Xiang Tian led Shen Haoran through a maze of alleys before finally stopping. Turning around, he produced a black cloth and said to Shen Haoran, "Little brother, the Blood Skull base is a secret. I'll have to ask you to put on this blindfold."
"Tch!" Shen Haoran scoffed, reluctantly taking the blindfold from Xiang Tian and putting it on. He was in their territory, so he had to play by their rules.
Once blindfolded, Shen Haoran was plunged into darkness. However, it didn't hinder his perception of his surroundings in the slightest. In fact, things were even clearer than when he used his eyes!
Xiang Tian would never have dreamed that Shen Haoran, who was only at Spirit Tempering Tier Eight, possessed such powerful Spiritual Thought! Thanks to the enhancement from his Chaos Divine Body and that golden blood, Shen Haoran's Spiritual Thought was now comparable to that of a Spirit General Level expert!
Seeing Shen Haoran put on the blindfold, Xiang Tian continued to lead him forward. Through his Spiritual Thought, Shen Haoran sensed they took countless twists and turns before finally coming to a stop.
"All right, little brother," Xiang Tian's voice sounded by his ear. Shen Haoran tore off the blindfold.
The moment Shen Haoran opened his eyes, he was stunned by the sight before him. In front of him stood a large manor, and the five large trees before its gates were covered in skeletons. The scene was utterly horrifying!
Seeing Shen Haoran staring blankly at the five trees, the corner of Xiang Tian's mouth curled up. "Everyone hanging on these five trees showed disrespect to our Blood Skull. Two hundred and forty-nine of them in total. When you go inside to see the commander in a bit, you'd best be sharp. You really don't want to be the two hundred and fiftieth person up there, do you?"
Hearing this, Shen Haoran snorted. 'So they're trying to intimidate me!' He shot Xiang Tian a cold glare, then turned and strode into the manor.
Xiang Tian was taken aback that Shen Haoran didn't fall for it. He quickly hurried after him. In any case, his job was just to bring the man here. Now that his task was done, the rest wasn't his problem.
As Shen Haoran and Xiang Tian entered the manor, a hulking, broad-shouldered man walked up to meet them.
"Old Xiang, what took you so long? I've been waiting forever! If you make the commander impatient, you'll be in for it!" the burly man grumbled. From his tone, he had clearly been waiting for a long time.
"We hit a small snag, but the guy's here now. He's all yours. I'm heading out," Xiang Tian said with a yawn. He paid the burly man no further mind and turned to leave.
The burly man ignored Xiang Tian, circling Shen Haoran twice before speaking. "So you're the kid the commander wants to see? All skin and bones. You don't look like much fun. Why not have some fun with me, Old Bear, instead!"
Hearing the man's words, Shen Haoran's heart lurched. 'Fun? Holy shit!'
"Kid, hurry up! Don't keep the commander waiting!" the burly man's voice boomed from behind just as Shen Haoran's mind was racing. Hearing him, Shen Haoran could only steel himself and follow. 'I've come this far,' he thought. 'There's no turning back now!'
Shen Haoran followed the large man and soon arrived at the edge of a bamboo grove.
"The commander's inside. Go on in by yourself." After leading Shen Haoran to the spot, the hulking man left.
After the man left, Shen Haoran entered the bamboo grove. A small path quickly led him to a pavilion nestled within. A young man dressed in white was seated inside. He was remarkably handsome, but his face was devoid of color, almost frighteningly so. What drew the eye, however, were his blood-red pupils, which stood in stark contrast to his deathly pale face.
Seeing Shen Haoran, the white-robed young man stood up, cupped his fist, and said, "I am Xue Qinghe. And who might you be, my friend?"
"Leng Feng," Shen Haoran said coldly, thinking of a name on the spot. 'The world of Martial Artists is a treacherous place,' he thought, 'and Xue Qinghe clearly means me no good. It's better to be cautious.'
"Brother Leng, a visitor is an honored guest. Please, sit," Xue Qinghe said, gesturing for Shen Haoran to take a seat.
Shen Haoran didn't hesitate, walking straight into the pavilion and sitting down opposite Xue Qinghe.
"Care for a drink, Brother Leng?" Xue Qinghe asked with a smile, raising his cup.
"You were in such a hurry to get me here. Surely it wasn't just for a drink, was it?" Shen Haoran asked, glancing coolly at Xue Qinghe.
"Haha, Brother Leng is a sharp man indeed. To be frank, I invited you here for two reasons. Firstly, to make your acquaintance. And secondly…" Xue Qinghe paused. The air around him shifted, and an intensely aggressive pressure emanated from him, enveloping Shen Haoran completely. He then continued coolly, "Secondly, I heard you came upon a certain treasure. I was wondering if you might take it out and let me have a look?"
