nà shì yī xiàng mào yīng jùn de nán zi ， dà yuē sān shí zuǒ yòu nián jì ， hún shēn shàng xià ， jiē tòu zhe yī gǔ shuō bù chū lái de ào qì ， yī fù yǎn gāo yú dǐng de yàng zi 。
那是一相貌英俊的男子，大约三十左右年纪，浑身上下，皆透着一股说不出来的傲气，一副眼高于顶的样子。
That was a handsome man, around thirty years old. His entire demeanor exuded an indescribable air of arrogance, as if he looked down on everyone.
dàn xiū wèi què shí bù sú ， lín xuān jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， duì fāng guǒ rán shì fēn shén hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， ér qiě yī shēn fǎ lì ， sì hū bǐ tóng jiē cún zài yào níng hòu nà me yī liǎng fēn de yàng zi 。
但修为确实不俗，林轩将神识放出，对方果然是分神后期的修仙者，而且一身法力，似乎比同阶存在要凝厚那么一两分的样子。
But his cultivation wasn't something to be underestimated. Lin Xuan released his divine sense and confirmed that the other party was indeed a late-stage Diviner, with his spiritual energy seeming slightly denser than those at the same stage.
dùn guāng yī liǎn ， lín xuān zài jù lí duì fāng yuē èr shí yú zhàng de dì fāng tíng le xià lái 。
遁光一敛，林轩在距离对方约二十余丈的地方停了下来。
The遁光敛ed, and Lin Xuan stopped about twenty meters away from him.
suí hòu yòu shì liǎng dào jīng hóng luò zài shēn biān ， yín tóng shào nǚ yǔ lóng xìng shào nián fàng xīn bù xià ， suǒ yǐ jí cōng cōng de gēn guò lái le a ！
随后又是两道惊虹落在身边，银瞳少女与龙姓少年放心不下，所以急匆匆的跟过来了啊！
Following were two streaks of lightning, as Silver-Eyed Maiden and Dragon-Surnamed Youth couldn't bear to leave their master behind and rushed over anxiously!
“ nǐ jiù shì lín xuān ？”
“你就是林轩？”
"Are you Lin Xuan?"
wū dà shào yé miáo le lín xuān yī yǎn 。
乌大少爷瞄了林轩一眼。
Black-Heaven Master glanced at Lin Xuan.
“ bù cuò ， zhèng shì lín mǒu 。”
“不错，正是林某。”
"Not bad, that's me."
lín xuān bù xián bù dàn de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， duì yú zhè zhǒng yǎn gāo yú dǐng de shì jiā zǐ dì ， tā zì rán bú huì fàng zài yǎn lǐ ， jiù suàn yǒu zhēn cái shí liào ， quē shǎo xīng fēng xuè yǔ de mó lì ， zài dòu fǎ zhōng chéng xiàn chū lái de zhàn dòu lì ， yě shì huì dà dǎ zhé kòu dì 。
林轩不咸不淡的声音传入耳朵，对于这种眼高于顶的世家子弟，他自然不会放在眼里，就算有真材实料，缺少腥风血雨的磨砺，在斗法中呈现出来的战斗力，也是会大打折扣地。
Lin Xuan's indifferent voice reached his ears. He naturally wouldn't take such a haughty aristocrat seriously; even if he had genuine talent, lacking the trials of blood and sweat would significantly diminish his combat effectiveness in magical battles.
hé kuàng lùn shēn fèn ， tā yòu zěn me néng yǔ guǎng hán zhēn rén de ài nǚ ， xīn yuè gōng zhǔ xiāng bǐ ， huǒ líng lǎo zǔ suī wēi míng yuǎn bō ， dàn guī gēn jié dǐ ， yě bù guò dù jié chū qī de dà néng bà le 。
何况论身份，他又怎么能与广寒真人的爱女，新月公主相比，火灵老祖虽威名远播，但归根结底，也不过渡劫初期的大能罢了。
After all, how could his status compare to Princess New Moon, who was the beloved daughter of Fire Spirit Ancestor? Although the fame of the latter spread far and wide, at the end of the day, he was just a great existence that had yet to transcend the tribulation stage.
