líng jiè zī yuán guǎng bó ， kě yǐ zēng jìn yuán yīng qī xiū shì fǎ lì de dān yào hěn duō 。
灵界资源广博，可以增进元婴期修士法力的丹药很多。
The resources in the Spirit Realm were vast, and there were many pills that could enhance a cultivator's cultivation power during the Core Formation Stage.
rán ér zǐ wǎn dān què shì zuì zhēn guì de yī zhǒng 。
然而紫菀丹却是最珍贵的一种。
However, Purple Orchid Pills were considered the most precious among them.
bèi yù wéi zī bǔ shèng pǐn ， néng gòu ràng yuán yīng xiū shì kuài sù chōng dào diān fēng zhī jìng 。
被誉为滋补圣品，能够让元婴修士快速冲到巅峰之境。
They were hailed as divine tonics, capable of rapidly propelling Core Formation cultivators to the peak realm.
zhè ge “ kuài ” hán yǒu zěn yàng de yì yì ne ？
这个“快”含有怎样的意义呢？
What did this "fast" imply?
dǎ gè bǐ fāng shuō 。
打个比方说。
For example, it might take one hundred years or more for a cultivator to advance from late Core Formation to Great Perfection through regular cultivation. But with Purple Orchid Pills, it could be reduced to just half that time, or even less than a third.
fú shí bié de zēng jìn xiū wèi de dān yào ， cóng yuán yīng hòu qī xiū dào dà yuán mǎn ， xū yào yì bǎi duō nián ， nà me fú yòng zǐ yuàn dān ， zuì duō xū yào yī xiǎo bàn shèn zhì shì bú dào sān fēn zhī yī de shí jiān 。
服食别的增进修为的丹药，从元婴后期修到大圆满，需要一百多年，那么服用紫苑丹，最多需要一小半甚至是不到三分之一的时间。
Of course, the specifics varied among different cultivators.
dāng rán ， jù tǐ rú hé ， bù tóng xiū shì qíng kuàng shì bù tóng de 。
当然，具体如何，不同修士情况是不同的。
But the time difference alone indicated that their efficacy was more than three times greater than ordinary pills.
dàn cóng shí jiān yě kě yǐ kàn chū ， tā de xiào lì shì qí yú dān yào de sān bèi hái duō 。
但从时间也可以看出，牠的效力是其余丹药的三倍还多。
And for cultivators, spirit herbs and medicinal materials that enhanced cultivation power were already rare treasures.
ér zēng jìn fǎ lì de líng yào ， duì xiū shì lái shuō ， běn lái jiù shì kě yù ér bù kě qiú zhī wù 。
而增进法力的灵药，对修士来说，本来就是可遇而不可求之物。
Especially considering they were "saint-grade" treasures. Such items could fetch astronomical prices in the market, possibly even rivaling those of top-tier Divine Fruits.
gèng hé kuàng hái shì qí zhōng de “ shèng pǐn ” ne ？
更何况还是其中的“圣品”呢？
But his so-called impoverished elder brother casually gave them away.
zhè zhǒng dōng xī ， ná dào fāng shì ， jué duì kě yǐ mài chū tiān jià de jīng shí 。
这种东西，拿到坊市，绝对可以卖出天价的晶石。
Was he really poor? If he was considered destitute, what about others—were they beggars or something else?
jiù suàn bù jí jí pǐn qí lín guǒ ， dàn yě bú huì xiāng chà tài duō 。
就算不及极品麒麟果，但也不会相差太多。
If not for Lin Xuan's recent admission to Red Leaf Fairy, she would have doubted whether her assumption that he was an Ascended cultivator was correct.
ér zì jǐ zhè wèi dà gē ， jū rán suí suí biàn biàn jiù ná lái sòng rén le 。
而自己这位大哥，居然随随便便就拿来送人了。
How could the mortal realm, with its scarce resources, produce Purple Orchid Pills?
