ér qiě fǎ xiàng yuè qiáng dà ， duì yú běn tǐ de huàn zū yě jiù yuè dà 。 dāng rán ， chú le fǎ xiàng de shí lì ， yě yǔ tā de shù liàng chéng zhèng bǐ 。
而且法相越强大，对于本体的奂租也就越大。当然，除了法相的实力，也与他的数量呈正比。
Moreover, the more powerful the Dharmic Form, the greater the strain on the original body. Of course, in addition to the strength of the Dharmic Form, its quantity also played a proportional role.
jiǔ tóu shí bā bì ， huàn jù huà shuō ， qín xīn biàn huà chū bā gè fǎ xiàng lái le ， tā bù guò yuán yīng chū qī de xiū xiān zhě ， ròu shēn yǔ yuán yīng bù bīn lín bēng kuì cái shì guài shì 。“ běn lái cǐ shù yào lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě cái néng shī zhǎn ， kě dāng shí qíng kuàng jǐn jí ， qiè “ yuán lái rú cǐ 。” lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， liǎn shàng lù chū liǎo rán zhī sè ， shēn tǐ yǔ yuán yīng de fù dān guò zhòng ， huàn jù huà shuō ， jiù shì běn mìng zhēn wú kuī sǔn tài duō 。 bìng gēn yǐ rán qīng chǔ ， kě xiǎng yào duì zhèng xià yào què bìng bù qīng sōng 。
九头十八臂，换句话说，琴心变化出八个法相来了，她不过元婴初期的修仙者，肉身与元婴不濒临崩溃才是怪事。“本来此术要离合期修仙者才能施展，可当时情况紧急，妾“原来如此。”林轩点点头，脸上露出了然之色，身体与元婴的负担过重，换句话说，就是本命真无亏损太多。病根已然清楚，可想要对症下药却并不轻松。
Nineteen heads and eighteen arms—this meant that Qinxin had summoned eight Dharmic Forms from her Heart Refinement Method. She was only an early-stage Immortal Nurturer; it would be strange if her body and spirit were not on the brink of collapse. "Originally, this technique could only be performed by a Separation Stage cultivator, but due to the urgent situation at hand, my lady," Lin Xuan nodded, his expression showing a moment of understanding. The burden on his body and spirit was too heavy; in other words, he had not lost much of his True Primordial Essence. Although the root cause was clear, finding an effective solution would be no easy task.
běn mìng zhēn wú ， gù míng sī yì ， nǎi shì yǔ xiū shì xìng mìng xī xī xiāng guān gè dōng xī ， kě bù děng tóng yú pǔ tōng de fǎ lì 。
本命真无，顾名思义，乃是与修士性命息息相关硌东西，可不等同于普通的法力。
True Primordial Essence, as its name suggests, is something closely related to a cultivator's life, but it does not equate to ordinary spiritual energy. For example, when facing a powerful opponent in combat, spitting out a mouthful of blood could greatly enhance one’s power. The so-called 'blood' contained True Primordial Essence. Its uses were obvious.
jǔ gè lì zi ， píng shí yù jiàn qiáng dí dòu fǎ de shí hòu ， yī kǒu jīng xuè pēn chū ， jiù néng gòu ràng shén tōng wēi néng bào zhǎng ， nà suǒ wèi de jīng xuè lǐ miàn ， hán yǒu de qí shí jiù shì běn mìng zhēn wú 。 qí yòng tú kě jiàn yì bān 。
举个例子，平时遇见强敌斗法的时候，一口精血喷出，就能够让神通威能暴涨，那所谓的精血里面，含有的其实就是本命真无。其用途可见一般。
However, under such circumstances, the loss was minimal; although it would harm his spirit energy, he could recover through medicine and meditation. But for Qinxin, her True Primordial Essence had been depleted by ten percent or more.
