duì yú nà jǐ gè jiā huo ， lín xuān zì rán lǐ dōu bù lǐ 。 lián zhèng yǎn dōu méi yǒu wǎng tā men shēn shàng qiáo qù ， ér shì zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， mù guāng luò zài lǎo zhě shēn shàng le 。
对于那几个家伙，林轩自然理都不理。连正眼都没有往他们身上瞧去，而是转过头颅，目光落在老者身上了。
For those few men, Lin Xuan naturally paid them no mind. He didn't even spare a glance their way, instead turning his head to focus on the elder.
jǐn guǎn lín xuān líng yā hán ér bù lù ， sī háo méi yǒu zhēn duì tā de yì tú ， dàn bèi zhè me yī wèi gāo jiē xiū shì dīng zhe ， nà lǎo zhě de liǎn shàng ， hái shì rěn bú zhù lù chū le huáng kǒng zhī sè 。
尽管林轩灵压含而不露，丝毫没有针对他的意图，但被这么一位高阶修士盯着，那老者的脸上，还是忍不住露出了惶恐之色。
Despite Lin Xuan's latent spiritual pressure and lack of any hostile intent, the elder's face still couldn't help showing signs of fear under such scrutiny.
lüè yī chí yí ， cái niè rú zhe kāi kǒu le ：，“ huáng mǒu ， huáng mǒu yǔ qián bèi rèn shí me ？……
略一迟疑，才嗫嚅着开口了：，“黄某，黄某与前辈认识么？……
After a moment’s hesitation, he timidly spoke up: "Mr. Huang, do you know me from somewhere?..."
huà yīn wèi luò ， tā yǐ qiǎo rán tūn le yī kǒu tuò mò ， liǎn shàng de jǐn zhāng ， shì xiǎn ér yì jiàn de 。
话音未落，他已悄然吞了一口唾沫，脸上的紧张，是显而易见的。
Before he could finish his sentence, he swallowed nervously, his tension evident on his face.
，“ hěn jiǔ zhī qián ， wǒ men què rán jiàn guò yí miàn ， nà shí hòu ， dào yǒu hái jǐn shì yī míng zhù jī qī de xiǎo xiū xiān zhě …… lín xuān dàn dàn de shuō 。
，“很久之前，我们确然见过一面，那时候，道友还仅是一名筑基期的小修仙者……林轩淡淡的说。
"Indeed, we did meet once before many years ago. Back then, your friend was just an apprentice cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage..." Lin Xuan said coolly.
lǎo zhě tīng le ， liǎn shàng què mǎn shì mí máng zhī sè ， tā shì zhēn de shén me yìn xiàng yě méi yǒu le 。
老者听了，脸上却满是迷茫之色，他是真的什么印象也没有了。
The elder's expression turned confused as he listened. He genuinely had no memory of such a meeting.
，“ qián bèi ， wǒ …………
，“前辈，我…………
"Senior, I..."
，“ xíng le ， zhè xiē jǐ bǎi nián qián de wǎng shì ， jiù suàn wàng huái le yě méi shén me ， dǎo shì dào yǒu líng gēn méi yǒu shén me chū zhòng zhī chù ， néng gòu níng jié yuán yīng hái zhēn shì lìng rén kě xǐ kě hè de 。，。
，“行了，这些几百年前的往事，就算忘怀了也没什么，倒是道友灵根没有什么出众之处，能够凝结元婴还真是令人可喜可贺的。，。
"Enough with this old stuff from hundreds of years ago. It doesn't matter if you've forgotten it. What does matter is that your spiritual root isn’t particularly impressive. The fact that you managed to condense an infant spirit core is indeed something to be happy about," Lin Xuan said.
