“ zhè lǎo fū zì rán xiǎo de ， zhǐ yào bú shì hǎi zú liù wáng nà zhǒng děng jí de lǎo guài wù ， biàn shì jù jīng yī mài qí tā jǐ míng dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě 。 nǐ wǒ yù jiàn le ， tuì yī wàn bù shuō ， jí biàn dǎ bù guò ， xiǎng yào quán shēn ér tuì yě shì méi yǒu fēn háo wèn tí de 。” bái gǔ zhēn jūn yōu yōu de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。 xiǎn rán zhè ge wèn tí tā zǎo jiù kǎo lǜ guò 。
“这老夫自然晓得，只要不是海族六王那种等级的老怪物，便是巨鲸一脉其他几名洞玄期修仙者。你我遇见了，退一万步说，即便打不过，想要全身而退也是没有分毫问题的。”白骨真君悠悠的声音传入耳朵。显然这个问题他早就考虑过。
"Of course, my friend," the True Monarch of White Bone said in a leisurely voice. Clearly, he had anticipated this issue long ago.
，“ ń ， dào yǒu yán zhī yǒu lǐ ， bù guò tiān xīn chán wáng de nèi dān ， wǒ men hái shì yào jǐn liàng duó dào shǒu zhōng ， zhǐ yǒu zhēn zhèng zhǎo dào jí pǐn jīng shí de kuàng mài ， shèng chéng cái huì duì xiàn chéng nuò ， jiāng céng jīng xǔ yǐ de hǎo chù fēn gěi nǐ wǒ 。”。
，“嗯，道友言之有理，不过天心蟾王的内丹，我们还是要尽量夺到手中，只有真正找到极品晶石的矿脉，圣城才会兑现承诺，将曾经许以的好处分给你我。”。
"Yes, Fellow Daoist, your words are reasonable. However, we must still try to seize the inner core of Heavenly Heart Toad King; only by truly finding an upper-grade crystal vein will the Holy City honor its promise and reward us with the good fortune it once promised," replied the Poison Dragon Ancestor, his expression serious.
dú lóng lǎo zǔ de biǎo qíng pǒ wèi yán sù ：，“ lǎo fū kě bù xiǎng xīn kǔ le jǐ bǎi nián ， dào tóu lái què bái máng huó 。”
毒龙老祖的表情颇为严肃：，“老夫可不想辛苦了几百年，到头来却白忙活。”
The Poison Dragon Ancestor's face showed a hint of resentment. The phrase "stealing chickens and losing rice" aptly described his past experiences. He had painstakingly schemed to obtain an upper-grade mine vein but was thwarted halfway by the Whale King, who was far more powerful than him.
shuō zhè huà de shí hòu 。 tā yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī yuàn dú 。
说这话的时候。他眼中闪过一丝怨毒。
Unable to do anything else, he had to seek refuge under the Holy City's tree of power, even though most of the benefits would go to others. At least he could still drink some soup; it was better than doing all this work for nothing.
suǒ wèi tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ ， yòng lái xíng róng tā guò wǎng de jīng lì ， nà shì zuì qià dàng dì 。
所谓偷鸡不成蚀把米，用来形容他过往的经历，那是最恰当地。
Such a choice was undoubtedly correct, but what made things worse was that his lair had been picked clean by someone else. The Poison Dragon Island lay in ruins, its landscape scarred and desolate. Not one of his subordinates or disciples survived; they were either soul-enslaved by their enemies or scattered like birds.
kǔ xīn tú móu ， xiǎng yào jiāng jí pǐn kuàng mài qǔ dào shǒu zhōng ， nǎ zhī dào bàn tú ， què shā chū jù jīng wáng zhè jiǎo jú zhě 。 piān piān shí lì bǐ tā hái yào qiáng dà dé duō 。
苦心图谋，想要将极品矿脉取到手中，哪知道半途，却杀出巨鲸王这搅局者。偏偏实力比他还要强大得多。
The sight of this scene filled the Poison Dragon Ancestor with sorrow and anger beyond measure. Who dared to meddle with him?