jīng guò yǔ táo háng yī yì ， duì yú zì jǐ de shí lì ， lín xuān yě yǒu le gèng hǎo de píng gū ， suī rán miàn duì dù jié chū qī de lǎo guài wù ， yī jiù dǎ bù guò ， dàn yě bìng fēi bàn diǎn huán shǒu zhī lì yě wú 。
经过与梼杭一役，对于自己的实力，林轩也有了更好的评估，虽然面对渡劫初期的老怪物，依旧打不过，但也并非半点还手之力也无。
Through the battle with Tallowang, Lin Xuan had better assessed his own strength. While still unable to defeat an early-stage tribulation entity like before, he wasn't completely defenseless either. If it were Fire Spirit Ancestor himself, perhaps Lin Xuan would be a bit wary, but facing just a junior disciple, why should he tiptoe around?
lái de ruò shì huǒ líng lǎo zǔ ， lín xuān huò xǔ hái jù tā jǐ fēn ， dàn zhǐ shì qū qū yī hòu bèi dì zǐ ， lín xuān yòu hé bì xiǎo xīn yì yì 。
来的若是火灵老祖，林轩或许还惧他几分，但只是区区一后辈弟子，林轩又何必小心翼翼。
Lin Xuan's nonchalant attitude left Black-Heaven Master taken aback, followed by an angry expression.
lín xuān zhè fù mǎn bù zài hū de tài dù ， ràng wū dà shào yé è rán ， suí hòu nù róng mǎn miàn 。
林轩这副满不在乎的态度，让乌大少爷愕然，随后怒容满面。
"Do you know the purpose of my visit here? If you surrender, I can spare you some suffering. Otherwise..."
“ nǐ kě zhī dào běn shào yé lái cǐ de mù dì ， ruò shì shù shǒu rèn shū ， hái kě yǐ shǎo shòu jǐ fēn kǔ chǔ ， fǒu zé ……。”
“你可知道本少爷来此的目的，若是束手认输，还可以少受几分苦楚，否则……。”
"Otherwise what?"
“ fǒu zé rú hé ？”
“否则如何？”
Lin Xuan was speechless; this guy was truly arrogant and domineering, threatening him even before making a move. He wondered where his confidence came from—did he think that as a descendant of Fire Spirit Ancestor, no one would dare to provoke him? In reality, there were far more powerful entities in the spirit realm than just his backers.
lín xuān yǒu xiē wú yǔ le ， zhè wèi hái zhēn shì xiāo zhāng bá hù ， hái méi yǒu dòng shǒu ， jiù xiān wēi xié zì jǐ ， yě bù zhī dào tā de xìn xīn lái zì yú hé chù ， nán dào yǐ wéi shēn wèi huǒ líng lǎo zǔ de hòu rén ， jiù wú rén gǎn rě ， bié shuō zhěng gè líng jiè le ， jiù shì nài lóng jiè de dù jié qī cún zài ， yě yuǎn bù zhǐ tā bèi hòu de kào shān yí gè 。
林轩有些无语了，这位还真是嚣张跋扈，还没有动手，就先威胁自己，也不知道他的信心来自于何处，难道以为身为火灵老祖的后人，就无人敢惹，别说整个灵界了，就是鼐龙界的渡劫期存在，也远不止他背后的靠山一个。
Lin Xuan's firm stance left Black-Heaven Master somewhat stunned. His family background and non-negligible cultivation made him someone who was always treated with respect wherever he went; when had anyone dared to defy him like this?
lín xuān qiáng yìng de tài dù ， fǎn ér ràng wū dà shào yé yī lèng yī lèng de ， tā jiā shì zài nà lǐ bǎi zhe ， shí lì yòu què rán bù sú ， yǐ qián bù lùn zǒu dào nǎ lǐ ， dōu shì ràng rén gōng jìng de pěng zhe ， hé shí yǒu rén gǎn zhè yàng dǐng zhuàng guò 。
林轩强硬的态度，反而让乌大少爷一愣一愣的，他家世在那里摆着，实力又确然不俗，以前不论走到哪里，都是让人恭敬的捧着，何时有人敢这样顶撞过。
Though he had some of a rich playboy’s habits, he wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Otherwise, he would have caused chaos in the Cloud Concealment Sect long ago. So instead of getting angry, he burst into laughter: "Alright, you dare to make a bet with me."