，“ ràng qián bèi jiàn xiào le ， xiǎo lǎo ér yě shì jī yuán qiǎo hé 。 dé dào le yī shàng gǔ xiū shì liú xià lái de dān yào yī bō ， fǒu zé néng fǒu níng dān dōu shì wèi zhī zhī shù 。 gèng bú yào shuō níng jié yuán yīng le 。” nà huáng xìng lǎo zhě dī chuí shuāng shǒu ， shí fēn lǎo shí de kāi kǒu 。
，“让前辈见笑了，小老儿也是机缘巧合。得到了一上古修士留下来的丹药衣钵，否则能否凝丹都是未知之数。更不要说凝结元婴了。”那黄姓老者低垂双手，十分老实的开口。
"I beg your forgiveness, Senior. I was just fortunate enough to obtain a vial of ancient immortal's essence milk through chance. Without it, the possibility of condensing my infant spirit core would have been unknown." The elderly man lowered his hands and spoke meekly.
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， liǎn shàng bìng wèi lù chū xiàn mù ， jī yuán zhè dōng xī ， yǒu shí hòu hái zhēn shì shuí yě shuō bù qīng chǔ ， kàn lái zhè lǎo zhě de yùn dào bù cuò ， bù guò pǔ tiān xià dé dào shàng gǔ xiū shì yī bō yǔ chuán chéng de yuǎn bù zhǐ tā yí gè ， zhè zhǒng shì qíng gēn běn jiù méi yǒu shén me hǎo jí dù de ， ér qiě gāng cái dòu fǎ de qíng jǐng lín xuān yǒu mù dǔ ， cǐ lǎo zhě de gōng fǎ shì yǒu jǐ fēn xuán miào zhī chù ， rán ér nà shì duì pǔ tōng de xiū shì lái shuō ， zài tā yǎn zhōng ， zé suàn bù liǎo shén me 。
林轩点了点头，脸上并未露出羡慕，机缘这东西，有时候还真是谁也说不清楚，看来这老者的运道不错，不过普天下得到上古修士衣钵与传承的远不止他一个，这种事情根本就没有什么好嫉妒的，而且刚才斗法的情景林轩有目睹，此老者的功法是有几分玄妙之处，然而那是对普通的修士来说，在他眼中，则算不了什么。
Lin Xuan nodded but didn't show any signs of envy on his face. Fortune was indeed unpredictable sometimes. He rubbed his forehead with interest: "Why is that?"
，“ zhè yā tou 。 shì dào yǒu de sūn nǚ ？”。
，“这丫头。是道友的孙女？”。
"Long story short, we were fortunate enough to find a vial of essence milk in an ancient immortal's ruins. Unfortunately, these fellows stumbled upon us and refused to let us go, chasing after us all the way here," the elder explained.
，“ bù cuò ， yuè é 。 hái bù gěi qián bèi jiàn lǐ …… lǎo zhě huí tóu hē chì le yī jù 。
，“不错，月娥。还不给前辈见礼……老者回头呵斥了一句。
"What? Essence milk from ten thousand years ago?" Lin Xuan was shocked, his breathing becoming more labored. With his current wealth and experience, few treasures could sway him, but essence milk from ten thousand years ago was definitely one of them.
cǐ nǚ tīng le ， liǎn shàng lù chū wèi jù zhī sè ” lián máng guāi qiǎo de xiàng zhe lín xuān bài xià qù le 。
此女听了，脸上露出畏惧之色”连忙乖巧的像着林轩拜下去了。
This vial in his possession had been obtained on the lower planes, and despite careful use over many years, he had very little left after enduring so much hardship.
lín xuān kàn le yī yǎn ， zī zhì hái suàn bú cuò ， rú guǒ yǒu xiē jī yuán de huà níng jié yuán yīng qī yīng gāi hái shì dà yǒu kě néng de 。
林轩看了一眼，资质还算不错，如果有些机缘的话凝结元婴期应该还是大有可能的。
Lin Xuan was worried about this. If not for the essence milk, his illusionary escape technique would be useless. In dangerous situations, he would lose a crucial means of self-preservation.