bù dé yǐ ， tā zhǐ hǎo tóu kào shèng chéng zhè kē dà shù ， suī rán dà bù fèn hǎo chù huì luò rù bié rén de shǒu lǐ 。 dàn tā hǎo dǎi hái cái yī xiē tāng kě yǐ hē ， bǐ qǐ bái máng huó de xià chǎng ， zǒng yào hǎo shàng xǔ duō 。
不得已，他只好投靠圣城这棵大树，虽然大部分好处会落入别人的手里。但他好歹还才一些汤可以喝，比起白忙活的下场，总要好上许多。
However, reality proved that he had miscalculated. The other party not only dared to meddle but was even more brazen, leaving a provocative message on the mountain peak: "Murderer Lin Xuan!"
zhè yàng de xuǎn zé ， jué méi yǒu cuò ， kě zāo jiù zāo zài ” tā de lǎo cháo ， jū rán bèi bié rén gěi tiāo le 。
这样的选择，绝没有错，可糟就糟在”他的老巢，居然被别人给挑了。
Seeing these five characters, the Poison Dragon Ancestor's hatred nearly made him spit blood. Who was Lin Xuan? He knew well that hundreds of years ago, he had narrowly escaped from his possessed avatar.
dú lóng dǎo bèi yí wéi píng dì ， nà lǐ zhǐ shèng píng mǎn mù chuāng yí ， tā de shǒu xià yǔ tú dì ， méi yǒu yí gè huó zhe 。 bú shì bèi dí rén gěi chōu hún liàn pò ， jiù shì zuò niǎo shòu sàn le 。
毒龙岛被夷为平地，那里只剩平满目疮痍，他的手下与徒弟，没有一个活着。不是被敌人给抽魂炼魄，就是作鸟兽散了。
Although only at the Separation stage, Lin Xuan's abilities were indeed impressive. Indeed, it was a case of letting the tiger back into the forest, leaving behind endless trouble.
dāng dú lóng lǎo zǔ jiàn dào zhè yí mù ， xīn zhōng de bēi fèn shì kě xiǎng ér zhī de 。
当毒龙老祖见到这一幕，心中的悲愤是可想而知的。
The Poison Dragon Ancestor's hatred for Lin Xuan was understandable. The brat had managed to escape from him and now dared to live. If he fell into his hands again, he would ensure that the boy could neither live nor die...
jū rán yǒu rén gǎn zài tài suì tóu shàng dòng tǔ 。
居然有人敢在太岁头上动土。
Anger aside, this Poison Dragon Island was merely a temporary refuge for him. Its destruction was not a problem; as for those so-called disciples, they were nothing more than servants of the old monster and their deaths meant little.
rán ér shì shí zhèng míng 。 tā yù liào cuò wù ， duì fāng bù jǐn gǎn dòng tǔ ， ér qiě hái xiāo zhāng dào jí chù ， jū rán zài shān fēng shàng liú xià tiǎo xìn de yán yǔ 。
然而事实证明。他预料错误，对方不仅敢动土，而且还嚣张到极处，居然在山峰上留下挑衅的言语。
If things had stopped there, the Poison Dragon Ancestor would have been most angry. However, what happened next left him with bulging eyes and no place to cry.
，“ shā rén zhě lín xuān ！”
，“杀人者林轩！”
As an Immortal Profound Stage cultivator who had lived for tens of thousands of years, he had accumulated countless treasures through cunning and force. These were hidden in a secret location that the Poison Dragon Ancestor cherished deeply.
dāng jiàn dào zhè wǔ gè jiā zì de shí hòu 。 dú lóng lǎo zǔ hèn dé dōu yào tù xiě le 。
当见到这五个夹字的时候。毒龙老祖恨得都要吐血了。
He had also spent much effort cultivating an external avatar. This avatar's cultivation technique was unique; if all costs were disregarded, it could still achieve Immortal Profound stage power.
lín xuān shì nǎ ge ， tā dāng rán qīng chǔ shù bǎi nián qián ， céng cóng zì jǐ de fù tǐ fēn shēn shǒu xià táo tuō 。
林轩是哪个，他当然清楚数百年前，曾从自己的附体分身手下逃脱。
This arrangement seemed foolproof, but to his shock and fury, such a formidable avatar was killed, and the accumulated treasures over ten thousand years naturally fell into others' hands.
