bú duì ， bú shì dài jià de wèn tí ， duì fāng gāng gāng gōng jī ， qū dòng de gēn běn jiù bú shì mó qì ， nà shén mì shào nián de liǎn sè biàn dé nán kàn wú bǐ ， liǎng yǎn wēi mī ， yī zì yī dùn de shēng yīn chuán rù le ěr duǒ lǐ ：“ nǐ bú shì shèng zú ， ér shì cóng líng jiè lái de xiū xiān zhě ？”
不对，不是代价的问题，对方刚刚攻击，驱动的根本就不是魔气，那神秘少年的脸色变得难看无比，两眼微眯，一字一顿的声音传入了耳朵里：“你不是圣族，而是从灵界来的修仙者？”
No, it wasn't about the cost. The opponent had just attacked, and the fundamental force driving them was not demonic energy. The mysterious youth's expression turned extremely unpleasant as his eyes narrowed. His voice, clear and deliberate, echoed in Lin Xuan’s ears: "You’re not from the Holy Clan; you're a cultivator from the Spirit Realm?"
“ bù cuò 。 suí ? mèng ? xiǎo ? shuō ?,.com lín xuān shén sè rú cháng de kāi kǒu le ， jìng sī háo yě méi yǒu yǐn mán zhī yì ， rú jīn liǎng rén běn jiù shì bù sǐ bù xiū de jié jú ， nà zì jǐ shì mó zú ， hái shì xiū xiān zhě ， duì rú jīn de jú miàn ， gēn běn jiù bú huì yǒu yǐng xiǎng shén me 。
“不错。随?夢?小?說?,.com 林轩神色如常的开口了，竟丝毫也没有隐瞒之意，如今两人本就是不死不休的结局，那自己是魔族，还是修仙者，对如今的局面，根本就不会有影响什么。
"Correct," Lin Xuan replied calmly, showing no intention of hiding anything. After all, with their current situation being one where neither could survive, whether he was a demon or a cultivator made no difference to his current predicament.
jì rán rú cǐ ， nà yòu hé bì zhē zhē yǎn yǎn ne ？
既然如此，那又何必遮遮掩掩呢？
So why hide it?
shào nián de biǎo qíng yuè fā yīn mái ， chén mò piàn kè ， jìng chū hū yì liào de kāi kǒu le ：“ méi xiǎng dào nǐ jū rán shì líng jiè lái de jiān xì ， bù guò méi guān xì ， nǐ shēn fèn rú hé ， běn zūn bìng bù zài hū ， nǐ jì rán bú shì shèng zú ， nà wǒ men fǎn ér kě yǐ tán shàng yī tán le 。”
少年的表情越发阴霾，沉默片刻，竟出乎意料的开口了：“没想到你居然是灵界来的奸细，不过没关系，你身份如何，本尊并不在乎，你既然不是圣族，那我们反而可以谈上一谈了。”
The youth's expression darkened further as he remained silent for a moment before unexpectedly speaking: "I never thought you'd be an infiltrator from the Spirit Realm. But that doesn't matter; regardless of your identity, I don’t care. Since you’re not from the Holy Clan, we can actually talk."
“ bú shì shèng zú ， fǎn ér yǒu shāng liáng de yú dì ， gé xià zhè huà ， shì hé yòng yì ， mò fēi shì xiǎng yào hū yōu wǒ ？” lín xuān miàn wú biǎo qíng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， tā kě bú shì nà me róng yì bèi piàn de 。
“不是圣族，反而有商量的余地，阁下这话，是何用意，莫非是想要忽悠我？”林轩面无表情的声音传入耳朵，他可不是那么容易被骗的。
"Not being part of the Holy Clan gives us room to negotiate? What's your intention, sir? Are you trying to deceive me?" Lin Xuan’s expression remained unchanged as his voice echoed in the air. He wasn't easily fooled.
