Their group was quite large. Deacon Feng had already directed the others to spread out, using special containers to scoop up the crimson liquid resembling magma from the ground.
"Yeah." Lan Hao merely nodded at Meng Shiyu's comforting words. He could handle the rest of it, but the grotesque appearances of the Nether Realm creatures were truly difficult for him to accept. Just a single glance made his scalp tingle with dread.
"I heard that Junior Brother Lan's ranking on the Sacred Leaderboard jumped up by over a dozen places a while back. It is truly astonishing," Meng Shiyu said with a hint of admiration.
Lan Hao was slightly surprised and subconsciously replied, "It was just a stroke of luck."
"Rankings are fought for punch by punch and kick by kick. There is no such thing as luck," Meng Shiyu said, shaking his head.
'What is he playing at?' Lan Hao muttered in his heart. Although he was the legitimate son of the Lan family, his talent had not been particularly outstanding in the past. People with equally formidable backgrounds like Meng Shiyu usually could not be bothered to pay attention to him, barely exchanging more than a few words with him.
But this time seemed different. They had already struck up several conversations along the way.
"The process of forging a Sacred Class is a rare sight, so this can be considered gathering experience for the future. Lord Yunting clearly has high hopes for you," Meng Shiyu remarked wistfully.
Lan Hao let out a bitter smile. "It is an opportunity my father badgered out of them. Patriarch Yunting could not even be bothered to spare me a glance."
'This kid's personality is not quite like the rumors,' Meng Shiyu thought, feeling somewhat surprised after just a few exchanges.
He had previously heard that although Lan Hao could not be called domineering, he was quite arrogant. However, upon actually interacting with him this time, Meng Shiyu did not get that impression at all.
He swept a subtle glance around and exchanged a look with Qin Tianlin, then said warmly, "This Crimson Hellfire Liquid is a rare material. Let us go collect some as well."
Lan Hao grew even more surprised, roughly guessing that Meng Shiyu probably had something private to discuss with him.
"I will be troubling Senior Brother, then." After a slight hesitation, Lan Hao agreed. Meng Shiyu asked Deacon Feng for two jars and walked in the opposite direction of the massive mountain.
"Does Senior Brother have something to say?"
Seeing the others swallowed up by the fog, Lan Hao cautiously asked.
Meng Shiyu smiled. "I heard that you, along with Wan Chen and Lin Yue, competed against that Su Chen but failed to become the chosen candidates."
Hearing this, Lan Hao frowned, his voice involuntarily turning cold. "What exactly are you trying to say, Senior Brother? I am indeed inferior to Su Chen, and so are Wan Chen and Lin Yue. Is there anything more to say about that?"
As of today, losing to Su Chen was no longer considered a disgrace. Lan Hao had become quite at peace with it.
"Do not misunderstand." Meng Shiyu shook his head and explained, "You have had a lot of contact with that Su Chen, and I have a few things I would like to ask."
Only then did Lan Hao realize that Meng Shiyu was actually trying to fish for information about Su Chen.
Currently, all the information regarding Su Chen within the sect came from Qing Cang. On paper, it was merely a few meager linesâparents deceased, resolute mind, and the like.
It was difficult to glean any concrete details from that.
"For instance, what exactly is his talent like?" Meng Shiyu's eyes flickered slightly.
"Talent?" Lan Hao furrowed his brows. He had also heard that Su Chen had already become a dual Tier 5 professional, which had left him astonished for quite a while.
"Did you witness Su Chen's talent assessment with your own eyes?" Meng Shiyu pressed.
"Well..." Lan Hao could not help but hesitate. Testing one's talent was simple, but under normal circumstances, no one would go out of their way to shove a talent assessment device at Su Chen just to get a clear answer.
"The claims about his talent came from the local factions on the Crimson Thunder Planet. We did not see the assessment at the beginning either."
Thinking back carefully, Lan Hao realized that initially, it had all been a one-sided claim made by that guy named Chong Jingtian.
