dì yī qiān liù bǎi èr shí sì zhāng jiǔ xiān chéng
第一千六百二十四章九仙城
Chapter 1624: Jiuxian City
zài jìng shì zhōng sī suǒ liáng jiǔ ， lín xuān kǔ xiào zhe yáo le yáo tóu ， jiāng cǐ shì zàn shí pāo zhū nǎo hòu 。
在静室中思索良久，林轩苦笑着摇了摇头，将此事暂时抛诸脑后。
In the quiet room, Lin Xuan pondered for a long while before shaking his head with a bitter smile. He temporarily set aside this matter.
shēn shǒu yī pāi ， yòu cóng chǔ wù dài zhōng qǔ chū le yí gè yù hé lái ， hé gài dǎ kāi hòu ， lǐ miàn lù chū le yī lù jiǎo xíng zhuàng de bǎo wù 。
伸手一拍，又从储物袋中取出了一个玉盒来，盒盖打开后，里面露出了一鹿角形状的宝物。
Reaching out and tapping his storage bag, he retrieved an jade box. Once the lid was opened, a treasure in the shape of a deer antler appeared inside.
zhǎng sān chǐ yǒu yú ， biǎo miàn huǒ guāng liú zhuǎn bù yǐ ， yǐn yǐn hái yǒu fú wén shǎn shuò ， bú yòng shuō ， zhèng shì wàn nián huǒ shān hú 。
长三尺有余，表面火光流转不已，隐隐还有符文闪烁，不用说，正是万年火珊瑚。
Three feet long, its surface flickered with flames, and faint talisman inscriptions could be seen. Without doubt, it was a Ten-Thousand Year Fire Coral.
“ wāng ， wāng wāng wāng 。”
“汪，汪汪汪。”
"Wang, Wang, Wang."
qīng cuì de gǒu jiào shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， hóng guāng yī shǎn ， nà xuě bái de xiǎo gǒu yòu chū xiàn zài le lín xuān de miàn qián 。
清脆的狗叫声传入耳朵，红光一闪，那雪白的小狗又出现在了林轩的面前。
A clear dog bark entered his ears as red light flashed, revealing the white puppy once again in front of Lin Xuan.
wéi zhe tā bèng bèng tiào tiào ， wěi ba zhí yáo ， yī fù tǎo hǎo zhī sè ， yǎn zhōng de kě wàng zhī yì shì xiǎn ér yì jiàn de 。
围着他蹦蹦跳跳，尾巴直摇，一副讨好之色，眼中的渴望之意是显而易见的。
Bouncing around him, wagging its tail vigorously, it looked eager to please, with obvious desire in its eyes.
lín xuān méi tóu yī tiāo ， zhè xiǎo jiā huo ， xiǎn rán yòu shì tān chī zhī yǐn fā zuò ， duì zì jǐ de chǔ jìng ， jìng shì háo bù zài hū 。
林轩眉头一挑，这小家伙，显然又是贪吃之瘾发作，对自己的处境，竟是毫不在乎。
Lin Xuan's brows rose. This little guy was clearly suffering from a craving for food and showed no concern for his situation.
lín xuān yǒu xiē kū xiào bù dé ， zhè me pí lài de xiǎo gǒu hái zhēn méi yǒu jiàn guò 。
林轩有些哭笑不得，这么皮癞的小狗还真没有见过。
Lin Xuan couldn't help but laugh. He had never seen such a mischievous puppy before.
yuán běn lín xuān shì bù dǎ suàn lǐ huì de 。
原本林轩是不打算理会的。
Originally, he wasn't going to pay attention to it.
kě mù guāng zài xiǎo gǒu shēn shàng yī sǎo 。
可目光在小狗身上一扫。
But as his gaze swept over the puppy,
lín xuān què tóng kǒng wēi suō ， biǎo qíng yī xià zi yán sù qǐ lái le 。
林轩却瞳孔微缩，表情一下子严肃起来了。
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted, his expression turning serious.
bù guò shù yuè wèi jiàn ， zhè xiǎo gǒu de qì xī ， yǔ shàng cì de xiāng bǐ ， jū rán zēng qiáng le shǎo xǔ 。
不过数月未见，这小狗的气息，与上次的相比，居然增强了少许。
In just a few months, this puppy’s aura had actually strengthened slightly compared to last time. This was rather strange. After all, such spirit-tuned creatures were almost unbound by lifespan constraints, but their cultivation speed was much slower than humans.
