chóng míng shēng biàn dé yuè fā de qī lì ， hēi shuǐ mǎ huáng suī jǐn shì hún pò zhī tǐ ， dàn zhì shāng bìng bù dī ， cǐ shí yǎn zhōng mǎn shì kǒng jù ， rán ér bèi lín xuān jìn gù ， xī gēn běn jiù dòng tán bù dé ， zhǐ néng yǎn zhēng zhēng de kàn zhe huàn líng tiān huǒ fēi guò lái le 。
虫鸣声变得越发的凄厉，黑水蚂蝗虽仅是魂魄之体，但智商并不低，此时眼中满是恐惧，然而被林轩禁锢，牺根本就动弹不得，只能眼睁睁的看着幻灵天火飞过来了。
The insect chirping grew increasingly mournful. Although the black water leech was only a spirit body, it had a relatively high intelligence. At this moment, its eyes were filled with fear, but restrained by Lin Xuan's technique, it could not move at all and could only watch helplessly as the Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire approached.
“ hū ” de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， rú wǎn xiá bān de huǒ yàn jiāng qí bāo guǒ ” dùn shí ， chóng míng shēng yī xià zi bào zhǎng le shù bèi zhī duō ， nà wǔ yán liù sè de guāng qiú dōu zài huàng dòng 。
“呼”的声音传入耳朵，如晚霞般的火焰将其包裹”顿时，虫鸣声一下子暴涨了数倍之多，那五颜六色的光球都在晃动。
A gust of wind sounded in his ears, enveloping the insect chirping in flames like a sunset. Instantly, the chirping sounds surged several times louder, causing the colorful light balls to tremble.
rán ér lín xuān bù jí ， zhè yàng de qíng kuàng zǎo yǒu yù jì ， yòu shǒu fān zhuǎn ， yī dào fǎ jué dǎ le shàng qù ， yuán yuán bù duàn de wǎng lǐ miàn zhù rù fǎ lì ……
然而林轩不急，这样的情况早有预计，右手翻转，一道法诀打了上去，源源不断的往里面注入法力……
However, Lin Xuan was not anxious; he had anticipated such a scenario. He flipped his right hand and cast a spell, pouring continuous mana into it...
chuí sǐ de zhēng zhá méi yǒu yòng chǔ ， guāng qiú de jì dòng chóng xīn píng fù ， bèi lín xuān yòng fǎ lì yìng shēng shēng shù fù xià lái le 。
垂死的挣扎没有用处，光球的悸动重新平复，被林轩用法力硬生生束缚下来了。
The desperate struggle of the dying insect was futile. The trembling of the light ball subsided as Lin Xuan firmly held it in place with mana.
suí hòu lín xuān bì shàng shuāng móu ， kāi shǐ cāo zòng huàn líng tiān huǒ ” yào jiāng zhè qí chóng de hún pò liàn huà róng rù ， bìng bú shì xiǎng xiàng nà yàng jiǎn dān de 。
随后林轩闭上双眸，开始操纵幻灵天火”要将这奇虫的魂魄炼化融入，并不是想象那样简单的。
Next, Lin Xuan closed his eyes and began to manipulate the Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire. Integrating and fusing this strange insect's soul would not be as simple as imagined.
yí gè xì wēi de chā cuò ， dōu yǒu kě néng dài lái qián gōng jìn qì de xiào guǒ 。
一个细微的差错，都有可能带来前功尽弃的效果。
Even a minor mistake could lead to all previous efforts being wasted.
lín xuān dāng rán bù xiǎng hǎo bù róng yì dé dào de bǎo wù huà wèi chén tǔ ， zì rán yào jǐn liàng xiǎo xīn yī xiē de 。
林轩当然不想好不容易得到的宝物化为尘土，自然要尽量小心一些的。
Lin Xuan did not want such a hard-won treasure to turn into dust; he naturally had to be cautious.
shí jiān màn màn liú shì 。
时间慢慢流逝。
Time slowly passed.
