“ xīn 。 hǎo dà de kǒu yǔ 。 jū rán bù jiāng wǒ yù líng zōng fàng zài yǎn lǐ 。 wǒ dào lüè pín zhòu qiú yǒu shì zhēn yǒu zhè ge shí lì ， hái shì zài hú chuī niú pí 。” lín xuān suī rán gǎn jué yǒu xiē guǐ yì ， dàn jì rán mào chōng le yù líng róng de xiū shì ， zhè xì jiù yào yǎn xià qù 。
“辛。好大的口与。居然不将我御灵宗放在眼里。我到略贫宙酋友是真有这个实力，还是在胡吹牛皮。”林轩虽然感觉有些诡异，但既然冒充了御灵容的修士，这戏就要演下去。
"Xin. What a big mouth. He actually doesn't take our Spirit Control Sect seriously. Is this guy really that powerful, or is he just boasting?" Lin Xuan felt somewhat strange but since he was pretending to be a cultivator of the Spirit Control Sect, he had to keep up the act.
xiù páo yī fú ， yī dào fǎ jué fēi lüè ér chū 。 nà sān zhǐ guài shòu tóng shēng nù hǒu ， yì qǐ è hěn hěn de pū xiàng le duì shǒu 。
袖袍一拂，一道法诀飞掠而出。那三只怪兽同声怒吼，一起恶狠狠的扑向了对手。
With a wave of his sleeve robe, a spell flew out. The three monstrous beasts roared in unison and fiercely lunged at their opponent.
suī shì fǎ lì níng jù ， dàn měi yī tóu de shí lì ， dōu kān yǔ huà xíng chū qī de yāo shòu xiāng bǐ ， sān guài lián shǒu ， yǐ zú yǐ lìng pǔ tōng de zhōng qī lǎo guài wù biàn sè 。 rán ér shū shēng què shì ruò wú dǔ ， zuǐ jiǎo biān shèn zhì liú lù chū jǐ fēn jī fěng zhī sè 。
虽是法力凝聚，但每一头的实力，都堪与化形初期的妖兽相比，三怪联手，已足以令普通的中期老怪物变色。然而书生却视若无睹，嘴角边甚至流露出几分讥讽之色。
Though it was formed by condensed spiritual energy, each one's strength could match that of an early-stage transformed beast. With these three working together, they were already enough to make ordinary middle-stage old monsters turn pale. However, the scholar ignored them as if they were nothing, even showing a hint of mockery on his lips.
zhǐ jiàn tā zài hòu nǎo yī pāi ， jǐ dào jiàn máng cóng zuǐ zhōng pēn tǔ chū lái ， zhǔn què wú wù de jī dǎ zài shēn qián de jīng shí shàng miàn 。
只见他在后脑一拍，几道剑芒从嘴中喷吐出来，准确无误的击打在身前的晶石上面。
He tapped his head and several sword beams shot out from his mouth, accurately striking the crystal stones in front of him.
chī de qīng xiǎng chuán rù ěr biān ， liè wén chū xiàn 。 suí hòu shí yú kuài jīng shí yì qǐ bào liè kāi lái ， tiān kōng zhōng chū xiàn liǎo wú shù qīng sè de guāng diàn 。
嗤的轻响传入耳边，裂纹出现。随后十余块晶石一起爆裂开来，天空中出现了无数青色的光电。
A sharp crack echoed in Lin Xuan's ears as cracks appeared. Then, over ten crystal stones exploded simultaneously, sending countless green sparks into the sky.
zhè xiē kě bù lā jī ， quán xī shì lìng rén xuàn mù dì gāo pǐn jīng shí ， lǐ miàn suǒ yùn hán de líng lì yì qǐ shì fàng chū lái ， jué duì bù róng xiǎo shì 。
这些可不垃圾，全郗是令人炫目的高品晶石，里面所蕴含的灵力一起释放出来，绝对不容小视。
These weren't just any ordinary crystals; they were high-grade ones that dazzled with their brilliance. The spiritual energy contained within was released all at once and shouldn't be underestimated.
