dì liǎng qiān líng yī shí wǔ zhāng lián luò shǐ
第两千零一十五章联络使
Chapter 2015: Contact Agent
nà nǚ zǐ zé yào nián qīng yī xiē ， bù guò èr shí qī 、 bā de yàng zi 。
那女子则要年轻一些，不过二十七、八的样子。
The woman was somewhat younger, around twenty-seven or eight years old.
yī shēn cuì lǜ sè de gōng zhuāng ， shēn cái fēng yú ， bù guò kàn tou shì ， yīng gāi hái méi yǒu shuāng xiū dào lǚ 。
一身翠绿色的宫装，身材丰腴，不过看头饰，应该还没有双修道侣。
She wore a green palace robe and had a plump figure, but her head ornament suggested she wasn't yet paired with a cultivation partner.
rán ér qí xiù kǒu chù de biāo shì ， lín xuān què jué de yǒu xiē yǎn shú ， cǐ nǚ jū rán shì lái zì tiān yá hǎi gé de xiū xiān zhě 。
然而其袖口处的标示，林轩却觉得有些眼熟，此女居然是来自天涯海阁的修仙者。
However, the insignia on her sleeves caught Lin Xuan's eye as he felt it vaguely familiar—this woman was indeed a cultivator from the Far Horizon Sea Pavilion.
nán dào shuō ……
难道说……
Could this be...
lín xuān yǎn zhōng ， shǎn guò jǐ fēn yí huò 。
林轩眼中，闪过几分疑惑。
A hint of doubt flashed in Lin Xuan’s eyes.
ér lù yíng ér mù guāng zài fù jìn sǎo guò ， tóng yàng lù chū yì wài de shén sè lái le 。
而陆盈儿目光在附近扫过，同样露出意外的神色来了。
Lu Ying'er scanned the surroundings and also showed signs of surprise.
wàn wàn bù céng xiǎng ， xuān huá de jū rán shì tā men liǎng gè 。
万万不曾想，喧哗的居然是他们两个。
She never expected that the commotion would involve them two.
zhè yī nán yī nǚ kě bú shì bài xuān gé de xiū xiān zhě ， ér shì fēn shǔ sōng fēng shū yuàn yǔ tiān yá hǎi gé ， nǎi shì lián luò shǐ lái zhe 。
这一男一女可不是拜轩阁的修仙者，而是分属松风书院与天涯海阁，乃是联络使来着。
This man and woman were not from the Buxuan Pavilion, but belonged to the Pine Wind Academy and Far Horizon Sea Pavilion—contact agents sent by both sides.
liǎng rén dōu shì yuán yīng chū qī ， ér lián luò shǐ zhè ge zhí wèi ， zài mó zāi fā shēng yǐ qián ， kě shì bìng méi yǒu 。
两人都是元婴初期，而联络使这个职位，在魔灾发生以前，可是并没有。
Both were at the early stage of Immortal Core formation, a position that didn't exist before the Demon Disaster.
rán ér xiàn zài qíng kuàng bù tóng le ， suí zhe tiān qiǎo mén ， yù líng zōng ， lí yào gōng fēn bié bèi gōng pò ， tiān yún shí èr zhōu de zōng mén jiā zú suī rán hái yǒu hěn duō ， dàn tā men sān pài ， què shì shuò guǒ jǐn cún néng gòu kàng héng de 。
然而现在情况不同了，随着天巧门，御灵宗，离药宫分别被攻破，天云十二州的宗门家族虽然还有很多，但他们三派，却是硕果仅存能够抗衡的。
But now, with the fall of the Sky Artifice Sect, Spirit Manipulation Sect, and Parting Medicine Palace, only these three factions remained as formidable opponents in the Twelve States of Heavenly Cloud.
wèi fáng bèi gè gè jī pò ， sān pài zhī jiān zì rán yào jiā qiáng lián luò ， yī fāng yǒu nán ， lìng wài liǎng pài yě hǎo zhī yuán ， gù ér fēn bié pài zhù le lián luò shǐ 。
为防被各个击破，三派之间自然要加强联络，一方有难，另外两派也好支援，故而分别派驻了联络使。
To prevent being picked off one by one, the three factions naturally needed to strengthen their communication. If any one side was in trouble, the others could offer support. Thus, contact agents were dispatched.
