fǎ bǎo jì liàn wán bì ， suī rán guò chéng jīng xiǎn le xiē ， dàn hǎo zài zuì zhōng shì yí gè wán měi de jié jú ， jiē xià lái ， lín xuān zì rán shì jì xù tí gāo zì jǐ de shí lì 。
法宝祭炼完毕，虽然过程惊险了些，但好在最终是一个完美的结局，接下来，林轩自然是继续提高自己的实力。
The ritual of refining the法宝was completed, though the process was rather perilous. Fortunately, it ended on a perfect note. Lin Xuan naturally continued to enhance his strength by cultivating with the Foundation Establishment Pill.
jīng guò yī fān zǐ xì sī suǒ ， zuì zhōng tā hái shì zuò chū le xuǎn zé ， jì xù fú yòng zhù jī dān xiū liàn ， xiǎng yào dá dào dà yuán mǎn ， zhì shǎo xū yào wǔ liù shí nián ， zhè ge shí jiān zhe shí zhǎng le diǎn 。
经过一番仔细思索，最终他还是做出了选择，继续服用筑基丹修炼，想要达到大圆满，至少需要五六十年，这个时间着实长了点。
After much contemplation, he ultimately made his choice: continue taking the Foundation Establishment Pill for cultivation. Reaching the pinnacle stage would require at least fifty or sixty years, which was indeed a long time.
xiāng duì lái shuō ， àn zhào gǔ fāng ， pèi zhì xīn de 、 xiào yòng gèng hǎo de tí shēng fǎ lì de dān yào ， zhè ge xuǎn zé ， gèng jù yòu huò 。
相对来说，按照古方，配制新的、效用更好的提升法力的丹药，这个选择，更具诱惑。
In comparison, crafting new and more effective pills to boost one's spiritual energy according to ancient formulas seemed far more enticing.
zài jīng guò yī fān zǐ xì tiāo xuǎn zhī hòu ， lín xuān cóng zhòng duō gǔ fāng zhōng tiāo xuǎn chū le yī fèn “ níng shén dān ” de yào fāng lái 。
在经过一番仔细挑选之后，林轩从众多古方中挑选出了一份“凝神丹”的药方来。
After carefully selecting from numerous ancient formulas, Lin Xuan picked out a "Concentration Pill" recipe. Compared to other ancient formulas, the ingredients for this pill were easier to gather. Although many of them were valuable items, his status was much higher than that of an Essence Condensation Stage cultivator, so he could easily resolve any issues with crystal stones.
xiāng bǐ qí tā gǔ fāng ， zhè níng shén dān de yào cái jiào róng yì shōu jí ， suī rán hěn duō dōu shì jià zhí bù fēi de dōng xī ， dàn lín xuān de shēn jià ， jí shǐ yǔ níng dān qī xiū shì xiāng bǐ ， yě yào yuǎn yuǎn shèng zhī ， zhǐ yào néng yòng jīng shí jiě jué de wèn tí ， duì tā lái shuō jiù bú shì wèn tí 。
相比其他古方，这凝神丹的药材较容易收集，虽然很多都是价值不菲的东西，但林轩的身价，即使与凝丹期修士相比，也要远远胜之，只要能用晶石解决的问题，对他来说就不是问题。
After making up his mind, Lin Xuan prepared to travel and explore.
zuò xià jué dìng yǐ hòu ， lín xuān jiù zhǔn bèi chū wài yóu lì le 。
做下决定以后，林轩就准备出外游历了。
Before leaving, he took another look at the spirit beast egg, but still saw no signs of it hatching. This left him feeling somewhat disappointed.
zǒu zhī qián ， lín xuān yòu qù kàn le líng shòu luǎn yī yǎn ， jié guǒ yī rán méi yǒu bàn diǎn jiàng yào fū huà de zhēng zhào ， zhè ràng tā zhe shí yǒu xiē shī wàng 。
走之前，林轩又去看了灵兽卵一眼，结果依然没有半点将要孵化的征兆，这让他着实有些失望。
After a moment's hesitation, Lin Xuan ignored it and added several more crystal stones to the gathering array before sealing his cave.
yóu yù le yī xià ， lín xuān bìng méi yǒu guǎn tā ， zhǐ shì wǎng jù líng zhèn zhōng yòu jiā le jǐ kuài jīng shí ， rán hòu jiù fēng bì dòng fǔ 。
犹豫了一下，林轩并没有管它，只是往聚灵阵中又加了几块晶石，然后就封闭洞府。
Subsequently, Lin Xuan transformed into a streak of startling light and departed from Spirit Medicine Mountain.