suī rán jǐn shì lí hé dàn shén tōng què shí chū zhòng 。
虽然仅是离合但神通确实出众。
His sorrow was palpable. Not only had he failed to obtain the upper-grade crystal benefits, but he had also lost decades of accumulated wealth.
guǒ rán shì fàng hǔ guī shān ， hòu huàn wú qióng 。
果然是放虎归山，后患无穷。
In other words, although at this moment he appeared to be an Immortal Profound cultivator, his situation was not much better than that of the Yan Mountain Four Friends; he was penniless.
dú lóng lǎo zǔ duì lín xuān de hèn shì kě xiǎng ér zhī de ， chòu xiǎo zi ， jiǎo xìng cóng lǎo zǔ shǒu lǐ táo tuō ， jū rán bù zhī sǐ huó nǐ zuì hǎo bié luò zài zì jǐ de shǒu lǐ ， fǒu zé bì ràng tā qiú shēng bù néng ， qiú sǐ bù dé ……
毒龙老祖对林轩的恨是可想而知的，臭小子，侥幸从老祖手里逃脱，居然不知死活你最好别落在自己的手里，否则必让他求生不能，求死不得……
Thus, the old monster was even more eager for the benefits promised by the Holy City. He desperately hoped to seize the inner core of Heavenly Heart Toad King.
nù guī nù ， bù guò zhè dú lóng dǎo yě jǐn jǐn shì tā zàn shí de ān shēn zhī suǒ ， huǐ le yě jiù huǐ le ， zhì yú nà suǒ wèi de dì zǐ ， qí shí yě bù guò shì lǎo guài wù yì shǐ de nú pú ， sǐ le tóng yàng méi yǒu shén me 。
怒归怒，不过这毒龙岛也仅仅是他暂时的安身之所，毁了也就毁了，至于那所谓的弟子，其实也不过是老怪物役使的奴仆，死了同样没有什么。
The True Monarch of White Bone swept his gaze and understood what the Poison Dragon Ancestor was thinking, feeling a twinge of joy at his misfortune. However, on the surface, he showed solidarity: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured; I am unwilling to give up the benefits promised by the Holy City. I will do my best."
ruò shì qíng jǐn zhǐ yú cǐ dú lóng lǎo zǔ yě zuì duō shì yǒu xiē fèn nù ， rán ér jiē xià lái fā shēng de yí mù 。 què ràng qí mù zì yù liè ， kū dōu méi yǒu dì fāng kū 。
若事情仅止于此毒龙老祖也最多是有些愤怒，然而接下来发生的一幕。却让其目眦欲裂，哭都没有地方哭。
"Then that is the best," replied the Poison Dragon Ancestor.
yào zhī dào zuò wéi dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě 。 zhè lǎo jiā huǒ ， kě shì huó le shù wàn nián zhī jiǔ de 。 qiǎo qǔ háo duó 。 bù zhī dào jī zǎn le duō shǎo bǎo wù 。
要知道作为洞玄期修仙者。这老家伙，可是活了数万年之久的。巧取豪夺。不知道积攒了多少宝物。
The two old monsters did not say much more as the ancient warship sped towards the mysterious荒岛 with incredible speed.
zhè xiē dōng xī dú lóng lǎo zǔ shí fēn zhēn xī ， quán bù cáng yú yī mì mì zhī suǒ 。
这些东西毒龙老祖十分珍稀，全部藏于一秘密之所。
Their concerns were justified. A玄龟 puppet was also diving at high speed from a distance of hundreds of miles, heading for the deserted island.
ér qiě hái fèi jǐn xīn kǔ ， xiū liàn chū le yī jù shēn wài huà shēn 。
而且还费尽辛苦，修炼出了一具身外化身。
This was a unique underwater weapon of the sea race; its offensive and defensive capabilities did not fall short of human ships. Inside the artifact, numerous sea cultivators were also present.
zhè shēn wài huà shēn xiū liàn de gōng fǎ yě yǒu dú dào zhī chù ， ruò shì zhì suǒ yǒu de dài jià yú bù gù ， néng gòu fā huī chū lái de shí lì ， jiù suàn yī jiù méi yǒu bàn fǎ pì měi běn tǐ ， dàn yě shì háo wú xuán niàn de dòng xuán qī 。
这身外化身修炼的功法也有独到之处，若是置所有的代价于不顾，能够发挥出来的实力，就算依旧没有办法媲美本体，但也是毫无悬念的洞玄期。
They were all elite members of the Whale Clan.
