“ shén me ， tā men shì xiān jiù dé dào xiāo xī le ， nà lín shī dì zhè me zuò ， dí àn wǒ míng ， qǐ bù shì yí bù xiǎo xīn ， jiù huì luò rù duì fāng bù xià de xiàn jǐng ？”
“什么，他们事先就得到消息了，那林师弟这么做，敌暗我明，岂不是一不小心，就会落入对方布下的陷阱？”
"What on earth? They must have received prior intelligence. If Senior Disciple Lin acts under such circumstances, with the enemy in the dark and us in the light, wouldn't he inadvertently fall into a trap set by them?"
yín tóng shào nǚ dà jīng ， jǐn guǎn míng zhī dào cǐ kè lín xuān wú shì ， dàn xiǎng xiǎng dāng shí qíng shì wēi jī ， xīn zhōng yě bù yóu de yī zhèn jǐn zhāng yōu jí 。
银瞳少女大惊，尽管明知道此刻林轩无事，但想想当时情势危机，心中也不由得一阵紧张忧急。
The silver-eyed maiden was greatly alarmed. Although she knew that Lin Xuan was safe at this moment, recalling the perilous situation made her feel tense and anxious.
lóng xìng shào nián de biǎo qíng yě chà bu duō ， bèi duì fāng yǐ yǒu xīn suàn wú yì ， nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng ， lín shī dì ， jiū jìng shì rú hé chuǎng guò le suǒ miàn duì de wēi jī 。
龙姓少年的表情也差不多，被对方以有心算无意，难以想象，林师弟，究竟是如何闯过了所面对的危机。
The expression of the young man with the dragon surname was similar. He couldn't imagine how Senior Disciple Lin managed to overcome such dangers when his opponent had an advantage by knowing their moves in advance.
ér nà zhāng luò de kǒu cái zé jí wéi bù cuò ， cǐ kè zhèng huì shēng huì sè de jiǎng shù zhe ；
而那张骆的口才则极为不错，此刻正绘声绘色的讲述着；
Zhang Lu's eloquence shone through as he narrated the events vividly:
“ zhěng gè guò chéng qū zhé lí qí ， sān pài lián méng de zhǎng lǎo yīn xiǎn bēi bǐ ， jì dàn lín shī zǔ de wēi míng fǎ lì ， yǐ duō dǎ shǎo ， shàng bù gǎn zhèng miàn duì dí ， zhǐ néng zài àn chù bù xià yī xiē yīn móu guǐ jì 。”
“整个过程曲折离奇，三派联盟的长老阴险卑鄙，忌惮林师祖的威名法力，以多打少，尚不敢正面对敌，只能在暗处布下一些阴谋诡计。”
"The entire process was intricate and bizarre. The elders of the three alliances were cunning and despicable, fearing the reputation and power of Senior Patriarch Lin. They outnumbered them but dared not face them directly; instead, they plotted various schemes in secret."
“ yīn móu guǐ jì ？”
“阴谋诡计？”
"Plots? Yes, it seems that the headmaster of Lingyun Sect proposed setting up a Spirit Ghost Five Elements Great Array to counter Senior Patriarch Lin. They even coerced some captured disciples from our sect into traitors, luring Senior Disciple Lin deep into the array and having them ambush him unexpectedly, leading to his downfall..."
“ bù cuò ， jù shuō shì líng guǐ zōng zhǔ tí yì ， bù xià líng guǐ wǔ xíng dà zhèn duì fù lín shī zǔ ， tā men shèn zhì wēi bī lì yòu ， ràng běn mén yī xiē bèi fú lǔ de dì zǐ zuò le pàn tú ， jiāng lín shī dì yǐn rù dà zhèn shēn chù ， bìng yóu nà pàn tú tōu xí ， ràng lín shī zǔ chū qí bù yì ， jiù zhōng le míng hé zhī lái ．．．…”
“不错，据说是灵鬼宗主提议，布下灵鬼五行大阵对付林师祖，他们甚至威逼利诱，让本门一些被俘虏的弟子做了叛徒，将林师弟引入大阵深处，并由那叛徒偷袭，让林师祖出其不意，就中了冥河之来．．．…”
"What?!"