suí hòu ， lín xuān huà wèi yī dào jīng hóng ， lí kāi le líng yào shān 。
随后，林轩化为一道惊虹，离开了灵药山。
Over these more than one hundred days, Lin Xuan visited almost every market in Youzhou, spending countless crystal stones. The收获were considerable. He had already gathered nine-tenths of the materials needed to refine the Concentration Pill, but was missing one ingredient: the Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass.
zhěng zhěng zhè yì bǎi duō tiān de shí jiān ， yōu zhōu xiū zhēn jiè dà dà xiǎo xiǎo de fāng shì ， lín xuān jī hū pǎo le gè biàn ， huā qù le shǔ yǐ wàn jì de jīng shí 。 shōu huò dào yě shì bù fēi 。 liàn zhì níng shén dān dì cái liào yǐ jīng còu qí le jiǔ chéng ， kě què dú dú quē yī wèi wàn xiàng cǎo 。
整整这一百多天的时间，幽州修真界大大小小的坊市，林轩几乎跑了个遍，花去了数以万计的晶石。收获倒也是不菲。炼制凝神丹地材料已经凑齐了九成，可却独独缺一味万象草。
This truly vexed him.
zhe shí ràng lín xuān fán nǎo 。
着实让林轩烦恼。
To be frank, this wasn't an extremely rare item; in the era ten thousand years ago, it was quite common in the cultivation world. But over time, this grass gradually disappeared from sight, and its last known appearance was said to have been five hundred years ago.
shuō qǐ lái 。 dào yě bú shì cǐ wù tài duō zhēn guì 。 rú guǒ fàng zài yī wàn nián qián 。 zài xiū zhēn jiè suàn shì hěn pǔ biàn dì yī zhǒng yào cái 。
说起来。倒也不是此物太多珍贵。如果放在一万年前。在修真界算是很普遍地一种药材。
This discovery left Lin Xuan feeling frustrated. He should have gathered more information when choosing the ancient formulas, but now that he had discovered his mistake, it was too late. Most of his crystal stones were already spent on herbs, leaving him no energy to seek out other ancient formulas.
kě suì yuè liú shì 。 zhè wàn xiàng cǎo bù zhī dào cóng shén me shí hòu kāi shǐ jiàn jiàn jué jì 。 zuì hòu yī cì xiàn shēn 。 jù shuō yǐ shì wǔ bǎi nián qián 。
可岁月流逝。这万象草不知道从什么时候开始渐渐绝迹。最后一次现身。据说已是五百年前。
Thus, he decided to give it a try and spend some time searching for it. After all, even if this herb was extinct, the world of cultivation was full of surprises; perhaps it still grew in some remote corner. Giving up wasn't Lin Xuan's style; he decided to continue his search.
zhè ge fā xiàn 。 ràng lín xuān ào nǎo bù yǐ 。 dōu guài zì jǐ dāng shí tiāo xuǎn gǔ fāng dì shí hòu 。 méi yǒu jiāng qíng bào shōu jí qí 。 kě xiàn zài jí shǐ fā xiàn yě yǐ jīng wǎn le 。 shǒu lǐ dì jīng shí dà bàn dōu huà zuò cǎo yào 。 yǐ jīng méi yǒu jīng lì zài àn zhào bié dì gǔ fāng qù pèi yào 。
这个发现。让林轩懊恼不已。都怪自己当时挑选古方地时候。没有将情报收集齐。可现在即使发现也已经晚了。手里地晶石大半都化作草药。已经没有精力再按照别地古方去配药。
Of course, aimless wandering wouldn't do. He mainly traveled between various markets hoping to find a good opportunity to acquire the treasure he needed.
rú jīn zhǐ hǎo sǐ mǎ dāng huó mǎ yī 。 hǎo zài wàn xiàng cǎo jǐn jǐn shì yī wèi fǔ liào 。 quē shǎo le gù rán bù xíng 。 kě měi fèn dān yào lǐ yě jǐn xū yào yì diǎn diǎn jiù zú yǐ 。
如今只好死马当活马医。好在万象草仅仅是一味辅料。缺少了固然不行。可每份丹药里也仅需要一点点就足以。
In the northern reaches of Youzhou, there was Tianmu Mountain, which stretched for only several dozen miles but was home to many talented cultivators, especially around its main peak where a rare spiritual vein ran through it.
