yī zhàn ér dìng shèng fù ， cǐ yì zhī hòu ， mó zāi suī bù néng shuō wán quán jiě chú ， bì jìng cán liú zài tiān yún shí èr zhōu de gǔ mó hái yǒu hěn duō ， jiù suàn gāng gāng nà qiān wàn gǔ mó ， sǔn shī yě zuì duō yǒu sì chéng zuǒ yòu ， guāng jiù shù liàng lái shuō ， gǔ mó suī yǐ shāng jīn dòng gǔ ， dàn jù lí bèi quán bù miè chú ， yī jiù shì yáo bù kě jí de 。
一战而定胜负，此役之后，魔灾虽不能说完全解除，毕竟残留在天云十二州的古魔还有很多，就算刚刚那千万古魔，损失也最多有四成左右，光就数量来说，古魔虽已伤筋动骨，但距离被全部灭除，依旧是遥不可及的。
One decisive battle determined the outcome. After this conflict, while the demon disaster could not be said to have been completely resolved—after all, many ancient demons still lingered in the Twelve States of Heaven Cloud—it was clear that even with the loss of a million ancient demons just now, only about forty percent had perished. From the standpoint of numbers alone, the ancient demons were severely weakened but far from being entirely eliminated.
rán ér shù liàng bìng bù néng zuǒ yòu shèng fù ， gǔ mó de shǒu lǐng men yǐ quán bù hún guī dì fǔ ， shèng xià de zài zhè yī zhàn yě bèi dǎ dé méi yǒu le pí qì 。
然而数量并不能左右胜负，古魔的首领们已全部hún归地府，剩下的在这一战也被打得没有了脾气。
However, quantity did not determine victory or defeat. The leaders of the ancient demons had all returned to the Underworld, and those remaining were thoroughly defeated in this battle, their morale at an all-time low.
shì qì dī luò yǐ jí ！
士气低落以极！
Their ability to cause harm was now extremely limited; they were like a pile of sand, unable to accomplish anything significant. From this perspective, saying that the demon disaster had been resolved wasn't entirely wrong. The task now was to pursue and eliminate the ancient demons.
rú cǐ yī lái ， tā men néng zào chéng le sǔn hài jiù jí qí yǒu xiàn ， yī pán sǎn shā ， xiǎn rán bù néng gòu chéng shì ， cóng zhè ge jiǎo dù ， shuō mó zāi yǐ rán jiě chú ， nà yě méi yǒu shén me cuò ， shèng xià de ， jiù shì duì gǔ mó de zhuī shā yǔ qīng jiǎo gōng zuò 。
如此一来，它们能造成了损害就极其有限，一盘散沙，显然不能够成事，从这个角度，说魔灾已然解除，那也没有什么错，剩下的，就是对古魔的追杀与清剿工作。
This logic was known by most cultivators, even if their emotions weren't as deep. With some quick thinking, they could understand it clearly. Their faces couldn't help but light up with joy.
zhè ge dào lǐ ， xiū shì bù shuō rén rén dōu xiǎo de ， dàn zhǐ yào tóu nǎo líng huó yì diǎn de ， nǎ pà xiū wèi bú shì hěn gāo ， yě néng gòu xiǎng qīng chǔ ， rén rén liǎn shàng bù yóu de dōu yáng yì qǐ le xǐ sè。
这个道理，修士不说人人都晓得，但只要头脑灵活一点的，哪怕修为不是很高，也能够想清楚，人人脸上不由得都洋溢起了喜sè。
Thinking back on these years under the threat of ancient demons, everyone felt like they had just woken from a dream.
xiǎng xiǎng zhè xiē nián ， zài gǔ mó de wēi xié xià xīn kǔ dù rì ， rén rén dōu jué de huǎng rú gé shì 。
想想这些年，在古魔的威胁下辛苦度日，人人都觉得恍如隔世。
For Lin Xuan, there was an especially profound sense of gratitude. After all, everyone knew that if not for Senior Lin's presence here and his significant contributions in battle, their current situation would be entirely different. The positions of the victors and vanquished might have been reversed.