rán ér nà zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， kuī sǔn bù duō ， suī rán huì duì yuán qì yǒu suǒ shāng hài ， dàn tōng guò fú yào dǎ zuò ， yě shì néng gòu màn màn bǔ qǐ lái 。 kě qín xīn bù tóng ， tā tǐ nèi de běn mìng zhēn wú hào qù le shí zhī **。
然而那种情况下，亏损不多，虽然会对元气有所伤害，但通过服药打坐，也是能够慢慢补起来。可琴心不同，她体内的本命真无耗去了十之**。
In this situation, even with miraculous medicines, recovery would be futile. Her fate awaited her demise.
zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， rú hé xiū yǎng fù yuán ， jiù suàn yǒu miào yào líng dān ， jié jú yī yàng yú shì wú bǔ ， děng dài tā de mìng yùn ， zhǐ yǒu yǔn luò 。
这种情况下，如何修养复原，就算有妙药灵丹，结局一样于事无补，等待她的命运，只有陨落。
Lin Xuan’s mind raced as he quickly understood the implications. His expression grew increasingly grim. Previously, he was unsure of how to proceed, but now that he found the root cause, he felt even more lost.
lín xuān nǎo hǎi niàn tou jí zhuǎn ， qǐng kè jiān jiù yǐ xiǎng qīng chǔ le zhè zhōng jiān de lì hài ， liǎn sè bù yóu de yuè nán kàn 。
林轩脑海念头急转，顷刻间就已想清楚了这中间的利害，脸色不由得越难看。
Could I just watch helplessly?
xiān qián shì bù zhī dào gāi cóng hé zhuó shǒu ， rú jīn zhǎo dào le bìng yuán ， què gèng jiā máng rán 。
先前是不知道该从何着手，如今找到了病源，却更加茫然。
Man can conquer nature, yet Lin Xuan felt a sense of despair. He nodded, feeling somewhat awkward about speaking, but he truly had no impure intentions; his sole concern was her injuries. With this in mind, his expression became more open and honest.
nán dào zì jǐ zhǐ néng zài yī páng yǎn zhēng zhēng de kàn ？
难道自己只能在一旁眼睁睁的看？
Sometimes, there wasn’t much time for lengthy emotional exchanges: "Qinxin, the reason your body and spirit are on the brink of collapse is due to a significant loss of True Primordial Essence. If we can replenish it quickly, your injuries won't be as severe."
rén dìng shèng tiān ， rán ér lín xuān zhēn de yǒu yī zhǒng wú lì gǎn 。
人定胜天，然而林轩真的有一种无力感。
"This I understand," Qinxin said with a frown. "But True Primordial Essence differs from ordinary spiritual energy; how could it possibly be replenished in such a short time? Even if we were in the Spirit Realm, there wouldn’t be any miraculous medicines like this."
tā jí dé rú rè guō shàng de mǎ yǐ ， zài shí shì zhōng tuán tuán zhuàn 。
他急得如热锅上的蚂蚁，在石室中团团转。
"Medicines may not exist, but perhaps there are other solutions," Lin Xuan said slowly, his expression showing some amusement. "What?" Qinxin asked in surprise.
zhè jiù shì guān xīn zé luàn 。
这就是关心则乱。
"Dual cultivation!" At the same time, on another side of the room, the Patriarch of the Luo family’s robes flapped as Dharmic Form spells shot out from his fingertips, targeting the miniature version of the Netherworld at the center of the stone chamber. This Separation Stage elder had a serious expression; normally, such sacrificial altars required multiple cultivators to activate, but with the Luo family in decline and only one Separation Stage cultivator left, he was reluctantly putting his life on the line.
