Chapter 719: Jungle Chase

Chapter 719: Chapter 713: Jungle Chase

Watching Shen Haoran’s retreating back, Shen Cheng sneered, with no intention of immediately giving chase.

“Run. Let’s see how far you can get. This is my territory!” Shen Cheng sneered. Once Shen Haoran had vanished from sight, Shen Cheng finally made his move.

Shen Cheng took a single step. Though it looked casual, he instantly vanished from sight. This was control over space—the ability to shrink the ground to an inch. Only a Spirit Emperor Powerhouse could achieve such a feat.

Shen Haoran sprinted through the dense forest. The excruciating pain wracking his body made him wish for death, but he didn’t dare slow down. Shen Cheng’s aura was closing in fast. If he was caught, Shen Cheng would surely torture him to death. Shen Haoran knew all too well the depth of Shen Cheng’s hatred for him—it was a resentment so profound he would sell his soul for it.

WHOOSH… Suddenly, a black shadow shot toward him from the front and landed on his shoulder. It was Changmao, returning from scouting ahead.

“Did you find it?” Shen Haoran asked in a low voice.

“Yes, but it’s a strange place. I didn’t dare go inside. There’s something in there that even I’m afraid of,” Changmao said, nodding with a grim expression.

At his words, Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed. ‘Something that can even make Changmao afraid… It seems Shen Cheng really went to a lot of trouble.’

‘Hurry, he’s catching up!’ Elder Yan’s voice rang out urgently in his mind. The sound of something slicing through the air followed close behind, and a jet-black bolt of energy shot toward Shen Haoran’s head.

Shen Haoran violently twisted his body aside. The bolt of black Spiritual Power tore through his shoulder. A sinister, cold aura burrowed into his body and ran rampant, causing him to grunt in pain as a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Already heavily injured, the sinister aura slowed Shen Haoran’s pace. Behind him, Shen Cheng instantly closed the distance.

Shen Haoran grunted, and purple-black flames erupted from within him, incinerating the invading cold aura. His Vermilion Bird Wings unfurled from his back, and he once again widened the distance from Shen Cheng.

“Run, run… A game of cat and mouse. My favorite.” Watching Shen Haoran’s back as he suddenly accelerated, Shen Cheng sneered, sticking close behind him.

Two figures sprinted through the mountain forest. With his speed, Shen Cheng could have easily overtaken Shen Haoran and cut him off, but he didn’t. He stuck to Shen Haoran’s back like a shadow, attacking him intermittently to herd him forward. Shen Cheng was toying with him, a cruel, mocking look on his face.

“Are we there yet?” Shen Haoran asked frantically after narrowly dodging another of Shen Cheng’s attacks. His face was now deathly pale, and the Spiritual Power he had just recovered was almost completely depleted. Waves of weakness washed over him; if he weren’t forcing himself to stay conscious, he would have already collapsed.

“Almost! It’s just ahead!” Changmao said in a low voice. The place where he’d discovered Xue Ling was indeed close.

Hearing this, Shen Haoran gritted his teeth and pushed onward. Suddenly, he felt the air around him grow scorching hot. The Fire Attribute Spiritual Power in the world seemed to become more active, and even the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian in his body began to pulse.

“Why is the Fire Attribute Spiritual Power so active here?” Shen Haoran asked, puzzled, feeling the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian pulsing within him. Having completed the Refinement of one of the Heaven and Earth Spirits, he was exceptionally sensitive to the activity of worldly elements.

“Because that’s an active volcano up ahead, and Xue Ling is imprisoned inside,” Changmao said with a heavy sigh.

At these words, Shen Haoran’s brow tightened. He immediately picked up his pace again. The active Fire Attribute Spiritual Power in the area had stimulated his Fire Spirit Black Obsidian, restoring some of his strength.

Right behind Shen Haoran, Shen Cheng noticed the sudden increase in speed, and the smile on his face widened. But when he too felt the scorching air, his expression immediately darkened. ‘I was so focused on toying with him that I didn’t pay attention to his escape route. The place where Xue Ling is imprisoned is just ahead!’

At that thought, Shen Cheng snorted, and his speed abruptly surged. That place didn’t just hold Xue Ling captive; it also contained a massive secret—a secret Shen Haoran absolutely could not be allowed to learn.

Unleashing his full power, Shen Cheng’s speed was extreme. In an instant, he was right behind Shen Haoran, firing off bolts of black Spiritual Power. This time, Shen Cheng held nothing back. Several bolts of energy sealed off all of Shen Haoran’s escape routes, and the sinister, cold aura made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Without a moment’s hesitation, purple-black flames erupted and enveloped his entire body. He stayed low to the ground, moving with extreme speed to narrowly dodge all the incoming black bolts of energy.

At the same time, Shen Haoran spun around. From his Sea of Consciousness, two ancient Tokens shot out, transforming into two streaks of light that flew toward Shen Cheng.

Watching the two streaks of light approach, Shen Cheng snorted and reached out to catch them. But the moment he touched the ancient Tokens, they pierced straight through his palm and embedded themselves deep in his shoulder. A wave of excruciating pain hit him, causing Shen Cheng to plummet from the sky.