“ zhè jiàn shì qíng lǎo nà zì rán tīng shuō guò ， dàn nà yòu rú hé ？”
“这件事情老衲自然听说过，但那又如何？”
"Of course, I've heard about this matter. But what of it?"
“ rú hé ， mò fēi dà shī zhēn de yì diǎn yě bù dān xīn me ？” shé xiē xiān zi yǒu diǎn chà yì de kāi kǒu le ：“ bì jìng wàng tíng lóu nà lǎo jiā huǒ ， kě shì lí hé hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， shén tōng zhī qiáng ， gēn běn bú shì wǒ men jǐ rén kě bǐ ， chú le wàn jiāo gǔ nà lǎo bù sǐ de yāo zú ， fàng yǎn tiān yún shí èr zhōu ， gēn běn méi yǒu rén gǎn yǔ tā dòng shǒu 。”
“如何，莫非大师真的一点也不担心么？”蛇蝎仙子有点诧异的开口了：“毕竟望亭楼那老家伙，可是离合后期的修仙者，神通之强，根本不是我们几人可比，除了万蛟谷那老不死的妖族，放眼天云十二州，根本没有人敢与他动手。”
"How so? Don't you think the Master is truly unconcerned?" The Viperess Fairy was somewhat surprised as she spoke: "After all, Old Man at the Pavilion of Hope Tower is a late-stage Separation and Union cultivator. His powers are beyond our reach. Apart from that old demon from the Ten Thousand Serpent Valley, no one in the Twelve Provinces of Heaven Cloud dares to challenge him."
“ hēng ， tíng lóu de lì hài wǒ xīn zhōng yǒu shù ， dàn tā kǔ liàn rú bīng xiān zi yǐ shì bā bǎi nián qián de shì le ， cāng hǎi sāng tián ， xī rì de yún zhōu dì yī měi nǚ ， rú jīn zǎo yǐ bù zhī lún huí dào le nǎ lǐ ， mèng rú jiū yě cóng lái méi yǒu rèn guò zhè ge jiě fū ， yǐ wàng tíng lóu de xìng gé ， nǐ rèn wéi tā huì chī bǎo le chēng de ， wèi le tiān yá hǎi gé ， yǔ wǒ liǎng pài wèi dí me ？” huì xuán màn tūn tūn de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， yǔ qì zhōng chōng mǎn le bù yǐ wéi rán zhī sè 。
“哼，亭楼的厉害我心中有数，但他苦恋如冰仙子已是八百年前的事了，沧海桑田，昔日的云州第一美女，如今早已不知轮回到了哪里，梦如鸠也从来没有认过这个姐夫，以望亭楼的性格，你认为他会吃饱了撑的，为了天涯海阁，与我两派为敌么？”慧玄慢吞吞的声音传入耳朵，语气中充满了不以为然之色。
"Humph! I know the power of Pavilion of Hope Tower, but it has been eight hundred years since he was infatuated with Fairy Heart Refinement. The world changes, and the once top beauty of Yunzhou is now unknown. Dreamlike Cuckoo never recognized this brother-in-law either. With Pavilion of Hope Tower's character, do you think he would fight us for the Skyfarer Sea Pavilion out of boredom?"
“ kě ， wàn yī ……”
“可，万一……”
Master Hui Xuan's slow voice entered my ears, filled with a tone of disapproval.
“ méi yǒu wàn yī ， xiū xiān zhě xiàng lái wú lì bù zǎo qǐ ， wàng tíng lóu jué bú huì wú duān yǔ wǒ men wèi dí ， rú guǒ tā yǒu yì piān tǎn mèng rú mā ， zǎo zài běn mén yǔ tiān yá hǎi gé chōng tū shēng jí de shí hòu jiù gāi chū miàn 。”
“没有万一，修仙者向来无利不早起，望亭楼绝不会无端与我们为敌，如果他有意偏袒梦如妈，早在本门与天涯海阁冲突升级的时候就该出面。”
"But what if..."
