“ hé zòng lián héng ？”
“合纵连横？”
"Strategic Alliance?"
lín xuān yǐ shǒu fǔ é ， liǎn shàng lù chū xiē xǔ chén yín zhī sè me ？”
林轩以手抚额，脸上露出些许沉吟之色么？”
Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead, a contemplative expression on his face.
jiě jiě shuō de shì tiān qiǎo mén
姐姐说的是天巧门
"My sister mentioned the Heaven Skill Gate."
“ bù ， nǐ xiǎng cuò le 。
“不，你想错了。
"No, you're mistaken," Dream Ruyan shook her head slightly and said with a hint of mystery in her eyes.
mèng rú yān yáo le yáo zhēn shǒu ：“ tài yīn nà lǎo jiā huǒ ， yīn xiǎn jiǎo huá dào jí chù ， nǎ yǒu nà me róng yì shàng gōu ， wǒ yǔ wàn fú zōng chōng tū ， tā shí yǒu huì gé àn guān huǒ ， ruò wú shí zú bǎ wò ， jué bú huì chān huo jìn lìng wài yī fāng de 。
梦如嫣摇了摇臻首：“太阴那老家伙，阴险狡猾到极处，哪有那么容易上钩，我与万佛宗冲突，他十有会隔岸观火，若无十足把握，绝不会掺和进另外一方的。
"Old Yin Taiyin is extremely cunning; he wouldn't fall for such an easy trap. Since I am at odds with the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, he will likely sit back and watch. He won’t get involved unless he has solid grounds."
“ nà jiě jiě zhǐ de shì nǎ yī pài ne ？”
“那姐姐指的是哪一派呢？”
"That being the case, which sect does my sister mean?"
“ xiǎo dì ， nǐ lái wǒ tiān yá hǎi gé ， tú zhōng kě yǒu jīng guò jìng yuè dǎo me ？” mèng rú yān lüè
“小弟，你来我天涯海阁，途中可有经过静月岛么？”梦如嫣略
"My younger brother, have you passed by Jingyue Island on your way to the Sky Sea Pavilion?" Dream Ruyan's voice was somewhat mysterious as she spoke.
yǒu - diǎn shén mì de kāi kǒu le ， měi móu zhōng yǐn yǐn shǎn guò yī sī jiǎo kuài zhī sè 。
有-点神秘的开口了，美眸中隐隐闪过一丝狡狯之色。
"Of course, I passed by Jingyue Island," Lin Xuan replied honestly.
“ jìng yuè dǎo ， xiǎo dì zì rán lù guò 。” lín xuān lǎo lǎo shí shí de huí dá shuō 。
“静月岛，小弟自然路过。”林轩老老实实的回答说。
Although there were some changes at Jingyue Island, what came to mind first for Lin Xuan was the grand matchmaking ceremony that had been moved up.
qiě bù tán zài nà lǐ fā shēng de xiē xǔ biàn gù ， guāng shì suǒ wèi de “ xiāng qīn dà huì ” jiù ràng lín xuān fú xiàn lián piān ……
且不谈在那里发生的些许变故，光是所谓的“相亲大会”就让林轩浮现联翩……
"Moving the matchmaking ceremony forward was my order. Of course, I don't expect any sects or families to join us in this fight against the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect. Those cannon fodder are useless. This is merely a smokescreen."
suī shuō tiān yá hǎi gé lì lái dōu jǔ bàn guò ， dàn zhè yī cì què kè yì tí qián le 。
虽说天涯海阁历来都举办过，但这一次却刻意提前了。
"A smokescreen?" Lin Xuan was taken aback and then his expression turned contemplative.
biǎo miàn shàng ， cǐ jǔ shì wèi le lā lǒng nà xiē hǎi wài de zōng mén jiā zú ， jiāng tā men bǎng shàng tiān yá hǎi gé de jù dà zhàn chē 。
表面上，此举是为了拉拢那些海外的宗门家族，将他们绑上天涯海阁的巨大战车。
"Could it be that you want to use the strategy of 'clearing the way for Chen Shang while secretly crossing the pass'?"
