dàn zì jǐ zǒng bù kě néng yì zhí zhè yàng jìn gù zhù kǒng què de 。
但自己总不可能一直这样禁锢住孔雀的。
But he couldn't keep this restriction on Phoenix forever.
zhè bù guò shì quán yí zhī cè ， guò bù liǎo duō jiǔ jiù bì xū jiāng xià zài tā shēn shàng de jìn zhì jiě chú ， ér yí dàn zhè me zuò ， kǒng què huì bú huì yòu shī cháng ， nà hái zhēn shì hěn nán shuō 。
这不过是权宜之策，过不了多久就必须将下在她身上的禁制解除，而一旦这么做，孔雀会不会又失常，那还真是很难说。
This was just a temporary measure. He would have to lift the restrictions soon, but if he did, would Phoenix revert back to her abnormal state? It was hard to say.
zài zhè zhī qián ， zì jǐ bì xū xiǎo de ， zài qī zǐ shēn shàng jiū jìng fā shēng le shén me ， nà yàng cái kě yǐ duì zhèng xià yào ， jiāng yǐn huàn jiě chú 。
在这之前，自己必须晓得，在妻子身上究竟发生了什么，那样才可以对症下药，将隐患解除。
Before that, he needed to know what had happened to his wife so he could treat her properly and eliminate any potential dangers.
tīng zhàng fū wèn qǐ ， kǒng què bù yóu de tàn le 。 qì ：“ dōu shì qiè shēn tài guò dà yì ， ràng nà jiā huo chéng xū ér rù ， chà diǎn xiàn rù wàn jié bù fù de jìng dì le ， fū jūn ， kě shì nǐ jiù le wǒ ……”
听丈夫问起，孔雀不由得叹了。气：“都是妾身太过大意，让那家伙乘虚而入，差点陷入万劫不复的境地了，夫君，可是你救了我……”
Hearing Lin Xuan's question, Phoenix sighed. "It's all my fault for being too careless. That guy took advantage of the situation and almost sent me into a state from which I couldn't recover. My lord, but you saved me..."
kǒng què huà yīn wèi luò ， tū rán zhāng kǒu jié shé ， gāng gāng yǔ lín xuān dòng shǒu de yī kè ， tā de yì shí suī rán bèi yā zhì le ， dàn zhè shí hòu huī fù qīng xǐng ， què réng rán yǒu jì yì ， huí xiǎng qǐ lái ， zhàng fū jǔ zhòng ruò qīng ， jī hū shì méi fèi shén me gōng fu ， jiù qīng ér yì jǔ de jiāng zì jǐ zhì zhù ， zhè shí zài shì tài bù kě sī yì le 。
孔雀话音未落，突然张口结舌，刚刚与林轩动手的一刻，她的意识虽然被压制了，但这时候恢复清醒，却仍然有记忆，回想起来，丈夫举重若轻，几乎是没费什么工夫，就轻而易举的将自己制住，这实在是太不可思议了。
Before Phoenix finished speaking, she suddenly stuttered. At the moment when they had just clashed, although her consciousness was suppressed, she regained clarity and still retained some memories. She recalled how easily Lin Xuan subdued her with minimal effort, which seemed too incredible.
zì jǐ de shén tōng ， zì jǐ xīn lǐ yǒu shù ， jiù suàn shì lí hé hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， yě bù kě néng ràng zì jǐ sī háo huán shǒu zhī lì yě wú ， nán dào shuō 。”…
自己的神通，自己心里有数，就算是离合后期的修仙者，也不可能让自己丝毫还手之力也无，难道说。”…
She knew her own abilities; even a late-stage Separation Realm cultivator couldn't leave her completely defenseless. Could it be...
kǒng què xiǎng dào le yí gè kě néng 。
孔雀想到了一个可能。
Phoenix thought of a possibility.
chú fēi duì fāng shì dòng xuán qī ， dàn nà yàng de huà ， wèi miǎn tài bù kě sī yì 。
除非对方是洞玄期，但那样的话，未免太不可思议。
Unless the opponent was an Abyssal Profound Realm cultivator, but that would be too unbelievable.
rén jiè ， zěn me ěr néng chū xiàn dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě 。
人界，怎么耳能出现洞玄期修仙者。
How could there be an Abyssal Profound Realm cultivator in the human realm?
