fǎ yù yī dào dào chuán chū ， zhěng gè tiān mù pài ， shù qiān xiū shì ， quán dōu bèi dòng yuán le qǐ lái ， ér lín xuān yǔ gāo yáng zhè yī lù de rèn wù ， jiù shì xún shì shān mài de nán lù 。
法谕一道道传出，整个天目派，数千修士，全都被动员了起来，而林轩与高阳这一路的任务，就是巡视山脉的南麓。
Decree after decree was issued, and the entire Tiangmu Sect mobilized thousands of cultivators. Lin Xuan's task with Gao Yang was to patrol the southern foot of the mountain.
dé zhī zhè yì diǎn zhī hòu ， lín xuān xīn zhōng àn àn xīn xǐ ， děng yī huì er dào le tiān mù shān de biān yuán ， zì jǐ dà kě yǐ xún jī liū zǒu ， yǐ xiàn zài zì jǐ de shén tōng ， xiǎng yào bǎi tuō qū qū yī míng zhù jī zhōng qī de xiū shì ， shí zài shì róng yì yǐ jí 。
得知这一点之后，林轩心中暗暗欣喜，等一会儿到了天目山的边缘，自己大可以寻机溜走，以现在自己的神通，想要摆脱区区一名筑基中期的修士，实在是容易以极。
Upon learning this, Lin Xuan secretly rejoiced in his heart. When they reached the edge of Tiangmu Mountain, he could easily slip away. With his current abilities, it would be extremely easy for him to escape from a mere Foundation Establishment中期 cultivator like Gao Yang.
xīn zhōng àn zì chóu huà ， biǎo miàn shàng ， què sī háo yě bù lù shēng sè ， qí tā de líng dòng qī dì zǐ ， rén wēi yán qīng ， gèng bù gǎn hú luàn kāi kǒu ， yī xíng rén bǎo chí chén mò ， jìng jìng de xiàng qián fēi zhe 。
心中暗自筹划，表面上，却丝毫也不露声色，其他的灵动期弟子，人微言轻，更不敢胡乱开口，一行人保持沉默，静静的向前飞着。
While secretly planning his next move, Lin Xuan kept a composed facade. Other Flexible Spirit期 disciples were too insignificant to speak freely, and the group remained silent as they flew forward in silence.
gāo yáng méi tou yí zhòu ， ké sòu yī shēng ：“ liú shī dì ， zhū wèi shī zhí ， dà jiā yě bù bì jǔ sàng ， běn mén huò xǔ shì yù jiàn le yī xiē má fán ， dàn hái yǒu zhǎng mén zhēn rén yǔ jǐ wèi shī shū bó zài ， yún hǎi liè guāng zhèn shén miào wú fāng ， běn mén chuán chéng shù qiān nián ， dà fēng dà làng jīng lì dé duō le ， hé xū zài hū zhè yì diǎn xiǎo xiǎo de bō zhé ， rú jīn zhèng shì wǒ děng tuán jié yī zhì ， gòng dù nán guān de shí kè ， dà jiā dǎ qǐ jīng shén lái 。”
高阳眉头一皱，咳嗽一声：“刘师弟，诸位师侄，大家也不必沮丧，本门或许是遇见了一些麻烦，但还有掌门真人与几位师叔伯在，云海裂光阵神妙无方，本门传承数千年，大风大浪经历得多了，何须在乎这一点小小的波折，如今正是我等团结一致，共度难关的时刻，大家打起精神来。”
Gao Yang frowned and coughed. "Junior Brother Liu, fellow junior brothers, there's no need for despair. Our sect may have encountered some trouble, but we still have the Sect Master and several senior aunts and uncles here. The Cloud Sea Split Light Array is incredibly powerful; our sect has endured many storms over thousands of years. We don't need to worry about this minor setback. Now is the time for us to unite and overcome difficulties together."