dàn tā suī rán yǒu jǐ fēn wán kù zǐ dì de xí qì ， què yě bìng fēi wán quán de bù jiǎng dào lǐ ， fǒu zé zhè bǎi nián jiān ， kǒng pà zǎo jiù jiāng yún yǐn zōng nào le gè tiān fān dì fù ， suǒ yǐ dào yě méi yǒu mǎ shàng nǎo xiū chéng nù ， fǎn ér dà xiào qǐ lái le ：“ hǎo hǎo ， nǐ kě gǎn yǔ běn shào yé dǎ yí gè dǔ 。”
但他虽然有几分纨绔子弟的习气，却也并非完全的不讲道理，否则这百年间，恐怕早就将云隐宗闹了个天翻地覆，所以倒也没有马上恼羞成怒，反而大笑起来了：“好好，你可敢与本少爷打一个赌。”
"Bet?"
“ dǎ dǔ ？”
“打赌？”
Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead and showed a hint of amusement.
lín xuān yǐ shǒu fú é ， liǎn shàng lù chū jǐ fēn wán wèi zhī sè 。
林轩以手扶额，脸上露出几分玩味之色。
"Yes, let's settle this once and for all. When you fought against the Old Monster of Heaven’s End, you set an enormous prize. We have no grudges, so we don't need such a ridiculous condition. The loser must make some kind of sacrifice; otherwise, it would be boring," Black-Heaven Master said with confidence.
“ bù cuò ， wǒ men jiù jué yī shèng fù ， dāng chū nǐ yǔ tiān jué lǎo guài jué dòu ， dìng xià le mò dà de cǎi tóu ， wǒ men liǎ wú yuān wú chóu ， dào yě bù yòng rú cǐ lí pǔ ， dàn shū zhě zǒng yě yào yǒu suǒ fù chū ， fǒu zé jiù wú qù dé jǐn le 。” wū dà shào yé de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， xiǎn de xiōng yǒu chéng zhú 。
“不错，我们就决一胜负，当初你与天绝老怪决斗，定下了莫大的彩头，我们俩无冤无仇，倒也不用如此离谱，但输者总也要有所付出，否则就无趣得紧了。”乌大少爷的声音传入耳朵，显得胸有成竹。
"Oh, then what's the prize? Just name it."
“ ó ， nà yǐ shén me zuò cǎi tóu ， dào yǒu huà xià dào ér jiù xíng le 。”
“哦，那以什么做彩头，道友划下道儿就行了。”
Lin Xuan remained unconcerned. It wasn’t arrogance but his current strength made him confident that he could win against a late-stage Diviner.
lín xuān yī jiù shì bù zài yì ， bìng fēi zì dà de wèn tí ， ér shì yǐ tā rú jīn de shí lì ， shū gěi fēn shén qī ， kě néng xìng shì wú xiàn qū jìn yú líng dì 。
林轩依旧是不在意，并非自大的问题，而是以他如今的实力，输给分神期，可能性是无限趋近于零地。
The other party was clearly offering something to him; although Lin Xuan’s wealth was already immense, in cultivation, resources were everything. Who would refuse more treasures, even if they couldn't use them? They could be given as gifts to the sect or sold for crystal stones at the market.
duì fāng zhè me zuò ， nà shì bǎi míng gěi zì jǐ sòng dōng xī lái le ， suī rán lín xuān de shēn jiā yǐ fēng hòu wú bǐ ， dàn xiū xiān xiū xiān ， pīn de jiù shì zī yuán ， shuí yòu huì xián bǎo bèi duō ， jí shǐ zì jǐ yòng bù zhe ， yě kě yǐ zhuǎn shǒu shǎng cì gěi zōng mén ， huò zhě ná dào fāng shì ， duì huàn chéng jīng shí 。
对方这么做，那是摆明给自己送东西来了，虽然林轩的身家已丰厚无比，但修仙修仙，拼的就是资源，谁又会嫌宝贝多，即使自己用不着，也可以转手赏赐给宗门，或者拿到坊市，兑换成晶石。
"Haha, you're quite generous. Take a look, how about this?"