zhè yàng de bù zhì yuán běn yǐ shì wàn wú yī shī ， kě ràng dú lóng lǎo zǔ jīng nù de shì ， zhè me lì hài de huà shēn ， jū rán bèi jī shā ， ér jī zǎn le wàn nián de cái huò zì rán yě jiù wú fǎ bǎo zhù 。 luò zài le bié rén de shǒu lǐ 。
这样的布置原本已是万无一失，可让毒龙老祖惊怒的是，这么厉害的化身，居然被击杀，而积攒了万年的财货自然也就无法保住。落在了别人的手里。
The True Monarch of White Bone's assessment was correct; the Whale King indeed did not personally handle this matter. However, among these sea cultivators, the highest-ranking ones were Immortal Profound Stage cultivators, and there were two: one male and one female.
tā xīn zhōng de bēi fèn kě xiǎng ér zhī ， tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ bù jǐn méi yǒu dé dào jí pǐn jīng shí de hǎo chù 。 fǎn ér jiāng duō nián jī zǎn de cái huò diū shī 。
他心中的悲愤可想而知，偷鸡不成蚀把米不仅没有得到极品晶石的好处。反而将多年积攒的财货丢失。
The man appeared to be in his thirties, with a bronze complexion, bald head, bare feet, an ugly face that gave no impression of being a high-stage cultivator but rather a strongman.
huàn jù huà shuō bié kàn cǐ shí cǐ kè 。 dú lóng nǎi shì dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ， qí shí tā de qíng kuàng bǐ yān shān sì yǒu yě hǎo bù liǎo xǔ duō ， yī pín rú xǐ 。
换句话说别看此时此刻。毒龙乃是洞玄期修仙者，其实他的情况比燕山四友也好不了许多，一贫如洗。
However, one could not judge a book by its cover. This giant's aura was hidden yet formidable; he was indeed an old monster at the Immortal Profound stage.
gù ér zhè lǎo guài wù duì shèng chéng xǔ xià de hǎo chù gèng jiā kě wàng yǐ jí ， pò qiè xī wàng néng jiāng tiān xīn chán wáng de nèi dān qǔ dào shǒu lǐ 。
故而这老怪物对圣城许下的好处更加渴望以极，迫切希望能将天心蟾王的内丹取到手里。
As for the woman beside him, she wore black clothes and had her face covered with a silk scarf, making it difficult to determine her age, but she seemed to be in her twenties.
bái gǔ zhēn jūn mù guāng sǎo guò ， dāng rán xiǎo de dú lóng zài xiǎng shén me ， xīn zhōng bù yóu de xìng zāi lè huò ， rán ér biǎo miàn shàng ， què shì yī fù tóng chóu dí kài zhī sè ：，“ dào yǒu fàng xīn ， shèng chéng xǔ xià de hǎo chù ， lǎo fū tóng yàng shì bù yuàn yì fàng qì de 。 zì rán huì jìn lì le 。”
白骨真君目光扫过，当然晓得毒龙在想什么，心中不由得幸灾乐祸，然而表面上，却是一副同仇敌忾之色：，“道友放心，圣城许下的好处，老夫同样是不愿意放弃的。自然会尽力了。”
Lin Xuan had never seen this person before. However, she knew Lin Xuan; the two princesses of the Whale King called her Auntie Xiao. Four hundred years ago, when Lin Xuan first arrived in Red Leaf Sea, she was already a great Separation Stage cultivator. Now, after so many years, this mysterious woman had advanced to Immortal Profound stage.
