“ jù jīng wáng de lìng fú ？“ lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū yì wài zhī sè ， shēn chū shǒu lái ， nà lìng fú yī shǎn ， jiù zì dòng fēi dùn guò lái 。
“巨鲸王的令符？“林轩脸上露出意外之色，伸出手来，那令符一闪，就自动飞遁过来。
"Whale King's Command Talisman?" Lin Xuan's expression showed a look of surprise as he stretched out his hand. The command talisman flashed and automatically flew towards him.
shì yī kuài wū hēi fà liàng de tiě pái ， bǐ bàn gè bā zhǎng hái yào xiǎo yì diǎn ， háo bù qǐ yǎn ， zhèng miàn kè zhe gǔ guài de wén zì ， kě xī lín xuān bìng bù rèn shí ， ér bèi miàn zé huà zhe yī mǒ jīng yú ， kàn shàng qù xióng zhuàng wú bǐ 。
是一块乌黑发亮的铁牌，比半个巴掌还要小一点，毫不起眼，正面刻着古怪的文字，可惜林轩并不认识，而背面则画着一抹鲸鱼，看上去雄壮无比。
It was a small, shiny iron plate, smaller than half a palm, unremarkable at first glance. Strange characters were engraved on the front, but Lin Xuan did not recognize them. On the back, there was an illustration of a whale, looking incredibly powerful.
qū zhǐ wēi dàn ， yī gǔ piáo de shēng yīn cóng shàng miàn sàn fà chū lái ， suī rán méi kàn chū shì shén me cái liào suǒ zhù ， dàn wú yí shì fēi cháng jiān yìng de 。
屈指微弹，一古朴的声音从上面散发出来，虽然没看出是什么材料所铸，但无疑是非常坚硬的。
With a slight flick of his fingers, an ancient voice emanated from it. Although he couldn't determine what material it was made of, it was undoubtedly very sturdy.
shì zhēn shì jiǎ ， yī shí piàn kè ， lín xuān yě wú cóng biàn shí ， dàn zhè zhǒng bǎo wù ， xiǎn rán shì zhù jī qī xiū shì bù gāi yōng yǒu de 。
是真是假，一时片刻，林轩也无从辨识，但这种宝物，显然是筑基期修士不该拥有的。
Whether this talisman was real or fake, Lin Xuan could not immediately tell. However, such a treasure clearly belonged to someone beyond the Foundation Establishment stage.
huàn jù huà shuō ， cǐ nǚ shí yǒu bìng wèi huǎng yán xiāng qī ， tā zhēn shì jù jīng wáng de guī nǚ 。
换句话说，此女十有并未谎言相欺，她真是巨鲸王的闺女。
In other words, this woman had not lied; she truly was the daughter of the Whale King.
nà jié xià zhè ge shàn yuán duì zì jǐ dà yǒu hǎo chù ， cǐ lìng fú yǐ hòu shuō bù dìng huì yǒu yì xiǎng bú dào de yòng tú 。
那结下这个善缘对自己大有好处，此令符以后说不定会有意想不到的用途。
Forming this good fortune with her would be beneficial. This command talisman might have unexpected uses in the future.
“ dào yǒu hǎo yì ， lín mǒu kuì lǐng le 。”
“道友好意，林某愧领了。”
"Thank you for your kindness, I humbly accept it."
lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān liú lù chū yī sī xiào yì ， shǒu wàn fān zhuǎn ， lìng fú yǐ xiāo shī bú jiàn ， suí hòu tā bù zài dān gē ， huà wèi yī lǚ jīng hóng ， xiāo shī zài tiān jì zhī zhōng 。
林轩嘴角边流露出一丝笑意，手腕翻转，令符已消失不见，随后他不再耽搁，化为一缕惊虹，消失在天际之中。
A smile played on Lin Xuan's lips as he flipped his wrist and the command talisman vanished. He then sped up, transforming into a streak of startling light that disappeared into the horizon.
