Chapter 434: Chapter 432: Enemies on a Narrow Road
"Are all these Silver Death Warriors cowards? How come I haven’t run into a single one?" Shen Haoran muttered, displeased, as he gazed at the bleak landscape in the distance.
Shen Haoran had already slain seventeen Black Iron Death Warriors. While the pure Spiritual Power that flowed back from the Black Iron Death Warrior Medals wasn’t negligible, it was a mere drop in the bucket for him. He urgently needed more powerful Death Warriors, but he hadn’t encountered a single Silver one along the way.
"Sigh..." Shen Haoran could only let out a long sigh. ’After all, you can’t force these things. It all comes down to luck.’ He shook his head, clearing away the distracting thoughts, and pressed onward. Besides hunting Death Warriors, he also had to find Murong Wanqing. The thought of leaving her alone in this Secret Realm made him uneasy.
BOOM...
However, before Shen Haoran could get far, a deafening roar erupted nearby. A plume of dust and smoke rose from the mountain forest, immediately drawing his attention.
’Is that someone fighting over there?’ Hearing the roar, Shen Haoran sensed several violent bursts of Spiritual Power erupting not far away. ’Someone must be battling. But whoever it is, they have no sense. How could they dare to make such a commotion? Aren’t they afraid of being surrounded by Death Warriors?’
’I’ll go take a look,’ Shen Haoran mused. ’They should know to be careful in this Secret Realm. To cause such a ruckus, their opponent must be far stronger than them. And since I only sense Spiritual Power fluctuations from one side, the other side must be Death Warriors... quite possibly Silver Level.’
At this thought, a hint of delight appeared in Shen Haoran’s eyes. ’Finally, I don’t have to bother with Black Iron Level Death Warriors anymore. They’re just no challenge at all.’
With a flicker, Shen Haoran’s figure moved, and he stealthily made his way toward the battle, arriving swiftly. He concealed himself behind a towering, ancient tree and peered toward the center of the battlefield.
In a clearing in the forest, four human Martial Artists were being besieged by five Black Iron Level Death Warriors. All four Martial Artists were Tier Eight Spirit Marquises, a level of strength that would make them geniuses in the outside world. But facing the assault of five Black Iron Death Warriors, they could do little more than barely defend themselves.
Although the Black Iron Death Warriors supposedly only had the strength of a Tier Six Spirit Marquis, their true combat power was much higher than what was described on the Sheepskin Scroll. This was due to the unique nature of this land, and the fact that the Death Warriors were formed from the malevolent will of powerful experts from Ancient Times. As a result, the four Martial Artists could only remain on the defensive.
Not far from them was another battle. A burly Martial Artist stood opposite a Death Warrior clad in Silver Battle Armor. This Silver Death Warrior was a full head taller than its Black Iron counterparts, and the aura it radiated was far more powerful, rivaling that of a Tier Nine Spirit Marquis.
On the battlefield, the human Martial Artists were desperately fending off the Death Warriors’ attacks. By the looks of it, they couldn’t hold on much longer. Shen Haoran watched them with a strange expression. He recognized all five of them. The burly man fighting the Silver Death Warrior was none other than Xu Hao, the very same person he had clashed with before. The other four were all disciples of the Qi Refining Sect.
Back at the Altar Square, Shen Haoran had severely injured Xu Hao with a single punch. He had assumed Xu Hao wouldn’t be able to join this expedition into the Secret Realm. Apparently, the Qi Refining Sect had paid a hefty price for an Elixir to heal him. ’To think I’d run into him again here. Enemies truly do walk a narrow path!’
Perhaps because he was momentarily distracted, Shen Haoran failed to keep himself completely hidden and was spotted by Xu Hao. Due to the distance, Xu Hao couldn’t make out who it was and shouted, "Brother, please lend a hand and help us out of this predicament! The Qi Refining Sect will be sure to reward you handsomely afterward!"
"Are you sure you want *my* help?" Hearing Xu Hao, Shen Haoran knew he’d been found. He stopped hiding and stepped out into the open.
When Shen Haoran came into view, Xu Hao froze. His expression immediately darkened. "Shen Haoran! It’s you!"
"What, surprised to see me?" Shen Haoran said with a casual smile.
"Looks like you’re in a bit of a tight spot. Need a hand?" Shen Haoran asked with a grin, glancing at the others who were being steadily beaten back.
"Hmph! We don’t need your pity, and we certainly don’t need your help!" Xu Hao snarled as he dodged an attack from the Silver Death Warrior. Shen Haoran had made him lose all face back at the Altar Square; he wanted nothing to do with him now.
"Oh, is that so? Fine then. I guess I’ll just wait for these Death Warriors to kill you all, then I’ll step in and collect the Death Warrior Medals myself. You’re no match for them. You might as well give up now!" A taunting smile crept onto Shen Haoran’s lips. He crossed his arms, leaned against the ancient tree, and watched the battle unfold with keen interest.
"You..." Xu Hao was speechless with rage. Before he could retort, the Silver Death Warrior lunged at him ferociously. Distracted for that single moment, Xu Hao completely lost the upper hand.
The Silver Death Warrior’s attacks grew more ferocious, and soon, Xu Hao could no longer hold his ground. Throwing his pride to the wind, he yelled to Shen Haoran, "Brother Shen, please help! We can split the Death Warrior Medals from this fight evenly afterward. How about it?"
"Split them? Do you take me for a beggar? You think you can fob me off that easily?" Shen Haoran scoffed.
"Then what do you want, Brother Shen?" Xu Hao asked, his voice laced with urgency.
"Simple," Shen Haoran said, licking his lips. "I want every Death Warrior Medal you’ve collected."
"What? That’s impossible!" Xu Hao refused without a second thought. Over the past two days, the five of them from the Qi Refining Sect had gone to great lengths to collect over a dozen Death Warrior Medals. There was no way they would just hand them all over to Shen Haoran!
Shen Haoran didn’t seem surprised by the refusal. He stated calmly, "It’s up to you. But once you’re all dead and I kill these things, your Death Warrior Medals will be mine anyway, won’t they?"
"You..." Xu Hao’s face grew even darker. But Shen Haoran was right. If this kept up, all five of them were headed for certain death. No matter how it ended, Shen Haoran would get the Death Warrior Medals.
"AARGH!"
While Xu Hao was still hesitating, a pained scream erupted from the group fighting the five Black Iron Death Warriors. One of the disciples, his Spiritual Power depleted, had let his defense slip. A Black Iron Death Warrior instantly exploited the opening and lopped off his arm.
Hearing the scream, Xu Hao dared not hesitate any longer. If this continued, it wouldn’t just be about losing an arm—he might very well lose his life.
"Fine, I agree! Just make your move!" Xu Hao roared at Shen Haoran.
"Should’ve just agreed from the start, shouldn’t you have?" Shen Haoran licked his lips. His eyes fixed on the five Black Iron Death Warriors and the single Silver Death Warrior in the clearing, and his figure instantly vanished...
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