zài guò wǎng de shù nián zhōng ， yě què shí pài shàng le jí dà de zuò yòng 。
在过往的数年中，也确实派上了极大的作用。
In the past few years, this arrangement had indeed proven highly effective.
zhǐ shì zhè yī cì ， gǔ mó quán xiàn chū jī ， sān pài de zǒng duò ， jiē bèi dà jūn tuán tuán wéi zhù ， lián luò shǐ ， wú fǎ tū wéi ér chū ， zì rán yě zhǐ hǎo dài zài gè zì bèi pài wǎng de zōng mén lǐ le 。
只是这一次，古魔全线出击，三派的总舵，皆被大军团团围住，联络使，无法突围而出，自然也只好待在各自被派往的宗门里了。
But now, ancient demons launched a full-scale assault. The headquarters of all three factions were besieged by massive armies, making it impossible for the contact agents to break through and escape. They were thus forced to remain in their respective sects.
yuán běn zài nǎ lǐ yǔn luò dōu shì yǔn luò ， bì jìng sǐ zài hé chù dōu shì yī yàng de ， zhè liǎng rén dōu bào le bì sǐ de xīn yì ， suí bài xuān gé de xiū shì yì qǐ yù dí 。
原本在哪里陨落都是陨落，毕竟死在何处都是一样的，这两人都抱了必死的心意，随拜轩阁的修士一起御敌。
They would have died wherever they fell anyway, so these two had resolved to die with honor alongside Buxuan Pavilion cultivators.
xíng shì guǒ rán bǐ xiǎng xiàng de hái yào wēi jī ， gǔ mó zhè cì shì shì zài bì děi ， zhì yú huì fù chū hé děng dài jià ， tā men gēn běn jiù bù zài hū 。
形势果然比想象的还要危机，古魔这次是势在必得，至于会付出何等代价，他们根本就不在乎。
The situation was indeed more perilous than expected. The ancient demons were determined to succeed at any cost.
qíng kuàng zhī xiǎn è ， jiǎn zhí nán yǐ yòng yán yǔ miáo shù ， shèn zhì lián jǐ wèi gé zhǔ ， dōu zhǔn bèi zì bào yuán yīng ， yǔ gǔ mó pīn le 。
情况之险恶，简直难以用言语描述，甚至连几位阁主，都准备自爆元婴，与古魔拼了。
The danger was so severe that even the pavilion heads prepared to self-destruct and fight the demons to the death.
tā men suī bú shì bài xuān gé de xiū xiān zhě ， dàn dāng shí nà zhǒng qíng xíng ， hái yǒu shén me xuǎn zé ， zì rán shì jǐn suí qí hòu ……
他们虽不是拜轩阁的修仙者，但当时那种情形，还有什么选择，自然是紧随其后……
Though they weren't from Buxuan Pavilion, under those circumstances, what choice did they have but to follow suit?
nǎ xiǎo de ， gǔ mó bǐ xiǎng xiàng de ， hái yào jiǎo zhà xǔ duō ， jū rán zǎo jiù fáng zhe zhè yī shǒu ， tā men bào zhe jué sǐ zhī yì ， què bù kě dé ， xīn zhōng de yù mèn shì kě xiǎng ér zhī de 。
哪晓得，古魔比想象的，还要狡诈许多，居然早就防着这一手，他们抱着决死之意，却不可得，心中的郁闷是可想而知的。
But the ancient demons proved far more cunning than anticipated, having anticipated this move. Their resolve to die was in vain, leaving them with a sense of frustration.
gǔ mó què xiāo zhāng yǐ jí ， zhǔn bèi jiāng tā men shēng qín huó zhuō ， quán bù liàn huà chéng mó huà xiū xiān zhě 。
古魔却嚣张以极，准备将他们生擒活捉，全部炼化成魔化修仙者。
The ancient demons were extremely arrogant and planned to capture and transform these two into demonified cultivators.
shì qíng dào le zhè yī bù ， kě yǐ shuō shì bèi bī zhì jué jìng le 。
事情到了这一步，可以说是被逼至绝境了。
At this point, they had been pushed to their limits.
rán ér jiù zài zhè shí ， què fǎng fú zuò mèng shì de ， yī míng shén mì de qián bèi cóng tiān ér jiàng le 。
然而就在这时，却仿佛做梦似的，一名神秘的前辈从天而降了。
Just then, a mysterious senior figure descended from the sky like a dream.