cǐ rén què shí shèn yǒu kǒu cái ， duǎn duǎn de yī xí huà ， jiù ràng zhòng xiū shì jīng shén dà zhèn ， lín xuān yě lù chū yī fù kǎi rán de biǎo qíng ：“ shī xiōng shuō de shì ！”
此人确实甚有口才，短短的一席话，就让众修士精神大振，林轩也露出一副慨然的表情：“师兄说的是！”
Indeed, Gao Yang was quite eloquent. His few words greatly boosted the morale of the cultivators. Lin Xuan also nodded in agreement: "Brother Senior's words are right!"
dāng rán ， xīn lǐ zì rán yòu shì lìng wài yī fān xiǎng fǎ ， yún hǎi liè guāng zhèn ？
当然，心里自然又是另外一番想法，云海裂光阵？
Of course, his thoughts were far from agreeing with him. Cloud Sea Split Light Array?
hēng ， zhè xiē tiān mù shān de xiū shì ， hái bù zhī dào tā men shì ruò yǐ zhàng de hù pài dà zhèn ， rú jīn yǐ jīng xíng tóng xū shè ， jǐn cún de shén tōng yǐ jīng bù zú yǐ wéi gāi pài tí gōng bì hù le 。
哼，这些天目山的修士，还不知道他们视若倚仗的护派大阵，如今已经形同虚设，仅存的神通已经不足以为该派提供庇护了。
Hmph! These Tiangmu Mountain cultivators didn't know that their heavily relied upon protective array had become virtually useless after the spring had been destroyed. The remaining abilities could no longer provide shelter for the sect.
yuán běn ， àn zhào kū mù zhēn rén de fǎ yù ， tā men de rèn wù shì xún shì shān mài yǐ nán ， rán ér gāng gāng fēi le yuē yī zhù xiāng de shí jiān ， qián fāng tū rán huǒ guāng dà qǐ ， fēn fán cáo zá de shēng yīn chuán le guò lái 。
原本，按照枯木真人的法谕，他们的任务是巡视山脉以南，然而刚刚飞了约一炷香的时间，前方突然火光大起，纷繁嘈杂的声音传了过来。
According to True Monarch Kumu's decree, their task was to patrol the southern part of the mountain. However, just a short while into the flight, a sudden burst of flames and chaotic voices caught their attention.
zhòng rén liǎn sè yī biàn ， nà gāo yáng de méi tóu gèng shì jǐn jǐn de zhòu le qǐ lái ， yī huī shǒu ：“ zǒu ， wǒ men qián qù kàn kàn ！”
众人脸色一变，那高阳的眉头更是紧紧的皱了起来，一挥手：“走，我们前去看看！”
The faces of everyone changed, and Gao Yang's brows furrowed even tighter. He waved his hand: "Let's go, we'll check it out!"
dùn guāng xùn sù ， hěn kuài jiù lái dào le shì fā de dì diǎn 。
遁光迅速，很快就来到了事发的地点。
Their speed was swift, and they quickly arrived at the scene.
zhèng shì tiān mù shān suǒ jiàn lín shí fāng shì de nà chù xiá gǔ ， rán ér cǐ kè què shì huǒ guāng chōng tiān ， gè sè guāng máng kuáng shǎn 。 líng qì màn tiān fēi wǔ ， bù shí bào chū xuán miào yǐ jí de dào shù 。
正是天目山所建临时坊市的那处峡谷，然而此刻却是火光冲天，各色光芒狂闪。灵器漫天飞舞，不时爆出玄妙以极的道术。
It was the valley where Tiangmu Mountain had built a temporary market, but now flames were raging, and various lights flickered wildly. Spirit artifacts flew everywhere, occasionally revealing extremely intricate Daoist techniques.
zú yǒu shù bǎi xiū shì zài zhè lǐ dòu fǎ 。 suī rán yǒu tiān mù shān fù zé wéi chí zhì xù dì zhí shì 。 dàn cǐ shí chǎng miàn zǎo yǐ bù shòu kòng zhì 。
足有数百修士在这里斗法。虽然有天目山负责维持秩序地执事。但此时场面早已不受控制。
Over a hundred cultivators were engaged in battle here. Although there was an official responsible for maintaining order from Tiangmu Mountain, the situation had already spiraled out of control.