，“ rú cǐ zuì hǎo bù guò 。”。
，“如此最好不过。”。
This task of seizing the inner core of Heavenly Heart Toad King was led by her and the old monster named Li.
jiē xià lái ， liǎng míng lǎo guài wù méi yǒu duō shuō ， nà shàng gǔ zhàn chuán fēng chí diàn chè ， xiàng zhe shén mì de huāng dǎo fēi chí ér qù le 。
接下来，两名老怪物没有多说，那上古战船风驰电掣，向着神秘的荒岛飞驰而去了。
Lin Xuan did not know any of this. After a long journey, he and the Yan Mountain Four Friends finally arrived at the mysterious荒岛.
tā men de dān xīn bù wú dào lǐ 。
他们的担心不无道理。
Though called an island, it was actually enormous, far beyond Red Leaf Island's size. Lin Xuan could hardly estimate its area from his vantage point.
zài bǎi wàn lǐ zhī yuǎn de hǎi dǐ ， yī sōu xuán guī kuǐ lěi yě tóng yàng yǐ jīng rén de sù dù ， xiàng zhe huāng dǎo xùn měng de jiē jìn zhe 。
在百万里之远的海底，一艘玄龟傀儡也同样以惊人的速度，向着荒岛迅猛的接近着。
In such perilous terrain, the five of them were even more cautious but did not retreat. Lin Xuan needed no explanation; with his abilities, he could go anywhere in the Eastern Sea cultivation world. The other four cultivators, though often immersed in nature, were still cultivators and thus could not be completely detached. Moreover, they were now penniless and urgently needed Heart Stone to obtain the resources for their cultivation.
zhè shì hǎi zú tè yǒu de qián shuǐ fǎ qì 。 bù lùn gōng jī ” hái shì fáng yù ， dōu bù bǐ rén zú de zhàn chuán xùn sè 。 ér zài fǎ qì zhī zhōng ， tóng yàng dā chéng zhāo shù liàng zhòng duō de hǎi zú xiū xiān zhě 。
这是海族特有的潜水法器。不论攻击”还是防御，都不比人族的战船逊色。而在法器之中，同样搭乘着数量众多的海族修仙者。
The Yellow Court Sect took out its jade eye and sank its divine sense into it. After a moment, it raised its head: "According to this marking, we can penetrate from any point on this island. Brother Lin, let's set off now; what do you think?"
tā men dōu shì jù jīng yī mài de jīng ruì 。
他们都是巨鲸一脉的精锐。
"Of course."
bái gǔ zhēn jūn de gū suàn méi cuò ， jù jīng wáng què shí méi yǒu qīn zì dòng shǒu ， dàn zhè huǒ hǎi zú xiū shì zhōng ， jìng jiè zuì gāo de ， yě shì dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ， qiě tóng yàng wèi liǎng gè 。
白骨真君的估算没错，巨鲸王确实没有亲自动手，但这伙海族修士中，境界最高的，也是洞玄期修仙者，且同样为两个。
Lin Xuan nodded. The outer perimeter of the deserted island was shrouded in some miasma and fog, but these were mere trifles for cultivators!
"Of course, my friend," the True Monarch of White Bone said in a leisurely voice. Clearly, he had anticipated this issue long ago.
"Yes, Fellow Daoist, your words are reasonable. However, we must still try to seize the inner core of Heavenly Heart Toad King; only by truly finding an upper-grade crystal vein will the Holy City honor its promise and reward us with the good fortune it once promised," replied the Poison Dragon Ancestor, his expression serious.
The Poison Dragon Ancestor's face showed a hint of resentment. The phrase "stealing chickens and losing rice" aptly described his past experiences. He had painstakingly schemed to obtain an upper-grade mine vein but was thwarted halfway by the Whale King, who was far more powerful than him.
Unable to do anything else, he had to seek refuge under the Holy City's tree of power, even though most of the benefits would go to others. At least he could still drink some soup; it was better than doing all this work for nothing.
Such a choice was undoubtedly correct, but what made things worse was that his lair had been picked clean by someone else. The Poison Dragon Island lay in ruins, its landscape scarred and desolate. Not one of his subordinates or disciples survived; they were either soul-enslaved by their enemies or scattered like birds.
The sight of this scene filled the Poison Dragon Ancestor with sorrow and anger beyond measure. Who dared to meddle with him?
However, reality proved that he had miscalculated. The other party not only dared to meddle but was even more brazen, leaving a provocative message on the mountain peak: "Murderer Lin Xuan!"
Seeing these five characters, the Poison Dragon Ancestor's hatred nearly made him spit blood. Who was Lin Xuan? He knew well that hundreds of years ago, he had narrowly escaped from his possessed avatar.
Although only at the Separation stage, Lin Xuan's abilities were indeed impressive. Indeed, it was a case of letting the tiger back into the forest, leaving behind endless trouble.