“ dà shī jì rán zhè me yǒu bǎ wò ， nà wǒ fū fù yě jiù fàng xīn le 。” qīng yuán shī wáng yǎn zhōng hóng máng shǎn guò ， huǎn huǎn de kāi kǒu le 。
“大师既然这么有把握，那我夫妇也就放心了。”清源尸王眼中红芒闪过，缓缓的开口了。
"There is no 'what if.' Cultivators rise early only when there's profit. Pavilion of Hope Tower will never start an unnecessary conflict with us. If he wanted to favor Dreamlike Mother, he would have intervened long ago during the conflict between our sect and Skyfarer Sea Pavilion."
chú le sān míng lí hé qī lǎo guài wù ， páng biān hái yǒu jiǔ míng yuán yīng hòu qī de dà xiū xiān zhě ， rú guǒ huàn yí gè chǎng hé ， zhè xiē rén yě shì duò duò jiǎo jiù néng ràng xiū xiān jiè yī fāng zhèn dòng de rén wù ， rán ér cǐ shí cǐ kè ， què jǐn jǐn de jiāng zuǐ bā bì zhe ， gēn běn bù gǎn kāi kǒu duō shuō shén me 。
除了三名离合期老怪物，旁边还有九名元婴后期的大修仙者，如果换一个场合，这些人也是跺跺脚就能让修仙界一方震动的人物，然而此时此刻，却紧紧的将嘴巴闭着，根本不敢开口多说什么。
"Since Master has such confidence, we can rest easy," said the Red-eyed Corpse King, his eyes flashing red as he spoke slowly.
zài shuō lìng yī cè ， yíng zhōu dǎo ， bīng xīn gé 。
再说另一侧，瀛洲岛，冰心阁。
Beside the three late-stage Separation and Union cultivators were nine middle-stage Core Formation cultivators. In another setting, these people could shake the cultivation world with a single step, but now they kept their mouths tightly shut, daring not to say much more.
qī bā míng nǚ xiū wéi jù ér zuò ， xiū wèi zuì chà de yě shì yuán yīng zhōng qī dǐng fēng de xiū xiān zhě 。
七八名女修围聚而坐，修为最差的也是元婴中期顶峰的修仙者。
On the other side of the island, Iceheart Pavilion in Yongzhou Island.
rú yān xiān zi yǐ jīng dìng xià le yù dí jiān shǒu de dà jì ， dàn jù tǐ gāi zěn yàng pái bīng bù zhèn hái xū yào hǎo hǎo hé jì hé jì 。
如嫣仙子已经定下了御敌坚守的大计，但具体该怎样排兵布阵还需要好好合计合计。
Several female cultivators gathered around, all at least middle-stage Core Formation.
zhè jǐ míng nǚ zǐ ， wú bù zài tiān yá hǎi gé fù yǒu zhòng yào sī zhí 。
这几名女子，无不在天涯海阁负有重要司职。
Fairy Ruyan had already decided on a strategy to defend against the enemy, but she still needed to carefully plan the deployment of troops and formations.
“ sān shī mèi ， zūn zhào shī shū fēn fù ， suǒ yǒu de wài wéi dǎo yǔ quán bù fàng qì ， wài gōng dì zǐ yǐ jí tā men suǒ jiàn lì de xiū xiān jiā zú yě dōu chè huí zǒng duò ， zhè jiàn shì qíng zuò dé zěn me yàng le ？” shuō huà de shì yī shēn chuān gōng zhuāng de shào nǚ ， róng mào nián qīng yǐ jí 。
“三师妹，遵照师叔吩咐，所有的外围岛屿全部放弃，外宫弟子以及她们所建立的修仙家族也都撤回总舵，这件事情做得怎么样了？”说话的是一身穿宫装的少女，容貌年轻以极。
These women held important positions within Skyfarer Sea Pavilion.
zhèng shì tiān yá hǎi gé dāng dài zhī zhǔ ， sū yì chún jìn jiē yuán yīng hòu qī yě liǎng bǎi nián yǒu yú 。
正是天涯海阁当代之主，苏绎唇进阶元婴后期也两百年有余。
"Third Sister, following Uncle's instructions, we've abandoned all outer islands and withdrawn our disciples and their cultivation families back to the main hall. How is this going?" The young girl in court attire spoke with a very youthful appearance.
