yǔ lái shí xiāng bǐ ， lín xuān bù yòng zài nà yàng jí hǒu hǒu de gǎn lù ， bù guò tā rú jīn de shí lì 。 jīn fēi xī bǐ ， huí dào líng lóng gǔ ， yī jiù zhǐ huā le yī tiān yī yè de gōng fu 。
与来时相比，林轩不用再那样急吼吼的赶路，不过他如今的实力。今非昔比，回到玲珑谷，依旧只花了一天一夜的功夫。
Compared to his journey back, Lin Xuan no longer needed to rush. However, his current strength was far beyond what it used to be. It only took him a day and night to return to Lingyun Sect.
yī lù shàng ， dào yě yù jiàn le jǐ míng líng xīng de mó zú ， lín xuān zì rán bú huì fàng guò ， suí shǒu jǐ dào jiàn qì ， jiù jiāng xī men mǐn miè huà wèi le xū wú 。
一路上，倒也遇见了几名零星的魔族，林轩自然不会放过，随手几道剑气，就将牺们泯灭化为了虚无。
On the way, he encountered several scattered魔族 members. Naturally, Lin Xuan did not let them go unscathed; with just a few sword qi attacks, they were obliterated into nothingness.
rén bù fàn wǒ ， wǒ bù fàn rén ， duì yú yì jiè yāo mó ， zì rán méi yǒu shǒu xià liú qíng yī shuō 。
人不犯我，我不犯人，对于异界妖魔，自然没有手下留情一说。
If you don't provoke me, I won’t provoke you. When it comes to foreign demons and monsters, there's no question of showing mercy.
dāng lín xuān huí dào líng lóng gǔ ， zhèng shì tài yáng chū shēng de yī kè 。
当林轩回到玲珑谷，正是太阳初升的一刻。
When Lin Xuan returned to Lingyun Sect, the sun was just beginning to rise.
shān gǔ wài ， yī jiù shì mǎn mù láng jí ， dào chù dōu kě yǐ kàn jiàn dāng rì dà zhàn suǒ liú xià lái de hén jì ， dāng rán ， shī tǐ yǐ jīng dé dào le qīng lǐ ， yí luò xià lái de bǎo wù yě bèi xiū shì men jiǎn qù 。
山谷外，依旧是满目狼藉，到处都可以看见当日大战所留下来的痕迹，当然，尸体已经得到了清理，遗落下来的宝物也被修士们捡去。
Outside the valley, everything was still in disarray, with traces of the battle from that day scattered everywhere. Of course, the bodies had been cleared away, and the remaining treasures were picked up by cultivators.
zhì yú bèi pò huài de dà xiǎo jìn zhì ， zé yǒu zhuān mén de zhèn fǎ shī jìn xíng xiū bǔ ， suī shuō wēi jī yǐ jīng jiě chú ， dàn bìng bù yì wèi zháo mó zāi jiù yǐ jīng jié shù 。
至于被破坏的大小禁制，则有专门的阵法师进行修补，虽说危机已经解除，但并不意味着魔灾就已经结束。
As for the broken禁制, specialized array masters were repairing them. Although the immediate danger had passed, it didn't mean the demon disaster was over.
yào zhī dào zhè yī cì hào jié ， kě shì jiāng zhěng gè tiān yún shí èr zhōu quán bù náng kuò ， shù shí wàn dī jiē gǔ huī ， suī bù néng shuō cāng hǎi yī sù ， dàn xiāng duì yú zhěng gè mó zú dà jūn lái shuō ， yě suàn bù liǎo shāng jīn dòng gǔ 。
要知道这一次浩劫，可是将整个天云十二州全部囊括，数十万低阶古麾，虽不能说沧海一粟，但相对于整个魔族大军来说，也算不了伤筋动骨。
This calamity had encompassed all twelve states of Heaven Cloud, leaving tens of thousands of low-grade ancient demons unscathed. While they couldn't be compared to a drop in the ocean, their injuries weren't negligible either.
