“ hē hē ， qián bèi tài guò kè qì le ， wǎn bèi zhè jiù dài nín qián wǎng wàng yōu gǔ 。 gōng zhuāng měi fù wēi xiào zhe shuō 。
“呵呵，前辈太过客气了，晚辈这就带您前往忘忧谷。宫装美妇微笑着说。
"Haha, Senior, you're being too polite. I'll take you to the Forgetful Worry Valley right away," said the woman in a traditional court dress with a smile.
“ niáng ， wǒ yě yào qù 。, shàng guān líng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ lǐ 。
“娘，我也要去。,上官翎的声音传入耳朵里。
"Mother, I want to go as well," came Shangguan Ling's voice into his ears.
“ chēng zhè yā tou , còu shén me rè nào ， zài zhè lǐ děng zhe ， niáng péi qián bèi ， shì yǒu yào shì yào zuò 。, gōng zhuāng měi fù yǒu diǎn bú yuè de shuō 。
“称这丫头,凑什么热闹，在这里等着，娘陪前辈，是有要事要做。,宫装美妇有点不悦的说。
"Call this girl what she is; there's no need for her to come. Wait here while Mother accompanies Senior. There's something important that needs to be done." The woman in the court dress said with a hint of displeasure.
“ ó ！, shàng guān líng jiàn mǔ qīn shén sè bù yù ， suī xīn zhōng wěi qū ， què yě bù gǎn jì xù hú jiǎo mán chán xià qù 。
“哦！,上官翎见母亲神色不豫，虽心中委屈，却也不敢继续胡搅蛮缠下去。
"Oh!" Seeing his mother's disapproving expression, Shangguan Ling felt wronged but dared not continue pestering her further.
“ ràng qián bèi jiàn xiào le 。, shàng guān mù yǔ xiàng lín xuān yíng yíng yī fú ， liǎn shàng lù chū qiàn jiù zhī sè ， suí hòu hún shēn qīng máng dà qǐ ， xiàng zhe yuǎn chù fēi lüè ér qù 。
“让前辈见笑了。,上官暮雨像林轩盈盈一拂，脸上露出歉疚之色，随后浑身青芒大起，向着远处飞掠而去。
"I beg your forgiveness," Lin Xuan gently brushed past her, showing signs of regret on his face. He then emitted a bright green light all over and flew towards the distance.
lín xuān shēn xíng yī shǎn ， huà wèi yī dào bù qǐ yǎn de jīng hóng gēn zài hòu miàn 。
林轩身形一闪，化为一道不起眼的惊虹跟在后面。
Lin Xuan's figure flashed as he turned into an inconspicuous streak of light following behind.
hěn kuài ， yī měi lì de xiǎo shān gǔ jiù yìng rù yǎn lián 。
很快，一美丽的小山谷就映入眼帘。
Soon enough, a beautiful little valley came into view.
shàng wèi jìn gǔ ， jiù wén jiàn xiāng qì pū bí ， lǐ miàn jìng rán xiàng zhǒng zhe bù shǎo qí huā yì cǎo de yàng zi 。
尚未进谷，就闻见香气扑鼻，里面竟然像种着不少奇花异草的样子。
Even before entering, he could smell the fragrance that seemed to come from many rare flowers and exotic plants inside.
lín xuān mù guāng sǎo guò 。
林轩目光扫过。
Lin Xuan scanned his surroundings. "Purple Vine Flower, Clear Breeze Dew, Snowy Grass, Crystal Gourd… These are insignificant in my eyes, but for the Hundred Herbs Sect, they're invaluable treasures."
“ zǐ téng huā ， qīng fēng xiá ， xuě hán cǎo ， liú lí guā …, zhè xiē dōng xī ， zài zì jǐ de yǎn lǐ ， bù zhí yī tí ， dàn duì yú bǎi cǎo mén ér yán ， jué duì shì jià zhí bù fēi zhī wù 。
“紫藤花，清风霞，雪寒草，琉璃瓜…,这些东西，在自己的眼里，不值一提，但对于百草门而言，绝对是价值不菲之物。
A thought struck him: "Is this your sect's herb garden?"
