zhè duì shén mì de nán nǚ jiē shì chuán shuō zhōng de lí hé 。[] shà shí jiān ， hēi páo xiū shì lěng hàn lín lí ， liǎn sè biàn dé jiǎo qīng wú bǐ 。
这对神秘的男女皆是传说中的离合。[]霎时间，黑袍修士冷汗淋漓，脸色变得饺青无比。
The mysterious man and woman were none other than the legendary Separation and Union cultivators. In an instant, the black-robed cultivator was drenched in cold sweat, his face turning a sickly green.
dàn yòu jué de huāng miù ， fàng yǎn tiān yún shí èr zhōu ， lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě yě liáo liáo wú jǐ ， yōu zhōu bù guò shì mán huāng zhī dì ， nà zhǒng děng jiē de lǎo guài wù ， zěn me kě néng dào zhè yàng de dì fāng lái ne ？
但又觉得荒谬，放眼天云十二州，离合期修仙者也寥寥无几，幽州不过是蛮荒之地，那种等阶的老怪物，怎么可能到这样的地方来呢？
But he also found it absurd. Throughout the Twelve States of Heaven Clouds, there were few Separation and Union stage cultivators. Youmu was just a remote wasteland; how could such old monsters appear here?
hé kuàng hái yī xià zi liǎng gè 。 mò fēi shì zì jǐ nòng cuò ？ xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， tā wū · cì yòng shén shí zài zhǔ pú èr rén shēn shàng sǎo guò 。 yī jiù shēn bù kě duò ! jí shǐ bú shì lí hé ， yě jué fēi zì jǐ kě yǐ pǐ dí de 。 hēi páo xiū xiān zhě xià dé hún shēn dǒu qǐ lái le 。
何况还一下子两个。莫非是自己弄错？心中如此想着，他污·次用神识在主仆二人身上扫过。依旧深不可剁!即使不是离合，也绝非自己可以匹敌的。黑袍修仙者吓得浑身抖起来了。
Moreover, two at once. Could it be that he had made a mistake? He used his divine sense to scan over the master and servant pair. Even if they weren't Separation and Union stage, they were undoubtedly beyond his match.
jǐ jiā huān lè jǐ jiā chóu ， yǔ tā mǎn liǎn kǒng jù bù tóng ， yǐ xú yīn wèi de jǐ míng xiū xiān zhě zé wú bù lù chū dà xǐ guò wàng zhī sè 。
几家欢乐几家愁，与他满脸恐惧不同，以徐茵为的几名修仙者则无不露出大喜过望之色。
The black-robed cultivator was so frightened that he trembled all over.
jiù suàn méi yǒu qīn yǎn jiàn guò lín xuān zhǔ pú ， yě néng kàn chū tā men fēi dí shì yǒu 。
就算没有亲眼见过林轩主仆，也能看出他们非敌是友。
While some rejoiced, others mourned. Unlike him, several other cultivators led by Xu Yin showed great joy at seeing their master and servant alive.
gèng hé kuàng xú yīn zài què dìng ài nǚ wú shì zhī hòu ， jiù zài bàn kōng zhōng yíng yíng yī fú ， gōng jìng ér jī dòng de shī lǐ le ：“ yuè xiān zi ， shī shū 。”
更何况徐茵在确定爱女无事之后，就在半空中盈盈一福，恭敬而激动的施礼了：“月仙子，师叔。”
Even without having seen Lin Xuan's master and servant in person, they could tell they were not enemies but allies.
shī shū ？
师叔？
After confirming her daughter was safe, Xu Yin bowed gracefully in the air: "Moon Fairy, Senior Aunt."
qí tā xiū shì tīng le cǐ yǔ ， bù yóu de jīng xǐ jiāo jí ， nán dào yǎn qián de xiū xiān zhě ， jiù shì běn mén de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo me ？
其他修士听了此语，不由得惊喜交集，难道眼前的修仙者，就是本门的太上长老么？
Senior Aunt?
cún le zhè ge niàn tou ， zài kàn lín xuān de róng mào ， guǒ rán yǎn shú ， yǔ zǔ shī cí táng zhōng mǒu yī huà xiàng wéi miào wéi xiào 。
存了这个念头，再看林轩的容貌，果然眼熟，与祖师祠堂中某一画像惟妙惟肖。
The other cultivators were equally surprised. Could this cultivator be their own Supreme Elder?