“ lín xiōng ， nǐ dà guò zài yì ， shēng sǐ yǒu mìng ， fù guì zài tiān ， zhè zuì hòu jǐ rì yǒu nǐ péi zhe ， qín xīn yǐ hěn mǎn zú 。” shào nǚ jiē chún huī qǐ ， qiào liǎn shàng dài zhe jǐ fēn xiū hóng zhī yì ， tā dǎo shì kàn dé hěn kāi ， zhè jǐ jù huà yǐ jìn hū yú biǎo bái 。
“林兄，你大过在意，生死有命，富贵在天，这最后几日有你陪着，琴心已很满足。”少女接唇徽启，俏脸上带着几分羞红之意，她倒是看得很开，这几句话已近乎于表白。
Fortunately, he had been planning this for over a century for the greater good. Even if it meant losing some spirit energy, he could still manage. He waved his hands while muttering ancient incantations. Soon, a huge ghostly figure appeared behind him—a Dharmic Form spell no one knew about. The ghost was over ten feet tall with sharp fangs and a wide mouth. It had a third eye in the center of its forehead, with an eerie silvery-white pupil. Two curved horns on its head resembled those of a goat.
kě xī lín xuān wán quán méi yǒu tīng chū lái ， zhè yǔ qíng shāng de gāo dī wú guān ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， lín xuān yī mén xīn sī xiǎng de ， dōu shì rú hé jiāng ōu yáng cóng guǐ mén guān lā huí lái 。 nà me duō dà fēng dà làng zì jǐ dōu chuǎng guò ， nán dào zhè yī cì ， zhēn de méi bàn fǎ ？ lín xuān bù gān xīn 。
可惜林轩完全没有听出来，这与情商的高低无关，此时此刻，林轩一门心思想的，都是如何将欧阳从鬼门关拉回来。那么多大风大浪自己都闯过，难道这一次，真的没办法？林轩不甘心。
Its body was covered in strange symbols that no one could decipher but added to its mysterious aura. Despite being just a Dharmic Form, other cultivators felt uncomfortable when it appeared. Even Luo Zico, an advanced-stage Immortal Nurturer, lowered his head upon contact with the ghostly form.
sà rán ， tā nǎo hǎi zhōng líng guāng yī shǎn ， liǎn shàng lù chū kuáng xǐ zhī sè ， bù guò hěn kuài ， què yòu xiǎn chū jǐ fēn gǔ guài lái le 。
飒然，他脑海中灵光一闪，脸上露出狂喜之色，不过很快，却又显出几分古怪来了。
The Patriarch of the Luo family ignored the feelings of the younger generations and spat out a black ray from his mouth. It wrapped around his left hand before cutting off one of his thumbs. The ghost’s three eyes turned as it lunged forward, biting down on the severed finger. A crunching sound filled the air as both skin and bone were swallowed whole. Satisfied with its meal, the ghastly face showed extreme content.
jiù zhè yàng ， zú zú lèng le yī zhǎn chá de shí jiān ， lín xuān cái huí guò tóu ， kàn le tǎng zài shí tái shàng de shào nǚ yī yǎn 。“ qín xīn ， wǒ xiǎng dào le yí gè jiù $$； de fāng fǎ 。” lín xuān xī le kǒu qì ， biǎo qíng yán sù “ xiū me ？”
就这样，足足愣了一盏茶的时间，林轩才回过头，看了躺在石台上的少女一眼。“琴心，我想到了一个救$$；的方法。”林轩吸了口气，表情严肃“休么？”
The cold snort from the Patriarch of the Luo family reached his ears. The ghostly figure flashed again, appearing above the stone platform. With a loud explosion, it turned into a cloud of blood. Something strange happened; the buildings in the Netherworld, which had been carved to resemble ghosts and monsters, suddenly seemed alive as they opened their mouths wide, greedily swallowing the blood.
ōu yáng yī dāi ， suí hòu yě dà xǐ qǐ lái ， suī rán zài shǐ yòng xiǎo luó tiān fǎ xiàng yǐ qián ， tā jiù yǐ jiāng shēng sǐ kàn pò ， dàn nà bì jìng shì méi yǒu bàn fǎ de xuǎn zé ， rú guǒ kě yǐ huó zhe ， shuí yòu yuàn yì yǔn luò ， xiū xiān bù jiù shì wèi le cháng shēng de mù dì me ？
欧阳一呆，随后也大喜起来，虽然在使用小罗天法相以前，她就已将生死看破，但那毕竟是没有办法的选择，如果可以活着，谁又愿意陨落，修仙不就是为了长生的目的么？
The stone chamber was filled with other Separation Stage cultivators, all in shock. The entire city of Netherworld was covered in a heart-stirring crimson hue. About a hundred miles away, the Xuan Tian Cloud Trading Fair continued to thrive. This grand event occurred every three centuries and lasted for several months.