lín xuān xīn zhōng yī dòng ：“ zhè lǐ shì guì pài de yào pǔ ？,“ qián bèi huì yǎn rú jù ， méi xiǎng dào nǐ duì yào xìng yě rú cǐ shú xī ， bù cuò ， zhè lǐ shì zǔ shī xī rì de dòng fǔ , líng qì zì rán yě zuì chōng zú ， suǒ yǐ zài páng biān kāi pì le jǐ kuài dì zuò wéi yào pǔ 。, shàng guān mù yǔ wēi xiào zhe shuō 。
林轩心中一动：“这里是贵派的药圃？,“前辈慧眼如炬，没想到你对药性也如此熟悉，不错，这里是祖师昔日的洞府,灵气自然也最充足，所以在旁边开辟了几块地作为药圃。,上官暮雨微笑着说。
"Senior has keen eyesight. I didn't expect you to be so familiar with medicinal properties. Indeed, this was where our ancestor resided long ago. The air here is naturally most abundant in essence energy, hence the few plots of land we've cultivated for herbs," Shangguan Mudouyu said with a smile.
“ jì shì guì mén zhòng dì ， nà lín mǒu qǐ néng jū zhù zài zhè lǐ ， dào yǒu rú cǐ ， jiù bù pà yǐn láng rù shì ？,“ hē hē ， qián bèi shuō xiào le ， zhè xiē yào cǎo ， qiè shēn ruò méi yǒu liào cuò , kǒng pà biàn shì bái sòng yǔ qián bèi ， nín yě huì xián léi zhuì ， qiè shēn hái dān xīn shén me ？, cǐ nǚ yǎn kǒu qīng xiào zhe shuō ：“ hé kuàng yǒu qián bèi zuò zhèn cǐ chù , qiè shēn fǎn dào bù yòng dān xīn yào cǎo luò rù xiāo xiǎo zhī shǒu ， yán gé lái shuō ， kě hái shì wǒ zhàn le qián bèi de pián yi ， hái wàng nín bú yào jiè yì 。, lín xuān xiào ér bù yǔ ， zì rán bú huì jiāng cǐ yǔ dàng zhēn ， zhè shàng guān mù yǔ ， bù guò shì hěn huì shuō huà ér yǐ ， yǔ xī rì de wǔ yún ér ， pǒ yǒu jǐ fēn xiāng sì 。
“既是贵门重地，那林某岂能居住在这里，道友如此，就不怕引狼入室？,“呵呵，前辈说笑了，这些药草，妾身若没有料错,恐怕便是白送与前辈，您也会嫌累赘，妾身还担心什么？,此女掩口轻笑着说：“何况有前辈坐镇此处,妾身反倒不用担心药草落入宵小之手，严格来说，可还是我占了前辈的便宜，还望您不要介意。,林轩笑而不语，自然不会将此语当真，这上官暮雨，不过是很会说话而已，与昔日的武云儿，颇有几分相似。
"Since it's such an important place, how can I reside here? If you insist, won't you be inviting trouble?" Lin Xuan chuckled. "Haha, Senior jests. Even if these herbs were given to me, you'd still find them too cumbersome. What more should I worry about?"
suí hòu zài cǐ nǚ gōng jìng de yǐn lǐng xià ， lín xuān jìn le wàng yōu gǔ 。
随后在此女恭敬的引领下，林轩进了忘忧谷。
The woman covered her mouth and giggled: "Besides, with Senior guarding this place, I have no need to fear that the herbs will fall into the wrong hands. In a way, it's still an advantage for me. Please don't mind."
hái bié shuō ， cǐ gǔ shì chéng hú lú xíng zhuàng de ， rù kǒu bù dà , lǐ miàn què bié yǒu dòng tiān ， fēng jǐng rú huà ， měi lì yōu yǎ 。
还别说，此谷是呈葫芦形状的，入口不大,里面却别有洞天，风景如画，美丽优雅。
Lin Xuan smiled without replying, knowing full well she was just good at talking. She reminded him of Wu Yun from long ago.
“ qián bèi ， zhè jiù shì bǐ zǔ shī de dòng fǔ ， yào wǒ dài nín jìn qù kàn kàn ma ？, dào lín xuān de huí dá ， shàng guān mù yǔ yù shǒu yáng qǐ ， zhǎng xīn zhī zhōng bù zhī hé shí ， yǐ duō chū le yī kuài yín sè de lìng fú , yī dào ér bì cū de hóng máng fàng chū ， qián miàn rǔ bái sè de wù qì kāi shǐ fān yǒng ， suí hòu yī tiáo qīng shí xiǎo jìng chū xiàn zài le shì xiàn zhōng 。
“前辈，这就是鄙祖师的洞府，要我带您进去看看吗？,到林轩的回答，上官幕雨玉手扬起，掌心之中不知何时，已多出了一块银色的令符,一道儿臂粗的红芒放出，前面乳白色的雾气开始翻涌，随后一条青石小径出现在了视线中。
Following her respectful guidance, Lin Xuan entered the Forgetful Worry Valley.
