lín xuān yě suàn jiàn duō shí guǎng ， gèng xí guàn le xǐ nù bù xíng yú sè ， néng ràng tā rú cǐ shī tài de dōng xī zhe shí bù duō ， kě yǎn qián de xiǎo dōng xī shí zài tài chū rén yì liào le 。
林轩也算见多识广，更习惯了喜怒不形于色，能让他如此失态的东西着实不多，可眼前的小东西实在太出人意料了。
Lin Xuan had seen and experienced much, accustomed to concealing his emotions. The few things that could make him lose control were rare indeed. But the small creature before him was truly unexpected.
tiān shā mó jūn yí dài rén jié ， tā suǒ shōu cáng de shòu luǎn zì rán bù kě néng shì fán wù ， gèng hé kuàng zhè dōng xī guāng shì fū huà jiù lì jīng bō zhé ， lín xuān xīn zhōng gèng rèn dìng le cǐ shòu fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， rán ér yǎn qián ……
天煞魔君一代人杰，他所收藏的兽卵自然不可能是凡物，更何况这东西光是孵化就历经波折，林轩心中更认定了此兽非同小可，然而眼前……
The Demon Tyrant Sovereign of Heaven, a prodigy in his own right, would naturally not keep ordinary items among his treasures. Moreover, the process of hatching this creature had been fraught with difficulties, which only solidified Lin Xuan's belief that it was no ordinary beast. Yet before him...
kàn zhe zhè pí qiú dà xiǎo ， sì zhī cū duǎn ， jiù xiàng yí gè yuán qiú ， hún shēn cháng mǎn le bái máo de gǔ guài yāo shòu ， lín xuān shí zài wú fǎ jiāng yǔ lì hài lián xì qǐ lái 。
看着这皮球大小，四肢粗短，就像一个圆球，浑身长满了白毛的古怪妖兽，林轩实在无法将与厉害联系起来。
Looking at the small creature, about the size of a basketball, with short limbs and covered in white fur, Lin Xuan found it hard to associate any power or strength with such an odd-looking creature.
zhòu méi sī suǒ le bàn tiān ， lín xuān yě méi yǒu cóng yǐ qián kàn guò de gǔ jí zhōng zhǎo dào bàn diǎn xiàn suǒ ……
皱眉思索了半天，林轩也没有从以前看过的古籍中找到半点线索……
After pondering for a while, he still couldn't find any clues from ancient texts that he had read.
cóng xíng tài shàng kàn ， zhè xiǎo dōng xī dǎo shì shí fēn kě ài ， yǔ qí shuō shì yāo shòu ， bù rú jiǎng chéng chǒng wù gèng shì hé 。
从形态上看，这小东西倒是十分可爱，与其说是妖兽，不如讲成宠物更适合。
While its appearance was rather cute, one might say it resembled more of a pet than a beast.
lín xuān shēn chū zhǐ tou ， chōng qīng qīng yī dàn ， xiǎo dōng xī jiù pū téng pū téng de shuāi le jǐ gè jīn dǒu ， bù guò qǐ lái yǐ hòu ， dào yě bìng bù shēng qì ， fǎn ér tiào dào lín xuān de jiān tóu shàng ， yǔ tā shí fēn qīn nì 。
林轩伸出指头，冲轻轻一弹，小东西就扑腾扑腾的摔了几个筋斗，不过起来以后，倒也并不生气，反而跳到林轩的肩头上，与他十分亲昵。
Lin Xuan extended his finger and lightly flicked the small creature. It tumbled several times but didn’t seem angry; instead, it hopped onto his shoulder, showing great affection.
zhè zì rán shì yóu yú hái shì shòu luǎn de shí hòu ， lín xuān jiù yǐ jīng dī xuè rèn zhǔ 。
这自然是由于还是兽卵的时候，林轩就已经滴血认主。
This was due to Lin Xuan already having claimed this creature as his master when it was still an egg by dripping blood into it.
jiāng pěng zài yǎn qián ， zǐ xì duān xiáng le yī huì er ， lín xuān qǔ chū líng shòu dài ， jiāng xiǎo shòu zhuāng le qǐ lái 。
将捧在眼前，仔细端详了一会儿，林轩取出灵兽袋，将小兽装了起来。
Carefully examining the creature for a while, he placed it in a spirit beast bag and stored it away. Although it seemed strange, Lin Xuan wasn't disappointed; after all, one couldn’t judge a beast's strength merely from its appearance.
