liǎng gè yuè hòu ， yī piàn cāng cuì yǎn yìng de shān fēng yìng rù le yǎn lián 。
两个月后，一片苍翠掩映的山峰映入了眼帘。
Two months later, a verdant mountain range came into view.
lián mián bù jué ， rú yī tiáo jù mǎng wān yán pú fú ， bù zhī dào yán shēn dào hé chù 。
连绵不绝，如一条巨蟒蜿蜒匍匐，不知道延伸到何处。
The continuous peaks stretched endlessly like a giant snake winding its way across the landscape, extending who knew where. Although the Naelong Realm had abundant spirit veins, the spiritual energy here was clearly more potent than in most places. The main sect hall of Cloud Concealment Sect was located right here.
suī rán nài lóng jiè líng mài zhòng duō ， dàn zhè lǐ de líng qì ， què míng xiǎn bǐ dà bù fèn dì fāng ， dōu yào gèng shèng yī chóu ， yún yǐn zōng zǒng duò ， jiù wèi yú cǐ chù 。
虽然鼐龙界灵脉众多，但这里的灵气，却明显比大部分地方，都要更胜一筹，云隐宗总舵，就位于此处。
It was tranquil and peaceful as a dazzling light appeared on the horizon.
níng jìng xiáng hé ， yī dào yào mù jīng hóng zài tiān biān chū xiàn le 。
宁静祥和，一道耀目惊虹在天边出现了。
The direction indicated that it was heading straight towards Cloud Concealment Sect. Lin Xuan had returned to his sect, so he had no intention of concealing his presence.
kàn qí fāng xiàng ， zhèng shì chōng yún yǐn zōng ér lái de ， lín xuān jì shì huí zōng ， dāng rán méi yǒu yǐn cáng xíng jì de yì tú 。
看其方向，正是冲云隐宗而来的，林轩既是回宗，当然没有隐藏行迹的意图。
Soon, the disciples patrolling the mountains spotted him.
hěn kuài ， jiù bèi xún shān de dì zǐ fā xiàn le 。
很快，就被巡山的弟子发现了。
Leading them was a man with a stern face and a rather capable demeanor. His gaze swept over Lin Xuan, and his expression changed immediately. Despite the hidden pressure emanating from the other party, their cultivation was formidable beyond measure, their realm unfathomable; it was absolutely not something he could provoke.
lǐng tóu de shì yí miàn róng kān hēi de nán zi ， pǒ wèi gàn liàn de yàng zi 。
领头的是一面容勘黑的男子，颇为干练的样子。
Although this was the main sect hall of his own sect, there was no need to be overly fearful. However, his face became extremely respectful: "May I ask your esteemed name? What business brings you here?"
mù guāng zài lín xuān shēn shàng sǎo guò ， biǎo qíng dùn shí biàn le ， duì fāng de wēi yā suī hán ér bù lù ， dàn yī shēn xiū wèi què fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， jìng jiè shēn bù kě cè ， jué bú shì zì jǐ néng gòu zhāo rě 。
目光在林轩身上扫过，表情顿时变了，对方的威压虽含而不露，但一身修为却非同小可，境界深不可测，绝不是自己能够招惹。
Lin Xuan slowed his ethereal light and stopped the dazzling light as well. With a wave of his sleeve, a green jade plaque flew out.
suī rán zhè lǐ shì běn mén zǒng duò ， dào yě bù yòng tài guò wèi jù ， dàn tā liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng ， hái shì biàn dé gōng jìng yǐ jí ：“ bù zhī qián bèi zūn xìng dà míng ， lái bì zōng yǒu hé yào shì 。”
虽然这里是本门总舵，倒也不用太过畏惧，但他脸上的表情，还是变得恭敬以极：“不知前辈尊姓大名，来敝宗有何要事。”
The man with the stern face hesitated before taking it, looking down at it with a sudden change in expression. He bowed deeply: "Pupil Yan has never met the Senior Ancestor; I did not know that the Senior Ancestor would grace us with your presence, so I failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me."
lín xuān dùn guāng yī huǎn ， yě jiāng jīng hóng gěi tíng le xià lái ， xiù páo yī fú ， yī kuài bì lǜ sè de yù pái fēi lüè ér chū 。
林轩遁光一缓，也将惊虹给停了下来，袖袍一拂，一块碧绿色的玉牌飞掠而出。
"You are a disciple of Peak Tower?"