hōng lōng lóng ！
轰隆隆！
Indeed, the valley had a gourd-like shape with a small entrance leading to an expansive yet elegant interior. The scenery was picturesque and elegant.
dòng mén dǎ kāi ， yī zuò kuān chǎng què bù shī jīng zhì de dòng fǔ yìng rù yǎn lián 。
洞门打开，一座宽敞却不失精致的洞府映入眼帘。
"Senior, this is where our ancestor resided. Would you like me to show you around?" Shangguan Mudouyu raised her jade hand, revealing a silver令符 in the palm of her hand. A red light about as thick as a child's arm emerged from it, causing the milky white mist ahead to stir. Soon, a path made of green stones appeared before their eyes.
“ qián bèi ， suǒ yǒu de jiā jù ， qiè shēn yǐ jīng fēn fù zhòng dì zǐ huàn le xīn de ， nín xiàn zài jiù kě yǐ rù zhù 。
“前辈，所有的家具，妾身已经吩咐众弟子换了新的，您现在就可以入住。
Rumble!
, cǐ nǚ gōng jìng de shuō , suí hòu liǎn shàng què duō chū jǐ fēn chà yì zhī sè ：“ qián bèi ， nín zěn me le ？, lín xuān shì ruò wú dǔ ， cǐ nǚ bù yóu de suí zhī zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， mù guāng luò zài gòng zhuō ， ér zài gòng zhuō de qián miàn ， xuán guà zhe yī fú huà 。
,此女恭敬的说,随后脸上却多出几分诧异之色：“前辈，您怎么了？,林轩视若无睹，此女不由得随之转过头颅，目光落在供桌，而在供桌的前面，悬挂着一幅画。
The cave door opened, revealing an expansive yet elegant cave dwelling.
kàn qǐ lái ， nián dài hěn jiǔ yuǎn le ， bù guò yǒu jìn zhì bǎo hù ， bǎo cún dé yī jiù shì wán hǎo wú sǔn de , huà gōng jīng zhì ， xǔ xǔ rú shēng 。
看起来，年代很久远了，不过有禁制保护，保存得依旧是完好无损的,画工精致，栩栩如生。
"Senior, I've instructed all my disciples to replace all the furniture with new ones. You can move in now," Shangguan Mudouyu said respectfully. Then, her expression turned curious: "Senior, what's wrong?"
páng biān hái tí zhe yī shǒu cí ， bù guò lín xuān duì wén yǔ bù gǎn xìng qù ， tā de mù guāng luò zài huà zhōng de yī wèi shào nǚ 。
旁边还提着一首词，不过林轩对文宇不敢兴趣，他的目光落在画中的一位少女。
Lin Xuan ignored it, prompting her to turn and look at the altar table. Hanging before the table was a painting.
kàn shàng qù dà yuē èr shí chū tóu nián jì ， míng míng fēng huá zhèng mào ， kě bù zhī wèi hé ， què gěi rén yī zhǒng lì jīng cāng zá de gǎn jué 。
看上去大约二十出头年纪，明明风华正茂，可不知为何，却给人一种历经沧杂的感觉。
It seemed very old, but with protective enchantments, it remained in pristine condition. The craftsmanship was exquisite, capturing life-like details.
cǐ nǚ fēi cháng měi lì ， dàn lín xuān zài yì de yě bú shì zhè xiē 。
此女非常美丽，但林轩在意的也不是这些。
Beside it hung a poem, though Lin Xuan wasn't interested in the words; his gaze fell on a young woman depicted in the painting.
yǐ tā de chéng fǔ ， liǎn shàng yě bù yóu de lù chū chī jīng zhī sè ， zhè nǚ zǐ fēi cháng de yǎn shú ， zì jǐ céng jīng jiàn guò 。
以他的城府，脸上也不由得露出吃惊之色，这女子非常的眼熟，自己曾经见过。
She appeared to be around twenty years old, yet despite her youthful beauty, there was an air of沧桑 that made one wonder about her past experiences.