jiān nán de dà zhàn hái zài hòu tou ， rú jīn wēi jī jiě chú bù guò shì zàn shí de ， dāng rán yào zhuā jǐn shí jiān ， jǐn liàng kuài diǎn jiàng yuán qì huī fù 。
艰难的大战还在后头，如今危机解除不过是暂时的，当然要抓紧时间，尽量快点将元气恢复。
The difficult battles were yet to come, and this temporary relief was only a respite. They needed to focus on restoring their energy as quickly as possible.
shǔ yǐ wàn jì de xiū xiān zhě zài gǔ nèi gǔ wài máng lù zhe 。
数以万计的修仙者在谷内谷外忙碌着。
Countless cultivators were bustling about inside and outside the valley.
lín xuān bìng méi yǒu yǐn cáng xíng jì de yì tú ， hěn kuài jiù bèi jǐng jiè de xiū xiān zhě fā xiàn le 。
林轩并没有隐藏行迹的意图，很快就被警戒的修仙者发现了。
Lin Xuan had no intention of hiding his presence; he spoke freely with the others.
nà yī duì xiū shì bù jǐn yíng le shàng lái ， ér qiě hái jiāng shǒu zhōng de fǎ bǎo jì chū ， bù guò kàn qīng chǔ lín xuān de miàn róng yǐ hòu ， yí gè gè ， quán dōu lù chū dà xǐ zhī sè 。
那一队修士不仅迎了上来，而且还将手中的法宝祭出，不过看清楚林轩的面容以后，一个个，全都露出大喜之色。
"Master, did your aid to Tianhai Pavilion go smoothly?" Lu Ying asked thoughtfully. She never showed such gentleness towards her subordinates.
máng yī biān dà lǐ cān bài ， yī biān fā chū le chuán yīn fú 。
忙一边大礼参拜，一边发出了传音符。
"It went well."
duǎn duǎn bàn zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， líng lóng gǔ nèi ， jiù jīng máng dà qǐ ， lù yíng ér sì nǚ ， dài lǐng bài xuān gé de gāo jiē xiū xiān zhě ， qīn zì yíng chū lái le 。
短短半盏茶的功夫，玲珑谷内，就惊芒大起，陆盈儿四女，带领拜轩阁的高阶修仙者，亲自迎出来了。
Lin Xuan briefly recounted his experiences during this trip and then turned to Lingyun Valley: "How is Baxuan Pavilion doing?"
“ gěi shào yé jiàn lǐ 。”
“给少爷见礼。”
"Thanks to Master's efforts, everything is in good order. The injured cultivators have been properly cared for, and the damaged array formations are being repaired as quickly as possible. In recent days, many more cultivators from all directions have come to aid our sect. They were overjoyed when they heard that Lingyun Valley was no longer under threat and that the ancient demons had suffered a major defeat."
sì nǚ yíng yíng yī fú ， liǎn shàng míng xiǎn lù chū qīng sōng zhī sè ， suī rán tā men yǐ jīng jiàn shí guò shào yé de shén miào fǎ shù ， dàn sú huà shuō ， guān xīn zé luàn ， gǔ mó de shí lì bì jìng bù sú ， zhè jǐ tiān duō shǎo hái shì yǒu xiē dān xīn de 。
四女盈盈一拂，脸上明显露出轻松之色，虽然她们已经见识过少爷的神妙法术，但俗话说，关心则乱，古魔的实力毕竟不俗，这几天多少还是有些担心的。
Lu Ying's words were interrupted by Liu Xin: "Indeed, especially after learning about Master, an expert of the Profound Realm in the Spirit World, who shattered the void to descend and assist. The morale of our fellow cultivators is very high."
cǐ shí jiàn shào yé ān rán fǎn gǔ ， xīn zhōng de yī kuài dà shí ， zǒng suàn shì là xià dì lái le 。
此时见少爷安然返谷，心中的一块大石，总算是落下地来了。
"Oh, did they doubt such matters?" Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead, surprised.
