dāng rán ， zhè bù suàn shén me ， chū le yào diàn yǐ hòu ， lín xuān lì kè zài fāng shì de lìng wài yī jiā diàn lǐ ， gòu rù le yí gè yù tǒng 。
当然，这不算什么，出了药店以后，林轩立刻在坊市的另外一家店里，购入了一个玉筒。
Of course, this wasn't anything out of the ordinary. After leaving the apothecary, Lin Xuan immediately went to another shop in the market district and purchased a jade cylinder.
yù tǒng lǐ shì guān yú yōu zhōu gè dà zōng mén yǐ jí jiā zú de jiè shào ， shèn zhì lián yī xiē chū míng sàn xiū de zī liào yě yǒu 。
玉筒里是关于幽州各大宗门以及家族的介绍，甚至连一些出名散修的资料也有。
The contents inside the jade cylinder detailed the major sects and clans of Youzhou, even including some information on famous wandering cultivators. Lin Xuan found the entry for Tianmu Sect and read through everything carefully.
zhǎo dào tiān mù pài yī lán ， jiāng lǐ miàn suǒ zài de dōng xī xì xì yuè dú le yī biàn 。
找到天目派一栏，将里面所载的东西细细阅读了一遍。
After leaving the market district, he flew straight to Mount Tianmu without hesitation. Looking down at the small town at the foot of the mountain, a hint of indecision flashed across his face before he stepped forward.
rán hòu lín xuān lí kāi fāng shì yǐ hòu ， lì kè èr huà bù shuō de fēi wǎng tiān mù shān 。
然后林轩离开坊市以后，立刻二话不说的飞往天目山。
Even though he wasn't flying, using Wind Control Technique allowed him to move incredibly fast. Upon arriving at the outskirts of the town, Lin Xuan took an Invisibility Pill and condensed his qi, making his cultivation level appear only around the middle stage of Flexible Spirit Period. Then, he walked into the town.
cǐ shí tā tiào wàng zhe shān jiǎo xià de xiǎo zhèn ， liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī yóu yù zhī sè ， lüè yī chén yín ， jiù jǔ bù zǒu le guò qù 。
此时他眺望着山脚下的小镇，脸上闪过一丝犹豫之色，略一沉吟，就举步走了过去。
Generally speaking, cultivators were a different world from ordinary people even if they hadn't yet achieved immortality. However, this small town contradicted that notion entirely. The town wasn't large—only a few thousand inhabitants—and ninety percent were ordinary folk, while the remaining ten percent were all cultivators.
suī rán méi yǒu fēi xíng ， dàn shī zhǎn yù fēng zhī shù ， sù dù yī rán kuài dé lí pǔ 。
虽然没有飞行，但施展御风之术，速度依然快得离谱。
What was more astonishing was that these ordinary people showed no surprise when witnessing various wondrous Daoist techniques; it seemed they had become accustomed to them.
lái dào xiǎo zhèn wài wéi ， lín xuān qǔ chū yī kē yǐn líng dān fú xià ， hún shēn líng qì yī liǎn ， xiū wèi kàn qǐ lái zhǐ yǒu líng dòng zhōng qī zuǒ yòu ， rán hòu jǔ bù zǒu rù le xiǎo zhèn zhī zhōng 。
来到小镇外围，林轩取出一颗隐灵丹服下，浑身灵气一敛，修为看起来只有灵动中期左右，然后举步走入了小镇之中。
This would be incomprehensible in other places, but here everything felt perfectly natural, as if this was how things should be. Although he had already read about the town in the jade cylinder, Lin Xuan still couldn't help feeling a bit surprised.
yì bān shuō lái ， xiū dào zhī rén suī rán shàng wèi chéng xiān ， dàn yǔ shì sú ， què yě kě yǐ shuō shì liǎng gè shì jiè ， kě yǎn qián de xiǎo zhèn ， què jiāng cǐ lǐ lùn diān fù 。
一般说来，修道之人虽然尚未成仙，但与世俗，却也可以说是两个世界，可眼前的小镇，却将此理论颠覆。
Unlike other high-ranking sects that looked down on ordinary people like ants, Tianmu Sect's cultivation methods emphasized immersing oneself in the world to cleanse one’s soul and remove demonic obstructions. As such, their disciples had no prejudice against ordinary people; instead, they willingly integrated into society and even helped solve problems for them.