ér qiě tā hái xuān chēng zì jǐ shì qióng kùn liáo dǎo de xiū xiān zhě 。
而且他还宣称自己是穷困潦倒的修仙者。
After all, although Purple Orchid Grass wasn't rare, the strict requirements for its cultivation time—twenty million years—were almost unbelievable.
yǒu méi yǒu gǎo cuò ， rú guǒ tā dōu suàn qióng le 。
有没有搞错，如果他都算穷了。
---
nà qí tā rén shì shén me 。
那其他人是什么。
Red Leaf Fairy had too many questions. She originally thought she knew everything about this elder brother, but now she felt as if she knew nothing. Her heart was filled with shock and a hint of desire. However, as a noblewoman, she understood many things: "No, elder brother, these Purple Orchid Pills are too precious. I cannot accept them."
qǐ gài ？
乞丐？
"Since I've given them to you, there's no way back," Lin Xuan said, his face showing a trace of disdain. He had plenty of Purple Orchid Pills left—thirty in total weren't much.
hái shì bié de shén me ？
还是别的什么？
"Thank you very much, elder brother."
ruò fēi bù jiǔ qián ， lín xuān qīn kǒu chéng rèn ， hóng yè xiān zi zì jǐ ， dōu yào huái yí shuō tā shì fēi shēng xiū shì de tuī duàn yǒu méi yǒu cuò 。
若非不久前，林轩亲口承认，红叶仙子自己，都要怀疑说他是飞升修士的推断有没有错。
Red Leaf gently waved her hand, and a delicate jade pendant appeared in her palm.
rén jiè bú shì zī yuán xī bó ， zěn me lián zǐ wǎn dān dōu néng liàn chū 。
人界不是资源稀薄，怎么连紫菀丹都能炼出。
"This is the island's token. Show it to the island master; as an Elder, your authority is equal to mine. You can freely access all restricted areas and allocate resources at will," she said.
yào zhī dào zǐ wǎn cǎo suī rán bù suàn zhēn xī ， dàn xiǎng yào liàn chéng zhè zhǒng dān yào ， duì yú nián fèn de yāo qiú ， què kē kè dào lìng rén nán yǐ zhì xìn de dì bù 。
要知道紫菀草虽然不算珍稀，但想要炼成这种丹药，对于年份的要求，却苛刻到令人难以置信的地步。
"Alright."
xū yào èr shí wàn nián de nà zhǒng 。
需要二十万年的那种。
Without any further action, Lin Xuan lightly flicked his finger, and the token flew before him.
zài líng jiè ， qiān nián líng cǎo bù suàn shén me ， dàn wàn nián yǐ shàng de líng cǎo ， yǐ kān chēng zhēn xī zhī wù ， gèng bú yào shuō èr shí wàn nián yǐ shàng de 。
在灵界，千年灵草不算什么，但万年以上的灵草，已堪称珍稀之物，更不要说二十万年以上的。
The two then resumed their seats, their relationship now much warmer.
kě yù ér bù kě qiú
可遇而不可求
"By the way, little sister, I've only been here for a short while, but I know that the Beast Island has designs on the Red Leaf Sea. Can you tell me more about it?" Lin Xuan's voice was calm and unhurried as he spoke into her ears.
jí biàn yǒu ， shuí huì yòng lái liàn zhì yuán yīng qī de dān yào 。
即便有，谁会用来炼制元婴期的丹药。
Previously, it had been none of his business, but now as an Elder, he couldn't afford to ignore such matters. He needed to eliminate external threats quickly so that he could focus on cultivation.
xīn zhōng yǒu tài duō tài duō de yí huò ， yuán běn yǐ wéi ， yǎn qián zhè wèi dà gē ， zì jǐ yǐ jīng jiāng tā de dǐ xì chá dé hěn qīng chǔ ， kě hóng yè xiān zi tū rán jué de ， duì yú tā de yī qiè ， yuán lái zì jǐ jìng xiàng shì yī wú suǒ zhī shì de 。
心中有太多太多的疑惑，原本以为，眼前这位大哥，自己已经将他的底细查得很清楚，可红叶仙子突然觉得，对于他的一切，原来自己竟像是一无所知似的。
"Even if you didn't mention it, I would have asked for your help," Red Leaf Fairy's light laughter echoed in his ears. Then she seemed to remember something and her expression turned serious, even slightly menacing: "Three months ago..."
xīn zhōng jīng yí ， yǎn zhōng yě shǎn guò yī sī kě wàng zhī yì ， rán ér bì jìng shì chū shēn dà jiā de guī xiù ， hěn duō dào lǐ qǐ huì bù dǒng ：“ bù xíng ， dà gē ， zhè zǐ wǎn dān tài zhēn guì le ， xiǎo mèi bù néng yào de 。”
心中惊疑，眼中也闪过一丝渴望之意，然而毕竟是出身大家的闺秀，很多道理岂会不懂：“不行，大哥，这紫菀丹太珍贵了，小妹不能要的。”
"That was the ancient warship, right?" Lin Xuan frowned as he spoke.
