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Chapter 48

Lian Ren stared blankly at the empty shell of his Shizun. His heart continued to throb as he stared at the lying body. Instead of a feeling of deep sense of longing and love, he felt as if that body was slapping him on the past sins that he did. The torment, the humiliation, the suffering that Shao Ling experience on his grasp, Lian Ren vividly remembered it all.

Despite the flashback of his wrongdoings, Lian Ren still walked forward to the body lying in an open coffin. The shallow and compressed light coming from the center of the ceiling that illuminates Shao Ling's body made it even more lonely as it was placed at the center of the large and empty basement.

Lian Ren's hands trembled from refraining himself to embrace and touch the body. Even if he wanted to, he knew to himself that he doesn't deserve to touch the body knowing that he did many unforgivable deeds to it. Just reminiscing about it pains him even more so even when it's hard, Lian Ren tried not to.

Later on, after staring at the body, he laughed at himself. With a lingering sneer, he whispered to himself,

He closed his eyes. Right now, he wanted to hear his Shizun's voice, even if he will usually sound irritated and angry to him, he will accept it and say no words. He wanted to experience Shao Ling knocking him over the wall as he almost die from the impact. He wanted to see his Shizun running away whenever he was embarrassed while he tried to chase after him and try to calm him down.

Lian Ren murmured to himself as he opened his eyes and stared at the light in the ceiling.

Lian Ren heaved a breath. He widened his palms and a mist of snow floated at the center of it, circling and floating as it compressed itself into a flower carved from ice. He carefully placed the ice on the body's hand and stepped back. Although it looks like the flower felt cold, he knew that Shao Ling always liked it that way. Because whenever he watches his Shizun from afar when he imprisoned him in his grasp every winter, he always hear the same thing that Shao Ling murmurs.

"I really love it when it's cold... It makes me feel as if the freezing weather makes me want to live..."

He glanced at the body one last time before closing the basement once again and climbing upwards the palace. The blood red walls of the palace shone as he swiftly sprinted from place to place on every side of the palace. He spotted three demon guards near the main hall where the stairs to the upper floor is placed. An icy blue spiritual energy slightly shone as he summoned ice fairy from his palms. Without a single command, the ice fairies already knew what they were going to do. A sound of a clicking glass resonated throughout the main hall as the ice fairies approached the demon guards and the guards fell in trap from distraction.

When the demon guards chased after the fairies who were flying straight to the exit of the palace, Lian Ren took it as an opportunity to quickly leap on the stairs and climbed upwards. He checked the surroundings first to know if there are demon guards nearby but was a bit surprised when the second floor was empty. Lian Ren shrugged on the suspiciousness but still put on his guard, walking silently to the left side of the hallway.

He was about to run as soon as he went to the left side of the hallway but he stumbled upon a person and fell on top of him. Lian Ren groaned in pain because his forehead seemed to have bumped on the other man's forehead and opened his eyes. He was shocked when he saw Shao Ling's pained face lying below him.

The pain on his Shizun's face still lingered as he replied.

Lian Ren was taken aback but he still helped his Shizun up,

Shao Ling glanced at him and arched his brows, He replied as he brushed off the dust on his robe.

Lian Ren was at lost for a while then eventually forced himself to nod and smiled,

Shao Ling started walking towards the end of the left hallway so Lian Ren followed him from behind as he unsheathed his sword, putting up his guard in case there's a sudden ambush on their side.

Shao Ling said in a slight frown when he saw Lian Ren in guard with his sword.

Lian Ren smiled at Shao Ling's compliment. Seeing the smile from his disciple, Shao Ling redirected his gaze on the hallway with his cheeks flushed red.

Shao Ling said as he still felt the lingering hot sensation on his cheeks.

Lian Ren's ears twitched from his Shizun's words.

Lian Ren immediately answered.

Shao Ling frowned when he glanced at his gloomy disciple from behind. He said with a sigh.

Reaching the dead end of the left hallway, the two glanced at the right hallway where there is a stairs which leads to the unknown. Shao Ling tapped Lian Ren's chest to signal him to stop then bended down the floor and slowly pressed his palm on it.