“ shī jiě fàng xīn ， zhè jiàn shì qíng xiǎo mèi yǐ fēn fù xià qù ， zhèng yǒu tiáo bù wěn jìn xíng ， zài yǒu liǎng gè shí chén ， yīng gāi kě yǐ chè tuì wán niú 。” jī yuè rú yīng chún wēi qǐ ， qīng lěng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr lǐ 。
“师姐放心，这件事情小妹已吩咐下去，正有条不紊进行，再有两个时辰，应该可以撤退完牛。”姬月如樱唇微启，清冷的声音传入耳里。
She was Su Yilin, the current head of Skyfarer Sea Pavilion, who had reached middle-stage Core Formation over two hundred years ago.
sū yì chún tīng le ， liǎn shàng shǎn guò mǎn yì zhī sè ， suí hòu yòu xiàng zuǒ cè zhuǎn guò zhēn shǒu ：“ yíng shī mèi ， dǎo shàng de jìn zhì dà zhèn yí xiàng yóu mí fù zé ， rú jīn kāi qǐ dé zěn me yàng le ？”
苏绎唇听了，脸上闪过满意之色，随后又像左侧转过臻首：“莹师妹，岛上的禁制大阵一向由猕负责，如今开启得怎么样了？”
"Big Sister, don't worry. I've already given orders, and everything is proceeding smoothly. We should be able to complete the withdrawal in another two hours," said Ji Yue with a cool voice as she opened her lips slightly.
“ běn mén zǒng duò ， dà xiǎo jìn zhì gòng yǒu jiǔ jiǔ bā shí yī chù zhī duō ， chú le jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn zhèn ， qí tā jué dà bù fèn dōu yǐ rán kāi qǐ 。” dòng tīng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， rán ér shuō huà zhī rén de róng mào què ràng rén zé shé 。
“本门总舵，大小禁制共有九九八十一处之多，除了九宫须臾剑阵，其他绝大部分都已然开启。”动听的声音传入耳朵，然而说话之人的容貌却让人咋舌。
Su Yilin's face showed satisfaction before she turned to the left: "Sister Ying, theprohibition of this island are usually managed by Monkey. How is the activation going?"
zhè yě shì yī wèi yuán yīng hòu qī de dà xiū xiān zhě ， rú guǒ zhǐ kàn zuǒ cè ， huàn yǒu qīng guó qīng chéng zhī sè ， jí shǐ yǔ qín yán xiāng bǐ ， yě kě wèi chūn lán qiū jú 。
这也是一位元婴后期的大修仙者，如果只看左侧，奂有倾国倾城之色，即使与秦妍相比，也可谓春兰秋菊。
"The main hall has over eighty-oneprohibition in total, including the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword Array. Apart from that array, most have already been activated," said a melodious voice, but the speaker's appearance was shocking.
rán ér tā de zuǒ bàn biān liǎn gù rán měi mào wú bǐ ， kě yòu bàn biān liǎn ， què yǒu rú gān kū de shù pí 。
然而她的左半边脸固然美貌无比，可右半边脸，却有如干枯的树皮。
She too was a middle-stage Core Formation cultivator. Her left side was breathtakingly beautiful, comparable to Qin Yan in elegance and grace. However, her right side was as dry and withered as tree bark.
