。 shí yīn wèi luò 。 hēi mǐ zhōng de yāo mó zhǐ bì yǎn zhū ， jiāng qiáng dà yǐ jí de shén gǎn è lián ér chū 。 běi míng zhēn jūn zhàn zài yuán dì ， suī rán tā yě shì yuán yīng hòu qī ， dàn yóu yú tiān fù de yuán gù ， yāo mó shén niàn yào bǐ rén yāo liǎng zú qiáng dà dé duō 。 shuāng fāng rú jīn shàng zài hé xíng ， suǒ yǐ tā yě jiù méi yǒu bì yào bān mén nòng fǔ 。 hěn kuài ， guò qù le bàn zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， yāo mó zhēng kāi yǎn móu ， liǎn shàng què lù chū le jǐ fēn jīng yí zhī sè 。
。石音未落。黑米中的妖魔只闭眼珠，将强大以极的神感愕联而出。北冥真君站在原地，虽然他也是元婴后期，但由于天赋的缘故，妖魔神念要比人妖两族强大得多。 双方如今尚在合行，所以他也就没有必要班门弄斧。 很快，过去了半盏茶的功夫，妖魔睁开眼眸，脸上却露出了几分惊疑之色。
. The moment the stone sound fell silent, the demon in the black rice only closed its eyes and emitted a powerful divine sense. Northern Void True Monarch stood still on his spot; although he was also an advanced-stage Immortal Core cultivator due to his innate talent, the demon's divine sense was far stronger than that of human or demon races.
“ rú hé ， dào yǒu gǎn yìng dào le shén me ？”
“如何，道友感应到了什么？”
Both parties were still in harmony at this moment, so there was no need for him to show off.
“ méi yǒu nà xiǎo zi de xià luò ， huò xǔ jù lí jiào yuǎn ， tā yòu shī zhǎn le liǎn qì shù ， kě wǒ què gǎn yìng dào le lìng yī yuán yīng hòu qī cún zài de yāo mó yī zì yī dùn de shuō 。
“没有那小子的下落，或许距离较远，他又施展了敛气术，可我却感应到了另一元婴后期存在的妖魔一字一顿的说。
Soon enough, half a tea cup’s time passed. The demon opened its eyes and revealed a look of surprise and suspicion on its face.
“ shén me ， bù kě néng ， chú le wǒ men 。 zhè lǐ hái yǒu dà xiū shì ， nǐ de shǒu xià bú shì shuō ， nà xiāo shī de jiā huo ， jǐn jǐn shì yī yuán yīng zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ？” běi míng zhēn jūn dà jīng shī sè ， liǎn sè yīn chén de kāi kǒu le 。
“什么，不可能，除了我们。这里还有大修士，你的手下不是说，那消失的家伙，仅仅是一元婴中期的修仙者？”北冥真君大惊失色，脸色阴沉的开口了。
"How about it, friend? Did you sense anything?"
“ wǒ shén me shí hòu shuō duì fāng shì dà xiū shì le ？”
“我什么时候说对方是大修士了？”
"There's no trace of that boy; perhaps he is far away. He might have used the Conceal Qi Technique to hide his presence," the demon said with deliberate words.
“ nǐ gāng gāng bù
“你刚刚不
"What? Impossible! Besides us, there are still high-ranking cultivators here. Your subordinates didn't say that the missing person was only a mid-stage Immortal Core cultivator?" Northern Void True Monarch's expression turned grave as he spoke.
“ duì fāng shì yuán yīng hòu qī méi cuò ， dàn shì yāo zú 。”
“对方是元婴后期没错，但是妖族。”
"When did I say they were high-ranking cultivators?"
“ yāo zú ， zhè jiù gèng bù kě néng le ， yún lǐng shān zhōng zhǐ yǒu dī jiē yāo shòu ， wǒ men gēn běn jiù méi yǒu kàn jiàn huà xíng qī de cún zài jìn rù cǐ shān zhī zhōng 。” běi míng zhēn jūn bù yǐ wéi rán de fǎn bó 。
“妖族，这就更不可能了，云岭山中只有低阶妖兽，我们根本就没有看见化形期的存在进入此山之中。”北冥真君不以为然的反驳。
"You just said..."
