BOOM...

The ferocious blast from the explosion radiated outward like lightning, and Shen Haoran, being the closest, bore the brunt of it!

Fortunately, Shen Haoran had been prepared from the moment Ouyang Chen’s body began to swell. The Vermilion Bird Wings on his back swept forward, enveloping him completely.

BANG...

With a muffled bang, Shen Haoran, still wrapped in his Vermilion Bird Wings, was sent flying like a rubber ball. He slammed into one of the Stone Pillars in the center of the hall before finally coming to a stop. A web of fine cracks spread across the pillar, a testament to the immense power of the blow.

COUGH, COUGH...

Coughing weakly, Shen Haoran felt the energy within him churning violently. He could no longer maintain the Vermilion Bird Wings, and they abruptly dissipated...

"Who’s there?" Shen Haoran demanded coldly, suppressing the roiling energy within him. ’Ouyang Chen would never have killed himself. Someone has to be pulling the strings, and it’s probably the very person he was about to name!’

"Heh heh... a slave is always a slave. Just an ungrateful wolf you can never tame." The moment Shen Haoran finished speaking, a raspy voice echoed through the hall. It sounded like nails scraping across glass, making everyone’s hair stand on end.

Hearing this eerie voice, the crowd instantly scattered in panic, for the sound had seemed to come from right beside each of them!

As the disciples scattered, a pale-faced youth was left standing alone. He stared at Shen Haoran with a shadowy gaze, the corners of his mouth curling into a wicked smile.

"Qin Nan! How can it be you?" the surrounding disciples exclaimed upon seeing the pale-faced youth. "Qin Nan was usually so shy, always timid and submissive around everyone. How could a voice like that come from him?"

"’Qin Nan?’" The pale-faced youth glanced down at his own body and sneered. Then, to the astonishment of the crowd, countless streams of black gas began to pour from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

As the black gas billowed out, the disciple named Qin Nan’s body rapidly shriveled. In moments, he was reduced to a desiccated corpse that collapsed to the floor. Meanwhile, the black gas floating in mid-air began to slowly coalesce. A spectral figure took shape, and a terrifying aura erupted from it, kicking up a storm of Spiritual Power within the great hall.

This was the same black-robed man Ouyang Chen had called ’Master.’ Now, everyone stared up at the figure in mid-air, shuddering uncontrollably. They had only ever felt an aura this powerful from their Sect Leader, Chen Yu. This meant the black-robed man was likely a Spirit Emperor Powerhouse!

Shen Haoran’s heart lurched. ’The black gas emanating from this man is leagues beyond Ouyang Chen’s. Who is he? And what is this black gas?’ he wondered.

But the black-robed man’s next action sent a tremor through Shen Haoran’s Heart Spirit. The man beckoned lightly with his right hand, and the black gas left over from Ouyang Chen’s explosion flew toward him as if summoned, disappearing into his mouth. That alone would have been strange enough, but what Shen Haoran found truly unbelievable was that remnants of the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian still clung to that gas. ’He’s devouring the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, too?’

"Jye jye jye... Such a delicious meal. It’s been so long since I’ve tasted anything like it!" After devouring the residual black gas and Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, the black-robed man licked his lips with a scarlet tongue and cackled wickedly, his body beginning to tremble with excitement.

’Food! He actually ate the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian like it was food! What kind of monster is he?’ Shen Haoran’s pupils contracted as he stared at the black-robed man, his expression grim.

"If I didn’t have more important things to do, I’d love to savor you first," the black-robed man said, his scorching gaze fixed on Shen Haoran. The look made his skin crawl.

"Brother Shen!" Shui Ruolan and the others, realizing something was terribly wrong, all moved to Shen Haoran’s side, their expressions grim as they watched the black-robed man.

"This man is incredibly bizarre. The moment you get a chance, run!" Shen Haoran said in a low voice. ’The appearance of this black-robed man has completely ruined my plans. He might be the greatest variable in this entire trip to the Sect Secret Realm!’

Hearing Shen Haoran’s words, the members of the Yao Sect nodded slightly. The aura radiating from the black-robed man in the air was far beyond anything they could hope to fight.

The black-robed man hovered in mid-air, his shadowy eyes sweeping over the crowd. He let out a dark chuckle and slowly descended, landing on the massive throne.

"Millions upon millions of years... It’s time for you to see the light of day again." The black-robed man gently caressed the tall throne, his voice heavy with the weight of ages. Then, he raised his palm and slammed it down hard onto the throne.

BOOM...

With a deafening roar, everyone present felt the great hall tremble violently. An instant later, the sound of cracking stone echoed through the air.

CRACK... CRACKLE...

Under the black-robed man’s palm, the throne began to fracture. A spiderweb of cracks spread rapidly across its surface, covering the entire thing in the blink of an eye.

"Break!"

The black-robed man roared, and a surge of black gas erupted from his palm, viciously striking the fractured throne.

BOOM!

In that instant, rock shards flew and dust billowed. Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, the massive throne exploded! A powerful shockwave slammed into the disciples, forcing them all back.

WHOOSH...

After a long moment, the dust settled. Splintered rock littered the floor of the great hall. When everyone’s gazes returned to where the throne had been, the bizarre sight made them all gasp, their minds reeling.

Where the throne once stood, four pillars as thick as water barrels now stood erect. From atop each Stone Pillar, a pitch-black iron chain stretched toward the center point between them. The chains were covered in obscure, incomprehensible runes, and the Stone Pillars themselves were ringed with mysterious markings. It looked like some kind of large-scale Seal!

Following the thick, black chains with their eyes, they saw a pitch-black monster suspended in the very center of the Seal. The four chains pierced its limbs before anchoring deep into the earth below.

A closer look revealed why it was called a monster. Black Bone Spikes jutted out from its elbows, knees, and other joints. These bones gleamed with a deadly light, looking sharp enough to slice through space itself. Its spine protruded grotesquely from its back, and its entire frame was far beyond the scope of a human.

What was even more terrifying was that the monster’s face was completely devoid of features. A single, massive maw filled with greenish fangs occupied its entire head, a truly horrifying sight. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"W-what in the world is that thing?" everyone stammered, staring blankly at the black monster, their very souls shaken to the core.

At that same moment, two shocked voices cried out in Shen Haoran’s mind, "Impossible! How did he find this thing?"