wēi xiǎn shì wéi yī de xíng róng cí ， dàn bù guǎn rú hé ， tā zǒng suàn shì táo guò le dào hǎi gē de yī jī ， yú láng bèi wàn zhuàng zhōng huà xiǎn wéi yí 。
危险是唯一的形容词，但不管如何，他总算是逃过了倒海戈的一击，于狼狈万状中化险为夷。
The danger was the only descriptor, but he had managed to evade the attack from Dǎohǎi Gē. Despite his disheveled state, he turned out unscathed.
rán ér jiù zài cǐ kè ， yì biàn tū qǐ ， shēn cè de kōng qì ， yǒu guǐ yì de bō dòng fú xiàn ér qǐ ， shì xiān bàn fēn zhēng zhào yě wú 。
然而就在此刻，异变突起，身侧的空气，有诡异的波动浮现而起，事先半分征兆也无。
However, at this moment, an unexpected change occurred. The air beside him began to ripple with strange fluctuations without any prior warning.
“ bù hǎo 。”
“不好。”
"Bad luck."
zhōng lǎo guài dà jīng shī sè ， rán ér yǐ lái bù jí duǒ ， bù guò zhè lǎo jiā huǒ yě bú shì pǔ tōng de xiū xiān zhě ， yú bǎi máng zhī zhōng ， shēn tǐ měng rán cháo yī páng niǔ guò 。
钟老怪大惊失色，然而已来不及躲，不过这老家伙也不是普通的修仙者，于百忙之中，身体猛然朝一旁扭过。
Old Master Zhong was alarmed but could not dodge in time. However, as a seasoned cultivator, he quickly twisted his body to the side.
tā de dòng zuò ， bù kě wèi bù xùn sù ， rán ér yòu biān xiōng kǒu ， yī jiù shì měng rán yī rè ， yǐ bèi yī hēi sè de lì máng chuān pò ， xiān xuè shùn jiān kuáng yǒng ér chū 。
他的动作，不可谓不迅速，然而右边胸口，依旧是猛然一热，已被一黑色的厉芒穿破，鲜血瞬间狂涌而出。
His movements were swift, but a sudden warmth seared through his right chest, pierced by a black ray of energy barely thicker than a thumb. Blood gushed out instantly.
nà lì máng jǐn yǒu mǔ zhǐ cū ， rán ér bù lùn sù dù hái shì lì dào dōu lìng rén chēng mù ， jué bú shì pǔ tōng de wǔ xíng fǎ shù kě yǐ bǐ nǐ de 。
那厉芒仅有拇指粗，然而不论速度还是力道都令人瞠目，绝不是普通的五行法术可以比拟的。
The ray was only an inch thick, yet its speed and force were astonishing—far beyond ordinary Five Elements spells.
zhōng lǎo guài sà rán zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， zhǐ jiàn zuǒ cè bǎi yú zhàng yuǎn chù ， lìng yí gè lín xuān fú xiàn ér chū ， chú le jī fū yán sè yào shāo hēi yī xiē ， wǔ guān shēn xíng wú bù xiāng sì yǐ jí 。
钟老怪飒然转过头颅，只见左侧百余丈远处，另一个林轩浮现而出，除了肌肤颜色要稍黑一些，五官身形无不相似以极。
Old Master Zhong turned to see another Lin Xuan materialize about a hundred feet away. The two looked almost identical except for the slightly darker skin tone of this one.
“ shēn wài huà shēn ！”
“身外化身！”
"An external manifestation!"
zhōng lǎo guài de biǎo qíng mǎn shì yuàn dú ， bù kě sī yì de dèng dà le shuāng mù ， zhè huà shēn jū rán yě shì fēn shén qī ， wèi miǎn tài lìng rén bù kě sī yì 。
钟老怪的表情满是怨毒，不可思议的瞪大了双目，这化身居然也是分神期，未免太令人不可思议。
Old Master Zhong's expression was filled with venomous hatred as he stared in disbelief. This manifestation was also at the Spirit Refinement stage, which was too unbelievable.
