； fāng xiū shí yě lián lián diǎn tóu ， yǎn zhōng piàn huǒ rè ， rǔ cǐ nián lái diān pèi liú jué ， chù duǒ cáng de rì zi tā men yǐ jīng shòu gòu le 。
；方修十也连连点头，眼中片火热，汝此年来颠沛流嚼，处躲藏的日子他们已经受够了。
Fang Xiu nodded repeatedly, his eyes aglow with determination. "You've been through so much hardship in these years, hiding from others. They have already suffered enough."
“ zhǐ shì lǎo zǔ ” nà míng jiào zi cōng de bái páo nán zi tū rán yǒu xiē yóu yù de kāi kǒu le 。
“只是老祖”那名叫子聪的白袍男子突然有些犹豫的开口了。
"Only the old patriarch," said the man in white robes named Zicoshu hesitantly.
“ zěn me ？。 huī yī lǎo zhě zhuǎn guò tóu ， yǎn zhōng jīng máng shǎn shuò 。
“怎么？。灰衣老者转过头，眼中精芒闪烁。
"How so?" The gray-robed elder turned to him, his eyes flashing with sharpness.
yǔ tā de mù guāng xiāng chù ， bái páo nán zi suī shì yuán yīng hòu qī ， yě bù yóu lěng hàn lín lí ， máng chuí xià le tóu qù ：“ lǎo zǔ shù zuì ， dì zǐ zhǐ shì yǒu xiē huái yí ， xuān yuán chéng zhōng ， shì bú shì zhēn de yǒu nà ” nà zhǒng dōng xī ？。
与他的目光相触，白袍男子虽是元婴后期，也不由冷汗淋漓，忙垂下了头去：“老祖恕罪，弟子只是有些怀疑，轩辕城中，是不是真的有那”那种东西？。
Their gazes met, and even though the man was a late-stage元婴 cultivator, he couldn't help breaking out in cold sweat. He quickly lowered his head. "Old patriarch, forgive me. I just have some doubts—does the city of Xuanxu really contain that kind of thing?"
“ hēng ， lǎo fū yǐ jīng shuō guò ， zhè xiāo xī shì wǒ cóng luó jiā xiān bèi de diǎn jí zhōng suǒ de ， zhǐ bù guò yǔ yān bù xiáng ， lǎo fū yě shì fèi le hǎo dà de gōng fu 。 cái jiāng qí jiě mì ér chū ， yuán běn bǎi nián qián jiù yǒu le xiàn suǒ ， yīn wèi pà chū cuò ， wǒ àn zhōng yìn zhèng le hǎo jiǔ ， jué duì shì wàn wú yī shī de 。” huī yī lǎo zhě dàn dàn de kāi kǒu ， liǎn shàng bìng wú nù sè ， cǐ shì guān xì zhe luó jiā de xīng shuāi róng rǔ ， zi zhí men yǒu cǐ dān xīn yě shì zhèng cháng de 。
“哼，老夫已经说过，这消息是我从罗家先辈的典籍中所得，只不过语焉不详，老夫也是费了好大的功夫。才将其解密而出，原本百年前就有了线索，因为怕出错，我暗中印证了好久，绝对是万无一失的。”灰衣老者淡淡的开口，脸上并无怒色，此事关系着罗家的兴衰荣辱，子侄们有此担心也是正常的。
"Hmph, as old man has said before, this information came from the ancestral records of the Luo family. It's vague and incomplete, but it took a lot of effort to decipher. There were signs a hundred years ago, but I secretly verified it for so long that it was absolutely foolproof," the gray-robed elder said calmly. His face showed no anger; this matter concerned the rise and fall of the Luo family, and his nephews' concerns were understandable.
tīng dào lǎo zǔ rú cǐ kěn dìng de huí dá ， luó jiā zhǎng lǎo men wú bù xǐ dòng yán sè ， zhèng yù shuō shén me 。 yī guǎn jiā dǎ bàn de nán zi tū rán chuǎng jìn le dòng fǔ 。
听到老祖如此肯定的回答，罗家长老们无不喜动颜色，正欲说什么。一管家打扮的男子突然闯进了洞府。
Hearing such a definitive answer from the old patriarch, the Luo family elders were all delighted. Just as they were about to speak, a man dressed in white robes stepped forward. "Young master, you are safe. It's wonderful."
