Han Shuo brought the two Han Haos into the underground palace. The others, including the Five Elite Zombies and Bollands, could not be more astonished. They used their souls to thoroughly examine the two Han Haos, but were shocked to discover that not only did they look exactly the same, their auras were almost indistinguishable. They could sense a unique aura of death within Han Hao's master soul.
"Since his master soul contains the power of the Quintessence Shard, the two souls can't have exactly the same aura. But the Overgod of Death will not be able to tell that this is just a substitute," Han Shuo said confidently.
"Father, shall I go now?" both Han Hao's asked in the same voice. They had the same tone and inflection. Since Han Hao was still not used to having two bodies, he could not control them independently like Han Shuo could with his avatars.
"Yes, go now. Leave the Fringe with your main body and go to the Omphalos with your surrogate. Remember to take your followers with you. Go explore the parameters yourself until the Overgod finds you," Han Shuo said smiling.
"Understood," Han Hao nodded. He said goodbye to Scarlett and the five elite zombies before leaving through an underground tunnel of the Pandemonium to begin his plan to cheat death.
Han Shuo did not go to the Omphalos with Han Hao because he did not want to meet the Overgod of Death at that time. Besides, Han Shuo had killed City Lord Hill of Witherbone City, an important servant of the Overgod. A meeting with the Overgod might not end well for Han Shuo.
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Besides, the Han Hao who went to the Omphalos was only a disposable substitute. It wouldn't have any negative effect on Han Hao's main body, even if the Overgod destroyed the surrogate. This made Han Shuo feel much more comfortable about letting Little Skeleton go on the mission alone.
As soon as Han Hao left, Bollands, Sanguis and Gilbert immediately went to Han Shuo to ask about the Avatars. They were very interested in what they had seen and wanted their own surrogates.
Unfortunately, Han Shuo had to dampen their enthusiasm. Since Bollands and Sanguis did not cultivate the orthodox school of demonic arts, they could not branch out a stand of their souls. Gilbert, however, could, as he had been taught the demonic techniques in the tempering of his soul.
However, it could be said that Gilbert's current body was already a surrogate body that was well attached to his soul, not to mention the extreme robustness of the body. Therefore, it was pointless to spend time and energy forging another replica.
Han Shuo denied their requests, urging them to put their efforts into their cultivation instead of distracting themselves with getting a clone.
The trio were not too depressed. Gilbert immediately returned to his cultivation and meditation. He had learnt a great deal from Han Hao and now saw the direction of how to merge the two energies in his body. He was confident that he would soon make great progress.
Meanwhile, perhaps shocked or inspired by the strength they saw in Han Hao, Sanguis and Bolland became even more focused on their cultivation than they already were. They continued to advance at an incredible rate.
With the Godhunter Alliance now on the border of the Fringe, ready to invade at any moment, Han Shuo could not afford to be careless. Since Han Hao's departure, Han Shuo had frequently met with Zovic to keep up to date with the latest situation and their battle plan. Han Shuo would also mysteriously disappear from the Pandemonium without explanation. He seemed to be planning something in secret.
Two weeks passed in a flash. Han Shuo counted the days, thinking that by now Han Hao's main body should have left the Fringe while his replica body would have reached the Omphalos. He began to worry a little, wondering what the situation was like on the Omphalos.
***In the Omphalos.
Han Hao formally entered the Omphalos with a group of his godhunters. With his most pompous and ostentatious party, he wandered through the main streets, shopping for unique materials.
This replica body of Han Hao's had been near the Omphalos for five days. However, since his main body had not yet reached its destination, it hid and waited. It was only today, when the alternate Han Hao sensed that the main Han Hao had entered the Destiny Dominion, that he entered the Omphalos.
Han Hao's sudden appearance in the trading city had alerted the major powers, especially Tyre, who knew that he possessed the Quintessence Shard. Tyre immediately ordered his men to keep Han Hao under constant surveillance, using Stringers to spread word of his whereabouts.
At the time, Han Hao's reputation in the Fringe was just below that of the Five Sovereigns. The Fringe and the various powers were naturally curious when someone as powerful as Han Hao appeared in the Omphalos. They too silently watched his every move.
Ossora was the first to come to Han Hao.
After bringing Han Hao to one of his Sovereign Shops and placing several boundaries around them, Ossora knitted his brows and asked, "Why have you come to the Omphalos?"
Ossora knew that Han Hao and Han Shuo were very close, and that he should express his goodwill to Han Hao as well.
When the Sovereigns were visited by the Overgod of Death, Ossora had heard with his own ears the names Logue had reported. Through his own intelligence network, Ossora knew that some of those on the list had been murdered. He had also relayed this news to Zovic through secret channels. Given how dangerous the situation was, Ossora couldn't understand why Han Hao had chosen to appear in public now.