bù zhī bù jué yí gè yuè jiù zhè me guò qù le 。
不知不觉一个月就这么过去了。
Before long, a month had slipped by unnoticed.
lín xuān liǎn shàng dào méi yǒu shén me pí bèi zhī sè ， zhè diǎn shí jiān duì xiū xiān kàn lái shuō shì bù zhí yī tí 。
林轩脸上倒没有什么疲惫之色，这点时间对修仙看来说是不值一提。
There was no sign of fatigue on Lin Xuan's face. A month meant nothing to cultivators.
qīng chén ， tài yáng shēng qǐ ， rán ér dòng fǔ lǐ ， yǔ wǎn shàng xiàng bǐ ， sì hū yě méi yǒu shén me jiǒng yì ， bù guò yì zhí kū zuò zài nà lǐ de lín xuān ， tū rán xiù páo yī fú ， yuán běn jǐn bì de shuāng móu ” yě chóng xīn zhēng kāi le 。
清晨，太阳升起，然而洞府里，与晚上相比，似乎也没有什么迥异，不过一直枯坐在那里的林轩，突然袖袍一拂，原本紧闭的双眸”也重新睁开了。
In the morning when the sun rose, the cave seemed unchanged from the previous night. However, Lin Xuan, who had been sitting motionless for hours, suddenly flicked his sleeves and opened his eyes.
guāng xiá juǎn guò ” bìng méi yǒu yáng qǐ chén tǔ ， rán ér nà yì zhí gāo xuán zài tóu dǐng de guāng qiú ” què cī lā yī shēng pò suì diào le 。
光霞卷过”并没有扬起尘土，然而那一直高悬在头顶的光球”却刺啦一声破碎掉了。
A light glow passed over him without raising any dust. The light ball hanging in mid-air trembled as it transformed back into Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire.
suí hòu yìng rù yǎn lián de biàn shì hóng sè ， suǒ yǒu de suì piàn quán bù róng rù le huàn líng tiān huǒ 。
随后映入眼帘的便是红色，所有的碎片全部融入了幻灵天火。
Lin Xuan pointed a finger, and the sound of phoenix cries echoed through the air, like a baby bird hatching from its shell, transforming once again into the shape of a tiny phoenix.
lín xuān liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī xǐ sè ” zhè liàn huà róng hé ， zǒng suàn shì méi yǒu chū xiàn shén me chā cuò 。
林轩脸上闪过一丝喜色”这炼化融合，总算是没有出现什么差错。
This transformation technique was something Lin Xuan had used frequently before. The phoenix possessed some spirit awareness but was incomparable to the black water leech's; it was worlds apart.
lín xuān yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， nà huǒ yàn zì dòng fēi le huí qù ， luò zài tā de zhǎng xīn lǐ 。
林轩右手抬起，那火焰自动飞了回去，落在他的掌心里。
After all, these faint spirits were cultivated through countless efforts as Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire evolved over time. The black water leech's spirit awareness, on the other hand, came from directly absorbing the insect's soul and thus was much easier to obtain.
zuò wéi cǐ mì shù de shǐ yòng zhě huàn líng tiān huǒ duì tā zì rán bú huì yǒu fēn háo shāng hài de 。
作为此秘术的使用者幻灵天火对他自然不会有分毫伤害的。
What appeared before them was not a true phoenix but merely an illusion of one.
yǔ yǐ qián xiāng bǐ ， cǐ huǒ yàn sì hū yǒu xiē jiǒng yì 。
与以前相比，此火焰似乎有些迥异。
Lin Xuan tested its power again; it was far weaker than the black water leech.
bìng fēi shǔ xìng yǔ wēi lì ér shì yī xiē bié de dōng xī 。
并非属性与威力而是一些别的东西。
Lin Xuan retracted Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire into his body, running his hand through his hair in thought. Clearly, objects with spirit awareness would naturally be much more powerful. This situation was similar to sealing a treasure and allowing an entity to form within it.