zhèng què de shuō ， shàng cì jiàn tā yě shì zài huà zhōng jiàn dào de 。
正确的说，上次见他也是在画中见到的。
This woman was very beautiful, but what caught Lin Xuan's attention were other things.
xuán fèng xiān zi ！
玄凤仙子！
With his deep-seated wisdom, he couldn't help showing surprise. He had seen this woman before; in fact, it was during a painting that they met last time.
yāo líng dǎo xuán fèng mén de chuàng pài zǔ shī ， fèng wǔ jiǔ tiān jué yě shì yóu cǐ nǚ chuàng lì 。
妖灵岛玄凤门的创派祖师，凤舞九天诀也是由此女创立。
Princess Phoenix!
cóng zhè céng guān xì ， shuō cǐ nǚ shì zì jǐ bàn gè shī fù yě méi cuò dì 。
从这层关系，说此女是自己半个师父也没错地。
The founder of the Spirit Phoenix Sect on Phantom Island and the creator of the Nine Heavens Phoenix Dance Technique. From their relationship, she could be considered his half-teacher.
lín xuān yòu jīng yòu xǐ ， tā zhī dào xuán fèng xiān zi pò suì xū kōng ， fēi shēng dào líng jiè zhī zhōng ， cóng gǔ mó de kǒu lǐ ， shèn zhì hái xiǎo de cǐ nǚ chéng wéi liǎo liǎo bù qǐ de dà rén wù 。
林轩又惊又喜，他知道玄凤仙子破碎虚空，飞升到灵界之中，从古魔的口里，甚至还晓得此女成为了了不起的大人物。
Lin Xuan was both surprised and delighted to know that Princess Phoenix had shattered the void and ascended to the spirit realm. He even heard from ancient demons that she had become a significant figure.
kě xuán fèng xiān zi fēi shēng ， bì jìng shì shàng gǔ zhī shí ， jù lí xiàn zài tài yuǎn le ， lín xuān wàn wàn méi xiǎng dào ， jū rán hái néng dé dào tā de xiàn suǒ 。
可玄凤仙子飞升，毕竟是上古之时，距离现在太远了，林轩万万没想到，居然还能得到她的线索。
But the time of her ascension was so long ago that Lin Xuan never expected to find any trace of her.
“ qián bèi ， mò fēi nín rèn shí zǔ shī de zhè wèi péng yǒu me ？, shàng guān mù yǔ de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lǐ miàn chōng mǎn le zhèn jīng zhī sè 。
“前辈，莫非您认识祖师的这位朋友么？,上官暮雨的声音传入耳朵，里面充满了震惊之色。
"Senior, do you recognize this ancestor's friend?" Shangguan Mudouyu's voice filled with shock.
“ zǔ shī ？, lín xuān zhè cái zhù yì dào ， xuán fèng xiān zi shēn biān ， hái yǒu yī wèi shào nǚ ， tóng yàng shì róng mào tǎo xǐ ， dà yuē shí ** suì de yàng zi ， dāng rán ， xiū xiān zhě de nián líng ， yóu qí nǚ xiū ， shì bù kě yǐ tōng guò wài mào lái pàn duàn dì 。
“祖师？,林轩这才注意到，玄凤仙子身边，还有一位少女，同样是容貌讨喜，大约十**岁的样子，当然，修仙者的年龄，尤其女修，是不可以通过外貌来判断地。
"Ancestor?" Lin Xuan only noticed a young woman beside Princess Phoenix. She had an attractive appearance and seemed to be in her teens. However, the age of cultivators, especially female ones, couldn't be judged by their looks.
yuán běn yǐ wéi bǎi cǎo mén ， jǐn jǐn shì yī bù qǐ yǎn de xiǎo pài ， rú jīn kàn lái ， kǒng pà méi yǒu zhè me jiǎn dān 。
原本以为百草门，仅仅是一不起眼的小派，如今看来，恐怕没有这么简单。
He originally thought that the Hundred Herbs Sect was just a small sect, but now it appeared more complex than he imagined.
“ rèn shí tán bù shàng ， bù guò lín mǒu ， yǔ zhè wèi xuán fèng xiān zi ， nǎi shì cóng tóng yī gè rén jiè fēi shēng shàng lái dì ， suī méi yǒu jiàn guò ， bù guò què rán shì yǒu yī xiē guān xì de 。, lín xuān dàn dàn de shuō 。
“认识谈不上，不过林某，与这位玄凤仙子，乃是从同一个人界飞升上来地，虽没有见过，不过确然是有一些关系的。,林轩淡淡的说。
"Recognition is not necessary; however, Lin Xuan and this Phoenix Princess ascended from the same world. Though we haven't met, there's some connection between us," Lin Xuan said calmly.