duì yú lín xuān ， gèng shì xīn cún gǎn jī， bì jìng dà jiā dōu xīn lǐ yǒu shù ， ruò bú shì lín qián bèi zuò zhèn cǐ chù ， yī lì jiāng gǔ mó de shǒu lǐng miè chú ， yòu zài dòu huí fǎ zhōng huí chū le dà lì ， nà xiàn zài děng dài tā men de ， jiāng shì lìng yí gè jié guǒ ， shèng fù shuāng fāng de wèi zhì ， kǒng pà yào jiāo huàn yī xià le 。
对于林轩，更是心存感jī，毕竟大家都心里有数，若不是林前辈坐镇此处，一力将古魔的首领灭除，又在斗囘法中囘出了大力，那现在等待他们的，将是另一个结果，胜负双方的位置，恐怕要交换一下了。
Although cultivators were generally cold-hearted, such favors had to be remembered. Lin Xuan didn't dwell on this; after all, he was about to return to the Spirit Realm soon, while the benefits for Bai Xuan Pavilion were immense.
xiū xiān zhě suī guǎ qíng báo yì ， dàn zhè yàng de ēn dé ， nà yě shì yào jì zài xīn lǐ ， tā men de gǎn jī， lín xuān zì rán bìng bù fàng zài xīn lǐ ， bì jìng tā hěn kuài jiù yào chóng fǎn líng jiè qù ， ér bài xuān gé ， què yīn cǐ dé dào le mò dà de hǎo chù 。
修仙者虽寡情薄意，但这样的恩德，那也是要记在心里，他们的感jī，林轩自然并不放在心里，毕竟他很快就要重返灵界去，而拜轩阁，却因此得到了莫大的好处。
Lu Ying's actions with her wrist were beyond doubt. After gaining Lin Xuan's approval, she began actively promoting his connection to their sect. The saying "love the house and its occupants" applied; these cultivators, having benefited from Lin Xuan, would naturally show favor towards his sect. Moreover, Bai Xuan Pavilion wasn't a minor faction; it was one of the three major forces in the Twelve States of Heaven Cloud, which had long been an object of admiration for many.
lù yíng ér de shǒu wàn ， nà shì bù yòng huái yí ， zài zhēng dé lín xuān de shǒu kěn yǔ tóng yì hòu ， cǐ nǚ kāi shǐ pài rén dà sì xuān yáng lín xuān yǔ běn pài de yuān yuán guān xì 。
陆盈儿的手腕，那是不用怀疑，在征得林轩的首肯与同意后，此女开始派人大肆宣扬林轩与本派的渊源关系。
Although they were still pursuing ancient demons, several high-ranking cultivators had already applied to join.
suǒ wèi ài wū jí wū ， zhè xiē xiū shì mù yù le lín xuān rú cǐ ēn dé ， zài dé zhī le bài xuān gé yǔ lín xuān de yuān yuán yǐ hòu ， duì yú gāi pài ， zì rán yě huì qīn jìn yǎng mù ， gèng bú yào shuō ， bài xuān gé kě bú shì shén me xiǎo mén xiǎo hù ， tiān yún shí èr zhōu sān dà shì lì ， yuán běn jiù lìng xiū shì men xiàng wǎng bù yǐ 。
所谓爱屋及乌，这些修士沐浴了林轩如此恩德，在得知了拜轩阁与林轩的渊源以后，对于该派，自然也会亲近仰慕，更不要说，拜轩阁可不是什么小门小户，天云十二州三大势力，原本就令修士们向往不已。
Bai Xuan Pavilion became extremely popular. Liu Ying and Kang Xiaolu could only sigh; even a fool could see that Lin Xuan was intentionally allowing Lu Ying to act this way, supporting Bai Xuan Pavilion.
suī rán hái zài wéi jiǎo gǔ mó ， dàn yǐ yǒu bù shǎo gāo jiē xiū shì shēn qǐng jiā rù 。
虽然还在围剿古魔，但已有不少高阶修士申请加入。
With his current prestige, the benefits for Bai Xuan Pavilion were obvious. It would likely expand rapidly and become the first force in the Twelve States of Heaven Cloud within no time.
