Chapter 342: Chapter 341: He’s Still Up There

At that moment, Shen Haoran, who was inside the Slaughter Tower, had no idea what a huge commotion he had caused. He was currently staring at the Guardian before him with a grim expression.

Before Shen Haoran stood a young man in fitted clothes. An ice-blue longsword was casually angled in his hand, and he wore a harmless-looking smile, his pure eyes fixed on Shen Haoran.

However, Shen Haoran felt immense pressure from this young man. The five floors below had posed no challenge to him, but upon entering the Sixth Floor, the Guardian’s strength had undergone a qualitative leap. Now Shen Haoran understood why Brother Zeng had said that out of the five hundred Inner Sect disciples of the Celestial Spirit Sect, only a dozen or so had ever passed the Sixth Floor!

"Well now, a Tier One Spirit Marquis. Kid, you’re not as simple as you look. To think someone with the strength of a Tier One Spirit Marquis could actually make it to the Sixth Floor... you’ve really surprised me!" the young Guardian said casually, looking at Shen Haoran.

"Just luck," Shen Haoran replied casually, stretching his arms and legs. ’Looks like I’ll have to go all out on this floor!’

"Luck? I don’t believe anyone’s that lucky. But now that you’ve run into me, your journey is destined to end here!" The young Guardian flicked his ice-blue longsword, and a frigid aura swept toward Shen Haoran!

"Ice Attribute? Just my style!" Shen Haoran sneered. Several clusters of black flame suddenly erupted from his body, burning away the surrounding chill!

"A Fire Attribute Martial Artist? Still useless against me. I can even freeze fire itself!" the young Guardian chuckled. In an instant, his longsword flashed with a blinding light that immediately enveloped Shen Haoran.

CRACK... CRACK...

Engulfed by the blue light, frost began to crystallize at Shen Haoran’s feet, spreading rapidly upward. In the blink of an eye, his entire body was frozen solid—even the flames on his body had not escaped their fate.

Gazing at the ice sculpture that was once Shen Haoran, the young Guardian sheathed his longsword, twirling it with a flourish before resting it on his back.

"Too weak," the young Guardian said, shaking his head gently as he looked at Shen Haoran. With that, he turned to leave.

"Yeah, too weak." However, just as the young man was about to leave, Shen Haoran’s voice sounded from behind him.

Hearing this, the young Guardian spun around to face Shen Haoran, his brows furrowing tightly!

CRACK... CRACK...

A crisp cracking sound echoed out. A fissure appeared on the ice encasing Shen Haoran. Like a spiderweb, the crack spread rapidly, covering the entire block of ice in an instant!

BOOM!

With a loud bang, the ice on Shen Haoran’s body exploded. Before the countless shards could even fly out, they were completely melted by the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian on his body, evaporating into white steam!

"My turn now, I believe." Shen Haoran brushed off the corner of his clothes and began to walk slowly toward the young Guardian. With every step he took, his aura intensified. By the time he reached the young Guardian, his domineering presence was no weaker than his opponent’s!

Jet-black flames roiled around Shen Haoran, making him look like a Demon from Hell. Gazing at the young Guardian, who was now just a short distance away, the corner of Shen Haoran’s mouth curved into a strange smile.

Seeing the arc of Shen Haoran’s smile, the young Guardian’s heart was suddenly seized by a sense of crisis. Without a second thought, he raised his longsword to block in front of him.

BANG...

The next moment, Shen Haoran’s fist, wreathed in black flames, instantly slammed against the ice-blue longsword!

CRACK...

With a soft snap, the young Guardian’s ice-blue longsword broke in two. The ferocious force also sent the young Guardian’s body flying backward!

"Nine Dragon Stomp!"

Shen Haoran gave the young Guardian no chance to even breathe. The instant his opponent was sent flying, Shen Haoran leaped into the air and stomped down toward him!

BOOM!

As Shen Haoran’s foot descended, the surrounding space began to riot. A powerful aura pressed down, directly suppressing the young Guardian!

"Nine Dragons Second Step!"

The aura beneath Shen Haoran’s foot instantly condensed, forming a longsword of pure pressure that immediately pierced through the young Guardian’s body!

Staring at the sword of pressure piercing his body, the young Guardian looked at Shen Haoran in disbelief. He couldn’t understand how Shen Haoran, a mere Tier One Spirit Marquis, could unleash such immense combat power.

"There’s a lot you don’t know," Shen Haoran snorted. He then formed a Seal Technique, and the sword of pressure piercing the young Guardian—along with the Guardian’s body itself—exploded, transforming into countless streams of light that surged into Shen Haoran’s body!

"Haa... Still a little short. The Purification Power here isn’t enough," Shen Haoran murmured, his brow furrowing slightly after completing the Refinement of that energy.

"Sigh. Looks like I have to keep going," Shen Haoran sighed softly. With a flicker of his body, he once again headed upward.

SHING...

Outside, when the crowd saw the Sixth Floor light up with a golden glow not long after, they couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air again. The Sixth Floor was arguably a qualitative leap in the Slaughter Tower’s difficulty, yet Shen Haoran had passed it with such ease!

"That kid’s already caught up to Brother Niu Ben! Why hasn’t Brother Niu Ben made a move?" The disciples supporting Niu Ben stared at his light, which was also on the Seventh Floor, and spoke with anxious expressions.

"Don’t worry, there’s no way Brother Niu Ben will lose! That kid’s only made it this far on pure luck!" one disciple said, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. However, the panic in his eyes betrayed him.

BZZZT...

As everyone worried, the Slaughter Tower began to tremble, and a figure was spat out directly from it!

"Someone’s out! Who is it?"

Everyone turned their gazes over. There, a figure was falling from mid-air!

"It’s Brother Niu Ben!" someone cried out upon recognizing the figure.

BAM!

Niu Ben’s hulking body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Cough, cough..."

After landing, Niu Ben coughed heavily a few times. In the end, he hadn’t managed to pass the Seventh Floor. Still, the time he had spent on the Seventh Floor far exceeded his first attempt. He had broken his own record, at least.

"Where’s that kid? Why isn’t he here? Did he get seriously injured and sent off for treatment? I haven’t even made him call me ’Grandpa’ and crawl between my legs yet!" After landing, Niu Ben looked around but didn’t see any sign of Shen Haoran, so he let out a loud laugh.

Hearing Niu Ben’s words, the expressions on the faces of the surrounding crowd turned strange, and they all fell silent.

"Hm? Why’s no one talking? Where’s that piece of trash?" Niu Ben asked, frowning.

"Um... Brother Niu Ben, he’s... still up there!" one of Niu Ben’s lackeys pointed at the Slaughter Tower and said in a small voice.

"What?!" Niu Ben roared upon hearing this. He looked up and saw the red dot of light on the Seventh Floor, and his face instantly darkened...