bǎi shū wū quán wén zì dì liǎng qiān wǔ bǎi sì shí bā zhāng yù shí diāo xiàng
百书屋 全文字 第两千五百四十八章 玉石雕像
Chapter 2548: Jade and Stone Statues
zhè shù lín de miàn jī bù guò shù mǔ ， rán ér shēng jī bó bó de jǐng xiàng què yǔ zhōu wéi huī sè de huán jìng gé gé bù rù ， ér qí líng qì zhī nóng ， gèng shì lìng rén chēng mù ， kě yǐ shuō ， yǐ dào le yí gè bù kě sī yì de dì bù 。 bǎi shū wū quán wén zì wú guǎng gào
这树林的面积不过数亩，然而生机勃勃的景象却与周围灰色的环境格格不入，而其灵气之浓，更是令人瞠目，可以说，已到了一个不可思议的地步。百书屋 全文字无广告
The area of the forest was no more than a few acres, yet its vibrant vitality stood out starkly against the surrounding gray environment. The concentration of qi here was so intense that it left one breathless, almost to an unbelievable degree.
lín xuān yě suàn jiàn shí guǎng bó ， shèn zhì lián chuán shuō zhōng de ā xiū luó wáng xíng gōng yě qù guò ， rán ér nà lǐ de líng qì nóng dù ， yě yuǎn yuǎn méi yǒu bàn fǎ yǔ zhè lǐ xiāng bǐ 。
林轩也算见识广博，甚至连传说中的阿修罗王行宫也去过，然而那里的灵气浓度，也远远没有办法与这里相比。
Lin Xuan, who had seen much in his time, even visited the legendary palace of the Asura King, but the qi density there could not compare to this place.
lín xuān shèn zhì yǒu yī zhǒng huái yí ， jiù suàn shì nà xū wú piāo miǎo de zhēn xiān zhī jiè ， kǒng pà yě bù guò rú cǐ 。
林轩甚至有一种怀疑，就算是那虚无缥缈的真仙之界，恐怕也不过如此。
He even suspected that even the ethereal realm of true immortals might be no different.
ruò shì zài zhè lǐ xiū xíng ， qǐ bù shì shì bàn ér gōng bèi ， ruò shì zài yǒu hé shì de líng yào fǔ zhù ， jìn jiē dào dù jié qī ， yě bú shì bù kě néng dì 。
若是在这里修行，岂不是事半而功倍，若是再有合适的灵药辅助，进阶到渡劫期，也不是不可能地。
If cultivation were to take place here, it would surely yield twice the results with half the effort. With suitable spiritual herbs as assistance, advancing to the Tribulation Transcending stage was not out of the question.
lín xuān nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， ér yī páng ， hái zhēn yǒu rén jiāng zhè ge jiàn yì tí chū lái le ， gōng zhuāng nǚ xiū yǔ nà rú páo nán zi dōu shì yī liǎn de jī dòng zhī sè ， liǎng rén shòu kùn yú píng jǐng ， yǐ yǒu hǎo jiǔ ， ér yǎn qián huán jìng de líng qì zhī nóng ， zé ràng tā men kàn jiàn tū pò de xī wàng le 。
林轩脑海中念头转过，而一旁，还真有人将这个建议提出来了，宫装女修与那儒袍男子都是一脸的激动之色，两人受困于瓶颈，已有好久，而眼前环境的灵气之浓，则让他们看见突破的希望了。
Lin Xuan's thoughts raced, and indeed, someone proposed this very suggestion. The woman in a palace robe and the man in a scholar’s gown both looked excited. They had been stuck at a bottleneck for quite some time, but the intense qi here offered hope of breakthroughs.
jí biàn cǐ cì ， bù néng zhǎo dào hé shì de piāo miǎo jiǔ xiān dān ， guāng shì zhè lǐ de líng qì nóng dù ， yǐ shì bù xū cǐ xíng le 。
即便此次，不能找到合适的飘渺九仙丹，光是这里的灵气浓度，已是不虚此行了。
Even if they couldn't find the ethereal Nine Immortals Pills this time, the sheer density of qi alone was worth the journey.