“ hē hē ， dào yǒu dǎo shì tòng kuài ， nǐ kàn kàn ， yǐ zhè ge zuò wéi cǎi tóu rú hé ？”
“呵呵，道友倒是痛快，你看看，以这个作为彩头如何？”
Black-Heaven Master shook his sleeves and a flash of spiritual light shot out with his movement.
wū dà shào yé yī biān shuō ， yī biān xiù páo yī dǒu ， suí zhe tā de dòng zuò ， yī dào líng guāng fēi lüè ér chū 。
乌大少爷一边说，一边袖袍一抖，随着他的动作，一道灵光飞掠而出。
Lin Xuan frowned slightly but extended his hand to receive it. In broad daylight, there was no way he would be ambushed; besides, such an arrogant person wouldn't dare do that. So Lin Xuan felt secure.
lín xuān méi tóu wēi zhòu ， lüè yǒu xiē hào qí ， dàn hái shì shēn chū shǒu lái ， jiāng nà shì wù jiē guò ， zhòng mù kuí kuí zhī xià ， duì fāng bù kě néng àn suàn zì jǐ ， hé kuàng yǐ zhè jiā huo jiāo ào zì dà de xìng gé ， yě jué bù kě néng zhè me zuò ， suǒ yǐ lín xuān shì hěn fàng xīn de 。
林轩眉头微皱，略有些好奇，但还是伸出手来，将那事物接过，众目睽睽之下，对方不可能暗算自己，何况以这家伙骄傲自大的性格，也绝不可能这么做，所以林轩是很放心的。
Upon inspection, it turned out to be a piece of animal hide with gold-inked text curving across it.
jiē guò lái yī kàn ， shì yī zhāng shòu pí ， shàng miàn yòng tàng jīn de mò zhī ， wān wān qū qū de xiě zhe bù shǎo wén zì 。
接过来一看，是一张兽皮，上面用烫金的墨汁，弯弯曲曲的写着不少文字。
"What's this..."
“ zhè qù ……”
“这去……”
Lin Xuan froze, scrutinizing the text closely. His expression changed dramatically upon reading.
lín xuān yī dāi ， dìng jīng zǐ xì qiáo le qǐ lái ， zhè yī kàn ， què shì liǎn sè dà biàn 。
林轩一呆，定睛仔细瞧了起来，这一看，却是脸色大变。
It was no wonder Lin Xuan was surprised; what he held wasn’t some precious material but a contract—a special one that listed a mineral vein.
yě nán guài lín xuān jīng è ， yīn wèi zhè shòu pí ， bìng fēi shén me cái liào bǎo wù ， ér shì yī zhāng qì yuē ， ér qiě bú shì pǔ tōng de qì yuē ， shàng miàn suǒ luó liè de bǎo wù ， shì yī tiáo kuàng mài 。
也难怪林轩惊愕，因为这兽皮，并非什么材料宝物，而是一张契约，而且不是普通的契约，上面所罗列的宝物，是一条矿脉。
A top-grade mineral vein.
jí pǐn kuàng mài 。
极品矿脉。
Top-grade crystal stones were rare treasures in the human world and could spark intense competition even with just one piece. In the spirit realm, resources were more abundant, so top-grade crystals weren't as valuable.
jí pǐn jīng shí ， ruò shì fàng dào rén jiè ， nà zì rán shì kě yù ér bù kě qiú zhī wù 。
极品晶石，若是放到人界，那自然是可遇而不可求之物。
However, even if their value had slightly dropped, not everyone could afford such a treasure. Of course, for someone like Lin Xuan, top-grade crystal stones meant nothing; he could easily come up with thousands or even tens of thousands.
nǎ pà xiàn shì de jǐn yǒu yī kuài ， yě zú yǐ yǐn qǐ xīng fēng xuè yǔ de zhēng duó ， líng jiè de zī yuán yào fēng fù xǔ duō ， jí pǐn jīng shí zì rán yě jiù méi yǒu nà me bǎo guì le 。
哪怕现世的仅有一块，也足以引起腥风血雨的争夺，灵界的资源要丰富许多，极品晶石自然也就没有那么宝贵了。
But the key point was that what the other party offered was a mineral vein.
rán ér jí biàn shì shēn jià shāo wēi diē le nà me yī xiē ， què yě bú shì suí biàn shén me rén dōu kě yǐ yōng yǒu dì ， dāng rán ， shí lì dào le lín xuān zhè yàng de děng jí ， jí pǐn jīng shí yě méi yǒu shén me liǎo bù qǐ ， bié shuō jǐ qiān ， nǎ pà shì shàng wàn kuài dōu ná dé chū lái 。
然而即便是身价稍微跌了那么一些，却也不是随便什么人都可以拥有地，当然，实力到了林轩这样的等级，极品晶石也没有什么了不起，别说几千，哪怕是上万块都拿得出来。
What is a mineral vein? It’s something that can be mined for many years.