nà hēi miàn xiū shì dāi dāi de jiē guò ， dī tóu yī kàn ， biǎo qíng sà rán dà biàn ， gōng shēn xíng lǐ ：“ tú bú jiàn guò shī zǔ ， bù zhī shī zǔ dà jià guāng lín cǐ chù ， yǒu shī yuǎn yíng ， hái wàng shī zǔ qiān wàn bú yào jiè yì de 。”
那黑面修士呆呆的接过，低头一看，表情飒然大变，躬身行礼：“徒不见过师祖，不知师祖大驾光临此处，有失远迎，还望师祖千万不要介意的。”
"Yes."
“ nǐ shì zhèn fēng dì zǐ ？”
“你是阵峰弟子？”
Lin Xuan nodded but said little more before his entire body emitted a brilliant light and flew off towards the distance.
“ bù cuò 。”
“不错。”
"Uncle Senior, could it be that the person we just saw was also our sect's Senior Ancestor? I've never seen him before," a red-robed maiden asked curiously behind him.
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， yě bù duō shuō ， suí hòu jiù hún shēn jīng máng yì qǐ ， cháo zhe yuǎn chù fēi lüè ér qù 。
林轩点了点头，也不多说，随后就浑身精芒一起，朝着远处飞掠而去。
"Girl, how long have you been in the sect? How many of our Senior Ancestors do you know? The esteemed senior before us is someone of great importance; he is the head of Golden Pillar Peak." The stern-faced man's murmured words entered her ears as his expression was filled with admiration.
“ shī shū ， nán dào gāng cái nà rén ， yě shì běn mén shī zǔ ， wǒ zěn me cóng lái méi yǒu jiàn guò ？” shēn hòu ， yī hóng yī shào nǚ yǒu diǎn hào qí de shuō 。
“师叔，难道刚才那人，也是本门师祖，我怎么从来没有见过？”身后，一红衣少女有点好奇的说。
"What! That person joined our sect just five years ago, defeating four peak experts single-handedly. He was personally recruited by the Supreme Elder and joined our sect," the maiden's face showed shock.
“ yā tou ， chēng rù mén cái duō jiǔ ， běn mén shī zǔ ， yòu rèn shí jǐ gè ， yǎn qián zhè wèi qián bèi ， kě zǒu liǎo bù qǐ de rén wù ， jīn dān fēng zhǔ 。” hēi liǎn xiū shì nán nán zì yǔ de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， liǎn shàng dài zhe jǐ fēn chóng mù 。
“丫头，称入门才多久，本门师祖，又认识几个，眼前这位前辈，可走了不起的人物，金丹峰主。”黑脸修士喃喃自语的声音传入耳朵，脸上带着几分崇慕。
That battle had made Lin Xuan famous far and wide; many people even whispered that his strength surpassed that of the Peak Master of Sword Heaven Peak, making him the real top-tier expert in the sect.
“ shén me ， nà wèi jiù shì wǔ nián qián cái jiā rù běn mén ， yǐ yī rén zhī lì ， qīng sōng dǎ bài sì fēng gāo shǒu ， yóu tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ， qīn zì chū miàn zhāo mù ， ràng tā jiā rù běn mén de lín xuān lín qián bèi biàn ？” shào nǚ de liǎn shàng mǎn shì jīng yà zhī sè 。
“什么，那位就是五年前才加入本门，以一人之力，轻松打败四峰高手，由太上长老，亲自出面招募，让他加入本门的林轩林前辈弁？”少女的脸上满是惊讶之色。
Although it was just a private discussion among some disciples, this could clearly show how popular he was for single-handedly challenging four peak experts within the sect. The impact was profound.
nà yī zhàn ， lín xuān kě shì shēng míng yuǎn bō ， hěn duō rén shèn zhì àn zì yì lùn ， shuō tā de shí lì ， yǐ jīng chāo guò le tiān jiàn fēng fēng zhǔ ， nǎi shì běn mén huò zhēn jià shí de dòng xuán qī dì yī gāo shǒu 。
那一战，林轩可是声名远播，很多人甚至暗自议论，说他的实力，已经超过了天剑峰峰主，乃是本门货真价实的洞玄期第一高手。
The other disciples looked excited as they surrounded the stern-faced man and began discussing.
