Shen Haoran gripped Ge Yan's Fine Steel Soft Whip. "What? Is this all the strength the great young master of the Ge Family has? You're as weak as a girl," he said, his voice dripping with mockery.
Upon hearing this, Ge Yan flew into a rage, his expression turning terrifyingly grim. 'To think a good-for-nothing is mocking me,' he thought, 'and in front of so many people!' A murderous intent surged within him.
Sensing Ge Yan's murderous intent, Shen Haoran's lips curled into a smirk. With a sharp tug of one hand, he yanked Ge Yan straight toward him!
The sudden, immense force made Ge Yan lose his footing, his body flying uncontrollably toward Shen Haoran. Seeing this, the already-furious Ge Yan let out a ferocious laugh. "Haha, you passed up the road to heaven and instead broke down the doors to Hell! I'm going to show you the price for offending me!"
With that, Ge Yan channeled all his Spiritual Power into his right fist and threw a vicious punch at Shen Haoran. The tyrannical force of the blow sent everything in the hall flying, and Shen Haoran's robes billowed wildly.
From his seat of honor, Second Master Shen frowned as he felt the force of Ge Yan's punch. He then turned to Ge Xiong and said, "Truly, like father, like son. Patriarch Ge, you have a fine heir. To have reached Spirit Tempering Tier Seven at such a young age... I imagine his future achievements will be no less than ours."
"Haha, Second Master Shen, you flatter me. He's just an unaccomplished son, hardly worthy of praise, not at all! Haha!" Ge Xiong said modestly, but the smug look on his face gave him away.
Down below, a group of the Shen Family's younger generation turned deathly pale from the force of Ge Yan's punch. Even the strongest among them, Shen Cheng and Shen Yue, wore looks of utter terror.
"I can't believe Ge Yan has already broken through to Spirit Tempering Tier Seven!" Shen Cheng said.
"More than that," Shen Yue said, swallowing hard. "Judging by his aura, he looks like he could break through to Spirit Tempering Tier Eight at any moment. That punch probably had the power of a Tier Eight expert!"
"Looks like the number one talent of Cyan Mountain City's younger generation will be chosen from among Ling'Er, Ge Yan, and that one from the Liu Family," Shen Cheng said. "It's so frustrating!"
"True. But the thought of that good-for-nothing Shen Haoran about to be turned into a true cripple does make me feel a little better," Shen Yue said viciously.
The surrounding junior members of the Shen Family seemed to agree with Shen Yue, and much of their fear of Ge Yan dissipated.
They were members of the Shen Family, yet they showed no concern for the life of Shen Haoran, one of their own. Instead, they gloated at his misfortune. This was the state of the Shen Family today—the prelude to its downfall! Watching the Shen Family members, Ge Xiong was inwardly overjoyed.
But there was one exception among them: Shen Ling'Er! Currently restrained by the family guards, all she could do was scream desperately at Shen Haoran, "Brother Haoran, run! Dodge it! You'll be killed!" Her piercing cries echoed through the hall, a truly heart-rending sound.
But would Shen Haoran dodge? No, he would not! Why had he gone to such lengths to provoke Ge Yan? First, for Shen Ling'Er. Shen Haoran would make anyone who had designs on those close to him pay a heavy price! And second, he wanted to test just how high his combat power could reach after awakening the Chaos Divine Body. Ge Yan, at Spirit Tempering Tier Seven and on the verge of Tier Eight, was the perfect test subject. How could Shen Haoran possibly miss such a golden opportunity!
With a loud roar, Shen Haoran shouted, "Bring it on!" He then clenched his own fist and charged forward to meet the blow.
Seeing that Shen Haoran planned to clash head-on with Ge Yan, everyone thought he had gone insane!
"Hmph, a mere piece of trash dares to clash with me? Die!" Ge Yan roared, his fist smashing toward Shen Haoran even faster. In the next instant, their two fists finally collided!
BOOM! A muffled explosion rang out. The intense shockwave generated by the collision shattered every table and chair in the hall. Some of the weaker cultivators were even thrown off their feet! A cloud of dust billowed out, obscuring both Shen Haoran and Ge Yan from view.
"AARGH!" Suddenly, a pained scream erupted from within the dust cloud, followed by the sickening CRUNCH of shattering bone.
"Haha, that good-for-nothing really courted death. This is great, now he's a real cripple!" Shen Cheng roared with laughter.
