“ nǐ bù yòng biǎo míng xīn jì ， wǒ dāng rán zhī dào nǐ duì běn mén de zhōng xīn ， fǒu zé dāng chū yě bú huì tí bá nǐ zuò líng yào shān zhǎng mén ， wǒ zhǐ shì duì nǐ de zuò fǎ ， gǎn dào yǒu xiē bù jiě bà le 。” dú mù lǎo zhě shēng yīn wēn hé ， dàn dàn de shuō 。
“你不用表明心迹，我当然知道你对本门的忠心，否则当初也不会提拔你做灵药山掌门，我只是对你的做法，感到有些不解罢了。”独目老者声音温和，淡淡的说。
"You don't need to declare your loyalty. I know very well that you are loyal to our sect, otherwise, I wouldn't have promoted you to the head of Spirit Herb Mountain. It's just that I'm a bit puzzled by your methods," said the one-eyed elder in a gentle voice.
“ xiè shī shū 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén yòu gōng jìng de xíng yī lǐ ， cái huǎn huǎn de jiě shì qǐ lái ：“ dì zǐ zhī suǒ yǐ zhè me zuò ， shì yǐ tuì wéi jìn zhī jì 。”
“谢师叔。”通羽真人又恭敬的行一礼，才缓缓的解释起来：“弟子之所以这么做，是以退为进之计。”
"Thank Uncle Senior." Tongyu True Man performed another respectful bow before slowly explaining: "I did this as part of a strategy to retreat and advance."
“ yǐ tuì wéi jìn ？” lǎo zhě mō le mō hú xū ， lù chū ruò yǒu suǒ sī de biǎo qíng 。
“以退为进？”老者摸了摸胡须，露出若有所思的表情。
"A retreat to advance?" The elder stroked his beard, showing a thoughtful expression.
“ shì de ， shī shū ， dì zǐ gāng cái yǐ jīng shuō guò ， rú guǒ xiàn zài jiù jiāng pàn tú qīng chú ， róng yì dǎ cǎo jīng shé ， yǔ qí zhè yàng ， bù rú míng shēng àn jiàng ， wěi yǐ tā men guǎn shì zhī zhí ， yī lái ， jiāng dà liàng de zá shì diū gěi tā men qù zuò ， ràng tā men méi yǒu shí jiān liàn dān ， jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī ， liàn dān shù zì rán huì tuì bù ， zhè yàng jiù suàn pàn chū běn mén ， nà xiē shì lì fèi jǐn qiān xīn wàn kǔ ， yě bù guò lā lǒng dào jǐ gè fèi wù ， cǐ qí yī 。”
“是的，师叔，弟子刚才已经说过，如果现在就将叛徒清除，容易打草惊蛇，与其这样，不如明升暗降，委以他们管事之职，一来，将大量的杂事丢给他们去做，让他们没有时间炼丹，久而久之，炼丹术自然会退步，这样就算叛出本门，那些势力费尽千辛万苦，也不过拉拢到几个废物，此其一。”
"Yes, Uncle Senior. As I mentioned earlier, if we eliminate the traitors now, it might alert them. Instead, by promoting them secretly while giving them important roles, we can keep them busy with trivial matters so they have less time for alchemy. Over time, their skills in alchemy will naturally decline. Even if they leave our sect, the forces they try to rally would only get a few waste pills at best—this is one reason."
“ qí èr ， tā men jì rán zuò le guǎn shì ， biǎo miàn shàng yě jiù shì běn mén de hé xīn chéng yuán ， wèi gāo quán zhòng ， yóu tā men zuǐ lǐ dài qù de xiāo xī ， zhèng mó gè dà shì lì ， bì dìng shēn xìn bù yí 。”
“其二，他们既然做了管事，表面上也就是本门的核心成员，位高权重，由他们嘴里带去的消息，正魔各大势力，必定深信不疑。”
"The second reason is that as important officials within the sect, their words will be taken seriously by the major factions of both the Daoist and demonic paths."
