nà gǔ shén shí zài lín xuān shēn shàng zhuǎn le yī quān ， jiù shōu le huí lái ， bìng méi yǒu sī háo dí yì ， kě lín xuān què gǎn jué é tóu shàng mǎn shì jīng yíng de hàn dī 。
那股神识在林轩身上转了一圈，就收了回来，并没有丝毫敌意，可林轩却感觉额头上满是晶莹的汗滴。
That spiritual awareness circled Lin Xuan and then retreated, showing no hostility. However, Lin Xuan felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead.
xīn zhōng hài rán bù yǐ ， shuō qǐ lái ， zì jǐ rú jīn yě suàn gāo jiē xiū zhēn zhě ， kě yǔ yuán yīng qī lǎo guài xiàng bǐ ， yī rán yǒu zhe yáo bù kě jí de chā jù ， jǐn jǐn shén shí ， jiù yǐ jīng rú cǐ ， rú guǒ chū shǒu ， nà jiāng shì zěn yàng de jīng tiān dòng dì ……
心中骇然不已，说起来，自己如今也算高阶修真者，可与元婴期老怪相比，依然有着遥不可及的差距，仅仅神识，就已经如此，如果出手，那将是怎样的惊天动地……
He was greatly startled in his heart. Speaking of it, he had now reached the high cultivator stage, but compared to an old monster at the Core Formation stage, there was still a vast gap between them. Just with that spiritual awareness alone, how much more so if they were to engage in combat...
xīn zhōng zhuǎn guò zhū bān niàn tou ， jiàn shī zūn zhàn qǐ ， lín xuān zì rán bù gǎn dà yáo dà bǎi de jì xù zuò zhe ， tóng yàng shù shǒu ér lì ， liǎn shàng lüè lù gōng jìng zhī yì 。
心中转过诸般念头，见师尊站起，林轩自然不敢大摇大摆的继续坐着，同样束手而立，脸上略露恭敬之意。
With myriad thoughts swirling through his mind, Lin Xuan saw Master took a seat and naturally did not dare sit casually; he stood respectfully, showing some signs of respect on his face.
yí gè qīng páo lǎo zhě zǒu jìn le dòng fǔ ， cóng róng mào shàng kàn ， bìng méi yǒu sī háo tè yì zhī chù ， wéi yī gěi rén yìn xiàng shēn kè de shì cǐ rén jǐn yǒu yī zhī dú mù ， qiě shēn cái gāo dà ， zú yǒu liǎng mǐ 。
一个青袍老者走进了洞府，从容貌上看，并没有丝毫特异之处，唯一给人印象深刻的是此人仅有一只独目，且身材高大，足有两米。
A middle-aged man in green robes entered the cave. From his appearance, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about him, but what left a deep impression was that he had only one eye and was over two meters tall.
“ shī shū ！”
“师叔！”
"Uncle Senior!"
“ bù yòng jū lǐ ， zuò ！”
“不用拘礼，坐！”
"Do not be so formal, sit down!"
lǎo zhě dǎo shì xiǎn de hěn píng yì jìn rén ， suí jí tā de mù guāng zài lín xuān liǎn shàng le zhuǎn yī quān ：“ nǐ jiù shì tōng yǔ shī zhí xīn shōu de nà míng dì zǐ ？”
老者倒是显得很平易近人，随即他的目光在林轩脸上了转一圈：“你就是通羽师侄新收的那名弟子？”
The old man seemed quite approachable. His gaze swept across Lin Xuan's face: "You are the disciple newly received by Junior Master Tongyu?"
“ wǎn bèi lín xuān ， bài jiàn shī zǔ 。”
“晚辈林轩，拜见师祖。”
"I am Lin Xuan, paying respects to my Great Ancestor."
“ ń ， bù cuò ！” lǎo zhě diǎn le diǎn tóu ：“ nǐ de shì qíng ， wǒ dōu tīng tōng yǔ shī zhí shuō le ， yǐ qū qū sì shí yú suì de nián líng ， jiù bù rù le níng dān qī ， què shí shì liáng cái měi zhì ， lǎo fū nián qīng zhī shí ， yě yuǎn yuǎn bù jí 。”
“嗯，不错！”老者点了点头：“你的事情，我都听通羽师侄说了，以区区四十余岁的年龄，就步入了凝丹期，确实是良才美质，老夫年轻之时，也远远不及。”
"Hmm, good!" The old man nodded. "Junior Master Tongyu told me about your situation. At such a young age of over forty years, you have entered the Condensation Core stage; indeed, you are a fine talent and a beautiful quality. In my youth, I was far from this."
“ shī zǔ miù zàn le ， tú sūn bù guò shì jiǎo xìng ér yǐ 。” lín xuān xià le yī tiào ， lián máng xiǎo xīn de huí dá dào ， suī rán kě néng xìng hěn xiǎo ， dàn tā yě shēng pà lán sè xīng hǎi de mì mì bào guāng ， dī diào ， dī diào 。
“师祖谬赞了，徒孙不过是侥幸而已。”林轩吓了一跳，连忙小心的回答到，虽然可能性很小，但他也生怕蓝色星海的秘密曝光，低调，低调。
"Great Ancestor flatters me," Lin Xuan replied hastily, though he knew that revealing the secret of the Blue Star Sea could be dangerous, so he remained cautious.
