Chapter 68: Chapter 68: The Powerful Shen Haoran

That dark figure was none other than Shen Haoran!

Shen Haoran lowered his head, his gaze falling upon Ji Lingxuan. Her lower body was encased in ice, and though her face was etched with pain, she still managed a smile. A pang of anguish shot through his heart, and he bent down to lift her into his arms.

"Brother Haoran, you..."

"Don’t speak. I will seal the Nine Nether Qi for you!" Shen Haoran said, cutting her off. He then reached out, gently tapping her forehead with his finger. A wisp of black flame flickered at his fingertip before vanishing into her brow.

"SZZZ!" As the black flame entered Ji Lingxuan’s body, the sound of melting ice echoed from within, a testament to the terrible condition she was in.

"Brace yourself. This might hurt a little," Shen Haoran said softly as he controlled the black flame.

Shen Haoran’s technique was remarkably adept. The black flame traced the path of the Nine Nether Reincarnation Seal. Slowly, the originally red seal turned black. Under the Fire Spirit’s suppression, the Nine Nether Qi retreated back into the Seal, not daring to stir again.

Although the Nine Nether Qi was suppressed, a considerable amount remained within her body. Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed as he saw the ice crystals still embedded in her meridians and bones. He pulled the Red Flame Jade Lotus closer and gently laid Ji Lingxuan upon it.

"Rest well and focus on the Refinement of the ice crystals in your body. Leave the rest to me," Shen Haoran said gently.

Looking into Shen Haoran’s eyes, which were as gentle as still water, Ji Lingxuan nodded. She closed her eyes and began to address the problems within her body. ’Since Shen Haoran said he would handle it, he definitely will. I don’t need to worry about what comes next.’

Seeing Ji Lingxuan close her eyes, Shen Haoran turned to face the crowd. He stared at them coldly, then began to walk forward. With every step, his aura surged, rising by a full tier. By the time he stood before them, the power erupting from his body had reached the level of a Tier Five Spirit Pupil!

That’s right—a Tier Five Spirit Pupil. After the Refinement of the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, Shen Haoran’s strength had broken through to the level of a Tier Five Spirit Pupil. As his aura flared, his entire body was wreathed in black flames. The flickering Black Flame made him look like a Demon straight out of Hell.

"How is that possible? Just two days ago, he was at Tier One Peak! Even a peerless genius couldn’t break through three tiers in a single day!" the crowd exclaimed in terror.

"He must have received the Spirit Emperor’s inheritance! That’s the only way his strength could have skyrocketed like this!"

As the crowd murmured amongst themselves, Yang Yu, who had been knocked to the ground nearby, staggered back to his feet.

"PTUI!" Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Yang Yu fixed Shen Haoran with a venomous glare, looking as if he wanted to eat him alive.

"Shen Haoran, is it? Good. Very good," Yang Yu said, a twisted smile on his face instead of anger. But everyone present could hear the pure, unadulterated venom in his voice.

"You did this to her?" Shen Haoran’s voice was utterly devoid of emotion.

"You mean the girl behind you? That’s right, it was me. If you’d woken up just a little later, you might have witnessed a much more... stimulating scene," Yang Yu said, a lecherous grin spreading across his face.

BOOM! With an explosive push from his legs, the stone tiles beneath Shen Haoran’s feet shattered. His body shot forward like a black cannonball, appearing before Yang Yu in an instant.

"You don’t need to provoke me," Shen Haoran snarled, his fists clenched so tight the veins on his arms bulged. "Because I’m already furious!" He threw a vicious punch at Yang Yu.

"Hmph!" Seeing Shen Haoran’s fist coming, Yang Yu thrust out his palm to intercept it.

The next moment, fist met palm with a dull thud. Yang Yu had caught Shen Haoran’s punch.

"Hmph. Is that all the strength you have?" Yang Yu taunted, squeezing Shen Haoran’s fist.

"What do you think?" Shen Haoran retorted. With a cold snort, black flames erupted from his arm and rapidly engulfed Yang Yu’s.

The sudden black flames caught Yang Yu completely off guard, spreading across his entire arm in a heartbeat. The intense burning sensation made him gasp. It felt as if his arm were melting.

