“ qián bèi tīng shuō guò bǐ shī mèi ？”
“前辈听说过鄙师妹？”
"Have you heard of my junior disciple?"
“ ń 。” xiǎng dào yuǎn fāng nà miáo tiáo de jìng yǐng ， nà hán qíng mò mò de bǎi nián zhī yuē ， lín xuān xīn zhōng yě bù zhī shì shén me zī wèi ， yǒu yī sī huān xǐ ， yī sī chóu chàng ， hái yǒu yī sī máng rán de gǎn jué ……
“嗯。”想到远方那苗条的靓影，那含情脉脉的百年之约，林轩心中也不知是什么滋味，有一丝欢喜，一丝惆怅，还有一丝茫然的感觉……
"Yes." Thinking about that slender, beautiful figure and the century-long promise, Lin Xuan felt a mix of emotions. There was joy, melancholy, and confusion.
“ qián bèi ， qián bèi 。”
“前辈，前辈。”
"Senior, senior."
“ ó ！” lín xuān zhè cái cóng shī shén zhōng qīng xǐng guò lái ， mǎ tiān xióng suī rán jué de yǒu xiē qí guài ， kě nǎ lǐ cāi dé dào tā yǔ qín yán jiān de xiāng yàn jiū gé ， yě bù gǎn duō wèn ， zhǐ néng jiāng yí wèn mái cáng zài xīn dǐ 。
“哦！”林轩这才从失神中清醒过来，马天雄虽然觉得有些奇怪，可哪里猜得到他与秦妍间的香艳纠葛，也不敢多问，只能将疑问埋藏在心底。
"Oh!" Lin Xuan snapped out of his reverie. Although Master Tianxiong found it strange, he couldn't guess about their intimate entanglements. He didn't dare ask more, so he buried his doubts in his heart.
lín xuān qīng le qīng sǎng zi ：“ nǐ jiē zhe shuō ， gāng cái jiǎng dào nǎ lǐ le ， ń ， huǒ líng mén fù miè dé rú cǐ xùn sù ， yǔ yún zhōng xiān zi yǒu guān 。”
林轩清了清嗓子：“你接着说，刚才讲到哪里了，嗯，火灵门覆灭得如此迅速，与云中仙子有关。”
Lin Xuan cleared his throat. "Go on and tell me where you left off. Yes, the Fire Spirit Sect was destroyed so swiftly because of Cloud Fairy."
“ shì a ！” jiǎng qǐ běn mén de jiāo ào ， mǎ tiān xióng yáng le yáng méi máo ：“ nà shí qín shī mèi hái jǐn jǐn shì líng dòng qī dà yuán mǎn de xiū wèi ， fèng zhǎng mén zhī mìng ， qù xī yuè jiàn cǎi yī zhū líng yào ， zhèng hǎo pèng jiàn huǒ líng mén dào xíng nì shī ， dà sì tú chuō tóng dào ……”
“是啊！”讲起本门的骄傲，马天雄扬了扬眉毛：“那时秦师妹还仅仅是灵动期大圆满的修为，奉掌门之命，去溪跃涧采一株灵药，正好碰见火灵门倒行逆施，大肆屠戳同道……”
"Yes!" Master Tianxiong raised an eyebrow as he spoke about their sect's pride. At that time, Sister Qian was only at the peak of the Flexible Spirit Period. She went to Stream Leap Ravine under the order of the sect leader to gather a spirit herb when she encountered the Fire Spirit Sect's tyrannical massacre.
bié kàn mǎ tiān xióng wǔ dà sān cū ， mào sì cū háo de yī tiáo hàn zi ， què hěn yǒu jiǎng gù shì de tiān fù ， xī yuè jiàn zhī shì ， lín xuān míng míng qīn shēn jīng lì guò ， kě yóu tā zuǐ lǐ jiǎng chū ， què yī rán jīng xīn dòng pò 。
别看马天雄五大三粗，貌似粗豪的一条汉子，却很有讲故事的天赋，溪跃涧之事，林轩明明亲身经历过，可由他嘴里讲出，却依然惊心动魄。
Although Master Tianxiong seemed rugged and straightforward, he had a talent for storytelling. The events in Stream Leap Ravine were familiar to Lin Xuan, but hearing them from his mouth still made it thrilling.
lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo liú lù chū yī sī xiào róng ， cǐ rén ruò bù dàng xiū zhēn zhě ， gǎi háng shuō shū yě hěn yǒu qián tú 。
林轩嘴角流露出一丝笑容，此人若不当修真者，改行说书也很有前途。
Lin Xuan smiled. If this man hadn't become an immortal cultivator, he might have been a good storyteller.