zhì yú lìng yī huǒ xiū xiān zhě 。 jiàn xīn lái de qián bèi gāo rén guǒ rán yǔ zǔ sūn liǎ xiāng shú ” bù yóu bó rán biàn sè ” zhè cì zhēn shì tài dǎo méi le ， rán ér duì fāng de shí lì shēn bù kě cè ， tā men biàn shì xiǎng táo ， yě sī háo méi yǒu jī huì de 。
至于另一伙修仙者。见新来的前辈高人果然与祖孙俩相熟”不由勃然变色”这次真是太倒霉了，然而对方的实力深不可测，他们便是想逃，也丝毫没有机会的。
However, while worrying, solving this problem proved difficult.
gāi zěn me bàn ne ？
该怎么办呢？
Indeed, the Spirit Realm had abundant resources, but that was relative. Certain materials were still extremely rare and hard to come by. Essence milk from ten thousand years ago was undoubtedly one such item.
xīn zhōng bù tíng dǎ gǔ ， kě nà qiú ráo de cuò cí zěn me yě xiǎng bù chū 。
心中不停打鼓，可那求饶的措辞怎么也想不出。
Over many years, Lin Xuan had visited countless markets and auctions, attending small transactions among high-ranking cultivators whenever possible. He spared no effort when it came to essence milk, willing to do anything to obtain it if he ever encountered it.
rán ér wū lòu piān féng lián yè yǔ ， qià qià zài tā men zuì dān xīn hài pà de yī kè ， lín xuān què jiāng huà tí rào dào tā men shēn shàng lái le 。
然而屋漏偏逢连夜雨，恰恰在他们最担心害怕的一刻，林轩却将话题绕到他们身上来了。
Yet while his resolve was strong, time was not on his side. It was like trying to cook a meal with no ingredients—impossible.
，“ huáng dào yǒu ， zhè jǐ gè jiā huo wèi hé yǔ nǐ zǔ sūn wéi nán ” mò fēi shì zhēng duó yāo shòu cái liào me ？”，，“ dāng rán bú shì ……
，“黄道友，这几个家伙为何与你祖孙为难”莫非是争夺妖兽材料么？”，，“当然不是……
For centuries, Lin Xuan had searched tirelessly but found nothing of the essence milk.
lǎo zhě tīng le ， liǎn shàng lù chū kǔ xiào zhī sè ：，“ wǎn bèi yǔ sūn nǚ ， shì jī yuán qiǎo hé ， táo dào cǐ chù 。 shì xiān gēn běn jiù bù qīng chǔ ， zhè ér yǒu yāo shòu shī hái de 。，。
老者听了，脸上露出苦笑之色：，“晚辈与孙女，是机缘巧合，逃到此处。事先根本就不清楚，这儿有妖兽尸骸的。，。
With no market for such items, even with great wealth, one could only sigh in frustration.
，“ ó ？……
，“哦？……
Despite feeling depressed and frustrated, Lin Xuan knew he couldn't rush this. He would have to wait for an opportunity.
lín xuān biǎo qíng yǒu xiē chà yì le ， zhè kě yǔ tā yuán xiān suǒ xiǎng de bù fú ， yǐ shǒu fǔ é 。 liǎn shàng lù chū gǎn xìng qù zhī sè ：，“ nà shì wèi jǐng me ？，。
林轩表情有些诧异了，这可与他原先所想的不符，以手抚额。脸上露出感兴趣之色：，“那是为井么？，。
To his surprise, fate had brought him here, and Lin Xuan was overjoyed. Who said good fortune doesn’t come twice? As long as you were lucky, it was hard to resist. Today was a stroke of luck indeed.
