Chapter 65: Heart-Protecting Scale

Chapter 65: Heart-Protecting Scale

Shen Lian took a deep breath. "He's just a little snake, hardly a threat. Do you really have to go after him like this?"

Yan Huaixuan said in a deep voice, "Shen Lian, the demon race is full of cunning, treacherous people. You shouldn't—and can't—just trust them so easily."

"That snake is no ordinary demon beast, no matter what you say."

"Its aura—I feel like I've seen it somewhere before. It's definitely hiding something from you."

Shen Lian sneered, "And what's that got to do with you?"

Hearing this, Yan Huaixuan's heart tightened.

He stared straight at Shen Lian. "Can't you even talk to me like a normal person?"

Shen Lian shut his eyes, cold and indifferent.

Yan Huaixuan's feelings grew even more tangled. "Shen Lian, no matter what, you can't fully become a demon. There's still time. I can help you get rid of the demonic energy inside you."

Shen Lian scoffed. "And then what? Watch me turn into a useless cripple again, so you can keep me locked up here forever? Keep licking your boots and kissing up to you?"

Yan Huaixuan's voice was hoarse. "That's not what I meant."

But Shen Lian didn't answer, just pulled the blanket over himself and turned away.

Yan Huaixuan stared at the back of the man lying in bed. "Since you don't want to talk, get some rest. Your injuries aren't fully healed yet."

Shen Lian didn't react.

The light in Yan Huaixuan's eyes faded a little, but he knew he had bigger things to deal with right now.

He gave Shen Lian's back one last look, then turned and walked out.

Yan Huaixuan placed a barrier over his own mountain peak.

He knew the Tianheng Sect Master's words weren't baseless—he must have already caught on to something.

Luckily, Shen Lian had taken on Lian Song's form when he turned into a demon.

Once Yan Huaixuan purged the demonic energy from Shen Lian, Shen Lian could go back to living in the Taichu Realm under his real identity.

Shen Lian used to suppress the demonic energy, but now he'd fully embraced it. Soon, there'd be no going back.

Yan Huaixuan had to move faster.

Yan Huaixuan's eyes darkened, and with a flick of his sleeve, he vanished on the spot.

The first thing Yan Huaixuan needed to find was the heart-protecting scale. After all, ripping out the demonic energy by force would be fatal to Shen Lian.

He needed a dragon's heart-protecting scale to protect Shen Lian's body from harm.

And from what he knew, the higher a dragon's cultivation, the stronger its heart-protecting scale.

Yan Huaixuan soon arrived above a mountain range blazing with flames. He looked down and saw nothing but churning magma that could swallow a person whole.

Even the air itself radiated a terrifying heat.

The moment Yan Huaixuan arrived, a black dragon wreathed in demonic energy shot up from the abyss below.

"Who dares to trespass in the Rockfire Purgatory!"

Yan Huaixuan stared back at the dragon, his face expressionless.

The black dragon observed Yan Huaixuan for a moment, then sneered, "And here I thought someone important showed up. Turns out it's just some lowly Earth Immortal from the human race. You really think you can beat me?"

The moment it finished speaking, a massive surge of demonic energy exploded from its body.

It was clearly—beyond Earth Immortal, at the True Immortal Realm.

Rolling waves of dense, bone-chilling yin energy instantly engulfed Yan Huaixuan.

"Delivering yourself to my doorstep—you'll make a nice meal."

Shen Lian, though, hadn't completely given up. He searched everywhere, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't get out.

Most of all, Shen Lian was still worried about Shen Mo.

The demon race and human cultivators were mortal enemies. He couldn't be sure Yan Huaixuan wouldn't go after Shen Mo.

Shen Lian clenched his fingers tightly.

Shen Lian looked around the entire building, disgust filling his eyes.

The smell of Yan Huaixuan was everywhere—so repulsive it made him sick.

Shen Lian searched again for a weak spot in the barrier, moving through the great hall.