“ dèng shī xiōng 。 zhè shì zěn me huí shì ？”
“邓师兄。这是怎么回事？”
"Senior Brother Deng, what's going on?"
suī rán zài dī jiē dì zǐ zhōng 。 gāo yáng yě suàn zú zhì duō móu 。 dàn kàn dào yǎn qián zhè zhǒng qíng jǐng 。 yě yǒu xiē bù zhī suǒ cuò 。 dùn guāng xiàng yí gè shēn cái gāo shòu dì lǎo zhě fēi qù le 。
虽然在低阶弟子中。高阳也算足智多谋。但看到眼前这种情景。也有些不知所措。遁光像一个身材高瘦地老者飞去了。
Although Gao Yang was quite clever among low-ranking disciples, he was also taken aback by this scene. He flew over to a tall and thin old man.
cǐ rén míng jiào dèng xiáng 。 zhèng shì cǐ chù fāng shì dì fù zé rén zhī yī 。
此人名叫邓祥。正是此处坊市地负责人之一。
His name was Deng Xiang, one of the leaders in charge of the market here.
liǎng rén qiè qiè sī yǔ le jǐ jù 。 gāo yáng diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ hǎo ba 。 jiù zhè yàng bàn 。 wǒ men yí dìng yào xiǎng bàn fǎ jiāng cǐ chù dì jú shì kòng zhì xià lái 。 wǒ qù qǐng liú shī dì yì qǐ chū shǒu 。”
两人窃窃私语了几句。高阳点点头：“好吧。就这样办。我们一定要想办法将此处地局势控制下来。我去请刘师弟一起出手。”
After whispering for a moment, Gao Yang nodded: "Alright, let's do it that way. We must find a way to control the situation here. I'll go fetch Junior Brother Liu."
rán ér huí guò tóu 。 què biǎo qíng è rán ：“ yí 。 liú shī dì dào nǎ lǐ qù le ？”
然而回过头。却表情愕然：“咦。刘师弟到哪里去了？”
But when he turned around, his expression was shocked: "Eh? Where did Junior Brother Liu go?"
yī wèn shēn hòu de dì zǐ ， yě quán dōu máng rán wú zhī 。
一问身后的弟子，也全都茫然无知。
Asking behind him, none of the disciples knew.
zhèng dāng gāo yáng mǎn miàn è rán de sì chù xún zhǎo zhī shí ， lín xuān zǎo yǐ jīng lái dào le shù lǐ zhī yáo 。 cǐ kè tā zhèng zhàn zài xiá gǔ de rù kǒu ， kàn zhuó yǎn qián máng máng de wù qì ， liǎn shàng wēi lù chū yī sī chóu chú 。 cǐ shí bù zǒu ， gèng dài hé shí ， dāng gāo yáng yǔ nà lǎo zhě shāng liáng zhī jì ， lín xuān zǎo yǐ shén bù zhī guǐ bù jué dì liū zhī dà jí 。
正当高阳满面愕然的四处寻找之时，林轩早已经来到了数里之遥。此刻他正站在峡谷的入口，看着眼前茫茫的雾气，脸上微露出一丝踌躇。此时不走，更待何时，当高阳与那老者商量之际，林轩早已神不知鬼不觉地溜之大吉。
Just as Gao Yang was searching frantically, Lin Xuan had already flown several miles away. He stood at the entrance of the valley, looking at the dense fog before him with a slight hesitation on his face. Now was the time to leave; he couldn't wait any longer. While Gao Yang and the old man were discussing, Lin Xuan had slipped away unnoticed.