“ cān jiàn tài shàng zhǎng lǎo 。”
“参见太上长老。”
With that thought, he scrutinized Lin Xuan's appearance and found it familiar, resembling a certain portrait in the Ancestor Shrine.
shèng yú de sì míng níng dān qī xiū xiān zhě ， fēn fēn shàng qián ， dà lǐ cān bài 。
剩余的四名凝丹期修仙者，纷纷上前，大礼参拜。
"Saluting the Supreme Elder."
tīng shuō bǎi yú nián qián ， lín zhǎng lǎo jiù shì yuán yīng zhōng qī ， rú jīn dí rén rú cǐ kǒng jù ， nán dào tā yǐ jìn jí ， chéng wéi le hòu qī dà xiū shì 。
听说百余年前，林长老就是元婴中期，如今敌人如此恐惧，难道他已晋级，成为了后期大修士。
The remaining four Condensation Core stage cultivators hurriedly bowed deeply.
yào zhī dào yǔ yún zhōu xiāng bǐ ， yōu zhōu de xiū liàn tiáo jiàn jiān kǔ yǐ jí ， xī rì de jí è mó zūn ， yǐ yuán yīng zhōng qī de xiū wèi jiù lìng qún xiū cè mù ， hào chēng yōu zhōu dì yī rén 。
要知道与云州相比，幽州的修炼条件艰苦以极，昔日的极恶魔尊，以元婴中期的修为就令群修侧目，号称幽州第一人。
Hearing that Elder Lin was an Inner Core中期 cultivator over a hundred years ago, they wondered if he had advanced to become a late-stage great cultivator.
dà xiū xiān zhě ， zài zhè ge dì fāng bù guò shì chuán shuō ， zhòng rén de mù guāng yī piàn huǒ rè 。
大修仙者，在这个地方不过是传说，众人的目光一片火热。
Compared to Yunzhou's harsh conditions for cultivation, it was extremely difficult in Youzhou. An Inner Core中期 cultivator like the former Extreme Demon Sovereign was already intimidating and hailed as the top of Youzhou.
hēi páo xiū xiān zhě jǐn guǎn xīn zhōng tǎn tè yǐ jí ， dàn zì rán bù yuàn yì jiù zhè yàng zuò yǐ dài bì ， tā de běn mìng fǎ bǎo yǐ rán huǐ qù ， bù guò shēn wèi yuán yīng qī xiū xiān zhě ， zài qióng suān yě bù kě néng zhǐ yǒu yī jiàn bǎo wù 。
黑袍修仙者尽管心中忐忑以极，但自然不愿意就这样坐以待毙，他的本命法宝已然毁去，不过身为元婴期修仙者，再穷酸也不可能只有一件宝物。
Great cultivators were merely legends here. Everyone's eyes glowed with excitement.
yǎo yá zài yāo jiān yī pāi ， yī bǐng hēi sè duǎn chā ， jiù bèi tā jì le qǐ lái 。
咬牙在腰间一拍，一柄黑色短叉，就被他祭了起来。
Despite his extreme unease, the black-robed cultivator did not want to wait passively. He had lost his main talisman, but as an Inner Core stage cultivator, he couldn't be so impoverished that he only possessed one treasure.
zhǎng bù - guò chǐ xǔ ， dàn biǎo miàn fú wén biàn bù ， hái yǒu nóng zhòng de yīn qì pèi sàn ér chū ， yī kàn jiù bú shì pǔ tōng bǎo wù 。
长不-过尺许，但表面符文遍布，还有浓重的阴气沛散而出，一看就不是普通宝物。
With a grimace, he struck his waist and summoned a short black fork.
hēi páo xiū shì de yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī hěn lì zhī sè ， shēn chū shǒu lái ， fǎng ruò léi gǔ ， hěn hěn de xiàng zì jǐ xiōng kǒu chuí xià qù le 。
黑袍修士的眼中闪过一丝狠厉之色，伸出手来，仿若擂鼓，狠狠的像自己胸口捶下去了。
Though it was no more than a foot long, the surface was covered with runes and emitted heavy阴气. It wasn’t just any ordinary treasure.
suí hòu tā zuǐ bā zhāng kāi ， yī kǒu xiān xuè jiù pēn le chū lái 。 bú yòng shuō ， lǐ miàn hùn hé zhe tā de běn mìng zhēn wú 。
随后他嘴巴张开，一口鲜血就喷了出来。不用说，里面混合着他的本命真无。
A look of ruthless determination flashed in the black-robed cultivator's eyes as he pounded his chest like drumming on a gong.