“ cóng tóng yī gè rén jiè fēi shēng …… qián bèi nǐ shì fēi shēng xiū shì ？, shàng guān mù yǔ dà jīng shī sè ， suī rán tā yǔ lín xuān xiāng bǐ ， xiū wèi hěn dī hěn dī ， dàn zhè bù dài biǎo cǐ nǚ ， jiù bù xiǎo de xiū xiān jiè de cháng shí 。
“从同一个人界飞升……前辈你是飞升修士？,上官暮雨大惊失色，虽然她与林轩相比，修为很低很低，但这不代表此女，就不晓得修仙界的常识。
"From the same world… Senior, are you a cultivator who ascended through the void?" Shangguan Mudouyu was shocked. Although her cultivation level was much lower than Lin Xuan's, she knew enough about the cultivation world. Breaking through the void and ascending here meant at least being in the Separation stage, with ascension cultivators usually having stronger combat abilities compared to spirit realm counterparts.
néng gòu pò suì xū kōng ， cóng rén jiè fēi shēng dào zhè lǐ ， zhì shǎo yě shì lí hé ， ér qiě fēi shēng xiū shì de zhàn dòu lì ， tōng cháng bǐ líng jiè de tóng jiē xiū shì qiáng dé duō 。
能够破碎虚空，从人界飞升到这里，至少也是离合，而且飞升修士的战斗力，通常比灵界的同阶修士强得多。
No wonder the Heavenly Fire Sect, Senior Lin completely disregarded them, effortlessly killing over a hundred cultivators with just a hand gesture.
guài bù dé tiān huǒ zōng , lín qián bèi wán quán bù zài hū ， jǔ shǒu tóu zú ， jiù miè shā le duì fāng shàng bǎi xiū xiān zhě 。
怪不得天火宗,林前辈完全不在乎，举手投足，就灭杀了对方上百修仙者。
Initially knowing that Lin Xuan's cultivation was beyond comprehension, she had assumed he might be at late-stage Core Formation. But it turned out to be Separation stage, which made her even more respectful and cautious.
cǐ nǚ kāi shǐ de shí hòu ， suī rán jiù zhī dào lín xuān xiū wèi shēn bù kě cè ， dàn zài tā xiǎng lái ， zuì duō yě bù guò yuán yīng hòu qī ， méi xiǎng dào shì lí hé ， jīng yà zhī yú ， shàng guān mù yǔ de biǎo qíng ， yuè fā de gōng jìng wú bǐ 。
此女开始的时候，虽然就知道林轩修为深不可测，但在她想来，最多也不过元婴后期，没想到是离合，惊讶之余，上官暮雨的表情，越发的恭敬无比。
"Hmm, since I've revealed some of my secrets to you, I hope you'll keep them confidential," Lin Xuan said with a smile but with a sharp look in his eyes that chilled the woman's heart.
“ ń ， lín mǒu zhī shì ， yǐ xiàng dào yǒu jiāo le yī xiē dǐ ， xī wàng dào yǒu néng gòu bǎo shǒu mì mì ， bú yào shuō chū qù 。, lín xuān dàn dàn de shuō ， suī hé yán yuè sè ， dàn yǎn zhōng de líng lì ， què kàn dé cǐ nǚ xīn shēng hán yì 。
“嗯，林某之事，已像道友交了一些底，希望道友能够保守秘密，不要说出去。,林轩淡淡的说，虽和颜悦色，但眼中的凌厉，却看得此女心生寒意。
"Rest assured, Senior. I understand and will not say anything that could bring trouble to you," Shangguan Mudouyu quickly replied respectfully.