The Poison Dragon Ancestor's hatred for Lin Xuan was understandable. The brat had managed to escape from him and now dared to live. If he fell into his hands again, he would ensure that the boy could neither live nor die...
Anger aside, this Poison Dragon Island was merely a temporary refuge for him. Its destruction was not a problem; as for those so-called disciples, they were nothing more than servants of the old monster and their deaths meant little.
If things had stopped there, the Poison Dragon Ancestor would have been most angry. However, what happened next left him with bulging eyes and no place to cry.
As an Immortal Profound Stage cultivator who had lived for tens of thousands of years, he had accumulated countless treasures through cunning and force. These were hidden in a secret location that the Poison Dragon Ancestor cherished deeply.
He had also spent much effort cultivating an external avatar. This avatar's cultivation technique was unique; if all costs were disregarded, it could still achieve Immortal Profound stage power.
This arrangement seemed foolproof, but to his shock and fury, such a formidable avatar was killed, and the accumulated treasures over ten thousand years naturally fell into others' hands.
His sorrow was palpable. Not only had he failed to obtain the upper-grade crystal benefits, but he had also lost decades of accumulated wealth.
In other words, although at this moment he appeared to be an Immortal Profound cultivator, his situation was not much better than that of the Yan Mountain Four Friends; he was penniless.
Thus, the old monster was even more eager for the benefits promised by the Holy City. He desperately hoped to seize the inner core of Heavenly Heart Toad King.
The True Monarch of White Bone swept his gaze and understood what the Poison Dragon Ancestor was thinking, feeling a twinge of joy at his misfortune. However, on the surface, he showed solidarity: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured; I am unwilling to give up the benefits promised by the Holy City. I will do my best."
"Then that is the best," replied the Poison Dragon Ancestor.
The two old monsters did not say much more as the ancient warship sped towards the mysterious荒岛 with incredible speed.
Their concerns were justified. A玄龟 puppet was also diving at high speed from a distance of hundreds of miles, heading for the deserted island.
This was a unique underwater weapon of the sea race; its offensive and defensive capabilities did not fall short of human ships. Inside the artifact, numerous sea cultivators were also present.
They were all elite members of the Whale Clan.
The True Monarch of White Bone's assessment was correct; the Whale King indeed did not personally handle this matter. However, among these sea cultivators, the highest-ranking ones were Immortal Profound Stage cultivators, and there were two: one male and one female.
The man appeared to be in his thirties, with a bronze complexion, bald head, bare feet, an ugly face that gave no impression of being a high-stage cultivator but rather a strongman.
However, one could not judge a book by its cover. This giant's aura was hidden yet formidable; he was indeed an old monster at the Immortal Profound stage.
As for the woman beside him, she wore black clothes and had her face covered with a silk scarf, making it difficult to determine her age, but she seemed to be in her twenties.
Lin Xuan had never seen this person before. However, she knew Lin Xuan; the two princesses of the Whale King called her Auntie Xiao. Four hundred years ago, when Lin Xuan first arrived in Red Leaf Sea, she was already a great Separation Stage cultivator. Now, after so many years, this mysterious woman had advanced to Immortal Profound stage.
This task of seizing the inner core of Heavenly Heart Toad King was led by her and the old monster named Li.
Lin Xuan did not know any of this. After a long journey, he and the Yan Mountain Four Friends finally arrived at the mysterious荒岛.
Though called an island, it was actually enormous, far beyond Red Leaf Island's size. Lin Xuan could hardly estimate its area from his vantage point.
In such perilous terrain, the five of them were even more cautious but did not retreat. Lin Xuan needed no explanation; with his abilities, he could go anywhere in the Eastern Sea cultivation world. The other four cultivators, though often immersed in nature, were still cultivators and thus could not be completely detached. Moreover, they were now penniless and urgently needed Heart Stone to obtain the resources for their cultivation.
The Yellow Court Sect took out its jade eye and sank its divine sense into it. After a moment, it raised its head: "According to this marking, we can penetrate from any point on this island. Brother Lin, let's set off now; what do you think?"
"Of course."
Lin Xuan nodded. The outer perimeter of the deserted island was shrouded in some miasma and fog, but these were mere trifles for cultivators!