suī biàn qǐ cāng chǔ ， dàn lín xuān yǔ hóng yè zì rán jiǎng míng liǎo zài nǎ lǐ huì hé ， zhǐ shì méi xiǎng dào bǎi tuō shòu cháo huì huā rú cǐ duō de gōng fu ， dàn yuàn hóng yè nà biān bú yào yǒu shén me yì wài biàn gù 。
虽变起仓储，但林轩与红叶自然讲明了在哪里汇合，只是没想到摆脱兽潮会huā如此多的功夫，但愿红叶那边不要有什么意外变故。
Although the situation had changed suddenly, Lin Xuan naturally knew where to meet Red Leaf. However, he did not expect it would take so much time to escape the beast tide. He hoped there were no unexpected incidents on her side.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， lín xuān zì rán dùn sù jīn kāi ， yī lù shàng ， lín xuān pèng jiàn le jǐ zhī bù zhǎng yǎn de hǎi shòu ， háo bú kè qì de chū shǒu miè diào le 。
脑海中念头转过，林轩自然遁速金开，一路上，林轩碰见了几只不长眼的海兽，毫不客气的出手灭掉了。
As his thoughts raced, Lin Xuan accelerated his speed. Along the way, he encountered a few mindless sea beasts and mercilessly eliminated them with ease.
ǒu ěr yǔ rén lèi xiū shì cā jiān ér guò ， lín xuān yě méi yǒu lǐ huì de yì tú ， zhí jiē cóng yuǎn chù fēi lüè ér zǒu ， yǐ tā de dùn sù ， duì fāng shèn zhì lián kàn dōu kàn bù qīng chǔ 。
偶尔与人类修士擦肩而过，林轩也没有理会的意图，直接从远处飞掠而走，以他的遁速，对方甚至连看都看不清楚。
Occasionally, he passed by human cultivators, but he ignored them, flying past from afar. With his speed, they could not even see him clearly. Those with stronger spiritual senses only vaguely sensed a faint shadow.
shén shí shāo qiáng de ， yě bù guò shì yǐn yuē chá jué dào yī mǒ dàn dàn de yǐng zi bà le 。
神识稍强的，也不过是隐约察觉到一抹淡淡的影子罢了。
After one day and night, Lin Xuan finally approached the agreed meeting place.
yī tiān yī yè hòu ， lín xuān zhōng yú jiē jìn le yǔ hóng yè shāng liáng hǎo de huì hé zhī suǒ 。
一天一夜后，林轩终于接近了与红叶商量好的汇合之所。
Releasing his spirit sense, five ancient warships were anchored on the beach of an uninhabited island.
fàng chū shén shí ， wǔ sōu shàng gǔ zhàn chuán jiù tíng zài yī huāng dǎo de hǎi tān 。
放出神识，五艘上古战船就停在一荒岛的海滩。
Lin Xuan was overjoyed; he feared that Red Leaf's group might meet the Beast Sovereign along the way, which would have been disastrous. After all, this ancestral worship trip had been a trap, with both sides seeing each other as hunters waiting for the other to fall into their trap.
lín xuān dà xǐ ， tā zuì pà de jiù shì zì jǐ gǎn huí lái qián ， hóng yè yī xíng jiù yǔ wàn shòu zūn zhě xiá lù xiāng yù ， nà yàng kě jiù zāo gāo yǐ jí 。
林轩大喜，他最怕的就是自己赶回来前，红叶一行就与万兽尊者狭路相遇，那样可就糟糕以极。
With his speed reduced, Lin Xuan stopped and pretended to look disheveled, appearing very ragged as he flew forward. His cultivation level was also concealed at the Core Formation stage.
bì jìng zhè cì jì zǔ zhī xíng ” běn lái jiù shì yí gè xiàn jǐng ， zhǐ bù guò shuāng fāng dōu jiāng zì jǐ kàn chéng liè rén ， děng dài duì fāng shàng gōu ér yǐ 。
毕竟这次祭祖之行”本来就是一个陷阱，只不过双方都将自己看成猎人，等待对方上钩而已。
"Who?"
lín xuān dùn guāng yī liǎn ， tíng le xià lái ， suí hòu shēn shǒu jiāng yī fú zhuā dé pò pò làn làn ， bǎi chū yī fù hěn láng bèi de biǎo qíng ， xiàng zhe qián fāng fēi dùn ér qù ” dāng rán ， xiū wèi yě shōu liǎn dào yuán yīng qī 。
林轩遁光一敛，停了下来，随后伸手将衣服抓得破破烂烂，摆出一副很狼狈的表情，向着前方飞遁而去”当然，修为也收敛到元婴期。
Naturally, there were cultivators patrolling around the warships. Upon approaching, they discovered him.
zhàn chuán sì zhōu ， zì rán yǒu xiū shì xún luó ， lín xuān cái gāng gāng jiē jìn ， jiù bèi fā xiàn le 。
战船四周，自然有修士巡逻，林轩才刚刚接近，就被发现了。
Lin Xuan said calmly.