dàn zhù yì ， duì fāng ná chū lái de shì yī tiáo kuàng mài 。
但注意，对方拿出来的是一条矿脉。
The quantity wasn't just a few thousand or ten thousand pieces, but possibly hundreds, thousands, or even more...
hé wèi kuàng mài ， jiù shì kě yǐ kāi cǎi xǔ duō nián 。
何为矿脉，就是可以开采许多年。
Lin Xuan wasn’t someone who had seen it all, yet he was still taken aback by the other party's generosity. How rich must Black-Heaven Master be? Did Fire Spirit Ancestor pamper him to such an extent that even in the spirit realm, most top-grade crystal stones came from high-stage veins, and pure top-grade veins were extremely rare.
nà shù liàng jiù kě bú shì qū qū jǐ qiān shàng wàn kuài ， kǒng pà yào fān shàng bǎi bèi ， qiān bèi ， shèn zhì gèng duō yì diǎn ……，
那数量就可不是区区几千上万块，恐怕要翻上百倍，千倍，甚至更多一点……，
The other party daringly offered this as a prize; Lin Xuan had some expectations for his strength.
lín xuān bú shì méi yǒu jiàn guò shì miàn de rén wù ， dàn yě bèi duì fāng de háo shuǎng gěi xià dào le ， zhè wèi wū dà shào yé yě tài fù yǒu le ba ， nán dào nà wèi huǒ líng lǎo zǔ ， jū rán chǒng tā dào rú cǐ dì bù ， yào zhī dào ， jí shǐ zài líng jiè ， jué dà bù fèn de jí pǐn jīng shí ， yě shì cóng gāo jiē kuàng mài zhōng kāi cǎi chū lái ， chún cuì de jí pǐn kuàng mài ， kě shì fēi cháng hǎn jiàn 。
林轩不是没有见过世面的人物，但也被对方的豪爽给吓到了，这位乌大少爷也太富有了吧，难道那位火灵老祖，居然宠他到如此地步，要知道，即使在灵界，绝大部分的极品晶石，也是从高阶矿脉中开采出来，纯粹的极品矿脉，可是非常罕见。
"Have you thought it through?"
duì fāng jū rán gǎn yòng zhè ge zuò cǎi tóu ， lín xuān duì yú tā de shí lì ， yě yǒu yì diǎn qī dài 。
对方居然敢用这个做彩头，林轩对于他的实力，也有一点期待。
Lin Xuan smiled.
“ gé xià kě xiǎng hǎo le ？”
“阁下可想好了？”
"A gentleman's word is worth a thousand gold. What are you planning to offer? If it’s too ordinary, I won’t accept," Black-Heaven Master said haughtily.
lín xuān wēi xiào zhe shuō 。
林轩微笑着说。
"This..."
“ jūn zǐ yī yán kuài mǎ yī biān ， dǎo shì nǐ ， zhǔn bèi ná shén me dōng xī ， ruò shì tài chà de bǎo wù ， běn shào yé kě shì bú huì yào de 。” wū dà shǎo chě gāo qì áng de shuō 。
“君子一言快马一鞭，倒是你，准备拿什么东西，若是太差的宝物，本少爷可是不会要的。”乌大少扯高气昂的说。
Lin Xuan was indeed in a dilemma. He wasn't short of resources; even an entire top-grade mineral vein wouldn't be out of his reach. However, revealing his wealth openly would be unwise, and with his scattered treasures, pulling them all out at once would be difficult.