tā de lái lì bù xiǎo de ， rán ér què qiáng dà dào nán yǐ yòng yán yǔ miáo shù de dì bù ， yǐ yī jǐ zhī lì ， jiù jiāng duō dá shù shí wàn de mó zú dà jūn dǎ dé diū kuī xiè jiǎ ， rú bīng xuě xiāo róng yì bān ， zuò niǎo shòu sàn ……
他的来历不晓得，然而却强大到难以用言语描述的地步，以一己之力，就将多达数十万的魔族大军打得丢盔卸甲，如冰雪消融一般，作鸟兽散……
Though his origins were unknown, he was so powerful that words failed to describe him. With one man alone, he defeated tens of thousands of demonic troops, driving them into disarray and scattering like melting ice...
rú guǒ bú shì qīn yǎn mù dǔ ， zhè zhǒng shì qíng shì shuí yě bú huì xiāng xìn de 。
如果不是亲眼目睹，这种事情是谁也不会相信的。
No one would believe such a thing unless they had witnessed it with their own eyes.
nán dào zhè wèi qián bèi ， shì cóng líng jiè xià lái de dà néng xiū xiān zhě ， jiù zài liǎng rén hái zài cāi cè lín xuān shēn fèn de shí hòu ， què jīng yà de fā xiàn ， zhè wèi shén mì de qián bèi rèn shí bài xuān gé de sì wèi gé zhǔ 。
难道这位前辈，是从灵界下来的大能修仙者，就在两人还在猜测林轩身份的时候，却惊讶的发现，这位神秘的前辈认识拜轩阁的四位阁主。
Could this senior figure be a powerful cultivator from the Spirit Realm? Before Lin Xuan could even finish guessing his identity, Lu Ying'er was surprised to find that he knew Buxuan Pavilion's four pavilion heads and seemed on good terms with them...
ér qiě guān xì sì hū hái bú cuò ， fēi tóng xiǎo kě ……
而且关系似乎还不错，非同小可……
The two quickly revived their spirits. This led to their joint attempt to breach Linglong Tower.
liǎng rén de xīn sī dùn shí huó luò ， yú shì cái yǒu zhè lián mèi chuǎng líng lóng tǎ de yí mù 。
两人的心思顿时活络，于是才有这联袂闯玲珑塔的一幕。
"Originally, it was Fairy Wang and Daoist Autumn."
“ yuán lái shì wāng xiān zi yǔ qiū dào yǒu 。”
“原来是汪仙子与秋道友。”
Lu Ying'er frowned slightly as she spoke, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure but overall remaining mild. After all, they weren't from Buxuan Pavilion, so even if they were contact agents for other factions, they couldn’t be dismissed lightly. If they didn’t explain themselves clearly, she would make them regret it.
lù yíng ér xiù méi wēi zhòu de kāi kǒu le ， yán yǔ zhōng dài zhe bú yuè zhī sè ， bù guò zǒng tǐ shuō lái ， hái suàn wēn hé ， bì jìng liǎng rén bú shì bài xuān gé de xiū xiān zhě ， bù guò jí biàn shì bié pài de lián luò shǐ ， yě bìng bù yì wèi zhe ， tā men jiù kě yǐ miǎo shì zì jǐ de fǎ zhǐ le ， rú guǒ bù néng shuō gè zi chǒu yín mǎo ， zì jǐ yě tóng yàng huì ràng tā men hǎo kàn de 。
陆盈儿秀眉微皱的开口了，言语中带着不悦之色，不过总体说来，还算温和，毕竟两人不是拜轩阁的修仙者，不过即便是别派的联络使，也并不意味着，他们就可以藐视自己的法旨了，如果不能说个子丑寅卯，自己也同样会让他们好看的。
But first, she had to ask: "Pavilion Head has already ordered that without permission, no one is to disturb us. What are your intentions? Do you think I don't hold this in high regard?"
dāng rán ， zài cǐ zhī qián ， hái shì yào xiān wèn qīng chǔ ：“ běn gé zhǔ yǐ jīng xià lìng ， wèi jīng yǔn xǔ ， bù dé shàn zì dǎ rǎo ， liǎng wèi zhè shì hé yì ， míng zhī gù fàn ， kě shì méi jiāng wǒ lù yíng ér fàng zài yǎn lǐ ？”
当然，再此之前，还是要先问清楚：“本阁主已经下令，未经允许，不得擅自打扰，两位这是何意，明知故犯，可是没将我陆盈儿放在眼里？”
"Head Pavilion has spoken too harshly."
