Chapter 727: Coming out of Seclusion

Chapter 727: Chapter 721: Coming out of Seclusion

“How do you feel?” Elder Yan couldn’t help but ask when he saw Shen Haoran open his eyes.

“I’m alright. A close call, but no real harm done!” Shen Haoran rubbed his somewhat throbbing Sea of Consciousness. Even though the Spiritual Thought from the First Generation Chaos Divine Body had been faint, subduing it had still taken a considerable toll on him. The Spiritual Thought in his Sea of Consciousness was almost completely depleted, and it would take a few days to recover.

“And this Fire Vajra…” Changmao said, pointing at the massive magma heart before them, his voice laced with lingering fear.

“It’s mine now!” Shen Haoran chuckled. After carefully sensing the new stream of information about the Fire Vajra that had appeared in his mind, he pushed the Array Talisman into the magma heart once more.

“Phew… We finally escaped that disaster!” Hearing that Shen Haoran had subdued the Fire Vajra, Changmao let out a long sigh of relief. The Fire Vajra’s strength had far exceeded what they could handle. If Shen Haoran hadn’t managed to tame it, he doubted anyone would have been able to escape.

“Xue Ling! Xue Ling!” Hearing that the danger had passed, Xue Ling’s eyelids grew heavy, and she fainted. She was already severely injured, and the frantic escape had pushed her body to its absolute limit. Now that the tension was gone, she finally couldn’t hold on any longer and passed out.

Seeing Xue Ling unconscious, Shen Haoran’s face filled with worry. He picked her up and carried her out of the Fire Vajra’s body. The Fire Vajra would no longer attack Shen Haoran; a faint connection now existed between them. From now on, it would be Shen Haoran’s most loyal companion, never to betray him—unless the Spiritual Thought Shen Haoran had left on the Array Talisman was destroyed, just as he had destroyed the Spiritual Thought of the First Generation Chaos Divine Body today.

Shen Haoran had the Fire Vajra spread its hands. The creature’s scorching body heat softened to a gentle warmth. He then placed Xue Ling in the Fire Vajra’s palms. A verdant, life-giving energy flowed from Shen Haoran’s own hands into Xue Ling’s body, mending her wounds.

With the help of the Wood Spirit Cyan Profound, Xue Ling’s internal injuries healed at a visible rate. After a short while, she regained consciousness. The moment she saw Shen Haoran leaning over her, she sent him flying with a palm strike.

“Hey! I risked my life to save you, and I even healed your injuries! Is this how you treat your savior?” Shen Haoran scrambled to his feet, rubbing his sore chest with a look of utter grievance. ‘This Xue Ling… she just recovered, and she’s already this strong!’

Seeing the look of grievance on Shen Haoran’s face, she recalled how he had used his bare hands to tear apart the Magma Chains for her, used his own body to shield her from the magma flames, and carried her in a desperate escape. And now, she had just treated him so crudely. Thinking of this, Xue Ling felt a pang of guilt.

“Um… I’m sorry. Are you okay?” Xue Ling walked over, wanting to help Shen Haoran up from the ground, but he just sat there stunned, staring at her with a strange expression.

‘She’s actually being gentle with me? Did my Spiritual Thought get damaged? Am I hallucinating? A beautiful snake who treats human life as worthless is actually worried about me?’ Shen Haoran stared at Xue Ling in disbelief, but the sharp pain in his body told him it was real.

“It hurts… it hurts…” Looking at Xue Ling’s worried face, a pained expression appeared on Shen Haoran’s. A few beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

Seeing Shen Haoran in such pain, Xue Ling instantly panicked. She rushed to hold him and asked anxiously, “Where? Where does it hurt?”

“Everywhere… haha!” Seeing her flustered state, Shen Haoran couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

At that moment, even a fool would have known Shen Haoran was tricking her. Xue Ling’s expression instantly turned grim. She struck out with her palm, and a miserable scream immediately echoed throughout the Lava World.

A while later, Shen Haoran clutched his chest, looking with lingering fear at Xue Ling, who was sitting in the distance tending to her injuries. He now understood that the beautiful snake was still a beautiful snake. ‘She almost killed me just now,’ he thought. Shen Haoran swore he would never dare to tease her again.

After resting for a moment, Shen Haoran roused Xue Ling from her meditative healing. They had already been in this Lava World for quite some time. He had no idea what was happening in the outside world, whether the Martial Artists from the Underground Boxing Market and the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave had started fighting, or if Ji Lingxuan and Lady Ya were safe.

His Vermilion Bird Wings unfurled behind him, and Shen Haoran soared up toward the top of the volcano with Xue Ling in his arms. The Fire Vajra had now shrunk to the size of a normal person and followed closely behind him.

Meanwhile, at the base of Wanshe Mountain, two factions were locked in a standoff. Two days had passed since Shen Haoran disappeared into Wanshe Mountain, and the Martial Artists of the Underground Boxing Market and the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave had been facing off for just as long. They had even clashed several times, resulting in casualties on both sides.

In mid-air, Ji Lingxuan and Lady Ya stared at Shen Cheng, who was not far away. Their beautiful faces were icy, and their gazes were hostile. A faint killing intent swirled around them, making the surrounding air grow cold.

“I’ll ask you one more time. Where is Brother Haoran now?” Ji Lingxuan asked coldly, a blue light flashing in her eyes.

“I already told you, he’s dead!” Shen Cheng said, waving his hand impatiently.

“If he’s dead, then you can pay with your life!” Lady Ya snorted coldly. She took a step forward, and a terrifying pressure erupted from her body, twisting the very space around her.

Sensing Lady Ya’s aura, the surrounding Martial Artists couldn’t help but shrink back. They had already witnessed it for themselves: this woman who followed Shen Haoran actually possessed the strength of the Spirit Emperor Tier.

“Hmph. You only boosted your strength with a Secret Technique. If you have the guts, then kill me!” Shen Cheng sneered, showing no regard for Lady Ya whatsoever.

“And what if you add me to the equation?” Ji Lingxuan also stepped forward, unleashing an aura no weaker than Lady Ya’s. With the two women standing together, Shen Cheng’s expression soured. He wouldn’t have given either of them a second thought alone, but if they joined forces, he wasn’t confident he could defeat them. He felt an especially strong sense of danger from Ji Lingxuan; this woman was not as simple as she appeared.

However, Shen Cheng was no pushover. After that strange transformation, he had already become a crazed Demon. Even with the two women joining forces, Shen Cheng was completely unafraid.

“If you want to kill me, you’ll have to survive my attacks first!” Shen Cheng snorted. Dark, cold Demonic Qi swirled in his hands, and the air instantly crackled with tension…