suí hòu shū shēng shǒu chí máo bǐ ， zhǐ le zhǐ tā gāng gāng xiě hǎo de nà ge ，“ pò ” zì 。
随后书生手持毛笔，指了指他刚刚写好的那个，“破”字。
The scholar then held a feather pen and pointed to the "Break" character he had just written.
lín xuān dèng dà le yǎn zhū ， yǎn qián shēng de yí mù ràng rén táng mù jié shé ， nà xiē cóng jīng shí zhōng sàn chū lái de líng lì ， quán dōu fēng kuáng de yǒng jìn le pò zì lǐ 。
林轩瞪大了眼珠，眼前生的一幕让人膛目结舌，那些从晶石中散出来的灵力，全都疯狂的涌进了破字里。
Lin Xuan's eyes widened as what happened before his eyes left him speechless. All the spiritual energy that had dispersed from the crystal stones rushed into the word "Break."
zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng lín xuān bìng wèi jiàn guò ， dàn xīn zhōng què kāi shǐ hán le ， shèn zhì yǒu diào tóu táo pǎo de chōng dòng 。
这种情况林轩并未见过，但心中却开始寒了，甚至有掉头逃跑的冲动。
This situation was unfamiliar to Lin Xuan, but it made him shiver with fear and even gave him a strong urge to flee.
“ xī nà tiān dì yuán qì ， huà wèi jìn gōng ！”
“吸纳天地元气，化为进攻！”
"Absorb the essence of heaven and earth, transforming it into an offensive move!"
gǔ jí shàng ， lín xuān céng jīng kàn guò zhè me yī xíng miáo shù 。 nà shì zhuān zhǐ lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ， jìn rù zhè ge jiē duàn hòu yǔ yǐ qián wán quán bù tóng ， néng gòu cāo kòng zhōu wéi de tiān dì yuán qì wèi jǐ yòng 。
古籍上，林轩曾经看过这么一行描述。那是专指离合期修仙者，进入这个阶段后与以前完全不同，能够操控周围的天地元气为己用。
In ancient texts, Lin Xuan had read about this. It referred specifically to cultivators at the Separation Stage, who were completely different from before, capable of controlling the surrounding heavenly energies for their own use.
“ shào yé ， zhè jiā huo ， gāi bú huì shì lí hé qī lǎo guài wù 。” yuè ér shēng yīn chàn dǒu de kāi kǒu le ， xiǎo yā tou xiàn zài de fǎn yìng yào bǐ yuán lái kuài xǔ duō 。
“少爷，这家伙，该不会是离合期老怪物。”月儿声音颤抖的开口了，小丫头现在的反应要比原来快许多。
"Young Master, this guy must be a powerful old monster at the Separation Stage," Moon's voice trembled as she spoke, her reaction much faster than usual now.
lín xuān de bèi shàng quán shì hàn zhū ， dàn lüè yī chóu chú ， què yáo le yáo tóu ：“ bú duì ， tā jué duì zhǐ shì yuán yīng qī xiū xiān zhě 。”
林轩的背上全是汗珠，但略一踌躇，却摇了摇头：“不对，他绝对只是元婴期修仙者。”
Lin Xuan was drenched in sweat. However, after hesitating slightly, he shook his head: "No, he is definitely just an Infant Soul cultivator."
“ wèi shén me ， zhè zhǒng xī nà líng qì de fāng shì gēn běn jiù shì lí hé qī cái yōng yǒu 。” yuè ér yǒu xiē jīng pà de fǎn bó ， qiào liǎn shàng mǎn shì huái yí zhī sè 。
“为什么，这种吸纳灵气的方式根本就是离合期才拥有。”月儿有些惊怕的反驳，俏脸上满是怀疑之色。
"Why? This method of absorbing spiritual energy can only be done by Separation Stage cultivators," Moon argued fearfully, her face full of doubt.
