yǔ tā men xiāng bǐ ， lín xuān de biǎo qíng ， dāng rán yào píng jìng xǔ duō 。
与他们相比，林轩的表情，当然要平静许多。
Compared to them, Lin Xuan's expression was naturally much more calm.
suí hòu tā yòu jiāng tóu zhuǎn xiàng lìng yī cè 。
随后他又将头转向另一侧。
He then turned his head to another side.
zài nà lǐ ， yǒu yí gè kǒu dài ， yǔ yī shǒu zhuó mú yàng de dōng xī xuán fú 。
在那里，有一个口袋，与一手镯模样的东西悬浮。
There, a pouch hung in the air, resembling an arm bracelet.
chǔ wù dài bú yòng shuō ， lín xuān yī bǎ zhuā guò ， lǐ miàn yě méi shèng jǐ jiàn bǎo wù ， zì rán dōu shì bù zěn me kàn dé shàng yǎn de 。
储物袋不用说，林轩一把抓过，里面也没剩几件宝物，自然都是不怎么看得上眼的。
Of course, Lin Xuan grabbed it with one hand. There wasn't much left inside; naturally, they were items that didn't catch his eye.
zhì yú nà shǒu zhuó mú yàng de dōng xī ， zé shì dà míng dǐng dǐng de líng shòu huán le ， zuò yòng yǔ líng shòu dài chà bu duō ， dàn jù shuō chǒng wù zhù zài lǐ miàn néng gèng shū fú 。
至于那手镯模样的东西，则是大名鼎鼎的灵兽环了，作用与灵兽袋差不多，但据说宠物住在里面能更舒服。
As for the arm bracelet-like thing, it was the famous Spirit Beast Ring, which functioned similarly to a spirit beast bag but was said to make pets more comfortable when residing within.
yì bān de xiū xiān zhě yě yòng bù qǐ cǐ wù ， bù guò tiān yuán shì dù jié jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， zì rán yòu lìng dāng bié lùn le 。
一般的修仙者也用不起此物，不过天元是渡劫级别的修仙者，自然又另当别论了。
Ordinary cultivators couldn't afford such an item. However, as a Transcendent, Tian Yuan was another matter entirely.
“ zěn me ， bù zì jǐ chū lái ， mò fēi zhēn děng zhe lín mǒu dòng shǒu me ？”
“怎么，不自己出来，莫非真等着林某动手么？”
"Why not come out on your own? Are you really waiting for Lin Xuan to act?"
lín xuān wàng zhe nà xiǎo xiǎo de líng shòu huán ， yǔ yīn píng dàn ， què tòu lù chū jǐ fēn sù rán 。
林轩望着那小小的灵兽环，语音平淡，却透露出几分肃然。
Lin Xuan looked at the small Spirit Beast Ring with a calm voice that still carried a hint of solemnity.
“ qián bèi ráo mìng ， qǐng qián bèi qiān wàn shǒu xià liú qíng ！”
“前辈饶命，请前辈千万手下留情！”
"Senior, spare my life! Please have mercy!"
kǒng jù de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， suí hòu guāng máng yī shǎn ， shēn qián chū xiàn le yī chǐ xǔ zhǎng ， xíng sì yě zhū de líng shòu ， tā de liǎn shàng mǎn shì huáng kǒng ， zuò mèng yě méi yǒu xiǎng dào zhǔ rén tiān yuán hóu de huà shēn ， jū rán huì bèi miè shā le 。
恐惧的声音传入耳朵，随后光芒一闪，身前出现了一尺许长，形似野猪的灵兽，牠的脸上满是惶恐，做梦也没有想到主人天元侯的化身，居然会被灭杀了。
Fearful voices echoed in his ears. Then, a flash of light appeared before him—a spirit beast resembling a wild boar, its face filled with terror. It never imagined that the incarnation of Lord Tian Yuan would be killed.
lián yuán shén yě bèi shī zhǎn le sōu hún zhī shù ， nà zì jǐ mìng yùn rú hé kě jiù zhí de shāng zhuó 。
连元神也被施展了搜魂之术，那自己命运如何可就值得商酌。
Even more so, its soul was subjected to a mind probing technique. Its fate now hung in the balance.
bì jìng zhuī běn sù yuán ， zì jǐ kě suàn cǐ shì de shǐ zuò yǒng zhě 。
毕竟追本溯源，自己可算此事的始作俑者。
After all, it was the instigator of this matter.
xiàn zài shì huǐ dé cháng zi dōu qīng le 。
现在是悔得肠子都青了。
Now he regretted his actions deeply.