“ lǎo zǔ ， bù ，， bù hǎo le
“老祖，不，，不好了
"Come inside and sit down," said Lin Xuan with a smile. After years apart, Landy still looked beautiful, but her cultivation hadn't changed much. This was not surprising; after entering the condensation core stage, one's progress naturally slowed.
“ lái fú ， huāng shén me ， yǒu shì qíng màn màn shuō 。” huī yī lǎo zhě méi tóu wēi zhòu 。 zuò wèi lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ， tā de qì dù fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， yǐ néng zuò dào tài ràng bēng yú qián ér bù biàn sè 。
“来福，慌什么，有事情慢慢说。”灰衣老者眉头微皱。做为离合期修仙者，他的气度非同小可，已能做到泰让崩于前而不变色。
Landy obediently led him to a pavilion in the courtyard. "Young master, you needn't be so formal here. There are no outsiders."
“ lǎo zǔ ， èr shào yé de hún dēng xī miè ， kǒng pà yǐ zāo yù bù cè 。” guǎn jiā kū sāng zhe liǎn kāi kǒu 。 yǎn zhōng mǎn shì bēi qiè 。
“老祖，二少爷的魂灯熄灭，恐怕已遭遇不测。”管家哭丧着脸开口。眼中满是悲切。
"Thank you," Landy replied with a smile as she sat down opposite Lin Xuan.
“ shén me 。 yún fēng sǐ le ？”
“什么。云峰死了？”
A small tea table was placed between them. Landy personally brewed some spirit tea and offered it to him. "Please enjoy this tea. It may not be rare, but it can help alleviate fatigue."
zài zuò zhī rén wú bù dòng róng ， biàn shì nà lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ， liǎn sè yě nán kàn dào le jí chù 。 yún fēng shòu zì jǐ wěi pài ， qù wò hǔ chéng qián fú 。 suàn suàn shí jiān 。 yě yīng gāi wǎng dào cái duì ， zěn me jiù yǔ rén chōng tū 。 ér qiě yǔn luò ？
在座之人无不动容，便是那离合期修仙者，脸色也难看到了极处。云峰受自己委派，去卧虎城潜伏。算算时间。也应该网到才对，怎么就与人冲突。而且陨落？
Lin Xuan nodded and took a sip. The taste was indeed good; while it didn't enhance his magical power, it did replenish his physical energy. "Haha, your illusion technique is truly amazing. No wonder the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect couldn't do anything about you," Landy said with admiration in her eyes.
tā kě shì jiā zú zuì yǒu qián tú de dì zǐ zhī yī ， nián líng suī rán bù dà ， dàn yǐ shì yuán yīng zhōng qī 。 fǎ bǎo shén tōng yě dōu shí fēn chū zhòng ， wèi le zhè cì rèn wù ， zì jǐ hái jiāng luó jiā zǔ chuán xià lái de bǎo wù “ qīng xuán guǐ yàn ” cì yǔ tā shǐ yòng ， jiù suàn shì pèng jiàn hòu qī xiū shì ， yě yǒu yī zhàn zhī lì ， zěn me huì qīng yì shēn sǐ ， nán dào shì pèng jiàn le qī pài zhōng mǒu gè bù wèn shì shì de lǎo bù sǐ 。
他可是家族最有前途的弟子之一，年龄虽然不大，但已是元婴中期。法宝神通也都十分出众，为了这次任务，自己还将罗家祖传下来的宝物“青玄鬼砚”赐予他使用，就算是碰见后期修士，也有一战之力，怎么会轻易身死，难道是碰见了七派中某个不问世事的老不死。
She hadn't asked about how Lin Xuan had become enemies with the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect; as a subordinate, she shouldn't pry into her master's secrets. She handled this well.