“ hǎo le ， nǐ yě bù yòng biǎo xiàn dé rú cǐ jū shù ， lǎo fū suī rán jìn jiē le yuán yīng qī ， dàn yě bú shì chī rén de guài wù 。” dú mù lǎo zhě fǔ xū ér xiào ， yán yǔ zhī jiān ， jū rán lù chū yī sī yōu mò zhī yì ：“ jì rán nǐ shì běn mén de shǎo zhǔ ， nà lǎo fū de míng huì dāng gāi xiǎo de ， wǒ xìng xú ， shuāng míng jǐn qīng ， ń ， tōng yǔ shī zhí 。 nǐ kě jiāng lǎo fū de qíng kuàng ， xiàng lín xuān jiè shào yī èr 。”
“好了，你也不用表现得如此拘束，老夫虽然进阶了元婴期，但也不是吃人的怪物。”独目老者抚须而笑，言语之间，居然露出一丝幽默之意：“既然你是本门的少主，那老夫的名讳当该晓得，我姓徐，双名锦青，嗯，通羽师侄。你可将老夫的情况，像林轩介绍一二。”
"All right, you do not need to act so formal. Although I have advanced to the Core Formation stage, I am no monster who eats people." The old man coughed lightly and continued: "Let me tell you."
“ shì 。 shī shū 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén xíng le yī lǐ 。 suí jí zhuǎn guò tóu 。 kāi shǐ xiàng lín xuān wěi wěi xù shù ……
“是。师叔。”通羽真人行了一礼。随即转过头。开始像林轩娓娓叙述……
"Great Ancestor, I listen with rapt attention," Lin Xuan bent his body slightly.
zhè wèi xú zhǎng lǎo jīn nián yǐ jīng qī bǎi suì le 。 nǎi shì líng yào shān jì tiān chén zhēn rén hòu dì èr wèi jìn jiē dào yuán yīng qī dì gāo shǒu 。 suī rán bǐ qǐ zǔ shī yé yào shāo xùn yī chóu 。 dàn tóng yàng yě shì jīng cái jué yàn dì rén wù 。
这位徐长老今年已经七百岁了。乃是灵药山继天尘真人后第二位进阶到元婴期地高手。虽然比起祖师爷要稍逊一筹。但同样也是惊才绝艳地人物。
"Lin Xuan, what do you think is most important for a cultivator to advance further on the path of immortality?"
lín xuān zì rán shì mǎn liǎn gōng jìng dì tīng zhe 。 xīn zhōng yě suàn fàng xià le yī kuài dà shí 。 líng yào shān yǒu rú cǐ shēn hòu dì shí lì 。 xiǎng bì yōu zhōu jiù suàn shì zhèng mó dà zhàn yě bú huì bèi yāng jí 。 zhì shǎo 。 zì bǎo kěn dìng shì méi yǒu wèn tí 。
林轩自然是满脸恭敬地听着。心中也算放下了一块大石。灵药山有如此深厚地实力。想必幽州就算是正魔大战也不会被殃及。至少。自保肯定是没有问题。
"This...?" Lin Xuan was taken aback. The old man had said he would answer his question, but now he seemed to have changed the subject. Although he felt a bit annoyed inside, he knew that as an old monster at the Core Formation stage, such questions must be meaningful. He thought deeply.
“ hǎo le 。 lín xuān 。 rú jīn lǎo fū dì dǐ xì nǐ yǐ jīng lüè zhī yī èr 。 xiǎng bì gāng cái tōng yǔ shī zhí yě zhǎo nǐ tán guò huà le 。 nǐ kě zhī tā wèi hé yào shōu nǐ wèi tú 。 bìng lì nǐ wèi líng yào shān shǎo zhǔ ？” xú jǐn qīng tū rán dàn dàn dì kāi kǒu le 。
“好了。林轩。如今老夫地底细你已经略知一二。想必刚才通羽师侄也找你谈过话了。你可知他为何要收你为徒。并立你为灵药山少主？”徐锦青突然淡淡地开口了。
There were many factors affecting one's cultivation realm, but strictly speaking, there were three key elements: talent, effort, and medicinal pills...
“ tú sūn bù zhī 。 shī zūn hái méi yǒu xiàng wǎn bèi jiě dá zhè ge wèn tí 。”
“徒孙不知。师尊还没有像晚辈解答这个问题。”
Talent was obvious; with superior Spirit Root, one could achieve great results in a short time. This explained why there were geniuses and ordinary people in the world.
“ ó ？” xú jǐn qīng dì liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī chà yì 。 suí jí qīng ké yī shēng 。 dào ：“ hǎo ba 。 nà jiù ràng lǎo fū lái gào sù nǐ 。”
“哦？”徐锦青地脸上露出一丝诧异。随即轻咳一声。道：“好吧。那就让老夫来告诉你。”
Medicinal pills were indispensable for every cultivator. Their effects could be seen from Lin Xuan's case.
