lín xuān bìng bù xiǎo de ， yuán lái tā suǒ jiù hǎi zú nǚ zǐ de shēn fèn ， jìng shì rú cǐ dé fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， líng zhōu zǎo yǐ jī è shè dào wàn lǐ zhī wài le 。
林轩并不晓得，原来他所救海族女子的身份，竟是如此得非同小可，此时此刻，灵舟早已激垩射到万里之外了。
Lin Xuan did not realize the significance of the identity of the mermaid he had saved. At this moment, the Spirit Boat was already far beyond a万里 (ten thousand li) away.
rú cǐ yuǎn de jù lí ， lín xuān de xiū wèi ， jiù suàn yuǎn chāo tóng jiē xiū shì ， shén shí de gǎn yìng fàn wéi ， yě yuǎn méi dào nà ge chéng dù 。
如此远的距离，林轩的修为，就算远超同阶修士，神识的感应范围，也远没到那个程度。
The distance was so great that even with his cultivation surpassing that of peers, Lin Xuan's divine sense could not reach such an extent.
líng zhōu shàng ， lín xuān pán xī ér zuò ， gāng gāng fā shēng de yí mù ， zǎo yǐ bèi tā pāo dào jiǔ xiāo yún wài qù le ， rú jīn tā zhèng tīng nà lǎo zhě ， duì cǐ jiè de qíng kuàng jì xù miáo shù 。
灵舟上，林轩盘膝而坐，刚刚发生的一幕，早已被他抛到九霄云外去了，如今他正听那老者，对此界的情况继续描述。
On the Spirit Boat, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, having long forgotten the incident that had just occurred. At present, he listened to the elder continue describing the situation in this world.
shí jiān jiù zhè yàng yì diǎn yì diǎn guò qù le 。
时间就这样一点一点过去了。
Time passed slowly.
jiē xià lái de bàn gè yuè lǐ ， líng zhōu jī hū cóng wèi tíng guò ， ér yī lù shàng de dǎo yǔ yě bù duō ， jí shǐ ǒu ěr pèng jiàn de liáo liáo jǐ gè ， yě shì huāng wú rén yān de nà zhǒng 。
接下来的半个月里，灵舟几乎从未停过，而一路上的岛屿也不多，即使偶尔碰见的寥寥几个，也是荒无人烟的那种。
For the next half a month, the Spirit Boat rarely stopped, and there were few islands along the way. Even when they did encounter a few, they were all uninhabited.
zhè dào ràng lín xuān dà wèi xī qí ， bù guò hěn kuài tā jiù míng bái le zhè qí zhōng de yǐn mì 。
这倒让林轩大为稀奇，不过很快他就明白了这其中的隐秘。
This intrigued Lin Xuan greatly, but soon he understood why.
yīn wèi jiē xià lái bù jiǔ ， tā men jiù yī lián pèng jiàn le shù tóu hǎi shòu ， suī rán děng jí bù gāo ， dàn jì rán yǒu zhè xiē xiōng wù ” fù jìn de huāng dǎo dāng rán bú shì hé fán rén jū zhù 。
因为接下来不久，他们就一连碰见了数头海兽，虽然等级不高，但既然有这些凶物”附近的荒岛当然不适合凡人居住。
Not long after, they encountered several sea beasts of low rank. Although their levels were not high, given that these ferocious creatures roamed nearby, it was unsuitable for ordinary people to live on the deserted islands.
bì jìng méi yǒu xiū xiān zhě ， jiù suàn shì miàn duì yī jiē hǎi shòu ， tā men yě sī háo huán shǒu zhī lì yě wú ， zhǐ néng lún wèi duì fāng de guǒ fù zhī wù 。
毕竟没有修仙者，就算是面对一阶海兽，他们也丝毫还手之力也无，只能沦为对方的果腹之物。
After all, without cultivators, even facing a first-stage sea beast, one would have no means to defend themselves and could only become food for others.
