yí gè shí chén yǐ hòu ， lín xuān cái huí dào le zì jǐ de dòng fǔ 。
一个时辰以后，林轩才回到了自己的洞府。
An hour later, Lin Xuan returned to his cave dwelling.
xiǎng xiǎng gè mài xiū shì duì zì jǐ de tài dù ， lín xuān yáo le yáo tóu ， jīng cǐ yí mù ， rì hòu jiù suàn xiǎng yào dī diào yě bù kě néng le 。
想想各脉修士对自己的态度，林轩摇了摇头，经此一幕，日后就算想要低调也不可能了。
Thinking of the attitude the various sects had towards him, Lin Xuan shook his head. After this incident, he would no longer be able to remain低调 even if he wanted to in the future.
hǎo zài zhè zhǒng jié guǒ ， zài yǔ tiān xuán jiàn zūn dòng shǒu de qián yī kè ， lín xuān jiù duō shǎo liào dào le ， suǒ yǐ yě bìng bú shì hěn zài yì 。
好在这种结果，在与天璇剑尊动手的前一刻，林轩就多少料到了，所以也并不是很在意。
However, such a result was something he more or less anticipated before engaging in battle with the Sword Sovereign of Heavenly璇. Therefore, it wasn't something that bothered him much.
sú huà shuō ， yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé ， jì rán yào chū shǒu zhēng duó zǐ xīn dì huǒ ， dāng rán nán miǎn míng shēng zài wài de 。
俗话说，鱼与熊掌不可兼得，既然要出手争夺紫心地火，当然难免名声在外的。
The saying goes that one cannot have both fish and bear's paw; since he had to compete for Purple Heart Earth Fire, his reputation would naturally spread far and wide as a result.
hǎo zài yě méi shén me 。
好在也没什么。
Fortunately, this wasn't too bad.
bì jìng yǒu rén jìng wèi de gǎn jué yě bù cuò ， hé kuàng jiù lín xuān de qíng xíng lái shuō ， shì bù yòng dān xīn shù dà zhāo fēng de ， bì jìng tā de shí lì zài nà lǐ bǎi zhe ， shuí xiǎng yào luō hǔ xū ， dōu xū yào xiān diān liáng diān liáng zì jǐ 。
毕竟有人敬畏的感觉也不错，何况就林轩的情形来说，是不用担心树大招风的，毕竟他的实力在那里摆着，谁想要捋虎须，都需要先掂量掂量自己。
After all, there was also a certain satisfaction in being revered by others. Moreover, given Lin Xuan’s current situation, he didn’t have to worry about attracting attention due to his strength; after all, who would dare provoke a tiger without first assessing their own capabilities?
ér qiě zhè yī cì ， zì jǐ kě shì huò dé le mò dà de hǎo chù ， nà xiē dòng xuán qī xiū shì suī rán bù hǎo yì sī qīn zì qián lái bā jié zì jǐ ， dàn dōu pài xīn fù zi zhí ， wèi zì jǐ sòng shàng le hè lǐ 。
而且这一次，自己可是获得了莫大的好处，那些洞玄期修士虽然不好意思亲自前来巴结自己，但都派心腹子侄，为自己送上了贺礼。
Furthermore, this time around, he had gained significant benefits. Although the Core Formation cultivators were too embarrassed to come and curry favor with him personally, they sent their disciples as representatives to present him with gifts.
gè zhǒng tiān cái dì bǎo wú shù ， xiū xiān shuí yě bú huì xián qì zī yuán fēng fù ， zhè duì zì jǐ rì hòu de xiān tú ， huì yǒu fēi cháng dà de bāng zhù 。
各种天才地宝无数，修仙谁也不会嫌弃资源丰富，这对自己日后的仙途，会有非常大的帮助。
Countless treasures and earthly treasures poured in, and no one who practiced cultivation would turn down such resources. This would greatly assist his path towards immortality in the future.
huí dào dòng fǔ ， lín xuān méi yǒu xiē xī ， ér shì zì jǐ lái dào liàn fáng lǐ 。
回到洞府，林轩没有歇息，而是自己来到练房里。
Returning to his cave dwelling, Lin Xuan did not rest but instead went to his training room.