lín xuān mù guāng zài shàng miàn sǎo guò ， sì hū fā xiàn le shén me ” liǎn shàng lù chū xiē xǔ chén yín zhī sè 。
林轩目光在上面扫过，似乎发现了什么”脸上露出些许沉吟之色。
However, flames were different from treasures; one magical artifact could only absorb one soul, but flames could integrate many.
suí hòu yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， měng rán jiāng huàn líng tiān huǒ pāo le chū qù ， hū yī yǒu xiē guǐ yì de shēng yīn xiǎng guò ， suí hòu bù kě sī yì de yí mù chū xiàn le 。
随后右手抬起，猛然将幻灵天火抛了出去，呼一有些诡异的声音响过，随后不可思议的一幕出现了。
If he absorbed the souls of some strange insects, Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire's power would surely increase significantly, and its transformations would become more diverse. This discovery made Lin Xuan's face light up with excitement. Of course, this was just an idea; implementing it would be much harder.
huàn líng tiān huǒ lüè yī shǎn shuò ， jìng huà wèi hēi shuǐ mǎ huáng de xíng tài chū xiàn zài shì xiàn zhōng 。
幻灵天火略一闪烁，竟化为黑水蚂蝗的形态出现在视线中。
But regardless, it was already a pleasant surprise that would greatly enhance the future prospects of Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire.
kàn qǐ lái hěn xiàng nà qí chóng de hún pò ” dàn tōng tǐ què shì yóu huǒ yàn zǔ chéng de 。
看起来很像那奇虫的魂魄”但通体却是由火焰组成的。
Lin Xuan took a deep breath and calmed his excited emotions. The immediate priority now was not to rush into enhancing various techniques but to raise his own cultivation realm.
yǔ yuán xiān de hún pò bù tóng ， dàn xiǎn rán shì yǒu líng shí zài qí zhōng 。
与原先的魂魄不同，但显然是有灵识在其中。
After all, mana was the foundation, and one's realm determined their strength in the end; other secret arts were merely dependent on these two factors.
lín xuān yī zhāo shǒu ， nà huǒ yàn jiù shí fēn tīng huà de fēi guò lái le 。
林轩一招手，那火焰就十分听话的飞过来了。
In the short term, improving strength through powerful secret arts was a wise choice. However, from a long-term perspective, accumulating mana and raising one's realm was most important.
hēi shuǐ mǎ huáng de hún pò ， xiǎn de wēn xùn wú bǐ ， lín xuān yī dào shén niàn fā le chū qù 。
黑水蚂蝗的魂魄，显得温驯无比，林轩一道神念发了出去。
Lin Xuan was now 800 years old. His main yuan (core) had reached the late Separation stage, while his second yuan and demon core remained at an early stage.
“ sī ……”， chóng míng shēng zài cì chuán rù ěr lǐ hēi shuǐ mǎ huáng zhāng kāi kǒu qì ， yī dào xiá wù pēn tǔ chū qù 。
“嘶……”，虫鸣声再次传入耳里黑水蚂蝗张开口器，一道霞雾喷吐出去。
He decided to focus on strengthening his main yuan first. He acted immediately but took a break after successfully upgrading Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire for the time being.
nà xiá wù shì yān hóng sè ， shǔ xìng yǐ tūn shì wéi zhǔ ， dàn yě dài zhe xiē xǔ jù dú ， bīng dòng ” yǔ fǔ shí de xiào guǒ ， huà shēn chéng hēi shuǐ mǎ huáng de xíng tài ， wēi lì dāng rán bǐ dān dú shǐ yòng míng xiǎn yào gē shàng yī chóu 。
那霞雾是殷红色，属性以吞噬为主，但也带着些许剧毒，冰冻”与腐蚀的效果，化身成黑水蚂蝗的形态，威力当然比单独使用明显要胳上一筹。
Lin Xuan went back to his room to sleep.
