quán wén zì wú guǎng gào dì liǎng qiān wǔ bǎi sān shí wǔ zhāng shùn lì qián rù
全文字无广告第两千五百三十五章顺利潜入
Chapter 2536 - Smoothly Intruding
nǎo hǎi zhōng luàn qī bā zāo de niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， bù guò hěn kuài tā jiù fǎn yìng guò lái le ， bù guǎn duì fāng shì bú shì fēn shén qī ， dōu jué bú shì zì jǐ kě yǐ dé zuì dì 。 quán wén zì wú guǎng gào
脑海中乱七八糟的念头转过，不过很快他就反应过来了，不管对方是不是分神期，都绝不是自己可以得罪地。全文字无广告
His mind raced with thoughts, but quickly he realized that no matter if the opponent was a Spirit Diversion realm or not, it wasn't someone he could afford to offend. After all, the other party's cultivation stage had nothing to do with him; his sole purpose for coming here was to claim the bounty.
hé kuàng duì fāng jìng jiè gāo dī ， yě yǔ zì jǐ méi yǒu duō dà guān xì ， bì jìng tā lái dào zhè lǐ ， zhǐ shì wèi le lǐng qǔ xuán shǎng ér yǐ 。
何况对方境界高低，也与自己没有多大关系，毕竟他来到这里，只是为了领取悬赏而已。
With this in mind, the elder hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully bowed towards what appeared to be a spirit diversion realm monster. "Salutations, Senior! I have arrived at this place..."
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， nà lǎo zhě jí máng qiǎng shàng jǐ bù ， duì zhe nà yí sì fēn shén qī lǎo guài wù de cún zài shēn shī yī lǐ ， gōng jìng yì cháng de shuō dào ：“ gěi qián bèi jiàn lǐ ， wǎn bèi lái dào cǐ dì ……”
想到这里，那老者急忙抢上几步，对着那疑似分神期老怪物的存在深施一礼，恭敬异常的说道：“给前辈见礼，晚辈来到此地……”
Before he could finish speaking, the other party showed no interest in him and swiftly passed by like a gust of wind, disappearing from sight.
tā huà yīn wèi luò ， duì fāng què gēn běn méi yǒu xìng qù tóng tā luō suo ， ér shì rú tóng yī zhèn fēng bān de cóng shēn páng lüè guò bú jiàn le 。
他话音未落，对方却根本没有兴趣同他啰嗦，而是如同一阵风般的从身旁掠过不见了。
The elder was taken aback but soon heard a loud laugh: "Good, good, indeed a heavenly way martial artist among mortals. Heh, you look quite handsome too, boy. How old are you?"
lǎo zhě dà jīng shī sè ， dàn hěn kuài jiù yǒu hā hā hā de kuáng xiào shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ：“ bù cuò ， bù cuò ， guǒ rán shì fán rén zhōng de tiān dào wǔ zhě ， hēi hēi ， zhǎng dé yě bù cuò ， xiǎo zi ， nǐ duō shǎo suì le ？”
老者大惊失色，但很快就有哈哈哈的狂笑声传入耳朵：“不错，不错，果然是凡人中的天道武者，嘿嘿，长得也不错，小子，你多少岁了？”
Only then did Lin Xuan clearly see that the cultivator before him was a muscular man with a thick beard, around forty years old, his physique iron-hard and bearing an imposing appearance.
lín xuān zhè shí cái kàn qīng chǔ ， yǎn qián de xiū shì nǎi shì yī qiú xū dà hàn ， kàn shàng qù dà yuē sì shí chū tóu ， hún shēn jī ròu shì tiě ， xiàng mào shí fēn wēi wǔ 。
林轩这时才看清楚，眼前的修士乃是一虬须大汉，看上去大约四十出头，浑身肌肉似铁，相貌十分威武。
Though the other party's spiritual pressure was concealed, Lin Xuan couldn't release his divine sense either. At such close range, he almost confirmed that the other party was indeed at Spirit Diversion realm—likely not in its early stage—and probably slightly higher than him.
suī rán qí líng yā hán ér bù lù ， tóng shí ， lín xuān yě wú fǎ jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， dàn zhè yàng jìn de jù lí ， tā jī hū kě yǐ kěn dìng ， duì fāng jiù shì fēn shén qī ， shèn zhì duō bàn hái bú shì chū qī ， jiù jìng jiè lái shuō ， bǐ zì jǐ hái yào lüè shèng yì diǎn de yàng zi 。
虽然其灵压含而不露，同时，林轩也无法将神识放出，但这样近的距离，他几乎可以肯定，对方就是分神期，甚至多半还不是初期，就境界来说，比自己还要略胜一点的样子。
"Reporting to Senior Immortal, this...this servant is exactly twenty years old."