kě zǐ xì yī xiǎng ， zhè me zuò jiǎn zhí cuò lòu bǎi chū 。
可仔细一想，这么做简直错漏百出。
"Yes, my younger brother, you are indeed clever," Dream Ruyan said with some admiration. "I plan to do just that. Knowing your enemy and yourself is the key to victory. Before the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect launches a full-scale attack on us, they will certainly send spies to gather intelligence. I will use the matchmaking ceremony as a smokescreen while secretly forming an alliance with another force..."
wài hǎi suī shì mán huāng zhī suǒ ， xiāng duì yún zhōu xiāo xī bì sè ， dàn qī dà zōng mén zhōng de liǎng pài jiāo
外海虽是蛮荒之所，相对云州消息闭塞，但七大宗门中的两派交
"Another force? My sister mentioned that the Heaven Skill Gate would sit back and watch. Which of the Seven Factions is involved?" Lin Xuan was curious.
è ， xiāng hù jiān yǐ dào le bù gòng dài tiān de chéng dù ， zhè shì qíng ， hǎi wài xiū shì bù kě néng bù qīng chǔ 。
恶，相互间已到了不共戴天的程度，这事情，海外修士不可能不清楚。
Although his sister seemed innocent, she could be quite cunning when it came to matters.
měi rén rú yù ， kě wèi le qǔ tiān yá hǎi gé de yī míng nǚ dì zi jiù yǔ wàn fú zōng wèi dí ， nà xiē
美人如玉，可为了娶天涯海阁的一名女弟子就与万佛宗为敌，那些
"My younger brother, you are wrong. The ally I am forming an alliance with is not one of the Seven Factions..." Dream Ruyan's light laughter echoed in Lin Xuan's ears.
zōng mén jiā zú de xiū shì yòu bú shì bái chī ， zěn me kě néng zuò zhè yàng de shì ？
宗门家族的修士又不是白痴，怎么可能做这样的事？
"Not a member of the Seven Factions? Do you mean that my sister plans to team up with thedemon race?" Lin Xuan’s face was filled with shock.
jiù suàn zhēn yǔ tiān yá hǎi gé yǒu le yīn qīn guān xì ， tā men shí yǒu yě huì xuǎn zé zuò shān guān hǔ ， jué bú huì qīng yì chān huo jìn liǎng pài de xuán wō 。
就算真与天涯海阁有了姻亲关系，他们十有也会选择坐山观虎，绝不会轻易掺和进两派的漩涡。
"What, did you guess it?" Dream Ruyan was taken aback. Her younger brother had reacted too quickly.
huái yǒu zhè zhǒng xiǎng fǎ de rén hěn duō ， gù ér qián lái jìng yuè dǎo de xiū shì suī shù bù shèng mǐn ， dàn dà bù fèn dōu jū xīn pǒ cè 。
怀有这种想法的人很多，故而前来静月岛的修士虽数不胜敏，但大部分都居心叵测。
"If his cultivation is comparable to the Separation stage, then his cunning might even surpass mine," she thought.
biǎo miàn shàng ， suī méi rén gǎn shuō ， dàn sī dǐ xià ， dōu rèn wéi tiān yá hǎi gé hěn shǎ ， jiàng xiàng qīn dà huì tí qián ， bù jǐn méi yǒu hǎo chù ， fǎn ér huì péi le fū rén yòu zhé bīng de 。
表面上，虽没人敢说，但私底下，都认为天涯海阁很傻，将相亲大会提前，不仅没有好处，反而会赔了夫人又折兵的。
"Indeed, this isn't hard to guess. Since a million years ago when the Luo Family of Tianzhou declined, the human race has been dominated by the Seven Factions. Other sects and families have no chance at all," Lin Xuan sipped some tea and said calmly.