“ rú guǒ duì fāng běn lái jiù zài zhè lǐ ne ？” yāo mó de liǎn shàng lù chū guǐ yì zhī sè 。
“如果对方本来就在这里呢？”妖魔的脸上露出诡异之色。
"The other party is indeed an advanced-stage Immortal Core, but it’s from the demon race."
“ dào yǒu shì shuō ，”
“道友是说，”
"Demon race? That's even more impossible. In Cloud Ridge Mountain, there are only low-grade demons; we haven't seen any transformed demons enter this mountain," Northern Void True Monarch argued.
“ wǒ huái yí pāo shì nà lí hé qī gǔ xiū shì de hù shān líng shòu ， dào yǒu xiǎng bì yě qīng chǔ ， yī xiē biàn yì líng shòu de shòu mìng shì fēi cháng màn cháng de 。”
“我怀疑抛是那离合期古修士的护山灵兽，道友想必也清楚，一些变异灵兽的寿命是非常漫长的。”
"What if he was here all along?" The demon's face showed a strange expression.
“ ruò shì nà yàng de huà ， jiù gèng jiā jí shǒu 。 zhè jiā huo shí yǒu ** dé guò xī zhǔ rén de diǎn bō 。 shén tōng kǒng pà fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。” běi míng zhēn jūn miàn sè níng zhòng de shuō 。
“若是那样的话，就更加棘手。这家伙十有**得过牺主人的点拨。神通恐怕非同小可。”北冥真君面色凝重的说。
"Friend, you mean..."
“ pà shén me ， dān dǎ dú dòu ， nǐ wǒ què shí yǒu kě néng bú shì pāo de duì shǒu ， dàn yǐ èr dí yī 。 shèng lì què bú huì yǒu wèn tí ， hé kuàng shì nà lǎo guài wù de líng shòu ， cái bú huì jiā bǎo sī táo ， ruò shì qí tā de hòu qī yāo zú ， nǐ yǐ wéi wǒ men hái néng zài zhè lǐ dé dào bǎo wù ？”
“怕什么，单打独斗，你我确实有可能不是抛的对手，但以二敌一。胜利却不会有问题，何况是那老怪物的灵兽，才不会夹宝私逃，若是其他的后期妖族，你以为我们还能在这里得到宝物？”
"I suspect that it might be an ancient water daoist who has already reached the mid-stage. He’s not some high-ranking elder from a major sect; he is a free-living cultivator," Lin Xuan said with astonishment.
“ dào yǒu shuō dé bù cuò ， jì rán rú cǐ 。 nǐ wǒ jiù hé zuò yī cì ， dé dào bǎo wù yǐ hòu èr tiān yī zuò wǔ ， píng fēn nǐ kàn rú hé ？” běi míng zhēn jūn shí fēn huān xǐ de shuō 。
“道友说得不错，既然如此。你我就合作一次，得到宝物以后二添一做五，平分你看如何？”北冥真君十分欢喜的说。
Without support from any sect, reaching this stage was truly remarkable for such a senior water daoist.
“ wǒ zì rán méi yǒu wú yì yì ， zhè huí huán zhēn shì yì wài shōu huò ， lí hé qī xiū shì de bǎo wù fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， wǒ men xiān xún bǎo ， suí hòu zài jiāng tián xiǎo jiàn zhǎo chū ， chōu hún liàn pò 。” yāo mó è hěn hěn de kāi kǒu le 。
“我自然没有无异议，这回还真是意外收获，离合期修士的宝物非同小可，我们先寻宝，随后再将田小剑找出，抽魂炼魄。”妖魔恶狠狠的开口了。
Of course, there were even more extraordinary cases that Lin Xuan had seen. For instance, the Hundred Toxin Divine Monarch of the Ink Moon Clan...
huà yīn wèi luò jiāng tā shēn xíng yī zhuǎn ， yǐ jiāng qì xī shōu liǎn qǐ lái ， běi míng zhēn jūn xiān shì yī dāi ， suí hòu yě míng bái guò lái ， suī rán yǐ èr dí yī 。 shèng lì yīng gāi méi yǒu wèn tí ， dàn rú guǒ néng gòu chū qí bù yì de tōu xí ， zì rán kě yǐ shěng shí shěng lì 。
话音未落江他身形一转，已将气息收敛起来，北冥真君先是一呆，随后也明白过来，虽然以二敌一。胜利应该没有问题，但如果能够出其不意的偷袭，自然可以省时省力。
Thinking about it, Lin Xuan felt a hint of regret.
