shān yǔ yù lái fēng mǎn lóu ， zhǒng zhǒng chuán wén luò rù lín xuān de ěr zhōng ， zhè mó jiè kǒng pà hěn kuài jiù yào dà luàn le 。い suí ┆ mèng ┆ xiǎo ┆ shuō ,.com
山雨欲来风满楼，种种传闻落入林轩的耳中，这魔界恐怕很快就要大乱了。い随┆夢┆小┆說,.com
A storm was brewing, and various rumors had reached Lin Xuan's ears. The Demonic Realm would likely soon be in chaos.
bù guò lín xuān bìng zài hū ， fǎn zhèng zì jǐ gū jiā guǎ rén yí gè ， mó jiè jiù suàn xiān qǐ xuè yǔ xīng fēng yě yǔ tā sī háo guān xì méi yǒu 。
不过林轩并在乎，反正自己孤家寡人一个，魔界就算掀起血雨腥风也与他丝毫关系没有。
But Lin Xuan didn't care. He was alone, after all; even if the Demonic Realm erupted into a bloodbath, it wouldn't affect him at all.
suī rán yǔ dù jié qī de dà néng xiāng bǐ ， zì jǐ yuǎn yuǎn bù rú ， dàn yě bú shì dāng nián rèn rén zǎi gē de xiǎo xiū xiān zhě ， yǐ tā rú jīn de xiū wèi yǔ shén tōng ， zài jiā shàng yín chì shī wáng xiàng zhù ， lín xuān xiāng xìn ， bù lùn yù shàng shén me wēi xiǎn tā dōu zú yǐ yìng fù 。
虽然与渡劫期的大能相比，自己远远不如，但也不是当年任人宰割的小修仙者，以他如今的修为与神通，再加上银翅尸王相助，林轩相信，不论遇上什么危险他都足以应付。
Though he wasn't as powerful as those who could traverse the heavens and earth, he certainly wasn't the weakling he once was. With his current cultivation and abilities, plus the aid of the Silver-winged Corpse King, Lin Xuan believed he could handle any danger that came his way.
hé kuàng tā zuò wèi xiū xiān zhě ， gǔ mó jiān de ēn ēn yuàn yuàn běn lái yě méi yǒu bì yào qián qù chān huo 。
何况他做为修仙者，古魔间的恩恩怨怨本来也没有必要前去掺和。
Besides, as a cultivator, he had no need to get involved in the ancient demons' grudges and grievances.
dāng wù zhī jí ， lín xuān bù guò shì xiǎng yào xún zhǎo yī hé shì de xiū liàn zhī suǒ 。
当务之急，林轩不过是想要寻找一合适的修炼之所。
The immediate concern for Lin Xuan was simply finding a suitable place to cultivate.
dāng rán ， yào jǐn liàng yuǎn lí gū hún shā mò 。
当然，要尽量远离孤魂沙漠。
Of course, he wanted to stay away from the Solitary Soul Desert.
ér zhè bìng bù suàn shén me nán tí ！
而这并不算什么难题！
And this wasn't much of a problem!
bù tóng yú líng jiè shì yóu shù bǎi gè xiǎo jiè miàn zǔ chéng ， mó jiè kě shì wán zhěng de ， miàn jī nà jiào yí gè guǎng bó ， hěn nán yòng yán yǔ miáo shù 。
不同于灵界是由数百个小界面组成，魔界可是完整的，面积那叫一个广博，很难用言语描述。
Unlike the Spirit Realm, which consisted of hundreds of small interfaces, the Demonic Realm was complete. Its vastness was beyond description.
jiū jìng yǒu duō dà lián zhēn mó shǐ zǔ dōu nòng bù qīng chǔ ， gù ér xiǎng yào zài shàng miàn xún zhǎo yī qīng jìng xiū liàn zhī dì bìng bù suàn nán shì 。
究竟有多大连真魔始祖都弄不清楚，故而想要在上面寻找一清静修炼之地并不算难事。
No one knew exactly how large it was, even the Primordial True Demon. Thus, finding a quiet place to cultivate wouldn't be difficult.
yí gè yuè hòu ， yī dào dùn guāng chū xiàn zài le tiān hè zhōu 。
一个月后，一道遁光出现在了天鹤州。
A month later, a streak of light appeared in the Tianhe Region.