bié shuō pí fū méi yǒu guāng zé ， lián jī ròu dōu shēn shēn de āo xiàn xià qù 。
别说皮肤没有光泽，连肌肉都深深的凹陷下去。
Her skin lacked any luster, and muscles were deeply sunken. A single glance made one's scalp tingle; such ugliness could not be described in words.
kàn shàng yī yǎn ， jiù ràng rén tóu pí fā má ， chǒu dé ràng rén wú fǎ yòng yán yǔ xíng róng a 。
看上一眼，就让人头皮发麻，丑得让人无法用言语形容啊。
But appearances can be deceiving. This Rui Ying was also a middle-stage Core Formation cultivator, and her strength was rumored to surpass Pavilion Head Su Yilin.
rán ér rén bù kě mào xiàng ， zhè wèi jiào liú yíng de nǚ zǐ ， tóng yàng shì yuán yīng hòu qī de dà xiū shì ， ér qiě shí lì zhī qiáng ， jù shuō hái zài gé zhǔ sū bàng chún zhī shàng 。
然而人不可貌相，这位叫刘莹的女子，同样是元婴后期的大修士，而且实力之强，据说还在阁主苏棒唇之上。
To lead Skyfarer Sea Pavilion required not just power but good judgment to coordinate internal affairs effectively.
bì jìng yào zhí zhǎng tiān yá hǎi gé ， shí lì gù rán bù néng tài ruò ， dàn gèng zhòng yào de shì ， yào yǒu hǎo de tóu nǎo ， duì yú zōng mén nèi de shì wù ， néng gòu hěn hǎo de tǒng chóu xié tiáo 。
毕竟要执掌天涯海阁，实力固然不能太弱，但更重要的是，要有好的头脑，对于宗门内的事物，能够很好的统筹协调。
Before Qin Yan's entry into Skyfarer Sea Pavilion, Rui Ying was believed to be the most likely candidate for late-stage Separation and Union. Her talent was obvious, and her dedication to cultivation was extreme.
ér zài qín yán bài rù tiān yá hǎi gé yǐ qián ， liú yíng bèi rèn wéi shì zuì yǒu kě néng jìn jí lí hé de rén wù ， cǐ nǚ tiān fèn bú yòng shuō ， xiū liàn gèng shì jí dù kè kǔ 。
而在秦妍拜入天涯海阁以前，刘莹被认为是最有可能晋级离合的人物，此女天分不用说，修炼更是极度刻苦。
She had once been breathtakingly beautiful, but this transformation was due to a special technique called The Withered Appearance Art.
jù shuō tā běn lái yǒu qīng guó qīng chéng zhī sè ， zhī suǒ yǐ huì biàn chéng xiàn zài zhè fù yàng zi ， shì yīn wèi xiū liàn yī tè shū gōng fǎ de yuán gù 。
据说她本来有倾国倾城之色，之所以会变成现在这副样子，是因为修炼一特殊功法的缘故。
This art was founded by the thirty-fourth Pavilion Head, an extraordinary genius. It was powerful and easier to advance with compared to other techniques, but its side effect was disfigurement.
《 kū róng jué 》。
《枯容诀》。
The goal of cultivation is longevity, but for women, beauty often surpasses life itself.
tiān yá hǎi gé dì sān shí sì rèn zōng zhǔ nǎi jīng cái jué yàn de rén wù ， zhè 《 kū róng jué 》 jiù shì tā suǒ chuàng lì de ， wēi lì qí dà ， ér qiě jù shuō jìn jiē lí hé de shí hòu ， yě yào bǐ qí tā gōng fǎ róng yì dé duō ， dàn xiū liàn de fù zuò yòng què shì huǐ róng 。
天涯海阁第三十四任宗主乃惊才绝艳的人物，这《枯容诀》就是她所创立的，威力奇大，而且据说进阶离合的时候，也要比其他功法容易得多，但修炼的副作用却是毁容。
After The Withered Appearance Art's creation, it remained dormant until Rui Ying became the second to practice it. Her dedication to the Way was evident.
