jiǔ xiān chéng bǐ yǐ wǎng gèng jiā de fán róng ， bù lùn rén zú 、 yāo zú hái shì hǎi zú de shù liàng dōu míng kūn zēng duō 。 bì jìng tà shàng xiū xiān zhī lù ， hěn duō rén de mù biāo dōu shì qiú cháng shēng lái de ， duì zhēng quán duó lì ， sī háo xìng qù yě wú 。 kě sú huà shuō ， fù cháo zhī xià ān yǒu wán luǎn 。 yú shì zhè xiē rén wú nài zhī xià 。 zhǐ yǒu pǎo dào hùn 1 hǎi yù ， jiāng zhè lǐ dàng chéng zàn shí de bì fēng gǎng le 。
九仙城比以往更加的繁荣，不论人族、妖族还是海族的数量都明昆增多。毕竟踏上修仙之路，很多人的目标都是求长生来的，对争权夺利，丝毫兴趣也无。可俗话说，覆巢之下安有完卵。于是这些人无奈之下。只有跑到混1海域，将这里当成暂时的避风港了。
Jiu Xian City was more prosperous than ever before, with the number of human, beast, and sea races increasing significantly. After all, many people's goal on the path to cultivation is longevity; they have no interest in power struggles. However, as the saying goes: "Under a collapsing nest, there can be no intact eggs." Thus, these people had no choice but to flee to the Chaos Sea and use it as a temporary refuge.
hái cái cóng zhàn chǎng shàng chè tuì xià lái de zōng mén jiā zú ， cán bīng bài jiàng shǔ bù shèng shǔ ， fàng yǎn wàng qù ， jiǔ xiān chéng de rén qì ， jī hū bǐ yǐ qián zēng jiā le yí bèi yǒu yú 。
还才从战场上撤退下来的宗门家族，残兵败将数不胜数，放眼望去，九仙城的人气，几乎比以前增加了一倍有余。
Many sects and families that had just withdrawn from battlefields were now filled with remnants of defeated forces. Thepopularity in Jiu Xian City almost doubled compared to before. Originally, this place was already a mix of dragons and snakes; now, it naturally added countless more bloodstains and strife. As Lin Xuan walked along, he saw cultivators with peculiar lotus symbols on their clothes—these were enforcers from the Nine Immortal Palace.
yuán běn zhè lǐ jiù shì lóng shé hùn zá zhī dì ， rú jīn zì rán gèng zēng tiān le bù zhī duō shǎo de xīng fēng xuè yǔ ， yī lù zǒu lái ， lín xuān hái kàn jiàn kǒu xiù yǒu qí tè lián biāo shì de xiū shì ， zhè xiē rén 。 shì jiǔ xiān gōng de zhí fǎ shǐ 。
原本这里就是龙蛇混杂之地，如今自然更增添了不知多少的腥风血雨，一路走来，林轩还看见口绣有奇特莲标示的修士，这些人。是九仙宫的执法使。
Due to too many outsiders, the Nine Immortal Palace had no choice but to add more personnel to maintain order.
yóu yú wài lái zhě tài duō ， jiǔ xiān gōng yě bù dé bù zēng tiān rén shǒu ， chū lái wéi chí zhì xù 。
由于外来者太多，九仙宫也不得不增添人手，出来维持秩序。
The Chaos Sea was now even more fitting its name. In Jiu Xian City, cultivators often caused disturbances. A disagreement could lead them to use their treasures against each other; of course, this was not allowed by the enforcers. During such times, regardless of who was right or wrong, severe punishments were inevitable.
hùn 1 hǎi yù ， rú jīn biàn dé shì gèng jiā de míng fù qí shí 。 jiǔ xiān chéng zhōng ， bù shí dū huì yǒu xiū shì nào shì 。 yī yán bù hé ， jiù jì chū gè zì de bǎo wù ， dāng rán ， zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng ， shì zhí fǎ shǐ suǒ bù yǔn xǔ de ， fēi cháng shí qī ， fēi cháng chǔ lǐ ， bù lùn shuí duì shuí cuò ， dōu nán miǎn shòu dào yán lì chéng chǔ 。
混1海域，如今变得是更加的名副其实。九仙城中，不时都会有修士闹事。一言不合，就祭出各自的宝物，当然，这种情况，是执法使所不允许的，非常时期，非常处理，不论谁对谁错，都难免受到严厉惩处。
Mild cases would be expelled from the city, while more serious ones might even lose their lives.