“ shì wǒ 。” lín xuān shén sè píng dàn de shuō 。
“是我。”林轩神色平淡的说。
"Senior Lin, you're alive?" A familiar voice rang out. The leader of this group was someone Lin Xuan recognized—a Core Formation cultivator named Cai. He looked extremely happy: "Brother Lin, your luck is truly good. The elders all said you were dead, but the master insisted on waiting here. I never expected you to actually escape the beast tide."
“ lín zhǎng lǎo ， nǐ hái huó zhe ？”
“林长老，你还活着？”
"My luck was just better. After all, in terms of cultivation techniques, I'm confident that I outshine a late-stage Core Formation cultivator," Lin Xuan smiled. "Otherwise, why would I take such a life-and-death mission?"
yǒu xiē shú xī de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， zhè duì xiū shì lǐng tóu de ， lín xuān jū rán rèn shí ， jiù shì nà xìng cài de yuán yīng xiū shì ， cǐ shí tā xiǎn de jí shì huān xǐ ：“ lín xiōng dì ， nǐ hái zhēn shì fú yuán shēn hòu ， nà xiē zhǎng lǎo dōu shuō nǐ sǐ le ， dǎo zhǔ zhí yì yào zài zhè lǐ děng hòu ， méi xiǎng dào nǐ zhēn néng bǎi tuō shòu cháo 。”
有些熟悉的声音传入耳朵，这队修士领头的，林轩居然认识，就是那姓蔡的元婴修士，此时他显得极是欢喜：“林兄弟，你还真是福缘深厚，那些长老都说你死了，岛主执意要在这里等候，没想到你真能摆脱兽潮。”
"Friend, your words are reasonable; it's good to be back."
“ zài xià yùn qì bù cuò ， hé kuàng lín mǒu bié de shén tōng méi yǒu ， zài dùn shù fāng miàn què zì xìn bǐ yuán yīng hòu qī xiū shì yě shèng shàng yī chóu ” fǒu zé wǒ yòu bú shì chī bǎo le chēng de ， gàn má qù jiē zhè jiǔ sǐ yì shēng de rèn wù ？” lín xuān wēi xiào zhe shuō 。
“在下运气不错，何况林某别的神通没有，在遁术方面却自信比元婴后期修士也胜上一筹”否则我又不是吃饱了撑的，干嘛去接这九死一生的任务？”林轩微笑着说。
Cai Senior was delighted and personally led Lin Xuan to meet the master.
“ dào yǒu yán zhī yǒu lǐ ， huí lái jiù hǎo le 。”
“道友言之有理，回来就好了。”
Seeing Lin Xuan return safely, Red Leaf Fairy was equally delighted. Lin Xuan did not elaborate on his experiences from this trip as he felt tired.
cài zhǎng lǎo xǐ xiào yán kāi de shuō ， suí hòu qīn zì dài lín xuān qù jiàn dǎo zhǔ 。
蔡长老喜笑颜开的说，随后亲自带林轩去见岛主。
Red Leaf Fairy then personally escorted him to a quiet room where Lin Xuan began meditating to rest.
jiàn lín xuān píng ān guī lái ， hóng yè xiān zi gèng shì xǐ xiào yán kāi ， guān yú cǐ xíng de jīng lì ， lín xuān yě méi yǒu duō shuō ” tā rú jīn yě yǒu xiē pí lèi le 。
见林轩平安归来，红叶仙子更是喜笑颜开，关于此行的经历，林轩也没有多说”他如今也有些疲累了。
The night passed uneventfully.
yú shì hóng yè xiān zi qīn zì jiāng tā sòng dào yī jiàn jìng shì ， lín xuān kāi shǐ dǎ zuò xiū xī 。
于是红叶仙子亲自将他送到一件静室，林轩开始打坐休息。
The next morning, just as dawn broke, the warships set sail.
yī yè wú shì 。
一夜无事。
They were close to True Wood Immortal's burial ground, only needing another half day or so to reach it.
dì èr tiān ， tiān gāng mēng mēng liàng ， zhàn chuán jiù yǐ jīng qǐ háng 。
第二天，天刚蒙蒙亮，战船就已经起航。
Lin Xuan did not go out; he needed to conserve his strength for the upcoming dangers.