suī rán zhǐ shì yī bù fèn dì zǐ sī xià lǐ de yì lùn ， dàn cóng zhè lǐ ， yě kě yǐ kàn chū lín xuān yǐ yī rén zhī lì ， dān tiāo sì fēng gāo shǒu ， zài mén nèi rén qì shí zú ， yǐng xiǎng shì fēi cháng shēn yuǎn de 。
虽然只是一部分弟子私下里的议论，但从这里，也可以看出林轩以一人之力，单挑四峰高手，在门内人气十足，影响是非常深远的。
Lin Xuan shook his head; although he had already flown far away, with such a strong divine sense, he naturally heard everything clearly. But Lin Xuan wasn't bothered by such trivial matters. Even among cultivators, sometimes one could be quite nosy, so there was no need to worry about it.
qí tā dì zǐ tīng le ， liǎn shàng yě lù chū xīng fèn zhī sè ， wéi zhe nà hēi liǎn xiū shì ， tǎo lùn qǐ lái le 。
其他弟子听了，脸上也露出兴奋之色，围着那黑脸修士，讨论起来了。
Soon, a towering and majestic mountain range came into view.
lín xuān yáo le yáo tóu ， tā suī rán yǐ jīng zǒu yuǎn ， dàn yǐ qí shén shí zhī qiáng ， zì rán shì tīng dé qīng qīng chǔ chǔ ， bù guò lín xuān zì rán bú huì zài yì shén me ， jiù suàn shì xiū xiān zhě ， yǒu shí hòu yě shì hěn bā guà de ， zhè yì diǎn bù zú wéi qí ， zì jǐ tóu hé bì zài yì 。
林轩摇了摇头，他虽然已经走远，但以其神识之强，自然是听得清清楚楚，不过林轩自然不会在意什么，就算是修仙者，有时候也是很八卦的，这一点不足为奇，自己头何必在意。
The height of the peak exceeded ten thousand feet; the mountain stretched towards the clouds.
hěn kuài ， yī gāo dà wēi é de shān fēng jiù yìng rù yǎn lián le 。
很快，一高大巍峨的山峰就映入眼帘了。
The spiritual energy here became even more concentrated.
gāo zú yǒu wàn zhàng yú ， nà shān fēng zhí yún xiāo lǐ 。
高足有万丈余，那山峰直云霄里。
At the foot of the mountain stood a building made of green stone. Although not luxurious, it was extremely solid. Five years had passed, but the scenery remained unchanged; he had returned to Golden Pillar Peak.
zhè lǐ de líng qì ， yě shì yuè fā de nóng yù 。
这里的灵气，也是越发的浓郁。
Lin Xuan's ethereal light did not stop as he changed direction and flew towards the peak, occasionally passing by cultivators. However, Lin Xuan's speed of flight was so fast that they couldn't see him clearly. Otherwise, they would have prostrated themselves in reverence.
shān jiǎo yǒu yī piàn qīng shí dā chéng de jiàn zhù ， suī bù huá lì ， dàn què jiān shí yǐ jí ， wǔ nián guò qù ， jǐng wù yī jiù ， zì jǐ yǐ chóng xīn huí dào le jīn dān fēng 。
山脚有一片青石搭成的建筑，虽不华丽，但却坚实以极，五年过去，景物依旧，自己已重新回到了金丹峰。
These formalities didn't bother Lin Xuan; on the contrary, he disliked such troubles, which is why he flew so quickly.
lín xuān dùn guāng bìng méi yǒu tíng xiē ， fāng xiàng yī gǎi ， cháo zhe shān dǐng fēi qù ， bù shí yǔ xiū shì cā jiān ér guò ， bù guò lín xuān de dùn guāng sù dù shí zài tài kuài le ， nà xiē rén ， gēn běn jiù kàn bù qīng chǔ ， fǒu zé ， fēi dà lǐ bài jiàn bù kě 。
林轩遁光并没有停歇，方向一改，朝着山顶飞去，不时与修士擦肩而过，不过林轩的遁光速度实在太快了，那些人，根本就看不清楚，否则，非大礼拜见不可。
Golden Pillar Peak was over ten thousand feet high. As he approached the middle of the mountain, a sudden explosion sound reached his ears. Lin Xuan frowned and slowed his ethereal light, stopping abruptly.