zhè kě yǒu xiē guǐ yì ， yào zhī dào zhè zhǒng tōng líng zhī wù ， jī hū shì méi yǒu shòu yuán chè zhǒu de ， dàn wàn wù zì yǒu qí guī zé ， qí xiū liàn sù dù yě yào bǐ rén lèi huǎn màn dé duō 。
这可有些诡异，要知道这种通灵之物，几乎是没有寿元掣肘的，但万物自有其规则，其修炼速度也要比人类缓慢得多。
A few months might seem long for a mortal, but to the dog, it was merely an instant. Yet its strength had increased slightly. Could this be related to that fire attribute crystal?
shù yuè de shí jiān ， duì fán rén lái shuō bù duǎn ， dàn zài cǐ gǒu kàn lái ， bù guò dàn zhǐ yī huī jiān 。
数月的时间，对凡人来说不短，但在此狗看来，不过弹指一挥间。
Thoughts raced through his mind as Lin Xuan didn't know if his guess was correct. He could only verify by experiment.
shí lì jū rán zēng qiáng le shǎo xǔ ， nán dào shì yǔ nà kē huǒ shǔ xìng jīng shí yǒu guān xì 。
实力居然增强了少许，难道是与那颗火属性晶石有关系。
Acting on impulse, he flipped his wrist and a deep red crystal the size of a hawthorn appeared in his palm.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， lín xuān yě bù zhī dào zì jǐ de cāi cè kào bù kào pǔ ， wéi yǒu ná shí yàn lái yàn zhèng le 。
脑海中念头转过，林轩也不知道自己的猜测靠不靠谱，唯有拿实验来验证了。
"Wang."
xiǎng dào jiù zuò ， lín xuān shǒu wàn fān zhuǎn ， zǎo hé dà xiǎo de shēn hóng sè jīng tǐ chū xiàn zài zhǎng xīn lǐ miàn 。
想到就做，林轩手腕翻转，枣核大小的深红色晶体出现在掌心里面。
The puppy was overjoyed, showing very human-like excitement, wagging its tail frantically while rubbing against Lin Xuan's leg.
“ wāng 。”
“汪。”
In this state, it would be impossible to chase away.
xiǎo gǒu dà xǐ ， liǎn shàng chū xiàn hěn nǐ rén huà de xīng fèn zhī yì ， wěi ba pīn mìng de yáo dòng ， yòng tóu zài lín xuān de tuǐ shàng mó lái cèng qù 。
小狗大喜，脸上出现很拟人化的兴奋之意，尾巴拼命的摇动，用头在林轩的腿上磨来蹭去。
"Such a big eater."
xiàn zài zhè ge yàng zi ， kǒng pà jiù shì gǎn tā yě gǎn bù zǒu dì 。
现在这个样子，恐怕就是赶牠也赶不走地。
Lin Xuan gave the puppy a gentle tap. But instead of getting angry, it continued to wag its tail in a pleading manner, afraid that he wouldn't feed it.
“ zhè me tān chī 。”
“这么贪吃。”
Lin Xuan was speechless as he tossed out an upper-grade crystal.
lín xuān gěi le xiǎo gǒu yí gè bào lì ， dàn xiǎo gǒu bù jǐn bù nù ， fǎn ér pīn mìng de duì tā yáo wěi tǎo hǎo zhe ， shēng pà lín xuān bù gěi tā chī le 。
林轩给了小狗一个爆栗，但小狗不仅不怒，反而拼命的对他摇尾讨好着，生怕林轩不给牠吃了。
The puppy leaped up and did a somersault mid-air before accurately catching the crystal. This time, unlike swallowing whole, it spat out the crystal after landing, treating it like meat bones—licking it first then chewing slowly.
lín xuān yī zhèn wú yǔ ， jiāng jí pǐn jīng shí pāo le chū qù 。
林轩一阵无语，将极品晶石抛了出去。
Lin Xuan smiled as he observed from the side...
