"A Top Grade Spirit Stone!"
Feeling the dense Spiritual Power emanating from the orb, Xue Qinghe trembled with excitement! This was a Top Grade Spirit Stone. If he could get his hands on it, the Spiritual Power it contained would be enough for him to break through several tiers, maybe even an entire level! At this thought, Xue Qinghe could no longer control himself and reached out to grab the orb.
But Shen Haoran was prepared. Seeing Xue Qinghe make his move, he immediately withdrew the orb. Xue Qinghe lunged at empty air.
Having missed, Xue Qinghe realized his gaffe. He awkwardly retracted his arm, his gaze burning as he stared at Shen Haoran. "Brother Leng, I presume that Top Grade Spirit Stone is the treasure you found. Why not gift it to me? Consider it a way for us to become friends!"
Although Xue Qinghe was supposedly negotiating with Shen Haoran, his powerful aura remained locked onto him. If Shen Haoran refused, Xue Qinghe would undoubtedly attack, ready to kill him and take his loot.
Shen Haoran didn't seem to mind. He chuckled and said, "Brother Xue, you're the first person I've met who can make robbery sound so noble! But if you want it, I can give it to you. You just have to agree to one condition."
"As long as you give me the Top Grade Spirit Stone, I'll agree to not just one condition, but ten, or even a hundred!" Xue Qinghe said hastily. For the sake of the Top Grade Spirit Stone, he was ready to disregard everything else.
"I'm not that greedy. You just have to guarantee my safe departure from here," Shen Haoran said, shaking the orb in his hand.
"Fine, no problem!" Xue Qinghe agreed at once. He then shouted to someone behind him, "Xiong the Second, escort Brother Leng out. Remember, no harm is to come to him. If Brother Leng loses so much as a single hair, I'll have your head!"
As soon as Xue Qinghe finished speaking, the burly, broad-shouldered man from before appeared behind him and said respectfully, "Yes, sir!"
"So? Brother Leng, you can hand over the Top Grade Spirit Stone now, can't you?" Xue Qinghe said eagerly, his eyes fixed on the orb in Shen Haoran's hand.
"Alright, it's yours," Shen Haoran said with a casual toss, throwing it to Xue Qinghe as if it were something worthless.
But Xue Qinghe was anything but calm. This was a Top Grade Spirit Stone! He hurriedly rose and caught the orb with both hands, examining it carefully for a moment before placing it into his Storage Ring.
"Haha, Brother Leng, you truly are a magnanimous person! Since that's the case, I must fulfill my promise. Xiong the Second, see Brother Leng out!" Xue Qinghe laughed heartily.
Shen Haoran gave Xue Qinghe a meaningful look and said, "We'll meet again!" With that, he turned and followed Xiong the Second out.
After watching Shen Haoran leave the bamboo forest, Xue Qinghe's face reverted to a cold, ruthless mask. He took out the orb he had gotten from Shen Haoran and toyed with it.
"Commander, did that Leng Feng really just hand the Top Grade Spirit Stone over to you so easily?" Suddenly, a voice spoke up from behind Xue Qinghe. It was Xiang Tian, the one who had brought Shen Haoran here.
Xue Qinghe's eyes narrowed slightly. "I had my doubts too, but this Top Grade Spirit Stone doesn't seem fake. Besides, I used a Secret Technique to probe his Storage Ring, and there was nothing else of value inside."
"Then you're just going to let him go so easily? That doesn't seem like your style," Xiang Tian said with a smile.
"Hmph, of course not. No one haggles with me, Xue Qinghe, and no one has ever left this place alive!" Xue Qinghe snorted, a cruel light glinting in his eyes. Standing behind him, even Xiang Tian felt a chill and couldn't help but shudder. At the same time, he offered a silent prayer for Shen Haoran...
Meanwhile, Shen Haoran was brought to the front of the courtyard and blindfolded once more. He was then led away by Xiong the Second. But they hadn't gone far before Shen Haoran, using his powerful Spiritual Thought, realized the path they were taking was different from the one he had taken to get there.
But Shen Haoran said nothing. He had already guessed what Xue Qinghe was planning, so he simply followed silently behind Xiong the Second, walking ever forward.
They didn't walk for long this time. After turning through two alleys, Xiong the Second told Shen Haoran to remove the black blindfold.
After opening his eyes, Shen Haoran found himself in a dense forest, which only confirmed his suspicions.
"This doesn't seem to be the way to town," Shen Haoran said, feigning confusion as his brow furrowed slightly.
"Haha! I say, brother, did you really think I was going to escort you to town?" Xiong the Second roared with laughter as he looked at Shen Haoran.
"What are you going to do?"
"What are we going to do? Silence you for good, of course! What do you think? Not a bad burial spot I picked out for you, is it?" Xiong the Second said with a savage grin.
'Just as I thought.' Shen Haoran knew Xue Qinghe wouldn't let him leave so easily. He immediately pretended to be terrified, yelling, "Impossible! He promised he'd let me leave safely!"
"Hmph. The Commander only said you could leave the residence safely. He never said you could leave the town safely. Now, die!" With that, Xiong the Second pulled out a Ghost Head Saber and swung it straight at Shen Haoran's head!
