xuè guāng yào yǎn ， yí gè yuán yīng chū xiàn zài miàn qián ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì jīng kǒng zhī sè ， shuāng shǒu yī wò ， jiù xiǎng yào shī zhǎn shùn yí táo tuō 。
血光耀眼，一个元婴出现在面前，脸上满是惊恐之色，双手一握，就想要施展瞬移逃脱。
Bloodlight flashed, and an婴灵 appeared before him, its face filled with terror. It tried to use Instant Teleportation to escape as soon as it appeared.
kě xī wǎn le ， lín xuān jì yǐ chū shǒu ， zì rán yì diǎn jī huì yě bú huì liú 。
可惜晚了，林轩既已出手，自然一点机会也不会留。
Unfortunately, Lin Xuan had already made his move; there was no chance he would leave any openings.
yě bú jiàn tā yǒu shén me dòng zuò ， zhōu wéi de kōng qì jiù zhòu rán níng gù qǐ lái le ， yuán yīng de shùn yí bèi dǎ pò ， lín xuān qū zhǐ yì diǎn ， yī lǚ huáng máng mò rù tā de méi xīn lǐ miàn 。
也不见他有什么动作，周围的空气就骤然凝固起来了，元婴的瞬移被打破，林轩屈指一点，一缕黄芒没入他的眉心里面。
No visible action from him, but the surrounding air suddenly froze. The Instant Teleportation of the婴灵 was shattered. Lin Xuan flicked a finger, and a strand of yellow light entered its brow.
yuán yīng jiān jiào zhe kāi kǒu le ， shēng yīn chōng mǎn le jīng nù ， suí hòu gǎn jué hún shēn de fǎ lì yī sī yě wú 。
元婴尖叫着开口了，声音充满了惊怒，随后感觉浑身的法力一丝也无。
The 婴灵 screamed, its voice filled with shock and anger. Then it felt that all its法力 had vanished.
“ nǐ …… nǐ jiū jìng xiǎng yào gàn shén me ？”
“你……你究竟想要干什么？”
"You... what do you want?"
bèi lín xuān shēng qín huó zhuō ， tā de xīn zhōng chōng mǎn le tǎn tè ， rán ér lín xuān kě méi yǒu xīn qíng yǔ yī shǒu xià bài jiàng luō suo ， cóng huái zhōng qǔ chū yí gè yù hé ， èr huà bù shuō de jiāng qí sāi rù 。
被林轩生擒活捉，他的心中充满了忐忑，然而林轩可没有心情与一手下败将啰嗦，从怀中取出一个玉盒，二话不说的将其塞入。
Captured alive by Lin Xuan, he was filled with trepidation. However, Lin Xuan wasn't in the mood to waste words on a defeated opponent. He took out an jade box from his pocket and stuffed it into the 婴灵 without further ado.
suí hòu tiē shàng jǐ zhāng jìn zhì fú 。
随后贴上几张禁制符。
Then he affixed several禁制符.
suī rán yuán yīng hòu qī xiū shì méi shén me liǎo bù qǐ ， dàn duì shòu hún fān lái shuō ， yī jiù shì dà bǔ zhī wù ， yǐ lín xuān de xìng gé ， dāng rán bù kě néng bái bái làng fèi diào le 。
虽然元婴后期修士没什么了不起，但对兽魂幡来说，依旧是大补之物，以林轩的性格，当然不可能白白浪费掉了。
Although后期婴灵 wasn't much to speak of, for the Beast Soul Banner, it was still a great tonic. Lin Xuan's character wouldn't let him waste such a valuable item.
zhěng gè guò chéng shuō qǐ lái fán fù ， qí shí bù guò yī shùn jiān de gōng fu ， lín xuān miè shā dí rén yǐ hòu ， cái zhuǎn guò tóu ， huǎn huǎn xiàng tōng yǔ jǐ rén fēi guò qù le 。
整个过程说起来繁复，其实不过一瞬间的功夫，林轩灭杀敌人以后，才转过头，缓缓像通羽几人飞过去了。
The process seemed complicated but took only an instant. After killing his enemies, Lin Xuan turned and slowly flew towards Tong Yu and others.
