It was as though Zhao Xiaoyu felt Shen Lian’s emotion, "Shen Lian, if you refuse to come along and decided to leave like my Senior Apprentice-Sister, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. However, you are here now. I will not hurt you, but I hope that you can recognize the situation and be my Nine Lotus Protector. If you can go through Huandan, we can even be Daoist partners who look out for each other. Together, we can cruise on top of the masses," she said.
Shen Lian laughed gently after hearing what Zhao Xiaoyu said, "I’m surprised that you have thoughts like these. I must admit that I’m flustered. However, I’m funny that way, I hate being forced to do something against my will," he said.
The Empress fell into silence because she was caught by intangible force of the space all around. However, she looked very calm for someone who was in a precarious position.