Chapter 60: It Was I Who Taught Shen Lian the Reversed Heart Mantra

Chapter 60: It Was I Who Taught Shen Lian the Reversed Cultivation Heart Technique

Shen Lian's eyes darted slightly, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. He raised a hand, and the two cultivators were forcibly yanked back.

Struggle as they might, there was no escape.

Shen Lian grabbed one of them and ripped the cultivator in two. Tossing the two halves aside, his gaze fell upon the other Feiyun Sect cultivator who had collapsed to the ground.

Then, the ghostly blue flame in his palm erupted with a roar, latching onto the Feiyun Sect cultivator.

The cultivator was reduced to ashes mid-scream. But that wasn't enough—a flicker of blue flame still gnawed at his soul.

Cang Huai shot up in disbelief, struggling to meet Shen Lian's gaze.

"Shen Lian."

Chen Xue whispered under her breath, "What flame could burn even a cultivator's soul?"

At the same time, the presiding elders of the Ten Great Sects all snapped their eyes open, their cold gazes fixed on the minor secret realm. "A demon—Void Immortal realm?"

"Order the Ten Great Sects to seal the minor secret realm and exterminate the demon at once."

In an instant, news of the demon's appearance spread like a plague, and every exit to the minor secret realms was sealed.

Disciples on the brink of death, ready to crush their treasures to flee, suddenly found their treasures dead. Terror dawned on their faces.

What the hell was going on?

Meanwhile, Yan Huaixuan, who had already entered the minor secret realm to search for Shen Lian, felt his pupils constrict. He tilted his head up, catching sight of several sect elders poised to enter.

Ling Yun was rendered speechless as well.

"I never imagined he'd fall so far as to become a demon..."

But what he hadn't expected was that Yan Huaixuan raised a hand, and a torrent of spiritual power burst from his body, spreading across the entire barrier of the minor secret realm.

The elders about to enter to capture the demon hesitated.

"Who's blocking us from entering?"

Shen Lian came to, surrounded by severed limbs and scattered remains.

He glanced at Cang Huai, knowing his demon identity was exposed, he and Cang Huai were now strangers.

Shen Lian hesitated, then walked past Cang Huai, but to his surprise, Cang Huai grabbed him.

Shen Lian said coldly, "I won't kill you. I've already repaid you for saving my life. We're even now."

He wrenched his hand free and made to leave.

But his wrist was caught in an iron grip. "Don't go out there yet."

Shen Lian's brows knitted. "Cang Huai, don't make me hurt you!"

He raised his hand, and a streak of demonic energy lashed into Cang Huai's hand. Cang Huai was nothing but an ant to him now.

As Shen Lian moved to leave.

Cang Huai's jaw clenched.

"Shen Lian."

Shen Lian paused. Only then did it hit him—Cang Huai had said "Shen Lian."

His eyes narrowed, and he saw the black hair before him turn silver-white, those eyes shifting to a shade Shen Lian knew all too well.

The man's features were cold and pristine, his eyes untainted, then dissolved into a wisp of soul essence that flew past Shen Lian.

Shen Lian turned, his body rigid.

Only to see that silver figure standing at the cave entrance.

Shen Lian's eyes were lost, uncertain.

Yan Huaixuan closed the distance in long strides, his brow deeply furrowed, grabbing Shen Lian's hand. "Shen Lian, don't go out yet. The Ten Great Sects' elders are all out there waiting to take you."

Yan Huaixuan was about to speak in a low voice, "I—"

But unexpectedly, Shen Lian shoved him back, his voice sharp and piercing. "Scram!"

"Yan Huaixuan, you lied to me! You actually dared to lie to me again!"

The Cang Huai who'd been at his side all this time was Yan Huaixuan. The one who'd taken hits for him was Yan Huaixuan!

Mid-sentence, Shen Lian started to laugh. "So that was just a clone after all."

Yan Huaixuan looked at him. He was smiling, but the hatred in his eyes was impossible to miss.

A hint of red welled up in Yan Huaixuan's eyes, a faint pallor ghosting across his face.

Shen Lian stared at him intently. "Does it make you happy to watch me fall for your lies over and over?"

"Yan Huaixuan, you make me sick! Why can't you just leave me alone!"

Yan Huaixuan's voice came out raspy. "We'll sort this out later. For now, don't go out."