，“ zhè jiàn shì qíng shuō lái huà cháng ， zǒng zhī shì xiǎo lǎo ér yǔ yuè é ， yùn qì bù cuò ， zài mǒu gǔ xiū yí jì zhōng dé dào le yī píng wàn nián líng rǔ ， jié guǒ què bèi zhè jǐ gè jiā huo zhuàng pò ， tā men bù kěn jiāng wǒ zǔ sūn fàng guò ， yī lù zhuī shā zhì cǐ de 。”，，“ shén me 。 wàn nián líng rǔ ？”。
，“这件事情说来话长，总之是小老儿与月娥，运气不错，在某古修遗迹中得到了一瓶万年灵乳，结果却被这几个家伙撞破，他们不肯将我祖孙放过，一路追杀至此的。”，，“什么。万年灵乳？”。
The elder's expression remained calm despite the situation. Although he was only an infant spirit core cultivator, he had lived for centuries and knew that in such circumstances, keeping the essence milk would be impossible. He had already prepared himself when he spoke.
lín xuān dà jīng shī sè ， hū xī yě yǒu xiē cū zhòng le ， yǐ tā rú jīn de shēn jiā chéng fǔ ， néng lìng qí dòng xīn de bǎo wù bù duō ， wàn nián líng rǔ jué duì shì qí zhōng yí gè 。
林轩大惊失色，呼吸也有些粗重了，以他如今的身家城府，能令其动心的宝物不多，万年灵乳绝对是其中一个。
He reached into his belt, and a small, delicate jade vial flew out. It bore some floral patterns and looked ancient, clearly a long-lost treasure.
lín xuān shēn shàng zhè píng ” hái shì zài xià jiè suǒ de ， suī rán jǐn liàng jié shěng zhe shǐ yòng ， dàn zhè me duō nián guò qù 。 tā jīng lì le nà me duō jiān nán kùn kǔ 。 zài xuè yǔ xīng fēng zhōng shēng huó ” suǒ shèng yǐ rán bù duō 。
林轩身上这瓶”还是在下界所得，虽然尽量节省着使用，但这么多年过去。他经历了那么多艰难困苦。在血雨腥风中生活”所剩已然不多。
"Senior, this is what my grandson and I found. With such shallow fortune and thin luck, we are unworthy of possessing it. Today's meeting with you must be fate’s intention. Mr. Huang wishes to offer this precious item to you," the elder said with reluctance but quickly recovered his composure.
lín xuān zhèng wèi zhè jiàn shì qíng fā chóu ， bié de qíng kuàng zàn qiě bù tí ， shī zhǎn huàn yǐng dùn ruò méi yǒu wàn nián líng rǔ pèi hé ， gēn běn jiù shì yī jī lèi de mì shù ， yù jiàn wēi xiǎn qíng kuàng de shí hòu ， zì jǐ jiù shī qù yī bǎo mìng de shā shǒu jiǎn le 。
林轩正为这件事情发愁，别的情况暂且不提，施展幻影遁若没有万年灵乳配合，根本就是一鸡肋的秘术，遇见危险情况的时候，自己就失去一保命的杀手锏了。
"Really?" Lin Xuan showed surprise. The other man was even more astute than he had imagined.
rán ér zháo jí guī zháo jí ， xiǎng yào jiě jué zhè ge wèn tí què shì hěn nán dì 。
然而着急归着急，想要解决这个问题却是很难地。
Before he could respond, a voice from across the group interrupted: "You, you do have ten thousand year essence milk! You denied it just now. This is what our sect leader requested. How can you..."
bù cuò ， líng jiè shì zī yuán fēng fù ， dàn yě shì xiāng duì lái shuō ， shén me shì qíng dōu yǒu yí gè dù ， mǒu xiē cái liào ， zài líng jiè ， tóng yàng shì zhēn xī yì cháng de 。
不错，灵界是资源丰富，但也是相对来说，什么事情都有一个度，某些材料，在灵界，同样是珍稀异常的。
The speaker was the shortest of the golden-robed cultivators, his face rough and full of muscle, clearly not one who relied on intelligence.
shèn zhì kě yǐ shuō kě yù ér bù kě qiú 。 bǐ rú shuō wàn nián líng rǔ ， jué duì kān chēng nì tiān zhī wù 。
甚至可以说可遇而不可求。比如说万年灵乳，绝对堪称逆天之物。
"Stop."
