Chapter 801: Zenith of Perception
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Han Sen felt as if he was being bullied by two legendary elites. Not a single second went by, without his life dangling by a thread.
The spirit's speed was so high, it might as well have been teleportation. Coupled with the armored phantom's indestructible greatsword, Han Sen could do little but dodge, dodge, and dodge some more.
Han Sen's proficiency with dongxuan movement was as high as it could go, and with the aid of his dongxuan aura, he was able to predict the movements of both of his aggressors. Thus, Han Sen was able to remain a single step ahead of his opposition.
It wasn't easy, however, and the pressure from his enemies continued to mount. One tiny little misstep was all it would take to land him in a fatal predicament.
But Han Sen stayed as focused as he could. He couldn't afford to be distracted, and all idle thoughts were cast from his mind. The fortitude of his mind went entirely into perceiving and predicting exactly which foe would do what at any given second.
The spirit was so fast that he was entirely reliant on prediction.
The armored phantom's weapon was unbelievably sharp, and since he couldn't withstand or deflect it, dodging was his only lifeline versus it, as well.
Slash!
Another blade-swing fell towards him, and this time, Han Sen was unable to dodge it entirely. The back plating of his armor was torn off, and it led to him bleeding heavily.
Pang!
The spirit now appeared at Han Sen's left, and her manic fist punched towards his heart. He could only half-dodge this, too. Her fist was driven into his arm, instead, and his shoulder was instantly dislocated.
Han Sen bit down on his teeth and tried to maintain his composure. He couldn't afford to slow down, so he continued to dodge. As he went on, he healed any wounds he incurred with his holy light.
"Come on, fairy. Hurry up! I can't hold out much longer," Han Sen pleaded within. His fitness had yet to reach the level of a celestial being. Dealing with one of these villains might have been fine, but competing with two simultaneously was too much.
Han Sen's back received a punch by the spirit, and he was launched fifty meters into the sky. With Aero, he altered the trajectory of his fall to avoid the follow-up attack that was set to be delivered by the armored phantom.
Han Sen knew if this was to continue, he'd be dead well before the fairy finished up with the snake. He didn't want to rely on her help, either, so he turned his thoughts to how he might prevent the attacks of his assailants.
Han Sen started to use Aero more and more. With the vast amount of space he had, he could utilize it for greater formations and subsequent predictions.
Han Sen's heart was galloping like mad, as energy started to generate within his arms. Once his mind calmed, his judgment and outlook were brought clarity. With this, the situation slightly improved.
But only by a little bit. Under the oppression of two wretched foes such as these, no matter what Han Sen did, he'd be at a disadvantage. A single mistake was enough to end his life.
Every time they attacked now, however, Han Sen sustained more wounds. Although they weren't deadly, they put him in greater danger through their debilitations.
The Devil-Ant King armor was damaged now, as well. If this was to keep up, it could shatter. If that occurred, then his situation would hit rock bottom.
Han Sen emptied his mind and focused on his judgment. As he did so, he tried to lure them into a trap he was formulating. With his heart and mind free from the burden of thought, the damage he'd receive could be minimized.
As Han Sen used his dongxuan aura, his appearance was inherently bloody. It was as if he had taken a dip in a pool of blood. His eyes were still solid, however.
During the time spent practicing Hand of God and sparring against Qin Xuan, this was what he had been preparing for. This was the true life or death trial of his dongxuan aura, but even in the midst of the brutality of what was unfolding, his ability with it was actually improving.
Han Sen's mind was not occupied with a single other thought, and although he had sustained more wounds than ever, never before had he been so relaxed.
Boom!
Suddenly, Han Sen felt as if his head blew up. A strange sensation overtook his mind, as if the very core of his mind was extending. He was becoming one with the dongxuan aura.
In this stage, the spirit and the armored phantom's movements became entirely predictable. It was like he could easily view and foresee a trail of exactly where they planned to go and how. Even though Han Sen could not see the spirit prep her frenetic attacks, he could dodge them with ease.
It was difficult to describe what he was feeling, but Han Sen knew now that he had reached the pinnacle of what was possible with the dongxuan aura. It was most certainly as good as the eighth sense. He had reached the zenith of perception.
Han Sen's body felt at ease. Under the oppression of two wretched monsters, he could dodge perfectly and even find the time to fight back.
Still, there was no point in him fighting back. And doing so would be a needless depletion of energy.
But Han Sen was still exuberantly happy over his development. All he would have to do now was stall the advance of his enemies, and once the fairy was done with the snake, she could come over and help. That would change the tide of the battle.
The spirit was now starting to understand what was going on. Although they were both stronger than Han Sen, they were unable to do anything to him.
If this continued, they realized that the fairy would be done with the snake and things would end up unfavorably for them.
The spirit frowned, and it seemed as if it issued an order to the phantom. The armored phantom turned around and departed. It ran over to the snake, seeking to support it.
Han Sen's face changed. He knew he could not allow the armored phantom to go support the snake.
Gritting his teeth, Han Sen ran up the stairs. He planned to run up to the spirit hall.
The eyes of the spirit flashed, and it immediately picked up its speed in an attempt to stop Han Sen.
Left and right, Han Sen's body bobbed and weaved without reprieve. He kept dropping red herrings of movement to mislead the spirit. Although the spirit was physically faster than him, she could not stop Han Sen on his ascent towards the spirit hall.
Han Sen thought the spirit would call the armored phantom back, so he could maneuver for more time and give the fairy the chance she needed to finish off the snake.
But the spirit did not do this; she did not call for the return of the armored phantom. She stopped moving, and a darkness swelled and consumed her eyes.
In that moment, the pupils of the spirit became wider. The white of her eyes turned black, and it seemed as if a strange, dark light swirled inside.
Her black armor suddenly looked as if it was on fire, and it was wreathed in what appeared to be a black flame. It looked quite similar to Han Sen's Devil Unicorn smoke.
Within that black fire, the spirit's lifeforce became much more powerful. As he noticed this, Han Sen's heart jumped, unable to imagine what sort of power brewed within the spirit that gave him chase.