Chapter 676 - Submit, or Die

Han Wu took Jing Jing and Qin Shuang to farm during the day and traded upgraded techniques and Skills to Sha Xin at night. He upgraded the Skills with Duel’s upgrade points, and the steady exchanges caused his soul points to rise rapidly.

As his total increased, he realized that soul points could strengthen his soul as well. After several days, Han Wu easily reached 1,000 soul points. Drawing on the accumulated power, he entered a profound state, and his senses were enhanced. He didn’t need to use Oversight to perceive his surroundings.

Through this heightened perception, he sensed a vast mass of soul beneath the Soul Kingdom. The massive mass was releasing tiny pulses of Spiritual Energy at intervals. Any soul that absorbed the energy would grow stronger. However, ordinary souls didn’t have extraordinary senses, so they couldn’t perceive and absorb much.

Han Wu’s senses were sharper, and with a little guidance, he could absorb the energy at a rate a hundred times greater than that of an ordinary soul. The energy was pure and free of consciousness. It wouldn’t tarnish his soul at all.

Curious about the massive soul cluster beneath the kingdom, he asked Sha Xin during one of their trades.

Sha Xin couldn’t contain his joy and pulled him aside, asking him several questions. Han Wu purposely answered vaguely, yet Sha Xin remained elated. After that, he began appearing without warning and offering higher prices for the techniques, enabling Han Wu to accumulate even more soul points.

Han Wu wasn’t an idiot; he knew that there was no free lunch in this world. Nonetheless, he accepted the soul points and shared them with Jing Jing and Qin Shuang. The three advanced together so that, if Sha Xin ever turned on them, they could at least help each other.

Six years passed, and the trio reached the threshold of 9,999 soul points. The number had already filled the interface on their arms.

Sha Xin grew even more animated and promptly supplied additional soul points for them to absorb. Under his watchful gaze, Han Wu didn’t dare refuse.

As they absorbed the new soul points, their totals crossed the final limit, and their souls were enhanced once more. Their senses expanded to a brand new level, and they could now perceive the entire Soul Kingdom. Their senses finally connected with Huangquan’s consciousness.

In that instant, they saw the Soul Kingdom’s true form and froze in shock. The kingdom was actually a massive soul!

Its outline resembled the illusion of Huangquan that Hakurou had summoned last time, yet this one was thousands of times larger. The clump of soul energy that Han Wu had sensed beneath the kingdom was Huangquan’s stomach. It was the food he consumed!

Han Wu could also tell that Huangquan was still feeding. He was devouring the Giant Shadow Civilization, which dwarfed even him in scale.

Other life forms of varying shapes and sizes fed upon it as well. The strongest one among them was a giant!

At last, Han Wu finally learned why the Giant Shadow Civilization had attracted so many civilizations here. It was itself a massive vein of Spirit Stones!

Huangquan was busy consuming the ore of Spirit Stones, but the energy extracted directly from the stones lacked sufficient purity. That was why he had deployed his believers to utilize the Reaper Seal to harvest souls from various civilizations and confine them within his Soul Kingdom. The souls absorbed the Spiritual Energy from the stones and converted it into soul points. His officials then collected the soul points. In that compressed form, Spiritual Energy became a more efficient source of power, which Huangquan used to strengthen himself.

Han Wu grasped the Soul Kingdom’s mechanism now. What he didn’t understand was why Sha Xin had supplied him with so many soul points to enhance his soul.

By then, Sha Xin was already smiling like a maniac. “I did it! Lord Huangquan, I’ve nurtured three fruits for you! You must honor our contract and grant me my freedom!”

“Fruits? Sha Xin, what is the meaning of this?” Han Wu demanded.

Sha Xin was so happy that he was willing to divulge the details to him. “You still don’t understand? You are the fruits that I’ve been nurturing all this time. There’s a hidden law in the Soul Kingdom.

“Anyone dragged here is forced to sign a contract with Lord Huangquan, whether they realize it or not. No souls can leave. Each becomes a cog in the refinement of Spiritual Energy for Lord Huangquan.

“But there are exceptions, and that’s where you come in. High-quality souls like you can sense the Soul Kingdom’s core and absorb a lot of Spiritual Energy. That was why I fed you.

“Once you reach 10,000 soul points, you have two options. You can become a fruit for Lord Huangquan to consume and merge into his power. Or you can become his servant, as I did, and work for him until you nurture the next fruit.

“Today, I’ve finally accomplished this mission. I nurtured three fruits and exceeded the mission Lord Huangquan gave me. I am finally free!”

Sha Xin was howling from the bottom of his heart. Meanwhile, Han Wu’s face hardened. He had never anticipated such a scheme.

As if in response to Sha Xin’s cries, Huangquan descended into his Soul Kingdom. His solid soul manifested before the trio, and the pure Soul Energy suppressed them. They couldn’t fight back.

“Submit, or die? Only one may submit to me.” His voice echoed through them.

They had two choices, but only one could become his slave. The moment one submitted, the other two would die.

Han Wu scanned his surroundings with a hard, focused gaze, searching for another path of escape.

Qin Shuang and Jing Jing looked at each other and made their decision.

“I choose death.”

“I choose death!”

Under Huangquan’s pressure, they claimed two of the three choices. Only one option remained for Han Wu: submission. They had chosen death so he could survive.

“No, you two cannot die!” He had come to rescue them. How could he let them sacrifice themselves for him?

“Han Wu, this is the best choice. Even if I die, I will forever live in your heart, right?” Qin Shuang smiled, determined to leave him with the image of her at her most beautiful.

Jing Jing’s reply was simpler. “I will submit to only one God.”

Huangquan extended his huge hand to capture them. Since they had chosen death, they would become his sustenance.

Han Wu grabbed the two girls and used Swap, forcing as much distance as possible between them and Huangquan.

“I mean it. No one dies here today,” Han Wu said.

Sha Xin laughed. “Lord Huangquan is the sky itself in the Soul Kingdom. Your struggle is just a waste of time.”

“I know that he’s unbeatable in the Soul Kingdom,” Han Wu said. “But what about outside?”

At that instant, several powerful Divine Authorities manifested above the Soul Kingdom’s sky.

Jing Jing and Qin Shuang were stunned. They sensed Han Wu’s Divine Authorities descending from above!