qīng yè shān ， wèi yú yōu zhōu yǐ nán ， shān shì yǐ lǐ ， màn yán qiān lǐ ， kě wèi dì guǎng rén xī ， zhè lǐ suī rán bù rú chuán shuō zhōng de kuí yīn shān mài wēi xiǎn ， dàn dú shé měng shòu què yě pǒ duō ， jiā shàng bù shí yǒu yāo shòu chū mò ， gù ér fán rén shì kàn bú dào de ， zì gǔ yǐ lái dào yǒu yī xiē lù dì shén xiān de chuán shuō 。
青叶山，位于幽州以南，山势迤逦，蔓延千里，可谓地广人稀，这里虽然不如传说中的奎阴山脉危险，但毒蛇猛兽却也颇多，加上不时有妖兽出没，故而凡人是看不到的，自古以来倒有一些陆地神仙的传说。
Green Leaf Mountain, located south of Youzhou, stretches for thousands of miles with its winding terrain. It's sparsely populated and not as perilous as the legendary Kuinei Mountains, but it is home to many venomous snakes and fierce beasts that occasionally roam around. Thus, few ordinary people venture here; over the ages, some land-based immortals have made their homes in this place.
suǒ wèi lù dì shén xiān ， zì rán jiù shì xiū xiān zhě ， qīng yè shān suī rán méi yǒu shén me líng qì shèng mài ， rán ér xiǎo de líng mài què yě pǒ duō ， xīng luó qí bù ， bù xià bǎi chù 。
所谓陆地神仙，自然就是修仙者，青叶山虽然没有什么灵气圣脉，然而小的灵脉却也颇多，星罗棋布，不下百处。
So-called land-based immortals are naturally cultivators. Although Green Leaf Mountain lacks a great source of spiritual energy, it is dotted with numerous small veins, numbering more than a hundred.
píng xīn ér lùn ， zhè xiē líng mài pǐn zhì dōu bù shèn gāo ， dà yī diǎn de zōng mén shì zhī wèi jī lèi ， bú xiè yú qiǎng duó ， zì rán jiù biàn yí le nà xiē xiū xiān jiā zú 。
平心而论，这些灵脉品质都不甚高，大一点的宗门视之为鸡肋，不屑于抢夺，自然就便宜了那些修仙家族。
To be fair, these veins had relatively low quality, and major sects viewed them as unimportant, so they were left to the lesser cultivation families.
chú cǐ yǐ wài ， yī xiē sàn xiū yě zài zhè lǐ dìng jū ， bì jìng tā men de shí lì yuǎn bù jí nà xiē chuán chéng le shù qiān shèn zhì shàng wàn nián de mén pài ， yǒu líng mài jiù tōu xiào le ， nǎ lǐ hái néng tiāo tiāo jiǎn jiǎn 。
除此以外，一些散修也在这里定居，毕竟他们的实力远不及那些传承了数千甚至上万年的门派，有灵脉就偷笑了，哪里还能挑挑拣拣。
Additionally, some wandering cultivators settled here. Their strength was far inferior to those ancient sects that had existed for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, so they rejoiced at finding a vein, let alone being choosy about it.
qǐ chū ， zhǐ shì yī liǎng gè xiū xiān jiā zú yǔ shǎo shù sàn xiū fā xiàn le cǐ dì ， hòu lái xiāo xī chuán kāi ， yuè lái yuè duō de rén bān qiān le guò lái ……
起初，只是一两个修仙家族与少数散修发现了此地，后来消息传开，越来越多的人搬迁了过来……
At first, only a few cultivation families and scattered practitioners discovered this place. As the news spread, more people moved in...