suī shuō cǐ yào jù shuō yǐ jīng jué jì 。 kě xiū zhēn jiè dì shì qíng běn jiù shén qí 。 shuō bù dìng zài mǒu gè rén jì hǎn zhì dì jiǎo luò 。 hái shēng zhǎng dé yǒu 。 bàn tú ér fèi bú shì lín xuān dì fēng gé 。 tā jué dìng huā shí jiān zài zhǎo yī zhǎo le 。
虽说此药据说已经绝迹。可修真界地事情本就神奇。说不定在某个人迹罕至地角落。还生长得有。半途而废不是林轩地风格。他决定花时间再找一找了。
Thus, some cultivators settled here. Initially, just a couple of dual cultivation partners, their powers were quite profound despite having no offspring. They took in numerous disciples who eventually became adept at the arts and continued to absorb new followers, passing down their lineage.
dāng rán 。 màn wú mù dì yě shì bù xíng 。 tā zhǔ yào hái shì zài gè gè fāng shì zhōng chuān suō 。 kàn néng fǒu yǒu hǎo jī huì táo dào zì jǐ xū yào dì bǎo wù 。
当然。漫无目地也是不行。他主要还是在各个坊市中穿梭。看能否有好机会淘到自己需要地宝物。
Over three thousand years, this lineage expanded into a sizable sect known as Tianmu Sect.
tiān mù shān 。
天目山。
Although the original pair had passed on, the sect still boasted many Essence Condensation Stage cultivators, ranking second among the powers in Youzhou. They might not match the three major factions but were strong enough to fend off any potential aggressors.
wèi yú yōu zhōu yǐ běi ， mián yán bù guò shù shí lǐ 。 shān suī rán bù suàn dà ， dàn què dì jié rén líng ， yóu qí shì zhǔ fēng fù jìn ， gèng yǒu yī nán dé de líng mài 。
位于幽州以北，绵延不过数十里。山虽然不算大，但却地杰人灵，尤其是主峰附近，更有一难得的灵脉。
Moreover, being located far from the bustling center of Youzhou, it was akin to a hidden paradise within the cultivation world. Within a thousand miles, they could claim dominance, although there were other sects and families in the area, their power was much weaker, all bowing to Tianmu Sect's authority.
yú shì biàn yǒu xiū zhēn zhě zài zhè ér zhā xià gēn lái 。 jù shuō qǐ xiān jǐn jǐn shì yī duì shuāng xiū dào lǚ ， rán ér zhè duì fū qī de fǎ lì què pǒ wèi tōng xuán ， xī xià suī rán wú zi 。 dàn liǎng rén què shōu le bù shǎo tú dì 。
于是便有修真者在这儿扎下根来。据说起先仅仅是一对双修道侣，然而这对夫妻的法力却颇为通玄，膝下虽然无子。但两人却收了不少徒弟。
One morning, a streak of startling light descended from the horizon, circling the sky before landing, its glow dispersing to reveal a plain-looking young man.
hòu lái zhè xiē tú dì dào fǎ yǒu chéng zhī hòu ， yòu jì xù xī nà mén rén ， jiāng dào tǒng chuán chéng 。
后来这些徒弟道法有成之后，又继续吸纳门人，将道统传承。
It was Lin Xuan!
jiù zhè yàng kāi zhī sàn yè ， jīng guò sān qiān duō nián de fā zhǎn ， jìng rán xíng chéng le yī guī mó pǒ dà dì mén pài 。
就这样开枝散叶，经过三千多年的发展，竟然形成了一规模颇大地门派。
"This is Tianmu Mountain. What a spiritual vein!"
yóu yú zōng mén suǒ zài zhī dì wèi tiān mù shān ， gù ér gāi pài yě jiù qǔ míng jiào zuò tiān mù pài 。
由于宗门所在之地为天目山，故而该派也就取名叫做天目派。
Looking at the towering mountains, the youth praised aloud. Even standing outside, he could sense the considerable fluctuations of spiritual energy, though not as strong as those from Azure Cloud Mountain. Cultivating here would likely be very fast.
suī rán nà duì fū qī zuò huà yǐ hòu ， zōng mén nèi zài yě méi yǒu chū guò yuán yīng qī de gāo shǒu ， dàn níng dān qī de xiū shì què yě bù shǎo ， shí lì zài yōu zhōu lái shuō 。 yīng gāi suàn shì èr liú 。
虽然那对夫妻坐化以后，宗门内再也没有出过元婴期的高手，但凝丹期的修士却也不少，实力在幽州来说。应该算是二流。
Lin Xuan then looked ahead and saw a small town. Indeed, it was just as the apothecary had described.