yuán běn shì xiǎng děng fēng bō píng xī yǐ hòu ， zài dà yáo dà bǎi de lí kāi tiān mù shān ， kě xiàn zài kàn lái ， cǐ jì huà kǒng pà hěn nán shí xiàn 。
原本是想等风波平息以后，再大摇大摆的离开天目山，可现在看来，此计划恐怕很难实现。
Originally, he planned to leave Tiangmu Mountain in full view after the storm died down, but now it seemed that plan might not be feasible.
zhǐ hǎo gǎi biàn zhǔ yì le 。
只好改变主意了。
He had to change his mind.
lín xuān kàn le yī yǎn máng máng de yè sè 。 nà wù qì zhòu rán nóng mì le qǐ lái 。
林轩看了一眼茫茫的夜色。那雾气骤然浓密了起来。
Lin Xuan looked at the dense night fog. The mist suddenly thickened.
yún hǎi liè guāng zhèn ！
云海裂光阵！
Cloud Sea Split Light Array!
suī rán quán yǎn huǐ diào yǐ hòu ， cǐ zhèn yǐ jīng wēi néng dà jiǎn ， dàn sú huà shuō dé hǎo ， shòu sǐ de luò tuó bǐ mǎ dà ， jiù suàn jǐn shèng xià shí fēn zhī yī de shén tōng ， lín xuān yě bù xiǎng yǐ shēn fàn xiǎn 。
虽然泉眼毁掉以后，此阵已经威能大减，但俗话说得好，瘦死的骆驼比马大，就算仅剩下十分之一的神通，林轩也不想以身犯险。
Although the spring was destroyed, this array still retained considerable power. As they say, even a dead camel is bigger than a horse. Even with only one-tenth of its original power, Lin Xuan didn't want to risk it.
lüè yī chóu chú ， lín xuān dùn guāng fēi shàng tiān kōng ， jiāng shén shí quán lì fàng chū ， piàn kè hòu 。 tā de liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī xǐ sè 。
略一踌躇，林轩遁光飞上天空，将神识全力放出，片刻后。他的脸上露出一丝喜色。
After a moment's hesitation, he flew up into the sky and fully released his divine sense. In just a few moments, a look of joy appeared on his face.
bù chū suǒ liào ， yóu yú gè chù líng qì liú shī de qíng kuàng bù tóng ， zhè yún hǎi liè guāng zhèn zài bù tóng dì diǎn suǒ shèng de wēi néng yě shì yǒu chā yì de ， dōng nán fāng xiàng zuì ruò ， lín xuān zhǔn bèi cóng nà ér tū pò 。
不出所料，由于各处灵气流失的情况不同，这云海裂光阵在不同地点所剩的威能也是有差异的，东南方向最弱，林轩准备从那儿突破。
As expected, due to varying degrees of spirit energy loss in different areas, the Cloud Sea Split Light Array had differing levels of power. The southeast was the weakest, and Lin Xuan planned to break through from there.
bàn gè shí chén yǐ hòu 。
半个时辰以后。
Half an hour later, Lin Xuan looked at the thin layer of fog before him. This was it; he was about to dive into it when a voice suddenly reached his ears: "Junior Brother, what are you doing here?"
lín xuān kàn zhuó yǎn qián dì wù qì ， zhǐ yǒu báo báo de yī céng ， jiù shì zhè lǐ ， tā zhèng yào tóu shēn ér rù ， tū rán yí gè shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ：“ zhè wèi shī dì 。 nǐ zài cǐ chù gàn shén me ？”
林轩看着眼前地雾气，只有薄薄的一层，就是这里，他正要投身而入，突然一个声音传入耳朵：“这位师弟。你在此处干什么？”
Lin Xuan froze, his alertness heightened. The person had appeared behind him without being noticed. Although he had concentrated all his divine sense on probing the Cloud Sea Split Light Array, ...