xiǎo gǒu jiǎo xià yòng lì ， yī yuè ér qǐ ， zài kōng zhōng fān le gè jīn dǒu ， rán hòu zhǔn què wú wù de diāo zhù le jīng shí ， zhè cì méi yǒu hú lún tūn zǎo ， là xià dì yǐ hòu ， jiāng jīng shí tǔ chū lái ， rán hòu xiàng duì dài ròu gǔ tou yì bān ， xiān shēn chū shé tou tiǎn le tiǎn ， rán hòu xì jiáo màn yàn 。
小狗脚下用力，一跃而起，在空中翻了个筋斗，然后准确无误的叼住了晶石，这次没有囫囵吞枣，落下地以后，将晶石吐出来，然后像对待肉骨头一般，先伸出舌头舔了舔，然后细嚼慢咽。
Three months later, Lin Xuan left Wenjing City's temporary abode and transformed into a streak of lightning, flying towards the interior of the giant island.
lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān dài zhe xiào róng ， zài yī páng guān cè 。
林轩嘴角边带着笑容，在一旁观测。
His target was naturally Jiuxian Palace’s main hall.
……
……
Excitement shone in his eyes. These three months hadn't been wasted.
sān yuè yǐ hòu ， lín xuān lí kāi le wén jǐng chéng zhè lín shí de dòng fǔ 。
三月以后，林轩离开了文景城这临时的洞府。
Through observing the puppy, Lin Xuan confirmed his hypothesis: while this spirit-tuned creature could be cultivated like ordinary spiritual beasts, it required feeding upper-grade fire attribute crystals as a price.
huà wèi yī dào jīng hóng ， xiàng zhe jù dǎo de nèi lù fēi qù le 。
化为一道惊虹，向着巨岛的内陆飞去了。
Each crystal would make the puppy sleep for several months as if drunk, and upon waking, its strength would increase slightly.
tā de mù biāo zì rán shì jiǔ xiān gōng de zǒng duò 。
他的目标自然是九仙宫的总舵。
He had tried using middle-grade crystals, but their effect was negligible.
lín xuān de yǎn zhōng ， yǐn hán zhe xīng fèn zhī sè ， zhè sān gè yuè ， tā kě méi yǒu bái dài de 。
林轩的眼中，隐含着兴奋之色，这三个月，他可没有白待的。
The jade roach bee was no exception; this puppy was similarly affected.
tōng guò duì xiǎo gǒu de yī fān guān cè ， lín xuān zhèng shí le zì jǐ cāi xiǎng de jié guǒ ， zhè xiǎo gǒu suī shì tōng líng huà xíng zhī wù ， què xiàng pǔ tōng líng shòu yī yàng kě yǐ cuī shú 。
通过对小狗的一番观测，林轩证实了自己猜想的结果，这小狗虽是通灵化形之物，却像普通灵兽一样可以催熟。
Lin Xuan felt somewhat depressed. While it could be cultivated, the method was too extravagant.
zhǐ bù guò dài jià jí dà ér yǐ ， xū yào wèi tā jí pǐn huǒ shǔ xìng jīng shí 。
只不过代价极大而已，需要喂牠极品火属性晶石。
Fortunately, there was only one of these puppies, and he could still afford to maintain it.
měi wèi yī kuài ， xiǎo gǒu jiù huì xiàng rén hē zuì le jiǔ yì bān ， huàng huàng yōu yōu de chén shuì shù yuè zhī jiǔ ， xǐng lái yǐ hòu ， shí lì míng xiǎn huì tí shēng shǎo xǔ 。
每喂一块，小狗就会像人喝醉了酒一般，晃晃悠悠的沉睡数月之久，醒来以后，实力明显会提升少许。
Of course, Lin Xuan's willingness stemmed from the fact that this creature was a manifestation of Ten-Thousand Year Fire Coral. The stronger its strength, the higher the quality of the coral would be.
lín xuān yě shì guò wèi tā shàng pǐn jīng shí ， bù néng shuō méi yǒu yì diǎn xiào guǒ ， dàn jī hū wēi ruò dào le kě yǐ hū lüè bù jì de dì bù 。
林轩也试过喂牠上品晶石，不能说没有一点效果，但几乎微弱到了可以忽略不计的地步。
This material was also the main ingredient for refining fire swords.
yù luó fēng rú cǐ ， rú jīn zhè xiǎo gǒu yì rú shì 。
玉罗蜂如此，如今这小狗亦如是。
Sacrifice and gain—now he had to pay some price for greater rewards.
lín xuān yě yǒu diǎn yù mèn ， dōu kě yǐ cuī shú ， bù guò fāng fǎ tài shē chǐ le 。
林轩也有点郁闷，都可以催熟，不过方法太奢侈了。
...