“ wǎn bèi xǐ ěr gōng tīng 。” lín xuān wēi wēi wān xià le shēn zi 。
“晚辈洗耳恭听。”林轩微微弯下了身子。
As for effort, relying solely on hard work was insufficient. Yet it could not be lacking either; otherwise, even if one was a genius or had enough medicinal pills, without practicing and sitting in meditation, the end result would still be an ordinary person.
“ lín xuān ， nǐ kě zhī yí gè xiū zhēn zhě xiǎng yào zài xiān dào shàng zǒu dé gèng yuǎn ， shén me zuì zhòng yào ？”
“林轩，你可知一个修真者想要在仙道上走得更远，什么最重要？”
"Talent and effort are most important," Lin Xuan thought for a moment before answering. Medicinal pills were theoretical; in the cultivation world, apart from him having the Blue Star Sea, no one else could treat medicinal herbs as candy, like Tian Xiaojian did.
“ zhè ……” lín xuān yí zhèng ， xú jǐn qīng míng míng shuō yào jiě dá zì jǐ de wèn tí ， zěn me tū rán yòu chà kāi le huà tí ， suī rán xīn zhōng lüè lüè yǒu xiē bù mǎn 。 dàn yě zhī dào ， duì fāng shēn wèi yuán yīng qī lǎo guài ， jué bú huì méi shì zhǎo zì jǐ liáo tiān ， suǒ shuō de huà kěn dìng yì yǒu suǒ zhǐ ， yú shì yòng xīn sī suǒ le qǐ lái 。
“这……”林轩一怔，徐锦青明明说要解答自己的问题，怎么突然又岔开了话题，虽然心中略略有些不满。但也知道，对方身为元婴期老怪，绝不会没事找自己聊天，所说的话肯定意有所指，于是用心思索了起来。
"Correct. Then what kind of talent is best?" The old man smiled and stroked his beard.
yǐng xiǎng xiū zhēn jìng jiè de yīn shù hái pǒ duō ， dàn yán gé shuō lái ， yǒu sān xiàng shì zhòng diǎn ， zī zhì ， nǔ lì 。 yǐ jí dān yào ……
影响修真境界的因数还颇多，但严格说来，有三项是重点，资质，努力。以及丹药……
Lin Xuan's brows knitted slightly, feeling a bit annoyed by this question. However, he still respectfully replied: "It should be the Holy Spirit Root."
zī zhì bú yòng shuō ， líng gēn yōu yì ， xiū liàn qǐ lái zì rán shì bàn gōng bèi ， yī rì qiān lǐ ， zhè yě jiù shì wèi shén me shì jiān huì yǒu tiān cái yǔ fán rén de qū bié 。
资质不用说，灵根优异，修炼起来自然事半功倍，一日千里，这也就是为什么世间会有天才与凡人的区别。
The term 'Holy Spirit Root' was a cultivation world jargon; it referred to what was considered the best type of Spirit Root known. Not only did cultivators with such roots achieve far greater results in their practice compared to those with other types of Spirit Roots, but they also faced fewer difficulties when encountering bottlenecks.
dān yào ， měi yí gè xiū liàn zhě dōu bì bù kě shǎo ， zhì yú dì gōng xiào ， kàn kàn lín xuān de qíng xíng jiù zhī dào 。
丹药，每一个修炼者都必不可少，至于地功效，看看林轩的情形就知道。
Throughout history, over 90% of old monsters who advanced to the Core Formation stage were Holy Spirit Root holders!
zhì yú nǔ lì ， dān dān yǐ kào xīn qín de hàn shuǐ gù rán bù xíng 。 dàn piān piān yòu bù néng huò quē 。 fǒu zé guǎn nǐ shì tiān cái yě hǎo ， hái shì yǒu zú gòu de dān yào 。 bù liàn qì dǎ zuò ， xīn kǔ de fù chū ， dào tóu lái yě zhǐ néng shì yōng lù de sú rén yí gè 。
至于努力，单单倚靠辛勤的汗水固然不行。但偏偏又不能或缺。否则管你是天才也好，还是有足够的丹药。不练气打坐，辛苦的付出，到头来也只能是庸碌的俗人一个。
Of course, this did not mean that having a Holy Spirit Root guaranteed one's ability to condense an immortal core. But if someone was not too lazy and had some good fortune, condensing their essence into a core would still be possible.
“ zī zhì yǔ nǔ lì zuì zhòng yào 。” lín xuān xiǎng le yī xiǎng ， kāi kǒu huí dá ， dān yào bì jìng shì lǐ lùn shàng ， fàng yǎn xiū zhēn jiè ， chú le zì jǐ yōng yǒu lán sè xīng hǎi zhè zhǒng nì tiān de dōng xī ， qí tā rén ， jiù suàn shì tián xiǎo jiàn nà yàng de shēn fèn ， yě jué bù kě néng jiāng líng yào dāng táng wán 。
“资质与努力最重要。”林轩想了一想，开口回答，丹药毕竟是理论上，放眼修真界，除了自己拥有蓝色星海这种逆天的东西，其他人，就算是田小剑那样的身份，也绝不可能将灵药当糖丸。
However, this time, the old man shook his head: "Wrong; the best talent is not the Holy Spirit Root."