jīng xuè bèi xī shōu yǐ hòu ， duǎn chā lì máng dà zuò ， lǐ miàn yǐn yǐn chuán lái qī lì de guǐ kū ， huà wèi yī dào fēi hóng ， xiàng zhe lín xuān yǔ yuè ér jī shè guò qù le 。
精血被吸收以后，短叉厉芒大做，里面隐隐传来凄厉的鬼哭，化为一道飞虹，向着林轩与月儿激射过去了。
He spat out blood, mixed with his true essence.
dāng rán ， hēi páo xiū shì bú shì bái chī ， tā zhè yàng zuò de mù dì kě bú shì wèi le kè dí ， jǐn jǐn shì wèi zì jǐ zhēng qǔ táo pǎo de shí jiān ér yǐ 。
当然，黑袍修士不是白痴，他这样做的目的可不是为了克敌，仅仅是为自己争取逃跑的时间而已。
After the essence was absorbed, the fork emitted intense light, and an eerie wailing could be heard. It transformed into a flying rainbow, shooting towards Lin Xuan and Moon Fairy.
jì chū duǎn chā yǐ hòu ， tā xiǎng dōu bù xiǎng de shēn xíng yī zhuǎn ， wú shù hēi qì fēng yōng chū lái ， jiāng qí shēn xíng hù zài lǐ miàn ， suí hòu huà wèi yī duǒ yīn yún ， cháo zhe tiān biān bō shè ér qù le 。
祭出短叉以后，他想都不想的身形一转，无数黑气蜂拥出来，将其身形护在里面，随后化为一朵阴云，朝着天边波射而去了。
The black-robed cultivator wasn't a fool; he didn’t do this to fight but merely buy time for escape.
“ xiǎng zǒu ， gé xià bù jué dé yǐ jīng chí le ？”
“想走，阁下不觉得已经迟了？”
Summoning the short fork, he turned without hesitation as countless dark mists surrounded him, turning into a dark cloud that shot off toward the horizon.
lín xuān zhuǎn guò tóu ， liǎn shàng wú jīng wú xǐ ， zhǐ shì hěn píng jìng de jiāng yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， zhè me shì huǎn shí jí de cháo zhe xū kōng zhōng zhuā qù 。
林轩转过头，脸上无惊无喜，只是很平静的将右手抬起，这么似缓实急的朝着虚空中抓去。
"Want to run? Don't you think it's too late?"
dùn shí ， bù kě sī yì de yí mù chū xiàn zài zhòng xiū de yǎn lián lǐ 。
顿时，不可思议的一幕出现在众修的眼帘里。
Lin Xuan turned his head, showing no surprise or joy. He simply raised his right hand and grabbed at nothing in the air.
zhǐ jiàn yuán běn kōng wú yī wù de tiān kōng ， tū rán xiàng shì bèi tóu xià le yī méi shí zǐ de xiǎo cháo ， bō wén dàng yàng ， suí hòu chū xiàn le yī zhāng liàng jīng jīng de dà wǎng 。
只见原本空无一物的天空，突然像是被投下了一枚石子的小潮，波纹荡漾，随后出现了一张亮晶晶的大网。
Suddenly, an unbelievable scene unfolded before everyone’s eyes.
， zhè …···\'，
，这…···\'，
The empty sky seemed to ripple like a stone had been thrown into water, forming a bright net.
nà wú yīng qī xiū xiān zhě xiān shì yī dāi ， suí hòu bèi xià dé xīn dǎn jù liè le qǐ lái ， zhè zhǒng shén tōng wén suǒ wèi wén ， yuán yīng qī xiū xiān zhě kěn dìng bù néng shī zhǎn 。
那无婴期修仙者先是一呆，随后被吓得心胆俱裂了起来，这种神通闻所未闻，元婴期修仙者肯定不能施展。
"..."
duì fāng zhēn shì lí hé !
对方真是离合!