“ hǎo le ， bù yòng duō lǐ 。”
“好了，不用多礼。”
"Master, you jest," Wu Yun'er said with a smile. "Since it concerns so much, everyone knows that our sect would never lie. Moreover, on that day, tens of thousands witnessed your might firsthand..."
jiāng jǐ nǚ de biǎo qíng kàn zài yǎn lǐ ， lín xuān xīn zhōng liú tǎng guò yī sī nuǎn yì 。
将几女的表情看在眼里，林轩心中流倘过一丝暖意。
Lin Xuan nodded: "Baxuan Pavilion is doing well; I'm relieved."
“ zǒu ， wǒ men huí gǔ 。”
“走，我们回谷。”
"Yes, despite the heavy losses from the demon army's siege, many cultivators have joined us in recent days thanks to Master. You also bestowed so many puppets, which has greatly strengthened our sect," Lu Ying expressed her gratitude.
“ xiān ”
“先”
"By the way, where is Zheng Wei?"
duì yú lín xuān de rèn hé fēn fù ， lù yíng ér tā men dōu bú huì yǒu dǐ chù ， dī méi shùn mù ， cù yōng zhe lín xuān huí dào le shān gǔ 。
对于林轩的任何吩咐，陆盈儿她们都不会有抵触，低眉顺目，簇拥着林轩回到了山谷。
Lin Xuan was concerned about his disciple Mo'er. He hadn't had a chance to ask last time; now that he had some free time, he wanted to know more.
líng lóng bǎo tǎ 。
玲珑宝塔。
"Xuan'er..."
qí tā de xiū shì yī jiù bèi gǎn le chū qù ， ruò dà de diàn táng lǐ ， zhǐ shèng xià lín xuān yǔ sì nǚ 。
其他的修士依旧被赶了出去，偌大的殿堂里，只剩下林轩与四女。
The four women exchanged glances and hesitated.
shàng cì suī rán yǐ jīng chóng jù ， dàn bù guò shì cōng cōng jiàn le yí miàn ér yǐ ， huà dōu méi yǒu shuō shàng jǐ jù ， jiù máng zhe qù jiù yuán tiān yá hǎi gé yǔ sōng fēng shū yuàn le 。
上次虽然已经重聚，但不过是匆匆见了一面而已，话都没有说上几句，就忙着去救援天涯海阁与松风书院了。
"What happened? Did something untoward happen to her?" Lin Xuan's brows knitted in worry. If she were gone, it would be hard for Mo'er to bear the loss when they met again.
zhè yī bié ， duō shǎo yòu yǒu yī xiē wēi xiǎn ， sì nǚ guān xīn zé luàn ， miǎn bù liǎo tí xīn diào dǎn ， cǐ shí zài cì chóng féng ， rén rén de liǎn shàng dōu xǐ xíng yú sè 。
这一别，多少又有一些危险，四女关心则乱，免不了提心吊胆，此时再次重逢，人人的脸上都喜形于色。
"No, Xuan'er is alive; she just went missing," Lu Ying sighed.
nà zhǒng biǎo qíng shì zěn me zhē yǎn dōu zhē yǎn bú zhù de 。
那种表情是怎么遮掩都遮掩不住的。
"Missing? What do you mean?"
hé kuàng zài shào yé miàn qián ， yòu nǎ yòng dé zhe zhē yǎn 。
何况在少爷面前，又哪用得着遮掩。
"A century ago, before the demon calamity struck, Xuan'er was on a journey. She disappeared afterward..."
“ shào yé ， nín zhè cì yuán zhù tiān yá hǎi gé ， kě hái shùn lì me ？” lù yíng ér shàn jiě rén yì de kāi kǒu le ， duì zhe xià shǔ ， tā kě cóng lái bù céng nà me wēn róu guò 。
“少爷，您这次援助天涯海阁，可还顺利么？”陆盈儿善解人意的开口了，对着下属，她可从来不曾那么温柔过。
"How can you be sure that Zheng Wei didn't perish?" Lin Xuan's expression darkened as he heard this.