zhè me duō nián lái ， dà dà xiǎo xiǎo de fāng shì ， lín xuān yě guàng guò wú shù cì ， gāo jiē xiū shì jiān de xiǎo xíng jiāo yì huì cān jiā guò ， pāi mài huì zhǐ yào yù jiàn le ， yì bān lái shuō ， yě jué bú huì là xià 。
这么多年来，大大小小的坊市，林轩也逛过无数次，高阶修士间的小型交易会参加过，拍卖会只要遇见了，一般来说，也绝不会落下。
Before he could finish, a leading figure among them cut him off sharply. The other three golden-robed cultivators glared at him angrily. This guy was a fool, speaking without thinking in such a dangerous situation. He might as well be asking for trouble.
tā shēn jià fēng hòu wú bǐ ， lùn fù yǒu chéng dù ， duì shàng dòng xuán qī lǎo guài wù ， yě yào shèng shàng yī chóu ， ér wàn nián líng rǔ què shí yòu shì suǒ xū zhī wù ， rú guǒ zhēn yù jiàn le ， nà kěn dìng shì bù xī yí qiè dài jià ， yě yào jiāng qí ná xià lái 。
他身价丰厚无比，论富有程度，对上洞玄期老怪物，也要胜上一筹，而万年灵乳确实又是所需之物，如果真遇见了，那肯定是不惜一切代价，也要将其拿下来。
After their scolding, they turned their heads with fear, worried that the elder's disrespect had angered this mysterious high-ranking figure.
rán ér jué xīn gù rán bù cuò ， kě xī què shì shí bù dài wǒ 。 huò zhě shuō ， huàn yī jù tōng sú diǎn de shuō fǎ 。 jiù shì qiǎo fù nán wéi wú mǐ zhī chuī 。
然而决心固然不错，可惜却是时不待我。或者说，换一句通俗点的说法。就是巧妇难为无米之炊。
Knowing that they were all in this together, one misstep could bring them all down. The ancient immortal’s saying flashed through their minds—afraid of a powerful enemy but not a foolish ally. Their frustration was palpable.
jǐ bǎi nián lái ， lín xuān kǔ kǔ xún mì 。 suí shí liú yì ， rán ér wàn nián líng rǔ ， gēn běn jiù zōng yǐng quán wú 。
几百年来，林轩苦苦寻觅。随时留意，然而万年灵乳，根本就踪影全无。
Sure enough, Lin Xuan smiled as he turned his head. Despite the smile, the others felt like needles piercing their backs and beads of cold sweat forming on their foreheads.
yǒu jià wú shì 。 nǐ yǒu zài duō de cái huò ， hái bú shì zhǐ néng tù xiě 。
有价无市。你有再多的财货，还不是只能吐血。
"Leader? What leader? Are you trying to take this item from me? Do your friends have any objections?" Lin Xuan’s cold laughter echoed in their ears.
yù mèn jǔ sàng lín xuān dōu yǒu guò ， dàn tā yě xiǎo de ， cǐ shì jí bù dé ， zhǐ néng děng jī yuán le 。
郁闷沮丧林轩都有过，但他也晓得，此事急不得，只能等机缘了。
With his current cultivation, he would not back down for anything. Even if facing only a few infant spirit core and condensation stage cultivators, let alone the three imperial beasts or six sea kings, Lin Xuan would never yield.
nǎ xiǎo de ， jū rán zài zhè yàng de chǎng hé 。 bèi zì jǐ gěi pèng dào le ， lín xuān xīn zhōng de gāo xìng kě xiǎng ér zhī ， shuí shuō fú wú shuāng zhì ， huò bù dān xíng ， rén zhǐ yào zǒu yùn le ， dǎng dōu dǎng bú zhù 。 jīn tiān yùn qì zhēn shì tài hǎo le 。
哪晓得，居然在这样的场合。被自己给碰到了，林轩心中的高兴可想而知，谁说福无双至，祸不单行，人只要走运了，挡都挡不住。今天运气真是太好了。
"Haha, Senior is mistaken. I dare not have such disrespectful thoughts. With our lives, we could never compete with you for this treasure. You may take it," said the leading figure among the golden-robed cultivators, a white-haired elder who now wore an expression of reverence and forced laughter.