mó jiè yǒu duō dà ， gù rán shuí yě bù qīng chǔ ， rán ér rú jīn suǒ tàn míng de dì tú ， zé bèi fēn wéi le sān bǎi bā shí yí gè zhōu fǔ 。
魔界有多大，固然谁也不清楚，然而如今所探明的地图，则被分为了三百八十一个州府。
Though no one knew just how vast the Demonic Realm was, its known map had been divided into 381 states and prefectures. The region where Lin Xuan first appeared belonged to the Wild Bull State, which included the Solitary Soul Desert.
bǐ rú shuō ， lín xuān zuì xiān chū xiàn zài de mó jiè dì yù ， bāo kuò gū hún shā mò ， dōu shǔ yú yě niú zhōu 。
比如说，林轩最先出现在的魔界地域，包括孤魂沙漠，都属于野牛州。
These 381 states and prefectures were vast in their own right—some as expansive as the Eastern Sea cultivation realm, while others could rival the Nael Dragon Realm.
zhè sān bǎi bā shí yí gè zhōu fǔ ， miàn jī nà yě shì jí wéi guǎng bó ， xiǎo de yǔ dōng hǎi xiū xiān jiè xiāng chà fǎng fú ， dà de shèn zhì néng gòu yǔ nài lóng jiè bǐ jiān le 。
这三百八十一个州府，面积那也是极为广博，小的与东海修仙界相差仿佛，大的甚至能够与鼐龙界比肩了。
The Wild Bull State was relatively small, but the Solitary Soul Desert bordered Tianhe Region. Otherwise, it would have taken Lin Xuan more than a few months to cross an entire state and prefecture even if he flew at full speed.
yě niú zhōu suàn xiǎo de ， gū hún shā mò qià hǎo yòu wèi yú tóng tiān hè zhōu jiē rǎng zhī chù ， fǒu zé qū qū shù yuè de shí jiān ér yǐ ， lín xuān jiù suàn shì quán lì fēi xíng ， yě bù kě néng héng chuān yí gè zhōu fǔ 。
野牛州算小的，孤魂沙漠恰好又位于同天鹤州接壤之处，否则区区数月的时间而已，林轩就算是全力飞行，也不可能横穿一个州府。
Lin Xuan chose this place for a reason after careful consideration. Compared to other states and prefectures, Tianhe had the most and most prosperous cultivators of spirit energy.
lín xuān zhī suǒ yǐ xuǎn zhōng cǐ chù ， bìng fēi wú dì fàng shǐ ， ér shì jīng guò yī fān zǐ xì kǎo liáng dé lái dì 。
林轩之所以选中此处，并非无的放矢，而是经过一番仔细考量得来地。
The term "cultivator of spirit energy" might sound unfamiliar or vague to ordinary cultivators, but Lin Xuan had read extensively about it before arriving in the Demonic Realm. He understood its significance well.
yǔ qí tā zhōu fǔ xiāng bǐ ， tiān hè zhōu de xiū líng zhě nà shì zuì duō zuì fán shèng dì 。
与其他州府相比，天鹤州的修灵者那是最多最繁盛地。
Just as there were many demonic cultivators who imitated ancient demons' abilities to create their own cultivation techniques, some ancient demons mimicked the powerful abilities of human cultivators to form their own.
suǒ wèi de xiū líng zhě ， yì bān xiū shì tīng jiàn zhè ge chēng hū ， yǒu diǎn mò shēng ， yǒu diǎn mó hú ， rán ér lín xuān dào mó jiè qián ， zhuān mén yuè dú guò xǔ duō yǔ cǐ yǒu guān de diǎn jí ， gù ér dǎo shì liǎo jiě dé shí fēn qīng chǔ 。
所谓的修灵者，一般修士听见这个称呼，有点陌生，有点模糊，然而林轩到魔界前，专门阅读过许多与此有关的典籍，故而倒是了解得十分清楚。
It seemed strange at first glance, but upon reflection, it made sense. Why should humans be able to learn from ancient demons while ancient demons couldn't borrow anything from them?
jiù rú tóng rén lèi xiū shì zhōng yǒu dà liàng de xiū mó zhě ， tā men suǒ xiū liàn de mó gōng ， yǒu hěn dà yī bù fèn shì mó fǎng gǔ mó de shén tōng ， chuàng lì chū lái de 。
就如同人类修士中有大量的修魔者，他们所修炼的魔功，有很大一部分是模仿古魔的神通，创立出来的。
...
