Chapter 62: The Shen Lian Who Loved Him Was Lost by His Own Hands

Chapter 62: The Shen Lian Who Loved Him Was Lost by His Own Hands

The faces of the Zichen Sect elders changed.

The other sects let out cold sneers.

"The Zichen Sect didn't even notice a demon clan member sneaking in. I think it's about time they gave up that eighth-place ranking."

All the Zichen Sect members looked grim.

The Tianheng Sect elder, however, nodded in deep approval. "Well done, Huaixuan. Take the demon corpse away and get rid of it."

Yan Huaixuan clasped his hands in salute. "Yes."

He casually tucked the bell—along with the demon corpse inside it—into his storage.

Only one Zichen Sect elder stared at Yan Huaixuan, deep in thought, then suddenly said, "How did someone at the third level of Void Insight like you even get into the small secret realm?"

"And beat all of us here?"

Yan Huaixuan lifted his eyes indifferently. "Do you even have the right to question me?"

As soon as the words fell, Yan Huaixuan's aura suddenly exploded, far exceeding the third level of Void Insight.

In an instant, every sect elder's eyes went wide.

"An... Earth Immortal?!"

Yan Huaixuan had actually broken past Void Insight and stepped into the Earth Immortal realm.

He was the youngest Earth Immortal in a thousand years.

Everyone knows that breaking through in cultivation takes not just hard work and dedication, but talent and luck too! Plenty of people, even at death's door, never manage to cross into the next realm.

And just five years ago, Yan Huaixuan was nothing more than a measly Spirit Transformation cultivator!

The Tianheng Sect elders were absolutely thrilled.

They lifted their chins in unison. "Back to the sect!"

The moment Yan Huaixuan got back to the Tianheng Sect and reached his own mountain peak, he immediately took out the bell.

"Shen—"

He froze—the bell was completely empty.

Meanwhile, Shen Lian lay flat on the ground, expressionless, with a gaping hole in his chest.

Did Yan Huaixuan really think he'd fall for the same trick twice?

When Yan Huaixuan drew his sword, Shen Lian took the chance to slip out along with the blade.

As for what was inside the bell—funny enough, it was something Yan Huaixuan himself had taught him.

It was his Avatar, too.

It couldn't move, but it was enough to fool anyone.

And why wasn't he dead? He had his demon body to thank—its vitality was insanely tough.

As for Yan Huaixuan—

Shen Lian sneered coldly. He kept going on about saving him, putting on that whole guilty, remorseful act, but wasn't he really just trying to catch and kill him before anyone else got the chance?

All for glory?

Then it was only fair that he used Yan Huaixuan too, wasn't it?

But just as he was dusting himself off and getting ready to stand—

A presence suddenly materialized behind him.

Shen Lian's face darkened. "Yan Huaixuan."

He turned—and sure enough, there he was.

Yan Huaixuan looked at him and said, "Your demonic energy is spiraling out of control. You can't suppress it, and it won't be long before someone senses you. Come back with me."

Shen Lian laughed. "Go back with you, so you can kill me again and take all the credit?"

Yan Huaixuan's fingers curled slightly under his sleeves. "That's not what I meant."

Shen Lian gave a sly smile. "You think I'd actually believe you?"

But his cultivation level really was dropping. He'd only been at Void Insight to begin with—it was that sudden surge of demonic energy that had pushed him up to Void Immortal. Once the stored demonic energy ran out, he'd probably settle back down at the Spirit Transformation realm.

Just as Shen Lian was racking his brain for a way out—

Yan Huaixuan once again felt a Great Power's Spiritual Sense sweeping over the area.

Yan Huaixuan's gaze turned dark.

Shen Lian suddenly felt his body yanked toward Yan Huaixuan against his will. Before he could get a word out, his lips sealed shut on their own.

And then he sank into darkness.

Yan Huaixuan held the man in his arms, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Then he cast a protective barrier to seal off Shen Lian's demonic energy inside.

After that, he carried Shen Lian back to his mountain peak.

Shen Lian dreamed. In the dream, he wasn't the kid everyone had abandoned.

His mom hadn't left, his dad was still around, and he was surrounded by happiness every single day.

But soon, it all started to fall apart.

His dad stumbling home drunk and screaming at him, forcing him to study while working three jobs a day.

His grades kept tanking, and during the college entrance exam, he almost dozed off.

He hated it so much.

Shen Lian closed his eyes.

He could've had a better life too. Who'd willingly sink like that? Who'd willingly be written off as nothing but a pretty face?

After that—

After that, it was that same man again, watching him sink into the mire.

Shen Lian seemed to be plunging into an endless abyss, falling and falling, yet the person on the cliff looked down at him with cold, distant contempt.

Not only that, but he even plunged a sword into his heart.

"You're unworthy."

Shen Lian's jaw clenched, nearly drawing blood.

Yan Huaixuan, on the other hand, gazed at the unconscious man in his arms.

Only at this moment could he look at Shen Lian freely.

"Shen Lian."

Yan Huaixuan called out softly once more.

Two years ago, Shen Lian had forcibly dissolved their Dao Companion Contract right before his eyes. That scene had haunted his mind like an inner demon ever since.

His cultivation regressed, and his Dao heart shattered.

Ling Yun was calling out to him, but he heard nothing at all.

All he could see was that jasmine.

Jasmine, meaning "never part," woven into a garland, a promise of perfection for all lifetimes.

But Shen Lian no longer wanted it—he had thrown the jasmine away himself.

At that moment, something in Yan Huaixuan's chest seemed to writhe, desperate to break free.

Dazed, he recalled his mother's words.

"Feelings are the most useless thing in this world. To cultivate the Great Dao, you must cut off all worldly ties."

"Yan Huaixuan, you are the last of our bloodline. You must return to the Upper Realm and reclaim what is ours!"

"This belongs to us!"

"Yan Huaixuan, you must never have any feelings—not even for your mother."

Yan Huaixuan's gaze fell back on Shen Lian's face. He raised his hand, as if to touch him.

But Shen Lian, still asleep, suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Yan Huaixuan!"

It was a voice filled with hatred.

It froze Yan Huaixuan's hand midair, just above Shen Lian's face.

Shen Lian clutched his sleeve, his fingers digging in hard, as if he wanted to tear Yan Huaixuan apart limb by limb.

Yan Huaixuan looked at Shen Lian and suddenly said, "Ling Yun, what do you think feelings are?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Yan Huaixuan realized that Ling Yun had already taken the blow for him and died, body and soul.

Yan Huaixuan looked at Shen Lian, and for the first time, a flicker of emptiness crossed his cold, clear eyes.

Yan Huaixuan placed his hand over his own chest.

Honestly, there was no need to ask anyone else.

The answer was already crystal clear.

After he ascended, he could never forget that lively figure—like a lark, coming to him every day in a different outfit.

He always loved to lean on his shoulder, gazing at him with those beautiful eyes.

"Yan Huaixuan, I'm about to reach the Golden Core stage. Then we can become Dao companions and live as a pair of immortal lovers, right?"

Or perhaps, shy but bold as he looked at him, "A Xuan, can I give you a kiss?"

Or even more vividly, the Shen Lian trapped in illusion, with love brimming from his eyes and brows.

"I'm so fond of A Xuan."

"I want to be with A Xuan forever."

Yan Huaixuan stared blankly, then raised his hand to brush the corner of his eye.

When he lowered his gaze, he saw the glistening dampness on his fingertips.

At that moment, Shen Lian woke up. The first thing he saw was Yan Huaixuan, and disgust immediately surfaced on his face.