ér yǔ gāng gāng jiàng shì shí bù tóng ， rú jīn zhè guài wù ， yǐ jīng xiū liàn dào le yuán yīng hòu qī dǐng fēng ， zhǐ jiàn gǔ shuāng mù zhōng hóng máng shǎn shuò ， ér zài qián zhǎo zhī cè ， zé yǒu yī kuài lìng pái jìng jìng tǎng zhe
而与刚刚降世时不同，如今这怪物，已经修炼到了元婴后期顶峰，只见牯双目中红芒闪烁，而在前爪之侧，则有一块令牌静静躺着
While different from when he first entered the world, this monster had now reached the late stage of元婴期. Its eyes glowed with a red light, and beside its front paw lay an ornate token.
huā wén chéng sè ，． shàng miàn de shù zì yě cóng sān huà wèi yì bǎi le
花纹成色，．上面的数字也从三化为一百了
The patterns on the token were intricate, and the numbers inscribed upon it had changed from 3 to 100.
hào shí chéng fù jìn de mǒu dà shān shēn chù 。
皓石城附近的某大山深处。
In the depths of a certain mountain near皓石城.
zhè lǐ fāng yuán shù lǐ ， dōu bèi xiōng yǒng de mó qì zhē bì ， bié shuō pǔ tōng fán rén bù gǎn jìn rù cǐ chù ， jiù suàn shì děng jí shāo chà diǎn de xiū xiān zhě ， yí dàn tà rù ， yě huì bèi mó qì qīn shí ， huà wèi yī duī bái gǔ 。
这里方圆数里，都被汹涌的魔气遮蔽，别说普通凡人不敢进入此处，就算是等级稍差点的修仙者，一旦踏入，也会被魔气侵蚀，化为一堆白骨。
This area was several miles wide, completely obscured by surging demonic energy. Even ordinary mortals would dare not enter here, let alone weaker cultivators who might be immediately corrupted and turned into piles of bones by the demonic aura.
rán ér tiān kōng zhōng bái guāng shǎn shuò ， què yǒu yī dào jīng hóng háo bù zài zhāi de fēi rù cǐ chù 。
然而天空中白光闪烁，却有一道惊虹毫不在斋的飞入此处。
However, white light flickered in the sky as a streak of lightning-like brilliance entered this place uninvited.
guāng máng shōu liǎn ， xiàn chū yī shēn cái xiū cháng de shào nián ， róng mào jùn xiù yǐ jí ， tóu fà shì xuě ， rú yín hé xiè dì ， yì zhí tuō dào yāo bù de wèi zhì 。
光芒收敛，现出一身材修长的少年，容貌俊秀以极，头发似雪，如银河泻地，一直拖到腰部的位置。
The light dimmed, revealing a tall, slender youth with an extremely handsome face. His hair was like snow, cascading down to his waist like a river of stars.
kàn shàng qù xiàng yī piān piān jiā gōng zi ， rán ér tā de yǎn jīng què fēi cháng xié yì 。
看上去像一翩翩佳公子，然而他的眼睛却非常邪意。
He looked like a refined and elegant gentleman, but his eyes were very sinister. The strange thing about him was the peculiar aura surrounding his body.
shēn shàng de líng lì gèng shì gǔ guài yǐ jí 。
身上的灵力更是古怪以极。
As they say, one cannot judge a book by its cover; the sea is not measured in buckets. This refined gentleman before us was actually a late-stage元婴 cultivator.
sú huà shuō ， rén bù kě mào xiàng ， hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng ， yǎn qián zhè wèi piān piān jiā gōng zi ， què shì yuán yīng hòu qī de dà xiū shì 。
俗话说，人不可貌相，海水不可斗量，眼前这位翩翩佳公子，却是元婴后期的大修士。
The lord of皓石城, 北冥真君, regardless of his cunning and shrewdness, had turned pale when he heard this news: "What should we do?"