kě ruò fēi rú cǐ de huà ， fū jūn yòu zěn me kě néng qīng yì jiāng zì jǐ zhì fú ？
可若非如此的话，夫君又怎么可能轻易将自己制服？
But if not, how could his lordship have easily subdued her?
kǒng què de liǎn shàng liú lù chū ， liú lù chū xún wèn zhī sè。
孔雀的脸上流lù出，流lù出询问之sè。
A questioning look appeared on Phoenix's face.
lín xuān shì hé děng cōng míng de rén wù ， hé kuàng yǎn qián shì zì jǐ lǎo pó ， liǎng rén běn lái jiù xīn yǒu líng xī ， duì tā ， yě méi shén me hǎo yǐn mán dì ， náo le náo tóu ， liǎn shàng lù chū jǐ fēn kǔ xiào zhī sè：“ bù cuò ， wèi fū què shí jìn jiē dòng xuán le ， ér qiě qù guò líng jiè yī cì ， zhǐ shì yīn wèi jī yuán qiǎo hé ， cái chóng xīn huí dào zhè tiān yún shí èr zhōu de 。”
林轩是何等聪明的人物，何况眼前是自己老婆，两人本来就心有灵犀，对她，也没什么好隐瞒地，挠了挠头，脸上lù出几分苦笑之sè：“不错，为夫确实进阶洞玄了，而且去过灵界一次，只是因为机缘巧合，才重新回到这天云十二州的。”
Lin Xuan was a very intelligent person. Since he was talking to his wife, they shared a deep understanding and had no reason to hide anything from each other. He scratched his head with a slightly bitter smile: "Yes, my lordhood has indeed advanced to the Abyssal Profound Realm. I also went to the Spirit Realm once due to an unexpected opportunity."
yú huǎn dà jīng shī sè， zhè yàng de jīng lì kě shì wén suǒ wèi wén ， rán ér tā hái lái bù jí wèn shén me ， lín xuān jiù qiǎng xiān shuō huà le ：“ lǎo pó ， bú yào gù zhe shuō wǒ xiān shuō yī shuō ， chèn shēn shàng jiū jìng fā shēng le shén me ？”
娱缓大惊失sè，这样的经历可是闻所未闻，然而她还来不及问什么，林轩就抢先说话了：“老婆，不要顾着说我先说一说，称身上究竟发生了什么？”
Zhou Yan was shocked. This kind of experience was unheard of. But before she could ask anything else, Lin Xuan preemptively spoke up: "My lady, don't worry about me. Let me tell you what happened first."
shì yǒu qīng zhòng huǎn jí ， guān yú zì jǐ de jīng lì ， yǐ hòu kě yǐ màn màn shuō bù chí ， rú jīn de guān jiàn shì jiě chú zhè yā tou shēn shàng de wēi jī ， fǒu zé zì jǐ huì xīn zhōng bù ān dì 。
事有轻重缓急，关于自己的经历，以后可以慢慢说不迟，如今的关键是解除这丫头身上的危机，否则自己会心中不安地。
There were more pressing matters to discuss; he could recount his own experiences later. The key now was to resolve the danger that threatened this girl.
kǒng què diǎn le diǎn tóu ， tā gāng gāng yě shì yī shí hào qí ， cǐ shí jīng yóu zhàng fū zhè me yī tí dāng rán míng bái shén me cái shì yǎn qián de tóu děng dà shì ” tóng shí xīn zhōng yě yǒu diǎn tián mì， jiù suàn nǚ rén zài qiáng shì ， yě xī wàng dé dào xīn ài nán rén de zhòng shì 。
孔雀点了点头，她刚刚也是一时好奇，此时经由丈夫这么一提当然明白什么才是眼前的头等大事”同时心中也有点甜mì，就算女人再强势，也希望得到心爱男人的重视。
Phoenix nodded. She had just been curious a moment ago, but after her husband brought it up, she understood what the top priority was. Even as a strong woman, she still wanted her beloved man's attention.