“ gěi nǐ jiù gěi nǐ le ， yǐ jīng sòng chū de bǎo wù ， nán dào hái yǒu shōu huí yī shuō ？” lín xuān liǎn shàng ， què shǎn guò bù yǐ wéi rán zhī sè ， zǐ wǎn dān zì jǐ hái shèng xià xǔ duō ， qū qū sān shí lì bù suàn shén me 。
“给妳就给妳了，已经送出的宝物，难道还有收回一说？”林轩脸上，却闪过不以为然之色，紫菀丹自己还剩下许多，区区三十粒不算什么。
"Indeed. The situation is like this..."
“ rú cǐ duō xiè dà gē 。”
“如此多谢大哥。”
Red Leaf Fairy began narrating, revealing no details of disagreement within the island. She recounted from the visit by the Beast Lord to the events that transpired at the city lord's residence.
hóng yè yíng yíng yī fú ， suí hòu yù shǒu fān zhuǎn ， yī kuài líng lóng tī tòu de yù pèi chū xiàn zài le zhǎng xīn lǐ miàn 。
红叶盈盈一拂，随后玉手翻转，一块玲珑剔透的玉佩出现在了掌心里面。
Lin Xuan listened silently for a while before occasionally chiming in with a few words.
“ dà gē ， cǐ wù shì běn dǎo de lìng fú ， jiàn tā yǒu jiàn dǎo zhǔ ， zuò wèi tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ， nǐ de quán xiàn yǔ xiǎo mèi yī yàng ， suǒ yǒu de jìn dì nǐ dōu kě yǐ tōng xíng wú zǔ ， rén shǒu zī yuán suí yì diào yòng 。”
“大哥，此物是本岛的令符，见牠有见岛主，做为太上长老，你的权限与小妹一样，所有的禁地你都可以通行无阻，人手资源随意调用。”
It took nearly an hour.
“ ń 。”
“嗯。”
"Old An's analysis is correct. Wu Ziming is nothing but a traitor, his deception just very well hidden."
yě bú jiàn lín xuān dòng shǒu ， jǐn jǐn shì zhǐ tou qīng qīng yī gōu ， nà lìng fú jiù fǎng fú tōng líng yì bān ， fēi dào le tā de miàn qián 。
也不见林轩动手，仅仅是指头轻轻一勾，那令符就仿佛通灵一般，飞到了他的面前。
Lin Xuan sighed. Red Leaf Fairy's situation was worse than he had imagined—internal and external threats. He hadn't expected the Beast Lord to be so shameless, trying to act like an old bull eating young grass.
suí hòu liǎng rén zài cì luò zuò ， guān xì bù tóng ， bǐ cǐ zhī jiān ， zì rán qīn rè le xǔ duō 。
随后两人再次落座，关系不同，彼此之间，自然亲热了许多。
Despicable.
“ duì le ， xiǎo mèi ， wǒ suī rán lái dào zhè lǐ bù jiǔ ， dàn yě zhī dào wàn shòu dǎo duì hóng yè hǎi yù yǒu qǐ tú ， jù tǐ qíng xíng jiū jìng rú hé ， nǐ kě fǒu xiáng xì shuō shuō 。” lín xuān huǎn huǎn de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
“对了，小妹，我虽然来到这里不久，但也知道万兽岛对红叶海域有企图，具体情形究竟如何，妳可否详细说说。”林轩缓缓的声音传入耳朵。
He should look in a mirror.
yǐ qián shì shì bù guān jǐ ， gāo gāo guà qǐ ， rú jīn zuò le tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ， dāng rán bù kě néng bù wén bù wèn le ， jǐn kuài jiāng wài lái de wēi xiǎn jiǎn chú ， suí hòu zì jǐ cái kě yǐ ān xīn xiū liàn de 。
以前是事不关己，高高挂起，如今做了太上长老，当然不可能不闻不问了，尽快将外来的危险剪除，随后自己才可以安心修炼的。
Wu Ziming was even more detestable, repaying kindness with malice, selling out his master for personal gain.