“ gé zhǔ yán zhòng le 。”
“阁主言重了。”
The two were visibly shaken but, seeing Lin Xuan still present, they didn’t dare be rude. They knelt and paid great respect to him, their expressions respectful with a hint of fear. Then, turning to Lu Ying'er, they said: "Greetings, Head Pavilions. Your words are too harsh. You are the head of Buxuan Pavilion, on par with our sect's senior elder. Even if I had the courage, I would never defy your orders. We did this out of necessity..."
nà liǎng jīng shī sè ， bù guò jiàn lín xuān hái zài cǐ chù ， tā men zì rán bù gǎn bù jiǎng lǐ shù ， xiān guì le xià lái ， chōng zhe lín xuān dà lǐ cān bài ， biǎo qíng gōng jìng yǐ jí ， hái dài zhe jǐ fēn wèi jù ， suí hòu cái xiàng lù yíng ér xíng le yī lǐ ：“ jiàn guò jǐ wèi gé zhǔ ， yíng xiān zi yán zhòng le ， nín shì táng táng de bài xuān gé zhī zhǔ ， yǔ bì mén tài shàng zhǎng lǎo píng qǐ píng zuò de rén wù ， jiù suàn jiè xiǎo rén jǐ gè dǎn zi ， yě jué bù gǎn wéi nín fǎ zhǐ ， wǒ men zhè me zuò ， shí zài shì yǒu nán yán de kǔ chǔ ……”
那两惊失色，不过见林轩还在此处，他们自然不敢不讲礼数，先跪了下来，冲着林轩大礼参拜，表情恭敬以极，还带着几分畏惧，随后才像陆盈儿行了一礼：“见过几位阁主，盈仙子言重了，您是堂堂的拜轩阁之主，与敝门太上长老平起平坐的人物，就算借小人几个胆子，也绝不敢违您法旨，我们这么做，实在是有难言的苦楚……”
"Oh?"
“ ó ？”
“哦？”
Lu Ying'er wasn’t unreasonable either. Seeing their anxious faces and knowing that they weren't lying: "Speak."
lù yíng ér yě bú shì bù jiǎng dào lǐ de rén wù ， jiàn duì fāng mǎn liǎn de huáng jí zhī sè ， zhè fān huà ， què rán bù xiàng sā huǎng de ：“ nǐ shuō 。”
陆盈儿也不是不讲道理的人物，见对方满脸的惶急之色，这番话，确然不像撒谎的：“你说。”
"Report to Head Pavilion,"
“ qǐ bǐng gé zhǔ 。”
“启禀阁主。”
The female cultivator known as Fairy Wang smiled with relief and bowed deeply; "Head Pavilion knows, I and Daoist Autumn bear the responsibility of being contact agents. Buxuan Pavilion's crisis has been resolved, but our Far Horizon Sea Pavilion and Pine Wind Academy are still under siege by ancient demons. We don't know how things stand now, so..."
nà bèi chēng wéi wāng xiān zi de nǚ xiū liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī xǐ sè ， yíng yíng yī fú ；“ gé zhǔ yě xiǎo de ， wǒ yǔ qiū dào yǒu ， nǎi shì shēn fù lián luò shǐ zhī zé ， rú jīn bài xuān gé de wēi jī yǐ rán jiě chú ， kě wǒ tiān yá hǎi gé yǔ sōng fēng shū yuàn hái bèi gǔ mó dà jūn wéi gōng ， bù xiǎo de rú jīn qíng kuàng rú hé ， suǒ yǐ ……”
那被称为汪仙子的女修脸上闪过一丝喜色，盈盈一福；“阁主也晓得，我与秋道友，乃是身负联络使之责，如今拜轩阁的危机已然解除，可我天涯海阁与松风书院还被古魔大军围攻，不晓得如今情况如何，所以……”
The woman in the green robe glanced at Lin Xuan before lowering her head again, her expression full of pleading.