qīng zé cóng chéng zhōng qū chú ， zhòng ， diū diào mìng de qíng kuàng yě yǒu 。
轻则从城中驱除，重，丢掉命的情况也有。
The situation outside the city was even worse. Murder and plunder had become so rampant that low-ranking cultivators no longer dared to venture out alone. They either had senior mentors from their sects or traveled in groups; otherwise, their fate usually ended tragically without a clear understanding of how it happened.
ér chéng wài de qíng kuàng jiù gèng bù bì shuō 。 shā rén qiǎng bǎo yǐ shàng shēng dào fēng kuáng dào dì bù ， dī jiē xiū xiān zhě yǐ jīng bù tài gǎn yí gè rén dān dú chū hǎi le ， yào me yǒu běn mén qián bèi zhào fú ， yào me chéng qún jié duì de chū qù ， ruò yí gè rén wài chū ， xià chǎng tōng cháng dōu zhǐ yǒu yí gè ， lián zěn me yǔn luò de dōu bù qīng chǔ 。
而城外的情况就更不必说。杀人抢宝已上升到疯狂到地步，低阶修仙者已经不太敢一个人单独出海了，要么有本门前辈照拂，要么成群结队的出去，若一个人外出，下场通常都只有一个，连怎么陨落的都不清楚。
Lin Xuan found a bustling tavern where he could gather information. Taverns and teahouses were the best places for this.
lín xuān zhǎo le yī rén duō de jiǔ lóu ， xiǎng yào dǎ tàn xiāo xī 。 jiǔ lóu chá sì shì zuì hǎo de chǎng suǒ 。
林轩找了一人多的酒楼，想要打探消息。酒楼茶肆是最好的场所。
He ordered a sumptuous meal and ate heartily while concealing his cultivation level to mid-stage Golden Core. After all, being at the Separation stage would attract too much attention; in the later stages, it was even somewhat terrifying. If that happened, cultivators around him would be surprised, making it difficult for Lin Xuan to gather information.
diǎn le yī zhuō měi wèi dà chī dà hē ， dāng rán le ， xiū wèi lín xuān shōu liǎn dào yuán yīng zhōng qī zuǒ yòu ， bì jìng lí hé qī tài guò yǐn rén zhù mù ， hòu qī shèn zhì kě yǐ shuō 。 yǒu nà me yì diǎn jīng sǒng ， nà yàng de huà 。 zǒu dào nǎ lǐ ， zhōu wéi de xiū shì dōu xīn zhōng jīng yí ， hái zěn me dǎ tàn xiāo xī ？
点了一桌美味大吃大喝，当然了，修为林轩收敛到元婴中期左右，毕竟离合期太过引人注目，后期甚至可以说。有那么一点惊悚，那样的话。走到哪里，周围的修士都心中惊疑，还怎么打探消息？
Externally, Lin Xuan seemed engrossed in his meal. However, with his powerful divine sense, he could cover not only the tavern but also nearby teahouses. This was because there were no high-ranking cultivators above the Golden Core stage near him; otherwise, they would have detected his divine presence.
biǎo miàn shàng ， lín xuān shì páng ruò wú rén de táo zuì yú měi wèi zhī zhōng ， qí shí yǐ tā shén shí zhī qiáng ” bié shuō yǎn qián de jiǔ lóu ， lián fù jìn de chá guǎn dōu chǔ yú tā shēn niàn de lǒng zhào zhī zhōng ， dāng rán ， zhè shì yóu yú ， fù jìn méi yǒu d xuán yǐ shàng de gāo jiē xiū xiān zhě ， fǒu zé hái shì néng gòu xiàn tā shén niàn kuī tàn de 。
表面上，林轩是旁若无人的陶醉于美味之中，其实以他神识之强”别说眼前的酒楼，连附近的茶馆都处于他身念的笼罩之中，当然，这是由于，附近没有d玄以上的高阶修仙者，否则还是能够现他神念窥探的。
Various pieces of information, useful or not, filtered into his ears. Lin Xuan then slowly analyzed and sorted through them.
