Chapter 251: Chapter 251: Ouyang Chen, Die

Within the prison, the Black Snake and the Vermilion Bird clashed. The terrifying blast of Powerful Qi tore an opening in the sturdy cage. The Vermilion Bird Wings on Shen Haoran’s back pulsed, and his body transformed into a streak of light, shooting toward Ouyang Chen!

"Hmph!"

Seeing Shen Haoran charge, Ouyang Chen snorted. The black qi in his hand condensed into a Sharp Sword, which he thrust toward Shen Haoran.

"Qilin Arm!"

Shen Haoran’s right arm swelled dramatically, revealing the crimson-patterned Qilin Arm. The sight of it stunned Ouyang Chen. In the next instant, a terrifying force slammed into the black longsword, sending Ouyang Chen flying!

SCREEECH...

A loud scraping sound echoed as Ouyang Chen’s body skidded for dozens of meters across the ground before he barely managed to stop. His eyes were filled with utter shock! Shen Haoran’s terrifying strength was dozens of times greater than it had been during the Sect competition!

’This kid is growing too fast. He must not be allowed to live!’ Ouyang Chen thought. He immediately brandished his black longsword and charged forward!

At this, a cold smile touched the corners of Shen Haoran’s lips. "Close combat! Excellent. It’s my favorite!"

He clenched his fist, and the crimson patterns on his Qilin Arm began to glow. A power reminiscent of Primordial Chaos gathered in his arm. With a beat of his wings, he slammed violently into Ouyang Chen!

BAM... BAM... BAM...

As they exchanged blows, a continuous series of muffled thuds echoed. Ripples of Powerful Qi, visible to the naked eye, shot out in all directions. Black qi roiled and Fire Feathers flew. Neither Shen Haoran nor Ouyang Chen held back; every move was a full-force strike aimed at the other’s vital points. The slightest misstep would mean severe injury, if not death!

The longer Ouyang Chen fought, the more unnerved he became. During the Sect competition, Shen Haoran had needed to rely on a Secret Technique just to fight him to a draw. But now, he was being cornered by nothing more than Shen Haoran’s overwhelming physical power!

"Damn it!" Ouyang Chen swept his longsword to force Shen Haoran back, then shot backward to create some distance between them.

"Ten Thousand Demons Possession!" Ouyang Chen roared. The giant Black Snake of qi, which had been pinned by the Vermilion Bird inside the prison, abruptly broke free of its talons. It turned into a streak of light and fused with Ouyang Chen’s body!

As the giant Black Snake fused with him, Ouyang Chen’s aura skyrocketed. His black robes billowed, and his entire body seemed to grow taller. The black runes, which had only covered the left side of his face, instantly spread across his entire visage, making him look utterly monstrous!

Shen Haoran watched Ouyang Chen’s aura surge, his brow furrowed. With a single beckoning gesture, the Black Flame Vermilion Bird within the prison shrieked and transformed into an incredibly dark ball of flame. It hovered in Shen Haoran’s palm, morphing into an eerie Black Flame Lotus. Although no aura could be detected from the lotus, the distorted space around it was a clear sign that the Energy it contained had reached a terrifying level.

"Heh heh! Shen Haoran, this time, I will make sure you die without a grave!" Ouyang Chen said with a cruel, twisted grin.

"You’ve said that once before," Shen Haoran replied flatly, his face devoid of expression.

"Hmph! In that case, die!" Ouyang Chen roared. The black qi in his body surged forth, slowly materializing into a black Giant Sword behind him. It then slashed down toward Shen Haoran. The formidable power of the attack compressed the surrounding air into a vacuum. Before the blade even arrived, its sharp Sword Qi had already fractured the bluestone floor of the great hall!

Shen Haoran’s eyes narrowed. The Black Flame Lotus in his hand began to spin, and in the next moment, it shot forward as a streak of black light to meet Ouyang Chen’s Giant Sword.

"Explode!" Shen Haoran formed a Seal Technique, his lips parting slightly. Before the shocked eyes of the onlookers, the Fire Lotus, trailing a black tail, detonated. A sea of pitch-black fire instantly engulfed the Giant Sword.

BOOM!

The colossal explosion echoed endlessly throughout the great hall. Everyone felt the hall begin to shake violently, a tremor that refused to subside. Overhead, the terrifying sea of fire roiled, and the intense heat baked the hall’s bluestone floor until it cracked and split apart.

Within the inferno, the once-ferocious attack of the black Giant Sword was brought to a dead halt. After fusing with the Fire Spirit Pearl, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian was over a hundred times more powerful than it had been during the Sect competition! Furthermore, infused with the aura of the Divine Vermilion Bird from the Vermilion Bird Burning Heaven technique, it completely suppressed the black-qi Giant Sword.

CRACK... CRACK...

As the sea of black fire began to contract, its temperature grew even more terrifying. Cracks spiderwebbed across the surface of the black Giant Sword; it looked as if it was about to shatter at any moment.

Ouyang Chen’s pupils constricted at the sight of the cracked Giant Sword. It had been condensed from his own life-source black qi; if the sword was destroyed, he too would suffer a grievous backlash!

At this thought, Ouyang Chen rapidly formed a series of Seal Techniques, trying to recall the black Giant Sword. Within the inferno, the sword began to thrash violently, as if trying to escape the searing heat of the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian.

"Hmph. Trying to run? It’s not that easy!" Shen Haoran snorted coldly. He clenched his fist toward the inferno, and the sea of fire contracted violently once again.

BANG!

With a loud crack, the black Giant Sword shattered piece by piece, dissolving into countless wisps of black qi before being completely vaporized by the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Pfft!"

As the black Giant Sword shattered, Ouyang Chen’s face turned deathly pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The black runes on his face rapidly faded, leaving him weak and listless.

WHOOSH...

After incinerating the black Giant Sword, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian showed no signs of stopping. It followed the lingering trail of the sword’s aura and surged madly toward Ouyang Chen, enveloping him in the blink of an eye!

"Ahhh!"

A blood-curdling scream tore from Ouyang Chen’s throat. The moment the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian touched him, the black qi within his body began to boil. It went completely out of his control, rampaging through his meridians!

"Stop! Shen Haoran, I beg you, don’t kill me!" Feeling the chilling threat of death from the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, Ouyang Chen immediately cast aside his pride and began to beg for his life, completely forgetting the vicious threats he had just made.

"Hmph. Spare you? That’s not what you were saying a moment ago. You brought this upon yourself. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for provoking someone you shouldn’t have!" Shen Haoran snorted, and the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian flared, burning even hotter.

"No... No... Shen Haoran, this isn’t my fault! I was only following orders! Spare me!" Ouyang Chen cried, his face a mask of terror as he felt his internal condition rapidly deteriorating.

"Following orders? You’re at death’s door and still trying to play tricks?" Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed as he snorted coldly.

"I’m not lying! The one who ordered me is in this Secret Realm too! He is... Ugh... AHHH..." Before Ouyang Chen could finish, his body suddenly began to swell. The next moment, before Shen Haoran’s shocked eyes, he violently exploded...