Talented Martial Hero novel Chapter 726

Hanson's face had turned pale except for his lips, which were now a sickly purple. His aura was suddenly very weak as well, which alarmed Darren all the more.

"I'll be fine," Hanson insisted. "It's just that the poison has taken effect."

He had been infected by the Ghost Poison of the clay figurines. Since then he'd had no means of curing himself. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been hiding in the Starry Tower for so long.

"Sir, you must have magic herbs that can help your body heal," asked Darren, confused. "How can this poison still be affecting you?"

His companion replied, "The medicine I'm using has kept it at bay for thousands of years. After all this time, though, it's becoming less and less effective. I feel the poison's effects so often now that I'm almost used to it."

Previously, Hanson had told Darren that Barnes the Holy had also suffered the effects of the Ghost Poison. In the end, however, he had survived it.

It seemed, then, that only Barnes the Holy could cure Hanson.

Darren gave his ailing fellow a sympathetic look. "Sir, if I manage to save Barnes the Holy, I'll make sure that I ask him to heal you. Until then, I'm afraid you'll have to put up with it. I'm sorry."

"Save Barnes the Holy," Hanson repeated. "So he's alive, then? Is that true?"

"Let me explain," Darren said. "I met a subordinate of his called Pasquale, the Giant Ape. He was hiding in the Purgatorial Tripod after his body had been destroyed. This ape told me repeatedly that I need to comprehend more than two kinds of true rules in order to save his master.

What's more, I saw a portrait of Barnes the Holy in his palace. He's almost like a monkey, with golden hair—very strange, but also somewhat ferocious-looking..."

He went on, relating everything else he knew about Barnes the Holy.

For his part, Hanson believed everything he heard, for he knew that Darren would not fabricate or exaggerate anything.

"So Barnes the Holy has been suppressed in the Raksa Sea?" he said when Darren had finished speaking. "That is incredible..."

Reserved though he normally was, Hanson's astonishment was plain on his face. This legendary figure from an ancient era, who had been invincible, was still alive!

"Darren," he asked, "when did the Giant Ape tell you to rescue Barnes the Holy?"

Darren looked grim. "He said I should do it within three hundred years. But to tell the truth, I don't know if I'll be powerful enough by then."

"If even Barnes the Holy could ever be suppressed, then saving him is bound to be an incredible challenge. Let's talk about it again later, when your strength has reached a higher level," Hanson said.

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Right now it's too early to talk about such an undertaking."

After the discussion, Hanson left, trying to suppress the poison that still wracked his body.

Darren decided then to focus on cultivating and improving his strength.

"Right now, my martial arts talent has reached the Genuine Domain Degree. But I haven't improved my strength since then."

Saying this, he sat down cross-legged, and his mind rushed into the space that was full of ancient spiritual crystals. He set about assimilating the spiritual energy from the ancient spiritual crystals.

He wasted no time, and his efforts were rewarded with a considerable boost.

Three months had passed in the twinkling of an eye, and he was now wreathed in a dazzling and graceful aura.

Feeling full of power, Darren opened his eyes.

"It feels like I've stepped into the seven-star Grand Realm," he remarked.

His physical strength had greatly increased, and the force of control to the Ancient Void Battlefield also had been enhanced.

Experimentally, he released his blade and sword intents.

There was a satisfying crackle of power as they collided against one another in the void.

"Good! My blade and sword intents have improved a bit as well!"

Darren's only regret was that his dark gold internal force could not be increased. To do that, it would need to fuse the blade and sword intents again after he had reached the Holy Realm.

However, once entering that realm, he would have to stand against the inexorable black lightning cast by the Heavenly Repression again. He wasn't at all sure he could prevail in such a contest.

"But if I don't enter the Holy Realm at all," he warned himself, "my strength will be very limited indeed. In fact, I'd be a little weaker than Hanson even if I pushed myself to the limit."

Since his dark gold internal force had been weakened, Darren was aware that he could not surpass Hanson, even in the seven-star Grand Realm.

In this world, even those inferior and junior holy warriors were not at the top of the hierarchy, and they did not have power over life and death. One was still quite weak, then, before entering the Holy Realm.

Naturally, getting into the Holy Realm was no small feat, either. The most crucial thing was to comprehend the Holy Will. Otherwise, all of Darren's efforts would be futile.

"Now that I have reached seven-star Grand Realm, it's time for me to comprehend the Holy Will," he declared to himself.

Of course, that was easier said than done. In fact, Darren had no idea where to even begin.

Falling silent, he decided to return to his meditations and, hopefully, gain some insight into the matter.