“ cǐ shì dà gē jí shǐ bù shuō ， xiǎo mèi yě huì láo fán nǐ de 。” hóng yè xiān zi qīng xiào de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， suí hòu yòu fǎng fú xiǎng qǐ le shén me ， biǎo qíng biàn dé yán sù ， shèn zhì shì yǒu jǐ fēn yīn lì qǐ lái le ：“ sān gè yuè qián de shì qíng ， dà gē xiǎng bì yě qīng chǔ ……”
“此事大哥即使不说，小妹也会劳烦你的。”红叶仙子轻笑的声音传入耳朵，随后又仿佛想起了什么，表情变得严肃，甚至是有几分阴厉起来了：“三个月前的事情，大哥想必也清楚……”
Although most cultivators were selfish and self-centered, such shamelessness was rare.
“ sān gè yuè qián ， nǐ shì shuō nà shàng gǔ zhàn chuán me ？” lín xuān méi tou yí zhòu de kāi kǒu le 。
“三个月前，妳是说那上古战船么？”林轩眉头一皱的开口了。
Just as Lin Xuan thought this, Red Leaf's gentle voice entered his ears: "Elder brother, although Wu Ziming is despicable, he has many friends. With my strength, I can easily take them all down, but facing his desperate retaliation, it might just be a narrow victory. This matter requires your help. With your Separation and Union Realm abilities, once you eliminate Wu Ziming and dismantle his network, the problem will be solved..."
“ bù cuò ， jù tǐ shì qíng shì zhè yàng de ……”
“不错，具体事情是这样的……”
"No, I won't intervene in this," Lin Xuan shook his head.
hóng yè xiān zi kāi shǐ wěi wěi jiǎng shù ， bāo kuò dǎo nèi de fēn qí ， yě méi yǒu fēn háo yǐn mán zhī yì ， cóng wàn shòu zūn zhě de lái fǎng kāi shǐ ， yì zhí jiǎng dào nà tiān chéng zhǔ fǔ suǒ fā shēng de shì 。
红叶仙子开始娓娓讲述，包括岛内的分歧，也没有分毫隐瞒之意，从万兽尊者的来访开始，一直讲到那天城主府所发生的事。
"Why?" Red Leaf was surprised.
lín xuān yì zhí mò mò tīng zhe ， ǒu ěr cái chā zuǐ nà me jǐ jù 。
林轩一直默默听着，偶尔才插嘴那么几句。
"Because I don't want to alert him," Lin Xuan smiled as he explained. "Wu Ziming isn't important, but if we take him down, it might alert the Beast Island and ruin our plans."
zhè yī shuō ， jiù zú zú jìn yí gè shí chén de yàng zi 。
这一说，就足足近一个时辰的样子。
"Do you intend to fight the Beast Island?"
“ ān zhǎng lǎo de fēn xī méi cuò ， nà wú zi míng gēn běn jiù shì yī chī lǐ pá wài zhī tú ， zhǐ bù guò yǎn shì fēi cháng qiǎo miào bà le 。”
“安长老的分析没错，那吴子明根本就是一吃里爬外之徒，只不过掩饰非常巧妙罢了。”
Red Leaf was shocked. She had assumed that with Lin Xuan's help, Red Leaf Island could barely defend itself. Facing the relentless pressure from the Beast Island, they might even lose some benefits. But Lin Xuan seemed to have different intentions—perhaps he wanted to uproot the entire Beast Island. Was this feasible?
lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì ， zhè wèi hóng yè xiān zi de chǔ jìng ， bǐ zì jǐ yuán xiān de xiǎng xiàng ， hái yào gèng jiā zāo gāo yī xiē ， nèi yōu wài huàn ， méi xiǎng dào wàn shòu zūn zhě nà me wú chǐ ， jū rán xiǎng yào zuò nà lǎo niú jué nèn cǎo zhī shì 。
林轩叹了口气，这位红叶仙子的处境，比自己原先的想象，还要更加糟糕一些，内忧外患，没想到万兽尊者那么无耻，居然想要做那老牛嚼嫩草之事。
Even though Ascended cultivators were formidable, capable of overpowering their peers in the Spirit Realm, his Separation and Union realm was still early-stage. The Beast Island had recently passed its second heavenly tribulation and coincidentally advanced to a later stage.
bēi bǐ
卑鄙
Such a disparity couldn't be bridged by mere power.
yě bù huí jiā zhào zhào jìng zi 。
也不回家照照镜子。
"Hmph, I have my reasons. You don't need to say more on this matter, little sister. Tell me, did Wu Ziming pay attention to my identity and cultivation realm?"
