As Lian kept watch, the groups grew larger as more people gathered— even those who had no intention of joining.
"Oh… is that Shéyǎn? I thought it would take longer before I saw him again. He still hasn't met up with Momo. I should g—"
From a distance, Ye Xing arrived at the gathering as well.
"Huuu…" Lian sighed. At last, he had fully reconfigured his body.
He leapt down from his vantage point and walked toward the group.
"You—"
"You—"
"Lian…"
"Lian Xing…"
Four people called out at the same time—Shéyǎn, Ye Xing, Zhou Lung, and Huǒ Yànhuā.
"Hey, psst—who is that? Is he some famous genius?" someone whispered.
"Mmm… not really. He was considered the weakest, but now I'm not so sure. Just the fact that he's survived until now makes me think otherwise."
"The weakest ha…!?"
"You're still alive, huh? I thought you died during our last encounter," Huǒ Yànhuā said as she walked toward Lian Xing.
"Yeah… It's surprising seeing you here as well."
"Thank you so much for your help last time," Huǒ Yànhuā launched herself at Lian, hugging him.
As their bodies met, Lian felt his Qi resonate with her, and his body felt warm.
"Whoa," Lian staggered backwards, confusion riddled all over his face.
"Ha? So you already met the requirement of hunting the beast?"
"Who's that acting all high and mighty with princess Huǒ Yànhuā?" murmurs spread among the men.
"Damn… what's up with these guys? I can feel their gazes from here—some are even leaking killing intent," Lian thought.
"Is it because I'm talking to Huǒ…? How ridiculous. I'm not about to make enemies here."
"It was nice seeing you again," Lian said, moving away from Huǒ Yànhuā.
"Ha—where are you going?" Her eyes widened as she grabbed Lian's hand.
"Are you trying to get me killed by your fans…?" Lian said, pulling his hand free.
"What are you afraid of?" Her voice softened, almost pleading.
"A cultivator should fear nothing," she whispered.
Lian's face flushed as he quickly moved away.
"Kukuku… how cute, seeing him so flustered," Huǒ Yànhuā thought as she watched Lian walk away.
"You're dead, Lian Xing," Yang muttered from a distance, veins bulging across his face.
"Hey, Lo Bao, I want that kid dead," Yang murmured to his goons.
"Right away, boss. We'll make him pay. He's just a toad yearning for swan meat," the men around Yang replied, their gazes locking onto Lian.
"Hey, Lian, ho—"
But Lian paid him no mind. He passed by as if the man didn't even exist, walking straight toward Shéyǎn.
"Hey, you f*cker! Can't you see I'm talking to you? Do you think you're better than me just because some woman spoke to you?" Ye Xing snarled, his hand trembling, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"Don't forget who you are—a nobody. Just a servant of the Xing family. You should show respect when speaking to the next heir!"
Lian said nothing.
Frost began to form around his arm, creeping outward as Ye Xing tightened his grip on Lian's hand.
"Ahhh—ahhh!" Ye Xing screamed as fiery frost engulfed his hand.
"You bastard! What did you do to me?! I'll kill you!" he wailed in agony.
"Wow… how pathetic. Imagine losing to someone you called a servant. I thought Ye Xing was one of the big names, but now? Ha—I feel like even I could beat him."
"So, you've grown stronger, huh?" Zhou Lung whispered as Lian Xing passed by him, finally stopping before Shéyǎn.
"Hey, man… are you alright? You seem a little tense," Lian asked, noticing Shéyǎn's Qi fluctuating wildly.
"…Have you seen Momo?" Shéyǎn asked.
"No, I haven't. I thought by now she would be here. The entrance for the next test is about to open—she'll show up soon," Lian said as he moved closer to Shéyǎn. Shéyǎn's breathing was loud and uneven.
"Yeah… you're going for those Martial Roots as well, right?" Shéyǎn said, his gaze locking onto Lian's.
"I'd advise you to give up on them," Shéyǎn continued, his voice dripping with murderous intent. "They will be mine; give up on them if you don't want to die."
"What's wrong with him? He's usually not like this… Lian thought."
He placed a hand on Shéyǎn's back. The Lotus within him stirred, quietly absorbing the murderous Qi that was consuming Shéyǎn's mind.
Slowly, Shéyǎn's breathing settled, the violent aura fading until his breath became steady.
"Whoa… damn it. I almost lost my mind every time I kill a magical beast, murderous thoughts sip into my head," Shéyǎn said, turning his head. "Thanks for your help. Even if you won't tell me how you did it."
"Yeah, it's no problem," Lian replied, sitting beside him.
"Be careful, man. I don't know what kind of art you're practising, but your Qi is starting to feel closer to that of a demon than a human," Lian warned.
"Even though barely his Qi is like of that monster I saw before." Lian thought his body shivering slightly.
"A demon?" Shéyǎn let out a dry laugh. "How would you know…"
His head lowered, as if there was something he wanted to say—but the words never came.
Moments later, another Shinto-like gaze erupted from the ground. The earth cracked and shattered as stone was torn apart.
"Well… looks like the next phase has started," Lian said as he stood.
"Let's go."