zuò wèi qī dà shì lì zhī yī ， tiān yá hǎi gé qiáng jiàng rú yǔ ， rú yān xiān zi zàn qiě bù tí ， guāng
做为七大势力之一，天涯海阁强将如雨，如嫣仙子暂且不提，光
"And you just mentioned that there are powerful Separation stage cultivators in thedemon race as well. If I am not mistaken, my sister is not forming an alliance with any of the Seven Factions; it must be a certain faction within thedemon race."
shì mén nèi de yuán yīng xiū shì ， jiù chāo guò le bǎi wèi zhī duō 。
是门内的元婴修士，就超过了百位之多。
"Correct, my younger brother. My plan is to use the matchmaking ceremony as a smokescreen and secretly meet with the Five Color Fairy," Dream Ruyan explained.
suǒ wèi rén lǎo chéng jīng ， zhè xiē huó le duō nián de lǎo jiā huǒ ， zhēn de huì fàn xià rú cǐ yú chǔn de cuò
所谓人老成精，这些活了多年的老家伙，真的会犯下如此愚蠢的错
"The Five Color Fairy?" Lin Xuan scratched his head. He had never heard of her before but she must be an old monster at the Separation stage.
wù ？
误？
"My younger brother, it's normal that you haven't heard of her. At our level, we shouldn't get involved in factional disputes. Unfortunately, this time, blood will flow like a river in Yunzhou," Dream Ruyan sighed. Even with the Sky Sea Pavilion, many cultivators would likely die by the thousands.
zhì shǎo lín xuān rèn wéi ， shí zài shì bù tài kě néng de 。
至少林轩认为，实在是不太可能的。
"My sister, is the Five Color Fairy your close friend?" Lin Xuan asked slowly.
nà me tā men jǔ xíng xiāng qīn dà huì ， mù luò yòu shì shén me 。
那么她们举行相亲大会，目络又是什么。
"We can say that we are acquaintances who became friends through mutual respect and understanding. Five hundred years ago, we fought several times but eventually became good friends," Dream Ruyan explained.
lín xuān de cōng míng bú yòng shuō ， rán ér cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tóng yàng yǒu xiē zhàng èr hé shàng mō bù zháo tóu
林轩的聪明不用说，然而此时此刻，同样有些丈二和尚摸不着头
"Still, the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect isn't something to be taken lightly. Do you really think they will agree to get involved just because of our friendship?"
nǎo 。
脑。
Lin Xuan was a bit worried. In the immortal realm, few people would do something without personal gain or benefit.
“ jiě ， bié mài guān zi ， jiū jìng yǒu shén me dǎ suàn jǐn guǎn shuō ， xiǎo dì yě hǎo yǔ $$; hé jì yī xià
“姐，别卖关子，究竟有什么打算尽管说，小弟也好与$$;合计一下
"If not for my enmity with the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, I wouldn’t have come to the Sky Sea Pavilion," Lin Xuan thought.
de 。
的。
"Of course, I understand that relying solely on our friendship won't work. But I have prepared many treasures beforehand..."
rú yān diǎn diǎn tóu ， zhè jì huà bié rén bù néng shuō ， dàn lín xuān zì rán bù yòng jiāng
如嫣点点头，这计划别人不能说，但林轩自然不用将
"Treasures?" Lin Xuan was surprised. As a fifth-stagedemon race, he was already one of the top cultivators in the human world. The treasures Dream Ruyan mentioned were likely extraordinary and crucial to the Five Color Fairy.
tā mán zhe 。
他瞒着。
"Can you be certain?"