jiù zhè yàng ， shù wàn nián guò qù le ， cāng hǎi sāng tián ， shì shì biàn qiān ， bù duàn yǒu xīn de jiā zú xīng qǐ ， jiù de jiā zú yǔn luò ， shì dào lún huí ， bù guò cǐ dì xiū xiān zhě de rén qì dǎo shì yuè lái yuè wàng shèng le qǐ lái 。
就这样，数万年过去了，沧海桑田，世事变迁，不断有新的家族兴起，旧的家族陨落，世道轮回，不过此地修仙者的人气倒是越来越旺盛了起来。
And thus, over countless millennia, the landscape changed with the tides of time. New families rose while old ones declined, but the人气 of cultivators on Green Leaf Mountain grew stronger each day.
rú guǒ shuō tiān mó chéng shì xiū mó zhě de shèng dì ， nà me zhè qīng yè shān ， jiù shì sàn xiū yǔ xiū xiān jiā zú de shèng dì 。
如果说天魔城是修魔者的圣地，那么这青叶山，就是散修与修仙家族的圣地。
If Heaven Demon City was the holy land for demon cultivators, then this Green Leaf Mountain was a sanctuary for wandering cultivators and cultivation families.
ér shī zūn kǒu zhōng de nà yè xìng jiā zú ， jiù luò hù yú cǐ 。
而师尊口中的那叶姓家族，就落户于此。
And as his master had mentioned, the Ye family resided here.
shuō qǐ zhè jiā rén yǔ běn mén de guān xì ， dào yě shēn hòu dé jǐn ， shèn zhì kě yǐ yòng yuán yuǎn liú cháng lái xíng róng ， jù shuō cǐ jiā de xiān zǔ ， nǎi shì tiān chén zhēn rén de jì míng dì zǐ 。
说起这家人与本门的关系，倒也深厚得紧，甚至可以用源远流长来形容，据说此家的先祖，乃是天尘真人的记名弟子。
Speaking of their relationship with their sect, it was indeed deep-rooted. It could even be described as long-standing. According to legend, the ancestor of this family was a disciple-in-name under True Immortal Tianchen.
suī rán yǔ rù shì dì zǐ xiāng bǐ ， dì wèi yào shāo chà yī xiē ， dàn bì jìng yǔ zǔ shī yé yě yǒu shī tú zhī yì ， zhè wèi míng jiào yè fán de qián bèi ， shēng qián yě jìn jiē dào le níng dān qī 。 dàn què bìng méi yǒu liú zài líng yào shān jì xù xiū liàn ， fǎn ér yuǎn zǒu dào le yōu zhōu yǐ nán ， hòu lái yǔ yī xīn yí de nǚ zǐ jié wèi shuāng xiū zhī hǎo 。 kāi zhī sàn yè ， zài zhè qīng yè shān zhā xià le gēn lái 。 zhè yě jiù shì yè xìng jiā zú de yóu lái 。
虽然与入室弟子相比，地位要稍差一些，但毕竟与祖师爷也有师徒之谊，这位名叫叶凡的前辈，生前也进阶到了凝丹期。但却并没有留在灵药山继续修炼，反而远走到了幽州以南，后来与一心仪的女子结为双修之好。开枝散叶，在这青叶山扎下了根来。这也就是叶姓家族的由来。
While not as prestigious as an initiated disciple, they still shared a master-disciple bond. Senior Ye Fan had advanced to the Condensation Core stage but did not remain on Spirit Medicine Mountain for further cultivation; instead, he moved southward into Youzhou and eventually formed a dual-cultivation union with a woman who was deeply in love. He established his family here, giving rise to the Ye clan.
yè fán dāng chū lí kāi líng yào shān dì yuán yóu ， tōng yǔ zhēn rén bìng wèi duō jiǎng ， zhǐ shuō zhè yè xìng jiā zú de hòu rén 。 yǔ běn mén yuān yuán pǒ duō ， rú jīn bù jǐn zhào kàn zhe běn mén zài wài dì de yī xiē chǎn yè ， ér qiě hái ……
叶凡当初离开灵药山地缘由，通羽真人并未多讲，只说这叶姓家族的后人。与本门渊源颇多，如今不仅照看着本门在外地的一些产业，而且还……
True Immortal Tongyu did not elaborate much on why Senior Ye Fan left Spirit Medicine Mountain. He only mentioned that the descendants of the Ye family had deep ties with their sect and now managed some of its external assets...
