yǔ xià hóu huì hé yǐ hòu 。 liǎng rén bìng wèi duō zuò tíng liú ， ér shì lián mèi huà wèi jiù shì xié ràng 。 xiàng yuǎn chù fēi lüè ér zǒu 。
与夏侯汇合以后。两人并未多做停留，而是联袂化为旧世协让。像远处飞掠而走。
After meeting with Xiaohou Hui, the two did not linger but instead merged into the old world's coordination. They streaked away towards the distance.
suī rán yǐ qián wèi céng hé zuò ， dàn liǎng rén dōu bú shì pǔ tōng xiū xiān zhě ， qí dùn guāng dù ， bié shuō tóng jiē xiū shì yuǎn yuǎn bù jí ， jiù shì hòu qī de dà xiū xiān zhě ， míng xiǎn yě yào xùn sè yī xiē 。
虽然以前未曾合作，但两人都不是普通修仙者，其遁光度，别说同阶修士远远不及，就是后期的大修仙者，明显也要逊色一些。
Although they had never worked together before, both were no ordinary cultivators. Their speed of escape far surpassed that of even lower-ranked cultivators and even some late-stage cultivators from major sects.
yì kǒu qì dùn chū qiān yú lǐ ， què bìng wèi xiàn dí rén de zōng jì ， lín xuān yě bù yóu àn àn chēng qí ， nán dào nà tū lǘ jìng dǎ suàn fàng guò zì jǐ ？
一口气遁出千余里，却并未现敌人的踪迹，林轩也不由暗暗称奇，难道那秃驴竟打算放过自己？
After flying over a thousand miles without spotting any enemies, Lin Xuan couldn't help but feel surprised. Could that bald monk really be planning to let me go?
méi dào lǐ ， wàn fú zōng de zéi tū yá zì bì bào ， gèng bú yào shuō zì jǐ gāng gāng hái zài pāi mài huì shàng qiǎng le tā de xià gū cǎo 。
没道理，万佛宗的贼秃睚眦必报，更不要说自己刚刚还在拍卖会上抢了他的夏孤草。
That made no sense; the thief from the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect was known for his grudge, and he had just been outbid at the auction for Xia Guocao.
xīn zhōng jīng yí ， bù guò lín xuān de dùn guāng dù fǎn ér gèng kuài le xiē ， bù guǎn duì fāng rú hé dǎ suàn 。 jǐn liàng táo yuǎn yì diǎn ， xiǎn rán duì zì jǐ gèng ān quán 。
心中惊疑，不过林轩的遁光度反而更快了些，不管对方如何打算。尽量逃远一点，显然对自己更安全。
Despite his doubts, Lin Xuan's speed increased even more. Regardless of what the other party planned, escaping as far away as possible seemed to be safer.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， pāi mài huì yī jiù jìn xíng dé rú huǒ rú tú ， suī rán jǐn jǐn shì jiǔ yīng de yī lǚ fēn hún huà yǒng ， dàn duì yú gè dà shì lì ， yī jiù yǒu zhe nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng de xī yǐn lì ， rú jīn de pāi mài jià gé 。 yǐ jīng jiē jìn le yī yì 。
与此同时，拍卖会依旧进行得如火如荼，虽然仅仅是九婴的一缕分魂化蛹，但对于各大势力，依旧有着难以想象的吸引力，如今的拍卖价格。已经接近了一亿。
Meanwhile, the auction continued with great fervor. Although it was merely a fragment of Nineheaded Snake’s soul cocoon, its allure was still beyond measure for major sects. The current bidding price had already approached one billion.
zhè yě suàn kāi chuàng le jì lù ， tiān yún jiāo yì huì cóng shàng gǔ qǐ shǐ ， hái cóng lái méi yǒu yī jiàn bǎo wù 。 céng jīng mài guò rú cǐ tiān jià de 。
这也算开创了记录，天云交易会从上古起始，还从来没有一件宝物。曾经卖过如此天价的。
This set a record; the Heaven Cloud Trading Fair had never seen such an exorbitant price for any treasure since ancient times.
bù guò liǎng míng lí hé qī lǎo guài wù yī jiù qì dìng shén xián ， zhè jiǔ yīng zhī luǎn ， shuí yě bié xiǎng ná zǒu 。
不过两名离合期老怪物依旧气定神闲，这九婴之卵，谁也别想拿走。
However, the two Separation and Union stage experts remained calm. No one could take this Nineheaded Snake’s egg away from them.