rán ér jí biàn tā jiàn shí guǎng bó ， yě jué liào bú dào lín xuān zhè jù huà shēn yǔ yì bān yì yì shàng de què shì dà yǒu fēn bié zhī chù 。
然而即便他见识广博，也绝料不到林轩这具化身与一般意义上的却是大有分别之处。
Despite his extensive experience, Old Master Zhong never expected Lin Xuan’s manifestation to be so different from ordinary ones.
yǎn jiàn mò líng zuān méi néng qǐ dào yī jī bì shā de xiào guǒ ， lín xuān dào yě bìng bù zháo jí ， huà shēn shǒu yī fú ， nà běn gǔ shū fú xiàn ér chū ， suí hòu lìng yī tiáo shǒu bì wǎng kōng zhōng yī mǒ ， yòu jiāng jī léi gǔ jìng jì qǐ ， shuāng bǎo hé bìng ， yǔ běn tǐ yì qǐ ， duì dí rén jìn xíng zuǒ yòu jiā jī 。
眼见墨灵钻没能起到一击必杀的效果，林轩倒也并不着急，化身手一拂，那本古书浮现而出，随后另一条手臂往空中一抹，又将齑雷古镜祭起，双宝合并，与本体一起，对敌人进行左右夹击。
Seeing that the Black Spirit Drill failed to deliver a fatal blow, Lin Xuan did not rush to act. He waved his hand and the ancient book appeared. Then, with another arm movement, he summoned the Jīlěi Ancient Mirror. The two treasures combined, attacking the enemy from both sides along with his main body.
yī shí jiān ， zhōng lǎo guài de chǔ jìng jiān nán yǐ jí 。
一时间，钟老怪的处境艰难以极。
Old Master Zhong’s situation was dire. Facing just Lin Xuan himself was already overwhelming, let alone this manifestation that, though weaker, still far outmatched ordinary Spirit Refinement cultivators.
jǐn jǐn miàn duì lín xuān běn tǐ ， tā yǐ shì yìng jiē bù xiá ， nà huà shēn de shí lì suī rán bù jí ， dàn xiāng chà yě bú shì yuǎn le qù ， tóng yàng yuǎn shèng yì bān de fēn shén xiū shì 。
仅仅面对林轩本体，他已是应接不暇，那化身的实力虽然不及，但相差也不是远了去，同样远胜一般的分神修士。
What made it worse was that the manifestation used a demonic cultivation technique, extremely refined and similar to ancient demons from another plane.
ér gèng lìng tā tóu téng de shì ， huà shēn suǒ shī zhǎn de ， jū rán shì yī shēn mó dào gōng fǎ ， ér qiě jīng chún yǐ jí ， jiǎn zhí yǔ lìng yí gè jiè miàn de gǔ mó xiāng sì 。
而更令他头疼的是，化身所施展的，居然是一身魔道功法，而且精纯以极，简直与另一个界面的古魔相似。
Meanwhile, his main body wielded the Black Moon Heavenly Witch Art, occasionally supplementing with odd techniques from the Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Art, making him hard-pressed to cope.
ér běn tǐ zé dà kāi dà hé ， yǐ mò yuè tiān wū jué wéi zhǔ ， ǒu ěr fǔ yǐ fèng wǔ jiǔ tiān jué zhōng de qí shù ， ràng tā zhe shí shì nán yǐ yìng fù 。
而本体则大开大阖，以墨月天巫诀为主，偶尔辅以凤舞九天诀中的奇术，让他着实是难以应付。
Damn!
gāi sǐ ！
该死！
If he had known how troublesome this Lin Xuan was, he would not have chosen a closed space for their battle. With allies nearby, he could call for help if things went wrong. But now, where could he seek assistance?
