Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Escaping and Healing

"Whoosh..." After raging for several minutes, the Spiritual Power storm finally subsided. The smoke and dust scattered through the air also began to settle.

"Gasp!" When the crowd finally saw the scene before them, they couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. The site of Shen Haoran and Xue Qinghe’s battle was now a scene of utter devastation. The ground was pockmarked with craters large and small, with cracks spreading out in every direction. No one could believe that such destructive power had been unleashed by a Tier Two Spirit User!

Xue Qinghe had recovered by now. Since Shen Haoran’s Flame Sun Burst had been aimed directly at him, he had taken the brunt of the impact. Fortunately, Shen Haoran had only managed to hastily form the attack, which was the only reason he had survived.

Xue Qinghe wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression grim as he stared at the empty clearing before him.

"Xue Qinghe, look what you’ve done! Why didn’t you kill that kid while he was gathering his power? Now he’s gotten away. Are you happy now?!" Lin Ziqing strode forward, fuming. He was also in a sorry state, covered in dust and grime.

However, Xue Qinghe’s expression remained grim as he stared straight ahead, ignoring him completely.

"I’m talking to you! You really think you’re hot shit, huh? Can’t even handle a Tier Two Spirit User. You’re completely use—"

Before he could get the last word out, Lin Ziqing felt a bone-chilling aura lock onto him. Xue Qinghe turned his head, his face contorted with rage as he glared at Lin Ziqing. His wrinkled features now looked utterly sinister and terrifying.

Stared at like that by Xue Qinghe, Lin Ziqing felt as if he had been plunged into an icy inferno. He trembled all over, not daring to utter another word. After all, he was only a Tier Nine Spirit User; in front of a Tier Four Spirit Pupil like Xue Qinghe, he was completely outmatched.

"Hmph. If you weren’t a disciple of the Spirit Crane Sect, you’d already be a corpse," Xue Qinghe said hoarsely, watching Lin Ziqing tremble uncontrollably.

"You... You... What do you think you’re doing?" Lin Ziqing stammered in terror, feeling Xue Qinghe’s undisguised killing intent.

Xue Qinghe shot Lin Ziqing an indifferent glance and reined in his aura. His gaze pierced through the jungle toward the interior of the Profound Spirit Mountain Range. "Relax," he said. "He can’t escape. Ahead lies the interior of the Profound Spirit Mountain Range. Even experts at the Spirit General and Spirit Aspect levels don’t dare to venture in recklessly, let alone a mere Tier Two Spirit User? He’s a dead man."

The thought of Shen Haoran dying a miserable death brought a wave of grim satisfaction to Xue Qinghe. ’I’m actually terrified of him,’ he thought. ’Someone so young, with such a powerful Martial Skill and terrifying Talent... if he’s allowed to mature, the consequences will be unimaginable! But that’s fine. He won’t get the chance!’ At this thought, a cold sneer crept onto Xue Qinghe’s lips.

But when Lin Ziqing heard that Shen Haoran had fled into the Profound Spirit Mountain Range’s interior, his face fell. He turned to Xue Qinghe and asked, "Then what about my Top Grade Spirit Stone?"

"If you want it, go in and look for it yourself. Don’t expect me to join you," Xue Qinghe said, looking at Lin Ziqing like he was an idiot. He couldn’t help but wonder, ’Does the Spirit Crane Sect only recruit complete morons?’

"We’re leaving," Xue Qinghe declared, then led his remaining men toward Yunluo Town.

Lin Ziqing glanced toward the interior of the Profound Spirit Mountain Range and decided against it. ’Are you kidding me? Even experts at the Spirit General and Spirit Aspect levels don’t dare go in there. Going in alone would be suicide.’ Although the Top Grade Spirit Stone was tempting, Lin Ziqing valued his life more. He shot Xue Qinghe one last venomous glare, then led his own men away from the area.

...

