yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， lín xuān jiù bù zhī dào fēi yuè le duō shǎo wàn lǐ ， yī zuò huāng liáng de xiǎo dǎo ， chū xiàn zài le shì xiàn lǐ 。
一盏茶的功夫，林轩就不知道飞跃了多少万里，一座荒凉的小岛，出现在了视线里。
In the blink of an eye, Lin Xuan had traversed countless miles. A desolate little island appeared in his line of sight.
lín xuān xīn zhōng yī xǐ ， fēi le guò qù 。
林轩心中一喜，飞了过去。
Lin Xuan's heart leaped with excitement as he flew over. He was not here to endure loneliness from too much cultivation time; instead, he wanted to test his current abilities.
tā lái dào cǐ chù ， zì rán bú shì yīn wèi kǔ xiū de shí jiān tài jiǔ ， nài bú zhù jì mò ， ér shì xiǎng yào shì yī shì zì jǐ rú jīn shén tōng rú hé 。
他来到此处，自然不是因为苦修的时间太久，耐不住寂寞，而是想要试一试自己如今神通如何。
Soon the island came into view, but Lin Xuan slowed down and stopped, a hint of puzzlement on his face. Although this island was barren and had sparse qi, there were signs of human life.
hěn kuài xiǎo dǎo jiù lì lì zài mù ， rán ér lín xuān què dùn guāng yī huǎn ， tíng le xià lái ， liǎn shàng lù chū jǐ fēn yí huò ， zhè xiǎo dǎo suī rán huāng wú ， líng qì xī bó dào jí chù ， dàn jū rán shì yǒu rén de 。
很快小岛就历历在目，然而林轩却遁光一缓，停了下来，脸上露出几分疑惑，这小岛虽然荒芜，灵气稀薄到极处，但居然是有人的。
However, these people were not cultivators but ordinary folk living here.
bù guò bìng fēi xiū xiān zhě ， ér shì fán rén shēng huó yú cǐ chù 。
不过并非修仙者，而是凡人生活于此处。
Lin Xuan sighed. In the eyes of cultivators, mortals were like ants, but their lives were hard. He naturally wouldn't disturb them. Just as he was about to leave, a series of alarmed cries caught his ear.
lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì ， suī rán zài xiū xiān zhě de yǎn lǐ ， fán rén yǒu rú lóu yǐ ， dàn tā men shēng huó bù yì ， lín xuān zì rán bú huì qù dǎ rǎo dì ” zhèng yù lí qù ， rán ér jiù zài zhè shí ， yī zhèn yī yī yā yā de jīng hū què chuán rù le ěr duǒ 。
林轩叹了口气，虽然在修仙者的眼里，凡人有如蝼蚁，但他们生活不易，林轩自然不会去打扰地”正欲离去，然而就在这时，一阵依依呀呀的惊呼却传入了耳朵。
Lin Xuan turned around in surprise and saw two mortals appearing before him—a man and a woman, both no more than twenty years old. They looked excited yet anxious, waving at him repeatedly.
lín xuān yī è ， bù yóu de huí guò le tóu lú 。
林轩一愕，不由得回过了头颅。
Clearly, they wanted his attention.
zhǐ jiàn liǎng míng fán rén chū xiàn zài shì xiàn zhōng ， yī nán yī nǚ ” kàn shàng qù dōu zhǐ yǒu èr shí yú suì nián jì ， mǎn liǎn jīng xǐ ， yòu yǒu xiē jiāo jí ， bù tíng de chōng zì jǐ huī shǒu zhì yì 。
只见两名凡人出现在视线中，一男一女”看上去都只有二十余岁年纪，满脸惊喜，又有些焦急，不停的冲自己挥手致意。
This puzzled Lin Xuan. Mortals rarely provoked cultivators; after all, most cultivators were unpredictable!
zhè qíng jǐng ， xiǎn rán shì xiǎng yào yǐn qǐ zì jǐ de guān zhù 。
这情景，显然是想要引起自己的关注。
While it could be beneficial for mortals to associate with cultivators, whether it was a blessing or a curse was hard to say. Thus, unless they needed "immortal techniques" to defend against beasts or natural disasters, mortals preferred not to interact with cultivators.