jiāng yè xìng jiā zú dì zī liào zài nǎo hǎi zhōng zhuǎn le yī quān ， lín xuān cóng róng bù pò de zài qīng yè shān jiàng luò xià lái 。
将叶姓家族地资料在脑海中转了一圈，林轩从容不迫的在青叶山降落下来。
After reviewing the information about the Ye family in his mind, Lin Xuan landed calmly on Green Leaf Mountain.
fàng yǎn wàng qù 。 yù yù cōng cōng ， yǔ pǔ tōng dì qīng shān sì hū yě méi yǒu shén me bù tóng ， lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī sī xiào róng ， shǒu yī fān ， zhǎng xīn zhōng yǐ duō chū le yī zhāng yù fú lái 。
放眼望去。郁郁葱葱，与普通地青山似乎也没有什么不同，林轩嘴角边露出一丝笑容，手一翻，掌心中已多出了一张玉符来。
Looking around, the lush greenery seemed no different from ordinary mountains. A smile played at the corners of Lin Xuan's lips as he flicked his hand, producing a jade talisman in his palm.
lín xuān jiāng qí yī pāo ， yù fú huà wèi yī dào huǒ guāng fēi jìn le shān lín lǐ ， piàn kè hòu ， yī zhèn wù qì fān yǒng 。 qián fāng píng kōng chū xiàn le yī dào yín guāng ， nà guāng máng yào yǎn xuàn lì ， huá guì wú bǐ ， hái sàn fà zhe zhèn zhèn xiāng qì 。
林轩将其一抛，玉符化为一道火光飞进了山林里，片刻后，一阵雾气翻涌。前方凭空出现了一道银光，那光芒耀眼绚丽，华贵无比，还散发着阵阵香气。
He threw it, and the jade talisman transformed into a fiery light that flew into the forest. Moments later, a dense mist surged forth, revealing a silver glow ahead. The brilliance was dazzling and exuded an aura of luxury and fragrance.
lín xuān liǎn hán wēi xiào de zǒu le jìn qù 。
林轩脸含微笑的走了进去。
Lin Xuan walked into the scene with a smile on his face.
lǐ miàn de jǐng wù yǔ wài miàn wán quán bù tóng ， yí gè xiǎo zhèn chū xiàn zài le yǎn zhōng 。
里面的景物与外面完全不同，一个小镇出现在了眼中。
---
qīng yè shān suī rán shǎo yǒu fán rén shè zú ， dàn wèi le yǐ fáng wàn yī ， xiū xiān zhě men zì rán huì zài zhè lǐ shè xià yī xiē lèi sì yú zhàng yǎn fǎ dì jìn zhì 。
青叶山虽然少有凡人涉足，但为了以防万一，修仙者们自然会在这里设下一些类似于障眼法地禁制。
The scenery inside was entirely different from what he saw outside—a small town appeared before him.
kàn zhuó yǎn qián de xiǎo zhèn ， què shì yī fāng shì ， ér qiě guī mó hái bù xiǎo 。
看着眼前的小镇，却是一坊市，而且规模还不小。
Although few ordinary people ventured onto Green Leaf Mountain, to prevent any accidents, cultivators naturally set up some kind of illusionary barriers here.
yǒu xiū shì de dì fāng ， jiù yǒu jiāo huàn wù pǐn de xū yào 。 hé kuàng zhè lǐ dì xiū xiān jiā zú 。 shù liàng zú yǒu jìn bǎi zhī duō ， sàn xiū gèng shì bù jì qí shù 。 suǒ yǐ yǒu yī sì mó shì yàng de fāng shì ， dào yě méi yǒu shén me hào qí guài de 。
有修士的地方，就有交换物品的需要。何况这里地修仙家族。数量足有近百之多，散修更是不计其数。所以有一似模似样的坊市，倒也没有什么好奇怪的。
Before him stood a bustling market, albeit not as grand as those in major sects. There were nearly a hundred cultivation families and countless wandering practitioners here, so the existence of such a marketplace was not out of place.
