dì yī qiān jiǔ bǎi bā shí bā zhāng tuō kùn
第一千九百八十八章脱困
Chapter 1988: Escape from the Trap
“ duō xiè dào yǒu xiāng zhù ， dà ēn dà dé ， gǔ mǒu míng gǎn wǔ nèi ， yí dìng huì hǎo hǎo bào dá nǐ de 。”
“多谢道友相助，大恩大德，谷某铭感五内，一定会好好报答你的。”
"Thank you for your assistance. Your great kindness will be deeply remembered by me, and I will certainly repay it."
yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu yǐ hòu ， nà hǔ pò jīng tǐ yǐ jīng huà wèi le xū wú ， lǎo zhě tuō kùn ér chū ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì gǎn jī zhī sè 。
一盏茶的功夫以后，那琥珀晶体已经化为了虚无，老者脱困而出，脸上满是感激之色。
After a short while, the amber crystal had turned to nothingness, and the old man emerged from his predicament with a grateful expression on his face.
“ dào yǒu tài kè qì le ， jí gōng hào yì nǎi shì nǐ wǒ de běn fèn ér yǐ ， dào yǒu shēn chù xiǎn dì ， lín mǒu nǎ yǒu xiù shǒu páng guān de dào lǐ 。” lín xuān wēi xiào de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， dāng rán ， zhè fān huà shì lián tā zì jǐ yě bù xiāng xìn de ， xū yǔ wēi yí ， lín xuān zǎo jiù xí guàn le ， zuǐ shàng zhè yàng shuō ， què yì diǎn yě bù gǎn jué liǎn hóng 。
“道友太客气了，急公好义乃是你我的本分而已，道友深处险地，林某哪有袖手旁观的道理。”林轩微笑的声音传入耳朵，当然，这番话是连他自己也不相信的，虚与委蛇，林轩早就习惯了，嘴上这样说，却一点也不感觉脸红。
"I am too polite. Helping others in need is our duty. You were deep in danger; how could I have just stood by?" Lin Xuan's smile echoed through the air, though he knew this was merely pretense. He had long gotten used to such performances and felt no shame about it.
suí hòu yòu shēn chū shǒu lái ， zài yāo jiān yī pāi ， yí gè yù píng fēi lüè chū lái ， bá kāi píng sāi ， cóng lǐ miàn dào chū yān hóng shì xuè de dān wán 。
随后又伸出手来，在腰间一拍，一个玉瓶飞掠出来，拔开瓶塞，从里面倒出殷红似血的丹丸。
He then reached out and tapped his waist, causing a jade bottle to fly out. After removing the stopper, he poured out several crimson pills from within.
“ wǒ kàn dào yǒu yǒu xiē xū ruò ， zhè bǔ yuán dān yīng gāi duì gǔ xiōng dà yǒu yòng tú 。” lín xuān yī biān shuō ， yī biān jiāng jǐ lì dān yào diū le guò lái 。
“我看道友有些虚弱，这补元丹应该对谷兄大有用途。”林轩一边说，一边将几粒丹药丢了过来。
"I see you are weak. This Cultivation Root Pill should be of great use to Brother Valley," Lin Xuan said as he tossed some pills over.
“ duō xiè dào yǒu 。”
“多谢道友。”
"Thank you."
lǎo zhě liǎn shàng xǐ sè yī xiǎn ， zuò wéi dòng xuán hòu qī de lǎo guài wù ， yòu shì jiǔ xiān gōng zhǔ ， zhè yī jiè ， shén me bǎo wù méi yǒu jiàn guò ， wēi wēi jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， jiù zhī dào nà bǔ yuán dān bú shì jiǎ huò 。
老者脸上喜色一显，作为洞玄后期的老怪物，又是九仙宫主，这一界，什么宝物没有见过，微微将神识放出，就知道那补元丹不是假货。
The old man's face lit up with joy. As a late-stage Cave Profound expert and the Palace Master of Nine Immortals, he had seen many treasures in this world. He could tell from his slight release of spiritual sense that these were genuine Cultivation Root Pills.
