fèi dān fáng shī qiè ， zài jīn dān fēng yǐn qǐ le xuān rán dà è bō ， shèn zhì kě néng yǐn fā yún yǐn zōng yǔ tiān shī mén liǎng gè xiū xiān dà pài de chōng tū ， bù guò zhè yǔ lín xuān ， méi yǒu duō dà de guān xì ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tā ràng huà shēn dài zài dòng fǔ lǐ ， zì jǐ zé qiāo wú shēng xī de lái dào le jīn dān fēng de jué dǐng zhī chù 。
废丹房失窃，在金丹峰引起了轩然大垩波，甚至可能引发云隐宗与天尸门两个修仙大派的冲突，不过这与林轩，没有多大的关系，此时此刻，他让化身待在洞府里，自己则悄无声息的来到了金丹峰的绝顶之处。
The theft from the Waste Pills Room had caused a significant commotion on Golden Core Peak, potentially leading to conflicts between Cloud Conceal Sect and Heavenly Corpse Sect, two major cultivation sects. However, this was of little concern to Lin Xuan at the moment. He instructed his avatar to stay in his cave while he silently made his way to the peak's absolute summit.
zhè lǐ shì běn mài de jìn dì ， fāng yuán shù lǐ ， yě jǐn yǒu tā yī rén ér yǐ 。
这里是本脉的禁地，方圆数里，也仅有他一人而已。
This place was a forbidden area within their lineage, with only a few miles around it occupied by him alone.
lín xuān yǎn jīng wēi mī ， kàn zhuó yǎn qián de wù hǎi ， máng máng méi yǒu biān jì ， liáo kuò yǐ jí 。
林轩眼睛微眯，看着眼前的雾海，茫茫没有边际，辽阔以极。
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the misty sea before him, which seemed endless and vast. Of course, this was actually an array of restrictions; until he fully understood its workings, he dared not venture in rashly.
dāng rán ， zhè qí shí shì yī dào jìn zhì ， zài jiāng qí chī tòu yǐ qián ， lín xuān yě bù gǎn mào mào rán jìn qù 。
当然，这其实是一道禁制，再将其吃透以前，林轩也不敢冒冒然进去。
It wasn't out of fear that the restriction itself would harm him, but because he didn't want to draw attention from other cultivators.
dào bú shì hài pà jìn zhì běn shēn néng gòu shāng dào zì jǐ ， ér shì dān xīn yǐn qǐ qí tā xiū shì de zhù yì 。
倒不是害怕禁制本身能够伤到自己，而是担心引起其他修士的注意。
Lin Xuan had come here for a purpose. He had been潜伏ing at Cloud Conceal Sect for over thirty years and knew everything about it inside out.
lín xuān dào zhè líng qīng wù hǎi lái ， dāng rán shì yǒu mù dì ， tā qián fú zài yún yǐn zōng yǐ sān shí nián yǒu yú ， duì yú gāi pài de yī qiè ， dāng rán yě dōu nòng le gè qīng qīng chǔ chǔ dì 。
林轩到这灵清雾海来，当然是有目的，他潜伏在云隐宗已三十年有余，对于该派的一切，当然也都弄了个清清楚楚地。
Like their cultivation sects' rules, the higher one's status within the sect, the better the spirit veins they received.
yǔ tā men xiū xiān mén pài de guī jǔ xiāng tóng ， zōng pài zhōng dì wèi yuè gāo de xiū shì ， dé dào de líng mài yě jiù yuè yōu yì 。
与他们修仙门派的规矩相同，宗派中地位越高的修士，得到的灵脉也就越优异。
This was not unusual; the Spirit-Clear Mist Sea was meant for Golden Core Peak's peak toxins and the various Cave Profound Period elders to meditate in.
zhè yuán běn bù chū qí ， zhè líng qīng wù hǎi jiù shì gěi jīn dān fēng fēng dú yǔ gè wèi dòng xuán qī zhǎng lǎo dǎ zuò yòng dì 。
这原本不出奇，这灵清雾海就是给金丹峰峰毒与各位洞玄期长老打坐用地。
When this lineage was at its prime, dozens of Cave Profound Period existences would establish their cave dwellings here. However, now that Golden Core Peak was experiencing a period of decline, no one had reached the Cave Profound stage for over a century.