“ ráo mìng ？”
“饶命？”
"Spare my life?"
lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī sī jī cháo zhī sè， què wú yì yǔ yī xiǎo xiǎo de líng shòu luō suo ， xiù páo yī fú ， yī dào hēi máng huà zuò jiàn qì ， yī jiàn jiāng cǐ shòu jiǎo shā chéng le xuè yǔ 。
林轩嘴角边露出一丝讥嘲之sè，却无意与一小小的灵兽啰嗦，袖袍一拂，一道黑芒化作剑气，一剑将此兽绞杀成了血雨。
A mocking smile played at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth as he had no intention of talking to such a small spirit beast. With a wave of his sleeve, a black beam transformed into sword energy and decapitated the creature in one stroke.
suí hòu lín xuān sōng le kǒu qì ， suī rán tiān yuán hóu běn tǐ ， hái jì de zì jǐ de líng lì shǔ xìng， bù guò nà yòu rú hé ， píng cǐ shì bù zú yǐ zhuī suǒ dào zì jǐ de 。
随后林轩松了口气，虽然天元侯本体，还记得自己的灵力属xìng，不过那又如何，凭此是不足以追索到自己的。
Lin Xuan sighed with relief. Even though Lord Tian Yuan remembered his essence energy type, it mattered little. This was insufficient to trace him down.
cóng tóu zhì wěi ， zì jǐ de shēn fèn dōu méi yǒu bào lù ， nài lóng jiè nà me dà ， nà lǎo guài wù zài xīn yǒu bù gān 。 yě zhǐ néng shì tú huàn nài hé 。
从头至尾，自己的身份都没有暴露，鼐龙界那么大，那老怪物再心有不甘。也只能是徒唤奈何。
From start to finish, he had kept his identity hidden. In such a vast Nai Long Realm, that old monster could only sigh helplessly.
zhè qiě bù shuō 。 wén tiān chéng yī yì ， nà lǎo guài wù jiāng zhēn jí mén dé zuì le gè yī tā hú tú ， néng bù néng bǎi tuō gāi pài de zhuī shā 。 jì xù zài nài lóng jiè hùn xià qù ， kě dōu hái shì liǎng shuō 。
这且不说。闻天城一役，那老怪物将真极门得罪了个一塌糊涂，能不能摆脱该派的追杀。继续在鼐龙界混下去，可都还是两说。
Setting aside this matter, the battle in Wending City left the old monster with a severe grudge against True Apex Sect. Could they escape their pursuit and continue surviving in the Nai Long Realm?
huàn yán zhī ， qíng shì fā zhǎn dào zhè yī bù 。 zì jǐ de wēi jī yǐ suàn jiě chú ， bù guò lín xuān yě méi yǒu jì xù zài zhè lǐ dān gē ， hún shēn hēi máng yì qǐ ， hěn kuài ， jiù huà wèi yī dào jīng hóng ， xiāo shī zài le yuǎn fāng de tiān jì 。
换言之，情势发展到这一步。自己的危机已算解除，不过林轩也没有继续在这里耽搁，浑身黑芒一起，很快，就化为一道惊虹，消失在了远方的天际。
In other words, once things reached this point, his crisis was over. However, Lin Xuan did not linger here; his entire body enveloped in black light, he soon transformed into a streak of lightning that vanished on the horizon.
lín xuān de gū jì méi yǒu cuò ， tiān yuán hóu cǐ kè ， zhèng jiāo tóu làn é 。
林轩的估计没有错，天元侯此刻，正焦头烂额。
Lin Xuan's assessment was correct. Lord Tian Yuan was currently in a state of panic.
zhēn jí mén jiù shì fàng dào zhěng gè sān jiè lái shuō ， nà yě shì bù xiǎo de shì lì 。 qǐ shì shuō dé zuì jiù dé zuì le 。
真极门就是放到整个三界来说，那也是不小的势力。岂是说得罪就得罪了。
True Apex Sect was no small force even within the Three Realms. It wasn't as simple to offend and get away with it.
guān jiàn shì tā zhè yī cì lì lìng zhì hūn ， jiāng shì qíng zuò dé tài guò 。
关键是他这一次利令智昏，将事情做得太过。
The key issue was his momentary madness, which led him to overstep his bounds. He had actually planned to kill True Apex Sect's Xuan Shu Senior here.