Meanwhile, inside the Profound Spirit Mountain Range, Shen Haoran raced through the dense forest, his expression anxious. He kept looking back over his shoulder, as if afraid something was chasing him.

"Shen the kid, what are you doing? I take my eyes off you for one second and you run deep into the Profound Spirit Mountain Range? This place wasn’t part of my Cultivation plan!" Elder Yan suddenly appeared, crying out in alarm as he took in their surroundings.

"No time to explain! Quick, Elder Yan, help me find a place to hide!" Shen Haoran said urgently.

Seeing how panicked Shen Haoran was, Elder Yan immediately released his Spiritual Thought. He quickly finished his survey and pointed to the right. "There’s a cave eight hundred meters to your right where you can take cover."

Upon hearing this, Shen Haoran pushed his speed to the limit. He soon reached the mouth of the cave Elder Yan had mentioned and dove straight inside.

Once he was sure he was safe, Shen Haoran’s taut nerves finally slackened. Just then, he coughed up a mouthful of blood he’d been holding back, and his face grew even paler. The combination of the major battle and the frenzied escape had seriously aggravated his injuries. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"WHOOSH!" Just as Shen Haoran let out a sigh of relief, a black shadow shot into the cave.

Seeing that the shadow was Changmao, Shen Haoran quickly asked, "How did it go? Did you lead it away?"

Changmao let out a long breath as well. "Yeah, I’m sure it’s lost our trail."

"What are you two plotting?" Elder Yan asked, puzzled by their secretive behavior.

At this, Shen Haoran gave a bitter smile and explained what had happened after he entered the Profound Spirit Mountain Range. It turned out that after fleeing into the range’s interior, he had relied on his powerful Spiritual Thought to evade wave after wave of Spirit Beasts. However, his Spiritual Thought was ultimately limited, and he was ambushed by a Tier Four Spirit Beast—a Double-headed Fire Spirit Snake. If Changmao hadn’t acted as a decoy, he would have been a dead man for sure.

"Reckless! That was absolutely reckless! The interior of the Profound Spirit Mountain Range is incredibly dangerous. How could you just rush in like that!" Elder Yan chided upon hearing Shen Haoran’s story.

"Elder Yan, I had no other choice," Shen Haoran said with a pained expression. "Xue Qinghe had all the escape routes blocked. My only option was to run deeper into the Profound Spirit Mountain Range."

"Sigh..." Elder Yan let out a long sigh and said helplessly, "Fine. What’s done is done. Now, hurry up and recover from your injuries. In a place like this, you must always maintain a Peak state! I’ll have to come up with a new Cultivation plan as well."

"Hah..." Hearing Elder Yan’s words, Shen Haoran didn’t dare to delay. He immediately centered his Heart Spirit, sat cross-legged upon the Red Flame Red Lotus, and began to recover from his injuries.

Watching Shen Haoran slowly enter a state of Cultivation, Elder Yan’s brows furrowed deeply. ’This won’t do,’ he thought to himself. ’Even with the aid of the Red Flame Red Lotus, his injuries are healing far too slowly. In a place like this, danger could strike at any moment. He has to recover as quickly as possible!’

Then, Elder Yan turned to Changmao. "Can you find these Spirit Medicines around here?" he asked, handing Changmao a list.

Changmao understood the importance of the task. His small face grew solemn as he said, "I don’t know. I can give it a try, but don’t get your hopes up. After all, my power is tied to his. Right now, I’m at the level of a Tier Three Spirit Beast at best."

"Then I’m counting on you. Just do your best," Elder Yan said in a grave voice.

Changmao nodded, and with a flash of movement, he disappeared from the cave.

After Changmao left, the cave fell silent once more, leaving only the sound of Shen Haoran’s breathing. The Red Flame Red Lotus beneath him pulsed with a faint light, glowing and dimming in time with his breaths as his injuries began to heal at an excruciatingly slow pace...