lín xuān dào yǒu xiē chà yì le ， yì bān lái shuō ， fán rén hěn shǎo zhāo rě xiū xiān zhě ， wú tā ， xiū shì men dà duō xǐ nù wú cháng a ！
林轩倒有些诧异了，一般来说，凡人很少招惹修仙者，无他，修士们大多喜怒无常啊！
The mortals had actually called him out of their own accord!
fán rén yǔ xiū xiān zhě jié jiāo ， gù rán néng gòu dé dào yī xiē hǎo chù ， dàn jiū jìng shì fú shì huò ” qí shí fēi cháng de nán shuō 。
凡人与修仙者结交，固然能够得到一些好处，但究竟是福是祸”其实非常的难说。
A gentle voice interrupted his thoughts. It was the woman beside her brother, helping him out.
gù ér ， chú fēi shì xiǎng yào jiè zhù “ xiān shù ”， dǐ dǎng yāo shòu huò zhě tiān zāi ， fán rén dōu qíng yuàn yǔ xiū xiān zhě ， lǎo sǐ bù xiāng wǎng lái 。
故而，除非是想要借助“仙术”，抵挡妖兽或者天灾，凡人都情愿与修仙者，老死不相往来。
"Alright," Lin Xuan nodded. He had spent two hundred years in seclusion; it wouldn't hurt to visit this village and help these mortals accumulate some good karma.
duì fāng jū rán zhǔ dòng zhào huàn 。
对方居然主动召唤。
Guided by his brother and sister, Lin Xuan arrived at their village. Though called a village, its scale was comparable to a small city with tens of thousands of inhabitants. Upon learning that he was a cultivator, everyone greeted him with utmost respect. People knelt and bowed wherever he went; in every realm, cultivators were considered extremely noble.
nán dào shuō ……
难道说……
Lin Xuan was led to the most luxurious building at the village center. His brother and sister left to report to the elders but had arranged for someone to welcome their "esteemed guest."
lín xuān xīn zhōng yǐn yǐn yǒu le cāi cè ， rú guǒ píng shí ， tā dào bù yí dìng huì guǎn fán rén de xián shì ， bù guò jīn tiān gāng gāng jiāng píng jǐng tū pò ， zhè xīn qíng wěi shí bù cuò ” lín xuān lüè yī chí yí ， jiù dùn guāng yī liǎn de jiàng luò xià qù 。
林轩心中隐隐有了猜测，如果平时，他倒不一定会管凡人的闲事，不过今天刚刚将瓶颈突破，这心情委实不错”林轩略一迟疑，就遁光一敛的降落下去。
The room wasn't large but elegantly decorated with ancient paintings hanging on the walls. Fresh flowers adorned the windowsills, though not precious herbs or plants, they smelled fresh and subtle.
liǎng míng fán rén dà xǐ ” yě bù duō shuō ， lián lián kē tóu ” xīn chéng qiě zhòng ， yǒu pēng pēng pēng de shēng yīn bù tíng chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
两名凡人大喜”也不多说，连连磕头”心诚且重，有嘭嘭嘭的声音不停传入耳朵。
Servants had already served him fragrant tea, along with several plates of delicious fruits from the village.
“ hǎo le ， bù yòng rú cǐ ， nǐ men jiào wǒ lái ， jiū jìng yǒu shén me shì ？”
“好了，不用如此，你们叫我来，究竟有什么事？”
Lin Xuan tasted them and found them quite good, so he indulged himself in eating. Soon, footsteps approached.
“ xiān shī ” wǒ men shì cāng hǎi yí zú ， rú jīn miàn lín zhe miè mén zhī huò ， hái qǐng xiān shī cí bēi ， zhàng yì chū shǒu ， wǒ děng quán zú ， yí dìng huì gǎn jī bù jìn ， gòng fèng nín cháng shēng pái wèi de 。” nà nán zi dī chén de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì bēi tòng huáng kǒng zhī sè ” fǎng fú zhēn yù jiàn shén me tiān dà nàn tí shì de 。
“仙师”我们是沧海遗族，如今面临着灭门之祸，还请仙师慈悲，仗义出手，我等全族，一定会感激不尽，供奉您长生牌位的。”那男子低沉的声音传入耳朵，脸上满是悲痛惶恐之色”仿佛真遇见什么天大难题似的。
"Immortal, may I come in? This is Qin Zhong."
lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì ” xiǎng xiǎng zì jǐ dāng nián yě bù guò shì qū qū yī jiè méi yǒu líng gēn de fán rén ér yǐ ” ér qiě fù mǔ zǎo shì ， tǐ huì le gèng duō de rén jiān jí kǔ ， zì rán zhī dào wú quán wú yǒng de fán rén ， xiǎng yào zài zhè cán kù shì jiè shēng huó de nán chǔ 。
林轩叹了口气”想想自己当年也不过是区区一介没有灵根的凡人而已”而且父母早逝，体会了更多的人间疾苦，自然知道无拳无勇的凡人，想要在这残酷世界生活的难处。
"Sure."
néng bāng jiù bāng yì diǎn hǎo le 。
能帮就帮一点好了。
Lin Xuan nodded as a door creaked open, revealing an elderly man who looked to be around seventy years old. He bowed deeply before Lin Xuan.
“ bú yào zháo jí ， wǒ lái wèn nǐ ， kě shì yù jiàn le yāo shòu zuò luàn me ？”，“ wǒ yě bù qīng chǔ 。” nà nián qīng nán zi dāi dāi de shuō 。
“不要着急，我来问你，可是遇见了妖兽作乱么？”，“我也不清楚。”那年轻男子呆呆的说。
"Don't worry about the formalities; just speak your mind."
“ shén me ？”， lín xuān mǎn liǎn jīng è ， suí hòu méi tóu màn màn de zhòu qǐ lái le 。
“什么？”，林轩满脸惊愕，随后眉头慢慢的皱起来了。
"Thank you, Immortal."
“ xiān shī ， nín bú yào shēng qì ， wǒ gē gē zuǐ bā shì bèn le xiē ， hái qǐng xiān shī qù wǒ men cūn zi lǐ zuò kè ， wǎn bèi děng zài màn màn gào zhī bù chí de 。”“ yī wēn wǎn de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， què shì nà nǚ zǐ zài yī páng tì xiōng zhǎng jiě wéi le 。
“仙师，您不要生气，我哥哥嘴巴是笨了些，还请仙师去我们村子里做客，晚辈等再慢慢告知不迟的。”“一温婉的声音传入耳朵，却是那女子在一旁替兄长解围了。
The elder's face lit up with gratitude but also fear. In his youth, he had seen several Foundation Establishment cultivators, all of whom looked down on mortals. This one seemed so approachable—could it be because of his low cultivation level? If he was only a Spirit Flowing cultivator, whether he could handle the village's crisis was uncertain.
“ hǎo ba ！”， lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， kǔ xiū le liǎng bǎi zài ” bú jiàn rén yān ， qù shì sú zhōng zǒu dòng zǒu dòng yě bù cuò ， bāng bāng zhè xiē fán rén ， yě suàn shì jī xià jǐ fēn yīn dé 。
“好吧！”，林轩点了点头，苦修了两百载”不见人烟，去世俗中走动走动也不错，帮帮这些凡人，也算是积下几分阴德。
He thought this but kept his doubts to himself.
yú shì yóu xiōng mèi liǎ gōng jìng hǎo yǐn lǐng zhe ， lín xuān lái dào le tā men de cūn zhōng 。
于是由兄妹俩恭敬好引领着，林轩来到了他们的村中。
"Tell me what happened. Speak quickly; I don't have time for idle chatter."
shuō shì cūn zi ， qí guī mó bù yà yú yī xiǎo xiǎo de chéng shì ” zhè xiē fán rén ， jū rán yǒu shù wàn zhī duō ， zài dé zhī le lín xuān xiū xiān zhě de shēn fèn yǐ hòu ， wú bù lù chū gōng jìng yǐ jí de shén sè ， lín xuān suǒ guò zhī chù ” rén men fēn fēn guì dǎo kē tóu ， bù lùn zài nǎ yí gè jiè miàn ” xiū xiān zhě duì fán rén ér yán ” dōu shì gāo guì dào le jí diǎn 。
说是村子，其规模不亚于一小小的城市”这些凡人，居然有数万之多，在得知了林轩修仙者的身份以后，无不露出恭敬以极的神色，林轩所过之处”人们纷纷跪倒磕头，不论在哪一个界面”修仙者对凡人而言”都是高贵到了极点。
"We've been experiencing strange incidents in our village recently," said the elder.