yī shí jiān ， bài xuān gé zhì shǒu kě rè ， ér zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng ， liú yíng yǔ kāng xiào rú zé chú le kǔ xiào ， hái shì kǔ xiào le ， shǎ huí zi dōu kàn dé chū ， lín xuān shì yǒu yì fàng rèn lù yíng ér zhè me zuò ， yǒu xīn fú chí bài xuān gé 。
一时间，拜轩阁炙手可热，而这种情况，刘莹与康啸孺则除了苦笑，还是苦笑了，傻囘子都看得出，林轩是有意放任陆盈儿这么做，有心扶持拜轩阁。
But what could they do? Who could envy someone who had a high-ranking cultivator's support?
yǐ tā xiàn zài de wēi wàng ， bài xuān gé néng gòu fēn xiǎng dào de hǎo chù ， nà shì kě xiǎng ér zhī de ， kǒng pà yòng bù liǎo duō jiǔ ， jiù huì fēng kuáng kuò zhāng ， chéng wéi tiān yún shí èr zhōu dì yī shì lì 。
以他现在的威望，拜轩阁能够分享到的好处，那是可想而知的，恐怕用不了多久，就会疯狂扩张，成为天云十二州第一势力。
Even without these new recruits, the strength displayed by Bai Xuan Pavilion was already causing them alarm.
kě tā men chú le xiàn mù ， yòu néng rú hé ， shuí ràng bié rén yǒu gāo rén fú chí ne ？
可他们除了羡慕，又能如何，谁让别人有高人扶持呢？
The Black Dragon King was now Lu Ying's spirit pet, which wasn't strange. But during their recent battle, many puppets appeared in the Bai Xuan Pavilion camp.
hé kuàng jí shǐ méi yǒu zhè xiē xiū shì de jiā rù ， bài xuān gé suǒ biǎo xiàn chū lái de shí lì yǐ jīng ràng tā men xīn jīng le 。
何况即使没有这些修士的加入，拜轩阁所表现出来的实力已经让他们心惊了。
While puppets were not uncommon—most major sects had them—their numbers and quality were unusually high. The puppet masters among the four pavilion leaders had reached the stage of Separation and Union.
mò jiāo wáng bèi shōu zuò le lù yíng ér de líng chǒng ， zhè yì diǎn ， tā men dōu xiǎo de ， méi yǒu shén me hào qí guài de ， kě zài gāng gāng dòu huí fǎ de yī kè ， bài xuān gé zhèn yíng zhōng ， hái chū xiàn le dà liàng de kuǐ lěi 。
墨蛟王被收做了陆盈儿的灵宠，这一点，他们都晓得，没有什么好奇怪的，可在刚刚斗囘法的一刻，拜轩阁阵营中，还出现了大量的傀儡。
"Really..."
yuán běn kuǐ lěi bù zú wéi qí ， gè dà mén pài dōu yǒu ， tiān qiǎo mén bèi gōng pò yǐ hòu ， bù shǎo gāo jiē xiū shì hái shì táo chū lái le ， zhè xiē rén bù gān yuàn dāng yī míng sàn xiū ， tóu rù gè dà zōng mén jiā zú ， wèi tā men xiào lì 。
原本傀儡不足为奇，各大门派都有，天巧门被攻破以后，不少高阶修士还是逃出来了，这些人不甘愿当一名散修，投入各大宗门家族，为他们效力。
Liu Ying and Kang Xiaolu weren't fools; it was impossible for human realms to have such things. Thus, their origin could only be attributed to Lin Xuan.
jiā shàng gǔ mó gōng shì zhèng jí ， nà xiē dà mén pài ， yě dōu tóu rù dà liàng de rén lì wù lì ， liàn zhì kuǐ lěi zuò wéi yù bèi zhàn lì 。
加上古魔攻势正急，那些大门派，也都投入大量的人力物力，炼制傀儡作为预备战力。
"Sending so many puppets to Bai Xuan Pavilion, with the Black Dragon King's help, even without these new recruits, the strength of Bai Xuan Pavilion is far beyond ours," Kang Xiaolu sighed.