“ duō xiè qián bèi yuán shǒu zhī dé ， nín de ēn qíng ， wǎn bèi yí dìng míng jì yú xīn 。” lín xuān shàng wèi fēi jìn ， nà lǎo yù tóng hé shàng jiù lián máng gōng shēn xíng lǐ 。
“多谢前辈援手之德，您的恩情，晚辈一定铭记于心。”林轩尚未飞近，那老妪同和尚就连忙躬身行礼。
"Thank you, Senior, for your timely assistance. I will always remember your kindness," the old woman and the monk hurriedly bowed as soon as Lin Xuan was not far away.
suī rán lín xuān kàn shàng qù bǐ tā men yào nián qīng xǔ duō ， dàn xiū xiān jiè shì yǐ shí lì huà fēn bèi fēn ， miàn duì lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ， liǎng rén xīn zhōng yě yǒu diǎn dǎ gǔ 。
虽然林轩看上去比他们要年轻许多，但修仙界是以实力划分辈分，面对离合期修仙者，两人心中也有点打鼓。
Although Lin Xuan looked much younger than them, in the cultivation world, seniority was determined by strength. Facing a Separation Realm cultivator, their hearts were somewhat uneasy.
duì fāng suī rán jiù le zì jǐ ， dàn zhè zhǒng děng jiē de lǎo guài wù ， yí gè gè xìng gé gǔ guài yǐ jí ， tiān zhī dào shì bú shì lìng yǒu mù dì 。
对方虽然救了自己，但这种等阶的老怪物，一个个性格古怪以极，天知道是不是另有目的。
Though he had saved them, these ancient monsters of equal rank could be extremely unpredictable. One wrong move and they might suffer the same fate as the late-stage婴灵.
jǔ shǒu tóu zú ， jiù néng miè shā yuán yīng hòu qī de dà xiū xiān zhě ， ruò xiǎng duì zì jǐ bù lì ， nà qǐ bù shì gèng jiā rú kǎn guā qiè cài yī yàng róng yì 。
举手投足，就能灭杀元婴后期的大修仙者，若想对自己不利，那岂不是更加如砍瓜切菜一样容易。
If this Separation Realm cultivator wanted to harm them, it would be even easier than cutting melons into pieces.
jiàn liǎng míng tóng bàn xíng lǐ ， yǐ tōng yǔ zhēn rén de chéng fǔ ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， yě bù yóu de liú lù chū jǐ fēn chóu chú 。
见两名同伴行礼，以通羽真人的城府，此时此刻，也不由得流露出几分踌躇。
Seeing his two companions bow, Tong Yu's composure wavered. Was the Separation Realm cultivator before him really his former disciple Lin Xuan?
yǎn qián de lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ， jiū jìng shì bú shì xī rì zì jǐ de ài tú 。
眼前的离合期修仙者，究竟是不是昔日自己的爱徒。
Knowing that cultivators who mastered the Five Elements had almost perfect memory retention, this person looked and acted just like the Lin Xuan he remembered from his memories.
yào zhī dào xiū xiān zhě xiū xí le wǔ xíng fǎ shù ， jī hū dōu yǒu guò mù bù wàng zhī néng de ， yǎn qián zhī rén bù lùn cóng wǔ guān shēn cái ， hái shì jǔ zhǐ dòng zuò ， jī hū dōu yǔ jì yì zhōng de lín xuān chóng hé 。
要知道修仙者修习了五行法术，几乎都有过目不忘之能的，眼前之人不论从五官身材，还是举止动作，几乎都与记忆中的林轩重合。
Too similar.
