Chapter 500 - 498: Swallowing the Earth Spirit Profound Nether Alive

"This method is worth a try!" Elder Yan nodded upon hearing this.

Shen Haoran didn’t hesitate. With a flicker of his thought, a tiny wisp of flame drifted out from his Primordial Small World. This wisp, so dark it was the absolute black, was the Fire Spirit Obsidian Fire Seed.

As the Fire Spirit Obsidian Fire Seed appeared, rings of pitch-black light radiated outward. The Spiritual Power around Shen Haoran began to churn violently, and the pressure weighing on him suddenly eased.

’It’s working!’ A look of joy crossed Shen Haoran’s face as he felt the pressure on him suddenly decrease. He immediately continued to release the aura of the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian. As its presence spread, both Shen Haoran and Elder Yan distinctly felt a probing gaze from within the surrounding ocean of Spiritual Power.

’It’s here!’ Overjoyed at the probing presence, Shen Haoran gently pushed the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian forward. It flew into the ocean of Spiritual Power and came to a stop a short distance away. Since Shen Haoran had already completed its Refinement, he could recall it with a single thought and wasn’t worried about any mishaps.

After he sent the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian out, a pulse of Energy suddenly rippled through the surrounding earthy-yellow ocean of Spiritual Power. A moment later, a Spirit Seed the same size as the Fire Spirit Obsidian Fire Seed slowly materialized before Shen Haoran and Elder Yan.

"Is this the Spirit Seed of the Earth Spirit Profound Nether?" Shen Haoran asked in delight, staring at the teardrop-shaped Energy Body that had appeared before the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian. He could sense an aura from it identical to his own Fire Spirit.

At that moment, the Earth Spirit Profound Nether’s Spirit Seed was like a newborn child, utterly curious about the pulsating Fire Spirit Black Obsidian before it. This Fire Seed shared its own aura, giving the Earth Spirit Profound Nether a powerful urge to draw near. However, its suspicious nature kept it at a distance, merely circling the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian endlessly.

"Elder Yan, I’ve drawn out the Earth Spirit Profound Nether, but how do I go about its Refinement? Look how wary it is. If I try to devour it by force, it’ll probably blast the two of us into dust with a single swipe!" Shen Haoran said, rubbing his forehead as he watched it circle the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian. The Earth Spirit Profound Nether’s Spirit Seed might look harmless, but once enraged, it could likely flip the entire world upside down. How could Shen Haoran’s physical body possibly withstand that kind of power?

"Refinement is indeed difficult. The Earth Spirit Profound Nether possesses Spiritual Wisdom. To refine it, you must either force it into submission or erase its Spiritual Wisdom entirely!" Elder Yan said, pondering. When he refined the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian in his past life, he had forced it to submit to him, but it came at a great cost. Shen Haoran, on the other hand, had made no preparations at all. Making the Earth Spirit Profound Nether submit now was pure fantasy.

At this thought, Elder Yan couldn’t help but sigh in resignation. ’This kid is just too reckless. This is a Heaven and Earth Spirit, yet he wants to attempt its Refinement without the slightest preparation. But since we’ve already run into it, it’s too late to go back and prepare. It’s a desperate gamble, but it’s the only one we have.’

"Didn’t you obtain a Token in the grand hall earlier? It might be able to help you!" Elder Yan said after a moment of contemplation.

"That Token?" Shen Haoran glanced at the earthy-yellow Token floating above the Chaos Celestial Ladder and gave a bitter laugh. "That thing’s a stubborn mule. I can’t control it at all. How is it supposed to help me?"

"Just because it won’t help now doesn’t mean it won’t help in a little while. Here’s what you do..." Elder Yan chuckled at Shen Haoran’s complaint and began whispering in his ear.

As he listened to Elder Yan’s plan, a wild array of expressions crossed Shen Haoran’s face. When Elder Yan was done, Haoran wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead. "Elder Yan," he said reluctantly, "isn’t this plan a bit... rash? It’s far too dangerous!"

"Tch. Fortune favors the bold. It’s been a while, kid. How did you get so timid? Do you want to obtain this Earth Spirit Profound Nether or not?" Elder Yan shot Shen Haoran a look and barked.

At that, Shen Haoran could only manage an awkward laugh. He nodded helplessly. "All right, all right... I’ll give it a try!" With that, he turned his gaze toward the Earth Spirit Profound Nether, which was drawing ever closer to the Fire Spirit Obsidian Fire Seed. A look of grim resolve flashed in his eyes.

’Dammit, I’m going all in!’ Shen Haoran took a deep breath, his gaze sharpening as he stared intently at the Earth Spirit Profound Nether. The very instant it drew close to the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, Shen Haoran acted. With a flicker of his thought, the quietly floating Fire Spirit Obsidian Fire Seed suddenly transformed into a net of fire, ensnaring the Earth Spirit Profound Nether’s Spirit Seed and pulling it directly in front of him.

The Earth Spirit Profound Nether was momentarily stunned by this act from a Fire Seed that shared its own aura. By the time it came to its senses, Shen Haoran had already snatched it out of the air and stuffed it directly into his mouth.

That’s right—he stuffed it directly into his mouth. No safety precautions, no preparations whatsoever. Shen Haoran had just swallowed the Spirit Seed of a Heaven and Earth Spirit whole. And this had been Elder Yan’s bright idea! This was exactly why Shen Haoran had wanted to refuse. Swallowing the Power of Heaven and Earth raw... forget a mere mortal, not even a god would dare attempt such a thing. This was a Heaven and Earth Spirit, a favored child of creation itself. The Energy it contained was more than enough to annihilate an entire continent, to say nothing of Shen Haoran’s fragile body.

But Elder Yan had said this was the only way to activate the earthy-yellow Token. Although there was a fifty percent chance it would fail, there was also a fifty percent chance it would work. So, Shen Haoran had no choice but to take the gamble.

’Please, let this work,’ Shen Haoran had just enough time to pray before he swallowed the Earth Spirit Profound Nether.

BOOM!

The moment the Earth Spirit Profound Nether entered his body, it erupted. Rampant Spiritual Power instantly twisted Shen Haoran’s meridians into a tangled mess. Some of the smaller channels couldn’t even withstand the initial shock and ruptured immediately.

The excruciating pain wracking his body sent Shen Haoran into convulsions. He bit through his lip, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but the earthy-yellow Token in his Sea of Consciousness remained completely still.

’Did I make the wrong bet?’ Shen Haoran thought with a bitter smile. But before he could even curse his luck, the Earth Spirit Profound Nether inside him began a second eruption. As a Heaven and Earth Spirit that had been swallowed alive, its Spirit Seed was now utterly enraged.

BOOM!

CRACK...

This time, Shen Haoran clearly heard the sound of his own bones shattering. The soul-rending agony caused him to black out, only for the pain to jolt him awake the very next second. He felt as if he already had one foot in Hell. One more blast from the Earth Spirit Profound Nether’s Spirit Seed, and his body would be completely pulverized!

HUMMM...

Just then, the earthy-yellow Token in Shen Haoran’s Sea of Consciousness finally began to glow. An incredibly bizarre Energy erupted from it. The next moment, the entire world seemed to freeze...