hé kuàng duì fāng yào duì fù zì jǐ ， gāng cái jiù yīng gāi dòng shǒu le ， cǐ shí zài dān yào lǐ zuò shǒu jiǎo ， gēn běn jiù méi yǒu bì yào 。
何况对方要对付自己，刚才就应该动手了，此时在丹药里做手脚，根本就没有必要。
Moreover, if the other party intended to harm him, they would have acted earlier. Tampering with the pills now was unnecessary.
yī yǎng tóu ， jiāng bǔ yuán dān tūn luò rù dù ， gǔ tiān yáng kāi shǐ dǎ zuò tiáo xī qǐ lái le 。
一仰头，将补元丹吞落入肚，谷天扬开始打坐调息起来了。
Taking a deep breath, Valley Tianyang began meditating to regulate his breathing. Lin Xuan also sat cross-legged and, although he had consumed immortal milk from ten thousand years ago, he needed proper rest to replenish his essence, qi, and spirit.
lín xuān yě pán xī ér zuò ， suī rán gāng cái fú yòng guò wàn nián líng rǔ ， dàn yě zhǐ shì jiāng fǎ lì bǔ chōng ， zhì yú jīng qì shén de zhuàng tǐ ， zé xū yào hǎo hǎo xiū xī cái néng gòu mí bǔ 。
林轩也盘膝而坐，虽然刚才服用过万年灵乳，但也只是将法力补充，至于精气神的状体，则需要好好休息才能够弥补。
Time passed slowly, and before long, it was almost half a day.
shí jiān màn màn de guò qù le ， yī huǎng yǎn jiù shì dà bàn tiān de gōng fu 。
时间慢慢的过去了，一晃眼就是大半天的功夫。
"Phew."
“ hū 。”
“呼。”
Valley Tianyang exhaled deeply as he stood up. Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes and scanned the old man's body. The monster was still weak but had improved significantly from earlier. Full recovery would take time, but this progress was already excellent.
gǔ tiān yáng chū le kǒu zhǎng qì ， zhèn yī ér qǐ ， lín xuān yě huǎn huǎn de zhēng kāi yǎn móu ， mù guāng zài duì fāng shēn shàng sǎo guò ， lǎo guài wù hái hěn xū ruò ， rán ér bǐ qǐ gāng gāng ， yǐ shì míng xiǎn hǎo le xǔ duō 。
谷天扬出了口长气，振衣而起，林轩也缓缓的睁开眼眸，目光在对方身上扫过，老怪物还很虚弱，然而比起刚刚，已是明显好了许多。
"Thank you for your help. We should leave now."
zhì yú wán quán huī fù ， duǎn shí jiān nèi dāng rán shì bù kě néng de ， rú jīn néng yǒu zhè yàng de xiào guǒ ， yǐ jīng shì fēi cháng de hǎo le 。
至于完全恢复，短时间内当然是不可能的，如今能有这样的效果，已经是非常的好了。
"Mm."
“ duō xiè dào yǒu xiāng zhù ， xiàn zài wǒ men xiān lí kāi cǐ chù 。”
“多谢道友相助，现在我们先离开此处。”
Lin Xuan nodded in agreement without objection. Soon, a green light enveloped both of them as they left the Heavenly Mechanism Mansion and returned to the mysterious small space.
lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， bìng wú yì yì ， yú shì liǎng rén shēn shàng qīng máng yì qǐ ， hěn kuài jiù cóng zhè tiān jī fǔ qù ， chóng xīn lái dào nà shén mì de xiǎo kōng jiān lǐ 。
林轩点点头，并无异议，于是两人身上青芒一起，很快就从这天机府去，重新来到那神秘的小空间里。
Looking at the fiery earth and the devastated landscape, Valley Tianyang showed some surprise: "Did you defeat that flower villain here?"
kàn zhe nà róng yán bān de dà dì ， yǐ jí mǎn mù chuāng yí ， gǔ tiān yáng de liǎn shàng liú lù chū jǐ fēn jīng chà zhī sè ：“ dào yǒu shì zài zhè lǐ ， jiāng nà xiān huā è zéi dǎ bài de ？”
看着那熔岩般的大地，以及满目疮痍，谷天扬的脸上流露出几分惊诧之色：“道友是在这里，将那鲜花恶贼打败的？”
Although his second元婴 had betrayed him, he knew well the cultivation technique Lin Xuan practiced. It was one of the top-tier fire techniques in this world, immensely powerful, especially in a volcanic environment like this. His few treasures were also formidable. In such a fight, even Valley Tianyang would not be certain of victory. This young man was only at the early-stage Cave Profound; how did he manage?
