tián xiǎo jiàn hèn dé yǎo yá ， bù guò shì yǐ zhì cǐ ， zhuī jiū yě méi yǒu yì yì ， rú jīn xíng shì wēi jí ， tā hái bù dé bù yǔ lín xuān jì xù xū yǔ wēi yí 。 mèng
田小剑恨得咬牙，不过事已至此，追究也没有意义，如今形势危急，他还不得不与林轩继续虚与委蛇。夢
Tian Xiaojian gritted his teeth in hatred, but the situation was now dire. It didn't make sense to delve deeper into it; he had no choice but to continue playing along with Lin Xuan.
tián xiǎo jiàn bù shǎ ， rú jīn yǔ lín xuān fān liǎn nà shì qīn zhě tòng ， chóu zhě kuài a ！
田小剑不傻，如今与林轩翻脸那是亲者痛，仇者快啊！
Fielding this situation, Tian Xiaojian wasn’t stupid. Turning against Lin Xuan would be a double-edged sword—hurting himself and his enemy equally.
quán héng lì bì ， zhuāng shǎ shì zuì jiā xuǎn zé ， qí shí zhè yě méi shén me hǎo bào yuàn de ， zì jǐ gù rán bèi lín xuān tuō dào le shuǐ lǐ ， rán ér nà jiā huo yòu hé cháng hǎo guò ， liǎng rén xiàn zài de qíng kuàng shì chà bu duō ， suǒ wèi tóng zhōu gòng jì ， wéi yǒu bǎo chí hé zuò cái yǒu kě néng huà jiě wēi jī 。
权衡利弊，装傻是最佳选择，其实这也没什么好抱怨的，自己固然被林轩拖到了水里，然而那家伙又何尝好过，两人现在的情况是差不多，所谓同舟共济，唯有保持合作才有可能化解危机。
The wisest course of action was to feign ignorance. There was nothing to complain about; he had been dragged into the water by Lin Xuan, but so had that guy. Their current predicaments were similar, and in this situation, cooperation might be their only way out.
dāng rán ， zì jǐ ruò shì yǒu jī huì táo pǎo ， tā jué bù jiè yì bèi hòu zài tǒng lín xuān yī dāo 。
当然，自己若是有机会逃跑，他绝不介意背后再捅林轩一刀。
Of course, if he got a chance to escape, he wouldn’t mind stabbing Lin Xuan in the back.
ér zhè yì diǎn ， zì jǐ yě bì xū xiǎo xīn dī fáng ， yǔ lín xuān suī rán jù shǎo lí duō ， rán ér tián xiǎo jiàn zì wèn hěn liǎo jiě zhè wèi “ dà gē ” de xìng gé ， yǔ zì jǐ nà shì yī yàng de xiào lǐ cáng dāo ， zhēn yǒu jī huì suàn jì zì jǐ ， xiāng xìn tā shì jué bú huì shǒu ruǎn dì 。
而这一点，自己也必须小心提防，与林轩虽然聚少离多，然而田小剑自问很了解这位“大哥”的性格，与自己那是一样的笑里藏刀，真有机会算计自己，相信他是绝不会手软地。
He also needed to remain vigilant about this. Although they met infrequently, Tian Xiaojian knew his "big brother" well enough—sly and calculating. If given an opportunity, he would not hesitate to strike him down.
wàng zhe nà yīn chén de tiān sè ， tiān yuán shèng zǔ de méi tóu yě wēi wēi zhòu qǐ le ， nà bàn kōng zhōng fú xiàn chū lái de shén mì de shào nián ， jìng dài gěi tā yī gǔ jù dà de yā pò gǎn 。
望着那阴沉的天色，天元圣祖的眉头也微微皱起了，那半空中浮现出来的神秘的少年，竟带给他一股巨大的压迫感。
The gloomy sky made Tian Yuan’s brows furrow as he stared at the mysterious youth hovering in mid-air. The boy exuded a sense of immense pressure, discomfort, and even fear, akin to facing a legendary foe.