xiǎo zhèn bìng bù suàn dà ， rén kǒu bù guò shù qiān ， kě chú le bǎi fēn zhī jiǔ shí de fán rén ， lìng wài yì chéng jū rán quán shì xiū zhēn zhě 。
小镇并不算大，人口不过数千，可除了百分之九十的凡人，另外一成居然全是修真者。
While this was done primarily for their own cultivation, it also amounted to a form of benevolence.
ér qiě gèng lìng rén chà yì de shì ， jí shǐ kàn jiàn gè zhǒng xuán miào de dào shù ， nà xiē fán rén de liǎn shàng yě háo wú jīng yà zhī sè ， jiù xiàng shì xí yǐ wéi cháng le 。
而且更令人诧异的是，即使看见各种玄妙的道术，那些凡人的脸上也毫无惊讶之色，就像是习以为常了。
Initially, ordinary people were astounded by these "immortals" and kept their distance. However, over time, with thousands of years of gradual adaptation, they eventually became accustomed to it.
zhè fàng zài qí tā dì fāng ， xiǎn rán shì bù kě lǐ jiě de ， bù guò zài zhè lǐ ， yī qiè dōu xiǎn de shì nà me de lǐ suǒ dāng rán ， jiù fǎng fú běn yīng rú cǐ yī yàng 。
这放在其他地方，显然是不可理解的，不过在这里，一切都显得是那么的理所当然，就仿佛本应如此一样。
Some even moved into the foot of Mount Tianmu, either because they had received favors from the "immortals," or for other reasons.
suī rán zǎo jiù zài yù tǒng lǐ kàn guò jiè shào 。 bù guò lín xuān dì yǎn zhōng hái shì lù chū le yī sī jīng yà dì guāng máng 。
虽然早就在玉筒里看过介绍。不过林轩地眼中还是露出了一丝惊讶地光芒。
At first, there were only a few households, then gradually grew into a small village and finally expanded into this town.
yǔ bié dì xiū zhēn mén pài gāo gāo zài shàng 。 shì fán rén rú lóu yǐ bù tóng 。 zhè tiān mù pài dì gōng fǎ jiǎng jiū rù shì 。 yú gǔn gǔn hóng chén zhōng xǐ dí xīn líng dì chén āi 。 cóng ér qù chú mó zhàng 。 tí shēng xiū wèi dì jìng jiè 。
与别地修真门派高高在上。视凡人如蝼蚁不同。这天目派地功法讲究入世。于滚滚红尘中洗涤心灵地尘埃。从而去除魔障。提升修为地境界。
Tianmu Sect did not oppose such actions. With their protective array guarding the mountain entrance, ordinary people or even suspicious cultivators could not easily enter. Besides, before, only successful Foundation Establishment stage cultivators would venture out to remove heart demons.
gù ér 。 gāi pài dì dì zǐ 。 duì fán rén méi yǒu sī háo dì pái chì 。 fǎn ér zhǔ dòng róng rù qí zhōng 。 shèn zhì chū shǒu wèi tā men jiě jué yī xiē nán tí 。
故而。该派地弟子。对凡人没有丝毫地排斥。反而主动融入其中。甚至出手为他们解决一些难题。
Now that there was a town at the foot of the mountain, even disciples in the Flexible Spirit Period could integrate and test themselves against worldly temptations.
suī rán běn yì shì wèi le zì jǐ dì xiū xíng 。 dàn qí jié guǒ dào yě chéng le yī zhǒng jì shì 。
虽然本意是为了自己地修行。但其结果倒也成了一种济世。
The town wasn't large; Lin Xuan spent an hour walking through its streets. He then chose a small inn at the end of one street and entered it.