ń 。” lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， suī rán jué de yǒu diǎn nán yǐ kāi kǒu ， dàn mén xīn zì wèn zì jǐ què shí méi yǒu wò chuò de niàn tou ， yī xīn dōu shì wèi le tā de shāng shì zhuó xiǎng ， niàn jí zhì cǐ ， lín xuān de biǎo qíng yě jiù biàn dé tǎn dàng 。
嗯。”林轩点了点头，虽然觉得有点难以开口，但扪心自问自己确实没有龌龊的念头，一心都是为了她的伤势着想，念及至此，林轩的表情也就变得坦荡。
The twelve states under the Xuan Tian Clouds were home to various sects and families, even those reclusive cultivators who secluded themselves in the vast wilderness. Many came out of curiosity, hoping to find valuable treasures. While it was uncertain if they would find exactly what they needed, there were always unique wonders to discover. Even if nothing was purchased, simply observing could be rewarding.
yǒu de shí hòu ， méi yǒu nà me duō shí jiān ， qù màn màn ér nǚ qíng cháng ：“ qín xīn ， shì zhè yàng ，$$； ròu shēn yǔ yuán yīng zhī suǒ yǐ bīn yú bēng kuì ， shì yóu yú běn mìng zhēn yuán kuī sǔn dà duō ， zhǐ yào néng gòu zài duǎn shí jiān nèi néng gòu bǔ zú ， shāng shì zì rán yě jiù méi yǒu dà dé le 。”
有的时候，没有那么多时间，去慢慢儿女情长：“琴心，是这样，$$；肉身与元婴之所以濒于崩溃，是由于本命真元亏损大多，只要能够在短时间内能够补足，伤势自然也就没有大得了。”
After all, such a large-scale event didn’t come around often. For high-stage cultivators, meeting advanced-stage Immortal Nurturers was rare; normally, it required great fortune. However, in Xuan Tian City, they were everywhere. If one was lucky, even late-stage cultivators might be encountered on the streets.
“ zhè ge ， qiè shēn xīn zhōng qīng chǔ ， kě běn mìng zhēn yuán yǔ pǔ tōng de fǎ lì bù tóng ， duǎn shí jiān nèi zěn me kě néng bǔ zú ， líng jiè bù gǎn shuō ， dàn zhì shǎo rén jiè ， jué méi yǒu zhè yàng líng dān miào yào de 。” ōu yáng qín xīn dài méi jiǎo zhòu de shuō 。“ yào zì rán shì méi yǒu ， dàn chú cǐ yǐ wài ， wèi bì jiù méi yǒu bié de jiě jué zhī cè 。” lín xuān huǎn huǎn de shuō ， liǎn shàng dài zhe jǐ fēn gǔ guài zhī sè 。” shén me ？” ōu yáng jīng yà de kāi kǒu 。” shuāng xiū ！” yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， lìng yī biān 。
“这个，妾身心中清楚，可本命真元与普通的法力不同，短时间内怎么可能补足，灵界不敢说，但至少人界，绝没有这样灵丹妙药的。”欧阳琴心黛眉徼皱的说。“药自然是没有，但除此以外，未必就没有别的解决之策。”林轩缓缓的说，脸上带着几分古怪之色。”什么？”欧阳惊讶的开口。”双修！”与此同时，另一边。
This wasn’t just a human affair; the妖族 (Yaozhul) also found joy in it. Although the two races didn’t hate each other, opportunities to exchange treasures rarely arose. Certain high-stage cultivators eagerly sought after certain items produced by the Yaozhul that were hard to obtain otherwise. Such good fortune was not to be missed.
