Underground Shelter

"What is hidden inside the tree, I wonder? Does it have something to do with that dead fellow? Did he die here, hoping people would find the door?" Han Sen thought to himself, as he observed the tree door.

Han Sen's curiosity had been stoked like a fire ever since he saw that photograph. Although he was initially hesitant, he wanted to find out more, and so he decided to open it.

But when he pushed against the door, there was no reaction.

Han Sen frowned and tried operating the doorknob. After doing this, the door opened with ease.

"Why would there be a door here? Do you think there might be treasure inside?" Chu Ming asked, as he happily approached the opening door and Han Sen.

Qu Lanxi was interested by the day's turn of events, and so she drew nearer, too. They were all keen to find out what might have been inside.

They initially believed it to have been some sort of hidden storage room or cache, but as the door opened, they were taken aback.

Looking straight beyond the door there was nothing. But when they looked down, the ground opened up to a cavernous realm. And from where they peered, they could see a hidden palace far below the earth.

Qing Ming Shelter was little more than a slum when compared to the grand and luxurious template of the palace they were seeing now.

"Shelter? There's a shelter below this tree?" Chu Ming could not help but scream in delight, as the revelation was far grander than he ever could have hoped for.

Han Sen was just as shocked and delighted, too. The shelter was beyond anything he could have ever fathomed, and it was so exquisitely built, he'd have never even been able to imagine a place so stunning. It was far beyond Moment Shelter in terms of its majesty.

As they looked down, though, they noticed a number of broken places around the shelter. But they also noticed a number of giant bones, as well.

Dust caked the surfaces of the subterranean land. Heaven knew how long the palace had been there, and there did not seem to be a single living thing there.

"Might there be spirits and creatures down there?" Qu Lanxi asked, with moderate worry. They struggled to comprehend the shelter's shear size, so if there were creatures or spirits within, they'd be incredibly powerful.

"I don't think so." Han Sen was excited and eager to take a look. Furthermore, if it was a functioning shelter, there'd be a teleporter inside. And if there was a teleporter inside, they could return to the Alliance.

"You two wait here; I will scope the place out first." Han Sen leapt down and cast his dongxuan aura to observe whether or not there were lifeforces as he went.

Han Sen landed near the gate of the palace. It was very large, but very rugged as well. The gate had to be a hundred meters high, at the very least. Standing in front of it made you feel as insignificant as an ant.

Looking up, Han Sen observed the tree roots that netted the sky of that realm like spiderwebs. The roots eventually interlaced with a number of bright gleaming rocks, which made the space above mirror a real daytime sky.

Han Sen flew up and above the gate of the palace, and from that height, he was able to witness countless bones.

Many creature skeletons had been preserved there, and many of them were at least one hundred meters in length. The skulls of most had been removed or cast aside from the rest of their bones, suggesting that gruesome beheadings had befallen the mighty creatures.

But even with only the bones remaining, it was a creepy sight.

"Who killed so many creatures, I wonder? Was it the man outside?" Han Sen wondered to himself, as he approached in awe.

The creature remains were everywhere, and there were many sword marks across the grounds.

If they were the work of the man who had died outside, it was difficult to fathom just how powerful he might have been.

Carefully, Han Sen glided around the underground shelter in examination. Aside from the aged remains, he could not detect the presence of any other creatures in the vicinity. The area seemed clear of danger.

He entered the spirit hall of the shelter and saw the spirit statue that was there. The forehead of the statue, however, had disappeared.

Han Sen examined the teleporter that was there in the hall, as well, and it was in perfect working order. In absolute delight, he called for Chu Ming and Qu Lanxi to follow him down.

When Little Wind came in with them, he began to shiver at the sight of all the bones. Despite being aged remnants of the distant past, they still held an aura of intimidation.

For a time, Qu Lanxi and Chu Ming were too surprised to say anything remotely coherent.

"Scary. Who in the sanctuaries killed this many creatures and destroyed the shelter? Surely, it couldn't have been that man outside." Chu Ming, after much speech-impeding awe, finally spoke.

No one could answer him, but Qu Lanxi turned around and asked, "Does the teleporter still work?"

Chu Ming looked at Han Sen with anxiety, fearing Han Sen would tell them no.

It had been many years since they were last seen in the Alliance. It was likely that the family and friends of their past lives believed them to be dead. They couldn't wait to see them again.

"Yes," Han Sen said.

Qu Lanxi and Chu Ming instantly became excited, and tears welled up in their eyes upon receiving the answer. This was something they had longed to hear.

They had believed they would never see the Alliance again.

Han Sen was pleased, too. Upon entering the spirit hall, they each stepped into the teleporter one after the other, returning to the Alliance.

When Han Sen opened his eyes next, he was home. He had previously purchased a private teleporter, so he was able to teleport straight there.

After meeting with his mother, he called Ji Yanran. She was very quiet, and it was difficult to discern her words beneath the blubbering that accompanied her tears.

Ji Yanran knew Han Sen was strong, but the Third God's Sanctuary was an extremely dangerous realm. Receiving the opportunity to live there, and perhaps later thrive, was dependant on luck.

They spoke for a long while, but then Han Sen decided to inform his friends he was safe, too.

He stayed in the Alliance for a few days before returning to the sanctuary.

Chu Ming and Qu Lanxi did not come back with him. They had been in the sanctuary for far too long, and so they fancied staying in the Alliance a good while longer.

Han Sen tried to activate his super spirit mode in the hall, wanting to see how long he could last.

When he cast it, he felt the power burst out from him. But the most curious thing happened; the power that came out from him coursed over to the spirit statue and nestled itself in the forehead of the statue where the stone once resided.