“ dào yǒu fàng xīn ， qiè shēn xiǎo de ， jué bù gǎn hú luàn duō zuǐ duō shé ， gěi qián bèi dài lái má fán de 。, cǐ nǚ máng gōng jìng de shuō 。
“道友放心，妾身晓得，绝不敢胡乱多嘴多舌，给前辈带来麻烦的。,此女忙恭敬的说。
Lin Xuan nodded, showing satisfaction: "Now, can you tell me what relationship exists between this Phoenix Princess and your sect?"
xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， liǎn lù mǎn yì zhī sè ：“ nà dào yǒu xiàn zài ， shì bú shì kě yǐ gào sù wǒ ， xuán fèng xiān zi yǔ guì pài ， jiū jìng yǒu hé guān xì ？,“ hē hē ， zhè ge qián bèi jí biàn bù wèn ， qiè shēn yě huì shuō ， yīn wèi gēn běn jiù bú shì mì mì ， shuō chuān le méi yǒu fēn háo xī qì ， bì pài zǔ shī ， yī cì wài chū de shí hòu ， yǔ xuán fèng xiān zi ǒu rán xiāng yù ， liǎng rén yì qì xiāng tóu ， jié wèi le guī zhōng mì yǒu , yīng bì zǔ shī yāo qǐng ， xuán fèng xiān zi hái lái yuán guī dǎo ， zhù guò yī duàn shí jiān ， ér zhè fú huà ， jiù shì zài nà duàn shí qī ， suǒ liú xià lái 。, shàng guān mù yǔ wěi wěi jiǎng shù ， shí fēn lǎo shí de kāi kǒu le 。
轩点了点头，脸露满意之色：“那道友现在，是不是可以告诉我，玄凤仙子与贵派，究竟有何关系？,“呵呵，这个前辈即便不问，妾身也会说，因为根本就不是秘密，说穿了没有分毫吸气，敝派祖师，一次外出的时候，与玄凤仙子偶然相遇，两人意气相投，结为了闺中密友,应敝祖师邀请，玄凤仙子还来元龟岛，住过一段时间，而这幅画，就是在那段时期，所留下来。,上官暮雨娓娓讲述，十分老实的开口了。
"Haha, even if Senior doesn't ask, I would still reveal it. It's not a secret. Our ancestor once met the Phoenix Princess by chance while out. They shared similar interests and became close friends. The painting was created during that period," Shangguan Mudouyu narrated calmly.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ ， jiù zhè me jiǎn dān ？,“ què rán rú cǐ ， qiè shēn bù gǎn yǐn mán 。,“ nà hòu lái rú hé ？,“ hòu lái ， xuán fèng xiān zi zhù le jǐ bǎi zài ， jiù cóng zhè lǐ lí kāi ， hòu lái bì zǔ shī jìn jiē dào dòng xuán ， yě qù le qí tā jiè miàn 。,！~！
“原来如此，就这么简单？,“确然如此，妾身不敢隐瞒。,“那后来如何？,“后来，玄凤仙子住了几百载，就从这里离开，后来敝祖师进阶到洞玄，也去了其他界面。,！~！
"Then what happened later?" Lin Xuan asked curiously.
"After living here for several hundred years, the Phoenix Princess left. Our ancestor then advanced to the Profound Origin stage and went to other realms," Shangguan Mudouyu continued.
"Haha, Senior, you're being too polite. I'll take you to the Forgetful Worry Valley right away," said the woman in a traditional court dress with a smile.
"Mother, I want to go as well," came Shangguan Ling's voice into his ears.
"Call this girl what she is; there's no need for her to come. Wait here while Mother accompanies Senior. There's something important that needs to be done." The woman in the court dress said with a hint of displeasure.
"Oh!" Seeing his mother's disapproving expression, Shangguan Ling felt wronged but dared not continue pestering her further.
"I beg your forgiveness," Lin Xuan gently brushed past her, showing signs of regret on his face. He then emitted a bright green light all over and flew towards the distance.
Lin Xuan's figure flashed as he turned into an inconspicuous streak of light following behind.
Soon enough, a beautiful little valley came into view.
Even before entering, he could smell the fragrance that seemed to come from many rare flowers and exotic plants inside.
Lin Xuan scanned his surroundings. "Purple Vine Flower, Clear Breeze Dew, Snowy Grass, Crystal Gourd… These are insignificant in my eyes, but for the Hundred Herbs Sect, they're invaluable treasures."
A thought struck him: "Is this your sect's herb garden?"
"Senior has keen eyesight. I didn't expect you to be so familiar with medicinal properties. Indeed, this was where our ancestor resided long ago. The air here is naturally most abundant in essence energy, hence the few plots of land we've cultivated for herbs," Shangguan Mudouyu said with a smile.
"Since it's such an important place, how can I reside here? If you insist, won't you be inviting trouble?" Lin Xuan chuckled. "Haha, Senior jests. Even if these herbs were given to me, you'd still find them too cumbersome. What more should I worry about?"
