A dreadful atmosphere enveloped the room as soon as the crimson tornadoes dissipated. Ye Zong, Chen Zhenlong, and the rest of Legend-rank experts all coughed violently as they greedily gasped for air.
Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that Shen Han would break through to the Demigod Rank in the middle of their battle, overpowering all of them.
Although the Demigod Rank is only one rank below a four-star Legend-rank Demon Spiritualist, the gap in their strength is immense.
Even Chen Zhenlong, whose strength was only one step below the Demigod Rank, found himself powerless against Shen Han's soul suppression. That overwhelming difference in power made all of them tremble in fear.
The hair on the back of Nie Li's neck stood on end. The current Shen Han was in a completely different league from everyone else in terms of strength.
But what surprised him the most was Xue Hui's cultivation realm. Contrary to what everyone believed, Xue Hui was actually only a Gold-rank Demon Spiritualist.
This both astonished and mystified Nie Li.
'What kind of monstrous cultivation technique would allow someone to possess an amount of soul force equal to that of a Legend-rank Demon Spiritualist while only being a Gold-rank Demon Spiritualist? This is absolutely insane.'
Even his Heavenly God cultivation technique, one of the most powerful cultivation techniques in existence, could only increase his cultivation strength by a minor realm.
But even so, Nie Li conceded that Xue Hui would not be able to do much against Shen Han.
Unlike Xue Hui, Shen Han was a true Demigod-rank expert. It didn't matter how vast Xue Hui's spiritual energy reserves were; in terms of soul strength, he was far inferior to Shen Han.
This realization made Nie Li curse inwardly. If he had known things would escalate to this point, he would have spent all his time increasing his strength.
Nie Li reached out and tugged on Ye Ziyun's arm, pulling her attention away from Xue Hui. The two exchanged worried glances before Nie Li spoke.
"We need to escape. Xue Hui and Shen Han are about to clash. This place will be engulfed by their battle. It would be far too dangerous for us to remain here when that happens," Nie Li said in a serious tone.
What Nie Li didn't tell her was that he was extremely worried Shen Han would try to abduct her again. He needed to get her out of Shen Han's reach as soon as possible.
Her eyes flashed with hesitation, but she eventually relented, understanding the danger they were in. Besides, she didn't want to get in Xue Hui's way once the fight began.
"Mm, let's leave," she said reluctantly.
She and Nie Li then made their way out. As they did, Ye Ziyun stole one last glance at Xue Hui, her heart filled with worry.
Shen Han ignored the frightened looks directed at him. As his gaze locked onto Xue Hui, fury welled up in his heart.
The boy before him had not only ruined his chances of obtaining Ye Ziyun but had also injured him so severely that he had no choice but to transform himself completely into a Demon Beast.
And that was simply infuriating to him.
In truth, Shen Han wasn't fond of his current appearance. Although it granted him immense strength, it had also twisted him into something hideous.
Worst of all, despite going to all that trouble, Xue Hui remained completely impassive. The damn brat hadn't even flinched despite all the chaos around him.
Xue Hui still had that dismissive look in his eyes, as though Shen Han were nothing more than an insignificant bug. That enraged him more than anything else.
"I have to commend you, Xue Hui. Even while standing before my overwhelming power, you can still remain composed. Unlike those so-called Legend-rank experts, you are truly fascinating. So much so that I'm reluctant to simply kill you. How about this? Become my follower, and I'll spare your life. All you have to do is allow me to place a Soul Shackle on you, and you will have the honor of serving me," Shen Han offered in a patronizing tone.
Hearing this, the corners of Xue Hui's lips curled upward as a look of disdain flashed across his face. He burst into laughter.
"Hahaha... Me? Becoming your follower? Hilarious! Shen Han, of all the things you could have strengthened, you forgot your intelligence. You truly are a lost cause."
The smile on Shen Han's face vanished, replaced by a scowl.
"If I became the minion of someone like you, I wouldn't even have the face to look a pig in the eye. Do you know how humiliating it would be to serve a moron like you?" Xue Hui scoffed before doubling over with laughter.
"You!" Shen Han's body trembled with rage. Xue Hui's words were so merciless that Shen Han could no longer maintain his nonchalant facade.
"And what supreme physique? Are you drunk or something? You turned yourself into a Red-Scaled Winged Naga. Are you not aware that this creature is considered a lowly existence even among Demon Beasts? Red-Scaled Winged Nagas are notoriously weak against extreme cold and have short lifespans, with most living only two to three hundred years before their bodies begin to deteriorate, regardless of how high their cultivation is. Seriously, who is this master of yours? That guy is screwing you over."
Xue Hui chuckled as he wiped the tears welling up at the corners of his eyes. He was genuinely astounded by Shen Han's stupidity.
"ARGHH! Enough with your lies! You're just trying to mess with my head. Since you have nothing worthwhile to say, die by my hand, you bastard!"