qǐ chū 。 duì yú zhè xiē huó shén xiān bān dì cún zài 。 fán rén men gù rán shì jīng chà bù yǐ 。 shèn zhì jìng ér yuǎn zhī 。 dàn suí zhe shí jiān dì tuī yí 。 shù qiān nián dì qián yí mò huà 。 dào yě xí yǐ wéi cháng le 。
起初。对于这些活神仙般地存在。凡人们固然是惊诧不已。甚至敬而远之。但随着时间地推移。数千年地潜移默化。倒也习以为常了。
Lin Xuan didn't plan to enter Mount Tianmu right away because, according to the information in the jade cylinder, while the sect treated ordinary people well, their attitude toward fellow cultivators from afar was quite different. Their isolation wasn’t just due to being in a remote location; they were also xenophobic and unwilling to interact with other sects.
shèn zhì yǒu yī xiē fán rén 。 huò zhě shì yīn wèi shòu guò “ xiān rén men ” dì ēn huì 。 huò zhě shì yīn wèi bié dì yī xiē yuán yīn 。 jìng rán jǔ jiā bàn dào dì tiān mù shān xià jū zhù 。
甚至有一些凡人。或者是因为受过“仙人们”地恩惠。或者是因为别地一些原因。竟然举家办到地天目山下居住。
For distant visitors—whether from the Daoist or Evil paths—they harbored an inexplicable hostility. The sect's self-imposed isolation was almost shocking.
qǐ chū ， jǐn yǒu sān wǔ hù ， suí hòu ， màn màn biàn chéng le yí gè xiǎo cūn luò ， zuì hòu 。 jìng rán yǒu le xiàn zài xiǎo zhèn de guī mó 。
起初，仅有三五户，随后，慢慢变成了一个小村落，最后。竟然有了现在小镇的规模。
For instance, Lingyao Mountain, which was open to both Daoists and Evils in Youzhou, was not welcome at Tianmu Sect. To reduce outside contact, they even spent a great deal of resources training two alchemists, though their skills were inferior to those of Lingyao Mountain.
duì yú fán rén cǐ jǔ ， tiān mù pài dào yě méi yǒu rèn hé pái chì ， fǎn zhèng yǒu hù pài dà zhèn hù zhù shān mén 。 bié shuō shì pǔ tōng de fán rén ， jiù suàn shì xīn huái bù guǐ de xiū xiān zhě ， yě xiū xiǎng qīng yì jìn rù shān mén 。
对于凡人此举，天目派倒也没有任何排斥，反正有护派大阵护住山门。别说是普通的凡人，就算是心怀不轨的修仙者，也休想轻易进入山门。
Seeing this, Lin Xuan couldn't help laughing; his original plan to use the identity of the young master of Lingyao Mountain to meet with Tianmu Sect had failed.
hé kuàng yǐ qián dōu shì zhù jī chéng gōng de xiū shì cái néng chū wài lì liàn ， qù chú xīn mó 。
何况以前都是筑基成功的修士才能出外历练，去除心魔。
What made him even more speechless was that Tianmu Sect had recently become stricter in their checks and controls on incoming cultivators.
rú jīn shān jiǎo xià jiù yǒu le zhè me yí gè xiǎo zhèn ， biàn shì líng dòng qī de dì zǐ yě kě yǐ róng rù qí zhōng ， jiē shòu shì sú yòu huò de kǎo yàn le 。
如今山脚下就有了这么一个小镇，便是灵动期的弟子也可以融入其中，接受世俗诱惑的考验了。
The reason for this was related to the current situation in Youzhou. Over the past decade, while the cultivation world appeared calm on the surface, there were hidden currents beneath.
xiǎo zhèn miàn jī bù dà 。 lín xuān jǐn jǐn huā le yí gè shí chén ， jiù jiāng jǐ tiáo jiē dào guàng le yī biàn 。
小镇面积不大。林轩仅仅花了一个时辰，就将几条街道逛了一遍。
It all started with Heavenly Demon King. Although the Heaven Dust Pill ended up splitting into two halves, neither side gained anything from it. However, the Extreme Evil King's actions had left the three major sects in a state of unease. This demon not only reached the middle-stage Immortal Core realm but also possessed the Second Soul—a divine power that defied nature.