“ shì hé gǔ jí shàng miáo shù de yǒu xiē xiàng 。 dàn zhēn zhèng de lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ， shì cóng sì zhōu xī nà tiān dì yuán qì ， ér zhè jiā huo ， zé shì jiāng jīng shí qiāo suì ， rán hòu xī shí ， biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， shì yǒu xiē xiāng sì ， dàn nán dù què bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ ， xū zhī tiān dì yuán qì shì wú chǔ bù zài de ， dàn pǔ tōng huán jìng zhōng de fēi cháng xī bó ， zhǐ yǒu lí hé qī xiū shì yòng dà shén tōng ， cái néng xī wèi jǐ yòng ， ér gāo jiē jīng shí zhōng de líng qì fēi cháng nóng yù ， zhè xī nà qǐ lái dāng rán yě jiù róng yì 。” lín xuān huǎn huǎn jiě shì 。 dàn tīng qǐ lái ， gèng xiàng shì nán nán zì yǔ 。
“是和古籍上描述的有些像。但真正的离合期修仙者，是从四周吸纳天地元气，而这家伙，则是将晶石敲碎，然后吸食，表面上看，是有些相似，但难度却不可同日而语，须知天地元气是无处不在的，但普通环境中的非常稀薄，只有离合期修士用大神通，才能吸为己用，而高阶晶石中的灵气非常浓郁，这吸纳起来当然也就容易。”林轩缓缓解释。但听起来，更像是喃喃自语。
"It does resemble what's described in the ancient texts. But true Separation Stage cultivators absorb heavenly energies from their surroundings, while this guy shatters the crystals and then sucks them up. At first glance, it may seem similar, but the difficulty is incomparable. You see, heavenly energies are everywhere, but they're extremely sparse in ordinary environments. Only a Separation Stage cultivator can use great divine power to absorb and utilize them. High-grade crystals have very concentrated spiritual energy, making absorption much easier," Lin Xuan explained slowly, though it sounded more like muttering.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。” yuè ér diǎn jí tóu 。 tīng shào yé zhè me yī fēn xī ， què shí hěn yǒu dào lǐ 。
“原来如此。”月儿点集头。听少爷这么一分析，确实很有道理。
"Ah, I see." Moon nodded her head. After Young Master's analysis, it made sense.
dàn lín xuān de liǎn sè yī jiù yīn chén ài ， bǐ 。
但林轩的脸色依旧阴沉爱，比。
However, Lin Xuan's expression remained grim. Although the opponent's fighting style was far from that of a Separation Stage cultivator, it wasn't trivial either; it was a very dangerous secret technique.
suī rán duì fāng zhè yàng de zhàn dòu fāng shì ， yuǎn yuǎn wú fǎ hé lí hé qī xiū shì xiāng bǐ ， dàn yě jué bú shì diāo chóng xiǎo jì ， ér shì fēi cháng kě qiāo de mì shù 。
虽然对方这样的战斗方式，远远无法和离合期修士相比，但也绝不是雕虫小技，而是非常可悄的秘术。
If his guess was correct, this must have been created by some exceptionally brilliant senior cultivators based on the techniques of Separation Stage cultivators.
rú guǒ zì jǐ méi yǒu cāi cuò ， duō bàn shì mǒu xiē cōng míng jué dǐng de qián bèi xiū xiān zhě ， gēn jù lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě de shén tōng ， mó fǎng chuàng zào chū lái de 。
如果自己没有猜错，多半是某些聪明绝顶的前辈修仙者，根据离合期修仙者的神通，模仿创造出来的。
This kind of attack consumed almost no spiritual energy from the user. As long as he had enough crystals, he could continue fighting indefinitely.
