Chapter 273: Chapter 273: I’ve Been Waiting for You

RUMBLE...

The storm of Spiritual Power raged. In the sky, the three-colored energy—black, blue, and yellow—corroded the black Giant Sword. Slowly, they began to merge into one! The next moment, under the shocked gazes of the crowd, the fusion exploded!

A massive mushroom cloud rose into the air. Rampant Spiritual Power swept out like lightning, just as if an atomic bomb had been detonated. Ripples of Powerful Qi, visible to the naked eye, spread outward. Wherever they passed, the earth cracked, rubble flew, and dust filled the air.

A powerful shockwave rained down from mid-air. Under the ferocious impact, the disciples of the Five Elements Sect were sent flying, spitting out mouthfuls of blood. They stared at the blinding center of the explosion, their eyes filled with terror!

As the instigators, both Shen Haoran and the black monster were now filled with regret. The Triple Flame Sun Burst and the Demon Soul Celestial Tribulation Kill had eroded one another. The two energies were natural enemies, and their collision had caused a mutation. Now, neither force would obey their commands. Instead, two new, berserk auras erupted and, locking onto their respective casters, rushed straight toward them.

A sense of crisis surged through Shen Haoran. Seeing the terrifying energy rushing toward him, his pupils contracted. He flapped his Vermilion Bird Wings furiously, trying to escape. However, the energy was incredibly fast. Furthermore, after using the Triple Flame Sun Burst, Shen Haoran was already a spent force. His Spiritual Power and Spiritual Thought were massively depleted. Before he could get more than a few steps away, the energy slammed into his back. His body plummeted toward the ground like a kite with a snapped string.

The black monster fared even worse than Shen Haoran. Caught in the center of the explosion, it not only bore the full brunt of the initial impact but was also struck by the berserk energy, which pierced straight through its body. It too fell from the sky.

BOOM...

With another deafening blast, the mutually corrosive energy in the sky detonated completely. In that instant, everyone felt as if the world were collapsing. A destructive aura spread out. Shen Haoran and the black monster, still falling, were hit by the shockwave once more. Their bodies suffered further damage as they were slammed viciously into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

WHOOSH...

After a long while, the rampant energy in the sky finally dissipated completely. Not a single cloud remained within a hundred-mile radius. The surrounding Spiritual Power had been sucked into a vacuum. Without the shroud of black gas and clouds, warm sunlight spilled down, illuminating the devastated grounds of the Five Elements Sect.

"Is... is it over?" Feeling the warm sunlight on their faces, the disciples stood up, expressions of joy slowly dawning.

"Where’s Shen Haoran? And the black monster?" After their initial joy, they began searching for the two figures.

"Over there!" a sudden cry rang out. Everyone turned to look. In the distance, two deep craters marred the landscape. Around them, cracks as thick as an arm spread outward like a spiderweb. In the center of each crater, the bodies of Shen Haoran and the black monster were deeply embedded.

Both of them were in the worst possible condition. Shen Haoran’s aura was barely perceptible. The skin all over his body had split open, and crimson blood had dyed him into a blood-soaked figure. After using the Triple Flame Sun Burst, his Spiritual Power was depleted and his Spiritual Thought was completely exhausted. It was a miracle he hadn’t died instantly from such a powerful attack!

Now, the duration of the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation had passed. Elder Yan, due to the massive expenditure of energy, had fallen into a deep slumber. Shen Haoran’s strength plummeted back to that of a Tier Nine Spirit General. Waves of excruciating pain wracked his body, leaving him unable to move. He couldn’t even swallow an Elixir.

Compared to Shen Haoran, the black monster was in an even more miserable state. Its Bone Armor had completely shattered, and the Bone Spikes at its joints were broken. The Demon Dragon Sword lay next to it, snapped in two. In the monster’s chest, a bowl-sized hole continuously gushed black blood. The three-colored Energy Blade of black, blue, and yellow had pierced straight through its body. At this moment, it had no aura at all and appeared to be dead.

Seeing the black monster devoid of life, the disciples of the Five Elements Sect grew excited. The creature had been like a great mountain pressing down on their hearts. As long as it lived, the Five Elements Sect would never be truly safe. Now that it had no aura, everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed the Five Elements Sect was saved, and it was all thanks to Shen Haoran! 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Thinking of this, they all ran to Shen Haoran’s side. Seeing his tragic state, they couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath, but a feeling of admiration for him welled up in their hearts.

With the strength of a Tier Nine Spirit General, he had fearlessly faced that black monster and saved the Five Elements Sect from a life-or-death crisis. Not just anyone could possess such courage. And Shen Haoran, the very person they had been secretly making trouble for, had done it!

COUGH COUGH...

Shen Haoran coughed violently a few times, forcing himself to climb up from the ground while enduring the excruciating pain. ’The black monster’s corpse is still here,’ he thought. ’Leaving this thing around will only bring disaster to future generations. I have to incinerate it completely!’

Shen Haoran discreetly took out an Elixir and tossed it into his mouth to alleviate the pain. Clutching the wound on his right arm, he staggered toward the black monster.

Looking down at the lifeless black monster, Shen Haoran’s eyes were indifferent. The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian slowly rose from his hand.

"It’s over," Shen Haoran murmured softly. Then, with a flick of his finger, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian flared up, engulfing the black monster’s body and beginning to incinerate it.

TSS TSS TSS...

A series of popping sounds came from the black monster’s body. Wisps of black gas seeped out from within, resisting the corrosion of the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian. However, as it was now masterless, the black gas naturally couldn’t withstand the flame’s terrifying temperature. It was merely a futile last stand.

Unable to resist the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian’s flames, the black gas gave up. It then began to converge toward the black monster’s head. An elderly figure appeared in front of the monster. It was the same old man who had drilled into the black monster’s body back in the great hall of the Secret Realm.

At this moment, the old man’s body had become extremely illusory. The black robe on his head was gone, and his snow-white hair was disheveled, making him look utterly wretched!

The old man stared at Shen Haoran with venomous eyes, then transformed into a black streak of light and shot straight toward him!

Shen Haoran was incredibly weak right now, unable to muster even a sliver of Spiritual Power. Forget the old man’s desperate strike; any ordinary Martial Artist could have killed him! However, as he watched the old man approach, Shen Haoran wasn’t the least bit flustered. Instead, a cold smirk played on his lips.

"So I finally forced you out!" Shen Haoran snorted coldly. Then, he said in his mind, ’Changmao, it’s your turn!’

"Alright! I’ve been waiting for this!"

Changmao laughed heartily. A black light flashed from within Shen Haoran’s body, and a massive, pitch-black beast suddenly appeared in front of him. A terrifying Devouring Power erupted as it swallowed the approaching old man in one gulp, then shot straight up into the heavens...

[PS: I received the notice to go premium today, so the small burst of Chapters is canceled. I’m preparing for a big burst instead. I’ll explain the details to everyone in a bit!]