The Inner Core cultivator was stunned for a moment before he was utterly terrified. Such a power was unheard of; only an Outer Core cultivator could perform it.
zhè ge niàn tou shàng wèi zhuǎn guò ， nà dà wǎng yǐ xiàng tā dāng tóu zhào xià lái le ， zhì yú tā jì chū de nà bǐng guǐ chā ， lín xuān yǔ yuè ér gēn běn jiù shì ruò wú dǔ ， qū qū yī yuán yīng chū qī xiū shì ， xiǎng yào gěi tā men zào chéng wēi xié ， bù guò shì chī rén shuō mèng 。
这个念头尚未转过，那大网已像他当头罩下来了，至于他祭出的那柄鬼叉，林轩与月儿根本就视若无睹，区区一元婴初期修士，想要给他们造成威胁，不过是痴人说梦。
He truly was Separation and Union!
nà guǐ chā cái fēi dào bàn tú ， jiù zì jǐ tíng xià lái le ， fǎng fú bèi shén me guǐ yì shén tōng wéi zhù 。
那鬼叉才飞到半途，就自己停下来了，仿佛被什么诡异神通围住。
Before the thought fully formed, the net descended upon him. The ghost fork Lin Xuan and Moon Fairy ignored as if it didn’t exist—just an early Inner Core cultivator trying to threaten them was laughable.
yì diǎn xuán niàn yě wú ， yīn yún sàn kāi ， hēi páo xiū shì yǐ bèi kùn zài le dà wǎng lǐ miàn 。
一点悬念也无，阴云散开，黑袍修士已被困在了大网里面。
The ghost fork stopped mid-flight, seemingly trapped by some strange power.
tā de liǎn shàng mǎn shì sǐ huī zhī sè ， qiú ráo kěn dìng méi yǒu yòng tú ， yǔ qí luò zài duì fāng shǒu zhōng shòu kǔ ， hái bù rú zì xíng liǎo duàn suàn le 。
他的脸上满是死灰之色，求饶肯定没有用途，与其落在对方手中受苦，还不如自行了断算了。
There was no suspense; the dark cloud dispersed, leaving the black-robed cultivator ensnared in the net.
xīn zhōng cún le sǐ zhì ， tā yě bù zài chí yí ， rán ér lín xuān dòu fǎ jīng yàn hé děng fēng fù 「 yī yǎn jiù kàn chū duì fāng xiǎng yào yuán yīng zì bào de qǐ tú 。
心中存了死志，他也不再迟疑，然而林轩斗法经验何等丰富「一眼就看出对方想要元婴自爆的企图。
His face turned pale. Begging for mercy would be useless. Better to end it himself than suffer at his enemy’s hands.
lín xuān méi tóu wēi tiāo ， xiǎng dōu bù xiǎng de xiù páo yī fú ， yī dào guāng xiá fēi lüè ér chū ， cóng duì fāng de xiōng kǒu mò rù 。
林轩眉头微挑，想都不想的袖袍一拂，一道光霞飞掠而出，从对方的胸口没入。
With a resolve to die, he hesitated no longer. But Lin Xuan's combat experience was vast; he immediately saw through the other party's intention of Inner Core self-destruction.
hēi páo xiū shì zhǐ jué tiān xuán dì zhuàn ， fǎ lì jìn shī ， bié shuō zì bào yuán yīng zuò bú dào ， jiù suàn shì nuó dòng yī hěn shǒu zhǐ ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， yě biàn chéng shē wàng le 。
黑袍修士只觉天旋地转，法力尽失，别说自爆元婴做不到，就算是挪动一狠手指，此时此刻，也变成奢望了。
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow and without hesitation waved his sleeve. A beam of light shot out from it, entering the black-robed cultivator’s chest.
“ nǐ …… nǐ jiū jìng xiǎng yào rú hé ？”
“你……你究竟想要如何？”
The black-robed cultivator felt the world spin as his power vanished. He couldn’t even move a finger now.
“ hēng ， zhè hái yòng shuō ma ， gé xià lái lì shén mì ， lín mǒu dāng rán zhǐ hǎo yòng sōu hún shén tōng le 。” lín xuān mù guāng shuò shuò ， biǎo qíng píng dàn de kāi kǒu le 。
“哼，这还用说吗，阁下来历神秘，林某当然只好用搜魂神通了。”林轩目光烁烁，表情平淡的开口了。
"Wh-What do you want?"