“ shén me ？”
“什么？”
The silver-eyed maiden and the dragon-named youth exchanged glances, both speechless.
yín tóng shào nǚ yǔ lóng xìng shào nián miàn miàn xiāng qù ， dōu tīng dé dāi le 。
银瞳少女与龙姓少年面面相觑，都听得呆了。
They had guessed that the three alliances would use cunning tactics against Lin Xuan, but they hadn't expected such a vicious plot. There were traps, poisons, and even a double agent involved. With more than twenty opponents using so many methods, it was hard to believe that even a late-stage cultivator like Lin Xuan could survive.
tā men suī rán cāi dào sān pài dé zhī lín xuān de xíng zōng ， bì rán huì shī yǐ yīn móu guǐ jì ， dàn yě méi xiǎng dào rú cǐ yīn dú ， yòu shì zhèn fǎ ， yòu shì jù dú ， hái yǒu fǎn jiàn jì ， yǐ èr shí duō rén duì fù lín xuān ， hái shī zhǎn zhè me duō shǒu duàn ， bié shuō lín shī dì zhǐ shì fēn shén zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ， jiù suàn dù jié qī lǎo guài wù ， yǔ qí yì dì ér chǔ ， zài rú cǐ céng céng yīn móu xià ， yě hěn nán quán shēn ér tuì dì 。
他们虽然猜到三派得知林轩的行踪，必然会施以阴谋诡计，但也没想到如此阴毒，又是阵法，又是剧毒，还有反间计，以二十多人对付林轩，还施展这么多手段，别说林师弟只是分神中期的修仙者，就算渡劫期老怪物，与其易地而处，在如此层层阴谋下，也很难全身而退地。
"Did you really investigate this thoroughly? Did the enemy use these tactics against Senior Disciple Lin?"
“ nǐ zhēn dǎ tàn qīng chǔ ， duì fāng shì rú cǐ duì fù lín shī dì ？”
“你真打探清楚，对方是如此对付林师弟？”
The silver-eyed maiden swallowed her saliva, feeling as if she were listening to a fairy tale.
yín tóng shào nǚ tūn le yī kǒu tuò mò ， jué de zì jǐ jiù xiàng shì zài tīng tiān fāng yè tán shì de 。
银瞳少女吞了一口唾沫，觉得自己就像是在听天方夜谭似的。
"I dare not speak falsely in front of my two seniors."
“ dì zǐ yǒu tiān dà de dǎn zi ， yě bù gǎn zài liǎng wèi shī zǔ miàn qián hú yán luàn yǔ 。”
“弟子有天大的胆子，也不敢在两位师祖面前胡言乱语。”
The middle-aged man swore and affirmed: "Through soul-searching techniques, we obtained this result. We have cross-referenced several people's memories; it should be accurate."
nà bǐng gào de zhōng nián rén dǔ zhòu fā shì ：“ tōng guò sōu hún shù ， dé dào de jiù shì zhè ge jié guǒ ， ér qiě wǒ men yǐ jīng hé duì le shù rén de jì yì ， yīng gāi shì bú huì chū cuò 。”
那禀告的中年人赌咒发誓：“通过搜魂术，得到的就是这个结果，而且我们已经核对了数人的记忆，应该是不会出错。”
"Alright, then what happened?"
“ hǎo ba ， nà jié guǒ rú hé ？”
“好吧，那结果如何？”
Given the situation, the silver-eyed maiden couldn't argue about its authenticity. She decided to listen first before analyzing.
shì yǐ zhì cǐ ， yín tóng shào nǚ yǐ bù hǎo zhēng biàn zhè jiàn shì qíng shì fǒu zhēn shí ， xiān tīng wán zài zuò fēn xī 。
事已至此，银瞳少女已不好争辩这件事情是否真实，先听完再做分析。
"The outcome was that Senior Patriarch Lin displayed his divine might, defying the poison of the Nether River and breaking through the Spirit Ghost Five Elements Great Array. With one person, he faced over twenty cultivators from the three alliances, utterly defeating them."
