Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Perverted Cultivation

BOOM! Shen Haoran’s explosive burst of speed was terrifying. He shot toward the massive boulder like a cannonball, creating a distinct current of air that dispersed the heat rising from the lava below.

However, due to air resistance, Shen Haoran’s speed gradually decreased. After a hundred meters, he came to a complete stop.

Seeing this, Shen Haoran took a breath and lifted himself, gathering Spiritual Power beneath his feet. Using his remaining momentum, he stomped hard on the surface of the lava.

BANG... With a muffled sound, the violent Spiritual Power blasted a crater into the lava. Propelled by the reactive force, Shen Haoran’s body shot forward again.

But the lava was much softer than solid ground. Even with his astonishing explosive power, he only managed to cover a few dozen meters. Shen Haoran repeated this action again and again, but after four hundred meters, he could no longer find any purchase.

SIZZLE... Shen Haoran fell. He had intended to push off again, but this time he failed. Instead, the burst of Spiritual Power from his feet only created a hole in the lava, and he plunged right into it.

Fortunately, his soles were protected by Spiritual Power. The searing lava collided with the energy, emitting a series of hisses. Even so, the terrifying heat still caused him sharp, burning pain.

Reacting quickly, Shen Haoran slammed his palms downward. A fierce gust of wind rushed out, striking the lava hard. Two depressions instantly formed on the surface, and Shen Haoran used the reactive force to launch himself back into the air.

Then, looking at the final hundred meters, Shen Haoran suddenly turned around. He gathered all his Spiritual Power into his right fist and punched violently behind him at a diagonal angle.

"Heaven-Breaking Kill!"

BOOM! With a tremendous roar, a massive wave of lava surged into the air before crashing down, sending a shower of magma everywhere.

Amidst the rain of lava, Shen Haoran’s figure shot forward, using the powerful thrust from the Heaven-Breaking Kill to close the distance to the boulder.

BANG! BANG! BANG! Whenever Shen Haoran was about to fall, he would blast the lava below with his palm. The once-calm river of lava was now in complete turmoil, churned up by his efforts. Countless droplets of lava rained down on him, scalding his skin bright red.

THUD... After what felt like an eternity, Shen Haoran’s body finally landed on the massive boulder. He lay there sprawled out, as motionless as a dead dog.

Shen Haoran was a miserable sight. His clothes were almost completely burned away, not a single spot intact. His shoes had long since been incinerated, leaving his two bright-red feet bare. Without the protection of the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, his entire body was scorched red and constantly steaming. A faint scent of roasting meat wafted from him.

Looking at the exhausted Shen Haoran, Elder Yan walked over, a smile on his face. "Not bad. You actually managed to make it across."

Shen Haoran weakly lifted his head and shot Elder Yan a glare. ’Only Elder Yan could come up with such a twisted cultivation method.’

"Good. For the next five hundred meters, you are forbidden from using any Martial Skills! That includes Heaven-Breaking Kill!" Elder Yan’s next words made Shen Haoran feel the urge to bash his head against a wall. If it weren’t for the thrust from Heaven-Breaking Kill at the end of the first five hundred meters, he would have ended up a roasted duck. How was he supposed to cross the next five hundred without any Martial Skills?

"Remember, the key to the Nine Heavens Shocking Cloud Step is agility, moving as your heart desires! Not your crude, forceful explosions," Elder Yan said coolly, looking at Shen Haoran’s miserable expression.

"Rest for a bit. Once you’ve recovered, continue. I’ll be waiting for you on the next boulder." With that, Elder Yan floated away again.

"Oh, right. Remember, no Martial Skills. Otherwise, I’ll shove you into the lava myself!" Shen Haoran had just sat up when Elder Yan’s words drifted over from the distance, nearly causing him to collapse again.

After suppressing the distracting thoughts in his mind, Shen Haoran formed a Seal Technique with his hands and entered a state of cultivation, Elder Yan’s words echoing in his head.

"’The Nine Heavens Shocking Cloud Step emphasizes ethereality, leaving no trace, the body following the heart’s will!’" Shen Haoran murmured. A figure appeared in his mind, repeatedly demonstrating the footwork of the Nine Heavens Shocking Cloud Step. Shen Haoran watched, completely captivated.

’Lightness, illusion! That’s the true essence of the Nine Heavens Shocking Cloud Step!’ A glimmer of understanding slowly dawned on Shen Haoran. He now realized how foolish he had been. His violent bursts of power completely exposed his intentions and movements to his enemies. In a real battle, it would likely create an opening for his opponent to exploit, possibly even leading to his death in a single blow.

Having grasped the essence, Shen Haoran abruptly stood up. He looked at the river of lava before him, his eyes filled with eager anticipation.

He took a deep breath, and with a flash, his figure vanished from the spot.

This time, Shen Haoran created much less of a disturbance. In mid-air, he constantly felt for the rising heat from below, allowing his body to float forward on the thermal currents like a leaf.

This time, Shen Haoran managed to cross over two hundred meters on his first attempt before his strength gave out. Then, by repeatedly striking the lava with his palms, he managed to land on the next boulder.

Shen Haoran was in much better condition than before. Aside from being a little out of breath, he had no major injuries, a clear sign of his immense progress.

"Very good! Rest a moment, then continue!" Elder Yan said with a gratified laugh before floating toward the next boulder.

Shen Haoran sat down cross-legged, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. ’I’ve grasped the essence. Now, all I need is more practice, and it will become second nature!’ After a moment, Shen Haoran opened his eyes and charged toward the river of lava once more...

「Five days later...」

A light mist hung over the searing river of lava. Bubbles constantly rose from its surface, popping and splattering drops of magma.

HISS...

Suddenly, with a soft sound, a dark figure appeared, darting continuously across the river of lava as if it were solid ground.

The figure’s speed was terrifying. As it sped forward, it left a deep trench in the lava river behind it. It took a long time for the long trench to be refilled by the churning magma.

WHOOSH...

The rapidly moving figure came to an abrupt halt. The transition from extreme motion to absolute stillness was jarring. After the dark figure stopped, the afterimage behind it slowly dissipated.

This figure was, of course, Shen Haoran, who had been practicing the Nine Heavens Shocking Cloud Step. By now, he could cross four or five of the massive boulders without stopping. His speed was simply ghostly.

"Haha, an Earth Tier Body Technique is truly something else! This speed is terrifying!" Shen Haoran laughed heartily, looking at the trench slowly filling in behind him.

"Tch, what’s there to be proud of? You’re still making a huge disturbance. When the true Nine Heavens Shocking Cloud Step is executed, it doesn’t even startle the wind!" Elder Yan immediately poured cold water on his excitement.

But Shen Haoran didn’t mind. He had only reached the First Layer of his cultivation and already had such speed. He wondered if he could truly soar to the nine heavens if he mastered it to the Great Success stage.

"Hehe, Elder Yan, now that I’ve successfully cultivated the First Layer, what about the Nine Dragon Stomp..." Shen Haoran turned around, his eyes burning with eagerness.

"Let’s go. This place isn’t suitable for cultivating the Nine Dragon Stomp. We’ll find another spot," Elder Yan said, looking at the excited Shen Haoran. He then floated away, heading out of the Red Flame Mountain Range. Seeing this, Shen Haoran’s figure flickered and vanished from the spot as well...