zhè yàng de gōng jī ， jī hū bù huì xiāo hào shī shù zhě běn shēn de fǎ lì ， zhǐ yào tā shēn shàng dài yǒu zú gòu de jīng shí ， jiù néng yì zhí zhàn dòu xià qù 。
这样的攻击，几乎不会消耗施术者本身的法力，只要他身上带有足够的晶石，就能一直战斗下去。
The only description that fit was "棘手" (tough).
jí shǒu shì wéi yī de xíng róng 。
棘手是唯一的形容。
Lin Xuan was very curious about the scholar's background. Such a refined technique couldn't be possessed by an ordinary sect or family; it required collective efforts over many generations. And his brief words revealed his hatred for the Seven Great Forces, indicating he had a significant background.
lín xuān duì yú shū shēng de lái lì ， fēi cháng de hào qí 。 zhè yàng jīng miào de shén tōng ， jué fēi yì bān de zōng mén jiā zú néng gòu yōng yǒu ， néng gòu chuàng lì chū lái 。 bù zhī dào shì duō shǎo dài xiū shì jí tǐ nǔ lì de jié guǒ 。 hái yǒu tā gāng gāng tǔ lù de zhī yán piàn yǔ ， duì qī dà shì lì chōng mǎn hèn yì ， zhè jiā huo kǒng pà zhēn de hěn yǒu lái lì 。
林轩对于书生的来历，非常的好奇。这样精妙的神通，绝非一般的宗门家族能够拥有，能够创立出来。不知道是多少代修士集体努力的结果。还有他刚刚吐露的只言片语，对七大势力充满恨意，这家伙恐怕真的很有来历。
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xuan no longer underestimated his opponent. He didn't want to end up shipwrecked in a ditch.
lín xuān xīn zhōng rú shì xiǎng zhe ， zài bù gǎn qīng dí 。 tā kě bù xiǎng fān chuán zài yīn gōu lǐ 。
林轩心中如是想着，再不敢轻敌。他可不想翻船在阴沟里。
With another wave of his sleeve robe, the Green Fire Sword flew out. Lin Xuan was prepared to give it his all and take down this troublesome guy first.
xiù páo yī fú ， qīng huǒ jiàn fēi lüè ér chū ， lín xuān zhǔn bèi quán lì yǐ fù ， xiān jiāng zhè jí shǒu de jiā huo ná xià zài shuō 。
袖袍一拂，青火剑飞掠而出，林轩准备全力以赴，先将这棘手的家伙拿下再说。
After absorbing a large amount of spiritual energy, the "Break" character changed. A loud crack echoed as countless palm-sized wind blades appeared before them.
ér nà pò zì xī shōu le dà liàng de líng lì yǐ hòu ， yě shēng biàn huà le ， huā lā yī shēng suì liè kāi 。 wú shù bā zhǎng dà xiǎo de fēng rèn chū xiàn zài le yǎn qián 。
而那破字吸收了大量的灵力以后，也生变化了，哗啦一声碎裂开。无数巴掌大小的风刃出现在了眼前。
Lin Xuan sucked in a cold breath; there were over ten thousand of them.
lín xuān dào xī le kǒu liáng qì ， zú yǒu wàn yú 。
林轩到吸了口凉气，足有万余。
"Quickly!"
“ jí ！”
“疾！”
The scholar softly uttered these words.
shū shēng qīng qīng tǔ chū zhè yí gè zì 。
书生轻轻吐出这一个字。
All the wind blades rushed like a storm towards the three monstrous beasts.
suǒ yǒu de fēng rèn rú jí fēng zhòu yǔ ， xiàng zhe sān tóu guài wù fēng yōng ér qù 。
所有的风刃如疾风骤雨，像着三头怪物蜂拥而去。
Lin Xuan frowned slightly, sending out a divine sense. Although the monsters were fierce, they weren't凝聚妖魂 (condensed spirit beasts), so he had to control their movements for them to unleash their powers.
