Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Breakthrough to Rank 9 Spirit Pupil

"Haha, it seems Ling Xuan was right about you!" She Master said with a light laugh as she looked at Shen Haoran.

"Hall Master She, you..." Shen Haoran looked at the delighted She Master, his face a mask of confusion. ’Didn’t she come here to convince me to leave Ling Xuan? Why is she acting like this now...’

"Haha, that was just a small test. I must say, even I admire your spirit. Perhaps one day, you really will be able to do it!" She Master praised.

"However, there is something I feel you must know. I hope you’re prepared," she said, her expression turning serious in an instant.

"Please, Hall Master She, speak freely."

"A few days ago, members of Ling Xuan’s clan came looking for her. They wanted to take her back with them," She Master said, articulating each word carefully.

BOOM... The moment She Master finished speaking, a terrifying aura erupted from Shen Haoran’s body. The formidable Powerful Qi even startled her; this was not the level of strength a Tier Eight Spirit Pupil should possess!

PUH... Shen Haoran was already injured. Overwhelmed by a sudden surge of rage, he couldn’t stop himself from spitting out a mouthful of blood. His body swayed, and he was about to collapse.

Seeing this, She Master flickered behind Shen Haoran and caught him. A cool stream of Spiritual Power flowed into his body, suppressing his injuries.

"Calm down. Ling Xuan has already dealt with it. She won’t be leaving for the time being." She Master’s words struck Shen Haoran like a hammer blow.

HUUUH... Shen Haoran took a deep breath, reining in the turbulent Spiritual Power within him. "My apologies, Hall Master She," he said sheepishly. "You had to see me in such a state."

Shen Haoran couldn’t help it. He was extremely sensitive when it came to anything involving Ji Lingxuan. They had been through so much together, engraving each other’s presence onto their very souls. The thought of her leaving—and his powerlessness to stop it—had made him act rashly.

"Hall Master She, what price did Ling Xuan have to pay to stay?" Shen Haoran’s voice was heavy. ’For a great clan like hers, the rules must be incredibly strict. For them to back down, Ji Lingxuan must have paid a steep price!’

"The price is that she must obey the clan’s arrangements and accept their legacy upon her return. Furthermore, once she breaks through to the Spirit General realm, she must leave this place and go back to them," She Master revealed, telling him everything she knew.

Hearing this, Shen Haoran’s eyes narrowed, and a palpable killing intent surged from his body. He didn’t know what this so-called "clan legacy" or "clan arrangement" entailed, but he knew it was absolutely not something Ji Lingxuan wanted. It was probably something she despised.

Sensing the killing intent radiating from him, She Master frowned slightly. "Shen the kid, you cannot act rashly. Ling Xuan has sacrificed so much for you. You can’t let her down!"

"Yes, Hall Master She." Shen Haoran suppressed the murderous intent in his heart. ’I’m still too weak. I need time to grow.’ He had never craved power as desperately as he did at this very moment.

Afterward, She Master offered a few more words of counsel before letting him go. She had said all that needed saying; what came next was up to him.

After bidding farewell to She Master, Shen Haoran decided he had to see Ji Lingxuan. He asked for directions and soon found himself before a bamboo grove where Ji Lingxuan and Shui Ruolan were chatting and laughing together.

"Ling Xuan!" Shen Haoran called out softly. Both women turned, but Shui Ruolan’s expression immediately soured. She spun around and, with a few quick leaps, vanished from his sight.

"Er..." Shen Haoran felt a bit awkward. ’Looks like she’s still mad at me.’

"Brother Haoran!" Ji Lingxuan trotted over. "That’s just how Sister Ruolan is," she said. "Don’t mind her. I’ll help you plead your case once she’s cooled down. After all, you did see her body!"

Hearing this, Shen Haoran wished the ground would swallow him whole. ’So Shui Ruolan told her everything.’

"Anyway, Ling Xuan, what’s your cultivation level now?" Shen Haoran asked, quickly changing the subject. He had no idea how to explain himself if the conversation continued.

"Why do you ask?" Ji Lingxuan asked, looking puzzled.

"No reason. It’s just... I’ve never known your actual level. I need a goal to aim for, right? To surpass you!" Shen Haoran said with a laugh.

