Chapter 670 - 664: The Test from Elder Bai

Shortly after returning to the Cyan Dragon Race, before Shen Haoran even had a chance to recover from his injuries, he was dragged away by Ji Lingxuan, who said someone wanted to see him.

In a courtyard of the Cyan Dragon Race, Elder Bai and Elder Hei were in the middle of a heated discussion.

"Listen, Old Hei, stop protecting that boy all the time. Did you see what happened earlier? That kid actually made the Young Miss bow to the Clan Leader of some minor family. Isn’t that beneath her station?" Elder Bai said angrily.

"Ah, Elder Bai, the Young Miss has her own reasons for her actions. Why do we need to worry so much? We just need to ensure her safety," Elder Hei said with a helpless expression.

"I know our mission is to protect the Young Miss, but we also have to uphold the dignity of our Ji Family! This won’t do. When that boy arrives, I’m going to teach him a proper lesson and make him suffer a little!" Elder Bai said indignantly, flicking his long sleeve.

Hearing this, Elder Hei’s expression changed. He said in a low voice, "I’m telling you, Elder Bai, you need to show some restraint. Shen Haoran holds a special place in the Young Miss’s heart. If you cause any harm to Shen Haoran, watch out. The Young Miss will never let you hear the end of it!"

"Hmph. If that boy wants to pursue the Young Miss, then he shouldn’t hide behind her and use her as a shield. If that’s how he is, I’ll be the first to oppose their relationship. I am the Young Miss’s teacher, and I have the right to protect her," Elder Bai snorted, his expression resolute.

Seeing Elder Bai’s expression, Elder Hei could only sigh. He understood his old friend’s personality. Once he made up his mind, he wouldn’t change it. Since that was the case, ’I can only wish Shen Haoran the best of luck.’

Before long, Ji Lingxuan brought Shen Haoran to the courtyard. Elder Hei immediately went forward to greet them with a wide smile.

"Still remember me, young man?" Elder Hei asked, smiling at Shen Haoran.

"Of course I do. You’re Uncle Hei. You’ve always been by Ling Xuan’s side, protecting her. I thank you on her behalf!" Shen Haoran said, cupping his fist.

"Haha, it’s just my duty!" Elder Hei laughed heartily. He then glanced at Ji Lingxuan, gave her a wink, and jutted his chin toward Elder Bai, who was standing behind him.

Seeing Elder Hei’s expression, Ji Lingxuan immediately understood. A pained look crossed her pretty face. She knew her teacher was notoriously overprotective and old-fashioned. He was so zealous that he had once nearly come to blows with her own father to "protect" her. He was definitely going to make trouble for Shen Haoran this time.

Shen Haoran took in the expressions of both Elder Hei and Ji Lingxuan. He then looked at Elder Bai, who stood behind Elder Hei, and walked straight toward him.

"Hello, Uncle Bai. I am Shen Haoran," he said, bowing respectfully. ’He knew Lingxuan’s status was special. If he wanted to protect her, he first had to gain the approval of her family—a process that would be anything but simple, and likely quite arduous. However, trouble was the one thing Shen Haoran didn’t fear. Since he had to face this sooner or later, he might as well start with Elder Bai and test the attitude of the Ji Family.’

In response to Shen Haoran’s bow, Uncle Bai merely snorted, not accepting the gesture. He looked down at Shen Haoran and said coolly, "Don’t try to cozy up to me. I don’t know you, you’re not my junior, and what’s more, you don’t have the right to be!"

"Elder Bai, you’ve misunderstood. I have no desire to be your junior. I only addressed you as such out of respect for Ling Xuan, because you are her teacher. If it were anyone else, and if they dared to look down on me like this, I would have already struck them. After all, not just anyone is qualified to be my elder!" Shen Haoran straightened up, looking Elder Bai directly in the eye as he spoke with brazen arrogance.

When Elder Bai heard this, his face darkened. He understood the subtext perfectly. The boy’s meaning was obvious: ’You, Elder Bai, are not worthy of being my elder. I only showed you any courtesy for Ling Xuan’s sake. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even deign to speak to you!’

Shen Haoran’s words were utterly devoid of courtesy, because Elder Bai’s stance was equally clear: he opposed Shen Haoran and Ji Lingxuan being together. ’Shen Haoran knew there were countless people like this in the Ji Family. The only thing he could do was use his own strength to force them to see him in a new light. Being subservient and spineless would only fuel their arrogance and earn him even more contempt.’

"So you’re saying I’m not qualified to be your elder?" Elder Bai took a step forward, his eyes narrowing. A powerful aura erupted from his body, and the ground beneath his feet immediately began to crack, as if unable to bear the sheer force of his presence.

"It’s rather obvious, yes!" Completely unfazed by Elder Bai’s aura, Shen Haoran also took a step forward. He met Elder Bai’s gaze calmly, and his own aura surged back, pressing down on the elder’s.

Sensing Shen Haoran’s aura, Elder Bai was momentarily stunned, but a cold sneer soon spread across his lips. ’Since Shen Haoran brought this upon himself, I won’t be courteous. I was afraid that hurting him would displease the Young Miss, but now I have a perfectly valid reason.’

BOOM—

A deafening roar erupted as Elder Bai unleashed his full power without reservation. A tempest of Spiritual Power instantly engulfed the courtyard, wreaking havoc in all directions. Trees were torn from the ground, roots and all, while the surrounding buildings shook violently, threatening to collapse at any moment.

A powerful gale whipped their robes about them, making them flap wildly. The ground beneath their feet crumbled and shattered as massive boulders began to slowly levitate, circling the two men.

A terrifying pressure slammed down on Shen Haoran, feeling as if a mountain had been dropped on him. Already severely injured, he immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale.

"Brother Haoran!" Ji Lingxuan cried out at the sight, about to rush forward before Elder Hei stopped her.

"Young Miss, Old Bai knows his limits. Don’t worry," Elder Hei said reassuringly. ’Today’s battle between Shen Haoran and Elder Bai was inevitable. It was better to just let it play out.’

"Bai Hexiong, if anything happens to my Brother Haoran today, I will die right here in front of you!" Ji Lingxuan knew that Shen Haoran would face opposition from her clan, and that there had to be a resolution between him and Elder Bai today. But she didn’t care about any of that. Calling Elder Bai by his full name was a clear sign of just how furious she was.

Hearing Ji Lingxuan’s words, Elder Hei sighed deeply. ’This was the first time he’d ever heard her call Elder Bai by his name. Shen Haoran’s place in her heart was even higher than he’d thought; otherwise, she wouldn’t be this frantic.’

Not far away, when Elder Bai heard Ji Lingxuan call him by his full name for Shen Haoran’s sake, his face sank. His gaze on Shen Haoran turned even more hostile. The terrifying pressure intensified once more, forcing Shen Haoran to his knees. Veins bulged on his face and neck, and the sound of his bones grinding together was audible. His expression was a mask of agony. Elder Bai’s power had reached the Peak Spirit Emperor realm; his pressure was no weaker than that of any Spirit Emperor Powerhouse. Shen Haoran was already giving his all just to endure it, and that was without even considering he was still grievously injured...