ér zhè fù jìn de líng qì nóng dù ， jiù rén jiè lái shuō ， hái suàn bú cuò ， dàn líng jiè xiū shì zé gēn běn kàn bù shàng yǎn de ， bié shuō zōng mén yǔ jiā zú ， jiù suàn shì sàn xiū ， yě bú huì xuǎn zé zhè yàng huāng pì de dì fāng kāi pì dòng fǔ 。
而这附近的灵气浓度，就人界来说，还算不错，但灵界修士则根本看不上眼的，别说宗门与家族，就算是散修，也不会选择这样荒僻的地方开辟洞府。
The concentration of qi in this area was still quite good from the perspective of the mortal world, but it was completely unappealing to cultivators in the Spirit World. Even if it were a sect or family, independent cultivators would not choose such remote places to establish their abodes.
dōng hǎi xiū xiān zhě yīn wèi huán jìng tè shū ， hǎi zhōng xiōng měng de yě shòu bù jì qí shù ， suǒ yǐ fán rén bì xū yī tuō xiū xiān zhě de bì hù 。
东海修仙者因为环境特殊，海中凶猛的野兽不计其数，所以凡人必须依托修仙者的庇护。
Cultivators in the East Sea had to rely on the protection of other cultivators due to the unique environment and countless fierce sea beasts. However, they did not live together with these beings.
dāng rán ” liǎng zhě yě bú shì zá jū zài yì qǐ de 。
当然”两者也不是杂居在一起的。
According to what the elder said, once one advanced beyond the stage of Yuanling (immortal embryo), they could become the ruler of an island in this world. Of course, the islands they possessed were much larger than those of the Yuanling cultivators. The qi veins and minerals on these islands were also more abundant. After entering the Yuanling stage, they naturally recruited a large number of people to construct immortal cities.
jù lǎo zhě suǒ shuō ， xiū wèi jìn jiē yuán yīng yǐ hòu ， zài zhè yī jiè ， jiù kě yǐ bù rù gāo jiē xiū shì de háng liè ， suī bù néng chēng bà yī fāng ， dàn yě néng chéng wéi yī dǎo zhī zhǔ ， xiǎng shòu dǎo yǔ shàng qí tā dī jiē xiū shì de gòng fèng 。
据老者所说，修为进阶元婴以后，在这一界，就可以步入高阶修士的行列，虽不能称霸一方，但也能成为一岛之主，享受岛屿上其他低阶修士的供奉。
"Immortal city?" Lin Xuan was surprised; he had never heard this term before.
“ yuán yīng qī xiū xiān zhě jiù kě yǐ chéng wéi dǎo zhǔ ？” lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū chà yì zhī sè ， zhè kě yǔ tā yuán xiān xiǎng xiàng de bù tóng 。
“元婴期修仙者就可以成为岛主？”林轩脸上露出诧异之色，这可与他原先想象的不同。
Seeing his confusion, the elder quickly explained, "An immortal city is similar to human cities but even grander and more solid. It serves as our place of residence for cultivators. There are no inns, markets, or tea houses inside. We can rest and exchange cultivation needs here. In times of beast tide or conflicts among the three races, it becomes a fortress."
yuán běn yǐ wéi dào le shàng jiè yǐ hòu ， huì gāo jiē xiū shì mǎn jiē zǒu ， nǎ zhī dào …
原本以为到了上界以后，会高阶修士满街走，哪知道…
"Ah, I see." Lin Xuan nodded, though he still had some doubts about the beast tide and conflicts among the three races but did not dwell on these points.
“ nà lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ne ？”
“那离合期修仙者呢？”
After all, he was just arriving in this place; it would be unrealistic to expect to understand everything in such a short time. Better to take things one step at a time.
“ lí hé qī lǎo zǔ ？”
“离合期老祖？”
Lin Xuan was more concerned with another issue: "Are there cultivators of even higher stages besides the Yuanling stage here?"
lǎo zhě nán nán de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， liǎn shàng chōng mǎn le xiàn mù yǔ chóng jìng zhī sè ， suī rán líng jiè xiū liàn de huán jìng yǔ rén jiè xiāng bǐ ， hǎo dé bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ ， xiū liàn zī yuán gèng shì fēng fù ” dàn xiān dào zhī lù ， yī jiù shì bù bù jiān sè ， yì bān de xiū shì ， néng gòu níng jié yuán yīng jiù yǐ shì shāo gāo xiāng le ， lìng wàn rén xiàn mù ， lí hé qī lǎo zǔ ， nǎ yí gè bú shì fú yuán shēn hòu zhī tú 。
老者喃喃的声音传入耳朵，脸上充满了羡慕与崇敬之色，虽然灵界修炼的环境与人界相比，好得不可同日而语，修炼资源更是丰富”但仙道之路，依旧是步步艰涩，一般的修士，能够凝结元婴就已是烧高香了，令万人羡慕，离合期老祖，哪一个不是福缘深厚之徒。
"Ah..." The elder's expression showed his difficulty, and after a moment, he sighed, "As you know, my cultivation is too low; I can barely reach the Yuanling stage. I have no idea about these great existences. But during my stay in an inn, someone mentioned seeing a cultivator of the Dantian (core formation) stage."