’Damn it! I was careless!’ Yang Yu cursed inwardly. He released Shen Haoran’s fist and tried to pull away.

But Shen Haoran gave him no such chance. The instant Yang Yu let go, Shen Haoran’s fist unfurled into an open palm, grabbing Yang Yu’s wrist and yanking him forward.

The pull threw Yang Yu off balance, sending him stumbling uncontrollably toward Shen Haoran. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Haoran drove his knee up, smashing it viciously into Yang Yu’s jaw.

CRACK! With the sound of splintering bone, Yang Yu was sent flying backward, face up. A few broken teeth flew from his mouth, trailing a spray of blood.

But it wasn’t over. In the instant Yang Yu was airborne, Shen Haoran was already beneath him. Planting his hands on the ground, he launched a two-footed kick into Yang Yu’s back, launching him higher into the air. The next moment, Shen Haoran appeared above him, bringing both fists down like hammers onto Yang Yu’s head. Yang Yu shot down like a cannonball, crashing into the ground below. A huge cloud of dust billowed up. When it settled, a man-shaped crater was left in the earth. Inside it lay Yang Yu, unmoving. It was impossible to tell if he was dead or alive.

Seeing Yang Yu’s wretched state, the crowd gasped in unison. Yang Yu was a Tier Eight Spirit Pupil, yet before Shen Haoran, who had just reached Tier Five, he had been completely helpless. ’Just how powerful has he become?’

*Tap.* Shen Haoran landed lightly, staring at the man-shaped crater before him. ’Even I’m surprised by this,’ he thought.

During that fight, Shen Haoran realized that the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian hadn’t just boosted his strength. His speed, power, and reflexes had all undergone a qualitative leap. ’That final blow... I used Heaven-Breaking Kill with all my strength. I never expected it would be so powerful!’

Shen Haoran reached into the crater, grabbed Yang Yu by the collar, and hauled him out.

"Any last words?" Shen Haoran asked coldly, his eyes devoid of any feeling. Ji Lingxuan was his absolute Reversed Scale. Since Yang Yu had dared to target her, he would have to endure Shen Haoran’s wrath.

"Cough... cough..." Yang Yu stared at Shen Haoran, his eyes wide with terror. He wanted to speak, but no words came out.

"Alright then. That means you have none." Shen Haoran tilted his head, raised his right hand, and viciously thrust it toward Yang Yu’s heart.

"Stop! You can’t kill him! He’s the heir to the Yang Family of Celestial Martial City!" Wu Mengqi shouted at the critical moment.

Hearing Wu Mengqi’s shout, Shen Haoran paused. He looked at her with an intrigued expression and asked, "The heir to the Yang Family?"

Seeing Shen Haoran pause, Wu Mengqi thought he was afraid. She pressed on, "That’s right! If you kill him, the Yang Family will never let you go. No matter where you run—even to the ends of the earth—they will find you. They’ll flay you alive and rip out your tendons, leaving you in a state where you’ll beg for death but never find it!"

"Oh. In that case, I have even more reason not to let him live." With that, Shen Haoran’s gaze turned to ice, and he plunged his right hand deep into Yang Yu’s heart.

SPLURCH!

Yang Yu’s eyes bulged in disbelief. Just a few minutes ago, he had been fantasizing about obtaining the Spirit Emperor’s inheritance and taking control of Celestial Martial City. Now, he was utterly helpless in Shen Haoran’s grasp, his life cut short here in the Spirit Emperor’s Tomb.

But his fading consciousness forced him to accept the truth. As he felt his body grow cold, Yang Yu was consumed by regret. It was too late.

Everyone stared at Yang Yu, lying lifeless in a pool of his own blood. Then their gazes shifted to Shen Haoran. His face was spattered with blood, making him look like a Demon God. No one dared to even breathe too loudly, terrified of provoking this Killing God.

Luo Xiaowen also stared at Shen Haoran in disbelief. ’I never expected he could be so ruthless and decisive,’ she thought. At the same time, she felt a wave of relief that she was his friend, not his enemy.