suī rán dì èr yuán yīng bèi pàn le zì jǐ ， dàn tā suǒ xiū liàn de gōng fǎ ， gǔ tiān yáng zì rán xīn zhōng yǒu shù ， nà kě shì cǐ jiè shǔ yī shǔ èr de huǒ xì shén tōng ， wēi lì wú qióng ， zài zhè biàn bù huǒ shān de xiǎo jiè miàn ， gèng yǒu jí dà de jiā chéng zuò yòng ， hé kuàng tā shǒu zhōng de jǐ jiàn bǎo wù ， wēi lì yě pǒ wèi bù sú ， zài zhè lǐ dòu fǎ ， jiù suàn shì zì jǐ ， yě bù gǎn shuō wěn cāo shèng quàn wú yí ， yǎn qián zhè xiǎo zi jǐn jǐn dòng xuán chū qī ， tā jiū jìng shì zěn yàng zuò dào dì ……
虽然第二元婴背叛了自己，但他所修炼的功法，谷天扬自然心中有数，那可是此界数一数二的火系神通，威力无穷，在这遍布火山的小界面，更有极大的加成作用，何况他手中的几件宝物，威力也颇为不俗，在这里斗法，就算是自己，也不敢说稳操胜券无疑，眼前这小子仅仅洞玄初期，他究竟是怎样做到地……
These thoughts flashed through his mind as he could not help but show some surprise.
xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， gǔ tiān yáng de yǎn zhōng ， bù yóu de shǎn guò jǐ fēn jīng yí 。
心中如此想着，谷天扬的眼中，不由得闪过几分惊疑。
Seeing Lin Xuan's expression, Valley Tianyang understood what he was thinking: "It was just luck. Lin Xuan and I were in the same boat when we fell into the flower villain's trap. Fortunately, my good character meant that during our battle, his old illness flared up, leading to a reversal of fortune. Otherwise, I might not have survived."
jiāng duì fāng de biǎo qíng kàn zài yǎn zhōng ， lín xuān dà tǐ xiǎo de ， tā zài zuò zěn yàng de cāi cè ， liǎn shàng gù yì lù chū xīn yǒu yú jì zhī sè ：“ shuō qǐ lái yě shì yùn qì ， lín mǒu yǔ gǔ xiōng tóng bìng xiāng lián ， luò rù xiān huā nà lǎo zéi de quān tào lǐ ， zhǐ bù guò wǒ rén pǐn hǎo ， dòu fǎ zhī shí ， tā tū rán jiù jí fā zuò ， zǒu huǒ rù mó ， fǒu zé lín mǒu kǒng pà zì shēn nán bǎo ， yě jiù tán bù shàng jiù dào yǒu chū lái le 。”
将对方的表情看在眼中，林轩大体晓得，他在做怎样的猜测，脸上故意露出心有余悸之色：“说起来也是运气，林某与谷兄同病相怜，落入鲜花那老贼的圈套里，只不过我人品好，斗法之时，他突然旧疾发作，走火入魔，否则林某恐怕自身难保，也就谈不上救道友出来了。”
"Old illness flaring up, leading to a reversal of fortune?" Valley Tianyang was taken aback for a moment before nodding in understanding: "Indeed, the cycle of heaven and earth is just; retribution is never wrong."
“ jiù jí fā zuò ， zǒu huǒ rù mó ？” gǔ tiān yáng tīng le ， xiān shì yī dāi ， suí hòu lù chū liǎo rán de biǎo qíng lái ：“ yuán lái rú cǐ ， zhēn shì tiān dào xún huán ， bào yìng bù shuǎng 。”
“旧疾发作，走火入魔？”谷天扬听了，先是一呆，随后露出了然的表情来：“原来如此，真是天道循环，报应不爽。”
"I do not understand your words," Lin Xuan replied.