“ qín shī mèi yòng zhǎng xīn léi fú miè le yí gè zhù jī qī xiū zhēn zhě ， què yòu bèi gèng jiā kě pà de huǒ líng zhǎng mén dīng shàng le ……”
“秦师妹用掌心雷符灭了一个筑基期修真者，却又被更加可怕的火灵掌门盯上了……”
"Sister Qian used the Palm Heart Thunder符 to eliminate a Foundation Establishment cultivator, only for her to be targeted by the even more terrifying Fire Spirit Sect leader."
qián miàn yí bàn de gù shì ， yǔ lín xuān zhī dào de dà tǐ xiāng tóng ， dàn hòu lái zāo yù huǒ líng zhǎng mén zhī shí ， què biàn chéng le qín yán yǔ tā yī duì yī 。
前面一半的故事，与林轩知道的大体相同，但后来遭遇火灵掌门之时，却变成了秦妍与他一对一。
The first part of the story was mostly familiar to Lin Xuan. However, when they encountered the Fire Spirit Sect leader, it turned into a one-on-one confrontation between Qian and him.
tīng dào zhè lǐ ， lín xuān sōng le kǒu qì ， suī rán zhī dào fā xià xīn mó zhī shì ， yòu dìng xià bǎi nián zhī yuē ， qín yán bù kě néng bèi pàn zì jǐ ， dàn tīng dào tā guǒ rán méi yǒu sī háo xiè lòu zì jǐ xíng cáng ， lín xuān xīn lǐ hái shì là xià le yī kuài dà shí 。
听到这里，林轩松了口气，虽然知道发下心魔之誓，又定下百年之约，秦妍不可能背叛自己，但听到她果然没有丝毫泄漏自己行藏，林轩心里还是落下了一块大石。
Lin Xuan heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Although he knew that Qian had taken an oath against her inner demon and made a century-long promise with him, she hadn't betrayed him by revealing his whereabouts. This still left a heavy stone in Lin Xuan's heart.
zhè ge wǎn yuē de nǚ zǐ ， bù jǐn líng gēn yōu yì 。 rén yě tóng yàng cōng huì wú bǐ ， shǎo le lín xuān ， yǔ dāng shí de shì shí bù fú ， dàn tā què jiāng huǎng huà biān de sī sī rù kòu ， yī sī pò zhàn dōu méi yǒu 。
这个婉约的女子，不仅灵根优异。人也同样聪慧无比，少了林轩，与当时的事实不符，但她却将谎话编的丝丝入扣，一丝破绽都没有。
This graceful woman not only had an excellent spirit root but was also incredibly intelligent. Without Lin Xuan, the story didn't match what happened at the time, yet she managed to weave such a seamless lie that there were no flaws.
“ huǒ líng zhǎng mén suī rán shì zhù jī hòu qī 。 dàn què shēn huàn yǐn jí ， yòu bù néng shǐ yòng líng qì ， jiā shàng qīng dí 。 zuì hòu zhōng yú yǔn luò zài le qín shī mèi de shǒu lǐ 。 quē shǎo le zhǎng mén diào dù ， huǒ líng mén qún lóng wú shǒu ， suǒ yǐ cái bài dé rú cǐ xùn sù 。”
“火灵掌门虽然是筑基后期。但却身患隐疾，又不能使用灵器，加上轻敌。最后终于陨落在了秦师妹的手里。缺少了掌门调度，火灵门群龙无首，所以才败得如此迅速。”
"Although the Fire Spirit Sect leader was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, he suffered from hidden illnesses and couldn’t use spiritual artifacts. Overconfident, he ultimately fell to Sister Qian's hands. Without the sect leader's command, the Fire Spirit Sect became leaderless, leading to its swift defeat."