“ ń ， jiù xiàng nǐ zhè cì zuò de ， gù yì xiàng tā men tòu lù běn mén yǒu tiān chén dān pèi fāng ， què yì zhí wú fǎ liàn zhì chū cǐ líng yào de qíng bào ， zhèng mó liǎng dào de tàn zi ， guǒ rán quán bù chè chū 。” dú mù lǎo zhě de yǎn zhōng ， shǎn guò zàn xǔ de guāng máng ， zì jǐ de zhè wèi shī zhí ， què shí shì yùn chóu wéi wò de hǎo shǒu ， yǎn jiàn yī cháng dà huò ， jiù zhè me qīng yì de bèi tā xiāo nì yú wú xíng le 。
“嗯，就像你这次做的，故意像他们透露本门有天尘丹配方，却一直无法炼制出此灵药的情报，正魔两道的探子，果然全部撤出。”独目老者的眼中，闪过赞许的光芒，自己的这位师侄，确实是运筹帷幄的好手，眼见一场大祸，就这么轻易的被他消匿于无形了。
"Hmm, just like what you did this time. You deliberately leaked information about our possession of the Heavenly Dust Pill formula but couldn't produce it, causing the spies from both sides to withdraw," the one-eyed elder's eyes gleamed with approval. His nephew was indeed a master strategist, effortlessly averting a major disaster.
“ xiè shī shū kuā jiǎng 。“ bù guò ……” lǎo zhě mō le mō hú xū ， shēng yīn zhuǎn wéi yīn lì ：“ jiù suàn nà jǐ gè jiā huo shì fèi wù ， kě duì yú bèi pàn shī mén ， chī lǐ pá wài de zéi zi ， jué bù néng zòng róng 。”
“谢师叔夸奖。“不过……”老者摸了摸胡须，声音转为阴厉：“就算那几个家伙是废物，可对于背叛师门，吃里爬外的贼子，绝不能纵容。”
"Thank Uncle Senior for your praise." However... "Even though they might be waste pills, we cannot tolerate traitors who betray their teacher and seek personal gain."
“ shī shū fàng xīn ， wǒ yǐ jīng qiāo qiāo de duì tā men xià le gǔ dú ， xiàn zài dāng rán bú huì fā zuò ， yí dàn tā men pàn chū běn mén ， wǒ jiù huì cuī dòng chóng mǔ ， zhè yàng 。 bù chū sān nián ， tā men bì dìng sǐ dé cǎn bù kān yán 。”
“师叔放心，我已经悄悄的对他们下了蛊毒，现在当然不会发作，一旦他们判出本门，我就会催动虫母，这样。不出三年，他们必定死得惨不堪言。”
"Do not worry, I have secretly placed a venomous insect on them. They will not show any signs of it now, but once they leave the sect, I will activate the mother insect. In three years, they will surely suffer an unimaginable fate."
“ sān nián 。 wèi shén me yào zhè me zhǎng de shí jiān ？” lǎo zhě yǒu diǎn bù jiě de dào 。
“三年。为什么要这么长的时间？”老者有点不解的道。
"Three years? Why such a long time?" The elder asked with some confusion.
“ zhè yě shì wèi le bǎo xiǎn ， shī shū ， nǐ xiǎng a ， rú guǒ tā men pàn chū běn mén ， lì kè jiù guà diào de huà ， shéi dōu huì huái yí shì wǒ men zuò de shǒu jiǎo ， jǐ dà shì lì yě huì duì wǒ men jì hèn bù yǐ 。 suī rán yǐ shī shū de shén tōng ， běn mén zì rán bù jù ， dàn duō shù qiáng dí ， bìng méi yǒu hǎo chù ， běn mén de chǔ shì de fēng gé ， xiàng lái shì bù yǐn rén zhù yì ， hún shuǐ mō yú 。”
“这也是为了保险，师叔，你想啊，如果他们叛出本门，立刻就挂掉的话，谁都会怀疑是我们做的手脚，几大势力也会对我们忌恨不已。虽然以师叔的神通，本门自然不惧，但多树强敌，并没有好处，本门的处事的风格，向来是不引人注意，浑水摸鱼。”
"To be cautious, Uncle Senior. If they die immediately after leaving the sect, everyone would suspect us, and the major forces would resent us. Although our sect is not afraid of your power, creating more enemies isn't beneficial. Our approach has always been to remain unnoticed," said Tongyu True Man.