“ dà shī xiōng ， wǒ men qǔ bǎo hòu ， bù máng zhe huí qù ， xiān zài zhè lǐ xiū xíng yī fān rú hé ？” nà gōng zhuāng nǚ xiū de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， biǎo qíng mǎn shì qī dài zhī sè 。
“大师兄，我们取宝后，不忙着回去，先在这里修行一番如何？”那宫装女修的声音传入耳朵，表情满是期待之色。
"Senior Brother, after we retrieve our treasures, why don’t we stay and cultivate here first?" The woman in a palace robe’s voice entered his ears, her expression filled with anticipation.
chū hū yì liào de ， zhè ge tí yì gāng yī shuō ， jiù bèi líng xū zhēn rén háo bù yóu yù de fǒu jué le 。
出乎意料的，这个提议刚一说，就被灵虚真人毫不犹豫的否决了。
To everyone's surprise, the suggestion was immediately rejected by Senior Daoist Lingxu without hesitation.
“ wèi shén me ？”
“为什么？”
"Why not?"
gōng zhuāng nǚ xiū yī è ， lì kè xún wèn qǐ le yuán yóu ， tā duì dà zhǎng lǎo suī rán yí xiàng xìn fú ， rán ér zhè yī cì ， ruò bù néng gěi tā yí gè hé lǐ de jiě shì ， wú lùn rú hé ， tā yě shì bú huì cóng mìng de 。
宫装女修一愕，立刻询问起了缘由，她对大长老虽然一向信服，然而这一次，若不能给她一个合理的解释，无论如何，她也是不会从命的。
The woman in the palace robe was taken aback and quickly asked for an explanation. She had always trusted the Elder Grandmaster, but if he couldn’t provide a reasonable one this time, she would not comply under any circumstances.
“ bù cuò ， líng xū shī xiōng ， zhè lǐ líng qì rú cǐ zhī nóng ， duì wǒ děng xiū shì de hǎo chù ， nà shì nán yǐ yòng yán yǔ miáo shù ， wèi shén me bù zài zhè lǐ xiū liàn ne ？”
“不错，灵虚师兄，这里灵气如此之浓，对我等修士的好处，那是难以用言语描述，为什么不在这里修炼呢？”
"Indeed, Senior Brother Lingxu, with such intense qi here, it's hard to describe how beneficial it is to us. Why can't we cultivate here?"
rú páo xiū shì dī chén de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， xiǎn rán cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tā yě shì zhàn zài gōng zhuāng nǚ xiū yī biān de 。 bǎi shū wū quán wén zì wú guǎng gào
儒袍修士低沉的声音传入耳朵，显然此时此刻，他也是站在宫装女修一边的。百书屋 全文字无广告
The man in the scholar’s gown’s deep voice echoed, clearly on the same page as the woman in the palace robe.
“ āi ， nǐ men yǒu suǒ bù zhī ， ruò shì kě yǐ ， nǐ men dāng lǎo fū bù xiǎng zài zhè líng dì xiū liàn me ？”
“唉，你们有所不知，若是可以，你们当老夫不想在这灵地修炼么？”
"Sigh, you don’t know, if I could, would I not want to cultivate here? But alas."
líng xū zhēn rén tàn le kǒu qì ， xiù páo yī fú ， yí gè jié bái de yù tóng fēi lüè ér chū ：“ nǐ men kàn kàn lǐ miàn de nèi róng ， zì rán jiù zhī dào shì zěn me huí shì le 。”
灵虚真人叹了口气，袖袍一拂，一个洁白的玉瞳飞掠而出：“你们看看里面的内容，自然就知道是怎么回事了。”
Senior Daoist Lingxu sighed and swept his sleeves. A white jade cylinder flew out: "Take a look at what’s inside; that will explain everything."
“ yuán lái shì yǒu yǐn qíng de 。”
“原来是有隐情的。”
"Indeed, there is something hidden."
gōng zhuāng nǚ xiū dài méi yī zhòu ， xīn zhōng yǒu bù hǎo de yù gǎn ， dàn dòng zuò què yì diǎn yě bù màn ， shēn chū yù shǒu ， yǐ jiāng nà yù tóng jiǎn jiē guò ， rán hòu wēi wēi dī xià tou ， jiāng shén shí chén rù qí zhōng 。
宫装女修黛眉一皱，心中有不好的预感，但动作却一点也不慢，伸出玉手，已将那玉瞳简接过，然后微微低下头，将神识沉入其中。
The woman in the palace robe frowned as she felt an ominous premonition but moved swiftly, extending her hand to take the jade cylinder. She lowered her head and sank her divine sense into it.
hěn kuài ， tā jiù tái qǐ zhēn shǒu ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì shī wàng zhī sè ：“ yuán lái rú cǐ ， dǎo shì xiǎo mèi cuò guài dà zhǎng lǎo le 。”
很快，她就抬起臻首，脸上满是失望之色：“原来如此，倒是小妹错怪大长老了。”
Soon, she lifted her head with a look of disappointment: "Ah, I must have misunderstood Elder Grandmaster."