nà shén mì shào nián tīng le ， liǎn shàng lì sè yī shǎn ér guò ， dàn bù zhī xiǎng dào le shén me ， yòu jiāng nù qì ， gěi yìng shēng shēng de yā yì ：“ xiǎo zi ， bú yào jìng jiǔ bù chī chī fá jiǔ ， bù cuò ， nǐ shí lì yǔ tóng jiē shèng zú xiāng bǐ ， què shí qiáng le yī dà jié ， dàn běn zūn zhǐ yào yuàn yì fù chū xiē xǔ dài jià ， nán dào hái huì ná nǐ bù xià ？”
那神秘少年听了，脸上厉色一闪而过，但不知想到了什么，又将怒气，给硬生生的压抑：“小子，不要敬酒不吃吃罚酒，不错，你实力与同阶圣族相比，确实强了一大截，但本尊只要愿意付出些许代价，难道还会拿你不下？”
The mysterious youth's face showed a flash of anger before he seemed to think of something and forcibly suppressed it: "Boy, don’t insult my patience by refusing to cooperate. Indeed, your strength is much greater than that of a Holy Clan member at the same level, but if I’m willing to pay a small price, how could you be out of reach?"
“ hǎo ba ， dào yǒu xiǎng yào tán shén me ？”
“好吧，道友想要谈什么？”
"Alright, what do you want to discuss?" Lin Xuan remained silent for a moment before finally agreeing to "surrender." Of course, this was just surface-level. He had his own ulterior motives.
lín xuān mò rán piàn kè ， zhōng yú xuǎn zé le “ qū fú ” dāng rán ， zhè zhǐ shì biǎo miàn ér yǐ ， tā zhè me zuò ， qí shí shì lìng yǒu yòng yì yǔ mù dì 。
林轩默然片刻，终于选择了“屈服”当然，这只是表面而已，他这么做，其实是另有用意与目的。
"Where did you see the Three-Eyed Ancestor? Has he already escaped his confinement?"
“ nǐ jiū jìng zài nà lǐ jiàn dào de sān yǎn shèng zǔ ， tā rú jīn shì fǒu yǐ jīng tuō kùn le ？”
“你究竟在那里见到的三眼圣祖，他如今是否已经脱困了？”
"I can answer your question," Lin Xuan said, "but I don’t know where the Three-Eyed Ancestor is now."
“ dào yǒu xiǎng yào zhī dào de wèn tí ， lín mǒu kě yǐ huí dá nǐ ， rán ér ruò guāng shì nǐ wèn wǒ dá 。 lín mǒu qǐ bù shì chī kuī tài dà 。”
“道友想要知道的问题，林某可以回答你，然而若光是你问我答。林某岂不是吃亏太大。”
The mysterious youth’s demonic energy surged out as his patience had clearly reached its limit. However, Lin Xuan was well aware of this and remained calm: "I truly do not know where he is; there was no intentional deception on my part. I met him in the Lone Spirit Desert."
“ nà nǐ yù rú hé ？” nà shào nián yǒu xiē bù nài fán de shuō 。
“那你欲如何？”那少年有些不耐烦的说。
"Lone Spirit Desert?"
“ hěn jiǎn dān ， zài xià xīn zhōng tóng yàng yǒu hěn duō yí huò ， gé xià kě fǒu yě tì wǒ jiě dá yī xià ne ？” lín xuān wēi xiào zhe shuō 。
“很简单，在下心中同样有很多疑惑，阁下可否也替我解答一下呢？”林轩微笑着说。
Hearing this, the youth's anger subsided slightly. If his answer had been delayed any longer, Lin Xuan would have already acted.
“ hēng ， nǐ dǎo shì bù yuàn yì chī kuī ， qiě dǎn zi bù xiǎo ， yě bà ， běn zūn kě yǐ huí dá nǐ 。” chū hū yù liào de ， duì fāng jìng dā yìng dé gān cuì yǐ jí 。
“哼，你倒是不愿意吃亏，且胆子不小，也罢，本尊可以回答你。”出乎预料的，对方竟答应得干脆以极。
"Correct," Lin Xuan said, "I did indeed accidentally encounter the Three-Eyed Ancestor there. Now it’s my turn to ask a question: shouldn’t this be a safe place for the Three-Eyed Ancestor to hide his treasures? Is this information false?"