nà gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ shuō dào cǐ chù ， tái tóu tōu tōu miáo le yī yǎn lín xuān ， suí hòu yòu dī xià tou ， rán ér wàng xiàng lù yíng ér de biǎo qíng què mǎn shì āi qiú 。
那宫装女子说到此处，抬头偷偷瞄了一眼林轩，随后又低下头，然而望向陆盈儿的表情却满是哀求。
On the other side, the scholar-robed cultivator had a similar look on his face. Though they didn’t speak out loud, their intentions were clear.
lìng yī biān ， nà rú páo xiū shì de biǎo qíng yě chà bu duō ， liǎng rén huà suī rán méi yǒu chū kǒu ， dàn yì si yǐ jīng hěn míng xiǎn le 。
另一边，那儒袍修士的表情也差不多，两人话虽然没有出口，但意思已经很明显了。
They hoped Lu Ying'er would intercede and ask Lin Xuan for help. After all, they weren't familiar with this senior figure, and many powerful cultivators could be quite unpredictable.
xī wàng lù yíng ér kāi kǒu ， qǐng lín xuān chū shǒu xiàng zhù ， bì jìng tā men yǔ zhè wèi qián bèi bìng bù shú ， ér hěn duō dà néng xiū xiān zhě de pí qì ， dōu shì fēi cháng gǔ guài de 。
希望陆盈儿开口，请林轩出手相助，毕竟他们与这位前辈并不熟，而很多大能修仙者的脾气，都是非常古怪的。
As an early-stage Immortal Core existence in the eyes of such figures, they were mere ants. How should they approach? Thus, they sought assistance from the pavilion heads.
zì jǐ zhè zhǒng yuán yīng jí de cún zài ， zài duì fāng de yǎn lǐ ， gēn běn jiù shì lóu yǐ yì bān ， tā men rú hé gāi kāi kǒu ， gù ér zhǐ néng qǐng jǐ wèi gé zhǔ bāng máng le 。
自己这种元婴级的存在，在对方的眼里，根本就是蝼蚁一般，他们如何该开口，故而只能请几位阁主帮忙了。
"Master."
“ shào yé 。”
“少爷。”
Lu Ying'er understood the situation and her expression softened. She was too careless, as did Liu Xin and others, who looked embarrassed. They had promised to stand together, but now focused only on their own sect's peril, ignoring the plight of Pine Wind Academy and Far Horizon Sea Pavilion—both were under siege by demonic armies.
lù yíng ér liǎo jiě liǎo shì qíng de shǐ mò ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng dùn jiàn huǎn hé ， dǎo shì zì jǐ dà yì ， liú xīn jǐ gè de shén sè yě chà bu duō ， shèn zhì dài zhe jǐ fēn gān gà zhī sè ， shuō hǎo le gòng tóng jìn tuì ， shì dào lín tóu ， què jiāng qí tā liǎng pài pāo zhū dào le nǎo hǎi ， tā men tóng yàng bèi mó zú dà jūn wéi gōng ， lùn xíng shì xiǎn è ， yě bǐ běn mén dāng chū hǎo bù le xǔ duō 。
陆盈儿了解了事情的始末，脸上的表情顿见缓和，倒是自己大意，刘芯几个的神色也差不多，甚至带着几分尴尬之色，说好了共同进退，事到临头，却将其他两派抛诸到了脑海，牠们同样被魔族大军围攻，论形势险恶，也比本门当初好不了许多。
Though not intentional, they were overjoyed at seeing Master again, so absorbed in reminiscing that even death seemed unimportant.
dāng rán ， tā men bú shì gù yì de ， zhà yǔ shào yé chóng féng ， xīn zhōng bèi huān xǐ chōng mǎn le ， suǒ yǒu de shì qíng jiē bèi pāo zhū nǎo hòu ， lián shēng sǐ yě bú zhòng yào le ， zhǐ gù zhe yǔ shào yé xù jiù ， nǎ hái xiǎng de dào sōng fēng shū yuàn yǔ tiān yá hǎi gé de chǔ jìng ne ？
当然，她们不是故意的，乍与少爷重逢，心中被欢喜充满了，所有的事情皆被抛诸脑后，连生死也不重要了，只顾着与少爷叙旧，哪还想得到松风书院与天涯海阁的处境呢？
Lin Xuan was no stranger to such matters; after so many years in cultivation, he had seen it all. Though he only caught snippets of their conversation, a moment's thought revealed the situation.
lín xuān de cōng míng gèng bú yòng shuō ， tà rù xiū xiān jiè zhè me jiǔ ， shén me shì qíng tā méi yǒu jiàn guò ， suī rán shuāng fāng de duì huà ， zhǐ tīng le gè yī lín bàn zhǎo ， bù guò shāo yī sī suǒ ， lín xuān yǐ jīng xiǎo de shì zěn me huí shì le 。
林轩的聪明更不用说，踏入修仙界这么久，什么事情他没有见过，虽然双方的对话，只听了个一鳞半爪，不过稍一思索，林轩已经晓得是怎么回事了。
"I have been careless."