“ ń ， nǐ kǎo lǜ dé què shí yào bǐ lǎo fū zhōu dào yī xiē 。”
“嗯，你考虑得确实要比老夫周到一些。”
"Hmm, you have indeed considered things more thoroughly than I."
“ shī shū miù zàn le 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén liǎn shàng háo wú jū gōng dì biǎo qíng ：“ shēn wèi líng yào shān zhī zhǔ 。 zhè xiē dōu shì wǒ dì fèn nèi zhī shì 。”
“师叔谬赞了。”通羽真人脸上毫无居功地表情：“身为灵药山之主。这些都是我地分内之事。”
"Uncle Senior flatters me." The expression on Tongyu's face showed no sense of achievement: "As the head of Spirit Herb Mountain, this is my duty."
lǎo zhě bì mù chén yín le yī xià 。 shǎo qǐng 。 cái yòu chóng xīn kāi kǒu ：“ kě chú le tiān chén dān dì xiāo xī 。 jǐ gè pàn tú hái xiè lòu le běn mén yǒu yǐn cáng shì lì 。 zhè yě shì nǐ gù yì wèi zhī ？”
老者闭目沉吟了一下。少顷。才又重新开口：“可除了天尘丹地消息。几个叛徒还泄漏了本门有隐藏势力。这也是你故意为之？”
The elder closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before speaking again. "Besides the information about Heavenly Dust Pills, those traitors also revealed that our sect has hidden forces. Was this intentional?"
“ ń 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén diǎn le diǎn tóu ：“ shī shū míng jiàn 。 yuán běn jiù shì běn mén zhōng rén 。 zhī dào wǒ líng yào shān hái yǒu xǔ duō bì guān zhǎng lǎo dì dì zǐ 。 yě jǐn yǒu liáo liáo jǐ gè 。 kě zhǐ bāo bú zhù huǒ 。 hé kuàng xiàn zài 。 yě gāi shì xiàng wài zhǎn shì shí lì dì shí hòu le 。”
“嗯。”通羽真人点了点头：“师叔明鉴。原本就是本门中人。知道我灵药山还有许多闭关长老地弟子。也仅有寥寥几个。可纸包不住火。何况现在。也该是像外展示实力地时候了。”
"Yes," Tongyu True Man nodded. "Uncle Senior, originally, I knew of many seclusion elders within the sect, but it was just a few. However, with everything exposed now, it's time to showcase our strength."
“ bù cuò 。 rú jīn sān jù tóu hù xiāng qīng yà 。 mó dào gèng shì chǔn chǔn yù dòng 。 jí è mó zūn nà lǎo jiā huǒ yě xīn bó bó 。 yōu zhōu dì xiū zhēn jiè kuài luàn le 。”
“不错。如今三巨头互相倾轧。魔道更是蠢蠢欲动。极恶魔尊那老家伙野心勃勃。幽州地修真界快乱了。”
"Correct. With the three major factions vying for power and the demonic path stirring up trouble, that old demon Sovereign, Liemo, is ambitious. The cultivation world in Youzhou is about to fall into chaos."