“ kě jù wǒ suǒ zhī 。 huǒ líng mén bú shì hái yǒu yī wèi níng dān qī de gāo shǒu ， tā wèi shén me bù chū lái zhǔ chí dà jú ne ？”
“可据我所知。火灵门不是还有一位凝丹期的高手，他为什么不出来主持大局呢？”
"But according to what I know, there is still a Condensation Core cultivator in the Fire Spirit Sect. Why didn't he come out and take charge?"
“ qián bèi yǒu suǒ bù zhī 。” mǎ tiān xióng yě duān qǐ chá ， jiǎng le zhè me duō huà ， yǒu diǎn kǒu gān shé zào ：“ nǐ zhǐ de shì nà ge hào sè de lǐ zhǎng lǎo ， tā què shí shì níng dān qī dì xiū wèi ， rán ér chú le shí lì chāo qiáng yǐ wài ， què bìng méi yǒu guǎn lǐ ， tǒng yù quán jú zhī cái 。 qí shí bù zhǐ shì tā ， guāng lùn xiū wèi ， sǐ qù de qīng líng zhēn rén zài huǒ líng mén hái pái bù jìn qián wǔ zhī wèi ……”
“前辈有所不知。”马天雄也端起茶，讲了这么多话，有点口干舌燥：“你指的是那个好色的李长老，他确实是凝丹期地修为，然而除了实力超强以外，却并没有管理，统驭全局之才。其实不止是他，光论修为，死去的清灵真人在火灵门还排不进前五之位……”
"Senior, you don’t know." Master Tianxong also picked up his tea, feeling slightly parched from speaking so much: "You're referring to that lustful Elder Li. He indeed has Condensation Core cultivation, but apart from being exceptionally powerful, he lacks the talent for managing and overseeing everything. In fact, in terms of cultivation level, the deceased Qingling True Person didn't even rank among the top five in the Fire Spirit Sect..."
lín xuān ruò yǒu suǒ sī de diǎn diǎn tóu ， cǐ yán bù cuò ， qí shí hěn duō mén pài de zhǎng mén ， dōu bú shì gāi pài de dì yī gāo shǒu ， zuò wèi zhǎng mén 。 xū yào dì shì cái dé fú zhòng 。 zài nèi néng dé shī xiōng dì men de yōng dài ， zài wài néng wèi běn pài móu qiú fā zhǎn zhuàng dà de kōng jiān 。 yě jiù shì guǎn lǐ zhī cái ， běn shēn shí lì rú hé ， dào bìng bú zhòng yào ， zhǎng mén yòu bú shì dǎ shǒu 。
林轩若有所思的点点头，此言不错，其实很多门派的掌门，都不是该派的第一高手，做为掌门。需要地是才德服众。在内能得师兄弟们的拥戴，在外能为本派谋求发展壮大的空间。也就是管理之才，本身实力如何，倒并不重要，掌门又不是打手。
Lin Xuan nodded thoughtfully. This was true; many sect leaders were not their sect's first-class cultivators. As a leader, one needed to gain the support of fellow disciples and seek development for the sect externally. The key lay in management skills rather than raw power.
xiàng piāo yún gǔ dì yún hè zhēn rén ， jì shì zhǎng mén ， yòu shì běn mén dì yī gāo shǒu dì qíng kuàng ， qí shí hěn hǎn jiàn de 。
像飘云谷地云鹤真人，既是掌门，又是本门第一高手地情况，其实很罕见的。
The Cloud Crane True Person at Drifting Cloud Valley was both the sect leader and its top cultivator, which was quite rare.
biàn shì yōu zhōu de sān jù tóu ， mén nèi yǒu yuán yīng qī xiū shì dì qíng kuàng xià ， zhǎng mén yě bù guò shì níng dān chū qī de xiū zhēn zhě 。
便是幽州的三巨头，门内有元婴期修士地情况下，掌门也不过是凝丹初期的修真者。
Even in Youzhou, where there were Core Formation cultivators within the sect, the leader was only at an early Condensation Core stage.