The woman covered her mouth and giggled: "Besides, with Senior guarding this place, I have no need to fear that the herbs will fall into the wrong hands. In a way, it's still an advantage for me. Please don't mind."
Lin Xuan smiled without replying, knowing full well she was just good at talking. She reminded him of Wu Yun from long ago.
Following her respectful guidance, Lin Xuan entered the Forgetful Worry Valley.
Indeed, the valley had a gourd-like shape with a small entrance leading to an expansive yet elegant interior. The scenery was picturesque and elegant.
"Senior, this is where our ancestor resided. Would you like me to show you around?" Shangguan Mudouyu raised her jade hand, revealing a silver令符 in the palm of her hand. A red light about as thick as a child's arm emerged from it, causing the milky white mist ahead to stir. Soon, a path made of green stones appeared before their eyes.
Rumble!
The cave door opened, revealing an expansive yet elegant cave dwelling.
"Senior, I've instructed all my disciples to replace all the furniture with new ones. You can move in now," Shangguan Mudouyu said respectfully. Then, her expression turned curious: "Senior, what's wrong?"
Lin Xuan ignored it, prompting her to turn and look at the altar table. Hanging before the table was a painting.
It seemed very old, but with protective enchantments, it remained in pristine condition. The craftsmanship was exquisite, capturing life-like details.
Beside it hung a poem, though Lin Xuan wasn't interested in the words; his gaze fell on a young woman depicted in the painting.
She appeared to be around twenty years old, yet despite her youthful beauty, there was an air of沧桑 that made one wonder about her past experiences.
This woman was very beautiful, but what caught Lin Xuan's attention were other things.
With his deep-seated wisdom, he couldn't help showing surprise. He had seen this woman before; in fact, it was during a painting that they met last time.
Princess Phoenix!
The founder of the Spirit Phoenix Sect on Phantom Island and the creator of the Nine Heavens Phoenix Dance Technique. From their relationship, she could be considered his half-teacher.
Lin Xuan was both surprised and delighted to know that Princess Phoenix had shattered the void and ascended to the spirit realm. He even heard from ancient demons that she had become a significant figure.
But the time of her ascension was so long ago that Lin Xuan never expected to find any trace of her.
"Senior, do you recognize this ancestor's friend?" Shangguan Mudouyu's voice filled with shock.
"Ancestor?" Lin Xuan only noticed a young woman beside Princess Phoenix. She had an attractive appearance and seemed to be in her teens. However, the age of cultivators, especially female ones, couldn't be judged by their looks.
He originally thought that the Hundred Herbs Sect was just a small sect, but now it appeared more complex than he imagined.
"Recognition is not necessary; however, Lin Xuan and this Phoenix Princess ascended from the same world. Though we haven't met, there's some connection between us," Lin Xuan said calmly.
"From the same world… Senior, are you a cultivator who ascended through the void?" Shangguan Mudouyu was shocked. Although her cultivation level was much lower than Lin Xuan's, she knew enough about the cultivation world. Breaking through the void and ascending here meant at least being in the Separation stage, with ascension cultivators usually having stronger combat abilities compared to spirit realm counterparts.
No wonder the Heavenly Fire Sect, Senior Lin completely disregarded them, effortlessly killing over a hundred cultivators with just a hand gesture.
Initially knowing that Lin Xuan's cultivation was beyond comprehension, she had assumed he might be at late-stage Core Formation. But it turned out to be Separation stage, which made her even more respectful and cautious.
"Hmm, since I've revealed some of my secrets to you, I hope you'll keep them confidential," Lin Xuan said with a smile but with a sharp look in his eyes that chilled the woman's heart.
"Rest assured, Senior. I understand and will not say anything that could bring trouble to you," Shangguan Mudouyu quickly replied respectfully.
Lin Xuan nodded, showing satisfaction: "Now, can you tell me what relationship exists between this Phoenix Princess and your sect?"
"Haha, even if Senior doesn't ask, I would still reveal it. It's not a secret. Our ancestor once met the Phoenix Princess by chance while out. They shared similar interests and became close friends. The painting was created during that period," Shangguan Mudouyu narrated calmly.
"Then what happened later?" Lin Xuan asked curiously.
"After living here for several hundred years, the Phoenix Princess left. Our ancestor then advanced to the Profound Origin stage and went to other realms," Shangguan Mudouyu continued.