“ jié guǒ ， zì rán shì lín shī zǔ dà zhǎn shén wēi ， bù jù míng hé zhī dú ， líng guǐ wǔ xíng dà zhèn yě méi yǒu xiào guǒ ， bèi shī zǔ tā lǎo rén jiā shī zhǎn dà shén tōng gōng pò ， rán hòu yǐ yī rén zhī lì ， duì shàng sān pài èr shí yú míng tóng jiē xiū xiān zhě ， què jiāng duì fāng shā dé pì gǔn niào liú 。”
“结果，自然是林师祖大展神威，不惧冥河之毒，灵鬼五行大阵也没有效果，被师祖他老人家施展大神通攻破，然后以一人之力，对上三派二十余名同阶修仙者，却将对方杀得屁滚尿流。”
Zhang Lu spoke sincerely without embellishment, as Lin Xuan's achievements were already too shocking.
zhāng luò lǎo shí de shuō ， bù gǎn yǒu rèn hé de tiān yóu jiā cù ， bì jìng lín xuān chuàng zào de zhàn jì yǐ tài kě bù ， guāng shì píng dàn xù shù jiù yǐ gòu ràng rén zhèn jīng le 。
张骆老实的说，不敢有任何的添油加醋，毕竟林轩创造的战绩已太可怖，光是平淡叙述就已够让人震惊了。
The silver-eyed maiden and the dragon-named youth listened in silence until Zhang Lu finished his narration, offering no comments.
ér yín tóng shào nǚ yǔ lóng xìng shào nián yě jiù lèng lèng de tīng zhe ， zhí zhì duì fāng xù shù jié shù ， dōu méi yǒu fā biǎo rèn hé de kàn fǎ le 。
而银瞳少女与龙姓少年也就愣愣的听着，直至对方叙述结束，都没有发表任何的看法了。
With such reactions from their seniors, Zhang Lu felt uneasy and dared not express any opinions rashly.
liǎng wèi shī zǔ rú cǐ ， ràng zhāng luò xīn zhōng tǎn tè ， gèng bù gǎn mào rán fā biǎo sī háo yì jiàn shén me 。
两位师祖如此，让张骆心中忐忑，更不敢贸然发表丝毫意见什么。
Time passed slowly.
shí jiān jiù zhè yàng màn màn liú shì zhe 。
时间就这样慢慢流逝着。
After a meal's worth of time, the silver-eyed maiden finally spoke. As if awakening from shock, she lifted her head and asked with a voice still tinged with awe: "Junior Brother, do you believe all this?"
zú zú guò le yī dùn fàn de gōng fu 。
足足过了一顿饭的功夫。
"I..."
yín tóng shào nǚ cái zhōng yú kāi kǒu ， fǎng fú gāng gāng cóng zhèn jīng zhōng sū xǐng shì de ， huǎn huǎn tái qǐ tóu lú ， shēng yīn yī jiù dài zhe zhèn hàn zhī sè ：“ shī dì ， zhè yī qiè nǐ xiāng xìn me ？”
银瞳少女才终于开口，仿佛刚刚从震惊中苏醒似的，缓缓抬起头颅，声音依旧带着震撼之色：“师弟，这一切你相信么？”
The dragon-named youth was speechless, his expression showing confusion.
“ wǒ ……”
“我……”
Originally, he had been most confident in Lin Xuan, but even the most confident had limits. The information from his grandsons seemed too far-fetched.
lóng xìng shào nián zhāng kǒu jié shé ， biǎo qíng yě lù chū jǐ fēn máng rán zhī sè 。
龙姓少年张口结舌，表情也露出几分茫然之色。
If everything were true, he would doubt that Lin Xuan's strength could rival a late-stage cultivator.
yuán běn ， tā shì duì lín xuān zuì yǒu xìn xīn de yí gè ， rán ér nà yòu rú hé ’ zài yǒu xìn xīn yě gāi yǒu yí gè xiàn dù ， cóng tú sūn 、 nǎ ér tīng lái de xiāo xī tài lí pǔ 。
原本，他是对林轩最有信心的一个，然而那又如何’再有信心也该有一个限度，从徒孙、哪儿听来的消息太离谱。
Was this possible?
rú guǒ zhè yī qiè shì zhēn de ， tā dōu yào huái yí ， lín xuān de shí lì kān jǐng dù jié qī dà néng le 。
如果这一切是真的，他都要怀疑，林轩的实力堪井渡劫期大能了。
Although there were countless geniuses and extraordinary individuals in the cultivation world, occasionally someone might challenge an opponent of higher rank.
dàn zhè kě néng me ？
但这可能么？
But transcending stages was completely different from the previous ones.