lín xuān zuò le jǐ cì cè shì yán hòu ， hēi shuǐ mǎ huáng chóng xīn huán yuán chéng huàn líng tiān huǒ 。
林轩做了几次测试蜒后，黑水蚂蝗重新还原成幻灵天火。
The next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed. Lin Xuan sent a sound transmission talisman and called Sister Shangguan to the cave. He was about to enter seclusion for cultivation and needed to address some matters regarding his two apprentices.
suí hòu lín xuān yī zhǐ diǎn chū ， fèng míng shēng chuán rù ěr lǐ ， rú yòu niǎo chū ké ， xī yòu chóng xīn huàn huà chū yī xiǎo qiǎo fèng huáng de mú yàng 。
随后林轩一指点出，凤鸣声传入耳里，如幼鸟出壳，牺又重新幻化出一小巧凤凰的模样。
After all, calling them 'master' meant he could not be so negligent.
zhè zhǒng huà xíng zhī shù ， lín xuān yǐ qián dǎo shì jīng cháng shǐ yòng de 。
这种化形之术，林轩以前倒是经常使用的。
He had a clear understanding of this. Lin Xuan's method of teaching apprentices was simple: bestowing vast amounts of medicinal pills and treasures. With these two favored disciples, he could freely supply low-grade medicinal pills without any issues.
fèng huáng yě jù yǒu yì diǎn líng shí ， dàn yǔ gāng cái de hēi shuǐ mǎ huáng gēn běn méi fǎ bǐ wán quán bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ 。
凤凰也具有一点灵识，但与刚才的黑水蚂蝗根本没法比完全不可同日而语。
What if they encountered bottlenecks?
bì jìng zhè xiē wēi líng shí ， shì huàn líng tiān huǒ zài bù duàn shēng jí de guò chéng zhōng ， fèi le jiǔ niú èr hǔ zhī lì ” yì diǎn yì diǎn jìn huà chū lái dì 。
毕竟这些微灵识，是幻灵天火在不断升级的过程中，费了九牛二虎之力”一点一点进化出来地。
Just use the medicinal pills to break through!
ér hēi shuǐ mǎ huáng de líng shí ， zé shì zhí jiē liàn huà qí chóng hún pò zhè yàng dé lái yào róng yì dé duō 。
而黑水蚂蝗的灵识，则是直接炼化奇虫魂魄这样得来要容易得多。
While it sounded straightforward and seemed overly luxurious, this method would definitely work.
yǎn qián de bìng fēi zhēn zhèng de fèng huáng ， jǐn jǐn shì huàn huà chéng lèi sì de xíng zhuàng 。
眼前的并非真正的凤凰，仅仅是幻化成类似的形状。
Although Lin Xuan was known for his generous nature, the girls were still stunned by his encouragement to consume more medicinal pills. However, their joy far outweighed their shock.
lín xuān yòu shì le yī xià qí wēi lì ， gēn běn yǔ hēi shuǐ mǎ huáng méi fǎ bǐ 。
林轩又试了一下其威力，根本与黑水蚂蝗没法比。
Nine Heavens Profound Technique was already familiar to Lin Xuan; he had advanced from low-grade stages step by step. He could guess some of the problems his apprentices might face.
lín xuān jiāng huàn líng tiān huǒ shōu huí shēn tǐ què yǐ shǒu fǔ é ” liǎn shàng mǎn shì chén yín zhī sè 。
林轩将幻灵天火收回身体却以手抚额”脸上满是沉吟之色。
The guidance within would be highly targeted.
xiǎn rán yǒu líng shí zhī wù wēi lì zì rán ér rán yào dà shàng xǔ duō ， zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng dǎo shì yǔ bǎo wù fēng yìn yǒu qì líng chà bu duō 。
显然有灵识之物威力自然而然要大上许多，这种情况倒是与宝物封印有器灵差不多。
Of course, based on what he learned from the Illness Demon, the two girls were ice spirit and thunder soul bodies. If they wanted to fully realize their innate talents, they should practice ancient techniques.