jiāng lín xuān de biǎo qíng biàn huà kàn zài yǎn lǐ ， lǎo zhě què shén sè rú cháng ， tā shí lì suī rán bù guò yuán yīng ， dàn yě shì huó le jǐ bǎi nián de rén wù ， jī běn de chéng fǔ kěn dìng shì yǒu ， nǎ hái bù xiǎo de ， zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， wàn nián líng rǔ kěn dìng bǎo bú zhù ， tā zài shuō chū zhè ge xiāo xī de shí hòu ， jiù yǐ jīng yǒu le jué wù 。
将林轩的表情变化看在眼里，老者却神色如常，他实力虽然不过元婴，但也是活了几百年的人物，基本的城府肯定是有，哪还不晓得，这种情况下，万年灵乳肯定保不住，他在说出这个消息的时候，就已经有了觉悟。
"But...the leader specifically ordered..." The short man opened his mouth to argue but was cut off again by the leader.
shě bù dé shì yí dìng de ， rán ér rén zhǐ yào huó zhe ， cái bǎo yòu suàn dé le shén me ， bú shì yǒu yī jù huà ， jiào zuò shě cái miǎn zāi 。
舍不得是一定的，然而人只要活着，财宝又算得了什么，不是有一句话，叫做舍财免灾。
"Stop!" This time, the leader was truly angered. He turned swiftly and slapped the man across the face without another word.
xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， tā shēn chū shǒu lái ， qīng qīng zài yāo jiān yī pāi ， líng guāng yī shǎn ， yí gè xiǎo qiǎo jīng zhì de yù píng jiù fēi lüè chū lái ， biǎo miàn shàng hái yǒu yī xiē huā wén ， pǒ wèi gǔ piáo ， yī kàn jiù shì nián dài jiǔ yuǎn zhī wù 。
心中如此想着，他伸出手来，轻轻在腰间一拍，灵光一闪，一个小巧精致的玉瓶就飞掠出来，表面上还有一些huā纹，颇为古朴，一看就是年代久远之物。
"Crack..."
，“ qián gū ， zhè jiù shì wǎn bèi zǔ sūn suǒ de de wàn nián líng rǔ ， xiǎo lǎo ér fú qiǎn yuán báo ， bù pèi yōng yǒu zhè líng wù ， jīn rì néng yǔ qián bèi xiāng yù ， nà yě shì shàng tiān de yì tú ， huáng mǒu yuàn yì jiāng cǐ bǎo wù ， shuāng shǒu fèng sòng gěi qián bèi de …… lǎo zhě shuō zhè huà de shí hòu ， biǎo qíng liú lù chū yī sī bù shě ， dàn hěn kuài jiù xiāo shī bú jiàn le ， pǐ fū wú zuì ， huái bì qí zuì de dào lǐ 。 tā xīn lǐ yǒu shù ” zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， rú cǐ xuǎn zé ” jué duì shì zuì zhèng què de 。
，“前辜，这就是晚辈祖孙所得的万年灵乳，小老儿福浅缘薄，不配拥有这灵物，今日能与前辈相遇，那也是上天的意图，黄某愿意将此宝物，双手奉送给前辈的……老者说这话的时候，表情流露出一丝不舍，但很快就消失不见了，匹夫无罪，怀璧其罪的道理。他心里有数”这种情况下，如此选择”绝对是最正确的。
The sharp sound echoed in their ears as the shorter cultivator’s face showed surprise. He touched his swollen cheek: "Uncle... why did you hit me?"