zěn me shuō ne …… nán shòu ， yā yì ， yǐn yǐn hái yǒu jǐ fēn wèi jù ， jiù fǎng fú shì yù jiàn le chuán shuō zhōng de tiān dí 。
怎么说呢……难受，压抑，隐隐还有几分畏惧，就仿佛是遇见了传说中的天敌。
But how was this possible? He was the Ancient Demon Sovereign; although not his true form, his cultivation level during the Tribulation Period was formidable. Very few could pose a threat to him in his avatar state—unless it was another Ancient Demon Sovereign!
dàn zhè zěn me kě néng ne ， zì jǐ kě shì gǔ mó shèng zǔ ， suī rán cǐ kè ， bìng fēi běn tǐ jià lín cǐ chù ， dàn dù jié qī de xiū wèi yě shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， zhè ge shì jiè shàng néng gòu wēi xié dào tā huà shēn cún zài de yě bù duō 。
但这怎么可能呢，自己可是古魔圣祖，虽然此刻，并非本体驾临此处，但渡劫期的修为也是非同小可，这个世界上能够威胁到他化身存在的也不多。
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Tian Yuan turned his head and narrowed his eyes as he looked at the other.
chú fēi shì qí tā de gǔ mó shèng zǔ ！
除非是其他的古魔圣祖！
"Are you?"
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， tā zài cì zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， liǎng yǎn wēi mī ， xiàng zhe duì fāng wàng le guò qù 。
脑海中念头转过，他再次转过头颅，两眼微眯，向着对方望了过去。
Tian Yuan was shocked, almost disbelieving what he saw. Was this just a coincidence or some cruel joke by fate?
“ shì nǐ ？”
“是你？”
He had been tasked with searching for the Three-Eyed Sovereign’s escape, but over a hundred years passed without any significant results. Although not entirely fruitless, it hadn’t fulfilled his mission. The Three-Eyed Sovereign was cunning and hard to track, even in his weakened state.
tiān yuán dà jīng shī sè ， jī hū bù xiāng xìn zì jǐ de yǎn jīng le ， nán dào zhēn shì jī yuán qiǎo hé hái shì lǎo tiān yé zài kāi zì jǐ de wán xiào me ？
天元大惊失色，几乎不相信自己的眼睛了，难道真是机缘巧合还是老天爷在开自己的玩笑么？
It was surprising he found himself here today.
tā fèng bīng pò bǎo shé liǎng wèi dà rén de mìng lìng sì chù xún zhǎo tuō kùn de sān yǎn shèng zǔ ， rán ér bǎi yú nián guò qù le ， bù néng shuō yī wú suǒ huò ， dàn zhì shǎo shì méi yǒu wán chéng mìng lìng lái zhe nà sān yǎn de shí lì ， suī rán yuǎn méi yǒu bàn fǎ yǔ quán shèng shí qī xiāng bǐ dàn zuò wéi jiǔ wèi zhēn mó shǐ zǔ zhī yī ， nà yě shì jiǎo huá yì cháng dì ， nán xún tā de zōng jì 。
他奉冰魄宝蛇两位大人的命令四处寻找脱困的三眼圣祖，然而百余年过去了，不能说一无所获，但至少是没有完成命令来着那三眼的实力，虽然远没有办法与全盛时期相比但作为九位真魔始祖之一，那也是狡猾异常地，难寻他的踪迹。
"Oh, you recognize me?"
méi xiǎng dào jīn tiān yě chū xiàn zài bīng yán gǔ lǐ 。
没想到今天也出现在冰炎谷里。
The mysterious youth turned his head as well. He had been sealed for millions of years; it made sense that no one would know him. However, based on appearance alone, the Three-Eyed Sovereign’s likeness suggested he must have seen the other.
“ ó nǐ rèn shí wǒ ？”
“哦你认识我？”
The mysterious youth was elated. His most pressing need was to learn about the Three-Eyed Sovereign—where and at what strength.
nà shén mì shì shào nián zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， tā shù bǎi wàn nián lái yì zhí bèi fēng yìn zài cǐ chù ， àn lǐ shuō shì bù kě néng yǒu rén xiāng shí de ， bù guò zì jǐ jǐn jiù xiàng mào ， yǔ sān yǎn shèng zǔ bù chà fēn háo duì fāng néng gòu rèn chū zì jǐ ， nà xiǎng bì shì céng jiàn guò sān yǎn dì 。
那神秘是少年转过头颅，他数百万年来一直被封印在此处，按理说是不可能有人相识的，不过自己仅就相貌，与三眼圣祖不差分毫对方能够认出自己，那想必是曾见过三眼地。
Back then, though used as a vessel for the Three-Eyed Sovereign's rebirth, his intelligence had gradually developed due to the chaotic energy in the Ice Flame Valley and the nourishment from the solar-lunar essence. He now possessed a spirit, which opened up new possibilities.