hǎo zài xiǎo gǒu jǐn yǒu yī tiáo ér yǐ ， zì jǐ hái miǎn qiǎng fù dān dé qǐ 。
好在小狗仅有一条而已，自己还勉强负担得起。
Several months later, a streak of lightning cut through the sky as Lin Xuan, after long travel, showed signs of fatigue on his face.
dāng rán ， lín xuān zhī suǒ yǐ zhè me shě de ， yě shì yīn wèi cǐ gǒu nǎi shì wàn nián huǒ shān hú de huà xíng zhī wù ， tā shí lì qiáng le ， wàn nián huǒ shān hú de pǐn zhì yě huì gèng gāo 。
当然，林轩之所以这么舍得，也是因为此狗乃是万年火珊瑚的化形之物，牠实力强了，万年火珊瑚的品质也会更高。
It seemed that buying a flying artifact would be necessary in the future; otherwise, flying himself was rather foolish.
ér cǐ wù yě shì liàn zhì huǒ jiàn de zhǔ yuán liào 。
而此物也是炼制火剑的主原料。
Fortunately, even the longest journey had an end. According to the sea map he bought, Jiuxian City shouldn't be far away.
shě de shě de ， wèi le gèng dà de shōu huò ， xiàn zài dāng rán dé fù chū yì diǎn dài jià de 。
舍得舍得，为了更大的收获，现在当然得付出一点代价的。
Sure enough, as they flew further, more cultivators appeared on both sides of their path.
……
……
No longer did they avoid each other; this place was close to Jiuxian Palace, where any disturbances or killings for treasure were considered suicide.
shù yuè yǐ hòu ， yī dào jīng hóng huà pò cāng qióng ， jīng guò nà me zhǎng shí jiān de gǎn lù ， lín xuān liǎn shàng yě lù chū le jǐ fēn pí juàn zhī sè 。
数月以后，一道惊虹划破苍穹，经过那么长时间的赶路，林轩脸上也露出了几分疲倦之色。
Even in the chaotic sea, there were rules and order. Without them, one would be living a lawless life, let alone pursuing cultivation advancement.
kàn lái yǐ hòu yǒu jī huì hái shì yào mǎi yī jiàn fēi xíng fǎ qì zuò wéi dài bù ， fǒu zé zì jǐ fēi shí zài shì yǒu diǎn yú chǔn de 。
看来以后有机会还是要买一件飞行法器作为代步，否则自己飞实在是有点愚蠢的。
Flying for another half an hour, a giant city appeared ahead.
hǎo zài zài zhǎng de lǚ tú ， zǒng yě shì yǒu zhōng diǎn ， gēn jù zì jǐ suǒ mǎi de hǎi tú ， jiǔ xiān chéng yīng gāi jù lí zhè lǐ bù yuǎn le 。
好在再长的旅途，总也是有终点，根据自己所买的海图，九仙城应该距离这里不远了。
This was called a city, but its size was simply beyond comprehension.
guǒ rán ， yī lù shàng de xiū shì jiàn jiàn de duō le qǐ lái 。
果然，一路上的修士渐渐的多了起来。
While coastal cities couldn't compare to it, even Wenjing City seemed insignificant in the face of this colossal entity.
shuāng fāng yíng miàn xiàng yù ， yě bù zài duǒ shǎn ， zhè lǐ yǐ jīng jù lí jiǔ xiān gōng bù yuǎn ， zài zhè lǐ yán jìn nào shì ， shā rén qiǎng bǎo chún cuì shì zhǎo sǐ 。
双方迎面相遇，也不再躲闪，这里已经距离九仙宫不远，在这里严禁闹事，杀人抢宝纯粹是找死。
Lin Xuan didn’t know how large it was, but according to ancient texts, it might be comparable to the Youzhou region on Earth.
jiù suàn hùn luàn hǎi yù yě yǒu tā de zhì xù ， fǒu zé zhēn shì wú suǒ gù jì ， nà lián huó dōu méi bàn fǎ huó ， hái tán shén me xiū xiān jìn jiē le 。
就算混乱海域也有牠的秩序，否则真是无所顾忌，那连活都没办法活，还谈什么修仙进阶了。
Such things were hard to believe when spoken about in the mortal world. However, in the spirit realm, many things couldn't be explained by common sense.
yòu fēi le bàn gè shí chén ， qián miàn chū xiàn le yī zuò jù chéng 。
又飞了半个时辰，前面出现了一座巨城。
Here, anything was possible.