zǎo zhī zhè lín xiǎo zi nán chán zhì cǐ ， jiù bù yīng gāi jiāng dòu fǎ zhī suǒ ， xuǎn zài zhè fēng bì kōng jiān zhī zhōng ， nà yàng yí dàn bù dí ， hái kě yǐ ràng zhòng wèi shī zhí cóng páng cè yìng zhào gù ， rán ér cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tā què dào nǎ lǐ qù hū jiào yuán zhù 。
早知这林小子难缠至此，就不应该将斗法之所，选在这封闭空间之中，那样一旦不敌，还可以让众位师侄从旁策应照顾，然而此时此刻，他却到哪里去呼叫援助。
Old Master Zhong regretted his decision bitterly. However, there was no use lamenting now; he gritted his teeth and used all his skills to carve out a path through the combined attacks.
zhōng lǎo guài huǐ a ， cháng zi dōu qīng le 。
钟老怪悔啊，肠子都青了。
Despite his good intentions, reality was harsh. His situation grew worse with each passing moment. He was barely managing to keep up, and failure seemed inevitable.
kě zhè shí hòu shuō shén me ， yě méi yǒu yòng chǔ ， wéi yǒu yǎo yá jiān chí ， shī zhǎn hún shēn xiè shù ， xī wàng zài lín xuān yǔ nà kě pà huà shēn de jiā gōng zhī zhōng ， shā chū yī tiáo xuè lù 。
可这时候说什么，也没有用处，唯有咬牙坚持，施展浑身解数，希望在林轩与那可怕化身的夹攻之中，杀出一条血路。
Although he was at the Lesser Transcendence stage, having some understanding of the laws of nature, he dared not use his trump card—his mastery over those laws.
rán ér xiǎng fǎ shì hǎo de ， xiàn shí què hěn cán kù ， suí zhe shí jiān de tuī yí ， tā de chǔ jìng yuè fā bù lì ， kě yǐ shuō ， yǐ shì pí yú yìng fù ， zhè yàng xià qù ， luò bài shì chí zǎo de 。
然而想法是好的，现实却很残酷，随着时间的推移，他的处境越发不利，可以说，已是疲于应付，这样下去，落败是迟早的。
He had just suffered a significant setback.
suī rán tā shì xiǎo dù jié qī de xiū xiān zhě ， duì yú tiān dì fǎ zé ， yǐ jīng yǒu le bù xiǎo de lǐng wù ， dàn yuán běn zuò wéi shā shǒu jiǎn de fǎ zé zhī lì ， què bù gǎn qīng yì shǐ yòng le 。
虽然他是小渡劫期的修仙者，对于天地法则，已经有了不小的领悟，但原本作为杀手锏的法则之力，却不敢轻易使用了。
Lin Xuan’s Black Spirit Drill wasn’t much, but it struck when Old Master Zhong's power was weakened. It nearly cost him everything.
wú tā ， gāng gāng chī le yí gè dà kuī a ！
无他，刚刚吃了一个大亏啊！
If not for instinctively twisting to avoid the critical hit, the consequences would have been dire.
lín xuān de mò líng zuān yuán běn bù suàn shén me ， kě zhèng shì chǒu zhǔn le tā shī zhǎn fǎ zé zhī lì xū ruò de kōng dǎng shī zhǎn chū ， què chà diǎn ràng qí wàn jié bù fù 。
林轩的墨灵钻原本不算什么，可正是瞅准了他施展法则之力虚弱的空挡施展出，却差点让其万劫不复。
He dared not dwell on that thought.
ruò bú shì tā běn néng jiāng shēn tǐ yī niǔ ， jiāng yào hài duǒ guò ， jié guǒ ……，
若不是他本能将身体一扭，将要害躲过，结果……，
However, luck could only last so long. He couldn't risk it and had no choice but to discard his trump card, focusing all his energy on battling Lin Xuan and his manifestation.
tā yǐ bù gǎn qù duō xiǎng le 。
他已不敢去多想了。
His attention was fully engaged, with no room for error.
rán ér yī cì néng gòu yǒu hǎo yùn ， zài lái yī huí què shì wèi bì le 。
然而一次能够有好运，再来一回却是未必了。
The goal was simply to avoid any mistakes.
tā bù gǎn mào xiǎn 。
他不敢冒险。
Logically, this approach made sense.