“ bù cuò ， nà nǐ yòu zhī dào nà zhǒng zī zhì zuì hǎo ？” xú jǐn qīng fǔ xū ér xiào 。
“不错，那你又知道那种资质最好？”徐锦青抚须而笑。
"What? Not the Holy Spirit Root?" Lin Xuan was taken aback. This was completely different from what he had learned before.
lín xuān méi tóu yī tiāo ， xīn zhōng lüè lüè gǎn dào yǒu xiē yàn fán ， zhè wèi yuán yīng qī lǎo guài de wèn tí wèi miǎn yě tài duō le yì diǎn ， bù guò biǎo miàn shàng ， tā yī rán gōng jìng dì kāi kǒu ：“ shì shèng líng gēn 。”
林轩眉头一挑，心中略略感到有些厌烦，这位元婴期老怪的问题未免也太多了一点，不过表面上，他依然恭敬地开口：“是圣灵根。”
"Correct," the Senior Master Tongyu interjected. "The best talent should be the Bitter Spirit Root."
suǒ wèi shèng líng gēn ， nǎi shì xiū xiān jiè de yī zhǒng jiào fǎ ， zhè zhǒng líng gēn ， bèi rèn wéi shì yǐ zhī de zuì yōu yì dì yī zhǒng ， bù jǐn xiū liàn sù dù yuǎn yuǎn chāo guò yōng yǒu qí tā líng gēn de xiū zhēn zhě ， ér qiě yù dào píng jǐng xiǎng yào tū pò de kùn nán yě yào xiǎo dé duō 。
所谓圣灵根，乃是修仙界的一种叫法，这种灵根，被认为是已知的最优异地一种，不仅修炼速度远远超过拥有其他灵根的修真者，而且遇到瓶颈想要突破的困难也要小得多。
Lin Xuan frowned, having never heard of such a thing before.
gǔ wǎng jīn lái ， shí zhī ** néng gòu jìn jiē dào yuán yīng qī de lǎo guài dōu shì shèng líng gēn de yōng yǒu zhě ！
古往今来，十之**能够进阶到元婴期的老怪都是圣灵根的拥有者！
"The term 'Bitter Spirit Root' is self-explanatory; on the surface, those who possess it appear to be ordinary people with extremely slow practice speeds. But if their minds are firm and they can endure ten times more suffering than ordinary people, this Bitter Spirit Root will activate, making their practice speed far surpass that of Holy Spirit Root holders," explained the old man.
dāng rán ， zhè bìng fēi shì jiǎng yōng yǒu shèng líng gēn jiù néng shùn lì níng jié yuán yīng ， dàn zhì shǎo ， zhǐ yào nà rén bú shì tài lǎn ， bìng qiě yǒu yí dìng jī yuán de huà ， níng dān hái shì méi yǒu wèn tí de 。
当然，这并非是讲拥有圣灵根就能顺利凝结元婴，但至少，只要那人不是太懒，并且有一定机缘的话，凝丹还是没有问题的。
Lin Xuan's heart suddenly had a vague thought: Could it be...
rán ér zhè yī cì ， xú jǐn qīng què yáo le yáo tóu ：“ cuò le ， zuì hǎo de zī zhì bìng fēi shèng líng gēn 。”
然而这一次，徐锦青却摇了摇头：“错了，最好的资质并非圣灵根。”
"Correct; I took you as my disciple because you are also a Bitter Spirit Root holder," Senior Master Tongyu said. "When I first met you, you were only in your twenties and already successfully formed a foundation. I secretly observed the situation inside your body using secret methods and found that you did not have any Spirit Root at all—how is this possible..."
“ shén me ， bú shì shèng líng gēn ？” lín xuān yí zhèng ， zhè yǔ zì jǐ yǐ qián suǒ liǎo jiě de zī liào kě shì wán quán bù tóng 。
“什么，不是圣灵根？”林轩一怔，这与自己以前所了解的资料可是完全不同。
"So you guessed..."
“ bù cuò ， yīng gāi shì kǔ líng gēn cái duì 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén yě zài yī páng jiē
“不错，应该是苦灵根才对。”通羽真人也在一旁接
"Indeed; someone who can form a foundation at such a young age must either be a Holy Spirit Root holder or a Bitter Spirit Root holder, which is easy to determine," the Senior Master Tongyu took a sip of clear tea.
“ kǔ líng gēn ？” lín xuān rěn bú zhù zhòu le zhòu zì jǐ dì méi tóu ， wán quán méi yǒu tīng shuō guò 。
“苦灵根？”林轩忍不住皱了皱自己地眉头，完全没有听说过。
Lin Xuan pondered these words in his heart. On paper, it made sense: if Bitter Spirit Roots were better than Holy Spirit Roots, discovering such a genius naturally meant trying every means possible to bring him into their sect. But why did they not just make him the junior sect leader?