“ sōu hún ， dào yǒu bù yòng xiǎng le ， běn mén dì zǐ ， quán dōu bèi shī zhǎn le mì shù ， nǐ shén me yě dé bú dào de ， bù rú wǒ men zuò yí gè jiāo yì rú hé ？” hēi páo xiū shì yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī wèi jù zhī sè ， què yǎn zhū yī zhuǎn de kāi kǒu le 。
“搜魂，道友不用想了，本门弟子，全都被施展了秘术，你什么也得不到的，不如我们做一个交易如何？”黑袍修士眼中闪过一丝畏惧之色，却眼珠一转的开口了。
"Hmph, what else? Your origins are mysterious; I can only use soul-searching techniques," Lin Xuan said with a calm expression.
“ jiāo yì ， hēng ， gé xià hái zhēn shì yì xiǎng tiān kāi ， nǐ xiàn zài bù guò shì lín mǒu de fú lǔ ， hái
“交易，哼，阁下还真是异想天开，你现在不过是林某的俘虏，还
"Soul-searching, friend, don't bother thinking about it. Our disciples have all been subjected to secret rituals; there's nothing for you here. How about we make a deal?" The black-robed cultivator showed fear in his eyes but then suggested something.
yǒu zī gé yǔ wǒ jiǎng tiáo jiàn me ？”
有资格与我讲条件么？”
"Deal? Hmph, you're really delusional. You’re just my captive now and don’t have the right to negotiate."
“ dào yǒu mò fēi ěr duǒ yǒu wèn tí ， wǒ shuō guò sōu hún méi yòng ， nǐ rú guǒ kěn xià xīn mó zhī shì fàng guò wǒ ， xiǎng yào zhī dào shén me ， wǎn bèi yí dìng zhī wú bù yán de 。” lóu yǐ shàng qiě tōu shēng ， gèng hé kuàng xiū xiān zhě ， jǐn guǎn zhī dào jī huì miǎo máng ， yǎn qián de jiā huo hái shì bù kěn fàng guò yī xiàn xī wàng 。
“道友莫非耳朵有问题，我说过搜魂没用，你如果肯下心魔之誓放过我，想要知道什么，晚辈一定知无不言的。”蝼蚁尚且偷生，更何况修仙者，尽管知道机会渺茫，眼前的家伙还是不肯放过一线希望。
"Don't you think your ears are playing tricks on you? I said soul-searching won't work; if you swear not to harm me with a Heart Demon Oath, I’ll tell you anything," even ants try to survive, let alone cultivators. Despite knowing it was unlikely, he refused to give up.
“ ó ， shì me ？” lín xuān què bù wèi suǒ dòng 。
“哦，是么？”林轩却不为所动。
"Oh?" Lin Xuan remained unperturbed.
“ dào yǒu mò fēi yǐ wéi wǒ zài sā huǎng ， rú guǒ nǐ bù xiāng xìn de huà ， kě yǐ wèn wèn yǎn qián jǐ rén ， běn mén dì zǐ yě bú shì méi yǒu luò zài guì pài shǒu lǐ ， dàn sōu hún shù kě yǒu xiào guǒ ？” hēi páo xiū shì yǒu diǎn jīng huāng de kāi kǒu le 。
“道友莫非以为我在撒谎，如果你不相信的话，可以问问眼前几人，本门弟子也不是没有落在贵派手里，但搜魂术可有效果？”黑袍修士有点惊慌的开口了。
"Don’t you think I’m lying? If you doubt it, ask the others; our disciples aren't without your sect’s hands. Do soul-searching techniques work?" The black-robed cultivator spoke with panic.
“ xìn ， lín mǒu zěn me kě néng bù xiāng xìn nǐ ne ？” lín xuān de xiào róng xiǎn de gāo shēn mò cè ：“ bù guò yī lái cóng nǐ kǒu zhōng dé zhī ， wǒ zěn me zhī dào nǐ yǒu méi yǒu sā huǎng piàn wǒ ， èr lái dào gāo yī chǐ ， mó gāo yí zhàng ， nǐ yǐ wéi píng bì sōu hún shén tōng de mì shù ， zài lín mǒu miàn qián yě tóng yàng yǒu yòng me ？\'’
“信，林某怎么可能不相信你呢？”林轩的笑容显得高深莫测：“不过一来从你口中得知，我怎么知道你有没有撒谎骗我，二来道高一尺，魔高一丈，你以为屏蔽搜魂神通的秘术，在林某面前也同样有用么？\'’
"I believe you, how could I not trust you?" Lin Xuan's smile was enigmatic: "But one, how can I know if you're lying to me? Two, the higher the dao, the greater the magic; do you think your secret technique will work on me?"