lín xuān méi tóu wēi zhòu ， yī dào shén niàn chū 。 zhè sān tóu guài wù suī rán xiōng měng ， dàn bìng fēi yāo hún níng jù ， suǒ yǐ xū yào tā cāo kòng ， cái néng huī chū shén tōng 。
林轩眉头微皱，一道神念出。这三头怪物虽然凶猛，但并非妖魂凝聚，所以需要他操控，才能挥出神通。
The giant snake opened its mouth and spat out a gray light column, which exploded loudly as it met the incoming wind blades. Spiritual lights flashed while the scorpion-lion monster roared, sending out visible sound waves that resembled the Buddhist Lion's Roar technique.
zhǐ jiàn nà jù mǎng zhāng kāi kǒu ， cóng lǐ miàn pēn chū huī méng méng de guāng zhù ， pī lǐ pā lā de bào liè shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， yǔ fēi guò lái de fēng rèn yíng miàn xiàng zhuàng le 。 líng guāng shǎn shuò ， ér nà xiē shēn shī de guài wù 。 yī shēng dà hǒu ， ròu yǎn kě jiàn de yīn bō xiōng yǒng ér chū 。 yǔ fó mén shī zi hǒu de shén tōng pǒ yǒu jǐ fēn xiāng sì zhī chù 。
只见那巨蟒张开口，从里面喷出灰蒙蒙的光柱，噼里啪啦的爆裂声传入耳朵，与飞过来的风刃迎面相撞了。灵光闪烁，而那蝎身狮的怪物。一声大吼，肉眼可见的音波汹涌而出。与佛门狮子吼的神通颇有几分相似之处。
As for the giant silkworm-like creature, it shot out countless fine threads from its mouth, enveloping itself in a white cocoon. A flash of white light and it fearlessly crashed into the wind blades.
zhì yú nà jù cán yàng de dōng xī ， zé cóng kǒu qì zhōng tǔ chū wú shù de xì sī ， jiāng zì jǐ bǎo hù zài lǐ miàn ， qǐng kè zhī jiān ， jiù biàn chéng le yī yòu bái yòu pàng de cán jiǎn ， bái guāng yī shǎn ， háo bù wèi jù de zhuàng rù le fēng rèn lǐ miàn 。
至于那巨蚕样的东西，则从口器中吐出无数的细丝，将自己保护在里面，顷刻之间，就变成了一又白又胖的蚕茧，白光一闪，毫不畏惧的撞入了风刃里面。
To be honest, the Illusion Beast Technique was no small feat. The three monsters all unleashed extraordinary powers, but facing tens of thousands of wind blades, they were still outmatched. Whether it was the light column, sound waves, or silkworm cocoons, they could only neutralize a small portion before being enveloped by the remaining wind blades.
píng xīn lái shuō ， nǐ yāo shù fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。 sān tóu guài wù ， jiē huī chū fēi fán de shén tōng ， rán ér miàn duì shù yǐ wàn jì de fēng rèn ， què hái shì xiāng xíng jiàn zhuō ， bù lùn guāng zhù 、 yīn bō 、 hái shì cán jiǎn 。 jǐn jǐn shì dǐ xiāo diào le yī xiǎo bàn ， jiù bèi shèng yú ér lái de fēng rèn ， jié jiē shí shí de bāo guǒ zài le lǐ miàn 。
平心来说，拟妖术非同小可。三头怪物，皆挥出非凡的神通，然而面对数以万计的风刃，却还是相形见拙，不论光柱、音波、还是蚕茧。仅仅是抵消掉了一小半，就被剩余而来的风刃，结结实实的包裹在了里面。
Crackling sounds filled the air as the roar of the monsters echoed. After withstanding the attack from the wind blades, their spiritual lights dimmed significantly and gradually vanished into thin air.