“ jiǔ tóu dào yǒu ， lǎo nà yǒu yī shì xiāng qiú 。”
“九头道友，老衲有一事相求。”
"Nine-headed friend, I have something to request."
“ shén me ？” nà zhǎng ěr bì mù dì yāo shòu zhuǎn guò tóu 。 yǎn zhōng lù chū yī lǚ chà yì zhī sè 。
“什么？”那长耳碧目的妖兽转过头。眼中露出一缕诧异之色。
"What is it?" The long-eared, green-eyed beast turned its head, showing a hint of surprise in its eyes.
“ zhè ér zàn rǎn nǐ lái zhǔ chí ， lǎo nà yǒu diǎn sī shì ， xiǎng yào lí qù 。”
“这儿暂冉你来主持，老衲有点私事，想要离去。”
"While you are temporarily in charge here, I need to attend to some personal matters and wish to leave."
“ yīn wèi nà qiǎng le xià gū cǎo de xiǎo zi ？”
“因为那抢了夏孤草的小子？”
"Because that boy who stole Xia Guocao?"
“ bù cuò ！” huì tōng liǎn shàng liú lù chū yī lǚ zhēng níng de xiào róng ：“ yǐ dào yǒu de shén tōng ， yīng gāi yě jiāng tā de wěi zhuāng kàn pò ， zhè xiǎo zi bù jǐn gāng gāng luò wǒ miàn zi ， ér qiě hái shāng le kōng xuàn shī zhí 。”
“不错！”慧通脸上流露出一缕狰狞的笑容：“以道友的神通，应该也将他的伪装看破，这小子不仅刚刚落我面子，而且还伤了空眩师侄。”
"Yes!" Huìtōng's face showed a sinister smile. "With your abilities, you should have already seen through his disguise. This boy not only offended me but also injured my nephew, Kōngxuán."
“ hēng ， wǒ dāng rán zhī dào cǐ zi jiù shì zhuī shā lìng shàng de mù biāo rén wù ， kě gāng gāng nà ge miàn jù nǐ bù jué dé yǎn shú ？”
“哼，我当然知道此子就是追杀令上的目标人物，可刚刚那个面具你不觉得眼熟？”
"Hmph, of course I know this child is the target on the bounty list. But don't you find that mask familiar?"
“ nǐ shì shuō mèng rú yān sòng de ？”
“你是说梦如嫣送的？”
"Are you saying it was from Mèngrúyàn?"
“ dà shī guǒ rán kàn chū lái le ， mèng rú yān yǔ nà xiǎo zi guān xì fěi qiǎn ， nǐ ruò jiāng tā shā le ， jiù bù pà mèng rú yān dǎ shàng mén ？” jiǔ tóu lǎo zǔ sì xiào fēi xiào ， bù huái hào yì de dào 。
“大师果然看出来了，梦如嫣与那小子关系匪浅，你若将他杀了，就不怕梦如嫣打上门？”九头老祖似笑非笑，不怀好意的道。
"Yes, Master, you have indeed noticed," Huìtōng said with a smile. "Mèngrúyàn has a close relationship with this boy. If you kill him, won’t Mèngrúyàn come after us?"
“ hēng ， mèng rú yān xiāo zhāng bá hù ， lǎo nà yǐ qián gù quán dà jú rěn zhe ràng zhe ， kě bú shì zhēn pà le cǐ nǚ ， jiù suàn shā le lín xiǎo zi ， mèng rú yān yòu néng nài wǒ hé ， bù guò dào yǒu suǒ yán méi cuò ， rú guǒ cǐ nǚ cóng zhōng chā shàng yī shǒu ， xiǎng shā nà xiǎo zi dào xū duō fèi bō zhé ， má fán jiǔ tóu dào yǒu yī huì er jiāng tā shāo shāo tuō zhù ， ràng wǒ yǒu shí jiān dòng shǒu 。”
“哼，梦如嫣嚣张跋扈，老衲以前顾全大局忍着让着，可不是真怕了此女，就算杀了林小子，梦如嫣又能奈我何，不过道友所言没错，如果此女从中插上一手，想杀那小子到需多费波折，麻烦九头道友一会儿将她稍稍拖住，让我有时间动手。”
Nine-headed Patriarch smiled slyly and said, "That’s the kind of trouble between cultivators. Why should I get involved?"