Once Shen Lian's laughter died, he fixed Yan Huaixuan with a blank stare. "What makes you think you can stop me now?"

With that, Shen Lian whipped a coil of demonic energy straight at Yan Huaixuan.

But to Shen Lian's shock, Yan Huaixuan didn't even flinch, and the whip tore straight through his protective aura, slashing his chest open until it ran with blood.

Ling Yun's pupils contracted. "Master!"

Outside the minor secret realm, the elders had been hammering at the barrier that had inexplicably risen around the minor secret realm, when they sensed a weak point in the spiritual power.

They barked coldly, "Hit the weak spot!"

Even Shen Lian hadn't expected to hurt Yan Huaixuan that badly.

Yan Huaixuan didn't say a word. Even after taking the whip, he just lifted his gaze to Shen Lian. "If you walk out now, you're dead. Wait—"

But before he could finish, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Ling Yun darted out. "Master! You're holding up the barrier and taking hits from Shen Lian—you'll kill yourself!"

Shen Lian fixed his eyes on Yan Huaixuan and smiled, all too sweetly. "So you're saying you actually care about me? You want to make up with me?"

At those words, Yan Huaixuan's breath hitched, and his gaze snapped to Shen Lian.

"I..."

Shen Lian leaned in, his hand gently wiping the blood from the corner of Yan Huaixuan's lips.

His brows knit in concern, "Husband, A Lian misjudged you."

Yan Huaixuan's eyes instantly turned crimson. How long had it been since he last heard that voice.

How long since he'd last seen Shen Lian look at him like that.

He took a deep breath, his voice hoarse, "It's nothing. Wait a short while, and I'll tear through space to take you a—"

Before he could finish, Yan Huaixuan looked down in disbelief.

Embedded in his chest was none other than Shen Lian's hand.

He looked up, Shen Lian was smiling brightly, but his eyes were completely blank.

Shen Lian said, "Drop dead. Even if I'm beaten to ashes, I'll never believe a word you say again."

As the words fell, Shen Lian yanked his hand back. He looked at his own palm, stunned for a moment, then sneered in contempt.

"Yan Huaixuan, why don't you have a heart?"

He'd meant to rip out Yan Huaixuan's heart to see what it was made of, but who'd have thought it was completely empty inside.

At that moment, Yan Huaixuan's spiritual energy scattered, and a storm of spiritual energy churned above the small secret realm.

Yan Huaixuan let out a low groan, staring at the hole gaping in his chest.

"Shen Lian, do you really hate me that much? If you hadn't deceived me first, sucking up to me because you knew I'd ascend, why else would I have given you false hope!"

Shen Lian's face twisted with malice, "Yeah, that was my plan at first, but how did I ever actually hurt you?"

"You deceived me, and I deceived you—we're square. So why did you destroy my spiritual foundation and throw me into a pit of utter ruin?"

Yan Huaixuan frowned, "When the hell did I ever destroy your spiritual foundation?"

Shen Lian no longer wanted to hear another word from him. "Still playing innocent! Go die!"

A ghostly blue flame flickered to life in Shen Lian's palm, this time aimed straight for Yan Huaixuan's soul.

Ling Yun's eyes narrowed, "Nine Abyss Fire?"

Legend said once it touched you, there was no stopping it—it only died when everything had burned to ash.

Ling Yun lunged forward without a second thought, throwing himself in front of the flame.

In an instant, Ling Yun's whole body went up in flames.

Yan Huaixuan's expression changed, "Shen Lian! Stop!"

He watched, helpless, as Ling Yun's sword spirit burned away bit by bit.

The sword that had been with him for over a thousand years—Yan Huaixuan tasted blood rising in his throat.

He had come to save Shen Lian without a second thought, and this was how Shen Lian repaid him?

He stared hard at Shen Lian, "Shen Lian, are you truly this heartless?"

Shen Lian sneered, "Don't worry, I'll send you to keep your sword spirit company soon."

Yan Huaixuan tried to muster his spiritual power, but it had already been drained—both from the Ten Great Sects' elders breaking through the barrier and from Shen Lian's attacks.

The moment he circulated his spiritual power, blood gushed from his throat.

The Lingyun Sword trembled, "I'm sorry."

Its voice was hoarse.

"It was my choice to accept the Nine Abyss Fire."

"It was I who taught Shen Lian the reverse cultivation technique."

Yan Huaixuan froze, "What did you say?"