zhè lǐ jù lí kū mù zhēn rén de mái gǔ zhī chù yǐ jīng bù yuǎn ， dà gài zhǐ xū yào zài zǒu bàn tiān zuǒ yòu de shí jiān 。
这里距离枯木真人的埋骨之处已经不远，大概只需要再走半天左右的时间。
However, news of his safe return spread quickly among low-ranking cultivators, who rejoiced as Lin Xuan had saved their lives by distracting the beast birds.
lín xuān méi yǒu chū qù ” tā yào yǎng jīng xù ruì yǐ yìng fù xià miàn de wēi jī 。
林轩没有出去”他要养精蓄锐以应付下面的危机。
Yet, while the Core Formation elders did not openly express it, they secretly envied and resented him. Thinking about Miss's promise, this young man named Lin would soon rise to prominence.
bù guò tā píng ān guī lái de xiāo xī què bù jìng ér zǒu ， dī jiē xiū shì pǒ wèi huān xǐ ， bì jìng shì lín xuān yǐn kāi yāo qín cái jiù le tā men yī mìng 。
不过他平安归来的消息却不胫而走，低阶修士颇为欢喜，毕竟是林轩引开妖禽才救了他们一命。
Apart from Red Leaf, An Senior also came to visit once. For some reason, Lin Xuan felt that An Senior's gaze was peculiar, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
rán ér yuán yīng zhǎng lǎo men biǎo miàn bù shuō ， xīn zhōng què duō shì xiàn mù jiā jí dù ， xiǎng xiǎng xiǎo jiě de xǔ nuò ” zhè xìng lín de xiǎo zi yào yī fēi chōng tiān le 。
然而元婴长老们表面不说，心中却多是羡慕加嫉妒，想想小姐的许诺”这姓林的小子要一飞冲天了。
After meditating for six or seven hours, Lin Xuan finally regained his strength.
chú le hóng yè ， ān zhǎng lǎo yě lái kàn guò tā yī cì ， bù zhī wèi shén me ， lín xuān jué de duì fāng de mù guāng yǒu xiē qí guài ， dàn jù tǐ shì zěn me huí shì ， zì jǐ yě shuō bù shàng lái 。
除了红叶，安长老也来看过他一次，不知为什么，林轩觉得对方的目光有些奇怪，但具体是怎么回事，自己也说不上来。
Taking a deep breath, his mana filled him completely. He slowly stood up and walked out.
bù guò jīng guò liù 、 qī gè shí chén de dǎ zuò ， lín xuān de jīng lì yě zhōng yú huī fù le 。
不过经过六、七个时辰的打坐，林轩的精力也终于恢复了。
Many people were on the deck. Upon seeing Lin Xuan, they turned their heads, their eyes containing various complex emotions. But Lin Xuan was indifferent to it all.
xī le kǒu qì ， hún shēn de fǎ lì chōng yíng yǐ jí ， lín xuān huǎn huǎn zhàn qǐ ， mài bù xiàng wài miàn zǒu qù 。
吸了口气，浑身的法力充盈以极，林轩缓缓站起，迈步向外面走去。
Squinting his eyes, he looked ahead. A small island in a crescent shape appeared before him.
jiǎ bǎn shàng de rén hěn duō ， jiàn lín xuān chū lái ， xǔ duō rén dōu zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， mù guāng zhōng bāo hán le gè zhǒng gè yàng de fù zá zhī sè ， bù guò lín xuān zì rán shì bù zài hū 。
甲板上的人很多，见林轩出来，许多人都转过头颅，目光中包含了各种各样的复杂之色，不过林轩自然是不在乎。
"Brother, that's where our great-grandfather is buried," Red Leaf Fairy whispered as she arrived beside him. Despite being in front of everyone, her words did not seem inappropriate because she had already promised to treat Lin Xuan as an elder brother if he could distract the beast tide.
yǎn jīng wēi mī ， xiàng zhe qián fāng wàng qù ， yī zuò chéng bàn yuè xíng de xiǎo dǎo chū xiàn zài le shì xiàn lǐ 。
眼睛微眯，向着前方望去，一座呈半月形的小岛出现在了视线里。
"Hmm."