But just as he was about to gloat some more, a figure was sent flying from the dust cloud, rolling twice across the ground before falling unconscious. The crowd could clearly see the figure's right arm was twisted at an unnatural angle. That arm was clearly crippled! But what stunned everyone into disbelief was the realization that the figure was none other than Ge Yan—the very same expert on the verge of Spirit Tempering Tier Eight!
When Ge Xiong saw Ge Yan's pitiful state, his figure flickered, and he reappeared at his side. After checking Ge Yan's condition, a violent, oppressive aura exploded throughout the hall!
At this moment, the dust in the hall began to settle, revealing Shen Haoran's figure. The sleeve on his right arm had been shredded to pieces, and a trickle of blood stained the corner of his mouth. It seemed the head-on clash with Ge Yan had taken its toll on him as well. Furthermore, the fluctuations of his power were now on full display!
Feeling the power radiating from Shen Haoran, the crowd cried out in shock. "This... Spirit Tempering Tier Six! That's impossible!"
Shen Yue and Shen Cheng were even more aghast, their faces ashen. They muttered, "Impossible. He was only at Spirit Tempering Tier Three a few days ago. It's only been five days! How could he possibly reach Spirit Tempering Tier Six? That's utterly impossible!"
It wasn't just the crowd that was shocked by the strength Shen Haoran suddenly revealed; even he himself found it somewhat unbelievable. 'To withstand an attack from a Spirit Tempering Tier Eight expert while only at Spirit Tempering Tier Six, and even manage to cripple his arm... The power of this Chaos Divine Body is really something else!'
But Shen Haoran had barely a few moments to rejoice before he felt a powerful presence lock onto him. It felt as if a venomous viper had fixed its gaze on him, and the sensation was deeply unsettling.
Shen Haoran looked up at Ge Xiong; the aura was undoubtedly emanating from him. "What's this? The junior gets beaten, so the senior comes out for revenge?" Shen Haoran taunted.
"Hmph. Don't get clever with me. You crippled my son's arm, so you'll pay for it with your life!" Ge Xiong said with a sinister chill.
"Hah! I crippled him?" Shen Haoran retorted. "Everyone here saw who struck first. Is he allowed to attack me, but I'm not allowed to defend myself? Besides, your son's skills were inferior. He had it coming!"
"Hmph. Tough talk. Let's see if your life is as tough as your words!" Ge Xiong sneered menacingly. With that, he vanished on the spot.
The instant Ge Xiong vanished, an overwhelming sense of danger washed over Shen Haoran, and he desperately twisted his torso. Then, Ge Xiong appeared before him, and a seemingly gentle palm pressed against his chest!
THUD! A dull impact echoed as Shen Haoran flew backward like a kite with a broken string. He smashed through a row of tables and chairs before slamming hard against the far wall.
As he hit the ground, Shen Haoran spat out a huge mouthful of blood. He was so weak he couldn't even stand up. 'So this is the power of a Spirit Pupil Tier Nine expert!'
Ge Xiong was somewhat surprised to see that Shen Haoran was still breathing. He had thought that palm strike would be enough to kill him, but he hadn't expected the boy to be so resilient. In truth, it wasn't resilience; at the last second, Shen Haoran had managed to twist his body just enough to protect his vital organs. Otherwise, that palm strike truly would have been fatal.
COUGH, COUGH... Shen Haoran struggled desperately to stand, but his body refused to obey. Blood gushed from his mouth as if it cost nothing.
"Hmph. What's the matter? Not so tough now, are we?" Ge Xiong sneered as he came to a stop in front of Shen Haoran, looming over him.
Shen Haoran lifted his head. He looked at Ge Xiong, trying to say something, but no words came out. He could only glare at him, his gaze unwavering.
Looking into Shen Haoran's eyes, Ge Xiong suddenly felt a pang of fear. 'In those eyes, there's no fear of death,' he thought. 'Only madness and tenacity. If he had any strength left, I'm certain he would throw his life at me. Even knowing he couldn't win, he would fight until his very last breath! An enemy like that... is the most terrifying kind.'
Ge Xiong was a man of action, and he would never allow such a dangerous enemy to live. Without another word, he raised his palm to strike Shen Haoran again. This blow would surely be fatal!
However, just at that moment, a furious roar thundered from outside the entrance: "Who dares touch him!"