luó jiā lǎo zǔ yī páo fēi wǔ ， yī dào yòu yī dào de gū jué cóng zhǐ jiān jī shè ér chū ， mù biāo zhèng shì shí shì zhōng yāng ， nà mí nǐ bǎn de huáng quán 。
罗家老祖衣袍飞舞，一道又一道的沽诀从指尖激射而出，目标正是石室中央，那迷你版的黄泉。
For transformed-stage Yaozhul, there were many valuable treasures on offer from humans as well. In a sense, both races complemented each other. The prosperity of the Xuan Tian Cloud Trading Fair was evident.
zhè wèi lí hé qī de lǎo guài wù ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì níng zhòng zhī sè ， àn lǐ shuō ， jī jì tán de dà zhèn ， xū yào shù míng xiū shì lián shǒu ， bù guò luó jiā shuāi wēi ， lí hé qī de xiū xiān zhě jǐn shèng xià tā yí gè ， zhǐ hǎo miǎn wéi qí nán de pīn lǎo mìng le 。
这位离合期的老怪物，脸上满是凝重之色，按理说，激祭坛的大阵，需要数名修士联手，不过罗家衰微，离合期的修仙者仅剩下他一个，只好勉为其难的拼老命了。
At this time, half the event had passed, and the crowd was at its peak. More than 300,000 cultivators were in Xuan Tian City, including Yaozhul.
hǎo zài zì jǐ wèi le dà jì ， tú móu yǐ yǒu bǎi nián zhī jiǔ ， dà bù liǎo kuī sǔn yī xiē yuán qì ， miǎn qiǎng hái shì kě yǐ zuò dào dì 。 tā shuāng shǒu huī wǔ ， kǒu zhōng yě yǒu gǔ piáo de zhòu yǔ nán nán ér chū 。 guò le piàn s1， yí gè jù dà de guǐ yǐng fú xiàn zài tā de shēn hòu 。 jū rán yě shì mǒu zhǒng bù wéi rén zhī de fǎ xiàng shén tōng 。
好在自己为了大计，图谋已有百年之久，大不了亏损一些元气，勉强还是可以做到地。他双手挥舞，口中也有古朴的咒语喃喃而出。过了片s1，一个巨大的鬼影浮现在他的身后。居然也是某种不为人知的法相神通。
Mu Bu Fan was a reclusive cultivator who was now over two hundred years old. He started cultivating from the age of five and had reached the late-stage Condensation Core Stage after so many years. Although his talent wasn’t exceptional compared to prodigies, he had achieved remarkable progress. His cultivation method, The Nurturing Primordial Spirit Technique, was easy to advance in, but his combat techniques were lacking.
cǐ guǐ shēn gāo zhàng yú ， liáo yá kuò kǒu ， méi xīn zhèng zhōng ， hái yǒu zhe dì sān zhǐ yǎn zhū ， ér qiě tóng kǒng shì guǐ yì de yín bái sè 。 tóu shàng liǎng zhǐ wān wān de jiān jiǎo ， yǔ shān yáng pǒ yǒu jǐ fēn xiāng sì zhī chù 。
此鬼身高丈余，獠牙阔口，眉心正中，还有着第三只眼珠，而且瞳孔是诡异的银白色。头上两只弯弯的尖角，与山羊颇有几分相似之处。
Facing an ordinary mid-stage Condensation Core cultivator would likely result in a humiliating retreat. But that didn’t matter. As the saying goes: "To gain something, one must give up something." He knew his own limitations; pursuing powerful techniques without the necessary lifespan would be futile. It was better to focus on simpler but easier-to-advance methods.