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
Just as he pondered, the voice of Silver-Eyed Maiden entered his ears: "Black-Heaven Master is so generous; our Supreme Elder of Cloud Concealment Sect can't let others look down on us. How about using the sect's treasure vault as a prize? I believe this will be enough."
lín xuān dào zhēn yǒu xiē wéi nán le ， bú shì ná bù chū lái ， yǐ tā de shēn jiā ， jiù suàn shì yī zhěng tiáo jí pǐn kuàng mài bǎi zài nǎ lǐ ， lín xuān yě néng gòu mǎi xià lái ， wèn tí shì cái bù lù bái ， hé kuàng lín xuān yōng yǒu de bǎo wù hěn shì líng luàn ， yào yī xià zi ná chū lái ， hái zhēn yǒu diǎn wéi nán 。
林轩倒真有些为难了，不是拿不出来，以他的身家，就算是一整条极品矿脉摆在哪里，林轩也能够买下来，问题是财不露白，何况林轩拥有的宝物很是凌乱，要一下子拿出来，还真有点为难。
"Bride?"
zhèng zài chóu chú ， yín tóng shào nǚ de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ：“ wū shào yé rú cǐ háo shuǎng ， wǒ yún yǐn zōng de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo yě bù néng ràng rén xiǎo kàn ， jiù yǐ yún yǐn zōng de cáng bǎo kù zuò cǎi tóu rú hé ， zhè ge fèn liàng dào yǒu rèn wéi kě gòu le 。”
正在踌躇，银瞳少女的声音传入耳朵：“乌少爷如此豪爽，我云隐宗的太上长老也不能让人小看，就以云隐宗的藏宝库做彩头如何，这个份量道友认为可够了。”
Lin Xuan turned around, touched by her words. The sect’s treasure vault was closely tied to its prosperity and the continuity of its teachings; the decline of Ethereal Fairy Palace wasn’t due to the death of three top experts but because their treasure vault had been plundered. If they lost this battle, Cloud Concealment Sect would suffer a similar fate.
“ bēi jiě ？”
“卑姐？”
"Brother, don't worry. I have faith in you."
lín xuān huí guò tóu ， yǒu diǎn gǎn dòng ， yào zhī dào zōng mén de bǎo kù ， kě shì yǔ mén pài de xīng shuāi qǐ fú ， chuán chéng dào tǒng dà yǒu guān lián ， piāo miǎo xiān gōng zhī suǒ yǐ shuāi luò ， bìng fēi mén zhōng bāo kuò dà zhǎng lǎo zài nèi de sān dà gāo shǒu yǔn luò ， ér shì yīn wèi bǎo kù bèi zì jǐ xǐ jié yī kōng ， rú guǒ cǐ zhàn shū le ， yún yǐn zōng jiāng chóng dǎo fù zhé 。
林轩回过头，有点感动，要知道宗门的宝库，可是与门派的兴衰起伏，传承道统大有关联，缥缈仙宫之所以衰落，并非门中包括大长老在内的三大高手陨落，而是因为宝库被自己洗劫一空，如果此战输了，云隐宗将重蹈覆辙。
Silver-Eyed Maiden’s smiling voice entered his ears; indeed, she was worthy of being the Supreme Elder of a sect, with such courage and resolve that few cultivators could match.
That was a handsome man, around thirty years old. His entire demeanor exuded an indescribable air of arrogance, as if he looked down on everyone.
But his cultivation wasn't something to be underestimated. Lin Xuan released his divine sense and confirmed that the other party was indeed a late-stage Diviner, with his spiritual energy seeming slightly denser than those at the same stage.
The遁光敛ed, and Lin Xuan stopped about twenty meters away from him.
Following were two streaks of lightning, as Silver-Eyed Maiden and Dragon-Surnamed Youth couldn't bear to leave their master behind and rushed over anxiously!
"Are you Lin Xuan?"
Black-Heaven Master glanced at Lin Xuan.
"Not bad, that's me."
Lin Xuan's indifferent voice reached his ears. He naturally wouldn't take such a haughty aristocrat seriously; even if he had genuine talent, lacking the trials of blood and sweat would significantly diminish his combat effectiveness in magical battles.
After all, how could his status compare to Princess New Moon, who was the beloved daughter of Fire Spirit Ancestor? Although the fame of the latter spread far and wide, at the end of the day, he was just a great existence that had yet to transcend the tribulation stage.
Through the battle with Tallowang, Lin Xuan had better assessed his own strength. While still unable to defeat an early-stage tribulation entity like before, he wasn't completely defenseless either. If it were Fire Spirit Ancestor himself, perhaps Lin Xuan would be a bit wary, but facing just a junior disciple, why should he tiptoe around?
Lin Xuan's nonchalant attitude left Black-Heaven Master taken aback, followed by an angry expression.
"Do you know the purpose of my visit here? If you surrender, I can spare you some suffering. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?"
