Chapter 81: Chapter 81: End of the Hunting Competition

After locking gazes with Shen Haoran for a few seconds, Zuo Chuan suddenly withdrew his imposing aura, and his signature smile returned to his face.

"You’re quite something," Zuo Chuan said, his lips curling into a cruel grin. "I’ve suddenly changed my mind. I think it’ll be far more satisfying to crush you under my heel in front of everyone!"

"I’ll be waiting for you!" Facing Zuo Chuan, a Spirit General, Shen Haoran felt not a shred of fear. On the contrary, his heart surged with a powerful will to fight.

Sensing Shen Haoran’s heaven-piercing battle intent, Zuo Chuan let out a cold laugh. "Excellent. I’ll be waiting for you in Cyan Mountain City!"

"Let’s go!" With that, Zuo Chuan led the two Spirit Crane Sect disciples away. Ge Jian shot Shen Haoran a hateful glare before departing, supported by the members of the Ge Family. Shen Haoran did not try to stop them. He simply lowered his head, his brow furrowed as he was lost in thought.

"What is it, Brother Haoran?" Ji Lingxuan asked, seeing his troubled expression.

Hearing Ji Lingxuan’s concerned voice, Shen Haoran rubbed his forehead and said in a slightly dejected tone, "It’s nothing. It’s just... Zuo Chuan is no simple opponent."

"Zuo Chuan?"

"Yes. I may have grown a lot in the past two years, but as a genius disciple of the Spirit Crane Sect, Zuo Chuan’s progress must have been terrifying as well. He just blocked my Fire Lotus so easily, and that attack contained nearly eighty percent of my strength. It seems defeating him is going to be difficult," Shen Haoran said with a heavy expression.

"Then I’ll go cripple him for you, Brother Haoran!" Ji Lingxuan said, her gaze turning icy as she saw his worried expression.

Shen Haoran almost choked on his own breath when he heard her words. He never knew Ji Lingxuan had such a dark side! But he was also shocked. For her to be able to say that meant her strength far surpassed Zuo Chuan’s. ’Just how monstrous has this girl become?’ Shen Haoran was completely floored.

Seeing Shen Haoran’s astonished gaze, Ji Lingxuan’s expression immediately reverted to its usual pitiable and endearing look. "Brother Haoran," she said, blushing slightly, "why are you looking at me like that?"

"It’s nothing." Shen Haoran turned away. "This is a matter between me and Zuo Chuan. You don’t need to interfere. He may be a Spirit General, but I’m not afraid of him. If we truly fight to the death, it’s still uncertain who will emerge victorious. This is a battle of life and death, but more than that, it’s a battle for my honor!"

Shen Haoran stared in the direction Zuo Chuan had departed, his fighting spirit surging. ’So what if he’s a Spirit General? I will crush anyone who dares to stand in my way under my heel!’ This was Shen Haoran’s path of Martial Arts: to fear nothing and press ever forward.

Sensing Shen Haoran’s resolve, Ji Lingxuan lowered her head, ashamed. She was also relieved that she hadn’t actually gone to cripple Zuo Chuan in secret. If she had done that, Shen Haoran would probably never have forgiven her. ’But I won’t just stand by and watch him walk to his death, either,’ she thought. ’If it comes to a critical moment, I will stop this fight. I’ll do it even if it means he’ll hate me for it!’

"Alright, let’s get going. Back to Cyan Mountain City!" Shen Haoran said with a smile, oblivious to Ji Lingxuan’s inner turmoil.

Ji Lingxuan was taken aback. "Huh? Back to Cyan Mountain City?" she asked, confused. "But what about the Identity Tokens...?"

"You silly girl," Shen Haoran laughed. "You didn’t really think I wanted to join the Three Great Sects, did you?"