yào zhī dào bù rù lí hé zhī hòu ， lǐ lùn shàng jiù méi yǒu shòu yuán zhī yōu ， dāng dà xiàn lái lín zhī qián ， yuán qì zhī jié jiù xiān huì jiàng luò ， jù tǐ shí jiān ， dà yuē shì zài tā shòu yuán zhǐ shèng xià shí fēn zhī yī de mǒu yī nián …
要知道步入离合之后，理论上就没有寿元之忧，当大限来临之前，元气之劫就先会降落，具体时间，大约是在他寿元只剩下十分之一的某一年…
"Dantian stage?" Lin Xuan's pupils constricted. Although he had just advanced to the Yuanling stage not long ago, he understood the vast difference between the Yuanling and Dantian stages. Cultivation became increasingly difficult as one progressed, and the strength disparity between different stages grew more terrifying.
yuán qì zhī jié yǔ tiān jié suī bú shì tóng yàng de dōng xī ， dàn jiù wēi lì lái shuō ， què bìng bù xùn sè ， zhǐ yào néng gòu káng zhù ， jīng guò yuán qì de xǐ suǐ duàn tǐ ， qí shòu yuán zú kě yǐ bào zēng yí bèi yǒu yú 。
元气之劫与天劫虽不是同样的东西，但就威力来说，却并不逊色，只要能够扛住，经过元气的洗髓锻体，其寿元足可以暴增一倍有余。
He had once relied on his divine treasure to resist a Yuanling cultivator, but Lin Xuan knew that if he encountered a Dantian cultivator now, he would have no chance of escape.
dāng zhè xiē shí jiān yòng wán yǐ hòu ， ruò méi yǒu néng gòu jìn jí dòng xuán ， dì èr cì yuán qì zhī jié jiù huì chóng xīn jiàng lín …
当这些时间用完以后，若没有能够晋级洞玄，第二次元气之劫就会重新降临…
"Someone said they saw it like this; can we be certain?"
zhè yī cì jié nàn de wēi lì ， zé yuǎn fēi shàng cì kě bǐ 。
这一次劫难的威力，则远非上次可比。
The elder's eyes showed some surprise. While the senior was stronger than him, compared to a Dantian cultivator, there was still an immense gap. He should be more concerned with forming his immortal embryo rather than worrying about Dantians.
suǒ yǐ lí hé qī yǐ shàng de xiū shì biǎo miàn shàng shòu yuán wú yōu ” qí shí hái shì yǒu xiàn dì ， yuán qì zhī jié yī cì bǐ yǐ yī cì lì hài ， rèn nǐ xiū wèi tōng tiān ， zǒng yě nán miǎn yǒu yǔn luò de yī tiān 。
所以离合期以上的修士表面上寿元无忧”其实还是有限地，元气之劫一次比以一次厉害，任你修为通天，总也难免有陨落的一天。
Nonetheless, he truthfully said, "Senior, I just heard this from others. The person who spoke is a delirious cultivator of the Condensation Core stage. Therefore, whether it's reliable or not, I have no certainty."
lǎo zhě fā dāi le jǐ xī de gōng fu ， suí hòu cái shōu qǐ le liǎn shàng de xiàn mù ， chóng xīn xiǎo xīn yì yì de kāi kǒu le ：“ qǐ bǐng qián bèi ， lí hé qī lǎo zǔ ， chú le shēn shǔ gè dà zōng mén yǔ jiā zú ， xǔ duō yě huì chéng wéi yī dǎo zhī zǔ ， dāng rán ， tā men suǒ yōng yǒu de dǎo yǔ ， kě bǐ yuán yīng qī qián bèi men dà dé duō ， dǎo yǔ shàng de líng mài yǔ kuàng chǎn ， pǐn zhì yě yuè jiā de fēng fù ， ér qiě bù rù lí hé yǐ hòu ， zì rán kě yǐ zhāo mù dà liàng de rén shǒu ， zài dǎo yǔ shàng gòu zhù xiān chéng de 。”
老者发呆了几息的功夫，随后才收起了脸上的羡慕，重新小心翼翼的开口了：“启禀前辈，离合期老祖，除了身属各大宗门与家族，许多也会成为一岛之祖，当然，他们所拥有的岛屿，可比元婴期前辈们大得多，岛屿上的灵脉与矿产，品质也越加的丰富，而且步入离合以后，自然可以招募大量的人手，在岛屿上构筑仙城的。”
"From someone who was delirious." Lin Xuan was greatly surprised.