dāng gāi mài chāng shèng zhī shí ， shù shí wèi dòng xuán qī cún zài dōu zài zhè lǐ kāi pì dòng fǔ 。
当该脉昌盛之时，数十位洞玄期存在都在这里开辟洞府。
The difficulty lay in breaking through the restriction without making any noise. If not for his proficiency with array techniques, Lin Xuan wouldn't have dared to attempt it.
rán ér rú jīn jīn dān fēng chǔ yú qīng huáng bù jiē de shí kè ， yī míng dòng xuán cún zài yě wú ， zhè líng qīng wù hǎi yě jiù huāng wú xià lái le 。
然而如今金丹峰处于青黄不接的时刻，一名洞玄存在也无，这灵清雾海也就荒芜下来了。
He didn't act rashly but instead activated his Divine Eye of Celestial Phoenix, pushing its capabilities to their limit.
dāng dì yī cì tīng sū rú tí qǐ zhè shì ， lín xuān hái jīng è bù yǐ ， yǐ wéi nà xiǎo yā tou kāi wán xiào dì ， bú yòng shuō ， zài jīn dān fēng de zhū duō líng mài lǐ ， líng qīng wù hǎi shì zuì hǎo dì ， jiù suàn méi le dòng xuán qī lǎo zǔ ， qí tā lí hé qī xiū shì bù zhī dào yòng me ， zài nà lǐ bái bái huāng fèi zhe ， qǐ bù shì bào tiǎn tiān wù ？
当第一次听苏茹提起这事，林轩还惊愕不已，以为那小丫头开玩笑地，不用说，在金丹峰的诸多灵脉里，灵清雾海是最好地，就算没了洞玄期老祖，其他离合期修士不知道用么，在那里白白荒废着，岂不是暴殄天物？
After half an hour, Lin Xuan lowered his head and rubbed his temples, a hint of fatigue appearing on his face. This divine eye technique was quite energy-consuming.
lín xuān qǐ chū shì zhè me xiǎng de jiù yì bān qíng kuàng lái shuō ， zhè xiǎng yě méi yǒu shén me cuò ， rán ér lín xuān què hū lüè le yí gè shì shí 。
林轩起初是这么想的就一般情况来说，这想也没有什么错，然而林轩却忽略了一个事实。
However, he had finally discerned some clues. The strength of the mist sea fluctuated in cycles; if one could seize the right moment, they should be able to slip through unnoticed.
bí lóng jiè yuǎn fēi rén jiè huò shì dōng hǎi kě bǐ ， nǎi líng jiè zuì dǐng jí de jiè miàn zhī yī 。
鼻龙界远非人界或是东海可比，乃灵界最顶级的界面之一。
Of course, this change was extremely subtle and would not be detected by ordinary spiritual senses. Only the Divine Eye of Celestial Phoenix could perceive it, but even then, it wasn't easy.
zhè lǐ bù jǐn zī yuán fēng fù ， líng mài de yōu yì yě dào le yí gè bù kě sī yì de dì bù 。
这里不仅资源丰富，灵脉的优异也到了一个不可思议的地步。
After a brief rest, Lin Xuan's eyes glowed again…
suǒ wèi guò yóu bù jí ， fán shì zǒng yǒu yí gè dù ， duì yú xiū xiān kàn lái shuō líng mài yě bú shì yuè yōu yì jiù yuè hǎo le 。
所谓过犹不及，凡事总有一个度，对于修仙看来说灵脉也不是越优异就越好了。
Suddenly, his expression changed as he raised his right hand, producing a loud tearing sound as a green sword energy sliced through the air. The sword energy was perfectly timed and positioned to neither break the restriction nor tear open a gap in the mist.