lín xuān yí zhèng 。 xīn zhōng jǐng tì zhī xīn dà qǐ ， cǐ rén lái dào zì jǐ shēn hòu 。 jū rán hái méi yǒu bèi fā jué ， suī rán zhè qí zhōng yǒu zì jǐ jiāng quán bù de shén shí jí zhōng ， yòng yú tàn xún yún hǎi liè guāng zhèn dì yuán gù ， dàn ……
林轩一怔。心中警惕之心大起，此人来到自己身后。居然还没有被发觉，虽然这其中有自己将全部的神识集中，用于探询云海裂光阵地缘故，但……
He was shocked but kept a composed facade as he slowly turned around.
xīn zhōng zhèn hài ， dàn biǎo miàn shàng ， tā yī rán bù dòng shēng sè ， màn màn de zhuǎn guò shēn lái 。
心中震骇，但表面上，他依然不动声色，慢慢的转过身来。
Standing behind him was an elderly cultivator with three long beards and a refined appearance. Despite being only in his forties, his cultivation level had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment期.
zhǐ jiàn yí gè zhōng nián xiū shì zhàn zài zì jǐ de hòu miàn ， sān lǚ zhǎng xū ， xiān fēng dào gǔ ， suī rán jǐn yǒu sì shí yú suì nián jì ， rán ér yī shēn xiū wèi què dào le zhù jī qī dà yuán mǎn de jìng dì 。
只见一个中年修士站在自己的后面，三缕长须，仙风道骨，虽然仅有四十余岁年纪，然而一身修为却到了筑基期大圆满的境地。
Lin Xuan wasn't unfamiliar with fake-dan cultivators, but this person gave him a different feeling; he seemed to have some special abilities.
jiǎ dān jìng jiè de xiū zhēn zhě ， lín xuān bú shì méi yǒu huì guò ， rán ér cǐ rén gěi tā de gǎn jué què bù tài xiāng tóng ， sì hū liàn yǒu shén me tè shū de shén tōng 。
假丹境界的修真者，林轩不是没有会过，然而此人给他的感觉却不太相同，似乎练有什么特殊的神通。
His mind raced as he searched through his thoughts. He immediately found the name of this person: Gu Feng!
xīn niàn diàn zhuǎn ， zài nǎo hǎi zhōng wēi yī sōu suǒ ， lì kè jiù zhǎo dào le cǐ rén de míng zì 。
心念电转，在脑海中微一搜索，立刻就找到了此人的名字。
One of the three disciples admitted by True Monarch Kumu.
gù fēng ！
顾风！
Although he was the youngest disciple, he was also the most powerful one in terms of cultivation level.
kū mù zhēn rén suǒ shōu de sān gè rù shì dì zǐ zhī yī 。
枯木真人所收的三个入室弟子之一。
Gu Feng could be considered the first among Tiangmu Sect's second-generation disciples.
suī rán shì zuì xiǎo dì guān mén dì zǐ ， dàn xiū wèi què shì zuì qiáng de yí gè 。
虽然是最小地关门弟子，但修为却是最强的一个。
It was said that he had been闭关 recently, preparing to condense a golden core. If not for the sect facing a major crisis and needing more people, he might not have come out.
cǐ rén kě yǐ shuō shì tiān mù pài èr dài dì zǐ zhōng de dì yī rén le 。
此人可以说是天目派二代弟子中的第一人了。
After going through Gu Feng's profile in his mind, Lin Xuan felt extremely frustrated. How unlucky could it be? He just happened to run into him at this critical moment. But on the surface, Lin Xuan remained calm, smiling amiably: "It's Senior Brother Gu! I'm Liu Guang, under the tutelage of Elder Zheng."