zhè xiē xū lǐ ， lín xuān bìng bù zài yì ， shèn zhì yǒu xiē tǎo yàn má fán ， suǒ yǐ cái fēi dé zhè me kuài 。
这些虚礼，林轩并不在意，甚至有些讨厌麻烦，所以才飞得这么快。
His gaze swept downwards, seeing a dazzling display of spiritual energy accompanied by continuous explosions.
jīn dān fēng gāo wàn zhàng yú ， zài jiē jìn shān yāo de shí hòu ， yī zhèn bào liè shēng tū rán chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lín xuān méi tou yí zhòu ， dùn guāng yī huǎn ， sà rán tíng le xià lái 。
金丹峰高万丈余，在接近山腰的时候，一阵爆裂声突然传入耳朵，林轩眉头一皱，遁光一缓，飒然停了下来。
Lin Xuan's experience was vast; from the waves of spiritual energy that came, he could sense how intense the battle was. Clearly, it wasn't just fellow sect members sparring; could there be an external enemy here?
mù guāng xiàng xià miàn sǎo guò ， zhǐ jiàn líng máng dà zuò ， yǔ zhī bàn suí de ， hái yǒu bào liè shēng lián mián bù jué 。
目光像下面扫过，只见灵芒大做，与之伴随的，还有爆裂声连绵不绝。
No, Lin Xuan shook his head. This was Cloud Concealment Sect’s main hall; if someone really wanted to provoke a tiger, wouldn’t other areas be in turmoil as well?
lín xuān jīng yàn hé děng fēng fù ， cóng chuán lái de yī zhèn zhèn líng bō ， jiù kě yǐ gǎn shòu dào dòu de jī liè chéng dù ， xiǎn rán ， zhè bú shì tóng mén dì zǐ qiē cuō ， nán dào jū rán yǒu wài dí lái dào cǐ chù ？
林轩经验何等丰富，从传来的一阵阵灵波，就可以感受到斗的激烈程度，显然，这不是同门弟子切磋，难道居然有外敌来到此处？
Lin Xuan's thoughts quickly turned to the only possibility.
bú duì ， lín xuān yáo le yáo tóu ， zhè lǐ kě shì yún yǐn zōng zǒng duò ， rú guǒ zhēn yǒu rén lái luō hǔ xū ， qí tā dì fāng zěn me kě néng shì yī pài fēng píng làng jìng dì 。
不对，林轩摇了摇头，这里可是云隐宗总舵，如果真有人来捋虎须，其他地方怎么可能是一派风平浪静地。
It wasn't an external enemy; it could only be disciples from one of the other peaks coming to challenge him.
lín xuān nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， hěn kuài jiù xiǎng dào wéi yī de kě néng le 。
林轩脑海中念头转过，很快就想到唯一的可能了。
Lin Xuan's expression darkened. He had been part of Cloud Concealment Sect for over a thousand years, though most of his time was spent in seclusion. How could he not know about the sect’s situation?
bú shì wài dí ， jiù zhǐ yǒu kě néng shì qí tā jǐ mài de dì zǐ qī shàng mén lái le 。
不是外敌，就只有可能是其他几脉的弟子欺上门来了。
Golden Pillars, divine artifacts, arrays, spirit beasts, and Sword Heaven Peak were all standing tall. Originally, each peak's master was a top-tier cultivator; usually, there would be more than ten or twenty at any given time.
lín xuān de liǎn sè ， dùn shí yīn bà xià qù le 。
林轩的脸色，顿时阴霸下去了。
Now, the other four peaks were indeed flourishing, but Golden Pillar Peak was in a dire situation, with no top-tier cultivators to uphold its facade. Of course, this referred to before he joined and took up his post as head of Golden Pillar Peak.
tā jiā rù yún yǐn zōng ， yǐ yǒu shù bǎi nián zhī jiǔ ， suī rán dà bù fèn shí jiān ， yì zhí dōu zài bì guān ， dàn duì yú běn mén de qíng kuàng ， qǐ huì bù qīng chǔ 。
他加入云隐宗，已有数百年之久，虽然大部分时间，一直都在闭关，但对于本门的情况，岂会不清楚。
A weakened lineage naturally faced exclusion; until Lin Xuan joined, the situation gradually improved.