“ dì zǐ yě shì zhè yàng xiǎng dì 。 méi yǒu shí lì dì mén pài kǒng pà hěn nán zài zhè yàng fù zá dì huán jìng xià shēng cún xià qù 。 yóu qí shì wǒ men líng yào shān 。 gèng róng yì chéng wéi zhòng shǐ zhī dì 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén biǎo qíng lěng jìng dì fēn xī ：“ bié kàn píng shí 。 dà jiā duì wǒ men liàn dān shī zūn jìng shǒu lǐ 。 nà shì yīn wèi zhèng mó liǎng dào hù xiāng qiān zhì 。 yí dàn sī pò liǎn pí 。 shǒu dāng qí chōng jiù huì ràng wǒ men biǎo míng xīn jì 。”
“弟子也是这样想地。没有实力地门派恐怕很难在这样复杂地环境下生存下去。尤其是我们灵药山。更容易成为众矢之地。”通羽真人表情冷静地分析：“别看平时。大家对我们炼丹师尊敬守礼。那是因为正魔两道互相牵制。一旦撕破脸皮。首当其冲就会让我们表明心悸。”
"I agree. Without strength, a sect will struggle to survive in such a complex environment, especially us at Spirit Herb Mountain, which could become a target for many," Tongyu True Man analyzed calmly. "Even though everyone respects and honors us cultivators now, it's because of the balance between Daoist and demonic forces. Once they break their facade, we'll be the first to face their wrath."
“ hēng 。 shén me biǎo míng xīn jì 。 fēn míng jiù shì xiǎng yào jiāng běn mén gěi tūn le 。 jiù pà tā men xīn yǒu yú ér lì bù zú 。 méi yǒu nà me hǎo dì wèi kǒu a ！” dú mù lǎo zhě lěng xiào zhe shuō 。
“哼。什么表明心迹。分明就是想要将本门给吞了。就怕他们心有余而力不足。没有那么好地胃口啊！”独目老者冷笑着说。
"Hmph. What showing loyalty? It's clearly an attempt to swallow our sect whole. They lack the appetite," said the one-eyed elder with a cold smile.
“ shī shū suǒ yán bù cuò ， rú guǒ wǒ líng yào shān zhǐ yǒu biǎo miàn nà yì diǎn diǎn shì lì dāng rán rèn rén qī rǔ ， bù guò xiàn zài ， hēng ， shuí tūn shuí hái shì liǎng shuō 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén yě shì yī fù yì qì fēng fā de shén sè 。
“师叔所言不错，如果我灵药山只有表面那一点点势力当然任人欺辱，不过现在，哼，谁吞谁还是两说。”通羽真人也是一副意气风发的神色。
"Uncle Senior is right. If my Spirit Herb Mountain only had superficial power, it would easily be bullied. But now... who will swallow whom remains uncertain," Tongyu True Man replied confidently.
“ nǐ zuò de hěn hǎo ， zài zhè zhǒng luàn jú zhī zhōng ， shì xū yào shì dàng tòu lù yì diǎn shí lì yǐ zhèn shè xiāo xiǎo 。”
“你做的很好，在这种乱局之中，是需要适当透露一点实力以震慑宵小。”
"You did well in this chaotic situation by revealing some of our strength to intimidate the lesser ones."
“ ń ， hé kuàng dì zǐ hái liú yǒu hòu shǒu ， wǒ chuán chū qù de xiāo xī zhǐ shì tòu lù běn mén yǒu bù shǎo níng dān qī zhǎng lǎo ， zhì yú shī shū zhè yàng yuán yīng qī de cún zài ， zé shuō dé mó léng liǎng kě ， jì méi yǒu shuō yǒu ， yě méi shuō méi yǒu 。”
“嗯，何况弟子还留有后手，我传出去的消息只是透露本门有不少凝丹期长老，至于师叔这样元婴期的存在，则说得模棱两可，既没有说有，也没说没有。”
"Yes, and I have a backup plan. The information I leaked only mentioned that we have many condensation core elders, but I didn't specify your existence as an infant soul."