zhè sān tiān xiàng liǎng míng fèn shén qī xiū xiān zhě qǐng jiào xiū liàn xīn dé ， zhe shí shì huò yì liáng duō ， yǐ qián hěn duō kùn rǎo zì jǐ de nán tí dōu yíng rèn ér jiě le 。
这三天像两名分神期修仙者请教修炼心得，着实是获益良多，以前很多困扰自己的难题都迎刃而解了。
Over these three days, he had sought advice from two Spirit Formation cultivators on refining techniques, truly reaping a great deal of benefit. Many long-standing problems that had troubled him were now easily resolved.
tīng jūn yī xí huà ， shèng dú shí nián shū ， shàng gǔ xiān xián suǒ yán què shí méi cuò 。
听君一席话，胜读十年书，上古先贤所言确实没错。
One word is worth ten years of study; the ancient sages did not speak falsely.
yóu yú shí jiān jǐn pò ， lín xuān qǐng jiào wèn tí de shí hòu ， hěn duō dōu shì hú lún tūn zǎo de tí chū ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， zì rán yào —— yìn zhèng le 。
由于时间紧迫，林轩请教问题的时候，很多都是囫囵吞枣的提出，此时此刻，自然要——印证了。
Due to time constraints, Lin Xuan had hastily asked his questions during their sessions. Now was the time for verification.
wēn gù ér zhī xīn ， zhè yàng dào lǐ lín xuān xīn zhōng yǒu shù ， gāi yòng de shí hòu tā cóng lái dōu bú huì xiè dài de 。
温故而知新，这样道理林轩心中有数，该用的时候他从来都不会懈怠的。
Reviewing what he knew and gaining new insights—such was a principle that Lin Xuan understood well. He would never slack off when it mattered.
lín xuān yǐ jīng fēn fù běn mài de xiū xiān zhě ， zì jǐ chǔ lǐ mén xià de shì wù ， rú guǒ méi yǒu tè bié de shì qíng ， bù kě yǐ qián lái dǎ rǎo 。
林轩已经吩咐本脉的修仙者，自己处理门下的事物，如果没有特别的事情，不可以前来打扰。
Lin Xuan had already instructed his fellow sect members to handle matters in his absence, allowing them only to come if there were urgent matters.
duì yú fēng zhǔ de fēn fù ， nà xiē xiū shì bù yǐ wéi qí ， lín xuān ruò bú shì kǔ xiū zhě ， yòu zěn me kě néng jiāng tiān xuán jiàn zūn dōu zhǎn luò mǎ xià ne ？
对于峰主的吩咐，那些修士不以为奇，林轩若不是苦修者，又怎么可能将天璇剑尊都斩落马下呢？
The cultivators did not find this unusual; how could Lin Xuan, who wasn’t a hardworking practitioner, possibly defeat the Sword Sovereign of Heavenly璇?
xiàng tā zhè yàng de rén ， huì jīng cháng bì guān nà shì zài zhèng cháng bù guò 。
像他这样的人，会经常闭关那是再正常不过。
For someone like him, it was perfectly normal to retreat into seclusion for extended periods.
lín xuān huā le jìn shí nián de fū ， cái zhōng yú jiāng nà sān tiān jīng jiào de wèn tí ，—— yìn zhèng qīng chǔ ， tīng qǐ lái yǒu xiē lí pǔ ， rán ér duì bǐ tā suǒ de dào de hǎo chù ， zhè shí nián de xīn kǔ ， jiù gēn běn bù zhí yī tí le 。
林轩花了近十年的夫，才终于将那三天精教的问题，——印证清楚，听起来有些离谱，然而对比他所得到的好处，这十年的辛苦，就根本不值一提了。
After nearly ten years of effort, Lin Xuan finally clarified his doubts from those three days. It sounded rather absurd, but compared to the benefits he had gained, this decade of hard work was insignificant.
dāng rán ， lín xuān méi yǒu jìn jí ， bì jìng tā yǐ shì dòng xuán qī ， ruò shì shù shí zài jiù néng jiāng píng jǐng tū pò ， nà zhè chéng xiān zhī lù wèi miǎn yě tài róng yì le 。
当然，林轩没有晋级，毕竟他已是洞玄期，若是数十载就能将瓶颈突破，那这成仙之路未免也太容易了。
Of course, Lin Xuan did not advance in cultivation; after all, he was already at the Core Formation stage. If one could break through a bottleneck within decades, then the path to immortality would be too easy.