yào zhī dào tiān mù pài yōng yǒu zhù jī qī xiū shì shù bǎi ， dá dào jiǎ dān jìng jiè de yě yǒu shí jǐ gè zhī duō ， dàn zài lì cì de jiào jì zhōng què méi yǒu yí gè shì gù fēng de duì shǒu 。
要知道天目派拥有筑基期修士数百，达到假丹境界的也有十几个之多，但在历次的较技中却没有一个是顾风的对手。
"Never mind introductions; I recognize you. Junior Brother, what brings you here?"
jù shuō qián yī duàn shí jiān tā yì zhí zài bì guān ， wèi níng jié jīn dān zuò zhǔn bèi ， xiǎng bì ruò bú shì běn mén zāo féng dà biàn ， rén shǒu bù zú ， tā hái bù yí dìng huì chū lái 。
据说前一段时间他一直在闭关，为凝结金丹做准备，想必若不是本门遭逢大变，人手不足，他还不一定会出来。
"Recognize me?" Lin Xuan was taken aback before he realized that he had found the answer in Liu Guang's memories: He had a photographic memory and could easily recall someone after just seeing them for years.
xīn zhōng shǎn guò cǐ rén de zī liào yǐ hòu ， lín xuān yù mèn yǐ jí ， zěn me wú qiǎo bù qiǎo ， piān piān zài zhè guān jiàn shí kè yǔ tā zhuàng shàng le ， dàn biǎo miàn shàng ， lín xuān què bù dòng shēng sè ， liǎn shàng duī mǎn yǒu hǎo de xiào róng ：“ yuán lái shì gù shī xiōng ， xiǎo dì liú guāng ， nǎi shì zhèng zhǎng lǎo mén xià 。”
心中闪过此人的资料以后，林轩郁闷以极，怎么无巧不巧，偏偏在这关键时刻与他撞上了，但表面上，林轩却不动声色，脸上堆满友好的笑容：“原来是顾师兄，小弟刘光，乃是郑长老门下。”
Although his vigilance increased, he also felt relieved. This was mixed news; if Gu Feng recognized Liu Guang, he wouldn't suspect him of being an infiltrator.
“ bù yòng jiè shào ， wǒ rèn de nǐ ， shī dì lái cǐ yǒu hé shì ？”
“不用介绍，我认得你，师弟来此有何事？”
"Ha ha, I'm here on the Sect Master's orders to patrol," Lin Xuan naturally had to wave True Monarch Kumu as a flag.
“ rèn de wǒ ？” lín xuān yí zhèng ， suí jí fǎn yìng guò lái ， tā yǐ cóng liú guāng de jì yì zhōng zhǎo dào dá àn ， cǐ rén yǒu guò mù bù wàng zhī néng ， zhǐ yào jiàn shàng yí miàn ， jí shǐ guò le shù nián ， yě néng gòu qīng yì rén chū lái 。
“认得我？”林轩一怔，随即反应过来，他已从刘光的记忆中找到答案，此人有过目不忘之能，只要见上一面，即使过了数年，也能够轻易人出来。
"Patrol? But it seems you want to enter the Cloud Sea Split Light Array?" Gu Feng's face showed some doubt.
xīn zhōng suī rán duō le yī sī jǐng tì ， dàn què yě sōng le kǒu qì ， suàn shì hǎo huài cān bàn dì xiāo xī ， cǐ rén jì rán rèn shí liú guāng ， nà jiù bú huì huái yí zì jǐ shì jiān xì 。
心中虽然多了一丝警惕，但却也松了口气，算是好坏参半地消息，此人既然认识刘光，那就不会怀疑自己是奸细。
"That's because I have a secret mission assigned by the Sect Master," Lin Xuan said with a calm expression. Lying was an art; the more ambiguous, the more cautious the other party would be.
“ hē hē ， xiǎo dì fèng zhǎng mén zhēn rén zhī lìng ， lái zhè lǐ xún luó 。” lín xuān zì rán shì yào jiāng kū mù zhēn rén zhè gān dà qí jì chū lái le 。
“呵呵，小弟奉掌门真人之令，来这里巡逻。”林轩自然是要将枯木真人这杆大旗祭出来了。
However, there were always exceptions. Gu Feng frowned and stretched out his hand: "Show me the decree from your master."