suǒ yǐ zhǐ néng jiāng cǐ shā shǒu jiǎn qì zhī bù yòng ， dǎ dié qǐ shí èr fēn jīng shén yǔ lín xuān hé huà shēn chán dòu 。
所以只能将此杀手锏弃之不用，打叠起十二分精神与林轩和化身缠斗。
But as Lin Xuan watched, a sneer played at the corners of his mouth. This was exactly what he wanted.
suǒ yǒu de zhù yì lì jiē jí zhōng ， sī háo xiè dài bù dé 。
所有的注意力皆集中，丝毫懈怠不得。
Boom!
bù qiú yǒu gōng dàn qiú wú guò 。
不求有功但求无过。
Old Master Zhong used all his strength to deflect another attack from Lin Xuan. However, a sizzling sound reached his ears as several thick bolts of lightning flew past him. The Jīlěi Ancient Mirror was one of the Heaven’s Treasures and its power was formidable. He tried to find a way to counter it.
àn lǐ ， zhè yàng de fāng fǎ méi yǒu rèn hé bù tuǒ 。
按理，这样的方法没有任何不妥。
Suddenly, he felt a sting in his arm. Looking down amidst his frantic movements, he saw a small black-red bee hovering before him. Its body had countless silver spots, with blood-red eyes that exuded viciousness.
rán ér lín xuān jiàn le ， zuǐ jiǎo biān què lù chū jǐ fēn jī cháo zhī sè ， tā yào de jiù shì zhè ge jié guǒ 。
然而林轩见了，嘴角边却露出几分讥嘲之色，他要的就是这个结果。
He paid little attention.
hōng ！
轰！
Though unsure of the source of this demon bee, such creatures usually required significant numbers to be feared by high-ranking cultivators. A single one posed no threat.
zhōng lǎo guài jié jìn suǒ néng ， zhōng yú yòu huà jiě le lín xuān de yī jī ， rán ér cī lā shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， què shì jǐ tiáo shuǐ tǒng cū de diàn máng fēi dào le shēn cè ， zhè jī léi gǔ jìng yě shì tōng tiān líng bǎo zhī yī ， wēi lì zì rán fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， tā zhèng yào xiǎng bàn fǎ huà jiě yìng fù 。
钟老怪竭尽所能，终于又化解了林轩的一击，然而刺啦声传入耳朵，却是几条水桶粗的电芒飞到了身侧，这齑雷古镜也是通天灵宝之一，威力自然非同小可，他正要想办法化解应付。
So he glanced at it, flicked his finger, and a sword energy shot out, sending the demon bee flying. He then raised his head to prepare another powerful technique against the terrifying electric snakes.
tū rán jué de shǒu bì yī téng ， bǎi máng zhī zhōng dī tóu yī jiàn ， què shì yī yīng ér quán tou dà xiǎo de mó fēng fú xiàn yú yǎn qián ， zuò hēi hóng sè ， xiōng fù zhī jiān ， què yǒu wú shù yín sè de bān diǎn ， yǎn jīng gèng shì xuè hóng yǐ jí ， chōng mǎn le xiōng lì de qì xī 。
突然觉得手臂一疼，百忙之中低头一见，却是一婴儿拳头大小的魔蜂浮现于眼前，做黑红色，胸腹之间，却有无数银色的斑点，眼睛更是血红以极，充满了凶戾的气息。
However, just as he was distracted, an unimaginable pain erupted where the demon bee had stung him. At his level, losing a limb or hand wasn’t much of a concern, but this pain was unbearable.
dàn tā yě méi yǒu tài zài yì 。
但他也没有太在意。
The agony was worse than soul-sucking torture.
suī rán bù qīng chǔ zhè mó fēng shì cóng nǎ lǐ lái de ， dàn mó chóng tōng cháng dōu zhǐ yǒu shù liàng dá dào yí dìng guī mó ， cái néng ràng gāo jiē xiū shì tán zhī biàn sè ， qū qū yī zhī ， yòu suàn dé le shén me ， bù guǎn shì nà lín xiǎo zi fàng chū ， hái shì zhè fēng yìn kōng jiān běn yǒu zhī wù ， duì zì jǐ de wēi xié ， dōu suàn bù liǎo shén me 。
虽然不清楚这魔蜂是从哪里来的，但魔虫通常都只有数量达到一定规模，才能让高阶修士谈之变色，区区一只，又算得了什么，不管是那林小子放出，还是这封印空间本有之物，对自己的威胁，都算不了什么。
Old Master Zhong howled like a pig in excruciating pain.