rán hòu tiāo xuǎn le zhèn wěi yí gè bù qǐ yǎn de kè diàn ， zǒu le jìn qù 。
然后挑选了镇尾一个不起眼的客店，走了进去。
The three top elders were only at the early stage of Immortal Core, so even if they joined forces, it would merely form a balance with the Sovereign Demon King. Their strength was equal, and on the surface, mutual restraint seemed to be beneficial for peace. However, don't forget that for thousands of years, Daoist power had always been far greater than Evil power.
lín xuān bìng bù dǎ suàn xiàn zài jiù jìn tiān mù shān ， yīn wèi jù yù tǒng lǐ jì zǎi ， gāi pài suī rán duì shì sú fán rén bù cuò ， kě duì fāng yuán qiān lǐ zhī wài de tóng dào fǎn ér shì lìng wài yī fù zuǐ liǎn 。
林轩并不打算现在就进天目山，因为据玉筒里记载，该派虽然对世俗凡人不错，可对方圆千里之外的同道反而是另外一副嘴脸。
Thus, their resources were naturally several times more abundant. With the rise in Evil power, they weren't willing to accept this status quo. They made new demands on spirit veins and crystal mines.
tā men zhī suǒ yǐ fēng bì bìng bù jǐn jǐn shì yīn wèi piān jū yī ǒu ， hái yǒu yí gè yuán yīn shì chú le fù jìn de yī xiē xiǎo zōng mén yǔ jiā zú ， tā men bù yuàn yì yǔ qí tā dì xiū shì wǎng lái ， jiǎn dān de shuō jiù shì pái wài 。
他们之所以封闭并不仅仅是因为偏居一偶，还有一个原因是除了附近的一些小宗门与家族，他们不愿意与其他地修士往来，简单的说就是排外。
Moreover, the Extreme Evil Sovereign was an ambitious person by nature; who would willingly give up what they had? The three major sects of the Daoist path were not easily swayed either. Having ruled Youzhou for thousands of years, they wouldn't let go of their gains so easily.
duì yú yuǎn dào ér lái de xiū shì bù lùn zhèng dào 。 hái shì mó dào 。 zǒng shì bào yǒu yī zhǒng mò míng dì dí yì 。
对于远道而来的修士不论正道。还是魔道。总是抱有一种莫名地敌意。
The top Immortal Core cultivators from both sides had met privately several times, engaging in negotiations, threats, and displays of strength. In short, they had been at each other's throats.
gāi pài de gù bù zì fēng ， shèn zhì kě yǐ shuō shì dào le lìng rén jīng tàn de dì bù 。
该派的固步自封，甚至可以说是到了令人惊叹的地步。
But the talks always ended in deadlock. How easy was it for Daoist and Evil paths to reach an agreement?
bǐ rú shuō zài yōu zhōu 。 líng yào shān suàn shì zhèng mó liǎng dào jiē chī de kāi de mén pài ， kě wéi dú zài tiān mù shān bù dǐng yòng 。
比如说在幽州。灵药山算是正魔两道皆吃得开的门派，可唯独在天目山不顶用。
However, since neither side was fully prepared nor completely without mutual concerns, these talks could continue. But the surface calm couldn't hide the brewing storm; Youzhou seemed like a tightly strung string, ready to snap at any moment.
Of course, this wasn't anything out of the ordinary. After leaving the apothecary, Lin Xuan immediately went to another shop in the market district and purchased a jade cylinder.
The contents inside the jade cylinder detailed the major sects and clans of Youzhou, even including some information on famous wandering cultivators. Lin Xuan found the entry for Tianmu Sect and read through everything carefully.
After leaving the market district, he flew straight to Mount Tianmu without hesitation. Looking down at the small town at the foot of the mountain, a hint of indecision flashed across his face before he stepped forward.
Even though he wasn't flying, using Wind Control Technique allowed him to move incredibly fast. Upon arriving at the outskirts of the town, Lin Xuan took an Invisibility Pill and condensed his qi, making his cultivation level appear only around the middle stage of Flexible Spirit Period. Then, he walked into the town.
Generally speaking, cultivators were a different world from ordinary people even if they hadn't yet achieved immortality. However, this small town contradicted that notion entirely. The town wasn't large—only a few thousand inhabitants—and ninety percent were ordinary folk, while the remaining ten percent were all cultivators.