xiàng ， shí zài shì tài xiàng le 。
像，实在是太像了。
But the gap in their cultivation levels left Tong Yu indecisive. He loved reading extensively, so his knowledge was broad, but he had never heard of a cultivator advancing from Core Formation to Separation Realm within three hundred years.
kě jìng jiè de chā jù ， yòu ràng tōng yǔ zhēn rén ná bù dìng zhǔ yì 。
可境界的差距，又让通羽真人拿不定主意。
Such an achievement would be considered a miracle. Could such a thing really happen?
tā xǐ huān bó lǎn qún shū ， jiàn wén zì shì guǎng bó ， rán ér què cóng lái yě bù céng tīng shuō ， hái yǒu xiū xiān zhě duǎn duǎn sān bǎi nián jiù cóng níng dān xiū dào lí hé 。
他喜欢博览群书，见闻自是广博，然而却从来也不曾听说，还有修仙者短短三百年就从凝丹修到离合。
Tong Yu's expression became increasingly complex as he pondered this.
biàn shì yòng nì tiān lái xíng róng yě xián bù zú ， shì jiè shàng kě néng chū xiàn zhè yàng de qí jì me ？
便是用逆天来形容也嫌不足，世界上可能出现这样的奇迹么？
Lin Xuan, having experienced much, wouldn't fail to notice the subtle cues. Though he couldn't guess exactly what was in the other man’s mind, he could sense some of it.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， tōng yǔ zhēn rén liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng yuè fā fù zá le 。
脑海中念头转过，通羽真人脸上的表情越发复杂了。
He sighed softly. No matter what, Tong Yu had treated him well. One shouldn’t forget their roots.
lín xuān jīng lì le nà me duō ， qǐ huì bù dǒng de chá yán guān sè ， suī bù gǎn shuō jiù néng cāi tòu duì fāng xīn zhōng zài xiǎng shén me ， dàn duō shǎo hái shì néng gòu tǐ huì dào yī xiē de 。
林轩经历了那么多，岂会不懂得察言观色，虽不敢说就能猜透对方心中在想什么，但多少还是能够体会到一些的。
"Master."
wēi wēi tàn xī ， bù guǎn rú hé ， tōng yǔ zǒng suàn shì dài zì jǐ bù cuò ， rén bù kě yǐ wàng běn de 。
微微叹息，不管如何，通羽总算是待自己不错，人不可以忘本的。
Lin Xuan gently spoke.
“ shī fù 。”
“师傅。”
But his words left Tong Yu flabbergasted. Was this really Lin Xuan?
lín xuān qīng qīng de kāi kǒu le 。
林轩轻轻的开口了。
If Lin Xuan had delayed another moment, he would have greeted him as a senior.
rán ér tā zhè ge chēng hū ， què ràng tōng yǔ mǎn miàn jīng è ， duì fāng zhēn shì lín xuān me ？
然而他这个称呼，却让通羽满面惊愕，对方真是林轩么？
Tong Yu's confusion was evident in his reaction. The other two cultivators were even more stunned, their mouths agape, almost thinking they heard wrong.
rú guǒ lín xuān zài wǎn kāi kǒu yī kè ， tā dōu zhǔn bèi yòng qián bèi zhī lǐ xiāng jiàn le 。
如果林轩再晚开口一刻，他都准备用前辈之礼相见了。
What did the other man call him...
tōng yǔ xīn zhōng yí huò ， fǎn yìng dōu rú cǐ lí pǔ ， páng biān lìng liǎng míng xiū xiān zhě jiù gèng bú yòng shuō 。
通羽心中疑惑，反应都如此离谱，旁边另两名修仙者就更不用说。
Master?
zuǐ bā zhāng dé dà dà de 。
嘴巴张得大大的。
Though the difference between an婴灵 and Separation Realm seemed to be just one stage, the implications couldn't be ignored. After all, the path of immortals became increasingly difficult as one advanced.