gè zhǒng xiāo xī ， yǒu yòng wú yòng ， yī yī chuán rù ěr lǐ 。 suí hòu lín xuān zài màn màn pàn duàn fēn xī 。
各种消息，有用无用，一一传入耳里。随后林轩再慢慢判断分析。
After filtering out the useless ones, he received some truly alarming news. The situation was even worse than he had imagined.
qù chú wú yòng zhī wù ， dé dào de xiāo xī zhe shí lìng rén jīng sǒng ， xíng shì bǐ zì jǐ xiǎng xiàng de hái yào è liè dé duō 。
去除无用之物，得到的消息着实令人惊悚，形势比自己想象的还要恶劣得多。
After all, when two races joined forces to fight against one, such a scenario rarely occurred in the Eastern Sea cultivation world. Human cultivators were not only numerically inferior but also lacked powerful experts. They could not be said to have suffered a complete defeat, but their situation was indeed dire. They had been losing battles almost continuously and struggled to stabilize their positions.
bì jìng liǎng zú lián shǒu 。 gòng tóng duì kàng yī zú de qíng kuàng ” zài dōng hǎi xiū xiān jiè de lì shǐ shàng 。 yě bìng bù duō 。 rén lèi xiū shì bù lùn shù liàng ， hái shì gāo shǒu ” dōu chǔ yú míng xiǎn de liè shì ， bù néng shuō bīng bài rú shān dǎo ， dàn qíng kuàng yě zhe shí kān yōu 。 lián zhàn lián bài ” jī hū wú fǎ wěn dìng zhèn jiǎo 。
毕竟两族联手。共同对抗一族的情况”在东海修仙界的历史上。也并不多。人类修士不论数量，还是高手”都处于明显的劣势，不能说兵败如山倒，但情况也着实堪忧。连战连败”几乎无法稳定阵脚。
Many sects and families had even suffered total annihilation, with their legacies cut off.
bù shǎo zōng mén jiā zú ， shèn zhì quán jūn fù mò ， lián chuán chéng dōu gěi duàn jué diào le 。
不少宗门家族，甚至全军覆没，连传承都给断绝掉了。
Lin Xuan sighed. Although he was a hardworking cultivator who wasn't interested in these matters, as a human, he still didn't want his fellow humans to lose this battle.
lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì ” suī rán tā shì kǔ xiū zhě ， duì zhè xiē shì qíng bù gǎn xìng qù ， dàn bì jìng zì jǐ yě shì rén zú ， cóng qíng gǎn lái shuō ， hái shì bù xī wàng rén lèi xiū shì zhàn bài diào de 。
林轩叹了口气”虽然他是苦修者，对这些事情不感兴趣，但毕竟自己也是人族，从情感来说，还是不希望人类修士战败掉的。
Of course, although he didn't wish it, Lin Xuan couldn't change the situation himself and had no intention of getting involved.
dāng rán 。 bù xiǎng guī bù xiǎng ， lín xuān běn shēn yě bù zú yǐ gǎi biàn shén me ， gèng méi yǒu xiǎng guò 。 yào jiāng zì jǐ juǎn rù xuán wō 。
当然。不想归不想，林轩本身也不足以改变什么，更没有想过。要将自己卷入漩涡。
At that moment, a hoarse voice entered his ears: "Brother Ma, you really think the Holy City has sent people to the Nine Immortal Palace?"
ér jiù zài zhè shí ， yī yǒu xiē shā yǎ de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ：“ mǎ xiōng ” nǐ shuō zhēn de 。 shèng chéng nà biān yǐ jīng pài rén lái jiǔ xiān gōng le ？”
而就在这时，一有些沙哑的声音传入耳朵：“马兄”你说真的。圣城那边已经派人来九仙宫了？”
Lin Xuan discreetly turned his head. Two cultivators were using sound transmission techniques; one was in his forties with an unusually long horse face, while the other was an old man with a youthful appearance and a somewhat ethereal aura.