“ jiàng xiàng qīn dà huì tí qián ， shì wǒ xià lìng fēn fù ， dāng rán bù zhǐ wàng lā shàng shén me zōng mén jiā zú ， yǔ wàn fú zōng de zhàn dòu ， nà xiē pào huī yòu yǒu hé yòng chù ， cǐ jǔ bù guò shì fàng yī xiē yān wù 。
“将相亲大会提前，是我下令吩咐，当然不指望拉上什么宗门家族，与万佛宗的战斗，那些炮灰又有何用处，此举不过是放一些烟雾。
"I can't say with full confidence. At most, I have about a fifty percent chance," Dream Ruyan said with a bitter smile.
“ yān wù ？” lín xuān yī è ， suí hòu liǎn shàng lù chū le xiē xǔ chén yín zhī sè ：“ nán dào jiě
“烟雾？”林轩一愕，随后脸上露出了些许沉吟之色：“难道姐
"Fifty percent?" Lin Xuan’s expression turned gloomy. "What if they reject your proposal..."
jiě shì xiǎng shī nà míng xiū zhàn dào ， àn dù chén cāng de jì cè me ？”
姐是想施那明修栈道，暗度陈仓的计策么？”
"If that happens, what will we do? Although the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect is at the top of the Seven Factions, my Sky Sea Pavilion isn’t made of clay. We can fight to the death," Dream Ruyan's eyebrows rose with determination. She was 1500 years old and had faced many challenges.
“ bù cuò ， xiǎo dì nǐ guǒ rán cōng míng 。” mèng rú yān yě yǒu xiē pèi fú ：“ yú jiě wǒ zhèng shì zhè yàng dǎ suàn de ， suǒ wèi zhī jǐ zhī bǐ ， bǎi zhàn bù dài ， wàn fú zōng xiǎng yào gōng dǎ wǒ tiān yá hǎi gé ， zài dà bīng yā jìng zhī qián kěn dìng huì pài chū jiān xì cì tàn gè zhǒng qíng bào xiàn suǒ ， wǒ yòng xiāng qīn dà huì de yān wù hùn xiáo tā men de ěr mù ， àn dì lǐ ， què yǔ lìng yī gǔ shì lì lián hé ……”
“不错，小弟你果然聪明。”梦如嫣也有些佩服：“愚姐我正是这样打算的，所谓知己知彼，百战不殆，万佛宗想要攻打我天涯海阁，在大兵压境之前肯定会派出奸细刺探各种情报线索，我用相亲大会的烟雾混淆他们的耳目，暗地里，却与另一股势力联合……”
"When are you planning to leave?"
“ lìng yī gǔ shì lì ， jiě jiě shuō guò tiān qiǎo mén zhǔn bèi gé àn guān huǒ ， nà huì shì qī pài zhōng de nǎ
“另一股势力，姐姐说过天巧门准备隔岸观火，那会是七派中的哪
"In three days. I will use the matchmaking ceremony on Jingyue Island as a distraction while personally going to the Five Color Holy Mountain. Do you want to come along, my younger brother?"
yī jiā ne ？” lín xuān tīng dào zhè lǐ ， yě bù yóu yī zhèn hào qí 。
一家呢？”林轩听到这里，也不由一阵好奇。
"Sure, I can go with you to meet the Five Color Fairy and see what she's like," Lin Xuan agreed after some hesitation.
bié kàn zì jǐ zhè wèi jiě jiě píng shí sì hū méi yǒu shén me xīn jī ， zhēn zuò qǐ shì qíng lái què néng fān yún
别看自己这位姐姐平时似乎没有什么心机，真做起事情来却能翻云
"One more thing, my sister, is there something else you need to ask me?"
“ xiǎo dì nǐ cuò le ， wǒ suǒ lián hé de méng yǒu ， bìng fēi qī dà shì lì ……” mèng rú yān qīng xiào de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr lǐ 。
“小弟你错了，我所联合的盟友，并非七大势力……”梦如嫣轻笑的声音传入耳里。
"Is Qin Yan still on Yingzhou Island?" Lin Xuan’s expression was a bit strange.