“ xún luó ， kě wǒ kàn shī dì sì hū xiǎng yào jìn rù yún hǎi liè guāng zhèn zhī zhōng ？” gù fēng de liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī yí sè 。
“巡逻，可我看师弟似乎想要进入云海裂光阵之中？”顾风的脸上露出一丝疑色。
Lin Xuan remained silent as he quickly thought through various possibilities in his mind. A look of reluctance appeared on his face: "Senior Brother, that's not possible; this is a secret order given by the Sect Master. How could I..."
“ nà shì yīn wèi xiǎo dì yào zhí xíng yī xiàng zhǎng mén fù yǔ de mì mì rèn wù 。” lín xuān biǎo qíng dàn rán de shuō ， sā huǎng yě shì yī zhǒng yì shù ， yuè shì yuè mó léng liǎng kě ， duì fāng jiù yuè huì jì dàn 。
“那是因为小弟要执行一项掌门赋予的秘密任务。”林轩表情淡然的说，撒谎也是一种艺术，越是越模棱两可，对方就越会忌惮。
(Note: The last sentence was cut off, but it implies Lin Xuan's reluctance to show the decree due to its confidential nature.)
Decree after decree was issued, and the entire Tiangmu Sect mobilized thousands of cultivators. Lin Xuan's task with Gao Yang was to patrol the southern foot of the mountain.
Upon learning this, Lin Xuan secretly rejoiced in his heart. When they reached the edge of Tiangmu Mountain, he could easily slip away. With his current abilities, it would be extremely easy for him to escape from a mere Foundation Establishment中期 cultivator like Gao Yang.
While secretly planning his next move, Lin Xuan kept a composed facade. Other Flexible Spirit期 disciples were too insignificant to speak freely, and the group remained silent as they flew forward in silence.
Gao Yang frowned and coughed. "Junior Brother Liu, fellow junior brothers, there's no need for despair. Our sect may have encountered some trouble, but we still have the Sect Master and several senior aunts and uncles here. The Cloud Sea Split Light Array is incredibly powerful; our sect has endured many storms over thousands of years. We don't need to worry about this minor setback. Now is the time for us to unite and overcome difficulties together."
Indeed, Gao Yang was quite eloquent. His few words greatly boosted the morale of the cultivators. Lin Xuan also nodded in agreement: "Brother Senior's words are right!"
Of course, his thoughts were far from agreeing with him. Cloud Sea Split Light Array?
Hmph! These Tiangmu Mountain cultivators didn't know that their heavily relied upon protective array had become virtually useless after the spring had been destroyed. The remaining abilities could no longer provide shelter for the sect.
According to True Monarch Kumu's decree, their task was to patrol the southern part of the mountain. However, just a short while into the flight, a sudden burst of flames and chaotic voices caught their attention.
The faces of everyone changed, and Gao Yang's brows furrowed even tighter. He waved his hand: "Let's go, we'll check it out!"
Their speed was swift, and they quickly arrived at the scene.
It was the valley where Tiangmu Mountain had built a temporary market, but now flames were raging, and various lights flickered wildly. Spirit artifacts flew everywhere, occasionally revealing extremely intricate Daoist techniques.
Over a hundred cultivators were engaged in battle here. Although there was an official responsible for maintaining order from Tiangmu Mountain, the situation had already spiraled out of control.
"Senior Brother Deng, what's going on?"
Although Gao Yang was quite clever among low-ranking disciples, he was also taken aback by this scene. He flew over to a tall and thin old man.
His name was Deng Xiang, one of the leaders in charge of the market here.
After whispering for a moment, Gao Yang nodded: "Alright, let's do it that way. We must find a way to control the situation here. I'll go fetch Junior Brother Liu."
