Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Rank 3 Spirit General

RUMBLE... A continuous, muffled rumbling echoed from within Shen Haoran’s body. Infused with that stream of pure energy, the Spirit Crystal began to shine brilliantly, swelling at a rate visible to the naked eye!

As the Spirit Crystal expanded, Shen Haoran’s aura grew steadily stronger. He could feel himself brushing against the threshold of the Tier Three Spirit General!

’What immense Medicinal Power!’ Shen Haoran thought, overjoyed. He looked at the Three Pure Spirit Pill, which still had more than half its Medicinal Power left. ’I’ve already touched the threshold of a Tier Three Spirit General. With this much power remaining, I wonder if it can help me break through to Tier Four Spirit General?’

’I’ll give it a try!’ With that thought, Shen Haoran took a deep breath. The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian inside him surged once more, its terrifying temperature accelerating the Refinement speed. Although controlling the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian consumed a vast amount of Spiritual Power, with the support from the Three Pure Spirit Pill’s Medicinal Power, the cost was negligible.

WHOOSH... As the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian continued its Refinement, another stream of pure energy flooded into the swollen Spirit Crystal.

Infused with this energy, the previously trembling Spirit Crystal suddenly stilled. Then, hair-thin cracks abruptly appeared on its surface.

Seeing these cracks, Shen Haoran’s face lit up with joy. ’These are the signs of a breakthrough!’

A breakthrough in the Spirit General Tier involved tempering the Spirit Crystal within one’s body. Each time the Spirit Crystal was tempered, one would advance a tier. The tempered Spirit Crystal would become tougher and denser, capable of storing much more Spiritual Power!

Now, the Spirit Crystal in Shen Haoran’s body was undergoing its third transformation.

CRACKLE... After the first crack appeared, they began to spread like a spiderweb, soon covering the entire Spirit Crystal.

BOOM... At that moment, the Medicinal Power from the Three Pure Spirit Pill inside Shen Haoran’s body suddenly spiraled out of control. It churned violently and surged toward his Dantian!

’This is bad!’ Shen Haoran’s expression changed drastically at the sight. A Spirit Crystal in the midst of transformation was incredibly fragile. If he allowed this energy to crash into it, the Spirit Crystal would likely be shattered instantly! And if his Spirit Crystal shattered, his entire Cultivation would dissipate in a flash, turning him into a cripple once again!

This was a side effect of using an Elixir for a breakthrough; such a thing would never happen during normal Cultivation. Shen Haoran’s face fell, and he frantically commanded his Fire Spirit Black Obsidian to devour the rogue energy.

However, the energy was like a rabid beast. It completely ignored the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian pursuing it. Like a gecko shedding its tail, it simply abandoned the portion that the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian had latched onto. The rest of it became a streak of light, charging straight for the Spirit Crystal!

As he watched the immense energy about to shatter his Spirit Crystal, Shen Haoran’s face turned ashen, and a wave of powerlessness washed over him.

’It’s over,’ a deep sorrow welled up in Shen Haoran’s heart. ’Am I really going to be destroyed by my own hand?’

In a daze, a beautiful silhouette appeared in his mind. Her long, black hair cascaded loosely down her back. The young woman clasped her fair hands behind her, rose onto her tiptoes, and said sweetly, "Brother Haoran, Ling Xuan is waiting for you!"

"Ling Xuan!" Shen Haoran whispered, his mind instantly snapping back to clarity.

’That’s right! Ling Xuan is still waiting for me, and I still haven’t rescued my parents! How can I possibly fail!’ A low roar, like that of a cornered beast, escaped Shen Haoran’s throat. A terrifying burst of Spiritual Thought erupted from him, transforming into a torrent that crashed into the rogue energy!

"BEGONE!"

The immense Spiritual Thought Power slammed viciously into the energy poised to shatter the Spirit Crystal. The fierce wave of Powerful Qi blasted it back. The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian caught up from behind, surged violently, and swallowed the energy whole. It then forcibly dragged it away from the Dantian, forcing it to circulate once more along the path of the Chaos Heaven-Dominating Technique.

PHEW... Watching the energy get forced back, Shen Haoran heaved a huge sigh of relief. That was a close call. His robes were already drenched in cold sweat.

’Ling Xuan, I owe it all to you,’ Shen Haoran chuckled softly.

POP...

The crack-covered Spirit Crystal shattered, and a new, even more brilliant Spirit Crystal appeared in Shen Haoran’s Dantian.

At the same time, a terrifying aura erupted from Shen Haoran’s body. A formidable wave of Powerful Qi whipped up a storm within the Cultivation Room, even carving several shallow cracks into the solid stone walls.

"I’ve broken through to Tier Three Spirit General!" Shen Haoran exclaimed, overjoyed by the changes in his body. He then turned his attention to the pure energy still bound by the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian within his meridians and snorted internally. ’Hmph. You almost crippled me. I’m going to refine every last drop of you today!’

With that thought, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian flared up and immediately began the Refinement. Streams of pure energy once again poured into the newly tempered Spirit Crystal.

After some time, the Medicinal Power of the Three Pure Spirit Pill within his body was completely refined. Shen Haoran’s strength reached the peak of the Tier Three Spirit General, just one step away from breaking through to Tier Four.

The Medicinal Power of a Three Pure Spirit Pill with Pill Patterns was doubled, which should have been enough for Shen Haoran to break through to Tier Four Spirit General. However, the violent clash within his Dantian had consumed a significant amount of energy, leaving him just shy of the mark.

Still, Shen Haoran felt no regret. Breaking through would have been ideal, but failing to do so wasn’t necessarily bad. He decided to let things happen naturally.

Shen Haoran opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath, nodding in satisfaction.

"Peak Tier Three Spirit General. A Three Pure Spirit Pill with Pill Patterns is truly something else!" Elder Yan said, looking at Shen Haoran with satisfaction.

Shen Haoran clenched his fist, feeling the new power coursing through it. He shook his head slightly. "It’s still not enough," he said. "I have a feeling Ouyang Chen isn’t so simple."

"What do you mean?" Elder Yan asked, frowning.

"I feel like there’s a familiar power about him, but I can’t recall where I’ve encountered it before," Shen Haoran said gravely. "Back in front of the Celestial Essence Hall, for the brief moment Ouyang Chen’s anger erupted, I definitely sensed a familiar power. But his outburst was so fleeting that I can’t be sure."

"Oh well, I’ll find out eventually. Right now, I need to focus on increasing my own strength!" Shen Haoran pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind. He never dwelled on mysteries without clues. With three months left, he had to make every moment count to increase his strength and add to his trump cards.

"Elder Yan, is there any way for me to advance the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation to its second stage?" Shen Haoran asked.

"You want to cultivate the second stage of the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation?" Elder Yan exclaimed in shock. Then his brow furrowed. "The Heaven-Dominating Tribulation is indeed powerful, but I don’t think your body can withstand that much power!"

"I have no other choice. I need to have an escape route," Shen Haoran said with a helpless sigh. "I won’t use it unless it’s a last resort." ’The pressure from Ouyang Chen is just too great!’

"There is a way," Elder Yan said. "However, it’s a one-time use method, and success relies on luck. Do you still want to learn it?"

"I’m willing to try," Shen Haoran replied quickly, his face lighting up.