“ hǎo 。 jì rán rú cǐ ， wǒ men jiù yī rén wèn yí gè wèn tí ， gé xià kě yǒu yì yì ？”
“好。既然如此，我们就一人问一个问题，阁下可有异议？”
"This information is true; this is indeed where the Three-Eyed Ancestor hid his treasures," the mysterious youth said, his voice slightly odd.
“ nǎ nà me luō suo ， wǒ lái wèn nǐ ， nǐ shì zài hé chù kàn jiàn sān yǎn dì 。 tā rú jīn qíng kuàng rú hé ， kě yǐ jīng zhèng tuō le jìn gù ？”
“哪那么啰嗦，我来问你，你是在何处看见三眼地。他如今情况如何，可已经挣脱了禁锢？”
"Oh?" Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead and appeared deep in thought. "You can ask another question."
nà shào nián de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， yǔ qì hěn shì jí cù ， sì hū duì zhè ge wèn tí guān xīn yǐ jí ， xiǎn rán tā yǔ sān yǎn dà yǒu guān xì 。“ gé xià jiū jìng xiǎng yào wèn shén me ， nǐ zhè kě shì liǎng gè wèn tí 。” lín xuān dàn rán de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ lǐ 。
那少年的声音传入耳朵，语气很是急促，似乎对这个问题关心以极，显然他与三眼大有关系。“阁下究竟想要问什么，你这可是两个问题。”林轩淡然的声音传入耳朵里。
"Has he already escaped, and how long ago did that happen?" The youth’s urgent voice echoed again.
“ nǐ ……”
“你……”
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow but didn’t have time to criticize the other for breaking the rules before the youth spoke first: "It's too troublesome for one person to ask a single question. Now we’ll change the rules; I’ll answer two questions in return."
nà shào nián dà nù ， hún shēn de mó qì yǐ pēn yǒng ér chū ， suī rán méi yǒu dòng shǒu 。 dàn lín xuān suǒ miàn lín de yā lì ， jìng zhòu rán bào zēng le bèi xǔ ：“ xiǎo jiā huo ， nǐ bú yào jìng jiǔ bù chī chī fá jiǔ ， jiāng běn zūn rě huǒ ， fǒu zé ……”
那少年大怒，浑身的魔气已喷涌而出，虽然没有动手。但林轩所面临的压力，竟骤然暴增了倍许：“小家伙，你不要敬酒不吃吃罚酒，将本尊惹火，否则……”
"Alright!"
“ gé xià bù yòng wēi xié wǒ ， lín mǒu néng gòu jìn jiē dào fēn shén qī ， zì rán bú shì bèi rén gěi xià dà dì ， nǐ gāng gāng suǒ tí 。 què shí shì liǎng gè wèn tí ， nán dào wǒ men xiān qián de yuē dìng shì fàng pì ？” lín xuān liǎn shàng sī háo jù sè yě wú ， shì duì fāng de bào nù yú wú wù 。
“阁下不用威胁我，林某能够进阶到分神期，自然不是被人给吓大地，你刚刚所提。确实是两个问题，难道我们先前的约定是放屁？”林轩脸上丝毫惧色也无，视对方的暴怒于无物。
At this point, Lin Xuan had no reason to insist further. Provoking him wouldn’t benefit him either. "Indeed, the Three-Eyed Ancestor has already escaped his bonds. He’s been free for about a hundred years."
nà shén mì shào nián tīng le ， bù jīn xīn lǐ dà nù ， méi tóu dōu jǐn jǐn níng zài le yì qǐ ， rán ér bù zhī wèi hé ， yī jiù qiáng zì jiāng zhè kǒu qì gěi rěn xià lái le 。
那神秘少年听了，不禁心里大怒，眉头都紧紧拧在了一起，然而不知为何，依旧强自将这口气给忍下来了。
"A hundred years? That explains why he hasn't arrived yet," the youth said with an indifferent expression.
“ hǎo ba 。 sān yǎn shèng zǔ rú jīn shēn zài hé chù ？”
“好吧。三眼圣祖如今身在何处？”
"Now it's my turn to ask questions: where are the treasures hidden here, and who are you? What is your relationship with the Three-Eyed Ancestor?"