Suddenly, he stopped, his eyes fixed on the desk.

Shen Lian paused, then slowly walked over.

Because on that desk, he saw something he recognized.

It was a pill case.

And this pill case was made by Shen Lian's own hands, with a peony carved on its surface.

The pills he sold usually came in bottles, but this one was different.

This pill was a Tribulation Transcendence pill that Shen Lian had refined over eight days using three heavenly-grade spirit plants. It could help one smoothly enter the tribulation transcendence stage.

This was a pill Shen Lian had made to give to that man.

Shen Lian's gaze grew distant.

When he sold pills, he naturally attracted some attention. At first, he didn't know about it. It wasn't until one time he was nearly ambushed and captured that he realized he had unknowingly been targeted.

But at that time, his cultivation was low. Just as he thought he would die, a cultivator appeared and helped him out of the predicament.

That cultivator had no name, wore a mask, and asked for nothing in return. To thank him, Shen Lian wanted to do something for him.

When he learned that the man was about to attempt tribulation transcendence.

Shen Lian specially refined this pill and stored it in this pill case.

After that, the cultivator left, and Shen Lian never found anyone harassing him again. But through this experience, Shen Lian also learned to conceal his whereabouts.

Shen Lian opened the pill case. The Tribulation Transcendence pill was still safely inside.

Shen Lian's fingertips suddenly trembled. Why was this pill case in Yan Huaixuan's possession?

Just as he was spacing out, the barrier rippled.

Shen Lian turned toward the main entrance.

He locked eyes with Yan Huaixuan, who was just coming back.

Seeing the pill case in Shen Lian's hand, Yan Huaixuan froze too. "You already know?"

But Shen Lian's face suddenly changed. "Yan Huaixuan, I'm asking you—where did this pill case come from? Don't tell me you swiped it?"

Shen Lian's words were accusatory, but his eyes and tone made it clear to Yan Huaixuan.

He was dead set on believing Yan Huaixuan had stolen it.

Yan Huaixuan went quiet for a beat, then looked away. "If you think I stole it, then fine."

Shen Lian's hand tightened. "Yan Huaixuan, do your sect brothers know what a hypocrite you are?"

"The Tianheng Sect should be ashamed to have you!"

"What about that cultivator? The one you robbed—where is he?"

Yan Huaixuan said flatly, "I didn't kill him. He got away."

"You're lying."

Shen Lian hated him that much, and Yan Huaixuan knew no amount of explaining would help.

He said quietly, "Absorb this heart-protecting scale first."

Yan Huaixuan opened his palm, revealing a black scale still wet with blood.

Shen Lian was about to refuse on the spot.

But Chen Xue muttered, "Isn't this a heart-protecting scale from the True Immortal Realm?!"

Shen Lian froze. "What did you just say?"

Chen Xue explained, "This is the heart-protecting scale of a dragon at the True Immortal level. Its defensive power is insane. If turned into a defensive artifact, it could block a full-on hit from a True Immortal, at the very least."

She shot a glance at Yan Huaixuan. "He's probably... trying to get rid of the demonic energy in Master while also shielding Master's body."

"The scale was just ripped out. If I'm right, Yan Huaixuan must be badly hurt right now—he's only an Earth Immortal, going up against a True Immortal way above his level..."

She trailed off, but Shen Lian could already tell something was wrong.

Only then did he notice Yan Huaixuan's face had been pale since he walked in.

Plus, Yan Huaixuan had been keeping one hand behind his back the whole time.

Shen Lian caught a whiff of blood, and even now, blood was still slowly oozing from Yan Huaixuan's shoulder.

Yan Huaixuan... was genuinely trying to remove the demonic energy from him?

But Shen Lian quickly suppressed that thought.

His face returned to cold indifference as he turned to leave.

The next moment, his waist was seized, and his entire body was pulled backward.

Shen Lian's back collided with a chest—he was wrapped in Yan Huaixuan's embrace.