“ dà gē ， nà jiù shì xiān zǔ fù de mái gǔ zhī suǒ 。” xì suì de jiǎo bù shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， hóng yè xiān zi yǐ lái dào le shēn cè ， suī rán dāng zhe zhòng rén de miàn ， dàn tā zhè ge chēng hū yě bù xián táng tū ， yīn wèi hóng yè běn jiù shuō guò ， zhǐ yào lín xuān yǐn kāi shòu cháo jiù yào fèng tā wèi yì xìng xiōng zhǎng 。
“大哥，那就是先祖父的埋骨之所。”细碎的脚步声传入耳朵，红叶仙子已来到了身侧，虽然当着众人的面，但她这个称呼也不嫌唐突，因为红叶本就说过，只要林轩引开兽潮就要奉他为异性兄长。
Lin Xuan nodded. The warships were now above a nameless uninhabited island.
“ ń 。”
“嗯。”
The area was small and lacked spiritual energy, just an ordinary uninhabited island without any spirit veins. It puzzled him why True Wood Immortal chose this place as his burial ground; even Red Leaf Fairy did not know the reason.
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， ér zhàn chuán yǐ jīng lái dào le nà wú míng huāng dǎo de shàng kōng 。
林轩点了点头，而战船已经来到了那无名荒岛的上空。
However, the environment was quite good. The trees on the island were lush, with the tallest mountain towering over a thousand feet high. At its base, there was a small lake that gently rippled in the breeze.
qí miàn jī bìng bù tài dà ， ér qiě líng qì xī bó ， jiù bù guò shì yī méi yǒu líng mài de pǔ tōng huāng dǎo bà le ， zhēn xiǎng bù tōng kū mù zhēn rén wéi hé huì xuǎn zhè lǐ zuò mái gǔ zhī suǒ ， qí yuán yīn lián hóng yè xiān zi yě bù xiǎo de 。
其面积并不太大，而且灵气稀薄，就不过是一没有灵脉的普通荒岛罢了，真想不通枯木真人为何会选这里做埋骨之所，其原因连红叶仙子也不晓得。
Lin Xuan released his spirit sense and suddenly narrowed his eyes as he saw an invisible barrier appear before him.
bù guò huán jìng dào bú cuò ， dǎo shàng de shù mù yù yù cōng cōng ， zuì gāo de yī zuò shān yuē yǒu qiān zhàng yú ， zài cǐ shān de jiǎo dǐ ， hái yǒu yī tán xiǎo hú ， suí fēng wēi wēi de fàn zhe bì bō 。
不过环境倒不错，岛上的树木郁郁葱葱，最高的一座山约有千丈余，在此山的脚底，还有一潭小湖，随风微微的泛着碧波。
If he had not made a mistake, it should have been hidden by a phantasmal array, which is why it looked so hazy. It almost deceived his spiritual sense.
lín xuān fàng chū shén shí ， què tū rán yǎn jīng wēi mī ， yī céng ruò yǒu ruò wú de jìn zhì chū xiàn zài shì xiàn lǐ 。
林轩放出神识，却突然眼睛微眯，一层若有若无的禁制出现在视线里。
There was a trap!
rú guǒ méi yǒu nòng cuò ， yīng gāi shì yòng huàn zhèn zhē yǎn guò de ， suǒ yǐ cái xiǎn de nà me mó hú ， chà diǎn jiāng zì jǐ de shén shí yě piàn guò 。
如果没有弄错，应该是用幻阵遮掩过的，所以才显得那么模糊，差点将自己的神识也骗过。
Lin Xuan's brows furrowed. Although he knew the beasts had left White Tiger City, he already knew that the plan was 90% successful. But seeing a trap here surprised him.
yǒu mái fú ！
有埋伏！
Setting up such a covert ambush could only be done by the Beast Sovereign.
lín xuān méi tóu wēi tiāo ， suī rán dé zhī wàn shòu lí kāi le bái hǔ chéng ， tā jiù zhī xiǎo cǐ cì de jì huà chéng gōng le jiǔ fēn ， dàn zài zhè lǐ kàn jiàn mái fú ， hái shì bù jīng fǎn xǐ le 。
林轩眉头微挑，虽然得知万兽离开了白虎城，他就知晓此次的计划成功了九分，但在这里看见埋伏，还是不惊反喜了。
Giving Red Leaf a signal, she understood and opened her lips to speak: "There's a trap below. All warships, follow my command; activate the Crystal Might Cannons."