suī rán bù jí sān jù tóu 。 què yě bù pà yǒu rén shàng mén qī rǔ 。
虽然不及三巨头。却也不怕有人上门欺辱。
The reason Lin Xuan came here dated back to three days ago. To find the Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass, he had visited every market in search of it, not wanting to miss any apothecaries.
gèng yīn wèi qí piān jū běi fāng yī ǒu ， jù lí yōu zhōu zuì fán huá de dì diǎn pǒ yuǎn 。 suǒ yǐ jí shǐ zài xiū zhēn jiè ， yě yǒu rú shì wài táo yuán yì bān 。
更因为其偏居北方一偶，距离幽州最繁华的地点颇远。所以即使在修真界，也有如世外桃源一般。
Hard work pays off. Three days prior, when Lin Xuan was at a temporary market set up by a cultivation family and mentioned the Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass, the apothecary didn't immediately reject him but instead showed interest.
fāng yuán qiān lǐ yǐ nèi ， kě yǐ shuō shì wéi wǒ dú zūn ， dāng rán ， dào yě bìng fēi méi yǒu bié de zōng mén ， kě nà xiē xiǎo pài yǔ jiā zú de shì lì què gèng jiā de ruò xiǎo ， jiē wéi tiān mù pài mǎ shǒu shì zhān 。
方圆千里以内，可以说是唯我独尊，当然，倒也并非没有别的宗门，可那些小派与家族的势力却更加的弱小，皆唯天目派马首是瞻。
Seeing this, Lin Xuan rejoiced, quickly pulling out some crystal stones to offer as compensation if he could get the information he needed.
zhè rì qīng chén ， yī dào jīng hóng yóu yuǎn jí jìn ， cóng tiān biān fēi lüè ér lái 。
这日清晨，一道惊虹由远及近，从天边飞掠而来。
Under pressure, the apothecary revealed that while they no longer had any Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass, it was occasionally purchased in the past.
zài tiān shàng pán xuán yī quān zhī hòu ， nà dào jīng hóng là le xià lái ， guāng máng sàn kāi ， cóng lǐ miàn lù chū le yí gè xiàng mào píng fán de qīng nián 。
在天上盘旋一圈之后，那道惊虹落了下来，光芒散开，从里面露出了一个相貌平凡的青年。
Lin Xuan eagerly asked about its source and when it might be available again. This time, the apothecary smiled wryly; this customer looked like a major client, but unfortunately, he couldn't make this deal. The last purchase of Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass had been sheer luck, and who knew when such good fortune would come around.
zhèng shì lín xuān ！
正是林轩！
But since he had received crystal stones, he couldn't lie to the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. He informed Lin Xuan that the Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass was purchased from the northern Tianmu Sect.
“ zhè ér jiù shì tiān mù shān a ， hǎo yī chù líng mài ！”
“这儿就是天目山啊，好一处灵脉！”
Tianmu Sect?
wàng zhuó yǎn qián wēi é de gāo shān ， shào nián jī jié zàn tàn ， jí shǐ zhàn zài shān wài ， zì jǐ gǎn jué dào de líng lì bō dòng yě pǒ wèi bù fán ， suī rán bù jí bì yún shān ， dàn zài zhè ér xiū liàn ， xiǎng bì sù dù yě huì jí kuài 。
望着眼前巍峨的高山，少年击节赞叹，即使站在山外，自己感觉到的灵力波动也颇为不凡，虽然不及碧云山，但在这儿修炼，想必速度也会极快。
Lin Xuan was momentarily stunned. He rarely ventured out of his secluded cultivation and knew very little about other sects except for the three major factions and the various forces in Youzhou's Taoist and demonic communities.
suí hòu lín xuān yòu xiàng qián tiào wàng le yī yǎn ， yī zuò xiǎo zhèn yìng rù yǎn lián ， guǒ rán ， yóu rú nà yào diàn lǎo bǎn suǒ shuō dì yì bān 。
随后林轩又向前眺望了一眼，一座小镇映入眼帘，果然，犹如那药店老板所说地一般。
While it was true that Tianmu Sect wasn't weak, its remote location meant Lin Xuan had never heard of it before.
The ritual of refining the法宝was completed, though the process was rather perilous. Fortunately, it ended on a perfect note. Lin Xuan naturally continued to enhance his strength by cultivating with the Foundation Establishment Pill.
After much contemplation, he ultimately made his choice: continue taking the Foundation Establishment Pill for cultivation. Reaching the pinnacle stage would require at least fifty or sixty years, which was indeed a long time.
In comparison, crafting new and more effective pills to boost one's spiritual energy according to ancient formulas seemed far more enticing.