“ nà shì nǐ men xiū shì jiān de ēn yuàn ， běn zuò gàn má yào qiān chě jìn lái 。” jiǔ tóu lǎo zǔ yáo le yáo tóu ， bù yǐ wéi rán de kāi kǒu 。
“那是你们修士间的恩怨，本座干嘛要牵扯进来。”九头老祖摇了摇头，不以为然的开口。
"You are being too formal, Nine-headed," Huìtōng said unhappily. "What matters to humans or demons at our level? We have been friends for hundreds of years."
“ jiǔ tóu ， nǐ zhè huà kě jiù tài jiàn wài le ， shén me rén zú yāo zú ， dào le nǐ wǒ zhè děng jìng jiè 。 nǎ hái huì zài hū shì sú de qiān chě ， nǐ wǒ kě shì yǒu jǐ bǎi nián de jiāo qíng le 。” huì tōng hé shàng bù mǎn de shuō 。
“九头，你这话可就太见外了，什么人族妖族，到了你我这等境界。哪还会在乎世俗的牵扯，你我可是有几百年的交情了。”慧通和尚不满的说。
"But Mèngrúyàn is not someone you can easily deal with. Why would I risk making a deep grudge over nothing?" Nine-headed Patriarch still refused, reminding Huìtōng that favors were only given in exchange for benefits.
“ huà suī rú cǐ ， dàn nà mèng rú yān yòu qǐ shì hǎo rě ， wǒ gàn má wèi le mí ， ér yǔ cǐ nǚ jié xià shēn chóu ？” jiǔ tóu lǎo zǔ yī jiù bù kěn dā yìng ， jiāo qíng bù guò shì fú yún ， xiǎng yào zì jǐ bāng máng ， chú fēi ná chū hǎo chù ， xiū xiān zhě jiù shì zhè me xiàn shí de 。
“话虽如此，但那梦如嫣又岂是好惹，我干嘛为了弥，而与此女结下深仇？”九头老祖依旧不肯答应，交情不过是浮云，想要自己帮忙，除非拿出好处，修仙者就是这么现实的。
"Ridiculous, I just want you to delay Mèngrúyàn; I am not asking you to fight her," Huìtōng said. "Fine, as an old monster, you are miserly and won’t even do a small favor. But recently, I have had some good fortune and obtained several Phoenix Fruit."
“ hú shuō bā dào ， wǒ zhǐ shì ràng nǐ jiāng mèng rú yān shāo shāo tuō yán ， yòu bìng fēi jiào nǐ yǔ tā dòng shǒu 。 yě bà ， nǐ zhè lǎo guài wù zuì shì lìn sè ， lián yì diǎn xiǎo máng yě bù kěn bāng ， bù guò lǎo nà zuì jìn jī yuán qiǎo hé ， dé dào le jǐ méi fèng lí guǒ
“胡说八道，我只是让你将梦如嫣稍稍拖延，又并非叫你与她动手。也罢，你这老怪物最是吝啬，连一点小忙也不肯帮，不过老衲最近机缘巧合，得到了几枚凤梨果
"What? Phoenix Fruit? That has no benefit for our sect but is very useful for me. How many?" Nine-headed Patriarch was surprised, his face showing great joy.
“ shén me ， fèng lí guǒ ， nà dōng xī duì fú zōng xiū xiān zhě méi yǒu bāng zhù ， duì běn zūn què dà yǒu yòng tú 。 nǐ yǒu jǐ gè ？” jiǔ tóu lǎo zǔ yī dāi ， liǎn shàng lù chū dà xǐ guò wàng de biǎo qíng lái 。
“什么，凤梨果，那东西对佛宗修仙者没有帮助，对本尊却大有用途。你有几个？”九头老祖一呆，脸上露出大喜过望的表情来。
"Not many, if you help me, I will give you two of them," Huìtōng said.
“ bù duō ， nǐ ruò kěn bāng wǒ ， wǒ yuàn jiāng qí zhōng liǎng méi ， zuò wèi
“不多，你若肯帮我，我愿将其中两枚，做为
"Two are too few; Mèngrúyàn is not easy to handle. At least three are needed."
“ liǎng méi tài shǎo le ， mèng rú yān kě bù hǎo duì fù 。 zhì shǎo yě yào sān méi cái kě 。”
“两枚太少了，梦如嫣可不好对付。至少也要三枚才可。”
"Fine, three then, but at least, you must keep her occupied for an hour." Huìtōng agreed after a moment's thought.