As for them, they had not paid much attention to Su Chen at first. By the time he truly caught their eye, the narrative of his dual Ink Jade talent had already taken deep root in everyone's minds.
'I knew there was an issue.'
Meng Shiyu coldly snorted in his heart. 'That old thief Qing Cang is certainly meticulous in his scheming.'
Hearing that Lan Hao and the others had never seen it with their own eyes, he concluded that Qing Cang had fabricated the whole thing. His goal was clearly to swindle Venerable Qin Yun.
"Talent aside, what kind of person is he?" Meng Shiyu changed the subject.
"As a person?" Lan Hao grew even more bewildered. How was he supposed to answer that?
"For example..." Meng Shiyu paused, switching to mental fluctuations to communicate instead. "His specific experiences on the Crimson Thunder Planet, who he was close to... whether he truly values loyalty and righteousness..."
Although Meng Shiyu asked gently, Lan Hao's heart suddenly skipped a beat. No wonder this guy was being so cautious, leading him away from the crowd and even resorting to mental fluctuations.
'This guy wants to pull a sneak attack from the shadows!'
Lan Hao's Adam's apple bobbed. In his eyes now, Su Chen was already a genuine Star Seed.
What they were discussing right now was an insidious plot against a Star Seed.
"There is no need to be nervous."
The two stopped and started as they walked. Meng Shiyu smiled, speaking as if nothing was amiss. "I heard that after Su Chen arrived at the sect, he has not met many people. Aside from resource handovers, he has seen Wan Chen a few times."
Lan Hao remained silent.
"He met Lin Yue once as well. You are the only one who has not sought him out," Meng Shiyu continued. "Your father and Wan Chen's father are currently vying for the position of Sect Army Commander. Su Chen is on good terms with Wei Zhenghong, and Wei Zhenghong is a student of Venerable Chu Lingyuan..."
Lan Hao's expression shifted. He could naturally untangle the web of relationships involved here.
If Su Chen acted as a pivot and Chu Lingyuan stepped in to help Wan Chen, his father would likely lose the bid.
However... Lan Hao hesitated inwardly. This was just his personality. He had hesitated before when identifying Hu Qi, and right now, he was also extremely reluctant to say anything detrimental to Su Chen.
Meng Shiyu felt a surge of impatience. Since returning, Lan Hao had not gone to see Su Chen even once, making it clear they did not get along. What was there to hesitate about?
He was just about to offer a few more words of persuasion when a sudden, thunderous roar erupted.
Both their hearts gave a jolt as they could not help but look toward the hazy, indistinct mountain peak. Violent energy was surging fiercely as a tyrannical crimson clashed with a profound, abyssal blue.
The violently churning energy distorted the entire sky above the summit, resembling a raging sea or countless behemoths slaughtering each other above the clouds. It caused the mountain peak to suddenly darken like the dead of night, only to be intermittently illuminated by blinding, explosive flashes.
The intense energy fluctuations caused the numerous surrounding Nether Realm creatures to flee instinctively in all directions, utterly terrified of approaching.
Deacon Feng watched nervously, while Qin Tianlin was completely absorbed. Fan Zhao clenched his fists tightly. Seeing the battlefield gradually shifting away from the summit, he could not hold back any longer. He soared into the air, turning into a streak of purple light that shot straight toward the mountain peak.
The opportunity to forge a Sacred Class was right before his eyes!
"They made their move..." Su Chen withdrew his gaze. Lying prone behind Little Black, his eyes narrowed slightly. He genuinely had not expected Fan Zhao and the others to show up today as well.
In that case, whether he would still be able to get his hands on this Spirit Fire was hard to say.
However, his gaze pierced through the layers of nether fog before him, vaguely making out two silhouettes. "These two guys..."
"It should not be a big problem..." Meng Shiyu muttered in a low voice, though he was not overly anxious.
As extra-dimensional spirit bodies, they possessed numerous class abilities and held a distinct power advantage over these Nether Realm creatures. Backed by years of experience, their superiority was unquestionable.