tóng yàng de dào lǐ ， gǔ mó zhī zhōng de xiū líng zhě ， zé shì mó fǎng rén zú yī xiē dà néng cún zài de shén tōng ， suǒ chuàng lì chū lái de 。
同样的道理，古魔之中的修灵者，则是模仿人族一些大能存在的神通，所创立出来的。
These two concepts weren't contradictory.
tīng shàng qù yǒu xiē bù kě sī yì ， dàn zǐ xì xiǎng xiǎng què méi yǒu shén me xī qí ， suǒ wèi qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn ， hù xiāng jiè jiàn ， píng shén me rén zú xiū shì néng gòu jiè jiàn ， xiū liàn gǔ mó de gōng fǎ ， jiù bù néng fǎn guò lái ， gǔ mó duì rén zú de xuán miào mì shù ， zuò yī xiē jiè jiàn mó fǎng ne ？
听上去有些不可思议，但仔细想想却没有什么稀奇，所谓取长补短，互相借鉴，凭什么人族修士能够借鉴，修炼古魔的功法，就不能反过来，古魔对人族的玄妙秘术，做一些借鉴模仿呢？
With so many spirit energy cultivators in Tianhe State, the state's spiritual veins were far more abundant and of higher quality than those in other regions.
zhè liǎng zhě zhī jiān ， běn lái shì bìng bù máo dùn de 。
这两者之间，本来是并不矛盾的。
Thus, Lin Xuan chose this place as his base. He hoped to find a suitable place for cultivation here and continue meditating in seclusion. He didn't want to get involved in any ancient demons' grudges or grievances; he just wanted the next 156 years to pass smoothly. If everything went well, he could advance to the Spirit Formation Stage.
tiān hè zhōu yǒu zhe dà liàng de xiū líng zhě ， yì wèi zhe ， gāi zhōu fǔ de líng mài bù lùn shù liàng hái shì zhì liàng ， yě yuǎn bǐ yì bān de zhōu fǔ duō 。
天鹤州有着大量的修灵者，意味着，该州府的灵脉不论数量还是质量，也远比一般的州府多。
Of course, this goal was slightly ambitious, but if one didn't try, how could they know it wasn't achievable?
gù ér lín xuān cái xuǎn zé zhè lǐ zuò wèi zì jǐ de luò jiǎo zhī chù 。
故而林轩才选择这里做为自己的落脚之处。
He already had a spirit formation pill, and it was of high quality. He also had plenty of pills for increasing his cultivation at the Profound Understanding Stage, which would be sufficient to help him advance. In short, everything was in place except for finding an appropriate place to cultivate.
tā xī wàng zài zhè lǐ xún zhǎo yī hé shì de xiū liàn zhī suǒ ， jì xù bì guān dǎ zuò ， gǔ mó jiān yǒu shén me ēn yuàn yǔ wò chuò tā bìng bù xiǎng juǎn rù ， zhǐ xī wàng zhè shèng xià de yì bǎi wǔ liù shí nián néng gòu píng ān dù guò ， ruò shì néng gòu yī qiè shùn lì ， zuì hòu jìn jiē dào fēn shén qī ， nà jiù tài wán měi le 。
他希望在这里寻找一合适的修炼之所，继续闭关打坐，古魔间有什么恩怨与龌龊他并不想卷入，只希望这剩下的一百五六十年能够平安度过，若是能够一切顺利，最后进阶到分神期，那就太完美了。
...
dāng rán ， zhè ge mù biāo ， píng xīn ér yán ， shāo wēi gāo le nà me yì diǎn ， dàn ruò bù nǔ lì ， shuí yòu zhī dào jiù yí dìng bàn bú dào ne ？
当然，这个目标，平心而言，稍微高了那么一点，但若不努力，谁又知道就一定办不到呢？
Two more months passed.