lín xuān bù dòng shēng sè de zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， liǎng míng xiū shì zhèng shī zhǎn chuán yīn zhī shù ， qí zhōng yī rén sì shí chū tóu 。 yī zhāng cháng cháng de mǎ liǎn pǒ wèi yǐn rén zhǔ mù ， lìng wài yī rén zé shì yī tóng yán hè de lǎo zhě 。 cóng wài biǎo de qì zhì lái shuō ， pǒ yǒu jǐ fēn xiān fēng dào gǔ 。
林轩不动声色的转过头颅，两名修士正施展传音之术，其中一人四十出头。一张长长的马脸颇为引人瞩目，另外一人则是一童颜鹤的老者。从外表的气质来说，颇有几分仙风道骨。
Both of them were mid-stage Golden Core cultivators engaged in a careful conversation. Lin Xuan's divine sense far exceeded theirs, allowing him to overhear their discussion without their knowledge.
zhè liǎng rén dōu shì yuán yīng zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ， zhèng xīn yì yì yòng chuán yīn rù mì zhī shù j tán zhe ， ér lín xuān bù lùn shén shí xiū wèi ， dōu bù zhī dào bǐ liǎng rén qiáng dà le duō shǎo bèi ， suǒ yǐ cái néng zài tā men háo bù zhī qíng de qíng kuàng xià ， tōu tīng dào liǎng rén tán huà de 。
这两人都是元婴中期的修仙者，正心翼翼用传音入密之术j谈着，而林轩不论神识修为，都不知道比两人强大了多少倍，所以才能在他们毫不知情的情况下，偷听到两人谈话的。
"This can't be false; you know, my senior from the family is a high-ranking figure in the Holy City and also an expert at the Golden Core stage. This information came directly from his esteemed person," said one of them.
“ zhè hái néng cái jiǎ ， niú dào yǒu nǐ yě xiǎo de ， mǎ mǒu de yī wèi běn jiā zhǎng bèi ， nǎi d xuán xiū shì ， gèng zài shèng chéng zhōng dān rèn yào zhí ， zhè xiāo xī ， jiù shì cóng tā lǎo rén jiā nà lǐ dé lái de 。”
“这还能才假，牛道友你也晓得，马某的一位本家长辈，乃d玄修士，更在圣城中担任要职，这消息，就是从他老人家那里得来的。”
Lin Xuan perked up even more as he listened intently. The two cultivators were unaware that their conversation had already been overheard, continuing to talk freely.
lín xuān tīng dào zhè lǐ 。 gèng shì qiǎo rán shù qǐ le ěr duǒ ” kě lián liǎng míng xiū shì ， sī háo bù zhī dào xiāo xī yǐ jīng zǒu lòu ， hái zài nà lǐ sì wú jì dàn de lóu tán zhe 。
林轩听到这里。更是悄然竖起了耳朵”可怜两名修士，丝毫不知道消息已经走漏，还在那里肆无忌惮的娄谈着。
An hour later, they settled their bill and left the pavilion. Lin Xuan's face showed deep thought; originally, he just wanted to gather information casually, but such a secret had fallen into his ears.
yí gè shí chén yǐ hòu ， liǎng rén fù zhàng lí kāi le gé lóu ， lín xuān liǎn shàng zé 1ù chū le chén sī zhī sè ， yuán běn tā zhǐ shì xiǎng yào suí yì dǎ tàn xiāo xī ， méi xiǎng dào zhè yàng de yǐn mì ， què luò rù le zì jǐ de ěr lǐ 。
一个时辰以后，两人付账离开了阁楼，林轩脸上则1ù出了沉思之色，原本他只是想要随意打探消息，没想到这样的隐秘，却落入了自己的耳里。
The alliance between sea and beast races made it difficult for humans to defend themselves. If he were the ruler of the Holy City, he would also seek allies. Looking at the Eastern Sea cultivation world, few could offer assistance; in the end, only the Nine Immortal Palace came to mind.
hǎi zú yǔ yāo zú lián hé ， rén lèi shuāng quán nán dí sì shǒu ， zì jǐ ruò shì shèng chéng zhī zhǔ ， yě huì xiǎng bàn fǎ xún zhǎo méng yǒu de ， ér fàng yǎn dōng hǎi xiū xiān jiè ， néng wèi tā men tí gōng bāng zhù de bù duō ， shù lái shù qù 。 yě zhǐ yǒu jiǔ xiān gōng le 。
海族与妖族联合，人类双拳难敌四手，自己若是圣城之主，也会想办法寻找盟友的，而放眼东海修仙界，能为他们提供帮助的不多，数来数去。也只有九仙宫了。
However, how would the other party react? Moreover, both sea and beast races had many wise individuals who could easily understand human moves. How would they respond?
