BANG! With a muffled sound, the eagle of Spiritual Thought burst apart, transforming into motes of starlight. At the same moment, a Devouring Power erupted from the giant hand of Spiritual Thought, consuming the motes of light completely.

PFFT!

With the eagle of Spiritual Thought crushed, Yang Hao coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning pale. The eagle was linked to his own Spiritual Thought; his Sea of Consciousness had also been wounded.

"Brother Yang, what’s wrong?" Qin Mei’Er’s expression changed drastically when she saw Yang Hao’s condition.

The surrounding onlookers were stunned when they saw Yang Hao spit blood and retreat, their eyes wide with disbelief. Just a moment ago, they had felt a wave of Spiritual Thought, far more terrifying than Yang Hao’s, erupt from Shen Haoran. Moments later, Yang Hao was sent reeling, bleeding from the mouth. ’Could this Shen Haoran be even more fearsome than Yang Hao?’

But he looked so much younger than Yang Hao. A Fourth Grade Alchemist this young... he was an absolute prodigy, a monster among monsters!

Shen Haoran ignored the crowd’s stares and walked right up to Yang Hao, slamming a hand down on his shoulder. Yang Hao was just an Alchemist, with little combat strength of his own. Combined with the suppression from Shen Haoran’s Spiritual Thought, the blow forced him to his knees right in front of Shen Haoran.

Qin Mei’Er, standing to the side, wanted to say something, but she wisely kept her mouth shut when she felt the oppressive killing aura radiating from Shen Haoran. ’He doesn’t look like the type to go easy on a woman,’ she thought. ’He might just slap me too and humiliate me completely.’

Shen Haoran bent down and tilted up Yang Hao’s chin. "Now," he said coolly, "who’s the real piece of trash?" His domineering aura bore down on Yang Hao, making his Heart Spirit tremble.

"Who goes there? Do you not know this is the Alchemy Master Guild? What is all this ruckus? What kind of behavior is this!" Just then, a furious shout echoed from within the Guild. Moments later, an enraged old man stormed out of the main entrance.

Upon seeing the old man, the faces of the onlookers changed, and they all lowered their heads. Yang Hao, however, was ecstatic. "Master! Master, save me!" he cried out.

That’s right. The newcomer was none other than the Vice President of the Alchemy Master Guild, Tyler.

Tyler’s face darkened as he saw Yang Hao kneeling before Shen Haoran. "Who are you?" he bellowed. "How dare you cause trouble at the entrance of the Alchemy Master Guild? Are you ignorant of our rules?" As he spoke, a terrifying pressure from his Spiritual Thought descended upon Shen Haoran.

"Cause trouble?" Shen Haoran shrugged nonchalantly. "I just wanted to take the assessment. This guy wouldn’t let me in and even insulted me. Since his master failed to teach him any manners, I naturally had to step in!" As for the pressure from the Spiritual Thought, it felt like a mere tickle to Shen Haoran, completely inconsequential. ’This Tyler is, at best, a Fifth Grade Alchemist. It’s not even certain he’s stronger than I am. His Spiritual Thought pressure poses no threat to me whatsoever.’

Tyler was shocked to see Shen Haoran so calm, and a surge of rage boiled up inside him. Anyone who knew Tyler knew he was notoriously protective of his own. Forcing his apprentice to kneel in public was a direct slap to his face.

"Hmph! You arrogant brat, spouting such nonsense! Since your parents failed to teach you, I’ll do it for them today!" Tyler’s gaze hardened. Two crimson flames abruptly appeared in his hands, and the surrounding temperature shot up.

Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed as he watched Tyler prepare to attack without another word. A spark of his own violent temper was ignited. ’All I wanted was to enter the Alchemy Master Guild and take the Alchemist assessment, but they’ve given me trouble at every turn. I’ve had enough of this!’

At that thought, the Spiritual Power in Shen Haoran’s body began to surge. His Fire Spirit Black Obsidian stirred restlessly, on the verge of erupting.

"Wait a moment!" Just as the situation grew tense and ready to erupt, a clear voice called out. Both Shen Haoran and Tyler suppressed the churning Spiritual Power within them and turned their gazes toward the entrance of the Alchemy Master Guild.

A moment later, a young man about Shen Haoran’s age emerged from the shadows. He held a folded fan in his hand, and his white robes fluttered in the wind. A smile that could captivate a thousand young women played on his handsome face. His features were so delicate and perfectly arranged that he was no less stunning than a great beauty. In fact, at first glance, he almost looked like a girl.

Upon seeing the handsome youth, Tyler glanced disdainfully at Shen Haoran before cupping his fists in respect to the newcomer. "Young Master Han, what brings you out? This is just a minor squabble. This old man will handle it, and we can discuss the Alchemy matters afterward."

The young man, however, simply chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. He then descended the steps and began circling Shen Haoran, studying him with keen interest.

Shen Haoran couldn’t help but roll his eyes as the handsome youth circled before him. A faint, sweet fragrance wafted into his nostrils. "What kind of grown man wears perfume?" he muttered under his breath.

"May I have your name, Brother?" the handsome youth asked, staring at Shen Haoran as if he’d discovered a peerless treasure. He cupped his fists in a formal greeting.

The look in the handsome youth’s eyes made Shen Haoran’s skin crawl, and he instinctively took two steps back. ’This guy doesn’t have some kind of weird fetish, does he?’ he thought.

"Brother, I was just asking for your name," the handsome youth repeated, puzzled by Shen Haoran’s odd behavior.

Steeling himself, Shen Haoran replied, "Shen Haoran."

"Ah, Brother Shen," the handsome youth said. "I have a favor to ask, I wonder if you might be willing to grant it?"

"Not interested," Shen Haoran refused flatly. He had no time to be doing favors for others. All he wanted was to get his Alchemist certification from the Alchemy Master Guild, wait for Luo Zhengtian to gather the Spirit Medicines, and then rush to the Northern Desert Land.

"Er..." The handsome youth was momentarily speechless at Shen Haoran’s blunt refusal.

"Young Master Han," Tyler interjected from behind the youth, "didn’t you say you wanted to cooperate with an Alchemist from our Alchemy Master Guild? Why ask this brat? We don’t even know if he can perform Alchemy! Besides, look at his scrawny arms and legs. How could he possibly withstand the harsh climate of the North Desert City? I suggest you reconsider!"

Hearing this, the handsome youth hesitated and glanced at Shen Haoran with a hint of regret. He shook his head helplessly. If the man wasn’t willing, he couldn’t force the issue.

"Wait..." Shen Haoran said quietly. "Did you say you’re going to the North Desert City?"

"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?" the handsome youth replied, noticing the flicker of excitement on Shen Haoran’s face.

"I’ll do it! I’ll go with you!"

[PS: Some readers have said the Chapters are repeating. The author ("Shoes") wants to say that there were no problems on the backend during publishing. The editor is currently looking into the issue and will give everyone an answer shortly. We won’t let you waste your money! This is the eighth update for today, and there are two more tonight! Thank you all for your support.]