chī chī zhī shēng bù jué yú ěr ， jiā zá zhe sān tóu guài wù de páo xiāo ， děng chēng guò le fēng rèn de gōng jī 。 dì men shēn shàng de líng guāng yǐ àn dàn wú bǐ ， huà wèi le wú shù de guāng diǎn ， zhú jiàn xiāo shī zài le xū kōng lǐ miàn 。
嗤嗤之声不绝于耳，夹杂着三头怪物的咆哮，等撑过了风刃的攻击。地们身上的灵光已黯淡无比，化为了无数的光点，逐渐消失在了虚空里面。
"Friend, your magical techniques are impressive, but it seems that creating these monsters consumes a lot of spiritual energy. How much true essence do you have left to create more?" The scholar smiled, his eyes full of malice. Lin Xuan's heart raced; the opponent really hated the Spirit Control Sect.
“ dào yǒu fǎ shù bù cuò ， bù guò níng jié zhè zhǒng guài wù ， sì hū shì hěn xiāo hào fǎ lì de ， nǐ hái yǒu duō shǎo zhēn yuán ， néng gòu zài níng chū jǐ tóu ne ？” shū shēng xiào yín yín de kāi kǒu ， yǎn zhōng mǎn shì yuàn dú 。 lín xuān xīn zhōng yī dòng ， kàn lái duì fāng shì zhēn de hěn hèn yù líng zōng 。
“道友法术不错，不过凝结这种怪物，似乎是很消耗法力的，你还有多少真元，能够再凝出几头呢？”书生笑吟吟的开口，眼中满是怨毒。林轩心中一动，看来对方是真的很恨御灵宗。
"Hmph!"
“ hēng ！”
“哼！”
Lin Xuan didn't waste any more words with him. While the Illusion Beast Technique was powerful, it easily depleted his spiritual energy. Since the enemy was troublesome, using a treasure to counter would save him more spiritual energy.
lín xuān méi yǒu yǔ duì fāng duō fèi chún shé ， nǐ yāo shù qiáng shì qiáng ， dàn róng yì jiāng shēn shàng de fǎ lì xiāo hào guāng ， jì rán dí rén jí shǒu ， dāng rán yòng fǎ bǎo duì dí gèng jiā de jié shěng líng lì 。
林轩没有与对方多费唇舌，拟妖术强是强，但容易将身上的法力消耗光，既然敌人棘手，当然用法宝对敌更加的节省灵力。
He cast another spell.
lín bài yī dào fǎ jué dǎ le shàng qù 。
林拜一道法诀打了上去。
The Green Fire Sword flashed and transformed into a sharp beam, slicing towards the opponent.
qīng huǒ jiàn yī shǎn ， huà wèi yī lǚ lì máng pī xiàng duì miàn 。
青火剑一闪，化为一缕厉芒劈向对面。
Although this technique mimicking Separation Stage cultivators was extremely mysterious, there were still flaws. The scholar had to write, break crystals, and absorb spiritual energy; although it seemed seamless, the overall casting time was much slower than usual.
zhè zhǒng mó fǎng lí hé qī xiū shì de shén tōng què shí xuán miào yǐ jí ， dàn bìng fēi shì méi yǒu pò zhàn dì ， duì fāng yào xiě zì ， yào dǎ pò jīng shí ， hái yào xī shōu líng lì ， suī rán yī qì hē chéng ， dàn jiā zài yì qǐ 。 shī fǎ dù yě bǐ pǔ tōng de màn le xǔ duō 。
这种模仿离合期修士的神通确实玄妙以极，但并非是没有破绽地，对方要写字，要打破晶石，还要吸收灵力，虽然一气呵成，但加在一起。施法度也比普通的慢了许多。
He could cast two Five Elements spells or use a treasure twice while he cast one of these techniques.
tā shī zhǎn yī cì shén tōng ， zì jǐ yǐ jīng kě yǐ chū liǎng gè wǔ xíng fǎ shù ， huò zhě yòng fǎ bǎo zuò liǎng cì gōng jī le 。
他施展一次神通，自己已经可以出两个五行法术，或者用法宝做两次攻击了。
Since Lin Xuan had already tested him, now that he saw his weakness, he wouldn't give him enough time to cast another spell.
