Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Breaking Through to Rank 2 Spirit General

After the gaping maw devoured the Dark Demon Tiger’s Bloodline Martial Skill, it once again transformed into a streak of light and shot into Shen Haoran’s body. A moment later, a surge of pure Energy abruptly appeared in his Dantian, pouring into the depleted Spirit Crystal.

Shen Haoran finally realized what had happened. That black shadow was Changmao!

Changmao’s true form was a Taotie Divine Beast, which grew by devouring bloodlines! The Dark Demon Tiger’s Bloodline Martial Skill was condensed from its Bloodline Power, making it a perfect meal for Changmao!

And since Shen Haoran and Changmao were bound by a contract, more than half of the Energy Changmao devoured and digested was poured directly into Shen Haoran’s body, bringing his once-depleted Dantian back to life.

The Dark Demon Tiger, in contrast, grew listless after having its Bloodline Power devoured by Changmao. Its eyes stared at Shen Haoran in terror. In that instant, it had felt a pressure emanating from the very depths of its soul—a pressure that made it want to kneel and worship.

At this moment, the Dark Demon Tiger wanted nothing more than to retreat. It had a feeling that if the fight continued, it would die here!

Seeing the Dark Demon Tiger try to flee, Shen Haoran shot forward, his aura condensing around him. ’I can’t let this Dark Demon Tiger get away. A Spirit Beast of this tier has an incredibly fast recovery rate. Letting it go would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains. Once it recovers its strength, Fatty and I will be in grave danger!’

With its Bloodline Power drained, the weakened Dark Demon Tiger was no match for Shen Haoran’s speed. In a flash, Shen Haoran was directly above it.

"ROAR!" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The Dark Demon Tiger looked at Shen Haoran, knowing it couldn’t escape. It spun around and rammed toward him with all its remaining strength!

Watching the charging Dark Demon Tiger, Shen Haoran remained expressionless and surprisingly closed his eyes.

At that moment, Shen Haoran’s Heart Spirit became tranquil and clear. He felt as if he were a vast ocean, sweeping over everything in its path, unstoppable. A terrifying aura began to emanate from his body.

The next moment, Shen Haoran’s tightly shut eyes snapped open, and the terrifying pressure pulsed out in waves.

"Nine Dragons Trample the Heavens!"

Shen Haoran roared as he stomped down toward the rushing Dark Demon Tiger. In that instant, a gale surged, and it seemed as if heaven and earth began to tremble!

"BOOM!"

With an earth-shattering bang, the pouncing Dark Demon Tiger instantly vanished. A terrifying shockwave erupted from beneath Shen Haoran’s feet. Even Zi Mo, who was standing behind him, was sent flying, only stopping when he crashed into a tree. For a moment, dust and smoke filled the air.

Zi Mo stared at the swirling dust, his jaw on the floor.

"So... so strong!" Zi Mo stammered in shock. That display of power had made his own heart pound with fear. He stared at Shen Haoran’s back, his mind reeling with disbelief.

’Is that really an attack a Tier One Spirit General can unleash?’

"THUD!"

Shen Haoran dropped to one knee, gasping for breath. That one attack had unleashed every last bit of power in his body, leaving him completely drained once more.

Zi Mo leaped to Shen Haoran’s side. He glanced at the Dark Demon Tiger in the distance, now just a mangled mess of flesh and blood smashed into the earth, and his eyes twitched. ’What a terrifying attack!’

"We have to go. We can’t stay here," Shen Haoran said in a low voice. "The thick scent of blood will definitely attract other Spirit Beasts. The Dark Demon Tiger’s presence kept them at bay, but now that it’s dead, nothing will fear us. What’s more, we’re both completely exhausted. Any random Tier Three Spirit Beast could finish us off!"

"Right!" Zi Mo acknowledged. He hoisted Shen Haoran onto his back and, within a few leaps, was far away from the battlefield.

After the two left, the mountain forest fell silent once more. Only the wreckage littering the ground served as evidence of the great battle that had just occurred.

...