suī rán xiū xiān jiè qí rén yì shì wú shù ， ǒu ěr yě yǒu tiān cái néng gòu yuè jí tiǎo zhàn 。
虽然修仙界奇人异士无数，偶尔也有天才能够越级挑战。
Throughout history and across the three realms, no one had ever heard of a late-stage cultivator challenging a late-stage cultivator.
dàn dù jié yǔ qián miàn de jìng jiè shì wán quán bù tóng de 。
但渡劫与前面的境界是完全不同的。
Lin Xuan's achievements were already too miraculous. Even just recounting them was enough to shock people.
zòng héng sān jiè ， fàng yǎn jīn gǔ ， cóng lái méi yǒu tīng shuō yǒu fēn shén qī cún zài néng gòu yuè jí tiǎo zhàn dù jié de 。
纵横三界，放眼今古，从来没有听说有分神期存在能够越级挑战渡劫的。
Was it possible? He didn't know. Everything had surpassed his comprehension.
lín xuān zài shàn yú chuàng zào qí jì ， zhè tīng shàng qù yě yǒu xiē tài lí pǔ 。
林轩再善于创造奇迹，这听上去也有些太离谱。
Thus, he truly didn't know how to respond to the question from Senior Sister.
kě néng me ， tā yě bù xiǎo de ， zhè suǒ yǒu de yī qiè ， yǐ jīng chāo yuè tā de rèn zhī le 。
可能么，他也不晓得，这所有的一切，已经超越他的认知了。
"I don’t know either, but we are indeed fortunate to have Senior Disciple Lin join our sect."
suǒ yǐ miàn duì shī jiě zhè ge wèn tí ， tā shì zhēn de bù zhī dào gāi cóng hé huí dá shuō qǐ le 。
所以面对师姐这个问题，他是真的不知道该从何回答说起了。
He answered irrelevantly, and surprisingly, the silver-eyed maiden nodded in agreement: "Indeed, Junior Brother Lin's joining is a blessing for our sect."
“ wǒ yě bù xiǎo de ， bù guò lín shī dì chéng wéi běn mén xiū xiān zhě ， wǒ men hái zhēn shì jiǎn dào yí gè bǎo le 。”
“我也不晓得，不过林师弟成为本门修仙者，我们还真是捡到一个宝了。”
They no longer discussed or debated the matter. The disciple had spoken with certainty, and the source of his information seemed reliable. How could it be false?
tā dá fēi suǒ wèn de shuō ， ér yín tóng shào nǚ jū rán yě méi shēn jiū ， fǎn ér zàn tóng de diǎn le diǎn tóu ：“ bù cuò ， lín shī dì de jiā rù ， què rán shì běn mén zhī fú 。”
他答非所问的说，而银瞳少女居然也没深究，反而赞同的点了点头：“不错，林师弟的加入，确然是本门之福。”
Regardless of whether Senior Disciple Lin was comparable to late-stage cultivators, his strength had reached a level beyond his understanding.
zhì yú zhè jiàn shì qíng de zhēn jiǎ ， tā men zài méi yǒu tǎo lùn biàn bó ， bì jìng ， dì zǐ yán zhī záo záo ， dǎ tīng de qú dào yě méi yǒu miù wù ， zhè hái zěn me kě néng yǒu jiǎ ne ？
至于这件事情的真假，他们再没有讨论辩驳，毕竟，弟子言之凿凿，打听的渠道也没有谬误，这还怎么可能有假呢？
Given this, why would he needlessly complicate matters by delving deeper? In short, it was a blessing for our sect.
bù guǎn lín shī dì shì bú shì kān bǐ dù jié qī xiū xiān zhě ， zǒng zhī tā de shí lì ， yǐ dào le yí gè zì jǐ wán quán wú fǎ lǐ jiě chuǎi mó de dì bù 。
不管林师弟是不是堪比渡劫期修仙者，总之他的实力，已到了一个自己完全无法理解揣摩的地步。
He firmly believed that Lin Xuan's joining would make the Cloud Concealing Sect prosperous and glorious.
jì rán rú cǐ ， hái hé bì zì xún fán nǎo de shēn jiū ne ， yī jù huà ， běn mén zhī fú 。
既然如此，还何必自寻烦恼的深究呢，一句话，本门之福。
With everything settled, the two senior elders did not wish to discuss or speculate further. They ordered their disciples not to idle away time discussing the matter either. The seriously injured were instructed to rest and recuperate, while those with minor injuries went to secure various mining areas, clean up losses, and search for any surviving cultivators of their sect.