shén mì shào nián bù yóu de dà xǐ ， tā rú jīn zuì pò qiè xiǎng yào liǎo jiě de ， jiù shì sān yǎn shèng zǔ de xìn xī ， rén zài nǎ lǐ ， shí lì yòu dào le zěn yàng de děng jí 。
神秘少年不由得大喜，他如今最迫切想要了解的，就是三眼圣祖的信息，人在哪里，实力又到了怎样的等级。
With this newfound wisdom, he could potentially seize control of the Three-Eyed Sovereign’s consciousness if he found him, especially since his current strength was far weaker than the other's.
yào zhī dào ， dāng nián tā suī rán shì bèi dàng zuò yī jù qū qiào ， yòng yú sān yǎn tuō kùn hòu de duó shě ， kě shì shì nán liào ， zài zhè huán jìng qí tè de bīng yán gǔ ， tā shòu kuáng bào líng qì de yǐng xiǎng ， hái yǒu rì yuè jīng huá de zī yǎng ， shì yì shí yí ， jū rán màn màn chǎn shēng le líng zhì 。
要知道，当年他虽然是被当作一具躯壳，用于三眼脱困后的夺舍，可世事难料，在这环境奇特的冰炎谷，他受狂暴灵气的影响，还有rì月精华的滋养，事易时移，居然慢慢产生了灵智。
The benefits were clear; with time, he would replace the Three-Eyed Sovereign and become a true Ancient Demon Sovereign.
zhì zhě qiān lǜ bì yǒu yī shī ， zhè yì diǎn ， shì dāng nián de sān yǎn shǐ liào wèi jí 。
智者千虑必有一失，这一点，是当年的三眼始料未及。
This was his most important task. Thus, the mysterious youth turned to Lin Xuan, shifting his gaze to Tian Yuan’s avatar. His eyes narrowed with an ominous glint: "You know the Three-Eyed Sovereign. Where did you see him?"
yú shì ， yuán běn de qū qiào chǎn shēng le líng zhì ， nà yě jiù yǒu jī huì fǎn kè wéi zhǔ ， rú guǒ tā néng gòu zhǎo dào sān yǎn shèng zǔ ， ér qiě cǐ shí de sān yǎn shí lì yuǎn wèi huī fù ， bǐ tā hái ruò ， nà me ， jiù bú shì sān yǎn duì tā duó shě ， ér shì tā kě yǐ duó shě qīn zhàn diào sān yǎn de líng shí le 。
于是，原本的躯壳产生了灵智，那也就有机会反客为主，如果他能够找到三眼圣祖，而且此时的三眼实力远未恢复，比他还弱，那么，就不是三眼对他夺舍，而是他可以夺舍侵占掉三眼的灵识了。
The commanding tone infuriated Tian Yuan. Although he wasn’t his true form, he was still a powerful avatar in the demon realm. No one dared speak to him like this, especially not someone who looked similar to the Three-Eyed Sovereign.
nà yàng de hǎo chù shì bù yán ér yù de ， jiǎ yǐ shí rì， tā jiāng qǔ sān yǎn ér dài zhī ， chéng wéi zhēn zhèng de gǔ mó shǐ zǔ 。
那样的好处是不言而喻的，假以时rì，他将取三眼而代之，成为真正的古魔始祖。
Moreover, he noticed that the mysterious youth’s demeanor didn’t match his appearance.
duì tā lái shuō ， zhè wú yí shì mù qián zuì wèi zhòng yào de rèn wù ， yīn cǐ ， nà shén mì shào nián mǎ shàng zhuǎn guò le tóu lú ， mù guāng cóng lín xuān de liǎn shàng nuó kāi ， yí dào tiān yuán shèng zǔ de huà shēn shàng miàn ， yǎn jīng wēi mī ， lǐ miàn yǒu wēi xiǎn ér guǐ yì de guāng máng shǎn shuò bù yǐ ：“ nǐ rèn shí sān yǎn ， zài shén me dì fāng jiàn dào tā de ？”
对他来说，这无疑是目前最为重要的任务，因此，那神秘少年马上转过了头颅，目光从林轩的脸上挪开，移到天元圣祖的化身上面，眼睛微眯，里面有危险而诡异的光芒闪烁不已：“你认识三眼，在什么地方见到他的？”
Since the other asked about where the Three-Eyed Sovereign was seen, it confirmed Tian Yuan had made a mistake.