hào shí chéng zhī zhǔ ， běi míng zhēn jūn bù lùn -:i jī chéng fǔ ， dōu jué duì shì yí dài xiāo xióng bān de rén wù ， rán ér cǐ shí cǐ yǎo ·1， tā de liǎn shàng què dài zhe jǐ fēn yōu sè ， xiàng mó qì zuì nóng de dì fāng zǒu qù le 。
皓石城之主，北冥真君不论-:i机城府，都绝对是一代枭雄般的人物，然而此时此杳·1，他的脸上却带着几分忧色，像魔气最浓的地方走去了。
"Don't worry," the monster inside the cocoon cackled. "Such beings are only likely to manipulate events from behind the scenes, pushing things along but not directly interfering themselves. Their actions will be beneficial for me."
hěn kuài ， yī zuò qiān zhàng gāo de shān fēng chū xiàn zài yǎn qián ， gāo dà wēi é ， rán ér zhěng zuò shān shàng ， bù jǐn méi yǒu niǎo shòu ， lián huā cǎo shù mù yě méi yǒu 。
很快，一座千丈高的山峰出现在眼前，高大巍峨，然而整座山上，不仅没有鸟兽，连花草树木也没有。
"Beneficial? What kind of benefits?" 北冥真君 was eager to know.
rén jiè de zhí wù ， zài yāo mó de mó qì xià yòu zěn me kě néng shēng cún ne ？
人界的植物，在妖魔的魔气下又怎么可能生存呢？
"The exact details I don't know, but this involves the laws of heaven and earth. It should be some old immortal from the灵界 making a move..."
běi míng zhēn jūn bù zài yì ， yī dào fǎ jué dǎ chū ， hōng lōng lóng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr lǐ ， yí gè yōu shēn de shí dòng chū xiàn zài le shì xiàn lǐ 。
北冥真君不在意，一道法诀打出，轰隆隆的声音传入耳里，一个幽深的石洞出现在了视线里。
"So you're saying that the opening of the Netherworld Gate has been delayed due to an intervention by someone in the灵界?"
lǐ miàn de mó qì gèng nóng ， zhāng yá wǔ zhǎo jiù xiàng yǒu xǔ duō guài shòu 。
里面的魔气更浓，张牙舞爪就像有许多怪兽。
"Only those with such power could cause such a delay—only the Three Demon Kings, Four Loose Immortals, and no one else."
zhè huí ， běi míng zhēn jūn de liǎn sè zhōng yú yǒu xiē nán \ kàn le ， lüè yī chí yí ， cái mài bù zǒu le jìn qù 。
这回，北冥真君的脸色终于有些难\看了，略一迟疑，才迈步走了进去。
"Three Demon Kings, Four Loose Immortals?" 北冥真君 was shocked. "What should we do then?"
shí dòng yōu shēn huì àn ， zú zú zǒu le shù bǎi zhàng yuǎn ， yí gè kuān chǎng de dà tīng cái chū xiàn zài miàn qián 。
石洞幽深晦暗，足足走了数百丈远，一个宽敞的大厅才出现在面前。
"Don't worry," the monster inside the cocoon cackled again. "They will only manipulate events from behind the scenes, pushing things along but not directly interfering themselves. Their actions will be beneficial for me."
— gè jù dà de cán jiǎn yìng rù yǎn lián 。
—个巨大的蚕茧映入眼帘。
"Benefits? What kind of benefits?" 北冥真君 frowned.
cǐ cán jiǎn suī shì hēi sè ， rán ér què shì tòu míng de 。
此蚕茧虽是黑色，然而却是透明的。
"The laws of heaven and earth have changed. Although I can only reach late-stage元婴 as a split soul in this world, with these changes, I can advance to the离合 stage," the monster said smugly.
gāo zú yǒu qī zhàng yú ， lǐ miàn yī rén xíng guài wù zhēng níng wú bǐ 。
高足有七丈余，里面一人形怪物狰狞无比。
As an upper realm demon, his cultivation methods were unique. Even at late-stage元婴, he could still match ordinary 离合 cultivators in combat. Now that he could advance, his strength would be even greater.
cǐ yāo mó de liǎn shàng ， gòng yǒu liǎng duì xiá cháng de shuāng mù ， yī duì hóng máng shǎn shuò ， lìng wài yī duì shàng zé fàn zhe bì yōu yōu de hán guāng ， tóu shàng de dú jiǎo yǒu liǎng chǐ zhǎng 。
此妖魔的脸上，共有两对狭长的双目，一对红芒闪烁，另外一对上则泛着碧幽幽的寒光，头上的独角有两尺长。
"Congratulations, Lord Demon," 北冥真君 bowed respectfully. "With this change, your goals will surely be achieved."