xiū xiān de mù dì bù guò cháng shēng ér yǐ ， dàn róng mào duì nǚ zǐ lái shuō ， wǎng wǎng bǐ shēng mìng hái yào zhēn guì dé duō 。
修仙的目的不过长生而已，但容貌对女子来说，往往比生命还要珍贵得多。
"Why hasn't the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword Array been activated? Shouldn't the required crystal stones have been replenished long ago?" Su Yilin raised her eyebrows slightly in puzzlement.
zhè 《 kū róng jué 》 chuàng lì yǐ hòu ， chú le dì sān shí sì rèn zōng zhǔ ， jiù yì zhí bèi shù zhī gāo gé ， liú yíng nǎi shì dì èr wèi xiū liàn de rén wù 。
这《枯容诀》创立以后，除了第三十四任宗主，就一直被束之高阁，刘莹乃是第二位修炼的人物。
"Following Uncle's instructions, the crystal stones were indeed replenished early on. However, the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword Array is an ancestral technique that can harness cosmic energy, so it requires time to gather its strength."
cǐ nǚ xiàng dào zhī xīn ， yě kě jiàn yī bān le 。
此女向道之心，也可见一斑了。
"I see."
“ jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn zhèn shàng wèi kāi qǐ ， wèi shén me ， gāi zhèn suǒ xū yào de jīng shí bù zǎo jiù yīng gāi bǔ chōng wán bì le ？” sū yì chún xiù méi wēi tiāo ， yǒu diǎn bù jiě de dào 。
“九宫须臾剑阵尚未开启，为什么，该阵所需要的晶石不早就应该补充完毕了？”苏绎唇秀眉微挑，有点不解的道。
Su Yilin nodded and was about to speak further when a green light flashed, and a strange flame flew into the hall.
“ zūn zhào shī shū de fēn fù ， jīng shí què shí zǎo jiù bǔ chōng wán le ， dàn jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn zhèn ， nǎi běn pài zǔ shī suǒ lì ， kě yǐ diào dòng tiān dì yuán qì ， suǒ yǐ kāi qǐ de guò chéng zhōng ， hái xū yào yí dìng de shí jiān xù shì 。”
“遵照师叔的吩咐，晶石确实早就补充完了，但九宫须臾剑阵，乃本派祖师所立，可以调动天地元气，所以开启的过程中，还需要一定的时间蓄势。”
Su Yilin paused as she beckoned for the flame to land in her palm. It was an ancient-looking talisman, which she immediately examined with her divine sense.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。”
“原来如此。”
Her expression turned to shock and anger.
sū bàng chún diǎn diǎn tóu ， zhèng yù zhāng kǒu zài shuō shén me ， tū rán qīng guāng yī shǎn ， yī dào yán sè guǐ yì de huǒ guāng fēi rù le dà diàn 。
苏棒唇点点头，正欲张口再说什么，突然青光一闪，一道颜色诡异的火光飞入了大殿。
"Big Sister, what's going on?" asked Ji Yue from below, her voice cool.
sū yì chún yī dāi ， zhāo shǒu ràng nà huǒ guāng luò rù le zhǎng xīn lǐ miàn 。
苏绎唇一呆，招手让那火光落入了掌心里面。
"The enemy's vanguard has already infiltrated Yongzhou Island."
shì yī shì yàng gǔ piáo de fú zhuàn ， cǐ nǚ èr huà bù shuō ， jiāng shén shí chén rù 。
是一式样古朴的符篆，此女二话不说，将神识沉入。
"So what? Such a scale of conflict is normal for some disciples to harass and probe our defenses," said the woman in purple as she smoothed her hair, showing clear disapproval.
hěn kuài ， tā de biǎo qíng jiù biàn dé jīng nù jiāo jí qǐ lái le 。
很快，她的表情就变得惊怒交集起来了。
"You know nothing. The vanguards of Thousand Buddha Sect and Desolate Soul Valley are not low-level cultivators."