Reaching his limit, Shen Han's body erupted with power. He shot forward at blinding speed, unleashing a massive burst of energy that sent everything around him flying, including Chen Zhenlong and the rest of Legend-rank experts.
Xue Hui reacted instantly, flicking his sleeve. All twelve Origin Spheres around him let out a soft hum before shooting in front of him. They then separated into three clusters, positioning themselves to form a translucent spiritual barrier. The spheres locked together, creating a three-layered shield.
Shen Han saw this and scoffed. To him, his Demigod-rank strength was more than enough to destroy the measly barrier Xue Hui had erected.
Boom!
As soon as Shen Han struck the first layer, blood gushed from his mouth. His body stiffened as an unusual sensation coursed through him, while the smell of rotting flesh filled his nostrils.
Boom!
The second layer exploded upon impact. Shen Han was enveloped by extreme cold, making him shiver violently. The freezing temperature slowed his reaction, preventing him from retreating before he crashed into the third barrier.
Boom!
He slammed into the translucent shield, but instead of shattering like the first two layers, the shield bent, stretched, and rippled before wrapping around him, trapping him inside and submerging him in golden light.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Let me out, you bastard! What is this? Why can't I break it?" Shen Han roared at the top of his lungs as he furiously slammed his fists against the golden barrier, trying to break free.
"ARGGHH! Just you wait, Xue Hui! Once I get out of here, I'm going to cripple your cultivation, then I'm going to ruin Xiao Ning'er and Chen Linlin right in front of you!"
He cursed before attempting to unleash his Demigod-rank power to destroy the barrier.
"Argh!"
But instead of erupting with spiritual pressure, his body suffered an unexpected backlash. Excruciating pain shot through him as blood gushed from every orifice.
"What's going on here? Why can't I channel my soul force?" he asked in confusion before fear washed over his face as he realized he was trapped.
"The first barrier contains the power of the Origin of Rot. The difference between Demon Beasts and humans lies in the way their Soul Realms exist within their bodies."
Shen Han heard Xue Hui's voice and looked toward it, only to find Xue Hui's figure obscured by a thick, icy mist.
"A human's Soul Realm exists in a liquid-like state. That's why Demon Spiritualists can integrate with Demon Beasts, because our Soul Realms are pliable enough to accommodate a Demon Spirit."
Shen Han gritted his teeth as he endured the agony coursing through his body, desperately trying again and again to circulate his spiritual energy.
"For a Demon Beast, its Soul Realm functions more like another organ, comparable to a second heart. Instead of pumping blood, it pumps spiritual energy throughout its body. That's why Demon Beasts can form Demon Crystals. Their Soul Realms gradually crystallize over time, which is why newborn Demon Beasts don't possess Demon Crystals. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is this: Shen Han, as someone who has only just transformed into a Demon Beast, your Soul Realm is far more susceptible to rot."
Xue Hui's words exploded like a bomb in Shen Han's mind. Fear gripped his heart as he coughed up even more blood.
"You're lying! How can that be? I'm a Demigod-rank expert! I'm stronger than you'll ever be! How could I be defeated by your technique?" Shen Han roared in disbelief.
"Lying? Me? Hilarious! Shen Han, you're not enough of a threat for me to bother using deception. It doesn't matter if you're a Demigod-rank expert. If I want you dead, then naturally, you'll die tonight," Xue Hui scoffed, looking at Shen Han with utter disdain.
"Oh, one more thing. The Origin of Rot can only stop you from using your Soul Realm for a short while. What's truly fascinating about a Demon Beast's physique is its ability to adapt. It won't take long before you become immune to the rot, so I prepared the third barrier to finish you off. So it was all pointless. Even if your so-called master came to save you, you wouldn't last much longer on this planet."
As he finished his explanation, Xue Hui's voice noticeably deepened.
At the same time, the luster of Shen Han's scales began to fade as cracks spread across them. His body shrank in size, and all his muscles rapidly wasted away.
"What's going on?!" Shen Han asked in a hoarse voice. Horror washed over him as his body grew weaker with every passing breath.
As despair consumed him, a golden sphere shone in the corner of his vision. His trembling pupils followed it as it glided through the air before stopping in front of Xue Hui, whose figure stepped out from the icy mist.
Shen Han's eyes widened in shock, his jaw hanging open as he stared at the completely transformed Xue Hui.
Standing before him was no longer the boy in his teens but a man in his thirties, with waist-length hair, sword-like eyebrows, and sharply defined features.
"You know how relieved I felt when you fully transformed into your Demon Beast form and it turned out to be a Red-Scaled Winged Naga? Extremely relieved, because I knew I could use my Origin of Future on you to rapidly increase your age, bringing you to the end of your lifespan without aging myself to death in return."
The older-looking Xue Hui's pupils shone even brighter as a sinister grin spread across his face.
End of Chapter 116
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