lín xuān bèi dài dào cūn zi 〖 zhōng 〗 yāng zuì huá guì de yī zuò jiàn zhù ” xiōng mèi liǎ méi yǒu gēn jìn lái ， tā men qù xiàng zhǎng lǎo huì bào ， bù guò duì yú xiān shī dà rén ， zì rán bú huì lěng luò ， zì shì yǒu zhuān rén fù zé jiē dài de 。
林轩被带到村子〖中〗央最华贵的一座建筑”兄妹俩没有跟进来，他们去像长老汇报，不过对于仙师大人，自然不会冷落，自是有专人负责接待的。
"Strange incidents? Like what?"
zhè shì yī jiān kè fáng ， bìng bù suàn dà ” bù zhì dé què hěn yōu yǎ ， sì zhōu dōu guà zhe gǔ sè gǔ xiāng de bì huà ， chuāng tái shàng bǎi zhe xiān huā， suī rán bú shì shén me guì zhòng de xiān cǎo líng zhī ， dàn xiāng wèi ér què hěn qīng xīn dàn yǎ 。
这是一间客房，并不算大”布置得却很优雅，四周都挂着古色古香的壁画，窗台上摆着鲜huā，虽然不是什么贵重的仙草灵芝，但香味儿却很清新淡雅。
"Some villagers who went to cut wood on South Mountain disappeared without a trace."
shì nǚ men zǎo yǐ fèng shàng le xiāng chá ， páng biān hái bǎi zhe jǐ pán xiān nèn de guā guǒ ， dōu shì cūn zhōng zuì měi wèi de 。
侍女们早已奉上了香茶，旁边还摆着几盘鲜嫩的瓜果，都是村中最美味的。
"Were they eaten by beasts?"
lín xuān cháng le cháng ， wèi dào hái bú cuò ， yú shì gān cuì bì kāi le dù pí dà chī dà hē ， hěn kuài ， jiǎo bù shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
林轩尝了尝，味道还不错，于是干脆敝开了肚皮大吃大喝，很快，脚步声传入耳朵。
"I'm not sure, but after several occurrences, we sent guards to investigate. They didn't return either."
“ xiān shī ， xiǎo rén qín zhòng ， kě yǐ jìn lái me ？”
“仙师，小人秦重，可以进来么？”
"Hmm?" Lin Xuan was puzzled.
“ ń 。”
“嗯。”
If it were beasts or low-grade monsters, they would have attacked the village long ago. But if no one went up the mountain, there would be no issue. This case was peculiar from every angle.
lín xuān qīng 。 duō le yī shēng ， suí hòu zhī ya yī shēng mén tuī kāi le ， cóng wài miàn zǒu jìn lái yī míng lǎo zhě ， kàn shàng qù dà yuē yǒu qī xún kāi wài ， lái dào lín xuān de miàn qián ， dà lǐ cān bài 。
林轩轻。多了一声，随后吱呀一声门推开了，从外面走进来一名老者，看上去大约有七旬开外，来到林轩的面前，大礼参拜。
"Perhaps…?"
“ bù yòng duō lǐ ， yǒu shén me huà ， qǐ lái shuō 。”
“不用多礼，有什么话，起来说。”
"There must be something terrifying on that mountain. Though it hasn't directly attacked our village yet, people are already scared. If this continues, we can't stay here. The sea is vast, but we're not cultivators; we can't fly like you. Where should we go?" the elder said with a sad expression.