“ hái hǎo 。”
“还好。”
"Because Xuan'er left her essence core pearl behind when she went out. Master knows—anyone who perishes will shatter their essence core pearl, no matter the distance. After a century, it remains intact, so we know that Xuan'er is alive."
lín xuān lüè wēi shuō le jǐ jù zì jǐ zhè cì wài chū de jīng lì ， suí hòu yòu jiāng huà yǔ zhuǎn xiàng le líng lóng gǔ ：“ rú jīn bài xuān gé qíng xíng rú hé ？”
林轩略微说了几句自己这次外出的经历，随后又将话语转向了玲珑谷：“如今拜轩阁情形如何？”
"Indeed."
“ tuō shào yé de fú , yī qiè ān hǎo ， shòu shāng de xiū xiān zhě ， dōu tuǒ shàn ān zhì ， sǔn huài de zhèn fǎ jìn zhì ， yě dōu zài zhuā jǐn shí jiān xiū bǔ ， zhè xiē tiān ， yòu yíng lái le bù shǎo ， dé dào xiāo xī ， cóng sì miàn bā fāng gǎn lái yuán zhù běn mén de xiū xiān zhě ， dé zhī líng lóng gǔ de wēi jī yǐ rán jiě chú ， gǔ mó bèi shā dé dà bài kuī shū ， tā men wú bù jīng xǐ ……。”
“托少爷的福,一切安好，受伤的修仙者，都妥善安置，损坏的阵法禁制，也都在抓紧时间修补，这些天，又迎来了不少，得到消息，从四面八方赶来援助本门的修仙者，得知玲珑谷的危机已然解除，古魔被杀得大败亏输，他们无不惊喜……。”
Ye Ping'er spoke up: "We've never stopped searching for her over these years. We've covered almost all of Heaven Cloud's twelve states, but there's still no news."
lù yíng ér huà yīn wèi luò ， yī páng de liú xīn yǐ rěn bú zhù chā kǒu le ：“ bù cuò ， tè bié shì dé zhī shào yé zhè wèi líng jiè de dòng xuán qī dà néng xiū xiān zhě ， jū rán pò suì xū kōng ， xià jiè xiāng zhù ， nà xiē dào yǒu dī shì qì kě shì fēi cháng gāo de 。”
陆盈儿话音未落，一旁的刘芯已忍不住插口了：“不错，特别是得知少爷这位灵界的洞玄期大能修仙者，居然破碎虚空，下界相助，那些道友的士气可是非常高的。”
"It must have been difficult."
“ ó ， zhè zhǒng shì qíng ， nán dào tā men jiù bù céng huái yí guò ？” lín xuān yǐ shǒu fǔ é ， yǒu diǎn yì wài de kāi kǒu le 。
“哦，这种事情，难道他们就不曾怀疑过？”林轩以手抚额，有点意外的开口了。
Lin Xuan was a reasonable person. Although Baxuan Pavilion now had tens of thousands of people to mobilize, the vast area of Heaven Cloud made finding one person as hard as searching for a needle in a haystack.
“ shào yé shuō xiào zi , zhèng yīn wèi shì guān zhòng dà ， suǒ yǐ dà jiā dōu xiǎo de ， běn mén shì bù kě néng sā huǎng de ， hé kuàng nín nà rì dà zhǎn shén wēi ， qīn yǎn mù dǔ de xiū shì yǒu shù wàn zhī …” wǔ yún ér wēi xiào zhe shuō 。
“少爷说笑子,正因为事关重大，所以大家都晓得，本门是不可能撒谎的，何况您那日大展神威，亲眼目睹的修士有数万之…”武云儿微笑着说。
"What about Hong Ling? Why haven't I seen her during this visit? Do you know where she is?"