“ jiū jìng zěn me huí shì ？”
“究竟怎么回事？”
"What exactly is going on?"
nà rú páo nán zi què hái bù míng jiù lǐ ， mǎn liǎn de jiāo jí ， yī bǎ jiāng nà yù tóng qǔ guò ， yě jí hǒu hǒu de jiāng shén shí chén jìn qù le 。
那儒袍男子却还不明就里，满脸的焦急，一把将那玉瞳取过，也急吼吼的将神识沉进去了。
The man in the scholar’s gown was still puzzled, his face filled with anxiety as he took the jade cylinder and delved into it with urgency.
rán ér sú huà shuō dé hǎo ， xī wàng yuè dà ， shī wàng yuè dà ， jǐn jǐn guò le jǐ xī ， tā de liǎn sè jiù nán kàn yǐ jí ， yòu guò piàn kè ， tái qǐ tóu lú ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng ， yǐ yīn yù dé gēn diū le běn mìng fǎ bǎo chà bu duō ：“ kě wù ， wǒ men zhǐ néng zài lǐ miàn dài shí èr gè shí chén me ？”
然而俗话说得好，希望越大，失望越大，仅仅过了几息，他的脸色就难看以极，又过片刻，抬起头颅，脸上的表情，已阴郁得跟丢了本命法宝差不多：“可恶，我们只能在里面待十二个时辰么？”
As they say, the higher one's hopes, the greater their disappointment. After a few breaths, his expression turned extremely grim. After a moment, he raised his head, his face darkened to the point of looking like he had lost his life essence: "Damnit, we can only stay here for twelve hours?"
“ bù cuò ， ruò shì chāo guò le shí èr gè shí chén ， rù kǒu jiù huì guān bì ， cóng lǐ miàn xiǎng yào dǎ kāi de nán dù ， yuǎn fēi gāng cái kě bǐ ， jiù suàn wǒ men zhēn néng jìn jiē dào dù jié qī ， yě jiāng huì yǒng yuǎn de bèi kùn zài zhè lǐ 。” líng xū zhēn rén píng dàn de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， kàn biǎo qíng ， tā shì yī zǎo jiù zhī dào cǐ shì dì 。
“不错，若是超过了十二个时辰，入口就会关闭，从里面想要打开的难度，远非刚才可比，就算我们真能进阶到渡劫期，也将会永远的被困在这里。”灵虚真人平淡的声音传入耳朵，看表情，他是一早就知道此事地。
"Indeed, if you exceed that time, the entrance will close, and from inside, it would be much harder to open. Even if we do advance to the Tribulation Transcending stage, we will be trapped forever," Senior Daoist Lingxu's calm voice entered his ears, his expression suggesting he knew about this all along.
lìng liǎng rén yě tàn le kǒu qì ， ruò shì huì bèi yǒng jiǔ jìn gù ， jiù suàn jìn jiē dào dù jié qī ， nà yòu rú hé ， tā men dāng rán bù yuàn yì mào zhè yàng de fēng xiǎn le 。
另两人也叹了口气，若是会被永久禁锢，就算进阶到渡劫期，那又如何，他们当然不愿意冒这样的风险了。
The other two sighed as well. If they were to be permanently trapped, even advancing to the Tribulation Transcending stage would be meaningless. They certainly did not want to take such a risk.
suǒ yǐ yǎn qián de líng dì zài hǎo ， yě wéi yǒu fàng qì 。
所以眼前的灵地再好，也唯有放弃。
Thus, no matter how good this place was, it had to be abandoned.
bù guò shuō qǐ lái ， zhè dì fāng hái zhēn shì guǐ yì ， yí xiàn zhī gé ， jiù fǎng fú tiān táng yǔ dì yù 。
不过说起来，这地方还真是诡异，一线之隔，就仿佛天堂与地狱。
However, this place truly seemed strange, with a world apart just across a line.