huī yī lǎo zhě yòu jīng yòu nù ， nà zì jǐ de jì huà qǐ bù shì yào bào lù ”
灰衣老者又惊又怒，那自己的计划岂不是要暴露”
Lin Xuan nodded approvingly but didn't plan to hide anything. This woman was bound by a blood pact and would never betray him in this life. He briefly explained their conflict with the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect. Landy's face showed surprise as she listened intently.
kě wù ！
可恶！
Later-stage old monsters had powers far beyond those of middle-stage cultivators, and the other party being a seat of the Buddha Hall of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect was undoubtedly much stronger than peers.
qí tā rén de biǎo qíng yě chà bu duō ， tā men suǒ bù de jú shàng wèi dòng ， méi xiǎng dào jiù chū le zhè yàng de chā cuò ， xīn zhōng tǎn tè ， yǎn bā bā de wàng zhe qián miàn de lǎo zǔ 。
其他人的表情也差不多，他们所布的局尚未动，没想到就出了这样的差错，心中忐忑，眼巴巴的望着前面的老祖。
Young master is simply too powerful!
ér qiāo wèi zhè yī qiè de shǐ zuò yǒng zhě ， lín xuān bìng bù zhī dào tā yǐ jīng zài luó jiā zhòng xiū shì zhōng yǐn qǐ le xuān rán dà bō ， cǐ shí cǐ xuán ， tā yǐ jīng lái dào le wò hǔ chéng lǐ ， bìng gēn jù zhèng wéi de zhǐ yǐn 。 qián wǎng xī qū ， yī zuò bèi guāng mù bāo guǒ de xiǎo yuàn chū xiàn zài le shì xiàn lǐ 。
而悄为这一切的始作俑者，林轩并不知道他已经在罗家众修士中引起了轩然大波，此时此玄，他已经来到了卧虎城里，并根据郑维的指引。前往西区，一座被光幕包裹的小院出现在了视线里。
In the cultivation world, strength ruled. Landy already admired young master greatly; this feeling only deepened now.
zhè jìn zhì dào yě bù cuò ， dāng rán ， dǎng bú zhù yuán yīng qī xiū xiān zhě ， bù guò lín xuān zì rán bú huì wú liáo dào qù yìng chuǎng de ， xiù páo yī fú ， yī dào huǒ guāng fēi lüè ér chū ， shì chuán yīn fú ！
这禁制到也不错，当然，挡不住元婴期修仙者，不过林轩自然不会无聊到去硬闯的，袖袍一拂，一道火光飞掠而出，是传音符！
"This is just a minor matter. No need to be surprised," said Lin Xuan curiously. "Why did you come here from Youzhou? What's your true purpose?"
suí hòu lín xuān jiù zài yuán dì bìng jìng de děng zhe 。
随后林轩就在原地并静的等着。
"I apologize, Young Master," Landy lowered her head, speaking hesitantly. This was something she had done on her own initiative.
guò le yuē yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， yī dào jīng hóng cóng lǐ miàn jī shè ér chū ， yī shǎn ， biàn yǐ luò zài le miàn qián ， xiàn chū yī miào líng shào nǚ de róng yán 。
过了约一盏茶的功夫，一道惊虹从里面激射而出，一闪，便已落在了面前，现出一妙龄少女的容颜。
"Ah?" Lin Xuan wasn't surprised; he seemed to have anticipated this. He rubbed his forehead and looked at her with a playful expression: "You wanted to establish a branch here? If I'm not mistaken, you've performed quite well in Youzhou, which is why you're thinking of expanding further."
bú yòng shuō ， zì rán shì lù yíng ér 。
不用说，自然是陆盈儿。
"Young master's wisdom astounds me," Landy was both surprised and admiring. Only she and a few senior figures knew the true purpose of their visit; none of the disciples, including Zheng Wei, had ever spoken about it. Lin Xuan had anticipated this, showing that his intelligence matched his cultivation speed.
cǐ shí shào nǚ de liǎn shàng mǎn shì xǐ sè ， lián jiàn lǐ dōu wàng le 。
此时少女的脸上满是喜色，连见礼都忘了。
Lucky for her, she remained loyal to Lin Xuan without any second thoughts. If she had lied just now, Landy felt a shiver down her spine.
