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Chapter 49

After hearing Lian Ren's threat, the demon king gently let go of Shao Ling's hair, turned around with his lips curved in a smile. Lian Ren didn't waver from his mocking smile, he signalled Shao Ling to step away but the Demon King immediately grabbed his Shizun and embraced him in his grasp.

Shao Ling struggled from the demon's grasp. He was about to unleash his spiritual qi when a freezing spike of ice crawled to their direction. The ice turned into a slippery vine and grabbed Shao Ling's waist, while the remaining spike of ice rushed to attack the demon who was jumping back.

Later on, the demon glanced at Shao Ling then glanced at Lian Ren's raged expression. The demon laughed. With a wave of his hand, a blaze of towering tornado of fire parried the spike of ice that slowly melted from its heat. Lian Ren clicked his tongue, he knew that he was no match from the demon king but it was not his priority. He ran to Shao Ling who was still stuck on the icy vine and leaped out of the room.

Unfortunately, a blazing wall of fire emerged out of the marble floor, blocking their only path that leads outside the palace. Lian Ren glanced at Shao Ling, but was taken aback when his Shizun flicked his nose.

Lian Ren heaved a heavy breath. In times like this, he really wants to drag Shao Ling out forcefully but he can still resist himself from doing that.

Lian Ren let out a desperate sigh and turned to Shao Ling, Shao Ling frowned and slightly tilted his head.

Lian Ren covered his face with his hand and turned to Shao Ling,

Shao Ling stared at him for a while, shifted his gaze at the stairs that leads to the demon king's room and turned around with a reply,

The demon king's figure emerged through the shadows of the stairs. Despite the darkness of the shadows, his blood red eyes shone immensely, as if his eyes were forged from a luminous jewel itself. Lian Ren and Shao Ling subconsciously stepped back from his presence. Though it seems that they are scared, it's not the exact meaning. They were actually starting to be on their guard by taking the demon king seriously.

Shao Ling lightly grabbed Lian Ren's sleeves. Lian Ren turned to him with his lips curving into a small smile. Although Shao Ling was signalling him to attack, it looks adorable for him to take it seriously.

Lian Ren moved closer with a grin, his whispers gave Shao Ling a slight fright from his ears.

Without even having a synchronous count, the two of them attacked at the same time. Ice started to crawl to the demon like a speed of light. Their combined ice emerged through the floor, creating a sharp spike followed by large wolves of ice ascending to the floor.

The demon king punched the spike that's coming to him. With his fist embedded in fiery demon energy, the spike of ice melted on his touch.

Lian Ren replied with his brows arched.

The demon let out an echoing laugh as he replied, Lian Ren and Shao Ling flinched at his words.

The demon king's smirk quickly disappeared when he realized that his feet were actually frozen. He didn't realize that the entire palace was already slowly covered in ice, turning it completely frozen. The demon turned to Shao Ling, there are still traces of spiritual energy detected from his palms, meaning that Shao Ling was the one who froze the entire palace in just a minute.

In the left side of the demon king's hand, a freezing ice slowly take shape. It crawled out of his palms up to the bone of his shoulders. The other side still remains the blazing fire that came straight out of the ocean of lava in the underworld realm.

Lian Ren gritted his teeth. I never thought he also stole my attribute, not just my techniques! So this is what Yin Meng means when the demon king burned and froze them at the same time.

The power in the cultivation world is deeply connected to the laws of nature: there could only be one attribute that will develop inside a person's spiritual core, just like how animals are tend to mate only with their kind.

A suitable attribute is already inside a cultivator the moment he or she had developed a spiritual core. This attribute can upgrade, just like how wind attribute can upgrade into mist and how wood attribute can turn into nature itself.

However, there is always a creature who will defy the laws of nature. Rather, they are really not part of the nature at all: which are called demons.

That is why many cultivators decided to join a demon cult. It's not because they want to be evil, but because they also want to defy the laws of nature as well. Nature comes with balance, but there are always some people who wants to have everything to themselves.

Make it power, appearance or emotions, demons can make everything happen as long as it is within their ability to do so. They can change the weather, change shape, slice vast mountains and obtain a peerless power where everyone would want to claim.