liáo yá wài lù ， bí zi gèng shì qí tè ， bí kǒng jū rán yǒu sān gè zhī duō 。
獠牙外露，鼻子更是奇特，鼻孔居然有三个之多。
"Yes, I reward those who succeed and punish those who fail. Once you achieve the离合 stage, I will bestow upon you demonic energy to ascend to the upper realm," 北冥真君 said.
hún shēn bèi qī hēi rú mò de lín piàn bāo guǒ ， shǒu zhǒu 、 xī gài děng guān jié zhī chù ， dōu yǒu fēng lì de
浑身被漆黑如墨的鳞片包裹，手肘、膝盖等关节之处，都有锋利的
In a certain quiet and serene灵山福地 in 云州.
gǔ rèn shēn chū 。
骨刃伸出。
This place used to be the headquarters of a significant cultivation family, but decades ago, it was taken over by three mysterious cultivators.
zhěng gè dà tīng mó qì kuáng bào yǐ jí ， běi míng zhēn jūn shēn wèi yuán yīng hòu qī de dà xiū xiān zhě ， yě bù dé bù jiāng hù tǐ líng guāng fàng chū ， fǒu zé dài zài cǐ chù ， tā tóng yàng bù hǎo guò 。
整个大厅魔气狂暴以极，北冥真君身为元婴后期的大修仙者，也不得不将护体灵光放出，否则待在此处，他同样不好过。
At the top of a steep mountain peak, a slender and graceful young woman stood facing a cliff. Her appearance wasn't breathtakingly beautiful, but she exuded an air of nobility that was hard to ignore.
“ mó zǔ 。”
“魔祖。”
She was Xiaohou Lan, or more accurately, Princess Xiao Yue.
“ běn zūn zǎo yǐ shuō guò ， wǒ xiàn zài xiū liàn mó gōng zhèng dào le jǐn yào zhī chù ， wàn wàn dǎ rǎo bù dé ， méi dé dào běn zūn zhào huàn ， nǐ lái zhè lǐ zuò shén me ？” nà jù jiǎn zhōng de guài wù zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， shén sè bù shàn de kāi kǒu le 。
“本尊早已说过，我现在修炼魔功正到了紧要之处，万万打扰不得，没得到本尊召唤，你来这里做什么？”那巨茧中的怪物转过头颅，神色不善的开口了。
Behind her were two cultivators—one man in his forties wearing a Daoist robe, and a younger woman around twenty who looked unremarkable. Both had reached late-stage元婴, but their aura was peculiarly formidable, even surpassing some 离合初期 cultivators.
“ mó zǔ xī nù ， wǎn bèi bìng fēi yǒu yì dǎ rǎo nín jìng xiū de ， zhǐ shì yǒu yī jiàn shì qíng fā shēng dé guǐ yì ér cāng cù ， wǎn bèi bù dé bù zhàn nǐ qǐng jiào yī èr de 。” běi míng zhēn jūn dī xià tou lú ， shén sè gōng jìng de kāi kǒu 。
“魔祖息怒，晚辈并非有意打扰您静修的，只是有一件事情发生得诡异而仓促，晚辈不得不战你请教一二的。”北冥真君低下头颅，神色恭敬的开口。
"Is it true that the laws of heaven and earth have changed?" New Moon's lips parted, her voice as clear as a golden oriole, but her tone was icy.
“ nǐ shì shuō nà xiū luó yù pái de biàn gù ？” yāo mó bù yǐ wéi rán de shuō 。
“你是说那修罗玉牌的变故？”妖魔不以为然的说。
"Yes, Princess."
“ mó zǔ nín yǐ zhī dào le ?”
“魔祖您已知道了?”
New Moon fell silent for a moment before smiling again. "It is unexpected, but with this change in the laws of heaven and earth, we now have an extra hundred years to advance to the离合 stage."
“ ń ， běn zūn fēn hún xià jiè ， běn lái jiù yǔ xiū luó zhī mén yǒu guān ， zhè jiàn shì qíng yòu qǐ néng mán
“嗯，本尊分魂下界，本来就与修罗之门有关，这件事情又岂能瞒
News of the changes to the Netherworld Gate spread quickly among low-ranking cultivators, but it caused a significant stir among high-ranking beings from both human and demon realms.
dé guò wǒ de fǎ yǎn 。”
得过我的法眼。”
Would this new Netherworld Gate be more complicated than before? As they say, fortune favors the bold. Despite knowing it might be dangerous, some would still jump into the fire for the sake of treasure.