huà yīn wèi luò ， lín xuān yě bù děng duì fāng zài kāi kǒu ， zhí jiē jiāng shǒu fàng zài duì fāng de tóu dǐng shàng miàn le 。
话音未落，林轩也不等对方再开口，直接将手放在对方的头顶上面了。
Before he could finish, Lin Xuan placed his hand on the other party’s head.
zú zú guò le yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu hòu ， hán lì shǒu zhōng huǒ guāng yì qǐ ， hēi páo xiū shì de ròu qū yǐ huà wèi le huī jìn ， yuán dì zhǐ shèng xià yī cùn xǔ gāo de yuán yīng ， bù guò yī jiù shì dòng tán bù dé 「 yǎn zhōng mǎn shì tòng kǔ yǔ máng rán zhī sè 。
足足过了一盏茶的工夫后，韩立手中火光一起，黑袍修士的肉躯已化为了灰烬，原地只剩下一寸许高的元婴，不过依旧是动弹不得「眼中满是痛苦与茫然之色。
After a long while, Xu Yin's firelight flickered as the black-robed cultivator's body turned to ashes. Only an inch-high Inner Core remained, still immobile with pain and confusion in its eyes.
lín xuān tái qǐ shǒu lái ， zhǎng xīn zhōng fú xiàn chū yī bǐng xiǎo fān ， jiāng yuán yīng gěi shōu rù le lǐ miàn 。
林轩抬起手来，掌心中浮现出一柄小幡，将元婴给收入了里面。
Lin Xuan lifted his hand, revealing a small banner in his palm, which he used to contain the Inner Core.
duì dí rén hái yǒu shén me hào kè qì de ， duì mó dào zhì bǎo shòu hún fān lái shuō ， xiū shì yuán yīng kě shì dà bǔ 。
对敌人还有什么好客气的，对魔道至宝兽魂幡来说，修士元婴可是大补。
What was there to be polite about? To the Beast Soul Banner of the Dark Path, a cultivator’s Inner Core was a great boon.
“ shuài shū ， kě zhī dào duì fāng lái lì le me ？”
“帅叔，可知道对方来历了么？”
"Senior Aunt, did you find out their origins?"
xú yīn mǎn liǎn qī dài de kāi kǒu le ， zhèng rú duì fāng suǒ shuō ， tā men de sōu hún shù méi yǒu xiào guǒ ， dàn lín xuān bì jìng bù tóng ， duì yú zhè wèi shī shū de shén tōng ， xú yīn xìn xīn shí zú ， yě xǔ néng jiāng duì fāng de lái lì zhī mí jiě kāi de 。
徐茵满脸期待的开口了，正如对方所说，他们的搜魂术没有效果，但林轩毕竟不同，对于这位师叔的神通，徐茵信心十足，也许能将对方的来历之谜解开的。
Xu Yin's face lit up with hope. As he said, their soul-searching techniques were ineffective, but Lin Xuan was different. She had full confidence in his abilities to uncover the mystery of their origins.
The mysterious man and woman were none other than the legendary Separation and Union cultivators. In an instant, the black-robed cultivator was drenched in cold sweat, his face turning a sickly green.
But he also found it absurd. Throughout the Twelve States of Heaven Clouds, there were few Separation and Union stage cultivators. Youmu was just a remote wasteland; how could such old monsters appear here?
Moreover, two at once. Could it be that he had made a mistake? He used his divine sense to scan over the master and servant pair. Even if they weren't Separation and Union stage, they were undoubtedly beyond his match.
The black-robed cultivator was so frightened that he trembled all over.
While some rejoiced, others mourned. Unlike him, several other cultivators led by Xu Yin showed great joy at seeing their master and servant alive.
Even without having seen Lin Xuan's master and servant in person, they could tell they were not enemies but allies.
After confirming her daughter was safe, Xu Yin bowed gracefully in the air: "Moon Fairy, Senior Aunt."
Senior Aunt?
The other cultivators were equally surprised. Could this cultivator be their own Supreme Elder?
With that thought, he scrutinized Lin Xuan's appearance and found it familiar, resembling a certain portrait in the Ancestor Shrine.
"Saluting the Supreme Elder."
The remaining four Condensation Core stage cultivators hurriedly bowed deeply.
Hearing that Elder Lin was an Inner Core中期 cultivator over a hundred years ago, they wondered if he had advanced to become a late-stage great cultivator.