“ shào yé ， nín píng ān wú shì 。 zhēn shì tài hǎo le 。”
“少爷，您平安无事。真是太好了。”
She took a deep breath and calmed herself before narrating the events since their separation.
“ ń ， jìn qù zài shuō 。” lín xuān de liǎn shàng liú lù chū xiào róng ， shù zài wèi jiàn ， lù yíng ér fēng cǎi yī rán ， bù guò xiū wèi què méi yǒu duō dà gǎi biàn ， zhè bù qí guài ， jìn rù níng dān qī hòu ， xiū xíng de dù běn lái jiù huì dà dà jiǎn huǎn 。
“嗯，进去再说。”林轩的脸上流露出笑容，数载未见，陆盈儿风采依然，不过修为却没有多大改变，这不奇怪，进入凝丹期后，修行的度本来就会大大减缓。
It turned out that Youzhou was almost entirely under the control of the Xuanxu Pavilion, with no other forces able to challenge it.
tīng le lín xuān de fēn fù ， lù yíng ér zì rán bú huì fǎn duì shén me ， gōng jìng zài qián fāng yǐn lù ， lái dào le yuàn shēn chù de yī zuò gé lóu 。
听了林轩的吩咐，陆盈儿自然不会反对什么，恭敬在前方引路，来到了院深处的一座阁楼。
This wasn't surprising. With the fall of the Extreme Demon Patriarch, the Spirit Medicine Mountain and Azure Cloud Mountain had left, leaving only two powerful local factions: the One Line Canyon and Thunder Cloud Manor.
“ bān ér ， chēng chū qù ， jì zhù 。 bú yào xiàng qí tā rén tòu lù wǒ lái dào zhè lǐ de xiāo xī 。” lín xuān dàn dàn de fēn fù 。
“斑儿，称出去，记住。不要像其他人透露我来到这里的消息。”林轩淡淡的吩咐。
However, before Lin Xuan left Youzhou, he paid visits to both, killing their late-stage元婴 elders and eliminating several condensation core cultivators as well. He was eradicating potential threats in their infancy.
“ shì ， shī zǔ ！”
“是，师祖！”
Lin Xuan was clearing a path for his subordinates' forces. As a result, the balance of power had shifted, with the Xuanxu Pavilion surpassing One Line Canyon and Thunder Cloud Manor.
yǒu le qián miàn de yī fān jīng lì ， zhèng bǒ yǐ duì lín xuān jìng wèi wú bǐ ， liǎn rèn yī lǐ ， suí hòu gōng jìng de tuì le chū qù 。
有了前面的一番经历，郑簸已对林轩敬畏无比，敛衽一礼，随后恭敬的退了出去。
Moreover, both factions now revered Lin Xuan as their leader, making it easier to coordinate and cooperate. The two major elders were dead, leaving the position of patriarch vacant. Without external enemies, internal strife was inevitable.
gé lóu zhōng jiù zhǐ shèng xià le yī nán yī nǚ 。 lín xuān zài yī zhāng pú tuán shàng zuò xià ， kàn le yī yǎn gōng jìng shì lì yú yī páng de shào nǚ ：“ yíng ér ， wú xū duō lǐ ， zhè lǐ méi yǒu wài rén ， suí biàn yī xiē
阁楼中就只剩下了一男一女。林轩在一张蒲团上坐下，看了一眼恭敬侍立于一旁的少女：“盈儿，无需多礼，这里没有外人，随便一些
Thus, Landy took advantage of this situation, teaming up with the Heavenly Surge Sect to set a trap that eliminated the main forces of both factions. Some surrendered while others fled.