“ nà yuán yīn rú hé ， mó zūn kě néng shì xià yī èr me ？”
“那原因如何，魔尊可能示下一二么？”
Of course, that would only be clear in a hundred years.
běi míng zhēn jūn yǒu diǎn kě wàng de shuō ， tā suī rán shì yuán yīng hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， dàn xiū luó zhī mén de lái lì yě bìng bù qīng chǔ ， zhǐ zhī dào cóng shàng gǔ zhī shí jiù yǒu ， měi jiǔ qiān nián kāi qǐ yī cì ， kě diǎn jí shàng què cóng lái tí jí ， hái huì yǒu tuī chí zhè zhǒng shì 。
北冥真君有点渴望的说，他虽然是元婴后期的修仙者，但修罗之门的来历也并不清楚，只知道从上古之时就有，每九千年开启一次，可典籍上却从来提及，还会有推迟这种事。
In the meantime, Lin Xuan and his servants were still trapped in the聚集灵空间.
“ hēng ， jù tǐ de wǒ yě bù qīng chǔ ， zhè qí zhōng shè jí tiān dì fǎ zé ， yīng gāi shì líng jiè mǒu gè
“哼，具体的我也不清楚，这其中涉及天地法则，应该是灵界某个
The change in the Netherworld Gate made Lin Xuan and Yue'er exchange glances. However, being stuck in this independent space, they couldn't solve their problems by thinking alone. The urgent task was to find a way out.
lǎo bù sǐ chū shǒu ……”
老不死出手……”
Advancing to the离合 stage was their only choice.
“ mó zūn shì shuō ， xiū luó zhī mén kāi qǐ de shí jiān gǎi biàn ， yǔ líng jiè de mǒu wèi dà néng xiū shì yǒu
“魔尊是说，修罗之门开启的时间改变，与灵界的某位大能修士有
When it came to advancement, Lin Xuan's situation was somewhat unique compared to other cultivators because he had mastered dual元婴 and a妖丹.
guān ?”
关?”
How could one achieve the离合 stage?
“ yǒu zhè zhǒng shǒu bǐ de ， yòu qǐ shì pǔ tōng de dà néng xiū shì ， chú le sān dà yāo wáng yǔ sì dà sàn
“有这种手笔的，又岂是普通的大能修士，除了三大妖王与四大散
Lin Xuan had previously consulted some ancient texts on this matter. It wasn't necessary for both his元婴s and妖丹 to reach that stage; as long as any of them did, he would become a top cultivator in the human world.
xiān ， qí yú zhī rén ， gēn běn bù kě néng zào chéng zhè yàng de gǎi biàn 。”
仙，其余之人，根本不可能造成这样的改变。”
In other words, Lin Xuan's current state was aligned with the strongest of his dual元婴 or妖丹.
“ yāo wáng ， sàn xiān ?” běi míng zhēn jūn dà jīng shī sè ， liǎn shuā de yī xià bái le ：“ nà zěn me
“妖王，散仙?”北冥真君大惊失色，脸刷的一下白了：“那怎么
For example, if his main元婴 had reached late-stage, and the second元婴 and妖丹 were mid-stage, he would still be considered a high-ranking cultivator.
bàn ?
办?
Lin Xuan needed to advance any one of them—his main元婴,妖丹, or second元婴—to become a 离合 cultivator.
“ fàng xīn ， nà yàng de cún zài ， zuì duō zài hòu miàn dòng dòng shǒu jiǎo ， tuī bō zhù rùn ， què bù kě néng qīn zì chā shǒu ， ér tā men nà yàng zuò ， duì běn mó zūn lái shuō ， què yě shì yǒu hǎo chù 。” cán jiǎn zhōng de guài wù gā gā gā de guài xiào qǐ lái le 。
“放心，那样的存在，最多在后面动动手脚，推波助润，却不可能亲自插手，而他们那样做，对本魔尊来说，却也是有好处。”蚕茧中的怪物嘎嘎嘎的怪笑起来了。
After forty years of hard work, Lin Xuan's cultivation had finally approached the peak of late-stage无婴期. However, his energy still had room for improvement.