rán ér huǒ yàn yǔ bǎo wù bù tóng ， yī jiàn fǎ bǎo zhǐ néng liàn huà yí gè hún pò ， kě huǒ yàn què shì yǒu duō shǎo dōu néng róng hé 。
然而火焰与宝物不同，一件法宝只能炼化一个魂魄，可火焰却是有多少都能融合。
Unfortunately, ancient techniques were extremely precious, and whether they had been lost or not was uncertain. For now, Lin Xuan was at a loss but would find opportunities for them in the future.
nà rú guǒ zì jǐ zài róng hé yī xiē qí chóng yì shòu de hún pò ” qǐ bù shì kě yǐ dà dà tí gāo huàn líng tiān huǒ de wēi lì ， biàn huà yě néng gòu gèng jiā de duō duān yī xiē ， zhè ge fā xiàn ， ràng lín xuān mǎn miàn jīng xǐ ， dāng rán ， zhè jǐn jǐn shì yí gè sī lù ” jù tǐ cāo zuò qǐ lái ， kě shì jué bú huì yǒu nà me qīng sōng 。
那如果自己再融合一些奇虫异兽的魂魄”岂不是可以大大提高幻灵天火的威力，变化也能够更加的多端一些，这个发现，让林轩满面惊喜，当然，这仅仅是一个思路”具体操作起来，可是绝不会有那么轻松。
Such matters required good fortune; forcing it would be futile.
bì jìng xiǎng hé zuò ， gēn běn jiù shì wán quán bù tóng de 。
毕竟想和做，根本就是完全不同的。
The Nine Heavens Profound Technique was still good enough to lay a solid foundation for their cultivation.
dàn bù guǎn rú hé ， zhè yǐ jīng shì yí gè yì wài shōu huò ， ràng huàn líng tiān huǒ ， qián tú yuè fā de yuǎn dà qǐ lái le 。
但不管如何，这已经是一个意外收获，让幻灵天火，前途越发的远大起来了。
While speaking with his apprentices, they stood respectfully before him. After he finished, Shangguan Yan hesitated slightly and asked: "Master, how long do you think this seclusion will take?"
lín xuān shēn shēn hū xī ， jiāng jī dòng de xīn qíng píng fù xià qù ” xiàn zài dí dàng wù zhī jí ， bú shì máng zhe qù tí shēng gè zhǒng mì shù de wēi lì ， ér shì ràng zì jǐ de jìng jiè gèng gāo yī xiē 。
林轩深深呼吸，将激动的心情平复下去”现在的当务之急，不是忙着去提升各种秘术的威力，而是让自己的境界更高一些。
"It's hard to say," Lin Xuan said with a sigh on his face. "It could be as short as seventy or eighty years, or it might last three or five hundred years..."
bì jìng fǎ lì shì jī chǔ ， jìng jiè gèng shì jué dìng yí gè xiū shì shí lì rú hé de zuì zhōng yīn shù ” qí yú mì shù shén tōng ” guī gēn jié dǐ ， dōu shì yī fù zài zhè liǎng zhě shàng miàn de 。
毕竟法力是基础，境界更是决定一个修士实力如何的最终因数”其余秘术神通”归根结底，都是依附在这两者上面的。
"Such a long time?" Shangguan Ling exclaimed in surprise.
duǎn shí jiān nèi xiǎng yào tí shēng shí lì ， xiū liàn lì hài mì shù bú shì shī wèi yī míng zhì xuǎn zé ， dàn cóng cháng yuǎn lái shuō ， jiǎo tà shí dì ， jī zǎn fǎ lì tí shēng jìng jiè cái shì zuì zhòng yào de 。
短时间内想要提升实力，修炼厉害秘术不是失为一明智选择，但从长远来说，脚踏实地，积攒法力提升境界才是最重要的。
Her sister's expression showed some astonishment; this was far more than she had anticipated: "Does Master intend to cultivate until the Profound Stage?"