“ dà shī jiě ， rú hé ， chū shén me shì qíng le ？” qīng lěng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， wèn huà de shì zuò zài xià shǒu de jī yuè rú 。
“大师姐，如何，出什么事情了？”清冷的声音传入耳朵，问话的是坐在下首的姬月如。
"Not low-level cultivators?" Rui Ying's expression changed.
“ dí rén de xiān fēng ， yǐ jīng qián rù yíng zhōu dǎo le 。”
“敌人的先锋，已经潜入瀛洲岛了。”
"Correct. They're all middle-stage Core Formation cultivators, numbering in the hundreds. Their main force is still at Quejin Island, but our experts are being ambushed by lightly armed attackers," Su Yilin's body began to emit a hint of anger as she spoke: "Sisters, it seems they want to catch us off guard before the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword Array can be activated."
“ nà yòu rú hé ， zhè zhǒng guī mó de zhēng dòu ， ràng yī xiē dì zǐ sāo rǎo ， shì tàn duì fāng de xū shí shì hěn zhèng cháng de shì 。” yī shēn chuān zǐ yī de nǚ xiū lǐ le lǐ fà sī ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì bù yǐ wéi rán zhī yì 。
“那又如何，这种规模的争斗，让一些弟子骚扰，试探对方的虚实是很正常的事。”一身穿紫衣的女修理了理发丝，脸上满是不以为然之意。
"Big Sister is right. They probably plan this way, but even without the array, our otherprohibition are not easily broken," Ji Yue's face showed a hint of mockery.
“ mí dǒng shén me ， wàn fú zōng yǔ lì hún gǔ de xiān fēng ， gēn běn jiù bú shì dī jiē dì zǐ 。”
“弥懂什么，万佛宗与厉魂谷的先锋，根本就不是低阶弟子。”
"But with such a large enemy force, we cannot fight head-on; we must delay them as much as possible. Third Sister, how long will it take to activate the Nine Palaces Sword Array?"
“ bú shì dī jiē dì zǐ ？” liú yíng shén sè yī dòng 。
“不是低阶弟子？”刘莹神色一动。
The last question was directed at Rui Ying.
“ bù cuò ， quán shì yuán yīng qī xiū xiān zhě ， ér qiě yǒu shù bǎi zhī duō ， tā men de dà duì rén mǎ hái zài kuí jīn dǎo hǎi yù ， kě zōng nèi de gāo shǒu què qīng zhuāng duì wǒ zǒng duò jìn xíng tōu xí 。” huà yīn wèi luò ， sū bàng chún de jiāo qū yǐ yǐn yǐn yǒu lì qì sàn fà ér chū ， zhè wèi tiān yá hǎi gé de zōng zhǔ ， shì zhēn de bèi jī nù ：“ zhū wèi shī mèi ， kàn lái duì fāng shì xiǎng chèn jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn zhèn shàng wèi kāi qǐ ， dǎ wǒ men yí gè cuò shǒu bù jí 。”
“不错，全是元婴期修仙者，而且有数百之多，他们的大队人马还在魁金岛海域，可宗内的高手却轻装对我总舵进行偷袭。”话音未落，苏棒唇的娇躯已隐隐有戾气散发而出，这位天涯海阁的宗主，是真的被激怒：“诸位师妹，看来对方是想趁九宫须臾剑阵尚未开启，打我们一个措手不及。”
"About nine hours."