ér fū jūn yī xīn xiǎng zhe zì jǐ ， kǒng què gǎn jué zhè jǐ bǎi nián ， bìng méi yǒu bái bái de xiāng sī 。
而夫君一心想着自己，孔雀感觉这几百年，并没有白白的相思。
Feeling his focus on her, Phoenix felt that her years of longing hadn't been in vain. The bitterness of past love now turned into the sweetness of being cared for, like sipping a fine wine.
xī rì de xiāng sī zhī kǔ ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， dōu huà zuò bèi guān xīn de tián mì rú měi jiǔ yì bān ， zuì rén yǐ jí 。
昔日的相思之苦，此时此刻，都化作被关心的甜mì如美酒一般，醉人以极。
With a gentle sigh, she said: "It was all my fault for being too careless, almost sending me to an irreversible state..."
zhàng fū yī piàn hǎo yì ， tā zì rán huì xīn lǐng dì ， yōu yōu de tàn le 。 qì ：“ dōu shì qiè shēn tài guò dà yì ， ràng nà jiā huo chéng xū ér rù chà diǎn xiàn rù wàn jié bù fù de jìng dì le ……”
丈夫一片好意，她自然会心领地，悠悠的叹了。气：“都是妾身太过大意，让那家伙乘虚而入差点陷入万劫不复的境地了……”
She had already said this before, but Lin Xuan didn't understand what she meant. He wasn't in a hurry and didn't immediately ask questions; Zhou Yan's words were just spontaneous.
zhè huà ， tā gāng gāng yǐ shuō le yī cì ， rán ér lín xuān què tīng dé méi tóu méi nǎo dì ， bìng bù zhī dào duì fāng zhǐ de shì hé shì ， bù guò tā yě bù jí gèng méi yǒu máng zhe xún wèn ， yú yú bù guò shì yǒu gǎn ér fā ， shāo hòu zì rán huì xì xì jiě shì 。
这话，她刚刚已说了一次，然而林轩却听得没头没脑地，并不知道对方指的是何事，不过他也不急更没有忙着询问，娱娱不过是有感而发，稍后自然会细细解释。
"Here’s the story, my lord also knows that I was sealed away on Five Color Spirit Mountain for many years. Although it was tough, things went well..."
“ shì qíng shì zhè yàng de fū jūn yě xiǎo de ， qiè shēn zhī qián yì zhí zài wǔ sè líng shān bì guān ， suī rán qīng kǔ le xiē ， hǎo zài jìn zhǎn hái suàn shùn lì ……”
“事情是这样的夫君也晓得，妾身之前一直在五sè灵山闭关，虽然清苦了些，好在进展还算顺利……”
Zhou Yan leaned into Lin Xuan, speaking softly as she recounted her experiences over the past few decades—how she had broken through to the Separation Realm and traveled extensively before arriving in this Tianzhou realm about a hundred years ago.
yú huǎn qǐ kào zài lín xuān de huái lǐ ， qīng shēng màn yǔ ， wēi wēi jiāng tā zhè xiē nián de jīng lì jiǎng shù ， zěn me tū pò lí hé ， yòu zěn me wài chū yóu lì ， zhī dào zài dà yuē yì bǎi nián qián ， lái dào le zhè tiān zhōu jiè miàn 。
娱缓绮靠在林轩的怀里，轻声曼语，微微将她这些年的经历讲述，怎么突破离合，又怎么外出游历，知道在大约一百年前，来到了这天州界面。
"A hundred years ago?" Lin Xuan was taken aback. He looked puzzled. Could it be...
“ yì bǎi nián qián ？” lín xuān yī dāi ， biǎo qíng yǒu xiē gǔ guài ， jū rán zài mó zāi jiàng lín yǐ qián ， nán dào shuō 。”…
“一百年前？”林轩一呆，表情有些古怪，居然在魔灾降临以前，难道说。”…
"Zhou Yan, did you come here a hundred years ago? How did you find the remnants of the Mo Yue tribe, and did you encounter any ancient demons?"
“ yú huǎn ， mí yì bǎi nián qián jiù lái dào cǐ dì ， zěn me huì fā xiàn mò yuè zú de yí jì ， yòu kě zēng yǔ gǔ mó xiāng yù ？” lín xuān yì kǒu qì ， jiù tí chū le shù gè wèn tí 。
“娱缓，弥一百年前就来到此地，怎么会发现墨月族的遗迹，又可曾与古魔相遇？”林轩一口气，就提出了数个问题。
Phoenix's face showed confusion.