“ bú shì qī dà shì lì ， nán dào zhè yī huí ， jiě jiě dǎ suàn yǔ yāo zú lián hé ？” lín xuān de liǎn shàng mǎn shì jīng è 。
“不是七大势力，难道这一回，姐姐打算与妖族联合？”林轩的脸上满是惊愕。
"Qian'er, have I met her before?" Dream Ruyan was taken aback and looked somewhat surprised.
“ shén me ， nǐ cāi dào le ？” mèng rú yān yī dāi ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng gèng shì hài rán ， zì jǐ zhè
“什么，你猜到了？”梦如嫣一呆，脸上的表情更是骇然，自己这
Lin Xuan hesitated but decided not to keep this secret. "Yes, Senior Sister Qin has known me for two hundred years. Back then, we both entered the Floating Cloud Valley in Yunzhou together."
dì di de fǎn yìng yě tài kuài le yì diǎn 。
弟弟的反应也太快了一点。
Lin Xuan recounted what happened without mentioning their agreement after reaching the Separation stage during a full moon. He didn’t want to bring up that awkward moment and was still unsure about the transmission talisman.
rú guǒ shuō tā de xiū wèi kān bǐ lí hé ， nà xīn jī zhī shēn ， yě xǔ hái zài zì jǐ zhè xiē rén zhī shàng
如果说他的修为堪比离合，那心机之深，也许还在自己这些人之上
"Ah, I see."
de 。
的。
Dream Ruyan nodded. Although she was surprised, there was no real shock in her expression. In the immortal realm, seniority could be calculated differently, so there was no need to worry about any embarrassing situations.
“ ń ， zhè bìng bù nán cāi ， zì cóng bǎi wàn nián qián ， tiān zhōu luó jiā shuāi bài ， rén zú zhè . biān ， yì zhí dōu shì qī dà shì lì kān chēng bà zhǔ ， bié de zōng mén jiā zú gēn běn jiù nán yǐ wàng qí bèi xiàng de 。 lín xuān hē le yī kǒu chá ， liǎn shàng wú jīng wú xǐ ， huǎn huǎn jiǎng chū zì jǐ de tuī cè fēn xī ：“ ér jiě jiě gāng cái yòu jiǎng guò ， yāo zú nà biān yě yǒu hěn lì hài de lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ， suǒ yǐ wǒ ruò shì méi yǒu liào cuò ， jiě jiě jì bú shì yǔ qī pài zhōng de mǒu yī zōng mén lián hé ， nà méng yǒu yīng gāi shì yāo zú zhōng de mǒu yī shì lì le 。
“嗯，这并不难猜，自从百万年前，天州罗家衰败，人族这.边，一直都是七大势力堪称霸主，别的宗门家族根本就难以望其背项的。林轩喝了一口茶，脸上无惊无喜，缓缓讲出自己的推测分析：“而姐姐刚才又讲过，妖族那边也有很厉害的离合期修仙者，所以我若是没有料错，姐姐既不是与七派中的某一宗门联合，那盟友应该是妖族中的某一势力了。
"My younger brother, you came at an unfortunate time. You probably won’t see Qian'er this time."
“ ń ， nǐ shuō dé méi cuò ， wǒ fàng chū xiāng qīn dà huì de yān mù ， sī dǐ xià ， què shì zhǔn bèi qù jiàn yāo zú de wǔ sè xiān zi de 。
“嗯，你说得没错，我放出相亲大会的烟幕，私底下，却是准备去见妖族的五色仙子的。
"What? Has Senior Sister Qin run into trouble?" Lin Xuan’s face showed some anxiety as he heard Dream Ruyan say this.
“ wǔ sè xiān zi ？” lín xuān náo le náo tóu ， zhè míng hào tā hái shì dì yī cì tīng shuō ， bù guò xiǎng
“五色仙子？”林轩挠了挠头，这名号他还是第一次听说，不过想
"Don't worry; she is fine. In fact, not long ago, she received a great opportunity," Dream Ruyan said reassuringly.
lái yě huì shì lí hé qī de lǎo guài wù 。
来也会是离合期的老怪物。
"An opportunity?"