“ hǎo chù ？”
“好处？”
The rapid progress was due to the Purple Aster pill and the high density of this area's energy. If he hadn't been preoccupied with Jieji, his sister, and Bai Xuan Hong, staying here until ascension might have been a good choice.
“ bù cuò ， suī rán bù zhī dào tā men tuī chí xiū luó zhī mén kāi qǐ de shí jiān yǒu hé mù dì 「 dàn shī
“不错，虽然不知道他们推迟修罗之门开启的时间有何目的「但施
But one couldn't be so selfish. At least Lin Xuan cared for those around him, even if he was cold to his enemies.
zhǎn dà shén tōng nì zhuǎn tiān dì fǎ zé ， zì rán yě huì zào chéng fù dài de xiào guǒ 。”
展大神通逆转天地法则，自然也会造成附带的效果。”
Still, as the saying goes, haste makes waste. Advancing to 离合 stage required patience and caution; rushing could backfire and plant seeds of heart demons.
“ fù dài xiào guǒ ？” běi míng zhēn jūn zhòu le zhòu méi ， tīng dé yī tóu wù shuǐ 。
“附带效果？”北冥真君皱了皱眉，听得一头雾水。
So while Lin Xuan ingested the Purple Aster pill to refine his energy, he also practiced cultivating his second元婴 and妖丹.
“ rén jiè yǔ shàng wèi jiè miàn bù tóng ， běn zūn suī shì fēn hún jiàng shì ， dàn zuì duō zhǐ néng xiū dào yuán yīng hòu qī ， bù guò rú jīn tiān dì fǎ zé gǎi biàn le ， zé kě yǐ jìn jiē lí hé 。” yāo mó dé yì de shuō 。
“人界与上位界面不同，本尊虽是分魂降世，但最多只能修到元婴后期，不过如今天地法则改变了，则可以进阶离合。”妖魔得意的说。
Although advancing his main元婴 would make him a 离合 cultivator, it was better to have more profound energy for greater success rates. Moreover, if both his second元婴 and妖丹 reached late-stage, his power would increase significantly after advancement.
zuò wèi shàng jiè yāo mó ， gǔ suǒ xiū liàn de gōng fǎ zì yǒu dú dào zhī chù ， jí shǐ zhǐ shì wú yīng hòu qī ， lì dí pǔ tōng de lí hé xiū shì yě méi yǒu wèn tí ， rú jīn kě yǐ jìn jí ， shí lì gèng bù yòng tí 。
做为上界妖魔，牯所修炼的功法自有独到之处，即使只是无婴后期，力敌普通的离合修士也没有问题，如今可以晋级，实力更不用提。
Considering the benefits, this approach had no drawbacks.
“ gōng xǐ mó zǔ ， rú cǐ yī lái ， nín de mù dì yí dìng kě yǐ dá dào de 。” běi míng zhēn jūn gǒng
“恭喜魔祖，如此一来，您的目的一定可以达到的。”北冥真君拱
After forty years, the conflict between天涯海阁and 万佛宗 must have already concluded. Whether he left now or later made little difference.
shǒu yī yī ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì xiàn mèi zhī yì 。
手一揖，脸上满是献媚之意。
He hoped Yuanyuan and his sister were well. Lin Xuan sighed, pushing down his worries and focusing on cultivation.
“ ń ， běn zūn shǎng fá fēn míng ， shì chéng zhī hòu ， zì rán huì lǚ xíng chéng nuò ， duì nǐ
“嗯，本尊赏罚分明，事成之后，自然会履行承诺，对你
With the Purple Aster pill's assistance, advancing his second元婴 and妖丹 wouldn't be difficult; it would just take some time.
shī zhǎn mó qì guàn tǐ ， rú cǐ yī lái ， nǐ jiù kě yǐ fēi shēng dào shàng jiè qù 。”
施展魔气灌体，如此一来，你就可以飞升到上界去。”
The path of immortality was arduous, and cultivation could be monotonous, but Lin Xuan had long adapted to such a life. He didn't find it particularly challenging.