xiāng xìn lín xuān de jiā rù ， yí dìng huì ràng yún yǐn zōng guāng dà chāng shèng de 。
相信林轩的加入，一定会让云隐宗光大昌盛的。
With so many tasks at hand, it seemed chaotic, but under the senior elders' arrangement, everything was well-organized.
zhè yī qiè zhì cǐ gào yí duàn luò ， liǎng wèi tài shàng zhǎng lǎo bù yuàn yì zài duō zuò tǎo lùn chuǎi mó ， mìng lìng xià miàn de dì zǐ yě bú yào wàng jiā yì lùn shén me ， shāng zhòng zhě ， xiū yǎng shēng xī ， shāng shì qīng yì diǎn de ， zé qù zhàn jù kuàng mài de gè chù yào dì ， qīng lǐ sǔn shī ， bìng shùn dài xún zhǎo běn mén ， shì fǒu hái yǒu qí tā xìng cún de xiū shì 。
这一切至此告一段落，两位太上长老不愿意再多做讨论揣摩，命令下面的弟子也不要妄加议论什么，伤重者，休养生息，伤势轻一点的，则去占据矿脉的各处要地，清理损失，并顺带寻找本门，是否还有其他幸存的修士。
The night passed.
zhū shì fán duō ， tīng shàng qù qiān tóu wàn xù ， bù guò zài liǎng wèi tài shàng zhǎng lǎo de ān pái xià ， què yě xiǎn de jǐng jǐng yǒu tiáo yǐ jí 。
诸事繁多，听上去千头万绪，不过在两位太上长老的安排下，却也显得井井有条以极。
The next morning, as the dragon-named youth meditated, a faint sound entered his ears, carrying a hint of pain.
yī yè de shí jiān jiù zhè yàng guò qù 。
一夜的时间就这样过去。
He quickly looked up.
dì èr tiān yī zǎo ， lóng xìng shào nián zhèng zài dǎ zuò ， tū rán yī zhèn qīng wēi de xiǎng dòng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lǐ miàn yǐn yǐn dài zhe jǐ fēn tòng kǔ zhī sè 。
第二天一早，龙姓少年正在打坐，突然一阵轻微的响动传入耳朵，里面隐隐带着几分痛苦之色。
Before him lay the silver-eyed maiden's agonized face.
tā máng tái qǐ tóu 。
他忙抬起头。
The young man was alarmed: "Senior Sister, what’s wrong with you?"
yìng rù yǎn lián de shì yín tóng shào nǚ tòng kǔ de miàn róng 。
映入眼帘的是银瞳少女痛苦的面容。
As he asked, he hastily released his divine sense. He saw that the silver-eyed maiden's beautiful face was covered in black aura, indicating a severe poison had invaded her lungs.
shào nián bù yóu de dà jīng shī sè ：“ shī jiě ， nǐ zěn me le ？”
少年不由得大惊失色：“师姐，你怎么了？”
How could this be? Senior Sister said she had used her profound techniques to contain and gradually neutralize the poison.
zuǐ shàng zhè yàng wèn zhe ， tā zì jǐ què shì huāng máng jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， zhǐ jiàn yín tóng shào nǚ jiāo měi de miàn róng shàng mǎn shì hēi qì ， yī fù jù dú yǐ shēn rù fèi fǔ de yàng zi 。
嘴上这样问着，他自己却是慌忙将神识放出，只见银瞳少女娇美的面容上满是黑气，一副剧毒已深入肺腑的样子。
Why did it suddenly flare up so severely? It seemed like it might endanger her life.
zěn me huì rú cǐ ， shī jiě bú shì shuō ， nà dú yǐ jīng bèi tā yòng xuán gōng bī zhù ， bìng kě yǐ yì diǎn yì diǎn huà jiě diào le me 。
怎么会如此，师姐不是说，那毒已经被她用玄功逼住，并可以一点一点化解掉了么。
Noticing his concern, the silver-eyed maiden opened her eyes. However, her large, beautiful eyes were already devoid of vitality.
zěn me huì tū rán fā zuò ， ér qiě rú cǐ yán zhòng lí pǔ ， kàn yàng zi ， sì hū yào wēi jī dào shī jiě de shēng mìng le 。
怎么会突然发作，而且如此严重离谱，看样子，似乎要危机到师姐的生命了。
"Junior Brother, I'm sorry. This is all my fault; I didn't tell you the truth."
sì hū chá jué dào shī dì de guān qiè ， yín tóng shào nǚ zhēng kāi shuāng móu ， rán ér yī duì piào liàng de dà yǎn jīng ， yǐ shì shén guāng huàn sàn le 。
似乎察觉到师弟的关切，银瞳少女睁开双眸，然而一对漂亮的大眼睛，已是神光涣散了。
"Truth?"
