Chapter 33: He Never Thought He’d Open His Eyes Again

Chapter 33: He Never Thought He'd Open His Eyes Again

Shen Lian no longer knew what was happening. The spiritual energy in his body had completely dispersed, wracking his body with excruciating pain—every inch of bone snapping, flesh and blood shredded to pieces.

God, it hurt so bad.

Shen Lian forced his eyes wide open, but all he saw was a blur of red.

Everything he wanted, he couldn't have. Everything he tried to hold onto, he lost.

Was he just doomed to be a pathetic loser his whole life?

His cultivation realm slipped away bit by bit, until the last wisp of spiritual energy was ripped from him.

Shen Lian sank into total darkness.

In his last moment of consciousness, a streak of snow-white spiritual energy wrapped around him.

Shen Lian never thought he'd open his eyes again.

What happened?

Shouldn't he have been run through by Yan Huaixuan's sword?

Shen Lian forced his eyes to move, only to find himself lying in a grand palace hall.

Maidservants surrounded him.

The moment they saw he was awake, someone dashed out, shouting, "The Crown Princess is awake!"

Shen Lian froze.

But before he could think, a bone-deep ache shot through his limbs again.

Shen Lian first thought it was the system. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he got ready to snap at it, but then he realized his link to the system was gone.

He frowned, unblocked it, and called out—but the system was just... gone.

A thought hit Shen Lian. He suddenly tried to force his spiritual energy to circulate, only to find his Spiritual Sea completely empty—no, not empty. Gone.

He was a cripple again!

This was Yan Huaixuan's doing!

Just as Shen Lian was fighting to sit up, a voice suddenly spoke beside him. "You're awake?"

At the sound of that voice, Shen Lian's face darkened. He thought the system was back, but then realized the voice was coming from the sword next to him.

Ling Yun—except this Ling Yun's voice didn't sound like the original at all.

The original Ling Yun's voice had been icy, always dripping with that lofty, distant arrogance.

But this one sounded timid.

He narrowed his eyes. "Ling Yun, did you save me?"

To his surprise, the sword spoke, sounding confused. "Master, who's Ling Yun? Is that the name you gave me, Master?"

Shen Lian blinked. "You're not Ling Yun? Then who are you?"

The snow-white sword drifted slowly into Shen Lian's arms. "I don't know. I don't have a name."

Shen Lian parted his lips. "Then why do you call me master?"

"Because I drank Master's blood, and that woke me up," the spirit sword said cheerfully.

But then it sounded a little worried.

"I don't know. I just woke up, and when I did, I felt that Master was badly hurt, so I used my own power to patch up part of Master's body. It drained a lot of my spiritual energy."

Shen Lian stared at it, lips parting. "You're saying... you formed a contract with me?"

The spirit sword nodded.

A horrible thought suddenly surfaced in Shen Lian's mind.

The image of Yan Huaixuan driving his sword into him flashed before his eyes again.

The sword in Yan Huaixuan's hand.

He stared hard at the snow-white sword. "Do you know how to cultivate?"

"Yes!"

Shen Lian recited the heart technique Ling Yun had taught him, word for word.

But to his surprise, after hearing it, the snow-white sword was horrified.

"This heart technique is backwards! If Master cultivates it, you'd improve fast at first, but within a year, your meridians would go haywire, your spiritual energy would run wild, and your bones would be completely ruined!"

The second it finished speaking, Shen Lian coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed.

The snow sword quickly flew behind Shen Lian, bracing him up. "Master."

Shen Lian stared at the ceiling, eyes wide. His tears had probably dried up long ago—his eyes were raw, but nothing would come out.

Right. Yan Huaixuan had known all along that he was faking it. How could he have ever let Shen Lian actually take Ling Yun?

He'd probably taken Ling Yun ages ago and sent this one back to trick him.

Teaching him a fake heart technique.

And what did he do? He stupidly handed the heart technique right to Yan Huaixuan on a silver platter.

What was Yan Huaixuan thinking back then?

Probably how pathetic he must have looked!