Compared to Yunzhou's harsh conditions for cultivation, it was extremely difficult in Youzhou. An Inner Core中期 cultivator like the former Extreme Demon Sovereign was already intimidating and hailed as the top of Youzhou.
Great cultivators were merely legends here. Everyone's eyes glowed with excitement.
Despite his extreme unease, the black-robed cultivator did not want to wait passively. He had lost his main talisman, but as an Inner Core stage cultivator, he couldn't be so impoverished that he only possessed one treasure.
With a grimace, he struck his waist and summoned a short black fork.
Though it was no more than a foot long, the surface was covered with runes and emitted heavy阴气. It wasn’t just any ordinary treasure.
A look of ruthless determination flashed in the black-robed cultivator's eyes as he pounded his chest like drumming on a gong.
He spat out blood, mixed with his true essence.
After the essence was absorbed, the fork emitted intense light, and an eerie wailing could be heard. It transformed into a flying rainbow, shooting towards Lin Xuan and Moon Fairy.
The black-robed cultivator wasn't a fool; he didn’t do this to fight but merely buy time for escape.
Summoning the short fork, he turned without hesitation as countless dark mists surrounded him, turning into a dark cloud that shot off toward the horizon.
"Want to run? Don't you think it's too late?"
Lin Xuan turned his head, showing no surprise or joy. He simply raised his right hand and grabbed at nothing in the air.
Suddenly, an unbelievable scene unfolded before everyone’s eyes.
The empty sky seemed to ripple like a stone had been thrown into water, forming a bright net.
"..."
The Inner Core cultivator was stunned for a moment before he was utterly terrified. Such a power was unheard of; only an Outer Core cultivator could perform it.
He truly was Separation and Union!
Before the thought fully formed, the net descended upon him. The ghost fork Lin Xuan and Moon Fairy ignored as if it didn’t exist—just an early Inner Core cultivator trying to threaten them was laughable.
The ghost fork stopped mid-flight, seemingly trapped by some strange power.
There was no suspense; the dark cloud dispersed, leaving the black-robed cultivator ensnared in the net.
His face turned pale. Begging for mercy would be useless. Better to end it himself than suffer at his enemy’s hands.
With a resolve to die, he hesitated no longer. But Lin Xuan's combat experience was vast; he immediately saw through the other party's intention of Inner Core self-destruction.
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow and without hesitation waved his sleeve. A beam of light shot out from it, entering the black-robed cultivator’s chest.
The black-robed cultivator felt the world spin as his power vanished. He couldn’t even move a finger now.
"Wh-What do you want?"
"Hmph, what else? Your origins are mysterious; I can only use soul-searching techniques," Lin Xuan said with a calm expression.
"Soul-searching, friend, don't bother thinking about it. Our disciples have all been subjected to secret rituals; there's nothing for you here. How about we make a deal?" The black-robed cultivator showed fear in his eyes but then suggested something.
"Deal? Hmph, you're really delusional. You’re just my captive now and don’t have the right to negotiate."
"Don't you think your ears are playing tricks on you? I said soul-searching won't work; if you swear not to harm me with a Heart Demon Oath, I’ll tell you anything," even ants try to survive, let alone cultivators. Despite knowing it was unlikely, he refused to give up.
"Oh?" Lin Xuan remained unperturbed.
"Don’t you think I’m lying? If you doubt it, ask the others; our disciples aren't without your sect’s hands. Do soul-searching techniques work?" The black-robed cultivator spoke with panic.
"I believe you, how could I not trust you?" Lin Xuan's smile was enigmatic: "But one, how can I know if you're lying to me? Two, the higher the dao, the greater the magic; do you think your secret technique will work on me?"
Before he could finish, Lin Xuan placed his hand on the other party’s head.
After a long while, Xu Yin's firelight flickered as the black-robed cultivator's body turned to ashes. Only an inch-high Inner Core remained, still immobile with pain and confusion in its eyes.
Lin Xuan lifted his hand, revealing a small banner in his palm, which he used to contain the Inner Core.
What was there to be polite about? To the Beast Soul Banner of the Dark Path, a cultivator’s Inner Core was a great boon.
"Senior Aunt, did you find out their origins?"
Xu Yin's face lit up with hope. As he said, their soul-searching techniques were ineffective, but Lin Xuan was different. She had full confidence in his abilities to uncover the mystery of their origins.