After carefully selecting from numerous ancient formulas, Lin Xuan picked out a "Concentration Pill" recipe. Compared to other ancient formulas, the ingredients for this pill were easier to gather. Although many of them were valuable items, his status was much higher than that of an Essence Condensation Stage cultivator, so he could easily resolve any issues with crystal stones.
After making up his mind, Lin Xuan prepared to travel and explore.
Before leaving, he took another look at the spirit beast egg, but still saw no signs of it hatching. This left him feeling somewhat disappointed.
After a moment's hesitation, Lin Xuan ignored it and added several more crystal stones to the gathering array before sealing his cave.
Subsequently, Lin Xuan transformed into a streak of startling light and departed from Spirit Medicine Mountain.
Over these more than one hundred days, Lin Xuan visited almost every market in Youzhou, spending countless crystal stones. The收获were considerable. He had already gathered nine-tenths of the materials needed to refine the Concentration Pill, but was missing one ingredient: the Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass.
This truly vexed him.
To be frank, this wasn't an extremely rare item; in the era ten thousand years ago, it was quite common in the cultivation world. But over time, this grass gradually disappeared from sight, and its last known appearance was said to have been five hundred years ago.
This discovery left Lin Xuan feeling frustrated. He should have gathered more information when choosing the ancient formulas, but now that he had discovered his mistake, it was too late. Most of his crystal stones were already spent on herbs, leaving him no energy to seek out other ancient formulas.
Thus, he decided to give it a try and spend some time searching for it. After all, even if this herb was extinct, the world of cultivation was full of surprises; perhaps it still grew in some remote corner. Giving up wasn't Lin Xuan's style; he decided to continue his search.
Of course, aimless wandering wouldn't do. He mainly traveled between various markets hoping to find a good opportunity to acquire the treasure he needed.
In the northern reaches of Youzhou, there was Tianmu Mountain, which stretched for only several dozen miles but was home to many talented cultivators, especially around its main peak where a rare spiritual vein ran through it.
Thus, some cultivators settled here. Initially, just a couple of dual cultivation partners, their powers were quite profound despite having no offspring. They took in numerous disciples who eventually became adept at the arts and continued to absorb new followers, passing down their lineage.
Over three thousand years, this lineage expanded into a sizable sect known as Tianmu Sect.
Although the original pair had passed on, the sect still boasted many Essence Condensation Stage cultivators, ranking second among the powers in Youzhou. They might not match the three major factions but were strong enough to fend off any potential aggressors.
Moreover, being located far from the bustling center of Youzhou, it was akin to a hidden paradise within the cultivation world. Within a thousand miles, they could claim dominance, although there were other sects and families in the area, their power was much weaker, all bowing to Tianmu Sect's authority.
One morning, a streak of startling light descended from the horizon, circling the sky before landing, its glow dispersing to reveal a plain-looking young man.
It was Lin Xuan!
"This is Tianmu Mountain. What a spiritual vein!"
Looking at the towering mountains, the youth praised aloud. Even standing outside, he could sense the considerable fluctuations of spiritual energy, though not as strong as those from Azure Cloud Mountain. Cultivating here would likely be very fast.
Lin Xuan then looked ahead and saw a small town. Indeed, it was just as the apothecary had described.
The reason Lin Xuan came here dated back to three days ago. To find the Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass, he had visited every market in search of it, not wanting to miss any apothecaries.
Hard work pays off. Three days prior, when Lin Xuan was at a temporary market set up by a cultivation family and mentioned the Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass, the apothecary didn't immediately reject him but instead showed interest.
Seeing this, Lin Xuan rejoiced, quickly pulling out some crystal stones to offer as compensation if he could get the information he needed.
Under pressure, the apothecary revealed that while they no longer had any Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass, it was occasionally purchased in the past.
Lin Xuan eagerly asked about its source and when it might be available again. This time, the apothecary smiled wryly; this customer looked like a major client, but unfortunately, he couldn't make this deal. The last purchase of Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass had been sheer luck, and who knew when such good fortune would come around.
But since he had received crystal stones, he couldn't lie to the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. He informed Lin Xuan that the Ten Thousand Phenomena Grass was purchased from the northern Tianmu Sect.
Tianmu Sect?
Lin Xuan was momentarily stunned. He rarely ventured out of his secluded cultivation and knew very little about other sects except for the three major factions and the various forces in Youzhou's Taoist and demonic communities.
While it was true that Tianmu Sect wasn't weak, its remote location meant Lin Xuan had never heard of it before.