Chapter 53: Reunion

Chapter 53: Meeting Again

"Everyone thought he was really dead."

"But after he came out of seclusion, he was already at the second-stage Void Immortal!"

Shen Lian didn't want to listen, but that person's voice was simply too loud.

Hearing that the man had been struck until his soul was scattered, Shen Lian frowned almost imperceptibly—not out of concern, but out of confusion.

This Yan Huaixuan's path in this life was vastly different from the original novel.

In the original book, when Yan Huaixuan broke through the Tribulation Transcendence with Heavenly Thunder, it was described as the ultimate flex, a grand spectacle witnessed by the entire sect.

Yan Huaixuan cut through the Heavenly Thunder with one sword strike and shot straight up to the Void Immortal third realm.

How could he have almost died this time?

He couldn't wrap his head around it, but it wasn't his problem anyway.

All he needed to do now was boost his cultivation fast and then get his revenge.

Shen Lian looked away, indifferent.

Just then, someone on the Immortal Boat suddenly said, "There's demonic energy!"

Shen Lian instantly opened his eyes. He first thought he'd let his own presence slip, but then Shen Lian also caught a wisp of demonic energy, there and gone in a flash.

Shen Lian's brow furrowed slightly.

He wondered which demon had actually managed to sneak on board.

In the entire Tai Chu Realm, demons were universally reviled. The moment one showed up, cultivators, demon beasts, and even Evil Cultivators would all join the hunt.

All because demons were vicious and ruthless.

Now that demonic energy had shown up on the ship, inspections were inevitable.

Shen Lian's hand brushed the jade pendant at his waist.

He could hide himself fine, but to be safe, he swapped in a jade pendant that concealed his aura and masked his cultivation. This artifact was a top-tier treasure, and it had cost him two top-tier Peiyuan Pills to get.

Sure enough, the Immortal Boat came to a dead stop mid-air.

A bunch of cultivators emerged from the crowd, but the strongest was the ship's owner, Cultivator Li, at the Void Insight stage.

They scanned with cold faces, "A demon's on the ship. Everyone cooperates with the inspection."

Shen Lian stayed put, sitting calmly.

The cultivators swept the ship twice over but found no trace of demonic energy.

That meant one of two things: either there was no demon, or the demon's cultivation exceeded everyone on the ship put together.

Shen Lian figured he was in the clear.

But out of nowhere, an even more luxurious Immortal Boat slowly emerged not far from theirs.

The second that ship showed up, Shen Lian saw the cultivators around him start buzzing with excitement.

Shen Lian's heart lurched.

The cold-faced Cultivator Li immediately turned deferential.

Cultivator Li shot forward eagerly, "Li greets the cultivators of the Tianheng Sect. Li takes the liberty of asking a favor of you all."

A figure slowly emerged on the luxurious Immortal Boat, gazing down with cold, indifferent eyes, sweeping a look over Shen Lian's ship.

"What's the matter?"

Cultivator Li said, "There's demonic energy on our ship, but we can't find the source."

The Tianheng Sect cultivator frowned and looked him over, "You're at the Void Insight stage?"

If even a Void Insight cultivator couldn't find it... He paused, thinking, then said, "Hold on. I'll go get our shishu."

"Alright."

Cultivator Li's eyes gleamed with excitement. Finding the demon was just a side quest; what he really wanted was a chance to network with the Tianheng Sect. He had no idea who this shishu was, but anyone called shishu had to be seriously strong.

But he never expected today would be his jackpot day!

The Tianheng Sect cultivator came back out shortly after, "Our shishu agreed. Don't worry—with our shishu here, if there's a demon, it's got nowhere to run."

Shen Lian: "..."

His eyelid twitched, and he already had a scroll ready in his hand.

As it turned out, his luck really wasn't great.

Before long, that "shishu" finally showed up.

At the sight of that silver hair and those signature frost-colored eyes.

Shen Lian's fingers curled into a tight fist beneath his sleeve.

He hadn't expected to have such goddamn rotten luck running into this guy again.

Unlike Shen Lian, the people around him could barely hold back their excitement.

"No way, it's True Lord Yan!"

And just then, Yan Huaixuan raised his eyes.

Shen Lian instinctively turned away, then remembered he was in disguise and Yan Huaixuan wouldn't recognize him. Even so, he ducked his head.

After all, Yan Huaixuan was now a Void Immortal at the second realm.

Yan Huaixuan's gaze swept over the ship. Just as he was about to speak, he paused almost imperceptibly, then said coolly, "There is indeed a trace of demonic energy."

Hearing that, every cultivator on the ship instantly went on high alert.

"True Lord! Find it fast, and we'll kill it right here!"

Shen Lian, though, froze for a beat.

Watching Yan Huaixuan come down from his ship and step onto theirs, Shen Lian's eyes shifted.

But he hadn't expected Yan Huaixuan to walk right past him and head slowly toward the wine storage.

At that moment, Shen Lian also spotted a small, cowering head through the gaps between the wine jars.

And what's worse, Shen Lian knew exactly whose little head it was!

He took a deep breath, watching Yan Huaixuan head straight over with a cold, impassive expression.

Shen Lian suddenly spoke up, "Yan Zhenjun, I think the demon fled that way."

Yan Huaixuan paused, turning to look at Shen Lian.

Shen Lian flashed Yan Huaixuan a sweet smile, "Really, I saw the demon scramble over the side and escape. It must have been scared off by your reputation, Zhenjun."

Even though he kept his smile, Shen Lian's hand clenched tightly under his sleeve.

Luckily, Yan Huaixuan didn't seem to notice anything. He looked away and changed course.

While the others crowded around, Shen Lian quickly slipped over to the wine jars. With a subtle flick of his hand, unnoticed by anyone, his sleeve stirred as if something alive was hiding inside.

But just then, Yan Huaixuan suddenly turned back, his voice cold, "There's no sign of the demon outside the ship."

Shen Lian stiffened as everyone on board turned to look at him, forcing a laugh, "Haha, I must have been seeing things."

With that, he quickly tossed a Demon Plant into one of the wine jars, then casually went back to his spot.

Yan Huaixuan, however, walked back to the wine jars. He lifted the lid of one, glanced inside, and a pitch-black plant appeared in his palm.

It was obviously a Demon Plant at first glance.

Cultivator Li's face darkened, "So it was this thing? Who poisoned my wine!"

Yan Huaixuan destroyed the Demon Plant with a wave of his hand and turned to leave, hands tucked into his sleeves.

Cultivator Li quickly said, "Thank you for your help, Zhenjun!"

Yan Huaixuan gave a curt nod.

Shen Lian was about to breathe a sigh of relief when, to his horror, Yan Huaixuan suddenly stopped right in front of him.

"You have exceptional talent. Would you be interested in joining the Tianheng Sect?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Shen Lian immediately felt everyone's eyes land on him.

Some envious, some shocked, some displeased.

Because Shen Lian had hidden his cultivation at the Void Insight Stage, making him look like nothing more than a novice. Yet Yan Huaixuan claimed he had exceptional talent.

For a split second, Shen Lian wondered if Yan Huaixuan knew something.

Shen Lian gave a slight smile and looked up, "Thank you, Zhenjun, but my brother is at the Zichen Sect. I'm on my way to join him."

Hearing this, the others gritted their teeth in frustration.