“ hǎo ， sān méi jiù sān méi ， dàn nǐ zhì shǎo 。 yào bāng wǒ chán zhù tā yí gè shí chén 。” huì tōng lüè yī sī suǒ ， diǎn diǎn tóu tóng yì 。
“好，三枚就三枚，但你至少。要帮我缠住她一个时辰。”慧通略一思索，点点头同意。
"Why such a long time? A mere mid-stage婴中期 cultivator can be killed in seconds," Nine-headed Patriarch frowned and said.
“ yí gè shí chén ， gàn má yào zhè me jiǔ ， qū qū yī míng yuán yīng zhōng qī de xiǎo zi ， miǎo shā le jiù shì 。” jiǔ tóu lǎo zǔ zhòu le zhòu méi ， bù jiě de shuō 。
“一个时辰，干嘛要这么久，区区一名元婴中期的小子，秒杀了就是。”九头老祖皱了皱眉，不解的说。
"Hmph, what do you know. This boy is not just any mid-stage cultivator; otherwise, how could he have killed my nephew Kōngxuán alone?"
“ hēng ， nǐ zhī dào shén me ， nà xiǎo zi kě bú shì pǔ tōng de zhōng qī xiū shì ， fǒu zé qǐ néng zài dān dǎ dú dòu zhōng ， miè shā wǒ kōng xuàn shī zhí ？”
“哼，你知道什么，那小子可不是普通的中期修士，否则岂能在单打独斗中，灭杀我空眩师侄？”
"How so? Even if it’s a late-stage婴后期 cultivator, to us, they are mere ants. Mèngrúyàn once wiped out eight late-stage cultivators in half an hour by herself. The old bald monk, you might be cautious, but aren’t you being overly timid," Nine-headed Patriarch sneered.
“ nà yòu rú hé ， jiù suàn yuán yīng hòu qī ， zài wǒ děng yǎn lǐ ， yě bù guò shì lóu yǐ ， mèng rú yān dāng nián ， yǐ yī jǐ zhī lì ， bù guò bàn zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， jiù miè shā le bā míng hòu qī xiū xiān zhě ， lǎo tū lǘ ， jǐn shèn shì méi cuò ， dàn nǐ shì bú shì yě tài dǎn xiǎo le 。” jiǔ tóu lǎo zǔ de liǎn shàng ， lù chū yī sī jī fěng zhī sè 。
“那又如何，就算元婴后期，在我等眼里，也不过是蝼蚁，梦如嫣当年，以一己之力，不过半盏茶的功夫，就灭杀了八名后期修仙者，老秃驴，谨慎是没错，但你是不是也太胆小了。”九头老祖的脸上，露出一丝讥讽之色。
"Namaste, mind your own business. I will give you three Phoenix Fruits and keep Mèngrúyàn occupied for an hour. Fair trade, no cheating. Do you agree?"
“ ē mí tuó fó ， nǐ guǎn wǒ nà me duō ， wǒ gěi nǐ sān méi fèng lí guǒ ， nǐ bāng wǒ tuō zhù mèng rú yān yí gè shí chén ， gōng píng jiāo yì ， tóng sǒu wú qī ， jiū jìng yuàn bù yuàn yì ？”
“阿弥陀佛，你管我那么多，我给你三枚凤梨果，你帮我拖住梦如嫣一个时辰，公平交易，童叟无欺，究竟愿不愿意？”
Seeing Huìtōng's anger, Nine-headed Patriarch smiled again: "I have no idea what you are thinking, but deal is done."
jiàn huì tōng yǒu diǎn nǎo xiū chéng nù ， jiǔ tóu lǎo zǔ xiào róng yī shōu ：“ zhēn bù zhī dào nǐ zhè lǎo tū lǘ 。 jiū jìng zài xiǎng shén me dōng xī ， hǎo ， chéng jiāo jiù shì 。”
见慧通有点恼羞成怒，九头老祖笑容一收：“真不知道你这老秃驴。究竟在想什么东西，好，成交就是。”
Lin Xuan was unaware of the events at the auction. After a while, Xiaohou Lan’s voice reached his ears.