“ qǐ bǐng xiān shī ， xiǎo …… xiǎo rén jīn nián gāng hǎo èr shí 。”
“启禀仙师，小……小人今年刚好二十。”
Lin Xuan's voice carried a hint of fear. Although Heaven Dao experts were already the pinnacle among mortal martial artists, they still fell short compared to cultivators. Especially when facing such high-ranking cultivators, it would be strange if he remained calm and composed.
lín xuān de shēng yīn ， lüè dài zhe jǐ fēn wèi jù ， suī rán tiān dào gāo shǒu ， yǐ shì fán rén wǔ zhě zhōng de jí zhì ， dàn yǔ xiū xiān zhě xiāng bǐ ， yī jiù yǒu zhe bù xiǎo de chā jù ， yóu qí shì miàn duì zhè yàng gāo jiē de xiū xiān zhě ， rú guǒ hái qì dìng shén xián ， nà cái zhēn shì guài le ， suǒ yǐ yú qíng yú lǐ ， lín xuān dōu yào biǎo xiàn chū jǐ fēn wèi jù 。
林轩的声音，略带着几分畏惧，虽然天道高手，已是凡人武者中的极致，但与修仙者相比，依旧有着不小的差距，尤其是面对这样高阶的修仙者，如果还气定神闲，那才真是怪了，所以于情于理，林轩都要表现出几分畏惧。
Playing along was Lin Xuan’s forte; there wasn't a single flaw in his act.
ér zuò xì ， zhèng shì lín xuān ná shǒu zhī wù ， zì rán shì fēn háo pò zhàn dōu méi yǒu de 。
而做戏，正是林轩拿手之物，自然是分毫破绽都没有的。
"Twenty? Heh, good."
“ èr shí ， hēi hēi ， bù cuò 。”
“二十，嘿嘿，不错。”
The muscular man seemed even more delighted. Although he appeared rough on the outside, he was actually meticulous to a fault. Despite believing that mere mortals couldn’t deceive him, this matter was too significant to risk any mistakes, so he spoke up: "Extend your hand and let me check your bone age."
nà fēn shén qī dà hàn gèng jiā huān xǐ le ， rán ér cǐ rén wài biǎo suī rán cū lǔ ， qí shí què shì yī xīn xì rú fà de rén wù ， jǐn guǎn rèn wéi qū qū fán rén ， bù kě néng jiāng zì jǐ piàn guò ， dàn zhè jiàn shì qíng ， shí zài shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， wàn wàn bù néng chū yì diǎn chā cuò ， suǒ yǐ tā hái shì kāi kǒu le ：“ jiāng shǒu shēn chū lái ， ràng lǎo fū kàn kàn nǐ gǔ líng rú hé 。”
那分神期大汉更加欢喜了，然而此人外表虽然粗鲁，其实却是一心细如发的人物，尽管认为区区凡人，不可能将自己骗过，但这件事情，实在是非同小可，万万不能出一点差错，所以他还是开口了：“将手伸出来，让老夫看看你骨龄如何。”
"Yes, Senior Immortal."