“ xiān chéng ？” lín xuān yī è ， zhè ge míng cí dǎo shì dì yī cì tīng shuō 。
“仙城？”林轩一愕，这个名词倒是第一次听说。
"Yes, that delirious one used to be quite famous. He once went out to hunt monsters at sea but was caught in a fight between two high-ranking cultivators and ended up being affected by their battle. Although he managed to survive, he became delirious, talking nonsense about seeing Dantian stage great existences. Everyone just treated it as a joke. If that were truly a Dantian stage great existence, they would have the power to overturn oceans and sink islands. A Condensation Core stage cultivator like him couldn't possibly survive."
lǎo kàn jiàn le tā de yí huò ， lián máng shí fēn guāi qiǎo de kāi kǒu le ：“ suǒ wèi xiān chéng ， qí shí yǔ fán rén de chéng shì yě chà bu duō ， zhǐ bù guò gèng jiā de hóng wěi ， gèng jiā de jiān gù ， nǎi shì wǒ bèi xiū xiān zhě de jù jū zhī suǒ ， lǐ miàn méi yǒu kè zhàn 、 fāng shì 、 chá lóu ， píng shí kě yǐ zài lǐ miàn xiē xī ， jiāo huàn gè zhǒng xiū liàn suǒ xū ， yí dàn yù jiàn shòu cháo ， huò zhě sān zú dà zhàn de shí hòu ， xiān chéng jiù shì zhàn dòu bǎo lěi le 。”
老看见了他的疑惑，连忙十分乖巧的开口了：“所谓仙城，其实与凡人的城市也差不多，只不过更加的宏伟，更加的坚固，乃是我辈修仙者的聚居之所，里面没有客栈、坊市、茶楼，平时可以在里面歇息，交换各种修炼所需，一旦遇见兽潮，或者三族大战的时候，仙城就是战斗堡垒了。”
The elder's face showed a hint of disapproval at the end.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。” lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， jǐn guǎn duì shòu cháo 、 sān zú dà zhàn hái yǒu xiē yí huò ， dàn yě méi yǒu zài zhè ge wèn tí jiū chán xià qù le 。
“原来如此。”林轩点了点头，尽管对兽潮、三族大战还有些疑惑，但也没有在这个问题纠缠下去了。
One could be killed but not humiliated; it was embarrassing for so many cultivators to become delirious out of fear.
bì jìng chū dào guì dì ” bù kě néng duǎn duǎn shù rì ， jiāng suǒ yǒu de yī qiè quán dōu liǎo jiě dé xiáng xì qīng chǔ ， xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fǔ ， zhè xiē dōng xī yǐ hòu zài màn màn nòng qīng bù chí de 。
毕竟初到贵地”不可能短短数日，将所有的一切全都了解得详细清楚，心急吃不了热豆腐，这些东西以后再慢慢弄清不迟的。
"Perhaps," Lin Xuan did not comment on this matter. He had no idea whether there were Dantian stage cultivators or not.
xiāng duì yú zhè xiē ， lín xuān gèng guān xīn yí gè wèn tí 。
相对于这些，林轩更关心一个问题。
Setting aside this issue, he changed the topic: "By the way, you said our destination is Lianhai City. Since it's a city, its ruler should be a Yuanling stage cultivator."
“ nà chú le lí hé qī xiū xiān zhě ， cǐ jiè hái yǒu gèng gāo jìng jiè de xiū shì me ？”
“那除了离合期修仙者，此界还有更高境界的修士么？”
Lin Xuan seemed to have remembered something and slowly spoke again, "That’s not necessarily true." The elder sighed, looking somewhat disappointed.