shuō shì chéng chí ， dàn miàn jī jiǎn zhí dà dào le bù kě sī yì 。
说是城池，但面积简直大到了不可思议。
Because of its immense size, there was no need for any guards or defenses; it would be impossible to find a large array with such extensive coverage.
lín hǎi chéng gù rán méi yǒu bàn fǎ yǔ qí xiāng bǐ ， jiù shì wén jǐng chéng fàng zài zhè páng rán dà wù miàn qián ， yě xiǎn de bù zhí yī tí 。
临海城固然没有办法与其相比，就是文景城放在这庞然大物面前，也显得不值一提。
Even if one existed, operating it would consume astronomical amounts of crystals. Even Jiuxian Palace, as grand as it was, might not afford it.
lín xuān yě bù zhī dào tā yǒu duō dà ， bù guò gēn jù diǎn jí zhōng de jiè shào ， kǒng pà yǔ rén jiè de yōu zhōu xiāng bǐ ， yě xiāng chā wú jǐ 。
林轩也不知道牠有多大，不过根据典籍中的介绍，恐怕与人界的幽州相比，也相差无几。
At least, that was certain.
zhè zhǒng shì qíng ， zài rén jiè shuō chū qù ， yě méi yǒu rén xiāng xìn ， dàn líng jiè bù tóng ， shàng wèi jiè miàn de shì qíng ， hěn duō bù néng yòng cháng lǐ chuǎi mó 。
这种事情，在人界说出去，也没有人相信，但灵界不同，上位界面的事情，很多不能用常理揣摩。
Moreover, Jiuxian City had a mix of cultivators numbering in the millions, with backgrounds so deep they encompassed all three tribes' forces. Who would dare to target such a place? Defenses were unnecessary.
zài zhè lǐ ， yī qiè dōu shì kě néng de 。
在这里，一切都是可能的。
This was truly an open city, a paradise for adventurers and treasure seekers. As long as one dared and wasn't afraid of death, they could come here to seek opportunities. Of course, whether or not those opportunities materialized depended on luck and strength.
yīn wèi chéng chí tài dà le ， suǒ yǐ gēn běn bù cún zài shǒu wèi shén me ， shì jiè shàng ， hěn nán yǒu yī zuò dà zhèn de fù gài fàn wéi ， kě yǐ rú cǐ zhī guǎng 。
因为城池太大了，所以根本不存在守卫什么，世界上，很难有一座大阵的覆盖范围，可以如此之广。
One's success often came at the cost of many others' lives. Finding such extraordinary treasures was rare indeed.
jí shǐ yǒu ， yùn zhuàn de shí hòu ， yě huì xiāo hào tiān jià de jīng shí ， jí biàn shì jiǔ xiān gōng zhè yàng de páng rán dà wù ， yě bù yí dìng fù dān dé qǐ 。
即使有，运转的时候，也会消耗天价的晶石，即便是九仙宫这样的庞然大物，也不一定负担得起。
But as a place of dreams, countless cultivators still flocked there one after another.
zhì shǎo bù huá suàn shì kěn dìng wú yí 。
至少不划算是肯定无疑。
The more they approached the city, the more various kinds of light trails appeared in the sky—sometimes even in groups.
hé kuàng zhè jiǔ xiān chéng lóng shé hùn zá ， xiū shì yǐ bǎi wàn jì ， bèi jǐng gèng shì shēn hòu yǐ jí ， jī hū náng kuò le sān zú suǒ yǒu de shì lì ， shuí huì dǎ tā de zhǔ yì ， fáng bèi shì duō yú 。
何况这九仙城龙蛇混杂，修士以百万计，背景更是深厚以极，几乎囊括了三族所有的势力，谁会打牠的主意，防备是多余。
Suddenly, Lin Xuan's light trail stopped, his expression unchanged but with obvious caution in his eyes. His hand inside his sleeve trembled slightly.
zhè shì yī zuò zhēn zhèng kāi fàng de chéng chí ， mào xiǎn zhě de lè yuán ， xún bǎo xiū shì mèng mèi yǐ qiú zhī dì ， zhǐ yào nǐ yǒu dǎn liàng ， bù pà sǐ ， dōu kě yǐ lái zhè lǐ xún zhǎo jī yuán ， dāng rán ， néng bù néng shí xiàn ， hái yào kàn yǒu méi yǒu yùn qì yǔ shí lì 。
这是一座真正开放的城池，冒险者的乐园，寻宝修士梦寐以求之地，只要你有胆量，不怕死，都可以来这里寻找机缘，当然，能不能实现，还要看有没有运气与实力。
His reaction wasn't unique; other cultivators around him were also alarmed, their reactions far more intense.