“ duō xiè xiān shī 。”
“多谢仙师。”
"Never mind what you say. What do you want from me?"
lǎo zhě xīn zhōng yī xǐ ， yòu yǒu xiē huáng kǒng ， yǐ qián zài tā nián qīng de shí hòu ， céng jīng jiàn guò jǐ míng zhù jī qī xiū xiān zhě ， yí gè gè yǎn gāo yú dǐng ， wán quán bù jiāng fán rén fàng zài yǎn zhōng ， yǎn qián zhè wèi rú cǐ píng yì jìn rén ， gāi bú huì shì xiū wèi tài dī de yuán gù ， rú guǒ tā jǐn jǐn shì líng dòng qī xiū xiān zhě ， néng bù néng yìng fù cūn zi de wēi jī kě jiù shì liǎng shuō 。
老者心中一喜，又有些惶恐，以前在他年轻的时候，曾经见过几名筑基期修仙者，一个个眼高于顶，完全不将凡人放在眼中，眼前这位如此平易近人，该不会是修为太低的缘故，如果他仅仅是灵动期修仙者，能不能应付村子的危机可就是两说。
"I know what you'll do," Lin Xuan replied. "I will investigate this matter."
xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， bù guò zhè jǐn jǐn shì cāi cè ， hé kuàng jí shǐ shì líng dòng qī xiān shī ， yě bú shì tā men zhè xiē fán rén kě yǐ dài màn dì ， suǒ yǐ tā de liǎn shàng ” yī jiù mǎn shì gōng jìng zhī sè ， méi yǒu jiāng xīn zhōng de gù lǜ shuō chū 。
心中如此想着，不过这仅仅是猜测，何况即使是灵动期仙师，也不是他们这些凡人可以怠慢地，所以他的脸上”依旧满是恭敬之色，没有将心中的顾虑说出。
"Thank you, Immortal. Thank you for your kindness. You are truly a compassionate deity to all mortals. Though we can't offer much in return, every household will erect a memorial tablet for you."
“ nǐ men zhǎo wǒ lái ， jiū jìng shì pèng jiàn le shén me ， yǒu huà kuài shuō ， běn zūn kě méi yǒu shí jiān zài zhè lǐ màn màn dān gē 。”
“你们找我来，究竟是碰见了什么，有话快说，本尊可没有时间在这里慢慢耽搁。”
Lin Xuan smiled but said, "That's not necessary." He was just in a good mood and didn't expect any gratitude from these mortals.
“ xiān shī ， shì zhè yàng de ， cūn zi zuì jìn yī duàn shí jiān ” lián xù fā shēng guài shì 。”
“仙师，是这样的，村子最近一段时间”连续发生怪事。”
He didn't want to linger here; he would leave after understanding the situation.
“ guài shì ？”，“ bù cuò ， shàng nán shān kǎn chái de cūn mín ， wú gù xiāo shī 。，“ shì bú shì bèi měng shòu chī le ？”
“怪事？”，“不错，上南山砍柴的村民，无故消失。，“是不是被猛兽吃了？”
The island wasn't large, but with his swift cultivation techniques, Lin Xuan quickly arrived at South Mountain. It was already late, and from below, the mountain loomed vast and mysterious, covered in dense vegetation, exuding a sense of dread.
“ zhè ge ……， xiǎo rén yě bù qīng chǔ ” fā shēng guò jǐ cì zhī hòu hái zǔ zhī wèi bīng shàng shān chá tàn guò ， kě tā men yě tóng yàng bù céng huí lái de 。”
“这个……，小人也不清楚”发生过几次之后还组织卫兵上山查探过，可他们也同样不曾回来的。”
As an advanced Spirit Flowing cultivator, Lin Xuan didn't fear anything. He entered the forest, his figure flashing through the trees.
“ ó ？” lín xuān yǒu xiē chà yì le 。
“哦？”林轩有些诧异了。
After some distance, he stopped and released his spirit awareness.
ruò shì měng shòu huò zhě dī jiē yāo zú ， méi dào lǐ bù xí jī jìn zài zhǐ chǐ de cūn zi ， kě zhǐ yào bù shàng shān jiù wú shì ， zhè jiàn shì qíng ， bù lùn cóng nǎ ge fāng miàn shuō ” dōu yǒu xiē guǐ yì de 。
若是猛兽或者低阶妖族，没道理不袭击近在咫尺的村子，可只要不上山就无事，这件事情，不论从哪个方面说”都有些诡异的。
Soon, he found what he was looking for. Lin Xuan's figure flashed to the left side of the path.
“ chēng shì xiǎng ………
“称是想………
Several skeletons were visible, their clothes riddled with holes, and weapons lay nearby. These must be the guards who had gone missing. They didn't seem to have died from beasts or monsters.