jū rán xiǎng zhe yī bù zuò ， èr bù xiū 。 jiāng zhēn jí mén nà wèi xuán shū shàng rén yě zhǎn shā zài cǐ chù 。
居然想着一不做，二不休。将真极门那位璇书上人也斩杀在此处。
But...
jié guǒ ……
结果……
Things were not as easy as he imagined.
shì qíng nǎ yǒu tā xiǎng xiàng de nà me qīng sōng 。
事情哪有他想象的那么轻松。
Xuan Shu had indeed just advanced in cultivation; her strength and abilities were slightly inferior to his.
xuán shū shì xīn jìn jí de méi cuò 。 shí lì shén tōng ， yě què rán shì xùn sè qí yī chóu 。
璇书是新晋级的没错。实力神通，也确然是逊sè其一筹。
But she was a Transcendent, which meant it wasn't something that could be accomplished by simply killing.
dàn hǎo dǎi yě shì dù jié qī 。 nǎ ér shì shuō zhǎn shā jiù néng zhǎn shā dì 。
但好歹也是渡劫期。哪儿是说斩杀就能斩杀地。
In the end, he only managed to cut off one of her arms.
zuì hòu méi néng rú yuàn yǐ cháng ， jǐn jǐn shì qiè xià le cǐ rén de yī tiáo shǒu bì 。
最后没能如愿以偿，仅仅是切下了此人的一条手臂。
The grudge...
zhè chóu jié dé ……
这仇结得……
His goal was unfulfilled, but the enmity could never be resolved.
mù dì yī fēn méi dá dào ， rán ér chóu yuàn què zài yě jiě bù kāi le 。
目的一分没达到，然而仇怨却再也解不开了。
Lord Tian Yuan knew he had caused a major disaster and, seeing no way to detain his opponent, fled for his life.
tiān yuán hóu yě zì zhī chuǎng le dà huò ， jiàn wú fǎ jiāng duì fāng liú xià ， yě zhǐ hǎo wáng mìng táo zǒu 。
天元侯也自知闯了大祸，见无法将对方留下，也只好亡命逃走。
All he hoped now was that his incarnation could capture that hateful youth, extract his soul, and obtain the true essence blood.
tā xiàn zài wéi yī qī dài de ， jiù shì huà shēn néng jiāng nà kě wù de xiǎo zi zhuō zhù ， chōu hún liàn pò zhī hòu ràng zhēn líng zhī xuè shùn lì dào shǒu 。
他现在唯一期待的，就是化身能将那可恶的小子捉住，抽魂炼魄之后让真灵之血顺利到手。
Then, the consequences of his actions could still be mitigated; otherwise...
rú cǐ ， chuǎng de huò yǔ zào chéng de sǔn shī hái kě yǐ mí bǔ ， fǒu zé …… nà kě bù jǐn jǐn shì péi le fū rén yòu zhé bīng de wèn tí le 。
如此，闯的祸与造成的损失还可以弥补，否则……那可不仅仅是赔了夫人又折兵的问题了。
It wouldn't just be losing a wife and soldiers in one battle.
guǒ rán ， mò guò duō jiǔ ， xiū xiān jiè jiù yǒu xiāo xī chuán kāi ， shuō zhēn jí mén bān xià jué shā lìng ， zhòng shǎng de shù mù ， gèng shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ……
果然，没过多久，修仙界就有消息传开，说真极门颁下绝杀令，重赏的数目，更是非同小可……
Sure enough, not long after, news spread through the cultivation world: True Apex Sect had issued an absolute kill order with substantial rewards.
dāng rán ， zhuī shā de duì xiàng shì yī dù jié qī lǎo guài wù ， zhè yě zú gòu jīng shì hài sú ， bù guò zhēn jí mén běn yě méi zhǐ wàng yǒu wài rén néng jiāng tā qín huò ， zhǐ xū yào tí gōng zhǔn què de xiàn suǒ jiù néng lǐng shǎng le 。
当然，追杀的对象是一渡劫期老怪物，这也足够惊世骇俗，不过真极门本也没指望有外人能将他擒获，只需要提供准确的线索就能领赏了。
Of course, pursuing a Transcendent was already shocking. But True Apex Sect didn't expect anyone to capture him; they only needed accurate leads for the reward.
