Han Wu wasn’t the only one watching his broadcast. Countless families were also studying his every move, hoping to use his strategies to guide their own contestants.
The results were consistently terrible. When Han Wu attacked a Devilsprite village, they searched for one too, only to stumble into an army of Ghoulsprites led by an ultimate Phantom King instead.
They also copied his assault on the Chessboard Lands, thinking the Chess Soldiers were easy targets. In the end, they were destroyed by the organized formations.
When Han Wu started earning Sins in the Kingdom of Sin and evolving his ultimates, these families once again sent their children in. However, their armies were made up of perfect Digital Sprites at best, meaning they couldn’t even clear the weaker sin-attribute nests, let alone challenge a Sin Lord.
Han Wu’s avatars shook their heads as they watched these disasters unfold one after another. Copying was fine, but did these families ever stop to consider if it was within their capabilities to do so?
The initial investment of 2 million Divine Essence meant Han Wu now had ultimates escorting him everywhere. None of these copycats were willing to match that amount, yet they expected to replicate his success. It was truly laughable.
Han Wu dismissed the reports with a scoff. He had no interest in commenting on their failures.
Riding Yinglong, Han Wu soon arrived at the Gargoylesprite territory ten kilometers south. Even from the fringes, he could see Gargoylesprites of every shape and size standing motionless throughout the territory.
Some resembled small demons, while others looked like hungry ghosts. A few had even taken on beast-like forms. Regardless of their appearance, though, all shared one trait: their petrified state granted them extraordinarily high defense.
Ordinary attacks couldn’t break through a Gargoylesprite’s defenses. Ultimates, however, were a different story. Large numbers of Gargoylesprites crumbled under the assault of Han Wu’s forces. The survivors, realizing their stone shells wouldn’t save them, shed their petrified forms and attacked.
The Iron Abyss Bug quickly underwent Armored evolution into the Golden Scarab. First, it cast Sacred Carapace on Han Wu to bolster his defense, then unleashed Forced Defecation on the surrounding Gargoylesprites.
The active Gargoylesprites lost control and were quickly drained of strength. The petrified ones dropped pebbles from their rear ends, shrinking with each piece lost. They had no choice but to break out of petrification and attack.
The Pseudo-Machinedrasprite stepped forward. One blast of its Infinity Cannon reduced the entire mob to rubble. Once the fodder was cleared out, Han Wu finally laid eyes on the Sin Lord, the Sloth Petrified Mountain Giant.
Its mountain-sized body was sprawled flat on the ground in a deep slumber. Its petrified state made it harder than steel. Even the Iron Abyss Bug couldn’t compare.
“Can any of you wake it up?” Han Wu asked.
Waking it was the only way to break its petrification. That was the only way they could fight it.
Stinger, freshly promoted to the Microcosm rank, stepped forward. It channeled its Microcosm into its purple-patterned spear.
“Stinger Holy Sword, Death Pierce!”
The strike penetrated the Petrified Mountain Giant’s body, but the impact area was too small for the giant to care. Its only reaction was to roll over and snooze on.
Thunder Halberd patted Stinger on the shoulder in consolation. At least Stinger had made the giant turn over. Thunder Halberd hadn’t even managed that much.
Han Wu looked at Yinglong. It shook its head. The Petrified Mountain Giant wasn’t a dragon, so Dragon Bane was useless.
The Pseudo-Machinedrasprite tried next. Its Infinity Cannon left two scorch marks on the giant’s surface, but they healed within a minute.
Han Wu turned to the Golden Scarab as a last resort. “Make it defecate. Force it out!”
The Golden Scarab unleashed Forced Defecation. The Petrified Mountain Giant let out an earth-shaking fart that sent tremors through the ground. Falling rocks stripped over seventy points from Han Wu’s protection barrier, but there was zero effect aside from that.
Han Wu quickly called off the skill. Any more of that and the falling debris alone would crush them all.
“Is there really no way to wake this thing?” he muttered in frustration. This was the first opponent that had completely stumped him.
The War Angel stepped forward. “Let me try.”
Han Wu glanced at her. Even the Microcosm rank Pseudo-Machinedrasprite couldn’t do it; how could a Heavenrender War Angel?
Still, there was nothing to lose, so Han Wu stepped aside and let her try.
The War Angel activated Seven Heavens. Seven orbs of solar heat struck the Petrified Mountain Giant’s back. At first, nothing happened. Then the orbs melted through the stone skin, and the giant finally reacted.
It reached for its back, trying to claw the orbs off, but its bloated body meant its arms were too short to reach. Layers of stone fell away from its body under the sustained heat—the sign of petrification breaking.
The Sloth Petrified Mountain Giant was finally rousing after an age of slumber.