Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Fierce Battle with Zuo Chuan

Feeling the restlessness surge through him, Shen Haoran stopped holding back. The full aura of a Tier Seven Spirit Pupil erupted as his figure flickered, vanishing in an instant.

The moment Shen Haoran vanished, Zuo Chuan’s heart leaped in alarm. His opponent’s speed was terrifying, far exceeding that of any Spirit Pupil. Even Zuo Chuan himself hadn’t been able to follow his trajectory!

BOOM! The next moment, a scorching blast of air from a fist rushed him from behind, the compressed air letting out a muffled explosion!

Feeling the threat at his back, Zuo Chuan forcibly twisted his body, raising a leg to block. But this time, he had underestimated Shen Haoran.

The instant his leg met the fist, a terrifying force surged from Shen Haoran’s arm, sending Zuo Chuan stumbling backward. With the hit landed, Shen Haoran’s figure vanished once more. Taking advantage of Zuo Chuan’s instability, he raised his elbow and struck straight for his opponent’s face!

Zuo Chuan was caught in an awkward position, his momentum spent and his balance lost. ’If I don’t use my hands, I can’t possibly block this!’ Although Shen Haoran’s attack wouldn’t cause serious injury, the whistling wind told Zuo Chuan it would have no problem knocking out two of his front teeth. For someone as prideful as Zuo Chuan, that was a fate worse than death.

In his desperation, Zuo Chuan threw his pride aside and raised his arms to block. The tremendous force sent him flying. Using the momentum from the blow, he flipped twice in mid-air before landing steadily.

The crowd below stared at the Martial Arts Arena, dumbfounded. In the blink of an eye, Shen Haoran had actually forced Zuo Chuan to use his hands! They had all assumed that even a Tier Seven Spirit Pupil would be utterly crushed when facing a Tier One Spirit General, yet Shen Haoran had made Zuo Chuan use his hands in just two strikes. ’Is Shen Haoran hiding his true strength?’ the crowd wondered.

On the arena, Shen Haoran didn’t press his advantage. He stood his ground and looked at Zuo Chuan with a mocking smile. "What’s wrong? Didn’t you say you could defeat me using only your legs? Or do you have four of them?"

Zuo Chuan paid Shen Haoran’s taunt no mind. As the Direct Disciple of the Spirit Crane Sect’s Third Elder, he was exceptional in his own right.

Zuo Chuan rubbed his numb arms and legs, inwardly astonished. ’Shen Haoran’s strength is absurd, nothing like that of a Spirit Pupil. Even I couldn’t unleash such immense power!’

"Very impressive speed and strength!" Zuo Chuan said, looking at Shen Haoran with admiration. Then his tone shifted. "However, no matter how fast you are or how strong you are, it all means nothing in the face of absolute power. Today, I will show you the true difference between a Spirit General and a Spirit Pupil!"

The moment Zuo Chuan finished speaking, a terrifying aura erupted from his body, instantly blanketing the entire Martial Arts Arena. The formidable pressure suppressed all the dust on the stage, turning it into a vacuum. Caught within it, Shen Haoran was like a lone skiff, in danger of being capsized at any moment.

Feeling Zuo Chuan’s tyrannical aura, Shen Haoran’s eyes narrowed, his expression turning grave. The power Zuo Chuan was now displaying was that of a Tier One Spirit General at his Peak, and he even had one foot in the realm of a Tier Two Spirit General!

Anyone at the Spirit General realm or above could be called a true expert. There was a saying in the Cultivation Realm: "All below the rank of Spirit General are but ants!" This wasn’t without reason. After breaking through to the Spirit General realm, one’s Spiritual Power underwent a qualitative transformation. Its purity became something no Spirit Pupil could match. Of course, this rule wasn’t absolute. Take a freak like Shen Haoran, for example. The purity of his Spiritual Power was in no way inferior to Zuo Chuan’s—it might even be greater. It was only in the sheer volume of Spiritual Power that he couldn’t compete.

The truly fundamental difference between a Spirit Pupil and a Spirit General was that a Spirit General could borrow the Power of Heaven and Earth. Even if it was just a faint trace, it was more than enough. After all, mortals lived between heaven and earth; they were the ultimate masters. The terrifying nature of their power was self-evident.

