pán táo lín xuān yǐ jīng tūn fú ， qiě ràng qí xiū wèi bào zhǎng le xǔ duō ， shuāng yīng yī dān quán bù jìn jí ， xiào guǒ zhī xuán miào yǐ bù yòng yán yǔ lái miáo shù 。
蟠桃林轩已经吞服，且让其修为暴涨了许多，双婴一丹全部晋级，效果之玄妙已不用言语来描述。
Peach Blossom Lin Xuan had already ingested, and his cultivation had surged dramatically. Both of the infant souls had advanced to the next stage, making the effects too wondrous to describe in words.
zhì yú dì èr yàng ， zé shì piāo miǎo zhēn rén liú xià lái de fú bǎo 。
至于第二样，则是飘渺真人留下来的符宝。
As for the second item, it was a talisman left behind by Ethereal True Man.
piāo miǎo zhēn rén nǎi piāo miǎo xiān gōng liǎng wèi chuàng pài zǔ shī zhī yī ， dù jié qī dà néng ， suǒ liú xià de fú bǎo wēi lì rú hé ， zì rán yě shì xiǎn ér yì jiàn de 。
飘渺真人乃飘渺仙宫两位创派祖师之一，渡劫期大能，所留下的符宝威力如何，自然也是显而易见的。
Ethereal True Man was one of the two founding sages of Ethereal Immortal Palace, a great being who had successfully transcended tribulation. The power of his leftover talismans was naturally evident.
bù guò zhè liǎng jiàn bǎo wù hái bú shì zuì zhēn guì de 。
不过这两件宝物还不是最珍贵的。
However, these weren't the most precious items.
qí zhōng jià zhí zuì gāo de yīng shì zuì hòu yī bàn fǎ bǎo 。
其中价值最高的应是最后一伴法宝。
The most valuable should be the last treasure: the True Spirit Puppet!
zhēn líng kuǐ lěi ！
真灵傀儡！
As its name suggests, it originally aimed to possess the strength of a true spirit.
gù míng sī yì ， yuán běn xī wàng tā yōng yǒu zhēn líng de shí lì 。
顾名思义，原本希望它拥有真灵的实力。
Unfortunately, the requirements were too high, and it failed to reach that level in the end.
kě xī yāo qiú tài gāo ， zuì hòu yě méi néng dá dào 。
可惜要求太高，最后也没能达到。
But it was far from useless; though inferior to expectations, this puppet's power still rivaled that of an old monster who had transcended tribulation.
dàn yě jué bú shì fèi wù ， suī bǐ yù qī de xùn le yī děng ， cǐ kuǐ lěi de shí lì yī jiù pì měi dù jié qī lǎo guài wù 。
但也绝不是废物，虽比预期的逊了一等，此傀儡的实力依旧媲美渡劫期老怪物。
Of course, it was at its initial stage, but even so, it was a rare find indeed. It could be considered a heaven-defying treasure.
dāng rán ， shì chū qī de ， dàn jí biàn shì zhè yàng ， yǐ shū wéi nán dé 。
当然，是初期的，但即便是这样，已殊为难得。
Unfortunately, with every coin having two sides, providing the puppet with energy proved extremely difficult. Even top-grade crystal stones were ineffective; to fully utilize its power, one had to use immortal stones as energy sources.
shuō nì tiān bǎo wù yě bù wèi guò 。
说逆天宝物也不为过。
But immortal stones were items from the Immortal Realm, and even if by chance they could be produced in the Spirit Realm, it was a rarity. At least, with Ethereal Immortal Palace's unparalleled strength in the Ice Sea Region, they couldn't achieve this either. They had to store this puppet with immense power in their treasury; otherwise, if driven, the result might have been different from what happened.
kě xī fán shì yǒu lì jiù yǒu bì ， xiǎng yào wèi zhè kuǐ lěi tí gōng dòng lì ， què shì kùn nán yǐ jí 。
可惜凡事有利就有弊，想要为这傀儡提供动力，却是困难以极。
Of course, these were assumptions. Regardless, the True Spirit Puppet was now in Lin Xuan’s possession.