niàn jí zhì cǐ ， tā de zuǐ jiǎo biān liú lù chū jǐ fēn xiào yì ， shuāng shǒu qiā jué ， hún shēn líng máng shǎn shuò 。 jiāng tā de shēn qū bāo guǒ ， dàn hěn kuài 。 nà guāng máng yòu àn dàn xià lái ， tā de qì xī ， yě biàn dé ruò yǐn ruò xiàn 。
念及至此，他的嘴角边流露出几分笑意，双手掐诀，浑身灵芒闪烁。将他的身躯包裹，但很快。那光芒又黯淡下来，他的气息，也变得若隐若现。
Apart from the introduction at the beginning, most of the content in the jade tube was about this senior's cultivation techniques.
jiǔ tiān xuán gōng zhōng de yǐn nì zhī shù gù rán xuán miào wú bǐ 。 dàn lèi sì de gōng fǎ jué fēi wéi yī ， gāo jiē xiū shì jī hū rén rén dōu yǒu xiū xí ， zhǐ bù guò suǒ liàn mì fǎ de yǐn nì chéng dù ， yǒu gāo yǒu dī ér yǐ 。
九天玄功中的隐匿之术固然玄妙无比。但类似的功法绝非唯一，高阶修士几乎人人都有修习，只不过所练秘法的隐匿程度，有高有低而已。
The techniques left behind by high-ranking cultivators were naturally top-notch. This was an advanced-stage water attribute technique.
liǎng gè lǎo guài wù qiāo qiāo xiàng lín xuān suǒ zài de dì fāng fēi qù ， jiù bù zhī dào tā men huì yòng shén me bàn fǎ tōng guò jié yún de fēng suǒ 。
两个老怪物悄悄向林轩所在的地方飞去，就不知道他们会用什么办法通过劫云的封锁。
Unfortunately, for Lin Xuan, it wasn't very useful.
lìng yī biān ， lín xuān bìng bù zhī dào zì jǐ zhèng miàn lín zhe jù dà de wēi xiǎn ， cǐ shí tā zhèng mǎn liǎn xīng fèn de jiāng zuì hòu yí gè hé zi dǎ kāi 。
另一边，林轩并不知道自己正面临着巨大的危险，此时他正满脸兴奋的将最后一个盒子打开。
He had already practiced enough different methods; besides, the Powerful Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Technique's power far surpassed this Water Essence True Scripture.
yìng rù yǎn lián de shì liǎng gè yù 、 tǒng jiǎn 。
映入眼帘的是两个玉、筒简。
Although he found it tempting, Lin Xuan knew that trying to learn too much at once would only lead to mistakes. Therefore, he wouldn’t do such a foolish thing.
chú cǐ yǐ wài ， bìng wú bǎo wù ， zhè yí gè hé zi kě méi yǒu shén me jiā céng le 。
除此以外，并无宝物，这一个盒子可没有什么夹层了。
However, the jade tube did not disappoint him. The last part of the text, though brief, was invaluable for an advanced-stage Immortal Core cultivator: cultivation insights!
bù guò lín xuān liǎn shàng yě wèi jiàn shī wàng zhī sè ， xiān kàn kàn yù tǒng jiǎn zhōng yǒu shén me 。
不过林轩脸上也未见失望之色，先看看玉筒简中有什么。
These were the insights from a high-ranking cultivator who had successfully transcended the realm of separation and union. For Lin Xuan, every word felt like a gem; if he could understand them, it would save him much trouble.
tā jiāng qí zhōng yí gè tiē shàng é tóu ， shén shí chén rù 。 dùn shí wú shù qīng xī de wén zì yìng rù nǎo hǎi ”
他将其中一个贴上额头，神识沉入。顿时无数清晰的文字映入脑海”
The text detailed what to pay attention to when advancing from mid-stage to late-stage Immortal Core, even how to break through to the Separation and Concealment Realm...
lín xuān jiù zhè yàng yī dòng bù dòng ， guò le zú zú yī dùn fàn de gōng fu ， cái tái qǐ tóu ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng kàn bù chū xǐ nù 。
林轩就这样一动不动，过了足足一顿饭的功夫，才抬起头，脸上的表情看不出喜怒。
Just the value of this jade tube alone was not inferior to that of the talismans. Lin Xuan's heart filled with joy, but his expression remained steady; it was a form of tempering his mind.