pāi mài huì shàng de yí mù ， lín xuān bìng bù qīng chǔ ， zhuǎn yǎn ， yòu guò le yī zhù xiāng zuǒ yòu de gōng fu 。 xià hóu lán de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr lǐ ：“ dà gē 。 wǒ men yùn qì bù cuò ， huì tōng nà lǎo jiā huǒ ， yīng gāi bú huì zhuī lái le ， rú jīn jù lí xuān yuán chéng 。 yǐ bù xià wàn lǐ ， jiù suàn lí hé xiū shì yě méi yǒu rú cǐ qiáng dà de shén shí ， zhè me yuǎn ， hái néng xiàn chēng wǒ de zōng jì 。”
拍卖会上的一幕，林轩并不清楚，转眼，又过了一炷香左右的功夫。夏侯兰的声音传入耳里：“大哥。我们运气不错，慧通那老家伙，应该不会追来了，如今距离轩辕城。已不下万里，就算离合修士也没有如此强大的神识，这么远，还能现称我的踪迹。”
"Brother, we were lucky; Master Huìtōng won’t be chasing us. We are already more than ten thousand miles from Xuanyuan City. Even Separation and Union cultivators wouldn’t have such powerful awareness at this distance."
“ huà shì méi cuò ， kě wǒ jué de tài guǐ yì le ， huì tōng hèn wǒ rù gǔ ， zhè me hǎo de jī huì ， zěn yàng kě néng fàng guò 。” lín xuān yǒu xiē bù jiě de shuō 。
“话是没错，可我觉得太诡异了，慧通恨我入骨，这么好的机会，怎样可能放过。”林轩有些不解的说。
"That may be true, but it feels too suspicious," Lin Xuan said, puzzled.
“ tiān zhī dào ， yě xǔ nà lǎo tū lǘ ， yù jiàn le bié de shì ， fēn shēn fá shù ”
“天知道，也许那老秃驴，遇见了别的事，分身乏术”
"Who knows? Maybe that old bald monk encountered something else and couldn't spare the time."
xià hóu lán huà yīn wèi luò ， liǎn sè tū rán yī bái ， dùn guāng yī huǎn ， sà rán tíng le xià lái 。
夏侯兰话音未落，脸色突然一白，遁光一缓，飒然停了下来。
Before Xiaohou Lan could finish speaking, her face suddenly paled. Her speed slowed down as she stopped abruptly.
“ xiǎo mèi ， zěn me le ？”
“小妹，怎么了？”
"Sister, what’s wrong?"
xià hóu lán méi yǒu kāi kǒu ， ér shì zhuǎn tóu wàng xiàng bù yuǎn chù de yī zuò shān fēng ：“ huì tōng dà shī 。 gé xià xíng jì yǐ lù ， hé bì guǐ guǐ suì suì de duǒ zhe cáng zhe ， kuài diǎn xiàn shēn chū lái hǎo le 。”
夏侯兰没有开口，而是转头望向不远处的一座山峰：“慧通大师。阁下行迹已露，何必鬼鬼祟祟的躲着藏着，快点现身出来好了。”
Xiaohou Lan didn’t speak but turned to look at a nearby mountain peak: "Master Huìtōng, your whereabouts are now exposed; why hide? Come out and show yourself."
“ shén me ， huì tōng zhuī shàng lái le ？” lín xuān liǎn sè kuáng biàn ， shùn zhe shào nǚ de mù guāng ， wàng xiàng
“什么，慧通追上来了？”林轩脸色狂变，顺着少女的目光，望向
"What? Master Huìtōng has caught up?" Lin Xuan's expression changed dramatically. Following the girl’s gaze, he saw a tall, graceful mountain.
miàn 。
面。
Could it be that Huìtōng was hiding inside?
jù lí liǎng rén shù lǐ yuǎn ， yǒu yī zuò tǐng bá jùn xiù de gāo shān ， nán dào huì tōng jìng cáng shēn lǐ miàn 。
距离两人数里远，有一座挺拔俊秀的高山，难道慧通竟藏身里面。
Lin Xuan released his divine sense but found nothing. However, he didn’t doubt Xiaohou Lan; she was from the Spirit Realm and had some unexpected abilities.
lín xuān jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， què yī wú suǒ huò 。 bù guò tā bìng wèi huái yí xià hóu lán ， cǐ nǚ kě shì líng jiè xiū xiān zhě ， shēn fèn guì zhòng ， zì rán yǒu yī xiē chū rén yì biǎo de shén tōng 。
林轩将神识放出，却一无所获。不过他并未怀疑夏侯兰，此女可是灵界修仙者，身份贵重，自然有一些出人意表的神通。
"How, Master, are you still not coming out? Do you want to wait for me to attack or do a Separation and Union cultivator actually plan to ambush us?" Xiaohou Lan said coldly. Although her personality was gentle and virtuous, it depended on who she was talking to. After merging with the Spirit Realm’s memories, although she wasn’t as arrogant as New Moon, her words were sharper.