“ gǔ mó ， shén me gǔ mó ？” kǒng què de liǎn shàng ， què lù chū jǐ fēn máng rán zhī sè。
“古魔，什么古魔？”孔雀的脸上，却lù出几分茫然之sè。
"So it is like this..."
“ guǒ rán shì zhè yàng de ……”
“果然是这样的……”
Her answer confirmed his initial thoughts; how could she have been involved in the demon disaster if she hadn't appeared?
lǎo pó de huí dá ， yìn zhèng le zì jǐ kāi shǐ de xiǎng fǎ ， guài shuō bù dé mó zāi rú hé měng è ， lǎo pó què gēn běn bù céng xiàn shēn guò 。
老婆的回答，印证了自己开始的想法，怪说不得魔灾如何猛恶，老婆却根本不曾现身过。
This didn't match her personality. She wouldn’t stay out of such matters.
zhè yì diǎn bù xiàng kǒng què de xìng gé ， àn lǐ shuō ， tā shì bú huì zhì shēn shì wài de 。
这一点不像孔雀的xìng格，按理说，她是不会置身事外的。
In fact, before the demon disaster, Zhou Yan had already arrived here and was likely trapped in this small space without knowing that countless ancient demons had descended upon the Twelve Cloud States.
yuán lái zài mó zāi yǐ qián ， lǎo pó jiù yǐ jīng lái dào le cǐ chù ， ér qiě kàn qíng xíng ， duō bàn shì bèi kùn zài zhè xiǎo kōng jiān lǐ ， gēn běn jiù bù xiǎo de ， yǒu shù liàng zhòng duō de gǔ mó ， jiàng lín dào tiān yún shí èr zhōu le 。
原来在魔灾以前，老婆就已经来到了此处，而且看情形，多半是被困在这小空间里，根本就不晓得，有数量众多的古魔，降临到天云十二州了。
Lin Xuan's thoughts raced as he became more curious: "Zhou Yan, how did you find the remnants of the Mo Yue tribe?"
xīn zhōng niàn tou shǎn guò ， lín xuān què gèng jiā hào qí le ：“ yān yú ， mí shì zěn me zhǎo dào de mò yuè zú yí jì ？”
心中念头闪过，林轩却更加好奇了：“嫣娱，弥是怎么找到的墨月族遗迹？”
If not for examining the traces left by Fairy Tianlan, Lin Xuan wouldn't have known this place was somewhat remote.
yào zhī dào ， ruò fēi chá kàn le tiān lán xiān zi liú xià le shǒu jì ， lín xuān dōu bù xiǎo de cǐ dì ， zhè lǐ wèi shǐ tài guò piān pì 。
要知道，若非查看了天岚仙子留下了手迹，林轩都不晓得此地，这里未始太过偏僻。
"I found it through chance. One day while shopping in the market, I stumbled upon a broken jade cylinder with a map to an ancient cultivator's site inside. At that time, I had just broken through to Separation Realm and felt very confident. So I came here to search for treasures."
“ qiè shēn yě shì jī yuán qiǎo hé ， yǒu yī cì guàng fāng shì de shí hòu ， wú yì jiān dé dào le yī méi cán pò de yù tóng jiǎn ， jiāng shén shí chén rù ， què fā xiàn lǐ miàn shì yī zhāng gǔ xiū yí jì de dì tú ， nà shí hòu ， wǒ gāng gāng tū pò lí hé ， xīn qì zhèng gāo ， yú shì biàn lái xún bǎo 。”
“妾身也是机缘巧合，有一次逛坊市的时候，无意间得到了一枚残破的玉瞳简，将神识沉入，却发现里面是一张古修遗迹的地图，那时候，我刚刚突破离合，心气正高，于是便来寻宝。”
Lin Xuan nodded. In the human realm, a Separation Realm cultivator was already at the top of the hierarchy. With Zhou Yan’s innate connection to celestial birds, even though she had only recently broken through, her strength would have made it easy to face mid-stage Separation Realm cultivators. The world was hers for the taking; he would have done the same.