jiù ná líng qīng wù hǎi zhōng de líng mài lái shuō ， qí líng qì nóng dù ， gāng hǎo shì hé dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ， zài lǐ miàn xiū liàn ， yǒu shì bàn ér bèi de xiào guǒ 。
就拿灵清雾海中的灵脉来说，其灵气浓度，刚好适合洞玄期修仙者，在里面修炼，有事半而倍的效果。
A path wide enough for one person appeared, and Lin Xuan flashed into it. Before him, dense mist rushed forward; his eyes still glowed with silver light as he waved his sleeves, slicing another sword energy through the air.
kě rú guǒ shàng méi yǒu mài rù dòng xuán qī ， què pǎo dào lǐ miàn qù dǎ zuò ， yīn wèi líng qì tài nóng duì xiū xiān zhě fǎn ér shì yǒu hài wú lì de 。
可如果尚没有迈入洞玄期，却跑到里面去打坐，因为灵气太浓对修仙者反而是有害无利的。
The mist sea split again, though the passage was narrow, allowing Lin Xuan to step inside. He continued waving his hand, slicing out a series of sword energies.
zhè jiù hǎo bǐ ， chī yǒu yíng yǎng de shí wù ， kěn dìng néng ràng shēn tǐ jiàn kāng ， kě rú guǒ yí gè rén běn lái tài shòu ruò ， nǐ tū rán ná gè zhǒng bǔ pǐn gěi tā zī yǎng ， fǎn ér huì xū bù shòu bǔ ， zhè dào lǐ shì yī yàng de 。
这就好比，吃有营养的食物，肯定能让身体健康，可如果一个人本来太瘦弱，你突然拿各种补品给他滋养，反而会虚不受补，这道理是一样的。
In this manner, using the Divine Eye of Celestial Phoenix to locate the array's nodes and cutting through with sword energy, he finally entered the center of the mist sea after eighty-one sword slices.
suǒ yǐ líng mài duì xiū xiān zhě ， yě bú shì yuè yōu yì yuè hǎo fán shì zǒng yǒu yí gè dù 。
所以灵脉对修仙者，也不是越优异越好凡事总有一个度。
Boom!
dāng chū zài liǎo jiě le yuán yóu zhī hòu ， lín xuān kě yě shì jīng è le hǎo shì tiān de 。
当初在了解了缘由之后，林轩可也是惊愕了好事天的。
A light halo flashed past him as the mist sea cleared. In front was an open valley surrounded by dense bamboo groves, with a thick layer of spirit energy rushing towards him.
tā mài rù xiū xiān jiè yǐ qiān nián ， zhè yàng de shì qíng què cóng lái bù céng tīng shuō ， yīn wèi rén jiè yě hǎo ， dōng hǎi yě bà ， líng mài dōu méi yǒu yōu yì dào ， néng ràng xiū shì xū bù shòu bǔ 。
他迈入修仙界已千年，这样的事情却从来不曾听说，因为人界也好，东海也罢，灵脉都没有优异到，能让修士虚不受补。
Just breathing it in felt refreshing.
zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng zhǐ yǒu líng jiè shǎo shù jǐ gè dǐng jí jiè miàn cái yǒu kě néng de 。
这种情况只有灵界少数几个顶级界面才有可能的。
Lin Xuan surveyed this idyllic place; this was where the Cave Profound Period existences on Golden Core Peak practiced. Not bad at all. The rumors weren't exaggerated; the concentration of spirit energy here would definitely result in twice the effort for half the results.
zài liǎo jiě zhè xiē yǐn mì zhī hòu ， lín xuān de xīn xǐ kě xiǎng ér zhī 。
在了解这些隐秘之后，林轩的欣喜可想而知。
Moreover, it was safe. Although there were many Separation Stage cultivators on Golden Core Peak, they wouldn't break through anytime soon due to the bottleneck between Separation and Cave Profound stages, which Lin Xuan himself had experienced.
líng qīng wù hǎi tā zì rán méi yǒu cuò guò de lǐ yóu 。
灵清雾海他自然没有错过的理由。
He could now settle down and focus on his cultivation.