Lin Xuan was speechless; this guy was truly arrogant and domineering, threatening him even before making a move. He wondered where his confidence came from—did he think that as a descendant of Fire Spirit Ancestor, no one would dare to provoke him? In reality, there were far more powerful entities in the spirit realm than just his backers.
Lin Xuan's firm stance left Black-Heaven Master somewhat stunned. His family background and non-negligible cultivation made him someone who was always treated with respect wherever he went; when had anyone dared to defy him like this?
Though he had some of a rich playboy’s habits, he wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Otherwise, he would have caused chaos in the Cloud Concealment Sect long ago. So instead of getting angry, he burst into laughter: "Alright, you dare to make a bet with me."
"Bet?"
Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead and showed a hint of amusement.
"Yes, let's settle this once and for all. When you fought against the Old Monster of Heaven’s End, you set an enormous prize. We have no grudges, so we don't need such a ridiculous condition. The loser must make some kind of sacrifice; otherwise, it would be boring," Black-Heaven Master said with confidence.
"Oh, then what's the prize? Just name it."
Lin Xuan remained unconcerned. It wasn’t arrogance but his current strength made him confident that he could win against a late-stage Diviner.
The other party was clearly offering something to him; although Lin Xuan’s wealth was already immense, in cultivation, resources were everything. Who would refuse more treasures, even if they couldn't use them? They could be given as gifts to the sect or sold for crystal stones at the market.
"Haha, you're quite generous. Take a look, how about this?"
Black-Heaven Master shook his sleeves and a flash of spiritual light shot out with his movement.
Lin Xuan frowned slightly but extended his hand to receive it. In broad daylight, there was no way he would be ambushed; besides, such an arrogant person wouldn't dare do that. So Lin Xuan felt secure.
Upon inspection, it turned out to be a piece of animal hide with gold-inked text curving across it.
"What's this..."
Lin Xuan froze, scrutinizing the text closely. His expression changed dramatically upon reading.
It was no wonder Lin Xuan was surprised; what he held wasn’t some precious material but a contract—a special one that listed a mineral vein.
A top-grade mineral vein.
Top-grade crystal stones were rare treasures in the human world and could spark intense competition even with just one piece. In the spirit realm, resources were more abundant, so top-grade crystals weren't as valuable.
However, even if their value had slightly dropped, not everyone could afford such a treasure. Of course, for someone like Lin Xuan, top-grade crystal stones meant nothing; he could easily come up with thousands or even tens of thousands.
But the key point was that what the other party offered was a mineral vein.
What is a mineral vein? It’s something that can be mined for many years.
The quantity wasn't just a few thousand or ten thousand pieces, but possibly hundreds, thousands, or even more...
Lin Xuan wasn’t someone who had seen it all, yet he was still taken aback by the other party's generosity. How rich must Black-Heaven Master be? Did Fire Spirit Ancestor pamper him to such an extent that even in the spirit realm, most top-grade crystal stones came from high-stage veins, and pure top-grade veins were extremely rare.
The other party daringly offered this as a prize; Lin Xuan had some expectations for his strength.
"Have you thought it through?"
Lin Xuan smiled.
"A gentleman's word is worth a thousand gold. What are you planning to offer? If it’s too ordinary, I won’t accept," Black-Heaven Master said haughtily.
"This..."
Lin Xuan was indeed in a dilemma. He wasn't short of resources; even an entire top-grade mineral vein wouldn't be out of his reach. However, revealing his wealth openly would be unwise, and with his scattered treasures, pulling them all out at once would be difficult.
Just as he pondered, the voice of Silver-Eyed Maiden entered his ears: "Black-Heaven Master is so generous; our Supreme Elder of Cloud Concealment Sect can't let others look down on us. How about using the sect's treasure vault as a prize? I believe this will be enough."
"Bride?"
Lin Xuan turned around, touched by her words. The sect’s treasure vault was closely tied to its prosperity and the continuity of its teachings; the decline of Ethereal Fairy Palace wasn’t due to the death of three top experts but because their treasure vault had been plundered. If they lost this battle, Cloud Concealment Sect would suffer a similar fate.
"Brother, don't worry. I have faith in you."
Silver-Eyed Maiden’s smiling voice entered his ears; indeed, she was worthy of being the Supreme Elder of a sect, with such courage and resolve that few cultivators could match.