suī rán jué de yǒu xiē gǔ guài ， dàn lín xuān xīn zhōng yě méi yǒu shén me shī wàng zhī yì ， yào zhī dào yāo shòu shí lì rú hé ， bìng bú shì tōng guò xíng mào pàn duàn de 。
虽然觉得有些古怪，但林轩心中也没有什么失望之意，要知道妖兽实力如何，并不是通过形貌判断的。
Sharp teeth and claws didn't necessarily mean power, and some seemingly harmless beasts might possess immense abilities. Moreover, the creature had just hatched, so not feeling any spiritual energy was normal. He decided to study it more in his own time.
yá jiān zhǎo lì ， bìng bù yì wèi zhe jiù qiáng ， fǎn zhī ， yī xiē mào sì wú hài de yāo shòu fǎn ér kě néng yōng yǒu mò dà shén tōng 。
牙尖爪利，并不意味着就强，反之，一些貌似无害的妖兽反而可能拥有莫大神通。
With the cave entrance closed, Lin Xuan’s surroundings were bathed in a soft glow. He took a step into the cave.
hé kuàng xiǎo dōng xī gāng gāng fū huà chū lái ， gǎn shòu bú dào shén me líng lì bō dòng yě suàn zhèng cháng zhī shì ， lín xuān jué dìng yǒu shí jiān ， zài màn màn yán jiū bù chí 。
何况小东西刚刚孵化出来，感受不到什么灵力波动也算正常之事，林轩决定有时间，再慢慢研究不迟。
"Master!"
jiāng dòng fǔ zhī mén guān bì 。 lín xuān shēn zhōu qīng guāng dà qǐ 。 zhèng zhǔn bèi fēi lí líng yào shān 。 tū rán yī dào huǒ guāng lái dào le yǎn qián 。
将洞府之门关闭。林轩身周青光大起。正准备飞离灵药山。突然一道火光来到了眼前。
Holding an epistolary jade scroll, Master Feather-Whisker was engrossed in studying something. Smiling kindly upon seeing Lin Xuan, he invited him to sit down.
lín xuān yī jīng 。 tíng xià dòng zuò 。 shēn shǒu qǔ guò 。 què shì yī zhāng chuán yīn fú 。 jiāng shén shí chén rù qí zhōng 。 hěn kuài 。 lín xuān dì méi tóu jiù wēi wēi zhòu qǐ lái le 。
林轩一惊。停下动作。伸手取过。却是一张传音符。将神识沉入其中。很快。林轩地眉头就微微皱起来了。
They sized each other up for a moment before Feather-Whisker spoke first: "Cough, cough." He tapped his hand lightly on the stone table. "Xuan'er, how many years have you been with us now?"
wú qiǎo bù qiǎo 。 shī zūn zhè shí hòu zhǎo zì jǐ gàn shén me ？
无巧不巧。师尊这时候找自己干什么？
"Master, it's exactly twenty-three years."
ér qiě kàn nà yán cí 。 yǐn yǐn lüè yǒu suǒ zhǐ ……
而且看那言辞。隐隐略有所指……
"Hmm, twenty-three years. That’s quite some time in secular terms, but for a cultivator, it’s just a fleeting moment," Feather-Whisker chuckled. "Do you remember when you first joined? You were only at the initial stage of foundation consolidation. Now, you’ve already achieved great success."
lín xuān dì biǎo qíng 。 bù yóu de yǒu xiē yóu yù 。 dàn lüè yī chóu chú 。 hái shì xiàng zhe tōng yǔ zhēn rén dì dòng fǔ ér qù 。
林轩地表情。不由得有些犹豫。但略一踌躇。还是向着通羽真人地洞府而去。
"Everything is due to Master's guidance." Lin Xuan bowed respectfully.
jǐng wù yī jiù 。 bù guò lín xuān dì gǎn shòu yǔ yǐ qián què bù tài xiāng tóng 。 dāng chū bù guò shì wèi le tú móu fèi dān ér jiā rù líng yào shān 。 nǎ zhī dào què shì yōu zhōu shuǐ zuì shēn dì yí gè mén pài 。
景物依旧。不过林轩地感受与以前却不太相同。当初不过是为了图谋废丹而加入灵药山。哪知道却是幽州水最深地一个门派。
"You don’t need to flatter me. To be honest, I’m not a very good teacher. Though you are my disciple, I have never given you any advice or guidance in your cultivation path. Do you know why?"