“ nà shān shàng ” kěn dìng yǒu shén me kě pà de dōng xī ， suī rán shàng wèi zhǔ dòng xí jī cūn zi ， dàn yǐ shì rén xīn huáng huáng ， zhè yàng xià qù ， wǒ men kěn dìng wú fǎ zài zhè xiǎo dǎo shàng zhù xià qù ， kě dà hǎi máng máng ， wǒ děng yòu bú shì xiū xiān zhě ， bù néng xiàng zhū wèi xiān shī yì bān de téng yún jià wù ， néng bān qiān dào nǎ lǐ qù ne 。” lǎo zhě shuō dào zhè lǐ ， yǐ shì mǎn liǎn de shāng gǎn zhī sè ：“ suǒ yǐ huán qǐng xiān shī dà fā cí bēi ……”
“那山上”肯定有什么可怕的东西，虽然尚未主动袭击村子，但已是人心惶惶，这样下去，我们肯定无法在这小岛上住下去，可大海茫茫，我等又不是修仙者，不能像诸位仙师一般的腾云驾雾，能搬迁到哪里去呢。”老者说道这里，已是满脸的伤感之色：“所以还请仙师大发慈悲……”
Lin Xuan waved his sleeves, and a light beam shot out, taking one of the bones.
“ xíng le ， nǐ bú yòng shuō ” xiǎng yào jí běn zūn zuò shén me ” wǒ yǐ xīn lǐ yǒu shù ” zì rán huì bāng nǐ jiāng zhè jiàn shì qíng diào chá qīng chǔ 。”
“行了，你不用说”想要集本尊做什么”我已心里有数”自然会帮你将这件事情调查清楚。”
At first glance, nothing seemed amiss. Lin Xuan infused his eyes with spiritual energy, activating an upgraded version of Heavenly Phoenix Divine Eye. His pupils turned silver.
“ xiè xiè xiān shī ， xiè xiè xiān shī ， nín zhēn shì gǔ dào rè cháng de wàn jiā shēng fó ， wǒ děng fán rén ， suī rán méi yǒu shén me dōng xī ” néng gòu yī biǎo xiè yì ， dàn jiā jiā dū huì wèi nǐ lì xià cháng shēng pái wèi de 。” lǎo zhě mǎn liǎn gǎn jī de shuō 。
“谢谢仙师，谢谢仙师，您真是古道热肠的万家生佛，我等凡人，虽然没有什么东西”能够一表谢意，但家家都会为你立下长生牌位的。”老者满脸感激的说。
Now, when he looked at the bone again, it was different.
“ zhè dào bù bì 。” lín xuān bāng máng ， zhǐ shì xīn qíng hǎo ér yǐ ， zì rán méi yǒu xiǎng guò ， hái yào qū qū fán rén ， qù huí bào zì jǐ shén me 。
“这倒不必。”林轩帮忙，只是心情好而已，自然没有想过，还要区区凡人，去回报自己什么。
Could it be…?
tā yě wú yì zài zhè lǐ duō zuò dān gē ” liǎo jiě qīng chǔ yǐ hòu jiù chū fā le 。
他也无意在这里多做耽搁”了解清楚以后就出发了。
Lin Xuan's eyes showed a hint of shock as he pondered. The description of Bloodfire Ants in the Spirit Control Heart came to mind—like the Jade Luo Bee, they were considered savage and strange insects, but their ranking was low, almost at the bottom.
zhè zuò xiǎo dǎo miàn jī hái suàn guǎng kuò ， bù guò yǐ lín xuān de dùn shù ” zì rán shì hěn kuài jiù lái dào nà suǒ wèi de nán shān le ， cǐ shí tiān sè yǐ wǎn ” cóng shān jiǎo xià kàn ” cāng máng de dà shān ， fù gài zhe gè zhǒng mào mì de zhí wù ， yī gǔ shén mì kě pà de qì fēn pèi rán ér chū ” fǎng fú lǐ miàn yǐn cáng zhe shén me è mó 。
这座小岛面积还算广阔，不过以林轩的遁术”自然是很快就来到那所谓的南山了，此时天色已晚”从山脚下看”苍茫的大山，覆盖着各种茂密的植物，一股神秘可怕的气氛沛然而出”仿佛里面隐藏着什么恶魔。
A single Bloodfire Ant could be handled by a Spirit Flowing cultivator with proper magical tools.