zhì yú chū shǒu ， zì rán yǒu tiān jí nà lǎo guài wù qù zuò ， zuò wéi dù jié zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ， tā de shí lì ， yuǎn fēi tiān yuán hóu kě yǐ bǐ nǐ de 。
至于出手，自然有天极那老怪物去做，作为渡劫中期的修仙者，他的实力，远非天元侯可以比拟的。
As for the actual attack, it would be left to that old monster of Tian Ji. As a mid-stage Transcendent, his strength far surpassed Lord Tian Yuan's.
rú cǐ yī lái ， xī rì zǒu dào nǎ lǐ ， dōu shòu rén zūn jìng de tiān yuán hóu ， zhè huí chéng le guò jiē lǎo shǔ ， méi bàn fǎ ， tā jǐn jǐn shì gū jiā guǎ rén yí gè 。
如此一来，昔rì走到哪里，都受人尊敬的天元侯，这回成了过街老鼠，没办法，他仅仅是孤家寡人一个。
Thus, the once revered Lord Tian Yuan was now like a rat in the market—alone and vulnerable. True Apex Sect had vast power and many friends and acquaintances, making their combined forces incomparable to his.
ér zhēn jí mén bù jǐn běn shēn shì lì páng bó ， hái yǒu xǔ duō hǎo yǒu gù jiù ， liǎng zhě de liàng jí ， běn jiù bú shì yí gè céng miàn de dōng xī 。
而真极门不仅本身势力磅礴，还有许多好友故旧，两者的量级，本就不是一个层面的东西。
Lord Tian Yuan dared not venture into crowded areas for fear of revealing his whereabouts. After all, no matter how formidable he was, he couldn't kill every cultivator who had seen him. His current predicament was self-inflicted.
tiān yuán hóu gēn běn bù gǎn wǎng rén duō de dì fāng zǒu ， shēng pà xiè lòu xíng zōng ， bì jìng tā zài biāo hàn ， yě méi yǒu néng lì shā guāng suǒ yǒu jiàn guò zì jǐ de xiū xiān zhě ， luò rù rú jīn zhè chǔ jìng ， yě suàn shì zì zuò zì shòu 。
天元侯根本不敢往人多的地方走，生怕泄漏行踪，毕竟他再彪悍，也没有能力杀光所有见过自己的修仙者，落入如今这处境，也算是自作自受。
His only hope was his external incarnation, hoping it could bring back the urgently needed treasures.
tā wéi yī de xī wàng ， jiù shì shēn wài huà shēn le ， xī wàng tā néng wèi zì jǐ dài huí jí xū de bǎo wù 。
他唯一的希望，就是身外化身了，希望他能为自己带回急需的宝物。
Perhaps he had traveled too far; he lost contact with his incarnation. But that didn't matter. As long as they achieved their goal, there would always be a way for them to reunite.
huò xǔ shì pǎo dé tài yuǎn ba ， tā yǔ huà shēn zhī jiān ， yǐ shī qù le lián xì ， bù guò méi yǒu guān xì ， zhǐ yào néng gòu dá chéng mù dì ， tā yǔ huà shēn zǒng yǒu bàn fǎ chóng jù 。
或许是跑得太远吧，他与化身之间，已失去了联系，不过没有关系，只要能够达成目的，他与化身总有办法重聚。
For millions of years, Lord Tian Yuan had never experienced such anxiety. Every day was filled with anticipation...
bǎi wàn nián lái ， tiān yuán hóu cóng lái méi yǒu shì guò zhè yàng rú zuò zhēn zhān ， měi yī tiān dōu shì wàng yǎn yù chuān ……
百万年来，天元侯从来没有试过这样如坐针毡，每一天都是望眼yù穿……
But no news came back.
rán ér dàng zhēn shì yì diǎn xiāo xī dōu méi yǒu chuán huí lái 。
然而当真是一点消息都没有传回来。
How could it be? He knew the strength of his incarnation well; a mere fraction of a spirit period existence should have been easily captured.
zěn me kě néng ， zì jǐ huà shēn de shí lì ， tā dāng rán hěn qīng chǔ ， qū qū yī fēn shén qī cún zài ， àn lǐ shuō ， yīng gāi shì shǒu dào qín lái de 。
怎么可能，自己化身的实力，他当然很清楚，区区一分神期存在，按理说，应该是手到擒来的。
Why hadn't he succeeded after so long?