“ hǎo ， bǎo chí shén mì cái shì zuì cōng míng de ， duì le ……” dú mù lǎo zhě tū rán xiàng shì xiǎng qǐ le shén me ， huǎn huǎn de kāi kǒu ：“ wǒ tīng rén shuō ， nǐ shōu le yī míng jiào zuò lín xuān de zhù jī qī xiū shì zuò wèi dì zǐ ， bìng lì tā běn mén dì xià yí dài zhǎng mén ， kě yǒu cǐ shì ？”
“好，保持神秘才是最聪明的，对了……”独目老者突然像是想起了什么，缓缓的开口：“我听人说，你收了一名叫做林轩的筑基期修士做为弟子，并立他本门地下一代掌门，可有此事？”
"Good, keeping things mysterious is smart. By the way..." The one-eyed elder suddenly seemed to remember something and slowly continued: "I heard you took a base foundation cultivator named Lin Xuan as a disciple and made him the next head of our sect. Is that true?"
“ shī shū shù zuì ， dāng chū nín lǎo zhèng zài bì guān ， suǒ yǐ wǎn bèi cái méi yǒu qǐng shì ……”
“师叔恕罪，当初您老正在闭关，所以晚辈才没有请示……”
"I apologize for not seeking your permission back then when you were in seclusion," Tongyu True Man said.
“ wǒ méi yǒu zé guài nǐ de yì si 。” lǎo zhě bǎi le bǎi shǒu ：“ zhǐ shì nǐ zuò shì qíng yí xiàng lǎo chéng chí zhòng ， zhè lín xuān jiā rù běn mén shù zài ， nǐ wèi hé ……”
“我没有责怪你的意思。”老者摆了摆手：“只是你做事情一向老成持重，这林轩加入本门数载，你为何……”
"I don't blame you." The elder waved his hand. "But why did you choose to make this decision after Lin Xuan had been with us for so long?"
“ hē hē ， shī shū yǒu suǒ bù zhī ， wǎn bèi yòu zěn me huì wú dì fàng shǐ ， zhè me zuò dāng rán shì wèi běn mén kǎo lǜ ， zhè lín xuān ……”
“呵呵，师叔有所不知，晚辈又怎么会无的放矢，这么做当然是为本门考虑，这林轩……”
"Haha, Uncle Senior, I wouldn't have acted without reason. This was all for the sake of our sect. Lin Xuan..."
liǎng rén dì shēng yīn jiàn jiàn xiǎo le xià qù 。
两人地声音渐渐小了下去。
Their voices gradually grew softer.
ér tā men suǒ tán lùn de lín xuān duì cǐ kě yǐ shuō shì yī wú suǒ zhī ， cǐ kè huí dào dòng fǔ de tā zhèng zài nǔ lì xiū xíng tiān mó guǐ shī shù 。
而他们所谈论的林轩对此可以说是一无所知，此刻回到洞府的他正在努力修行天魔鬼尸术。
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan, who knew nothing about their discussion, was diligently practicing Devilish Corpse Technique in his cave dwelling.
dì yī céng ， tā zài qù zhuō guài zhī qián jiù yǐ jīng shùn lì de liàn chéng le 。
第一层，他在去捉怪之前就已经顺利的练成了。
---
xiàn zài yào zuò de ， jiù shì jiāng zhuō lái de jiāng shī àn zhào mó jīng shàng dì jì zǎi cuì liàn rèn zhǔ jí kě 。
现在要做的，就是将捉来的僵尸按照魔经上地记载淬炼认主即可。
In the first layer, he had already successfully mastered it before going to capture monsters. Now, he needed to follow the instructions in the demonic scriptures to refine and recognize this zombie as his own.
xiān ， lín xuān zài dì shàng yòng jīng shí yǐ jí qí tā yī xiē cái liào bù zhì le yí gè jiǎn dān de liàn yāo zhèn fǎ ， yóu yú shì dì yī cì jiē chù zhè zhǒng dōng dōng ， suǒ yǐ huā le zú zú sān tiān de shí jiān ， cái jiāng cǐ zhèn bù zhì wán bì 。
先，林轩在地上用晶石以及其他一些材料布置了一个简单的炼妖阵法，由于是第一次接触这种东东，所以花了足足三天的时间，才将此阵布置完毕。
First, Lin Xuan set up a simple array for refining spirits using crystal stones and other materials on the ground. It took him three days to complete the setup due to his first-time experience with such techniques.