bù guò yǔ gāng bì guān shí xiāng bǐ ， jiě jué le xǔ duō yí nán de lín xuān ， shí lì yòu zēng zhǎng le xǔ duō 。
不过与刚闭关时相比，解决了许多疑难的林轩，实力又增长了许多。
However, compared to when he first entered seclusion, his strength had grown significantly due to solving many difficult problems.
cǐ shí lín xuān yī jiù méi yǒu chū guān de yì tú ， tā hái yǒu hěn duō shì qíng yào zuò 。
此时林轩依旧没有出关的意图，他还有很多事情要做。
Lin Xuan still had no intention of leaving his seclusion. He had much more work to do.
zhǐ jiàn lín xuān shēn chū shǒu lái ， zài yāo jiān qīng qīng yī pāi ， líng guāng yī shǎn ， yī jiàn bǎo wù chū xiàn zài le miàn jìng 。
只见林轩伸出手来，在腰间轻轻一拍，灵光一闪，一件宝物出现在了面静。
He stretched out his hand and gently tapped it against his waist. A flash of light appeared before him—a bright gemstone.
shì yī kē míng huǎng huǎng de bǎo zhū ， biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， sì hū yě méi yǒu shén me qí tè ， rán ér zhè què shì lín xuān mào zhe mò dà de fēng xiǎn ， zài zǐ xīn dì huǒ zhōng suǒ de ， jiū jìng huì shì shén me ne ？
是一颗明晃晃的宝珠，表面上看，似乎也没有什么奇特，然而这却是林轩冒着莫大的风险，在紫心地火中所得，究竟会是什么呢？
At first glance, there was nothing particularly special about this gemstone. However, Lin Xuan had risked a great deal to obtain it from the Purple Heart Earth Fire; what could it be?
yì zhí méi yǒu xián xiá yán jiū cǐ wù ， rú cǐ zhōng yú yǒu shí jiān ， lín xuān zhǔn bèi tàn xún yī xià xī de mì mì le 。
一直没有闲暇研究此物，如此终于有时间，林轩准备探寻一下牺的秘密了。
He had never had time to study this gemstone in detail until now, so he prepared to uncover its secrets.
lín xuān yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， yòng shí zhǐ yǔ mǔ zhǐ jiāng cǐ bǎo ná zhù 。
林轩右手抬起，用食指与拇指将此宝拿住。
Lin Xuan raised his right hand and used his thumb and index finger to grasp the gemstone. It was smooth and slightly warm to the touch, but Lin Xuan couldn’t determine what material it was made of from the sensation alone.
hěn guāng huá ， yǒu yì diǎn huǒ rè ， cóng chù gǎn shàng ， pàn duàn bù chū zhè shì shén me zhì dì de bǎo wù 。
很光滑，有一点火热，从触感上，判断不出这是什么质地的宝物。
He lowered his head and released his divine sense.
lín xuān dī xià tou lú ， jiāng shén shí fàng chū 。
林轩低下头颅，将神识放出。
However, he quickly frowned as there seemed to be no effect; this object had some kind of shielding mechanism that prevented him from probing its nature with his powerful divine sense.
rán ér hěn kuài ， tā jiù méi tou yí zhòu ， méi yǒu xiào guǒ ， zhè dōng xī ， yǒu píng bì de zuò yòng ， yǐ tā zú yǐ pì měi fēn shén qī xiū shì de qiáng dà shén shí ， yě wú tàn jiū 。
然而很快，他就眉头一皱，没有效果，这东西，有屏蔽的作用，以他足以媲美分神期修士的强大神识，也无探究。
"Ah!"
“ āi ！”
“唉！”
Lin Xuan sighed lightly. He didn’t look particularly disappointed on his face. After all, if such a simple gemstone could reveal so much information, it would have been strange.
lín xuān qīng qīng tàn le kǒu qì ， liǎn shàng dǎo shì méi yǒu duō shǎo yù mèn shī wàng zhī yì ， yào xiǎo de ， zhè dōng xī kě shì chū zì zǐ xīn dì huǒ ， rú guǒ zhè me qīng yì jiù néng gòu nòng qīng chǔ ， nà fǎn ér yǒu xiē qí guài le 。
林轩轻轻叹了口气，脸上倒是没有多少郁闷失望之意，要晓得，这东西可是出自紫心地火，如果这么轻易就能够弄清楚，那反而有些奇怪了。
In this world, there was no such thing as effortless gains; the more challenging something was, the greater its significance.