“ shì ！”
“是！”
Youzhou was an untamed land, and other states' cultivators didn't care about it much. Taking full advantage, Landy expanded her influence greatly. Now, the entire Youzhou cultivation scene bowed to the Xuanxu Pavilion, making them a major force there.
lù yíng ér xiū xiān de zī zhì yì bān ， dàn rén què cōng míng ， zhī dào shào yé bù xǐ huān jū yú sú lǐ 。 yě tīng huà de zài duì miàn zuò le xià qù 。
陆盈儿修仙的资质一般，但人却聪明，知道少爷不喜欢拘于俗礼。也听话的在对面坐了下去。
However, compared to the Cloud State, the Xuanxu Pavilion was still only fourth-rate at best. Although they had many cultivators and hundreds of condensation core existences, without any late-stage元婴s, their numbers were just cannon fodder.
liǎng rén de zhōng jiān ， bǎi zhe yī xiǎo qiǎo de chá jī ， lù yíng ér qīn shǒu qī le yī hú líng chá èr “ shào yé 。 qǐng yòng ， cǐ chá suī rán suàn bù shàng zhēn pǐn ， dàn què yǒu xiāo chú pí láo de zuò yòng
两人的中间，摆着一小巧的茶几，陆盈儿亲手沏了一壶灵茶二“少爷。请用，此茶虽然算不上珍品，但却有消除疲劳的作用
Lin Xuan placed his hand on the table and tapped it gently as he looked at Landy. "Landy, you might have forgotten one reason for coming here."
“ ń lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， hē le yī kǒu 。 wèi dào guǒ rán bù cuò ， duì fǎ lì suī rán méi yǒu zēng fú ， què yǒu bǔ chōng tǐ lì de xiào guǒ 。“ hē hē 。 shào yé de nǐ róng shù guǒ rán xuán miào wú bǐ ， guài bù dé yǐ wàn fú zōng de shì lì ， yě ná nín wú kě nài hé xiǎo bì ruò bú shì shōu dào le chuán yīn fú ， yě wú fǎ jiāng nín rèn chū 。” lù yíng ér wēn wǎn de kāi kǒu ， měi lì de yǎn móu mǎn shì pèi fú 。
“嗯林轩点点头，喝了一口。味道果然不错，对法力虽然没有增幅，却有补充体力的效果。“呵呵。少爷的拟容术果然玄妙无比，怪不得以万佛宗的势力，也拿您无可奈何小婢若不是收到了传音符，也无法将您认出。”陆盈儿温婉的开口，美丽的眼眸满是佩服。
Their eyes met, and Landy felt her heart race as if everything in her mind was exposed. She quickly knelt down. "Young master, forgive me. I did have a personal motive—Youzhou is an untamed land with resources that can't compare to the Cloud State. My abilities are limited; staying there would mean no chance of condensation for my entire life. But here in the Cloud State, even if it's slim, there might be some hope."
cǐ nǚ bìng méi yǒu dǎ tīng lín xuān yǔ wàn fú zōng jié chóu de jīng guò ， shēn wèi xià shǔ ， shì bù yīng gāi dǎ tīng zhǔ rén mì mì de ， cǐ nǚ duì yú fēn cùn ， yǒu zhe hěn hǎo de bǎ wò 。
此女并没有打听林轩与万佛宗结仇的经过，身为下属，是不应该打听主人秘密的，此女对于分寸，有着很好的把握。
"There's no need to apologize," Lin Xuan said with a smile. "Who doesn't want their cultivation to progress? You're right. Both you and Xin'er have mediocre abilities. If you stayed in Youzhou, even with the support of the Xuanxu Pavilion, you wouldn't have any chance at condensation. Moving here is indeed a smart choice."