：$ shēn jī ròu bēn qǐ ， sì zhī zhī shàng ， hái yǒu yī xiē huā huā lǜ lǜ de fú wén ， shuí yě kàn bù dǒng ， què xiǎn de shén mì xī qín yì 。
：$身肌肉贲起，四肢之上，还有一些花花绿绿的符文，谁也看不懂，却显得神秘西秦异。
Choosing between fish and bear’s paw was a wise decision. This allowed him to reach the late-stage Condensation Core in about a hundred years less than usual. Coincidentally, the Xuan Tian Cloud Trading Fair was taking place. He came here to prepare for condensing his spirit core, having already gathered several medicinal herbs; he just needed to find the Scarlet Flowering Grass to complete the process.
àn lǐ shuō ， zhè bù guò shì qū qū yī zūn fǎ xiàng ér yǐ ， kě qí tā de xiū shì bú yòng shuō ， jí biàn shì yuán yīng hòu qī de luó zi cōng ， yǔ gǔ mù guāng xiāng chù ， jìng rán yě gǎn jué hún shēn bù shū fú 。
按理说，这不过是区区一尊法相而已，可其他的修士不用说，即便是元婴后期的罗子聪，与牯目光相触，竟然也感觉浑身不舒服。
Then, he would seek out an area with abundant spiritual energy… Mu Bu Fan was daydreaming about this when the ground suddenly began to shake without warning. An earthquake?
máng dī xià tou ， luó jiā lǎo zǔ què méi yǒu xīn qíng qù guǎn xiǎo bèi men de gǎn shòu ， kǒu yī zhāng ， cóng tā de zuǐ lǐ pēn chū yī líng hēi sè de lì máng ， wéi zhe zuǒ shǒu yī rào 。 xuè huā zhī zhōng ， jū rán qiè xià le zì jǐ de yī mǔ zhǐ tou 。
忙低下头，罗家老祖却没有心情去管小辈们的感受，口一张，从他的嘴里喷出一绫黑色的厉芒，围着左手一绕。血花之中，居然切下了自己的一拇指头。
Mu Bu Fan was taken aback, his expression growing strange. Earthquakes were terrifying for ordinary people, but as a cultivator in Xuan Tian City protected by禁制大阵 (protection arrays), an earthquake was impossible.
nà guǐ yǐng de sān kē yǎn zhū yì qǐ zhuǎn dòng ， suí hòu sōu de yī xià pū guò qù le ， yī kǒu yǎo zhù duàn zhǐ ， gē bēng gē bēng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lián pí dài gǔ ， quán bù tūn luò rù dù ， zhēng níng de chǒu liǎn shàng xiàn chū mǎn yì yǐ jí de shén sè 。“ qù ！”
那鬼影的三颗眼珠一起转动，随后嗖的一下扑过去了，一口咬住断指，咯嘣咯嘣的声音传入耳朵，连皮带骨，全部吞落入肚，狰狞的丑脸上现出满意以极的神色。“去！”
This was absurd!
luó jiā lǎo zǔ de lěng hēng chuán rù le ěr lǐ ， nà lì guǐ shēn xíng zài shǎn ， yǐ chū xiàn zài le shí tái de shàng miàn 。
罗家老祖的冷哼传入了耳里，那厉鬼身形再闪，已出现在了石台的上面。
Though puzzled, Mu Bu Fan’s cautious nature prompted him to activate a small iron plate from his storage pouch. Unremarkable, yet it was a powerful ancient treasure with excellent defensive capabilities. A Dharmic Form spell was cast, and the iron plate glowed before transforming into a grayish light curtain that enveloped his body. Only then did he relax, raising his head to look ahead.
suí hòu “ pēng ” de yī shēng bào kāi ， huà wèi màn tiān de xuè wù ， guǐ yì de shì qíng shēng le ， huáng quán chéng nà xiē xíng zhuàng gǔ guài de jiàn zhù ， jìng rán xiàng huó guò lái le shì de ， gǔ men yuán běn jiù bèi zuò chéng guǐ guài de xíng zhuàng ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， quán bù zhāng kāi dà kǒu ， tān lán de jiāng xuè wù tūn luò rù dù 。
随后“嘭”的一声爆开，化为漫天的血雾，诡异的事情生了，黄泉城那些形状古怪的建筑，竟然像活过来了似的，牯们原本就被做成鬼怪的形状，此时此刻，全部张开大口，贪婪的将血雾吞落入肚。
What he saw left him wide-eyed in shock. The ground wasn’t the only thing shaking; buildings around him seemed to come alive as well.