jī hū yǐ wéi zì jǐ tīng cuò 。
几乎以为自己听错。
In Yunzhou, a holy land for cultivation, though the number of late-stage婴灵 was small, their absolute numbers were significant.
duì fāng jiào tōng yǔ shén me ……
对方叫通羽什么……
Separation Realm cultivators, on the other hand, were few and far between. If not for the conflict between the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect and the Boundless Sea Pavilion a hundred years ago, most people would still regard Separation Realm as just a legend.
shī fù ？
师傅？
As late-stage婴灵, they had no right to meet Separation Realm cultivators like Tong Yu.
bié kàn yuán yīng yǔ lí hé ， biǎo miàn zhǐ xiāng chà le yí gè jìng jiè ér yǐ ， shēn fèn què bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ ， bì jìng xiān dào zhī lù ， shì yuè dào hòu miàn yuè jiān nán de 。
别看元婴与离合，表面只相差了一个境界而已，身份却不可同日而语，毕竟仙道之路，是越到后面越艰难的。
Tong Yu's talent was good, but aspiring to be taught by such an ancient monster was merely wishful thinking. He wasn't even worthy of being his disciple, yet this ancient monster called him Master.
jiù ná yún zhōu lái shuō ， zuò wèi xiū liàn shèng dì ， yuán yīng xiū shì zhàn xiū dào zhī rén de bǐ zhòng suī xiǎo ， dàn jué duì shù liàng què shì bù shǎo 。
就拿云州来说，做为修炼圣地，元婴修士占修道之人的比重虽小，但绝对数量却是不少。
It was hard to believe. No wonder they were skeptical.
ér lí hé zé bù yí yàng le ， qū zhǐ kě shǔ 。
而离合则不一样了，屈指可数。
Tong Yu himself was equally stunned. Although he had nine out of ten certainties in his mind, he hesitated to speak rashly.
ruò bú shì bǎi yú nián qián wàn fú zōng yǔ tiān yá hǎi gé de chōng tū ， shuō bù dìng zài dà duō shù rén de yǎn lǐ ， lí hé hái jǐn jǐn shì yí gè chuán shuō 。
若不是百余年前万佛宗与天涯海阁的冲突，说不定在大多数人的眼里，离合还仅仅是一个传说。
The Lin Xuan who once entered Spirit Medicine Mountain was a penniless wanderer. Now, he had become an enviable Separation Realm cultivator.
zì jǐ sān rén suī shì yuán yīng qī xiū xiān zhě ， dàn yě gēn běn méi yǒu zī gé qù jiàn shén me lí hé 。
自己三人虽是元婴期修仙者，但也根本没有资格去见什么离合。
People say that after three days apart, one should look at someone with new eyes. But this transformation was too great for such a shallow phrase to describe.
jiù ná tōng yǔ zhēn rén de qíng kuàng lái shuō ， tā de zī zhì shì bù cuò ， dàn xiǎng bài yī míng nà zhǒng děng jiē de lǎo guài wù wèi shī ， yě bù guò shì chī rén shuō mèng ér yǐ ，
就拿通羽真人的情况来说，他的资质是不错，但想拜一名那种等阶的老怪物为师，也不过是痴人说梦而已，
Lin Xuan shook his head. He could feel Tong Yu's shock and spoke softly: "Master, it’s me. It has been three hundred years since we last met in Youzhou. How are you? What about Senior Xu?"
gěi duì fāng dāng tú dì dōu bù gòu gé ， kě yǎn qián de lǎo guài wù què jiào tōng yǔ shī fù 。
给对方当徒弟都不够格，可眼前的老怪物却叫通羽师傅。
"You...you're really Lin Xuan?"
yǒu méi yǒu gǎo cuò ， yě nán guài liǎng rén bù néng zhì xìn le 。
有没有搞错，也难怪两人不能置信了。
Tong Yu widened his eyes. At this point, he wouldn't have recognized his former disciple even if he tried. But the shock was still evident.