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ：“ bài xuān gé yī qiè bù cuò ， nà wǒ jiù fàng xīn le 。”
林轩点了点头：“拜轩阁一切不错，那我就放心了。”
Lin Xuan was also impressed by the stubborn cultivator. He asked out of curiosity.
“ ń , suī shuō zhè cì mó zú dà jūn wéi kùn zǒng duò ， ràng běn mén zhé sǔn le bù shǎo dì zǐ ， dàn tuō shào yé de fú ， zhè xiē tiān ， yǒu bù shǎo xiū xiān zhě jiā rù ， nín yòu cì xià nà me duō kuǐ lěi ， běn mén de shí lì , bù jǐn méi yǒu bèi xuē ruò ， fǎn ér zēng qiáng le xǔ duō 。” lù yíng ér dà shì gǎn jī de kāi kǒu 。
“嗯,虽说这次魔族大军围困总舵，让本门折损了不少弟子，但托少爷的福，这些天，有不少修仙者加入，您又赐下那么多傀儡，本门的实力,不仅没有被削弱，反而增强了许多。”陆盈儿大是感激的开口。
"Princess Hong Ling has ascended to the Spirit World through the void," Lu Ying said.
“ duì le ， zěn me bú jiàn zhèng wēi nà yā tou ？”
“对了，怎么不见郑巍那丫头？”
"What?" Lin Xuan was genuinely surprised. It wasn't unusual for an advanced-stage元婴 cultivator like Hong Ling to reach the Separation stage in just four hundred years, but ascending to the Spirit World within such a short time was extraordinary.
duì yú yuè ér de zhè míng ài tú ， lín xuān hái shì pǒ wèi shàng xīn de ， shàng cì shì lái bù jí wèn ， rú jīn xián xiá zhī yú , dāng rán yào dǎ tīng yī èr le 。
对于月儿的这名爱徒，林轩还是颇为上心的，上次是来不及问，如今闲暇之余,当然要打听一二了。
He had never imagined that she would shatter the void and ascend so quickly. This revelation left Lin Xuan speechless.
“ xuán ér ……”
“璇儿……”
However, he shook his head. It wasn't impossible for an early-stage Separation cultivator to ascend; it just happened rarely.
tīng lín xuān wèn qǐ ， sì nǚ què miàn miàn xiāng qù ， liǎn shàng dōu bù yóu lù chū jǐ fēn chí yí 。
听林轩问起，四女却面面相觑，脸上都不由露出几分迟疑。
Princess Hong Ling truly amazed him. Perhaps they might meet again in the Spirit World someday.
“ zěn me ， nán dào shuō ， nà yā tou zāo yù le shén me bù cè ？”
“怎么，难道说，那丫头遭遇了什么不测？”
Seeing Master frowning in thought, the four women didn't dare disturb him and silently accompanied him.
lín xuān méi tóu bù yóu jǐn jǐn de zhòu qǐ le ， ruò zhēn shì rú cǐ ， yǐ hòu jiàn dào le yuè ér ， ràng zì jǐ zěn me shuō ， nà yā tou fēi shí fēn shāng xīn bù kě 。
林轩眉头不由紧紧的皱起了，若真是如此，以后见到了月儿，让自己怎么说，那丫头非十分伤心不可。
After a long while, Lin Xuan lifted his head: "By the way, Ying'er, where is the ancient demon's main base?"
“ bú shì ， bān ér bìng wèi yǔn luò ， zhǐ bù guò shì shī zōng diào le 。” lù yíng ér tàn le yì kǒu qì de shuō 。
“不是，斑儿并未陨落，只不过是失踪掉了。”陆盈儿叹了一口气的说。
"The ancient demons' main base?" Lu Ying was taken aback. The other three women also focused their attention.
“ shī zōng ， cǐ huà zěn shuō ？”
“失踪，此话怎说？”
"Indeed, since I returned to Heaven Cloud by chance, it’s only right to deal with this calamity for both reason and emotion. I want to help you completely eliminate the ancient demons once and for all. However, there are too many of them; we can't kill them all in a short time. We need to target their main base first..."