lín xuān zàn xǔ de diǎn le diǎn tóu ， bù guò tā què méi yǒu dǎ suàn yǐn mán shén me ， cǐ nǚ yǔ zì jǐ qiān yǒu zhǔ pú xuè qì ， jīn shēng jīn shì dōu bù kě néng bèi qì zì jǐ ， lín xuān xiàng tā jiǎn duǎn shuō le yī xià yǔ wàn fú zōng jié chóu de jīng lì ， lù yíng ér de qiào liǎn mǎn shì jīng qí 。
林轩赞许的点了点头，不过他却没有打算隐瞒什么，此女与自己签有主仆血契，今生今世都不可能背弃自己，林轩像她简短说了一下与万佛宗结仇的经历，陆盈儿的俏脸满是惊奇。
"Thank you, Young Master," Landy was overjoyed, her face filled with gratitude as she bowed deeply.
xū zhī hòu qī lǎo guài wù de shén tōng yuǎn fēi zhōng qī kě bǐ ， ér qiě duì fāng shēn wèi wàn fú zōng luó hàn táng zuò ， kěn dìng yuǎn bǐ tóng jiē xiū shì gèng qiáng de 。
须知后期老怪物的神通远非中期可比，而且对方身为万佛宗罗汉堂座，肯定远比同阶修士更强的。
"But Landy, don't be too optimistic. The Cloud State isn't comparable to Youzhou. I'm under the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect's warrant, so I can't offer any help. Our relationship must remain secret; you must rely on yourself to establish a foothold and advance—every step will be fraught with difficulties."
shào yé jiǎn zhí tài lì hài le ！
少爷简直太厉害了！
The next day: "That... that, Hundred Refinements is about to fall off the recommendation list again," said Huan Yu in despair. "If any fellow cultivators have spare recommendation votes, please support me. Thank you." (To be continued)
Fang Xiu nodded repeatedly, his eyes aglow with determination. "You've been through so much hardship in these years, hiding from others. They have already suffered enough."
"Only the old patriarch," said the man in white robes named Zicoshu hesitantly.
"How so?" The gray-robed elder turned to him, his eyes flashing with sharpness.
Their gazes met, and even though the man was a late-stage元婴 cultivator, he couldn't help breaking out in cold sweat. He quickly lowered his head. "Old patriarch, forgive me. I just have some doubts—does the city of Xuanxu really contain that kind of thing?"
"Hmph, as old man has said before, this information came from the ancestral records of the Luo family. It's vague and incomplete, but it took a lot of effort to decipher. There were signs a hundred years ago, but I secretly verified it for so long that it was absolutely foolproof," the gray-robed elder said calmly. His face showed no anger; this matter concerned the rise and fall of the Luo family, and his nephews' concerns were understandable.
Hearing such a definitive answer from the old patriarch, the Luo family elders were all delighted. Just as they were about to speak, a man dressed in white robes stepped forward. "Young master, you are safe. It's wonderful."
"Come inside and sit down," said Lin Xuan with a smile. After years apart, Landy still looked beautiful, but her cultivation hadn't changed much. This was not surprising; after entering the condensation core stage, one's progress naturally slowed.
Landy obediently led him to a pavilion in the courtyard. "Young master, you needn't be so formal here. There are no outsiders."
"Thank you," Landy replied with a smile as she sat down opposite Lin Xuan.
A small tea table was placed between them. Landy personally brewed some spirit tea and offered it to him. "Please enjoy this tea. It may not be rare, but it can help alleviate fatigue."
Lin Xuan nodded and took a sip. The taste was indeed good; while it didn't enhance his magical power, it did replenish his physical energy. "Haha, your illusion technique is truly amazing. No wonder the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect couldn't do anything about you," Landy said with admiration in her eyes.
She hadn't asked about how Lin Xuan had become enemies with the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect; as a subordinate, she shouldn't pry into her master's secrets. She handled this well.
Lin Xuan nodded approvingly but didn't plan to hide anything. This woman was bound by a blood pact and would never betray him in this life. He briefly explained their conflict with the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect. Landy's face showed surprise as she listened intently.
Later-stage old monsters had powers far beyond those of middle-stage cultivators, and the other party being a seat of the Buddha Hall of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect was undoubtedly much stronger than peers.