“ zěn me ， dà shī hái bù chū lái ， mò fēi xiǎng yào děng xiǎo nǚ zǐ dòng shǒu ， hái shì táng táng de lí hé qī xiū shì ， jū rán xiǎng yào tōu xí wǒ men me ？” xià hóu lán lěng lěng de shuō ， suī rán tā de xìng gé wēn róu xián shū ， dàn yě yào kàn duì shén me rén de ， hé kuàng róng hé le líng jiè de jì yì yǐ hòu ， suī rán tā bù xiàng xīn yuè nà yàng xiāo zhāng bá hù ， dàn kǒu chǐ yě xī lì le xǔ duō 。“ ē mí tuó fó ， hǎo yī wèi shén tōng bù fán de nǚ shī zhǔ ， lǎo nà zhè wú xíng fú yǐn ， biàn shì tóng jiē xiū shì yě nán kàn pò ， mí jiū jìng shì zěn me xiàn wǒ de ？”
“怎么，大师还不出来，莫非想要等小女子动手，还是堂堂的离合期修士，居然想要偷袭我们么？”夏侯兰冷冷的说，虽然她的性格温柔贤淑，但也要看对什么人的，何况融合了灵界的记忆以后，虽然她不像新月那样嚣张跋扈，但口齿也犀利了许多。“阿弥陀佛，好一位神通不凡的女施主，老衲这无形佛隐，便是同阶修士也难看破，弥究竟是怎么现我的？”
"Namaste, a formidable female practitioner. My无形佛隐 is hard for even same-stage cultivators to see through. How did you find me?"
zhǐ jiàn nà xiǎo shān qián miàn ， kōng jiān yī zhèn niǔ qū 。 suí hòu jīn sè de líng guāng fú xiàn ， yī míng shēn pī dà hóng jiā shā de lǎo sēng chū xiàn zài le miàn qián 。
只见那小山前面，空间一阵扭曲。随后金色的灵光浮现，一名身披大红袈裟的老僧出现在了面前。
A distortion appeared in front of the small mountain, and golden spiritual light emerged. A bald monk wearing a large red robe appeared before them.
liǎn sè là huáng ， xíng róng kū jiāo ， liǎn shàng hái yǒu yī dào shāng bā ， bú yòng shuō ， zhèng shì huì tōng hé shàng 。
脸色蜡黄，形容枯焦，脸上还有一道伤疤，不用说，正是慧通和尚。
His face was pale, his appearance withered, and there was a scar on his face—certainly Huìtōng.
zhào ： jì xù qiú tuī jiàn piào ， yǒu de dào yǒu qǐng zhī chí ， xiè xiè ！（ wèi wán dài xù ）。 rú yù zhī hòu
照：继续求推荐票，有的道友请支持，谢谢！（未完待续）。如欲知后
To be continued... (未完待续)
After meeting with Xiaohou Hui, the two did not linger but instead merged into the old world's coordination. They streaked away towards the distance.
Although they had never worked together before, both were no ordinary cultivators. Their speed of escape far surpassed that of even lower-ranked cultivators and even some late-stage cultivators from major sects.
After flying over a thousand miles without spotting any enemies, Lin Xuan couldn't help but feel surprised. Could that bald monk really be planning to let me go?
That made no sense; the thief from the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect was known for his grudge, and he had just been outbid at the auction for Xia Guocao.
Despite his doubts, Lin Xuan's speed increased even more. Regardless of what the other party planned, escaping as far away as possible seemed to be safer.
Meanwhile, the auction continued with great fervor. Although it was merely a fragment of Nineheaded Snake’s soul cocoon, its allure was still beyond measure for major sects. The current bidding price had already approached one billion.
This set a record; the Heaven Cloud Trading Fair had never seen such an exorbitant price for any treasure since ancient times.
However, the two Separation and Union stage experts remained calm. No one could take this Nineheaded Snake’s egg away from them.
"Nine-headed friend, I have something to request."
"What is it?" The long-eared, green-eyed beast turned its head, showing a hint of surprise in its eyes.