tōng yǔ zhēn rén yě chēng mù jié shé ， suī rán xīn zhōng yǐ yǒu jiǔ céng bǎ wò ， dàn hái shì nà nà de bù gǎn suí biàn luàn shuō 。
通羽真人也瞠目结舌，虽然心中已有九层把握，但还是呐呐的不敢随便乱说。
Though the world was vast and full of wonders, such a thing was hard to believe. It felt like a dream.
xī rì de lín xuān tóu rù líng yào shān ， shì yī sàn xiū ， fēi cháng de luò pò ， rú jīn què chéng wéi le lìng rén xiàn mù de lí hé 。
昔日的林轩投入灵药山，是一散修，非常的落魄，如今却成为了令人羡慕的离合。
"It's me," Lin Xuan’s gentle voice echoed in his ears.
dōu shuō shì bié sān rì dāng ， guā mù xiāng dài ， kě xī zhè ge cí bāo hán de yì si tài qiǎn ， bù zú yǐ miáo shù zhè me jù dà de zhuǎn biàn 。
都说士别三日当，刮目相待，可惜这个词包含的意思太浅，不足以描述这么巨大的转变。
Tong Yu swallowed hard as his shock began to fade into a bitter smile: "Senior Xu passed away over ten years ago. Lin... no, Senior Lin, though you once took me as your disciple, I didn’t teach you anything useful. With the times changing, you have entered Separation Realm. Our master-disciple bond is at an end. Don't call me that again."
lín xuān yáo le yáo tóu ， tā dāng rán néng gòu gǎn shòu tōng yǔ de jīng è ， shēng yīn yě yuè fā de wēn hé ：“ shī fù ， shì wǒ ， dāng nián yōu zhōu yī bié ， yǐ yǒu sān bǎi nián le ， nǐ hái hǎo me ， xú shī bó tā zěn me yàng le ？”
林轩摇了摇头，他当然能够感受通羽的惊愕，声音也越发的温和：“师傅，是我，当年幽州一别，已有三百年了，你还好么，徐师伯他怎么样了？”
These words struck Lin Xuan with little surprise; Tong Yu was indeed incredibly wise.
“ nǐ …… nǐ zhēn shì lín xuān ？”
“你……你真是林轩？”
In the cultivation world, knowing when to advance or retreat was crucial. Though they had a master-disciple relationship in name, their bond wasn’t deep. Now that he was a Separation Realm cultivator, if Tong Yu continued to treat him as an elder, Lin Xuan would be uncomfortable, not because of ingratitude.
tōng yǔ zhēn rén dèng dà le yǎn ， huà shuō dào zhè yī bù ， tā qǐ huì rèn bù chū xī rì de ài tú ， kě yī jiù nán yǎn xīn zhōng de jīng è 。
通羽真人瞪大了眼，话说到这一步，他岂会认不出昔日的爱徒，可依旧难掩心中的惊愕。
When Lin Xuan stole the formula for Heavenly Dust Pills, he had unknowingly thwarted an Elder’s plot, saving Spirit Medicine Mountain from a major calamity. This alone was enough to repay any debt.
suī shuō tiān xià zhī dà ， wú qí bù yǒu ， kě zhè yàng de shì qíng ， hái shì tài ràng rén gǎn jué bù kě sī yì ， měng měng dǒng dǒng ， jiǎn zhí jiù xiàng shì zuò mèng 。
虽说天下之大，无奇不有，可这样的事情，还是太让人感觉不可思议，懵懵懂懂，简直就像是做梦。
The rules in the cultivation world dictated that once a disciple surpassed his master, their relationship naturally ended. For millions of years, this had been the norm, though such cases were rare.