wài miàn ， huī méng méng de liǎo wú shēng jī ， ér zhè shù lín zhōng de líng qì ， zé ràng rén xīn dòng wú bǐ ， zěn me kàn ， zěn me jué de guǐ yì 。
外面，灰蒙蒙的了无生机，而这树林中的灵气，则让人心动无比，怎么看，怎么觉得诡异。
Outside, everything was lifeless and gray, but the forest's qi was so captivating that one couldn't help feeling eerie. Could it be...
nán dào shì ……
难道是……
Lin Xuan had a vague guess in his heart. After all, such an environment didn’t seem natural; it was as if...
lín xuān xīn zhōng yǐn yǐn yǒu le yì diǎn cāi cè ， bì jìng zhè yàng de huán jìng ， zěn me kàn ， yě bù xiàng zì rán shēng chéng de ， jiù fǎng fú ……
林轩心中隐隐有了一点猜测，毕竟这样的环境，怎么看，也不像自然生成的，就仿佛……
How to describe it?
zěn me shuō ne ？
怎么说呢？
It seemed as though there was some mysterious force drawing out all other qi from this space and then injecting it into the forest.
jiù fǎng fú yǒu yī shén mì de lì liàng ， jiāng zhè kōng jiān zhōng de qí tā líng qì quán bù chōu qǔ ， rán hòu ， zhù rù dào le shù lín lǐ 。
就仿佛有一神秘的力量，将这空间中的其他灵气全部抽取，然后，注入到了树林里。
Lin Xuan wasn't sure if this guess was accurate, but at least it offered a reasonable explanation. He didn't dwell on it further because several cultivators of the Ethereal Palace were preparing to retrieve their treasures.
lín xuān yě bù zhī dào zhè yàng de cāi cè shì fǒu kào pǔ ， bù guò zhè yàng de jiè shào ， zhì shǎo shì jiào wéi hé lǐ 。
林轩也不知道这样的猜测是否靠谱，不过这样的介绍，至少是较为合理。
The elderly man swept his sleeves, and an jade box flew out. The lid opened to reveal several colorful array flags lying inside.
tā yě méi yǒu shēn xiǎng xià qù ， yīn wèi piāo miǎo xiān gōng de jǐ míng xiū shì ， yǐ zhǔn bèi qǔ bǎo le 。
他也没有深想下去，因为缥缈仙宫的几名修士，已准备取宝了。
Senior Daoist Lingxu’s hands moved swiftly, forming intricate seals that emitted a whirring sound as they merged with the array flags, which disappeared into the surrounding earth.
lǎo zhě xiù páo yī fú ， yí gè yù hé fēi lüè ér chū ， hé gài dǎ kāi ， què shì jǐ gān wǔ yán liù sè de zhèn qí tǎng zài lǐ miàn 。
老者袖袍一拂，一个玉盒飞掠而出，盒盖打开，却是几杆五颜六色的阵旗躺在里面。
Senior Daoist Lingxu was not idle; his hands continued to move while he recited ancient and obscure incantations.
líng xū zhēn rén shuāng shǒu lián diǎn ， yí gè gè xuán miào yì cháng de fǎ yìn chū xiàn zài tā de zhǐ jiān ， suí hòu wū wū shēng dà zuò ， zhè xiē zhèn qí yǔ fǎ yìn xiāng hé ， mò rù sì zhōu de ní tǔ bú jiàn le 。
灵虚真人双手连点，一个个玄妙异常的法印出现在他的指尖，随后呜呜声大做，这些阵旗与法印相合，没入四周的泥土不见了。
After a moment, a rumbling sound echoed. A crack appeared before them, something slowly rising from it. This time, instead of an altar, several statues were revealed.
líng xū zhēn rén què bìng méi yǒu xián zhe ， shuāng shǒu jì xù huī wǔ ， tóng shí yě bù tīng de yǒu huì sè gǔ piáo de zhòu yǔ shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
灵虚真人却并没有闲着，双手继续挥舞，同时也不听的有晦涩古朴的咒语声传入耳朵。
Four men and two women, their appearances lifelike, carved with divine craftsmanship.