"While you are temporarily in charge here, I need to attend to some personal matters and wish to leave."
"Because that boy who stole Xia Guocao?"
"Yes!" Huìtōng's face showed a sinister smile. "With your abilities, you should have already seen through his disguise. This boy not only offended me but also injured my nephew, Kōngxuán."
"Hmph, of course I know this child is the target on the bounty list. But don't you find that mask familiar?"
"Are you saying it was from Mèngrúyàn?"
"Yes, Master, you have indeed noticed," Huìtōng said with a smile. "Mèngrúyàn has a close relationship with this boy. If you kill him, won’t Mèngrúyàn come after us?"
Nine-headed Patriarch smiled slyly and said, "That’s the kind of trouble between cultivators. Why should I get involved?"
"You are being too formal, Nine-headed," Huìtōng said unhappily. "What matters to humans or demons at our level? We have been friends for hundreds of years."
"But Mèngrúyàn is not someone you can easily deal with. Why would I risk making a deep grudge over nothing?" Nine-headed Patriarch still refused, reminding Huìtōng that favors were only given in exchange for benefits.
"Ridiculous, I just want you to delay Mèngrúyàn; I am not asking you to fight her," Huìtōng said. "Fine, as an old monster, you are miserly and won’t even do a small favor. But recently, I have had some good fortune and obtained several Phoenix Fruit."
"What? Phoenix Fruit? That has no benefit for our sect but is very useful for me. How many?" Nine-headed Patriarch was surprised, his face showing great joy.
"Not many, if you help me, I will give you two of them," Huìtōng said.
"Two are too few; Mèngrúyàn is not easy to handle. At least three are needed."
"Fine, three then, but at least, you must keep her occupied for an hour." Huìtōng agreed after a moment's thought.
"Why such a long time? A mere mid-stage婴中期 cultivator can be killed in seconds," Nine-headed Patriarch frowned and said.
"Hmph, what do you know. This boy is not just any mid-stage cultivator; otherwise, how could he have killed my nephew Kōngxuán alone?"
"How so? Even if it’s a late-stage婴后期 cultivator, to us, they are mere ants. Mèngrúyàn once wiped out eight late-stage cultivators in half an hour by herself. The old bald monk, you might be cautious, but aren’t you being overly timid," Nine-headed Patriarch sneered.
"Namaste, mind your own business. I will give you three Phoenix Fruits and keep Mèngrúyàn occupied for an hour. Fair trade, no cheating. Do you agree?"
Seeing Huìtōng's anger, Nine-headed Patriarch smiled again: "I have no idea what you are thinking, but deal is done."
Lin Xuan was unaware of the events at the auction. After a while, Xiaohou Lan’s voice reached his ears.
"Brother, we were lucky; Master Huìtōng won’t be chasing us. We are already more than ten thousand miles from Xuanyuan City. Even Separation and Union cultivators wouldn’t have such powerful awareness at this distance."
"That may be true, but it feels too suspicious," Lin Xuan said, puzzled.
"Who knows? Maybe that old bald monk encountered something else and couldn't spare the time."
Before Xiaohou Lan could finish speaking, her face suddenly paled. Her speed slowed down as she stopped abruptly.
"Sister, what’s wrong?"
Xiaohou Lan didn’t speak but turned to look at a nearby mountain peak: "Master Huìtōng, your whereabouts are now exposed; why hide? Come out and show yourself."
"What? Master Huìtōng has caught up?" Lin Xuan's expression changed dramatically. Following the girl’s gaze, he saw a tall, graceful mountain.
Could it be that Huìtōng was hiding inside?
Lin Xuan released his divine sense but found nothing. However, he didn’t doubt Xiaohou Lan; she was from the Spirit Realm and had some unexpected abilities.
"How, Master, are you still not coming out? Do you want to wait for me to attack or do a Separation and Union cultivator actually plan to ambush us?" Xiaohou Lan said coldly. Although her personality was gentle and virtuous, it depended on who she was talking to. After merging with the Spirit Realm’s memories, although she wasn’t as arrogant as New Moon, her words were sharper.
"Namaste, a formidable female practitioner. My无形佛隐 is hard for even same-stage cultivators to see through. How did you find me?"
A distortion appeared in front of the small mountain, and golden spiritual light emerged. A bald monk wearing a large red robe appeared before them.
His face was pale, his appearance withered, and there was a scar on his face—certainly Huìtōng.
To be continued... (未完待续)