“ dì di méi yǒu tīng guò ， yě shì hěn zhèng cháng de ， bì jìng xiū wèi dào le wǒ men zhè yàng de dì bù ， yuán běn lái shuō ， yǐ bù gāi cān yù mén pài de jiū gé ， zhǐ kě xī zhè yī cì yún zhōu kǒng pà huì xuè liú chéng hé 。” mèng rú yān tàn le kǒu qì ， guāng shì tiān yá hǎi gé ， xiū shì kǒng pà yě huì sǐ jl mǐn wàn zhī duō ， rán ér shì qíng dào le zhè yī bù ， yǐ gēn běn jiù méi yǒu wǎn huí de yú dì le 。
“弟弟没有听过，也是很正常的，毕竟修为到了我们这样的地步，原本来说，已不该参与门派的纠葛，只可惜这一次云州恐怕会血流成河。”梦如嫣叹了口气，光是天涯海阁，修士恐怕也会死jl敏万之多，然而事情到了这一步，已根本就没有挽回的余地了。
"Yes, my younger brother, do you remember when we parted after our initiation? I wanted to stay longer but had to leave in a hurry." Dream Ruyan said mysteriously.
“ jiě ， nà wǔ sè xiān
“姐，那五色仙
"I remember. Could this be related to Senior Sister Qin?"
le shì nǐ de guī zhōng mì yǒu me ？” lín xuān huǎn huǎn de kāi kǒu le 。
了是你的闺中密友么？”林轩缓缓的开口了。
"Yes, she accidentally ingested a seven-trick dragon snake gallbladder. Do you know about this item?"
“ kě yǐ zhè yàng shuō ， wǒ yǔ wǔ sè xiān zi ， kě wèi bù dǎ bù xiāng shí ， wǔ bǎi nián qián ， céng
“可以这样说，我与五色仙子，可谓不打不相识，五百年前，曾
"Seven-trick dragon snake gallbladder? Is it one of the legendary fruits in the human world? I heard that such fruits are peculiar; ordinary cultivators won't benefit from them. However, for female Separation stage cultivators specializing in water attributes, their effects can be hundreds of times stronger than ordinary elixirs, even turning bottlenecks into smooth paths. Could it be..."
yǒng dòu le shù cì ， hòu lái què fǎn ér chéng le zhī jǐ 。” mèng rú yān rú cǐ zhè bān de jiě shì 。
恿斗了数次，后来却反而成了知己。”梦如嫣如此这般的解释。
"Yes, but you only know half the story. The seven-trick dragon snake gallbladder is indeed a top-tier item, but ingesting it might not benefit her body. If she were an advanced Separation stage cultivator after undergoing the I Ching's purification process, she could probably withstand its power. But Qian'er was just at the beginning..."
“ huà suī rú cǐ ， kě wàn fú zōng bì jìng fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， jǐn píng jiāo qíng yào wǔ sè xiān zi juǎn rù xuán
“话虽如此，可万佛宗毕竟非同小可，仅凭交情要五色仙子卷入漩
"What about Senior Sister...?"
wō ， jiě jiě rèn wéi zhè kě néng me ？”
涡，姐姐认为这可能么？”
"That little girl successfully progressed to the middle stage, but her meridians suffered severe damage. If it weren't for my timely return to help disperse the excess medicinal force, that girl would have had to undergo a soul rebirth again. Although she has passed this critical period, her meridians are severely damaged. I placed her in our Heavenly Revival Cauldron, but full recovery will take some time. You won't see her for now."
lín xuān yǒu diǎn dān xīn de kāi kǒu le ， bì jìng xiān dào jiān nán ， bù lùn xiū xiān zhě ， hái shì yāo zú ，
林轩有点担心的开口了，毕竟仙道艰难，不论修仙者，还是妖族，
Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. Qin Yan had advanced to the Separation stage middle phase, and although she suffered damage to her meridians, it wasn’t a major issue.