“ suǒ wèi kǔ líng gēn ， gù míng sī yì ， cóng biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， yōng yǒu de rén jiù xiàng shì pǔ tōng de fán rén yì bān ， xiū liàn de sù dù màn dé kě lián ， dàn jiǎ ruò cǐ rén xīn zhì jiān dìng ， néng gòu chī xià cháng rén suǒ bù néng chī xià de bǎi bèi de kǔ tóu ， jiù huì jī fā kǔ líng gēn ， nà me tā xiū liàn de sù dù shèn zhì hái yuǎn yuǎn zài shèng líng gēn zhī shàng 。” xú jǐn qīng kāi kǒu dàn dàn de jiě shuō 。
“所谓苦灵根，顾名思义，从表面上看，拥有的人就像是普通的凡人一般，修炼的速度慢得可怜，但假若此人心智坚定，能够吃下常人所不能吃下的百倍的苦头，就会激发苦灵根，那么他修炼的速度甚至还远远在圣灵根之上。”徐锦青开口淡淡的解说。
At the same time, Lin Xuan inwardly laughed bitterly; even though his master was shrewd and cunning, he had no idea that he actually had no Bitter Spirit Root at all—just an ordinary person. His current cultivation achievements were entirely due to the Blue Star Sea.
lín xuān tīng le ， xīn zhōng què yǐn yǐn shǎn guò yī sī niàn tou ， nán dào ……
林轩听了，心中却隐隐闪过一丝念头，难道……
Seeing Lin Xuan's confusion, Senior Master Tongyu smiled: "Xuan'er, I have my reasons for doing this. Do you know that our sect's founder, Tiantian Immortal, was also a Bitter Spirit Root holder?"
“ bù cuò ， wèi shī zhī suǒ yǐ huì shōu nǐ wèi tú ， jiù shì yīn wèi nǐ yě shì kǔ líng gēn de yōng yǒu zhě 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén yě kāi kǒu le ：“ dāng nián wèi shī chū jiàn nǐ ， nǐ bù guò èr shí yú suì nián jì ， què yǐ jīng zhù jī chéng gōng ， wǒ àn àn yòng mì fǎ guān chá le yī xià nǐ tǐ nèi dì qíng jǐng ， què fā xiàn nǐ gēn běn jiù méi yǒu líng gēn ， zhè zěn me kě néng ……”
“不错，为师之所以会收你为徒，就是因为你也是苦灵根的拥有者。”通羽真人也开口了：“当年为师初见你，你不过二十余岁年纪，却已经筑基成功，我暗暗用秘法观察了一下你体内地情景，却发现你根本就没有灵根，这怎么可能……”
"Oh?" Lin Xuan was taken aback but made no other expression.
“ suǒ yǐ nín cāi cè ……”
“所以您猜测……”
"Although Holy Spirit Roots are rare, one appears every hundred years or so. But talented individuals with Bitter Spirit Roots are hard to come by even after a thousand years; however, once such people emerge, they often become great talents who accomplish earth-shattering feats, and their sect usually benefits from it as well," the old man said with a smile.
“ ń ， èr shí yú suì néng gòu zhù jī chéng gōng ， chú le shèng líng gēn ， jiù zhǐ yǒu kǔ líng gēn le ， zhè méi shén me nán yǐ pàn duàn de 。” tōng yǔ zhēn rén hē le yī kǒu qīng chá 。
“嗯，二十余岁能够筑基成功，除了圣灵根，就只有苦灵根了，这没什么难以判断的。”通羽真人喝了一口清茶。
"Ah, I see." Lin Xuan nodded. This explanation was somewhat reasonable. He clasped his hands in respect: "Great Ancestor, rest assured; I will not disappoint you or my Great Ancestor."
lín xuān zé zài xīn zhōng àn zì jǔ jué zhe zhè duàn huà ， cóng dào lǐ shàng lái shuō ， méi shén me hào qí guài ， kǔ líng gēn jì rán bǐ shèng líng gēn hái yōu yì ， nà me fā xiàn le zhè yàng de tiān cái ， zì rán yào xiǎng jǐn bàn fǎ jiāng tā shōu guī mén xià ， kě jiù suàn rú cǐ ， yě gēn běn bù yòng lì zì jǐ dāng shén me shǎo zhǎng mén a ！
林轩则在心中暗自咀嚼着这段话，从道理上来说，没什么好奇怪，苦灵根既然比圣灵根还优异，那么发现了这样的天才，自然要想尽办法将他收归门下，可就算如此，也根本不用立自己当什么少掌门啊！
"Hmm." Both their faces showed satisfaction.
tóng shí ， lín xuān yòu zài xīn zhōng kǔ xiào bù zhǐ ， ráo shì shī zūn lǎo jiān jù huá ， yòu nǎ lǐ zhī dào zì jǐ gēn běn jiù méi yǒu shén me kǔ líng gēn ， zhēn zhēn zhèng zhèng de yī jiè fán rén ， zhī suǒ yǐ néng yǒu rú jīn de xiū wèi ， quán dōu shì yīn wèi lán sè xīng hǎi 。
同时，林轩又在心中苦笑不止，饶是师尊老奸巨猾，又哪里知道自己根本就没有什么苦灵根，真真正正的一介凡人，之所以能有如今的修为，全都是因为蓝色星海。
The old man pondered for a moment: "Xuan'er, do you have your own innate treasure?"