zěn me huì zhè me jiǔ guò qù ， dōu méi yǒu shōu huò 。
怎么会这么久过去，都没有收获。
Could he have lost the trail?
nán dào shì zhuī diū le ？
难道是追丢了？
That was impossible.
yě bù kě néng 。
也不可能。
Back then, they were only a hundred miles apart. His incarnation had mastered the secret technique of tracking over ten thousand feet in one line. There was no way he could lose track.
dāng chū yǔ nà jiā huo xiāng jù ， bù guò bǎi lǐ ， huà shēn xiū liàn yǒu wàn chǐ yī xiàn de mì shù ， yú qíng yú lǐ dōu bù kě néng zhuī diū le 。
当初与那家伙相距，不过百里，化身修炼有万尺一线的秘术，于情于理都不可能追丢了。
A mid-stage Transcendent should remain calm even when Mount Tai crumbles before them, but at this moment, his heart felt like being clawed by a cat—upset and anxious...
àn lǐ ， dù jié qī lǎo guài wù ， yīng gāi shì tài shān bēng yú qián ér bù biàn sè， rán ér cǐ kè tā xīn lǐ ， què fǎng fú yǒu yī zhī māo zài zhuā ， qī shàng bā xià ， gè zhǒng dān jīng shòu pà ……
按理，渡劫期老怪物，应该是泰山崩于前而不变sè，然而此刻他心里，却仿佛有一只猫在抓，七上八下，各种担惊受怕……
And to make matters worse, he had carelessly ignited the essence fire earlier, although it hadn't dropped him to a lower realm. His vital energy was severely depleted.
piān piān wū lòu hái féng lián yè yǔ ， dāng chū bù gù yī qiè diǎn rán běn yuán zhī huǒ ， suī rán méi ràng tā jìng jiè diào luò ， dàn qì xuè yuán qì ， yě bú shì kuī sǔn le yì diǎn bàn diǎn nà me jiǎn dān de 。
偏偏屋漏还逢连夜雨，当初不顾一切点燃本源之火，虽然没让他境界掉落，但气血元气，也不是亏损了一点半点那么简单的。
Now, these hidden issues were manifesting, tormenting Lord Tian Yuan to no end.
rú jīn zhè xiē yǐn huàn yì qǐ fā zuò ， zhē teng dé tiān yuán hóu dàng zhēn shì sǐ qù huó lái de 。
如今这些隐患一起发作，折腾得天元侯当真是死去活来的。
...
……
……
This was a vast desert with endless horizons stretching for tens of thousands of miles without any signs of life.
zhè ér shì yī piàn huāng mò ， fàng yǎn wàng qù ， wú biān wú jì ， zòng héng shù wàn lǐ ， dōu bú jiàn rén yān de zōng jì 。
这儿是一片荒漠，放眼望去，无边无际，纵横数万里，都不见人烟的踪迹。
In the depths of a barren mountain, a makeshift cave had been carved out. A tall figure, wearing tattered clothes, sat in meditation.
zài yí gè huāng shān de shān fù zhōng ， yī lín shí kāi pì chū lái de dòng fǔ ， yī shēn cái gāo dà ， què yī shān pò làn de jiā huo zhèng zài dǎ zuò 。
在一个荒山的山腹中，一临时开辟出来的洞府，一身材高大，却衣衫破烂的家伙正在打坐。
His face was pale and gray, his clothes stained with blood and mud, torn in many places. His hat was askew on one side. This appearance was not far from that of a beggar by the roadside.
tā de liǎn sè zuò qīng huī sè， yī shēn yī fú ， yòu shì xuè jì ， yòu shì ní tǔ ， bù shǎo dì fāng hái bèi chě pò ， tóu dǐng de mào zi yě wāi dào yī biān qù le ， zhè fú xíng xiàng ， shuō jù bú kè qì de ， yǔ lù biān de qǐ gài yě chà bu duō 。
他的脸sè做青灰sè，一身衣服，又是血迹，又是泥土，不少地方还被扯破，头顶的帽子也歪到一边去了，这幅形象，说句不客气的，与路边的乞丐也差不多。
However, looking at this person's features, they were unmistakably Lord Tian Yuan.
rán ér kàn cǐ rén de wǔ guān méi yǎn ， què tiān yuán hóu xiāng chà fǎng fú 。
然而看此人的五官眉眼，却天元侯相差仿佛。
Indeed, it was Lord Tian Yuan.
