Chapter 636 630: Chen Chen's Encirclement and Kill

Somewhere within the Medicine Garden Mountain Range, Chen Chen and a dozen or so others were gathered, seemingly waiting for something. A short while later, an Alchemist came running from the distance. Upon seeing him, Chen Chen and his group immediately stood up to greet him.

"How is it? Any news on Shen Haoran?" Chen Chen asked directly as he approached.

"Brother Chen, that kid is heading for the Eastern Dragon Roar Valley! It looks like he's going to find some Spirit Medicine!" the Alchemist replied, panting.

"Just him alone?" Chen Chen asked again.

"That's right. Long Aotian of the Cyan Dragon Race and Yan Jue of the Black Tortoise Race both invited him, but Shen Haoran rejected them. He's now heading to Dragon Roar Valley all by himself, and he's moving very fast!" The Alchemist reported what he had learned to Chen Chen.

"He rejected Long Aotian and Yan Jue? Heaven must be on my side! Let's go after him!" Chen Chen said after a moment's thought. With that, he was about to lead the group toward the Eastern Dragon Roar Valley.

"Hey, wait, Brother Chen. Are you really going to move against Shen Haoran? Didn't you say he's a Seventh Grade Alchemist? Are we enough to be his match?" another Alchemist in the crowd asked with a frown. Hearing his words, the other Alchemists nodded in agreement. They were from one of the most ordinary of the Medicine Hall's one hundred and eight branch halls. They had only ever heard stories of a High Tier Alchemist of the Seventh Grade but had never met one. In their hearts, they held a sense of reverence for such a figure.

Hearing the Alchemists' words, a trace of contempt flashed in the depths of Chen Chen's eyes, though none of them noticed. He patiently explained, "That kid is indeed a Seventh Grade Alchemist, that's true. But his own strength is only at the Tier One Spirit Aspect. With more than a dozen of us, dealing with him alone will be incredibly simple. As long as we use this Soul-Sealing Pearl to lock down his Spiritual Thought, he'll just be a fish on the chopping block for us to slaughter as we please!"

At Chen Chen's words, the faces of the surrounding Alchemists paled, and they grew hesitant. They had been ecstatic when Chen Chen first approached them. He was, after all, a top-ten genius from the major branch halls. The chance to associate with a disciple of his caliber was something they had never even dreamed of.

But upon hearing that Chen Chen wanted to assassinate a Seventh Grade Alchemist, they all hesitated. A Seventh Grade Alchemist was an Alchemy Grandmaster, with a status in the Medicine Hall comparable to that of a Vice Hall Master. As disciples from ordinary branch halls, they wouldn't dare lay a hand on a Seventh Grade Alchemist, not even if they were a hundred times bolder.

"Relax," Chen Chen continued. "This Medicinal Garden is teeming with Spirit Beasts. Shen Haoran is merely a Tier One Spirit Aspect. If we just blame his death on a Spirit Beast attack, even Hall Master Yao Wuchen won't be able to do a thing to us. Besides, the only people who know he's a Seventh Grade Alchemist are us disciples from the twenty major branch halls, and he doesn't get along with any of us. Believe me, no one is going to speak up for him." He paused, then looked at the Alchemists and added, "If you help me get this done, I'll get you into the Sha Hai City Medicine Hall. It's one of the top ten major branch halls. I'm bound to become the Hall Master of the Sha Hai City Medicine Hall sooner or later, so for you, there's everything to gain and nothing to lose!"

Hearing Chen Chen's words, the hesitation on the Alchemists' faces finally disappeared, replaced by a surge of excitement. If what Chen Chen said was true, then this was an incredible opportunity for them.

"Alright, we'll follow Brother Chen's lead!" After hearing Chen Chen's promise, the Alchemists finally stopped hesitating and readily agreed.

"Then let's move out!" A murderous glint flashed in Chen Chen's eyes. He then led the group, speeding toward the Eastern Dragon Roar Valley.

