Just as Shen Haoran was about to leave the Martial Arts Arena, he suddenly sensed a looming crisis. He hurriedly sidestepped to the right. The next instant, a fist slammed into his right shoulder, sending him flying seven or eight meters.
The sudden turn of events left the crowd stunned. They couldn't understand how Shen Cheng, who had just lost all ability to move, had recovered his strength. It turned out that after swallowing the elixir, his body felt as if it had been injected with a stimulant. He had jumped right back up and attacked Shen Haoran. If Shen Haoran hadn't reacted in time, that punch would have likely struck him right in the head!
Watching Shen Haoran stagger to his feet, Shen Cheng roared, "Shen Haoran, I can't possibly lose to you! Just go back to being the piece of trash you are!" With that, the aura around him exploded violently.
His powerful aura skyrocketed, quickly breaking through Spirit Tempering Tier Nine and reaching the Spiritualist Level!
Sensing Shen Cheng's aura, the crowd exclaimed, "What?! Has Shen Cheng been hiding his true strength all this time?"
On the high platform, the Patriarchs of the Ge and Liu families wore grave expressions. 'If the Shen Family really has a fifteen-year-old Spiritualist, this is not good at all!'
Seeing this, Old Sir Shen shouted, "Ling Tian, stop Shen Cheng now! He's taken a Spirit Bursting Pill!"
Hearing Old Sir Shen's words, the Ge and Liu Patriarchs focused their senses. They discovered that Shen Cheng's aura was indeed extremely unstable, just as if he'd taken a Spirit Bursting Pill. This showed just how deep his resentment ran. A Spirit Bursting Pill worked by draining one's future potential in exchange for a burst of power. Once the Medicinal Power wore off, that potential would be gone forever. Shen Cheng was willing to sacrifice his entire future just to kill Shen Haoran.
But Second Master Shen showed no intention of stopping Shen Cheng.
Sensing the aura emanating from Shen Cheng, Shen Haoran's expression grew grave. He activated the Spirit Pill within him, slowly gathering his body's Spiritual Power. Even though Shen Cheng had used a Spirit Bursting Pill, the aura of a Spiritualist was genuine. A Spiritualist and someone in the Spirit Tempering Stage were on completely different levels. This was a gap that skill alone could not bridge!
Fortunately, Shen Haoran had his own trump cards: the Spirit Pill and his Chaos Divine Body. The Spirit Pill could store Spiritual Power, and he had been accumulating it for the past half-month just for such an emergency. 'With my Chaos Divine Body and an all-out strike, I can definitely unleash an attack on the Spiritualist Level!'
Shen Cheng seemed to sense Shen Haoran gathering his power. Without wasting another word, he charged. After consuming the Spirit Bursting Pill, Shen Cheng's speed was astonishing. Even Shen Haoran could only make out a faint afterimage!
But seeing the afterimage was enough. By now, Shen Haoran had drawn out all the Spiritual Power from his Spirit Pill. The immense energy coursed through his body, making his meridians ache with the strain. If he didn't possess the Chaos Divine Body, such a massive amount of Spiritual Power would have simply caused him to explode!
"Hah! Time to die! Mountain Fall Fist!" Shen Cheng appeared above Shen Haoran, smashing down with another Mountain Fall Fist. This time, its power was leagues beyond what it was before. Shen Haoran could barely breathe under the crushing force of the blow!
"In your dreams!" Shen Haoran bellowed, unleashing all the Spiritual Power in his body in a single, explosive burst aimed straight at Shen Cheng's fist!
"AHHH!" Some of the more timid girls in the crowd screamed and covered their eyes, unable to bear the thought of watching the bloody scene unfold.
BOOM! A deafening explosion rocked the arena. The massive impact completely shattered the stone tiles of the Martial Arts Arena, kicking up a thick cloud of dust and smoke that obscured everyone's vision.
When the dust settled, the crowd saw Shen Cheng and Shen Haoran still frozen in their punching stances, neither of them moving an inch.
"Who won?"
