CHAPTER 171 - SKY PALACE’S CONQUEROR

The massive black octopus lashed out, swinging its colossal tentacles wildly to strike Han Wu. Though he reacted swiftly and managed to evade the main attack, one of its tentacles still grazed his arm. Immediately, he felt a sharp stinging sensation, and to his alarm, observed the skin touched by the tentacle rapidly blackening, the discoloration creeping further up his arm with each passing second.

Realizing with alarm that he had been poisoned, Han Wu swiftly drew a knife from his personal space and brutally shaved off the affected flesh to prevent the poison from spreading further. Almost immediately, thanks to his powerful physique, his wounds began to heal up and scab over at a rapid speed.

Still, he now knew that the octopus in front of him was not just strong but very deadly. One wrong move, a direct hit from a tentacle, could mean his eternal imprisonment here, condemned to become yet another captive in this ominous place.

There was no way he’d become a prisoner here. With that resolve, Han Wu immediately transformed into his black dragon form. The Genocider greatsword in his hand resonated deeply with his surging fighting spirit, vibrating with raw power. With chilling efficiency, his greatsword effortlessly cleaved through the massive tentacles whenever they dared to make contact.

The additional damage from Han Wu combined with his disorienting Genocider Afterimage made it exceedingly difficult for the octopus to mount an effective counter-attack. Driven to a furious rage, it secreted a black poison, coating its massive body entirely. With each swing of its tentacles, a deadly shower of poison droplets sprayed everywhere, making them incredibly difficult to evade.

Thankfully, Han Wu was well-protected by his dragon scales. These scales not only boasted incredible magical resistance but also effectively isolated even the most miniscule of poison droplets, preventing them from making any contact with his body.

Unable to engage in close-quarters combat against the creature, Han Wu swiftly altered his strategy. He transformed his greatsword once again into a rapid-fire gatling gun. Aiming steadily at the octopus, he unleashed continuous streams of bullets. While these projectiles left barely any discernible physical wounds on its resilient body, the elemental and spiritual damage infused within each bullet proved quite effective, inflicting significant pain upon the creature.

The octopus, driven into a frenzy by the barrage of bullets, began whipping its tentacles around with blinding speed, forming a pseudo-barrier that blocked off the incoming damage.

Shifting tactics once more, Han Wu transformed his weapon from a gatling gun to a massive cannon, then proceeded to blast off the octopus’s tentacles, one by one. Each explosion ripped through its flesh, leaving behind massive, gaping holes.

This time, the octopus was completely outmatched. Its tentacles simply couldn’t keep pace with Han Wu’s agility, its attempts at mental corruption proved utterly ineffective, and its poison was effortlessly repelled by the resilience of Han Wu’s dragon scales. It was as if Han Wu had been crafted to be its perfect counter!

Observing the devastating effectiveness of the cannon, Han Wu pressed his assault, continuously firing at the octopus while deftly zipping through the air. The intense battle lasted an entire day and night. Even with his formidable power and stamina, Han Wu soon found weariness setting in by the dawn of the second day.

The octopus however was in an utterly dire state. Its colossal body was riddled with devastating injuries from numerous cannon blasts, its skin and muscle torn away, leaving chunks of flesh dangling. It was clear that the creature was slowly but surely dying from its grievous wounds. Han Wu allowed himself a brief moment of rest while suspended in the air, before delivering one final shot to end its suffering.

The octopus finally succumbed to the attack, and at that very moment, an overbearing presence suddenly materialized, pressing down on everything. Han Wu was instantly pinned to the ground, unable to stand. He strained his neck, managing to glimpse a blurry black figure slowly crawling out from the colossal octopus’s corpse. The figure swiftly vanished, and with its disappearance, the overwhelming pressure that had paralyzed Han Wu immediately dissipated.

Still slightly unsettled by the encounter, Han Wu quickly accessed his interface. His gaze immediately fell upon a brand new Diamond title proudly displayed: Sky Palace’s Conqueror.

[Effect 1: The user can teleport to any location in the Sky Palace.]

[Effect 2: The user can imprison any life form within the Sky Palace.]

[Effect 3: The user can release any prisoner in the Sky Palace.]

The three effects granted by the new title offered absolutely no direct combat benefits, yet Han Wu couldn’t help but acknowledge that it had come at the right time. With the title, he could finally fulfill the promise he had made to the half-dragons regarding their release. Beyond that, he could even bring in the various races inhabiting the remaining six floors and incorporate them into his army.

He was very happy at the thought of gaining so many soldiers with just that title. Moreover, he obtained a decent amount of Diamond materials after using the dismantler mitt on the octopus corpse. There were materials like Mental Corruption Crystal, Fatal Poison, and Tough Flesh Crystals, all of which would fetch a high price. He was giddy thinking about how much money he’d earn.

Furthermore, once the octopus was fully dismantled, Han Wu uncovered a small box. Inside, he found a collection of books detailing the precise reasons the various races had been imprisoned within the Sky Palace. As he began to check their content, what he read struck him as so absurd that he found himself almost dying of laughter.

The half-dragons had been imprisoned for a rather petty reason—their overwhelming arrogance. They never ceased boasting to others about being descendants of the Great Dragons. This persistent pride ultimately managed to provoke the ire of someone powerful. The Light Spirits had been imprisoned simply because their brightness was so intense that they had, quite by accident, momentarily blinded a powerful expert.

Han Wu kept reading through the records, his eyes scanning the pages, until a particular detail caught his full attention: the massive black octopus was, in reality, a Noble Soul. Because of a strange mutation, the octopus had been ostracized by the other Noble Souls and had endured a history of bullying. Yet, one day, a powerful being discerned its hidden potential and gave it their blessing, which explained how the octopus was able to become so strong.

With its newfound strength, the octopus, seeing revenge, captured the Noble Souls and ruthlessly imprisoned them within the Sky Palace. Not content with mere imprisonment, it even sent a clone to corrupt their minds and twist their will. This torment continued until the Noble Souls were reduced to a state where they fervently wished for death, explaining their desperate desire to die and be set free when Han Wu visited their floor.

A deep frown creased Han Wu’s brow as he finally finished the book. While he found some of the reasons for imprisonment amusing, his primary concern revolved around the enigmatic, powerful figure the text continuously referenced. This particular entity appeared to wield such immense power and influence that even the very author of the book had meticulously avoided even a direct mention of their name.

Han Wu was worried that the mysterious individual, the one the book dared not name, would soon appear to demand compensation for the disruption he had caused within the Sky Palace.

I shouldn’t think about it too much. I have five more months before I have to leave here anyway. I just need to improve my strength even more!

After clearing out the eighth floor and confirming there were no more valuables to be found, Han Wu returned to the first floor in search of Bakir. The half-dragon, immediately sensing the overwhelming power radiating from Han Wu, quickly knelt, offering his loyalty. Following his lead, the rest of the half-dragons also knelt down in a display of reverence and loyalty.

Han Wu felt hundreds of threads of Faith extending from them, directly connecting to him. He realized with satisfaction that he had finally succeeded in acquiring his own devoted believers within the Title Civilization, purely through his own powers. Unfortunately, for now, he couldn’t take them with him.

He gave Bakir specific instructions to remain in place for another five months. Once that period had passed, Han Wu himself would be transported back to the Divine Civilization, at which point he would finally be able to bring all of them with him.

After concluding his business, Han Wu left the Sky Palace. Knowing he had just five months left, he wanted to try his luck in other training sites, aiming to collect as many powerful titles as possible to further enhance his own strength.