lín xuān méi yǒu gǎi biàn miàn róng ， zhè xiē nián lái tā shēn jū qiǎn chū ， rèn shí tā de xiū shì qū zhǐ kě shǔ ， bù guò xiū wèi dǎo shì yòng yǐn líng dān yǔ liǎn qì shù yǐn cáng le qǐ lái ， qīng yè shān de xiū shì suī rán bù shǎo ， dàn gāo jiē de què fèng máo lín jiǎo ， níng dān qī tài yǐn rén zhǔ mù 。
林轩没有改变面容，这些年来他深居浅出，认识他的修士屈指可数，不过修为倒是用隐灵丹与敛气术隐藏了起来，青叶山的修士虽然不少，但高阶的却凤毛麟角，凝丹期太引人瞩目。
Lin Xuan did not change his appearance; over these years, he had kept a low profile, and few knew him. However, his cultivation level was concealed with Hidden Spirit Pills and Qi Control Techniques. While there were many cultivators on Green Leaf Mountain, high-ranking ones were rare, making the Condensation Core stage particularly noticeable.
tōng yǔ zhēn rén suī rán méi yǒu tòu lù rèn wù de jù tǐ nèi róng ， bù guò lín xuān què yǒu yù gǎn ， dī diào huì róng yì yì diǎn 。
通羽真人虽然没有透露任务的具体内容，不过林轩却有预感，低调会容易一点。
True Immortal Tongyu did not reveal the specifics of the mission, but Lin Xuan had a hunch that being discreet would be easier.
cǐ shí tā líng qì nèi liǎn ， cóng biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， xiū wèi zhǐ yǒu líng dòng qī dà yuán mǎn 。
此时他灵气内敛，从表面上看，修为只有灵动期大圆满。
At this moment, his spiritual energy was concealed, and from an external perspective, he appeared to have reached the peak of the Flexible Spirit Period.
lín xuān suí yì zài fāng shì zhōng guàng le qǐ lái ， suī rán cǐ dì wú fǎ yǔ nà xiē dà mén pài suǒ kāi shè de fāng shì xiāng bǐ ， dàn shuō bù dìng zhèng hǎo yě huì yǒu zì jǐ xū yào dì dōng xī ， cǐ qí
林轩随意在坊市中逛了起来，虽然此地无法与那些大门派所开设的坊市相比，但说不定正好也会有自己需要地东西，此其
Lin Xuan wandered through the marketplace at random. While it couldn't compare to those established by major sects, there might still be something he needed here. Besides,
qí èr ， guān yú qīng yè shān ， lín xuān bì jìng shì dì yī cì lái ， yǐ qián jǐn jǐn shì tīng guò yī xiē chuán yán ， shì fǒu shǔ shí ， hái shì liǎng shuō zhī shì ， gù ér lín xuān yě xiǎng qīn shēn liǎo jiě yī xiē 。
其二，关于青叶山，林轩毕竟是第一次来，以前仅仅是听过一些传言，是否属实，还是两说之事，故而林轩也想亲身了解一些。
He also wanted to personally familiarize himself with Green Leaf Mountain since this was his first visit. After all, rumors could not fully capture reality; thus, Lin Xuan intended to gather some firsthand information.