ér lín xuān gāng gāng shì zài shì tàn ， xiàn zài jì rán kàn chū ruò diǎn ， zì rán bú huì gěi tā cóng róng shī fǎ de shí jiān 。
而林轩刚刚是在试探，现在既然看出弱点，自然不会给他从容施法的时间。
The Green Fire Sword moved swiftly like lightning and soon cut in front of the opponent. However, the scholar's expression remained unchanged. The inkstone's spiritual light flashed as it rapidly grew larger, acting like a shield. With a loud thud, the Green Fire Sword struck it.
qīng huǒ jiàn xùn jí rú diàn ， zhuǎn yǎn yǐ jīng pī dào le duì shǒu de yǎn qián ， rán ér shū shēng què liǎn sè bù biàn 。 nà yàn tāi líng guāng yī shǎn ， yǐ jīng xùn biàn dà le qǐ lái ， jiù rú tóng yí miàn dùn pái ， qīng huǒ jiàn pēng de yī shēng zhǎn zài le shàng miàn 。
青火剑迅疾如电，转眼已经劈到了对手的眼前，然而书生却脸色不变。那砚台灵光一闪，已经迅变大了起来，就如同一面盾牌，青火剑嘭的一声斩在了上面。
This sword was incredibly sharp; it easily sliced through ordinary treasures. But with a muffled sound, the inkstone showed no cracks at all.
"Xin. What a big mouth. He actually doesn't take our Spirit Control Sect seriously. Is this guy really that powerful, or is he just boasting?" Lin Xuan felt somewhat strange but since he was pretending to be a cultivator of the Spirit Control Sect, he had to keep up the act.
With a wave of his sleeve robe, a spell flew out. The three monstrous beasts roared in unison and fiercely lunged at their opponent.
Though it was formed by condensed spiritual energy, each one's strength could match that of an early-stage transformed beast. With these three working together, they were already enough to make ordinary middle-stage old monsters turn pale. However, the scholar ignored them as if they were nothing, even showing a hint of mockery on his lips.
He tapped his head and several sword beams shot out from his mouth, accurately striking the crystal stones in front of him.
A sharp crack echoed in Lin Xuan's ears as cracks appeared. Then, over ten crystal stones exploded simultaneously, sending countless green sparks into the sky.
These weren't just any ordinary crystals; they were high-grade ones that dazzled with their brilliance. The spiritual energy contained within was released all at once and shouldn't be underestimated.
The scholar then held a feather pen and pointed to the "Break" character he had just written.
Wu...
Lin Xuan's eyes widened as what happened before his eyes left him speechless. All the spiritual energy that had dispersed from the crystal stones rushed into the word "Break."
This situation was unfamiliar to Lin Xuan, but it made him shiver with fear and even gave him a strong urge to flee.
"Absorb the essence of heaven and earth, transforming it into an offensive move!"
In ancient texts, Lin Xuan had read about this. It referred specifically to cultivators at the Separation Stage, who were completely different from before, capable of controlling the surrounding heavenly energies for their own use.
"Young Master, this guy must be a powerful old monster at the Separation Stage," Moon's voice trembled as she spoke, her reaction much faster than usual now.
Lin Xuan was drenched in sweat. However, after hesitating slightly, he shook his head: "No, he is definitely just an Infant Soul cultivator."
"Why? This method of absorbing spiritual energy can only be done by Separation Stage cultivators," Moon argued fearfully, her face full of doubt.
"It does resemble what's described in the ancient texts. But true Separation Stage cultivators absorb heavenly energies from their surroundings, while this guy shatters the crystals and then sucks them up. At first glance, it may seem similar, but the difficulty is incomparable. You see, heavenly energies are everywhere, but they're extremely sparse in ordinary environments. Only a Separation Stage cultivator can use great divine power to absorb and utilize them. High-grade crystals have very concentrated spiritual energy, making absorption much easier," Lin Xuan explained slowly, though it sounded more like muttering.