But when he turned around, his expression was shocked: "Eh? Where did Junior Brother Liu go?"
Asking behind him, none of the disciples knew.
Just as Gao Yang was searching frantically, Lin Xuan had already flown several miles away. He stood at the entrance of the valley, looking at the dense fog before him with a slight hesitation on his face. Now was the time to leave; he couldn't wait any longer. While Gao Yang and the old man were discussing, Lin Xuan had slipped away unnoticed.
Originally, he planned to leave Tiangmu Mountain in full view after the storm died down, but now it seemed that plan might not be feasible.
He had to change his mind.
Lin Xuan looked at the dense night fog. The mist suddenly thickened.
Cloud Sea Split Light Array!
Although the spring was destroyed, this array still retained considerable power. As they say, even a dead camel is bigger than a horse. Even with only one-tenth of its original power, Lin Xuan didn't want to risk it.
After a moment's hesitation, he flew up into the sky and fully released his divine sense. In just a few moments, a look of joy appeared on his face.
As expected, due to varying degrees of spirit energy loss in different areas, the Cloud Sea Split Light Array had differing levels of power. The southeast was the weakest, and Lin Xuan planned to break through from there.
Half an hour later, Lin Xuan looked at the thin layer of fog before him. This was it; he was about to dive into it when a voice suddenly reached his ears: "Junior Brother, what are you doing here?"
Lin Xuan froze, his alertness heightened. The person had appeared behind him without being noticed. Although he had concentrated all his divine sense on probing the Cloud Sea Split Light Array, ...
He was shocked but kept a composed facade as he slowly turned around.
Standing behind him was an elderly cultivator with three long beards and a refined appearance. Despite being only in his forties, his cultivation level had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment期.
Lin Xuan wasn't unfamiliar with fake-dan cultivators, but this person gave him a different feeling; he seemed to have some special abilities.
His mind raced as he searched through his thoughts. He immediately found the name of this person: Gu Feng!
One of the three disciples admitted by True Monarch Kumu.
Although he was the youngest disciple, he was also the most powerful one in terms of cultivation level.
Gu Feng could be considered the first among Tiangmu Sect's second-generation disciples.
It was said that he had been闭关 recently, preparing to condense a golden core. If not for the sect facing a major crisis and needing more people, he might not have come out.
After going through Gu Feng's profile in his mind, Lin Xuan felt extremely frustrated. How unlucky could it be? He just happened to run into him at this critical moment. But on the surface, Lin Xuan remained calm, smiling amiably: "It's Senior Brother Gu! I'm Liu Guang, under the tutelage of Elder Zheng."
"Never mind introductions; I recognize you. Junior Brother, what brings you here?"
"Recognize me?" Lin Xuan was taken aback before he realized that he had found the answer in Liu Guang's memories: He had a photographic memory and could easily recall someone after just seeing them for years.
Although his vigilance increased, he also felt relieved. This was mixed news; if Gu Feng recognized Liu Guang, he wouldn't suspect him of being an infiltrator.
"Ha ha, I'm here on the Sect Master's orders to patrol," Lin Xuan naturally had to wave True Monarch Kumu as a flag.
"Patrol? But it seems you want to enter the Cloud Sea Split Light Array?" Gu Feng's face showed some doubt.
"That's because I have a secret mission assigned by the Sect Master," Lin Xuan said with a calm expression. Lying was an art; the more ambiguous, the more cautious the other party would be.
However, there were always exceptions. Gu Feng frowned and stretched out his hand: "Show me the decree from your master."
Lin Xuan remained silent as he quickly thought through various possibilities in his mind. A look of reluctance appeared on his face: "Senior Brother, that's not possible; this is a secret order given by the Sect Master. How could I..."
(Note: The last sentence was cut off, but it implies Lin Xuan's reluctance to show the decree due to its confidential nature.)