suǒ yǐ tā jǐn jǐn shì kàn le yī yǎn ， qū zhǐ wēi dàn ， yī dào jiàn qì fú xiàn ， jiāng nà mó fēng dǎ fēi ， jiù tái qǐ le tóu lú ， zhǔn bèi lìng wài shī zhǎn yī zhǒng dà shén tōng ， qù yìng fù nà kě pà de diàn shé 。
所以他仅仅是看了一眼，屈指微弹，一道剑气浮现，将那魔蜂打飞，就抬起了头颅，准备另外施展一种大神通，去应付那可怕的电蛇。
In such a high-stakes battle, any distraction could cost him dearly.
rán ér jiù zhè me xū yú de gōng fu ， bèi nà mó fēng suǒ zhē zhī chù ， tū rán bào fā chū yī gǔ nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng de jù tòng ， yuán běn shí lì dào le tā zhè ge děng jí ， jiù suàn bèi dí rén zhǎn qù yī shǒu yī zú ， dōu suàn bù liǎo shén me ， piān piān cǐ kè de téng tòng ， què ràng tā rěn nài bú zhù 。
然而就这么须臾的功夫，被那魔蜂所蜇之处，突然爆发出一股难以想象的剧痛，原本实力到了他这个等级，就算被敌人斩去一手一足，都算不了什么，偏偏此刻的疼痛，却让他忍耐不住。
But the electric snakes showed no mercy. They lunged forward, sizzling…
zhǎn qù shǒu zú suàn shén me ， jiù suàn shì chōu hún zhī kǔ ， yǔ qí xiāng bǐ ， yě chéng le xiǎo wū jiàn dà wū 。
斩去手足算什么，就算是抽魂之苦，与其相比，也成了小巫见大巫。
Electricity crackled as Old Master Zhong was enveloped by thick arcs of lightning. His protective qi shield was torn apart, and he looked in agony. While he might not die from this, severe injuries were inevitable.
zhè lǎo guài wù ， rú tóng shā zhū bān de kuáng jiào qǐ lái le 。
这老怪物，如同杀猪般的狂叫起来了。
His appearance was utterly disheveled—his hair and beard standing on end like a porcupine.
gāo shǒu guò zhāo ， zhǐ zhēng lí háo ， tā zhè me yī nào ， yuán běn zhǔn bèi hǎo de dà zhāo zì rán shī zhǎn bù chū 。
高手过招，只争厘毫，他这么一闹，原本准备好的大招自然施展不出。
But the crisis wasn’t over yet. Seizing his momentary distraction, dozens of silver light points suddenly bloomed like flowers.
ér diàn mǎng kě bù huì yīn cǐ shǒu xià liú qíng shén me ， měng rán wǎng qián yī pū ， cì kā …
而电蟒可不会因此手下留情什么，猛然往前一扑，刺咖…
It was the Jade Net Bees!
diàn liú shēng dà zuò ， zhǐ jiàn zhōng lǎo guài hún shēn shàng xià ， bèi ér bì cū de diàn hú bāo guǒ ， hù tǐ líng guāng bèi sī pò ， mǎn liǎn de tòng kǔ ， zài zhè yàng de dǎ jī xià ， huò xǔ bú huì yǔn luò ， dàn zhòng shāng què shì nán miǎn de 。
电流声大做，只见钟老怪浑身上下，被儿臂粗的电弧包裹，护体灵光被撕破，满脸的痛苦，在这样的打击下，或许不会陨落，但重伤却是难免的。
This time, there weren’t just one but several dozen. They climbed onto Old Master Zhong’s body in an instant.