“ zhè …” lǎo zhě liǎn shàng lù chū wéi nán zhī sè ， piàn kè yǐ hòu ， cái tàn le kǒu qì ：“ qián bèi yě xiǎo de ， wǎn bèi xiū wèi tài dī ， lián yuán yīng dōu kě wàng bù kě jí ， duì yú nà xiē dà néng cún zài de shì qíng ， yòu nǎ lǐ qīng chǔ ， bù guò wǒ dǎo shì zài kè zhàn de shí hòu ， céng tīng yǒu rén shuō jiàn guò dòng xuán qī cún zài de 。”
“这…”老者脸上露出为难之色，片刻以后，才叹了口气：“前辈也晓得，晚辈修为太低，连元婴都可望不可及，对于那些大能存在的事情，又哪里清楚，不过我倒是在客栈的时候，曾听有人说见过洞玄期存在的。”
But Lin Xuan remained calm; he had experienced countless hardships to reach his current level of accomplishment. He was used to staying composed even when faced with major events that did not concern him much.
“ dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ？”
“洞玄期修仙者？”
"Indeed, there is a story behind this," Lin Xuan opened his eyes slightly and calmly said.
lín xuān tóng kǒng wēi suō ， tā zì jǐ shì lí hé ， suī rán cái jìn jí wèi jiǔ ， dàn yǐ liǎo jiě lí hé yǔ yuán yīng de chā jù shì duō me guǎng kuò ， xiū xiān yuè dào hòu miàn yuè nán ， xiāng yìng de ， jìng jiè jiān suǒ zào chéng de shí lì chā jù ， yě yuè fā kě bù 。
林轩瞳孔微缩，他自己是离合，虽然才晋级未久，但已了解离合与元婴的差距是多么广阔，修仙越到后面越难，相应的，境界间所造成的实力差距，也越发可怖。
"The Lianhai City is located on the Red Leaf Island. Originally, it was one of the largest forces in these seas, not just for cultivators but also for monsters and sea creatures as well. The island's ruler, Senior Immortal Dry Wood, although only a middle-stage Yuanling cultivator, was exceptionally kind. With the current peaceful relations among the three races, Lianhai City flourished..."
zì jǐ jìn jiē yuán yīng hòu qī céng píng zhe tōng tiān líng bǎo lì dí lí hé ， dàn lín xuān xīn lǐ yǒu shù ， xiàn zài de zì jǐ ， pèng jiàn dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ， kǒng pà lián táo mìng de jī huì yě wú 。
自己进阶元婴后期曾凭着通天灵宝力敌离合，但林轩心里有数，现在的自己，碰见洞玄期修仙者，恐怕连逃命的机会也无。
"However, recently, the island's ruler faced his second Yuanling Qi Tribulation. Despite extensive preparations, he still couldn't withstand it and perished," the elder said with a somber expression. It seemed that Senior Immortal Dry Wood was indeed very popular.
“ gāng gāng de tīng rén shuō shì zhè me huí shì ， nán dào bù néng kěn dìng me 。”
“刚刚的听人说是这么回事，难道不能肯定么。”
"Oh, then who is the current ruler?"
lǎo zhě tīng le ， yǎn zhōng liú lù chū jǐ fēn chà yì zhī sè ， zhè wèi qián bèi de shí lì suī rán gāo yú zì jǐ ， dàn yǔ dòng xuán xiāng bǐ ， yě shì fēng mǎ niú bù xiāng jí ， zú zú chà le shí wàn bā qiān lǐ ， tā xiàn zài guān xīn de yīng gāi shì jié yīng wèn tí ， guǎn dòng xuán gàn shén me 。
老者听了，眼中流露出几分诧异之色，这位前辈的实力虽然高于自己，但与洞玄相比，也是风马牛不相及，足足差了十万八千里，他现在关心的应该是结婴问题，管洞玄干什么。
"The Red Leaf Fairy, Senior Immortal Dry Wood's granddaughter. She has excellent cultivation talents but is quite young; she hasn’t advanced to Yuanling stage yet and is still at the late-stage Yuanling."