“ xuān ér ma ， jìn lái ba ！”
“轩儿吗，进来吧！”
"It’s because Master wants to keep his true strength hidden and avoid revealing his power," Lin Xuan thought but didn’t say it out loud.
tōng yǔ zhēn rén píng hé de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， tóng shí lín xuān gǎn jué dào yī gǔ qiáng dà de shén shí ， suī rán bìng méi yǒu è yì ， dàn zài de lǒng zhào xià lín xuān yě lüè lüè gǎn dào yǒu xiē bù shì ， níng dān hòu qī 。
通羽真人平和的声音传入耳朵，同时林轩感觉到一股强大的神识，虽然并没有恶意，但在的笼罩下林轩也略略感到有些不适，凝丹后期。
"Then why did I choose you as a disciple and make you the young master of Spirit Medicine Mountain?" Feather-Whisker asked calmly.
lín xuān xīn zhōng àn àn jīng hài 。 suī rán zǎo jiù liào dào zì jǐ zhè wèi lǎo hú lí shī zūn xiū wèi bù fán ， dàn zhēn zhèng xiǎn lù yǐ hòu ， yě ràng tā yǒu dà jīng zhī gǎn 。
林轩心中暗暗惊骇。虽然早就料到自己这位老狐狸师尊修为不凡，但真正显露以后，也让他有大惊之感。
Lin Xuan remained silent, his heart racing. Knowing about the mountain’s true strength had been like a thorn in his side since he learned it. Why would such a powerful sect entrust its future to an unknown figure?
jù zì jǐ suǒ zhī 。 tōng yǔ zhēn rén hái bú dào liǎng bǎi suì nián jì ， yǐ rú jīn de xiū wèi ， dà yǒu jī huì xiàng yuán yīng qī fā qǐ chōng jī 。
据自己所知。通羽真人还不到两百岁年纪，以如今的修为，大有机会向元婴期发起冲击。
Back then, he was only at the initial stage of foundation consolidation. Could there be some ulterior motive behind this?
zhè yàng tiān cái ， bié dì míng mén dà pài suī rán bìng fēi méi yǒu ， dàn bú yào wàng le ， tōng yǔ zhēn rén hái shàn cháng liàn dān 。
这样天才，别地名门大派虽然并非没有，但不要忘了，通羽真人还擅长炼丹。
Although he had succeeded in foundation consolidation by age twenty, such prodigies were not uncommon among major sects. Feather-Whisker's actions left him puzzled.
zhè xiàng jì yì yě yào huā fèi hěn duō shí jiān ， kàn lái zì jǐ zhè wèi shī zūn suī rán bù rú tiān chén zhēn rén jīng cái jué yàn ， què yě shì qiān nián nán yù de xiū xiān qí cái 。
这项技艺也要花费很多时间，看来自己这位师尊虽然不如天尘真人惊才绝艳，却也是千年难遇的修仙奇才。
Taking a deep breath, Lin Xuan knew his master wasn’t hiding anything. He quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully: "Please enlighten me."
lín xuān wěn le yī xià xīn shén ， rán hòu mài bù zǒu rù le dòng fǔ 。
林轩稳了一下心神，然后迈步走入了洞府。
"Before I answer your question, let’s talk about something else first," Feather-Whisker said. "How much do you know about our mountain's secrets?"
“ shī zūn ！”
“师尊！”
Lin Xuan hesitated before answering, "Disciple knows more than what is commonly rumored outside."
tōng yǔ zhēn rén shǒu lǐ ná zhe yí gè yù tǒng jiǎn 。 zhèng zǐ xì de yán jiū zhe shén me ， jiàn lín xuān jìn lái ， hé ǎi de xiào le xiào ， zhāo hū tā zuò xià 。
通羽真人手里拿着一个玉筒简。正仔细的研究着什么，见林轩进来，和蔼的笑了笑，招呼他坐下。
He then revealed all the rumors he had heard about Spirit Medicine Mountain and its ancestor, Immortal Dust.
liǎng rén hù xiāng dǎ liàng le jǐ yǎn ， tōng yǔ zhēn rén méi yǒu lì kè shuō huà ， lín xuān zì rán jiù bú huì xiān kāi kǒu le ， yī shí jiān ， chǎng miàn jìng xiǎn de yǒu xiē gān gà 。
两人互相打量了几眼，通羽真人没有立刻说话，林轩自然就不会先开口了，一时间，场面竟显得有些尴尬。
Feather-Whisker seemed pleased with Lin Xuan’s straightforward answer. "You’ve learned a lot, which isn’t easy," he said, stroking his beard.