sì hū kàn chū le lín xuān xīn zhōng de yí huò ， tōng yǔ zhēn rén wēi xiào zhe kāi kǒu le ：“ xuān ér ， wèi shī zhè yàng zuò zì yǒu yòng yì ， nǐ kě zhī dào ， wǒ men líng yào shān de kāi shān zǔ shī ， tiān chén zhēn rén tóng yàng shì kǔ líng gēn de yōng yǒu zhě 。”
似乎看出了林轩心中的疑惑，通羽真人微笑着开口了：“轩儿，为师这样做自有用意，你可知道，我们灵药山的开山祖师，天尘真人同样是苦灵根的拥有者。”
"I return to the Great Ancestor, I have only recently condensed essence and have none," Lin Xuan replied honestly, his heart filled with hope.
“ ó ？” lín xuān sǒng rán dòng róng ， dàn què yī rán méi yǒu shén me biǎo shì 。
“哦？”林轩耸然动容，但却依然没有什么表示。
"Hmm. A jade is not polished into a fine piece of art; this innate treasure is the most important thing for high cultivators. You need to consider it carefully yourself. Neither your master nor I can help you, but after hundreds of years, I have collected some ancient treasures by chance and will give one to you as protection."
“ shèng líng gēn suī rán xī yǒu ， dàn měi bǎi nián zǒng hái néng chū xiàn nà me yí gè ， ér yōng yǒu kǔ líng gēn de tiān cái ， jí shǐ shì děng shàng qiān nián ， yě wǎng wǎng nán yǐ yī jiàn ， bù guò zhè yàng dì rén yí dàn chū shì ， zǒng néng chéng wéi yí dài rén jié ， zuò xià jīng tiān dòng dì dì dà shì ， ér tā suǒ zài de mén pài ， tōng cháng yě néng gēn zhe zhān guāng bù shǎo 。” xú jǐn qīng miàn lù xiào róng dì dào 。
“圣灵根虽然稀有，但每百年总还能出现那么一个，而拥有苦灵根的天才，即使是等上千年，也往往难以一见，不过这样地人一旦出世，总能成为一代人杰，做下惊天动地地大事，而他所在的门派，通常也能跟着沾光不少。”徐锦青面露笑容地道。
"Thank you, Great Ancestor!" Lin Xuan was overjoyed, deeply bowing. The gifts from a Core Formation stage old monster could not be bad; he did not mention that he already had an ancient treasure for protection.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。” lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， zhè ge lǐ yóu dǎo shì miǎn qiǎng shuō dé tōng ， bào quán dào ：“ shī zūn fàng xīn ， wǎn bèi yí dìng bú huì gū fù nǐ hé shī zǔ liǎng wèi lǎo rén jiā de xī wàng 。”
“原来如此。”林轩点了点头，这个理由倒是勉强说得通，抱拳道：“师尊放心，晚辈一定不会辜负你和师祖两位老人家的希望。”
The old man reached into his robe and took out an jade box, then gently opened it.
“ ń 。” liǎng rén liǎn shàng jiē lù chū mǎn yì zhī sè 。
“嗯。”两人脸上皆露出满意之色。
Lin Xuan looked closely and saw a bright green needle with intricate embroidery. Unlike ordinary treasures, there was no obvious fluctuation of spiritual energy on its surface.
xú jǐn qīng chén yín le yī xià ：“ xuān ér ， nǐ rú jīn kě yǒu liàn zhì zì jǐ de běn mìng fǎ bǎo ？”
徐锦青沉吟了一下：“轩儿，你如今可有炼制自己的本命法宝？”
Lin Xuan was taken aback but soon wore a thoughtful expression.
“ huí shī zǔ ， tú sūn níng dān wèi jiǔ ， hái méi yǒu 。” lín xuān lǎo shí de dào ， tóng shí xīn zhōng yě shēng qǐ yī lǚ xī wàng 。
“回师祖，徒孙凝丹未久，还没有。”林轩老实的道，同时心中也升起一缕希望。
"This treasure is called the Green Scales Needle; it is made from Celestial Cold Jade. It not only has unparalleled hardness but also naturally possesses an ice attribute attack and contains strange poison. Once this poison enters the body, even a Condensation Core cultivator will find it difficult to recover. This was one of my treasures I obtained long ago, which I no longer need; however, your current realm should be just right," the old man said while holding the Green Scales Needle.
“ ń ， yù bù zuó bù chéng qì ， zhè běn mìng fǎ bǎo nǎi shì wǒ men gāo jiē xiū shì zuì zhòng yào de dōng xī ， xū yào nǐ zì jǐ hǎo hǎo kǎo lǜ ， wǒ hé nǐ shī zūn yě bù néng bāng nǐ ， bù guò lǎo fū xū dù le jǐ bǎi suì de guāng yīn ， dào yě jī yuán qiǎo hé zhī xià ， shōu jí le yī xiē gǔ bǎo ， jiù zèng yǔ nǐ yī yàng zuò wèi fáng shēn zhī yòng ba ！”
“嗯，玉不琢不成器，这本命法宝乃是我们高阶修士最重要的东西，需要你自己好好考虑，我和你师尊也不能帮你，不过老夫虚度了几百岁的光阴，倒也机缘巧合之下，收集了一些古宝，就赠予你一样做为防身之用吧！”
"Thank you, Great Ancestor!" Lin Xuan's face showed obvious excitement. Flying needles were rare in the cultivation world, and each one usually had significant power. The poison contained in this Green Scales Needle must be a major feature.