Night gradually fell. Inside a cave, a Luminous Pearl emitted a faint glow, casting some light into the dim space. Zi Mo looked at Shen Haoran, who was cultivating beside him with his eyes closed, a look of pure envy on his face.

As it turned out, after they fled the battlefield, Zi Mo had found a cave for them. Once they were settled, Shen Haoran took out a pile of Healing Medicine from his Storage Ring that made Zi Mo’s eyes turn red with envy.

After they had stabilized their injuries, Shen Haoran felt the Spirit Crystal in his body begin to tremble. This was the sign of an impending breakthrough!

Shen Haoran had already reached the Tier One Spirit General Peak back in the Profound Level Cultivation Room at Celestial Essence Hall. Now, with the addition of the Spiritual Power fed back from Changmao, he had finally reached the threshold for a breakthrough!

Feeling the stirring within him, Shen Haoran was overjoyed. He quickly gave Zi Mo a few instructions, then formed a Seal Technique and began to cultivate, preparing to break through to the Tier Two Spirit General realm!

RUSH... With a soft sound, countless streams of Spiritual Power transformed into torrents, surging toward the Spirit Crystal in Shen Haoran’s Dantian. As the Spiritual Power poured in, the Spirit Crystal emitted a fluorescent glow and slowly began to grow stronger.

WHOOSH... As the breakthrough progressed, the Spiritual Power in the outside world seemed to be drawn in, converging on Shen Haoran. A small Spiritual Power Vortex formed inside the cave.

Seeing this, Zi Mo leaped outside the cave. Although the commotion Shen Haoran was causing wasn’t huge, it could still attract Spirit Beasts. Zi Mo couldn’t let anything disturb his Cultivation!

And Shen Haoran’s breakthrough lasted for three whole days! Zi Mo stood outside the cave, his brow deeply furrowed. ’It’s been three days. Normally, breaking through a single minor tier shouldn’t take this long. Did something go wrong?’

But feeling the aura inside the cave still slowly growing stronger, he knew he couldn’t risk barging in and disturbing him. All he could do was wait and worry.

However, what he didn’t know was that the Spirit Crystal in Shen Haoran’s body was extremely picky about Spiritual Power. Although it seemed like countless streams of Spiritual Power were rushing in, after being put through the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian’s Refinement, a flow of Spiritual Power as thick as an arm would be condensed down to the thickness of a thumb before it could be infused into the Spirit Crystal. This was why his breakthrough took much longer than an ordinary person’s.

After three days of accumulation, Shen Haoran finally erupted. The Spirit Crystal in his Dantian burst forth with a blinding light. A powerful aura erupted from within him, and his robes began to flutter despite the lack of wind. His tightly shut eyes snapped open, and two tangible beams of light flashed from them!

The Spiritual Power inside him surged for a long while before finally settling down. Shen Haoran clenched his fists, feeling the endless stream of power flowing through his body, and nodded in satisfaction.

’I’ve finally broken through!’

SWISH! A figure flew in from outside. Zi Mo looked at Shen Haoran, whose aura had increased immensely, and congratulated him, "Brother Shen, congratulations on your breakthrough! I’m so envious!"

"It’s all thanks to Brother Zi for standing guard," Shen Haoran said with a smile. He knew Zi Mo had been watching over him for the past few days, and he committed this act of friendship to memory.

"Haha, it was nothing!" Zi Mo laughed heartily.

"By the way, Fatty, how many days was I cultivating?" Shen Haoran asked. He was still in the habit of calling Zi Mo by his nickname.

"Three days. Why?" Zi Mo replied.

Hearing this, Shen Haoran lowered his head in thought. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he shouted, "Oh no! There’s something important I have to do today!"

"Fatty, I have to head back to the Sect!" After saying this, Shen Haoran’s figure flashed, and he dashed toward the Five Elements Sect. Today was the day of his arranged duel with Su Xing! ’Judging by the time, I’m probably already late!’

"Hey, wait for me! I’m coming with you!" Zi Mo shouted, chasing after him.