ér wú zi míng gèng shì kě wù ， ēn jiāng chóu bào ， mài zhǔ qiú róng 。
而吴子明更是可恶，恩将仇报，卖主求荣。
"No, he was too proud as an advanced Core Formation cultivator; he wouldn't care about a 'beginner' like you," Red Leaf Fairy said confidently.
suī rán xiū xiān zhě duō zì sī zì lì zhī tú ， dàn bú yào liǎn dào zhè yī bù ， hái shì bù zěn me duō jiàn de 。
虽然修仙者多自私自利之徒，但不要脸到这一步，还是不怎么多见的。
"Good, then I have one more question. Have you kept this secret absolutely?"
lín xuān nǎo hǎi zhōng gāng zhè me xiǎng zhe ， hóng yè qīng róu de shēng yīn jiù chuán rù ěr duǒ ：“ dà gē ， wú zi míng wéi rén suī rán wò chuò ， dàn hú péng gǒu yǒu què hěn duō ， yǐ xiǎo mèi de shí lì ， xiǎng yào jiāng qí yī wǎng dǎ jìn bù chéng wèn tí ， dàn miàn duì tā gǒu jí tiào qiáng de fǎn pū ， kǒng pà yě bù guò shì cǎn shèng bà le ， zhè jiàn shì qíng ， hái xū yào dà gē chū lì ， yǐ nǐ lí hé qī xiū shì de shén tōng ， zhǐ yào yī jǔ miè shā le wú zi míng ， zài wǎ jiě tā de dǎng yǔ ， jiù bù chéng wèn tí ……”
林轩脑海中刚这么想着，红叶轻柔的声音就传入耳朵：“大哥，吴子明为人虽然龌龊，但狐朋狗友却很多，以小妹的实力，想要将其一网打尽不成问题，但面对他狗急跳墙的反扑，恐怕也不过是惨胜罢了，这件事情，还需要大哥出力，以你离合期修士的神通，只要一举灭杀了吴子明，再瓦解他的党羽，就不成问题……”
"Don't worry, elder brother, I know the importance of confidentiality. Only a few people here are aware, and they're my most trusted confidants," she said with a smile.
“ bù ， zhè jiàn shì qíng wǒ shì bú huì chū shǒu de 。” lín xuān què yáo le yáo tóu 。
“不，这件事情我是不会出手的。”林轩却摇了摇头。
"That's good. Now, tell me about your identity and cultivation realm—did Wu Ziming notice anything?" V
The resources in the Spirit Realm were vast, and there were many pills that could enhance a cultivator's cultivation power during the Core Formation Stage.
However, Purple Orchid Pills were considered the most precious among them.
They were hailed as divine tonics, capable of rapidly propelling Core Formation cultivators to the peak realm.
What did this "fast" imply?
For example, it might take one hundred years or more for a cultivator to advance from late Core Formation to Great Perfection through regular cultivation. But with Purple Orchid Pills, it could be reduced to just half that time, or even less than a third.
Of course, the specifics varied among different cultivators.
But the time difference alone indicated that their efficacy was more than three times greater than ordinary pills.
And for cultivators, spirit herbs and medicinal materials that enhanced cultivation power were already rare treasures.
Especially considering they were "saint-grade" treasures. Such items could fetch astronomical prices in the market, possibly even rivaling those of top-tier Divine Fruits.
But his so-called impoverished elder brother casually gave them away.
Was he really poor? If he was considered destitute, what about others—were they beggars or something else?
If not for Lin Xuan's recent admission to Red Leaf Fairy, she would have doubted whether her assumption that he was an Ascended cultivator was correct.
How could the mortal realm, with its scarce resources, produce Purple Orchid Pills?