"Strategic Alliance?"
Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead, a contemplative expression on his face.
"My sister mentioned the Heaven Skill Gate."
"No, you're mistaken," Dream Ruyan shook her head slightly and said with a hint of mystery in her eyes.
"Old Yin Taiyin is extremely cunning; he wouldn't fall for such an easy trap. Since I am at odds with the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, he will likely sit back and watch. He won’t get involved unless he has solid grounds."
"That being the case, which sect does my sister mean?"
"My younger brother, have you passed by Jingyue Island on your way to the Sky Sea Pavilion?" Dream Ruyan's voice was somewhat mysterious as she spoke.
"Of course, I passed by Jingyue Island," Lin Xuan replied honestly.
Although there were some changes at Jingyue Island, what came to mind first for Lin Xuan was the grand matchmaking ceremony that had been moved up.
"Moving the matchmaking ceremony forward was my order. Of course, I don't expect any sects or families to join us in this fight against the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect. Those cannon fodder are useless. This is merely a smokescreen."
"A smokescreen?" Lin Xuan was taken aback and then his expression turned contemplative.
"Could it be that you want to use the strategy of 'clearing the way for Chen Shang while secretly crossing the pass'?"
"Yes, my younger brother, you are indeed clever," Dream Ruyan said with some admiration. "I plan to do just that. Knowing your enemy and yourself is the key to victory. Before the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect launches a full-scale attack on us, they will certainly send spies to gather intelligence. I will use the matchmaking ceremony as a smokescreen while secretly forming an alliance with another force..."
"Another force? My sister mentioned that the Heaven Skill Gate would sit back and watch. Which of the Seven Factions is involved?" Lin Xuan was curious.
Although his sister seemed innocent, she could be quite cunning when it came to matters.
"My younger brother, you are wrong. The ally I am forming an alliance with is not one of the Seven Factions..." Dream Ruyan's light laughter echoed in Lin Xuan's ears.
"Not a member of the Seven Factions? Do you mean that my sister plans to team up with thedemon race?" Lin Xuan’s face was filled with shock.
"What, did you guess it?" Dream Ruyan was taken aback. Her younger brother had reacted too quickly.
"If his cultivation is comparable to the Separation stage, then his cunning might even surpass mine," she thought.
"Indeed, this isn't hard to guess. Since a million years ago when the Luo Family of Tianzhou declined, the human race has been dominated by the Seven Factions. Other sects and families have no chance at all," Lin Xuan sipped some tea and said calmly.
"And you just mentioned that there are powerful Separation stage cultivators in thedemon race as well. If I am not mistaken, my sister is not forming an alliance with any of the Seven Factions; it must be a certain faction within thedemon race."
"Correct, my younger brother. My plan is to use the matchmaking ceremony as a smokescreen and secretly meet with the Five Color Fairy," Dream Ruyan explained.
"The Five Color Fairy?" Lin Xuan scratched his head. He had never heard of her before but she must be an old monster at the Separation stage.
"My younger brother, it's normal that you haven't heard of her. At our level, we shouldn't get involved in factional disputes. Unfortunately, this time, blood will flow like a river in Yunzhou," Dream Ruyan sighed. Even with the Sky Sea Pavilion, many cultivators would likely die by the thousands.
"My sister, is the Five Color Fairy your close friend?" Lin Xuan asked slowly.
"We can say that we are acquaintances who became friends through mutual respect and understanding. Five hundred years ago, we fought several times but eventually became good friends," Dream Ruyan explained.
"Still, the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect isn't something to be taken lightly. Do you really think they will agree to get involved just because of our friendship?"
Lin Xuan was a bit worried. In the immortal realm, few people would do something without personal gain or benefit.
