dì yī qiān bā bǎi jiǔ shí liù zhāng děng dài shí jī
第一千八百九十六章等待时机
Chapter 1896: Waiting for the Right Opportunity
“ lín mǒu yǒu jǐ gè wèn tí xiǎng yào wèn nǐ 。”
“林某有几个问题想要问你。”
"Mr. Lin, I have a few questions to ask you."
“ zhǔ rén qǐng shuō ， lǎo nú yí dìng zhī wú bù yán de 。” dú lóng lǎo zǔ gōng jìng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
“主人请说，老奴一定知无不言的。”毒龙老祖恭敬的声音传入耳朵。
"The master speaks, and this old servant will answer without reservation," came the respectful voice of the Toxic Dragon Ancestor.
yí gè shí chén yǐ hòu ， yī dào jīng hóng huà pò cāng qióng ， lín xuān nòng míng bái liǎo shì qíng de shǐ mò ， dùn guāng zhōng ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì chén yín zhī sè 。
一个时辰以后，一道惊虹划破苍穹，林轩弄明白了事情的始末，遁光中，脸上满是沉吟之色。
An hour later, a streak of shocking light pierced through the sky as Lin Xuan understood the entire situation. His遁光 was filled with deep contemplation.
“ jí pǐn líng mài de kuàng cáng ， nán guài shèng chéng huì yǔ jù jīng wáng hù bù xiāng ràng 。”
“极品灵脉的矿藏，难怪圣城会与巨鲸王互不相让。”
"The mineral deposits of top-grade Spirit Veins—no wonder the Holy City and the Whale King were unwilling to let each other have it."
zhè ge jié guǒ ， kě yǐ shuō ràng lín xuān dà gǎn jīng è ， tā suī rán cāi dào hóng yè dǎo shàng de mì mì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， dàn yě méi xiǎng dào huì jīng rén dào rú cǐ dì bù 。
这个结果，可以说让林轩大感惊愕，他虽然猜到红叶岛上的秘密非同小可，但也没想到会惊人到如此地步。
This result left Lin Xuan greatly surprised. Although he had guessed that there was something significant on Red Leaf Island, he hadn't anticipated it would be so astonishing.
lín xuān yě bù yóu de dà wèi xīn dòng 。
林轩也不由得大为心动。
Lin Xuan couldn’t help but feel a strong desire. Ordinary top-grade crystals weren't difficult for him to obtain with his strength, but just one or two wouldn't suffice. The concept of mineral deposits was enough to make all major factions go wild.
pǔ tōng de jí pǐn jīng shí ， yǐ tā de shí lì ， xiǎng yào dé dào bìng bù suàn nán ， rán ér yě jiù yī kuài liǎng kuài ， kuàng cáng ， nà shì shén me gài niàn ， zú yǐ ràng gè dà shì lì fēng kuáng 。
普通的极品晶石，以他的实力，想要得到并不算难，然而也就一块两块，矿藏，那是什么概念，足以让各大势力疯狂。
No wonder the Toxic Dragon Ancestor had been scheming so hard; unfortunately, he ended up doing it for Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan wasn’t afraid of being deceived by lies since he had placed several powerful restrictions on him, making it easy to discern whether he was lying.
nán guài dú lóng nà lǎo guài wù chǔ xīn jī lǜ ， kě xī zuì hòu què shì wèi zì jǐ zuò le jià yī ， lín xuān bìng bù hài pà duì fāng huǎng yán xiāng qī ， chú le jìn shén shù ， zì jǐ hái zài tā shēn shàng xià le shù zhǒng jìn zhì ， shén miào wú qióng ， duì fāng shì bú shì shuō huǎng huà kě yǐ qīng yì fēn biàn qīng chǔ 。
难怪毒龙那老怪物处心积虑，可惜最后却是为自己做了嫁衣，林轩并不害怕对方谎言相欺，除了禁神术，自己还在他身上下了数种禁制，神妙无穷，对方是不是说谎话可以轻易分辨清楚。
If there were other benefits, that would be one thing, but top-grade crystals, especially mineral veins, no doubt would appeal to any cultivator.