lín xuān rú jīn yǐ bā bǎi suì nián jì ” zhǔ yuán yīng tū pò dào le lí hé zhōng qī ， zhì yú dì èr yuán yīng yǔ yāo dān ， zé yī jiù zài chū qī pái huái 。
林轩如今已八百岁年纪”主元婴突破到了离合中期，至于第二元婴与妖丹，则依旧在初期徘徊。
"Don't be silly," Lin Xuan said with a smile. "Breaking through the Profound Stage barrier is not easy, but for me, I would be content if I could reach the peak of Separation Realm."
hòu liǎng zhě lín xuān zhǔn bèi fàng yī fàng ， xiān jiāng zhǔ yuán yīng de shí lì ， yī lù tí shēng shàng qù 。
后两者林轩准备放一放，先将主元婴的实力，一路提升上去。
"Master, you are too modest. The Profound Stage barrier is indeed difficult to break for others, but for Master, there should be no problem," Shangguan Yan's soft voice echoed in his ears, filled with immense confidence.
xiǎng dào jiù zuò ， bù guò zhè duàn shí jiān máng zhe shēng jí huàn líng tiān huǒ ， rú jīn zhōng yú chéng gōng ， dào yě bù fáng shāo shāo xiē shàng yī wǎn zài shuō 。
想到就做，不过这段时间忙着升级幻灵天火，如今终于成功，倒也不妨稍稍歇上一晚再说。
"Exactly, exactly."
lín xuān huí fáng jiān lǐ shuì jiào qù le 。
林轩回房间里睡觉去了。
Shangguan Ling also agreed, echoing her sister's words.
dì èr tiān zǎo shàng qǐ chuáng ， shén qīng qì shuǎng ， lín xuān fā chū chuán yīn fú ， jiāng shàng guān jiě mèi jiào dào dòng fǔ ” zì jǐ mǎ shàng yào bì guān xiū xíng le ” guān yú liǎng gè tú ér de xiū xíng wèn tí ， dāng rán yě yào zuò yī xià jiāo dài chǔ lǐ 。
第二天早上起床，神清气爽，林轩发出传音符，将上官姐妹叫到洞府”自己马上要闭关修行了”关于两个徒儿的修行问题，当然也要做一下交代处理。
Lin Xuan smiled without saying anything. After a moment of hesitation, he said: "Even if you two girls say so, this seclusion will still be extremely long. Black Wind Island is located in a remote area with powerful restrictions. According to reason, Bai Cao Sect should not encounter any issues, but reality can be unpredictable. Even without external enemies, your cultivation might still face crises. If you truly encounter unsolvable problems, come find me here."
bì jìng liǎng nǚ jiào yī shēng shī fù ， zì jǐ zěn me yě bù hǎo dāng shuǎi shǒu zhǎng guì lái zhe 。
毕竟两女叫一声师父，自己怎么也不好当甩手掌柜来着。
Before Lin Xuan finished speaking, the two girls exchanged glances. They knew basic common sense; it was most taboo to disturb someone during critical moments.
zhè yì diǎn jué wù hái shì yǒu de ， lín xuān jiào tú de fāng fǎ hěn jiǎn dān ， jiù shì cì xià dà liàng de dān yào bǎo wù ” jiù liǎng gè ài tú ， zhè xiē dī jiē dān yào yǐ tā de shēn jiā ， jí biàn shì chǎng kāi gōng yìng ” nà yě fēn háo wèn tí méi yǒu 。
这一点觉悟还是有的，林轩教徒的方法很简单，就是赐下大量的丹药宝物”就两个爱徒，这些低阶丹药以他的身家，即便是敞开供应”那也分毫问题没有。
"Master, how could we do that? It would bring danger to you," Shangguan Yan shook her head and said.
píng jǐng yù jiàn le yīng gāi rú hé ？
瓶颈遇见了应该如何？
"Don't worry, I can do this with full confidence."
zhí jiē yòng dān yào chōng ！
直接用丹药冲！
Lin Xuan's hand touched his head, and a black yuan (core) appeared above it. Only an inch high, its appearance was identical to Lin Xuan's.