"Ah, I see." Moon nodded her head. After Young Master's analysis, it made sense.
However, Lin Xuan's expression remained grim. Although the opponent's fighting style was far from that of a Separation Stage cultivator, it wasn't trivial either; it was a very dangerous secret technique.
If his guess was correct, this must have been created by some exceptionally brilliant senior cultivators based on the techniques of Separation Stage cultivators.
This kind of attack consumed almost no spiritual energy from the user. As long as he had enough crystals, he could continue fighting indefinitely.
The only description that fit was "棘手" (tough).
Lin Xuan was very curious about the scholar's background. Such a refined technique couldn't be possessed by an ordinary sect or family; it required collective efforts over many generations. And his brief words revealed his hatred for the Seven Great Forces, indicating he had a significant background.
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xuan no longer underestimated his opponent. He didn't want to end up shipwrecked in a ditch.
With another wave of his sleeve robe, the Green Fire Sword flew out. Lin Xuan was prepared to give it his all and take down this troublesome guy first.
After absorbing a large amount of spiritual energy, the "Break" character changed. A loud crack echoed as countless palm-sized wind blades appeared before them.
Lin Xuan sucked in a cold breath; there were over ten thousand of them.
"Quickly!"
The scholar softly uttered these words.
All the wind blades rushed like a storm towards the three monstrous beasts.
Lin Xuan frowned slightly, sending out a divine sense. Although the monsters were fierce, they weren't凝聚妖魂 (condensed spirit beasts), so he had to control their movements for them to unleash their powers.
The giant snake opened its mouth and spat out a gray light column, which exploded loudly as it met the incoming wind blades. Spiritual lights flashed while the scorpion-lion monster roared, sending out visible sound waves that resembled the Buddhist Lion's Roar technique.
As for the giant silkworm-like creature, it shot out countless fine threads from its mouth, enveloping itself in a white cocoon. A flash of white light and it fearlessly crashed into the wind blades.
To be honest, the Illusion Beast Technique was no small feat. The three monsters all unleashed extraordinary powers, but facing tens of thousands of wind blades, they were still outmatched. Whether it was the light column, sound waves, or silkworm cocoons, they could only neutralize a small portion before being enveloped by the remaining wind blades.
Crackling sounds filled the air as the roar of the monsters echoed. After withstanding the attack from the wind blades, their spiritual lights dimmed significantly and gradually vanished into thin air.
"Friend, your magical techniques are impressive, but it seems that creating these monsters consumes a lot of spiritual energy. How much true essence do you have left to create more?" The scholar smiled, his eyes full of malice. Lin Xuan's heart raced; the opponent really hated the Spirit Control Sect.
"Hmph!"
Lin Xuan didn't waste any more words with him. While the Illusion Beast Technique was powerful, it easily depleted his spiritual energy. Since the enemy was troublesome, using a treasure to counter would save him more spiritual energy.
He cast another spell.
The Green Fire Sword flashed and transformed into a sharp beam, slicing towards the opponent.
Although this technique mimicking Separation Stage cultivators was extremely mysterious, there were still flaws. The scholar had to write, break crystals, and absorb spiritual energy; although it seemed seamless, the overall casting time was much slower than usual.
He could cast two Five Elements spells or use a treasure twice while he cast one of these techniques.
Since Lin Xuan had already tested him, now that he saw his weakness, he wouldn't give him enough time to cast another spell.
The Green Fire Sword moved swiftly like lightning and soon cut in front of the opponent. However, the scholar's expression remained unchanged. The inkstone's spiritual light flashed as it rapidly grew larger, acting like a shield. With a loud thud, the Green Fire Sword struck it.
This sword was incredibly sharp; it easily sliced through ordinary treasures. But with a muffled sound, the inkstone showed no cracks at all.