“ zhè jiàn shì qíng fā shēng zài yì bǎi nián qián ， nà shí hòu ， mó jié dōu méi yǒu jiàng lín yún zhōu shí èr zhōu ， xuán ér wài chū yóu lì ， hòu lái jiù bù zhī suǒ zōng ……”
“这件事情发生在一百年前，那时候，魔劫都没有降临云州十二州，璇儿外出游历，后来就不知所踪……”
"Thank you, Master," Lu Ying's expression showed gratitude: "The ancient demon's main base is in Tianzhou."
“ nà mí zěn me xiǎo de ， zhèng bān bìng wèi yǔn luò ？” lín xuān tīng dào zhè lǐ ， liǎn sè bù yóu de yǒu xiē yīn chén le 。
“那弥怎么晓得，郑斑并未陨落？”林轩听到这里，脸色不由得有些阴沉了。
"Tianzhou?"
“ yīn wèi bān ér wài chū yǐ qián ， céng zài mén zhōng liú xià běn mìng yuán zhū ， shào yé yě xiǎo de ， liú xià cǐ zhū de xiū shì ， yí dàn yǔn luò ， bù lùn jù lí yǒu duō yuǎn ， běn mìng zhū dū huì suì liè diào de ， ér yì bǎi duō nián guò qù le ， nà zhū zi yī jiù hǎo hǎo de ， suǒ yǐ wǒ men xiǎo de bān ér kěn dìng huó zhe 。”
“因为斑儿外出以前，曾在门中留下本命元珠，少爷也晓得，留下此珠的修士，一旦陨落，不论距离有多远，本命珠都会碎裂掉的，而一百多年过去了，那珠子依旧好好的，所以我们晓得斑儿肯定活着。”
Lu Ying nodded: "Today, the commoners and cultivators of Tianzhou have been completely wiped out by the ancient demons. The entire state has fallen under their control..."
“ bù cuò 。
“不错。
While Lin Xuan was discussing with the four women on how to deal with the ancient demons, chaos had already erupted at the main base in Tianzhou.
“ yì zhí chén mò de yè píng ér de kāi kǒu le ：“ zhè xiē nián lái ， wǒ men cóng lái jiù méi yǒu tíng zhǐ xún zhǎo guò ， zhěng gè tiān yún shí èr zhōu jī hū dōu zǒu biàn le ， rán ér yī jiù sī háo xiāo xī méi yǒu 。”
“一直沉默的叶瓶儿的开口了：“这些年来，我们从来就没有停止寻找过，整个天云十二州几乎都走遍了，然而依旧丝毫消息没有。”
Although many ancient demons had entered through the wormhole and attacked Baxuan Pavilion, Tianhai Pavilion, and other places, they were considered elite forces. They never imagined that all of them would be completely annihilated, leaving no survivors.
“ yě nán wéi mí men le 。”
“也难为弥们了。”
Thanks to Lin Xuan's thorough extermination, it took several days for the ancient demons in Tianzhou to finally understand what had happened.
lín xuān shì tōng qíng dá lǐ de rén wù ， bài xuān gé rú jīn de shí lì suī fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， yǒu shù yǐ wàn jì de rén shǒu kě yǐ diào dòng , rán ér zhěng gè tiān yún shí èr zhōu ， miàn jī tài dà le ， xiǎng yào xún zhǎo yí gè rén ， wú yì yú dà hǎi lāo zhēn de nán dù 。
林轩是通情达理的人物，拜轩阁如今的实力虽非同小可，有数以万计的人手可以调动,然而整个天云十二州，面积太大了，想要寻找一个人，无异于大海捞针的难度。
Although Tianzhou wasn't large, it was more prosperous during ancient times than Yunzhou. However, with the decline of the Luo family, it gradually became desolate.