nà gāo gāo zài shàng zhì wèn de yǔ qì ， ràng tiān yuán shèng zǔ bó rán dà nù ， tā suī rán bú shì běn tǐ jià lín cǐ chù ， lái de zhǐ shì yī jù huà shēn ér yǐ ， dàn fàng yǎn mó jiè ， chú le bǎo shé bīng pò jǐ wèi dà rén ， shuí gǎn duì tā zhè me jiǎng huà 。
那高高在上质问的语气，让天元圣祖勃然大怒，他虽然不是本体驾临此处，来的只是一具化身而已，但放眼魔界，除了宝蛇冰魄几位大人，谁敢对他这么讲话。
"What are you? Daring to speak to this Sovereign like this. Do you want to die?" Despite sensing the danger, as a sovereign, Tian Yuan couldn’t show weakness.
ér qiě tā yě fā xiàn le ， yǎn qián de shén mì shào nián zhǐ shì yǔ sān yǎn zhǎng dé xiàng ér yǐ ， nà qì dù méi fǎ bǐ 。
而且他也发现了，眼前的神秘少年只是与三眼长得像而已，那气度没法比。
However, the mysterious youth’s response left him taken aback.
hé kuàng duì fāng jì rán zhuī wèn sān yǎn zài hé dì ， dāng rán jiù gèng zhèng míng zì jǐ gāng cái rèn cuò rén le 。
何况对方既然追问三眼在何地，当然就更证明自己刚才认错人了。
"An Ancient Demon Sovereign?"
“ nǐ shì shén me dōng xī ， gǎn duì běn shèng zǔ zhè me jiǎng huà ， mò fēi xiǎng yào zhǎo sǐ？” suī rán gǎn jué dào duì fāng bù hǎo rě ， dàn shēn wèi shèng zǔ de jiāo ào ràng tiān yuán qǐ néng shì ruò 。
“你是什么东西，敢对本圣祖这么讲话，莫非想要找sǐ？”虽然感觉到对方不好惹，但身为圣祖的骄傲让天元岂能示弱。
The mysterious youth scrutinized Tian Yuan with intense curiosity, his gaze unsettling. A sense of foreboding crept into Tian Yuan's mind.
rán ér duì fāng tīng le tā de huà què shì yī è 。
然而对方听了他的话却是一愕。
They stood there in silence for a moment before the mysterious youth suddenly burst out laughing.
“ gǔ mó shèng zǔ ？”
“古魔圣祖？”
"Not bad, not bad. You do indeed contain Essence Qi from Tribulation Period Sovereigns. Unfortunately, it’s insufficient. If I’m not mistaken, you’re just an avatar of one."
nà shén mì shào nián kāi shǐ xì xì dǎ liàng qǐ tiān yuán lái le ， ér qiě nà mù guāng gǔ guài yǐ jí ， ràng tiān yuán yǐn yǐn yǒu bù miào de yù gǎn fú xiàn zài xīn dǐ 。
那神秘少年开始细细打量起天元来了，而且那目光古怪以极，让天元隐隐有不妙的预感浮现在心底。
"So what? Even if I am merely an avatar, do you think that makes me easy to deal with?" The scholar was enraged, feeling insulted. A Tribulation Period avatar's strength far surpassed that of a Spirit Formation Realm cultivator.
jiù zhè yàng jiāng chí le piàn kè ， nà shén mì shào nián tū rán fǔ zhǎng dà xiào qǐ lái le 。
就这样僵持了片刻，那神秘少年突然抚掌大笑起来了。
"Hmph, how useful is your bravado? If you’re wise, submit and suffer less. I’m troubled by the residual restrictions in my body; they can’t be removed easily with conventional methods. But if I can digest and integrate you, things will change. You may not be a true Sovereign, but your body contains some Essence Qi of True Demons—precisely what I need."