méi cuò ， jiù shì tiān yuán hóu 。
没错，就是天元侯。
No one would have believed such an immensely powerful existence could end up in such a state if not for seeing it with their own eyes.
huàn chéng shuí ， ruò bú shì qīn yǎn mù dǔ ， kǒng pà yě hěn nán xiāng xìn ， xī rì bù kě yī shì de dà néng cún zài ， huì luò dào rú jīn zhè bān jìng dì le 。
换成谁，若不是亲眼目睹，恐怕也很难相信，昔rì不可一世的大能存在，会落到如今这般境地了。
It was all because of that battle in Wending City.
dōu shì wén tiān chéng nà yī yì rě de huò 。
都是闻天城那一役惹的祸。
After the absolute kill order from True Apex Sect, he faced countless troubles and hardships.
zhēn jí mén jué shā lìng fā chū lái hòu ， gěi tā píng tiān jiā liǎo wú shù de fán nǎo yǔ kǔ chǔ 。
真极门绝杀令发出来后，给他凭添加了无数的烦恼与苦楚。
Not long ago, he had encountered a team of fraction spirit period cultivators from the sect.
jiù zài bù jiǔ qián ， tā hái yǔ gāi pài de yī duì fēn shén qī xiū shì zāo yù guò 。
就在不久前，他还与该派的一队分神期修士遭遇过。
In normal circumstances, a fraction spirit period existence wouldn't be worth mentioning; he could easily wipe them out with a flick of his hand. However, in Wending City, he severely injured Xuan Shu and even cut off one of her arms. But he wasn't unscathed either; a top elder from a prominent sect, even if newly advanced, was not weak.
qū qū fēn shén qī ， ruò shì fàng dào píng rì lǐ ， gēn běn bù zhí yī tí ， tā jǔ shǒu tóu zú jiù néng miè qù ， rán ér wén tiān chéng yī yì ， tā shì zhòng shāng le xuán shū ， shèn zhì kǎn xià le qí yī tiáo shǒu bì ， dàn zì jǐ ， yě bìng fēi yì diǎn shāng shì yě wú ， míng mén dà pài de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ， jí shǐ shì gāng jìn jí de yě shí lì bù ruò 。
区区分神期，若是放到平rì里，根本不值一提，他举手投足就能灭去，然而闻天城一役，他是重伤了璇书，甚至砍下了其一条手臂，但自己，也并非一点伤势也无，名门大派的太上长老，即使是刚晋级的也实力不弱。
That battle had indeed been as described—kill one thousand, lose eight hundred.
nà yī zhàn ， jiāng tā shuō chéng shì shā dí yī qiān ， zì sǔn bā bǎi yì diǎn yě méi yǒu cuò 。
那一战，将他说成是杀敌一千，自损八百一点也没有错。
PS: I've updated this chapter first to attend a wedding. The next chapter will be posted tonight after I return. Fellow cultivators, please give me more monthly votes! Today's good luck can bring blessings for the whole year. Please smash your monthly votes down!
Compared to them, Lin Xuan's expression was naturally much more calm.
He then turned his head to another side.
There, a pouch hung in the air, resembling an arm bracelet.
Of course, Lin Xuan grabbed it with one hand. There wasn't much left inside; naturally, they were items that didn't catch his eye.
As for the arm bracelet-like thing, it was the famous Spirit Beast Ring, which functioned similarly to a spirit beast bag but was said to make pets more comfortable when residing within.
Ordinary cultivators couldn't afford such an item. However, as a Transcendent, Tian Yuan was another matter entirely.
"Why not come out on your own? Are you really waiting for Lin Xuan to act?"
Lin Xuan looked at the small Spirit Beast Ring with a calm voice that still carried a hint of solemnity.
"Senior, spare my life! Please have mercy!"
Fearful voices echoed in his ears. Then, a flash of light appeared before him—a spirit beast resembling a wild boar, its face filled with terror. It never imagined that the incarnation of Lord Tian Yuan would be killed.
Even more so, its soul was subjected to a mind probing technique. Its fate now hung in the balance.
After all, it was the instigator of this matter.
Now he regretted his actions deeply.
"Spare my life?"
A mocking smile played at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth as he had no intention of talking to such a small spirit beast. With a wave of his sleeve, a black beam transformed into sword energy and decapitated the creature in one stroke.
Lin Xuan sighed with relief. Even though Lord Tian Yuan remembered his essence energy type, it mattered little. This was insufficient to trace him down.
