Chapter 528 - 524: Who Dares Touch My Grandpa

In mid-air, Shen Haoran shot forward, a scorching gale leaving a trail in his wake.

The speed granted by his Vermilion Bird Wings was far greater than that of a Griffin. In the blink of an eye, he had left it far behind.

"Hey, kid, what’s the big rush?" Elder Yan asked in confusion, watching the rapidly flying Shen Haoran.

Shen Haoran’s brow was furrowed, his expression exceptionally grim. His eyes were locked on the distant Cyan Mountain City, and a deep sense of unease filled his heart.

"I have a bad feeling something has happened. We need to get back as soon as possible," Shen Haoran said in a low voice. The Vermilion Bird Wings on his back beat again, increasing his speed once more.

Seeing Shen Haoran burning through his Spiritual Power without a second thought, Elder Yan’s expression also grew solemn. ’Sometimes, you have to trust a person’s instincts,’ he thought. ’These premonitions are often the most accurate, especially for a genius with an Ancient Physique like Haoran.’

"Let me give you a hand!" Elder Yan said in a low voice. He then transformed into a streak of light and merged into Shen Haoran’s body.

As Elder Yan merged with Shen Haoran, an immense wave of Spiritual Thought surged into the Vermilion Bird Wings on his back. The wings instantly doubled in size, and pitch-black flames roared to life, making it seem as if a true Vermilion Bird had descended upon the world.

With Elder Yan’s help, Shen Haoran’s speed skyrocketed. He shot through the sky like a bolt of black lightning, streaking across the void in an instant and leaving a long trail behind him. The powerful gale he generated carved a long trench through the sea of trees below, one that only slowly faded after a long while.

Thanks to his explosive speed, Shen Haoran saw the outline of Cyan Mountain City within the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, as well as the mountain forest billowing thick, black smoke.

"Damn it, that’s the mountain behind the Shen Family estate!" Shen Haoran cursed as he saw the source of the smoke. Having grown up in Cyan Mountain City, he knew the place like the back of his hand; he could find his family’s home even with his eyes closed.

"Something really has happened! Let’s go, quickly!" Elder Yan was also stunned. He pushed their speed even higher, and soon they arrived above Cyan Mountain City.

"What is that?"

Because of his extreme speed, Shen Haoran’s aura was completely exposed. Although on the surface he only had the strength of a Tier Eight Spirit Marquis, the power he currently exuded was in no way inferior to that of a Spirit Aspect Powerhouse!

The sudden appearance of this powerful aura made the Martial Artists in Cyan Mountain City stir once more. A group of powerhouses had just appeared a few days ago and wiped out the Shen Family. Why was another one here today?

"Sky-Soaring Void Step... could he be another Spirit Emperor?" a Martial Artist cried out in alarm, seeing Shen Haoran hovering in mid-air.

"That person looks so familiar. Where have I seen him before?"

"Isn’t that Shen Haoran? The Shen Family’s trash!" someone else exclaimed, having recognized the figure in the air.

Hearing this, the crowd was stunned as Shen Haoran’s face materialized clearly in their minds. That piece of trash, once infamous throughout Cyan Mountain City, was certainly well-known!

"Shen Haoran isn’t that good-for-nothing anymore. He’s soared to new heights and become a Phoenix! He’s a true genius now!"

"Shen Haoran is back. I wonder what will happen when he finds out the Shen Family was annihilated?"

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, all looking up at Shen Haoran in the sky.

While the crowd was talking, Shen Haoran slowly descended from the sky. His face had become incredibly grim, so dark it looked like water could be wrung from it.

From the sky, he had already seen the state of the Shen Family. The family that had given birth to him and raised him was now a field of ruins. The Shen Family’s main square was littered with the bodies of many uncles he could call by name. ’They were all the good men of my Shen Family!’

"Who did this?" Shen Haoran asked, his face devoid of expression as he landed on the ground. But at that moment, everyone in Cyan Mountain City could feel the killing intent radiating from his heart. That icy aura enveloped the entire city. The hair on every Martial Artist’s body stood on end. Livestock and poultry tucked their tails between their legs, prostrating on the ground and shivering in fear. Shen Haoran’s frigid killing intent made the entire town feel like Netherworld Hell.

"I... I don’t know. All I know is it was a group of Martial Artists in black robes. They all had a skull on their chests! Their leader was even a Spirit Emperor!" a Martial Artist stammered, trembling under Shen Haoran’s icy killing intent, afraid that if he answered too slowly, Shen Haoran would kill him on the spot.

"Black robes? Skulls? The people of Fallen Valley!" Hearing the Martial Artist’s words, a tangible killing intent flashed in Shen Haoran’s eyes.

"Where are they now?" Shen Haoran asked.

"The back mountain. Old Sir Shen led the remaining members of the Shen Family and fled to the back mountain. It seems those black-robed people haven’t found Old Sir Shen yet, so they set the mountain on fire..." the man continued. But before he could finish, Shen Haoran’s figure flashed and vanished. Instantly, the pressure on the man’s body lifted.

"Whew..." After Shen Haoran left, the Martial Artist collapsed onto the ground. Only then did he realize his clothes were soaked through with cold sweat. ’To think that Shen Haoran, the one they used to call trash, has become this powerful!’

Hearing that Old Sir Shen wasn’t dead yet, Shen Haoran immediately rushed toward the back mountain. A vast wave of Spiritual Thought erupted from within him and swept over the mountain, searching for Old Sir Shen’s figure. ’Grandpa, you have to be okay,’ he muttered. ’Wait for me!’

...

Meanwhile, somewhere on the back mountain, the battle involving the Shen Family and Old Sir Shen had ended. The result was obvious: the Fallen Valley disciples had lost but a single person, while the Shen Family’s Hidden Guard and the Third Elder were all dead. Old Sir Shen was held in the grip of a Spirit Aspect Tier powerhouse, his face deathly pale with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. It looked as if he wouldn’t last much longer.

"Keep squirming, old man. Why’d you stop?" the Spirit Aspect Tier powerhouse said with a look of utter disdain, slapping Old Sir Shen across the face.

Old Sir Shen weakly lifted his head, gave the powerhouse a deep look, and spat a mouthful of blood right in his face. "Pah! You cur! None of you will meet a good end!"

The powerhouse, suddenly splattered with blood, had his face darken instantly. He slammed a fist into Old Sir Shen’s stomach and snarled viciously, "You old bastard, you dare curse me? Then you can just die!" With that, the man raised his palm and brought it down toward Old Sir Shen’s head.

However, just as his palm was about to strike Old Sir Shen’s head, a flash of black Sword Light descended from the sky and sliced through the powerhouse’s arm. The limb was severed cleanly, and blood sprayed from the wound.

"Who dares touch my grandfather!"