dāng rán ， lín xuān zuò shì qíng shì móu dìng ér hòu dòng ， xiān qǔ fèi dān ， zài lái wù hǎi ， huán huán xiāng kòu 。
当然，林轩做事情是谋定而后动，先取废丹，再来雾海，环环相扣。
Lin Xuan entered a deeper part of the valley without needing to establish a cave dwelling. He simply chose an existing one from those left by previous Cave Profound Period existences.
qián fú le sān shí yú nián ， rú jīn tā shì dǎ suàn hǎo hǎo de xiū xíng le 。
潜伏了三十余年，如今他是打算好好的修行了。
He used his spiritual sense to search but found no treasures. Lin Xuan didn't show any disappointment, for contentment was a virtue.
kàn zhuó yǎn qián de máng máng wù qì fān qiāo bù yǐ ， lín xuān shuāng méi jǐn suǒ rú jīn de nán chǔ shì ， bù néng jiāng cǐ jìn zhì pò chú què yào qiāo wú shēng xī de qián rù 。
看着眼前的茫茫雾气翻悄不已，林轩双眉紧锁如今的难处是，不能将此禁制破除却要悄无声息的潜入。
After cleaning it up, he settled in.
ruò bú shì lín xuān běn shēn yě shàn cháng zhèn zhī shù ， hái zhēn bù gǎn zuò zhè cháng shì 。
若不是林轩本身也擅长阵之术，还真不敢做这尝试。
Time passed swiftly as Lin Xuan immersed himself in rigorous cultivation.
tā bìng méi yǒu qīng jǔ wàng dòng ， ér shì yǎn zhōng yín máng dà qǐ ， jiāng tiān fèng shén mù shī zhǎn dào jí zhì 。
他并没有轻举妄动，而是眼中银芒大起，将天凤神目施展到极致。
Once again, he returned to the undisturbed life of cultivation.
bàn gè shí chén hòu ， lín xuān dī xià tou ， yòng shǒu róu le róu méi xīn ， liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī pí juàn zhī sè ， zhè zhǒng líng mù shén tōng shì hěn xiāo hào jīng lì de 。
半个时辰后，林轩低下头，用手揉了揉眉心，脸上闪过一丝疲倦之色，这种灵目神通是很消耗精力的。
Taking medicine and meditating; before that, he needed to refine the waste pills using Star Sea first.
bù guò zǒng suàn shì kàn chū le yī xiē duān ní 。
不过总算是看出了一些端倪。
Cave Profound level waste pills had no effect with their blue light points, while silver light points were consumable, producing a maximum of three per day.
zhè wù hǎi de qiáng dù ， shì chéng xiàn zhōu qī xìng biàn huà zhōu ， rú guǒ néng gòu zhuā zhù shí jī ， yīng gāi jiù kě yǐ shén bù zhī ， guǐ bù jué de hùn jìn qù 。
这雾海的强度，是呈现周期性变化舟，如果能够抓住时机，应该就可以神不知，鬼不觉的混进去。
Though it seemed like less, the more powerful medicinal pills became rarer as one progressed. Other Cave Profound Period elders, even those from prestigious sects, would be secretly delighted if they could consume one every ten days or so.
dāng rán ， zhè ge biàn huà fēi cháng de wēi ruò ， yì bān de shén shí ， dōu shì wú chá tàn de 。
当然，这个变化非常的微弱，一般的神识，都是无查探的。
Compared to them, Lin Xuan was fortunate and content. If not for the insufficient number of silver light points, he could have refined more. Due to low yield, waste pills far outnumbered finished ones, and with the sect's million-year accumulation, there were plenty of waste pills sufficient for his generous consumption.
tiān fèng shén mù kě yǐ ， dàn xiǎng yào fā xiàn yě bìng bù róng yì 。
天凤神目可以，但想要发现也并不容易。
Lin Xuan wasn't stingy with medicinal pills; the abundant spirit energy here made his cultivation extremely smooth. However, he didn't rush to refine his main core to Saint-grade. His cultivation was from easy to difficult, starting by letting his second core and demon nucleus advance to Cave Profound.