“ ké ， ké 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén ké sòu yī shēng 。 shēn chū yī zhī shǒu lái ， zài yǎn qián de shí zhuō shàng qīng qīng qiāo zhe ：“ xuān ér ， nǐ rù mén yǒu èr shí yú zài le ba ？”
“咳，咳。”通羽真人咳嗽一声。伸出一只手来，在眼前的石桌上轻轻敲着：“轩儿，你入门有二十余载了吧？”
"Master..." Lin Xuan hesitated again.
“ huí shī zūn ， gāng hǎo èr shí sān nián 。”
“回师尊，刚好二十三年。”
"What do you want to know? Just ask!" Feather-Whisker looked like a kind teacher now.
“ ń ， èr shí sān nián ， jiǎ ruò fàng zài shì sú ， zhe shí bù duǎn ， dàn duì wǒ men xiū zhēn zhě ér yán ， bù guò shì huǎng yǎn yī shùn jiān 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén xiào le qǐ lái ：“ jì de nǐ chū rù mén shí 。 bù guò zhù jī chū qī 。 rú jīn què yǐ jīn dān dà chéng ……”
“嗯，二十三年，假若放在世俗，着实不短，但对我们修真者而言，不过是晃眼一瞬间。”通羽真人笑了起来：“记得你初入门时。不过筑基初期。如今却已金丹大成……”
"The strength of our sect is not inferior to the Three Great Factions. I already knew this, but outside, it’s rumored that we have an Elder in the Immortal stage who is meditating. Is this true?" Lin Xuan was curious about this. For a single sect, having an Immortal would be unimaginable for strength enhancement. The Azure Cloud Mountain, as the top of the Three Great Factions, had two Elders at the Immortal stage. Foundation consolidation and core formation cultivators were not much stronger than those from Frontline Canyon or Thundercloud Manor.
“ quán kào shī zūn de zhǐ diǎn 。” lín xuān bào le bào quán ， yī liǎn dì gōng jìng zhī sè 。
“全靠师尊的指点。”林轩抱了抱拳，一脸地恭敬之色。
The Demon Sect’s current arrogance was due to the appearance of a thousand-year-old demon, Extreme Devil Sovereign. If this rumor about having an Immortal Elder turned out false, Spirit Medicine Mountain would fare no better than Tianmu Mountain.
“ nǐ yě bù yòng wǎng lǎo fū liǎn shàng tiē jīn le 。 shuō qǐ lái ， wǒ zhè ge shī zūn bìng bù chèn zhí ， nǐ suī bài wǒ wèi shī ， dàn zài xiū liàn zhī dào shàng ， wǒ què bù céng gěi guò nǐ yī fēn yī háo de zhǐ diǎn ， nǐ kě zhī zhè shì wèi shén me ？”
“你也不用往老夫脸上贴金了。说起来，我这个师尊并不称职，你虽拜我为师，但在修炼之道上，我却不曾给过你一分一毫的指点，你可知这是为什么？”
Lin Xuan hoped to rely on such strength for support. Since Feather-Whisker had shown no ill intent towards him, the stronger the mountain’s power, the better.
“ nǐ lǎo rén jiā xiǎng yào yǐn cáng xiū wèi ， bù yuàn bào lù shí lì ， zhè yǒu shén me nán cāi 。” lín xuān xīn zhōng rú shì xiǎng ， zuǐ bā shàng dàng rán bú huì shǎ shǎ de shuō chū lái ， gōng jìng de dào ：“ dì zǐ yú dùn ， hái wàng shī zūn zhǐ diǎn 。”
“你老人家想要隐藏修为，不愿暴露实力，这有什么难猜。”林轩心中如是想，嘴巴上当然不会傻傻的说出来，恭敬的道：“弟子愚钝，还望师尊指点。”
"What do you think?"
