Chapter 230: Chapter 230: Breaking the Formation

Chapter 230: Breaking the Array!

WHOOSH... WHOOSH...

After Shen Haoran descended into madness, the surrounding black flames began to creep toward him, quickly encircling him.

FWOOSH!

A single black spark leaped onto Shen Haoran’s robes. Then, as if summoned, the surrounding black flames surged forward, engulfing him and starting to burn.

However, Shen Haoran felt nothing. With his head bowed low, he kept muttering, ’I’m useless... I’m useless...’

A soft sigh suddenly echoed through the pitch-black space—an utterly bizarre sound.

Following the sigh, the black flames seemed to receive a command and began to burn even more fiercely. Shen Haoran’s consciousness slowly started to fade.

’Grandpa, I’m coming to join you... Mother, Ling Xuan, I’m sorry...’ Shen Haoran’s body swayed, and he began to topple backward.

Suddenly, a blinding light flared before Shen Haoran, so bright he couldn’t open his eyes. He raised a hand to shield himself from the glare, only slowly opening his eyes once they had adjusted.

"Grandpa!"

Before him stood Old Sir Shen, a dignified and imposing figure, shielding a young boy behind him. And that boy... it was none other than a younger version of Shen Haoran himself.

"Hmph! What a bunch of short-sighted fools! Haoran, useless? Who told you that? In my eyes, Haoran is merely a dragon lying dormant in the abyss. The day will come when he breaks his shackles, and he will soar through the nine heavens, his power shaking the very mountains and rivers! If I hear the word ’useless’ from any of you again, you will answer to the clan’s laws!" Old Sir Shen glared at the clansmen who had been insulting Shen Haoran and rebuked them furiously. Behind him, the young Haoran clutched tightly to the hem of his grandfather’s robe, a flicker of resilience on his face.

Watching this scene, Shen Haoran swallowed hard as a wave of warmth spread through his heart.

"Grandpa..." Shen Haoran whispered toward the figure.

The next moment, the scene abruptly changed. Old Sir Shen’s figure vanished, replaced by Ji Lingxuan and Murong Wan’Er. The sight of these two graceful figures, one older and one younger, made Shen Haoran freeze for a second.

"Brother Haoran, don’t forget your promise. I’ll be waiting for you at the Ji Family estate!" Ji Lingxuan gazed at Shen Haoran, her eyes full of tender anticipation.

"Xuan’Er, you must live on!" Murong Wan’Er said gently. Her voice, like a soft spring breeze, caressed Shen Haoran’s heart, gradually calming his frenzied spirit.

"Grandpa... Mother... Ling Xuan... All of you..." Shen Haoran looked at the three figures before him. Their eyes were filled with hope, encouragement, and a deep sense of pride!

Shen Haoran took a deep breath. The bloodshot fury in his eyes receded, replaced by clarity as a sliver of his sanity returned.

’You’re useless... useless...’ The insidious whispers still echoed in Shen Haoran’s ears, trying to corrupt his mind.

But upon hearing these voices, Shen Haoran only sneered. "Hmph, useless? I, Shen Haoran, possess the Chaos Divine Body! In just three years, I went from a nobody who couldn’t even cultivate to a Tier Five Spirit General! I’ve devoured and refined the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, fought a Battle Spirit Aspect, and slain Spirit Generals. You call me useless? What a joke!"

Ignoring the searing pain that wracked his body, Shen Haoran shakily pushed himself to his feet. He stared into the pitch-black space, a sharp, dark light flashing in his eyes.

’An illusion! Heh, how ingenious. Today, this ’useless’ man will be the one to shatter this array!’

With that declaration, a terrifying surge of Spiritual Thought erupted from within Shen Haoran, instantly blasting the black flames off his body!

WHOOSH... WHOOSH...

The rampaging Spiritual Thought gathered above Shen Haoran’s head, slowly coalescing into a sharp Spiritual Thought Longsword. A terrifying pressure emanated from it, causing the pitch-black space to twist and distort.

ROAR!

As if sensing the threat from the Spiritual Thought Longsword, a colossal black beast shot out from the dark void, roaring incessantly at Shen Haoran. Bizarre sonic waves washed over him, amplifying the jeers and insults in his ears until they grew deafening.

Shen Haoran took a deep breath and fortified his will, letting the cacophony wash over him without wavering in the slightest. ’I already let Grandpa and the others down once in that Illusion Realm,’ he thought. ’I will not disappoint them again!’

"Break!"

His eyes snapped open. With a furious roar, Shen Haoran slashed both hands downward.

At the same time, the Spiritual Thought Giant Sword above his head mimicked his gesture, hurtling toward the black beast in a terrifying gale. The pitch-black space shattered in its wake!

ROAR!

A flicker of panic flashed in the black beast’s eyes. It turned to flee back into the dark void, but the sword of Spiritual Thought was as fast as lightning. It struck the beast dead-on, and the terrifying force instantly blasted it to pieces...

CRACK... CRACKLE... CRACK...

In the vast, empty hall, the sound of shattering glass suddenly echoed. A moment later, a brilliant light exploded outward, and Shen Haoran’s figure reappeared.

GASP... GASP...

Having broken through the Illusion Array, Shen Haoran collapsed to the floor, panting heavily. His face was pale, and his entire body was drenched in a cold sweat.

’That illusion was terrifyingly real!’ Shen Haoran thought, his heart pounding with lingering fear.

’I’m a Fifth Grade Alchemist. My Spiritual Thought is far stronger than that of an ordinary Martial Artist, but even I was blinded by the images in that Illusion Realm. It’s as if it knows a person’s deepest weaknesses and guides you into believing that everything you see is real!’

Shen Haoran’s weaknesses were the people he cared about most: Shen Ling’Er, Old Sir Shen, Murong Wan’Er, and Ji Lingxuan. The Illusion Realm had first used an image of Ling’Er to lure him in. Once his guard was down, he fell right into its trap. It was one seamless deception after another; he had almost become completely lost within it!

But what the Illusion Realm didn’t know was that while these people were Shen Haoran’s weakness, they were also his Reversed Scale—his greatest source of strength. It was precisely because of this power that he was able to break through the Illusion Realm!

BOOM... BOOM... BOOM...

Shen Haoran had just regained his composure when a series of deep thuds echoed around him. All at once, pillars of black flame erupted on all sides, brightly illuminating the entire hall.

At the sight, Shen Haoran scrambled to his feet, his eyes scanning the area warily. ’This hall is too bizarre,’ he thought. ’There might be an even more powerful Array ahead!’

SWOOSH...

With a soft whoosh, the countless flames throughout the hall converged. Soon, to Shen Haoran’s astonishment, a walnut-sized pearl materialized before him. At the same time, the normally docile Fire Spirit Black Obsidian within his body unexpectedly broke free of his control, transforming into a streak of light and shooting out to hover beside the black pearl, pulsing with joy!

"This... Is this the Fire Spirit Pearl?" Shen Haoran muttered to himself, staring at the black pearl.