bù guò lín xuān shēn wèi lí hé zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ， zì rán bù yòng hài pà shén me ” shēn xíng shǎn dòng ， yǐ jìn rù dào le mì lín zhī zhōng 。
不过林轩身为离合中期的修仙者，自然不用害怕什么”身形闪动，已进入到了密林之中。
In other words, such a spirit insect had little use except for devouring human and beast flesh. It posed no threat to cultivators or even low-grade monsters.
shēn rù yī duàn jù lí zhī hòu ， lín xuān jiù tíng le xià lái ， suí hòu jiāng shén shí fàng chū 。
深入一段距离之后，林轩就停了下来，随后将神识放出。
However, these insects were not harmless to cultivators.
hěn kuài jiù yǒu le shōu huò ， lín xuān shēn xíng yī shǎn de xiàng zuǒ cè fēi qù le 。
很快就有了收获，林轩身形一闪的像左侧飞去了。
While individual ones weren't much of a problem, if there were millions, tens of millions, or even billions, they could overwhelm even Spirit Flowing cultivators. With more, they could threaten Core Profound cultivators.
jǐ jù hái gǔ yìng rù le shì xiàn zhōng ， yī fú shàng yě qiān chuāng bǎi kǒng ， páng biān hái fàng zhe yī xiē wǔ qì ” rú guǒ méi yǒu liào cuò ， tā men jiù shì cūn zhōng qián lái chá fǎng de wèi duì le 。
几俱骸骨映入了视线中，衣服上也千疮百孔，旁边还放着一些武器”如果没有料错，他们就是村中前来查访的卫队了。
The reproductive rate of Bloodfire Ants was the most terrifying among known spirit insects. Their life cycle was fast, and no need for maturation; the key was to reproduce in greater numbers to achieve a numerical advantage.
kàn yàng zi ， bìng bù xiàng sǐ yú měng shòu zhī kǒu ， yāo zú yě bú huì zhè me zuò 。
看样子，并不像死于猛兽之口，妖族也不会这么做。
In ancient times, some cultivators had used Bloodfire Ants, but this insect mysteriously disappeared from the East Sea cultivation realm!
In the blink of an eye, Lin Xuan had traversed countless miles. A desolate little island appeared in his line of sight.
Lin Xuan's heart leaped with excitement as he flew over. He was not here to endure loneliness from too much cultivation time; instead, he wanted to test his current abilities.
Soon the island came into view, but Lin Xuan slowed down and stopped, a hint of puzzlement on his face. Although this island was barren and had sparse qi, there were signs of human life.
However, these people were not cultivators but ordinary folk living here.
Lin Xuan sighed. In the eyes of cultivators, mortals were like ants, but their lives were hard. He naturally wouldn't disturb them. Just as he was about to leave, a series of alarmed cries caught his ear.
Lin Xuan turned around in surprise and saw two mortals appearing before him—a man and a woman, both no more than twenty years old. They looked excited yet anxious, waving at him repeatedly.
Clearly, they wanted his attention.
This puzzled Lin Xuan. Mortals rarely provoked cultivators; after all, most cultivators were unpredictable!
While it could be beneficial for mortals to associate with cultivators, whether it was a blessing or a curse was hard to say. Thus, unless they needed "immortal techniques" to defend against beasts or natural disasters, mortals preferred not to interact with cultivators.
The mortals had actually called him out of their own accord!
A gentle voice interrupted his thoughts. It was the woman beside her brother, helping him out.
"Alright," Lin Xuan nodded. He had spent two hundred years in seclusion; it wouldn't hurt to visit this village and help these mortals accumulate some good karma.
Guided by his brother and sister, Lin Xuan arrived at their village. Though called a village, its scale was comparable to a small city with tens of thousands of inhabitants. Upon learning that he was a cultivator, everyone greeted him with utmost respect. People knelt and bowed wherever he went; in every realm, cultivators were considered extremely noble.
Lin Xuan was led to the most luxurious building at the village center. His brother and sister left to report to the elders but had arranged for someone to welcome their "esteemed guest."