Meng Shiyu glanced at Lan Hao and simply decided to be more direct. "Based on my estimation, given your relationship with Su Chen, even if he successfully matures, it will not benefit you in the slightest. In fact, it might even bring you harm. But if Senior Brother Tianlin takes his place..."
Lan Hao's eyes flickered with uncertainty as past events flashed rapidly before his mind's eye.
He gritted his teeth, just about to speak, when a sudden chill washed over him, accompanied by a faint numbness.
Standing before him, Meng Shiyu seemed to sense something as well. His face paled in horror, and he whirled around.
The billowing fog behind him was suddenly torn apart by blinding crimson electrical arcs. A heavy hammer, wreathed in frenzied energy, smashed through the misty barrier, hurtling straight toward his face with a muffled howl.
The surface of the hammerhead was coiled with constantly bursting, blood-red lightning. Behind it trailed a blurry, crimson silhouette. Its outline violently fluctuated within the steaming thunderous flames, making its true form impossible to discern.
Only two points of ferocious light gleamed faintly from behind a metallic mask, while his chest shone just as brightly, like a miniature sun.
Innumerable tyrannical arcs of lightningâsome thin and fragmented, others thick and roaringâcoiled around his body like a chaotic mantle woven from pure destructive force. It emitted a continuous, scalp-numbing crackle.
Su Chen had picked the perfect moment to strike. The nether fog served as a natural barrier, and by shifting into his Overlord Form, he held a distinct advantage in this environment.
However, within the Nether Realm, both sides were in their spiritual forms and unable to utilize their physical bodies. Their strength was far from its peak, making it incredibly difficult for a Tier 5 to fight a Tier 6.
But Su Chen's confidence in making this move stemmed from the Tier 5 class fusion ability brought by the All-Encompassing pathâ[Crimson Overlord: The Overlord Form and the Crimson Lightning Core can be fused into one.]
His spiritual body could temporarily reside within the Crimson Lightning Core to evade mental attacks, and the Crimson Lightning Core could simultaneously merge into his spiritual body, just as it was doing right now.
The blinding light radiating from his chest was none other than the Crimson Lightning Core. Empowered by his Sacred Hand ability, it had entered a state of absolute eruption. From a baseline threefold enhancement to his abilities, it was now pushing closer to a fivefold amplification!
In a real-world battle, as someone who had just entered Tier 5, he might not necessarily be able to defeat Meng Shiyu. But in the Nether Realm, his opponent was merely a spiritual body with half his strength sealed away and no weapons at his disposal.
Meng Shiyu's vision was entirely consumed by a wash of crimson. The ambush came fiercely and blindingly fast; by the time it burst from the nether fog, it was already right in front of him.
He did not even have time to mount a defense. His subconscious reaction was to detach, but leaving the Nether Realm required time. It was far too late for that now!
He desperately tried to mobilize his mental energy to form a shield.
Boom!
With a deafening, explosive boom, the hammerhead struck squarely against his chest, instantly unleashing a tempest of fiery lightning.
"You..." Meng Shiyu's pupils dilated in utter disbelief.
How could an attacker suddenly pop out of nowhere in this place, and possess such terrifying strength to boot?!
A multitude of questions swirled in his mind, but in the very next second, cracks webbed across every inch of his spiritual body as the fiery lightning detonated from the inside out.
"Awooo!"
A deep wolf's howl rang out from the side, and a black ape darted out, pouncing onto the scattering fragments of spiritual energy and devouring them in massive gulps. Lan Hao shuddered from head to toe. Before he could even react, his vision blurred, and he was abruptly hoisted off the ground.
Dead. Meng Shiyu was dead?!
Lan Hao's face twisted in sheer terror. Having one's spiritual body obliterated in the Nether Realm was no different from true death. In the real world, his physical body would be reduced to nothing but an empty shell.
He instinctively tried to flee the Nether Realm, but a chillingly cold voice echoed in his ears. "If you try to leave, I will crush your spiritual body this instant."