“ nà hóng líng ne ， zhè yī cì wǒ lái dào bài xuān gé ， zěn me yě bú jiàn tā de rén yǐng ne ， tā de xià luò ， mí men kě xiǎo de ？”
“那红绫呢，这一次我来到拜轩阁，怎么也不见她的人影呢，她的下落，弥们可晓得？”
The main reason was that most of the spiritual veins in Tianzhou were destroyed during a major battle, making it unsuitable for cultivators. But for the ancient demons, this might be beneficial; thinning out the spirit energy made them more susceptible to true demon qi.
duì yú nà jué jiàng de nǚ xiū ， lín xuān tóng yàng shì yìn xiàng shēn kè ， shùn dài yě jiù wèn yī wèn le 。
对于那倔强的女修，林轩同样是印象深刻，顺带也就问一问了。
The ancient demons had chosen Tianzhou as their main base, and the remaining cultivators and commoners had been corrupted into demons. They also planted plants from their home realm in the area.
“ hóng líng xiān zi ， tā de xià luò ， xiǎo bì hái zhēn xiǎo de ， pò suì xū kōng ， fēi shēng dào líng jiè qù le 。”
“红绫仙子，她的下落，小婢还真晓得，破碎虚空，飞升到灵界去了。”
To the west of Tianzhou, mountains stretched endlessly, with some strange buildings visible among them. The true demon qi was the thickest throughout the entire state!~!
Compared to his journey back, Lin Xuan no longer needed to rush. However, his current strength was far beyond what it used to be. It only took him a day and night to return to Lingyun Sect.
On the way, he encountered several scattered魔族 members. Naturally, Lin Xuan did not let them go unscathed; with just a few sword qi attacks, they were obliterated into nothingness.
If you don't provoke me, I won’t provoke you. When it comes to foreign demons and monsters, there's no question of showing mercy.
When Lin Xuan returned to Lingyun Sect, the sun was just beginning to rise.
Outside the valley, everything was still in disarray, with traces of the battle from that day scattered everywhere. Of course, the bodies had been cleared away, and the remaining treasures were picked up by cultivators.
As for the broken禁制, specialized array masters were repairing them. Although the immediate danger had passed, it didn't mean the demon disaster was over.
This calamity had encompassed all twelve states of Heaven Cloud, leaving tens of thousands of low-grade ancient demons unscathed. While they couldn't be compared to a drop in the ocean, their injuries weren't negligible either.
The difficult battles were yet to come, and this temporary relief was only a respite. They needed to focus on restoring their energy as quickly as possible.
Countless cultivators were bustling about inside and outside the valley.
Lin Xuan had no intention of hiding his presence; he spoke freely with the others.
"Master, did your aid to Tianhai Pavilion go smoothly?" Lu Ying asked thoughtfully. She never showed such gentleness towards her subordinates.
"It went well."
Lin Xuan briefly recounted his experiences during this trip and then turned to Lingyun Valley: "How is Baxuan Pavilion doing?"
"Thanks to Master's efforts, everything is in good order. The injured cultivators have been properly cared for, and the damaged array formations are being repaired as quickly as possible. In recent days, many more cultivators from all directions have come to aid our sect. They were overjoyed when they heard that Lingyun Valley was no longer under threat and that the ancient demons had suffered a major defeat."
Lu Ying's words were interrupted by Liu Xin: "Indeed, especially after learning about Master, an expert of the Profound Realm in the Spirit World, who shattered the void to descend and assist. The morale of our fellow cultivators is very high."
"Oh, did they doubt such matters?" Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead, surprised.
"Master, you jest," Wu Yun'er said with a smile. "Since it concerns so much, everyone knows that our sect would never lie. Moreover, on that day, tens of thousands witnessed your might firsthand..."
Lin Xuan nodded: "Baxuan Pavilion is doing well; I'm relieved."
"Yes, despite the heavy losses from the demon army's siege, many cultivators have joined us in recent days thanks to Master. You also bestowed so many puppets, which has greatly strengthened our sect," Lu Ying expressed her gratitude.
"By the way, where is Zheng Wei?"