“ bù cuò ， shì wǒ 。” lín xuān wēn hé de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
“不错，是我。”林轩温和的声音传入耳朵。
"Very well," Lin Xuan nodded without showing much emotion: "Since you say so, I won't insist. But don’t call me Senior either. Regardless, we shared some time as master and disciple. We can now be on equal footing."
tōng yǔ zhēn rén tūn le yī kǒu tuò mò ， liǎn shàng de jīng è jiàn jiàn xiāo shī ， qǔ ér dài zhī de shì kǔ xiào zhī sè ：“ xú shī xiōng zài shí yú nián qián jiù zuò huà diào le ， xuān ér …… bù ， lín qián bèi ， nǐ suī rán céng jīng bài wǒ wèi shī ， dàn píng xīn lái shuō ， wǒ què bìng méi yǒu jiào guò nǐ shén me yǒu yòng de dōng xī ， rú jīn shì yì shí yí ， nǐ yǐ jīng mài rù le lí hé qī ， nǐ wǒ shī tú de yuán fēn ， yě jiù dào cǐ wéi zhǐ ， yǐ hòu bié zài zhè yàng jiào le 。”
通羽真人吞了一口唾沫，脸上的惊愕渐渐消失，取而代之的是苦笑之色：“徐师兄在十余年前就坐化掉了，轩儿……不，林前辈，你虽然曾经拜我为师，但平心来说，我却并没有教过你什么有用的东西，如今事易时移，你已经迈入了离合期，你我师徒的缘分，也就到此为止，以后别再这样叫了。”
"The friend has such a kind intention, this one has no reason to refuse," Tong Yu stroked his beard with a respectful smile.
zhè fān huà chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lín xuān liǎn shàng bìng méi yǒu lù chū tài dà de yì wài zhī sè ， tōng yǔ zhēn rén guǒ rán shì cōng míng wú bǐ de 。
这番话传入耳朵，林轩脸上并没有露出太大的意外之色，通羽真人果然是聪明无比的。
The other two cultivators were left standing aside, their faces showing no signs of dissatisfaction, only respect.
Bloodlight flashed, and an婴灵 appeared before him, its face filled with terror. It tried to use Instant Teleportation to escape as soon as it appeared.
Unfortunately, Lin Xuan had already made his move; there was no chance he would leave any openings.
No visible action from him, but the surrounding air suddenly froze. The Instant Teleportation of the婴灵 was shattered. Lin Xuan flicked a finger, and a strand of yellow light entered its brow.
"No..."
The 婴灵 screamed, its voice filled with shock and anger. Then it felt that all its法力 had vanished.
"You... what do you want?"
Captured alive by Lin Xuan, he was filled with trepidation. However, Lin Xuan wasn't in the mood to waste words on a defeated opponent. He took out an jade box from his pocket and stuffed it into the 婴灵 without further ado.
Then he affixed several禁制符.
Although后期婴灵 wasn't much to speak of, for the Beast Soul Banner, it was still a great tonic. Lin Xuan's character wouldn't let him waste such a valuable item.
The process seemed complicated but took only an instant. After killing his enemies, Lin Xuan turned and slowly flew towards Tong Yu and others.
"Thank you, Senior, for your timely assistance. I will always remember your kindness," the old woman and the monk hurriedly bowed as soon as Lin Xuan was not far away.
Although Lin Xuan looked much younger than them, in the cultivation world, seniority was determined by strength. Facing a Separation Realm cultivator, their hearts were somewhat uneasy.
Though he had saved them, these ancient monsters of equal rank could be extremely unpredictable. One wrong move and they might suffer the same fate as the late-stage婴灵.
If this Separation Realm cultivator wanted to harm them, it would be even easier than cutting melons into pieces.
Seeing his two companions bow, Tong Yu's composure wavered. Was the Separation Realm cultivator before him really his former disciple Lin Xuan?
Knowing that cultivators who mastered the Five Elements had almost perfect memory retention, this person looked and acted just like the Lin Xuan he remembered from his memories.
Too similar.
But the gap in their cultivation levels left Tong Yu indecisive. He loved reading extensively, so his knowledge was broad, but he had never heard of a cultivator advancing from Core Formation to Separation Realm within three hundred years.