fēn shén dān zì jǐ yǐ jīng yǒu le ， ér qiě hái shì shàng pǐn zhī wù ， dòng xuán qī zēng zhǎng xiū wèi de dān yào lín xuān chǔ bèi tóng yàng hěn duō ， zú gòu tā shēng jí zhī yòng ， huàn jù huà shuō ， wàn shì jù bèi ， zhǐ qiàn dōng fēng ， lín xuān rú jīn suǒ huò quē de ， jiù zhǐ yǒu yī hé shì de xiū liàn zhī suǒ 。
分神丹自己已经有了，而且还是上品之物，洞玄期增长修为的丹药林轩储备同样很多，足够他升级之用，换句话说，万事俱备，只欠东风，林轩如今所或缺的，就只有一合适的修炼之所。
Although Tianhe Region was vast, Lin Xuan had already explored a significant portion of it over this time. However, he still hadn't found a suitable place to cultivate.
……
……
This wasn't surprising.
yī huǎng yǎn ， yòu guò qù le liǎng yuè de gōng fu 。
一晃眼，又过去了两月的功夫。
Reflecting on his experiences over the past two months, Lin Xuan couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
suī rán tiān hè zhōu miàn jī guǎng bó ， dàn zhè me zhǎng de shí jiān ， yǐ zú gòu lín xuān guàng shàng hěn dà yī piàn dì yù 。
虽然天鹤州面积广博，但这么长的时间，已足够林轩逛上很大一片地域。
In essence, his current strength was formidable; ordinary spiritual veins were beneath him, and even decent ones had owners. Thus, he kept wandering without finding anything worth pursuing.
rán ér tā yī jiù méi yǒu zhǎo dào hé shì de xiū liàn zhī suǒ 。
然而他依旧没有找到合适的修炼之所。
It seemed he needed a different approach.
qí shí ， zhè yě shì nán guài de 。
其实，这也是难怪的。
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in the demon boat, his voice barely audible as he spoke to himself.
yī xiǎng xiǎng zì jǐ zhè liǎng yuè lái de jīng lì ， lín xuān xīn zhōng jiù kǔ xiào bù yǐ 。
一想想自己这两月来的经历，林轩心中就苦笑不已。
As the saying goes, one cannot have both fish and bear's paw. Finding a spiritual vein with ample spirit energy, a hidden location, and no owner was practically impossible.
guī gēn jié dǐ ， hái shì tā rú jīn de shí lì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， yì bān de líng mài ， lín xuān zǎo yǐ kàn bù shàng yǎn le ， ér hǎo yì diǎn de líng mài ， yòu zěn me kě néng wú zhǔ ， yú shì guàng lái guàng qù zì jǐ dōu zhǎo bú dào yí gè mù biāo yòng yú xià shǒu de 。
归根结底，还是他如今的实力非同小可，一般的灵脉，林轩早已看不上眼了，而好一点的灵脉，又怎么可能无主，于是逛来逛去自己都找不到一个目标用于下手的。
Since that wasn't feasible, he had to settle for second-best. Lin Xuan thought this and stretched out his hand, tapping his waist. A dazzling light appeared as an jade cylinder materialized in his palm.
kàn lái dé huàn yī zhǒng fāng shì le 。
看来得换一种方式了。
Lin Xuan immersed his consciousness into it.
lín xuān zài mó zhōu zhōng pán xī ér zuò ， què yǒu zì yán zì yǔ de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
林轩在魔舟中盘膝而坐，却有自言自语的声音传入耳朵。
This jade cylinder was something he bought from a small family's market in Tianhe Region after arriving there.
sú huà shuō yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé ， xiǎng yào zhǎo yī líng qì chōng yù ， wèi zhì yǐn bì ， tóng shí yòu shì wú zhǔ zhī dì de líng mài ， gēn běn jiù shì bù xiàn shí de 。
俗话说鱼与熊掌不可兼得，想要找一灵气充裕，位置隐蔽，同时又是无主之地的灵脉，根本就是不现实的。
Although the family wasn't powerful, their main headquarters was located at a crossroads where north and south traffic intersected. Thus, they were well-connected with news.
jì rán zhè yàng ， zhǐ néng tuì ér qiú qí cì ， lín xuān rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， shēn chū shǒu lái ， zài yāo jiān yī pāi ， líng guāng yào yǎn ， dùn shí jiù chū xiàn le yī yù tóng jiǎn 。
既然这样，只能退而求其次，林轩如此想着，伸出手来，在腰间一拍，灵光耀眼，顿时就出现了一玉瞳简。
"Thunder Heaven Sect,煞 yang sect, Hundred Ghosts Hall, Immortal Cloud Sect... Hmm, I'll choose this one."