“ zhè wǒ bù xiǎo de 。”
“这我不晓得。”
"Hmph. As they say, trouble comes from one’s mouth. Knowing too much can be harmful. Are you sure you want to ask these two questions?" The youth's cold gaze seemed to pierce through Lin Xuan.
lín xuān huà yīn wèi luò ， nà shén mì shào nián shēn shàng de mó qì yǐ gǔn gǔn ér chū ， xiǎn rán tā de rěn nài lì yǐ tū pò jí xiàn le ， hǎo zài lín xuān duì cǐ ， nà shì zǎo yǒu chuǎi mó 。 suǒ yǐ ， mǎ shàng yòu shén sè rú cháng de kāi kǒu le ：“ sān yǎn shèng zǔ rú jīn shēn zài hé chù ， lín mǒu nà shì què shí bù xiǎo de ， bìng fēi yǒu yì qī mán gé xià ， dāng chū ， wǒ shì zài gū hún shā mò yù jiàn tā de 。”
林轩话音未落，那神秘少年身上的魔气已滚滚而出，显然他的忍耐力已突破极限了，好在林轩对此，那是早有揣摩。所以，马上又神色如常的开口了：“三眼圣祖如今身在何处，林某那是确实不晓得，并非有意欺瞒阁下，当初，我是在孤魂沙漠遇见他的。”
"Of course," Lin Xuan said with a strange expression, "knowing too much can bring misfortune, but being kept in the dark is even worse. What secrets do you have? Just tell me; if it brings disaster, I’ll accept it."
“ gū hún shā mò ？”
“孤魂沙漠？”
The mysterious youth smiled and looked at Lin Xuan with a hint of pity: whether he was acting or not, it seemed as though knowing this secret would doom him to death.
tīng lín xuān zhè me yī shuō ， nà shào nián de nù qì zǒng suàn shāo shāo píng fù ， ruò shì tā de huí dá zài wǎn yī bù ， duì fāng kěn dìng yǐ dòng shǒu le 。
听林轩这么一说，那少年的怒气总算稍稍平复，若是他的回答再晚一步，对方肯定已动手了。
Lin Xuan felt a chill but remained calm. Regardless, he couldn’t show weakness in terms of demeanor; after all, the mystery of the treasure map intrigued him. "You, listen up. I am the treasure hidden by the Three-Eyed Ancestor."
“ bù cuò ， lín mǒu què shí shì zài nà lǐ yì wài pèng jiàn le sān yǎn shèng zǔ ， rú jīn gāi huàn wǒ tì wèn tí le ， zhè lǐ ， bù yīng gāi shì sān yǎn wèi yǐ fáng wàn yī ， fēn fù shǒu xià mái cáng bǎo wù ， nán dào cǐ xiāo xī shì jiǎ de ？”
“不错，林某确实是在那里意外碰见了三眼圣祖，如今该换我替问题了，这里，不应该是三眼为以防万一，吩咐手下埋藏宝物，难道此消息是假的？”
"What? You’re the treasure?"
“ cǐ xiāo xī bù jiǎ ， zhè lǐ què shí shì sān yǎn de cáng bǎo zhī dì 。” nà shén mì shào nián lüè yī chí yí ， yǒu xiē gǔ guài de shēng yīn chuán rù le ěr duǒ lǐ 。
“此消息不假，这里确实是三眼的藏宝之地。”那神秘少年略一迟疑，有些古怪的声音传入了耳朵里。
Lin Xuan was taken aback by this answer, his eyes wide with shock. He almost thought he had heard wrong.
“ ó ？” lín xuān yǐ shǒu fǔ é ， liǎn shàng lù chū chén yín zhī sè ：“ gé xià kě yǐ wèn xià yí gè wèn tí le 。”
“哦？”林轩以手抚额，脸上露出沉吟之色：“阁下可以问下一个问题了。”
"Correct," the youth said, "the treasures in that map are me. Do you think I’d waste my time deceiving you?" His voice grew more menacing.