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ” lí hé ， zài rén jiè yǐ shì dǐng ér jiān ér de cún zài le ， gèng bú yào shuō yú huǎn shēn shàng běn jiù yǒu tiān dì líng qín de xuè tǒng ， suī rán cái tū pò de lí hé ， dàn tā de shí lì lái shuō ， jiù suàn pèng jiàn lí hé zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ， yě bù dǎ chù ， nà tiān xià zì rán jǐn kě yǐ qǔ dé ， huàn chéng zì jǐ ， yě kěn dìng huì zhào tú xún bǎo dì 。
林轩点了点头”离合，在人界已是顶儿尖儿的存在了，更不要说娱缓身上本就有天地灵禽的血统，虽然才突破的离合，但她的实力来说，就算碰见离合中期的修仙者，也不打怵，那天下自然尽可以取得，换成自己，也肯定会照图寻宝地。
Exploring and traveling were good ways to pass time, so following the map to search for ancient sites might yield unexpected rewards.
fǎn zhèng sì chù xián guàng yě shì yóu lì ， hé bù àn zhào dì tú ， sōu xún yī xià gǔ xiū yí zhǐ ， shuō bù dìng huì yǒu yì xiǎng bú dào de shōu huò 。
反正四处闲逛也是游历，何不按照地图，搜寻一下古修遗址，说不定会有意想不到的收获。
Opportunities needed to be seized; they wouldn’t come knocking on their own doors.
jī yuán xū yào bǎ wò ” bìng bú huì zì jǐ lái qiāo mén de 。
机缘需要把握”并不会自己来敲门的。
Lin Xuan nodded in agreement. Zhou Yan's choice wasn't wrong: "What did you encounter after that?"
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， kǒng què zuò chū zhè yàng de xuǎn zé ， bìng méi yǒu shén me cuò ：“ hòu lái ， mí yòu yù jiàn le shén me ？”
林轩点了点头，孔雀做出这样的选择，并没有什么错：“后来，弥又遇见了什么？”
"I followed the map and arrived at Tianzhou. At first, everything went smoothly, and I used a teleportation array to enter this mysterious small space. It seemed like it was part of the Mo Yue tribe's ruins."
“ qiè shēn àn tú suǒ zhòu ， lái dào le tiān zhōu ， kāi shǐ de shí hòu ， dǎo shì yī qiè shùn lì ， bìng qiě yě tōng guò chuán sòng zhèn ， lái dào le zhè shén mì de xiǎo kōng jiān lǐ ， zhè lǐ sì hū shì mò yuè zú de yí jì 。”
“妾身按图索骤，来到了天州，开始的时候，倒是一切顺利，并且也通过传送阵，来到了这神秘的小空间里，这里似乎是墨月族的遗迹。”
Phoenix knew about the Mo Yue tribe; she had once been the ruler of Yuzhou's Yin Mountains, where the Mo Yue tribe lived. They had some interactions, and even formed a close friendship with an Incarnation Realm female cultivator from the Mo Yue tribe.
mò yuè zú ， kǒng què zì rán shì xiǎo de de ， yào zhī dào ， xī rì de tā ， kě shì yōu zhōu běn yīn shān mài de yī fāng lǐng zhǔ ， ér mò yuè zú jiù zài nà mián yán de dà shān zhōng xiū yǎng shēng xī ， shuāng fāng duō shǎo huì yǒu yī xiē jiāo jí ， tā shèn zhì hái yǔ mò yuè zú de yī wèi yuán yīng qī nǚ xiū ， chéng zi guī zhōng hǎo yǒu 。
墨月族，孔雀自然是晓得的，要知道，昔日的她，可是幽州本yīn山脉的一方领主，而墨月族就在那绵延的大山中休养生息，双方多少会有一些交集，她甚至还与墨月族的一位元婴期女修，成子闺中好友。
Lin Xuan nodded, waiting for her to continue.
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， jì xù děng lǎo pó shuō xià qù 。
林轩点了点头，继续等老婆说下去。
"There are remnants of the Mo Yue tribe here, which surprised me. I never thought they still lived in Tianzhou. Judging by the traces left behind, this used to be a Mo Yue tribe settlement with exceptional cultivation levels. It's hard to say exactly how high, but perhaps..." Phoenix hesitated: "on par with the Luo family of Tianzhou."