“ dào yǒu hé chù cǐ yán ？”
“道友何处此言？”
"Humph. That old monster sought every means possible to break through his realm. He obtained some secret technique from somewhere and used countless female cultivators as cauldrons for this dual cultivation method, which can indeed strengthen one's foundation. However, there is a limit to everything. He harmed too many women, leading to an inevitable backlash."
“ hēng ， nà lǎo guài wù wèi le jiāng jìng jiè tū pò ， wú suǒ bù yòng qí jí ， bù zhī dào cóng nǎ lǐ dé dào yī běn mì shù ， jiāng wú shù nǚ xiū zuò wéi dǐng lú ， zhè shuāng xiū yī dào ， què shí kě yǐ gù běn péi yuán ， zēng jiā fǎ lì ， kě fán shì zǒng yǒu yí gè dù ， tā huò hài de nǚ xiū tài duō ， cǎi bǔ guò dù ， yě shì huì yǐn lái fǎn shì de 。”
“哼，那老怪物为了将境界突破，无所不用其极，不知道从哪里得到一本秘术，将无数女修作为鼎炉，这双修一道，确实可以固本培元，增加法力，可凡事总有一个度，他祸害的女修太多，采补过度，也是会引来反噬的。”
"Indeed," Lin Xuan feigned a look of realization. Keeping a low profile was his principle. Although he and Valley Tianyang were currently allies, Lin Xuan did not want to reveal too much power in front of him. Holding back some cards was always wise.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。”
“原来如此。”
Valley Tianyang remained unconvinced but followed the logic: it made sense that Lin Xuan could not have defeated the flower villain with his current strength, given his old illness and reversal of fortune.
lín xuān zhuāng chū yī fù huǎng rán dà wù zhī sè ， dī diào shì zì jǐ de yuán zé ， suī rán xiàn zài ， zhè wèi jiǔ xiān gōng zhǔ shì yǒu fēi dí ， dàn lín xuān yě bù yuàn yì zài tā miàn qián xiǎn lù chū tài duō de shí lì ， duō liú yī xiē dǐ pái zǒng shì méi cuò dì 。
林轩装出一副恍然大悟之色，低调是自己的原则，虽然现在，这位九仙宫主是友非敌，但林轩也不愿意在他面前显露出太多的实力，多留一些底牌总是没错地。
"How should we leave this place now?"
gǔ tiān yáng guǒ rán méi yǒu qǐ yí ， bì jìng àn zhào cháng lǐ ， zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， lín xuān shì bù kě néng dǎ yíng xiān huā dì ， duì fāng jiù jí fā zuò ， zǒu huǒ rù mó ， zhè jiù chéng wéi zuì hǎo de jiě shì le ， hé qíng hé lǐ 。
谷天扬果然没有起疑，毕竟按照常理，这种情况下，林轩是不可能打赢鲜花地，对方旧疾发作，走火入魔，这就成为最好的解释了，合情合理。
Lin Xuan's brows furrowed in difficulty, though he was just acting. The transformed Phantom Heavenly Fire had some freezing effects, and the mysterious long spear made space disruption impossible. However, leaving such a small space posed no problem.
“ wǒ men xiàn zài yīng gāi rú hé lí kāi cǐ dì ？”
“我们现在应该如何离开此地？”
"Friend, there is no need to rush. This is a forbidden area of my Nine Immortals Palace; it cannot be difficult for me."
lín xuān de shuāng méi jǐn jǐn zhòu zài yì qǐ ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì wéi nán zhī sè ， dāng rán ， zhè fú biǎo qíng yě shì zhuāng de ， huàn líng tiān huǒ zhuǎn huà wèi jí hán zhī yàn hòu ， yǐ jīng yǒu xiē xǔ dòng jié kōng jiān de xiào guǒ ， zài jiā shàng nà shén mì de zhǎng gē ， pò suì kōng jiān shì bù kě néng de ， dàn xiǎng yào cóng zhè yàng de xiǎo kōng jiān chū qù ， zé wán quán méi yǒu wèn tí 。
林轩的双眉紧紧皱在一起，脸上满是为难之色，当然，这幅表情也是装的，幻灵天火转化为极寒之焰后，已经有些许冻结空间的效果，再加上那神秘的长戈，破碎空间是不可能的，但想要从这样的小空间出去，则完全没有问题。
Valley Tianyang appeared confident as he discerned the direction and flew forward. Lin Xuan followed closely behind with narrowed eyes.