zhè ge bàn fǎ tīng qǐ lái jiǎn dān ， ér qiě tài shē chǐ le yì diǎn 。
这个办法听起来简单，而且太奢侈了一点。
"What...?" The two girls were stunned; what did Master's core spirit leaving the body mean? Was there some deeper meaning behind this?
bù guò jué duì yǒu yòng 。
不过绝对有用。
Their shock deepened when Lin Xuan began speaking again.
suī rán zhī dào shī fù chū shǒu dà fāng yǐ jí ， bù guò tīng jiàn lín xuān ràng tā men bù yòng gù jì ， duō chī dān yào de gǔ lì ， liǎng nǚ hái shì miàn miàn xiāng qù ， zhè tài zhèn hàn le yī xiē 。
虽然知道师父出手大方以极，不过听见林轩让她们不用顾忌，多吃丹药的鼓励，两女还是面面相觑，这太震撼了一些。
The girls were still in a state of shock. With the core spirit leaving, his physical body was like an empty shell with no ability to move, yet it could speak freely. This... was too incredible!
Sigh...
The insect chirping grew increasingly mournful. Although the black water leech was only a spirit body, it had a relatively high intelligence. At this moment, its eyes were filled with fear, but restrained by Lin Xuan's technique, it could not move at all and could only watch helplessly as the Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire approached.
A gust of wind sounded in his ears, enveloping the insect chirping in flames like a sunset. Instantly, the chirping sounds surged several times louder, causing the colorful light balls to tremble.
However, Lin Xuan was not anxious; he had anticipated such a scenario. He flipped his right hand and cast a spell, pouring continuous mana into it...
The desperate struggle of the dying insect was futile. The trembling of the light ball subsided as Lin Xuan firmly held it in place with mana.
Next, Lin Xuan closed his eyes and began to manipulate the Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire. Integrating and fusing this strange insect's soul would not be as simple as imagined.
Even a minor mistake could lead to all previous efforts being wasted.
Lin Xuan did not want such a hard-won treasure to turn into dust; he naturally had to be cautious.
Time slowly passed.
Before long, a month had slipped by unnoticed.
There was no sign of fatigue on Lin Xuan's face. A month meant nothing to cultivators.
In the morning when the sun rose, the cave seemed unchanged from the previous night. However, Lin Xuan, who had been sitting motionless for hours, suddenly flicked his sleeves and opened his eyes.
A light glow passed over him without raising any dust. The light ball hanging in mid-air trembled as it transformed back into Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire.
Lin Xuan pointed a finger, and the sound of phoenix cries echoed through the air, like a baby bird hatching from its shell, transforming once again into the shape of a tiny phoenix.
This transformation technique was something Lin Xuan had used frequently before. The phoenix possessed some spirit awareness but was incomparable to the black water leech's; it was worlds apart.
After all, these faint spirits were cultivated through countless efforts as Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire evolved over time. The black water leech's spirit awareness, on the other hand, came from directly absorbing the insect's soul and thus was much easier to obtain.
What appeared before them was not a true phoenix but merely an illusion of one.
Lin Xuan tested its power again; it was far weaker than the black water leech.
Lin Xuan retracted Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire into his body, running his hand through his hair in thought. Clearly, objects with spirit awareness would naturally be much more powerful. This situation was similar to sealing a treasure and allowing an entity to form within it.
However, flames were different from treasures; one magical artifact could only absorb one soul, but flames could integrate many.
If he absorbed the souls of some strange insects, Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire's power would surely increase significantly, and its transformations would become more diverse. This discovery made Lin Xuan's face light up with excitement. Of course, this was just an idea; implementing it would be much harder.
But regardless, it was already a pleasant surprise that would greatly enhance the future prospects of Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire.
Lin Xuan took a deep breath and calmed his excited emotions. The immediate priority now was not to rush into enhancing various techniques but to raise his own cultivation realm.
