Chapter 274: Chapter 274: The Great Battle Ends

Changmao was incredibly fast, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye. The disciples didn’t even have time to register what it was before it was gone.

BOOM!

A moment later, a dull boom echoed from the sky. A streak of black light then shot back into Shen Haoran’s body, and Changmao’s voice rang out, "Boss, it’s done!"

Hearing this, Shen Haoran let out a long sigh of relief. While traveling through the Secret Realm, Elder Yan had told him that the black monster was actually long dead; what remained was merely an empty shell controlled by the old man from before. That was why Shen Haoran had held Changmao in reserve, waiting for the old man to reveal himself so he could deliver a single, fatal blow. In the end, everything had gone exactly as he had predicted. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

HISS...

With the weight finally lifted from his shoulders, the intense pain wracking his body made Shen Haoran suck in a sharp breath. But the old man had been slain by Changmao, and the black monster’s corpse had been utterly incinerated by the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian. The Five Elements Sect’s crisis was truly over. As this thought crossed his mind, Shen Haoran’s vision went black, and he fainted. The battle had taken too great a toll on him; the terrifying aftereffects of the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation flared up, instantly rendering him unconscious.

"Boss!"

Seeing Shen Haoran’s body fall backward, Zi Mo sprang forward and caught him.

Looking at Shen Haoran’s tightly shut eyes, Zi Mo quickly checked for breath under his nose. He let out a sigh of relief, then turned and nodded to the others, signaling that Shen Haoran’s life wasn’t in danger.

"Hoorah!" Knowing Shen Haoran was alright, the few hundred remaining disciples erupted in a collective cheer. The black monster was slain, and the Five Elements Sect’s crisis was finally over! But then, they thought of the tens of thousands of disciples slaughtered by the Demonized Primordial Beast horde, and everyone present fell silent. Although there might have been minor squabbles among them at times, they were all, after all, their own brothers and sisters. How could their hearts not ache with sorrow after watching their kin be slain before their very eyes?

They only hated their own powerlessness, their inability to avenge their brothers and sisters. Fortunately, Shen Haoran had fulfilled that wish for them. Looking at the blood-drenched Shen Haoran, a sense of deep admiration rose in their hearts.

COUGH, COUGH...

As the crowd bowed their heads in mourning, a pair of coughs broke the silence. The disciples looked up to see Elder Qin and the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect, Chen Yu, approaching. Both of them were covered in blood. Thanks to the elixir from Shen Haoran, Elder Qin’s wounds had already scabbed over, and his aura had stabilized slightly. Meanwhile, Chen Yu had been fighting the demonized Level Seven Primordial Beast and had finally managed to slay it.

Elder Qin and Chen Yu supported each other as they came to a stop before the disciples. Looking at the scant few who remained, their hearts filled with guilt. One was the Sect Leader, the other a guardian Elder, yet they had let the Five Elements Sect be brought to the brink of annihilation. ’How can we possibly face the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect now!’

"Sect Leader, Elder Qin, you both did everything you could. There is no need for self-reproach," She Hall Master said gravely as he stepped forward.

"It’s all thanks to Shen Haoran this time," Elder Huo said, his voice laced with lingering fear as he gazed at the unconscious young man. "Otherwise, the Five Elements Sect would have truly been destroyed by that black monster."

"Indeed." Chen Yu and Elder Qin both looked deeply at Shen Haoran before bending down and performing a deep bow. Seeing this, the other disciples followed their lead and bowed to Shen Haoran as well. Even Mu Feng, who had always been hostile toward Shen Haoran, willingly lowered his head. Shen Haoran had saved the Five Elements Sect. He had earned everyone’s respect.

"Take Shen Haoran back to be treated. The rest of you, stay and deal with the aftermath," Elder Qin commanded in a heavy voice, his gaze sweeping over the ravaged grounds of the Five Elements Sect. He then looked up at Elder Mo, who was still struggling to hold the crumbling gate to the Secret Realm together. With a flicker, he appeared at Elder Mo’s side.

"Old Mo, I’m here to help," Elder Qin said gently, looking at the sweat-drenched Elder Mo.

"Old Qin, you’re still injured! You can’t use your Spiritual Power!" Elder Mo said with a frown.

"For the sake of the Five Elements Sect, what’s the harm in staking this old life of mine?" Elder Qin said grimly, gazing at the shattered gate to the Secret Realm. He then began to form a Seal Technique with his hands. Wisps of white, misty Spiritual Power rose from his body. As the mist swirled around him, his wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. His aura surged, quickly returning to its peak.

"Old Qin, you..." Seeing this, Elder Mo instantly knew what Elder Qin had done. ’He’s using his own life as the price to forcibly Seal the gate to the Secret Realm!’

At this, Elder Mo could only heave a long sigh. Wisps of black, misty Spiritual Power began to rise from his own body, and his aura quickly swelled to match Elder Qin’s.

"Seal!"

A moment later, Elder Qin and Elder Mo completed their Seal Techniques and thrust their palms toward the shattered spatial gate. Two streams of Sealing Power, one black and one white, slowly merged, forming a Taiji diagram that imprinted itself upon the gate.

HUMMM...

As the Taiji diagram settled onto the broken spatial gate, the dark void behind it rippled. The violent Power of Space gradually calmed, and the cracks slowly sealed themselves. After a short while, the spatial gate vanished, and the Stone Pillar once again stood silent and still.

PTOO...

Gazing at the fully restored entrance, both Elder Qin and Elder Mo spat out a mouthful of blood. Their hair instantly turned white, and they suddenly appeared much, much older.

The two elders supported one another as they descended from the air. They took one last, deep look at the remaining disciples and declared, "From now on, this place is a forbidden ground of the Five Elements Sect. No one is to set foot here!"

"Yes!" the disciples replied in unison, cupping their fists. After what had happened, it was doubtful anyone in the Sect would ever want to come here again.

"Go and retrieve the bodies of our fallen disciples," Elder Qin instructed. "Also, seal the Sect’s gates. For the next ten years, the Five Elements Sect will cut off all contact with the outside world. We must rest and rebuild in peace." After this battle, the very foundation of the Five Elements Sect had been severely damaged. Their only option was to seal the gates and recuperate.

"Yes..." Chen Yu replied, cupping his fist.

"We’ll have to trouble all of you with what comes next," Elder Mo said with a long sigh. Supporting Elder Qin, he began walking toward the deeper recesses of the Sect. Both had used a Secret Technique and would likely need to enter seclusion for a long time. The Sect’s affairs were now in the hands of Chen Yu and the various Hall Masters.

Watching the two aged figures walk away, a bitter expression crossed Chen Yu’s face. He looked out over the utter devastation of the Five Elements Sect and could only sigh. A moment later, however, his gaze hardened as he turned to face the remaining disciples...