zhè shì jiè méi yǒu bù láo ér huò ， yuè shì jí shǒu ， yuè zhèng míng zhè bǎo wù fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。
这世界没有不劳而获，越是棘手，越证明这宝物非同小可。
If necessary, Lin Xuan believed he could figure out what it was with some effort.
dà bù liǎo duō fèi yī fān fū ， lín xuān bù xiāng xìn zì jǐ huì nòng bù qīng chǔ 。
大不了多费一番夫，林轩不相信自己会弄不清楚。
What about using his Spirit Eye Secret Technique?
shén shí méi yǒu xiào guǒ ， líng yǎn mì shù yòu rú hé ？
神识没有效果，灵眼秘术又如何？
Thoughts raced through his mind. A silver light began to emanate from his eyes, becoming increasingly glaring as all of his strength was directed towards his vision, fully utilizing the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Eyes.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， lín xuān yǎn zhōng yǐ shì yín máng dà qǐ le 。
脑海中念头转过，林轩眼中已是银芒大起了。
But there was no use!
nà yín máng kāi shǐ hái hǎo ， hòu lái yuè fā de cì mù ， zhè shì jiāng hún shēn de lì dōu yǐn dǎo xiàng shuāng mù ， jiāng tiān fèng shén mù shī zhǎn dào jí zhì de xiào guǒ 。
那银芒开始还好，后来越发的刺目，这是将浑身的力都引导像双目，将天凤神目施展到极致的效果。
The Heavenly Phoenix Divine Eyes, which could see through even a mountain wall, encountered difficulties here; everything before him remained blurry and indistinct.
kě méi yǒu yòng ！
可没有用！
Lin Xuan’s expression darkened slightly.
néng gòu jiāng shù shí zhàng shān bì yě kàn chuān de tiān fèng shén mù ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， què yù jiàn bō zhé ， yǎn qián hùn dùn yī piàn ， yī jiù kàn bù qīng chǔ 。
能够将数十丈山壁也看穿的天凤神目，此时此刻，却遇见波折，眼前混沌一片，依旧看不清楚。
Of course, he wouldn’t give up because of this minor setback. After a brief rest, he continued his attempts.
lín xuān de liǎn sè yǒu xiē nán kàn le 。
林轩的脸色有些难看了。
Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, several days had gone by.
dāng rán ， tā bú huì yīn wèi zhè diǎn xiǎo bō zhé jiù fàng qì ， lüè lüè xiē xī ， jiù jì xù cháng shì 。
当然，他不会因为这点小波折就放弃，略略歇息，就继续尝试。
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in his cave dwelling, completely at a loss as to what to do with that gemstone. Was he just going to sit here like a fool?
shí jiān màn màn liú shì ， yī huǎng yǎn jiù shì shù rì 。
时间慢慢流逝，一晃眼就是数日。
He tried every secret technique and method he could think of, even if it meant making minimal progress. However, the reality was that he gained no insights whatsoever.
lín xuān pán xī zuò zài dòng fǔ ， ná nà lì bǎo zhū yì diǎn dōu méi zhé ， nán dào zì jǐ jiù shǎ hū hū de yì zhí zhè yàng me ？
林轩盘膝坐在洞府，拿那粒宝珠一点都没辙，难道自己就傻乎乎的一直这样么？
Of course, Lin Xuan wasn’t completely out of tricks; there was one more method he hadn’t used yet.
gāi yòng de mì shù ， gāi yòng de shǒu duàn ， lín xuān dōu shì guò ， nǎ pà yǒu yì diǎn jìn zhǎn yě shì hǎo de ， rán ér xiàn shí de jié guǒ ， què shì fēn háo tóu xù yě wú 。
该用的秘术，该用的手段，林轩都试过，哪怕有一点进展也是好的，然而现实的结果，却是分毫头绪也无。
Breaking this gemstone to see what lay inside.
dāng rán ， yě bú shì shuō ， lín xuān jiù qián lǘ jì qióng le ， hái yǒu yī zhāo tā méi yǒu yòng 。
当然，也不是说，林轩就黔驴技穷了，还有一招他没有用。
However, doing so was too risky; Lin Xuan didn’t want to resort to it unless absolutely necessary. After all, if the secret was hidden within the gem itself, destroying it would be a pity.
jiù shì dǎ suì zhè lì bǎo zhū ， kàn lǐ miàn jiū jìng cáng yǒu hé wù 。
就是打碎这粒宝珠，看里面究竟藏有何物。
Should he wait and study this gemstone later?