yòu zǐ xì jiǎn chá le yī fān ， què shí méi yǒu shén me cuò lòu ， rán hòu lín xuān pāi le pāi yāo jiān de líng guǐ dài ， jiāng yī jù jiāng shī fàng le chū lái 。
又仔细检查了一番，确实没有什么错漏，然后林轩拍了拍腰间的灵鬼袋，将一具僵尸放了出来。
After double-checking everything, he patted his waist pouch and released one of the zombies. This zombie had only mid-flexible spirit cultivation, being the weakest among those captured, so Lin Xuan intended to use it as practice.
zhè jù jiāng shī jǐn jǐn yǒu líng dòng zhōng qī de xiū wèi ， shì suǒ zhuō guài wù zhī zhōng zuì ruò de yī tóu ， lín xuān dǎ suàn xiān yòng tā liàn liàn shǒu 。
这具僵尸仅仅有灵动中期的修为，是所捉怪物之中最弱的一头，林轩打算先用它练练手。
The moment the zombie was released from the Spirit Ghost Bag, it fiercely lunged at Lin Xuan.
jiāng shī yī chū líng guǐ dài ， lì kè è hěn hěn de xiàng lín xuān pū le guò lái 。
僵尸一出灵鬼袋，立刻恶狠狠的像林轩扑了过来。
With a wave of his sleeve, Lin Xuan cast a spell that sent the zombie flying several times. Dealing with such minor foes no longer required much effort for him now.
lín xuān xiù páo yī fú ， yī dào fǎ jué dǎ chū ， dùn shí jiāng tā xiān le jǐ gè gēn dǒu ， duì fù zhè yàng de xiǎo jiǎo sè ， rú jīn yǐ jīng bù fèi chuī huī zhī lì le 。
林轩袖袍一拂，一道法诀打出，顿时将它掀了几个跟斗，对付这样的小角色，如今已经不费吹灰之力了。
Next, he casually used a wind binding technique to immobilize the zombie and placed it in the prepared array.
rán hòu ， suí yì shǐ yòng le yí gè fēng fù zhī shù ， ràng jiāng shī dòng tán bù dé ， jiāng tā fàng dào bù hǎo de zhèn fǎ zhī zhōng 。
然后，随意使用了一个风缚之术，让僵尸动弹不得，将它放到布好的阵法之中。
The process was straightforward: using the secret methods from the demonic scriptures to refine the zombie according to its cultivation level. The time needed varied slightly depending on the zombie's strength, but as long as he followed the instructions carefully...
"You don't need to declare your loyalty. I know very well that you are loyal to our sect, otherwise, I wouldn't have promoted you to the head of Spirit Herb Mountain. It's just that I'm a bit puzzled by your methods," said the one-eyed elder in a gentle voice.
"Thank Uncle Senior." Tongyu True Man performed another respectful bow before slowly explaining: "I did this as part of a strategy to retreat and advance."
"A retreat to advance?" The elder stroked his beard, showing a thoughtful expression.
"Yes, Uncle Senior. As I mentioned earlier, if we eliminate the traitors now, it might alert them. Instead, by promoting them secretly while giving them important roles, we can keep them busy with trivial matters so they have less time for alchemy. Over time, their skills in alchemy will naturally decline. Even if they leave our sect, the forces they try to rally would only get a few waste pills at best—this is one reason."
"The second reason is that as important officials within the sect, their words will be taken seriously by the major factions of both the Daoist and demonic paths."
"Hmm, just like what you did this time. You deliberately leaked information about our possession of the Heavenly Dust Pill formula but couldn't produce it, causing the spies from both sides to withdraw," the one-eyed elder's eyes gleamed with approval. His nephew was indeed a master strategist, effortlessly averting a major disaster.