“ bù cuò ， bù cuò ， nǐ shēn tǐ lǐ ， hái zhēn hán yǒu dù jié qī shèng zú cái yǒu de jīng chún mó qì ， kě xī bù duō ， běn zūn ruò shì méi néng yǒu liào cuò ， nǐ jǐn jǐn shì nǎ wèi shèng zǔ de yī jù huà shēn bà le 。”
“不错，不错，你身体里，还真含有渡劫期圣族才有的精纯魔气，可惜不多，本尊若是没能有料错，你仅仅是哪位圣祖的一具化身罢了。”
Lin Xuan's eyes flashed as he heard the conversation. Today’s encounter was incredibly complex. Describing it as bizarre would be an understatement. The situation seemed to have shifted; this mysterious youth intended to target Tian Yuan’s avatar, and perhaps there was an opportunity for Lin Xuan.
“ nà yòu rú hé ， jiù suàn wǒ zhǐ shì yī jù huà shēn nǐ yǐ wéi jiù hǎo duì fù ？” rú shēng bó rán dà nù ， gǎn jué shòu dào le wǔ rǔ ， yào zhī dào dù jié qī cún zài de huà shēn ， lùn shí lì ， nà yě shì yuǎn shèng fēn shén qī xiū shì de 。
“那又如何，就算我只是一具化身你以为就好对付？”儒生勃然大怒，感觉受到了侮辱，要知道渡劫期存在的化身，论实力，那也是远胜分神期修士的。
Tian Xiaojian also turned his head, mirroring Lin Xuan's actions. Their sly glances met in mid-air, each nodding imperceptibly, indicating they had the same plan.
“ hēng ， sè lì nèi jīng yòu yǒu hé yòng chù ， nǐ rú guǒ shí xiàng de ， jiù guāi guāi de shù shǒu jiù fù ， hái kě yǐ shǎo shòu xǔ duō kǔ chǔ ， běn zūn zhèng zài fán nǎo ， tǐ nèi cán cún de jìn zhì ， yòng yì bān de fāng fǎ hěn nán jiě chú ， bù guò ruò shì néng jiāng nǐ xiāo huà róng hé ， qíng kuàng zì yòu bù tóng ， nǐ suī rán zhǐ shì yī jù huà shēn ér yǐ ， dàn tǐ nèi duō shǎo huì yǒu yī xiē zhēn mó zhī qì ， ér zhè zhèng shì wǒ xū yào dì 。”
“哼，色厉内经又有何用处，你如果识相的，就乖乖的束手就缚，还可以少受许多苦楚，本尊正在烦恼，体内残存的禁制，用一般的方法很难解除，不过若是能将你消化融合，情况自又不同，你虽然只是一具化身而已，但体内多少会有一些真魔之气，而这正是我需要地。”
Just then, the mysterious youth spoke again: "How about that? Do you two want to run away? Dream on. Even though your bodies lack True Demon power, your Core Formation Essence Qi is still beneficial. None of you will escape today."
duì huà shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lín xuān yǎn zhōng yì máng shǎn shuò ， jīn tiān de zāo yù ， hái zhēn shì cuò zōng fù zá yǐ jí ， yòng lí qí lái xíng róng ， nà shì yì diǎn yě bù wèi guò ， bù guò rú jīn de jú miàn ， sì hū fā shēng yī xiē gǎi biàn le ， zhè shén mì shào nián ， zhǔn bèi dǎ tiān yuán shèng zǔ huà shēn de zhǔ yì ， zì jǐ huì bú huì yǒu kě chèn zhī jī 。
对话声传入耳朵，林轩眼中异芒闪烁，今天的遭遇，还真是错综复杂以极，用离奇来形容，那是一点也不为过，不过如今的局面，似乎发生一些改变了，这神秘少年，准备打天元圣祖化身的主意，自己会不会有可趁之机。
Before his words finished, the mysterious youth’s shoulders trembled, and his body gradually transformed into a mass of dark energy starting from his shoulders. Lin Xuan was relatively better off; he had already witnessed this strange magic. Tian Xiaojian and Tian Yuan’s faces turned pale.