jí pǐn jīng shí dōu méi yǒu xiào guǒ ， xiǎng yào ràng tā fā huī chū yīng yǒu de shí lì ， bì xū yào xiān shí zuò néng yuán de 。
极品晶石都没有效果，想要让它发挥出应有的实力，必须要仙石做能源的。
Since immortal stones were hard to come by, Lin Xuan didn’t issue a mission like the Cloud Concealment Sect disciples could handle; it had already exceeded their capabilities.
kě xiān shí nǎi shì xiān jiè zhī wù ， líng jiè jiù suàn jī yuán qiǎo hé néng gòu yùn yù chū nà me jǐ kuài yě shì fèng máo lín jiǎo 。
可仙石乃是仙界之物，灵界就算机缘巧合能够孕育出那么几块也是凤毛麟角。
He hadn't expected today's calamity for the sect. When Lin Xuan asked about the reason, he heard an outcome that was both surprising and unexpected.
zhì shǎo yǐ piāo miǎo xiān gōng guān jué bīng hǎi jiè de shí lì ， yě zuò bú dào ， zhǐ néng jiāng zhè yī yǒu mò dà wēi néng de kuǐ lěi shōu zhī yú bǎo kù ， fǒu zé ， ruò shì néng qū dòng cǐ wù ， qǔ piāo miǎo xiān dān de jié guǒ kǒng pà jiù shì lìng yī fān jǐng xiàng le 。
至少以缥缈仙宫冠绝冰海界的实力，也做不到，只能将这一有莫大威能的傀儡收之于宝库，否则，若是能驱动此物，取飘渺仙丹的结果恐怕就是另一番景象了。
Indeed, it was like finding a needle in a haystack and getting it without much effort. Lin Xuan felt particularly concerned.
dāng rán ， zhè xiē shì jiǎ shè ， bù guǎn rú hé ， zhēn líng kuǐ lěi shì luò zài le lín xuān de shǒu zhōng 。
当然，这些是假设，不管如何，真灵傀儡是落在了林轩的手中。
This explained why his reaction had been somewhat agitated when he first heard this news.
yīn wèi xiān shí nán dé lín xuān gān cuì méi xiàng yún yǐn zōng dì zǐ fā bù rèn wù ， yīn wèi zhè yǐ jīng chāo chū tā men de néng lì fàn wéi zhī wài le 。
因为仙石难得林轩干脆没像云隐宗弟子发布任务，因为这已经超出他们的能力范围之外了。
He abruptly stood up, but no one else seemed to notice.
méi xiǎng dào jīn tiān ， zōng mén zāo féng dà nàn ， lín xuān xún wèn yuán yóu ， què tīng jiàn zhè me yī lìng rén yì wài de jié guǒ 。
没想到今天，宗门遭逢大难，林轩询问缘由，却听见这么一令人意外的结果。
After all, the news was too shocking. Their initial shock far exceeded Lin Xuan's.
zhēn shì tà pò tiě xié wú mì chù ， dé lái quán bù fèi gōng fu ， lín xuān dāng rán shì bèi gǎn guān zhù 。
真是踏破铁鞋无觅处，得来全不费工夫，林轩当然是倍感关注。
Compared to Uncle Senior Disciple, who remained calm and composed.
zhè yě jiù nán guài ， lín xuān zài chū tīng jiàn zhè ge xiāo xī de shí hòu ， fǎn yìng wèi hé yǒu xiē shī tài le 。
这也就难怪，林轩在初听见这个消息的时候，反应为何有些失态了。
"Exactly what happened? Don’t worry; take your time."
jìng huò rán zhàn qǐ bù guò qí tā rén yě méi yǒu zěn me zài yì 。
竟豁然站起不过其他人也没有怎么在意。
Lin Xuan wasn't an ordinary cultivator. He had regained his usual composure and sat back down, turning his head to speak kindly to Li Hongxiu.
bì jìng zhè ge xiāo xī tài biāo hàn le xiē ， tā men dì yī cì tīng wén de shí hòu ， zhèn jīng chéng dù ， kě shì hái yào yuǎn chāo lín xuān xǔ duō 。
毕竟这个消息太彪悍了些，他们第一次听闻的时候，震惊程度，可是还要远超林轩许多。
"Yes, Uncle Senior Disciple. The matter of mining veins was originally handled by the Spell Array Peak. I am more familiar with it; this incident dates back roughly a year ago. During our mining process, we unexpectedly had a great收获, and we even extracted an immortal stone."
xiāng duì lái shuō ， shī shū yǐ suàn shì xiōng yǒu chéng fǔ ， zhèn dìng dào jí chù 。
相对来说，师叔已算是胸有城府，镇定到极处。
"An immortal stone? Isn’t that considered waste?"