After all, mana was the foundation, and one's realm determined their strength in the end; other secret arts were merely dependent on these two factors.
In the short term, improving strength through powerful secret arts was a wise choice. However, from a long-term perspective, accumulating mana and raising one's realm was most important.
Lin Xuan was now 800 years old. His main yuan (core) had reached the late Separation stage, while his second yuan and demon core remained at an early stage.
He decided to focus on strengthening his main yuan first. He acted immediately but took a break after successfully upgrading Illusory Spirit Heaven Fire for the time being.
Lin Xuan went back to his room to sleep.
The next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed. Lin Xuan sent a sound transmission talisman and called Sister Shangguan to the cave. He was about to enter seclusion for cultivation and needed to address some matters regarding his two apprentices.
After all, calling them 'master' meant he could not be so negligent.
He had a clear understanding of this. Lin Xuan's method of teaching apprentices was simple: bestowing vast amounts of medicinal pills and treasures. With these two favored disciples, he could freely supply low-grade medicinal pills without any issues.
What if they encountered bottlenecks?
Just use the medicinal pills to break through!
While it sounded straightforward and seemed overly luxurious, this method would definitely work.
Although Lin Xuan was known for his generous nature, the girls were still stunned by his encouragement to consume more medicinal pills. However, their joy far outweighed their shock.
Nine Heavens Profound Technique was already familiar to Lin Xuan; he had advanced from low-grade stages step by step. He could guess some of the problems his apprentices might face.
The guidance within would be highly targeted.
Of course, based on what he learned from the Illness Demon, the two girls were ice spirit and thunder soul bodies. If they wanted to fully realize their innate talents, they should practice ancient techniques.
Unfortunately, ancient techniques were extremely precious, and whether they had been lost or not was uncertain. For now, Lin Xuan was at a loss but would find opportunities for them in the future.
Such matters required good fortune; forcing it would be futile.
The Nine Heavens Profound Technique was still good enough to lay a solid foundation for their cultivation.
While speaking with his apprentices, they stood respectfully before him. After he finished, Shangguan Yan hesitated slightly and asked: "Master, how long do you think this seclusion will take?"
"It's hard to say," Lin Xuan said with a sigh on his face. "It could be as short as seventy or eighty years, or it might last three or five hundred years..."
"Such a long time?" Shangguan Ling exclaimed in surprise.
Her sister's expression showed some astonishment; this was far more than she had anticipated: "Does Master intend to cultivate until the Profound Stage?"
"Don't be silly," Lin Xuan said with a smile. "Breaking through the Profound Stage barrier is not easy, but for me, I would be content if I could reach the peak of Separation Realm."
"Master, you are too modest. The Profound Stage barrier is indeed difficult to break for others, but for Master, there should be no problem," Shangguan Yan's soft voice echoed in his ears, filled with immense confidence.
"Exactly, exactly."
Shangguan Ling also agreed, echoing her sister's words.
Lin Xuan smiled without saying anything. After a moment of hesitation, he said: "Even if you two girls say so, this seclusion will still be extremely long. Black Wind Island is located in a remote area with powerful restrictions. According to reason, Bai Cao Sect should not encounter any issues, but reality can be unpredictable. Even without external enemies, your cultivation might still face crises. If you truly encounter unsolvable problems, come find me here."
Before Lin Xuan finished speaking, the two girls exchanged glances. They knew basic common sense; it was most taboo to disturb someone during critical moments.
"Master, how could we do that? It would bring danger to you," Shangguan Yan shook her head and said.
"Don't worry, I can do this with full confidence."
Lin Xuan's hand touched his head, and a black yuan (core) appeared above it. Only an inch high, its appearance was identical to Lin Xuan's.
"What...?" The two girls were stunned; what did Master's core spirit leaving the body mean? Was there some deeper meaning behind this?
Their shock deepened when Lin Xuan began speaking again.
The girls were still in a state of shock. With the core spirit leaving, his physical body was like an empty shell with no ability to move, yet it could speak freely. This... was too incredible!