“ shī jiě shuō dé bù cuò ， duì fāng yīng gāi shì rú cǐ dǎ suàn de ， dàn hù pài shàng wèi qǐ yòng yòu rú hé ， wǒ yíng zhōu dǎo de qí tā jìn zhì yě bú shì nà me hǎo pò 。” jī yuè rú de liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī jī cháo zhī sè ：“ zhǐ shì dí rén shì dà ， wǒ men bù néng yìng pīn ， jǐn liàng tuō yán jí kě ， èr shī jiě ， jiǔ gōng jiàn zhèn hái xū yào duō jiǔ cái néng qǐ yòng ？”
“师姐说得不错，对方应该是如此打算的，但护派尚未启用又如何，我瀛州岛的其他禁制也不是那么好破。”姬月如的脸上闪过一丝讥嘲之色：“只是敌人势大，我们不能硬拼，尽量拖延即可，二师姐，九宫剑阵还需要多久才能启用？”
"What? Nine?" The other women's faces turned pale.
zuì hòu yī jù huà què shì duì liú yíng suǒ shuō 。
最后一句话却是对刘莹所说。
"Yes," said Rui Ying with a nod.
“ dà gài hái yào jiǔ gè shí chén 。”
“大概还要九个时辰。”
A foreboding feeling spread among them. Nine hours without the support of the Nine Palaces Sword Array, could they withstand hundreds of middle-stage Core Formation cultivators?
“ shén me ， jiǔ gè ？” zhū nǚ wú bù biàn sè 。
“什么，九个？”诸女无不变色。
Although Fairy Ruyan was present to oversee this, Thousand Buddha Sect and Desolate Soul Valley had their own late-stage Separation and Union experts as well.
“ bù cuò 。” liú yíng diǎn le diǎn tóu 。
“不错。”刘莹点了点头。
PS: I apologize for today's update. I planned at least 6000 words but got interrupted by a wedding car issue that required my attention. Despite not wanting to, unexpected events forced me to pause. Please forgive me.
"Of course, I've heard about this matter. But what of it?"
"How so? Don't you think the Master is truly unconcerned?" The Viperess Fairy was somewhat surprised as she spoke: "After all, Old Man at the Pavilion of Hope Tower is a late-stage Separation and Union cultivator. His powers are beyond our reach. Apart from that old demon from the Ten Thousand Serpent Valley, no one in the Twelve Provinces of Heaven Cloud dares to challenge him."
"Humph! I know the power of Pavilion of Hope Tower, but it has been eight hundred years since he was infatuated with Fairy Heart Refinement. The world changes, and the once top beauty of Yunzhou is now unknown. Dreamlike Cuckoo never recognized this brother-in-law either. With Pavilion of Hope Tower's character, do you think he would fight us for the Skyfarer Sea Pavilion out of boredom?"
Master Hui Xuan's slow voice entered my ears, filled with a tone of disapproval.
"But what if..."
"There is no 'what if.' Cultivators rise early only when there's profit. Pavilion of Hope Tower will never start an unnecessary conflict with us. If he wanted to favor Dreamlike Mother, he would have intervened long ago during the conflict between our sect and Skyfarer Sea Pavilion."
"Since Master has such confidence, we can rest easy," said the Red-eyed Corpse King, his eyes flashing red as he spoke slowly.
Beside the three late-stage Separation and Union cultivators were nine middle-stage Core Formation cultivators. In another setting, these people could shake the cultivation world with a single step, but now they kept their mouths tightly shut, daring not to say much more.
On the other side of the island, Iceheart Pavilion in Yongzhou Island.
Several female cultivators gathered around, all at least middle-stage Core Formation.
Fairy Ruyan had already decided on a strategy to defend against the enemy, but she still needed to carefully plan the deployment of troops and formations.
These women held important positions within Skyfarer Sea Pavilion.
"Third Sister, following Uncle's instructions, we've abandoned all outer islands and withdrawn our disciples and their cultivation families back to the main hall. How is this going?" The young girl in court attire spoke with a very youthful appearance.
She was Su Yilin, the current head of Skyfarer Sea Pavilion, who had reached middle-stage Core Formation over two hundred years ago.
"Big Sister, don't worry. I've already given orders, and everything is proceeding smoothly. We should be able to complete the withdrawal in another two hours," said Ji Yue with a cool voice as she opened her lips slightly.