Feeling Xue Qinghe's aura, Shen Haoran sneered inwardly. 'So that's what this is about!'
But Shen Haoran remained completely unfazed. Instead, he picked up the cup on the table, took a small sip, and said with a smile, "And if I were to say I don't have any treasure, would Brother Xue believe me?"
Xue Qinghe was inwardly stunned to see Shen Haoran remain so calm and composed, even while enveloped in his aura. Due to his unique Cultivation Technique, Xue Qinghe's pressure was sinister and chilling. Even Martial Artists at the same level as him would be significantly affected, to say nothing of Shen Haoran, who acted as if nothing were amiss! And Shen Haoran was only at Spirit Tempering Tier Eight—that was the truly astonishing part!
Trying to overwhelm Shen Haoran with pressure was a joke. Having cultivated the Chaos Heaven-Dominating Technique, his own aura was utterly domineering. To suppress him, one would need either a massive disparity in strength or a Cultivation Technique even more tyrannical than his own.
But Xue Qinghe was a formidable character in his own right. After a brief moment of shock, he recovered and slowly retracted his aura. Since he now knew that attempting to suppress Shen Haoran was useless, he saw no point in wasting the energy.
"You jest, Brother Leng," Xue Qinghe said with a smile. "The entire town saw the golden light coming from your room. Are you suggesting all the Martial Artists in town are blind?"
"And what if I truly have nothing to give you?" Shen Haoran asked, looking straight at Xue Qinghe.
At this, Xue Qinghe smiled, his eyes turning sharp once more. "Then I'll just have to take it myself!"
Seeing Xue Qinghe's aura sharpen again, Shen Haoran just smiled faintly. "If you could, you would have already made your move instead of inviting me here for drinks and discussion. I suspect you're wary of the family, or perhaps the Sect, that backs me." Back at the shop, Shen Haoran had been mistaken for a talented disciple from a great family or a Major Sect out gaining experience. Now, he was playing that non-existent card once more.
Hearing Shen Haoran's words, Xue Qinghe's aura faltered. Shen Haoran had guessed his thoughts exactly!
"That's right. I did some digging. For someone at Spirit Tempering Tier Eight to be able to kill a Tier One High-level Spirit Beast, you must be from a prominent family or Sect. But let me warn you, Brother Leng: while I may be wary of your backing, I'm not afraid of it. You know how it is in our line of work—money is more important than life itself!" Xue Qinghe said with a vicious smile.
"So it seems you won't stop until you get that treasure today?" Shen Haoran said, his eyes narrowing.
"Correct. The treasure or your life. The choice is yours, Brother Leng."
"Hmph. You want my life? I'm afraid you don't have what it takes!" Shen Haoran snorted. An instant later, a domineering aura erupted from him, clashing with Xue Qinghe's.
Although Shen Haoran was only at Spirit Tempering Tier Eight, his aura was in no way inferior to that of Xue Qinghe, who was already a Tier Four Spirit Pupil. The impact of their clashing auras sent out a shockwave that mowed down a huge section of the bamboo grove, instantly creating a vacuum around the two of them. Even the air itself seemed to distort. A battle could break out at any second.
However, just as Xue Qinghe was about to strike, Shen Haoran abruptly withdrew his aura completely. Having lost its target, Xue Qinghe's own power rebounded on him. He felt his chest tighten as a mouthful of blood surged up his throat. It was a backlash from his own aura!
"No need to be so tense, Brother Xue. I was just joking," Shen Haoran said, his attitude doing a complete one-eighty as he beamed at Xue Qinghe.
After shooting Shen Haoran a venomous glare, Xue Qinghe forced the blood back down his throat. "So, Brother Leng, have you thought things through?"
"Yes, I have. This is your territory, after all. Even if our auras are evenly matched, I'm just a wet-behind-the-ears kid at Spirit Tempering Tier Eight. You, on the other hand, have a Spirit Pupil, three Spiritualists, and several hundred Spirit Tempering Stage underlings here. If we really were to fight, I'd be turned into minced meat in an instant!
There's a saying: 'Discretion is the better part of valor.' I understand that principle, at least," Shen Haoran said, putting on a helpless expression.
"Then… what about the treasure?" Xue Qinghe asked eagerly.
"Here." Shen Haoran took a smooth, round pearl from his Storage Ring. The moment it appeared, the surrounding Spiritual Power instantly grew much richer. A faint mist of Spiritual Power even formed around the pearl, creating a magical sight.
"This… This is a Top Grade Spirit Stone!" Xue Qinghe cried out, his eyes practically glowing with greed.