kě bài xuān gé ná chū lái de wèi miǎn tài gāo duān le xiē 。
可拜轩阁拿出来的未免太高端了些。
Liu Ying nodded, her face showing a touch of melancholy. "Envy won't help; in cultivation realms, the rise and fall of sects are normal. We shouldn't be too upset."
yuán yīng jí bié de kuǐ lěi jiù yǒu shù bǎi zhī duō ， qí zhōng bù fá hòu qī de jīng pǐn zhī wù ， ér sì wèi gé zhǔ suǒ shǐ yòng de kuǐ lěi ， gèng dá dào le lí hé 。
元婴级别的傀儡就有数百之多，其中不乏后期的精品之物，而四位阁主所使用的傀儡，更达到了离合。
"Right. Fortunately, Bai Xuan Pavilion is friendly with our two sects. Even if it becomes powerful, it won't affect us," Kang Xiaolu could only console himself.
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
Regardless, the prosperity of Bai Xuan Pavilion seemed unstoppable.
liú yíng yǔ kāng xiào rú yòu bù shǎ ， rén jiè shì bù kě néng yǒu zhè yàng de dōng xī a ， nà tā men de lái lì ， jiù hěn hǎo tuī cè ， kěn dìng shì lín xuān gěi de 。
刘莹与康啸孺又不傻，人界是不可能有这样的东西啊，那它们的来历，就很好推测，肯定是林轩给的。
Meanwhile, in their camp, after this battle, while humans and beast-kin forces had achieved a great victory, they suffered heavy losses as well—killing one thousand demons meant losing eight hundred. Their own losses were significant. As night fell, they needed to rest properly.
“ zhè me duō kuǐ lěi sòng gěi bài xuān gé ， zài jiā shàng mò jiāo wáng xiàng zhù ， qí shí bù yòng nà xiē xiū shì jiā rù ， bài xuān gé de shí lì ， yě yuǎn yuǎn jiāng wǒ men liǎng pài shuǎi zài hòu miàn le 。” kāng xiào rú tàn xī zhe shuō 。
“这么多傀儡送给拜轩阁，再加上墨蛟王相助，其实不用那些修士加入，拜轩阁的实力，也远远将我们两派甩在后面了。”康啸孺叹息着说。
As cultivators, setting up temporary camps wasn't difficult. Using earth and wood element techniques, various buildings quickly sprang up.
yíng diǎn le diǎn tóu ， liǎn shàng xiǎn chū jǐ fēn luò jì zhī sè：“ xiàn mù méi yǒu yòng chǔ ， qí shí mén pài de qǐ qǐ luò luò ， zài xiū xiān jiè shì zài zhèng cháng bù guò ， wǒ men bù yòng xiǎng bù kāi de 。”
莹点了点头，脸上显出几分落寂之sè：“羡慕没有用处，其实门派的起起落落，在修仙界是再正常不过，我们不用想不开的。”
Bai Xuan Pavilion was located in the western part of the camp, occupying a vast area due to its status as one of the few major forces.
“ bù cuò ， hǎo zài bài xuān gé yǔ wǒ men liǎng pài jiāo hǎo ， tā jí shǐ qiáng dà le ， duì nǐ wǒ huí de huí mén pài ， yě bú huì yǒu shén me yǐng xiǎng de 。” kāng xiào rú yě zhǐ néng rú cǐ zì wǒ jiě cháo de kāi kǒu le 。
“不错，好在拜轩阁与我们两派交好，它即使强大了，对你我囘的囘门派，也不会有什么影响的。”康啸孺也只能如此自我解嘲的开口了。
In the central pavilion,
bù guǎn rú hé ， bài xuān gé de xīng shèng ， sì hū shì wú fǎ zǔ zhǐ le 。
不管如何，拜轩阁的兴盛，似乎是无法阻止了。
"Master, what do you mean? Are we leaving now?"
