WHOOSH... WHOOSH...

A violent storm of Spiritual Power raged relentlessly, sweeping up the surrounding rocks in a magnificent, destructive display!

BOOM... Suddenly, a spectral figure shot out from the raging Spiritual Power vortex, carrying a body completely drenched in blood. It was Elder Yan and Shen Haoran.

At this moment, Shen Haoran’s condition was as dire as it could be. His body was covered in wounds, with no part of him left unscathed. Blood poured freely from his arms in a horrifying stream. Moreover, his breathing had become nearly imperceptible; he was completely unconscious and utterly still.

Shen Haoran had already been severely injured, and when coupled with the impact from the Spirit Seed’s explosion, his life would have been forfeit right then and there had Elder Yan not intervened at the final moment.

After a worried glance at Shen Haoran in his arms, Elder Yan didn’t linger. His body transformed into a streak of light and instantly vanished from the spot...

Some time after Elder Yan departed, the raging storm of Spiritual Power finally subsided. The once-towering grand hall had been completely razed to the ground, leaving a massive crater in its place. The earth was fractured, with countless deep cracks spreading out like a spiderweb, a testament to the terrifying power unleashed by the Spirit Seed’s detonation!

A light breeze blew past, stirring up a cloud of dust. Suddenly, something seemed to squirm beneath the broken rubble!

BOOM...

With a dull thud, an arm covered in black blood shot out from beneath the rubble, then immediately clenched into a tight fist!

CRASH...

With a loud crash, the black monster staggered out from the ruins. To have been at the very center of the Spirit Seed’s explosion and still be able to stand was a testament to its incredible power!

However, the black monster’s condition was far from good. The Bone Spikes at its joints were all shattered, and its body was covered in wounds large and small. A particularly ghastly gash on its chest was torn open, deep enough to reveal bone, from which black blood gushed uncontrollably!

Furthermore, the black monster’s aura was extremely unstable, having long since lost its former might. It lowered its head to lick the black blood on its chest, a surge of killing intent erupting within it. A moment later, its grim voice echoed, "Shen Haoran, I will kill you! I will drink your blood and eat your flesh to sate the hatred in my heart!"

The sinister voice echoed endlessly within the empty crater, and the surrounding air instantly grew cold.

"Hm?" Suddenly, the black monster turned its head and extended its palm. A violent suction force erupted, pulling a Level Four Origin Beast from above the crater directly into its hand. Immediately, a black mist surged out and enveloped the beast. In a flash, the Level Four Origin Beast vanished, devoured whole by the black monster!

After devouring the Level Four Origin Beast, the smaller wounds on the black monster’s body began to writhe and heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Hmph!" Inhaling the residual black mist, the black monster snorted coldly. With a leap, it jumped to the edge of the crater and began searching for Primordial Beasts to heal its injuries.

"Shen Haoran, the day I fully recover will be the day you die!" the black monster’s chilling voice echoed through the mountain forest...

...

Inside a pitch-black cave, a faint light emanated, pushing back the surrounding darkness. Elder Yan watched over the still-unconscious Shen Haoran, his face etched with anxiety.

Shen Haoran’s condition was grim. The Spiritual Power in his body was continuously draining away. If the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian hadn’t kept his Dantian sealed, he likely would have already become a cripple. His injuries were simply too severe this time!

Elder Yan rummaged through his Storage Ring but couldn’t find any medicinal ingredients suitable for Refining Elixirs. This was the Sect Secret Realm, and it didn’t contain the Spirit Medicines he needed. For the moment, he was at a complete loss.

Just then, Changmao appeared before Elder Yan, holding a glittering golden Source Pill in its mouth.

"This is... this is the Level Eight Source Pill that Shen the kid obtained before?" Elder Yan exclaimed in pleasant surprise, but his expression quickly darkened again. ’Although the Source Pill is full of Energy, the Energy within a Level Eight Source Pill is also incredibly violent. In Shen Haoran’s current condition, I’m afraid he won’t be able to withstand it!’

"We can’t afford to worry about that. There are no other options right now," Changmao said after a moment of thought. "I will assist in his healing. It’s a desperate measure, but it’s all we can do."

"Then it’s our only choice!" Elder Yan said gravely, looking at Shen Haoran’s pain-twisted face and knitted brows.

"Let’s begin!" Elder Yan’s expression grew solemn. This was a matter of life and death for Shen Haoran; he couldn’t afford the slightest mistake.

The golden Source Pill slowly floated into the air. A vast Spiritual Thought erupted from Elder Yan, wrapping around the pill. He began to draw out the Energy within it, channeling it toward Changmao.

With his current injuries, Shen Haoran was completely unable to withstand a direct infusion of the golden Source Pill’s Energy. Thus, he could only absorb it indirectly through Changmao. Shen Haoran and Changmao were bound by a Life and Death Contract, which allowed them to share any power they acquired.

"Ngh..."

The golden Energy flowed through Changmao, who filtered it before it entered Shen Haoran’s body. Even so, Shen Haoran couldn’t help but let out a soft groan, his face growing even paler.

The golden Energy surged into Shen Haoran’s body, quickly adhering to his ravaged meridians and beginning the slow process of repairing them. It was a monumental task; his meridians were twisted together like rope, and in some places, they were completely severed. The only reason he had held on this long was his Chaos Divine Body. Otherwise, such devastating internal injuries would have killed him many times over.

The golden Energy traveled along Shen Haoran’s meridians, and soon, his entire body was bathed in a golden glow. A cocoon of light slowly formed, enveloping him completely.

At this point, Elder Yan no longer needed to draw out the golden Source Pill’s Medicinal Power. Changmao, Shen Haoran, and the pill itself had formed a perfect, self-sustaining cycle. With each of their breaths, the golden Energy was rhythmically drawn in and released in a most peculiar fashion.

Seeing this, Elder Yan’s anxious heart finally began to calm. With Changmao acting as a buffer, as long as Shen Haoran could absorb the golden Energy, he would be out of mortal danger. He might even make a breakthrough in strength once his injuries recovered!

As he watched Shen Haoran begin to heal, Elder Yan fell into deep thought, his brow furrowed with worry. This time, however, his concern wasn’t for Shen Haoran, but for the black monster outside.

The mere thought of the black monster made Elder Yan shudder, and fragments of information about the creature flashed through his mind.

’Alas, a great catastrophe is about to descend once more,’ a soft sigh escaped him. He then turned his gaze back to Shen Haoran, and a sharp glint flashed in his previously somber eyes...