The room wasn't large but elegantly decorated with ancient paintings hanging on the walls. Fresh flowers adorned the windowsills, though not precious herbs or plants, they smelled fresh and subtle.
Servants had already served him fragrant tea, along with several plates of delicious fruits from the village.
Lin Xuan tasted them and found them quite good, so he indulged himself in eating. Soon, footsteps approached.
"Immortal, may I come in? This is Qin Zhong."
"Sure."
Lin Xuan nodded as a door creaked open, revealing an elderly man who looked to be around seventy years old. He bowed deeply before Lin Xuan.
"Don't worry about the formalities; just speak your mind."
"Thank you, Immortal."
The elder's face lit up with gratitude but also fear. In his youth, he had seen several Foundation Establishment cultivators, all of whom looked down on mortals. This one seemed so approachable—could it be because of his low cultivation level? If he was only a Spirit Flowing cultivator, whether he could handle the village's crisis was uncertain.
He thought this but kept his doubts to himself.
"Tell me what happened. Speak quickly; I don't have time for idle chatter."
"We've been experiencing strange incidents in our village recently," said the elder.
"Strange incidents? Like what?"
"Some villagers who went to cut wood on South Mountain disappeared without a trace."
"Were they eaten by beasts?"
"I'm not sure, but after several occurrences, we sent guards to investigate. They didn't return either."
"Hmm?" Lin Xuan was puzzled.
If it were beasts or low-grade monsters, they would have attacked the village long ago. But if no one went up the mountain, there would be no issue. This case was peculiar from every angle.
"Perhaps…?"
"There must be something terrifying on that mountain. Though it hasn't directly attacked our village yet, people are already scared. If this continues, we can't stay here. The sea is vast, but we're not cultivators; we can't fly like you. Where should we go?" the elder said with a sad expression.
"Never mind what you say. What do you want from me?"
"I know what you'll do," Lin Xuan replied. "I will investigate this matter."
"Thank you, Immortal. Thank you for your kindness. You are truly a compassionate deity to all mortals. Though we can't offer much in return, every household will erect a memorial tablet for you."
Lin Xuan smiled but said, "That's not necessary." He was just in a good mood and didn't expect any gratitude from these mortals.
He didn't want to linger here; he would leave after understanding the situation.
The island wasn't large, but with his swift cultivation techniques, Lin Xuan quickly arrived at South Mountain. It was already late, and from below, the mountain loomed vast and mysterious, covered in dense vegetation, exuding a sense of dread.
As an advanced Spirit Flowing cultivator, Lin Xuan didn't fear anything. He entered the forest, his figure flashing through the trees.
After some distance, he stopped and released his spirit awareness.
Soon, he found what he was looking for. Lin Xuan's figure flashed to the left side of the path.
Several skeletons were visible, their clothes riddled with holes, and weapons lay nearby. These must be the guards who had gone missing. They didn't seem to have died from beasts or monsters.
Lin Xuan waved his sleeves, and a light beam shot out, taking one of the bones.
At first glance, nothing seemed amiss. Lin Xuan infused his eyes with spiritual energy, activating an upgraded version of Heavenly Phoenix Divine Eye. His pupils turned silver.
Now, when he looked at the bone again, it was different.
Could it be…?
Lin Xuan's eyes showed a hint of shock as he pondered. The description of Bloodfire Ants in the Spirit Control Heart came to mind—like the Jade Luo Bee, they were considered savage and strange insects, but their ranking was low, almost at the bottom.
A single Bloodfire Ant could be handled by a Spirit Flowing cultivator with proper magical tools.
In other words, such a spirit insect had little use except for devouring human and beast flesh. It posed no threat to cultivators or even low-grade monsters.
However, these insects were not harmless to cultivators.
While individual ones weren't much of a problem, if there were millions, tens of millions, or even billions, they could overwhelm even Spirit Flowing cultivators. With more, they could threaten Core Profound cultivators.
The reproductive rate of Bloodfire Ants was the most terrifying among known spirit insects. Their life cycle was fast, and no need for maturation; the key was to reproduce in greater numbers to achieve a numerical advantage.
In ancient times, some cultivators had used Bloodfire Ants, but this insect mysteriously disappeared from the East Sea cultivation realm!