“ shì ， xiān shī 。”
“是，仙师。”
Without hesitation, Lin Xuan raised his right hand, feeling relieved that he had anticipated the situation and prepared for it. He wasn't worried about the other party discovering anything amiss from his bone age.
lín xuān háo bù yóu yù de jiāng yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， tóng shí xīn zhōng qìng xìng yǐ jí ， xìng hǎo zhè jiàn shì qíng zì jǐ yǐ yǒu yù jì ， yīn cǐ yě zǎo zuò zhǔn bèi le ， suǒ yǐ dào yě bù dān xīn duì fāng yóu gǔ líng kàn chū bù tuǒ 。
林轩毫不犹豫的将右手抬起，同时心中庆幸以极，幸好这件事情自己已有预计，因此也早作准备了，所以倒也不担心对方由骨龄看出不妥。
He was confident in this.
zhè diǎn xìn xīn hái shì yǒu de 。
这点信心还是有的。
The man's face showed satisfaction as he flicked a finger, sending a bolt of qi towards Lin Xuan’s wrist, which then entered his hand.
nà dà hàn liǎn shàng lù chū mǎn yì zhī sè ， zhǐ jiàn tā qū zhǐ yī dàn ， yī dào líng qì jī shè chū zhǐ jiān ， suí hòu mò rù lín xuān de shǒu wàn 。
那大汉脸上露出满意之色，只见他屈指一弹，一道灵气激射出指尖，随后没入林轩的手腕。
Then he closed his eyes and began to probe intently.
rán hòu tā jiù bì shàng shuāng móu ， yáo tóu huàng nǎo de chá tàn zhe shén me 。
然后他就闭上双眸，摇头晃脑的查探着什么。
After a moment:
guò le piàn kè 。
过了片刻。
"Good, good. Indeed only twenty years old. Although the martial arts path is far easier than cultivation, such a young age to become a Heaven Dao powerhouse is truly rare talent. Especially with such handsome looks, fully meeting our sect’s requirements. Excellent, heh, this is simply excellent."
“ bù cuò ， bù cuò ， guǒ rán cái èr shí chū tóu ， suī shuō wǔ dào yī tú ， yuǎn bǐ xiū xiān róng yì dé duō ， dàn qū qū zhè diǎn nián líng ， jiù néng chéng wéi tiān dào qiáng zhě ， yě suàn shì wàn nián nán yù de qí cái le ， yóu qí hái zhǎng dé rú cǐ shuài qì ， wán quán fú hé běn mén de yāo qiú ， tài hǎo ， hā hā ， jiǎn zhí tài hǎo le 。”
“不错，不错，果然才二十出头，虽说武道一途，远比修仙容易得多，但区区这点年龄，就能成为天道强者，也算是万年难遇的奇才了，尤其还长得如此帅气，完全符合本门的要求，太好，哈哈，简直太好了。”
The man's face was one of extreme joy, as if the value of this mortal surpassed that of many precious treasures.
dà hàn yī fù xīn xǐ ruò kuáng zhī sè ， fǎng fú yǎn qián zhè fán rén de jià zhí ， jìng rán shèng guò qí zhēn yì bǎo xǔ duō 。
大汉一副欣喜若狂之色，仿佛眼前这凡人的价值，竟然胜过奇珍异宝许多。
"Ahem, ahem."
“ ké ， ké 。”
“咳，咳。”
Just then, a light cough sounded. The man turned his head to see an old condensation realm elder with cautious expression: "Senior, this...this little fellow is brought by me."
jiù zài cǐ kè ， yī zhèn qīng ké shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， nà dà hàn huí guò tóu lú ， zhǐ jiàn yī páng de níng dān qī lǎo zhě mǎn liǎn xiǎo xīn yì yì zhī sè ：“ qián bèi ， zhè …… zhè xiǎo jiā huo ， kě shì wǒ dài lái de 。”
就在此刻，一阵轻咳声传入耳朵，那大汉回过头颅，只见一旁的凝丹期老者满脸小心翼翼之色：“前辈，这……这小家伙，可是我带来的。”
"I know you brought him; what's the issue?" the Spirit Diversion realm man said indifferently.