xíng xiàng gèng shì láng bèi dào jí chù ， tóu fà hú zi ， bèi diàn dé gēn gēn dào shù ， yuǎn yuǎn kàn qù ， jiù yǔ cì wèi xiāng chà fǎng fú 。
形象更是狼狈到极处，头发胡子，被电得根根倒竖，远远看去，就与刺猬相差仿佛。
"Ahh!"
rán ér wēi jī hái méi yǒu jié shù 。
然而危机还没有结束。
The pain from a single sting was unbearable; with multiple stings, he couldn’t endure it. His howls echoed far and wide, more painful than any pig’s scream.
chèn zhe lǎo mó shī shén de zhè yī kè ， shù shí duǒ yín sè de guāng diǎn tū rán rú xiān huā yì bān ， měng rán zhàn fàng le kāi lái 。
趁着老魔失神的这一刻，数十朵银色的光点突然如鲜花一般，猛然绽放了开来。
But the worst wasn’t over yet. Old Master Zhong’s face showed sheer terror as he felt his lifespan rapidly draining away.
yù luó fēng ！
玉罗蜂！
Time Poison!
ér shì zhè yī cì ， bú shì yī zhī ， ér shì shù shí yǒu yú ， chèn zhe kòng xì ， quán bù pá dào lǎo mó shēn shàng le 。
而是这一次，不是一只，而是数十有余，趁着空隙，全部爬到老魔身上了。
Old Master Zhong recalled an ancient legend and panicked.
“ a ！”
“啊！”
He took deep breaths and began to mobilize his qi to resist the Time Poison.
bèi yī zhī dīng shàng jiù tòng bù yù shēng ， zhè shù shí zhǐ yì qǐ lái ， lǎo mó nǎ lái rěn nài dé zhù ， bǐ shā zhū gèng nán tīng de jiào shēng yuǎn yuǎn chuán chū 。
被一只叮上就痛不欲生，这数十只一起来，老魔哪来忍耐得住，比杀猪更难听的叫声远远传出。
His withered skin started to recover visibly, but how could he face Lin Xuan and his manifestation now? In a moment, he was on the brink of death.
rán ér tòng hái bú shì zuì kě pà de ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， zhōng lǎo guài de liǎn shàng mǎn shì jīng hài ， tā gǎn jué tǐ nèi de shòu yuán ， zhèng fēi sù liú shì zhe 。
然而痛还不是最可怕的，此时此刻，钟老怪的脸上满是惊骇，他感觉体内的寿元，正飞速流逝着。
But even as time poison ravaged him, he would still die.
shí jiān zhī dú ！
时间之毒！
Old Master Zhong’s expression turned full of hatred. With a loud crash, his physical body disintegrated into powder, and his essence quickly escaped. It was a difficult choice, but it was his only option.
The danger was the only descriptor, but he had managed to evade the attack from Dǎohǎi Gē. Despite his disheveled state, he turned out unscathed.
However, at this moment, an unexpected change occurred. The air beside him began to ripple with strange fluctuations without any prior warning.
"Bad luck."
Old Master Zhong was alarmed but could not dodge in time. However, as a seasoned cultivator, he quickly twisted his body to the side.
His movements were swift, but a sudden warmth seared through his right chest, pierced by a black ray of energy barely thicker than a thumb. Blood gushed out instantly.
The ray was only an inch thick, yet its speed and force were astonishing—far beyond ordinary Five Elements spells.
Old Master Zhong turned to see another Lin Xuan materialize about a hundred feet away. The two looked almost identical except for the slightly darker skin tone of this one.
"An external manifestation!"
Old Master Zhong's expression was filled with venomous hatred as he stared in disbelief. This manifestation was also at the Spirit Refinement stage, which was too unbelievable.
Despite his extensive experience, Old Master Zhong never expected Lin Xuan’s manifestation to be so different from ordinary ones.
Seeing that the Black Spirit Drill failed to deliver a fatal blow, Lin Xuan did not rush to act. He waved his hand and the ancient book appeared. Then, with another arm movement, he summoned the Jīlěi Ancient Mirror. The two treasures combined, attacking the enemy from both sides along with his main body.
