Chapter 654 - 648: He’s Back

Shen Haoran was trapped in his Heart Demon, while the other alchemists remained focused on refining their elixirs. They had no time to spare for him, as only three days were left until the end of the Pill Emperor competition. Besides, even if they had the time, there was nothing they could do to help. This was a Heart Demon—Shen Haoran’s personal Heart Demon.

Time ticked by. One day passed, and Shen Haoran had yet to awaken. Two days passed, and Shen Haoran still had not awakened. Now, only a single day remained before the end of the third round of the Pill Emperor competition. By this point, most of the contestants had finished refining their elixirs, and a dense Pill Fragrance wafted constantly across the plaza.

At this point, the only alchemists still working on their stone platforms were Long Aotian, Yan Jue, Bai Shaohong, Tian Ruyi, Wu Daotian, the Saint Child of Holy Light City, and the still-silent Shen Haoran. These few were all refining Seventh Grade Elixirs. Unlike Feng Miaoke, they did not have the aid of the Vermilion Bird’s Heaven-Burning Flame, so their refining process naturally took longer.

HUMMM...

At a certain moment, a resonant hum echoed through the plaza. Immediately following it, a beam of jade-green light shot out from Long Aotian’s Pill Furnace. A Cyan Dragon then burst forth from the furnace, soaring toward the heavens. In its mouth, a jade-green elixir spun rapidly, as if it were the dragon’s plaything.

The instant the Cyan Dragon appeared, the other alchemists’ Pill Furnaces also began to hum, one after another. Divine lights of every color shot toward the sky in a magnificent spectacle. A nearly tangible Pill Fragrance spread between heaven and earth. As it wafted over the faces of the crowd, they instantly felt clear-headed, the accumulated fatigue of the past half-month completely swept away.

"Seventh Grade Elixirs! They’re all Seventh Grade Elixirs!"

"To witness the birth of seven Seventh Grade Elixirs at once... I could die happy now!" Cries of awe rose from the audience. They stared with fervent eyes at the seven pillars of light, each a different color, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

The seven pillars of light lasted for a long while before finally, slowly dissipating, leaving seven elixirs that emanated a dense Spiritual Qi floating gently before their creators. Gazing at the Seventh Grade Elixirs in front of them, the seven alchemists all nodded in satisfaction. These were the best elixirs they could currently refine, a true representation of their greatest strength.

With the completion of their elixirs, every contestant had now finished the alchemy process—except, of course, for Shen Haoran, who remained trapped within his Heart Demon.

All eyes once again fell upon Shen Haoran. Seeing his still-vacant gaze, many couldn’t help but shake their heads. Two days had passed, and he had yet to awaken. Even if he woke up now, it would be impossible to refine a Seventh Grade Elixir in a single day. In that sense, the competition for Pill Emperor was already over for him.

The Saint Child of Holy Light City glanced coolly at Shen Haoran. ’So, Shen Haoran, this is all you amount to. I thought you’d be the biggest obstacle to my plans, but it seems I was overthinking things. A man who can’t even handle failure... he’s worse than useless.’ As for Feng Miaoke, who stood nearby, she had already mocked Shen Haoran in her heart countless times.

"Hall Master, shouldn’t it be time to announce the results?" Ji Wuqing, suspended in mid-air, asked softly as she glanced at the still-unmoving Yao Wuchen.

At her words, Yao Wuchen didn’t answer. He simply fixed his gaze on Shen Haoran, his thoughts unreadable.

"Hall Master..." Seeing his inaction, Ji Wuqing began to prompt him again, but before she could finish, Yao Wuchen cut her off.

"Vice Hall Master Ji, do you believe in miracles?" Yao Wuchen asked suddenly.

Hearing Yao Wuchen’s question, Ji Wuqing was completely baffled and couldn’t grasp his meaning. However, when she saw that his gaze was still locked firmly on Shen Haoran, she instantly understood.

"Hall Master, it’s not that I don’t believe in them, but that kid hasn’t even woken up. And even if he did, do you really think he could refine a Seventh Grade Elixir in a single day? That’s pure fantasy. It’s impossible!" Ji Wuqing said bluntly, glancing at Shen Haoran.

"Oh, is that so?" Yao Wuchen chuckled lightly, his eyes still on Shen Haoran. "Sometimes, success is a matter of will. What if he does it? I believe in him." After saying this, he fell silent once more.

Hearing this, Ji Wuqing opened her mouth, but said nothing more. Yao Wuchen was the Hall Master of the Medicine Hall. Since he wanted to wait and see if Shen Haoran could take that final step, she could only watch along with him. ’Still,’ she thought, ’I will never believe that Shen Haoran can refine a Seventh Grade Elixir in a single day.’

Meanwhile, Shen Haoran sat dazedly on his stone platform, completely unaware of what was happening in the outside world. He felt as if he had fallen into a pitch-black, endless vortex. He wanted to struggle free, but the more he fought, the deeper he sank. In the end, even after exhausting all his strength, Shen Haoran could not escape it.

Trapped in his Heart Demon, Shen Haoran had no idea what to do. He felt lost and hopeless. He wanted to fight back with all his might, but nothing worked.

’Am I really not good enough? Can I really not do this?’ Shen Haoran actually began to doubt himself. He murmured the words, and slowly, he stopped struggling. He simply waited, quietly, for the Heart Demon to consume him.

WHOOSH... Suddenly, a blinding white light flared within the pitch-black world, forcing Shen Haoran to squint. From within that light, several figures slowly emerged.

"Grandfather, Ling’Er, Elder Yan, Ling Xuan, Lady Ya, Mother..." Shen Haoran could name every single one of them. They just stood there quietly, a proud smile on their faces. They were proud because they were Shen Haoran’s friends, his family, his women. They took pride in him!

Shen Haoran saw the smiles on their faces, and suddenly, it was as if he had been thrown a lifeline. A flicker of black flame gradually ignited in his eyes.

’That’s right. Who am I? I am Shen Haoran! How could I possibly fail? How could I be incapable of doing this? No one can defeat me—not even myself! My journey can’t possibly end here! I am the one who will become the strongest on this continent! How could I lose in a place like this?!’ The flames in Shen Haoran’s eyes blazed brighter, threatening to erupt. A powerful, domineering aura exploded from within him, instantly repelling the dark vortex that had trapped him.

"Break for me!" Shen Haoran roared. A violent gale instantly swept out as the space before his eyes shattered. In the outside world, the vacant look in Shen Haoran’s eyes suddenly became sharp. An incredibly potent aura erupted from his body—it wasn’t Spiritual Power, nor was it Spiritual Thought, but a pure, overwhelmingly domineering presence!

Feeling this incredibly domineering presence, everyone present felt their hearts shudder. Their legs grew weak, and they felt a sudden urge to kneel in submission. High on their platforms, Long Aotian and Yan Jue’s faces lit up with joy. Watching Shen Haoran’s back, which suddenly seemed to have grown taller and more imposing, they knew: the indomitable Shen Haoran was back!