“ dào yǒu bù yòng xīn jí ， zhè lǐ shì wǒ jiǔ xiān gōng de jìn dì ， zì rán nán bù dào lǎo fū 。”
“道友不用心急，这里是我九仙宫的禁地，自然难不倒老夫。”
Soon, they arrived at an unremarkable ruin where fiery lava dominated. Ordinary people would struggle to survive in such a high-temperature environment, but cultivators found it manageable.
gǔ tiān yáng què xiǎn de xiōng yǒu chéng zhú ， suí hòu lüè yī biàn shí fāng xiàng ， jiù cháo zhe qián miàn fēi qù le 。
谷天扬却显得胸有成竹，随后略一辨识方向，就朝着前面飞去了。
Valley Tianyang extended his right hand without further action, and the space around him fluctuated. A large red hand appeared before he effortlessly reached down.
lín xuān yǎn jīng wēi mī ， yě suí hòu jǐn gēn le shàng qù 。
林轩眼睛微眯，也随后紧跟了上去。
"Could there be something hidden within this lava?"
hěn kuài ， lái dào yī bù qǐ yǎn de fèi xū ， zhè lǐ yǐ jīng shì yī piàn huǒ hóng de róng yán shì jiè ， ruò shì pǔ tōng de fán rén lái dào cǐ chù ， guāng shì kōng qì zhōng de gāo wēn ， jiù huì ràng rén chéng shòu bú zhù ， rán ér duì yú xiū xiān zhě ， zé bù suàn shén me 。
很快，来到一不起眼的废墟，这里已经是一片火红的熔岩世界，若是普通的凡人来到此处，光是空气中的高温，就会让人承受不住，然而对于修仙者，则不算什么。
Lin Xuan's thoughts raced as the hand returned to mid-air with a stone box in its palm. It was not much different from an ordinary rock at first glance.
gǔ tiān yáng yòu shǒu shēn chū ， yě bú jiàn duō yú de dòng zuò ， kōng jiān bō dòng zhòu qǐ ， yì zhí huǒ hóng sè de dà shǒu chū xiàn zài shì xiàn lǐ ， rán hòu háo bù yóu yù de xiàng xià fāng lāo qǔ 。
谷天扬右手伸出，也不见多余的动作，空间波动骤起，一直火红色的大手出现在视线里，然后毫不犹豫的像下方捞取。
"I see why my spiritual sense did not detect anything."
“ nán dào zhè róng yán zhōng ， jìng cáng yǒu shén me dōng xī ？”
“难道这熔岩中，竟藏有什么东西？”
Seeing this, Lin Xuan understood.
lín xuān nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， nà dà shǒu yǐ chóng xīn fēi dào le bàn kōng lǐ ， zhǎng xīn zhōng duō chū le yí gè shí hé ， ruò bù zhù yì ， yǔ pǔ tōng de shí tou qū bié yě shì bù dà dì 。
林轩脑海中念头转过，那大手已重新飞到了半空里，掌心中多出了一个石盒，若不注意，与普通的石头区别也是不大地。
Valley Tianyang opened the stone box, revealing a colorful talisman.
“ guài bù dé zì jǐ yòng shén shí zài zhè piàn kōng jiān sǎo guò ， què sī háo fā xiàn yě wú 。”
“怪不得自己用神识在这片空间扫过，却丝毫发现也无。”
"This Boundary-Breaking Talisman is not something commonly seen," he said.
lín xuān jiàn le cǐ mù ， liǎn shàng lù chū liǎo rán zhī sè 。
林轩见了此幕，脸上露出了然之色。
"Your knowledge is broad. Even for late-stage Cave Profound cultivators, few can recognize such a talisman," Valley Tianyang's smile echoed as he waved his hands to form a mystical hand seal and activated the talisman.
gǔ tiān yáng jiāng shí hé dǎ kāi ， yī zhāng huā huā lǜ lǜ de fú lù yìng rù yǎn lián 。
谷天扬将石盒打开，一张花花绿绿的符箓映入眼帘。
A loud crackling sound filled the air as electric sparks burst from the talisman, followed by a crack in space that stretched several feet wide.