rú guǒ shì bié de hǎo chù yě jiù bà le ， jí pǐn jīng shí ， ér qiě hái shì kuàng mài ， xiāng xìn méi yǒu rèn hé yī míng xiū xiān zhě ， néng gòu dǐ dǎng zhè zhǒng yòu huò 。
如果是别的好处也就罢了，极品晶石，而且还是矿脉，相信没有任何一名修仙者，能够抵挡这种诱惑。
Crystals always held endless uses in the cultivation path. Lin Xuan decided to visit Red Leaf Island.
zài xiū xiān zhī lù shàng ， jīng shí yǒng yuǎn shì miào yòng wú fāng 。
在修仙之路上，晶石永远是妙用无方。
He wondered how things stood now, hoping they hadn't fallen into the hands of evil spirits and ghosts.
lín xuān jué dìng qù hóng yè dǎo yī tàng 。
林轩决定去红叶岛一趟。
With these thoughts, his遁光 became even more swift.
jiù bù zhī dào nà lǐ xiàn zài qíng kuàng rú hé ， dàn yuàn hái méi yǒu luò rù yīn hún guǐ wù zhī shǒu 。
就不知道那里现在情况如何，但愿还没有落入阴魂鬼物之手。
...
xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， lín xuān de dùn guāng biàn dé yuè fā xùn sù 。
心中如此想着，林轩的遁光变得越发迅速。
Several hours later, Red Leaf Island finally came into view. Looking at each plant and tree, Lin Xuan felt like he had stepped out of time. He nearly didn’t return this time.
……
……
However, to his relief, there were no signs of evil spirits or ghosts.
shù gè shí chén yǐ hòu ， hóng yè dǎo zhōng yú yìng rù le yǎn lián zhōng ， wàng zhe nà yī cǎo yī mù ， lín xuān yǒu huǎng rú gé shì de gǎn jué ， zhè yī cì wài chū ， chà diǎn jiù huí bù lái le 。
数个时辰以后，红叶岛终于映入了眼帘中，望着那一草一木，林轩有恍如隔世的感觉，这一次外出，差点就回不来了。
Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief; he was glad to have arrived in time. Otherwise, Red Leaf Island would be lost to those villains, and his plans would be nothing but mirages.
rán ér ràng qí xīn xǐ de shì ， bìng méi yǒu kàn jiàn yīn hún guǐ wù 。
然而让其欣喜的是，并没有看见阴魂鬼物。
Since the news about the evil spirits hadn’t come yet, everything on Red Leaf Island remained as it was. Lin Xuan encountered no obstacles and easily entered the island.
lín xuān sōng le kǒu qì ， zǒng suàn shì gǎn shàng le ， fǒu zé hóng yè dǎo luò zài nà xiē jiā huo de shǒu lǐ ， zì jǐ de tú móu ， jiù chéng le jìng huā shuǐ yuè zhī wù 。
林轩松了口气，总算是赶上了，否则红叶岛落在那些家伙的手里，自己的图谋，就成了镜花水月之物。
He didn't stop and headed straight for the coastal city. The city was bustling as ever with countless cultivators. Lin Xuan once again used his敛气 technique to blend in, his middle-stage元婴 cultivation not drawing any attention.
jì rán yīn hún de xiāo xī shàng wèi chuán lái ， nà hóng yè dǎo jiù yī qiè rú gù ， lín xuān méi yǒu yù jiàn shén me bō zhé ， hěn qīng sōng jiù jìn rù dǎo zhōng 。
既然阴魂的消息尚未传来，那红叶岛就一切如故，林轩没有遇见什么波折，很轻松就进入岛中。
The禁空 restrictions were still active, so he called a carriage and flew towards the inn.
tā háo bù tíng liú ， zhí bēn lín hǎi chéng ér qù ， chéng zhōng yě shì rè nào rú gù ， xiū xiān zhě bù jì qí shù ， lín xuān zài cì shī zhǎn liǎn qì zhī shù ， yuán yīng zhōng qī de xiū wèi háo bù yǐn rén zhù mù 。
他毫不停留，直奔临海城而去，城中也是热闹如故，修仙者不计其数，林轩再次施展敛气之术，元婴中期的修为毫不引人注目。
After a short while, passing through many streets, rows of beautifully designed pavilions came into view.
