Chapter 84: Chapter 84: The Power of the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation

As Zuo Chuan roared, a gigantic palm that blotted out the sun and sky came crashing down. The terrifying shockwave instantly pulverized the greenstone slabs of the Martial Arts Arena, and the entire ground began to tremble. In an instant, dust and smoke engulfed the entire square!

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE...

PATTER PATTER PATTER...

A deafening roar echoed in everyone’s ears, accompanied by the patter of falling stone fragments. The crowd in the square stared at the Martial Arts Arena, dumbfounded and too shocked for words.

The Martial Arts Arena was gone, leaving only a raised platform riddled with cracks. The stage was shrouded in dust and smoke, and rings of energy radiated outward, making it impossible to see what was happening on it.

"So this is the full-power strike of a Spirit General? How terrifying!" The people in the crowd recalled the sheer might of that attack, their hearts still pounding with lingering fear.

"Sigh, that kid was a promising talent. It’s a real shame for him to fall like this," Jian Wuxin said with regret, gazing at the ruined Martial Arts Arena. The Rose Fairy at his side nodded in agreement. To fight a Tier One Spirit General to a standstill as a Tier Seven Spirit Pupil—his Talent was indeed terrifying.

"Hmph. This is the consequence of opposing my Spirit Crane Sect!" He Yiming said with a cold snort.

The disheveled old man shook his head as well, a flash of disappointment in his eyes, before closing them once more.

Below the stage, the members of the Shen Family were overcome with grief. Shen Haoran was the Shen Family’s hope; if he fell, the blow to the family would be immense. Old Sir Shen’s Heart Spirit was shaken, the light vanishing from his eyes as he nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Ji Lingxuan was at his side to support him.

"Grandfather, don’t worry. Brother Haoran is fine!" Ji Lingxuan said calmly.

Hearing Ji Lingxuan’s words, Old Sir Shen was jolted and asked in disbelief, "What? Haoran is fine?"

"Mhm!" Ji Lingxuan nodded firmly. Her ability to stand there so calmly was, in itself, the best proof.

「And at this moment, on the Martial Arts Arena...」

HUFF... HUFF... Zuo Chuan was panting, his eyes fixed on the spot where Shen Haoran had been standing. However, that place was now a deep crater, with no sign of Shen Haoran’s figure.

However, Zuo Chuan felt no joy at having defeated his opponent. Instead, he stared at the crater with a grim expression, a sense of danger lingering in his heart.

BOOM! Suddenly, a loud bang erupted from within the crater, and a dark figure slowly appeared!

"What’s happening?" The sudden noise caught the crowd off guard, and they turned to look at the Martial Arts Arena with faces full of confusion.

BANG! With another muffled thud, a wave of energy burst from the Martial Arts Arena, instantly blowing away the dust and smoke on the stage. The situation on the platform was once again visible to all.

There, in the crater where Shen Haoran had been, a dark figure was slowly rising. The figure was completely enveloped in black flames. As the inferno surged, its terrifying heat melted the stone fragments beneath its feet.

This figure was none other than Shen Haoran! Wreathed in black flames, he looked like a Demon God from Hell. His jet-black, unfeeling pupils swept over the crowd as if he were looking down upon a group of insignificant ants.

Zuo Chuan looked at Shen Haoran, and the moment their eyes met, he felt as if his Heart Spirit was being frozen solid. Cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes, and he took an involuntary step back.

’This... how is this possible!’ Zuo Chuan screamed in his heart.

At that moment, everyone present was just as bewildered as Zuo Chuan. To be struck by the full force of a Spirit General’s attack and emerge not only unharmed but with an even greater aura... ’Had Shen Haoran been hiding his strength all this time?’

On the platform, Jian Wuxin stared at Shen Haoran in utter disbelief. The aura now erupting from Shen Haoran’s body had actually reached the Spirit General Tier! ’A sixteen or seventeen-year-old Spirit General? If word of this got out, it would probably shock the entire continent!’

He Yiming stared viciously at Shen Haoran, the Spiritual Power within him slowly beginning to circulate as a murderous aura coiled around his body. He refused to believe Shen Haoran could truly leap from Spirit Tempering Tier Seven to a Spirit General in just two years. If it was true, He Yiming would kill him personally. Allowing an enemy with such terrifying Talent and potential to live would be an incredibly unwise decision for both himself and the Spirit Crane Sect.

Another person on the platform whose expression had changed drastically was the disheveled old man. However, what he cared about wasn’t Shen Haoran’s strength, but the black flames swirling around his body. After sensing them carefully, the old man’s eyes filled with ecstasy, and he stared at Shen Haoran as if looking at a peerless treasure.

Meanwhile, Shen Haoran was in a strange state. His Spiritual Thought seemed to have detached from his body, watching the violent power within him like a bystander. Because he had used the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation, the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian in his body had detonated. He watched as the Spiritual Power Atoms began to break apart from their most primitive state, one by one. Tiny streams of Energy started to gather, finally coalescing into a formidable power.

Watching these Spiritual Power Atoms explode and coalesce, Shen Haoran unexpectedly reached a new level of understanding. He felt as if he had touched the very essence of power, yet it was still hazy. The feeling was very strange.

HISSS... Just as Shen Haoran was immersed in this state of enlightenment, a pain like tearing muscle shot through him, making him suck in a sharp breath.

Although the Heaven-Dominating Tribulation was terrifying, forcibly raising his strength from a Tier Seven Spirit Pupil to a Spirit General, its side effects were also obvious. At this moment, veins bulged all over Shen Haoran’s body, cracks had already formed on his skin in many places, and a throbbing, bloating pain pulsed from his meridians, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. This was only because Shen Haoran’s physical constitution was incredibly strong; if it were anyone else, they would have likely been blown apart by this violent Energy!

HUUUH... Shen Haoran took a deep breath, suppressed the restless Energy in his body, and turned his gaze toward Zuo Chuan.

Seeing Shen Haoran’s trembling body, Zuo Chuan snapped back to his senses and guessed the origin of this newfound power. The memory of how he, a dignified and genuine Spirit General, had been frightened into retreating by Shen Haoran caused a sense of shame to well up inside him. He stared at Shen Haoran with venomous hatred.

"Hmph, so you’re just putting on a brave front. I wonder how long that Secret Technique of yours will last!" Zuo Chuan sneered.

Hearing Zuo Chuan’s words, the crowd was stunned for a moment before understanding dawned on them. So, Shen Haoran had made a desperate gamble, using a Secret Technique that would inflict a thousand wounds on himself to injure his enemy by eight hundred! As long as Zuo Chuan could hold out until the technique’s duration expired, Shen Haoran would be crippled without anyone else needing to interfere.

Shen Haoran paid no mind to the crowd’s comments. He clenched his fists, acquainting himself with his own power, and said coldly, "It’s more than enough time to finish you."

The moment the words left his mouth, Shen Haoran’s figure vanished like a ghost, only to reappear directly in front of Zuo Chuan.

Feeling the searing wind in front of him, Zuo Chuan’s pupils contracted. Shen Haoran’s speed and power both surpassed his own. When Shen Haoran was still a Tier Seven Spirit Pupil, Zuo Chuan could rely on his own abundant Spiritual Power to keep him completely suppressed. But now, the vastness of Shen Haoran’s Spiritual Power was in no way inferior to his. When the two of them were at the same realm, Shen Haoran’s terrifying speed and power would completely crush Zuo Chuan!