lín xuān zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， què fā xiàn tián xiǎo jiàn yě shì tóng yàng de dòng zuò ， liǎng gè xiǎo huá tóu de mù guāng zài bàn kōng zhōng xiāng chù ， gè zì wēi bù kě chá de diǎn le diǎn tóu ， xiǎn rán tián xiǎo jiàn dǎ dī zhǔ yì yě shì yī yàng de 。
林轩转过头颅，却发现田小剑也是同样的动作，两个小滑头的目光在半空中相触，各自微不可查的点了点头，显然田小剑打的主意也是一样的。
The dark energy enveloped several meters around them before swirling and splitting into three smaller masses.
rán ér jiù zài cǐ kè ， nà shén mì shào nián de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ：“ zěn me ， nǐ men liǎng gè xiǎng chèn jī pǎo me ， bié zuò mèng le ， nǐ men shēn tǐ lǐ ， suī rán méi yǒu zhēn mó zhī lì ， dàn yuán yīng fǎ lì ， duì wǒ yě shì dà bǔ ， jīn tiān yí gè yě bié xiǎng táo tuō 。”
然而就在此刻，那神秘少年的声音传入耳朵：“怎么，你们两个想趁机跑么，别做梦了，你们身体里，虽然没有真魔之力，但元婴法力，对我也是大补，今天一个也别想逃脱。”
These dark energies spread out, transforming into three identical youths after a few breaths.
huà yīn wèi luò ， nà shén mì shào nián jiān tóu wēi dǒu ， zhěng gè shēn tǐ yóu jiān bǎng kāi shǐ ， màn màn huà wèi le yī tuán mó qì ， lín xuān hái hǎo yī xiē ， bì jìng zhè guǐ yì mó gōng tā gāng gāng yǐ jīng jiàn shí ， tián xiǎo jiàn yǔ tiān yuán shèng zǔ ， liǎn sè zé nán kàn yǐ jí 。
话音未落，那神秘少年肩头微抖，整个身体由肩膀开始，慢慢化为了一团魔气，林轩还好一些，毕竟这诡异魔功他刚刚已经见识，田小剑与天元圣祖，脸色则难看以极。
In other words, the person had transformed from one to three.
nà mó qì shēn suì yǐ jí ， lǒng zhào le fāng yuán shù zhàng de jù lí ， suí hòu yī zhèn fān yǒng ， yī huà wèi sān ， biàn chéng le sān tuán shāo wēi xiǎo yī xiē de mó qì lái 。
那魔气深邃以极，笼罩了方圆数丈的距离，随后一阵翻涌，一化为三，变成了三团稍微小一些的魔气来。
Their appearances were identical except for their clothing.
nà xiē mó qì xiàng sì zhōu shēn zhǎn ， guò le jǐ xī ， jū rán gè zì biàn huà chéng rén xíng ， sān gè miàn mào yī mú yī yàng de shào nián ， yìng rù yǎn lián 。
那些魔气像四周伸展，过了几息，居然各自变化成人型，三个面貌一模一样的少年，映入眼帘。
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Tian Xiaojian gritted his teeth in hatred, but the situation was now dire. It didn't make sense to delve deeper into it; he had no choice but to continue playing along with Lin Xuan.
Fielding this situation, Tian Xiaojian wasn’t stupid. Turning against Lin Xuan would be a double-edged sword—hurting himself and his enemy equally.
The wisest course of action was to feign ignorance. There was nothing to complain about; he had been dragged into the water by Lin Xuan, but so had that guy. Their current predicaments were similar, and in this situation, cooperation might be their only way out.
Of course, if he got a chance to escape, he wouldn’t mind stabbing Lin Xuan in the back.
He also needed to remain vigilant about this. Although they met infrequently, Tian Xiaojian knew his "big brother" well enough—sly and calculating. If given an opportunity, he would not hesitate to strike him down.
The gloomy sky made Tian Yuan’s brows furrow as he stared at the mysterious youth hovering in mid-air. The boy exuded a sense of immense pressure, discomfort, and even fear, akin to facing a legendary foe.
But how was this possible? He was the Ancient Demon Sovereign; although not his true form, his cultivation level during the Tribulation Period was formidable. Very few could pose a threat to him in his avatar state—unless it was another Ancient Demon Sovereign!
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Tian Yuan turned his head and narrowed his eyes as he looked at the other.