“ sān yǎn shì fǒu yǐ jīng tuō kùn le ， yòu tuō kùn duō jiǔ le ？” nà shào nián jí qiè de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
“三眼是否已经脱困了，又脱困多久了？”那少年急切的声音传入耳朵。
This time, Lin Xuan understood clearly and tilted his head: how could a ancient demon be considered treasure?
lín xuān tīng le ， méi tóu yī tiāo ， hái lái bù jí zhǐ zé duì fāng pò huài guī jǔ ， nà shào nián de yǐ xiān yī bù kāi kǒu le ：“ yī rén wèn shàng yī jù ， shí zài shì má fán wú bǐ ， xiàn zài xiū gǎi guī jǔ ， nǐ huí dá le wǒ ， běn zūn yī huì er yě kě yǐ yī lián huí dá shàng nǐ liǎng gè wèn tí 。”
林轩听了，眉头一挑，还来不及指责对方破坏规矩，那少年的已先一步开口了：“一人问上一句，实在是麻烦无比，现在修改规矩，你回答了我，本尊一会儿也可以一连回答上你两个问题。”
"Hmph. Since we’ve started, there’s no harm in telling you everything."
“ hǎo ba ！”
“好吧！”
Surprisingly, the mysterious youth seemed to notice Lin Xuan's confusion and offered an explanation.
huà shuō dào zhè yī bù ， lín xuān dāng rán méi yǒu bì yào qù zuò wú wèi de jiān chí ， bì jìng jiāng duì fāng rě huǒ ， zì jǐ yě méi yǒu hǎo chù ：“ bù cuò ， sān yǎn shèng zǔ yǐ jīng zhèng tuō le shù fù ， tā tuō kùn dà yuē yǒu bǎi yú zài 。”
话说到这一步，林轩当然没有必要去做无谓的坚持，毕竟将对方惹火，自己也没有好处：“不错，三眼圣祖已经挣脱了束缚，他脱困大约有百余载。”
Lin Xuan was surprised but quickly became engrossed in the story: "Since you know of this hidden treasure and have seen the Three-Eyed Ancestor, you must be familiar with its origins."
“ bǎi yú zài ， guài shuō bù dé ， duì fāng hái méi yǒu lái dào cǐ chù 。” nà shì shào nián tīng le ， liǎn shàng kàn bù chū xǐ nù ， zì yán zì yǔ de shuō 。
“百余载，怪说不得，对方还没有来到此处。”那是少年听了，脸上看不出喜怒，自言自语的说。
"Correct," Lin Xuan nodded calmly. "The Three-Eyed Ancestor offended his brother, who was then the demon leader, so he hid some treasures here to ensure their safety."
“ xiàn zài lún dào lín mǒu tí wèn le ， zhè lǐ jì rán shì cáng bǎo zhī chù ， bǎo wù zài nǎ lǐ ， gé xià yòu shì hé rén ， yǔ sān yǎn shèng zǔ zhī jiān yǒu shén me guān xì ？”
“现在轮到林某提问了，这里既然是藏宝之处，宝物在哪里，阁下又是何人，与三眼圣祖之间有什么关系？”
"Indeed, but do you know what specific treasures he hid?"
“ hēng ， sú huà shuō ， huò cóng kǒu chū ， yǒu shí hòu zhī dào dé tài duō ， duì zì jǐ wèi bì yǒu hǎo chù ， nǐ què dìng yào xún wèn zhè liǎng gè wèn tí 。” nà shào nián lěng liè de mù guāng fǎng fú zhí cì rù rén de xīn lǐ 。
“哼，俗话说，祸从口出，有时候知道得太多，对自己未必有好处，你确定要询问这两个问题。”那少年冷冽的目光仿佛直刺入人的心里。
"You’re asking a question that should be obvious," Lin Xuan said with a hint of annoyance.