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， zài bài xuān gé de yíng dì 。
与此同时，在拜轩阁的营地。
Lu Ying's expression was shocked. Liu Ying and Wu Yun'er, Ye Pin'er also looked similarly dismayed. It wasn't surprising; they had just met not long ago, only a few months apart. The thought of parting now filled them with deep reluctance.
cǐ yì ， rén lèi yǔ yāo zú lián jūn suī dà huò quán shèng ， dàn shā dí yī qiān ， zì sǔn bā bǎi ， tā men de sǔn shī ， tóng yàng shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， yǎn jiàn tiān sè yòu yǐ jīng wǎn le ， zì rán yào hǎo hǎo xiū zhěng yī xià de 。
此役，人类与妖族联军虽大获全胜，但杀敌一千，自损八百，他们的损失，同样是非同小可，眼见天sè又已经晚了，自然要好好休整一下的。
Lin Xuan sighed. He too felt the pangs of separation, but there was no such thing as an eternal feast in this world. He would eventually return to the Spirit Realm.
zuò wéi xiū xiān zhě ， jiàn lì lín shí yíng dì yě méi yǒu shén me nán dù ， shī zhǎn tǔ shǔ xìng yǔ mù shǔ xìng fǎ shù ， yī jiān jiān gè shì gè yàng de jiàn zhù ， hěn kuài jiù bá dì ér qǐ le 。
作为修仙者，建立临时营地也没有什么难度，施展土属xìng与木属xìng法术，一间间各式各样的建筑，很快就拔地而起了。
The girls understood this logic, though they hadn't expected Lin Xuan to leave so quickly.
bài xuān gé wèi yú zhěng gè yíng dì de xī cè ， yóu yú shì qū zhǐ kě shǔ de dà shì lì ， suǒ yǐ zhàn jù de miàn jī ， yě shì pǒ wèi guǎng kuò dì 。
拜轩阁位于整个营地的西侧，由于是屈指可数的大势力，所以占据的面积，也是颇为广阔地。
"Master, the demon disaster hasn't been resolved..."
cǐ shí cǐ kè ， zài zhōng jiān de gé lóu zhōng 。
此时此刻，在中间的阁楼中。
Lu Ying's words were cut off by Lin Xuan. His expression was unamused: "You brat, if you want to keep me, come up with a better reason. The demons are now leaderless; without me, you can handle them just fine..."
“ shào yé ， nín shuō shén me ， zhè jiù yào zǒu le ？”
“少爷，您说什么，这就要走了？”
Lu Ying lowered her head. She had spoken impulsively and felt somewhat embarrassed when directly confronted by Master.
lù yíng ér dà jīng shī sè， liú yíng ， wǔ yún ér ， yè píng ér sān nǚ de biǎo qíng yě chà bu duō ， zhè yě shì nán guài de ， gāng gāng xiāng jù bù jiǔ ， qián hòu yě jiù shù yuè de gōng fu ， zhè jiù yào fēn lí ， tā men zì rán shì bù shě yǐ jí 。
陆盈儿大惊失sè，刘莹，武云儿，叶瓶儿三女的表情也差不多，这也是难怪的，刚刚相距不久，前后也就数月的功夫，这就要分离，她们自然是不舍以极。
Wu Yun'er was about to speak but was stopped by Lin Xuan.
lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì ， tā hé cháng méi yǒu chóu chàng de xīn lǐ ， rán ér tiān xià wú bù sàn de yàn xí ， zì jǐ zhōng jiū hái shì yào huí dào líng jiè qù 。
林轩叹了口气，他何尝没有惆怅的心理，然而天下无不散的宴席，自己终究还是要回到灵界去。
"Enough. You don't need to persuade me anymore. Even if I stay a few more days, it wouldn't change anything. It's better for you all to focus on cultivation; perhaps we'll meet again someday."
jǐ nǚ qí shí yě míng bái zhè ge dào lǐ ， zhǐ shì méi xiǎng dào lín xuān huì zǒu dé zhè yàng xùn sù ér yǐ 。
几女其实也明白这个道理，只是没想到林轩会走得这样迅速而已。
Lin Xuan's smiling voice echoed in their ears. Though he knew the possibility was slim—despite several girls' potential breakthroughs, they might not ascend to the Spirit Realm—the hope remained.