tōng yǔ zhēn rén fǔ xū ér xiào ， dà yǒu shēn yì de kàn le yī yǎn lín xuān ， zì jǐ zhè wèi dì zǐ rù mén yǐ èr shí yú zài ， suī rán biǎo miàn shàng ， zì jǐ duì tā fàng rèn zì liú ， bù guǎn bù wèn ， dàn àn dì lǐ ， qǐ huì bù guān zhù yī èr ， bié de bù tán ， lùn qǐ xīn jī ， lín xuān jué duì shì yī děng yī ， sī háo bù bǐ zì jǐ zhè xiē huó le shù bǎi nián de lǎo jiā huǒ xùn sè 。
通羽真人抚须而笑，大有深意的看了一眼林轩，自己这位弟子入门已二十余载，虽然表面上，自己对他放任自流，不管不问，但暗地里，岂会不关注一二，别的不谈，论起心机，林轩绝对是一等一，丝毫不比自己这些活了数百年的老家伙逊色。
"I don’t know," Lin Xuan replied honestly.
rú jīn què zài zì jǐ miàn qián zhuāng lǎo shí chún jié ， niàn jí zhì cǐ ， tā bù yóu de yǒu xiē wǎn ěr le 。
如今却在自己面前装老实纯洁，念及至此，他不由得有些莞尔了。
"Indeed, we have an Elder at the Immortal stage, and Uncle Xu has already reached the middle stage of the Immortal realm." Feather-Whisker’s expression showed respect as he spoke.
“ nà nǐ yòu zhī dào wèi shén me wèi shī yào shōu nǐ wèi tú ， bìng lì nǐ wèi líng yào shān shǎo zhǔ ？” tōng yǔ zhēn rén dàn dàn de shuō 。
“那你又知道为什么为师要收你为徒，并立你为灵药山少主？”通羽真人淡淡的说。
"Middle stage of the Immortal realm?" Lin Xuan was shocked. After entering the Immortal realm, cultivators’ power growth slowed dramatically compared to previous stages. The abilities between initial and middle stages were vastly different.
lín xuān biǎo miàn bù dòng shēng sè ， xīn zhōng què kuáng tiào le yī xià ， zì cóng zhī dào líng yào shān de yǐn cáng shí lì yǐ hòu ， zhè jiàn shì jiù yóu rú tā xīn zhōng dì yī gēn cì 。
林轩表面不动声色，心中却狂跳了一下，自从知道灵药山的隐藏实力以后，这件事就犹如他心中地一根刺。
The Three Great Factions combined had only four Elders at the Immortal stage with a thousand years of accumulated strength. All of them were in the middle stage.
yǐ líng yào shān de jiā yè ， míng lǐ àn lǐ de shí lì còu zài yì qǐ ， shèn zhì bù bì sān jù tóu xùn sè ， zhè yàng dì jù pài ， wèi hé yào lǐ zì jǐ zhè me yí gè míng bú jiàn jīng zhuàn de xiǎo rén wù dāng shǎo zhǔ ？
以灵药山的家业，名里暗里的实力凑在一起，甚至不必三巨头逊色，这样地巨派，为何要里自己这么一个名不见经传的小人物当少主？
Only Extreme Devil Sovereign was known as an old monster from before Lin Xuan’s time.
yào zhī dào nà shí hòu ， zì jǐ bù guò shì zhù jī chū qī de xiū zhēn zhě 。
要知道那时候，自己不过是筑基初期的修真者。
"Uncle Xu... no, Uncle Xu has reached the middle stage of the Immortal realm. Who is stronger between him and Extreme Devil Sovereign?" Lin Xuan asked, surprised by his own words.
nán dào shì yǒu suǒ tú móu ？
难道是有所图谋？
He immediately regretted it when he realized what he had said. Feather-Whisker was taken aback for a moment before showing an awkward expression. He coughed and was about to answer when a voice interrupted them.
kě lín xuān de sī liáng le bàn tiān ， yòu shí zài xiǎng bù chū zì jǐ shēn shàng yǒu shén me gòu líng yào shān tān tú 。
可林轩的思量了半天，又实在想不出自己身上有什么够灵药山贪图。
"Uncle Whisker, there’s nothing to be ashamed of here. Although my cultivation is the same as Extreme Devil Sovereign, that old monster is a ghost cultivator. Ghost sect cultivators find it hard to advance, but once they reach their stage, their power and abilities far exceed those at the same level. Moreover, his cultivation of The True Scripture of Dark Magic is incredibly mysterious. It’s said he has even cultivated a second soul recently. In combat, I’m likely not his match, so you should avoid it."