“ lín mǒu dāng rán xiǎo de ， zhī dào de dōng xī tài duō ， yǒu shí hòu fǎn ér huì tì zì jǐ zhāo lái zāi huò ， rán ér bèi rén méng zài gǔ lǐ de gǎn jué gèng nán guò ， jiū jìng yǒu shén me mì mì ， gé xià jǐn guǎn shuō ， jí biàn yīn cǐ zhāo zāi yǐn huò ， lín mǒu yě rèn le 。” lín xuān biǎo qíng gǔ guài de shuō ， shuí yě kàn bù chū shuō zhè fān huà de shí hòu ， tā nèi xīn shēn chù ， jiū jìng zài xiǎng shén me 。
“林某当然晓得，知道的东西太多，有时候反而会替自己招来灾祸，然而被人蒙在鼓里的感觉更难过，究竟有什么秘密，阁下尽管说，即便因此招灾引祸，林某也认了。”林轩表情古怪的说，谁也看不出说这番话的时候，他内心深处，究竟在想什么。
"The Three-Eyed Ancestor offended the leader, but as his brother, there was no threat to his life. However, he would face severe punishment, so he prepared an alternative body in case he escaped confinement."
“ hǎo ba ， nǐ jì rán yǒu yǔn luò de jué wù ， běn zūn gào sù nǐ yòu hé fáng ne ？”
“好吧，你既然有陨落的觉悟，本尊告诉你又何妨呢？”
"Alternative body?"
nà shào nián xiào le ， kàn xiàng lín xuān de biǎo qíng ， jìng dài shàng yī sī lián mǐn zhī sè ， yě bù zhī dào shì fǒu gù yì zuò zuò ， jiù fǎng fú tā tīng le zhè mì mì ， zhù dìng huì sǐ wú zàng shēn zhī dì shì de 。
那少年笑了，看向林轩的表情，竟带上一丝怜悯之色，也不知道是否故意做作，就仿佛他听了这秘密，注定会死无葬身之地似的。
"Yes. The Three-Eyed Ancestor considered that if he were confined for too long, his spirit might be fine, but his physical form could be destroyed. Since the leader had sealed his power, his body would age rapidly. So, he prepared a replacement body to use upon escape."
lín xuān yě xīn zhōng yī lǐn ， rán ér shén sè yī jiù dàn dàn de ， bù guǎn rú hé ， zì jǐ zài qì shì shàng jué bù néng ruò ， hé kuàng tā yě zhēn de hào qí ， cáng bǎo tú jì rán bú shì jiǎ de ， nà zhè guǐ yì de biàn gù ， yòu jiū jìng shì zěn me huí shì ne ？
林轩也心中一凛，然而神色依旧淡淡的，不管如何，自己在气势上绝不能弱，何况他也真的好奇，藏宝图既然不是假的，那这诡异的变故，又究竟是怎么回事呢？
"You mean you’re the alternative body prepared by the Three-Eyed Ancestor?" Lin Xuan’s expression showed shock as he spoke.
“ xiǎo zi ， nǐ tīng hǎo le ， běn zūn jiù shì sān yǎn shèng zǔ suǒ yǎn cáng de bǎo wù 。”
“小子，你听好了，本尊就是三眼圣祖所掩藏的宝物。”
"Correct," the youth sighed.
“ shén me ， nǐ jiù shì bǎo wù ？”
“什么，你就是宝物？”
"How did you gain consciousness?" Lin Xuan was curious; if it were meant for possession, its consciousness should have been erased. This seemed common knowledge.
lín xuān yě suàn jiàn shí guǎng bó ， rán ér zhè ge huí dá què ràng tā jīng dāi le ， chēng mù jié shé ， yī shí jiān ， jī hū yǐ wéi zì jǐ tīng cuò 。
林轩也算见识广博，然而这个回答却让他惊呆了，瞠目结舌，一时间，几乎以为自己听错。
"Hmph, there's nothing strange about that." The youth’s face showed a twisted smile: "Originally, I had no consciousness. However, being hidden in the Ice Flame Valley exposed me to extreme demonic energy over millions of years, giving me consciousness."