Moreover, the more powerful the Dharmic Form, the greater the strain on the original body. Of course, in addition to the strength of the Dharmic Form, its quantity also played a proportional role.
Nineteen heads and eighteen arms—this meant that Qinxin had summoned eight Dharmic Forms from her Heart Refinement Method. She was only an early-stage Immortal Nurturer; it would be strange if her body and spirit were not on the brink of collapse. "Originally, this technique could only be performed by a Separation Stage cultivator, but due to the urgent situation at hand, my lady," Lin Xuan nodded, his expression showing a moment of understanding. The burden on his body and spirit was too heavy; in other words, he had not lost much of his True Primordial Essence. Although the root cause was clear, finding an effective solution would be no easy task.
True Primordial Essence, as its name suggests, is something closely related to a cultivator's life, but it does not equate to ordinary spiritual energy. For example, when facing a powerful opponent in combat, spitting out a mouthful of blood could greatly enhance one’s power. The so-called 'blood' contained True Primordial Essence. Its uses were obvious.
However, under such circumstances, the loss was minimal; although it would harm his spirit energy, he could recover through medicine and meditation. But for Qinxin, her True Primordial Essence had been depleted by ten percent or more.
In this situation, even with miraculous medicines, recovery would be futile. Her fate awaited her demise.
Lin Xuan’s mind raced as he quickly understood the implications. His expression grew increasingly grim. Previously, he was unsure of how to proceed, but now that he found the root cause, he felt even more lost.
Could I just watch helplessly?
Man can conquer nature, yet Lin Xuan felt a sense of despair. He nodded, feeling somewhat awkward about speaking, but he truly had no impure intentions; his sole concern was her injuries. With this in mind, his expression became more open and honest.
Sometimes, there wasn’t much time for lengthy emotional exchanges: "Qinxin, the reason your body and spirit are on the brink of collapse is due to a significant loss of True Primordial Essence. If we can replenish it quickly, your injuries won't be as severe."
"This I understand," Qinxin said with a frown. "But True Primordial Essence differs from ordinary spiritual energy; how could it possibly be replenished in such a short time? Even if we were in the Spirit Realm, there wouldn’t be any miraculous medicines like this."
"Medicines may not exist, but perhaps there are other solutions," Lin Xuan said slowly, his expression showing some amusement. "What?" Qinxin asked in surprise.
"Dual cultivation!" At the same time, on another side of the room, the Patriarch of the Luo family’s robes flapped as Dharmic Form spells shot out from his fingertips, targeting the miniature version of the Netherworld at the center of the stone chamber. This Separation Stage elder had a serious expression; normally, such sacrificial altars required multiple cultivators to activate, but with the Luo family in decline and only one Separation Stage cultivator left, he was reluctantly putting his life on the line.
Fortunately, he had been planning this for over a century for the greater good. Even if it meant losing some spirit energy, he could still manage. He waved his hands while muttering ancient incantations. Soon, a huge ghostly figure appeared behind him—a Dharmic Form spell no one knew about. The ghost was over ten feet tall with sharp fangs and a wide mouth. It had a third eye in the center of its forehead, with an eerie silvery-white pupil. Two curved horns on its head resembled those of a goat.
Its body was covered in strange symbols that no one could decipher but added to its mysterious aura. Despite being just a Dharmic Form, other cultivators felt uncomfortable when it appeared. Even Luo Zico, an advanced-stage Immortal Nurturer, lowered his head upon contact with the ghostly form.
