Chapter 88: He Has Returned

Chapter 88: He Returns

"Alright," Shen Lian said, also handing him a jade token. He thought for a moment. "In the future, I'll make a deal with you."

He Ci was already about to turn and leave, but stopped at those words. "What did you say?"

"I always have to find different buyers for my pills, and the quality of the treasures they offer varies. Since you've got Floating Cloud Mountain behind you, I'll just hand my pills over to you from now on. You can sell them for me and take a percentage. How about it?"

Shen Lian had already thought it through. He always had to visit weapon shops and watch out for being found out.

It was easier to just leave it to He Ci.

After everything he'd been through, He Ci had really matured. Floating Cloud Mountain had a solid reputation, and its cultivators were all about slaying demons and wiping out evil.

He Ci didn't hesitate. "Deal!"

"I'll cook up a batch of pills every month and bring them to you."

"If you want, you can stick around for half a month, and I'll whip up another batch before you go."

"I'll talk it over with my dad!" He Ci said that the first day, but the very next day, He Ling showed up in person, much to his surprise.

Shen Lian was a bit surprised, but He Ling said, "I've heard everything that went down these past few days. You still don't know enough about Alchemy Cultivators."

"Sorry—after you left that day, I figured out who you were. You might not realize this, but your pills are in huge demand out there."

"A lot of sects are trying to find the Alchemy Cultivator who made these pills."

"When you gave them to me that time, I already knew something was up."

"Someone like you doesn't even need to partner with our sect. If you just put the word out, the top twenty sects would be tearing each other apart to get you."

A strong Alchemy Cultivator's pills could quickly boost a sect's power.

Especially someone like Shen Lian, who had nearly a perfect success rate.

Shen Lian really hadn't thought about any of this.

He Ling said in a warm tone, "So I came to ask—do you really want to work with us?"

"But Floating Cloud Mountain is ranked fifteenth among the sects. If you pick us, I swear you won't regret it."

Behind him, He Ci's eyes went wide in shock. He had no clue Shen Lian was this impressive.

But come to think of it, the pills Shen Lian gave him had shot his cultivation up a whole realm without any backlash!

Normally, pills like that came at a heavy price—you'd hurt yourself to hurt the enemy.

And on top of that, Shen Lian had completely healed his serious injuries.

Shen Lian said flat out, "I'll work with you."

"Plus, He Ci and I are friends."

He Ling immediately got the hint and dropped the formal tone.

"Don't worry, I'll keep your whereabouts and identity hidden. If you ever decide to come out, I'll tell everyone right away that you're an elder of Floating Cloud Sect."

Shen Lian gave a small hum of acknowledgment.

Once they'd agreed to work together, Shen Lian spent the next half month cranking out a ton of pills.

With the materials He Ling supplied, Shen Lian was producing even more than before.

When He Ling left, he could barely stop himself from grinning ear to ear.

Who would've thought the legendary Alchemy Cultivator everyone in the Primordial Realm was whispering about had been found by his son?

Suddenly, He Ci didn't seem so irritating after all.

As He Ci was heading out, he looked back at Shen Lian. "I'm heading back now, Shen Lian. Take care of yourself. See you in a month."

Shen Lian gave a nod.

After handing the pills over to He Ling, Shen Lian's storage pouch was stuffed full again.

Watching He Ci and the others leave, Shen Lian ripped open a scroll and headed back to the edge of the Fallen Snow Domain. He noticed a lot more cultivators had gathered at the edge.

Most of them were whispering to each other.

"Did you hear? The Demon-Slaying Heavenly Thunder showed up above the Fallen Snow Domain. That thunder hasn't shown up in over a thousand years—who the hell could be that wicked?"

Shen Lian blended in with them, listening like he wasn't paying attention.

"Whoever it was, there's no way they survived."

"True. Oh, by the way, did you hear that Yan Huaixuan, the top prodigy of the Tianheng Sect, went missing?"

"No."

Shen Lian slipped away from them and entered the Fallen Snow Domain. There was another reason he came here.

Since advancing to the Void Immortal realm, his perception of the elements had grown sharper. His spiritual power was ice-attributed, highly attuned to the Fallen Snow Domain's environment—cultivating here was twice as effective for him.

Moreover, the Fallen Snow Domain was filled with new plants that fascinated Shen Lian.

And then there was the matter of reforging Chen Xue's blade.

Back in the mortal realm, Chen Xue had indeed been a divine weapon.

But in the Primordial Realm, it was barely a Yellow-grade artifact.

However, just as humans could cultivate, divine weapons could also ascend in rank.

Back then, Yan Huaixuan had forcibly elevated Ling Yun from Heaven-grade all the way to a supreme immortal artifact.

Chen Xue had sensed something upon arriving in the Fallen Snow Domain.

"Master, I feel that thing—it can definitely help temper my blade."

But Shen Lian had searched for the object Chen Xue mentioned multiple times without ever finding where it was.

Another year passed.

At the very heart of the Fallen Snow Domain, Shen Lian slowly opened his eyes and let out a breath of turbid qi.

Chen Xue exclaimed joyfully beside him, "Master, you've entered the Earth Immortal realm!"

Shen Lian cracked a faint smile and spread his hand open.

At that moment, a message came through on He Ci's jade token.

"Shen Lian, the festival is tomorrow. Will you come?"

Shen Lian, figuring he'd been in seclusion in the snow domain for nearly a month, agreed. "Alright."

He Ci was thrilled to hear him agree. "I'll come pick you up tomorrow."

"No need, I'll go by myself."

He flicked his sleeve and stood, his white robes nearly disappearing into the snowy landscape.

Chen Xue watched Shen Lian's figure, seeing him nearly blend into the white snow.

She tilted her head, feeling like Shen Lian seemed oddly familiar.

Little did Shen Lian know, shortly after he stood and left, deep in the snow, a pair of eyes slowly opened.

But one of those eyes was silver, and the other was purple.

By the time Shen Lian left, it was already night.

Countless demon creatures surged from all directions, but Shen Lian no longer had to flee like he did a year ago.

With a simple wave of his hand, he instantly slaughtered the demon creatures blocking his path. The remaining beasts, sensing the Earth Immortal aura radiating from him, didn't dare provoke him.

Just as Shen Lian was about to leave, he suddenly sensed something.

He paused mid-step and spun around, but saw nothing.

But the feeling of being watched didn't go away.

Shen Lian narrowed his eyes.

He released his Spiritual Sense, but it swept up nothing.

But when Shen Lian turned back, the gaze on him returned.

Shen Lian said coldly, "Who's there?"

That thing didn't seem like a demon creature.

No one answered him.