yī jiāng gōng chéng wàn gǔ kū ， néng gòu zhǎo dào nì tiān zhī bǎo de bì jìng shì jí shǎo shù 。
一将功成万骨枯，能够找到逆天之宝的毕竟是极少数。
A cold and powerful spiritual pressure descended from the sky, enveloping the area.
dàn zuò wéi xún mèng zhī dì ， yī jiù yǒu wú shù de xiū shì ， qián pū hòu jì de lái dào zhè lǐ 。
但作为寻梦之地，依旧有无数的修士，前仆后继的来到这里。
"Old monster of the Void Profound Realm."
yuè shì kào jìn chéng chí ， tiān kōng zhōng de gè sè dùn guāng yě yuè duō ， shèn zhì bù fá chéng qún jié duì de 。
越是靠近城池，天空中的各色遁光也越多，甚至不乏成群结队的。
Lin Xuan's mind was already clear. This spiritual pressure was undoubtedly no weaker than that of the Poison Dragon Ancestor.
tū rán ， lín xuān dùn guāng yī liǎn ， tíng le xià lái ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng suī bù dòng shēng sè ， dàn yǎn zhōng de jiè jù zhī yì què shì xiǎn ér yì jiàn de 。
突然，林轩遁光一敛，停了下来，脸上的表情虽不动声色，但眼中的戒惧之意却是显而易见的。
The chaotic sea truly harbored many experts. Meeting an old monster of the Void Profound Realm before entering the city was something unimaginable in other places.
shèn zhì lǒng zài yī xiù zhōng de shǒu zhǎng ， dōu wēi wēi yǒu xiē chàn dǒu 。
甚至拢在衣袖中的手掌，都微微有些颤抖。
Lin Xuan’s thoughts raced, but he wasn't alarmed. Jiuxian City's reputation was well-deserved; it lived up to its name and wouldn’t disappoint him.
dàn tā de biǎo xiàn bù suàn shén me ， zhōu wéi qí tā xiū shì de jīng hū cǐ qǐ bǐ fú ， yí gè gè fǎn yìng hái yào jù liè dé duō 。
但他的表现不算什么，周围其他修士的惊呼此起彼伏，一个个反应还要剧烈得多。
PS: More coming tonight. Expect a burst today.
Chapter 1624: Jiuxian City
In the quiet room, Lin Xuan pondered for a long while before shaking his head with a bitter smile. He temporarily set aside this matter.
Reaching out and tapping his storage bag, he retrieved an jade box. Once the lid was opened, a treasure in the shape of a deer antler appeared inside.
Three feet long, its surface flickered with flames, and faint talisman inscriptions could be seen. Without doubt, it was a Ten-Thousand Year Fire Coral.
"Wang, Wang, Wang."
A clear dog bark entered his ears as red light flashed, revealing the white puppy once again in front of Lin Xuan.
Bouncing around him, wagging its tail vigorously, it looked eager to please, with obvious desire in its eyes.
Lin Xuan's brows rose. This little guy was clearly suffering from a craving for food and showed no concern for his situation.
Lin Xuan couldn't help but laugh. He had never seen such a mischievous puppy before.
Originally, he wasn't going to pay attention to it.
But as his gaze swept over the puppy,
"Hey."
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted, his expression turning serious.
In just a few months, this puppy’s aura had actually strengthened slightly compared to last time. This was rather strange. After all, such spirit-tuned creatures were almost unbound by lifespan constraints, but their cultivation speed was much slower than humans.
A few months might seem long for a mortal, but to the dog, it was merely an instant. Yet its strength had increased slightly. Could this be related to that fire attribute crystal?
Thoughts raced through his mind as Lin Xuan didn't know if his guess was correct. He could only verify by experiment.
Acting on impulse, he flipped his wrist and a deep red crystal the size of a hawthorn appeared in his palm.
"Wang."
The puppy was overjoyed, showing very human-like excitement, wagging its tail frantically while rubbing against Lin Xuan's leg.
In this state, it would be impossible to chase away.
"Such a big eater."