nà lán sè xīng hǎi gù rán shì nì tiān de bǎo wù ， néng gòu ràng zhěng gè xiū zhēn jiè wèi zhī fēng kuáng ， bù guò tā cún zài yú zì jǐ de shēn tǐ lǐ miàn ， jiù suàn shì yuán yīng qī lǎo guài ， yě bù kě néng yǒu sī háo de chá jué ， suǒ yǐ zhè yì diǎn ， kě yǐ xiān pái chú 。
那蓝色星海固然是逆天的宝物，能够让整个修真界为之疯狂，不过它存在于自己的身体里面，就算是元婴期老怪，也不可能有丝毫的察觉，所以这一点，可以先排除。
Feather-Whisker was shocked, showing an unusually respectful expression as he stood up and clasped his hands: "Uncle..."
rán ér chú cǐ yǐ wài ， lín xuān shí zài xiǎng bù chū lái 。
然而除此以外，林轩实在想不出来。
"Uncle?" Lin Xuan turned back in shock.
suī rán zì jǐ dāng chū yǐ èr shí zhī líng ， jiù zhù jī chéng gōng ， kě zhè yàng de tiān cái ， gè dà mén pài yě bìng bù huò quē ， tōng yǔ zhēn rén cǐ jǔ ， zhe shí ràng tā nòng bù qīng chǔ yòng yì 。
虽然自己当初以二十之龄，就筑基成功，可这样的天才，各大门派也并不或缺，通羽真人此举，着实让他弄不清楚用意。
Could this be...
shēn shēn xī le kǒu qì ， qí shí lái dào dòng fǔ wài miàn ， shī zūn bù yǐn cáng xiū wèi ， lín xuān jiù zhī dào tā yào xiǎng zì jǐ tān pái ， kě cháng jiǔ kùn rǎo zì jǐ de mì mì jiù yào jiē kāi 。 ràng tā hái shì rěn bú zhù hū xī jiā kuài 。
深深吸了口气，其实来到洞府外面，师尊不隐藏修为，林轩就知道他要想自己摊牌，可长久困扰自己的秘密就要揭开。让他还是忍不住呼吸加快。
Before seeing the person, a powerful aura made him shiver.
hǎo zài lín xuān yě fēi cháng rén ， hěn kuài jiù jiāng qíng xù wěn dìng le xià qù ， bào quán xíng le yī lǐ ：“ hái qǐng shī zūn zhǐ diǎn 。”
好在林轩也非常人，很快就将情绪稳定了下去，抱拳行了一礼：“还请师尊指点。”
PS: That’s all for today's update; this chapter is 3000 words long.
Lin Xuan had seen and experienced much, accustomed to concealing his emotions. The few things that could make him lose control were rare indeed. But the small creature before him was truly unexpected.
The Demon Tyrant Sovereign of Heaven, a prodigy in his own right, would naturally not keep ordinary items among his treasures. Moreover, the process of hatching this creature had been fraught with difficulties, which only solidified Lin Xuan's belief that it was no ordinary beast. Yet before him...
Looking at the small creature, about the size of a basketball, with short limbs and covered in white fur, Lin Xuan found it hard to associate any power or strength with such an odd-looking creature.
After pondering for a while, he still couldn't find any clues from ancient texts that he had read.
While its appearance was rather cute, one might say it resembled more of a pet than a beast.
Lin Xuan extended his finger and lightly flicked the small creature. It tumbled several times but didn’t seem angry; instead, it hopped onto his shoulder, showing great affection.
This was due to Lin Xuan already having claimed this creature as his master when it was still an egg by dripping blood into it.
Carefully examining the creature for a while, he placed it in a spirit beast bag and stored it away. Although it seemed strange, Lin Xuan wasn't disappointed; after all, one couldn’t judge a beast's strength merely from its appearance.
Sharp teeth and claws didn't necessarily mean power, and some seemingly harmless beasts might possess immense abilities. Moreover, the creature had just hatched, so not feeling any spiritual energy was normal. He decided to study it more in his own time.
With the cave entrance closed, Lin Xuan’s surroundings were bathed in a soft glow. He took a step into the cave.
"Master!"
Holding an epistolary jade scroll, Master Feather-Whisker was engrossed in studying something. Smiling kindly upon seeing Lin Xuan, he invited him to sit down.
They sized each other up for a moment before Feather-Whisker spoke first: "Cough, cough." He tapped his hand lightly on the stone table. "Xuan'er, how many years have you been with us now?"
"Master, it's exactly twenty-three years."
