Chapter 641 - 635: The Black-Robed Man’s Purpose

The moment Shen Haoran vanished, the black-robed man froze in place. The intelligence report had said Shen Haoran was only a Fourth Grade Alchemist, his own strength just that of a Tier One Spirit Aspect. But the speed he had just unleashed completely surpassed the limits of a Tier One Spirit Aspect—even he couldn’t compare. And he was a Tier Six Spirit Aspect.

’His strength far exceeds what we expected. Retreat!’ the black-robed man cried out in his mind. He slammed on the brakes, his momentum carrying him forward in a long skid across the ground before he shot backward at an even greater speed.

"Trying to run?" Shen Haoran scoffed when he saw the black-robed man trying to retreat. Instantly, countless pitch-black vortexes appeared behind him. Icy Sword Light slowly emerged from them, aimed straight at the black-robed man.

"Endless Sword Formation!"

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH...

A series of sonic booms ripped through the air as countless pitch-black longswords shot toward the black-robed man like a rainstorm. The fierce gale they generated tore through space, slicing gashes into the very ground. Nearby tree branches were sheared clean off, the cuts perfectly smooth. The swords moved with incredible speed, arriving behind the black-robed man in the blink of an eye.

"Damn it!" The black-robed man cursed as he felt the fierce gale at his back. ’The gap between this Shen Haoran and the intel is just too massive. A Tier One Spirit Aspect? What kind of Tier One Spirit Aspect can unleash an attack like this? I doubt even a Tier Nine Spirit Aspect could pull it off!’

The black-robed man was not weak. He twisted his body in mid-air into a bizarre arc, forcefully dodging most of the attacks from the Endless Sword Formation. But Shen Haoran had simply unleashed too many swords. The man was like a lone leaf tossed about in a Sword Sea, in danger of being struck at any moment.

SHUNK SHUNK...

A moment later, despite his considerable skill, two longswords grazed his skin. Sword Qi, carrying a searing flame-like aura, instantly invaded his body, shattering his evasive rhythm. What awaited him next was an attack like a raging tempest.

SHUNK SHUNK SHUNK... The sound of sharp swords piercing flesh rang out again and again. Shen Haoran’s control was superb. Each blade pierced one of the black-robed man’s joints but completely avoided his vitals. With the man’s powerful constitution, this would only subject him to endless pain, not take his life.

The rain of swords poured down for a full minute before finally ceasing. By the end, the black-robed man was pinned to the ground like a porcupine, unable to move. Besides his head and heart, no other part of his body had escaped.

COUGH... COUGH... The black-robed man coughed up blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs. His eyes were filled with sheer terror. ’The combat strength Shen Haoran displayed has completely surpassed the Spirit Aspect Tier,’ he thought. ’The intel was a catastrophic failure.’

’I have to get this information out!’ The black-robed man knew he would not survive this. With a stir of his Sea of Consciousness, a wisp of dark energy secretly extended from him, sinking into the earth to carry his message away.

’Hmph. Trying to pull tricks right in front of me!’ The man’s subtle movements did not escape Shen Haoran’s notice. His immense Spiritual Thought instantly surged forth like a tidal wave, severing the tendril of energy the black-robed man had sent out.

"A... a Seventh Grade Alchemist!" Feeling the terrifying pressure of that Spiritual Thought, the black-robed man fell into utter despair. He had never imagined his opponent was a Seventh Grade Alchemist.

"Who are you all? Who sent you? What is your plan? Answer me honestly, and I might spare your life," Shen Haoran said coldly, gazing expressionlessly at the dying man.

"Haha! You think you’re worthy of knowing my master’s identity?" the black-robed man sneered. "Before my master, all of you are nothing but ants. In the end, you will all be nothing more than sacrifices for him!" He could feel the life force rapidly draining from his body.

"’Sacrifices for your master?’" The pieces suddenly clicked into place for Shen Haoran, his face turning grim. "Your Blood Moon Plan... it’s to resurrect your master, isn’t it? You plan to act during the final round of the Pill Emperor competition. A ritual sacrifice would require an Array... Is it the Hundred-Refinement Soul-devouring Array? The sacrifices aren’t just us Alchemists. You’re using us as a catalyst to activate the Array! You’re going to sacrifice every Martial Artist in Central City to bring back your master!"

"You... How could you possibly know?" The black-robed man froze on the spot, his pained expression replaced by one of pure shock. Their Blood Moon Plan was indeed just as Shen Haoran had described—everything from using the Hundred-Refinement Soul-devouring Array to using the Alchemists as a catalyst to sacrifice all the Martial Artists in Central City. ’This is a top-level secret,’ he thought frantically. ’How could he possibly know?!’

"You don’t need to know," Shen Haoran said. Seeing the man’s shocked expression, he knew he had guessed correctly. ’After hearing the word "sacrifice" earlier, I started researching information related to it,’ Shen Haoran mused. ’I found this insidious Hundred-Refinement Soul-devouring Array in the Array Dao section of my Alchemy Inheritance. I only mentioned it casually, but it seems my luck is pretty good.’

"Hmph. Even if you know, you can’t change a thing!" the black-robed man cackled. "The Array Base is already complete. Just wait to die!" His body began to swell rapidly—it was clear he was about to self-destruct.

With a flicker, Shen Haoran instantly put distance between himself and the black-robed man. An instant later, a deafening BOOM echoed through the area. The black-robed man, and all the dark swords impaling him, were vaporized into dust, disappearing without a trace.

WHOOSH WHOOSH...

The terrifying explosion drew the attention of the nearby Alchemists, who all rushed toward Shen Haoran’s location. When they saw him, they were all taken aback. They had heard of this Human Race Alchemist before—he was supposedly the expert hired by Burning Flame City.

"Brother Shen, what happened?" Long Aotian pushed through the crowd, walking over with an anxious expression. He had been nearby when the explosion went off and was surprised to find Shen Haoran at the center of it.

"We’re in trouble," Shen Haoran said gravely to Long Aotian. He immediately pulled him aside and told him everything about the black-robed man.

"Sacrifice? A master?" Long Aotian’s brow furrowed deeply upon hearing Shen Haoran’s words. What he described seemed a bit far-fetched, but seeing the grim look on Shen Haoran’s face, he started to believe it.

"Should we tell the other Alchemists? Or the higher-ups at the Medicine Hall?" Long Aotian asked in a low voice. If what Shen Haoran said was true, then this was a matter of utmost severity.

"Their Array Base is already set up. It’s too late," Shen Haoran said with a long sigh.

"Then what do we do?" Long Aotian’s frown deepened.

"All we can do is wait and see," Shen Haoran sighed. "For now, we’ll just have to take it one step at a time..."