“ shī dì ， duì bù qǐ ， zhè dōu yuàn wǒ ， méi yǒu duì nǐ shuō shí huà de 。”
“师弟，对不起，这都怨我，没有对你说实话的。”
"Yes."
“ shí huà ？”
“实话？”
The silver-eyed maiden nodded with a bitter smile. In essence, she couldn’t blame herself for this either.
“ ń 。”
“嗯。”
This woman had no foresight and couldn’t predict that Lin Xuan would display such divine might, defeating over twenty late-stage cultivators single-handedly, forcing them to retreat.
yín tóng shào nǚ diǎn le diǎn tóu ， liǎn shàng lù chū kǔ xiào zhī sè ， zhè jiàn shì zhuī gēn jiū dǐ ， qí shí yě bù néng yuàn tā 。
银瞳少女点了点头，脸上露出苦笑之色，这件事追根究底，其实也不能怨她。
Initially, she was determined to die for the sect, sacrificing her life with the other disciples.
cǐ nǚ yòu méi yǒu wèi bǔ xiān zhī zhī shù ， shuí xiǎo de ， lín xuān néng dà zhǎn shén tōng ， yǐ yī rén zhī lì ， jiù jiāng sān pài lián méng èr shí yú míng fèn shén qī lǎo guài jī kuì diào a ， bī dé tā men ， bù dé bù zuò tuì bīng yī shuō 。
此女又没有未卜先知之术，谁晓得，林轩能大展神通，以一人之力，就将三派联盟二十余名分神期老怪击溃掉啊，逼得他们，不得不做退兵一说。
Thus, she used a secret technique that could cause significant future harm, temporarily suppressing the poison. She believed that once the final array was broken and she fought fiercely, she would inevitably fall in battle.
yuán běn ， cǐ nǚ shì xīn cún sǐ zhì ， jué dìng yǐ shēn xùn pài ， yǔ zhòng dì zǐ gòng cún wáng 。
原本，此女是心存死志，决定以身殉派，与众弟子共存亡。
Since she didn’t care about her soul returning to the netherworld, what did it matter about potential consequences?
"What on earth? They must have received prior intelligence. If Senior Disciple Lin acts under such circumstances, with the enemy in the dark and us in the light, wouldn't he inadvertently fall into a trap set by them?"
The silver-eyed maiden was greatly alarmed. Although she knew that Lin Xuan was safe at this moment, recalling the perilous situation made her feel tense and anxious.
The expression of the young man with the dragon surname was similar. He couldn't imagine how Senior Disciple Lin managed to overcome such dangers when his opponent had an advantage by knowing their moves in advance.
Zhang Lu's eloquence shone through as he narrated the events vividly:
"The entire process was intricate and bizarre. The elders of the three alliances were cunning and despicable, fearing the reputation and power of Senior Patriarch Lin. They outnumbered them but dared not face them directly; instead, they plotted various schemes in secret."
"Plots? Yes, it seems that the headmaster of Lingyun Sect proposed setting up a Spirit Ghost Five Elements Great Array to counter Senior Patriarch Lin. They even coerced some captured disciples from our sect into traitors, luring Senior Disciple Lin deep into the array and having them ambush him unexpectedly, leading to his downfall..."
"What?!"
The silver-eyed maiden and the dragon-named youth exchanged glances, both speechless.
They had guessed that the three alliances would use cunning tactics against Lin Xuan, but they hadn't expected such a vicious plot. There were traps, poisons, and even a double agent involved. With more than twenty opponents using so many methods, it was hard to believe that even a late-stage cultivator like Lin Xuan could survive.
"Did you really investigate this thoroughly? Did the enemy use these tactics against Senior Disciple Lin?"
The silver-eyed maiden swallowed her saliva, feeling as if she were listening to a fairy tale.