jìn kōng jìn zhì réng rán kāi qǐ ， gù ér lín xuān jiào lái yī liàng shòu chē ， xiàng yì guǎn de fāng xiàng fēi lüè ér qù le 。
禁空禁制仍然开启，故而林轩叫来一辆兽车，像驿馆的方向飞掠而去了。
Lin Xuan flipped his hand, revealing a token. A red light shot out from it.
yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu yǐ hòu ， chuān guò zhū duō jiē dào ， yī pái pái shì yàng jīng měi de gé lóu ， jiù chóng xīn yìng rù le yǎn lián zhōng 。
一盏茶的功夫以后，穿过诸多街道，一排排式样精美的阁楼，就重新映入了眼帘中。
He removed one of the barriers around a pavilion and entered without haste.
lín xuān shǒu zhǎng yī fān ， zhǎng xīn zhōng jiù chū xiàn le yī kuài lìng pái ， yáng shǒu yī dào hóng guāng cóng shàng miàn shè chū 。
林轩手掌一翻，掌心中就出现了一块令牌，扬手一道红光从上面射出。
Previously, he had lived here with the Four Friends of Yanshan, but their lease was far from over.
jiāng yī dòng gé lóu de jìn zhì jiě chú ， suí hòu lín xuān jiù bù jí bù xú de zǒu jìn qù le 。
将一栋阁楼的禁制解除，随后林轩就不疾不徐的走进去了。
Entering the pavilion, Lin Xuan reached into his waistband, taking out a spirit beast bag. The opening expanded as the Toxic Dragon Ancestor flew out.
dāng chū ， tā yǔ yān shān sì yǒu jiù jū zhù yú cǐ chù ， rú jīn zū qī hái yuǎn wèi dào de 。
当初，他与燕山四友就居住于此处，如今租期还远未到的。
Spirit beast bags were meant to hold spirit beasts, and it was uncommon for cultivators to live in them.
jìn rù gé lóu yǐ hòu ， lín xuān shēn shǒu zài yāo jiān yī zāi ， jiāng yí gè guà zhe de líng shòu dài qǔ le chū lái ， dài kǒu zhāng kāi ， dú lóng lǎo zǔ cóng lǐ miàn fēi lüè chū lái 。
进入阁楼以后，林轩伸手在腰间一栽，将一个挂着的灵兽袋取了出来，袋口张开，毒龙老祖从里面飞掠出来。
However, there were exceptions; while ordinary cultivators couldn’t, an元婴 body could. Lin Xuan didn't know why or bother researching further—there wasn’t always a need to delve into everything.
líng shòu dài nǎi shì shèng fàng líng shòu zhī wù ， jiù cháng lǐ lái shuō ， xiū xiān zhě shì bù kě néng jū zhù zài lǐ miàn de 。
灵兽袋乃是盛放灵兽之物，就常理来说，修仙者是不可能居住在里面的。
Of course, living inside would be uncomfortable, but the Toxic Dragon Ancestor had no choice. Despite his deep hatred for Lin Xuan, he showed no signs of it and greeted him respectfully, showering him with flattery.
bù guò fán shì yǒu lì wài ， yì bān de xiū xiān zhě bù xíng ， dàn yuán yīng zhī tǐ què méi yǒu wèn tí 。
不过凡事有例外，一般的修仙者不行，但元婴之体却没有问题。
Lin Xuan chuckled inwardly; such petty tricks were being played before him. It seemed this old monster was determined to seek revenge…
zhì yú wèi hé ， lín xuān bù xiǎo de ， yě méi qù yán jiū guò ， bìng bú shì shì shì dōu xū yào páo gēn wèn dǐ de 。
至于为何，林轩不晓得，也没去研究过，并不是事事都需要刨根问底的。
Lin Xuan also pretended to be cooperative, as the old guy still had some value.
dāng rán ， zhù zài lǐ miàn kěn dìng hěn bù shū fú ， zhè dōng xī kě bú shì tiān jī fǔ ， rán ér dú lóng lǎo zǔ rú jīn nǎ lǐ yǒu xuǎn zé 。
当然，住在里面肯定很不舒服，这东西可不是天机府，然而毒龙老祖如今哪里有选择。
...