“ wǒ zhī dào shì nǐ dài lái de ， nà yòu rú hé ， nǐ bú shì dǎ suàn ， jiāng tā xiàn gěi běn mén me ？” nà fēn shén qī dà hàn dàn dàn de shuō ， rán ér yǔ qì què lüè wēi yǒu diǎn bù mǎn 。
“我知道是你带来的，那又如何，你不是打算，将他献给本门么？”那分神期大汉淡淡的说，然而语气却略微有点不满。
The elder’s face changed dramatically. The anger of a Spirit Diversion realm existence was something he couldn't bear. A mere flick of his finger could reduce him to ashes: "Senior, please calm down. I have traveled far and wide to bring this boy as an offering to the Ethereal Immortal Palace."
lǎo zhě liǎn sè dà biàn ， yī wèi fēn shén qī cún zài de nù huǒ ， kě shì tā wú lùn rú hé ， yě wú fǎ chéng shòu de ， duì fāng zhī xiāo dòng yī dòng zhǐ tou ， jiù zú yǐ ràng zì jǐ huī fēi yān miè le ：“ qián bèi xī nù ， wǎn bèi qiān xīn wàn kǔ lái dào cǐ chù ， dāng rán shì wèi le jiāng tā fèng xiàn gěi piāo miǎo xiān gōng ， bù guò ……”
老者脸色大变，一位分神期存在的怒火，可是他无论如何，也无法承受的，对方知消动一动指头，就足以让自己灰飞烟灭了：“前辈息怒，晚辈千辛万苦来到此处，当然是为了将他奉献给缥缈仙宫，不过……”
"But what about your promised bounty?" the elder stammered.
“ bù guò shén me ？” nà dà hàn liǎn sè shāo hé 。
“不过什么？”那大汉脸色稍和。
Money talks; fear walks. Despite being terrified at that moment, the bounty was crucial to his chances of condensing a core. He couldn't afford to give it up.
“ guì gōng …… guì gōng suǒ chéng nuò de xuán shǎng ne ？” lǎo zhě jiē jiē bā bā de shuō 。
“贵宫……贵宫所承诺的悬赏呢？”老者结结巴巴的说。
"Are you talking about the bountiful treasure? Hey, how could I forget with my memory? I got so excited!" The man slapped his forehead, showing no signs of displeasure. He then waved his sleeve, and a small jade pendant flew out.
rén wéi cái sǐ ， niǎo wèi shí wáng ， jǐn guǎn cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tā xīn zhōng yǐ shì hài pà dào jí chù ， rán ér nà xuán shǎng fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， nǎi shì guān xì dào tā yǒu méi yǒu kě néng níng jié yuán yīng de bǎo wù ， dāng rán wú lùn rú hé ， yě jué bù kě néng fàng qì de 。
人为财死，鸟为食亡，尽管此时此刻，他心中已是害怕到极处，然而那悬赏非同小可，乃是关系到他有没有可能凝结元婴的宝物，当然无论如何，也绝不可能放弃的。
The elder hesitated as he took it; the pendant bore an intricately drawn landscape painting but contained no trace of qi, seemingly not from the cultivation world.
fù guì xiǎn zhōng qiú jiù shì zhè ge dào lǐ le 。
富贵险中求就是这个道理了。
"This..."
“ nǐ shì shuō xuán shǎng de bǎo wù ， hēi ， kàn wǒ zhè jì xìng ， zhǐ gù zhe gāo xìng ， hái zhēn gěi wàng jì le 。” nà dà hàn yī pāi é tóu ， liǎn shàng háo wú bù mǎn zhī sè ， suí hòu xiù páo yī fú ， yī kuài xiǎo xiǎo de yù pèi cóng tā de yī xiù zhōng fēi chū 。
“你是说悬赏的宝物，嘿，看我这记性，只顾着高兴，还真给忘记了。”那大汉一拍额头，脸上毫无不满之色，随后袖袍一拂，一块小小的玉佩从他的衣袖中飞出。
"Here is my token. With this, you can go to the Flying Cloud Pavilion to claim your bounty," the man said indifferently.
nà lǎo zhě lèng lèng de jiē guò ， zhǐ jiàn shàng miàn kè zhe huì zhe yī fú xǔ xǔ rú shēng de shān shuǐ tú ， chú cǐ yǐ wài ， yì diǎn líng qì yě wú ， sì hū bìng fēi xiū xiān jiè de bǎo wù 。
那老者愣愣的接过，只见上面刻着绘着一幅栩栩如生的山水图，除此以外，一点灵气也无，似乎并非修仙界的宝物。
"R-Really?"