bù guò jǐn guǎn xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， lǎo zhě hái shì shí fēn lǎo shí de kāi kǒu le ：“ qián bèi ， xiǎo lǎo ér shuō le ， zhè xiāo xī wǒ zhǐ shì dào tīng tú shuō ， ér qiě jiǎng nà huà de rén shì fēng zi ， suǒ yǐ jiū jìng kào bù kào de zhù ， zhè wǒ yě shì bàn fēn bǎ wò yě wú 。”，“ cóng fēng zi nà lǐ tīng lái de xiāo xī 。” lín xuān bù yóu de dà gǎn chà yì 。
不过尽管心中如此想着，老者还是十分老实的开口了：“前辈，小老儿说了，这消息我只是道听途说，而且讲那话的人是疯子，所以究竟靠不靠得住，这我也是半分把握也无。”，“从疯子那里听来的消息。”林轩不由得大感诧异。
Lin Xuan nodded but showed no interest in this matter as it did not concern him much. He switched to another topic.
“ bù cuò ， nà fēng zi hái shì yī wèi níng dān qī qián bèi ne ， jù shuō ， céng jīng hái xiǎo yǒu míng qì ， kě yī cì chū hǎi bǔ shā yāo shòu de shí hòu ， yù jiàn liǎng wèi gāo rén dòng shǒu ， tā bèi yāng jí chí yú ， suī rán jiǎo xìng bǎo zhù le xìng mìng ， què bèi xià fēng diào le ， yī tiān jiù zhī dào hú yán luàn yǔ ， shuō kàn jiàn le dòng xuán qī de dà néng xiū shì ， dà jiā yě jiù dāng xiào huà lái tīng ， zhēn shì dòng xuán qī lǎo zǔ ， nà kě jiù shì fān jiāng dǎo hǎi de shí lì ， lián dǎo yǔ yě néng dǎ chén le ， tā yī níng dān qī xiū xiān zhě ， zěn me kě néng huó ， duō bàn shì bèi qí tā jīng lì xià fēng de 。”
“不错，那疯子还是一位凝丹期前辈呢，据说，曾经还小有名气，可一次出海捕杀妖兽的时候，遇见两位高人动手，他被殃及池鱼，虽然侥幸保住了性命，却被吓疯掉了，一天就知道胡言乱语，说看见了洞玄期的大能修士，大家也就当笑话来听，真是洞玄期老祖，那可就是翻江倒海的实力，连岛屿也能打沉了，他一凝丹期修仙者，怎么可能活，多半是被其他经历吓疯的。”
After flying for about two more days, a large island appeared on the horizon.
lǎo zhě shuō dào hòu quán ~ wén zì zhěng lǐ }} miàn ， liǎn shàng lù chū bù yǐ wéi rán zhī sè 。
老者说到后全~文字整理}}面，脸上露出不以为然之色。
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes; with his divine sense, he could not encompass the entire island, indicating that its east-west length exceeded ten thousand li. It was indeed a considerable size.
shì kě shā ， bù kě rǔ ， yī táng táng xiū xiān zhě bèi xià fēng diào ， yě zhe shí yǒu xiē diū liǎn de 。
士可杀，不可辱，一堂堂修仙者被吓疯掉，也着实有些丢脸的。
A hundred miles from the island, Lin Xuan began to feel the aura of restrictions but found that the array had not been activated.
“ yě xǔ ba 。”
“也许吧。”
Many cultivators were seen entering and exiting this island on their instruments.
lín xuān què bìng méi yǒu jiù cǐ shì píng lùn shén me ， guān yú yǒu méi yǒu dòng xuán qī xiū shì tā yě ná bù zhǔn le 。
林轩却并没有就此事评论什么，关于有没有洞玄期修士他也拿不准了。
A huge city came into view.
suàn le ， cǐ shì yǐ hòu zài shuō 。
算了，此事以后再说。
The name "Lianhai City" seemed apt given its proximity to the sea. However, upon seeing the city, Lin Xuan was greatly surprised.
“ duì le ， nǐ shuō wǒ men cǐ xíng de mù dì dì ， shì lín hǎi chéng ， jì rán yǒu chéng chí ， nà gāi dǎo zhī zhǔ ， yě yīng gāi shì yī wèi lí hé qī xiū shì 。” lín xuān yòu xiàng shì xiǎng qǐ le shén me ， huǎn huǎn de kāi kǒu le 。
“对了，你说我们此行的目的地，是临海城，既然有城池，那该岛之主，也应该是一位离合期修士。”林轩又像是想起了什么，缓缓的开口了。
"Sigh, this is the small city you mentioned."