“ pò jiè fú ， zhè dào bú shì cháng jiàn zhī wù 。”
“破界符，这倒不是常见之物。”
"Go!"
“ dào yǒu jiàn wén dào yě guǎng bó ， jí shǐ dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ， néng gòu rèn chū cǐ fú lù de rén yě bù duō 。” gǔ tiān yáng wēi xiào de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， suí shǒu shuāng shǒu wǔ dòng ， jié le yí gè xuán miào de fǎ yìn ， jiāng cǐ fú jì chū 。
“道友见闻倒也广博，即使洞玄期修仙者，能够认出此符箓的人也不多。”谷天扬微笑的声音传入耳朵，随手双手舞动，结了一个玄妙的法印，将此符祭出。
Valley Tianyang called out. Lin Xuan responded swiftly, diving into the spatial rift.
cī lā shēng dà zuò ， nà fú lù biǎo miàn diàn guāng pēn bó ， suí hòu tā zhōu wéi de kōng jiān jū rán róng huà chū ， chū xiàn le yì zhí jìng zhàng xǔ de liè fèng 。
刺啦声大做，那符箓表面电光喷薄，随后牠周围的空间居然融化出，出现了一直径丈许的裂缝。
...
“ zǒu ！”
“走！”
In a grand building within the Nine Immortals Palace, hundreds of cultivators sat on the ground with impressive cultivation levels, all at the Yuan婴 stage. Above them stood a robed old man holding a scroll, preaching to them.
gǔ tiān yáng yī shēng zhāo hū ， lín xuān fǎn yìng yě shì tóng yàng xùn sù ， shēn xíng yī zhuǎn ， yǐ tóu rù le nà kōng jiān liè fèng lǐ miàn 。
谷天扬一声招呼，林轩反应也是同样迅速，身形一转，已投入了那空间裂缝里面。
The robed old man was at the Separation stage and his guidance was indeed beneficial for the cultivators below. This was one advantage of joining a major sect; even if other offerings were not mentioned, the opportunity to listen to high-ranking cultivators preach was enough to make independent cultivators green with envy. With guidance, they could avoid many detours.
……
……
December had arrived, and it was the last month of 2011. The new year was just around the corner. Could Phantom Rain secure this final month? With a busy life, Phantom Rain would do her best, posting every other day but unable to today due to an appointment. She promised to post 9,000 words tomorrow and hoped for everyone's support.
Chapter 1988: Escape from the Trap
"Thank you for your assistance. Your great kindness will be deeply remembered by me, and I will certainly repay it."
After a short while, the amber crystal had turned to nothingness, and the old man emerged from his predicament with a grateful expression on his face.
"I am too polite. Helping others in need is our duty. You were deep in danger; how could I have just stood by?" Lin Xuan's smile echoed through the air, though he knew this was merely pretense. He had long gotten used to such performances and felt no shame about it.
He then reached out and tapped his waist, causing a jade bottle to fly out. After removing the stopper, he poured out several crimson pills from within.
"I see you are weak. This Cultivation Root Pill should be of great use to Brother Valley," Lin Xuan said as he tossed some pills over.
"Thank you."
The old man's face lit up with joy. As a late-stage Cave Profound expert and the Palace Master of Nine Immortals, he had seen many treasures in this world. He could tell from his slight release of spiritual sense that these were genuine Cultivation Root Pills.
Moreover, if the other party intended to harm him, they would have acted earlier. Tampering with the pills now was unnecessary.
Taking a deep breath, Valley Tianyang began meditating to regulate his breathing. Lin Xuan also sat cross-legged and, although he had consumed immortal milk from ten thousand years ago, he needed proper rest to replenish his essence, qi, and spirit.
Time passed slowly, and before long, it was almost half a day.
"Phew."
Valley Tianyang exhaled deeply as he stood up. Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes and scanned the old man's body. The monster was still weak but had improved significantly from earlier. Full recovery would take time, but this progress was already excellent.
"Thank you for your help. We should leave now."
"Mm."