hái bié shuō ， chǐ yǒu suǒ duǎn cùn yǒu suǒ cháng ， zhè jù huà zhēn yǒu jǐ fēn dào lǐ ， qīng yè shān de fāng shì ， zhēn qí zhī wù bù duō ， dàn lín xuān què mǎi dào le bù shǎo shòu pí ， zhè zhǒng huǒ líng shǔ shēn shàng de cái liào ， zhèng kě yǐ yòng lái liàn zhì huǒ shǔ xìng de dì jiē líng fú 。
还别说，尺有所短寸有所长，这句话真有几分道理，青叶山的坊市，珍奇之物不多，但林轩却买到了不少兽皮，这种火灵鼠身上的材料，正可以用来炼制火属性的地阶灵符。
Indeed, the saying "a yard has its shortcoming while an inch has its advantage" held true here. The market on Green Leaf Mountain lacked rare treasures but yielded many materials from fire spirit rats that he could use for earth-grade spirit talismans.
zài qí tā fāng shì ， lín xuān suī rán yě céng shōu gòu dào yī xiē ， dàn shù liàng què yuǎn yuǎn bù zú ， zhè yī cì kě yǐ shuō shì dà shōu huò ér zài tōng guò yǔ diàn lǎo bǎn de xián tán zhōng ， guān yú qīng yè shān de dà tǐ qíng xíng ， lín xuān xīn zhōng yě yǐ jīng yǒu pǔ 。
在其他坊市，林轩虽然也曾收购到一些，但数量却远远不足，这一次可以说是大收获而在通过与店老板的闲谈中，关于青叶山的大体情形，林轩心中也已经有谱。
He had acquired such materials in other markets before, but the quantities were far less than what he needed this time. This was a significant收获.
zhè lǐ yī gòng yǒu líng mài yì bǎi wǔ shí yú chù ， rú jīn yǒu bā shí yī hù xiū xiān jiā zú ， shèng xià de ， zé quán bèi sàn xiū gěi zhàn jù le 。
这里一共有灵脉一百五十余处，如今有八十一户修仙家族，剩下的，则全被散修给占据了。
Through casual conversations with shopkeepers, Lin Xuan gained an understanding of Green Leaf Mountain's overall situation.
xiū shì shù liàng jiā zài yì qǐ ， zú yǒu qī bā wàn zhī jù 。
修士数量加在一起，足有七八万之巨。
There were over 150 veins here, and currently, there were eighty-one cultivation families, while the rest were occupied by wandering practitioners.
lín xuān yě àn àn zé shé ， xiǎng bú dào xiǎo xiǎo de qīng yè shān ， jìng rán yǒu nà me duō de xiū xiān zhě 。
林轩也暗暗咋舌，想不到小小的青叶山，竟然有那么多的修仙者。
The total number of cultivators reached around seventy thousand.
ér zài gāi dì de shì lì zhī zhōng ， zé yǐ liǔ yè liǎng jiā jū shǒu 。
而在该地的势力之中，则以柳叶两家居首。
Lin Xuan couldn't help but marvel at the sheer number of cultivators on this small mountain.
zhè liǎng jiā bù jǐn lì shǐ zuì wèi yōu jiǔ ， jī hū shì zuì zǎo bān qiān lái cǐ dì dì jiā zú ， ér qiě zú lǐ dì xiū shì shù liàng yě zuì duō ， zhí xì yǔ páng xì jiā zài yì qǐ ， dōu yǒu liǎng sān qiān rén de guī mó ， zú yǐ gǎn shàng yī xiē shāo xiǎo dì zhōng děng mén pài le 。
这两家不仅历史最为悠久，几乎是最早搬迁来此地地家族，而且族里地修士数量也最多，直系与旁系加在一起，都有两三千人的规模，足以赶上一些稍小地中等门派了。
Among the local powers, the Liuyehu family was at the top.