Seeing Xiong the Second charge at him, Shen Haoran seemed so frightened that he fell to the ground. He scrambled backward, shouting, "Help! Murder!"
Xiong the Second looked at the pathetic Shen Haoran with contempt. 'And this coward is supposed to be the genius disciple of some great family? The Commander sending me to kill a mere Spirit Tempering brat is one thing, but to make me kill such a spineless worm... It's an insult to my name, Old Bear!'
But he had his orders. Xiong the Second just wanted to cut the kid down quickly and go collect his reward, so he swung his saber even faster.
However, just as his saber was about to cleave Shen Haoran's skull, he suddenly felt a deathly aura emanating from the boy. Having walked the edge of the Ghost Gate for years, he was all too familiar with this feeling.
On the ground, Shen Haoran's cowardly facade had vanished, replaced by a decisive and ruthless expression. A Sharp Sword had appeared in his hand at some point, and he thrust it toward the completely unguarded Xiong the Second in the air!
In mid-air, Xiong the Second was terrified by the sudden sword strike. He had assumed Shen Haoran was just a coward, so he had completely abandoned his defense to focus solely on attacking. Besides, Xiong the Second was confident. 'Even if I let him attack me, how could a snot-nosed kid at Spirit Tempering Tier Eight possibly injure me?'
But he had gravely underestimated Shen Haoran. With his Chaotic Spiritual Power, formed from the fusion of the Five Elements Attribute, and the peerless, infinitely upgradeable Divine Artifact, the Soul-devouring Sword, even a Spirit Pupil would have to take Shen Haoran's attacks seriously, let alone a mere Tier Four Spirit User!
But by the time he realized his mistake, it was too late. Shen Haoran's sword was fast, arriving before Xiong the Second's eyes in an instant! Still, Xiong the Second lived up to his reputation as a battle-hardened expert. He forcefully twisted his body in mid-air, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow!
But even though Xiong the Second had dodged the fatal strike, Shen Haoran's sword still sliced off his right ear at the root. Blood instantly stained half his face!
"Ah, you dodged it. What a pity," Shen Haoran said regretfully, getting to his feet and giving his Soul-devouring Sword a flick.
Hearing Shen Haoran's words, Xiong the Second licked the blood from his face. The viciousness in his heart was completely unleashed. His eyes turned savage, veins bulged all over his body, and he stared at Shen Haoran, saying cruelly, "You little bastard! If I don't flay you alive today, I'm not a man!"
Seeing Xiong the Second's aura surge, Shen Haoran could no longer contain his own fighting spirit! Ever since leaving Cyan Mountain City, he had only fought Spirit Beasts. Although Shen Haoran could easily slay a Tier One Spirit Beast, equivalent to a Spiritualist, that was only because Tier One Spirit Beasts didn't have high Spiritual Wisdom, and he had Elder Yan's guidance. Fighting a person was different. Humans were cunning and possessed powerful Martial Skills. Fighting them would provide much more valuable combat experience!
Shen Haoran immediately mobilized the Spirit Pill in his body. Gray Chaotic Spiritual Power instantly flooded his meridians like a stream. He clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within, and nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing that Shen Haoran actually intended to fight back, Xiong the Second sneered, "You truly don't know your own limits!" With that, his full power erupted, and he slashed his Ghost Head Saber toward Shen Haoran from a distance. A golden blade of light shot forth, reaching Shen Haoran in the blink of an eye!
External projection of Spiritual Power! This was an ability of a Spiritualist. Although Shen Haoran also possessed a Spirit Pill, he couldn't yet project his Spiritual Power externally.
Seeing the golden blade of light, a highly focused Shen Haoran immediately dodged to the side. The light grazed the corner of his clothes as it flew past, its sharp force stinging his cheek!
After Shen Haoran dodged it, the blade of light struck a large tree behind him, instantly splitting it in two. The halves toppled to either side. Seeing such a powerful attack, Shen Haoran's eyes twitched. 'So Xiong the Second's Spiritual Attribute is the Gold Attribute. No wonder his Attack Power is so strong!'
"Not bad, you little bastard. You actually dodged that. Let's see if you're so lucky next time!" Xiong the Second, his face covered in blood, gave a hideous grin. With a flourish of his saber, a dozen golden blades of light instantly formed and whistled toward Shen Haoran, splitting the very air as they passed!
Faced with such a powerful assault, Shen Haoran's eyes narrowed. He channeled all his Spiritual Power into his legs and actually charged toward the blades of light!
"You're asking to die!" Xiong the Second roared, his face contorting with rage as he saw Shen Haoran charge into his attack.
But would Shen Haoran joke with his own life? Of course not. Don't forget about his monstrously powerful Spiritual Thought! Right now, Shen Haoran could clearly perceive the trajectory of each golden blade of light, making it child's play for him to dodge.
Using a burst of speed, Shen Haoran weaved and dodged through the blades of light, appearing beside Xiong the Second in the next instant. Xiong the Second was shocked to see Shen Haoran suddenly at his side. He quickly recovered and brought his Ghost Head Saber crashing down! Shen Haoran raised his Soul-devouring Sword in an upward thrust to meet it.
CLANG! Sparks flew as the saber and sword collided!