"I have some business here. I'm not the person He's looking for. I will be fine," although Han Hao's skills in interaction were primitive, especially in romantic relationships, he knew enough to feign politeness with a character like Ossora.
"Not you? Are you sure?" Ossora asked suspiciously after thinking for a moment. Although Ossora had no idea what was really happening, he could be sure from the clues he had gathered so far that the Overgod of Death was looking for someone or something.
"It's not me," Han Hao confirmed
"Well then..." Ossora nodded, suddenly changing the subject, "How is Bryan these days? I have sent several emissaries inviting him to the Omphalos for talks. Why has he not responded?"
"He is in a critical phase of his solitary cultivation. But don't worry, he has made all the necessary preparations. Even if the Godhunter Alliance were to strike now, it wouldn't be a problem," Han Hao replied immediately. He had prepared these answers in advance with Han Shuo.
Ossora then asked a few more questions about Han Shuo, which Han Hao answered almost spontaneously. He did not reveal any secrets about the Pandemonium, but he did a good job of not appearing to be trying to hide information from Ossora.
Ossora did not get the answer he wanted from Han Hao. Having seen that Han Hao did not seem in the least concerned about a visit from the Overgod of Death and was determined to remain within the Fringe, Ossora did not try to persuade him otherwise. Not hoping to meet the Overgod of Death a second time, Ossora did not bother Han Hao for too long. He advised Han Hao not to resist when the Overgod visited him and wished him luck.
Han Hao thanked Ossora before leaving the Sovereign's shop with an indifferent face. He continued to wander the Omphalos, waiting for Nestor to catch him
About three days later, Han Hao, followed by Polo and the gang, went shopping in a shop that sold certain unique bones. One by one, he scanned all the oddly shaped bones containing strange energies that the merchant had.
As a Death Energy cultivator, Han Hao had a hobby of collecting all kinds of unique bones. It was a hobby of his to forge weapons from bones. He needed only one look to determine the quality of a bone and whether it was suitable for making a weapon.
Needless to say, the shop owner knew Han Hao's identity and was incredibly respectful of him. When presenting Han Hao with his highest quality products, the merchant wore the most sincere smile on his face and treated him with the utmost courtesy.
After hours of shopping, Han Hao dropped a dozen or so bones on the counter and asked the shopkeeper, who had been running tirelessly around the shop the whole time, "I'll take these. How many crystal coins are they?"
The merchant exposed his palms, smiled flatteringly, and said, "How dare I take your crystal coins, sir? Please, you can have them all for free!"
Han Hao stared blankly for a moment. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Huh? Why won't you take my crystal coins? Don't tell me you're actually running a charity?"
"No, Lord, it is a gift, just for you. You can come anytime and take anything in this shop. Haha, we would be extremely grateful if you would spare us in return in the future," the merchant said with an awkward and somewhat nervous smile.
Han Hao was rather taken aback and looked at the merchant with puzzled eyes. He didn't quite seem to understand the merchant's meaning. At that moment, Polo, who was standing next to Han Hao, chuckled mischievously before whispering in Han Hao's ear, "A few years ago, the Chief ordered us to intercept all goods flowing into the Omphalos. Hehe, this is one of the merchants we robbed..."
Han Hao realised what was going on when he heard Polo's words. At that time, Tyre and Logue had found excuses to prevent Han Shuo from joining their ranks and controlling part of the Omphalos. They ordered the Omphalos merchants under their influence to oppose Han Shuo's installation as one of the city's rulers. In response, Han Shuo had Han Hao loot all the goods coming into Omphalos and shut down their businesses.
"Oh, thank you then," Han Hao said indifferently as he nodded. He casually took the bones and left with Polo and the gang.
Suddenly, as he stepped out of the front door, Han Hao jerked as he felt as if someone was closing in on him. Although this body was only a surrogate body, nowhere near as good as an Avatar or his main body, Han Hao's secondary soul still possessed the acute sensing power of his main soul. He knew immediately that something was about to happen.
And just as expected, a misty cloud of death energy enveloping a dark figure stealthily emerged from a corner of the street and shot towards him at an incredible speed. As the shadow approached Han Hao, the energies of lightning, destruction and darkness appeared out of nowhere, blocking Han Hao's every path of escape.
You're here at last, Han Hao thought. He stood tall on the ground without moving, quietly waiting for the energy of death to reach him. He seemed ready to allow the Overgod to probe him without resistance.
But beyond Han Hao's expectations, the figure shrouded in a cloud of mist suddenly stopped and a cold voice sounded, "Trap him!"
