Chapter 522 - 518: Arrival of the Strong

In the deep blue sky, a massive Griffin soared against the wind. Atop its back, Shen Haoran sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his body enveloped by wisps of Spiritual Power. The powerful gale rushing past him could not even stir the corners of his robes.

"Shen the kid, you’re being followed. It seems to be that little girl," Elder Yan’s voice rang in his ears while Shen Haoran was meditating with his eyes closed.

At those words, Shen Haoran slowly opened his eyes and glanced toward a particular spot in the sky. His Spiritual Thought had long since reached the level of a Sixth Grade Alchemist, so he had known Xue Ling was tailing him ever since he left the Sect; it just hadn’t been convenient to bring it up. Sensing Xue Ling’s still unstable aura, Shen Haoran couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile. ’Her grudge against me is really something. She didn’t even stop to treat her injuries before coming right after me. She’s throwing her life away.’

At this thought, Shen Haoran willed the Griffin beneath his feet to slow down. The journey to Cyan Mountain City would take ten to fifteen days from here. If they continued at top speed, Xue Ling would likely collapse before they even arrived. ’Slowing down will give her time to heal,’ he thought, ’and I can use this opportunity to familiarize myself with the new Spirit Seed fused within my body. It’s only ten or fifteen days, a short delay won’t matter.’

Once the Griffin slowed its pace, Shen Haoran closed his eyes again, immersing himself in his Primordial Small World and ignoring Xue Ling. ’With Elder Yan around,’ he reasoned, ’nothing can go wrong.’

Shen Haoran’s Primordial Small World was now completely different from the gray, hazy expanse it had been before. It had begun to take shape. Because he had devoured and completed the Refinement of Earth Spirit Profound Nether, heaven and earth had been revealed within the small world. The clear essence rose, the turbid sank, making it look just like the world outside.

Although the Primordial Small World had begun to take shape, there was still not a single trace of life within it. There was only the raging Fire Attribute Spiritual Power and the dense Earth Attribute Spiritual Power. Though the two elements were inherently conflicting, they coexisted peacefully under the harmonizing influence of the Power of Chaos hidden within the small world.

Shen Haoran wasn’t too demanding about it. After all, he had only found two of the Heaven and Earth Spirits so far. ’If I want living beings to emerge in the Primordial Small World, I’ll at least need to find Wood Spirit Cyan Profound and Water Spirit Wisdom, as they are the very source of life. But finding the other Spirit Seeds will be no simple task. I still have a long road ahead of me!’

"SIGH..." At this thought, Shen Haoran couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. He then shook his head, clearing it of distracting thoughts. ’No matter how difficult the path ahead is, I must walk it to the very end.’

After clearing his mind of distracting thoughts, Shen Haoran issued a mental command. Two points of light suddenly flared to life in the depths of his Primordial Small World. One black and one yellow, they transformed into two streaks of light that shot toward him, finally coming to a stop and hovering silently before him. They were the Spirit Seeds of Fire Spirit Black Obsidian and Earth Spirit Profound Nether.

Shen Haoran gazed at the two Spirit Seeds before him, then placed them in his palm and began to turn them over. The two Spirit Seeds showed no sign of rejecting him; on the contrary, they jumped about in his palm like playful children.

After toying with them for a moment, Shen Haoran forcefully smashed the two Spirit Seeds together. As Fire Spirit Black Obsidian and Earth Spirit Profound Nether drew close, both Spirit Seeds began to tremble violently, as if repelling each other. However, after a stream of gray Chaotic Spiritual Power surged into them, they quieted down and quickly fused, becoming a single Spirit Seed of intertwined black and yellow. Faint wisps of a destructive aura emanated from the new seed, causing even Shen Haoran, its master, to feel a jolt of alarm.

However, his overriding emotion was joy. The new Spirit Seed, formed from the fusion of Fire Spirit Black Obsidian and Earth Spirit Profound Nether, not only retained the raging attribute of the former and the dense attribute of the latter, but it had also given birth to something new—magma! Shen Haoran could now feel the power to turn the very ground beneath his feet into a pool of magma. ’If I use this in battle,’ he thought, ’it would be a completely unexpected form of attack!’

At this thought, Shen Haoran was eager to test it out. He made a soft grasping motion toward the ground of the Primordial Small World, and several jets of scorching magma erupted forth. The violent Energy distorted the surrounding space. ’With that terrifying impact and searing heat,’ he mused, ’even a Spirit Aspect Powerhouse wouldn’t be able to withstand that blow.’

Sensing the formidable power of the magma, Shen Haoran’s face lit up with joy. He immediately began to study it, his consciousness completely immersed in the task.

While Shen Haoran was engrossed in his new Spirit Seed, a group of uninvited guests had arrived at the distant Cyan Mountain City. Five massive Griffins hovered in the sky above the city, their backs crowded with figures. The weakest among them was a Tier Five Spirit Marquis, and their leader was a Spirit Emperor Powerhouse capable of the Sky-Soaring Void Step! If Shen Haoran had been there, he would have recognized them instantly by the skull embroidered on their chests—the mark of Fallen Valley.

The powerful auras that suddenly appeared over Cyan Mountain City immediately drew the attention of the Martial Artists within. All of them looked up at the sky, and when they saw the five massive Griffins, they couldn’t help but gasp. Griffins were beasts that only High-level Sects could afford to raise. Moreover, the Martial Artists standing on the Griffins’ backs all exuded incredibly powerful auras—warriors that only a High-level Sect could produce! But they were all confused. Why would people from a High-level Sect come to a remote place like Cyan Mountain City, and with such a powerful entourage?

"Look! Is that man using the Sky-Soaring Void Step?" a Martial Artist in the city cried out, pointing at the elder leading the group in the sky.

At his words, everyone looked up. They had been so focused on the massive Griffins that they had failed to notice there was also a powerhouse capable of the Sky-Soaring Void Step.

"A Spirit Emperor Powerhouse! It’s actually a Spirit Emperor Powerhouse!" The crowd in Cyan Mountain City erupted into a commotion. Only a Spirit Emperor Powerhouse could perform the Sky-Soaring Void Step, a feat that was the lifelong goal of countless Martial Artists. They never imagined they would see a true Spirit Emperor Powerhouse with their own eyes today.

"Quick, go inform the City Lord! A powerhouse of the Spirit Emperor Level has arrived!"

"Hurry and notify the Three Great Families! A Spirit Emperor Powerhouse is here!"

Shouts echoed from within Cyan Mountain City as the news spread like wildfire. The Three Great Families and the City Lord’s Mansion were all alarmed. In an instant, the quiet city was thrown into a bustling clamor...