“ zhè dào bú shì 。” lǎo zhě tàn le kǒu qì ， liǎn shàng yī xià zi xiǎn chū jǐ fēn jǔ sàng zhī yì 。
“这倒不是。”老者叹了口气，脸上一下子显出几分沮丧之意。
Lin Xuan's tone was somewhat strange; according to what the elder said, his cultivation level being low, he had once traveled through other cities and considered Lianhai City a mere small city. But what he saw now was vastly different.
xuān què bìng méi yǒu yī jīng yī zhà de ， tā néng gòu yǒu jīn tiān de chéng jiù ， suǒ yù dào de mó nàn shǔ bù shèng shǔ ， zǎo jiù yǎng chéng le tài shān bēng yú qián ér bù biàn de qì dù 。
轩却并没有一惊一乍的，他能够有今天的成就，所遇到的磨难数不胜数，早就养成了泰山崩于前而不变的气度。
The walls were over three hundred feet high, constructed from thick grayish-green stones that gave the city an ancient and solid feel. In some key areas of the city, the construction material used was actually ironstone.
hé kuàng guǎn zhè jiàn shì yǒu shén me qū zhé ， tóng zì jǐ yòu méi yǒu duō dà guān xì de 。
何况管这件事有什么曲折，同自己又没有多大关系的。
These stones existed in the mortal world but were rare. Despite being stone, their hardness could match that of steel.
“ zhè yǔ nǐ gāng gāng suǒ shuō ， dào yǒu jǐ fēn bù tóng ， xiǎng bì shì yǒu bié de yǐn mì le 。” lín xuān shuāng mù kàn kāi bàn hé ， bō lán bù jīng de kāi kǒu le 。
“这与你刚刚所说，倒有几分不同，想必是有别的隐秘了。”林轩双目看开半阖，波澜不惊的开口了。
The thickness of the walls exceeded ten feet, giving a sense of invincibility.
Lin Xuan did not realize the significance of the identity of the mermaid he had saved. At this moment, the Spirit Boat was already far beyond a万里 (ten thousand li) away.
The distance was so great that even with his cultivation surpassing that of peers, Lin Xuan's divine sense could not reach such an extent.
On the Spirit Boat, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, having long forgotten the incident that had just occurred. At present, he listened to the elder continue describing the situation in this world.
Time passed slowly.
For the next half a month, the Spirit Boat rarely stopped, and there were few islands along the way. Even when they did encounter a few, they were all uninhabited.
This intrigued Lin Xuan greatly, but soon he understood why.
Not long after, they encountered several sea beasts of low rank. Although their levels were not high, given that these ferocious creatures roamed nearby, it was unsuitable for ordinary people to live on the deserted islands.
After all, without cultivators, even facing a first-stage sea beast, one would have no means to defend themselves and could only become food for others.
The concentration of qi in this area was still quite good from the perspective of the mortal world, but it was completely unappealing to cultivators in the Spirit World. Even if it were a sect or family, independent cultivators would not choose such remote places to establish their abodes.
Cultivators in the East Sea had to rely on the protection of other cultivators due to the unique environment and countless fierce sea beasts. However, they did not live together with these beings.
According to what the elder said, once one advanced beyond the stage of Yuanling (immortal embryo), they could become the ruler of an island in this world. Of course, the islands they possessed were much larger than those of the Yuanling cultivators. The qi veins and minerals on these islands were also more abundant. After entering the Yuanling stage, they naturally recruited a large number of people to construct immortal cities.
"Immortal city?" Lin Xuan was surprised; he had never heard this term before.
Seeing his confusion, the elder quickly explained, "An immortal city is similar to human cities but even grander and more solid. It serves as our place of residence for cultivators. There are no inns, markets, or tea houses inside. We can rest and exchange cultivation needs here. In times of beast tide or conflicts among the three races, it becomes a fortress."
"Ah, I see." Lin Xuan nodded, though he still had some doubts about the beast tide and conflicts among the three races but did not dwell on these points.
After all, he was just arriving in this place; it would be unrealistic to expect to understand everything in such a short time. Better to take things one step at a time.
Lin Xuan was more concerned with another issue: "Are there cultivators of even higher stages besides the Yuanling stage here?"
