Shen Haoran remained seated in meditation for five whole days. If Elder Yan hadn't been able to sense his aura slowly strengthening, he would have thought something had gone wrong.
"Sigh, it looks like he isn't waking up today either." The sky had already grown dark. Elder Yan looked at Shen Haoran, whose breathing was long and steady, and muttered resentfully. Making an old man like him stand guard for five days was quite an ordeal...
Just as Elder Yan was about to return to the Sealing Spirit Pearl to rest, a tyrannical and intense aura erupted from within Shen Haoran's body, startling even him! Following the powerful burst of aura, Shen Haoran's Cultivation skyrocketed. From the Peak of Spirit Tempering Tier Five to Spirit Tempering Tier Six, it soared all the way to the Peak of Spirit Tempering Tier Six before finally stopping, just one step away from Tier Seven!
Once Shen Haoran's aura stabilized, his tightly shut eyes flew open. He stood up, stretched his stiff body, and threw a punch into the air, creating a series of whooshing sounds.
Shen Haoran clenched his fists. Feeling the immense power coursing through his body, he burst into wild laughter. Five years! He could finally feel the wonder of advancing again, finally feel the strength that came with having power! From this day forward, he would no longer be the useless Shen Haoran that anyone could bully. His destiny would be in his own hands!
Watching the seemingly crazed Shen Haoran, Elder Yan couldn't help but feel emotional. He had watched Shen Haoran grow up and knew all too well how much humiliation he had endured over the past five years. Yet, because he lacked strength, Shen Haoran could only bear it, powerless to fight back when people called him useless. Now that Shen Haoran had awakened the Chaos Divine Body, he would make a complete comeback and seize control of his own destiny. Besides, how could someone who possessed the Chaos Divine Body ever be content with mediocrity!
After a moment of excitement, Shen Haoran immediately calmed down. The suffering he had endured over the past five years had not been without its benefits. Through five years of forbearance, his mind had become exceptionally firm and steady. This, too, was a form of growth.
"Elder Yan, thank you!" Shen Haoran knew that Elder Yan had been protecting him for the past five days. Moreover, it was only because of Elder Yan that he was able to gain this power. This word of thanks came from the bottom of his heart.
"No need. Everything you have now is something you earned yourself. It doesn't have much to do with me," Elder Yan replied with a smile, his opinion of Shen Haoran rising even higher. 'To achieve great things, one must not only have innate Talent and an unshakeable will, but also a grateful heart. Otherwise, what's the difference between them and an ungrateful cur!'
"By the way, you successfully practiced the Cultivation Technique, right? But how come I never knew that mastering the basics of the Supreme Profound Technique would directly increase one's Cultivation?" Elder Yan asked suddenly.
"The Supreme Profound Technique?" Hearing this name, Shen Haoran was a bit dumbfounded.
Seeing Shen Haoran's expression, Elder Yan was also taken aback for a moment before saying, "The Cultivation Technique you're practicing... isn't it the Supreme Profound Technique?"
"No, it's not. What I obtained is the Chaos Heaven-Dominating Technique!" Shen Haoran then gave a rough description of the Cultivation Technique he had received.
Hearing Shen Haoran's description, Elder Yan's brow furrowed deeply, lost in thought.
"Gather the Power of the Five Elements, condense the Qi of Chaos..." Elder Yan muttered to himself.
"Haha, I get it! I get it! So, all the previous successors of the Chaos Divine Body took the wrong path! This is the true Chaos Divine Technique!" Elder Yan seemed to have realized something and laughed heartily.
"The Chaos Divine Technique?" Shen Haoran was puzzled.
"That's right. Before heaven and earth were separated, there was only Chaos, with no distinction between the Five Elements. The Chaos Divine Body was born under such conditions. Therefore, to awaken the true Chaos Divine Body, one must gather the Power of the Five Elements! The Supreme Profound Technique I obtained before only focused on enhancing a single attribute. No wonder I failed when I reached that place!" Elder Yan explained.
"'That place?'" Shen Haoran was even more confused by Elder Yan's words.
"You don't need to know about that yet. However, obtaining the Power of the Five Elements is no easy task!" Elder Yan said with a frown.