Such an achievement would be considered a miracle. Could such a thing really happen?
Tong Yu's expression became increasingly complex as he pondered this.
Lin Xuan, having experienced much, wouldn't fail to notice the subtle cues. Though he couldn't guess exactly what was in the other man’s mind, he could sense some of it.
He sighed softly. No matter what, Tong Yu had treated him well. One shouldn’t forget their roots.
"Master."
Lin Xuan gently spoke.
But his words left Tong Yu flabbergasted. Was this really Lin Xuan?
If Lin Xuan had delayed another moment, he would have greeted him as a senior.
Tong Yu's confusion was evident in his reaction. The other two cultivators were even more stunned, their mouths agape, almost thinking they heard wrong.
What did the other man call him...
Master?
Though the difference between an婴灵 and Separation Realm seemed to be just one stage, the implications couldn't be ignored. After all, the path of immortals became increasingly difficult as one advanced.
In Yunzhou, a holy land for cultivation, though the number of late-stage婴灵 was small, their absolute numbers were significant.
Separation Realm cultivators, on the other hand, were few and far between. If not for the conflict between the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect and the Boundless Sea Pavilion a hundred years ago, most people would still regard Separation Realm as just a legend.
As late-stage婴灵, they had no right to meet Separation Realm cultivators like Tong Yu.
Tong Yu's talent was good, but aspiring to be taught by such an ancient monster was merely wishful thinking. He wasn't even worthy of being his disciple, yet this ancient monster called him Master.
It was hard to believe. No wonder they were skeptical.
Tong Yu himself was equally stunned. Although he had nine out of ten certainties in his mind, he hesitated to speak rashly.
The Lin Xuan who once entered Spirit Medicine Mountain was a penniless wanderer. Now, he had become an enviable Separation Realm cultivator.
People say that after three days apart, one should look at someone with new eyes. But this transformation was too great for such a shallow phrase to describe.
Lin Xuan shook his head. He could feel Tong Yu's shock and spoke softly: "Master, it’s me. It has been three hundred years since we last met in Youzhou. How are you? What about Senior Xu?"
"You...you're really Lin Xuan?"
Tong Yu widened his eyes. At this point, he wouldn't have recognized his former disciple even if he tried. But the shock was still evident.
Though the world was vast and full of wonders, such a thing was hard to believe. It felt like a dream.
"It's me," Lin Xuan’s gentle voice echoed in his ears.
Tong Yu swallowed hard as his shock began to fade into a bitter smile: "Senior Xu passed away over ten years ago. Lin... no, Senior Lin, though you once took me as your disciple, I didn’t teach you anything useful. With the times changing, you have entered Separation Realm. Our master-disciple bond is at an end. Don't call me that again."
These words struck Lin Xuan with little surprise; Tong Yu was indeed incredibly wise.
In the cultivation world, knowing when to advance or retreat was crucial. Though they had a master-disciple relationship in name, their bond wasn’t deep. Now that he was a Separation Realm cultivator, if Tong Yu continued to treat him as an elder, Lin Xuan would be uncomfortable, not because of ingratitude.
When Lin Xuan stole the formula for Heavenly Dust Pills, he had unknowingly thwarted an Elder’s plot, saving Spirit Medicine Mountain from a major calamity. This alone was enough to repay any debt.
The rules in the cultivation world dictated that once a disciple surpassed his master, their relationship naturally ended. For millions of years, this had been the norm, though such cases were rare.
"Very well," Lin Xuan nodded without showing much emotion: "Since you say so, I won't insist. But don’t call me Senior either. Regardless, we shared some time as master and disciple. We can now be on equal footing."
"The friend has such a kind intention, this one has no reason to refuse," Tong Yu stroked his beard with a respectful smile.
The other two cultivators were left standing aside, their faces showing no signs of dissatisfaction, only respect.