，“ ó ？……
，“哦？……
"You are a fool who doesn't know when to keep your mouth shut..." The leader was truly infuriated: "If you speak again, I will immediately extract your soul and refine it..."
lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī yì wài zhī sè ， duì fāng bǐ zì jǐ xiǎng xiàng de hái yào shàng dào dé duō 。
林轩脸上露出一丝意外之色，对方比自己想象的还要上道得多。
"Oh."
rán ér tā shàng wèi kāi kǒu ， duì miàn yī jīng hū shēng què chuán lái le ：，“ nǐ ， nǐ guǒ rán cáng yǒu wàn nián líng rǔ 。 gāng cái hái bù chéng rèn ， zhè dōng xī 。 kě shì wǒ jiā jiào zhǔ diǎn míng yào de ， nǐ zěn me ……”。
然而他尚未开口，对面一惊呼声却传来了：，“你，你果然藏有万年灵乳。刚才还不承认，这东西。可是我家教主点名要的，你怎么……”。
The short man recoiled but still looked confused. Lin Xuan watched the scene with a cold expression on his face, though he remained calm. He had never seen anyone as foolish as this before. Could this guy really have an IQ problem? Even fools could successfully condense their golden cores—something unheard of.
shuō huà de ， shì nà huǒ jīn yī xiū shì zhōng shēn lín zuì ǎi de yí gè ， què shén qíng cū lǔ ， zhǎng dé mǎn liǎn héng ròu ， yī kàn jiù bú shì nà zhǒng shàn yòng nǎo de 。
说话的，是那伙金衣修士中身林最矮的一个，却神情粗鲁，长得满脸横肉，一看就不是那种擅用脑的。
Seeing that he finally silenced the fool, the leader turned and his anger vanished, replaced by fear and a smile: "Senior, please don't be angry. My nephew has some issues with intelligence. We have no disrespect for you. The ten thousand year essence milk should go to you. Please excuse us as we leave, not wanting to delay your business here..."
For those few men, Lin Xuan naturally paid them no mind. He didn't even spare a glance their way, instead turning his head to focus on the elder.
Despite Lin Xuan's latent spiritual pressure and lack of any hostile intent, the elder's face still couldn't help showing signs of fear under such scrutiny.
After a moment’s hesitation, he timidly spoke up: "Mr. Huang, do you know me from somewhere?..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he swallowed nervously, his tension evident on his face.
"Indeed, we did meet once before many years ago. Back then, your friend was just an apprentice cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage..." Lin Xuan said coolly.
The elder's expression turned confused as he listened. He genuinely had no memory of such a meeting.
"Senior, I..."
"Enough with this old stuff from hundreds of years ago. It doesn't matter if you've forgotten it. What does matter is that your spiritual root isn’t particularly impressive. The fact that you managed to condense an infant spirit core is indeed something to be happy about," Lin Xuan said.
"I beg your forgiveness, Senior. I was just fortunate enough to obtain a vial of ancient immortal's essence milk through chance. Without it, the possibility of condensing my infant spirit core would have been unknown." The elderly man lowered his hands and spoke meekly.
Lin Xuan nodded but didn't show any signs of envy on his face. Fortune was indeed unpredictable sometimes. He rubbed his forehead with interest: "Why is that?"
"Long story short, we were fortunate enough to find a vial of essence milk in an ancient immortal's ruins. Unfortunately, these fellows stumbled upon us and refused to let us go, chasing after us all the way here," the elder explained.
"What? Essence milk from ten thousand years ago?" Lin Xuan was shocked, his breathing becoming more labored. With his current wealth and experience, few treasures could sway him, but essence milk from ten thousand years ago was definitely one of them.
This vial in his possession had been obtained on the lower planes, and despite careful use over many years, he had very little left after enduring so much hardship.
Lin Xuan was worried about this. If not for the essence milk, his illusionary escape technique would be useless. In dangerous situations, he would lose a crucial means of self-preservation.
However, while worrying, solving this problem proved difficult.
Indeed, the Spirit Realm had abundant resources, but that was relative. Certain materials were still extremely rare and hard to come by. Essence milk from ten thousand years ago was undoubtedly one such item.