"I don't even know what the Power of the Five Elements is, let alone how to obtain it," Shen Haoran said with a bitter smile.
"Fool. The Power of the Five Elements refers to the five attributes: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. To gather the Power of the Five Elements, you'll likely need to find the Primordial Spirits of those five attributes! However, each type of Primordial Spirit takes tens of millions of years to form. Every single one is a world-destroying existence. Their Refinement will be no easy task!" said Elder Yan.
"It's fine. Trouble is the one thing I'm not afraid of!" Shen Haoran clenched his fist and said, his face full of confidence.
Looking at this naive young man who understood nothing, Elder Yan gave a helpless smile. 'It seems he'll only understand after he has personally witnessed a Five Elements Primordial Spirit.'
"Oh, right. Speaking of trouble, you have one right now!" Elder Yan suddenly recalled something and said to Shen Haoran.
"What?"
"The Shen Family had a visitor today. It's the Ge Family, the one in the city that's always been at odds with you. It seems they've come for your Little Ling'Er. I'm not sure about the specifics; you'll have to go and find out for yourself," Elder Yan told him everything he knew.
"The Ge Family? What are they doing here looking for Ling'Er? Oh no..." Shen Haoran suddenly realized something and ran toward the main residence without a second glance.
"Hey, Shen the kid, wait for me!" Seeing Shen Haoran's panicked state, Elder Yan hurriedly gave chase. The two of them quickly disappeared into the night.
「Meanwhile, in the Shen Family's reception hall...」
The Shen Family's acting Clan Leader, Second Master Shen, was seated in the place of honor, with several other Elders seated below him. Beside Second Master Shen sat a burly, middle-aged man—the Ge Family Patriarch, Ge Xiong!
Watching Ge Xiong, who simply sat there sipping his tea, Second Master Shen frowned and said, "Patriarch Ge, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit to our Shen Family so late at night?"
Hearing Second Master Shen's question, Ge Xiong set down his teacup and said with a beaming smile, "To be frank, Patriarch Shen, I have indeed come to your esteemed residence to ask for a favor."
"Oh? The ever-arrogant Patriarch Ge also has times when he needs to ask for favors?" Second Master Shen said sarcastically.
Ge Xiong paid no mind to Second Master Shen's sarcasm and continued to smile. "Alas, it is all for this disappointing son of mine!" After speaking, he pointed to a dashing young man in white robes behind him, holding a folded fan. This young man was none other than Ge Xiong's only son—Ge Yan!
"For Nephew Ge?" Second Master Shen asked, puzzled.
"Indeed. This disappointing boy has taken a fancy to a young lady of your residence and insisted that I come to propose a marriage. It's truly... sigh. It's all my fault for failing to raise him properly. But he's my only son, so I had no choice but to come and propose on his behalf," Ge Xiong said.
Upon hearing Ge Xiong's words, the expressions of every Shen Family member present darkened. Everyone in Cyan Mountain City knew what kind of person Ge Yan was. It would be no exaggeration to call him a debaucherous womanizer. Not a single girl he set his sights on had ever escaped his clutches! And now, he had actually set his sights on someone from the Shen Family!
"Then may I ask which young lady of my Shen Family has had the fortune of catching Nephew Ge's eye?" Second Master Shen asked, his expression unreadable.
"Hehe, Patriarch Shen, the one I've taken a fancy to is Fourth Master's very own sister Ling'Er!" This time, before Ge Xiong could speak, Ge Yan immediately stepped forward, his wicked gaze fixed on Shen Ling'Er as he spoke.
The moment Ge Yan's voice fell, the entire hall erupted in an uproar! Shen Ling'Er was an elite disciple of the Shen Family. It was no exaggeration to call her the clan's number one genius. She was a goddess in the hearts of the other disciples. How could they tolerate an outsider blaspheming her like this!
Fourth Master Shen, who had a fiery temper, shot to his feet, pointed directly at Ge Xiong's nose, and said, "In your dreams!"
Watching the uproar among the Shen Family, Ge Xiong remained silent, simply observing them with that same beaming smile. No one knew what he was thinking...