Lin Xuan was concerned about his disciple Mo'er. He hadn't had a chance to ask last time; now that he had some free time, he wanted to know more.
"Xuan'er..."
The four women exchanged glances and hesitated.
"What happened? Did something untoward happen to her?" Lin Xuan's brows knitted in worry. If she were gone, it would be hard for Mo'er to bear the loss when they met again.
"No, Xuan'er is alive; she just went missing," Lu Ying sighed.
"Missing? What do you mean?"
"A century ago, before the demon calamity struck, Xuan'er was on a journey. She disappeared afterward..."
"How can you be sure that Zheng Wei didn't perish?" Lin Xuan's expression darkened as he heard this.
"Because Xuan'er left her essence core pearl behind when she went out. Master knows—anyone who perishes will shatter their essence core pearl, no matter the distance. After a century, it remains intact, so we know that Xuan'er is alive."
"Indeed."
Ye Ping'er spoke up: "We've never stopped searching for her over these years. We've covered almost all of Heaven Cloud's twelve states, but there's still no news."
"It must have been difficult."
Lin Xuan was a reasonable person. Although Baxuan Pavilion now had tens of thousands of people to mobilize, the vast area of Heaven Cloud made finding one person as hard as searching for a needle in a haystack.
"What about Hong Ling? Why haven't I seen her during this visit? Do you know where she is?"
Lin Xuan was also impressed by the stubborn cultivator. He asked out of curiosity.
"Princess Hong Ling has ascended to the Spirit World through the void," Lu Ying said.
"What?" Lin Xuan was genuinely surprised. It wasn't unusual for an advanced-stage元婴 cultivator like Hong Ling to reach the Separation stage in just four hundred years, but ascending to the Spirit World within such a short time was extraordinary.
He had never imagined that she would shatter the void and ascend so quickly. This revelation left Lin Xuan speechless.
However, he shook his head. It wasn't impossible for an early-stage Separation cultivator to ascend; it just happened rarely.
Princess Hong Ling truly amazed him. Perhaps they might meet again in the Spirit World someday.
Seeing Master frowning in thought, the four women didn't dare disturb him and silently accompanied him.
After a long while, Lin Xuan lifted his head: "By the way, Ying'er, where is the ancient demon's main base?"
"The ancient demons' main base?" Lu Ying was taken aback. The other three women also focused their attention.
"Indeed, since I returned to Heaven Cloud by chance, it’s only right to deal with this calamity for both reason and emotion. I want to help you completely eliminate the ancient demons once and for all. However, there are too many of them; we can't kill them all in a short time. We need to target their main base first..."
"Thank you, Master," Lu Ying's expression showed gratitude: "The ancient demon's main base is in Tianzhou."
"Tianzhou?"
Lu Ying nodded: "Today, the commoners and cultivators of Tianzhou have been completely wiped out by the ancient demons. The entire state has fallen under their control..."
While Lin Xuan was discussing with the four women on how to deal with the ancient demons, chaos had already erupted at the main base in Tianzhou.
Although many ancient demons had entered through the wormhole and attacked Baxuan Pavilion, Tianhai Pavilion, and other places, they were considered elite forces. They never imagined that all of them would be completely annihilated, leaving no survivors.
Thanks to Lin Xuan's thorough extermination, it took several days for the ancient demons in Tianzhou to finally understand what had happened.
Although Tianzhou wasn't large, it was more prosperous during ancient times than Yunzhou. However, with the decline of the Luo family, it gradually became desolate.
The main reason was that most of the spiritual veins in Tianzhou were destroyed during a major battle, making it unsuitable for cultivators. But for the ancient demons, this might be beneficial; thinning out the spirit energy made them more susceptible to true demon qi.
The ancient demons had chosen Tianzhou as their main base, and the remaining cultivators and commoners had been corrupted into demons. They also planted plants from their home realm in the area.
To the west of Tianzhou, mountains stretched endlessly, with some strange buildings visible among them. The true demon qi was the thickest throughout the entire state!~!