guò le piàn kè ， hōng lōng lóng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， dì miàn jū rán zài cì chàn dǒu qǐ lái le 。
过了片刻，轰隆隆的声音传入耳朵，地面居然再次颤抖起来了。
These statues were made of fine jade and faced away from everyone.
yī tiáo liè fèng chū xiàn zài yǎn qián ， yǒu shén me dōng xī huǎn huǎn shēng le qǐ lái ， bù guò zhè yī huí ， bù zài shì shén me jì tái ， ér shì jǐ zūn diāo xiàng yìng rù yǎn lián 。
一条裂缝出现在眼前，有什么东西缓缓升了起来，不过这一回，不再是什么祭台，而是几尊雕像映入眼帘。
In the center of the six statues, a round table was visible, empty except for a small and delicate tripod cauldron.
sì nán èr nǚ ， xíng mào xǔ xǔ rú shēng ， diāo kè shǒu fǎ yǒu ruò tiān rén 。
四男二女，形貌栩栩如生，雕刻手法有若天人。
"Could it be that the Ethereal Nine Immortals Pills are hidden in this treasure?"
zhè xiē diāo xiàng dōu shì yòng shàng hǎo de yù shí suǒ zhù ， shì bèi duì zhe zhòng rén de 。
这些雕像都是用上好的玉石所铸，是背对着众人的。
The woman in the palace robe's face showed excitement as she tried to lift the lid of the cauldron. However, her efforts were futile; the cover remained unmoved.
ér zài liù jù diāo xiàng de zhōng jiān ， yī zhāng yuán zhuō yìng rù yǎn lián ， zhuō zi shàng kōng wú yī wù ， wéi yǒu yī xiǎo qiǎo jīng zhì de dǐng lú 。
而在六具雕像的中间，一张圆桌映入眼帘，桌子上空无一物，唯有一小巧精致的鼎炉。
"How is this possible?"
“ nán dào shuō ， piāo miǎo jiǔ xiān dān jiù zài cǐ bǎo lǐ miàn me ？”
“难道说，飘渺九仙丹就在此宝里面么？”
The woman was shocked. Although she had never practiced physical cultivation, as a spirit transformation cultivator, her body and meridians had undergone countless washings of essence, making her far stronger than ordinary mortals. Her hands could lift thousands of pounds, but even with such strength, the cauldron, though small and delicate, was less than a foot tall; how could she not even lift its lid? Was there some extraordinary禁制?
nà gōng zhuāng shào nǚ de liǎn shàng dài zhe jīng xǐ zhī sè ， yòng shǒu qù jiē nà dǐng lú ， nǎ zhī dào què yǒu rú pí fú hàn shù ， lú gài sī háo huàng dòng yě wú 。
那宫装少女的脸上带着惊喜之色，用手去揭那鼎炉，哪知道却有如蚍蜉撼树，炉盖丝毫晃动也无。
Senior Daoist Lingxu smiled as he spoke: "Whether it’s a禁制 or not, I’m not sure. But to open this tripod cauldron, we need the concerted effort of all six of us."
“ zhè zěn me kě néng ？”
“这怎么可能？”
"Concerted effort from all six?"
cǐ nǚ dà jīng shī sè ， tā suī rán cóng lái méi yǒu xiū liàn guò liàn tǐ zhī shù ， dàn zuò wéi fēn shén jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， bù lùn ròu shēn hái shì jīng mài dōu yì jīng xǐ suǐ guò wú shù cì ， qiáng hèng chéng dù yuǎn fēi yì bān fán rén suǒ néng qǐ jí ， yī shuāng yù shǒu zú qiān jīn zhī lì ， zhè dǐng kàn shàng qù suī xiǎo qiǎo jīng zhì ， dàn gāo bù zú chǐ ， zěn me kě néng lián yí gè gài zi dōu jiē bù qǐ ， nán dào yǒu shén me xuán miào yì cháng de jìn zhì ？
此女大惊失色，她虽然从来没有修炼过炼体之术，但作为分神级别的修仙者，不论肉身还是经脉都易经洗髓过无数次，强横程度远非一般凡人所能企及，一双玉手足千斤之力，这鼎看上去虽小巧精致，但高不足尺，怎么可能连一个盖子都揭不起，难道有什么玄妙异常的禁制？
"Indeed, look at the back of those statues; what do you see?" Senior Daoist Lingxu's voice echoed again.
fǎng fú cāi dào le shī mèi de xiǎng fǎ ， líng xū zhēn rén wēi xiào zhe kāi kǒu le ：“ shì bú shì jìn zhì ， lǎo fū yě bù xiǎo de ， bù guò xiǎng yào jiāng cǐ dǐng lú dǎ kāi ， què xū yào wǒ men liù rén tóng xīn xié lì 。”
仿佛猜到了师妹的想法，灵虚真人微笑着开口了：“是不是禁制，老夫也不晓得，不过想要将此鼎炉打开，却需要我们六人同心协力。”
"The backs of the statues?"