zhǐ shì duì fāng de tài dù huì shì rú hé 。 hé kuàng hǎi zú yǔ yāo zú ， bù fá cái zhì zhī shì ， rén lèi zhè bù qí 。 bìng bù nán kàn dǒng ， tā men yòu huì yǒu shén me fǎn yìng ne ？
只是对方的态度会是如何。何况海族与妖族，不乏才智之士，人类这步棋。并不难看懂，他们又会有什么反应呢？
"Alas."
“ āi 。”
“唉。”
Lin Xuan sighed. If his assumptions were correct, this Chaos Sea would eventually be swept into the vortex and cease to be a haven for them.
lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì 。 ruò shì suǒ liào méi cuò ， zhè hùn 1 hǎi yù ， zhōng yě nán yǐ táo tuō xuán wō ， zuì zhōng bú huì shì bì fēng gǎng bān de shì wài táo yuán de 。
林轩叹了口气。若是所料没错，这混1海域，终也难以逃脱漩涡，最终不会是避风港般的世外桃源的。
He didn't know when or if they would join the human side; these were still unknowns. However, he should prepare early.
zhǐ shì bù zhī dào tā men shén me shí hòu huì juǎn rù ， yòu huì jiā rù rén lèi de zhèn yíng me ， zhè xiē dōu hái shì wèi zhī zhī shù ， bù guò zì jǐ yě yīng gāi zǎo zuò zhǔn bèi le 。
只是不知道他们什么时候会卷入，又会加入人类的阵营么，这些都还是未知之数，不过自己也应该早做准备了。
With the information he wanted, Lin Xuan left the tavern without lingering further. He had already achieved his goal of gathering intelligence. Besides this, he also promised to help Bai Cao Sect obtain necessary cultivation materials for Uphang Mo Yu.
dé dào le xiǎng yào de jié guǒ ， lín xuān zì rán bú huì zài jiǔ lóu shàng jì xù dān gē ， jié zhàng hòu jiù chū qù le 。 cǐ xíng de mù dì yǐ jīng dá dào le ， bù guò chú le dǎ tàn xiāo xī ， lín xuān hái dā yìng shàng guān mù yǔ ， yào wèi bǎi cǎo mén huàn qǔ jí xū de xiū liàn cái liào de 。
得到了想要的结果，林轩自然不会在酒楼上继续耽搁，结账后就出去了。此行的目的已经达到了，不过除了打探消息，林轩还答应上官幕雨，要为百草门换取急需的修炼材料的。
Lin Xuan walked towards the market district where there was now an unusually lively atmosphere due to the influx of many cultivators. While it wasn't as crowded as a human marketplace, it was bustling with activity.
lín xuān xiàng fāng shì zhōng zǒu qù le ， yóu yú dà liàng xiū shì de yǒng rù ， rú jīn fāng shì dǎo shì xiǎn de yì cháng de hóng huǒ ， lǐ miàn bù néng shuō mó jiān jiē zhǒng ， dàn yě rén qì shí zú 。
林轩像坊市中走去了，由于大量修士的涌入，如今坊市倒是显得异常的红火，里面不能说摩肩接踵，但也人气十足。
A variety of rare treasures were emerging one by one.
gè zhǒng zhēn xī de bǎo wù ， yě yī jiàn yī jiàn de chū shì 。
各种珍稀的宝物，也一件一件的出世。
This situation seemed strange but was not uncommon; after all, this was a special period. Even if they stayed in the Chaos Sea, the cultivators felt like a storm was brewing on the horizon.
zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng kàn qǐ lái guǐ yì ， qí shí bìng bù xī qí ， bì jìng rú jīn shì fēi cháng shí qī ， jiù suàn dài zài hùn 1 hǎi yù 。 zhòng xiū shì yě yǒu yī zhǒng shān yǔ yù lái fēng mǎn lóu de gǎn jué 。
这种情况看起来诡异，其实并不稀奇，毕竟如今是非常时期，就算待在混1海域。众修士也有一种山雨yù来风满楼的感觉。
In such times, even sect legacy treasures didn't need to be hidden. They should quickly exchange for resources that could be used, especially those that enhanced their strength.