ér qiě liǎng jiā yě shì qīng yè shān wéi yī yōng yǒu níng dān qī xiū shì de jiā zú 。
而且两家也是青叶山唯一拥有凝丹期修士的家族。
These two families had the longest history and were among the earliest to settle here. Their clans also boasted the largest numbers, with a total of over two thousand members, rivaling some smaller middle-sized sects.
xū zhī ， xiū zhēn zhī lù jiān nán wú bǐ ， yōu zhōu de shuǐ píng suī rán yuǎn jiào yǎn zhōu wèi gāo ， dàn jiā zú jiù yōng yǒu níng dān qī xiū shì de bì jìng fèng máo lín jiǎo ， zhè zhǒng gāo shǒu ， yì bān dōu bèi mén pài suǒ lǒng duàn le 。
须知，修真之路艰难无比，幽州的水平虽然远较兖州为高，但家族就拥有凝丹期修士的毕竟凤毛麟角，这种高手，一般都被门派所垄断了。
Moreover, both families were the only ones on Green Leaf Mountain that possessed Condensation Core cultivators.
yuán běn ， liǔ yè liǎng jiā kě shuō shì shì jūn lì dí ， rán ér zuì jìn ， zhè ge píng héng què bèi dǎ pò le ， liǔ jiā chú le jiā zhǔ yǐ wài ， lìng wài yī wèi zhǎng lǎo yě jìn jiē dào le níng dān qī 。
原本，柳叶两家可说是势均力敌，然而最近，这个平衡却被打破了，柳家除了家主以外，另外一位长老也进阶到了凝丹期。
It was known that the path to cultivation was fraught with difficulties. Although Youzhou's level was much higher than Yanzhou, families possessing Condensation Core cultivators were still rare; such experts were generally monopolized by sects.
yōng yǒu le liǎng gè gāo jiē xiū shì de liǔ jiā ， yī zhī dú xiù de chéng wéi le qīng yè shān gè shì lì de lǎo dà 。
拥有了两个高阶修士的柳家，一枝独秀的成为了青叶山各势力的老大。
Originally, the Liuyehu families had been evenly matched. However, recently, this balance was disrupted when another elder of the Liu family advanced to the Condensation Core stage as well.
lín xuān tīng dào zhè lǐ ， bù yóu méi tóu wēi tiāo ， nán dào shī zūn pài zì jǐ lái ， shì yǔ liǔ yè liǎng jiā de fēn zhēng yǒu guān ？
林轩听到这里，不由眉头微挑，难道师尊派自己来，是与柳叶两家的纷争有关？
With two high-ranking cultivators, the Liu family stood out and became the leader among various factions on Green Leaf Mountain.
bù ， lín xuān yáo le yáo tóu ， jiǎ rú zhēn shì zhè me jiǎn dān ， shī zūn suí biàn ràng yī wèi níng dān qī de zhǎng lǎo chū guān ， yě bǐ zì jǐ chū shǒu yào wěn tuǒ yì diǎn ， zhè ge rèn wù xiǎn rán shì yī zhǒng kǎo yàn ， jué bù jǐn jǐn shì liǎng gè xiū shì jiā zú de fēn zhēng nà me jiǎn dān 。
不，林轩摇了摇头，假如真是这么简单，师尊随便让一位凝丹期的长老出关，也比自己出手要稳妥一点，这个任务显然是一种考验，绝不仅仅是两个修士家族的纷争那么简单。
When Lin Xuan heard this, he raised an eyebrow. Could his master have sent him here because of conflicts between the Liuyehu and Ye families?
jù tǐ rú hé ， kǒng pà hái yào kàn dào yè jiā de jiā zhǔ cái hǎo shuō 。
具体如何，恐怕还要看到叶家的家主才好说。
No, Lin Xuan shook his head. If it were that simple, his master could have easily dispatched a Condensation Core elder to handle things more safely than sending him. This mission was clearly a test, far from just being about two cultivation families.
lín xuān zhè me xiǎng zhe ， xiè le lǎo bǎn ， cóng fāng shì zhōng chū lái ， zhèng xiǎng àn zhào shī zūn de fēn fù ， qián wǎng yè jiā de zhuāng yuán ， tū rán ， yī zhèn chǎo nào shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
林轩这么想着，谢了老板，从坊市中出来，正想按照师尊的吩咐，前往叶家的庄园，突然，一阵吵闹声传入耳朵。
The specifics would only become clear once he met the head of the Ye family.