The floor slowly became frozen as he spread his spiritual energy and a luminous azure blue snake emerged out of the flat ice and started crawling up the stairs.

Lian Ren asked with a concerned expression,

Shao Ling frowned as he answered,

Lian Ren heaved a heavy breath, he tried to resist himself in grabbing his Shizun out of the palace and go somewhere safe but he knew that Shao Ling wouldn't like it. The sound of crawling ice seem to melt as it went upstairs, it seems as if a barrier was blocking the path ahead. Shao Ling's brows knitted into a frown as he glanced at Lian Ren who was staring at the stairway.

"It's a high technique barrier." Shao Ling spoke as he pondered to himself.

Shao Ling paused at Lian Ren's words. Lian Ren's suspicion still lingered as he stared at the stairs ahead,

Shao Ling went silent for a while.

Lian Ren secretly clenched his fist. Just how stupid am i to let the demon king claim my body in this dimension?! Am i that depressed when Shizun...... Fuck! This is pissing me of! Shizun's heat is more important than this mission!

Lian Ren pondered for a possible solution with an irritated expression. If that guy has my technique, it possible that he will just parry all my attacks. My technique is cultivated highly, i can't believe i let all my effort be claimed by some bastard. I think i'm really that stupid.

Lian Ren suddenly remembered something. He turned to his Shizun who was in a daze then spoke,

Shao Ling tilted his head,

Lian Ren replied.

Lian Ren didn't had a chance to finish himself because a blast of fiery demonic energy came flying straight to their direction from the depths of the stairs. Lian Ren didn't even cared even if he burn when he rushed to his Shizun's side as he pushed Shao Ling away from the blast.

The fiery demonic energy exploded from the marble floor and left a rough hole on its sturdy tile. Lian Ren let out a sigh of relief, glancing at his Shizun who was staring at the broken floor in a daze.

Lian Ren lightly tapped Shao Ling's cheeks. His Shizun responded to him with his brows raised but his expression is still troubled as he stared at the stairs.

Lian Ren asked in a worried voice.

Lian Ren was bewildered on what Shao Ling said. At the time he shifted his gaze at the stairs, the two of them were pulled in towards the direction of the stairs. Lian Ren widened his palms, trying to fight back on an invisible force that was pulling them in. Shao Ling did the same. Although mix emotions were still lingering in him, he also unleashed spiritual energy to resist the force that was pulling them in.

The invisible force seem to have enjoyed their futile resistance. It became even stronger to the point that Lian Ren and Shao Ling blasted upwards the stairs where there's an open door waiting for them. Lian Ren and Shao Ling fell roughly from the red carpet on the floor, their groans resonated throughout the large room as they slowly stood up.

It was a deep but soothing voice like how the Frost Demon Lian Ren used to sound. Unlike his present appearance, he still look like a dependent Yun Sect disciple who is motivated and gently-twisted. Lian Ren glanced up to this own appearance. The Demon was half-lying on the blood red king sized bed, looking apathetic as he stared down at them. Behind him were two people: one man and one woman who looks like Shao Ling, with long black straight hair, snow soothing skin and a peerless beauty that appears to be untiring to look at.

Shao Ling's eyes widened, he now understood why he suddenly feel deep remorse. The two was a member of the Blue Dawn Tribe just like him. Although Shao Ling was a halfling in the tribe, he can still feel deep connections in his kin.

The demon king stared at Lian Ren, although he looks unbothered that there's another duplicate of him in the room, his face portrayed a touch of bewilderment as he stared.

However, when the demon shifted his eyes at Shao Ling, his body stiffened, slowly standing up with his brows knitted into a frown.

In a blink of an eye, the demon king was already behind Lian Ren, caressing the strand of Shao Ling's long loose hair. The two of them wouldn't be even able to detect his presence approaching, it shows how vast the difference is between the demon king and them. Despite that realization, Lian Ren unleashed a demonic energy, slowly materializing in his hand as it formed a sharp blade of ice, pointed at the demon's neck as he murmured in a threatening tone.

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