"A gift for me? Third Elder, don’t tell me you need my help with something else!" Shen Haoran asked doubtfully, catching the pitch-black Scroll that Jun Luohua had tossed him.

"What? Is a master not allowed to give his disciple a little something? If you don’t want it, then give it back!" Jun Luohua said nonchalantly, giving Shen Haoran a sidelong glance.

Hearing this, Shen Haoran quickly put on a grin. "I want it! Of course I want it! This is the first thing you’ve ever given me!" he said teasingly. He then unrolled the pitch-black Scroll. But when he saw the first line of text, he was completely dumbfounded. The smile froze on his face, creating an incredibly awkward expression.

"This... Third Elder, this is for me?" Shen Haoran stared at the pitch-black Scroll, gulping in disbelief. His hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

"What, you don’t like it?" The Third Elder was very pleased with Shen Haoran’s reaction. He chuckled and gestured as if to take the pitch-black Scroll back.

At this, Shen Haoran shot backward, dodging Jun Luohua’s hand. "I love it! How could I not? A gift, once given, is like spilled water—you can’t take it back!"

With that, Shen Haoran clutched the pitch-black Scroll tightly, as if afraid Jun Luohua would suddenly regret his decision and take it back. Recorded on this Scroll was a Martial Skill that had long been lost on the continent, one capable of stirring up a bloody storm: a Sound Wave Martial Skill!

Shen Haoran looked down again, his gaze burning as he stared at the text on the pitch-black Scroll, his heart pounding with excitement. ’Soul Shattering Celestial Assault, an Earth Tier High Level Martial Skill.’ Those words alone would be enough to make countless Martial Artists lay down their lives. An Earth Tier High Level Martial Skill, and a Sound Wave Martial Skill at that! Its value was easily several times greater than a normal one. He never expected Jun Luohua to give him such an incredible gift!

Soul Shattering Celestial Assault, an Earth Tier High Level Martial Skill. To call it a Sound Wave Martial Skill wasn’t entirely accurate, as the skill was divided into two parts: one was "Broken Soul," and the other was "Celestial Assault." As its name suggested, Broken Soul shattered an opponent’s soul, instantly robbing them of their ability to fight. Celestial Assault, on the other hand, was the killing blow delivered after Broken Soul had incapacitated the target. Broken Soul was the foundation, and Celestial Assault was the execution. When used in tandem, they made the user unfailingly victorious in battle.

Reading this, Shen Haoran couldn’t help but marvel. ’One Martial Skill with two techniques, and both are indispensable. The creator of Soul Shattering Celestial Assault was surely an unparalleled genius!’ With that thought, he continued to read.

Broken Soul was the Sound Wave Martial Skill. To cultivate it, one had to first consume and undergo Refinement with the Essence Blood of a Spirit Beast. Then, one had to imagine themselves as that Spirit Beast and unleash a roar using powerful Spiritual Thought to stun the opponent, instantly robbing them of their will to fight. The stronger the Spirit Beast Essence Blood used, the more potent the effect of Broken Soul. However, stronger Spirit Beast Essence Blood was also exponentially more difficult to refine.

Celestial Assault, on the other hand, was the Killing Skill. It prioritized speed for a one-hit kill. Cultivating Celestial Assault required fusing with a trace of the Power of Thunder and Lightning. This would allow the user to strike with lightning-fast power, instantly killing the opponent.

Reading this, the corner of Shen Haoran’s mouth twitched. ’So, this Earth Tier High Level Martial Skill isn’t so easy to cultivate after all. The Scroll’s description makes it sound simple, but actually doing it will be extremely dangerous.’

Take Broken Soul, for instance. The Refinement of Spirit Beast Essence Blood had to be done with one’s Spiritual Thought, not the physical body. A human’s Spiritual Thought was incredibly fragile. In contrast, Spirit Beast Essence Blood contained the beast’s raw, violent nature—a primal instinct completely devoid of reason. The will within the Essence Blood sought only to destroy everything it perceived. How could a human’s Spiritual Thought possibly withstand such an assault? The slightest misstep could lead to one’s Spiritual Thought being obliterated, or worse, cause one to fall into the Demon Dao and become nothing more than a killing machine.

Then there was Celestial Assault. Absorbing the Power of Thunder and Lightning was no simple task. This power was akin to Celestial Punishment itself. Even Martial Artists with overwhelming strength wouldn’t dare to rashly absorb it into their bodies, let alone a mere Tier Five Spirit Marquis like Shen Haoran!

’Still, now that I have this Martial Skill, it would be foolish not to cultivate it! An Earth Tier High Level Martial Skill... How many of those even exist on this continent? Even for the three great families of the Imperial City, this would be considered a priceless clan treasure. Not cultivating it? I’d have to be an idiot!’

"Thank you for this generous gift, Third Elder!" Shen Haoran said, putting away the Soul Shattering Celestial Assault scroll and cupping his fist in respect.

"It’s nothing. I found it in some ruins, but I can’t cultivate it myself. Just consider it your reward for fetching me the Earth Spirit Pearl," Jun Luohua said with a dismissive wave of his hand, as if an Earth Tier High Level Martial Skill was nothing to him.

"Also, this upcoming trip to the Desert Ancient City will not be easy. I have a bad feeling about it. You need to stay sharp and be extremely careful," Jun Luohua added gravely.

At his words, Shen Haoran’s expression turned grave. The young prodigies of the Northern Domain would all be participating in the Desert Ancient City expedition. Setting aside the hidden masters, just considering the well-known ones was daunting enough. There was Xue Shitian from his own Sect; Shen Haoran felt immense pressure from him. With that chilling aura, the man hailed as the strongest in the Northern Domain was anything but simple. Then there was Jian Wushuang. That man’s true depth was also well hidden. Judging by his restrained, sharp Sword Aura, if Jian Wushuang were to go all out, he would be like a Sharp Sword capable of sundering heaven and earth.

As for the others, he had never even met the hero from the Valley of Heartless, so Shen Haoran couldn’t pass judgment, though he imagined that person wouldn’t be weak. And while Ouyang Shaoyu of Fallen Valley was an obnoxious fellow, his strength was not to be underestimated. After all, these four were known as the Northern Domain’s Four Heroes.

’However, with my strength, I wouldn’t be afraid even if I ran into all four of them.’ In fact, a small part of Shen Haoran was even looking forward to it. He wanted to see for himself what was so special about the Northern Domain’s Four Heroes.

"Alright, I’ve said all I need to. The rest is up to you," Jun Luohua said. "You don’t need to participate in the Sect’s internal selection tournament. There’s less than a month until the Desert Ancient City opens. Use this time to properly study and comprehend Soul Shattering Celestial Assault. When the time comes, it will be another trump card to ensure your survival."

Shen Haoran nodded and left Jun Luohua’s room. He glanced at the Soul Shattering Celestial Assault scroll resting inside his Storage Ring and hurried back to his own quarters...