bù guò zhè me zuò tài yǒu fēng xiǎn le ， bú dào wàn bù dé yǐ ， lín xuān shì bù yuàn yì 。
不过这么做太有风险了，不到万不得已，林轩是不愿意。
Lin Xuan had another choice, but how long that might take was anyone’s guess.
fǒu zé wàn yī mì mì shì zhū zi běn shēn ， huǐ qù qǐ bù shì tài kě xī 。
否则万一秘密是珠子本身，毁去岂不是太可惜。
He supported his head with his hand and pondered for a moment before finally becoming resolute in his gaze.
nán dào děng yǐ hòu zài yán jiū cǐ wù ？
难道等以后再研究此物？
Why waste time on such nonsense? Let fate decide. Lin Xuan flicked his palm, and a copper coin appeared in his palm—a treasure he had obtained from defeating an enemy, used for divination.
lín xuān hái yǒu zhè yàng yí gè jué zé ， bù guò nà jiù tiān zhī dào yào děng duō jiǔ le 。
林轩还有这样一个抉择，不过那就天知道要等多久了。
Divination was one of the hundred arts of cultivation, though it was considered somewhat obscure.
lín xuān yǐ shǒu zhī é ， sī suǒ le piàn kè ， zhōng yú ， tā de yǎn shén biàn dé jiān dìng qǐ lái le 。
林轩以手支额，思索了片刻，终于，他的眼神变得坚定起来了。
Few practiced this art, and Lin Xuan wasn’t among them; however, throwing a coin shouldn’t be too difficult.
hé bì hú sī luàn xiǎng nà me duō ， gān cuì jiù ràng lǎo tiān lái jué zé ， lín xuān shǒu zhǎng yī fān ， zhǎng xīn zhōng yǐ duō chū le yī méi tóng qián ， bù guò zhè kě bú shì shì sú zhī wù ， ér shì zì jǐ miè shā yī dí rén zhī hòu dé dào de zhàn lì pǐn ， yòng yú zhān bǔ de bǎo wù 。
何必胡思乱想那么多，干脆就让老天来抉择，林轩手掌一番，掌心中已多出了一枚铜钱，不过这可不是世俗之物，而是自己灭杀一敌人之后得到的战利品，用于占卜的宝物。
Lin Xuan closed his eyes and tossed the coin high. Soon, a clinking sound reached his ears. He opened his eyes to see that it had landed on its face.
zhān bǔ ， yě suàn shì xiū xiān bǎi yì zhī yī ， zhǐ bù guò shì bǐ jiào piān mén de nà zhǒng 。
占卜，也算是修仙百艺之一，只不过是比较偏门的那种。
This was fate’s choice for him. Lin Xuan no longer hesitated and cast a sword energy at the gemstone with his hand.
xiū xí de rén bù duō ， lín xuān yě bú huì ， bù guò jǐn jǐn shì rēng yī rēng tóng qián hái shì méi yǒu wèn tí de 。
修习的人不多，林轩也不会，不过仅仅是扔一扔铜钱还是没有问题的。
A "sizzle" sounded in his ears, but there was no effect; this object seemed harder than he expected.
lín xuān bì shàng yǎn móu ， jiāng cǐ wù gāo gāo pāo qǐ ， hěn kuài dīng dāng shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lín xuān zhēng kāi yǎn ， zhèng miàn ！
林轩闭上眼眸，将此物高高抛起，很快叮当声传入耳朵，林轩睁开眼，正面！
Since ordinary sword energy didn’t work, he decided to try his newly refined treasure.
zhè kě shì lǎo tiān yě tì zì jǐ xuǎn de ， lín xuān bù zài chí yí ， yáng shǒu jiù shì yī dào jiàn qì cóng nà zhū zi pī cì guò qù 。
这可是老天也替自己选的，林轩不再迟疑，扬手就是一道剑气从那珠子劈刺过去。
Thoughts raced through his mind as a streak of light emerged from his sleeve.
cī lā yī shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， què sī háo zuò yòng yě wú ， zhè dōng xī ， bǐ xiǎng xiàng de ， yào jiān yìng yī xiē 。
刺啦一声传入耳朵，却丝毫作用也无，这东西，比想象的，要坚硬一些。
Soon, the light spread out, and a fiery red divine sword appeared before him. It was like a clear stream, with a thin blade that seemed weightless.