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
"Hmph, what would I gain by deceiving a mere condensation realm junior? Besides, with our Ethereal Immortal Palace's reputation, could I possibly default on such a small matter?" The man was furious: "Besides, with my status, how could I afford to quarrel over this with you, a lowly minor?"
“ cǐ nǎi lǎo fū de xìn wù ， nǐ ná zhe tā ， qián wǎng fēi yún gé qù lǐng qǔ xuán shǎng jiù kě yǐ le 。” dà hàn dàn dàn de shuō 。
“此乃老夫的信物，你拿着牠，前往飞云阁去领取悬赏就可以了。”大汉淡淡的说。
"Senior, please forgive me. This is my fault for not understanding your kindness; I will beg for your mercy."
“ zhēn …… zhēn de kě yǐ me ？”
“真……真的可以么？”
The elder was terrified and quickly pleaded for forgiveness. In the cultivation world, survival was paramount—losing face was secondary.
“ hēng ， lǎo fū hé děng shēn fèn ， nán dào hái huì qī piàn nǐ yī níng dān qī de xiǎo bèi bù chéng ？” dà hàn bó rán dà nù ：“ hé kuàng yǐ wǒ piāo miǎo xiān gōng de xìn yù ， zhè qū qū yì diǎn bǎo wù ， hái huì duì nǐ lài zhàng me ？”
“哼，老夫何等身份，难道还会欺骗你一凝丹期的小辈不成？”大汉勃然大怒：“何况以我缥缈仙宫的信誉，这区区一点宝物，还会对你赖账么？”
"All right, as someone of my status, how could I possibly quarrel with you? Go claim your bounty!"
“ qián bèi xī nù ， shì wǎn bèi bù zhī hǎo dǎi ， yǐ xiǎo rén zhī xīn dù jūn zǐ zhī fù ， hái wàng nín qiān wàn ráo guò wǎn bèi zhè cì de 。”
“前辈息怒，是晚辈不知好歹，以小人之心度君子之腹，还望您千万饶过晚辈这次的。”
"Thank you, Senior, for sparing me."
nà lǎo zhě dà jīng shī sè ， máng yáo wěi qǐ lián ， zhè bù qí guài ， xiū xiān jiè ruò ròu qiáng shí ， wèi bǎo mìng bú yào miàn zi ， nà yě shì hěn zhèng cháng zhī shì 。
那老者大惊失色，忙摇尾乞怜，这不奇怪，修仙界弱肉强食，为保命不要面子，那也是很正常之事。
Overjoyed, the elder respectfully bowed before leaving with the jade pendant. The man had no qualms; the restrictions here meant nothing to a sect elder like him. He enveloped Lin Xuan in a burst of spiritual light and vanished on the spot.
“ hǎo le ， yǐ lǎo fū de shēn fèn ， nán dào hái yǔ nǐ yī mò liú xiǎo bèi jì jiào bù chéng ， zì jǐ kuài qù lǐng shǎng ba ！”
“好了，以老夫的身份，难道还与你一末流小辈计较不成，自己快去领赏吧！”
Lin Xuan's face showed appropriate fear as well, but he was actually carefully observing his surroundings. After the Heaven Devil Transformation technique, his overwhelming power had diminished, but his photographic memory remained. Lin Xuan was keeping an eye out for potential theft or exposure, preparing to flee if necessary.
“ shì ， duō xiè qián bèi bù zuì zhī ēn 。”
“是，多谢前辈不罪之恩。”
Since the Ethereal Immortal Palace was the top sect in the Ice Sea region, its main base covered a vast area. Numerous pavilions and terraces dotted the landscape, each with unique scenery. Lin Xuan could only remember the general layout but that was enough.
lǎo zhě dà xǐ ， gōng gōng jìng jìng de xíng le yī lǐ ， suí hòu biàn dài zhe nà yù pèi xiàng qián zǒu qù ， ér nà dà hàn zé méi yǒu shén me gù jì ， yǎn qián de jìn kōng jìn zhì duì tā zhè yàng de mén pài zhǎng lǎo shì méi yǒu zuò yòng dì ， dāng jí hún shēn líng máng dà qǐ ， jiāng lín xuān yī guǒ ， jiù zài yuán dì xiāo shī le 。
老者大喜，恭恭敬敬的行了一礼，随后便带着那玉佩像前走去，而那大汉则没有什么顾忌，眼前的禁空禁制对他这样的门派长老是没有作用地，当即浑身灵芒大起，将林轩一裹，就在原地消失了。
Half an hour later, the man's trace stopped. Lin Xuan found himself brought to a valley. The valley wasn't large, but it contained several buildings.