yún zhōu ， mǒu huán jìng qīng yōu de líng shān fú dì 。
云州，某环境清幽的灵山福地。
Besides, he wasn't alone; Yue'er was by his side.
zhè lǐ yuán běn shì yī guī mó bù xiǎo de xiū xiān jiā zú zǒng duò ， rán ér zài shù shí nián qián què bèi sān míng shén mì de xiū xiān zhě gěi bà zhàn le 。
这里原本是一规模不小的修仙家族总舵，然而在数十年前却被三名神秘的修仙者给霸占了。
Of course, Lin Xuan's daily routine wasn't just about taking pills and meditating. He also practiced other techniques.
cǐ shí zài yī dǒu qiào de shān fēng dǐng bù ， yī míng miáo tiáo xiān xiù de shào nǚ miàn xiàng xuán yá ér lì ， tā de róng yán suī shuō bù shàng jué sè měi nǚ ， dàn yě kě ài tǎo xǐ ， yóu qí hún shēn shàng xià ， gèng shì sàn fà chū yī qiǎn gāo guì yì cháng de qì dù 。
此时在一陡峭的山峰顶部，一名苗条纤秀的少女面向悬崖而立，她的容颜虽说不上绝色美女，但也可爱讨喜，尤其浑身上下，更是散发出一肷高贵异常的气度。
After all, for a cultivator, energy levels were essential, but if their techniques were too weak, they wouldn't be considered true masters.
xià hóu lán ， bù ， zhèng què de shuō yīng gāi shì jiǎo yuè gōng zhǔ 。
夏侯兰，不，正确的说应该是矫月公主。
Today, I'll add an extra chapter as promised. The爆发时间is set for next Monday. Thank you for your support, fellow daoists.
While different from when he first entered the world, this monster had now reached the late stage of元婴期. Its eyes glowed with a red light, and beside its front paw lay an ornate token.
The patterns on the token were intricate, and the numbers inscribed upon it had changed from 3 to 100.
In the depths of a certain mountain near皓石城.
This area was several miles wide, completely obscured by surging demonic energy. Even ordinary mortals would dare not enter here, let alone weaker cultivators who might be immediately corrupted and turned into piles of bones by the demonic aura.
However, white light flickered in the sky as a streak of lightning-like brilliance entered this place uninvited.
The light dimmed, revealing a tall, slender youth with an extremely handsome face. His hair was like snow, cascading down to his waist like a river of stars.
He looked like a refined and elegant gentleman, but his eyes were very sinister. The strange thing about him was the peculiar aura surrounding his body.
As they say, one cannot judge a book by its cover; the sea is not measured in buckets. This refined gentleman before us was actually a late-stage元婴 cultivator.
The lord of皓石城, 北冥真君, regardless of his cunning and shrewdness, had turned pale when he heard this news: "What should we do?"
"Don't worry," the monster inside the cocoon cackled. "Such beings are only likely to manipulate events from behind the scenes, pushing things along but not directly interfering themselves. Their actions will be beneficial for me."
"Beneficial? What kind of benefits?" 北冥真君 was eager to know.
"The exact details I don't know, but this involves the laws of heaven and earth. It should be some old immortal from the灵界 making a move..."
"So you're saying that the opening of the Netherworld Gate has been delayed due to an intervention by someone in the灵界?"
"Only those with such power could cause such a delay—only the Three Demon Kings, Four Loose Immortals, and no one else."
"Three Demon Kings, Four Loose Immortals?" 北冥真君 was shocked. "What should we do then?"
"Don't worry," the monster inside the cocoon cackled again. "They will only manipulate events from behind the scenes, pushing things along but not directly interfering themselves. Their actions will be beneficial for me."
"Benefits? What kind of benefits?" 北冥真君 frowned.
"The laws of heaven and earth have changed. Although I can only reach late-stage元婴 as a split soul in this world, with these changes, I can advance to the离合 stage," the monster said smugly.
As an upper realm demon, his cultivation methods were unique. Even at late-stage元婴, he could still match ordinary 离合 cultivators in combat. Now that he could advance, his strength would be even greater.
"Congratulations, Lord Demon," 北冥真君 bowed respectfully. "With this change, your goals will surely be achieved."
"Yes, I reward those who succeed and punish those who fail. Once you achieve the离合 stage, I will bestow upon you demonic energy to ascend to the upper realm," 北冥真君 said.