jīn dān ， shén qì ， zhèn ， líng shòu ， hái yǒu tiān jiàn wǔ fēng dǐng lì ， gè yǒu suǒ cháng 。
金丹，神器，阵，灵兽，还有天剑五峰鼎立，各有所长。
But now...
yuán běn zhè wǔ fēng zhī zhǔ ， dōu shì dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ， tōng cháng lái shuō ， měi yī fēng de dòng xuán qī cún zài ， hái bú shì yí gè liǎng gè ， yǒu shí jǐ èr shí rén zhī duō nà shì hěn zhèng cháng de 。
原本这五峰之主，都是洞玄期修仙者，通常来说，每一峰的洞玄期存在，还不是一个两个，有十几二十人之多那是很正常的。
"Hmph, have those little clowns come out to show off after I left for five years?"
rú jīn qí tā sì fēng yě què shì rú cǐ ， fán shèng yǐ jí ， kě jīn dān fēng què piān piān chǔ yú qīng huáng bù jiē de jìng dì ， chēng mén miàn de dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ， yí gè yě wú ， dāng rán ， zhè shì zhǐ lín xuān jiā rù yǐ qián de qíng kuàng lái shuō 。
如今其他四峰也确是如此，繁盛以极，可金丹峰却偏偏处于青黄不接的境地，撑门面的洞玄期修仙者，一个也无，当然，这是指林轩加入以前的情况来说。
Lin Xuan's expression was icy. He was very protective. Although he had joined Golden Pillar Peak mainly for spiritual cultivation, how could he allow others to bully his disciples?
yī mài shuāi ruò ， mén xià zì rán miǎn bù liǎo shòu pái jǐ ， zhí dào lín xuān jiā rù ， chū rèn jīn dān fēng zhù ， zhè yàng de jú miàn ， cái zhú jiàn kāi shǐ gǎi guān le 。
一脉衰弱，门下自然免不了受排挤，直到林轩加入，出任金丹峰住，这样的局面，才逐渐开始改观了。
Lin Xuan wasn't so easygoing; he wouldn’t let anyone have the satisfaction of putting him in a difficult position.
rán ér xiàn zài ……
然而现在……
"Ah!"
“ hēng ， zì jǐ lí kāi zhè wǔ nián ， nà xiē tiào liáng xiǎo chǒu ， yòu chū lái bǎi xiǎn le me ？”
“哼，自己离开这五年，那些跳梁小丑，又出来摆显了么？”
Suddenly, a startled cry reached his ears. It sounded familiar, and Lin Xuan's expression changed as he shook his shoulder and vanished from sight, landing below.
lín xuān de biǎo qíng bīng lěng yǐ jí ， tā kě shì hěn hù duǎn dì ， suī rán jiā rù jīn dān fēng ， zhǔ yào shì wèi le yǒu yī líng dì xiū liàn ， dàn zì jǐ jì rán zuò le fēng zhǔ ， yòu zěn me néng yǔn xǔ nà xiē rén lái qī fù zì jǐ mén xià dì zǐ ne ？
林轩的表情冰冷以极，他可是很护短地，虽然加入金丹峰，主要是为了有一灵地修炼，但自己既然做了峰主，又怎么能允许那些人来欺负自己门下弟子呢？
Two groups of opposing cultivators came into view. Although their attire varied, they could be distinguished by the insignia on their collars and sleeves.
lín xuān kě méi yǒu nà me hǎo pí qì ， huì róng xǔ duì fāng lái dǎ liǎn 。
林轩可没有那么好脾气，会容许对方来打脸。
The group on the left were Golden Pillar Peak disciples. These people had lower cultivation levels; at this moment, two young men were supporting a man in his twenties or thirties who was tall and robust, dressed in layman's attire. He was the highest-ranking disciple of Golden Pillar Peak, an advanced-stage baby spirit.