“ hòu lái rú hé ？”
“后来如何？”
"How did things proceed after that?"
“ hái néng zěn yàng ， huǒ líng mén tǔ bēng wǎ jiě yǐ hòu ， tā de dì zǐ dà bàn bèi shā ， gāo shǒu gèng shì yǔn luò le shí zhī **， zhǐ yǒu jí shǎo shù yùn qì hǎo ， yòu què shí xiū wèi jīng shēn de jiā huo ， cái miǎn qiǎng shā chū yī tiáo xuè lù ， táo tuō ， qí zhōng jiù bāo kuò le nà níng dān qī de lǐ zhǎng lǎo 。”
“还能怎样，火灵门土崩瓦解以后，它的弟子大半被杀，高手更是陨落了十之**，只有极少数运气好，又确实修为精深的家伙，才勉强杀出一条血路，逃脱，其中就包括了那凝丹期的李长老。”
"What else could happen? After the Fire Spirit Sect's collapse, most of its disciples were killed. Even more top-notch cultivators perished. Only a few lucky ones with profound cultivation managed to escape. Among them was that Elder Li from the Condensation Core stage."
“ gè pài nán dào méi yǒu zhuī shā ma ？”
“各派难道没有追杀吗？”
"Didn't other sects pursue and kill them?"
“ nǎ ér néng ne ， fàng hǔ guī shān ， hòu huàn wú qióng zhè ge dào lǐ wǒ men hái shì dǒng ， yōu zhōu de gè mén pài yǐ jīng lián hé fā chū le zhuī shā lìng ， kě nà xiē táo tuō de jiā huo zhēn de fēi cháng jiǎo huá ， dào xiàn zài wéi zhǐ ， dōu méi yǒu xià luò 。” mǎ tiān xióng yǒu diǎn yù mèn dì shuō 。
“哪儿能呢，放虎归山，后患无穷这个道理我们还是懂，幽州的各门派已经联合发出了追杀令，可那些逃脱的家伙真的非常狡猾，到现在为止，都没有下落。”马天雄有点郁闷地说。
"How could they not? We understand the dangers of letting tigers back into the mountains. The various sects in Youzhou have already issued orders for their pursuit, but those who escaped are extremely cunning. They haven't been found yet," Master Tianxong said with a touch of depression.
lín xuān tóng yàng xīn qíng dī luò ， xī yuè jiàn zhī xíng ， tā chú le cǎi dào líng yào ， hái yì wài huò dé le liǎng jiàn yì bǎo 。
林轩同样心情低落，溪跃涧之行，他除了采到灵药，还意外获得了两件异宝。
Lin Xuan felt similarly low. His journey to Stream Leap Ravine not only allowed him to gather spirit herbs but also unexpectedly obtained two precious treasures.
qí zhōng zhī yī ， nǎi shì yī piān xuán miào wú bǐ de gōng fǎ ， lín xuān xiàn zài yǐ jīng kāi shǐ xiū liàn ， suī rán shí rì shàng duǎn ， jǐn jǐn shì liǎo jiě le yī xiē pí máo ， dàn wēi lì què shí wú biān ，“ jiǔ tiān xuán gōng ” míng bù xū chuán 。
其中之一，乃是一篇玄妙无比的功法，林轩现在已经开始修炼，虽然时日尚短，仅仅是了解了一些皮毛，但威力确实无边，“九天玄功”名不虚传。
One was an incredibly profound cultivation technique that Lin Xuan had started practicing, though he hadn't delved deep into it yet. The "Nine Heavens Profound Technique" lived up to its name in terms of power.
lìng wài yī jiàn ， zé shì diāo kè yǒu qí yì huā wén ， zào xíng gǔ piáo de yù pèi 。
另外一件，则是雕刻有奇异花纹，造型古朴的玉佩。
The other was a jade pendant with intricate patterns and a simple design.