Su Yilin's face showed satisfaction before she turned to the left: "Sister Ying, theprohibition of this island are usually managed by Monkey. How is the activation going?"
"The main hall has over eighty-oneprohibition in total, including the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword Array. Apart from that array, most have already been activated," said a melodious voice, but the speaker's appearance was shocking.
She too was a middle-stage Core Formation cultivator. Her left side was breathtakingly beautiful, comparable to Qin Yan in elegance and grace. However, her right side was as dry and withered as tree bark.
Her skin lacked any luster, and muscles were deeply sunken. A single glance made one's scalp tingle; such ugliness could not be described in words.
But appearances can be deceiving. This Rui Ying was also a middle-stage Core Formation cultivator, and her strength was rumored to surpass Pavilion Head Su Yilin.
To lead Skyfarer Sea Pavilion required not just power but good judgment to coordinate internal affairs effectively.
Before Qin Yan's entry into Skyfarer Sea Pavilion, Rui Ying was believed to be the most likely candidate for late-stage Separation and Union. Her talent was obvious, and her dedication to cultivation was extreme.
She had once been breathtakingly beautiful, but this transformation was due to a special technique called The Withered Appearance Art.
This art was founded by the thirty-fourth Pavilion Head, an extraordinary genius. It was powerful and easier to advance with compared to other techniques, but its side effect was disfigurement.
The goal of cultivation is longevity, but for women, beauty often surpasses life itself.
After The Withered Appearance Art's creation, it remained dormant until Rui Ying became the second to practice it. Her dedication to the Way was evident.
"Why hasn't the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword Array been activated? Shouldn't the required crystal stones have been replenished long ago?" Su Yilin raised her eyebrows slightly in puzzlement.
"Following Uncle's instructions, the crystal stones were indeed replenished early on. However, the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword Array is an ancestral technique that can harness cosmic energy, so it requires time to gather its strength."
"I see."
Su Yilin nodded and was about to speak further when a green light flashed, and a strange flame flew into the hall.
Su Yilin paused as she beckoned for the flame to land in her palm. It was an ancient-looking talisman, which she immediately examined with her divine sense.
Her expression turned to shock and anger.
"Big Sister, what's going on?" asked Ji Yue from below, her voice cool.
"The enemy's vanguard has already infiltrated Yongzhou Island."
"So what? Such a scale of conflict is normal for some disciples to harass and probe our defenses," said the woman in purple as she smoothed her hair, showing clear disapproval.
"You know nothing. The vanguards of Thousand Buddha Sect and Desolate Soul Valley are not low-level cultivators."
"Not low-level cultivators?" Rui Ying's expression changed.
"Correct. They're all middle-stage Core Formation cultivators, numbering in the hundreds. Their main force is still at Quejin Island, but our experts are being ambushed by lightly armed attackers," Su Yilin's body began to emit a hint of anger as she spoke: "Sisters, it seems they want to catch us off guard before the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword Array can be activated."
"Big Sister is right. They probably plan this way, but even without the array, our otherprohibition are not easily broken," Ji Yue's face showed a hint of mockery.
"But with such a large enemy force, we cannot fight head-on; we must delay them as much as possible. Third Sister, how long will it take to activate the Nine Palaces Sword Array?"
The last question was directed at Rui Ying.
"About nine hours."
"What? Nine?" The other women's faces turned pale.
"Yes," said Rui Ying with a nod.
A foreboding feeling spread among them. Nine hours without the support of the Nine Palaces Sword Array, could they withstand hundreds of middle-stage Core Formation cultivators?
Although Fairy Ruyan was present to oversee this, Thousand Buddha Sect and Desolate Soul Valley had their own late-stage Separation and Union experts as well.
PS: I apologize for today's update. I planned at least 6000 words but got interrupted by a wedding car issue that required my attention. Despite not wanting to, unexpected events forced me to pause. Please forgive me.