lín xuān jiāng shén shí chén rù lǐ miàn 。
林轩将神识沉入里面。
Lin Xuan clapped his hands, the sound echoing in his ears as he made his decision. The Immortal Cloud Sect was a medium-sized spirit energy cultivation sect; its highest-ranking Taoist Grandmaster was only two Profound Understanding Stage ancient demons. Lin Xuan planned to act on the situation—either infiltrate or forcefully take over their headquarters.
gāi yù tóng shì lín xuān dào le tiān hè zhōu cái cóng yī xiǎo jiā zú kāi pì de fāng shì zhōng gòu mǎi 。
该玉瞳是林轩到了天鹤州才从一小家族开辟的坊市中购买。
After all, in the cultivation world, survival of the fittest applied even more so in the ancient demon realm.
gāi jiā zú de shí lì suī rán bù zhí yī tí ， dàn zǒng duò zhèng hǎo shì chǔ yú nán lái běi wǎng de jiāo cuò zhī dì ， kě yòng sì tōng bā dá lái xíng róng ， gù ér xiāo xī yě shì fēi cháng de líng tōng 。
该家族的实力虽然不值一提，但总舵正好是处于南来北往的交错之地，可用四通八达来形容，故而消息也是非常的灵通。
The Immortal Cloud Sect wasn't far away. Two days later, a range of mountains appeared before him. Lin Xuan stowed his demon boat and transformed into an ordinary streak of light, flying towards it.
“ tiān luó mén ， shā yáng zōng ， bǎi guǐ fāng ， xiān yún zōng …… ń ， jiù xuǎn tā hǎo le 。”
“天罗门，煞阳宗，百鬼坊，仙云宗……嗯，就选它好了。”
Boom!
lín xuān shuāng shǒu yī pāi ， pā de yī shēng chuán rù ěr biān ， zhōng yú jiāng xíng zhǐ jué dìng xià lái 。
林轩双手一拍，啪的一声传入耳边，终于将行止决定下来。
Suddenly, a burst of energy reached his consciousness.
xiān yún zōng shì yī zhōng děng guī mó de xiū líng zhě mén pài ， mén zhōng zuì gāo jiē de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ， yě bù guò shì liǎng míng dòng xuán qī gǔ mó ， lín xuān zhǔn bèi qù jiàn jī xíng shì ， yào me hùn rù gāi pài ， rú guǒ bù xíng ， jiù dòng qiáng jiàng qí zǒng duò gěi zhàn lǐng xià lái 。
仙云宗是一中等规模的修灵者门派，门中最高阶的太上长老，也不过是两名洞玄期古魔，林轩准备去见机行事，要么混入该派，如果不行，就动强将其总舵给占领下来。
Lin Xuan was initially taken aback but then used his concealment technique to make himself invisible as he flew past undetected.
fǎn zhèng xiū xiān jiè ruò ròu qiáng shí ， gǔ mó jiè yóu qí rú cǐ 。
反正修仙界弱肉强食，古魔界尤其如此。
He sensed intense demonic energy fluctuations. Such occurrences only happened during large-scale battles among ancient demons.
xiān yún zōng jù lí zhè lǐ bù yuǎn ， liǎng tiān yǐ hòu ， yǎn lián zhōng jiù chū xiàn le yī zuò mián yán qǐ fú de shān mài ， lín xuān jiāng mó zhōu shōu rù yāo jiān ， suí hòu huà wèi yī dào pǔ tōng de jīng hóng ， xiàng qián fāng fēi dùn ér zǒu 。
仙云宗距离这里不远，两天以后，眼帘中就出现了一座绵延起伏的山脉，林轩将魔舟收入腰间，随后化为一道普通的惊虹，像前方飞遁而走。
Could it be...
hōng lōng lóng ！
轰隆隆！
Was time really so coincidental? As he came to plan an attack on the Immortal Cloud Sect, they were already facing external enemies.
tū rán ， yī zhèn bào liè shēng tōng guò shén shí gǎn yìng chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
突然，一阵爆裂声通过神识感应传入耳朵。
Lin Xuan was speechless but more curious.