rán ér lín xuān yán jiū le hǎo jiǔ ， què yì zhí wú fǎ nòng qīng chǔ tā de shén tōng ， huǒ líng mén jì rán wèi le cǐ wù ， bù xī chéng wéi zhòng shǐ zhī dì ， kěn dìng zhī dào tā de mì mì ， tīng shuō cǐ mén yǐ jīng wǎ jiě ， lín xuān hái xiǎng zhuō yī liǎng gè gāo céng lái wèn yī xià ， kě xiàn zài ……
然而林轩研究了好久，却一直无法弄清楚它的神通，火灵门既然为了此物，不惜成为众矢之的，肯定知道它的秘密，听说此门已经瓦解，林轩还想捉一两个高层来问一下，可现在……
However, after much study, Lin Xuan couldn't figure out its true nature. Since the Fire Spirit Sect had risked becoming a target for this item, they must have known its secrets. Hearing that the sect had collapsed, Lin Xuan wanted to interrogate some high-ranking members, but now...
xīn zhōng yǒu xiē yí hàn ， bù guò lín xuān bìng méi yǒu biǎo xiàn chū lái ， rú jīn dí dàng wù zhī jí ， nǎi shì rú hé móu qǔ fèi dān ， cǐ shì kě yǐ zàn huǎn 。
心中有些遗憾，不过林轩并没有表现出来，如今的当务之急，乃是如何谋取废丹，此事可以暂缓。
Feeling a bit disappointed, Lin Xuan didn't show it. The current priority was how to obtain waste pills; he could put off that matter.
“ huǒ líng mén jiě sàn ， xiāng bì yǎn zhōu dì jú shì xiàn zài yǐ jīng wěn dìng le xià lái ？”
“火灵门解散，相必兖州地局势现在已经稳定了下来？”
"The Fire Spirit Sect has disbanded. Hasn’t the situation in Yanzhou stabilized?"
“ dāng rán 。” mǎ tiān xióng yáo tóu huàng nǎo ， yǒu xiē dé yì wàng xíng dì dào ：“ rú jīn wǒ men piāo yún gǔ yǐ jīng yī jiā dú dà ， hào lìng qún xióng ， mò gǎn bù cóng 。”
“当然。”马天雄摇头晃脑，有些得意忘形地道：“如今我们飘云谷已经一家独大，号令群雄，莫敢不从。”
"Of course," Master Tianxiong nodded proudly: "Now our Drifting Cloud Valley is dominant, commanding all under heaven."
“ shì ma ？” lín xuān dàn dàn de huí dá 。
“是吗？”林轩淡淡的回答。
"Is that so?" Lin Xuan replied indifferently.
jiàn lín xuān biǎo qíng yǒu xiē bù yǐ wéi rán ， mǎ tiān xióng sù rán ér jīng ， zì jǐ yǒu xiē dé yì wàng xíng ， lián máng zhuāng chū yī fù lǎo shí dì biǎo qíng ：“ ràng qián bèi jiàn xiào le ， bǐ mén suī rán zài yǎn zhōu yǒu xiē shí lì ， dàn wú lùn rú hé ， yě wú fǎ hé yōu zhōu de tóng dào xiāng bǐ ……”
见林轩表情有些不以为然，马天雄肃然而惊，自己有些得意忘形，连忙装出一副老实地表情：“让前辈见笑了，鄙门虽然在兖州有些实力，但无论如何，也无法和幽州的同道相比……”
Seeing Lin Xuan's expression, Master Tianxong was taken aback. He had become too self-assured and quickly put on a humble face. "I beg your pardon, Senior. Although our sect has some strength in Yanzhou, we can't compare to the same sects in Youzhou..."
shuō dào zhè lǐ ， mǎ tiān xióng tàn le kǒu qì ， zhè cì tā wèi le liàn dān ， bù yuǎn qiān lǐ lái dào líng yào shān ， yǐ qián zhǐ shì tīng mén nèi de zhǎng lǎo shuō guò ， jìn rù yōu zhōu yǐ hòu ， tā fā xiàn zì jǐ yǐ qián zhēn de shì zuò jǐng guān tiān ， zhè lǐ xiū zhēn de shuǐ píng ， bǐ yǎn zhōu zhěng zhěng gāo chū yí gè céng cì 。
说到这里，马天雄叹了口气，这次他为了炼丹，不远千里来到灵药山，以前只是听门内的长老说过，进入幽州以后，他发现自己以前真的是坐井观天，这里修真的水平，比兖州整整高出一个层次。
Master Tianxong sighed as he spoke. Before coming here for alchemy, he only heard from elders within his sect that entering Youzhou would reveal how much more advanced it was compared to Yanzhou. Drifting Cloud Valley might be considered a second-rate sect if placed here.