“ xiè xiè shī zǔ ！” lín xuān dà xǐ ， shēn shēn shī xià lǐ qù ， yuán yīng qī lǎo guài suǒ sòng de dōng xī ， hái néng gòu chà dào nǎ lǐ ， zhì yú zì jǐ yǐ jīng yǒu yī jiàn gǔ bǎo fáng shēn zhī shì ， dāng rán shì zhī zì bù tí 。
“谢谢师祖！”林轩大喜，深深施下礼去，元婴期老怪所送的东西，还能够差到哪里，至于自己已经有一件古宝防身之事，当然是只字不提。
While ordinary poisons did not pose much threat to cultivators after undergoing the Elixir of Life Washing, there was always some rare poison that even high cultivators would fear. Celestial Cold Jade was one such example; it existed in ten-thousand-year-old glaciers and naturally possessed extreme yin-cold toxicity.
xú jǐn qīng shēn shǒu rù huái ， jiāng yī yù hé qǔ le chū lái ， rán hòu qīng qīng jiāng qí dǎ kāi 。
徐锦青伸手入怀，将一玉盒取了出来，然后轻轻将其打开。
He happily put it away.
lín xuān dìng jīng yī kàn ， què shì yī gēn bì lǜ jīng yíng de xiù huā zhēn ， rán ér yǔ pǔ tōng de bǎo wù bù tóng ， shàng miàn jū rán méi yǒu shén me míng xiǎn de líng qì bō dòng 。
林轩定睛一看，却是一根碧绿晶莹的绣花针，然而与普通的宝物不同，上面居然没有什么明显的灵气波动。
Senior Master Tongyu smiled: "Xuan'er, I have been a name without substance until now, so when you achieved your Golden Core, I did not send any congratulatory gifts. Now, I will make up for that." Saying this, he also reached into his robe.
That spiritual awareness circled Lin Xuan and then retreated, showing no hostility. However, Lin Xuan felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead.
He was greatly startled in his heart. Speaking of it, he had now reached the high cultivator stage, but compared to an old monster at the Core Formation stage, there was still a vast gap between them. Just with that spiritual awareness alone, how much more so if they were to engage in combat...
With myriad thoughts swirling through his mind, Lin Xuan saw Master took a seat and naturally did not dare sit casually; he stood respectfully, showing some signs of respect on his face.
A middle-aged man in green robes entered the cave. From his appearance, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about him, but what left a deep impression was that he had only one eye and was over two meters tall.
"Uncle Senior!"
"Do not be so formal, sit down!"
The old man seemed quite approachable. His gaze swept across Lin Xuan's face: "You are the disciple newly received by Junior Master Tongyu?"
"I am Lin Xuan, paying respects to my Great Ancestor."
"Hmm, good!" The old man nodded. "Junior Master Tongyu told me about your situation. At such a young age of over forty years, you have entered the Condensation Core stage; indeed, you are a fine talent and a beautiful quality. In my youth, I was far from this."
"Great Ancestor flatters me," Lin Xuan replied hastily, though he knew that revealing the secret of the Blue Star Sea could be dangerous, so he remained cautious.
"All right, you do not need to act so formal. Although I have advanced to the Core Formation stage, I am no monster who eats people." The old man coughed lightly and continued: "Let me tell you."
"Great Ancestor, I listen with rapt attention," Lin Xuan bent his body slightly.
"Lin Xuan, what do you think is most important for a cultivator to advance further on the path of immortality?"
"This...?" Lin Xuan was taken aback. The old man had said he would answer his question, but now he seemed to have changed the subject. Although he felt a bit annoyed inside, he knew that as an old monster at the Core Formation stage, such questions must be meaningful. He thought deeply.
There were many factors affecting one's cultivation realm, but strictly speaking, there were three key elements: talent, effort, and medicinal pills...
Talent was obvious; with superior Spirit Root, one could achieve great results in a short time. This explained why there were geniuses and ordinary people in the world.
Medicinal pills were indispensable for every cultivator. Their effects could be seen from Lin Xuan's case.
As for effort, relying solely on hard work was insufficient. Yet it could not be lacking either; otherwise, even if one was a genius or had enough medicinal pills, without practicing and sitting in meditation, the end result would still be an ordinary person.
"Talent and effort are most important," Lin Xuan thought for a moment before answering. Medicinal pills were theoretical; in the cultivation world, apart from him having the Blue Star Sea, no one else could treat medicinal herbs as candy, like Tian Xiaojian did.
"Correct. Then what kind of talent is best?" The old man smiled and stroked his beard.
Lin Xuan's brows knitted slightly, feeling a bit annoyed by this question. However, he still respectfully replied: "It should be the Holy Spirit Root."