“ zì jǐ zhēn shì shū hū 。”
“自己真是疏忽。”
Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead. He heard about the siege on all three factions' headquarters during his journey. How could he forget?
lín xuān yǐ shǒu fǔ é ， zài lái de lù shàng jiù tīng shuō sān pài jiē bèi wéi kùn le zǒng duò ， kùn jìng yuǎn fēi bài xuān gé yī jiā de 。
林轩以手抚额，在来的路上就听说三派皆被围困了总舵，困境远非拜轩阁一家的。
He didn’t consider himself a savior; for instance, if it were the Spirit Manipulation Sect under siege, he might not be as eager to help.
zěn me gěi wàng le ？
怎么给忘了？
But Pine Wind Academy and Far Horizon Sea Pavilion were different.
lín xuān dào bù rèn wéi zì jǐ shì jiù shì zhǔ ， bǐ rú shuō wéi kùn de rú guǒ shì yù líng zōng ， jiù yuán shàng yě xǔ tā jiù bìng bú huì rè zhōng 。
林轩倒不认为自己是救世主，比如说围困的如果是御灵宗，救援上也许他就并不会热衷。
Though Fairy Ranyan had left him, she was still his sworn sister. Their bond wasn't like that with Red Leaf—Lin Xuan genuinely considered her a sister. She had helped him many times in the past; he truly regarded her as such.
rán ér sōng fēng shū yuàn yǔ tiān yá hǎi gé bù tóng 。
然而松风书院与天涯海阁不同。
Moreover, he had joined Far Horizon Sea Pavilion by invitation and held the position of senior elder there.
rú yān xiān zi suī rán yǔ zì jǐ shī sàn le ， dàn tā kě shì zì jǐ de jié bài jiě jiě lái zhe ， ér qiě yǔ hóng yè nà yàng de lì yì jié hé jiǒng yì ， zì jǐ yǔ rú yān xiān zi gǎn qíng hái shì bù cuò dì 。
如嫣仙子虽然与自己失散了，但她可是自己的结拜姐姐来着，而且与红叶那样的利益结合迥异，自己与如嫣仙子感情还是不错地。
Second update for today, aiming for 9000 words! Please support me, fellow daoists!
Chapter 2015: Contact Agent
The woman was somewhat younger, around twenty-seven or eight years old.
She wore a green palace robe and had a plump figure, but her head ornament suggested she wasn't yet paired with a cultivation partner.
However, the insignia on her sleeves caught Lin Xuan's eye as he felt it vaguely familiar—this woman was indeed a cultivator from the Far Horizon Sea Pavilion.
Could this be...
A hint of doubt flashed in Lin Xuan’s eyes.
Lu Ying'er scanned the surroundings and also showed signs of surprise.
She never expected that the commotion would involve them two.
This man and woman were not from the Buxuan Pavilion, but belonged to the Pine Wind Academy and Far Horizon Sea Pavilion—contact agents sent by both sides.
Both were at the early stage of Immortal Core formation, a position that didn't exist before the Demon Disaster.
But now, with the fall of the Sky Artifice Sect, Spirit Manipulation Sect, and Parting Medicine Palace, only these three factions remained as formidable opponents in the Twelve States of Heavenly Cloud.
To prevent being picked off one by one, the three factions naturally needed to strengthen their communication. If any one side was in trouble, the others could offer support. Thus, contact agents were dispatched.
In the past few years, this arrangement had indeed proven highly effective.
But now, ancient demons launched a full-scale assault. The headquarters of all three factions were besieged by massive armies, making it impossible for the contact agents to break through and escape. They were thus forced to remain in their respective sects.
They would have died wherever they fell anyway, so these two had resolved to die with honor alongside Buxuan Pavilion cultivators.