But Shen Haoran had no time to dwell on such things, because Zuo Chuan was already on the attack.

Zuo Chuan was incredibly fast, appearing before Shen Haoran in an instant. He threw a simple, unadorned punch straight at Shen Haoran’s face.

Fortunately, Shen Haoran’s focus had been fixed on Zuo Chuan. The moment his opponent moved, Shen Haoran began to retreat. However, just as he pulled back, a strange resistance materialized behind him, making it impossible to move another inch.

Shen Haoran was shocked. Seeing the whistling fist bearing down on him, he had no choice but to throw his own punch to block it.

BANG! A muffled thud echoed as their fists collided. Both fighters recoiled, but Zuo Chuan only took a single step back, while Shen Haoran was forced back five or six steps before regaining his footing.

’What was that just now?’ Shen Haoran frowned. ’Could that be the Power of Heaven and Earth that Spirit Generals control? If so, I’m in a tough spot. It means I have no choice but to clash with Zuo Chuan head-on.’

Although Shen Haoran’s strength and the purity of his Spiritual Power were on par with Zuo Chuan’s, the difference in the sheer volume of their power was significant. Clashing head-on like this would put him at a huge disadvantage.

While Shen Haoran was frowning in thought, Zuo Chuan pressed forward again. He threw another simple punch, and once again, Shen Haoran found his retreat blocked by the Power of Heaven and Earth.

’Damn it! If it’s a head-on fight he wants, then a head-on fight he’ll get! Let’s see who’s afraid!’ Shen Haoran resolved himself, abandoned any thought of dodging, and charged straight at Zuo Chuan.

Seeing Shen Haoran charge at him, Zuo Chuan broke into a savage grin. This was exactly what he wanted. He would use his vastly superior Spiritual Power to wear Shen Haoran down and crush him.

BANG! BANG! BANG! With no path of retreat, Shen Haoran was locked in a brawl with Zuo Chuan. Their battle was raw and brutal, every punch landing with solid impact. The sound of their blows sent shivers down the spines of the onlookers, who watched in disbelief. They never imagined that Shen Haoran, a mere Tier Seven Spirit Pupil, could actually fight Zuo Chuan to a standstill.

"Heaven-Breaking Kill!"

After another violent collision, both Shen Haoran and Zuo Chuan were sent flying. But while Shen Haoran crashed hard onto the ground, Zuo Chuan landed steadily on the Martial Arts Arena.

Shen Haoran was in a miserable state. His entire body was covered in black and blue bruises, and the skin on his arms had split open from the force of the impacts, blood streaming out. On the other side, Zuo Chuan wasn’t faring much better. His robes were tattered, a clear footprint was stamped on his abdomen, a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth, and he was gasping for breath.

Zuo Chuan stared at Shen Haoran, a flicker of fear in his heart. He had planned to overwhelm Shen Haoran with his superior Spiritual Power, but his opponent’s close-quarters combat skills were simply flawless. By leveraging his advantages in speed and strength, he had actually managed to fight Zuo Chuan to a draw. ’If we were at the same realm,’ Zuo Chuan thought, ’I would be no match for him at all!’

"Cough, cough..." Shen Haoran staggered to his feet. He looked at Zuo Chuan, his eyes holding not a trace of fear, only a burning will to fight.

Looking at this resilient cockroach who refused to stay down, Zuo Chuan began to feel a genuine sense of fear. He took a deep breath, gathering the power within his body.

"Shen Haoran, I have to admit, you’re strong," Zuo Chuan said, giving him a vicious glare. "But an ant is still an ant. And compared to an elephant, you are nothing!" He then began to form a Seal Technique, and a massive Hand Seal materialized high above the Martial Arts Arena.

"The Prajna Palm!" Jian Wuxin cried out upon seeing the Hand Seal. ’That’s one of the ultimate techniques of the Spirit Crane Sect! I can’t believe he’s using it on a mere Tier Seven Spirit Pupil!’

Seeing the Palm Seal, the disheveled old man on the platform also grew solemn. He shot a worried glance at Shen Haoran, only to find that the young man’s expression remained completely unfazed.

"Hmph, just putting on an act!" Zuo Chuan snorted. He looked up at the condensed Palm Seal and then sent it smashing down toward Shen Haoran.

"Die!"