Dagmar!" shouted Han Hao before he hurriedly retreated, flying back into the shop he had just come out of. He instructed, "Polo, spread out and call!"
Han Hao was very surprised. He had not expected that instead of Nestor, the Overgod of Death, the visitor was Dagmar, the Godhunter Alliance's Hegemon of Death!
They were in Omphalos, the centre of the Fringe. Tyre, Logue, Ossora, Wasir, as well as the leaders of several major factions, were in the Omphalos at the time. It was madness for Dagmar to come and meet him in the Omphalos.
Dagmar cultivated the energy of death and had a much deeper mastery of the soul than an ordinary expert. It was indeed possible for Dagmar to hide his presence from the Sovereigns and sneak into the Omphalos.
Han Hao was torn between laughter and tears after baiting the Overgod of Death for many days, but it was Dagmar, obsessed with the shard, who appeared. While Han Hao immediately retreated to the shop, he did not forget to give Polo instructions.
"The Godhunter Alliance is here! The Godhunter Alliance is attacking!" Needless to say, Polo knew Dagmar's identity. Having worked under Han Hao for many years, he knew exactly what to do at that moment. He shouted for help as he and his gang fled.
"There is no escape this time, Han Hao!" Dagmar shouted in his sinister voice. Several shadows appeared from all around Han Hao and surrounded him. However, instead of going after Han Hao, Dagmar waved his hand to trap Polo and the others in the bone cages.
After his previous encounter with Han Hao, Dagmar had learned to be wary of the Shard's miraculous power. He was afraid of being affected by the tombstone again. For this reason, Dagmar had kept his distance from Han Hao.
Of course, Dagmar had no idea that this was just a replica body of Han Hao's that did not carry the Quintessence Shard. He would keep Han Hao's followers trapped while his experts, who didn't cultivate the energy of death, surrounded Han Hao.
"You still can't kill me!" shouted Han Hao as he jumped out of the back window of the shop. He then threw a handful of Pearls of Annihilation in all directions.
Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!
Huge explosions ripped through the city. Dagmar's henchmen had to temporarily halt their advance to shield themselves from the blast. One of the experts, far ahead of the others, was torn to pieces. It was instant death.
Fearing that the replica, Han Hao, might be attacked on his way to the Omphalos, Han Shuo gave him half of the Pearls of Annihilation he had. This replica body of Han Hao's was rather weak and could not unleash much power as it was hastily created. However, since the secondary soul had inherited the characteristics and memories of the main soul, it could easily activate the Pearls of Annihilation.
In an instant, the massive explosion destroyed several dozen nearby shops. Debris, wood shards, broken crystals and dust were sent flying everywhere. All the merchants, vendors and shoppers in the area became collateral casualties.
Dagmar emerged from the cloud of dust and shouted, "Hurry! Get him! We don't have much time!" He snapped his fingers and sent strands of Death Energy into the bone cages that held Polo and the others. The spiky bone cages began to shrink and pierce their bodies.
Given that Dagmar was an overgod expert, it was no surprise that Polo and the others stood no chance against him. Polo and the others would have been dead long ago had Dagmar not been so focused on Han Hao.
With Dagmar's mad screams, his loyal followers braved the explosions and continued to charge at Han Hao. They seemed determined to kill Han Hao, even at the cost of their own lives.
The Pearls of Annihilation could not instantly kill all the experts Dagmar had brought with him, as they all possessed Late-stage Highgod powers. This half-assed avatar body of Han Hao's was no match for the group of highgods. Now that they were charging ahead with no regard for their own lives, Han Hao could not outrun them either.
However, Han Hao wasn't too worried. He knew that even if this replica body was destroyed, it would have no effect on his main body. Besides, if he was 'killed' in the Omphalos, the Overgod would no longer hunt him. Although this was different from the original plan, it still achieved the original goal.
Suddenly, five shadows gathered around Han Hao and intercepted him. Immediately after, five energies bound his body, preventing him from moving.
"Hegemon, we've got him!" shouted one of Dagmar's followers.
Dagmar was overjoyed and he trembled with excitement. He stopped injecting his Death Energy into the bone cages that were about to pierce Polo and the others to death. He immediately landed in front of Han Hao and placed a hand on Han Hao's chest.
"Yes... my precious... I will finally have you..." Dagmar mumbled foolishly as he stroked Han Hao's chest. Then he stabbed Han Hao in the chest with his sharp white fingernails.
Chhhkkk!
He pushed his hand deeper into the surrogate's chest, as if he wanted to rip out Han Hao's chest for the Quintessence Shard.
But suddenly Dagmar stopped. He turned furious. He stared at Han Hao and shouted, "It's not there! Why is it not there?! You hid it! Where did you hide it? Give it to me, give it to me!"