shuō shì chǎo nào ， qí shí jù lí zhè lǐ zhì shǎo yǒu shí yú lǐ zhī yáo ， shī zūn yě zhǐ shuō le yè jiā zhuāng yuán de dà gài fāng xiàng ， lín xuān fàng chū shén shí zuò jù tǐ de xún zhǎo ， zhè cái ǒu rán tīng dào 。
说是吵闹，其实距离这里至少有十余里之遥，师尊也只说了叶家庄园的大概方向，林轩放出神识做具体的寻找，这才偶然听到。
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xuan thanked the shopkeeper and left the marketplace. As he prepared to follow his master's instructions and visit the Ye family estate, a commotion suddenly caught his ear.
sì hū shì jǐ gè xiū shì qǐ le zhēng zhí ， yǐ lín xuān de xìng gé ， zì rán bù xiǎng duō guǎn xián shì ， rán ér “ yè jiā ”，“ liǔ jiā ”， liǎng gè cí ， què ràng lín xuān méi máo yī tiāo ， yǒu le yī tàn jiū jìng de yuàn wàng 。
似乎是几个修士起了争执，以林轩的性格，自然不想多管闲事，然而“叶家”，“柳家”，两个词，却让林轩眉毛一挑，有了一探究竟的愿望。
Though it sounded like a disturbance, the source was at least ten miles away. His master had only given him an approximate direction for the Ye family estate; Lin Xuan released his divine sense to locate it more precisely when he heard the noise.
It seemed that several cultivators were in disagreement. Given Lin Xuan's nature, he naturally didn't want to get involved. However, "Ye Family" and "Liu Family," these two words made him raise an eyebrow with a desire to investigate further.
Green Leaf Mountain, located south of Youzhou, stretches for thousands of miles with its winding terrain. It's sparsely populated and not as perilous as the legendary Kuinei Mountains, but it is home to many venomous snakes and fierce beasts that occasionally roam around. Thus, few ordinary people venture here; over the ages, some land-based immortals have made their homes in this place.
So-called land-based immortals are naturally cultivators. Although Green Leaf Mountain lacks a great source of spiritual energy, it is dotted with numerous small veins, numbering more than a hundred.
To be fair, these veins had relatively low quality, and major sects viewed them as unimportant, so they were left to the lesser cultivation families.
Additionally, some wandering cultivators settled here. Their strength was far inferior to those ancient sects that had existed for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, so they rejoiced at finding a vein, let alone being choosy about it.
At first, only a few cultivation families and scattered practitioners discovered this place. As the news spread, more people moved in...
And thus, over countless millennia, the landscape changed with the tides of time. New families rose while old ones declined, but the人气 of cultivators on Green Leaf Mountain grew stronger each day.
If Heaven Demon City was the holy land for demon cultivators, then this Green Leaf Mountain was a sanctuary for wandering cultivators and cultivation families.
And as his master had mentioned, the Ye family resided here.
Speaking of their relationship with their sect, it was indeed deep-rooted. It could even be described as long-standing. According to legend, the ancestor of this family was a disciple-in-name under True Immortal Tianchen.
While not as prestigious as an initiated disciple, they still shared a master-disciple bond. Senior Ye Fan had advanced to the Condensation Core stage but did not remain on Spirit Medicine Mountain for further cultivation; instead, he moved southward into Youzhou and eventually formed a dual-cultivation union with a woman who was deeply in love. He established his family here, giving rise to the Ye clan.
True Immortal Tongyu did not elaborate much on why Senior Ye Fan left Spirit Medicine Mountain. He only mentioned that the descendants of the Ye family had deep ties with their sect and now managed some of its external assets...
After reviewing the information about the Ye family in his mind, Lin Xuan landed calmly on Green Leaf Mountain.
Looking around, the lush greenery seemed no different from ordinary mountains. A smile played at the corners of Lin Xuan's lips as he flicked his hand, producing a jade talisman in his palm.