"Thank Uncle Senior for your praise." However... "Even though they might be waste pills, we cannot tolerate traitors who betray their teacher and seek personal gain."
"Do not worry, I have secretly placed a venomous insect on them. They will not show any signs of it now, but once they leave the sect, I will activate the mother insect. In three years, they will surely suffer an unimaginable fate."
"Three years? Why such a long time?" The elder asked with some confusion.
"To be cautious, Uncle Senior. If they die immediately after leaving the sect, everyone would suspect us, and the major forces would resent us. Although our sect is not afraid of your power, creating more enemies isn't beneficial. Our approach has always been to remain unnoticed," said Tongyu True Man.
"Hmm, you have indeed considered things more thoroughly than I."
"Uncle Senior flatters me." The expression on Tongyu's face showed no sense of achievement: "As the head of Spirit Herb Mountain, this is my duty."
The elder closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before speaking again. "Besides the information about Heavenly Dust Pills, those traitors also revealed that our sect has hidden forces. Was this intentional?"
"Yes," Tongyu True Man nodded. "Uncle Senior, originally, I knew of many seclusion elders within the sect, but it was just a few. However, with everything exposed now, it's time to showcase our strength."
"Correct. With the three major factions vying for power and the demonic path stirring up trouble, that old demon Sovereign, Liemo, is ambitious. The cultivation world in Youzhou is about to fall into chaos."
"I agree. Without strength, a sect will struggle to survive in such a complex environment, especially us at Spirit Herb Mountain, which could become a target for many," Tongyu True Man analyzed calmly. "Even though everyone respects and honors us cultivators now, it's because of the balance between Daoist and demonic forces. Once they break their facade, we'll be the first to face their wrath."
"Hmph. What showing loyalty? It's clearly an attempt to swallow our sect whole. They lack the appetite," said the one-eyed elder with a cold smile.
"Uncle Senior is right. If my Spirit Herb Mountain only had superficial power, it would easily be bullied. But now... who will swallow whom remains uncertain," Tongyu True Man replied confidently.
"You did well in this chaotic situation by revealing some of our strength to intimidate the lesser ones."
"Yes, and I have a backup plan. The information I leaked only mentioned that we have many condensation core elders, but I didn't specify your existence as an infant soul."
"Good, keeping things mysterious is smart. By the way..." The one-eyed elder suddenly seemed to remember something and slowly continued: "I heard you took a base foundation cultivator named Lin Xuan as a disciple and made him the next head of our sect. Is that true?"
"I apologize for not seeking your permission back then when you were in seclusion," Tongyu True Man said.
"I don't blame you." The elder waved his hand. "But why did you choose to make this decision after Lin Xuan had been with us for so long?"
"Haha, Uncle Senior, I wouldn't have acted without reason. This was all for the sake of our sect. Lin Xuan..."
Their voices gradually grew softer.
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan, who knew nothing about their discussion, was diligently practicing Devilish Corpse Technique in his cave dwelling.
---
In the first layer, he had already successfully mastered it before going to capture monsters. Now, he needed to follow the instructions in the demonic scriptures to refine and recognize this zombie as his own.
First, Lin Xuan set up a simple array for refining spirits using crystal stones and other materials on the ground. It took him three days to complete the setup due to his first-time experience with such techniques.
After double-checking everything, he patted his waist pouch and released one of the zombies. This zombie had only mid-flexible spirit cultivation, being the weakest among those captured, so Lin Xuan intended to use it as practice.
The moment the zombie was released from the Spirit Ghost Bag, it fiercely lunged at Lin Xuan.
With a wave of his sleeve, Lin Xuan cast a spell that sent the zombie flying several times. Dealing with such minor foes no longer required much effort for him now.
Next, he casually used a wind binding technique to immobilize the zombie and placed it in the prepared array.
The process was straightforward: using the secret methods from the demonic scriptures to refine the zombie according to its cultivation level. The time needed varied slightly depending on the zombie's strength, but as long as he followed the instructions carefully...