“ zhè lǐ yǒu mò yuè zú de yí jì ， wǒ yě jīng yà yǐ jí ， méi xiǎng dào tā men hái zài tiān zhōu shēng huó guò ， ér cóng yí liú xià lái de zhū sī mǎ jì tuī cè ， zhè lǐ céng jīng shì mò yuè zú de yí gè bù luò ， xiū xiān shuǐ píng gèng shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， jù tǐ dào shén me chéng dù wǒ yě bù hǎo shuō ， huò xǔ ……” shuō dào zhè lǐ ， kǒng què yǒu yī xiē chí yí ：“ yǔ tiān zhōu luó jiā píng fēn qiū sè。”
“这里有墨月族的遗迹，我也惊讶以极，没想到他们还在天州生活过，而从遗留下来的蛛丝马迹推测，这里曾经是墨月族的一个部落，修仙水平更是非同小可，具体到什么程度我也不好说，或许……”说到这里，孔雀有一些迟疑：“与天州罗家平分秋sè。”
"Oh?"
“ ó ？”
“哦？”
Lin Xuan was also surprised. With his current strength, the Luo family in Tianzhou wasn't impressive, but that was because he had entered the Abyssal Profound Realm. In the human realm, the Luo family's power had nearly reached the pinnacle of a sect. The Mo Yue tribe settlement being on par with them would certainly surprise him.
lín xuān yě yǒu xiē jīng yà le ， yǐ tā rú jīn de shí lì ， tiān zhōu luó jiā méi shén me liǎo bù qǐ ， rán ér nà shì yīn wèi tā bù rù dòng xuán qī ， jiù rén jiè de qíng kuàng lái shuō ， xī rì luó jiā de shí lì ， jī hū dào le yí gè mén pài de jí zhì ” zhè ge mò yuè zú de bù luò néng yǔ qí píng fēn qiū sè， lín xuān zěn me kě néng bù jīng yà ne 。
林轩也有些惊讶了，以他如今的实力，天州罗家没什么了不起，然而那是因为他步入洞玄期，就人界的情况来说，昔日罗家的实力，几乎到了一个门派的极致”这个墨月族的部落能与其平分秋sè，林轩怎么可能不惊讶呢。
Moreover, although they were apart more often than not, Zhou Yan’s nature wouldn't lie without solid evidence.
hé kuàng tā yǔ ài qī suī rán jù shǎo lí duō ， yú yú de xìng gé què xiǎo de ， méi yǒu bǎ wò ， shì bú huì xìn kǒu hú shuō 。
何况他与爱妻虽然聚少离多，娱娱的xìng格却晓得，没有把握，是不会信口胡说。
PS: Third update—Phantom Rain continues typing to hit 9000 words. I promised and will definitely deliver. Fellow daoists, please rest assured, and don’t forget to vote for Phantom Rain with your monthly tickets; the competition is fierce, so please support me! (＠_＠;)
But he couldn't keep this restriction on Phoenix forever.
This was just a temporary measure. He would have to lift the restrictions soon, but if he did, would Phoenix revert back to her abnormal state? It was hard to say.
Before that, he needed to know what had happened to his wife so he could treat her properly and eliminate any potential dangers.
Hearing Lin Xuan's question, Phoenix sighed. "It's all my fault for being too careless. That guy took advantage of the situation and almost sent me into a state from which I couldn't recover. My lord, but you saved me..."
Before Phoenix finished speaking, she suddenly stuttered. At the moment when they had just clashed, although her consciousness was suppressed, she regained clarity and still retained some memories. She recalled how easily Lin Xuan subdued her with minimal effort, which seemed too incredible.
She knew her own abilities; even a late-stage Separation Realm cultivator couldn't leave her completely defenseless. Could it be...
Phoenix thought of a possibility.
Unless the opponent was an Abyssal Profound Realm cultivator, but that would be too unbelievable.
How could there be an Abyssal Profound Realm cultivator in the human realm?
But if not, how could his lordship have easily subdued her?
A questioning look appeared on Phoenix's face.
Lin Xuan was a very intelligent person. Since he was talking to his wife, they shared a deep understanding and had no reason to hide anything from each other. He scratched his head with a slightly bitter smile: "Yes, my lordhood has indeed advanced to the Abyssal Profound Realm. I also went to the Spirit Realm once due to an unexpected opportunity."
"What?"
Zhou Yan was shocked. This kind of experience was unheard of. But before she could ask anything else, Lin Xuan preemptively spoke up: "My lady, don't worry about me. Let me tell you what happened first."