bù guò zhè lǎo jiā huǒ yě shì hěn néng yǐn rěn de ， jǐn guǎn xīn zhōng duì lín xuān hèn zhī qiè gǔ ， biǎo miàn shàng què sī háo yì sè bù lù ， fǎn ér gōng jìng de qǐng ān wèn hǎo ， yī lián chuàn de mǎ pì suí zhī pāi chū 。
不过这老家伙也是很能隐忍的，尽管心中对林轩恨之切骨，表面上却丝毫异色不露，反而恭敬的请安问好，一连串的马屁随之拍出。
The following few days passed in silence. Lin Xuan was unfamiliar with the place and wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone. He didn't leave the pavilion but his powerful spiritual sense allowed him to perceive everything around him clearly.
lín xuān àn xiào bù yǐ ， qū qū guǐ yù jì liǎng yě zài zì jǐ miàn qián bǎi nòng ， kàn lái zhè lǎo guài wù guǒ rán méi yǒu shàn bà gān xiū ， hái xiǎng yào bào chóu ……
林轩暗笑不已，区区鬼蜮伎俩也在自己面前摆弄，看来这老怪物果然没有善罢甘休，还想要报仇……
Lin Xuan was patient, waiting for something.
lín xuān zì rán yě shì yī fān xū yǐ wéi shé ， zhè lǎo jiā huǒ duō shǎo hái shì yǒu yī xiē lì yòng jià zhí 。
林轩自然也是一番虚以为蛇，这老家伙多少还是有一些利用价值。
Three days went by without any sign of evil spirits.
……
……
The speed at which the evil spirits were spreading seemed much slower than expected. However, it made sense when he thought about it—the exit from that channel had disappeared, and the sky's restrictions were incredibly complex, making it take a lot of time to break through.
jiē xià lái de jǐ rì ， xiǎn de píng jìng yǐ jí ， lín xuān zài zhè lǐ rén shēng dì bù shú ， zì rán bú huì yǒu rén qián lái tāo rǎo ， lín xuān yě wèi zǒu chū gé lóu ， bù guò yǐ tā de qiáng dà shén shí ， zhōu wéi de yī qiè ， dōu gǎn yìng dé qīng qīng chǔ chǔ 。
接下来的几日，显得平静以极，林轩在这里人生地不熟，自然不会有人前来叨扰，林轩也未走出阁楼，不过以他的强大神识，周围的一切，都感应得清清楚楚。
With this in mind, Lin Xuan remained calm; he was waiting for his opportunity.
lín xuān hěn yǒu nài xīn ， fǎng fú zài děng dài zhe shén me 。
林轩很有耐心，仿佛在等待着什么。
As for the fate of the cultivators in the city, Lin Xuan didn’t care. The cultivation world always saw bloodshed.
bù zhī bù jué ， sān tiān de shí jiān ， jiù zhè yàng guò qù 。
不知不觉，三天的时间，就这样过去。
Moreover, even if he were to openly claim that evil spirits had appeared and describe his experiences on the mysterious island, no one would believe him.
yīn hún xí juǎn de sù dù ， sì hū bǐ zì jǐ yuán xiān yù liào de ， yào màn shàng xǔ duō ， bù guò zǐ xì xiǎng xiǎng yě bù xī qí ， bì jìng nà tōng dào jiè miàn de chū kǒu yǐ jīng xiāo shī ， tiān kōng de jìn zhì yòu xuán miào wú bǐ ， xiǎng yào pò chú ， kěn dìng shì huì huā fèi bù shǎo shí jiān de 。
阴魂席卷的速度，似乎比自己原先预料的，要慢上许多，不过仔细想想也不稀奇，毕竟那通道界面的出口已经消失，天空的禁制又玄妙无比，想要破除，肯定是会花费不少时间的。
He might be labeled as a troublemaker, drawing attention from the city’s enforcers. Although Lin Xuan wasn't afraid, such exposure would hinder his plans. He wouldn’t do something so counterproductive.
zhè yàng yī xiǎng ， lín xuān yě jiù chǔ zhī tài rán ， tā xiàn zài děng de jiù shì shí jī ， hún shuǐ mō yú 。
这样一想，林轩也就处之泰然，他现在等的就是时机，浑水摸鱼。
Lin Xuan was lost in thought when he suddenly became alert and stood up abruptly.
