Chapter 128: Chapter 128: You’re a Spirit Aspect Powerhouse!?

Watching the Vulture Elder charge toward him, Shen Haoran didn’t so much as blink. He remained sitting on the bed, perfectly still.

Just as the Vulture Elder’s palm was a mere finger’s breadth away, Shen Haoran moved. A terrifying storm of Spiritual Thought erupted from him. Then, under the Vulture Elder’s stunned gaze, he reached out and casually caught the attack.

"A... A Spirit Aspect Powerhouse!" the Vulture Elder shrieked. He stared at the perfectly composed Shen Haoran, his mind reeling with disbelief.

’A Spirit Aspect Powerhouse! Shen Haoran is a Spirit Aspect Powerhouse too! This is impossible! Even if he’s a peerless genius who started his Cultivation in the womb, there’s no way he could reach the Spirit Aspect Tier at such a young age!’

The Vulture Elder was roaring internally, completely shocked. But Shen Haoran’s oppressive aura was undeniable, the presence of a Tier Eight Spirit Aspect mercilessly assailing his senses.

WHOOSH! Shen Haoran paid no mind to the Vulture Elder’s shock. While one hand pinned the man’s palm, the other shot out like a bolt of lightning, aimed straight for his chest!

The Vulture Elder was a battle-hardened veteran with swift reflexes. He instantly recovered from his shock and thrust out his own palm to meet Shen Haoran’s.

THUMP! With a muffled sound, the powerful impact sent the Vulture Elder flying backward. He tumbled twice in mid-air before regaining his footing. In contrast, Shen Haoran’s body had merely trembled slightly. The difference in their power was obvious.

"How can you be..." The Vulture Elder stared at Shen Haoran in terror, but before he could finish, Shen Haoran appeared before him like an apparition, his hand instantly clamping around the man’s neck and hoisting him into the air.

"ACK... ACK..." The Vulture Elder struggled to break free, only to discover his Spiritual Power was completely sealed. He was like a lamb on the chopping block.

"Wh-what are you going to do?" the Vulture Elder asked, staring at Shen Haoran in terror.

Shen Haoran stared at the Vulture Elder coldly, saying nothing.

The Vulture Elder’s skin crawled under his gaze. Forcing some bravado, he said, "Brother Shen, I was in the wrong today. Let me go, and we can pretend this never happened. What do you say?"

"Let you go?" Shen Haoran suddenly laughed.

"Let you go, so you can come back for revenge? Do you take me for a fool?" Shen Haoran’s expression turned frigid in an instant.

"I swear, I won’t come back for revenge! I stake my honor on it!" the Vulture Elder said with a sincere expression. But the venom in his eyes did not escape Shen Haoran’s notice.

"Sorry, but I have no interest in your honor. I only trust myself," Shen Haoran replied coldly. As he spoke, he tightened his grip, and the Vulture Elder’s face immediately flushed crimson.

"St-stop! I’m just a Clone! Killing me is pointless. Do you really want to make an enemy of a Tier Nine Peak Spirit Aspect Powerhouse?" the Vulture Elder rasped in a last-ditch effort.

"Make an enemy of you? Haven’t I already done that? Besides, if something were to happen to this Clone, I imagine your true body would suffer a significant backlash, wouldn’t it?" Shen Haoran said with a cold smirk.

"You..." The Vulture Elder stared at Shen Haoran in horror. He never imagined someone so young could be so ruthless.

"You’d best not provoke me again. Otherwise, you’ll have to bear the consequences," Shen Haoran said in a low voice. With that, the Powerful Qi in his palm erupted. The Vulture Elder’s body instantly dissolved into a cloud of dust and vanished from the room.

PTHOO! The very instant the Vulture Elder’s body dissipated, an old man in a nearby inn spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His face turned deathly pale, and his aura weakened. This was the Vulture Elder’s true body.

"Shen Haoran, this isn’t over between us!" The Vulture Elder glared in the direction of the Celestial Martial Auction House, his eyes filled with venomous hatred. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Meanwhile, Shen Haoran was also pale as he sat cross-legged on the floor. Elder Yan floated before him, a worried expression on his face.

After a long moment, some color returned to Shen Haoran’s face. He opened his eyes and exhaled a deep, turbid breath.

"How are you feeling?" Elder Yan asked.

"I’m fine," Shen Haoran said with a wry smile. "Elder Yan, your power is simply too immense. It’s a good thing my body has been painstakingly tempered, or the side effects would have been much worse than this."

Indeed, the Spirit Aspect strength Shen Haoran had just unleashed was genuine. However, it was power he had borrowed from Elder Yan. This terrifying strength had severely overloaded his meridians, leaving him with considerable injuries.

"It’s not your own power, after all. You should use it as little as possible in the future. Otherwise, it could leave behind hidden injuries that, in a worst-case scenario, could hinder your path of Cultivation," Elder Yan said, frowning.

"I understand," Shen Haoran replied. He wouldn’t have drawn on Elder Yan’s power if the situation hadn’t been so dire. Still, having tasted that formidable strength, his heart now filled with yearning.

"You must build a solid foundation. Don’t be too ambitious and try to leap ahead. Take it one step at a time, and you’ll reach that tier soon enough," Elder Yan advised, seeming to read Shen Haoran’s mind.

"I understand, Elder Yan." Shen Haoran’s expression grew serious, and he nodded.

"By the way, what about the Vulture Elder?" Shen Haoran asked. ’Leaving a ticking time bomb like him around makes me uneasy.’

"Don’t worry. The Vulture Elder’s Clone was intrinsically linked to his main body. Now that you’ve destroyed it, his strength has likely been cut in half, at least. I’ll leave him for you to deal with personally when you’re ready," Elder Yan said.

"Alright, don’t worry about that for now. Go and prepare these medicinal ingredients first. The Thousand Illusions Spirit Potion isn’t easily absorbed, so it needs to be concocted properly. Also, Yang Zhentian’s Nether Poison won’t be easy to resolve. It’s best to be overprepared, just in case. This trip to Black Wind Stronghold won’t be a peaceful one," Elder Yan reminded him.

Hearing this, Shen Haoran pressed a hand to his forehead with a wry smile. ’This trip to Black Wind Stronghold definitely won’t be peaceful. Chao Fei and his grandfather alone are enough to give me a headache.’ But Shen Haoran wasn’t one to shy away from trouble. ’If that pair leaves me alone, fine. But if they piss me off, I don’t care if they’re a Spirit Aspect or whatever else—I’ll crush them under my heel!’

After composing himself, Shen Haoran once again entered a state of Cultivation. Time was his most precious asset; he had to seize every second.

...

Time always flew by during Cultivation. Aside from occasionally leaving to have Luo Tian gather the ingredients from Elder Yan’s list, Shen Haoran remained in his room in seclusion. After two days, although his strength hadn’t grown significantly, his internal injuries had, fortunately, completely healed.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK... A knock sounded at the door. Luo Tian’s voice came from outside, "Elder Shen, I’ve gathered all the ingredients on your list. Also, the Young Master of Black Wind Stronghold, Yang Yu, is waiting for you in the auction hall!"

Hearing this, Shen Haoran let out a long breath and slowly rose to his feet.

’It’s time. I should get going.’