Lan Hao's heart seized. The world spun around him as he was thrown roughly onto the ground. Pale with fright, he stared up at the humanoid phantom towering over him.
He trembled inwardly, his blank gaze locking onto the metallic mask fastened securely over the figure's head.
Although the style was slightly different, it still bore a striking resemblance to the nightmare etched deeply into his memories.
'Could it be... could it be...' he shivered internally. 'No, definitely not. How could that Evil God cultist from the Crimson Thunder Planet end up here again?'
'The mask is not exactly the same either. It might just be a coincidence... a coincidence... just a coincidence...' he tried to reassure himself.
But suddenly, his trembling stopped altogether. His expression turned utterly vacant as he stared in stunned silence.
Right before his eyes, the crimson spiritual body gradually shifted into a pitch-black hue. Blurry stripes of form interwoven together, converging on its head to reveal a solitary, vertical black pupil.
A Black Buddha cultist?
A violent shudder ripped through him. Still clinging to a microscopic sliver of hope, he carefully ventured, "A-Are you, by any chance..."
Before he could even finish his sentence, the figure spoke. "Who would have thought? We meet again."
It really was him!
Lan Hao's vision went black, nearly causing him to pass out right then and there.
During his time on the Crimson Thunder Planet, his most terrifying memories did not stem from Su Chen, but from the Evil God cultist standing right in front of him.
That was the closest he had ever come to death. Furthermore, it concealed his deepest, darkest secretâthe leaking of a Sacred Class.
If it had been anyone else in his family, that crime alone would have been more than enough to get them banished from the clan forever.
He had assumed that after leaving the Crimson Thunder Planet, he would never lay eyes on this monster again. Yet against all odds, here he was.
"Y-You... H-How did you come to be here..." His expression rapidly shifted through a myriad of emotions before he finally forced a strained, sycophantic smile onto his face.
"What, am I not allowed to come?" Su Chen stared down at Lan Hao.
"Of course you are, of course you are." Lan Hao nodded vigorously. In the face of impending death, he truly lacked any semblance of a backbone.
"What were you two discussing just now?" Su Chen asked with keen interest. Earlier, by utilizing his Spirit Speech abilities, he had vaguely managed to overhear some of it.
However, once they had switched to communicating via mental fluctuations, he could not hear a thing. Even so, he knew it could not be anything good, so he acted decisively, opting to quickly murder Meng Shiyu first and ask questions later.
Lan Hao's heart thumped wildly. Remembering the sheer deviousness of the man before him, he did not dare hide a single detail, spilling the entire conversation from start to finish.
'So they really were plotting against me. How truly damnable...' Su Chen showed no reaction on his face, but a wave of chilling apathy swept through his heart. "So, if I had not intervened, you two would have teamed up to deal with this so-called Star Seed?" Su Chen asked casually.
"No, I was fully prepared to reject him." Lan Hao shook his head. Standing before this terrifying Evil God cultist, he had absolutely nothing to hide.
"This Meng Shiyu harbored sinister intentions and merely wanted to drag my Lan family onto his sinking ship. Although I have some friction with that Su Chen, there is no deep-seated grudge between us. If they want to make a move on him, that is their business. It has nothing to do with me."
Well... Su Chen was rather surprised by this. This Lan Hao was truly quite an interesting character.
Seeing the masked man remain silent, Lan Hao's anxiety skyrocketed. Meng Shiyu had died right in front of his very eyes, and he had no idea whether he would be allowed to live either.
Thinking back to their previous encounter, he gingerly asked, "Do you still require the subsequent class paths for the Undying Bird Sacred Class?"
Su Chen snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh? You actually have more?"
"I do," Lan Hao answered hastily, quickly adding, "I newly obtained it."
'Has this guy already transitioned into the Nurturer class?'
Su Chen pondered for a moment. Since that was the case, he would not mind acquiring this new class path.
He said, "Then speak."
Lan Hao took a deep breath. His spiritual body began to twist slightly as he suppressed the intense pain, revealing the requirements of the new class in absolute detail.