“ jiū jìng shì zěn me huí shì ， nǐ bú yào jí ， màn màn shuō 。”
“究竟是怎么回事，你不要急，慢慢说。”
Lin Xuan was surprised. He knew that in the Spirit Realm, even if by chance, producing an immortal stone would be extremely rare due to its impurities rendering it useless. The odds of extracting one were so slim that even a single piece could be considered heaven-defying luck.
lín xuān dào dǐ bú shì pǔ tōng de xiū xiān zhě ， cǐ kè yǐ huī fù le yī pài dàn rán zhī sè ， zuò huí dào zuò wèi shàng zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， duì zhe lí hóng xiù hé yán yuè sè de kāi kǒu 。
林轩到底不是普通的修仙者，此刻已恢复了一派淡然之色，坐回到座位上转过头颅，对着黎红袖和颜悦色的开口。
"If it were just waste, this wouldn’t have brought such a disaster upon our sect."
“ shì ， shī shū ， kāi cǎi kuàng mài yī shì ， yuán běn jiù shì yóu fǎ zhèn fēng fù zé ， dì zǐ bǐ jiào qīng chǔ ， cǐ shì yào zhuī sù dào dà yuē yī nián qián le ， wǒ men zài kāi cǎi kuàng mài de guò chéng zhōng ， wú yì yǒu le jù dà de shōu huò ， jìng kāi cǎi chū yī kuài xiān shí chū lái 。”
“是，师叔，开采矿脉一事，原本就是由法阵峰负责，弟子比较清楚，此事要追溯到大约一年前了，我们在开采矿脉的过程中，无意有了巨大的收获，竟开采出一块仙石出来。”
Li Hongxiu sighed: "At the time, I was both shocked and delighted but knew how serious this matter was. I sent people to inform the two Uncle Senior Disciples stationed within the sect while strictly ordering the news to be kept secret. Unfortunately, one of my disciples turned traitor, and the Three Great Sects of Profound Mysteries became aware."
“ xiān shí bú shì fèi liào me ？”
“仙石不是废料么？”
"Ah, I see."
lín xuān yǒu xiē chī jīng le yào zhī dào líng jiè yǔ xiān jiè qíng kuàng bù tóng jí shǐ jī yuán qiǎo hé ， chǎn shēng le yì diǎn xiān shí ， yě huì yīn wèi zá zhì zhòng duō ， ér chéng wéi gēn běn méi yǒu yòng chǔ de fèi wù ， zhēn néng kāi cǎi chū xiān shí de jī lǜ shí zài tài xiǎo le ， nǎ pà zhǐ yǒu yī kuài yě kān chēng yùn qì nì tiān dào jí chù 。
林轩有些吃惊了要知道灵界与仙界情况不同即使机缘巧合，产生了一点仙石，也会因为杂质众多，而成为根本没有用处的废物，真能开采出仙石的几率实在太小了，哪怕只有一块也堪称运气逆天到极处。
Lin Xuan finally understood the full story.
“ rú guǒ shì fèi liào yě bú huì wèi běn mén rě lái rú cǐ mí tiān dà huò 。”
“如果是废料也不会为本门惹来如此弥天大祸。”
Given the power of the Three Great Sects, a mere top-grade crystal stone vein might not have been worth their attention. But if an immortal stone was extracted from it, that would be a different matter entirely.