"If not for my enmity with the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, I wouldn’t have come to the Sky Sea Pavilion," Lin Xuan thought.
"Of course, I understand that relying solely on our friendship won't work. But I have prepared many treasures beforehand..."
"Treasures?" Lin Xuan was surprised. As a fifth-stagedemon race, he was already one of the top cultivators in the human world. The treasures Dream Ruyan mentioned were likely extraordinary and crucial to the Five Color Fairy.
"Can you be certain?"
"I can't say with full confidence. At most, I have about a fifty percent chance," Dream Ruyan said with a bitter smile.
"Fifty percent?" Lin Xuan’s expression turned gloomy. "What if they reject your proposal..."
"If that happens, what will we do? Although the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect is at the top of the Seven Factions, my Sky Sea Pavilion isn’t made of clay. We can fight to the death," Dream Ruyan's eyebrows rose with determination. She was 1500 years old and had faced many challenges.
"When are you planning to leave?"
"In three days. I will use the matchmaking ceremony on Jingyue Island as a distraction while personally going to the Five Color Holy Mountain. Do you want to come along, my younger brother?"
"Sure, I can go with you to meet the Five Color Fairy and see what she's like," Lin Xuan agreed after some hesitation.
"One more thing, my sister, is there something else you need to ask me?"
"What is it?"
"Is Qin Yan still on Yingzhou Island?" Lin Xuan’s expression was a bit strange.
"Qian'er, have I met her before?" Dream Ruyan was taken aback and looked somewhat surprised.
Lin Xuan hesitated but decided not to keep this secret. "Yes, Senior Sister Qin has known me for two hundred years. Back then, we both entered the Floating Cloud Valley in Yunzhou together."
Lin Xuan recounted what happened without mentioning their agreement after reaching the Separation stage during a full moon. He didn’t want to bring up that awkward moment and was still unsure about the transmission talisman.
"Ah, I see."
Dream Ruyan nodded. Although she was surprised, there was no real shock in her expression. In the immortal realm, seniority could be calculated differently, so there was no need to worry about any embarrassing situations.
"My younger brother, you came at an unfortunate time. You probably won’t see Qian'er this time."
"What? Has Senior Sister Qin run into trouble?" Lin Xuan’s face showed some anxiety as he heard Dream Ruyan say this.
"Don't worry; she is fine. In fact, not long ago, she received a great opportunity," Dream Ruyan said reassuringly.
"An opportunity?"
"Yes, my younger brother, do you remember when we parted after our initiation? I wanted to stay longer but had to leave in a hurry." Dream Ruyan said mysteriously.
"I remember. Could this be related to Senior Sister Qin?"
"Yes, she accidentally ingested a seven-trick dragon snake gallbladder. Do you know about this item?"
"Seven-trick dragon snake gallbladder? Is it one of the legendary fruits in the human world? I heard that such fruits are peculiar; ordinary cultivators won't benefit from them. However, for female Separation stage cultivators specializing in water attributes, their effects can be hundreds of times stronger than ordinary elixirs, even turning bottlenecks into smooth paths. Could it be..."
"Yes, but you only know half the story. The seven-trick dragon snake gallbladder is indeed a top-tier item, but ingesting it might not benefit her body. If she were an advanced Separation stage cultivator after undergoing the I Ching's purification process, she could probably withstand its power. But Qian'er was just at the beginning..."
"What about Senior Sister...?"
"That little girl successfully progressed to the middle stage, but her meridians suffered severe damage. If it weren't for my timely return to help disperse the excess medicinal force, that girl would have had to undergo a soul rebirth again. Although she has passed this critical period, her meridians are severely damaged. I placed her in our Heavenly Revival Cauldron, but full recovery will take some time. You won't see her for now."
Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. Qin Yan had advanced to the Separation stage middle phase, and although she suffered damage to her meridians, it wasn’t a major issue.