lín xuān xiān shì yī è ， suí hòu shī zhǎn yǐn nì gōng fǎ ， jiāng shēn xíng huà wèi xū wú ， shén bù zhī ， guǐ bù jué de fēi guò qù le 。
林轩先是一愕，随后施展隐匿功法，将身形化为虚无，神不知，鬼不觉的飞过去了。
Given this situation, his strategy would need some adjustments. First, he needed to investigate and then decide what to do.
tā gǎn jué dào le jù liè de mó qì bō dòng ， ér zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng zhǐ yǒu gǔ mó dà guī mó dòu fǎ cái huì chǎn shēng de 。
他感觉到了剧烈的魔气波动，而这种情况只有古魔大规模斗法才会产生的。
Soon, Lin Xuan approached the main hall of the Immortal Cloud Sect. The gates stood open, and the protective array had been destroyed. Thousands of ancient demons were visible.
nán dào shuō ……
难道说……
There were also many corpses on the ground, indicating that a battle had already taken place. From the scene, it seemed unfavorable for the Immortal Cloud Sect; he just didn't know which sect or group of ancient demons was causing them trouble.
shí jiān zhēn yǒu zhè zhǒng qiǎo hé ， zì jǐ lái tú móu xiān yún zōng zǒng duò ， tā men zì jǐ què xiān pèng jiàn le wài dí 。
时间真有这种巧合，自己来图谋仙云宗总舵，他们自己却先碰见了外敌。
Lin Xuan quietly observed and saw that these ancient demons varied in form and cultivation level, numbering in the thousands. Overall, their combat strength appeared to be on par with the Immortal Cloud Sect.
lín xuān yǒu xiē wú yǔ ， tóng shí gèng duō de shì hào qí 。
林轩有些无语，同时更多的是好奇。
However, one difference made all the difference: among those ancient demons, a Profound Understanding First Stage cultivator was present.
jì rán rú cǐ ， cè lüè shào bù dé yào zuò yī xiē gǎi biàn ， zǒng zhī ， xiān qù kàn kàn qíng kuàng ， rán hòu zài zuò jì jiào dìng duó 。
既然如此，策略少不得要做一些改变，总之，先去看看情况，然后再做计较定夺。
Postscript: I had an urgent matter at home today, which delayed my update. Sorry about that. I'll write another chapter right away and ask for your recommendation votes!
A storm was brewing, and various rumors had reached Lin Xuan's ears. The Demonic Realm would likely soon be in chaos.
But Lin Xuan didn't care. He was alone, after all; even if the Demonic Realm erupted into a bloodbath, it wouldn't affect him at all.
Though he wasn't as powerful as those who could traverse the heavens and earth, he certainly wasn't the weakling he once was. With his current cultivation and abilities, plus the aid of the Silver-winged Corpse King, Lin Xuan believed he could handle any danger that came his way.
Besides, as a cultivator, he had no need to get involved in the ancient demons' grudges and grievances.
The immediate concern for Lin Xuan was simply finding a suitable place to cultivate.
Of course, he wanted to stay away from the Solitary Soul Desert.
And this wasn't much of a problem!
Unlike the Spirit Realm, which consisted of hundreds of small interfaces, the Demonic Realm was complete. Its vastness was beyond description.
No one knew exactly how large it was, even the Primordial True Demon. Thus, finding a quiet place to cultivate wouldn't be difficult.
...
A month later, a streak of light appeared in the Tianhe Region.
Though no one knew just how vast the Demonic Realm was, its known map had been divided into 381 states and prefectures. The region where Lin Xuan first appeared belonged to the Wild Bull State, which included the Solitary Soul Desert.
These 381 states and prefectures were vast in their own right—some as expansive as the Eastern Sea cultivation realm, while others could rival the Nael Dragon Realm.
The Wild Bull State was relatively small, but the Solitary Soul Desert bordered Tianhe Region. Otherwise, it would have taken Lin Xuan more than a few months to cross an entire state and prefecture even if he flew at full speed.
Lin Xuan chose this place for a reason after careful consideration. Compared to other states and prefectures, Tianhe had the most and most prosperous cultivators of spirit energy.
The term "cultivator of spirit energy" might sound unfamiliar or vague to ordinary cultivators, but Lin Xuan had read extensively about it before arriving in the Demonic Realm. He understood its significance well.