lí hóng xiù tàn le kǒu qì ：“ dāng shí dì zǐ yòu jīng yòu xǐ ， dàn yě zhī dào cǐ shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě yī biān pài rén bǐng gào gěi zuò zhèn zài zōng mén nèi de liǎng wèi shī shū ， yī biān yán lìng jiāng xiāo xī fēng suǒ ， nǎ zhī dào mén xià dì zǐ hái shì chū xiàn le pàn tú ， xiāo xī bèi tài xuán zōng sān pài gěi zhī xiǎo le 。”
黎红袖叹了口气：“当时弟子又惊又喜，但也知道此事非同小可一边派人禀告给坐镇在宗门内的两位师叔，一边严令将消息封锁，哪知道门下弟子还是出现了叛徒，消息被太玄宗三派给知晓了。”
This item, even for Core Formation cultivators, or even Tribulation Transcenders, would be coveted. It was a rare treasure with immense utility in various aspects.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。”
“原来如此。”
After all, the Cloud Concealment Sect had an entire vein of minerals. If one immortal stone could be extracted here, there might be more—perhaps two, three…
lín xuān zǒng suàn míng bái liǎo shì qíng le shǐ mò 。
林轩总算明白了事情了始末。
"Did other forces besides the Profound Mysteries Sect, Spirit Ghost Sect, and Heavenly Crystal Valley intervene?"
yǐ tiān xuán zōng sān pài de shí lì ， qū qū yī tiáo jí pǐn jīng shí de kuàng mài wèi bì huì fàng zài yǎn lǐ ， dàn ruò cóng qí zhōng kāi cǎi chū xiān shí ， nà jié guǒ jiù yòu huì bù yí yàng le 。
以天玄宗三派的实力，区区一条极品晶石的矿脉未必会放在眼里，但若从其中开采出仙石，那结果就又会不一样了。
Knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy led to a hundred battles without defeat. Lin Xuan naturally had to clarify this.
zhè dōng xī ， bié shuō fēn shén qī ， jiù suàn dù jié qī lǎo guài yě huì xīn cún kǎi yú ， zhè kě shì kě yù ér bù kě qiú de bǎo wù ， zài gè fāng miàn dōu yǒu jù dà de yòng tú 。
这东西，别说分神期，就算渡劫期老怪也会心存凯觎，这可是可遇而不可求的宝物，在各方面都有巨大的用途。
"No," Li Hongxiu shook her head confidently: "The Three Great Sects are not fools; they also kept the news secret. Otherwise, if other major forces or Tribulation Transcenders became interested, their efforts would have been in vain."
yào xiǎo de ， yún yǐn zōng shǒu lǐ yōng yǒu de ， shì zhěng zhěng yī tiáo kuàng mài ， zhè lǐ néng kāi cǎi chū yī kuài xiān shí ， yě xǔ jiù huì yǒu dì èr kuài ， dì sān kuài ……，
要晓得，云隐宗手里拥有的，是整整一条矿脉，这里能开采出一块仙石，也许就会有第二块，第三块……，
"Hmm."
“ chú le tài xuán mén ， líng guǐ zōng yǔ tiān jīng gǔ ， shì fǒu hái yǒu qí tā shì lì jiè rù ？”
“除了太玄门，灵鬼宗与天晶谷，是否还有其他势力介入？”
Lin Xuan nodded. This view was likely correct. If he were one of the leaders of these three sects, he would certainly have sealed off the news immediately; with many people and limited resources, who wouldn’t want to share such a good thing?
zhī jǐ zhī bǐ ， bǎi zhàn bù dài ， zhè zhǒng wèn tí ， lín xuān zì rán yào nòng qīng chǔ 。
知己知彼，百战不殆，这种问题，林轩自然要弄清楚。
"Where are Senior Dragon Brother and Senior Lin Sister? Why aren’t any of them stationed in the sect?"
“ méi yǒu 。” lí hóng xiù kěn dìng de yáo le yáo tóu ：“ sān pài yě bú shì bái chī ， kěn dìng tóng yàng fēng suǒ le xiāo xī ， fǒu zé yǐn dé qí tā dà shì lì de kǎi yú ， huò zhě dù jié qī lǎo guài wù de jiè rù ， tā men qǐ bù shì yě zhú lán dǎ shuǐ yī cháng kōng le 。
“没有。”黎红袖肯定的摇了摇头：“三派也不是白痴，肯定同样封锁了消息，否则引得其他大势力的凯觎，或者渡劫期老怪物的介入，他们岂不是也竹篮打水一场空了。
"The two Uncle Senior Disciples went to manage the vein. They haven't contacted the main hall for a long time. I am deeply worried..."