“ shào yé ， yù tǒng jiǎn lǐ xiě le shén me ？。 yuè ér hào qí de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
“少爷，玉筒简里写了什么？。月儿好奇的声音传入耳朵。
"Master, I have something I don't understand," Yue'er raised her delicate nose and withdrew her divine sense from the jade tube. Unlike Lin Xuan, she looked puzzled.
“ mí zì jǐ kàn ba ！”
“弥自己看吧！”
"What?" Lin Xuan was also curious. He didn’t see anything amiss.
lín xuān shǒu yī yáng ， yù tǒng jiǎn bāo guǒ zhe qīng guāng ， xú xú de fēi dào shào nǚ de miàn qián ， yuè ér shēn chū qiàn shǒu ， qīng qīng wò zhù ， yě jiāng shén shí chén rù 。
林轩手一扬，玉筒简包裹着青光，徐徐的飞到少女的面前，月儿伸出纤手，轻轻握住，也将神识沉入。
"The senior water daoist clearly said that he had only about a hundred years left after his tribulation. If he couldn't ascend to the higher realms, he would have to reincarnate. But even if he ascended to the Spirit Realm, wouldn’t his lifespan still be limited to two thousand years as an advanced-stage separation and union cultivator? In the Spirit Realm, although resources are better, and the primordial qi is thicker, could a mere hundred years enable him to advance from mid-stage to the Separation and Concealment Realm?"
wǔ yún ér zuǐ chún zhāng le zhāng ， dàn zuì zhōng méi yǒu kāi kǒu ， tā de shēn fèn yǔ yuè ér bù tóng ， suī rán hào qí ， dàn què bù hǎo kāi kǒu xún wèn shén me 。
武云儿嘴唇张了张，但最终没有开口，她的身份与月儿不同，虽然好奇，但却不好开口询问什么。
Lin Xuan’s brows furrowed in surprise. Yue'er had hit the nail on the head; he hadn’t thought about this before.
wǔ yún ér què bìng bù qīng chǔ ， duì tā lái shuō 。 qí shí jiù suàn kàn le ， yě méi yǒu duō dà de yòng tú 。 bì jìng tā de xiū wèi tài dī 。
武云儿却并不清楚，对她来说。其实就算看了，也没有多大的用途。毕竟她的修为太低。
Cultivators sought longevity, but achieving true immortality was incredibly difficult. According to Lin Xuan's knowledge, even if one advanced from one realm to another, their lifespan would still be limited. Whether it was the separation and union realm or the Separation and Concealment Realm, even a cultivator who had reached the final realm—transcendence—would only have a finite lifespan unless they had read all nine great tribulations.
cǐ yù tǒng zhōng de nèi róng ， gòng fēn wéi sān bù fèn 。
此玉筒中的内容，共分为三部分。
Even if this senior water daoist had many years left, wouldn’t he still reincarnate after ascending to the Spirit Realm?
kāi piān jiǎng de shì zhè wèi gǔ xiū shì de shēn shì lái lì 。 cǐ rén de xiū wèi jìng bǐ lín xuān yù liào de hái yào gāo shàng yī xiē ， jū rán bú shì lí hé chū qī de xiū shì ， ér shì zhōng qī 。
开篇讲的是这位古修士的身世来历。此人的修为竟比林轩预料的还要高上一些，居然不是离合初期的修士，而是中期。
Why did he wait until his situation was urgent before attempting the tribulation?
zhè yì diǎn ， zhe shí ràng lín xuān jīng yà 。
这一点，着实让林轩惊讶。
Lin Xuan didn't believe that he would waste his time. Could there be some hidden secret in a cultivator's lifespan?