He threw it, and the jade talisman transformed into a fiery light that flew into the forest. Moments later, a dense mist surged forth, revealing a silver glow ahead. The brilliance was dazzling and exuded an aura of luxury and fragrance.
Lin Xuan walked into the scene with a smile on his face.
---
The scenery inside was entirely different from what he saw outside—a small town appeared before him.
Although few ordinary people ventured onto Green Leaf Mountain, to prevent any accidents, cultivators naturally set up some kind of illusionary barriers here.
Before him stood a bustling market, albeit not as grand as those in major sects. There were nearly a hundred cultivation families and countless wandering practitioners here, so the existence of such a marketplace was not out of place.
Lin Xuan did not change his appearance; over these years, he had kept a low profile, and few knew him. However, his cultivation level was concealed with Hidden Spirit Pills and Qi Control Techniques. While there were many cultivators on Green Leaf Mountain, high-ranking ones were rare, making the Condensation Core stage particularly noticeable.
True Immortal Tongyu did not reveal the specifics of the mission, but Lin Xuan had a hunch that being discreet would be easier.
At this moment, his spiritual energy was concealed, and from an external perspective, he appeared to have reached the peak of the Flexible Spirit Period.
Lin Xuan wandered through the marketplace at random. While it couldn't compare to those established by major sects, there might still be something he needed here. Besides,
He also wanted to personally familiarize himself with Green Leaf Mountain since this was his first visit. After all, rumors could not fully capture reality; thus, Lin Xuan intended to gather some firsthand information.
Indeed, the saying "a yard has its shortcoming while an inch has its advantage" held true here. The market on Green Leaf Mountain lacked rare treasures but yielded many materials from fire spirit rats that he could use for earth-grade spirit talismans.
He had acquired such materials in other markets before, but the quantities were far less than what he needed this time. This was a significant收获.
Through casual conversations with shopkeepers, Lin Xuan gained an understanding of Green Leaf Mountain's overall situation.
There were over 150 veins here, and currently, there were eighty-one cultivation families, while the rest were occupied by wandering practitioners.
The total number of cultivators reached around seventy thousand.
Lin Xuan couldn't help but marvel at the sheer number of cultivators on this small mountain.
Among the local powers, the Liuyehu family was at the top.
These two families had the longest history and were among the earliest to settle here. Their clans also boasted the largest numbers, with a total of over two thousand members, rivaling some smaller middle-sized sects.
Moreover, both families were the only ones on Green Leaf Mountain that possessed Condensation Core cultivators.
It was known that the path to cultivation was fraught with difficulties. Although Youzhou's level was much higher than Yanzhou, families possessing Condensation Core cultivators were still rare; such experts were generally monopolized by sects.
Originally, the Liuyehu families had been evenly matched. However, recently, this balance was disrupted when another elder of the Liu family advanced to the Condensation Core stage as well.
With two high-ranking cultivators, the Liu family stood out and became the leader among various factions on Green Leaf Mountain.
When Lin Xuan heard this, he raised an eyebrow. Could his master have sent him here because of conflicts between the Liuyehu and Ye families?
No, Lin Xuan shook his head. If it were that simple, his master could have easily dispatched a Condensation Core elder to handle things more safely than sending him. This mission was clearly a test, far from just being about two cultivation families.
The specifics would only become clear once he met the head of the Ye family.
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xuan thanked the shopkeeper and left the marketplace. As he prepared to follow his master's instructions and visit the Ye family estate, a commotion suddenly caught his ear.
Though it sounded like a disturbance, the source was at least ten miles away. His master had only given him an approximate direction for the Ye family estate; Lin Xuan released his divine sense to locate it more precisely when he heard the noise.
It seemed that several cultivators were in disagreement. Given Lin Xuan's nature, he naturally didn't want to get involved. However, "Ye Family" and "Liu Family," these two words made him raise an eyebrow with a desire to investigate further.