lín xuān shāo shì xiū xī ， yǎn zhōng zài cì yín máng dà qǐ ……
林轩稍事休息，眼中再次银芒大起……
Since his main core had already reached the Cave Profound stage, there would be no bottlenecks for his second core and demon nucleus; as long as he could muster the strength, they would naturally enter the Cave Profound realm.
tū rán ， tā shén sè yī dòng ， yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， cī lā shēng dà zuò ， yī dào qīng sè de jiàn qì pī cì ér chū 。
突然，他神色一动，右手抬起，刺啦声大做，一道青色的剑气劈刺而出。
However, this process was not simple. It took Lin Xuan nearly seventy years to complete before both cores entered the Cave Profound realm.
nà jiàn qì bù lùn fāng wèi 、 jiǎo dù 、 hái zǒu chū shǒu de shí jī ， dōu qià dào hǎo chù ， jì méi yǒu jiāng jìn zhì pò chú ， tóng shí yòu jiāng wù qì sī kāi le yī dào fèng 。
那剑气不论方位、角度、还走出手的时机，都恰到好处，既没有将禁制破除，同时又将雾气撕开了一道缝。
This gave him a qualitative leap in power, but Lin Xuan remained unsatisfied. He had thought himself strong until he saw the True Spirit; now he realized how limited his vision was compared to true great cultivators who could easily annihilate him with a wave of their hand.
yī kě róng yī rén tōng guò de tōng dào chū xiàn le ， lín xuān shēn xíng yī shǎn ， yǐ mò rù qí jiān ， qián fāng ， nóng yù de wù qì pū miàn ér lái ， lín xuān yǎn zhōng yī jiù shì yín máng sì shè ， xiù páo yī fú ， yòu shì yī dào jiàn qì pī cì ér chū 。
一可容一人通过的通道出现了，林轩身形一闪，已没入其间，前方，浓郁的雾气扑面而来，林轩眼中依旧是银芒四射，袖袍一拂，又是一道剑气劈刺而出。
Lin Xuan harbored a grudge and decided this time to deepen his cultivation.
wù hǎi zài cì fēn kāi le ， suī rán nà tōng dào hěn zhǎi ， dàn yǐ kě róng lín xuān luò zú ， tā zài cì huī shǒu yī dào jiàn qì pī chū 。
雾海再次分开了，虽然那通道很窄，但已可容林轩落足，他再次挥手一道剑气劈出。
Of course, during these seventy years, Lin Xuan didn't stay in the Spirit-Clear Mist Sea all the time; he also went out for fresh air occasionally.
jiù zhè yàng ， lín xuān yǐ tiān fèng shén mù xún zhǎo zhèn de jié diǎn ， zài yòng jiàn qì kāi lù ， qián hòu zài pī chū jiǔ jiǔ bā shí yī jiàn zhī hòu ， zhōng yú jìn rù wù hǎi de zhōng xīn le 。
就这样，林轩以天凤神目寻找阵的节点，再用剑气开路，前后在劈出九九八十一剑之后，终于进入雾海的中心了。
Even for cultivators, that wasn't short at all. Many low-level cultivators had grown up, with Su Ru and Chang Hu both condensing their Golden Core. However, the somewhat dull Daoist Jingxu met his demise during a conflict with Heavenly Corpse Sect's cultivators while out.
hōng ！
轰！
When Lin Xuan learned of this news, he was deeply saddened; in the cultivation world, opportunities and dangers coexisted.
yī dào guāng yùn shǎn guò ， qián fāng huò rán kāi lǎng ， wù hǎi bú jiàn le ， qǔ ér dài zhī de shì yí gè shān gǔ ， lǐ miàn shēng zhǎng zhe mào mì de cuì zhú ， nóng yù de líng qì pū miàn ér zhì le 。
一道光晕闪过，前方豁然开朗，雾海不见了，取而代之的是一个山谷，里面生长着茂密的翠竹，浓郁的灵气扑面而至了。
Speaking of Heavenly Corpse Sect, its strength didn't lag behind Cloud Conceal Sect. However, its main headquarters wasn't in Chu State but Wei State, ranking among the top five sects in Tian Shuang Prefecture.