“ bù cuò ， nà bǎo zàng zhōng de bǎo wù jiù shì wǒ ， nǐ yǐ wéi běn zūn yǒu xīn qíng zài zhè ér piàn nǐ me ？” nà shào nián de shēng yīn biàn dé yuè fā xiōng è 。
“不错，那宝藏中的宝物就是我，你以为本尊有心情在这儿骗你么？”那少年的声音变得越发凶恶。
"Ah, I see."
lín xuān zhè yī cì ， nà shì tīng dé qīng qīng chǔ chǔ ， bù yóu de wāi zhe tóu lú ， yǎn qián zhè shén mì de shào nián jiù shì bǎo wù ， zhè huà cóng hé shuō qǐ ， tā míng míng shì yī gǔ mó ， ér fēi kuǐ lěi ， zěn me néng gòu shuō dé shàng shì bǎo wù ？
林轩这一次，那是听得清清楚楚，不由得歪着头颅，眼前这神秘的少年就是宝物，这话从何说起，他明明是一古魔，而非傀儡，怎么能够说得上是宝物？
Lin Xuan finally resolved his doubts and couldn’t help but chuckle. This situation was indeed quite absurd; for the Three-Eyed Ancestor, this body was a treasure, but for others, it was useless. And with its consciousness, it posed a significant threat.
“ hēng ， jì rán kāi le tóu ， quán bù gào sù nǐ yě méi yǒu shén me 。”
“哼，既然开了头，全部告诉你也没有什么。”
If only he hadn't come here. But in cultivation, there were no regrets.
chū hū yì liào de ， nà shén mì shào nián sì hū kàn chū lín xuān xīn zhōng de yí huò ， tū rán “ hǎo xīn ” de jiě shì qǐ lái le 。
出乎意料的，那神秘少年似乎看出林轩心中的疑惑，突然“好心”的解释起来了。
Despite all the questions being answered, Lin Xuan’s expression remained serious as he stared at his opponent: "We agreed to ask one question each. You don’t need to tell me everything. What is your purpose?"
No, it wasn't about the cost. The opponent had just attacked, and the fundamental force driving them was not demonic energy. The mysterious youth's expression turned extremely unpleasant as his eyes narrowed. His voice, clear and deliberate, echoed in Lin Xuan’s ears: "You’re not from the Holy Clan; you're a cultivator from the Spirit Realm?"
"Correct," Lin Xuan replied calmly, showing no intention of hiding anything. After all, with their current situation being one where neither could survive, whether he was a demon or a cultivator made no difference to his current predicament.
So why hide it?
The youth's expression darkened further as he remained silent for a moment before unexpectedly speaking: "I never thought you'd be an infiltrator from the Spirit Realm. But that doesn't matter; regardless of your identity, I don’t care. Since you’re not from the Holy Clan, we can actually talk."
"Not being part of the Holy Clan gives us room to negotiate? What's your intention, sir? Are you trying to deceive me?" Lin Xuan’s expression remained unchanged as his voice echoed in the air. He wasn't easily fooled.
The mysterious youth's face showed a flash of anger before he seemed to think of something and forcibly suppressed it: "Boy, don’t insult my patience by refusing to cooperate. Indeed, your strength is much greater than that of a Holy Clan member at the same level, but if I’m willing to pay a small price, how could you be out of reach?"
"Alright, what do you want to discuss?" Lin Xuan remained silent for a moment before finally agreeing to "surrender." Of course, this was just surface-level. He had his own ulterior motives.
"Where did you see the Three-Eyed Ancestor? Has he already escaped his confinement?"
"I can answer your question," Lin Xuan said, "but I don’t know where the Three-Eyed Ancestor is now."
The mysterious youth’s demonic energy surged out as his patience had clearly reached its limit. However, Lin Xuan was well aware of this and remained calm: "I truly do not know where he is; there was no intentional deception on my part. I met him in the Lone Spirit Desert."
"Lone Spirit Desert?"
Hearing this, the youth's anger subsided slightly. If his answer had been delayed any longer, Lin Xuan would have already acted.
"Correct," Lin Xuan said, "I did indeed accidentally encounter the Three-Eyed Ancestor there. Now it’s my turn to ask a question: shouldn’t this be a safe place for the Three-Eyed Ancestor to hide his treasures? Is this information false?"