lín xuān liǎn shàng yě qià dào hǎo chù de lù chū jīng pà zhī sè ， duì fāng zì rán shì yí lǜ quán wú ， nǎ zhī dào yǎn qián zhè rú tóng lóu yǐ bān ruò xiǎo de jiā huo qí shí què shì zài bàn zhū chī hǔ 。
林轩脸上也恰到好处的露出惊怕之色，对方自然是疑虑全无，哪知道眼前这如同蝼蚁般弱小的家伙其实却是在扮猪吃虎。
"Salutations, Grandmaster."
zhè dà hàn zài piāo miǎo xiān gōng de dì wèi guǒ rán zūn chóng ， yǒu tā dài zhe ， yī lù shàng méi yǒu yù jiàn fēn háo zǔ gé ， lín xuān biǎo miàn shàng lüè dài jīng pà zhī sè ， qí shí què shì xiǎo xīn liú yì zhe zhōu wéi de huán jìng ， shī zhǎn tiān mó huà yīng ** hòu ， yī shēn jīng tiān dòng dì de fǎ lì méi yǒu le ， dàn guò mù bù wàng de shén tōng yī jiù zài de ， lín xuān liú yì zhōu wéi de huán jìng ， shì wèi dào bǎo chéng gōng ， huò zhě shēn fèn bù xiǎo xīn bào lù ， táo pǎo zuò zhǔn bèi de 。
这大汉在缥缈仙宫的地位果然尊崇，有他带着，一路上没有遇见分毫阻隔，林轩表面上略带惊怕之色，其实却是小心留意着周围的环境，施展天魔化婴**后，一身惊天动地的法力没有了，但过目不忘的神通依旧在的，林轩留意周围的环境，是为盗宝成功，或者身份不小心暴露，逃跑做准备的。
A beam of light descended, and a beautiful young girl greeted him with a graceful bow.
zhè piāo miǎo xiān gōng jì rán shì bīng hǎi jiè dì yī dà pài ， zǒng duò zhàn dì de miàn jī ， zì rán shì jí wéi guǎng bó ， yī lù jiàn dào de tíng tái lóu gé shǔ bù shèng shǔ ， fēng jǐng gè bù xiāng tóng ， lín xuān yě zhǐ néng jì gè dà gài ， bù guò zhè yě jiù gòu le 。
这缥缈仙宫既然是冰海界第一大派，总舵占地的面积，自然是极为广博，一路见到的亭台楼阁数不胜数，风景各不相同，林轩也只能记个大概，不过这也就够了。
P.S.: Third update, thank you for your support!
Chapter 2536 - Smoothly Intruding
His mind raced with thoughts, but quickly he realized that no matter if the opponent was a Spirit Diversion realm or not, it wasn't someone he could afford to offend. After all, the other party's cultivation stage had nothing to do with him; his sole purpose for coming here was to claim the bounty.
With this in mind, the elder hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully bowed towards what appeared to be a spirit diversion realm monster. "Salutations, Senior! I have arrived at this place..."
Before he could finish speaking, the other party showed no interest in him and swiftly passed by like a gust of wind, disappearing from sight.
The elder was taken aback but soon heard a loud laugh: "Good, good, indeed a heavenly way martial artist among mortals. Heh, you look quite handsome too, boy. How old are you?"
Only then did Lin Xuan clearly see that the cultivator before him was a muscular man with a thick beard, around forty years old, his physique iron-hard and bearing an imposing appearance.
Though the other party's spiritual pressure was concealed, Lin Xuan couldn't release his divine sense either. At such close range, he almost confirmed that the other party was indeed at Spirit Diversion realm—likely not in its early stage—and probably slightly higher than him.
"Reporting to Senior Immortal, this...this servant is exactly twenty years old."