What was more astonishing was that these ordinary people showed no surprise when witnessing various wondrous Daoist techniques; it seemed they had become accustomed to them.
This would be incomprehensible in other places, but here everything felt perfectly natural, as if this was how things should be. Although he had already read about the town in the jade cylinder, Lin Xuan still couldn't help feeling a bit surprised.
Unlike other high-ranking sects that looked down on ordinary people like ants, Tianmu Sect's cultivation methods emphasized immersing oneself in the world to cleanse one’s soul and remove demonic obstructions. As such, their disciples had no prejudice against ordinary people; instead, they willingly integrated into society and even helped solve problems for them.
While this was done primarily for their own cultivation, it also amounted to a form of benevolence.
Initially, ordinary people were astounded by these "immortals" and kept their distance. However, over time, with thousands of years of gradual adaptation, they eventually became accustomed to it.
Some even moved into the foot of Mount Tianmu, either because they had received favors from the "immortals," or for other reasons.
At first, there were only a few households, then gradually grew into a small village and finally expanded into this town.
Tianmu Sect did not oppose such actions. With their protective array guarding the mountain entrance, ordinary people or even suspicious cultivators could not easily enter. Besides, before, only successful Foundation Establishment stage cultivators would venture out to remove heart demons.
Now that there was a town at the foot of the mountain, even disciples in the Flexible Spirit Period could integrate and test themselves against worldly temptations.
The town wasn't large; Lin Xuan spent an hour walking through its streets. He then chose a small inn at the end of one street and entered it.
Lin Xuan didn't plan to enter Mount Tianmu right away because, according to the information in the jade cylinder, while the sect treated ordinary people well, their attitude toward fellow cultivators from afar was quite different. Their isolation wasn’t just due to being in a remote location; they were also xenophobic and unwilling to interact with other sects.
For distant visitors—whether from the Daoist or Evil paths—they harbored an inexplicable hostility. The sect's self-imposed isolation was almost shocking.
For instance, Lingyao Mountain, which was open to both Daoists and Evils in Youzhou, was not welcome at Tianmu Sect. To reduce outside contact, they even spent a great deal of resources training two alchemists, though their skills were inferior to those of Lingyao Mountain.
Seeing this, Lin Xuan couldn't help laughing; his original plan to use the identity of the young master of Lingyao Mountain to meet with Tianmu Sect had failed.
What made him even more speechless was that Tianmu Sect had recently become stricter in their checks and controls on incoming cultivators.
The reason for this was related to the current situation in Youzhou. Over the past decade, while the cultivation world appeared calm on the surface, there were hidden currents beneath.
It all started with Heavenly Demon King. Although the Heaven Dust Pill ended up splitting into two halves, neither side gained anything from it. However, the Extreme Evil King's actions had left the three major sects in a state of unease. This demon not only reached the middle-stage Immortal Core realm but also possessed the Second Soul—a divine power that defied nature.
The three top elders were only at the early stage of Immortal Core, so even if they joined forces, it would merely form a balance with the Sovereign Demon King. Their strength was equal, and on the surface, mutual restraint seemed to be beneficial for peace. However, don't forget that for thousands of years, Daoist power had always been far greater than Evil power.
Thus, their resources were naturally several times more abundant. With the rise in Evil power, they weren't willing to accept this status quo. They made new demands on spirit veins and crystal mines.
Moreover, the Extreme Evil Sovereign was an ambitious person by nature; who would willingly give up what they had? The three major sects of the Daoist path were not easily swayed either. Having ruled Youzhou for thousands of years, they wouldn't let go of their gains so easily.
The top Immortal Core cultivators from both sides had met privately several times, engaging in negotiations, threats, and displays of strength. In short, they had been at each other's throats.
But the talks always ended in deadlock. How easy was it for Daoist and Evil paths to reach an agreement?
However, since neither side was fully prepared nor completely without mutual concerns, these talks could continue. But the surface calm couldn't hide the brewing storm; Youzhou seemed like a tightly strung string, ready to snap at any moment.