piāo yún gǔ rú guǒ fàng zài zhè lǐ ， jǐn jǐn néng suàn dì èr liú de mén pài 。
飘云谷如果放在这里，仅仅能算第二流的门派。
"You are too modest," Lin Xuan wasn't interested in this. After clarifying the situation in Yanzhou, he pondered and said casually: "Your Cloud Fairy must have received many rewards for such great achievements."
“ dào yǒu tài qiān xū le 。” duì yú zhè xiē ， lín xuān zì rán bù gǎn xìng qù ， yǐ jīng nòng qīng chǔ le yǎn zhōu de jú shì ， tā chén yín le yī xià ， zhuāng zuò bù jīng yì de dào ：“ guì pài nà wèi yún zhōng xiān zi ， lì xià rú cǐ dà gōng ， xiǎng bì huì dé dào hěn duō shǎng cì 。”
“道友太谦虚了。”对于这些，林轩自然不感兴趣，已经弄清楚了兖州的局势，他沉吟了一下，装作不经意的道：“贵派那位云中仙子，立下如此大功，想必会得到很多赏赐。”
"Who could say that?"
“ shuí shuō bú shì ne ？”
“谁说不是呢？”
Master Tianxong's expression was full of envy. "Cloud Crane True Person has already made Sister Qian the sect's successor."
mǎ tiān xióng de biǎo qíng mǎn shì xiàn mù ：“ yún hè zhēn rén yǐ jīng lì qín shī mèi wèi běn mén de yù bèi zhǎng mén 。”
马天雄的表情满是羡慕：“云鹤真人已经立秦师妹为本门的预备掌门。”
"What?" Lin Xuan's hand trembled as tea splashed out, and even his composure couldn't hide his shock.
“ shén me ？” lín xuān shǒu dǒu le yī xià ， chá shuǐ jiàn chū ， jí biàn yǐ tā de chéng fǔ ， yě nán yǐ yǎn shì liǎn shàng de jīng è zhī sè 。
“什么？”林轩手抖了一下，茶水溅出，即便以他的城府，也难以掩饰脸上的惊愕之色。
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"Have you heard of my junior disciple?"
"Yes." Thinking about that slender, beautiful figure and the century-long promise, Lin Xuan felt a mix of emotions. There was joy, melancholy, and confusion.
"Senior, senior."
"Oh!" Lin Xuan snapped out of his reverie. Although Master Tianxiong found it strange, he couldn't guess about their intimate entanglements. He didn't dare ask more, so he buried his doubts in his heart.
Lin Xuan cleared his throat. "Go on and tell me where you left off. Yes, the Fire Spirit Sect was destroyed so swiftly because of Cloud Fairy."
"Yes!" Master Tianxiong raised an eyebrow as he spoke about their sect's pride. At that time, Sister Qian was only at the peak of the Flexible Spirit Period. She went to Stream Leap Ravine under the order of the sect leader to gather a spirit herb when she encountered the Fire Spirit Sect's tyrannical massacre.
Although Master Tianxiong seemed rugged and straightforward, he had a talent for storytelling. The events in Stream Leap Ravine were familiar to Lin Xuan, but hearing them from his mouth still made it thrilling.
Lin Xuan smiled. If this man hadn't become an immortal cultivator, he might have been a good storyteller.
"Sister Qian used the Palm Heart Thunder符 to eliminate a Foundation Establishment cultivator, only for her to be targeted by the even more terrifying Fire Spirit Sect leader."
The first part of the story was mostly familiar to Lin Xuan. However, when they encountered the Fire Spirit Sect leader, it turned into a one-on-one confrontation between Qian and him.