“ liù rén tóng xīn xié lì ？”
“六人同心协力？”
Everyone turned their gaze. Lin Xuan was no exception. On each statue’s back, there was a faint palm print, not very clear, easily overlooked if one didn’t look closely.
“ bù cuò ， nǐ men kàn nà diāo xiàng de bèi hòu ， kě yǒu shén me ？” líng xū zhēn rén de shēng yīn zài cì chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
“不错，你们看那雕像的背后，可有什么？”灵虚真人的声音再次传入耳朵。
"What is this?"
“ diāo xiàng bèi hòu ？”
“雕像背后？”
"Junior Brother Yun, Sister Ye, cover your palms and input all your cultivation power without reservation. The three young friends, do the same but inject your inner energy into these palm prints."
zhòng rén tīng le ， gè zì jiāng mù guāng zhuǎn guò ， lín xuān yě shì yī yàng ， zhǐ jiàn nà diāo xiàng de bèi xīn wèi zhì ， yǒu yī dàn dàn de shǒu zhǎng yìn ， bìng bù shèn qīng chǔ ， ruò bù zǐ xì kàn ， hái zhēn de róng yì bèi hū lüè lái zhe 。
众人听了，各自将目光转过，林轩也是一样，只见那雕像的背心位置，有一淡淡的手掌印，并不甚清楚，若不仔细看，还真的容易被忽略来着。
Senior Daoist Lingxu’s voice entered his ears as he stepped forward, pressing his hand down with pure cultivation power pouring in like a flood.
“ zhè shì shén me ？”
“这是什么？”
!@#
“ yún shī dì ， yè shī mèi ， nǐ men liǎng rén jiāng shǒu zhǎng fù shàng qù ， shū rù quán shēn de fǎ lì ， bù kě yǒu fēn háo bǎo liú ， sān wèi xiǎo yǒu ， nǐ men yě shì tóng yàng de dòng zuò ， bù guò yào zuò de ， shì jiāng nèi lì zhù rù zhè zhǎng yìn zhī zhōng 。”
“云师弟，叶师妹，你们两人将手掌覆上去，输入全身的法力，不可有分毫保留，三位小友，你们也是同样的动作，不过要做的，是将内力注入这掌印之中。”
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Chapter 2548: Jade and Stone Statues
The area of the forest was no more than a few acres, yet its vibrant vitality stood out starkly against the surrounding gray environment. The concentration of qi here was so intense that it left one breathless, almost to an unbelievable degree.
Lin Xuan, who had seen much in his time, even visited the legendary palace of the Asura King, but the qi density there could not compare to this place.
He even suspected that even the ethereal realm of true immortals might be no different.
If cultivation were to take place here, it would surely yield twice the results with half the effort. With suitable spiritual herbs as assistance, advancing to the Tribulation Transcending stage was not out of the question.
Lin Xuan's thoughts raced, and indeed, someone proposed this very suggestion. The woman in a palace robe and the man in a scholar’s gown both looked excited. They had been stuck at a bottleneck for quite some time, but the intense qi here offered hope of breakthroughs.
Even if they couldn't find the ethereal Nine Immortals Pills this time, the sheer density of qi alone was worth the journey.
"Senior Brother, after we retrieve our treasures, why don’t we stay and cultivate here first?" The woman in a palace robe’s voice entered his ears, her expression filled with anticipation.
"No."
To everyone's surprise, the suggestion was immediately rejected by Senior Daoist Lingxu without hesitation.
"Why not?"
The woman in the palace robe was taken aback and quickly asked for an explanation. She had always trusted the Elder Grandmaster, but if he couldn’t provide a reasonable one this time, she would not comply under any circumstances.
"Indeed, Senior Brother Lingxu, with such intense qi here, it's hard to describe how beneficial it is to us. Why can't we cultivate here?"