Another surge of blood rose in his throat, but this time, Shen Lian swallowed it down.

"Master?"

Shen Lian looked at it, his voice flat. Since Yan Huaixuan had already swiped the sword beforehand, this one was probably his leftover too.

His voice turned colder. "I'm fine."

Just as he was thinking, a crowd suddenly flooded in from outside, led by none other than the Old Emperor.

The moment the Old Emperor saw him, he got all worked up. "Crown Princess."

Shen Lian met his gentle smile and knew in his heart why that was.

Yan Huaixuan's ascension that day had made such a commotion that everyone must have known by now.

Sure enough, the Old Emperor said, "Shen Lian, before A Xuan ascended to the higher realm, did he say anything to you?"

Shen Lian hated Yan Huaixuan deep down, but he wouldn't show it right now. He was weak at the moment, so there was no need to tough it out.

Shen Lian smiled gently. "Yes, A Xuan said that he could only ascend alone for now, and once he achieved the Great Dao, he would come back to see you all."

Hearing this, the Old Emperor was so moved that tears streamed down his face. "Good, good, good! Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Shen Lian shook his head. "No."

The Old Emperor then told him to get some good rest and said he'd come back to see him later.

As he was leaving, Shen Lian suddenly said, "Father, I have a request. I want to know if the Ling Yun that the vassal state sent as tribute was switched."

The Old Emperor immediately replied, "Sure."

That evening, the chief eunuch brought word.

"Your Highness, you are indeed astute. The vassal envoy confessed that the Lingyun Sword was indeed their national treasure, but just before it was to be sent as tribute, it mysteriously disappeared. And other countries, including His Majesty, had long known about their plan to offer the Ling Yun as tribute."

"Fearing punishment, they settled for a lesser sword and sent it instead, falsely claiming it was the Ling Yun."

Shen Lian was completely relieved. "I see."

This one was also a fine sword. Perhaps the original Ling Yun had attached itself to this blade to deceive him.

Shen Lian stroked the snow-white sword, and thinking that perhaps this sword had saved him, he softened his voice. "From now on, I'll name you Chen Xue."

Chen Xue said cheerfully, "Yes, Master."

Shen Lian hesitated for a moment. "Can my body still cultivate?"

Chen Xue took a look at him. "Yes! Master's spiritual roots—"

Chen Xue suddenly trailed off.

Shen Lian's fingers tightened. "What's wrong?"

Chen Xue said, "Master's spiritual roots are completely intact. Master probably didn't practice that wrong technique for too long, right?"

Shen Lian frowned. "I practiced it for about a year..."

Chen Xue was still a bit puzzled and flew around Shen Lian once.

Shen Lian didn't think much of it. "Don't worry about it. It's probably that when you repaired my body, you inadvertently protected my spiritual roots."

Chen Xue nodded. "That's probably it."

With Chen Xue's help, Shen Lian started cultivating again.

Apart from eating, Shen Lian spent every moment meditating.

Chen Xue couldn't help but say, "Master, why not take it slow? Your talent isn't bad, there's no rush. In time, you'll break through to the Nascent Soul stage soon enough."

But Shen Lian simply said, "Don't worry."

He stared straight ahead, as if through that window he could see something beyond.

Meanwhile, in the immortal cultivation world, the moment Yan Huaixuan landed, he planted his sword into the ground.

He remained tall and straight, but his cold brow furrowed slightly.

Ling Yun was completely shocked. "Master, you just—"

Yan Huaixuan pulled out his sword and slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, his tone indifferent.

"No need to say more."

He looked up. "With this matter settled, I can focus on my cultivation."

Ling Yun pressed his lips into a thin line.

A year passed. Two years passed.

Shen Lian suddenly opened his eyes. He was now completely different from two years ago. His features remained exquisite and beautiful, yet as delicate as a puppet's.

The curve of his eyes seemed to smile, but deep within them lay a coldness.

Chen Xue said excitedly, "Master! The passage is about to open!"

Shen Lian looked up at the rosy glow spreading across the sky.