zhè zhǒng shí hòu ， jí biàn shì mén pài chuán chéng zhī bǎo yě méi yǒu bì yào cáng zhe yē zhe ， jǐn kuài huàn qǔ néng gòu yòng dé shàng de zī yuán ， tè bié shì néng gòu zēng qiáng shí lì de bǎo wù ， nà cái shì zhèng què xuǎn zé 。
这种时候，即便是门派传承之宝也没有必要藏着掖着，尽快换取能够用得上的资源，特别是能够增强实力的宝物，那才是正确选择。
Lin Xuan had many items to sell; only at high-ranking exchange markets did cultivators prefer bartering. In normal times, they still used crystal stones as a medium of exchange and means of pricing. The storage bags he obtained from killing cultivators contained numerous materials that needed to be sold one by one.
lín xuān shǒu zhōng ， yě yǒu dà liàng de dōng xī yào chū shòu ， bì jìng zhǐ yǒu zài gāo jiē j huàn huì shàng 。 xiū shì men cái xǐ huān yǐ wù yì wù ， píng cháng ， hái shì yǐ jīng shí zuò wéi liú tōng yǔ biāo jià zhī wù ， ér tā miè shā xiū shì suǒ de dào de chǔ wù dài ， lǐ miàn yǒu dà liàng de cái liào bǎo wù ， dōu xū yào qù yī yī chū shòu de 。
林轩手中，也有大量的东西要出售，毕竟只有在高阶j换会上。修士们才喜欢以物易物，平常，还是以晶石作为流通与标价之物，而他灭杀修士所得到的储物袋，里面有大量的材料宝物，都需要去一一出售的。
Lin Xuan wouldn't waste his time setting up a stall; with his current realm and strength, it was purely a waste of time. He walked towards the largest pawnshop in the market district.
lín xuān dāng rán bú huì qù shǎ hū hū de bǎi tān le ， yǐ tā de jìng jiè yǔ shí lì ， nà chún shǔ 1 fèi shí jiān ér yǐ ， lín xuān xiàng fāng shì zhōng zuì dà de yī jiā dàng pù zǒu qù 。
林轩当然不会去傻乎乎的摆摊了，以他的境界与实力，那纯属1费时间而已，林轩像坊市中最大的一家当铺走去。
Pawnshops existed in secular society, and their functions were similar in the cultivation world. Customers usually fell into two categories: one for high-ranking cultivators like Lin Xuan, who had much wealth but no time to set up stalls; such people often frequented pawnshops because prices were slightly lower than selling directly, but it was convenient and quick.
Jiu Xian City was more prosperous than ever before, with the number of human, beast, and sea races increasing significantly. After all, many people's goal on the path to cultivation is longevity; they have no interest in power struggles. However, as the saying goes: "Under a collapsing nest, there can be no intact eggs." Thus, these people had no choice but to flee to the Chaos Sea and use it as a temporary refuge.
Many sects and families that had just withdrawn from battlefields were now filled with remnants of defeated forces. Thepopularity in Jiu Xian City almost doubled compared to before. Originally, this place was already a mix of dragons and snakes; now, it naturally added countless more bloodstains and strife. As Lin Xuan walked along, he saw cultivators with peculiar lotus symbols on their clothes—these were enforcers from the Nine Immortal Palace.
Due to too many outsiders, the Nine Immortal Palace had no choice but to add more personnel to maintain order.
The Chaos Sea was now even more fitting its name. In Jiu Xian City, cultivators often caused disturbances. A disagreement could lead them to use their treasures against each other; of course, this was not allowed by the enforcers. During such times, regardless of who was right or wrong, severe punishments were inevitable.
Mild cases would be expelled from the city, while more serious ones might even lose their lives.
The situation outside the city was even worse. Murder and plunder had become so rampant that low-ranking cultivators no longer dared to venture out alone. They either had senior mentors from their sects or traveled in groups; otherwise, their fate usually ended tragically without a clear understanding of how it happened.
Lin Xuan found a bustling tavern where he could gather information. Taverns and teahouses were the best places for this.