jǐn jǐn shì xī yī kǒu ， jiù gǎn jué hún shēn shū fú 。
仅仅是吸一口，就感觉浑身舒服。
This sect practiced Ghost Dao, focusing on controlling corpses, making them formidable opponents. Previously, they had maintained a non-interference policy with Cloud Conceal Sect, but since the theft of waste pills from Golden Core Peak seventy years ago, tensions between the two sects had escalated. Although there were no large-scale conflicts, many covert actions had taken place.
lín xuān dǎ liàng zhuó yǎn qián shì wài táo yuán bān de suǒ zài ， zhè lǐ jiù shì jīn dān fēng nà xiē dòng xuán qī cún zài de xiū liàn zhī suǒ ， bù cuò bù cuò ， wài miàn de chuán yán ， bìng méi yǒu kuā dà shén me ， jiù zhè líng qì nóng dù ， zài zhè lǐ xiū liàn ， jué duì shì shì bàn ér bèi de 。
林轩打量着眼前世外桃源般的所在，这里就是金丹峰那些洞玄期存在的修炼之所，不错不错，外面的传言，并没有夸大什么，就这灵气浓度，在这里修炼，绝对是事半而倍的。
If any cultivator fell alone, they would be attacked and killed by the other side.
ér qiě zhè lǐ ān quán ， jīn dān fēng de lí hé qī cún zài suī duō ， dàn yī shí piàn kè ， yīng gāi bú huì yǒu shuí tū pò ， bì jìng lí hé dào dòng xuán qī de píng jǐng lín xuān zì jǐ kě shì shēn yǒu tǐ huì de 。
而且这里安全，金丹峰的离合期存在虽多，但一时片刻，应该不会有谁突破，毕竟离合到洞玄期的瓶颈林轩自己可是深有体会的。
As time passed, their contradictions deepened.
kě yǐ zài zhè lǐ jìng xià xīn lái hǎo hǎo xiū liàn yī fān le 。
可以在这里静下心来好好修炼一番了。
However, this was of no concern to Lin Xuan; he cared more about his fellow cultivators around him. Seventy years had passed, but Golden Core Peak still hadn't produced a Cave Profound Period cultivator, leaving its disciples disheartened.
lín xuān jìn rù shān gǔ shēn chù ， dào yě bù yòng kāi pì dòng fǔ ， zhí jiē cóng yǐ qián nà xiē dòng xuán qī cún zài de dòng fǔ zhōng tiāo le yí gè 。
林轩进入山谷深处，倒也不用开辟洞府，直接从以前那些洞玄期存在的洞府中挑了一个。
For Lin Xuan, it was good news as it meant no one would disturb his cultivation here.
tā hái tè yì yòng shén shí sōu suǒ ， kě xī méi yǒu fā xiàn shén me bǎo wù 。 dàn lín xuān yě bìng méi yǒu liú lù chū shī wàng zhī sè ， rén ， guì zài zì zú 。
他还特意用神识搜索，可惜没有发现什么宝物。但林轩也并没有流露出失望之色，人，贵在自足。
Although both cores and the demon nucleus had entered the Cave Profound realm, Lin Xuan remained unsatisfied; he believed in controlling his own destiny. The appearance of True Spirit had completely sobered him up.
lín xuān jiāng qí dǎ sǎo yī fān hòu jiù zhù xià lái le 。
林轩将其打扫一番后就住下来了。
Lin Xuan continued with his monotonous life of taking medicine and meditating. Three hundred years passed quickly.
shí guāng rú bái jū guò xì ， jiē xià lái de shí jiān lǐ ， lín xuān wán quán jìn rù le kǔ xiū zhī zhōng 。
时光如白驹过隙，接下来的时间里，林轩完全进入了苦修之中。
One morning, the weather was clear and cloudless, everything seemed fine. However, after noon, the sun inexplicably dimmed, and within a thousand miles around, the primordial energy from all directions converged towards Golden Core Peak.