pǔ tōng de jiàn qì méi yǒu xiào guǒ ， nà jiù shì yī shì zì jǐ xīn liàn zhì chū lái de bǎo wù rú hé 。
普通的剑气没有效果，那就试一试自己新炼制出来的宝物如何。
Lin Xuan raised his right hand, and a flash of red light passed by, silently slicing through the air towards the gemstone.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， yǐ yǒu yī dào liú guāng cóng yī xiù zhōng yú yóu ér chū 。
脑海中念头转过，已有一道流光从衣袖中鱼游而出。
"Zhi..."
hěn kuài guāng yùn liú zhuǎn ， cháo zhe liǎng páng mí sàn kāi ， yī bǐng huǒ hóng sè de xiān jiàn yìng rù yǎn lián 。
很快光晕流转，朝着两旁弥散开，一柄火红色的仙剑映入眼帘。
The sound of cloth tearing echoed in his ears, but there was no effect; a crack appeared at the center of the gemstone.
rú yī hóng qiū shuǐ ， jiàn rèn hěn báo ， qīng rú wú wù 。
如一泓秋水，剑刃很薄，轻如无物。
It split into two halves, revealing a small purple object.
lín xuān yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， zhǐ jiàn hóng máng shǎn guò ， nà xiān jiàn yǐ wú shēng wú xī de cháo qián miàn huá guò qù le 。
林轩右手抬起，只见红芒闪过，那仙剑已无声无息的朝前面划过去了。
Lin Xuan saw it clearly and his pupils suddenly narrowed. It was actually a drop of blood floating in mid-air.
“ chī ……”
“嗤……”
Indeed, it was blood, but purple in color with powerful spiritual energy emanating from within.
fǎng fú bù jǐn bèi sī pò ， nà shēng yīn qīng qīng de ， rán ér zài bǎo zhū de zhōng jiān ， què yǒu yī kān 】 hén chū xiàn 。
仿佛布锦被撕破，那声音轻轻的，然而在宝珠的中间，却有一勘】痕出现。
If he had obtained this treasure suddenly, Lin Xuan would have had to spend considerable time figuring out what the blood was. However, considering the stone carvings in the underground chamber, its identity was already obvious.
An hour later, Lin Xuan returned to his cave dwelling.
Thinking of the attitude the various sects had towards him, Lin Xuan shook his head. After this incident, he would no longer be able to remain低调 even if he wanted to in the future.
However, such a result was something he more or less anticipated before engaging in battle with the Sword Sovereign of Heavenly璇. Therefore, it wasn't something that bothered him much.
The saying goes that one cannot have both fish and bear's paw; since he had to compete for Purple Heart Earth Fire, his reputation would naturally spread far and wide as a result.
Fortunately, this wasn't too bad.
After all, there was also a certain satisfaction in being revered by others. Moreover, given Lin Xuan’s current situation, he didn’t have to worry about attracting attention due to his strength; after all, who would dare provoke a tiger without first assessing their own capabilities?
Furthermore, this time around, he had gained significant benefits. Although the Core Formation cultivators were too embarrassed to come and curry favor with him personally, they sent their disciples as representatives to present him with gifts.
Countless treasures and earthly treasures poured in, and no one who practiced cultivation would turn down such resources. This would greatly assist his path towards immortality in the future.
Returning to his cave dwelling, Lin Xuan did not rest but instead went to his training room.
Over these three days, he had sought advice from two Spirit Formation cultivators on refining techniques, truly reaping a great deal of benefit. Many long-standing problems that had troubled him were now easily resolved.
One word is worth ten years of study; the ancient sages did not speak falsely.
Due to time constraints, Lin Xuan had hastily asked his questions during their sessions. Now was the time for verification.
Reviewing what he knew and gaining new insights—such was a principle that Lin Xuan understood well. He would never slack off when it mattered.
Lin Xuan had already instructed his fellow sect members to handle matters in his absence, allowing them only to come if there were urgent matters.
The cultivators did not find this unusual; how could Lin Xuan, who wasn’t a hardworking practitioner, possibly defeat the Sword Sovereign of Heavenly璇?
For someone like him, it was perfectly normal to retreat into seclusion for extended periods.
After nearly ten years of effort, Lin Xuan finally clarified his doubts from those three days. It sounded rather absurd, but compared to the benefits he had gained, this decade of hard work was insignificant.