"Oh, is that it?" Ji Lingxuan’s bright, expressive eyes scanned him, as if searching for some hidden meaning, but he appeared perfectly natural.

"Fine. I’m just a Tier Six Spirit General right now," Ji Lingxuan said, sticking her tongue out playfully.

’A Tier Six Spirit General? That’s not so bad,’ Shen Haoran murmured under his breath.

"Hm? What was that, Brother Haoran?" Ji Lingxuan asked.

"Oh, it’s nothing. Just keep up the hard work, you," Shen Haoran said, fondly ruffling Ji Lingxuan’s hair. "I need to get back to my Cultivation, or you’ll leave me in the dust!" With that, he turned to leave.

"Okay! You can do it, Brother Haoran!" Ji Lingxuan called out to his retreating figure, shaking a delicate fist.

The moment Shen Haoran was out of sight, however, Ji Lingxuan’s expression fell. She opened her palm, and a faint, almost imperceptible pressure emanated from it. The aura of this pressure had long since surpassed that of a Tier Six Spirit General, reaching the level of a Tier Eight or even Tier Nine Spirit General!

’I’m sorry, Brother Haoran. I lied to you,’ Ji Lingxuan thought, a wave of sadness washing over her. ’It seems She Master already told him. He tried to act natural, but I saw right through it. I know him too well.’

Shen Haoran, meanwhile, left completely unaware that he had been deceived. He followed the route She Master had given him back to Red Flame Hall and bolted straight for a Cultivation Room the moment he arrived. He was desperate to achieve another breakthrough. He needed power—the power to protect the woman he loved.

HUUUH... Settling into a cross-legged position, Shen Haoran took a deep breath to center himself. He then took out the Fifth Grade Elixir Chen Yu had given him: the Dragon Saliva Pill.

Gazing at the perfectly round, snow-white elixir, Shen Haoran opened his mouth and swallowed it without a second thought.

The moment the Dragon Saliva Pill entered his system, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian within him enveloped it. Raging flames began to roast the pill, stripping away wisps of Medicinal Power. This power flowed through Shen Haoran’s meridians to every corner of his body, but the bulk of it converged on his internal organs, beginning to fortify his physical form.

The milky-white Medicinal Power coated Shen Haoran’s organs, bones, and meridians, making them glow like translucent white jade. The Medicinal Power of the Dragon Saliva Pill was exceptionally gentle, unlike other elixirs that brought agonizing pain. Shen Haoran’s face was a mask of pure bliss as the power seeped into every fiber of his being. He could feel every cell in his body groaning in pleasure, cheering in ecstasy.

Time ticked by. The Dragon Saliva Pill, enveloped by the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, shrank until it vanished completely. Under the intense heat, not a single trace of the pill’s Medicinal Power was wasted; it was all absorbed by Shen Haoran’s body.

After an unknown amount of time, the milky-white Medicinal Power had been fully absorbed. His internal organs, bones, and meridians now all emitted a soft, white glow, like a piece of raw jade. Shen Haoran could feel that they were several times more resilient than before. ’This Dragon Saliva Pill is truly worthy of its Fifth Grade status. Its Medicinal Power is incredible!’

Now that his body had been fortified, it was time to attempt a breakthrough.

At this thought, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian in his Dantian erupted once more. Black flames swept through his entire body, flushing out the last remnants of Medicinal Power. He then guided this energy, pulling it down into his Dantian and flooding it in one great surge.

With the infusion of the Dragon Saliva Pill’s remaining Medicinal Power, the Spirit Sea in his Dantian began to roil. Countless waves of Spiritual Power crashed and churned—a spectacular sight to behold.

The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian burned tirelessly, completing the Refinement of the Medicinal Power into pure Spiritual Power and feeding it into the Spirit Sea. Slowly, the Spirit Sea began to expand until, before long, it reached a bottleneck.

BOOM! Seeing his Spirit Sea hit the bottleneck, Shen Haoran focused his will, shaping his Spiritual Power into long dragons and sending them crashing against the barrier again and again. A series of rumbles echoed from within him.

BOOM... BOOM... Under his relentless assault, the barrier finally shattered. The Spirit Sea within him surged forward, instantly occupying the newly opened territory. Looking at the Spirit Sea, which had more than doubled in size, Shen Haoran smiled.

’I finally broke through... Tier Nine Spirit Pupil!’