The words had barely left the person's mouth when Shen Cheng's body went limp and collapsed, all signs of life gone.
"He... he won! Shen Haoran actually won!"
An uproar of cheers swept through the crowd. Now, not a single person in the audience dared to look down on Shen Haoran. In a world where strength commanded respect, only by being powerful enough could one earn it. Shen Haoran, at only Spirit Tempering Tier Seven, had defeated a Martial Artist with the equivalent power of a Spiritualist. It was only natural that he would win everyone's respect!
On the platform, seeing the pale, panting Shen Haoran emerge victorious, Old Sir Shen let out a sigh of relief. He was not only surprised but also deeply gratified. 'It's been five years... Shen Haoran has finally proven himself!'
Meanwhile, Second Master Shen saw Shen Cheng collapse and instantly rushed to his side. After checking Shen Cheng's condition, his face darkened, and a tyrannical rage welled up inside him. The next moment, the oppressive aura of a Tier Nine Spirit Pupil descended directly upon Shen Haoran!
"Stop!" Seeing this, Old Sir Shen flickered and reappeared in front of Shen Haoran, blocking Second Master Shen's oppressive aura.
"Ling Tian, what do you think you're doing? Haven't you caused enough of an embarrassment? Get Shen Cheng out of here now!" Old Sir Shen rebuked.
"Father, do you know what he's done? He crippled my son! I'm going to kill him!" Second Master Shen's eyes were bloodshot as he stared murderously at Shen Haoran.
"Hmph. Second Uncle, if I hadn't fought for my life just now, I would be the one lying dead. Would you have killed Shen Cheng to avenge me then?" Shen Haoran retorted sarcastically.
"How could your life possibly compare to my son's! I'll kill you today and avenge him!" Second Master Shen said, his voice dripping with ice.
"Enough!" Seeing Second Master Shen's absolute resolve to kill Shen Haoran, Old Sir Shen's fury erupted.
"Hmph! Shen Cheng violated the rules of the competition first, and then attempted to murder a fellow clansman. Shen Lingtian, for shielding him, is equally guilty! Men! Take him to the Cliff of Contemplation to face the wall. He is not to take a single step off that cliff for three years!" Fratricide among clan members was what Old Sir Shen despised most. Not expelling Second Master Shen from the family was already an extraordinary act of mercy.
"Father, you can't just protect Shen Haoran like this! Father...!" Second Master Shen yelled as his voice grew more and more distant.
*Cough, cough...* Seeing Second Master Shen being dragged away, Shen Haoran finally let his tense nerves relax. A sudden, excruciating pain wracked his entire body, as if he were being torn apart. 'It seems that last exchange took a massive toll on my body,' he thought.
Seeing Shen Haoran swaying unsteadily, Old Sir Shen rushed forward to support him. "Are you all right?" he asked with concern.
"I'm fine. Just exhausted myself," Shen Haoran said, shaking his head.
"That's good. Go and rest on the side for now. The assessment must continue," Old Sir Shen said.
Hearing this, Shen Ling'Er hurried onto the stage, supported Shen Haoran, and began helping him walk down.
"Brother Xuan, you were so reckless! What if you hadn't been able to withstand Shen Cheng's attack and had been killed?" Shen Ling'Er scolded petulantly.
Hearing Shen Ling'Er's words, which sounded angry but were filled with concern, Shen Haoran's heart warmed. Just as he was about to say something, Elder Yan's warning suddenly echoed in his mind: 'Kid, watch out! Dodge, now!'
The instant Elder Yan shouted, Shen Haoran shoved Shen Ling'Er aside and used the momentum to roll backward.
BOOM! A loud crash! Just as Shen Haoran rolled clear, a sword fell from the sky, plunging straight into the spot where he and Shen Ling'Er had just been standing. If not for Elder Yan's timely warning, both of them would have been killed!
SCREEE! After the sword appeared, the piercing cry of a crane echoed from high in the sky. Seeing the insignia on the sword and hearing the crane's cry, the expressions of the dignitaries in the main stands changed dramatically, and they immediately looked up toward the heavens.