“ a ！”
“啊！”
Lin Xuan knew his name: Chang Hu. It was he along with Jing Xu and Ye Ru who had rescued him back to Cloud Concealment Sect years ago.
tū rán yī shēng jīng hū chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lín xuān tīng qǐ lái yǒu xiē ěr shú ， suí hòu biǎo qíng yī biàn ， jiān tóu yī dǒu ， jiù cóng yuán dì xiāo shī bú jiàn ， luò zài le xià miàn 。
突然一声惊呼传入耳朵，林轩听起来有些耳熟，随后表情一变，肩头一抖，就从原地消失不见，落在了下面。
From this angle, they could be considered benefactors. Over these years, Lin Xuan had taken good care of them, which is why his cultivation had progressed so rapidly.
liǎng huǒ duì zhì de xiū shì yìng rù yǎn lián 。
两伙对峙的修士映入眼帘。
However, at this moment, Chang Hu's face was pale, and there was a streak of bright red blood on the corner of his mouth; clearly, he had suffered severe injuries.
fú shì suī rán gè yì ， dàn kàn lǐng kǒu yī xiù de biāo shí ， hái shì kě yǐ fēn biàn tā men shēn fèn dì 。
服饰虽然各异，但看领口衣袖的标识，还是可以分辨他们身份地。
"Brother Mou, what happened? How are your injuries? Are you alright?"
zuǒ biān de yī huǒ ， zhèng shì jīn dān fēng xiū shì 。
左边的一伙，正是金丹峰修士。
Beside him, a young woman in her twenties looked anxious. Her features were delicate, though not an absolute beauty, but her large, black eyes sparkled with gratitude as she asked, "How can I repay the deep friendship of all our fellow cultivators? Today is my thirtieth birthday; at thirty, one should have hope for their wishes to come true. Today's votes have already surpassed records; could you help me reach two hundred?"
zhè xiē rén xiū wèi jiào dī ， cǐ shí ， zhèng yóu liǎng míng shào nián ， fú zhe yī èr shí qī bā suì de xiū shì ， cǐ tài shēn cái gāo dà kuí wú ， zuò sú jiā dǎ bàn ， xiū wèi nǎi shì jīn dān fēng dì zǐ zhōng zuì gāo de yí gè ， yuán yīng hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě 。
这些人修为较低，此时，正由两名少年，扶着一二十七八岁的修士，此太身材高大魁梧，做俗家打扮，修为乃是金丹峰弟子中最高的一个，元婴后期的修仙者。
She would continue asking for more votes, hoping that her requests would be fulfilled.
Two months later, a verdant mountain range came into view.
The continuous peaks stretched endlessly like a giant snake winding its way across the landscape, extending who knew where. Although the Naelong Realm had abundant spirit veins, the spiritual energy here was clearly more potent than in most places. The main sect hall of Cloud Concealment Sect was located right here.
It was tranquil and peaceful as a dazzling light appeared on the horizon.
The direction indicated that it was heading straight towards Cloud Concealment Sect. Lin Xuan had returned to his sect, so he had no intention of concealing his presence.
Soon, the disciples patrolling the mountains spotted him.
Leading them was a man with a stern face and a rather capable demeanor. His gaze swept over Lin Xuan, and his expression changed immediately. Despite the hidden pressure emanating from the other party, their cultivation was formidable beyond measure, their realm unfathomable; it was absolutely not something he could provoke.
Although this was the main sect hall of his own sect, there was no need to be overly fearful. However, his face became extremely respectful: "May I ask your esteemed name? What business brings you here?"
Lin Xuan slowed his ethereal light and stopped the dazzling light as well. With a wave of his sleeve, a green jade plaque flew out.
The man with the stern face hesitated before taking it, looking down at it with a sudden change in expression. He bowed deeply: "Pupil Yan has never met the Senior Ancestor; I did not know that the Senior Ancestor would grace us with your presence, so I failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me."
"You are a disciple of Peak Tower?"
"Yes."
Lin Xuan nodded but said little more before his entire body emitted a brilliant light and flew off towards the distance.
"Uncle Senior, could it be that the person we just saw was also our sect's Senior Ancestor? I've never seen him before," a red-robed maiden asked curiously behind him.
"Girl, how long have you been in the sect? How many of our Senior Ancestors do you know? The esteemed senior before us is someone of great importance; he is the head of Golden Pillar Peak." The stern-faced man's murmured words entered her ears as his expression was filled with admiration.
"What! That person joined our sect just five years ago, defeating four peak experts single-handedly. He was personally recruited by the Supreme Elder and joined our sect," the maiden's face showed shock.
That battle had made Lin Xuan famous far and wide; many people even whispered that his strength surpassed that of the Peak Master of Sword Heaven Peak, making him the real top-tier expert in the sect.
Although it was just a private discussion among some disciples, this could clearly show how popular he was for single-handedly challenging four peak experts within the sect. The impact was profound.