'Hmph. Shen Haoran, this time, I will kill you for sure!'

...

Meanwhile, after trekking for the better part of a day, Shen Haoran finally reached Dragon Roar Valley. Standing atop a towering tree, he gazed down at the valley below. It was shaped just like a dragon's head, its massive mouth agape as if about to let out a roar. According to the Sheepskin Scroll, a true member of the Dragon Race had once fallen here, and the Dragon Saliva Fruit was a product of its nourishing Dragon Qi.

'This is going to be troublesome,' Shen Haoran thought with a wry smile as he looked at Dragon Roar Valley. He had just scanned the area with his Spiritual Thought and detected an extremely powerful aura from within, at least on par with a Tier Seven Spirit Beast. In other words, there was an expert equivalent to a human at the Spirit Emperor Level inside Dragon Roar Valley. 'It makes sense,' he mused. 'A Top Grade Spiritual Medicine like the Dragon Saliva Fruit would naturally be guarded by a powerful Spirit Beast.'

'Hm? Are there others whose destination is also here?' Just as Shen Haoran was pondering his predicament, a dozen or so auras suddenly entered the range of his perception, and his brow furrowed.

'No, wait. This aura… it feels familiar!' Shen Haoran paused. He turned his head and peered into the dense forest behind him. A moment later, a familiar figure came into view.

"Chen Chen!" Shen Haoran scoffed upon seeing the newcomer. Although Chen Chen's face looked a bit pale, his aura was stable. It seemed the damage he had inflicted yesterday had already healed.

"Shen Haoran, long time no see!" A venomous expression appeared on Chen Chen's face when he saw Shen Haoran. Yesterday, his Spiritual Thought had been shattered by a single blow from Shen Haoran. Thankfully, the Hall Master of the Sha Hai City Medicine Hall had spent a great price to obtain some Spirit Medicine. Otherwise, he would have had to give up on this year's competition for the Pill Emperor title. Today was the day he would collect his debt.

Seeing Chen Chen approach, Shen Haoran leaped down from the towering tree and said with a taunting smile, "What, didn't I beat enough sense into you yesterday? You want another taste of that today?"

Hearing Shen Haoran's words, Chen Chen's expression grew even darker. He then pulled a jet-black bead from his Storage Ring and threw it onto the ground between them. A bizarre wave of Energy instantly radiated outward, enveloping them all.

As the strange Energy spread out, Shen Haoran suddenly felt his Spiritual Thought being sealed within his Sea of Consciousness, completely unable to be conjured.

"Don't waste your energy. This is the Soul-Sealing Pearl, a Top Grade Spiritual Artifact. Even if you're a Seventh Grade Alchemist, you can't escape its Seal! Now that you've lost your powerful Spiritual Thought, let's see what other tricks you have. You definitely won't escape from my grasp today. I've never known what it feels like to kill a Seventh Grade Alchemist before. I bet it's exhilarating!" Chen Chen sneered.

Hearing this, Shen Haoran paused. It seemed Chen Chen had come prepared. But Shen Haoran simply smiled. He flexed his hand into a fist and looked at Chen Chen, saying calmly, "Oh? So you think that without my Spiritual Thought, I'm nothing?"

"Hmph, you're just a Tier One Spirit Aspect. With more than a dozen of us, we could toy with you until you're dead. This place is teeming with Spirit Beasts. Afterward, we'll just blame your death on them, and no one will ever suspect me. If you get on your knees and beg for mercy right now, I might just be lenient and spare your pathetic life!" Chen Chen said with a hideous grin.

Despite Chen Chen's threat, Shen Haoran remained completely unfazed. His gaze swept over Chen Chen and his men. He let out a soft chuckle and said lightly, "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Alchemy is just a hobby for me. My real profession… is a Martial Artist."

With that, a devilish smile crept onto the corner of Shen Haoran's lips. A terrifying aura erupted from his body, instantly bearing down on Chen Chen and his followers…