The Patriarch of the Luo family ignored the feelings of the younger generations and spat out a black ray from his mouth. It wrapped around his left hand before cutting off one of his thumbs. The ghost’s three eyes turned as it lunged forward, biting down on the severed finger. A crunching sound filled the air as both skin and bone were swallowed whole. Satisfied with its meal, the ghastly face showed extreme content.
The cold snort from the Patriarch of the Luo family reached his ears. The ghostly figure flashed again, appearing above the stone platform. With a loud explosion, it turned into a cloud of blood. Something strange happened; the buildings in the Netherworld, which had been carved to resemble ghosts and monsters, suddenly seemed alive as they opened their mouths wide, greedily swallowing the blood.
The stone chamber was filled with other Separation Stage cultivators, all in shock. The entire city of Netherworld was covered in a heart-stirring crimson hue. About a hundred miles away, the Xuan Tian Cloud Trading Fair continued to thrive. This grand event occurred every three centuries and lasted for several months.
The twelve states under the Xuan Tian Clouds were home to various sects and families, even those reclusive cultivators who secluded themselves in the vast wilderness. Many came out of curiosity, hoping to find valuable treasures. While it was uncertain if they would find exactly what they needed, there were always unique wonders to discover. Even if nothing was purchased, simply observing could be rewarding.
After all, such a large-scale event didn’t come around often. For high-stage cultivators, meeting advanced-stage Immortal Nurturers was rare; normally, it required great fortune. However, in Xuan Tian City, they were everywhere. If one was lucky, even late-stage cultivators might be encountered on the streets.
This wasn’t just a human affair; the妖族 (Yaozhul) also found joy in it. Although the two races didn’t hate each other, opportunities to exchange treasures rarely arose. Certain high-stage cultivators eagerly sought after certain items produced by the Yaozhul that were hard to obtain otherwise. Such good fortune was not to be missed.
For transformed-stage Yaozhul, there were many valuable treasures on offer from humans as well. In a sense, both races complemented each other. The prosperity of the Xuan Tian Cloud Trading Fair was evident.
At this time, half the event had passed, and the crowd was at its peak. More than 300,000 cultivators were in Xuan Tian City, including Yaozhul.
Mu Bu Fan was a reclusive cultivator who was now over two hundred years old. He started cultivating from the age of five and had reached the late-stage Condensation Core Stage after so many years. Although his talent wasn’t exceptional compared to prodigies, he had achieved remarkable progress. His cultivation method, The Nurturing Primordial Spirit Technique, was easy to advance in, but his combat techniques were lacking.
Facing an ordinary mid-stage Condensation Core cultivator would likely result in a humiliating retreat. But that didn’t matter. As the saying goes: "To gain something, one must give up something." He knew his own limitations; pursuing powerful techniques without the necessary lifespan would be futile. It was better to focus on simpler but easier-to-advance methods.
Choosing between fish and bear’s paw was a wise decision. This allowed him to reach the late-stage Condensation Core in about a hundred years less than usual. Coincidentally, the Xuan Tian Cloud Trading Fair was taking place. He came here to prepare for condensing his spirit core, having already gathered several medicinal herbs; he just needed to find the Scarlet Flowering Grass to complete the process.
Then, he would seek out an area with abundant spiritual energy… Mu Bu Fan was daydreaming about this when the ground suddenly began to shake without warning. An earthquake?
Mu Bu Fan was taken aback, his expression growing strange. Earthquakes were terrifying for ordinary people, but as a cultivator in Xuan Tian City protected by禁制大阵 (protection arrays), an earthquake was impossible.
This was absurd!
Though puzzled, Mu Bu Fan’s cautious nature prompted him to activate a small iron plate from his storage pouch. Unremarkable, yet it was a powerful ancient treasure with excellent defensive capabilities. A Dharmic Form spell was cast, and the iron plate glowed before transforming into a grayish light curtain that enveloped his body. Only then did he relax, raising his head to look ahead.
What he saw left him wide-eyed in shock. The ground wasn’t the only thing shaking; buildings around him seemed to come alive as well.