The black monster’s figure vanished in an instant. Elder Qin’s pupils constricted. He couldn’t see its movements at all!

SWISH!

The next moment, two crisscrossing beams of light flashed. With no way to dodge, Elder Qin was pierced by the sharp blades of light! The black monster’s figure then appeared directly behind him.

SPURT...

With a soft sound, two jets of warm blood sprayed from Elder Qin! He stared in disbelief at the gruesome, cross-shaped wound on his chest, his eyes filled with absolute terror.

’So... so fast!’ Elder Qin thought in shock. At the same time, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale. In that instant, all he had felt were two sharp blasts of Powerful Qi flash past, followed by a wave of excruciating, heart-rending pain!

"Next comes the real art. I call it... Death Lotus. Savor it," the black monster said softly. It stuck out its scarlet tongue, licked the blood from its Bone Spike, and a cruel smile spread across its face.

After speaking, the black monster vanished again. Seeing this, Elder Qin’s expression darkened, and he shot backward in retreat. The monster’s speed was simply too fast for him to track.

However, while Elder Qin knew the monster was fast, he never imagined it could be this absurdly so. He knew he should avoid its attacks, but he couldn’t. In the span of a single breath, the black monster had already caught up to him!

A flurry of sharp, blade-like flashes cut through the mid-air, and gouts of blood sprayed out, raining down from the sky!

On the main peak of the Five Elements Sect, everyone stared into the distance, trying to get a clear view of the battle. However, all they could see were continuous flashes of light, not the figures of the combatants.

"What’s happening? Can Elder Qin kill that black monster?" a disciple asked anxiously.

"Of course! Elder Qin is the most powerful Elder in our Sect. Killing that little monster should be as easy as crushing an ant for him!"

"Yes, yes! Elder Qin will be fine!" the surrounding disciples chimed in. They had felt Elder Qin’s aura before—it was as immense and unshakable as a great mountain. He was the strongest powerhouse they had ever seen!

Listening to the disciples’ discussion, Shen Haoran’s brows knitted together tightly.

"What is it, Brother Shen? Has something gone wrong?" Shui Ruolan, being observant, saw his expression and asked softly.

"Elder Qin is in trouble!" Shen Haoran said grimly. The other disciples couldn’t discern the situation on the battlefield, but he could see it with perfect clarity. Elder Qin was completely trapped in the black monster’s rhythm. From the looks of it, he wouldn’t last much longer.

Shen Haoran turned to Elder Huo. "Elder Huo, please take the others and clear out the remaining Primordial Beasts within the Sect. Leave none alive!"

"And what are you planning to do, you brat?" Elder Huo asked, puzzled.

Hearing this, Shen Haoran turned his head, his gaze fixed on the battlefield in the sky. "Some things," he said softly, "I have to do myself."

Elder Huo looked at Shen Haoran, instantly realized what he was about to do, and immediately objected. "Are you tired of living, you brat? You’re just a Spirit General! How can you possibly interfere in a battle between Spirit Emperor Powerhouses? You likely couldn’t even withstand the aftershocks of their fight, let alone battle one of them!"

Shen Haoran turned his head, his face showing not a trace of fear. Instead, it held a bone-deep confidence. "Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing," he said. "I am killing that black monster today!"

With that said, Shen Haoran’s Vermilion Bird Wings unfurled from his back with a sudden burst. Before Elder Huo could speak, his figure transformed into a black streak of light, shooting straight into the sky!

"Come back! You damn brat, get back here!" Elder Huo yelled at Shen Haoran’s retreating figure, but it was already too late.

Behind him, the disciples stared after Shen Haoran’s back, utterly stunned. ’What is he thinking?’ they wondered. ’Does he really intend to interfere in a battle between two Spirit Emperor Powerhouses?’

’From what he said, it sounds like Elder Qin is losing to that black monster! Does he plan to fight it himself? He’s only a Spirit General!’

"It’s over, it’s all over! If even Elder Qin can’t handle that black monster, isn’t Shen Haoran just throwing his life away? Is this really the end for the Five Elements Sect?" one disciple cried in despair.

Hearing the disciple’s words, Elder Huo snapped harshly, "Silence! What do you mean the Five Elements Sect is finished? Hmph! No matter how powerful that monster is, even if it slaughters every last one of us, as long as our spirit endures, the Five Elements Sect will never fall!"

"That’s right! Who said the Five Elements Sect is finished? My boss hasn’t even made his move yet!" Long Zhen shouted. "Just you wait! That black monster is going to get put in its place by my boss!" However, the others merely shook their heads. If a Spirit Emperor Powerhouse like Elder Qin was no match for the creature, what hope did a mere Spirit General have?

Just as everyone was succumbing to despair, Shen Haoran was already closing in on the mid-air battlefield. When he arrived, the bloody scene that greeted him was staggering.

Not far away, Elder Qin’s aged body hung suspended in the air. The evolved black monster’s figure flickered around him, its cold, sharp Bone Spikes repeatedly slashing across his torso. Scarlet blood dripped through the air, a jarring sight.

The black monster seemed to spot Shen Haoran and paused above Elder Qin. Flashing a bloodthirsty smile at him, it aimed the Bone Spike on its elbow and thrust it straight toward Elder Qin’s heart!

"Elder Yan!" Seeing this, rage flared in Shen Haoran’s eyes and he roared inwardly. The next moment, a powerful Spiritual Thought enveloped his body, and he vanished on the spot.

SWISH! In a flash, Shen Haoran appeared beside Elder Qin, pulling him away. The sharp Bone Spike scraped past Shen Haoran’s arm, and blood instantly gushed forth.

Still, he had managed to save Elder Qin. Gazing at the shocking and gruesome wounds covering the Elder’s body, the killing intent in Shen Haoran’s eyes intensified. He summoned the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, using it to force the dark energy from Elder Qin’s body and seal his wounds. He then took out an Elixir and placed it in the Elder’s mouth.

COUGH... COUGH...

A moment later, Elder Qin coughed violently, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood as his tightly shut eyes slowly fluttered open. Upon seeing Shen Haoran, he struggled to speak. "Quick... run... Neither of us is a match for it!"

"Rest easy, Elder Qin. Leave this beast to me," Shen Haoran said, taking a deep breath. "You just focus on healing." He then channeled Spiritual Power from his hand into Elder Qin’s body, causing him to fall into a deep sleep.

After moving Elder Qin to a safe place, Shen Haoran slowly ascended, hovering ten meters away from the black monster and fixing it with an ice-cold stare...