huì zài zhè lǐ guǐ guǐ suì suì de shè fú ， chú le wàn shòu zūn zhě bú huì yǒu bié gè 。
会在这里鬼鬼祟祟的设伏，除了万兽尊者不会有别个。
An icy voice echoed in their ears, causing everyone to pause. However, those responsible for operating the warships were Red Leaf's trusted followers.
lín xuān chōng hóng yè shǐ le yí gè yán sè ， cǐ nǚ huì yì ， yīng chún wēi qǐ de kāi kǒu le ：“ xià miàn yǒu mái fú ， suǒ yǒu zhàn chuán tīng lìng ， jīng wēi pào kāi huǒ 。”
林轩冲红叶使了一个颜色，此女会意，樱唇微启的开口了：“下面有埋伏，所有战船听令，晶威炮开火。”
Hearing what Miss said, these cultivators did not show any expression as they cast a spell at the circular control panel before them.
bīng lěng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， zhòng xiū shì bù yóu de yī è ， dàn wěi yǐ cāo zòng zhàn chuán zhòng rèn de ， zì rán shì hóng yè de xīn fù 。
冰冷的声音传入耳朵，众修士不由得一愕，但委以操纵战船重任的，自然是红叶的心腹。
Boom!
tīng dà xiǎo jiě zhè me shuō ， nà xiē xiū shì sī háo biǎo qíng yě wú ， jiù yī dào fǎ jué chōng zhe shēn qián de yuán pán dǎ chū 。
听大小姐这么说，那些修士丝毫表情也无，就一道法诀冲着身前的圆盘打出。
The five warships fired simultaneously, hundreds of differently colored light beams shooting towards the small island below.
hōng ！
轰！
Such an attack would have sunk even Grandfather's tomb or this relatively small island.
wǔ sōu zhàn chuán qí shè ， shù bǎi dào bù tóng yán sè de guāng zhù ， yì qǐ xiàng zhe xià miàn de xiǎo dǎo hōng guò qù le 。
五艘战船齐射，数百道不同颜色的光柱，一起向着下面的小岛轰过去了。
Red Leaf Fairy supported herself on the railing, her body trembling slightly. Lin Xuan was beside her as he murmured: "Grandpa, Red Leaf is unworthy, but there are no other choices."
zhè yàng de gōng jī ， bié shuō zǔ fù de líng mù ， jiù suàn shì yǎn qián zhè miàn jī bìng bù tài dà de xiǎo dǎo ， yě yī yàng huì bèi hōng chén de 。
这样的攻击，别说祖父的陵墓，就算是眼前这面积并不太大的小岛，也一样会被轰沉的。
To protect their base, they had to lure and kill the Beast Sovereign, and some sacrifices were inevitable. They would have to pay the price.
"Whale King's Command Talisman?" Lin Xuan's expression showed a look of surprise as he stretched out his hand. The command talisman flashed and automatically flew towards him.
It was a small, shiny iron plate, smaller than half a palm, unremarkable at first glance. Strange characters were engraved on the front, but Lin Xuan did not recognize them. On the back, there was an illustration of a whale, looking incredibly powerful.
With a slight flick of his fingers, an ancient voice emanated from it. Although he couldn't determine what material it was made of, it was undoubtedly very sturdy.
Whether this talisman was real or fake, Lin Xuan could not immediately tell. However, such a treasure clearly belonged to someone beyond the Foundation Establishment stage.
In other words, this woman had not lied; she truly was the daughter of the Whale King.
Forming this good fortune with her would be beneficial. This command talisman might have unexpected uses in the future.
"Thank you for your kindness, I humbly accept it."
A smile played on Lin Xuan's lips as he flipped his wrist and the command talisman vanished. He then sped up, transforming into a streak of startling light that disappeared into the horizon.
Although the situation had changed suddenly, Lin Xuan naturally knew where to meet Red Leaf. However, he did not expect it would take so much time to escape the beast tide. He hoped there were no unexpected incidents on her side.
As his thoughts raced, Lin Xuan accelerated his speed. Along the way, he encountered a few mindless sea beasts and mercilessly eliminated them with ease.
Occasionally, he passed by human cultivators, but he ignored them, flying past from afar. With his speed, they could not even see him clearly. Those with stronger spiritual senses only vaguely sensed a faint shadow.
After one day and night, Lin Xuan finally approached the agreed meeting place.
Releasing his spirit sense, five ancient warships were anchored on the beach of an uninhabited island.