Over many years, Lin Xuan had visited countless markets and auctions, attending small transactions among high-ranking cultivators whenever possible. He spared no effort when it came to essence milk, willing to do anything to obtain it if he ever encountered it.
Yet while his resolve was strong, time was not on his side. It was like trying to cook a meal with no ingredients—impossible.
For centuries, Lin Xuan had searched tirelessly but found nothing of the essence milk.
With no market for such items, even with great wealth, one could only sigh in frustration.
Despite feeling depressed and frustrated, Lin Xuan knew he couldn't rush this. He would have to wait for an opportunity.
To his surprise, fate had brought him here, and Lin Xuan was overjoyed. Who said good fortune doesn’t come twice? As long as you were lucky, it was hard to resist. Today was a stroke of luck indeed.
The elder's expression remained calm despite the situation. Although he was only an infant spirit core cultivator, he had lived for centuries and knew that in such circumstances, keeping the essence milk would be impossible. He had already prepared himself when he spoke.
He reached into his belt, and a small, delicate jade vial flew out. It bore some floral patterns and looked ancient, clearly a long-lost treasure.
"Senior, this is what my grandson and I found. With such shallow fortune and thin luck, we are unworthy of possessing it. Today's meeting with you must be fate’s intention. Mr. Huang wishes to offer this precious item to you," the elder said with reluctance but quickly recovered his composure.
"Really?" Lin Xuan showed surprise. The other man was even more astute than he had imagined.
Before he could respond, a voice from across the group interrupted: "You, you do have ten thousand year essence milk! You denied it just now. This is what our sect leader requested. How can you..."
The speaker was the shortest of the golden-robed cultivators, his face rough and full of muscle, clearly not one who relied on intelligence.
"Stop."
Before he could finish, a leading figure among them cut him off sharply. The other three golden-robed cultivators glared at him angrily. This guy was a fool, speaking without thinking in such a dangerous situation. He might as well be asking for trouble.
After their scolding, they turned their heads with fear, worried that the elder's disrespect had angered this mysterious high-ranking figure.
Knowing that they were all in this together, one misstep could bring them all down. The ancient immortal’s saying flashed through their minds—afraid of a powerful enemy but not a foolish ally. Their frustration was palpable.
Sure enough, Lin Xuan smiled as he turned his head. Despite the smile, the others felt like needles piercing their backs and beads of cold sweat forming on their foreheads.
"Leader? What leader? Are you trying to take this item from me? Do your friends have any objections?" Lin Xuan’s cold laughter echoed in their ears.
With his current cultivation, he would not back down for anything. Even if facing only a few infant spirit core and condensation stage cultivators, let alone the three imperial beasts or six sea kings, Lin Xuan would never yield.
"Haha, Senior is mistaken. I dare not have such disrespectful thoughts. With our lives, we could never compete with you for this treasure. You may take it," said the leading figure among the golden-robed cultivators, a white-haired elder who now wore an expression of reverence and forced laughter.
"But...the leader specifically ordered..." The short man opened his mouth to argue but was cut off again by the leader.
"Stop!" This time, the leader was truly angered. He turned swiftly and slapped the man across the face without another word.
"Crack..."
The sharp sound echoed in their ears as the shorter cultivator’s face showed surprise. He touched his swollen cheek: "Uncle... why did you hit me?"
"You are a fool who doesn't know when to keep your mouth shut..." The leader was truly infuriated: "If you speak again, I will immediately extract your soul and refine it..."
"Oh."
The short man recoiled but still looked confused. Lin Xuan watched the scene with a cold expression on his face, though he remained calm. He had never seen anyone as foolish as this before. Could this guy really have an IQ problem? Even fools could successfully condense their golden cores—something unheard of.
Seeing that he finally silenced the fool, the leader turned and his anger vanished, replaced by fear and a smile: "Senior, please don't be angry. My nephew has some issues with intelligence. We have no disrespect for you. The ten thousand year essence milk should go to you. Please excuse us as we leave, not wanting to delay your business here..."