“ ń 。”
“嗯。”
Li Hongxiu didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood what she meant. The atmosphere in the grand hall became tense.
lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， zhè zhǒng kàn fǎ yīng gāi méi cuò ， huàn zuò tā shì sān pài de zhǔ shì zhě ， kěn dìng yě shì dì yī shí jiān fēng suǒ xiāo xī ， sēng duō zhōu shǎo ， zhè zhǒng hǎo shì shuí xī wàng bié rén lái yǔ zì jǐ fēn xiǎng 。
林轩点点头，这种看法应该没错，换做他是三派的主事者，肯定也是第一时间封锁消息，僧多粥少，这种好事谁希望别人来与自己分享。
Lin Yujiao's expression was particularly grim.
“ nà lóng shī xiōng yǔ lín shī jiě yòu zài hé chù ， zěn me jìng wú yī rén zài zōng mén zuò zhèn de ？”
“那龙师兄与林师姐又在何处，怎么竟无一人在宗门坐镇的？”
At this moment, several hundred miles away from the Cloud Concealment Sect’s main hall, on a desolate mountain.
“ liǎng wèi shī shū qù le kuàng mài nà biān zhǔ chí dà jú ， rán ér què hěn jiǔ méi yǒu yǔ zǒng duò lián xì ， dì zǐ huái jiào ……”
“两位师叔去了矿脉那边主持大局，然而却很久没有与总舵联系，弟子怀教……”
The air here was thin with little Spirit Qi, and even Core Formation cultivators would find it unremarkable. However, in such an inconspicuous place, several mysterious cultivators gathered in an abandoned stone temple, discussing something.
lí hóng xiù de huà méi yǒu shuō xià qù ， rán ér dà jiā dōu míng bái tā yán yǔ zhōng de yòng yì ， yī shí jiān ， dà diàn zhōng de qì fēn níng zhì yǐ jí 。
黎红袖的话没有说下去，然而大家都明白她言语中的用意，一时间，大殿中的气氛凝滞以极。
Five men and two women were present. One man and one woman wore black robes, their faces completely hidden.
lín yù jiāo de shén sè gèng shì cǎn rán wú bǐ 。
林玉娇的神色更是惨然无比。
The others varied in age but all had formidable cultivation levels, being Core Formation late-stage cultivators.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， zài jù lí yún yǐn zōng zǒng duò bù zhī dào jǐ bǎi wàn lǐ yuǎn de yī zuò huāng shān 。
与此同时，在距离云隐宗总舵不知道几百万里远的一座荒山。
No, not all of them were cultivators; among the group, there were two monsters.
cǐ dì líng qì xī bó ， biàn shì zhù jī qī xiū shì yě kàn bù shàng yǎn de ， rán ér jiù shì zhè yàng yī chù shuí yě bù zài yì de dì fāng ， què jù jí le shù míng shén mì de xiū xiān zhě ， zài yī zuò fèi qì de shí diàn zhōng shāng liáng zhe shén me 。
此地灵气稀薄，便是筑基期修士也看不上眼的，然而就是这样一处谁也不在意的地方，却聚集了数名神秘的修仙者，在一座废弃的石殿中商量着什么。
On the left was a creature with long ears and green eyes. Its skin was bright red, and it even had three strange eyes on its forehead, exuding an aura of ferocity.
wǔ nán liǎng nǚ ， qí zhōng yī nán yī nǚ shēn zhào hēi páo ， lián miàn róng yě kàn bú jiàn fēn háo 。
五男两女，其中一男一女身罩黑袍，连面容也看不见分毫。
To the right was a female monster. She appeared somewhat attractive at first glance, but her eyes glowed blood-red, and she had several red scales on both cheeks. Wearing a red robe, with a small, well-shaped mouth, she had a snake tongue that constantly moved inside.
zhì yú lìng wài jǐ rén ， zé lǎo shào bù yī ， rán ér xiū wèi fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， jū rán quán shì fēn shén hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě
至于另外几人，则老少不一，然而修为非同小可，居然全是分神后期的修仙者
This woman’s true form was evident; she must have been cultivated from some kind of snake.
bù ， yě bù quán shì xiū xiān zhě ， qí zhōng yǒu liǎng gè ， jū rán shì yāo zú 。
不，也不全是修仙者，其中有两个，居然是妖族。
The two monsters were also Core Formation late-stage cultivators, and their cultivation levels were no less than the five others.