yào zhī dào ， xiū xiān zhī lù bù bù jīng jí 。 yuè wǎng shàng zǒu yuè nán liàn ， qiě bù tán lí hé ， jiù shuō yuán yīng ， néng gòu zǒu dào zhè yī bù de xiū shì 。 nǎ yí gè bú shì tiān zī guò rén ， xīn zhì jiān rèn 。
要知道，修仙之路步步荆棘。越往上走越难练，且不谈离合，就说元婴，能够走到这一步的修士。哪一个不是天资过人，心智坚韧。
He had never seen such information in any ancient texts, but it must have a reason.
zhè yàng shuō ba ， yuán yīng xiū shì ， dāng tā men gāng gāng tà shàng xiān dào zhī shí ， shí gè zhōng yǒu jiǔ gè dōu bèi chēng wéi guò tiān cái 。 bèi shòu mén zhōng shī zhǎng men de chǒng ài 。
这样说吧，元婴修士，当他们刚刚踏上仙道之时，十个中有九个都被称为过天才。倍受门中师长们的宠爱。
Lin Xuan pondered deeply, but without any clear answers.
shèng líng gēn ， yì líng gēn lìng rén xiàn mù ， kě zhè zài yuán yīng xiū shì zhōng què shì shí fēn pǔ biàn de ， ér qiě zhè xiē rén bù jǐn zī zhì bù cuò ， tóng shí hái shì fēi cháng nǔ lì de 。
圣灵根，异灵根令人羡慕，可这在元婴修士中却是十分普遍的，而且这些人不仅资质不错，同时还是非常努力的。
"Master, forget about it; maybe this mystery will be revealed once you advance to the separation and union realm," Yue'er said understandingly when she saw Lin Xuan’s frown.
kě jí biàn rú cǐ ， jué dà bù fèn de yuán yīng xiū shì què dōu bèi kùn zài chū qī 。
可即便如此，绝大部分的元婴修士却都被困在初期。
Her words were meant as consolation, but hearing them made Lin Xuan realize that there might indeed be a significant secret at the separation and union realm.
yuán yīng jìng jiè shàng rú cǐ ， lí hé qī xiū liàn de kùn nán kě xiǎng
元婴境界尚如此，离合期修炼的困难可想
With everything falling into place, if he could one day advance to this realm, perhaps these questions would indeed be resolved as Yue'er suggested. Why worry about something irrelevant now?
zhè yǐ jīng bú shì zī zhì hǎo ， nǔ bù nǔ lì de wèn tí 。 ér shì guī jié yú tiān dì yuán qì 。
这已经不是资质好，努不努力的问题。而是归结于天地元气。
A smile formed on Lin Xuan's lips as he cast away his worries. With a flip of his hand, he took out the second jade tube.
lí hé qī běn lái jiù gāi fēi shēng dào shàng jiè 。 ěr yīn wèi yǒu tiān jié de wēi xié 。 què ràng nà xiē lǎo guài wù bù dé bù zhì liú zài cǐ chù 。
离合期本来就该飞升到上界。耳因为有天劫的威胁。却让那些老怪物不得不滞留在此处。
This was the last treasure left by the senior water daoist; what could it contain?
rán ér rén jiè cóng tiān dì yuán qì ， yǐ jí zī yuán lái shuō ， qí shí gēn běn jiù bú shì hé lí hé qī lǎo guài wù xiū liàn de 。
然而人界从天地元气，以及资源来说，其实根本就不适合离合期老怪物修炼的。
The收获已经大大超出了他的预料，但宝物总是多多益善。林某满怀希望地将神识沉入其中……
. The moment the stone sound fell silent, the demon in the black rice only closed its eyes and emitted a powerful divine sense. Northern Void True Monarch stood still on his spot; although he was also an advanced-stage Immortal Core cultivator due to his innate talent, the demon's divine sense was far stronger than that of human or demon races.
Both parties were still in harmony at this moment, so there was no need for him to show off.
Soon enough, half a tea cup’s time passed. The demon opened its eyes and revealed a look of surprise and suspicion on its face.
"How about it, friend? Did you sense anything?"
"There's no trace of that boy; perhaps he is far away. He might have used the Conceal Qi Technique to hide his presence," the demon said with deliberate words.
"What? Impossible! Besides us, there are still high-ranking cultivators here. Your subordinates didn't say that the missing person was only a mid-stage Immortal Core cultivator?" Northern Void True Monarch's expression turned grave as he spoke.
"When did I say they were high-ranking cultivators?"