"The Three Great Sects may be the overlords of the Southern Domain, but they can’t provide the cultivation resources I need," Shen Haoran explained. He was right. What Shen Haoran required for his cultivation were the Elemental Spirits of heaven and earth. No matter how wealthy the Three Great Sects were, it was impossible for them to provide something like that. As for joining a sect to learn cultivation techniques and Martial Skills, that was an even bigger joke. Elder Yan was a living fossil; when it came to Martial Skills and cultivation experience, the knowledge of the Three Great Sects combined wouldn’t even be worth a glance from him.

"Ohh," Ji Lingxuan murmured. Being quick-witted, she immediately understood his reasoning and followed Shen Haoran toward Cyan Mountain City.

However, the journey back was anything but peaceful. Even though Shen Haoran had no intention of participating in the contest for the Identity Tokens, many people still had their eyes on him. He had no choice but to fend off these Martial Artists. Along the way, he had unintentionally collected a considerable number of Identity Tokens, leaving him at a loss for whether to laugh or cry.

By the time he returned to Cyan Mountain City, the sky had already darkened, marking the end of the first day of the jungle battle. Shen Haoran headed straight back to the Shen Family estate. The family members were surprised to see him, but they all understood after he gave them an explanation.

The Shen Haoran of today was not the same waste he had been two years ago. The members of the Shen Family now fully regarded him as their Young Clan Leader. They found themselves carrying out his decisions, both consciously and unconsciously. It was a subtle change that even they themselves had not fully realized. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

For the next two days, Shen Haoran did not cultivate. Instead, he spent his time shut in his room, studying the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation.

Shen Haoran had initially assumed this Secret Technique required sacrificing one’s own Essence Blood and Spiritual Power Origin to unleash extraordinary power. However, after studying it carefully, he discovered that the eruption of the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation could also be fueled by other forms of energy—like the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian inside his body.

The essence of the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation was to use an external force to detonate an Energy Body’s origin. ’In that case, it’s practically tailor-made for the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian!’ The Fire Spirit Black Obsidian was a treasure formed over thousands, even tens of thousands, of years. Combined with the inherently violent nature of the Fire Element, detonating its Origin Power would unleash a truly terrifying force.

At the thought of such a world-ending scene, Shen Haoran couldn’t help but shudder. ’It looks like I can’t use the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation unless it’s a true life-or-death situation.’

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. On the morning of the third day, the melodious sound of bells once again rang out from the square...

DONG... DONG... DONG...

As the bells rang, people began gathering in the square once more. Shen Haoran watched the stream of people, straightening his cyan martial attire which made him look exceptionally sharp. He hadn’t forgotten. Today was the day the hunt ended. It was also the day of his promised battle with Zuo Chuan, two years in the making.

By the time Shen Haoran arrived at the square with the members of the Shen Family, it was already packed with a sea of people. However, the number of contestants from the hunt had dwindled by two-thirds. Only a small group now stood on the Martial Arts Arena in the center of the square, awaiting the arrival of the emissaries from the Three Great Sects.

DONG... With another deep toll of the bell, the emissaries of the Three Great Sects appeared before the crowd.

He Yiming surveyed the few remaining contestants on the stage and announced in a clear voice, "Congratulations. You have all earned the right to enter the Three Great Sects. You may now choose which sect you wish to join. Additionally, will the top five please step forward. You have the opportunity to become an Elder’s Direct Disciple. Come and make your choice!"

Hearing He Yiming’s words, the Martial Artists on the stage beamed with joy. ’Now that I’ve secured a spot in one of the Three Great Sects, my future path will be so much brighter!’

However, there was one person in the crowd who felt utterly helpless: Shen Haoran. As it turned out, the number of Identity Tokens in his possession placed him exactly fifth. And that was just from what he had collected on the first day.

Shen Haoran watched as the five people stepped forward: Liu Yu from the Liu Family, Qing Hai from the City Lord’s Mansion, Ge Jian from the Ge Family, an unknown woman, and finally, himself. The five of them stood at the very front, representing the pinnacle of Cyan Mountain City’s younger generation.

"Now, choose your Sect. However, we reserve the right to reject you," He Yiming said nonchalantly, glancing at the five of them on the stage.