"Hmm, twenty-three years. That’s quite some time in secular terms, but for a cultivator, it’s just a fleeting moment," Feather-Whisker chuckled. "Do you remember when you first joined? You were only at the initial stage of foundation consolidation. Now, you’ve already achieved great success."
"Everything is due to Master's guidance." Lin Xuan bowed respectfully.
"You don’t need to flatter me. To be honest, I’m not a very good teacher. Though you are my disciple, I have never given you any advice or guidance in your cultivation path. Do you know why?"
"It’s because Master wants to keep his true strength hidden and avoid revealing his power," Lin Xuan thought but didn’t say it out loud.
"Then why did I choose you as a disciple and make you the young master of Spirit Medicine Mountain?" Feather-Whisker asked calmly.
Lin Xuan remained silent, his heart racing. Knowing about the mountain’s true strength had been like a thorn in his side since he learned it. Why would such a powerful sect entrust its future to an unknown figure?
Back then, he was only at the initial stage of foundation consolidation. Could there be some ulterior motive behind this?
Although he had succeeded in foundation consolidation by age twenty, such prodigies were not uncommon among major sects. Feather-Whisker's actions left him puzzled.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Xuan knew his master wasn’t hiding anything. He quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully: "Please enlighten me."
"Before I answer your question, let’s talk about something else first," Feather-Whisker said. "How much do you know about our mountain's secrets?"
Lin Xuan hesitated before answering, "Disciple knows more than what is commonly rumored outside."
He then revealed all the rumors he had heard about Spirit Medicine Mountain and its ancestor, Immortal Dust.
Feather-Whisker seemed pleased with Lin Xuan’s straightforward answer. "You’ve learned a lot, which isn’t easy," he said, stroking his beard.
"Master..." Lin Xuan hesitated again.
"What do you want to know? Just ask!" Feather-Whisker looked like a kind teacher now.
"The strength of our sect is not inferior to the Three Great Factions. I already knew this, but outside, it’s rumored that we have an Elder in the Immortal stage who is meditating. Is this true?" Lin Xuan was curious about this. For a single sect, having an Immortal would be unimaginable for strength enhancement. The Azure Cloud Mountain, as the top of the Three Great Factions, had two Elders at the Immortal stage. Foundation consolidation and core formation cultivators were not much stronger than those from Frontline Canyon or Thundercloud Manor.
The Demon Sect’s current arrogance was due to the appearance of a thousand-year-old demon, Extreme Devil Sovereign. If this rumor about having an Immortal Elder turned out false, Spirit Medicine Mountain would fare no better than Tianmu Mountain.
Lin Xuan hoped to rely on such strength for support. Since Feather-Whisker had shown no ill intent towards him, the stronger the mountain’s power, the better.
"What do you think?"
"I don’t know," Lin Xuan replied honestly.
"Indeed, we have an Elder at the Immortal stage, and Uncle Xu has already reached the middle stage of the Immortal realm." Feather-Whisker’s expression showed respect as he spoke.
"Middle stage of the Immortal realm?" Lin Xuan was shocked. After entering the Immortal realm, cultivators’ power growth slowed dramatically compared to previous stages. The abilities between initial and middle stages were vastly different.
The Three Great Factions combined had only four Elders at the Immortal stage with a thousand years of accumulated strength. All of them were in the middle stage.
Only Extreme Devil Sovereign was known as an old monster from before Lin Xuan’s time.
"Uncle Xu... no, Uncle Xu has reached the middle stage of the Immortal realm. Who is stronger between him and Extreme Devil Sovereign?" Lin Xuan asked, surprised by his own words.
He immediately regretted it when he realized what he had said. Feather-Whisker was taken aback for a moment before showing an awkward expression. He coughed and was about to answer when a voice interrupted them.
"Uncle Whisker, there’s nothing to be ashamed of here. Although my cultivation is the same as Extreme Devil Sovereign, that old monster is a ghost cultivator. Ghost sect cultivators find it hard to advance, but once they reach their stage, their power and abilities far exceed those at the same level. Moreover, his cultivation of The True Scripture of Dark Magic is incredibly mysterious. It’s said he has even cultivated a second soul recently. In combat, I’m likely not his match, so you should avoid it."
Feather-Whisker was shocked, showing an unusually respectful expression as he stood up and clasped his hands: "Uncle..."
"Uncle?" Lin Xuan turned back in shock.
Could this be...
Before seeing the person, a powerful aura made him shiver.
PS: That’s all for today's update; this chapter is 3000 words long.