Just as there were many demonic cultivators who imitated ancient demons' abilities to create their own cultivation techniques, some ancient demons mimicked the powerful abilities of human cultivators to form their own.
It seemed strange at first glance, but upon reflection, it made sense. Why should humans be able to learn from ancient demons while ancient demons couldn't borrow anything from them?
...
These two concepts weren't contradictory.
With so many spirit energy cultivators in Tianhe State, the state's spiritual veins were far more abundant and of higher quality than those in other regions.
Thus, Lin Xuan chose this place as his base. He hoped to find a suitable place for cultivation here and continue meditating in seclusion. He didn't want to get involved in any ancient demons' grudges or grievances; he just wanted the next 156 years to pass smoothly. If everything went well, he could advance to the Spirit Formation Stage.
Of course, this goal was slightly ambitious, but if one didn't try, how could they know it wasn't achievable?
He already had a spirit formation pill, and it was of high quality. He also had plenty of pills for increasing his cultivation at the Profound Understanding Stage, which would be sufficient to help him advance. In short, everything was in place except for finding an appropriate place to cultivate.
...
Two more months passed.
Although Tianhe Region was vast, Lin Xuan had already explored a significant portion of it over this time. However, he still hadn't found a suitable place to cultivate.
This wasn't surprising.
Reflecting on his experiences over the past two months, Lin Xuan couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
In essence, his current strength was formidable; ordinary spiritual veins were beneath him, and even decent ones had owners. Thus, he kept wandering without finding anything worth pursuing.
It seemed he needed a different approach.
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in the demon boat, his voice barely audible as he spoke to himself.
As the saying goes, one cannot have both fish and bear's paw. Finding a spiritual vein with ample spirit energy, a hidden location, and no owner was practically impossible.
Since that wasn't feasible, he had to settle for second-best. Lin Xuan thought this and stretched out his hand, tapping his waist. A dazzling light appeared as an jade cylinder materialized in his palm.
Lin Xuan immersed his consciousness into it.
This jade cylinder was something he bought from a small family's market in Tianhe Region after arriving there.
Although the family wasn't powerful, their main headquarters was located at a crossroads where north and south traffic intersected. Thus, they were well-connected with news.
"Thunder Heaven Sect,煞 yang sect, Hundred Ghosts Hall, Immortal Cloud Sect... Hmm, I'll choose this one."
Lin Xuan clapped his hands, the sound echoing in his ears as he made his decision. The Immortal Cloud Sect was a medium-sized spirit energy cultivation sect; its highest-ranking Taoist Grandmaster was only two Profound Understanding Stage ancient demons. Lin Xuan planned to act on the situation—either infiltrate or forcefully take over their headquarters.
After all, in the cultivation world, survival of the fittest applied even more so in the ancient demon realm.
The Immortal Cloud Sect wasn't far away. Two days later, a range of mountains appeared before him. Lin Xuan stowed his demon boat and transformed into an ordinary streak of light, flying towards it.
Boom!
Suddenly, a burst of energy reached his consciousness.
Lin Xuan was initially taken aback but then used his concealment technique to make himself invisible as he flew past undetected.
He sensed intense demonic energy fluctuations. Such occurrences only happened during large-scale battles among ancient demons.
Could it be...
Was time really so coincidental? As he came to plan an attack on the Immortal Cloud Sect, they were already facing external enemies.
Lin Xuan was speechless but more curious.
Given this situation, his strategy would need some adjustments. First, he needed to investigate and then decide what to do.
Soon, Lin Xuan approached the main hall of the Immortal Cloud Sect. The gates stood open, and the protective array had been destroyed. Thousands of ancient demons were visible.
There were also many corpses on the ground, indicating that a battle had already taken place. From the scene, it seemed unfavorable for the Immortal Cloud Sect; he just didn't know which sect or group of ancient demons was causing them trouble.
Lin Xuan quietly observed and saw that these ancient demons varied in form and cultivation level, numbering in the thousands. Overall, their combat strength appeared to be on par with the Immortal Cloud Sect.
However, one difference made all the difference: among those ancient demons, a Profound Understanding First Stage cultivator was present.
Postscript: I had an urgent matter at home today, which delayed my update. Sorry about that. I'll write another chapter right away and ask for your recommendation votes!