floated in front of the Spirit Hall, its five-hundred-meter-long tentacles ensnaring the hundred-meter structure.

'Is this how I die?' With little time left to think, Bian went against his screaming instincts and summoned the Bloodfang Sentinels, Rock Turtles, and Aerial Scavengers.

"Destroy the heart chain. It is the weakest link."

Blood quills, wind blades, powerful jaws, and tyrannical claws attacked the chain stemming from Varkal's chest. The Bloodfang Sentinels were the strongest, but even their attacks didn't leave a scratch on the chain.

Bang!

The windows in the halls exploded, the walls bent inward as dust fell from the ceiling. Varkal could only watch in disdain as Bian did everything he could to attack the chain.

Even if the whole shelter collapsed, his spirit stone would be safe. Sadly, the chains binding him would exist even after he died.

Varkal had lied about the heart chain being the weakest. It was the chain that sealed most of his potent powers; if it could be destroyed, the other chains would be mere accessories.

'Not good!' Bian sent a Rock Turtle out to distract the Ink Sun Dragon since they were the biggest and most numerous.

The beast meanwhile, paid no attention to the Rock Turtle. Once it could destroy the Spirit Hall, it would bring its full wrath upon the spirit inside.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

Bian discarded the atlatl and began using all sorts of attacks on the chain—blows, chops, yin and yang punches. He kept striking the big chains over and over again at 500% strength.

His Jade fists turned bloody, but Bian couldn't care less. He could feel the barrier around the spirit stone Varkal had mentioned, and there really seemed to be no way out.

As Bian struck the chain, his skin experienced trauma like never before. With each strike, he felt some chains loosen. It wasn't the chain binding Varkal that was breaking down, but the fifth gene lock of the Inner Cylinders.

With a feeling of euphoria, the fifth gene lock came undone. If Bian could observe the inner cylinders, he would see the body pillar vibrating as the piston within went overtime.

Slowly, his body began to change. His skin, which was smooth like jade, actually turned to jade. His breathing stopped, and his body felt 'whole.'

Bian was no longer a human with inner structures like bones and organs. Instead, he felt like a perfectly carved statue, utterly indestructible and filled with dreadful power.

Pang!

The metal chain dented inward. Bian unsummoned the pets inside the shelter and attacked the chain with full force.

One punch, then another, and another.

The building finally gave in and collapsed under the tyrannical strength of the Ink Sun Dragon. The giant octopus-like creature had seven eyes between its eight appendages.

One of the eyes found Bian, and a world-ending tentacle slap came his way. The 'slow' movement was too fast and wide for Bian to evade. He crossed his arms and braced himself for impact.

Bam!

The tentacle destroyed the weakened chain and a good portion of the Spirit Hall.

An eerie purple flame rose from the Hall. With a mighty yell, the chains binding Varkal exploded as a purple beam shot at the Ink Sun Dragon.

The beast blocked the beam with its tentacles as it was pushed into the skies. It spread out all eight tentacles as dark light gathered at its beak.

The world darkened as Varkal's thirty-meter form grew to three hundred meters. With six arms filled with terrifying muscles and three heads resting on his shoulders, he spoke:

"A thousand lifetimes passed while I slept. Now, I awaken to claim what was denied. Your blood will mark the beginning."