zhì yú chéng zhōng xiū shì de sǐ huó ， lín xuān bù zài hū ， xiū xiān jiè nǎ yī tiān ， dōu shào bù liǎo xīng fēng xuè yǔ 。
至于城中修士的死活，林轩不在乎，修仙界哪一天，都少不了腥风血雨。
"Master, what is it?"
hé kuàng zì jǐ xiàn zài jiù suàn tiào chū qù shuō yǒu yīn hún guǐ wù ， jiāng zài nà shén mì dǎo yǔ zhōng de zāo yù hé pán tuō chū ， kǒng pà yě bú huì yǒu rén xiāng xìn 。
何况自己现在就算跳出去说有阴魂鬼物，将在那神秘岛屿中的遭遇和盘托出，恐怕也不会有人相信。
The Toxic Dragon Ancestor was taken aback; even as he meditated nearby, he opened his eyes with a curious expression. His peak state of consciousness couldn't compare to Lin Xuan's, let alone now.
fǎn ér huì bèi dàng chéng yāo yán huò zhòng zhī tú ， jīng dòng chéng zhōng de zhí fǎ xiū shì ， lín xuān suī rán bù pà ， dàn nà yàng bào lù de huà ， zì jǐ hái zěn me hún shuǐ mō yú ， lín xuān yòu bù shǎ ， dāng rán bú huì zuò chū zhè zhǒng chī lì bù tǎo hǎo de shǎ shì lái a ！
反而会被当成妖言惑众之徒，惊动城中的执法修士，林轩虽然不怕，但那样暴露的话，自己还怎么浑水摸鱼，林轩又不傻，当然不会做出这种吃力不讨好的傻事来啊！
"The evil spirits have arrived."
lín xuān zhèng hú sī luàn xiǎng zhe ， tū rán shén sè yī dòng ， huò rán zhàn qǐ lái le 。
林轩正胡思乱想着，突然神色一动，豁然站起来了。
"Oh."
“ zhǔ rén ， zěn me le ？”
“主人，怎么了？”
The old monster’s face showed a complex emotion but quickly masked it. He feigned joy: "So, the master has an opportunity. Once chaos breaks out in the city, we can take advantage and go to that array location. By filling the inner core of the Heavenly Heart Toad King into the array, it will activate, tearing through space and bringing the master to a separate space with top-grade crystal veins."
dú lóng lǎo zǔ yī dāi ， zhèng zài páng biān dǎ zuò de tā yě zhēng kāi le yǎn móu ， lù chū jǐ fēn hào qí zhī sè ， tā jiù suàn quán shèng zhī shí ， shén shí de qiáng dù ， yě yuǎn yuǎn bù néng yǔ lín xuān xiāng bǐ ， gèng bú yào shuō xiàn zài ， nà chā jù ， yǐ bú shì yī chóu liǎng chóu de wèn tí 。
毒龙老祖一呆，正在旁边打坐的他也睁开了眼眸，露出几分好奇之色，他就算全盛之时，神识的强度，也远远不能与林轩相比，更不要说现在，那差距，已不是一筹两筹的问题。
"Exactly," Lin Xuan said calmly. He had discussed their plan with the Toxic Dragon Ancestor; he wasn’t afraid of being tricked since his life was still in his hands.
“ nà xiē yīn hún guǐ wù ， yǐ jīng lái le 。”
“那些阴魂鬼物，已经来了。”
As he spoke, he waved his sleeve, and the spirit beast bag flew out. A light enveloped it as the old monster was sealed inside.
“ ó 。”
“哦。”
The old monster’s expression remained unchanged, but deep down, he cursed loudly. What could he do? As they say, when under someone's roof, one must bow. But there would come a day when he would seek revenge, he vowed to himself.