Lin Xuan was overjoyed; he feared that Red Leaf's group might meet the Beast Sovereign along the way, which would have been disastrous. After all, this ancestral worship trip had been a trap, with both sides seeing each other as hunters waiting for the other to fall into their trap.
With his speed reduced, Lin Xuan stopped and pretended to look disheveled, appearing very ragged as he flew forward. His cultivation level was also concealed at the Core Formation stage.
"Who?"
Naturally, there were cultivators patrolling around the warships. Upon approaching, they discovered him.
"It's me."
Lin Xuan said calmly.
"Senior Lin, you're alive?" A familiar voice rang out. The leader of this group was someone Lin Xuan recognized—a Core Formation cultivator named Cai. He looked extremely happy: "Brother Lin, your luck is truly good. The elders all said you were dead, but the master insisted on waiting here. I never expected you to actually escape the beast tide."
"My luck was just better. After all, in terms of cultivation techniques, I'm confident that I outshine a late-stage Core Formation cultivator," Lin Xuan smiled. "Otherwise, why would I take such a life-and-death mission?"
"Friend, your words are reasonable; it's good to be back."
Cai Senior was delighted and personally led Lin Xuan to meet the master.
Seeing Lin Xuan return safely, Red Leaf Fairy was equally delighted. Lin Xuan did not elaborate on his experiences from this trip as he felt tired.
Red Leaf Fairy then personally escorted him to a quiet room where Lin Xuan began meditating to rest.
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, the warships set sail.
They were close to True Wood Immortal's burial ground, only needing another half day or so to reach it.
Lin Xuan did not go out; he needed to conserve his strength for the upcoming dangers.
However, news of his safe return spread quickly among low-ranking cultivators, who rejoiced as Lin Xuan had saved their lives by distracting the beast birds.
Yet, while the Core Formation elders did not openly express it, they secretly envied and resented him. Thinking about Miss's promise, this young man named Lin would soon rise to prominence.
Apart from Red Leaf, An Senior also came to visit once. For some reason, Lin Xuan felt that An Senior's gaze was peculiar, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
After meditating for six or seven hours, Lin Xuan finally regained his strength.
Taking a deep breath, his mana filled him completely. He slowly stood up and walked out.
Many people were on the deck. Upon seeing Lin Xuan, they turned their heads, their eyes containing various complex emotions. But Lin Xuan was indifferent to it all.
Squinting his eyes, he looked ahead. A small island in a crescent shape appeared before him.
"Brother, that's where our great-grandfather is buried," Red Leaf Fairy whispered as she arrived beside him. Despite being in front of everyone, her words did not seem inappropriate because she had already promised to treat Lin Xuan as an elder brother if he could distract the beast tide.
"Hmm."
Lin Xuan nodded. The warships were now above a nameless uninhabited island.
The area was small and lacked spiritual energy, just an ordinary uninhabited island without any spirit veins. It puzzled him why True Wood Immortal chose this place as his burial ground; even Red Leaf Fairy did not know the reason.
However, the environment was quite good. The trees on the island were lush, with the tallest mountain towering over a thousand feet high. At its base, there was a small lake that gently rippled in the breeze.
Lin Xuan released his spirit sense and suddenly narrowed his eyes as he saw an invisible barrier appear before him.
If he had not made a mistake, it should have been hidden by a phantasmal array, which is why it looked so hazy. It almost deceived his spiritual sense.
There was a trap!
Lin Xuan's brows furrowed. Although he knew the beasts had left White Tiger City, he already knew that the plan was 90% successful. But seeing a trap here surprised him.
Setting up such a covert ambush could only be done by the Beast Sovereign.
Giving Red Leaf a signal, she understood and opened her lips to speak: "There's a trap below. All warships, follow my command; activate the Crystal Might Cannons."
An icy voice echoed in their ears, causing everyone to pause. However, those responsible for operating the warships were Red Leaf's trusted followers.
Hearing what Miss said, these cultivators did not show any expression as they cast a spell at the circular control panel before them.
Boom!
The five warships fired simultaneously, hundreds of differently colored light beams shooting towards the small island below.
Such an attack would have sunk even Grandfather's tomb or this relatively small island.
Red Leaf Fairy supported herself on the railing, her body trembling slightly. Lin Xuan was beside her as he murmured: "Grandpa, Red Leaf is unworthy, but there are no other choices."
To protect their base, they had to lure and kill the Beast Sovereign, and some sacrifices were inevitable. They would have to pay the price.