The man in the scholar’s gown’s deep voice echoed, clearly on the same page as the woman in the palace robe.
"Sigh, you don’t know, if I could, would I not want to cultivate here? But alas."
Senior Daoist Lingxu sighed and swept his sleeves. A white jade cylinder flew out: "Take a look at what’s inside; that will explain everything."
"Indeed, there is something hidden."
The woman in the palace robe frowned as she felt an ominous premonition but moved swiftly, extending her hand to take the jade cylinder. She lowered her head and sank her divine sense into it.
Soon, she lifted her head with a look of disappointment: "Ah, I must have misunderstood Elder Grandmaster."
"What exactly is going on?"
The man in the scholar’s gown was still puzzled, his face filled with anxiety as he took the jade cylinder and delved into it with urgency.
As they say, the higher one's hopes, the greater their disappointment. After a few breaths, his expression turned extremely grim. After a moment, he raised his head, his face darkened to the point of looking like he had lost his life essence: "Damnit, we can only stay here for twelve hours?"
"Indeed, if you exceed that time, the entrance will close, and from inside, it would be much harder to open. Even if we do advance to the Tribulation Transcending stage, we will be trapped forever," Senior Daoist Lingxu's calm voice entered his ears, his expression suggesting he knew about this all along.
The other two sighed as well. If they were to be permanently trapped, even advancing to the Tribulation Transcending stage would be meaningless. They certainly did not want to take such a risk.
Thus, no matter how good this place was, it had to be abandoned.
However, this place truly seemed strange, with a world apart just across a line.
Outside, everything was lifeless and gray, but the forest's qi was so captivating that one couldn't help feeling eerie. Could it be...
Lin Xuan had a vague guess in his heart. After all, such an environment didn’t seem natural; it was as if...
How to describe it?
It seemed as though there was some mysterious force drawing out all other qi from this space and then injecting it into the forest.
Lin Xuan wasn't sure if this guess was accurate, but at least it offered a reasonable explanation. He didn't dwell on it further because several cultivators of the Ethereal Palace were preparing to retrieve their treasures.
The elderly man swept his sleeves, and an jade box flew out. The lid opened to reveal several colorful array flags lying inside.
Senior Daoist Lingxu’s hands moved swiftly, forming intricate seals that emitted a whirring sound as they merged with the array flags, which disappeared into the surrounding earth.
Senior Daoist Lingxu was not idle; his hands continued to move while he recited ancient and obscure incantations.
After a moment, a rumbling sound echoed. A crack appeared before them, something slowly rising from it. This time, instead of an altar, several statues were revealed.
Four men and two women, their appearances lifelike, carved with divine craftsmanship.
These statues were made of fine jade and faced away from everyone.
In the center of the six statues, a round table was visible, empty except for a small and delicate tripod cauldron.
"Could it be that the Ethereal Nine Immortals Pills are hidden in this treasure?"
The woman in the palace robe's face showed excitement as she tried to lift the lid of the cauldron. However, her efforts were futile; the cover remained unmoved.
"How is this possible?"
The woman was shocked. Although she had never practiced physical cultivation, as a spirit transformation cultivator, her body and meridians had undergone countless washings of essence, making her far stronger than ordinary mortals. Her hands could lift thousands of pounds, but even with such strength, the cauldron, though small and delicate, was less than a foot tall; how could she not even lift its lid? Was there some extraordinary禁制?
Senior Daoist Lingxu smiled as he spoke: "Whether it’s a禁制 or not, I’m not sure. But to open this tripod cauldron, we need the concerted effort of all six of us."
"Concerted effort from all six?"
"Indeed, look at the back of those statues; what do you see?" Senior Daoist Lingxu's voice echoed again.
"The backs of the statues?"
Everyone turned their gaze. Lin Xuan was no exception. On each statue’s back, there was a faint palm print, not very clear, easily overlooked if one didn’t look closely.
"What is this?"
"Junior Brother Yun, Sister Ye, cover your palms and input all your cultivation power without reservation. The three young friends, do the same but inject your inner energy into these palm prints."
Senior Daoist Lingxu’s voice entered his ears as he stepped forward, pressing his hand down with pure cultivation power pouring in like a flood.
!@#
Free full-text download of this novel at BaiShuWen (全文字电子书免费下载)