“ shào yé ， xiàn zài mó zāi shàng wèi jiě chú ……”
“少爷，现在魔灾尚未解除……”
It would ease their sorrow and serve as encouragement. Cultivation realms were unpredictable; back when he was mocked at the Cloud Pavilion, he never imagined his current situation.
lù yíng ér huà yīn wèi luò ， jiù bèi lín xuān jié duàn le ， liǎn shàng dài zhe méi hǎo qì zhī sè：“ nǐ zhè yā tou ， jiù suàn xiǎng yào liú wǒ ， yě xiǎng gè hǎo diǎn de lǐ yóu ， mó zāi méi yǒu jiě chú ， xiàn zài gǔ mó yǐ shì qún lóng wú shǒu ， méi yǒu wǒ ， nǐ men yě zú yǐ yìng fù ……”
陆盈儿话音未落，就被林轩截断了，脸上带着没好气之sè：“你这丫头，就算想要留我，也想个好点的理由，魔灾没有解除，现在古魔已是群龙无首，没有我，你们也足以应付……”
With Lin Xuan's words, how could the girls persuade him further?
lù yíng ér dī xià qín shǒu ， tā gāng cái yě bù guò shì chōng kǒu ér chū ， bèi shào yé dāng miàn jiào pò ， duō shǎo hái shì yǒu xiē bù hǎo yì sī de 。
陆盈儿低下螓首，她刚才也不过是冲口而出，被少爷当面叫破，多少还是有些不好意思的。
Lu Ying bowed gracefully: "Then I wish Master a smooth journey."
wǔ yún ér kāi kǒu yù shuō ， què yòu bèi lín xuān kāi kǒu zǔ zhǐ 。
武云儿开口yù说，却又被林轩开口阻止。
Postscript: Thank you for your continued support, dear cultivators. However, during this double points period, the competition for monthly votes is intense. Please consider giving Bai Lian a vote; we really need it.
“ hǎo le ， nǐ men bù yòng zài xiāng quàn shén me ， jiù suàn wǒ duō liú jǐ tiān ， zuì zhōng hái shì yào lí kāi cǐ chù ， nà yǒu shén me yì yì ne ， yǔ qí rú cǐ ， dào bù rú hǎo hǎo xiū liàn ， yǐ hòu huò xǔ hái yǒu zhòng jiàn de yī tiān 。”
“好了，你们不用再相劝什么，就算我多留几天，最终还是要离开此处，那有什么意义呢，与其如此，倒不如好好修炼，以后或许还有重见的一天。”
This is the third update of the day. More will come tonight as I blast out more content. Please give me your monthly votes! @.
One decisive battle determined the outcome. After this conflict, while the demon disaster could not be said to have been completely resolved—after all, many ancient demons still lingered in the Twelve States of Heaven Cloud—it was clear that even with the loss of a million ancient demons just now, only about forty percent had perished. From the standpoint of numbers alone, the ancient demons were severely weakened but far from being entirely eliminated.
However, quantity did not determine victory or defeat. The leaders of the ancient demons had all returned to the Underworld, and those remaining were thoroughly defeated in this battle, their morale at an all-time low.
Their ability to cause harm was now extremely limited; they were like a pile of sand, unable to accomplish anything significant. From this perspective, saying that the demon disaster had been resolved wasn't entirely wrong. The task now was to pursue and eliminate the ancient demons.
This logic was known by most cultivators, even if their emotions weren't as deep. With some quick thinking, they could understand it clearly. Their faces couldn't help but light up with joy.
Thinking back on these years under the threat of ancient demons, everyone felt like they had just woken from a dream.
For Lin Xuan, there was an especially profound sense of gratitude. After all, everyone knew that if not for Senior Lin's presence here and his significant contributions in battle, their current situation would be entirely different. The positions of the victors and vanquished might have been reversed.
Although cultivators were generally cold-hearted, such favors had to be remembered. Lin Xuan didn't dwell on this; after all, he was about to return to the Spirit Realm soon, while the benefits for Bai Xuan Pavilion were immense.
Lu Ying's actions with her wrist were beyond doubt. After gaining Lin Xuan's approval, she began actively promoting his connection to their sect. The saying "love the house and its occupants" applied; these cultivators, having benefited from Lin Xuan, would naturally show favor towards his sect. Moreover, Bai Xuan Pavilion wasn't a minor faction; it was one of the three major forces in the Twelve States of Heaven Cloud, which had long been an object of admiration for many.