yòu huī fù le nà zhǒng bù bèi dǎ rǎo de xiū liàn shēng huó 。
又恢复了那种不被打扰的修炼生活。
This was a sign of a cultivator's advancement, and given its scale, it should be at the Cave Profound stage.
fú yào ， dǎ zuò ， dāng rán ， zài zhè zhī qián ， xū yào yòng xīng hǎi jiāng fèi dān tí chún le zài shuō 。
服药，打坐，当然，在这之前，需要用星海将废丹提纯了再说。
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The theft from the Waste Pills Room had caused a significant commotion on Golden Core Peak, potentially leading to conflicts between Cloud Conceal Sect and Heavenly Corpse Sect, two major cultivation sects. However, this was of little concern to Lin Xuan at the moment. He instructed his avatar to stay in his cave while he silently made his way to the peak's absolute summit.
This place was a forbidden area within their lineage, with only a few miles around it occupied by him alone.
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes as he looked at the misty sea before him, which seemed endless and vast. Of course, this was actually an array of restrictions; until he fully understood its workings, he dared not venture in rashly.
It wasn't out of fear that the restriction itself would harm him, but because he didn't want to draw attention from other cultivators.
Lin Xuan had come here for a purpose. He had been潜伏ing at Cloud Conceal Sect for over thirty years and knew everything about it inside out.
Like their cultivation sects' rules, the higher one's status within the sect, the better the spirit veins they received.
This was not unusual; the Spirit-Clear Mist Sea was meant for Golden Core Peak's peak toxins and the various Cave Profound Period elders to meditate in.
When this lineage was at its prime, dozens of Cave Profound Period existences would establish their cave dwellings here. However, now that Golden Core Peak was experiencing a period of decline, no one had reached the Cave Profound stage for over a century.
The difficulty lay in breaking through the restriction without making any noise. If not for his proficiency with array techniques, Lin Xuan wouldn't have dared to attempt it.
He didn't act rashly but instead activated his Divine Eye of Celestial Phoenix, pushing its capabilities to their limit.
After half an hour, Lin Xuan lowered his head and rubbed his temples, a hint of fatigue appearing on his face. This divine eye technique was quite energy-consuming.
However, he had finally discerned some clues. The strength of the mist sea fluctuated in cycles; if one could seize the right moment, they should be able to slip through unnoticed.
Of course, this change was extremely subtle and would not be detected by ordinary spiritual senses. Only the Divine Eye of Celestial Phoenix could perceive it, but even then, it wasn't easy.
After a brief rest, Lin Xuan's eyes glowed again…
Suddenly, his expression changed as he raised his right hand, producing a loud tearing sound as a green sword energy sliced through the air. The sword energy was perfectly timed and positioned to neither break the restriction nor tear open a gap in the mist.
A path wide enough for one person appeared, and Lin Xuan flashed into it. Before him, dense mist rushed forward; his eyes still glowed with silver light as he waved his sleeves, slicing another sword energy through the air.
The mist sea split again, though the passage was narrow, allowing Lin Xuan to step inside. He continued waving his hand, slicing out a series of sword energies.
In this manner, using the Divine Eye of Celestial Phoenix to locate the array's nodes and cutting through with sword energy, he finally entered the center of the mist sea after eighty-one sword slices.
Boom!
A light halo flashed past him as the mist sea cleared. In front was an open valley surrounded by dense bamboo groves, with a thick layer of spirit energy rushing towards him.
Just breathing it in felt refreshing.
Lin Xuan surveyed this idyllic place; this was where the Cave Profound Period existences on Golden Core Peak practiced. Not bad at all. The rumors weren't exaggerated; the concentration of spirit energy here would definitely result in twice the effort for half the results.
Moreover, it was safe. Although there were many Separation Stage cultivators on Golden Core Peak, they wouldn't break through anytime soon due to the bottleneck between Separation and Cave Profound stages, which Lin Xuan himself had experienced.
He could now settle down and focus on his cultivation.