After all, although Purple Orchid Grass wasn't rare, the strict requirements for its cultivation time—twenty million years—were almost unbelievable.
---
Red Leaf Fairy had too many questions. She originally thought she knew everything about this elder brother, but now she felt as if she knew nothing. Her heart was filled with shock and a hint of desire. However, as a noblewoman, she understood many things: "No, elder brother, these Purple Orchid Pills are too precious. I cannot accept them."
"Since I've given them to you, there's no way back," Lin Xuan said, his face showing a trace of disdain. He had plenty of Purple Orchid Pills left—thirty in total weren't much.
"Thank you very much, elder brother."
Red Leaf gently waved her hand, and a delicate jade pendant appeared in her palm.
"This is the island's token. Show it to the island master; as an Elder, your authority is equal to mine. You can freely access all restricted areas and allocate resources at will," she said.
"Alright."
Without any further action, Lin Xuan lightly flicked his finger, and the token flew before him.
The two then resumed their seats, their relationship now much warmer.
"By the way, little sister, I've only been here for a short while, but I know that the Beast Island has designs on the Red Leaf Sea. Can you tell me more about it?" Lin Xuan's voice was calm and unhurried as he spoke into her ears.
Previously, it had been none of his business, but now as an Elder, he couldn't afford to ignore such matters. He needed to eliminate external threats quickly so that he could focus on cultivation.
"Even if you didn't mention it, I would have asked for your help," Red Leaf Fairy's light laughter echoed in his ears. Then she seemed to remember something and her expression turned serious, even slightly menacing: "Three months ago..."
"That was the ancient warship, right?" Lin Xuan frowned as he spoke.
"Indeed. The situation is like this..."
Red Leaf Fairy began narrating, revealing no details of disagreement within the island. She recounted from the visit by the Beast Lord to the events that transpired at the city lord's residence.
Lin Xuan listened silently for a while before occasionally chiming in with a few words.
It took nearly an hour.
"Old An's analysis is correct. Wu Ziming is nothing but a traitor, his deception just very well hidden."
Lin Xuan sighed. Red Leaf Fairy's situation was worse than he had imagined—internal and external threats. He hadn't expected the Beast Lord to be so shameless, trying to act like an old bull eating young grass.
Despicable.
He should look in a mirror.
Wu Ziming was even more detestable, repaying kindness with malice, selling out his master for personal gain.
Although most cultivators were selfish and self-centered, such shamelessness was rare.
Just as Lin Xuan thought this, Red Leaf's gentle voice entered his ears: "Elder brother, although Wu Ziming is despicable, he has many friends. With my strength, I can easily take them all down, but facing his desperate retaliation, it might just be a narrow victory. This matter requires your help. With your Separation and Union Realm abilities, once you eliminate Wu Ziming and dismantle his network, the problem will be solved..."
"No, I won't intervene in this," Lin Xuan shook his head.
"Why?" Red Leaf was surprised.
"Because I don't want to alert him," Lin Xuan smiled as he explained. "Wu Ziming isn't important, but if we take him down, it might alert the Beast Island and ruin our plans."
"Do you intend to fight the Beast Island?"
Red Leaf was shocked. She had assumed that with Lin Xuan's help, Red Leaf Island could barely defend itself. Facing the relentless pressure from the Beast Island, they might even lose some benefits. But Lin Xuan seemed to have different intentions—perhaps he wanted to uproot the entire Beast Island. Was this feasible?
Even though Ascended cultivators were formidable, capable of overpowering their peers in the Spirit Realm, his Separation and Union realm was still early-stage. The Beast Island had recently passed its second heavenly tribulation and coincidentally advanced to a later stage.
Such a disparity couldn't be bridged by mere power.
"Hmph, I have my reasons. You don't need to say more on this matter, little sister. Tell me, did Wu Ziming pay attention to my identity and cultivation realm?"
"No, he was too proud as an advanced Core Formation cultivator; he wouldn't care about a 'beginner' like you," Red Leaf Fairy said confidently.
"Good, then I have one more question. Have you kept this secret absolutely?"
"Don't worry, elder brother, I know the importance of confidentiality. Only a few people here are aware, and they're my most trusted confidants," she said with a smile.
"That's good. Now, tell me about your identity and cultivation realm—did Wu Ziming notice anything?" V