"Are you?"
Tian Yuan was shocked, almost disbelieving what he saw. Was this just a coincidence or some cruel joke by fate?
He had been tasked with searching for the Three-Eyed Sovereign’s escape, but over a hundred years passed without any significant results. Although not entirely fruitless, it hadn’t fulfilled his mission. The Three-Eyed Sovereign was cunning and hard to track, even in his weakened state.
It was surprising he found himself here today.
"Oh, you recognize me?"
The mysterious youth turned his head as well. He had been sealed for millions of years; it made sense that no one would know him. However, based on appearance alone, the Three-Eyed Sovereign’s likeness suggested he must have seen the other.
The mysterious youth was elated. His most pressing need was to learn about the Three-Eyed Sovereign—where and at what strength.
Back then, though used as a vessel for the Three-Eyed Sovereign's rebirth, his intelligence had gradually developed due to the chaotic energy in the Ice Flame Valley and the nourishment from the solar-lunar essence. He now possessed a spirit, which opened up new possibilities.
With this newfound wisdom, he could potentially seize control of the Three-Eyed Sovereign’s consciousness if he found him, especially since his current strength was far weaker than the other's.
The benefits were clear; with time, he would replace the Three-Eyed Sovereign and become a true Ancient Demon Sovereign.
This was his most important task. Thus, the mysterious youth turned to Lin Xuan, shifting his gaze to Tian Yuan’s avatar. His eyes narrowed with an ominous glint: "You know the Three-Eyed Sovereign. Where did you see him?"
The commanding tone infuriated Tian Yuan. Although he wasn’t his true form, he was still a powerful avatar in the demon realm. No one dared speak to him like this, especially not someone who looked similar to the Three-Eyed Sovereign.
Moreover, he noticed that the mysterious youth’s demeanor didn’t match his appearance.
Since the other asked about where the Three-Eyed Sovereign was seen, it confirmed Tian Yuan had made a mistake.
"What are you? Daring to speak to this Sovereign like this. Do you want to die?" Despite sensing the danger, as a sovereign, Tian Yuan couldn’t show weakness.
However, the mysterious youth’s response left him taken aback.
"An Ancient Demon Sovereign?"
The mysterious youth scrutinized Tian Yuan with intense curiosity, his gaze unsettling. A sense of foreboding crept into Tian Yuan's mind.
They stood there in silence for a moment before the mysterious youth suddenly burst out laughing.
"Not bad, not bad. You do indeed contain Essence Qi from Tribulation Period Sovereigns. Unfortunately, it’s insufficient. If I’m not mistaken, you’re just an avatar of one."
"So what? Even if I am merely an avatar, do you think that makes me easy to deal with?" The scholar was enraged, feeling insulted. A Tribulation Period avatar's strength far surpassed that of a Spirit Formation Realm cultivator.
"Hmph, how useful is your bravado? If you’re wise, submit and suffer less. I’m troubled by the residual restrictions in my body; they can’t be removed easily with conventional methods. But if I can digest and integrate you, things will change. You may not be a true Sovereign, but your body contains some Essence Qi of True Demons—precisely what I need."
Lin Xuan's eyes flashed as he heard the conversation. Today’s encounter was incredibly complex. Describing it as bizarre would be an understatement. The situation seemed to have shifted; this mysterious youth intended to target Tian Yuan’s avatar, and perhaps there was an opportunity for Lin Xuan.
Tian Xiaojian also turned his head, mirroring Lin Xuan's actions. Their sly glances met in mid-air, each nodding imperceptibly, indicating they had the same plan.
Just then, the mysterious youth spoke again: "How about that? Do you two want to run away? Dream on. Even though your bodies lack True Demon power, your Core Formation Essence Qi is still beneficial. None of you will escape today."
Before his words finished, the mysterious youth’s shoulders trembled, and his body gradually transformed into a mass of dark energy starting from his shoulders. Lin Xuan was relatively better off; he had already witnessed this strange magic. Tian Xiaojian and Tian Yuan’s faces turned pale.
The dark energy enveloped several meters around them before swirling and splitting into three smaller masses.
These dark energies spread out, transforming into three identical youths after a few breaths.
In other words, the person had transformed from one to three.
Their appearances were identical except for their clothing.
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