He ordered a sumptuous meal and ate heartily while concealing his cultivation level to mid-stage Golden Core. After all, being at the Separation stage would attract too much attention; in the later stages, it was even somewhat terrifying. If that happened, cultivators around him would be surprised, making it difficult for Lin Xuan to gather information.
Externally, Lin Xuan seemed engrossed in his meal. However, with his powerful divine sense, he could cover not only the tavern but also nearby teahouses. This was because there were no high-ranking cultivators above the Golden Core stage near him; otherwise, they would have detected his divine presence.
Various pieces of information, useful or not, filtered into his ears. Lin Xuan then slowly analyzed and sorted through them.
After filtering out the useless ones, he received some truly alarming news. The situation was even worse than he had imagined.
After all, when two races joined forces to fight against one, such a scenario rarely occurred in the Eastern Sea cultivation world. Human cultivators were not only numerically inferior but also lacked powerful experts. They could not be said to have suffered a complete defeat, but their situation was indeed dire. They had been losing battles almost continuously and struggled to stabilize their positions.
Many sects and families had even suffered total annihilation, with their legacies cut off.
Lin Xuan sighed. Although he was a hardworking cultivator who wasn't interested in these matters, as a human, he still didn't want his fellow humans to lose this battle.
Of course, although he didn't wish it, Lin Xuan couldn't change the situation himself and had no intention of getting involved.
At that moment, a hoarse voice entered his ears: "Brother Ma, you really think the Holy City has sent people to the Nine Immortal Palace?"
Lin Xuan discreetly turned his head. Two cultivators were using sound transmission techniques; one was in his forties with an unusually long horse face, while the other was an old man with a youthful appearance and a somewhat ethereal aura.
Both of them were mid-stage Golden Core cultivators engaged in a careful conversation. Lin Xuan's divine sense far exceeded theirs, allowing him to overhear their discussion without their knowledge.
"This can't be false; you know, my senior from the family is a high-ranking figure in the Holy City and also an expert at the Golden Core stage. This information came directly from his esteemed person," said one of them.
Lin Xuan perked up even more as he listened intently. The two cultivators were unaware that their conversation had already been overheard, continuing to talk freely.
An hour later, they settled their bill and left the pavilion. Lin Xuan's face showed deep thought; originally, he just wanted to gather information casually, but such a secret had fallen into his ears.
The alliance between sea and beast races made it difficult for humans to defend themselves. If he were the ruler of the Holy City, he would also seek allies. Looking at the Eastern Sea cultivation world, few could offer assistance; in the end, only the Nine Immortal Palace came to mind.
However, how would the other party react? Moreover, both sea and beast races had many wise individuals who could easily understand human moves. How would they respond?
"Alas."
Lin Xuan sighed. If his assumptions were correct, this Chaos Sea would eventually be swept into the vortex and cease to be a haven for them.
He didn't know when or if they would join the human side; these were still unknowns. However, he should prepare early.
With the information he wanted, Lin Xuan left the tavern without lingering further. He had already achieved his goal of gathering intelligence. Besides this, he also promised to help Bai Cao Sect obtain necessary cultivation materials for Uphang Mo Yu.
Lin Xuan walked towards the market district where there was now an unusually lively atmosphere due to the influx of many cultivators. While it wasn't as crowded as a human marketplace, it was bustling with activity.
A variety of rare treasures were emerging one by one.
This situation seemed strange but was not uncommon; after all, this was a special period. Even if they stayed in the Chaos Sea, the cultivators felt like a storm was brewing on the horizon.
In such times, even sect legacy treasures didn't need to be hidden. They should quickly exchange for resources that could be used, especially those that enhanced their strength.
Lin Xuan had many items to sell; only at high-ranking exchange markets did cultivators prefer bartering. In normal times, they still used crystal stones as a medium of exchange and means of pricing. The storage bags he obtained from killing cultivators contained numerous materials that needed to be sold one by one.
Lin Xuan wouldn't waste his time setting up a stall; with his current realm and strength, it was purely a waste of time. He walked towards the largest pawnshop in the market district.
Pawnshops existed in secular society, and their functions were similar in the cultivation world. Customers usually fell into two categories: one for high-ranking cultivators like Lin Xuan, who had much wealth but no time to set up stalls; such people often frequented pawnshops because prices were slightly lower than selling directly, but it was convenient and quick.