Lin Xuan's voice carried a hint of fear. Although Heaven Dao experts were already the pinnacle among mortal martial artists, they still fell short compared to cultivators. Especially when facing such high-ranking cultivators, it would be strange if he remained calm and composed.
Playing along was Lin Xuan’s forte; there wasn't a single flaw in his act.
"Twenty? Heh, good."
The muscular man seemed even more delighted. Although he appeared rough on the outside, he was actually meticulous to a fault. Despite believing that mere mortals couldn’t deceive him, this matter was too significant to risk any mistakes, so he spoke up: "Extend your hand and let me check your bone age."
"Yes, Senior Immortal."
Without hesitation, Lin Xuan raised his right hand, feeling relieved that he had anticipated the situation and prepared for it. He wasn't worried about the other party discovering anything amiss from his bone age.
He was confident in this.
The man's face showed satisfaction as he flicked a finger, sending a bolt of qi towards Lin Xuan’s wrist, which then entered his hand.
Then he closed his eyes and began to probe intently.
After a moment:
"Good, good. Indeed only twenty years old. Although the martial arts path is far easier than cultivation, such a young age to become a Heaven Dao powerhouse is truly rare talent. Especially with such handsome looks, fully meeting our sect’s requirements. Excellent, heh, this is simply excellent."
The man's face was one of extreme joy, as if the value of this mortal surpassed that of many precious treasures.
"Ahem, ahem."
Just then, a light cough sounded. The man turned his head to see an old condensation realm elder with cautious expression: "Senior, this...this little fellow is brought by me."
"I know you brought him; what's the issue?" the Spirit Diversion realm man said indifferently.
The elder’s face changed dramatically. The anger of a Spirit Diversion realm existence was something he couldn't bear. A mere flick of his finger could reduce him to ashes: "Senior, please calm down. I have traveled far and wide to bring this boy as an offering to the Ethereal Immortal Palace."
"But what about your promised bounty?" the elder stammered.
Money talks; fear walks. Despite being terrified at that moment, the bounty was crucial to his chances of condensing a core. He couldn't afford to give it up.
"Are you talking about the bountiful treasure? Hey, how could I forget with my memory? I got so excited!" The man slapped his forehead, showing no signs of displeasure. He then waved his sleeve, and a small jade pendant flew out.
The elder hesitated as he took it; the pendant bore an intricately drawn landscape painting but contained no trace of qi, seemingly not from the cultivation world.
"This..."
"Here is my token. With this, you can go to the Flying Cloud Pavilion to claim your bounty," the man said indifferently.
"R-Really?"
"Hmph, what would I gain by deceiving a mere condensation realm junior? Besides, with our Ethereal Immortal Palace's reputation, could I possibly default on such a small matter?" The man was furious: "Besides, with my status, how could I afford to quarrel over this with you, a lowly minor?"
"Senior, please forgive me. This is my fault for not understanding your kindness; I will beg for your mercy."
The elder was terrified and quickly pleaded for forgiveness. In the cultivation world, survival was paramount—losing face was secondary.
"All right, as someone of my status, how could I possibly quarrel with you? Go claim your bounty!"
"Thank you, Senior, for sparing me."
Overjoyed, the elder respectfully bowed before leaving with the jade pendant. The man had no qualms; the restrictions here meant nothing to a sect elder like him. He enveloped Lin Xuan in a burst of spiritual light and vanished on the spot.
Lin Xuan's face showed appropriate fear as well, but he was actually carefully observing his surroundings. After the Heaven Devil Transformation technique, his overwhelming power had diminished, but his photographic memory remained. Lin Xuan was keeping an eye out for potential theft or exposure, preparing to flee if necessary.
Since the Ethereal Immortal Palace was the top sect in the Ice Sea region, its main base covered a vast area. Numerous pavilions and terraces dotted the landscape, each with unique scenery. Lin Xuan could only remember the general layout but that was enough.
Half an hour later, the man's trace stopped. Lin Xuan found himself brought to a valley. The valley wasn't large, but it contained several buildings.
"Salutations, Grandmaster."
A beam of light descended, and a beautiful young girl greeted him with a graceful bow.
P.S.: Third update, thank you for your support!