"Bang."
The instant Shen Feihong sensed Shen Xiu's aura, his body suddenly stiffened. In that moment of rigidity, his body swiftly exploded. Immediately afterward, a fist-sized white pearl shot violently out from within him. The instant it emerged, the white pearl exploded as well, turning into a massive white mushroom cloud. Within that mushroom cloud, a crystal core radiating white light floated quietly in the air.
"Hahahaha, Shen Xiu, you've struck it rich this time. What I gave you is the treasured heirloom of my Shen Family—the White-Light Crystal Core, the treasure that safeguards our clan. Once refined, it can allow you to break through to the peak of five-star Dou Wang. Moreover, you now possess the essence of that White-Light Crystal Core. As long as you can absorb it completely, your cultivation will soar by three Dou Wang stars overnight. You may even have hope of reaching the level of a seven-star Dou Huang!"
Seeing his son in such a miserable state, and watching his son actually be killed by Shen Xiu, the Shen Family's patriarch roared in fury. As his words fell, Shen Feihong's corpse rapidly disintegrated, and the crystal core emitting white light flew out from his body. It then transformed into a ball of white radiance, entering Shen Xiu's body and vanishing into his mind.
"Whoosh."
After devouring the White-Light Crystal Core, Shen Xiu's body shot out in an instant. Behind him, an illusory black figure continuously condensed. The moment that phantom black figure appeared, Shen Xiu's aura surged to the level of a seven-star Dou Wang. The black figure behind him also grew increasingly solid, and at this moment, it transformed into a black vortex. Waves of astonishing fluctuations spread from within that black vortex, as though it contained incomparably formidable power.
"Hmm?"
Upon sensing