Chapter 113: Taken Away

Chapter 113: Captured

Yan Huaixuan wore a look of pure innocence. "A Lian, what are you talking about?"

Shen Lian sneered. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

A faint smile curled at the corner of Yan Huaixuan's lips.

Shen Lian closed his eyes briefly, then said coldly, "I need to return to Floating Cloud Mountain to deliver the pills." This was the time of the month he was due to deliver pills to the sect.

Yan Huaixuan said, "I'll go with you."

"Whatever."

Just as Shen Lian was about to summon his flying sword, an arm snaked around his waist from behind.

Shen Lian was about to ask what he was doing when he saw Yan Huaixuan raise his hand, guiding Shen Lian onto the sword to take off.

Shen Lian suddenly remembered something. "I remember you once tore straight through the void to get somewhere. What kind of ability was that?"

"You mean this?" Yan Huaixuan formed a hand seal, and in an instant, Shen Lian felt an overwhelming aura envelop their surroundings.

He looked up and saw that a rift had slowly appeared before them.

And on the other side of the rift was Floating Cloud Mountain.

No teleportation scroll, no magical treasure, not even a teleport—he had simply torn open a spatial rift.

Shen Lian was stunned. "If you can just do that to get in, why'd you make me trek all the way to the demon border?"

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"No," Yan Huaixuan said gently. "This rift can only be crossed by me. With your current cultivation, if you tried to cross, the spatial laws would crush you to bits."

Basically, Shen Lian's body wasn't strong enough yet.

Shen Lian paused, then just went, "Oh."

Yan Huaixuan closed the spatial rift.

He continued flying the sword with Shen Lian on it.

Before long, they reached Floating Cloud Mountain, both disguised.

Shen Lian told Yan Huaixuan to wait outside. "I'll go in, drop off the pills, and come right back out."

Yan Huaixuan frowned. "I can become invisible."

"I know you're strong now, but are you sure you can hide from everyone? And there are people searching for you everywhere right now."

Seeing how firm Shen Lian was, Yan Huaixuan could only say, "Fine."

Shen Lian turned and went inside.

The guard at the gate already knew him and waved him in without a word.

But when Shen Lian went to He Ci's palace to find him, he was told He Ci wasn't there.

"Then where's your young master?"

"He's probably cultivating at the back mountain," the servant said hesitantly.

Shen Lian nodded. "Thank you."

Shen Lian had been to the back mountain before, so finding the spot was easy.

There he spotted He Ci standing inside a formation.

He Ci stood with his back to him.

"He Ci," Shen Lian called as he walked over. "I came as promised to deliver your pills."

But to his surprise, He Ci didn't answer or turn around.

Shen Lian's eyes flickered, but he kept his cool. "He Ci?"

At the same time, he quietly touched his jade token with his finger.

He slowly backed away.

But within three seconds, Shen Lian realized the space behind him was sealed off.

"Where do you think you're sneaking off to? Where's Yan Huaixuan?"

At that moment, He Ci turned around. His face was streaked with blood, his breath faint. "A Lian... run."

But it was too late.

Shen Lian spun around, expecting to see that demon, but instead found someone from the Tianheng Sect.

It was Xie Ren, the Sect Master of the Tianheng Sect.

Xie Ren's face was cold. "Shen Lian, or should I say Lian Song?"

"Now tell me, where's Yan Huaixuan?"

Shen Lian kept his face blank. "I don't know."

Xie Ren let out a cold laugh. "You dare say you don't know? You've been with him these past few days, haven't you? I can smell his aura on you."

Seeing that Shen Lian kept his mouth shut and refused to speak.

Xie Ren's face stayed cold. "Take him."

Shen Lian looked around. He had no chance to fight. Not only was Xie Ren already at the peak of Heavenly Immortal, just half a step from Supreme Golden Immortal, but behind him stood at least eight Heavenly Immortals, over ten Earth Immortals, and countless other cultivators.

Shen Lian lifted his foot and followed along.

Seeing this, Xie Ren gave a cryptic smile. "You certainly know how to go with the flow. No wonder you were willing to fall into demonhood back then."

Shen Lian said nothing.

A few cultivators beside Xie Ren sneered, "Keep that tough act up now. Soon enough, you'll be the one crying."

Chen Xue was frantic inside Shen Lian's body.

"Master, can we use the jade token to reach Yan Huaixuan?"

Shen Lian said flatly, "Contact Yan Huaixuan and lure him right into the trap?"

Chen Xue figured as much—these people had captured him precisely to find Yan Huaixuan.

Shen Lian could use the jade token to reach Yan Huaixuan, but then what?

"Then what do we do now?"

Shen Lian said, "They want Yan Huaixuan, so they won't harm me. I'll find a way to slip away."

Just then, Kong Yun rushed out, still looking like a young man.

"You can't hurt him."

The cultivators beside Xie Ren immediately blocked Kong Yun.

Xie Ren frowned. "You're a demon beast—what business do you have butting in here?"

Kong Yun furrowed his brows. "You're throwing away the future of the Primordial Realm. You can't touch Shen Lian."

Xie Ren remained expressionless. "Get lost. It's not your place to talk."

With a wave of his hand, Xie Ren sent Kong Yun flying with tremendous force, letting out a muffled grunt as he crashed into the wall.

Shen Lian's eyes narrowed. "You dare touch him?!"

Xie Ren's expression was cold. "So what? He's just a demon beast, and the lowest of the low at that."

He Ci, who had been lying on the ground, struggled to lift his head. He seemed to be trying to crawl toward Kong Yun, who was barely breathing. "Kong Yun."

"Stop wasting your breath on them," said a cultivator beside Xie Ren, also the Grand Elder of the Tianheng Sect, raising his hand to kill Kong Yun.

Shen Lian said coldly, "If you dare touch him, I guarantee you'll never lay eyes on Yan Huaixuan again."

Xie Ren sneered. "Who do you think you are?"

Shen Lian nodded slightly. "Because I'm the Alchemy Cultivator who supplies Floating Cloud City with pills."

At that, not just Xie Ren but everyone else was stunned. "What did you say?"

He Ci's eyes widened, and he urgently looked at Shen Lian, shaking his head.

After all, ever since Floating Cloud Mountain jumped from fifteenth to the top ten thanks to Shen Lian's pills, how many people had been quietly hunting for the Alchemy Cultivator behind them?

Xie Ren narrowed his eyes, remembering that Lian Song had seemed to be an Alchemy Cultivator back when he was at the Zichen Sect.

If they could get Shen Lian, their sect's strength would definitely jump by more than half.

"How do you prove it?" Sure enough, Xie Ren's tone wavered.

Shen Lian looked at He Ci. "He Ci, tell them who provided you with the pills."

He Ci's lips moved slightly.

Shen Lian's gaze was sharp, the message clear—if He Ci didn't talk, Kong Yun might not make it.

He Ci's lips trembled, and finally he said, "It was Shen Lian."

Right in front of Xie Ren, Shen Lian summoned the Nine Abyss Fire in his palm and casually refined a top-grade pill.