The other disciples looked excited as they surrounded the stern-faced man and began discussing.
Lin Xuan shook his head; although he had already flown far away, with such a strong divine sense, he naturally heard everything clearly. But Lin Xuan wasn't bothered by such trivial matters. Even among cultivators, sometimes one could be quite nosy, so there was no need to worry about it.
Soon, a towering and majestic mountain range came into view.
The height of the peak exceeded ten thousand feet; the mountain stretched towards the clouds.
The spiritual energy here became even more concentrated.
At the foot of the mountain stood a building made of green stone. Although not luxurious, it was extremely solid. Five years had passed, but the scenery remained unchanged; he had returned to Golden Pillar Peak.
Lin Xuan's ethereal light did not stop as he changed direction and flew towards the peak, occasionally passing by cultivators. However, Lin Xuan's speed of flight was so fast that they couldn't see him clearly. Otherwise, they would have prostrated themselves in reverence.
These formalities didn't bother Lin Xuan; on the contrary, he disliked such troubles, which is why he flew so quickly.
Golden Pillar Peak was over ten thousand feet high. As he approached the middle of the mountain, a sudden explosion sound reached his ears. Lin Xuan frowned and slowed his ethereal light, stopping abruptly.
His gaze swept downwards, seeing a dazzling display of spiritual energy accompanied by continuous explosions.
Lin Xuan's experience was vast; from the waves of spiritual energy that came, he could sense how intense the battle was. Clearly, it wasn't just fellow sect members sparring; could there be an external enemy here?
No, Lin Xuan shook his head. This was Cloud Concealment Sect’s main hall; if someone really wanted to provoke a tiger, wouldn’t other areas be in turmoil as well?
Lin Xuan's thoughts quickly turned to the only possibility.
It wasn't an external enemy; it could only be disciples from one of the other peaks coming to challenge him.
Lin Xuan's expression darkened. He had been part of Cloud Concealment Sect for over a thousand years, though most of his time was spent in seclusion. How could he not know about the sect’s situation?
Golden Pillars, divine artifacts, arrays, spirit beasts, and Sword Heaven Peak were all standing tall. Originally, each peak's master was a top-tier cultivator; usually, there would be more than ten or twenty at any given time.
Now, the other four peaks were indeed flourishing, but Golden Pillar Peak was in a dire situation, with no top-tier cultivators to uphold its facade. Of course, this referred to before he joined and took up his post as head of Golden Pillar Peak.
A weakened lineage naturally faced exclusion; until Lin Xuan joined, the situation gradually improved.
But now...
"Hmph, have those little clowns come out to show off after I left for five years?"
Lin Xuan's expression was icy. He was very protective. Although he had joined Golden Pillar Peak mainly for spiritual cultivation, how could he allow others to bully his disciples?
Lin Xuan wasn't so easygoing; he wouldn’t let anyone have the satisfaction of putting him in a difficult position.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a startled cry reached his ears. It sounded familiar, and Lin Xuan's expression changed as he shook his shoulder and vanished from sight, landing below.
Two groups of opposing cultivators came into view. Although their attire varied, they could be distinguished by the insignia on their collars and sleeves.
The group on the left were Golden Pillar Peak disciples. These people had lower cultivation levels; at this moment, two young men were supporting a man in his twenties or thirties who was tall and robust, dressed in layman's attire. He was the highest-ranking disciple of Golden Pillar Peak, an advanced-stage baby spirit.
Lin Xuan knew his name: Chang Hu. It was he along with Jing Xu and Ye Ru who had rescued him back to Cloud Concealment Sect years ago.
From this angle, they could be considered benefactors. Over these years, Lin Xuan had taken good care of them, which is why his cultivation had progressed so rapidly.
However, at this moment, Chang Hu's face was pale, and there was a streak of bright red blood on the corner of his mouth; clearly, he had suffered severe injuries.
"Brother Mou, what happened? How are your injuries? Are you alright?"
Beside him, a young woman in her twenties looked anxious. Her features were delicate, though not an absolute beauty, but her large, black eyes sparkled with gratitude as she asked, "How can I repay the deep friendship of all our fellow cultivators? Today is my thirtieth birthday; at thirty, one should have hope for their wishes to come true. Today's votes have already surpassed records; could you help me reach two hundred?"
She would continue asking for more votes, hoping that her requests would be fulfilled.