dú lóng lǎo zǔ tīng le ， liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī fù zá zhī sè ， dàn hěn kuài jiù suí zhī yǐn qù ， gù zuò huān xǐ ：“ zhè me shuō ， zhǔ rén de jī huì lái le ， děng chéng zhōng dà luàn yǐ hòu ， wǒ men jiù kě yǐ xún jī qù nà zhèn fǎ zhī chù ， zhǐ yào tián chōng shàng tiān xīn chán wáng de nèi dān ， zhèn fǎ jiù néng gòu kāi qǐ ， sī pò xū kōng ， jiāng zhǔ rén dài dào nà yǒu jí pǐn jīng shí kuàng mài de dú lì kōng jiān zhī zhōng 。”
毒龙老祖听了，脸上闪过一丝复杂之色，但很快就随之隐去，故作欢喜：“这么说，主人的机会来了，等城中大乱以后，我们就可以寻机去那阵法之处，只要填充上天心蟾王的内丹，阵法就能够开启，撕破虚空，将主人带到那有极品晶石矿脉的独立空间之中。”
Lin Xuan ignored his thoughts and tied the bag tightly, then added another restriction rune for extra caution.
“ bù cuò ， zhèng shì rú cǐ 。”
“不错，正是如此。”
He then slowly walked out of the pavilion.
lín xuān dàn dàn de shuō ， gāi zěn me xíng dòng ， tā yě yǔ dú lóng lǎo zǔ tǎo lùn guò ， bìng bù hài pà duì fāng shuǎ huā zhāo ， tā de xiǎo mìng ， rú jīn hái zài zì jǐ shǒu shàng 。
林轩淡淡的说，该怎么行动，他也与毒龙老祖讨论过，并不害怕对方耍花招，他的小命，如今还在自己手上。
The city was filled with large buildings, but most were cultivators. The禁空 restrictions had been lifted, allowing many遁光 to fly by. Most cultivators looked panicked or confused.
lín xuān yī biān shuō ， yī biān xiù páo yī fú ， líng shòu dài fēi lüè ér chū ， guāng xiá juǎn guò ， jiāng dú lóng lǎo zǔ zhuāng jìn qù le 。
林轩一边说，一边袖袍一拂，灵兽袋飞掠而出，光霞卷过，将毒龙老祖装进去了。
Some people were still gossiping about what had happened...
lǎo guài wù shén sè rú cháng ， rán ér nèi xīn shēn chù ， què pò kǒu dà mà ， rán ér yòu néng rú hé ， sú huà shuō ， rén zài wū yán xià ， bù dé bù dī tóu ， bù guò zǒng yǒu yī tiān ， zì jǐ huì bào fù huí lái de ， tā zài xīn zhōng fā hěn 。
老怪物神色如常，然而内心深处，却破口大骂，然而又能如何，俗话说，人在屋檐下，不得不低头，不过总有一天，自己会报复回来的，他在心中发狠。
: First update for yesterday! Sorry for any inconvenience!
Chapter 1896: Waiting for the Right Opportunity
"Mr. Lin, I have a few questions to ask you."
"The master speaks, and this old servant will answer without reservation," came the respectful voice of the Toxic Dragon Ancestor.
...
An hour later, a streak of shocking light pierced through the sky as Lin Xuan understood the entire situation. His遁光 was filled with deep contemplation.
"The mineral deposits of top-grade Spirit Veins—no wonder the Holy City and the Whale King were unwilling to let each other have it."
This result left Lin Xuan greatly surprised. Although he had guessed that there was something significant on Red Leaf Island, he hadn't anticipated it would be so astonishing.
Lin Xuan couldn’t help but feel a strong desire. Ordinary top-grade crystals weren't difficult for him to obtain with his strength, but just one or two wouldn't suffice. The concept of mineral deposits was enough to make all major factions go wild.
No wonder the Toxic Dragon Ancestor had been scheming so hard; unfortunately, he ended up doing it for Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan wasn’t afraid of being deceived by lies since he had placed several powerful restrictions on him, making it easy to discern whether he was lying.
If there were other benefits, that would be one thing, but top-grade crystals, especially mineral veins, no doubt would appeal to any cultivator.
Crystals always held endless uses in the cultivation path. Lin Xuan decided to visit Red Leaf Island.
He wondered how things stood now, hoping they hadn't fallen into the hands of evil spirits and ghosts.
With these thoughts, his遁光 became even more swift.
...
Several hours later, Red Leaf Island finally came into view. Looking at each plant and tree, Lin Xuan felt like he had stepped out of time. He nearly didn’t return this time.
However, to his relief, there were no signs of evil spirits or ghosts.
Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief; he was glad to have arrived in time. Otherwise, Red Leaf Island would be lost to those villains, and his plans would be nothing but mirages.
Since the news about the evil spirits hadn’t come yet, everything on Red Leaf Island remained as it was. Lin Xuan encountered no obstacles and easily entered the island.
He didn't stop and headed straight for the coastal city. The city was bustling as ever with countless cultivators. Lin Xuan once again used his敛气 technique to blend in, his middle-stage元婴 cultivation not drawing any attention.
The禁空 restrictions were still active, so he called a carriage and flew towards the inn.
After a short while, passing through many streets, rows of beautifully designed pavilions came into view.
Lin Xuan flipped his hand, revealing a token. A red light shot out from it.
He removed one of the barriers around a pavilion and entered without haste.
Previously, he had lived here with the Four Friends of Yanshan, but their lease was far from over.
Entering the pavilion, Lin Xuan reached into his waistband, taking out a spirit beast bag. The opening expanded as the Toxic Dragon Ancestor flew out.
Spirit beast bags were meant to hold spirit beasts, and it was uncommon for cultivators to live in them.
However, there were exceptions; while ordinary cultivators couldn’t, an元婴 body could. Lin Xuan didn't know why or bother researching further—there wasn’t always a need to delve into everything.
Of course, living inside would be uncomfortable, but the Toxic Dragon Ancestor had no choice. Despite his deep hatred for Lin Xuan, he showed no signs of it and greeted him respectfully, showering him with flattery.
Lin Xuan chuckled inwardly; such petty tricks were being played before him. It seemed this old monster was determined to seek revenge…
Lin Xuan also pretended to be cooperative, as the old guy still had some value.
...
The following few days passed in silence. Lin Xuan was unfamiliar with the place and wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone. He didn't leave the pavilion but his powerful spiritual sense allowed him to perceive everything around him clearly.
Lin Xuan was patient, waiting for something.
Three days went by without any sign of evil spirits.
The speed at which the evil spirits were spreading seemed much slower than expected. However, it made sense when he thought about it—the exit from that channel had disappeared, and the sky's restrictions were incredibly complex, making it take a lot of time to break through.
With this in mind, Lin Xuan remained calm; he was waiting for his opportunity.
As for the fate of the cultivators in the city, Lin Xuan didn’t care. The cultivation world always saw bloodshed.
Moreover, even if he were to openly claim that evil spirits had appeared and describe his experiences on the mysterious island, no one would believe him.
He might be labeled as a troublemaker, drawing attention from the city’s enforcers. Although Lin Xuan wasn't afraid, such exposure would hinder his plans. He wouldn’t do something so counterproductive.
Lin Xuan was lost in thought when he suddenly became alert and stood up abruptly.
"Master, what is it?"
The Toxic Dragon Ancestor was taken aback; even as he meditated nearby, he opened his eyes with a curious expression. His peak state of consciousness couldn't compare to Lin Xuan's, let alone now.
"The evil spirits have arrived."
"Oh."
The old monster’s face showed a complex emotion but quickly masked it. He feigned joy: "So, the master has an opportunity. Once chaos breaks out in the city, we can take advantage and go to that array location. By filling the inner core of the Heavenly Heart Toad King into the array, it will activate, tearing through space and bringing the master to a separate space with top-grade crystal veins."
"Exactly," Lin Xuan said calmly. He had discussed their plan with the Toxic Dragon Ancestor; he wasn’t afraid of being tricked since his life was still in his hands.
As he spoke, he waved his sleeve, and the spirit beast bag flew out. A light enveloped it as the old monster was sealed inside.
The old monster’s expression remained unchanged, but deep down, he cursed loudly. What could he do? As they say, when under someone's roof, one must bow. But there would come a day when he would seek revenge, he vowed to himself.
Lin Xuan ignored his thoughts and tied the bag tightly, then added another restriction rune for extra caution.
He then slowly walked out of the pavilion.
The city was filled with large buildings, but most were cultivators. The禁空 restrictions had been lifted, allowing many遁光 to fly by. Most cultivators looked panicked or confused.
Some people were still gossiping about what had happened...
: First update for yesterday! Sorry for any inconvenience!