"I dare not speak falsely in front of my two seniors."
The middle-aged man swore and affirmed: "Through soul-searching techniques, we obtained this result. We have cross-referenced several people's memories; it should be accurate."
"Alright, then what happened?"
Given the situation, the silver-eyed maiden couldn't argue about its authenticity. She decided to listen first before analyzing.
"The outcome was that Senior Patriarch Lin displayed his divine might, defying the poison of the Nether River and breaking through the Spirit Ghost Five Elements Great Array. With one person, he faced over twenty cultivators from the three alliances, utterly defeating them."
Zhang Lu spoke sincerely without embellishment, as Lin Xuan's achievements were already too shocking.
The silver-eyed maiden and the dragon-named youth listened in silence until Zhang Lu finished his narration, offering no comments.
With such reactions from their seniors, Zhang Lu felt uneasy and dared not express any opinions rashly.
Time passed slowly.
After a meal's worth of time, the silver-eyed maiden finally spoke. As if awakening from shock, she lifted her head and asked with a voice still tinged with awe: "Junior Brother, do you believe all this?"
"I..."
The dragon-named youth was speechless, his expression showing confusion.
Originally, he had been most confident in Lin Xuan, but even the most confident had limits. The information from his grandsons seemed too far-fetched.
If everything were true, he would doubt that Lin Xuan's strength could rival a late-stage cultivator.
Was this possible?
Although there were countless geniuses and extraordinary individuals in the cultivation world, occasionally someone might challenge an opponent of higher rank.
But transcending stages was completely different from the previous ones.
Throughout history and across the three realms, no one had ever heard of a late-stage cultivator challenging a late-stage cultivator.
Lin Xuan's achievements were already too miraculous. Even just recounting them was enough to shock people.
Was it possible? He didn't know. Everything had surpassed his comprehension.
Thus, he truly didn't know how to respond to the question from Senior Sister.
"I don’t know either, but we are indeed fortunate to have Senior Disciple Lin join our sect."
He answered irrelevantly, and surprisingly, the silver-eyed maiden nodded in agreement: "Indeed, Junior Brother Lin's joining is a blessing for our sect."
They no longer discussed or debated the matter. The disciple had spoken with certainty, and the source of his information seemed reliable. How could it be false?
Regardless of whether Senior Disciple Lin was comparable to late-stage cultivators, his strength had reached a level beyond his understanding.
Given this, why would he needlessly complicate matters by delving deeper? In short, it was a blessing for our sect.
He firmly believed that Lin Xuan's joining would make the Cloud Concealing Sect prosperous and glorious.
With everything settled, the two senior elders did not wish to discuss or speculate further. They ordered their disciples not to idle away time discussing the matter either. The seriously injured were instructed to rest and recuperate, while those with minor injuries went to secure various mining areas, clean up losses, and search for any surviving cultivators of their sect.
With so many tasks at hand, it seemed chaotic, but under the senior elders' arrangement, everything was well-organized.
The night passed.
The next morning, as the dragon-named youth meditated, a faint sound entered his ears, carrying a hint of pain.
He quickly looked up.
Before him lay the silver-eyed maiden's agonized face.
The young man was alarmed: "Senior Sister, what’s wrong with you?"
As he asked, he hastily released his divine sense. He saw that the silver-eyed maiden's beautiful face was covered in black aura, indicating a severe poison had invaded her lungs.
How could this be? Senior Sister said she had used her profound techniques to contain and gradually neutralize the poison.
Why did it suddenly flare up so severely? It seemed like it might endanger her life.
Noticing his concern, the silver-eyed maiden opened her eyes. However, her large, beautiful eyes were already devoid of vitality.
"Junior Brother, I'm sorry. This is all my fault; I didn't tell you the truth."
"Truth?"
"Yes."
The silver-eyed maiden nodded with a bitter smile. In essence, she couldn’t blame herself for this either.
This woman had no foresight and couldn’t predict that Lin Xuan would display such divine might, defeating over twenty late-stage cultivators single-handedly, forcing them to retreat.
Initially, she was determined to die for the sect, sacrificing her life with the other disciples.
Thus, she used a secret technique that could cause significant future harm, temporarily suppressing the poison. She believed that once the final array was broken and she fought fiercely, she would inevitably fall in battle.
Since she didn’t care about her soul returning to the netherworld, what did it matter about potential consequences?