Although they were still pursuing ancient demons, several high-ranking cultivators had already applied to join.
Bai Xuan Pavilion became extremely popular. Liu Ying and Kang Xiaolu could only sigh; even a fool could see that Lin Xuan was intentionally allowing Lu Ying to act this way, supporting Bai Xuan Pavilion.
With his current prestige, the benefits for Bai Xuan Pavilion were obvious. It would likely expand rapidly and become the first force in the Twelve States of Heaven Cloud within no time.
But what could they do? Who could envy someone who had a high-ranking cultivator's support?
Even without these new recruits, the strength displayed by Bai Xuan Pavilion was already causing them alarm.
The Black Dragon King was now Lu Ying's spirit pet, which wasn't strange. But during their recent battle, many puppets appeared in the Bai Xuan Pavilion camp.
While puppets were not uncommon—most major sects had them—their numbers and quality were unusually high. The puppet masters among the four pavilion leaders had reached the stage of Separation and Union.
"Really..."
Liu Ying and Kang Xiaolu weren't fools; it was impossible for human realms to have such things. Thus, their origin could only be attributed to Lin Xuan.
"Sending so many puppets to Bai Xuan Pavilion, with the Black Dragon King's help, even without these new recruits, the strength of Bai Xuan Pavilion is far beyond ours," Kang Xiaolu sighed.
Liu Ying nodded, her face showing a touch of melancholy. "Envy won't help; in cultivation realms, the rise and fall of sects are normal. We shouldn't be too upset."
"Right. Fortunately, Bai Xuan Pavilion is friendly with our two sects. Even if it becomes powerful, it won't affect us," Kang Xiaolu could only console himself.
Regardless, the prosperity of Bai Xuan Pavilion seemed unstoppable.
Meanwhile, in their camp, after this battle, while humans and beast-kin forces had achieved a great victory, they suffered heavy losses as well—killing one thousand demons meant losing eight hundred. Their own losses were significant. As night fell, they needed to rest properly.
As cultivators, setting up temporary camps wasn't difficult. Using earth and wood element techniques, various buildings quickly sprang up.
Bai Xuan Pavilion was located in the western part of the camp, occupying a vast area due to its status as one of the few major forces.
In the central pavilion,
"Master, what do you mean? Are we leaving now?"
Lu Ying's expression was shocked. Liu Ying and Wu Yun'er, Ye Pin'er also looked similarly dismayed. It wasn't surprising; they had just met not long ago, only a few months apart. The thought of parting now filled them with deep reluctance.
Lin Xuan sighed. He too felt the pangs of separation, but there was no such thing as an eternal feast in this world. He would eventually return to the Spirit Realm.
The girls understood this logic, though they hadn't expected Lin Xuan to leave so quickly.
"Master, the demon disaster hasn't been resolved..."
Lu Ying's words were cut off by Lin Xuan. His expression was unamused: "You brat, if you want to keep me, come up with a better reason. The demons are now leaderless; without me, you can handle them just fine..."
Lu Ying lowered her head. She had spoken impulsively and felt somewhat embarrassed when directly confronted by Master.
Wu Yun'er was about to speak but was stopped by Lin Xuan.
"Enough. You don't need to persuade me anymore. Even if I stay a few more days, it wouldn't change anything. It's better for you all to focus on cultivation; perhaps we'll meet again someday."
Lin Xuan's smiling voice echoed in their ears. Though he knew the possibility was slim—despite several girls' potential breakthroughs, they might not ascend to the Spirit Realm—the hope remained.
It would ease their sorrow and serve as encouragement. Cultivation realms were unpredictable; back when he was mocked at the Cloud Pavilion, he never imagined his current situation.
With Lin Xuan's words, how could the girls persuade him further?
Lu Ying bowed gracefully: "Then I wish Master a smooth journey."
Postscript: Thank you for your continued support, dear cultivators. However, during this double points period, the competition for monthly votes is intense. Please consider giving Bai Lian a vote; we really need it.
This is the third update of the day. More will come tonight as I blast out more content. Please give me your monthly votes! @.