Lin Xuan entered a deeper part of the valley without needing to establish a cave dwelling. He simply chose an existing one from those left by previous Cave Profound Period existences.
He used his spiritual sense to search but found no treasures. Lin Xuan didn't show any disappointment, for contentment was a virtue.
After cleaning it up, he settled in.
Time passed swiftly as Lin Xuan immersed himself in rigorous cultivation.
Once again, he returned to the undisturbed life of cultivation.
Taking medicine and meditating; before that, he needed to refine the waste pills using Star Sea first.
Cave Profound level waste pills had no effect with their blue light points, while silver light points were consumable, producing a maximum of three per day.
Though it seemed like less, the more powerful medicinal pills became rarer as one progressed. Other Cave Profound Period elders, even those from prestigious sects, would be secretly delighted if they could consume one every ten days or so.
Compared to them, Lin Xuan was fortunate and content. If not for the insufficient number of silver light points, he could have refined more. Due to low yield, waste pills far outnumbered finished ones, and with the sect's million-year accumulation, there were plenty of waste pills sufficient for his generous consumption.
Lin Xuan wasn't stingy with medicinal pills; the abundant spirit energy here made his cultivation extremely smooth. However, he didn't rush to refine his main core to Saint-grade. His cultivation was from easy to difficult, starting by letting his second core and demon nucleus advance to Cave Profound.
Since his main core had already reached the Cave Profound stage, there would be no bottlenecks for his second core and demon nucleus; as long as he could muster the strength, they would naturally enter the Cave Profound realm.
However, this process was not simple. It took Lin Xuan nearly seventy years to complete before both cores entered the Cave Profound realm.
This gave him a qualitative leap in power, but Lin Xuan remained unsatisfied. He had thought himself strong until he saw the True Spirit; now he realized how limited his vision was compared to true great cultivators who could easily annihilate him with a wave of their hand.
Lin Xuan harbored a grudge and decided this time to deepen his cultivation.
Of course, during these seventy years, Lin Xuan didn't stay in the Spirit-Clear Mist Sea all the time; he also went out for fresh air occasionally.
Even for cultivators, that wasn't short at all. Many low-level cultivators had grown up, with Su Ru and Chang Hu both condensing their Golden Core. However, the somewhat dull Daoist Jingxu met his demise during a conflict with Heavenly Corpse Sect's cultivators while out.
When Lin Xuan learned of this news, he was deeply saddened; in the cultivation world, opportunities and dangers coexisted.
Speaking of Heavenly Corpse Sect, its strength didn't lag behind Cloud Conceal Sect. However, its main headquarters wasn't in Chu State but Wei State, ranking among the top five sects in Tian Shuang Prefecture.
This sect practiced Ghost Dao, focusing on controlling corpses, making them formidable opponents. Previously, they had maintained a non-interference policy with Cloud Conceal Sect, but since the theft of waste pills from Golden Core Peak seventy years ago, tensions between the two sects had escalated. Although there were no large-scale conflicts, many covert actions had taken place.
If any cultivator fell alone, they would be attacked and killed by the other side.
As time passed, their contradictions deepened.
However, this was of no concern to Lin Xuan; he cared more about his fellow cultivators around him. Seventy years had passed, but Golden Core Peak still hadn't produced a Cave Profound Period cultivator, leaving its disciples disheartened.
For Lin Xuan, it was good news as it meant no one would disturb his cultivation here.
Although both cores and the demon nucleus had entered the Cave Profound realm, Lin Xuan remained unsatisfied; he believed in controlling his own destiny. The appearance of True Spirit had completely sobered him up.
Lin Xuan continued with his monotonous life of taking medicine and meditating. Three hundred years passed quickly.
One morning, the weather was clear and cloudless, everything seemed fine. However, after noon, the sun inexplicably dimmed, and within a thousand miles around, the primordial energy from all directions converged towards Golden Core Peak.
This was a sign of a cultivator's advancement, and given its scale, it should be at the Cave Profound stage.
PS: Please support with monthly votes, thank you.