zuǒ biān de nà jīn ）， zhǎng ěr bì mù ， pí fū xiān hóng ， é tóu shàng jìng guǐ yì de shēng yǒu sān zhǐ yāo mù ， yī gǔ xiōng lì zhī qì pèi rán ér chū 。
左边的那斤），长耳碧目，皮肤鲜红，额头上竟诡异的生有三只妖目，一股凶厉之气沛然而出。
Three more men were present: an elderly man with a Taoist appearance, a well-built man in fine clothes, and a young boy with rosy cheeks that looked like he had just been reborn from jade.
yòu biān de zé shì yī yāo zú nǚ zǐ 。
右边的则是一妖族女子。
Of course, this youth appeared youthful, but his true age was indescribable; at least several tens of thousands of years old.
zhà yī kàn pǒ yǒu jǐ fēn zī sè ， rán ér tā de yǎn jīng ， què fàng chū xiě hóng sè de guāng zé ， zuǒ yòu liǎng biān de liǎn jiá shàng jiē zhǎng yǒu bù shǎo chì hóng sè de lín piàn 。
乍一看颇有几分姿色，然而她的眼睛，却放出血红色的光泽，左右两边的脸颊上皆长有不少赤红色的鳞片。
"Friend Sun, what happened? Last time, your Spirit Ghost Sect led the way, and we two sects assisted. We intended to take down Cloud Concealment Sect once and for all. How did it end in failure, with so few disciples returning, almost a total loss?"
shēn chuān hóng yī ， yīng táo xiǎo zuǐ shēng dé pǒ wèi zhōu zhèng měi lì ， rán ér yī zhāng kǒu ， què kě yǐ kàn jiàn yī tiáo xì xì shé xīn tūn tǔ bù yǐ 。
身穿红衣，樱桃小嘴生得颇为周正美丽，然而一张口，却可以看见一条细细蛇芯吞吐不已。
The elderly man with Taoist appearance spoke with a hint of reproach.
Peach Blossom Lin Xuan had already ingested, and his cultivation had surged dramatically. Both of the infant souls had advanced to the next stage, making the effects too wondrous to describe in words.
As for the second item, it was a talisman left behind by Ethereal True Man.
Ethereal True Man was one of the two founding sages of Ethereal Immortal Palace, a great being who had successfully transcended tribulation. The power of his leftover talismans was naturally evident.
However, these weren't the most precious items.
The most valuable should be the last treasure: the True Spirit Puppet!
As its name suggests, it originally aimed to possess the strength of a true spirit.
Unfortunately, the requirements were too high, and it failed to reach that level in the end.
But it was far from useless; though inferior to expectations, this puppet's power still rivaled that of an old monster who had transcended tribulation.
Of course, it was at its initial stage, but even so, it was a rare find indeed. It could be considered a heaven-defying treasure.
Unfortunately, with every coin having two sides, providing the puppet with energy proved extremely difficult. Even top-grade crystal stones were ineffective; to fully utilize its power, one had to use immortal stones as energy sources.
But immortal stones were items from the Immortal Realm, and even if by chance they could be produced in the Spirit Realm, it was a rarity. At least, with Ethereal Immortal Palace's unparalleled strength in the Ice Sea Region, they couldn't achieve this either. They had to store this puppet with immense power in their treasury; otherwise, if driven, the result might have been different from what happened.
Of course, these were assumptions. Regardless, the True Spirit Puppet was now in Lin Xuan’s possession.
Since immortal stones were hard to come by, Lin Xuan didn’t issue a mission like the Cloud Concealment Sect disciples could handle; it had already exceeded their capabilities.
He hadn't expected today's calamity for the sect. When Lin Xuan asked about the reason, he heard an outcome that was both surprising and unexpected.
Indeed, it was like finding a needle in a haystack and getting it without much effort. Lin Xuan felt particularly concerned.
This explained why his reaction had been somewhat agitated when he first heard this news.
He abruptly stood up, but no one else seemed to notice.
After all, the news was too shocking. Their initial shock far exceeded Lin Xuan's.
Compared to Uncle Senior Disciple, who remained calm and composed.