"You just said..."
"The other party is indeed an advanced-stage Immortal Core, but it’s from the demon race."
"Demon race? That's even more impossible. In Cloud Ridge Mountain, there are only low-grade demons; we haven't seen any transformed demons enter this mountain," Northern Void True Monarch argued.
"What if he was here all along?" The demon's face showed a strange expression.
"Friend, you mean..."
"I suspect that it might be an ancient water daoist who has already reached the mid-stage. He’s not some high-ranking elder from a major sect; he is a free-living cultivator," Lin Xuan said with astonishment.
Without support from any sect, reaching this stage was truly remarkable for such a senior water daoist.
Of course, there were even more extraordinary cases that Lin Xuan had seen. For instance, the Hundred Toxin Divine Monarch of the Ink Moon Clan...
Thinking about it, Lin Xuan felt a hint of regret.
Apart from the introduction at the beginning, most of the content in the jade tube was about this senior's cultivation techniques.
The techniques left behind by high-ranking cultivators were naturally top-notch. This was an advanced-stage water attribute technique.
Unfortunately, for Lin Xuan, it wasn't very useful.
He had already practiced enough different methods; besides, the Powerful Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Technique's power far surpassed this Water Essence True Scripture.
Although he found it tempting, Lin Xuan knew that trying to learn too much at once would only lead to mistakes. Therefore, he wouldn’t do such a foolish thing.
However, the jade tube did not disappoint him. The last part of the text, though brief, was invaluable for an advanced-stage Immortal Core cultivator: cultivation insights!
These were the insights from a high-ranking cultivator who had successfully transcended the realm of separation and union. For Lin Xuan, every word felt like a gem; if he could understand them, it would save him much trouble.
The text detailed what to pay attention to when advancing from mid-stage to late-stage Immortal Core, even how to break through to the Separation and Concealment Realm...
Just the value of this jade tube alone was not inferior to that of the talismans. Lin Xuan's heart filled with joy, but his expression remained steady; it was a form of tempering his mind.
"Master, I have something I don't understand," Yue'er raised her delicate nose and withdrew her divine sense from the jade tube. Unlike Lin Xuan, she looked puzzled.
"What?" Lin Xuan was also curious. He didn’t see anything amiss.
"The senior water daoist clearly said that he had only about a hundred years left after his tribulation. If he couldn't ascend to the higher realms, he would have to reincarnate. But even if he ascended to the Spirit Realm, wouldn’t his lifespan still be limited to two thousand years as an advanced-stage separation and union cultivator? In the Spirit Realm, although resources are better, and the primordial qi is thicker, could a mere hundred years enable him to advance from mid-stage to the Separation and Concealment Realm?"
Lin Xuan’s brows furrowed in surprise. Yue'er had hit the nail on the head; he hadn’t thought about this before.
Cultivators sought longevity, but achieving true immortality was incredibly difficult. According to Lin Xuan's knowledge, even if one advanced from one realm to another, their lifespan would still be limited. Whether it was the separation and union realm or the Separation and Concealment Realm, even a cultivator who had reached the final realm—transcendence—would only have a finite lifespan unless they had read all nine great tribulations.
Even if this senior water daoist had many years left, wouldn’t he still reincarnate after ascending to the Spirit Realm?
Why did he wait until his situation was urgent before attempting the tribulation?
Lin Xuan didn't believe that he would waste his time. Could there be some hidden secret in a cultivator's lifespan?
He had never seen such information in any ancient texts, but it must have a reason.
Lin Xuan pondered deeply, but without any clear answers.
"Master, forget about it; maybe this mystery will be revealed once you advance to the separation and union realm," Yue'er said understandingly when she saw Lin Xuan’s frown.
Her words were meant as consolation, but hearing them made Lin Xuan realize that there might indeed be a significant secret at the separation and union realm.
With everything falling into place, if he could one day advance to this realm, perhaps these questions would indeed be resolved as Yue'er suggested. Why worry about something irrelevant now?
A smile formed on Lin Xuan's lips as he cast away his worries. With a flip of his hand, he took out the second jade tube.
This was the last treasure left by the senior water daoist; what could it contain?
The收获已经大大超出了他的预料，但宝物总是多多益善。林某满怀希望地将神识沉入其中……