Chapter 66: Yan Huaixuan Loses an Arm

Chapter 66: Yan Huaixuan's Severed Arm

"What are you doing!"

Shen Lian was about to channel his demonic energy, but realized it had already been sealed by Yan Huaixuan.

"Yan Huaixuan!"

Yan Huaixuan's voice turned colder and harder. "The heart-protecting scale has to be absorbed right after it's pulled out. Don't make a fuss. Absorb it first."

"I'm the one making a fuss?" Shen Lian let out a furious laugh, but before he could finish, his vision blurred, and the next thing he knew, Yan Huaixuan had set him down on the bed.

Yan Huaixuan sat cross-legged across from him in a meditation pose.

Shen Lian was forced to look at Yan Huaixuan, unable to even turn his head.

Yan Huaixuan said in a low voice, "Sorry, this is going to hurt a little."

With that, he pressed the dragon scale to Shen Lian's chest.

Since Shen Lian wouldn't absorb it himself, Yan Huaixuan had to do it for him.

The instant the heart-protecting scale touched his chest, Shen Lian felt his whole body burn with an unbearable heat—especially the spot it touched, which felt like it was being swallowed by magma.

His body trembled, his face went pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

After all, Shen Lian was only at the Spirit Transformation Stage. Absorbing a True Immortal Realm dragon's scale was bound to be painful—and even after all that pain, he could only absorb a tiny fraction of its power.

But that was enough.

Shen Lian opened his eyes through the stinging pain, meaning to shoot Yan Huaixuan a hateful glare.

But instead, he found Yan Huaixuan's face was even paler than his.

His eyes drifted down to Yan Huaixuan's arm.

That was when he noticed one of Yan Huaixuan's sleeves was hanging empty.

Shen Lian froze, the words slipping out before he could stop them. "What happened to your arm?"

At that, Yan Huaixuan quickly tucked his sleeve behind his back and said quietly, "It's nothing."

Shen Lian opened his mouth, then shut it just as fast.

A flash of shame crossed his eyes. What was wrong with him just now?

His first instinct had been to worry about Yan Huaixuan. What was that about? Hadn't he already been burned by this man enough?

Shen Lian bit his lip hard. No matter how agonizing the absorption got, he refused to make another sound.

He asked Chen Xue in his mind, "Is this heart-protecting scale going to hurt me?"

Chen Xue nodded. "No. This is a dragon's last-ditch survival measure. It's not easy to take out. Normally, when a dragon is alive and dying, they use up this scale. Once they're dead, the scale is useless."

Chen Xue was about to go on, but Shen Lian cut in. "You sound like you're defending him."

Chen Xue froze. "Master..."

Shen Lian narrowed his eyes. "Last time I tried to kill him, you forced me to stop, didn't you? Chen Xue, are you connected to Yan Huaixuan somehow?"

Chen Xue said quickly, "Master, you're the one I signed the life-bound contract with. One thought from you, and I'd be reduced to ashes."

Shen Lian pressed his lips together, thinking about how Chen Xue had followed him for so many years, especially how she'd protected his body back in the lower realm.

That reminded him of what Ling Yun had said.

"Shen Lian, back then our master expended half his cultivation to protect you, and even his—"

Shen Lian sneered. Absolutely ridiculous.

Time passed, and finally Yan Huaixuan managed to fuse the heart-protecting scale into Shen Lian's body.

Shen Lian went limp, and Yan Huaixuan caught him at once. "Shen Lian."

He stroked Shen Lian's cheek, his eyes full of complicated feelings.

He suddenly remembered how Shen Lian used to come to him and whine over the tiniest injury. Now, Shen Lian was gritting his teeth through the searing pain of the fusion without a single word.

Somewhere along the way, Shen Lian had completely changed.

Yan Huaixuan stared down at the face of the man in his arms.

The next second, blood surged up his throat. Yan Huaixuan looked at his severed arm, his brow furrowing deeply.

That True Immortal Realm Black Dragon had been a menace in their past life, and its strength was nothing to scoff at.

It was a pain, but Yan Huaixuan had experience from his past life, so the fight wasn't too hard.

But once it realized he was after its scale, the Black Dragon would rather die than give it up, planning to take the heart-protecting scale to the grave with it.

Yan Huaixuan had no choice but to rush in and rip the scale out while it was self-destructing.

He got out fast, but he lost an arm in the process.

While Yan Huaixuan was lost in thought, the man in his arms rasped, "So thirsty."

Yan Huaixuan snapped out of it. With his cultivation sealed, Shen Lian was just an ordinary person now.

Of course he'd get thirsty or hungry.

Yan Huaixuan got some water and fed it to Shen Lian, cupping his chin.

Watching Shen Lian take little sips, memories flashed through Yan Huaixuan's mind.

Back then, when Shen Lian was trying every trick to get him to take his medicine, he'd act the same way—clinging to him, always messing up his clothes.

And after he drank it, Shen Lian would hand him a candied fruit.

At the memory, the corner of Yan Huaixuan's mouth couldn't help but curl up.

When Shen Lian woke up, his stomach was growling.

He took a deep breath. If Yan Huaixuan hadn't sealed his cultivation, he'd have forgotten what hunger even felt like.

And he didn't even have any fasting pills.

Shen Lian got up, his face expressionless.

But then he suddenly caught a whiff of something delicious.

Shen Lian froze, then turned to see a figure standing outside the door.

Yan Huaixuan met his gaze, also paused for a moment, then gently placed a food box in front of Shen Lian. "You must be hungry now. You should eat something to fill your stomach."

He opened the food box, but it wasn't demon beast meat—instead, it was the sugar cakes that Shen Lian had loved in the lower realm.

But Shen Lian, without a second thought, knocked the food box over.

A flicker of shock flashed in Yan Huaixuan's eyes, his hand still holding the lid.

He watched helplessly as the sugar cakes scattered all over the place.

Shen Lian gave a faint, wry smile. "I don't care for this kind of thing anymore. Do you know why?"

Yan Huaixuan seemed to know the reason, yet still asked, "Why?"

"Because it reminds me of someone. Just thinking that I once happily used this to win that person's favor, only for them to treat it like trash."

"It makes me sick, just reminding me of how stupid I was back then."

Shen Lian stared at Yan Huaixuan's face, then smiled again. "But then again, someone like you, a favored son of heaven, how could you possibly understand?"

"Anything sincere you're given, you find laughable."

"You just think it's something you're entitled to."

"Isn't that right?"

Yan Huaixuan couldn't argue with that.

Back then, he had indeed scoffed at Shen Lian.

But he never expected it to turn into a sharp blade so quickly, making him feel what it was like to be stabbed through the heart.

Seeing Shen Lian about to turn and leave, Yan Huaixuan instinctively reached out and grabbed him.

With a slight tug, he pulled Shen Lian into his arms.

Yan Huaixuan held Shen Lian from behind, his instincts telling him he had to do something, but he had no experience with this.

He could only act on instinct and speak. "Shen Lian, I misunderstood you back then. I know this can't just be brushed aside, but can you give me a chance?"

"Let me make it up to you?"

"Make it up?" Shen Lian laughed as if he'd heard something amusing.

"Even if you make it up, will the scars on my body disappear?"

Yan Huaixuan's arms tightened. He was holding the person in his arms, holding Shen Lian, yet he felt as if his embrace was empty.