Ancient Devil Bell

It was difficult to tell what creature sought to confront them this time. It was grey like steel, and its back had a shield that was similar to that of a turtle's shell. It reached down to its tail, which was shaped like a drill.

The head of the creature possessed a curved horn. The claws were sharp, and they lined up like a vanguard of spears.

Whatever it was, it was sitting upon the head of the devil-woman statue. It looked at Han Sen and Disloyal Knight, presenting a creepy smile.

Boom!

The creature jumped and appeared directly before Han Sen. With its fingers raised, it tried to penetrate Han Sen's chest and seize his heart.

Disloyal Knight ran up with its halo active and delivered a punch to the creature.

Dong!

When Disloyal Knight's fist came into contact with the creature's armor, his fist was knocked back. It started to bleed with the force of his proposed punch.

The creature on the receiving end had not suffered any pain from the powerful blow.

Han Sen turned into a golden raven once again, but this did not faze their latest foe. It didn't attempt to dodge any attack Han Sen brought against it, and instead, it just continued its attempts to slice and dice him.

The gold raven's talons were incredibly sharp, but they did nothing to the creature. And upon delivering a powerful strike to the creature, he was the one who ended up bleeding, just like Disloyal Knight.

Han Sen was surprised to see that the bulk of the super creature's strength resided in the defense provided by its armor.

He tried to burn the metal of its armor, but the flames had no more effect than a water splash.

The body of the creature was like a hedgehog, and already, they were having trouble touching it.

Although its speed and power were weak, that meant nothing if neither Han Sen nor Disloyal Knight was able to take advantage of this fact and damage it.

If Han Sen was in his human form, he could use his Taia and Phoenix Sword. But even then, Han Sen wagered he'd still be too weak to deal damage. Not even that weaponry would even the odds.

Disloyal Knight, on the other hand, had no weapons. Beast souls were not like spirits, and so they could not make use of beast souls. As a result, Disloyal Knight had to use its fists.

Still, Han Sen decided to return to his human form. He landed atop the head of the statue and watched from above as the two duked it out.

Because the creature had been weakened by Disloyal Knight's halo, the damage it could deliver was not substantial.

Han Sen frowned and observed the creature. He repeatedly scanned it, trying to determine if there was a weakspot he could exploit.

But if there was one, it was hidden well. The armor had multiple layers, all of which were wound tightly around each other. No weapon could manage to fit through the gaps.

Aside from its lack of ranged attacks, the creature was perfect, Han Sen thought. It was a born killer he'd very much fancy.

If Disloyal Knight hadn't deployed its debuff on the creature, one punch from that fiend would be enough to end anyone or anything, Han Sen believed.

It was like a one-man phalanx. The claws were like a wall of lances, whereas the tail was one that lashed from the rear. No shield or armor could withstand strikes from such a front.

While Han Sen was lost in thought, the sound of a bell rung from Ancient Devil Shelter. It startled Han Sen back to reality.

It was not a sharp noise, but it traveled softly and solemnly through the black to reach his ears. He liked the sound, and its ringing made him think of an old monk ringing a bell in some faraway monastery.

When the super creature heard the noise, it gave up the fight and darted back towards Ancient Devil Shelter.

Han Sen was surprised by this sudden shift in behavior, so he summoned Dragon King and asked him, "Dragon King, what is that bell?"

Dragon King remained silent for a moment, with his ears to the sky. When he heard the bell, his silence was shattered by a horrified scream. He shouted, "Impossible! How is it ringing!?"

Han Sen, seeing the spirit behave like this, frowned. He asked, "Just tell me; what is this Ancient Devil bell that's ringing?"

Dragon King stared up towards the shelter and pleaded to Han Sen, "Go to the shelter and be quick about it!"

"Care to tell me what's going on exactly?" Han Sen did not budge. He wasn't going to risk life or limb, acting on Dragon King's empty words. He wasn't the most truthful fellow, after all.

They had just had trouble dealing with a single creature, and Han Sen could not be sure how many more of that power level may have resided in the shelter.

Dragon King himself told Han Sen there were many wretched things residing in that place. Before he acted on his sudden change of mind, Han Sen wanted to know why.

Dragon King said, "Quick! When the bell stops, we will no longer be able to enter. Get moving and I'll explain on the way, but trust me, please. I really don't want to hurt you."

Han Sen didn't entirely believe him, as he used to work for Ancient Devil Emperor. He probably knew a lot more than he was letting on, and there was always the chance he could make use of this knowledge to manipulate Han Sen into being forced to relinquish control of him.

Dragon King was clearly in a rush, though. He said, "It will only ring seventy-two times. Once it has rung that many times, the shelter will close. Once it has closed, we will be unable to enter."

"Then you better explain to me what's up there. Tell me, so I can decide my next course of action," Han Sen said.

Dragon King looked ready to explain, but suddenly, a large group of Devil Fangs flew towards them.

Han Sen's face changed, and so he drew his sword and prepared for another fight. But strangely, they did not stop near him. They flew overhead and went towards Ancient Devil Shelter.

"The Ancient Devil bell is for the Emperor to go to Qi Ling. The bell is a geno treasure. When it rings, it provides a window in which the creatures will not seek to harm any living thing. Trust me on this, now is the time to go. Go before it is too late," Dragon King explained.