In a certain quiet and serene灵山福地 in 云州.
This place used to be the headquarters of a significant cultivation family, but decades ago, it was taken over by three mysterious cultivators.
At the top of a steep mountain peak, a slender and graceful young woman stood facing a cliff. Her appearance wasn't breathtakingly beautiful, but she exuded an air of nobility that was hard to ignore.
She was Xiaohou Lan, or more accurately, Princess Xiao Yue.
Behind her were two cultivators—one man in his forties wearing a Daoist robe, and a younger woman around twenty who looked unremarkable. Both had reached late-stage元婴, but their aura was peculiarly formidable, even surpassing some 离合初期 cultivators.
"Is it true that the laws of heaven and earth have changed?" New Moon's lips parted, her voice as clear as a golden oriole, but her tone was icy.
"Yes, Princess."
New Moon fell silent for a moment before smiling again. "It is unexpected, but with this change in the laws of heaven and earth, we now have an extra hundred years to advance to the离合 stage."
News of the changes to the Netherworld Gate spread quickly among low-ranking cultivators, but it caused a significant stir among high-ranking beings from both human and demon realms.
Would this new Netherworld Gate be more complicated than before? As they say, fortune favors the bold. Despite knowing it might be dangerous, some would still jump into the fire for the sake of treasure.
Of course, that would only be clear in a hundred years.
In the meantime, Lin Xuan and his servants were still trapped in the聚集灵空间.
The change in the Netherworld Gate made Lin Xuan and Yue'er exchange glances. However, being stuck in this independent space, they couldn't solve their problems by thinking alone. The urgent task was to find a way out.
Advancing to the离合 stage was their only choice.
When it came to advancement, Lin Xuan's situation was somewhat unique compared to other cultivators because he had mastered dual元婴 and a妖丹.
How could one achieve the离合 stage?
Lin Xuan had previously consulted some ancient texts on this matter. It wasn't necessary for both his元婴s and妖丹 to reach that stage; as long as any of them did, he would become a top cultivator in the human world.
In other words, Lin Xuan's current state was aligned with the strongest of his dual元婴 or妖丹.
For example, if his main元婴 had reached late-stage, and the second元婴 and妖丹 were mid-stage, he would still be considered a high-ranking cultivator.
Lin Xuan needed to advance any one of them—his main元婴,妖丹, or second元婴—to become a 离合 cultivator.
After forty years of hard work, Lin Xuan's cultivation had finally approached the peak of late-stage无婴期. However, his energy still had room for improvement.
The rapid progress was due to the Purple Aster pill and the high density of this area's energy. If he hadn't been preoccupied with Jieji, his sister, and Bai Xuan Hong, staying here until ascension might have been a good choice.
But one couldn't be so selfish. At least Lin Xuan cared for those around him, even if he was cold to his enemies.
Still, as the saying goes, haste makes waste. Advancing to 离合 stage required patience and caution; rushing could backfire and plant seeds of heart demons.
So while Lin Xuan ingested the Purple Aster pill to refine his energy, he also practiced cultivating his second元婴 and妖丹.
Although advancing his main元婴 would make him a 离合 cultivator, it was better to have more profound energy for greater success rates. Moreover, if both his second元婴 and妖丹 reached late-stage, his power would increase significantly after advancement.
Considering the benefits, this approach had no drawbacks.
After forty years, the conflict between天涯海阁and 万佛宗 must have already concluded. Whether he left now or later made little difference.
He hoped Yuanyuan and his sister were well. Lin Xuan sighed, pushing down his worries and focusing on cultivation.
With the Purple Aster pill's assistance, advancing his second元婴 and妖丹 wouldn't be difficult; it would just take some time.
The path of immortality was arduous, and cultivation could be monotonous, but Lin Xuan had long adapted to such a life. He didn't find it particularly challenging.
Besides, he wasn't alone; Yue'er was by his side.
Of course, Lin Xuan's daily routine wasn't just about taking pills and meditating. He also practiced other techniques.
After all, for a cultivator, energy levels were essential, but if their techniques were too weak, they wouldn't be considered true masters.
Today, I'll add an extra chapter as promised. The爆发时间is set for next Monday. Thank you for your support, fellow daoists.