The situation was indeed more perilous than expected. The ancient demons were determined to succeed at any cost.
The danger was so severe that even the pavilion heads prepared to self-destruct and fight the demons to the death.
Though they weren't from Buxuan Pavilion, under those circumstances, what choice did they have but to follow suit?
But the ancient demons proved far more cunning than anticipated, having anticipated this move. Their resolve to die was in vain, leaving them with a sense of frustration.
The ancient demons were extremely arrogant and planned to capture and transform these two into demonified cultivators.
At this point, they had been pushed to their limits.
Just then, a mysterious senior figure descended from the sky like a dream.
Though his origins were unknown, he was so powerful that words failed to describe him. With one man alone, he defeated tens of thousands of demonic troops, driving them into disarray and scattering like melting ice...
No one would believe such a thing unless they had witnessed it with their own eyes.
Could this senior figure be a powerful cultivator from the Spirit Realm? Before Lin Xuan could even finish guessing his identity, Lu Ying'er was surprised to find that he knew Buxuan Pavilion's four pavilion heads and seemed on good terms with them...
The two quickly revived their spirits. This led to their joint attempt to breach Linglong Tower.
"Originally, it was Fairy Wang and Daoist Autumn."
Lu Ying'er frowned slightly as she spoke, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure but overall remaining mild. After all, they weren't from Buxuan Pavilion, so even if they were contact agents for other factions, they couldn’t be dismissed lightly. If they didn’t explain themselves clearly, she would make them regret it.
But first, she had to ask: "Pavilion Head has already ordered that without permission, no one is to disturb us. What are your intentions? Do you think I don't hold this in high regard?"
"Head Pavilion has spoken too harshly."
The two were visibly shaken but, seeing Lin Xuan still present, they didn’t dare be rude. They knelt and paid great respect to him, their expressions respectful with a hint of fear. Then, turning to Lu Ying'er, they said: "Greetings, Head Pavilions. Your words are too harsh. You are the head of Buxuan Pavilion, on par with our sect's senior elder. Even if I had the courage, I would never defy your orders. We did this out of necessity..."
"Oh?"
Lu Ying'er wasn’t unreasonable either. Seeing their anxious faces and knowing that they weren't lying: "Speak."
"Report to Head Pavilion,"
The female cultivator known as Fairy Wang smiled with relief and bowed deeply; "Head Pavilion knows, I and Daoist Autumn bear the responsibility of being contact agents. Buxuan Pavilion's crisis has been resolved, but our Far Horizon Sea Pavilion and Pine Wind Academy are still under siege by ancient demons. We don't know how things stand now, so..."
The woman in the green robe glanced at Lin Xuan before lowering her head again, her expression full of pleading.
On the other side, the scholar-robed cultivator had a similar look on his face. Though they didn’t speak out loud, their intentions were clear.
They hoped Lu Ying'er would intercede and ask Lin Xuan for help. After all, they weren't familiar with this senior figure, and many powerful cultivators could be quite unpredictable.
As an early-stage Immortal Core existence in the eyes of such figures, they were mere ants. How should they approach? Thus, they sought assistance from the pavilion heads.
"Master."
Lu Ying'er understood the situation and her expression softened. She was too careless, as did Liu Xin and others, who looked embarrassed. They had promised to stand together, but now focused only on their own sect's peril, ignoring the plight of Pine Wind Academy and Far Horizon Sea Pavilion—both were under siege by demonic armies.
Though not intentional, they were overjoyed at seeing Master again, so absorbed in reminiscing that even death seemed unimportant.
Lin Xuan was no stranger to such matters; after so many years in cultivation, he had seen it all. Though he only caught snippets of their conversation, a moment's thought revealed the situation.
"I have been careless."
Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead. He heard about the siege on all three factions' headquarters during his journey. How could he forget?
He didn’t consider himself a savior; for instance, if it were the Spirit Manipulation Sect under siege, he might not be as eager to help.
But Pine Wind Academy and Far Horizon Sea Pavilion were different.
Though Fairy Ranyan had left him, she was still his sworn sister. Their bond wasn't like that with Red Leaf—Lin Xuan genuinely considered her a sister. She had helped him many times in the past; he truly regarded her as such.
Moreover, he had joined Far Horizon Sea Pavilion by invitation and held the position of senior elder there.
Second update for today, aiming for 9000 words! Please support me, fellow daoists!