Lin Xuan nodded in agreement without objection. Soon, a green light enveloped both of them as they left the Heavenly Mechanism Mansion and returned to the mysterious small space.
---
Looking at the fiery earth and the devastated landscape, Valley Tianyang showed some surprise: "Did you defeat that flower villain here?"
Although his second元婴 had betrayed him, he knew well the cultivation technique Lin Xuan practiced. It was one of the top-tier fire techniques in this world, immensely powerful, especially in a volcanic environment like this. His few treasures were also formidable. In such a fight, even Valley Tianyang would not be certain of victory. This young man was only at the early-stage Cave Profound; how did he manage?
These thoughts flashed through his mind as he could not help but show some surprise.
Seeing Lin Xuan's expression, Valley Tianyang understood what he was thinking: "It was just luck. Lin Xuan and I were in the same boat when we fell into the flower villain's trap. Fortunately, my good character meant that during our battle, his old illness flared up, leading to a reversal of fortune. Otherwise, I might not have survived."
"Old illness flaring up, leading to a reversal of fortune?" Valley Tianyang was taken aback for a moment before nodding in understanding: "Indeed, the cycle of heaven and earth is just; retribution is never wrong."
"I do not understand your words," Lin Xuan replied.
"Humph. That old monster sought every means possible to break through his realm. He obtained some secret technique from somewhere and used countless female cultivators as cauldrons for this dual cultivation method, which can indeed strengthen one's foundation. However, there is a limit to everything. He harmed too many women, leading to an inevitable backlash."
"Indeed," Lin Xuan feigned a look of realization. Keeping a low profile was his principle. Although he and Valley Tianyang were currently allies, Lin Xuan did not want to reveal too much power in front of him. Holding back some cards was always wise.
Valley Tianyang remained unconvinced but followed the logic: it made sense that Lin Xuan could not have defeated the flower villain with his current strength, given his old illness and reversal of fortune.
"How should we leave this place now?"
Lin Xuan's brows furrowed in difficulty, though he was just acting. The transformed Phantom Heavenly Fire had some freezing effects, and the mysterious long spear made space disruption impossible. However, leaving such a small space posed no problem.
"Friend, there is no need to rush. This is a forbidden area of my Nine Immortals Palace; it cannot be difficult for me."
Valley Tianyang appeared confident as he discerned the direction and flew forward. Lin Xuan followed closely behind with narrowed eyes.
Soon, they arrived at an unremarkable ruin where fiery lava dominated. Ordinary people would struggle to survive in such a high-temperature environment, but cultivators found it manageable.
Valley Tianyang extended his right hand without further action, and the space around him fluctuated. A large red hand appeared before he effortlessly reached down.
"Could there be something hidden within this lava?"
Lin Xuan's thoughts raced as the hand returned to mid-air with a stone box in its palm. It was not much different from an ordinary rock at first glance.
"I see why my spiritual sense did not detect anything."
Seeing this, Lin Xuan understood.
Valley Tianyang opened the stone box, revealing a colorful talisman.
"This Boundary-Breaking Talisman is not something commonly seen," he said.
"Your knowledge is broad. Even for late-stage Cave Profound cultivators, few can recognize such a talisman," Valley Tianyang's smile echoed as he waved his hands to form a mystical hand seal and activated the talisman.
A loud crackling sound filled the air as electric sparks burst from the talisman, followed by a crack in space that stretched several feet wide.
"Go!"
Valley Tianyang called out. Lin Xuan responded swiftly, diving into the spatial rift.
...
In a grand building within the Nine Immortals Palace, hundreds of cultivators sat on the ground with impressive cultivation levels, all at the Yuan婴 stage. Above them stood a robed old man holding a scroll, preaching to them.
The robed old man was at the Separation stage and his guidance was indeed beneficial for the cultivators below. This was one advantage of joining a major sect; even if other offerings were not mentioned, the opportunity to listen to high-ranking cultivators preach was enough to make independent cultivators green with envy. With guidance, they could avoid many detours.
December had arrived, and it was the last month of 2011. The new year was just around the corner. Could Phantom Rain secure this final month? With a busy life, Phantom Rain would do her best, posting every other day but unable to today due to an appointment. She promised to post 9,000 words tomorrow and hoped for everyone's support.