Lin Xuan heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Although he knew that Qian had taken an oath against her inner demon and made a century-long promise with him, she hadn't betrayed him by revealing his whereabouts. This still left a heavy stone in Lin Xuan's heart.
This graceful woman not only had an excellent spirit root but was also incredibly intelligent. Without Lin Xuan, the story didn't match what happened at the time, yet she managed to weave such a seamless lie that there were no flaws.
"Although the Fire Spirit Sect leader was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, he suffered from hidden illnesses and couldn’t use spiritual artifacts. Overconfident, he ultimately fell to Sister Qian's hands. Without the sect leader's command, the Fire Spirit Sect became leaderless, leading to its swift defeat."
"But according to what I know, there is still a Condensation Core cultivator in the Fire Spirit Sect. Why didn't he come out and take charge?"
"Senior, you don’t know." Master Tianxong also picked up his tea, feeling slightly parched from speaking so much: "You're referring to that lustful Elder Li. He indeed has Condensation Core cultivation, but apart from being exceptionally powerful, he lacks the talent for managing and overseeing everything. In fact, in terms of cultivation level, the deceased Qingling True Person didn't even rank among the top five in the Fire Spirit Sect..."
Lin Xuan nodded thoughtfully. This was true; many sect leaders were not their sect's first-class cultivators. As a leader, one needed to gain the support of fellow disciples and seek development for the sect externally. The key lay in management skills rather than raw power.
The Cloud Crane True Person at Drifting Cloud Valley was both the sect leader and its top cultivator, which was quite rare.
Even in Youzhou, where there were Core Formation cultivators within the sect, the leader was only at an early Condensation Core stage.
"How did things proceed after that?"
"What else could happen? After the Fire Spirit Sect's collapse, most of its disciples were killed. Even more top-notch cultivators perished. Only a few lucky ones with profound cultivation managed to escape. Among them was that Elder Li from the Condensation Core stage."
"Didn't other sects pursue and kill them?"
"How could they not? We understand the dangers of letting tigers back into the mountains. The various sects in Youzhou have already issued orders for their pursuit, but those who escaped are extremely cunning. They haven't been found yet," Master Tianxong said with a touch of depression.
Lin Xuan felt similarly low. His journey to Stream Leap Ravine not only allowed him to gather spirit herbs but also unexpectedly obtained two precious treasures.
One was an incredibly profound cultivation technique that Lin Xuan had started practicing, though he hadn't delved deep into it yet. The "Nine Heavens Profound Technique" lived up to its name in terms of power.
The other was a jade pendant with intricate patterns and a simple design.
However, after much study, Lin Xuan couldn't figure out its true nature. Since the Fire Spirit Sect had risked becoming a target for this item, they must have known its secrets. Hearing that the sect had collapsed, Lin Xuan wanted to interrogate some high-ranking members, but now...
Feeling a bit disappointed, Lin Xuan didn't show it. The current priority was how to obtain waste pills; he could put off that matter.
"The Fire Spirit Sect has disbanded. Hasn’t the situation in Yanzhou stabilized?"
"Of course," Master Tianxiong nodded proudly: "Now our Drifting Cloud Valley is dominant, commanding all under heaven."
"Is that so?" Lin Xuan replied indifferently.
Seeing Lin Xuan's expression, Master Tianxong was taken aback. He had become too self-assured and quickly put on a humble face. "I beg your pardon, Senior. Although our sect has some strength in Yanzhou, we can't compare to the same sects in Youzhou..."
Master Tianxong sighed as he spoke. Before coming here for alchemy, he only heard from elders within his sect that entering Youzhou would reveal how much more advanced it was compared to Yanzhou. Drifting Cloud Valley might be considered a second-rate sect if placed here.
"You are too modest," Lin Xuan wasn't interested in this. After clarifying the situation in Yanzhou, he pondered and said casually: "Your Cloud Fairy must have received many rewards for such great achievements."
"Who could say that?"
Master Tianxong's expression was full of envy. "Cloud Crane True Person has already made Sister Qian the sect's successor."
"What?" Lin Xuan's hand trembled as tea splashed out, and even his composure couldn't hide his shock.
Phantom Rain: Brothers, please give more recommendation votes. I'm deeply grateful.