Of course, Lin Xuan did not advance in cultivation; after all, he was already at the Core Formation stage. If one could break through a bottleneck within decades, then the path to immortality would be too easy.
However, compared to when he first entered seclusion, his strength had grown significantly due to solving many difficult problems.
Lin Xuan still had no intention of leaving his seclusion. He had much more work to do.
He stretched out his hand and gently tapped it against his waist. A flash of light appeared before him—a bright gemstone.
At first glance, there was nothing particularly special about this gemstone. However, Lin Xuan had risked a great deal to obtain it from the Purple Heart Earth Fire; what could it be?
He had never had time to study this gemstone in detail until now, so he prepared to uncover its secrets.
Lin Xuan raised his right hand and used his thumb and index finger to grasp the gemstone. It was smooth and slightly warm to the touch, but Lin Xuan couldn’t determine what material it was made of from the sensation alone.
He lowered his head and released his divine sense.
However, he quickly frowned as there seemed to be no effect; this object had some kind of shielding mechanism that prevented him from probing its nature with his powerful divine sense.
"Ah!"
Lin Xuan sighed lightly. He didn’t look particularly disappointed on his face. After all, if such a simple gemstone could reveal so much information, it would have been strange.
In this world, there was no such thing as effortless gains; the more challenging something was, the greater its significance.
If necessary, Lin Xuan believed he could figure out what it was with some effort.
What about using his Spirit Eye Secret Technique?
Thoughts raced through his mind. A silver light began to emanate from his eyes, becoming increasingly glaring as all of his strength was directed towards his vision, fully utilizing the Heavenly Phoenix Divine Eyes.
But there was no use!
The Heavenly Phoenix Divine Eyes, which could see through even a mountain wall, encountered difficulties here; everything before him remained blurry and indistinct.
Lin Xuan’s expression darkened slightly.
Of course, he wouldn’t give up because of this minor setback. After a brief rest, he continued his attempts.
Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, several days had gone by.
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in his cave dwelling, completely at a loss as to what to do with that gemstone. Was he just going to sit here like a fool?
He tried every secret technique and method he could think of, even if it meant making minimal progress. However, the reality was that he gained no insights whatsoever.
Of course, Lin Xuan wasn’t completely out of tricks; there was one more method he hadn’t used yet.
Breaking this gemstone to see what lay inside.
However, doing so was too risky; Lin Xuan didn’t want to resort to it unless absolutely necessary. After all, if the secret was hidden within the gem itself, destroying it would be a pity.
Should he wait and study this gemstone later?
Lin Xuan had another choice, but how long that might take was anyone’s guess.
He supported his head with his hand and pondered for a moment before finally becoming resolute in his gaze.
Why waste time on such nonsense? Let fate decide. Lin Xuan flicked his palm, and a copper coin appeared in his palm—a treasure he had obtained from defeating an enemy, used for divination.
Divination was one of the hundred arts of cultivation, though it was considered somewhat obscure.
Few practiced this art, and Lin Xuan wasn’t among them; however, throwing a coin shouldn’t be too difficult.
Lin Xuan closed his eyes and tossed the coin high. Soon, a clinking sound reached his ears. He opened his eyes to see that it had landed on its face.
This was fate’s choice for him. Lin Xuan no longer hesitated and cast a sword energy at the gemstone with his hand.
A "sizzle" sounded in his ears, but there was no effect; this object seemed harder than he expected.
Since ordinary sword energy didn’t work, he decided to try his newly refined treasure.
Thoughts raced through his mind as a streak of light emerged from his sleeve.
Soon, the light spread out, and a fiery red divine sword appeared before him. It was like a clear stream, with a thin blade that seemed weightless.
Lin Xuan raised his right hand, and a flash of red light passed by, silently slicing through the air towards the gemstone.
"Zhi..."
The sound of cloth tearing echoed in his ears, but there was no effect; a crack appeared at the center of the gemstone.
It split into two halves, revealing a small purple object.
Lin Xuan saw it clearly and his pupils suddenly narrowed. It was actually a drop of blood floating in mid-air.
Indeed, it was blood, but purple in color with powerful spiritual energy emanating from within.
If he had obtained this treasure suddenly, Lin Xuan would have had to spend considerable time figuring out what the blood was. However, considering the stone carvings in the underground chamber, its identity was already obvious.