Old Master Zhong’s situation was dire. Facing just Lin Xuan himself was already overwhelming, let alone this manifestation that, though weaker, still far outmatched ordinary Spirit Refinement cultivators.
What made it worse was that the manifestation used a demonic cultivation technique, extremely refined and similar to ancient demons from another plane.
Meanwhile, his main body wielded the Black Moon Heavenly Witch Art, occasionally supplementing with odd techniques from the Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Art, making him hard-pressed to cope.
Damn!
If he had known how troublesome this Lin Xuan was, he would not have chosen a closed space for their battle. With allies nearby, he could call for help if things went wrong. But now, where could he seek assistance?
Old Master Zhong regretted his decision bitterly. However, there was no use lamenting now; he gritted his teeth and used all his skills to carve out a path through the combined attacks.
Despite his good intentions, reality was harsh. His situation grew worse with each passing moment. He was barely managing to keep up, and failure seemed inevitable.
Although he was at the Lesser Transcendence stage, having some understanding of the laws of nature, he dared not use his trump card—his mastery over those laws.
He had just suffered a significant setback.
Lin Xuan’s Black Spirit Drill wasn’t much, but it struck when Old Master Zhong's power was weakened. It nearly cost him everything.
If not for instinctively twisting to avoid the critical hit, the consequences would have been dire.
He dared not dwell on that thought.
However, luck could only last so long. He couldn't risk it and had no choice but to discard his trump card, focusing all his energy on battling Lin Xuan and his manifestation.
His attention was fully engaged, with no room for error.
The goal was simply to avoid any mistakes.
Logically, this approach made sense.
But as Lin Xuan watched, a sneer played at the corners of his mouth. This was exactly what he wanted.
Boom!
Old Master Zhong used all his strength to deflect another attack from Lin Xuan. However, a sizzling sound reached his ears as several thick bolts of lightning flew past him. The Jīlěi Ancient Mirror was one of the Heaven’s Treasures and its power was formidable. He tried to find a way to counter it.
Suddenly, he felt a sting in his arm. Looking down amidst his frantic movements, he saw a small black-red bee hovering before him. Its body had countless silver spots, with blood-red eyes that exuded viciousness.
He paid little attention.
Though unsure of the source of this demon bee, such creatures usually required significant numbers to be feared by high-ranking cultivators. A single one posed no threat.
So he glanced at it, flicked his finger, and a sword energy shot out, sending the demon bee flying. He then raised his head to prepare another powerful technique against the terrifying electric snakes.
However, just as he was distracted, an unimaginable pain erupted where the demon bee had stung him. At his level, losing a limb or hand wasn’t much of a concern, but this pain was unbearable.
The agony was worse than soul-sucking torture.
Old Master Zhong howled like a pig in excruciating pain.
In such a high-stakes battle, any distraction could cost him dearly.
But the electric snakes showed no mercy. They lunged forward, sizzling…
Electricity crackled as Old Master Zhong was enveloped by thick arcs of lightning. His protective qi shield was torn apart, and he looked in agony. While he might not die from this, severe injuries were inevitable.
His appearance was utterly disheveled—his hair and beard standing on end like a porcupine.
But the crisis wasn’t over yet. Seizing his momentary distraction, dozens of silver light points suddenly bloomed like flowers.
It was the Jade Net Bees!
This time, there weren’t just one but several dozen. They climbed onto Old Master Zhong’s body in an instant.
"Ahh!"
The pain from a single sting was unbearable; with multiple stings, he couldn’t endure it. His howls echoed far and wide, more painful than any pig’s scream.
But the worst wasn’t over yet. Old Master Zhong’s face showed sheer terror as he felt his lifespan rapidly draining away.
Time Poison!
Old Master Zhong recalled an ancient legend and panicked.
He took deep breaths and began to mobilize his qi to resist the Time Poison.
His withered skin started to recover visibly, but how could he face Lin Xuan and his manifestation now? In a moment, he was on the brink of death.
But even as time poison ravaged him, he would still die.
Old Master Zhong’s expression turned full of hatred. With a loud crash, his physical body disintegrated into powder, and his essence quickly escaped. It was a difficult choice, but it was his only option.