The group that had been betrayed were nothing more than skeletal husks now, frail shadows of their former selves that clung to the most meager tethers of life. They were so brittle and aged, they could not even stand.
"Come. Deliver thine blood," Mister Li coldly said.
"What happens if the coffin is... revived?" Han Sen wanted to continue feigning he was a member and avoid invoking the ire of the possible-leader of Blood Legion, but he feared what might happen if he was to give his blood.
Mister Li walked over to Han Sen and grabbed him by the neck, then dragged him over to the eerie sarcophagus. Han Sen hadn't realized what was happening until it was too late; he had no hope of avoiding the man's grasp.
But it wasn't an ordinary grip that held his neck, either. He felt the tingling sensation of electrical currents running through his body, paralyzing his ability to resist. It was like he was suddenly chained up.
Mister Li pushed Han Sen down on the coffin and readied himself to slit Han Sen's throat with his dirty, overgrown fingernails. Han Sen swiftly understood the direness of the situation, and so his eyes flashed white. His black hair became a gown of milky silk. His body glowed brightly.
With that strength, Han Sen did not hesitate to pull away and perform Super Spank on Mister Li.
Pang!
Mister Li stumbled backwards in shock, staring at Han Sen and his new form.
Unfortunately, Han Sen was unable to break Mister Li's sequence structure. Trying to do that was like trying to pry steel with bare hands. He had gotten free as he had hoped, but he could hardly believe how strong he was. Mister Li had to have the strength of a super creature.
Han Sen turned around and began to flee. He knew he'd die if he tried to remain and fight an enemy so far beyond his own abilities.
"The power he possesses is magnificent, but unbridled and not honed. Still, the coffin demands the sacrifice," Mister Li spoke aloud coldly, as he moved forward to catch Han Sen.
But Han Sen knew he wouldn't be allowed to leave so easily, and he was prepared to react when the moment was right. When the full extent of the powers given by his super king spirit mode was enabled, he was faster than a sudden bolt of lightning.
With his Bulwark Umbrella, Han Sen shielded himself from Mister Li's incoming grip and summoned his crystal egg.
Boom!
Mister Li came into contact with the umbrella with the force of a comet. The umbrella cracked, and the crash of the impact sent Han Sen hurtling through the air. The egg was headed in Mister Li's direction as this occurred, but it did nothing. Mister Li grabbed the egg and with the sound of a pang, crushed it in his hands.
Still, this prompted the Jade Skeleton to appear. The pigmy was quick to scramble out of its ruined shell, and it delivered Mister Li a firm punch before flying over to Han Sen.
This was an unexpected turn of events which took Mister Li by surprise, and where his palm had been struck by the creepy little skeleton, he had turned to crystal. This crater in his palm began to expand and web across the entirety of his hand and beyond, turning him into a jade-like statue.
Over the course of a few seconds, though, Mister Li's body turned entirely blue. It overlapped the spreading jade and vanquished it, removing the effect of the pigmy's punch.
"That is rare! You are the first I have witnessed use such powers in a sanctuary." Despite his desire to slit Han Sen's throat as a sacrifice, Mister Li complimented him.
Survival was the best Han Sen could hope for in such a dire situation, but he couldn't contemplate a way in which he might ensure a getaway. Han Sen's power was far inferior to Mister Li's, and he only possessed bronze geno cores. There was no hope of fighting back, or even repelling the man.
"Why are the people in Blood Legion struggling to adapt to life in the sanctuaries?" Han Sen asked, wanting to stall his nemesis.
Mister Li knew Han Sen was asking nonsense, hoping to buy himself time. But he answered anyway, saying, "Blood Legion members can absorb geno points, but they cannot possess special powers. While we can use geno points to become stronger, it is impossible for us to change our elemental alignment. Your blood is too light and impure, which is why you can do so like the rest. Who are you? Which generation do you belong to?"
"You know my name is Han," Han Sen said.
"There is no one named Han amongst the thirteen." Mister Li looked genuinely curious.
"There was; my great-grandfather was called Han Jinzhi," Han Sen said.
"That is impossible! He joined the legion, but he was an outsider. His heirs cannot possess holy blood," Mister Li denied.
Now Han Sen was thinking Nan Litian and Baby Ghost were telling the truth, and Han Jinzhi had been forced into Blood Legion.
"If you say he is an outsider, why would he possess the relic?" As Han Sen spoke, Han Sen employed his Dongxuan Aura to determine the best possible escape route he could use. While doing this, Han Sen noticed the Nine-Life Cat sitting upon the palace's rooftop. It was staring right back at him, swinging its tail.
"It's still here?" Han Sen did not expect to see it there.
Mister Li answered the former question by telling him, "If you know of the relic, you must belong to the lineage of one of the thirteen. Are you from the Qin family, perhaps?"
"How did you know?" Han Sen pretended, with a put-on tone of exaggerated surprise.
"The Qin family left Blood Legion a long time ago, so light sacred blood is to be expected." Mister Li paused for a moment, before saying, "I cannot believe the Qin family is returning to the legion. This is a most splendid thing to learn."