Chapter 188: I Like You

Chapter 188: I Like You

Finally, the first cultivator couldn't hold on any longer. With a bang, he was squashed into a bloody pulp. His soul barely managed to surface before it was violently yanked upward, screaming as it was pulled into the eye.

Shen Lian frowned at the sight. "If you don't want to be flattened, pool all your strength together and wait for the people outside to open the small secret realm's gate."

Hearing this, everyone set aside their sect differences without a second thought.

They huddled together, forming a protective barrier.

A group was indeed far stronger than each person holding up their own shield—giving everyone a brief moment to catch their breath.

The cultivators quickly looked up, pulling out their communication jade slips and sound transmission stones.

They desperately called out to the great powers of their sects outside, begging them to open the gate.

But to their dismay, no matter how long they called out, no one responded.

Until all their communication tools shattered at once.

It wasn't the small secret realm that did it—it was the people outside.

Every cultivator froze in place.

"Elder?"

Someone said in disbelief.

And outside the small secret realm, thousands upon thousands of cultivators had gathered—the great powers of every major sect among them.

Leading them was the number one sect of the Eastern Extreme Sea, the Han Yun Sect.

The Han Yun Sect Master said coldly, "We absolutely cannot open the small secret realm. We can't let the evil entity inside get out."

Someone couldn't bear to hear that. "There are still over a thousand cultivators inside. Are we just supposed to let them all die in there?"

Hearing this, the Han Yun Sect Master looked up at the speaker. "You think I haven't thought of that? This time, my Han Yun Sect sent the most disciples into the trial of all the sects!"

At that, the others fell silent.

Some sighed. No one had expected that what was meant to be a succession trial carrying everyone's hopes would end like this.

Meanwhile, Shen Lian noticed that the small secret realm's gate still hadn't opened, and his brow furrowed.

He quickly figured out what the people outside were thinking.

They were probably planning to seal off the entire small secret realm, with them inside it.

And destroy that eye thing along with it.

It seemed they had decided to abandon them all.

Shen Lian looked at Fei Yun. "Is there really no way for you to get us out?"

Fei Yun shook his head.

But his gaze subtly swept toward Yan Huaixuan, who was standing beside Shen Lian.

Now they not only had to resist the eye's killing pressure, but also worry whether the people outside would destroy the entire small secret realm.

Shen Lian pressed his lips together and looked at Yan Huaixuan.

He had only just gotten together with Yan Huaixuan...

And now they were going to die just like that?

He refused to accept it.

Yan Huaixuan's expression also grew grave. He tightened his grip on Shen Lian's hand.

"Don't be afraid."

Then, right in front of Shen Lian,

Yan Huaixuan tore open a spatial rift with his bare hands.

Shen Lian was stunned for a moment, then joy flashed in his eyes. "How could I have forgotten—you can tear open spatial rifts!"

But before Shen Lian could step in first, the other cultivators had already noticed.

Seeing that the other side of the rift led outside the small secret realm, their eyes instantly turned bloodshot as they rushed forward frantically. "Move!"

"Get out through here!"

Too many cultivators had seen it, and they all charged toward the rift at once.

In an instant, the protective barrier began to crumble.

Some even attacked Shen Lian directly. Yan Huaixuan's body had been reconstructed, and his cultivation base was unstable—it had taken everything he had just to tear open that one rift.

Now that the protective barrier had vanished, the backlash hit him, and the rift began to shrink instantly.

Shen Lian was so angry he almost laughed.

But before he could draw his sword and charge at those people,

Yan Huaixuan grabbed the hem of his robe.

"A Lian."

Shen Lian froze, looking up to meet Yan Huaixuan's gaze.

"Yan Huaixuan!"

Yan Huaixuan looked at him gently, then pushed Shen Lian through the rift first.

Then came Mo Xingyuan, his two companions, and Fei Yun.

Shen Lian was instantly freed from that terrifying pressure.

He tumbled to the ground, not caring about his disheveled state, and scrambled up immediately, charging toward Yan Huaixuan.

"Yan Huaixuan!"

But all he could do was watch the rift begin to close. On the other side were countless cultivators with twisted, desperate faces.

A mist of tears suddenly blurred Shen Lian's vision.

"Yan Huaixuan!"

Shen Lian's hand reached through the rift, only to grasp at empty air.

Shen Lian stood still, then froze, the Chen Xue sword in his hand falling to the ground.

Chen Xue quickly transformed into human form and steadied Shen Lian, "Master."

But Shen Lian's eyes were completely blank.

His mind was filled with only one thought.

Yan Huaixuan hadn't come out, and their connection was severed.

Shen Lian bit his lip hard and knelt down on the ground.

So after everything they'd been through, this was how it ended?

In a daze, Shen Lian sensed a familiar presence behind him.

"Why are you crying like that?"

Shen Lian picked up on the cold, snow-fresh scent and heard the man's cool, low voice. He thought he was hallucinating, so he lowered his head, "Yan Huaixuan, I'm sorry."

The air was silent for a long moment, then a pair of hands gently touched Shen Lian's face.

"Stop crying, A Lian."

Shen Lian suddenly lashed out, shaking off the hand, "Get lost, Yan Huaixuan. If you're dead, don't come looking for me. I'm going to go find someone else to have fun with right now."

At that, the voice paused before saying, "A Lian, are you trying to keep me from resting in peace even after I'm dead?"

Shen Lian bit his lip, "Who told you to go and die?"

The man sighed, coming up behind Shen Lian, "A Lian, just take pity on me since I'm dead and answer one question, okay?"

Shen Lian wanted to say no, but the words just wouldn't come out.

He lowered his head, his voice hoarse, "What do you want to ask?"

"I want to know—does A Lian still like me?"

Did he still like him? Shen Lian recalled Yan Huaixuan's question—A Lian, do you still feel the same way about me as you did in the mortal world?

Thinking back, he realized he did.

But it was already too late.

Shen Lian closed his eyes tightly, and after a long pause, he spoke slowly.

"I do."

The next moment, someone hugged Shen Lian from behind.

Shen Lian was taken aback.

Something felt off—the arms around him felt warm...

Shen Lian turned around and found Yan Huaixuan standing right there, completely fine.

Yan Huaixuan pulled him close, teasingly, "Don't recognize me?"

Shen Lian froze, a tear still clinging to his lashes, "You made it out too?"

Yan Huaixuan chuckled, "I tore the rift myself, how could I not make it out?"

Shen Lian snapped out of it and shoved Yan Huaixuan hard, "Then why did you look at me like that when you threw me out?"

"You made me think—made me think you..." Shen Lian's eyes turned red.

Yan Huaixuan raised an eyebrow, "I remember someone doing the same to me before."

Shen Lian gritted his teeth, "So you're still paying me back?"

But Yan Huaixuan shook his head, "No. In that situation, if I let you leave first, you probably would never have agreed, so I went ahead and sent you out first."

At that, Shen Lian wiped away his tears.

"Who believes you!"

Shen Lian shoved Yan Huaixuan away.

Yan Huaixuan pulled him close, gently cupping Shen Lian's face, "We barely escaped with our lives. Are you sure you want to stay mad at me?"

Shen Lian said nothing, his expression still dark.

For some reason, Shen Lian could stay indifferent to everyone else.

But the moment he was around Yan Huaixuan, he felt like a different person.

He always had endless temper to throw at Yan Huaixuan.