"Ah..." The elder's expression showed his difficulty, and after a moment, he sighed, "As you know, my cultivation is too low; I can barely reach the Yuanling stage. I have no idea about these great existences. But during my stay in an inn, someone mentioned seeing a cultivator of the Dantian (core formation) stage."
"Dantian stage?" Lin Xuan's pupils constricted. Although he had just advanced to the Yuanling stage not long ago, he understood the vast difference between the Yuanling and Dantian stages. Cultivation became increasingly difficult as one progressed, and the strength disparity between different stages grew more terrifying.
He had once relied on his divine treasure to resist a Yuanling cultivator, but Lin Xuan knew that if he encountered a Dantian cultivator now, he would have no chance of escape.
"Someone said they saw it like this; can we be certain?"
The elder's eyes showed some surprise. While the senior was stronger than him, compared to a Dantian cultivator, there was still an immense gap. He should be more concerned with forming his immortal embryo rather than worrying about Dantians.
Nonetheless, he truthfully said, "Senior, I just heard this from others. The person who spoke is a delirious cultivator of the Condensation Core stage. Therefore, whether it's reliable or not, I have no certainty."
"From someone who was delirious." Lin Xuan was greatly surprised.
"Yes, that delirious one used to be quite famous. He once went out to hunt monsters at sea but was caught in a fight between two high-ranking cultivators and ended up being affected by their battle. Although he managed to survive, he became delirious, talking nonsense about seeing Dantian stage great existences. Everyone just treated it as a joke. If that were truly a Dantian stage great existence, they would have the power to overturn oceans and sink islands. A Condensation Core stage cultivator like him couldn't possibly survive."
The elder's face showed a hint of disapproval at the end.
One could be killed but not humiliated; it was embarrassing for so many cultivators to become delirious out of fear.
"Perhaps," Lin Xuan did not comment on this matter. He had no idea whether there were Dantian stage cultivators or not.
Setting aside this issue, he changed the topic: "By the way, you said our destination is Lianhai City. Since it's a city, its ruler should be a Yuanling stage cultivator."
Lin Xuan seemed to have remembered something and slowly spoke again, "That’s not necessarily true." The elder sighed, looking somewhat disappointed.
But Lin Xuan remained calm; he had experienced countless hardships to reach his current level of accomplishment. He was used to staying composed even when faced with major events that did not concern him much.
"Indeed, there is a story behind this," Lin Xuan opened his eyes slightly and calmly said.
"The Lianhai City is located on the Red Leaf Island. Originally, it was one of the largest forces in these seas, not just for cultivators but also for monsters and sea creatures as well. The island's ruler, Senior Immortal Dry Wood, although only a middle-stage Yuanling cultivator, was exceptionally kind. With the current peaceful relations among the three races, Lianhai City flourished..."
"However, recently, the island's ruler faced his second Yuanling Qi Tribulation. Despite extensive preparations, he still couldn't withstand it and perished," the elder said with a somber expression. It seemed that Senior Immortal Dry Wood was indeed very popular.
"Oh, then who is the current ruler?"
"The Red Leaf Fairy, Senior Immortal Dry Wood's granddaughter. She has excellent cultivation talents but is quite young; she hasn’t advanced to Yuanling stage yet and is still at the late-stage Yuanling."
Lin Xuan nodded but showed no interest in this matter as it did not concern him much. He switched to another topic.
After flying for about two more days, a large island appeared on the horizon.
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes; with his divine sense, he could not encompass the entire island, indicating that its east-west length exceeded ten thousand li. It was indeed a considerable size.
A hundred miles from the island, Lin Xuan began to feel the aura of restrictions but found that the array had not been activated.
Many cultivators were seen entering and exiting this island on their instruments.
A huge city came into view.
The name "Lianhai City" seemed apt given its proximity to the sea. However, upon seeing the city, Lin Xuan was greatly surprised.
"Sigh, this is the small city you mentioned."
Lin Xuan's tone was somewhat strange; according to what the elder said, his cultivation level being low, he had once traveled through other cities and considered Lianhai City a mere small city. But what he saw now was vastly different.
The walls were over three hundred feet high, constructed from thick grayish-green stones that gave the city an ancient and solid feel. In some key areas of the city, the construction material used was actually ironstone.
These stones existed in the mortal world but were rare. Despite being stone, their hardness could match that of steel.
The thickness of the walls exceeded ten feet, giving a sense of invincibility.