Lin Xuan gave the puppy a gentle tap. But instead of getting angry, it continued to wag its tail in a pleading manner, afraid that he wouldn't feed it.
Lin Xuan was speechless as he tossed out an upper-grade crystal.
The puppy leaped up and did a somersault mid-air before accurately catching the crystal. This time, unlike swallowing whole, it spat out the crystal after landing, treating it like meat bones—licking it first then chewing slowly.
Lin Xuan smiled as he observed from the side...
Three months later, Lin Xuan left Wenjing City's temporary abode and transformed into a streak of lightning, flying towards the interior of the giant island.
His target was naturally Jiuxian Palace’s main hall.
Excitement shone in his eyes. These three months hadn't been wasted.
Through observing the puppy, Lin Xuan confirmed his hypothesis: while this spirit-tuned creature could be cultivated like ordinary spiritual beasts, it required feeding upper-grade fire attribute crystals as a price.
Each crystal would make the puppy sleep for several months as if drunk, and upon waking, its strength would increase slightly.
He had tried using middle-grade crystals, but their effect was negligible.
The jade roach bee was no exception; this puppy was similarly affected.
Lin Xuan felt somewhat depressed. While it could be cultivated, the method was too extravagant.
Fortunately, there was only one of these puppies, and he could still afford to maintain it.
Of course, Lin Xuan's willingness stemmed from the fact that this creature was a manifestation of Ten-Thousand Year Fire Coral. The stronger its strength, the higher the quality of the coral would be.
This material was also the main ingredient for refining fire swords.
Sacrifice and gain—now he had to pay some price for greater rewards.
...
Several months later, a streak of lightning cut through the sky as Lin Xuan, after long travel, showed signs of fatigue on his face.
It seemed that buying a flying artifact would be necessary in the future; otherwise, flying himself was rather foolish.
Fortunately, even the longest journey had an end. According to the sea map he bought, Jiuxian City shouldn't be far away.
Sure enough, as they flew further, more cultivators appeared on both sides of their path.
No longer did they avoid each other; this place was close to Jiuxian Palace, where any disturbances or killings for treasure were considered suicide.
Even in the chaotic sea, there were rules and order. Without them, one would be living a lawless life, let alone pursuing cultivation advancement.
Flying for another half an hour, a giant city appeared ahead.
This was called a city, but its size was simply beyond comprehension.
While coastal cities couldn't compare to it, even Wenjing City seemed insignificant in the face of this colossal entity.
Lin Xuan didn’t know how large it was, but according to ancient texts, it might be comparable to the Youzhou region on Earth.
Such things were hard to believe when spoken about in the mortal world. However, in the spirit realm, many things couldn't be explained by common sense.
Here, anything was possible.
Because of its immense size, there was no need for any guards or defenses; it would be impossible to find a large array with such extensive coverage.
Even if one existed, operating it would consume astronomical amounts of crystals. Even Jiuxian Palace, as grand as it was, might not afford it.
At least, that was certain.
Moreover, Jiuxian City had a mix of cultivators numbering in the millions, with backgrounds so deep they encompassed all three tribes' forces. Who would dare to target such a place? Defenses were unnecessary.
This was truly an open city, a paradise for adventurers and treasure seekers. As long as one dared and wasn't afraid of death, they could come here to seek opportunities. Of course, whether or not those opportunities materialized depended on luck and strength.
One's success often came at the cost of many others' lives. Finding such extraordinary treasures was rare indeed.
But as a place of dreams, countless cultivators still flocked there one after another.
The more they approached the city, the more various kinds of light trails appeared in the sky—sometimes even in groups.
Suddenly, Lin Xuan's light trail stopped, his expression unchanged but with obvious caution in his eyes. His hand inside his sleeve trembled slightly.
His reaction wasn't unique; other cultivators around him were also alarmed, their reactions far more intense.
A cold and powerful spiritual pressure descended from the sky, enveloping the area.
"Old monster of the Void Profound Realm."
Lin Xuan's mind was already clear. This spiritual pressure was undoubtedly no weaker than that of the Poison Dragon Ancestor.
The chaotic sea truly harbored many experts. Meeting an old monster of the Void Profound Realm before entering the city was something unimaginable in other places.
Lin Xuan’s thoughts raced, but he wasn't alarmed. Jiuxian City's reputation was well-deserved; it lived up to its name and wouldn’t disappoint him.
PS: More coming tonight. Expect a burst today.