The term 'Holy Spirit Root' was a cultivation world jargon; it referred to what was considered the best type of Spirit Root known. Not only did cultivators with such roots achieve far greater results in their practice compared to those with other types of Spirit Roots, but they also faced fewer difficulties when encountering bottlenecks.
Throughout history, over 90% of old monsters who advanced to the Core Formation stage were Holy Spirit Root holders!
Of course, this did not mean that having a Holy Spirit Root guaranteed one's ability to condense an immortal core. But if someone was not too lazy and had some good fortune, condensing their essence into a core would still be possible.
However, this time, the old man shook his head: "Wrong; the best talent is not the Holy Spirit Root."
"What? Not the Holy Spirit Root?" Lin Xuan was taken aback. This was completely different from what he had learned before.
"Correct," the Senior Master Tongyu interjected. "The best talent should be the Bitter Spirit Root."
Lin Xuan frowned, having never heard of such a thing before.
"The term 'Bitter Spirit Root' is self-explanatory; on the surface, those who possess it appear to be ordinary people with extremely slow practice speeds. But if their minds are firm and they can endure ten times more suffering than ordinary people, this Bitter Spirit Root will activate, making their practice speed far surpass that of Holy Spirit Root holders," explained the old man.
Lin Xuan's heart suddenly had a vague thought: Could it be...
"Correct; I took you as my disciple because you are also a Bitter Spirit Root holder," Senior Master Tongyu said. "When I first met you, you were only in your twenties and already successfully formed a foundation. I secretly observed the situation inside your body using secret methods and found that you did not have any Spirit Root at all—how is this possible..."
"So you guessed..."
"Indeed; someone who can form a foundation at such a young age must either be a Holy Spirit Root holder or a Bitter Spirit Root holder, which is easy to determine," the Senior Master Tongyu took a sip of clear tea.
Lin Xuan pondered these words in his heart. On paper, it made sense: if Bitter Spirit Roots were better than Holy Spirit Roots, discovering such a genius naturally meant trying every means possible to bring him into their sect. But why did they not just make him the junior sect leader?
At the same time, Lin Xuan inwardly laughed bitterly; even though his master was shrewd and cunning, he had no idea that he actually had no Bitter Spirit Root at all—just an ordinary person. His current cultivation achievements were entirely due to the Blue Star Sea.
Seeing Lin Xuan's confusion, Senior Master Tongyu smiled: "Xuan'er, I have my reasons for doing this. Do you know that our sect's founder, Tiantian Immortal, was also a Bitter Spirit Root holder?"
"Oh?" Lin Xuan was taken aback but made no other expression.
"Although Holy Spirit Roots are rare, one appears every hundred years or so. But talented individuals with Bitter Spirit Roots are hard to come by even after a thousand years; however, once such people emerge, they often become great talents who accomplish earth-shattering feats, and their sect usually benefits from it as well," the old man said with a smile.
"Ah, I see." Lin Xuan nodded. This explanation was somewhat reasonable. He clasped his hands in respect: "Great Ancestor, rest assured; I will not disappoint you or my Great Ancestor."
"Hmm." Both their faces showed satisfaction.
The old man pondered for a moment: "Xuan'er, do you have your own innate treasure?"
"I return to the Great Ancestor, I have only recently condensed essence and have none," Lin Xuan replied honestly, his heart filled with hope.
"Hmm. A jade is not polished into a fine piece of art; this innate treasure is the most important thing for high cultivators. You need to consider it carefully yourself. Neither your master nor I can help you, but after hundreds of years, I have collected some ancient treasures by chance and will give one to you as protection."
"Thank you, Great Ancestor!" Lin Xuan was overjoyed, deeply bowing. The gifts from a Core Formation stage old monster could not be bad; he did not mention that he already had an ancient treasure for protection.
The old man reached into his robe and took out an jade box, then gently opened it.
Lin Xuan looked closely and saw a bright green needle with intricate embroidery. Unlike ordinary treasures, there was no obvious fluctuation of spiritual energy on its surface.
Lin Xuan was taken aback but soon wore a thoughtful expression.
"This treasure is called the Green Scales Needle; it is made from Celestial Cold Jade. It not only has unparalleled hardness but also naturally possesses an ice attribute attack and contains strange poison. Once this poison enters the body, even a Condensation Core cultivator will find it difficult to recover. This was one of my treasures I obtained long ago, which I no longer need; however, your current realm should be just right," the old man said while holding the Green Scales Needle.
"Thank you, Great Ancestor!" Lin Xuan's face showed obvious excitement. Flying needles were rare in the cultivation world, and each one usually had significant power. The poison contained in this Green Scales Needle must be a major feature.
While ordinary poisons did not pose much threat to cultivators after undergoing the Elixir of Life Washing, there was always some rare poison that even high cultivators would fear. Celestial Cold Jade was one such example; it existed in ten-thousand-year-old glaciers and naturally possessed extreme yin-cold toxicity.
He happily put it away.
Senior Master Tongyu smiled: "Xuan'er, I have been a name without substance until now, so when you achieved your Golden Core, I did not send any congratulatory gifts. Now, I will make up for that." Saying this, he also reached into his robe.