Young master is simply too powerful!
In the cultivation world, strength ruled. Landy already admired young master greatly; this feeling only deepened now.
"This is just a minor matter. No need to be surprised," said Lin Xuan curiously. "Why did you come here from Youzhou? What's your true purpose?"
"I apologize, Young Master," Landy lowered her head, speaking hesitantly. This was something she had done on her own initiative.
"Ah?" Lin Xuan wasn't surprised; he seemed to have anticipated this. He rubbed his forehead and looked at her with a playful expression: "You wanted to establish a branch here? If I'm not mistaken, you've performed quite well in Youzhou, which is why you're thinking of expanding further."
"Young master's wisdom astounds me," Landy was both surprised and admiring. Only she and a few senior figures knew the true purpose of their visit; none of the disciples, including Zheng Wei, had ever spoken about it. Lin Xuan had anticipated this, showing that his intelligence matched his cultivation speed.
Lucky for her, she remained loyal to Lin Xuan without any second thoughts. If she had lied just now, Landy felt a shiver down her spine.
She took a deep breath and calmed herself before narrating the events since their separation.
It turned out that Youzhou was almost entirely under the control of the Xuanxu Pavilion, with no other forces able to challenge it.
This wasn't surprising. With the fall of the Extreme Demon Patriarch, the Spirit Medicine Mountain and Azure Cloud Mountain had left, leaving only two powerful local factions: the One Line Canyon and Thunder Cloud Manor.
However, before Lin Xuan left Youzhou, he paid visits to both, killing their late-stage元婴 elders and eliminating several condensation core cultivators as well. He was eradicating potential threats in their infancy.
Lin Xuan was clearing a path for his subordinates' forces. As a result, the balance of power had shifted, with the Xuanxu Pavilion surpassing One Line Canyon and Thunder Cloud Manor.
Moreover, both factions now revered Lin Xuan as their leader, making it easier to coordinate and cooperate. The two major elders were dead, leaving the position of patriarch vacant. Without external enemies, internal strife was inevitable.
Thus, Landy took advantage of this situation, teaming up with the Heavenly Surge Sect to set a trap that eliminated the main forces of both factions. Some surrendered while others fled.
Youzhou was an untamed land, and other states' cultivators didn't care about it much. Taking full advantage, Landy expanded her influence greatly. Now, the entire Youzhou cultivation scene bowed to the Xuanxu Pavilion, making them a major force there.
However, compared to the Cloud State, the Xuanxu Pavilion was still only fourth-rate at best. Although they had many cultivators and hundreds of condensation core existences, without any late-stage元婴s, their numbers were just cannon fodder.
Lin Xuan placed his hand on the table and tapped it gently as he looked at Landy. "Landy, you might have forgotten one reason for coming here."
Their eyes met, and Landy felt her heart race as if everything in her mind was exposed. She quickly knelt down. "Young master, forgive me. I did have a personal motive—Youzhou is an untamed land with resources that can't compare to the Cloud State. My abilities are limited; staying there would mean no chance of condensation for my entire life. But here in the Cloud State, even if it's slim, there might be some hope."
"There's no need to apologize," Lin Xuan said with a smile. "Who doesn't want their cultivation to progress? You're right. Both you and Xin'er have mediocre abilities. If you stayed in Youzhou, even with the support of the Xuanxu Pavilion, you wouldn't have any chance at condensation. Moving here is indeed a smart choice."
"Thank you, Young Master," Landy was overjoyed, her face filled with gratitude as she bowed deeply.
"But Landy, don't be too optimistic. The Cloud State isn't comparable to Youzhou. I'm under the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect's warrant, so I can't offer any help. Our relationship must remain secret; you must rely on yourself to establish a foothold and advance—every step will be fraught with difficulties."
The next day: "That... that, Hundred Refinements is about to fall off the recommendation list again," said Huan Yu in despair. "If any fellow cultivators have spare recommendation votes, please support me. Thank you." (To be continued)