"This information is true; this is indeed where the Three-Eyed Ancestor hid his treasures," the mysterious youth said, his voice slightly odd.
"Oh?" Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead and appeared deep in thought. "You can ask another question."
"Has he already escaped, and how long ago did that happen?" The youth’s urgent voice echoed again.
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow but didn’t have time to criticize the other for breaking the rules before the youth spoke first: "It's too troublesome for one person to ask a single question. Now we’ll change the rules; I’ll answer two questions in return."
"Alright!"
At this point, Lin Xuan had no reason to insist further. Provoking him wouldn’t benefit him either. "Indeed, the Three-Eyed Ancestor has already escaped his bonds. He’s been free for about a hundred years."
"A hundred years? That explains why he hasn't arrived yet," the youth said with an indifferent expression.
"Now it's my turn to ask questions: where are the treasures hidden here, and who are you? What is your relationship with the Three-Eyed Ancestor?"
"Hmph. As they say, trouble comes from one’s mouth. Knowing too much can be harmful. Are you sure you want to ask these two questions?" The youth's cold gaze seemed to pierce through Lin Xuan.
"Of course," Lin Xuan said with a strange expression, "knowing too much can bring misfortune, but being kept in the dark is even worse. What secrets do you have? Just tell me; if it brings disaster, I’ll accept it."
The mysterious youth smiled and looked at Lin Xuan with a hint of pity: whether he was acting or not, it seemed as though knowing this secret would doom him to death.
Lin Xuan felt a chill but remained calm. Regardless, he couldn’t show weakness in terms of demeanor; after all, the mystery of the treasure map intrigued him. "You, listen up. I am the treasure hidden by the Three-Eyed Ancestor."
"What? You’re the treasure?"
Lin Xuan was taken aback by this answer, his eyes wide with shock. He almost thought he had heard wrong.
"Correct," the youth said, "the treasures in that map are me. Do you think I’d waste my time deceiving you?" His voice grew more menacing.
This time, Lin Xuan understood clearly and tilted his head: how could a ancient demon be considered treasure?
"Hmph. Since we’ve started, there’s no harm in telling you everything."
Surprisingly, the mysterious youth seemed to notice Lin Xuan's confusion and offered an explanation.
Lin Xuan was surprised but quickly became engrossed in the story: "Since you know of this hidden treasure and have seen the Three-Eyed Ancestor, you must be familiar with its origins."
"Correct," Lin Xuan nodded calmly. "The Three-Eyed Ancestor offended his brother, who was then the demon leader, so he hid some treasures here to ensure their safety."
"Indeed, but do you know what specific treasures he hid?"
"You’re asking a question that should be obvious," Lin Xuan said with a hint of annoyance.
"The Three-Eyed Ancestor offended the leader, but as his brother, there was no threat to his life. However, he would face severe punishment, so he prepared an alternative body in case he escaped confinement."
"Alternative body?"
"Yes. The Three-Eyed Ancestor considered that if he were confined for too long, his spirit might be fine, but his physical form could be destroyed. Since the leader had sealed his power, his body would age rapidly. So, he prepared a replacement body to use upon escape."
"You mean you’re the alternative body prepared by the Three-Eyed Ancestor?" Lin Xuan’s expression showed shock as he spoke.
"Correct," the youth sighed.
"How did you gain consciousness?" Lin Xuan was curious; if it were meant for possession, its consciousness should have been erased. This seemed common knowledge.
"Hmph, there's nothing strange about that." The youth’s face showed a twisted smile: "Originally, I had no consciousness. However, being hidden in the Ice Flame Valley exposed me to extreme demonic energy over millions of years, giving me consciousness."
"Ah, I see."
Lin Xuan finally resolved his doubts and couldn’t help but chuckle. This situation was indeed quite absurd; for the Three-Eyed Ancestor, this body was a treasure, but for others, it was useless. And with its consciousness, it posed a significant threat.
If only he hadn't come here. But in cultivation, there were no regrets.
Despite all the questions being answered, Lin Xuan’s expression remained serious as he stared at his opponent: "We agreed to ask one question each. You don’t need to tell me everything. What is your purpose?"