There were more pressing matters to discuss; he could recount his own experiences later. The key now was to resolve the danger that threatened this girl.
"Mm."
Phoenix nodded. She had just been curious a moment ago, but after her husband brought it up, she understood what the top priority was. Even as a strong woman, she still wanted her beloved man's attention.
Feeling his focus on her, Phoenix felt that her years of longing hadn't been in vain. The bitterness of past love now turned into the sweetness of being cared for, like sipping a fine wine.
With a gentle sigh, she said: "It was all my fault for being too careless, almost sending me to an irreversible state..."
She had already said this before, but Lin Xuan didn't understand what she meant. He wasn't in a hurry and didn't immediately ask questions; Zhou Yan's words were just spontaneous.
"Here’s the story, my lord also knows that I was sealed away on Five Color Spirit Mountain for many years. Although it was tough, things went well..."
Zhou Yan leaned into Lin Xuan, speaking softly as she recounted her experiences over the past few decades—how she had broken through to the Separation Realm and traveled extensively before arriving in this Tianzhou realm about a hundred years ago.
"A hundred years ago?" Lin Xuan was taken aback. He looked puzzled. Could it be...
"Zhou Yan, did you come here a hundred years ago? How did you find the remnants of the Mo Yue tribe, and did you encounter any ancient demons?"
Phoenix's face showed confusion.
"So it is like this..."
Her answer confirmed his initial thoughts; how could she have been involved in the demon disaster if she hadn't appeared?
This didn't match her personality. She wouldn’t stay out of such matters.
In fact, before the demon disaster, Zhou Yan had already arrived here and was likely trapped in this small space without knowing that countless ancient demons had descended upon the Twelve Cloud States.
Lin Xuan's thoughts raced as he became more curious: "Zhou Yan, how did you find the remnants of the Mo Yue tribe?"
If not for examining the traces left by Fairy Tianlan, Lin Xuan wouldn't have known this place was somewhat remote.
"I found it through chance. One day while shopping in the market, I stumbled upon a broken jade cylinder with a map to an ancient cultivator's site inside. At that time, I had just broken through to Separation Realm and felt very confident. So I came here to search for treasures."
Lin Xuan nodded. In the human realm, a Separation Realm cultivator was already at the top of the hierarchy. With Zhou Yan’s innate connection to celestial birds, even though she had only recently broken through, her strength would have made it easy to face mid-stage Separation Realm cultivators. The world was hers for the taking; he would have done the same.
Exploring and traveling were good ways to pass time, so following the map to search for ancient sites might yield unexpected rewards.
Opportunities needed to be seized; they wouldn’t come knocking on their own doors.
Lin Xuan nodded in agreement. Zhou Yan's choice wasn't wrong: "What did you encounter after that?"
"I followed the map and arrived at Tianzhou. At first, everything went smoothly, and I used a teleportation array to enter this mysterious small space. It seemed like it was part of the Mo Yue tribe's ruins."
Phoenix knew about the Mo Yue tribe; she had once been the ruler of Yuzhou's Yin Mountains, where the Mo Yue tribe lived. They had some interactions, and even formed a close friendship with an Incarnation Realm female cultivator from the Mo Yue tribe.
Lin Xuan nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"There are remnants of the Mo Yue tribe here, which surprised me. I never thought they still lived in Tianzhou. Judging by the traces left behind, this used to be a Mo Yue tribe settlement with exceptional cultivation levels. It's hard to say exactly how high, but perhaps..." Phoenix hesitated: "on par with the Luo family of Tianzhou."
"Oh?"
Lin Xuan was also surprised. With his current strength, the Luo family in Tianzhou wasn't impressive, but that was because he had entered the Abyssal Profound Realm. In the human realm, the Luo family's power had nearly reached the pinnacle of a sect. The Mo Yue tribe settlement being on par with them would certainly surprise him.
Moreover, although they were apart more often than not, Zhou Yan’s nature wouldn't lie without solid evidence.
PS: Third update—Phantom Rain continues typing to hit 9000 words. I promised and will definitely deliver. Fellow daoists, please rest assured, and don’t forget to vote for Phantom Rain with your monthly tickets; the competition is fierce, so please support me! (＠_＠;)