"Exactly what happened? Don’t worry; take your time."
Lin Xuan wasn't an ordinary cultivator. He had regained his usual composure and sat back down, turning his head to speak kindly to Li Hongxiu.
"Yes, Uncle Senior Disciple. The matter of mining veins was originally handled by the Spell Array Peak. I am more familiar with it; this incident dates back roughly a year ago. During our mining process, we unexpectedly had a great收获, and we even extracted an immortal stone."
"An immortal stone? Isn’t that considered waste?"
Lin Xuan was surprised. He knew that in the Spirit Realm, even if by chance, producing an immortal stone would be extremely rare due to its impurities rendering it useless. The odds of extracting one were so slim that even a single piece could be considered heaven-defying luck.
"If it were just waste, this wouldn’t have brought such a disaster upon our sect."
Li Hongxiu sighed: "At the time, I was both shocked and delighted but knew how serious this matter was. I sent people to inform the two Uncle Senior Disciples stationed within the sect while strictly ordering the news to be kept secret. Unfortunately, one of my disciples turned traitor, and the Three Great Sects of Profound Mysteries became aware."
"Ah, I see."
Lin Xuan finally understood the full story.
Given the power of the Three Great Sects, a mere top-grade crystal stone vein might not have been worth their attention. But if an immortal stone was extracted from it, that would be a different matter entirely.
This item, even for Core Formation cultivators, or even Tribulation Transcenders, would be coveted. It was a rare treasure with immense utility in various aspects.
After all, the Cloud Concealment Sect had an entire vein of minerals. If one immortal stone could be extracted here, there might be more—perhaps two, three…
"Did other forces besides the Profound Mysteries Sect, Spirit Ghost Sect, and Heavenly Crystal Valley intervene?"
Knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy led to a hundred battles without defeat. Lin Xuan naturally had to clarify this.
"No," Li Hongxiu shook her head confidently: "The Three Great Sects are not fools; they also kept the news secret. Otherwise, if other major forces or Tribulation Transcenders became interested, their efforts would have been in vain."
"Hmm."
Lin Xuan nodded. This view was likely correct. If he were one of the leaders of these three sects, he would certainly have sealed off the news immediately; with many people and limited resources, who wouldn’t want to share such a good thing?
"Where are Senior Dragon Brother and Senior Lin Sister? Why aren’t any of them stationed in the sect?"
"The two Uncle Senior Disciples went to manage the vein. They haven't contacted the main hall for a long time. I am deeply worried..."
Li Hongxiu didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood what she meant. The atmosphere in the grand hall became tense.
Lin Yujiao's expression was particularly grim.
At this moment, several hundred miles away from the Cloud Concealment Sect’s main hall, on a desolate mountain.
The air here was thin with little Spirit Qi, and even Core Formation cultivators would find it unremarkable. However, in such an inconspicuous place, several mysterious cultivators gathered in an abandoned stone temple, discussing something.
Five men and two women were present. One man and one woman wore black robes, their faces completely hidden.
The others varied in age but all had formidable cultivation levels, being Core Formation late-stage cultivators.
No, not all of them were cultivators; among the group, there were two monsters.
On the left was a creature with long ears and green eyes. Its skin was bright red, and it even had three strange eyes on its forehead, exuding an aura of ferocity.
To the right was a female monster. She appeared somewhat attractive at first glance, but her eyes glowed blood-red, and she had several red scales on both cheeks. Wearing a red robe, with a small, well-shaped mouth, she had a snake tongue that constantly moved inside.
This woman’s true form was evident; she must have been cultivated from some kind of snake.
The two monsters were also Core Formation late-stage cultivators, and their cultivation levels were no less than the five others.
Three more men were present: an elderly man with a Taoist appearance, a well-built man in fine clothes, and a young boy with rosy cheeks that looked like he had just been reborn from jade.
Of course, this youth appeared youthful, but his true age was indescribable; at least several tens of thousands of years old.
"Friend Sun, what happened? Last time, your Spirit Ghost Sect led the way, and we two sects assisted. We intended to take down Cloud Concealment Sect once and for all. How did it end in failure, with so few disciples returning, almost a total loss?"
The elderly man with Taoist appearance spoke with a hint of reproach.