Lian Ren jumped in front of Shao Ling while his Shizun hid behind to safely support from the back. A transparent sword of ice materialized from Lian Ren's hand, it's sharp blade was illuminated in a freezing blue light, slightly shining as it cuts through the blazing wall of fire.

Shao Ling said as he closed his eyes. He summoned his fan out of nowhere, the fan slowly multiplied itself as he infused spiritual energy in its sharp leaf.

Lian Ren swam deep inside his spiritual core to find the incomplete technique that he dumped somewhere down the depths of his core while parrying the demon king's attacks with his sword. It became even more troublesome for him because he has two cores which is the spiritual core and demonic core.

Lian Ren clicked his tongue in irritation. He leaped from left to avoid the fire arrows then jumped right to dodge the spear of ice. He sliced the attacks into bits though there are some fire attacks from the demon that escaped through his grasp and left an injury at him.

As he parried every attack, the other side of his mind was searching for the incomplete technique. Lian Ren frowned after he finished searching in his demonic core. He then switched to his spiritual core, decided to start on the depths first in order to find the technique easier.

Shao Ling asked as he gasped, trying to steady his palms as he maintain the barrier on Lian Ren's body in order to heal his injuries.

Lian Ren answered as he leaped forward to land a blow on the demon king's shoulder.

Lian Ren barely dodged the whip of fire that brushed onto his cheek, leaving a deep cut that healed immediately because of Shao Ling's barrier.

As Lian Ren fell deeper and deeper to his spiritual core, the blizzard ice started turning into a gentle snow, followed by a ball of light floating under a plum blossom tree. Lian Ren softly breathed as he land down the fluffy snow, he lifted his gaze at the ball of light that was slightly spinning and jumping.

Lian Ren frowned to himself. How could he let such a warm and gentle technique stuck and dumped in the depths of his core? He slowly walked towards the ball of light, his hand hesitantly rose to reach out for the light but as soon as he touched it, a flash of memories entered his mind.

It was winter where everything in Yun Sect was covered in fluffy snow. Lian Ren found himself lying below the plum blossom tree that he saw earlier. He stared down at his own hand, he was surprised on how small it was.

He was taken aback with a sound of rushing footsteps. When he lifted his gaze, he saw Shao Ling, the mist of his breath was clearly seen in the snow as he rushed to Lian Ren's direction with a hot dumplings on his hand. Shao Ling's face seemed to look younger than usual, like a teenager than just recently hit puberty.

The young Shao Ling asked him. Lian Ren wanted to answer but he can't open his mouth, he was bewildered when his body just nodded even if he didn't intend to do it. It seems that he is just a spectator in this memory.

Lian Ren watched his hand accept the dumpling that the young Shao Ling handed.

Lian Ren heard himself replied. His voice sounded soft, high pitched, like a small child.

The young Shao Ling just glanced at him.

Lian Ren heard himself replied.

The young Shao Ling's eyes widened then let out a sweet laugh as he covered his smiling lips,

The young Shao Ling smiled at him. At that moment, Lian Ren wanted to break free from his speculation and hug the young Shao Ling while he plant gentle kisses on his cheeks. He never knew that he actually have this kind of memory buried deep inside of him. He never knew that Shao Ling didn't really loathed him since he became his disciple.

Lian Ren was taken aback when the young Shao Ling grabbed his small hand.

The young Shao Ling lifted his gaze at him and smiled, Nothing, Shizun. You're just so beautiful that i lose focus... Lian Ren really wants to answer that.

He was astounded on the next thing that happened. His child's body went forward and leaned on the young Shao Ling, planting a quick peck on his lips. Lian Ren inside was too frozen to react, he only got a glimpse of his young Shizun showing an embarassed expression.

The young Shao Ling cleared his throat,

His young Shizun's smiling face was the last thing he saw before he came back to reality. Lian Ren was too dumbfounded to dodge the incoming whip of fire so Shao Ling from behind created an ice barrier to protect him. Lian Ren stumbled as he blinked a few times, he glanced at his Shizun and smiled.

Shao Ling let out a smiling sigh. He arched his brows as he replied,

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