From start to finish, he had kept his identity hidden. In such a vast Nai Long Realm, that old monster could only sigh helplessly.
Setting aside this matter, the battle in Wending City left the old monster with a severe grudge against True Apex Sect. Could they escape their pursuit and continue surviving in the Nai Long Realm?
In other words, once things reached this point, his crisis was over. However, Lin Xuan did not linger here; his entire body enveloped in black light, he soon transformed into a streak of lightning that vanished on the horizon.
...
Lin Xuan's assessment was correct. Lord Tian Yuan was currently in a state of panic.
True Apex Sect was no small force even within the Three Realms. It wasn't as simple to offend and get away with it.
The key issue was his momentary madness, which led him to overstep his bounds. He had actually planned to kill True Apex Sect's Xuan Shu Senior here.
But...
Things were not as easy as he imagined.
Xuan Shu had indeed just advanced in cultivation; her strength and abilities were slightly inferior to his.
But she was a Transcendent, which meant it wasn't something that could be accomplished by simply killing.
In the end, he only managed to cut off one of her arms.
The grudge...
His goal was unfulfilled, but the enmity could never be resolved.
Lord Tian Yuan knew he had caused a major disaster and, seeing no way to detain his opponent, fled for his life.
All he hoped now was that his incarnation could capture that hateful youth, extract his soul, and obtain the true essence blood.
Then, the consequences of his actions could still be mitigated; otherwise...
It wouldn't just be losing a wife and soldiers in one battle.
Sure enough, not long after, news spread through the cultivation world: True Apex Sect had issued an absolute kill order with substantial rewards.
Of course, pursuing a Transcendent was already shocking. But True Apex Sect didn't expect anyone to capture him; they only needed accurate leads for the reward.
As for the actual attack, it would be left to that old monster of Tian Ji. As a mid-stage Transcendent, his strength far surpassed Lord Tian Yuan's.
Thus, the once revered Lord Tian Yuan was now like a rat in the market—alone and vulnerable. True Apex Sect had vast power and many friends and acquaintances, making their combined forces incomparable to his.
Lord Tian Yuan dared not venture into crowded areas for fear of revealing his whereabouts. After all, no matter how formidable he was, he couldn't kill every cultivator who had seen him. His current predicament was self-inflicted.
His only hope was his external incarnation, hoping it could bring back the urgently needed treasures.
Perhaps he had traveled too far; he lost contact with his incarnation. But that didn't matter. As long as they achieved their goal, there would always be a way for them to reunite.
For millions of years, Lord Tian Yuan had never experienced such anxiety. Every day was filled with anticipation...
But no news came back.
How could it be? He knew the strength of his incarnation well; a mere fraction of a spirit period existence should have been easily captured.
Why hadn't he succeeded after so long?
Could he have lost the trail?
That was impossible.
Back then, they were only a hundred miles apart. His incarnation had mastered the secret technique of tracking over ten thousand feet in one line. There was no way he could lose track.
A mid-stage Transcendent should remain calm even when Mount Tai crumbles before them, but at this moment, his heart felt like being clawed by a cat—upset and anxious...
And to make matters worse, he had carelessly ignited the essence fire earlier, although it hadn't dropped him to a lower realm. His vital energy was severely depleted.
Now, these hidden issues were manifesting, tormenting Lord Tian Yuan to no end.
...
This was a vast desert with endless horizons stretching for tens of thousands of miles without any signs of life.
In the depths of a barren mountain, a makeshift cave had been carved out. A tall figure, wearing tattered clothes, sat in meditation.
His face was pale and gray, his clothes stained with blood and mud, torn in many places. His hat was askew on one side. This appearance was not far from that of a beggar by the roadside.
However, looking at this person's features, they were unmistakably Lord Tian Yuan.
Indeed, it was Lord Tian Yuan.
No one would have believed such an immensely powerful existence could end up in such a state if not for seeing it with their own eyes.
It was all because of that battle in Wending City.
After the absolute kill order from True Apex Sect, he faced countless troubles and hardships.
Not long ago, he had encountered a team of fraction spirit period cultivators from the sect.
In normal circumstances, a fraction spirit period existence wouldn't be worth mentioning; he could easily wipe them out with a flick of his hand. However, in Wending City, he severely injured Xuan Shu and even cut off one of her arms. But he wasn't unscathed either; a top elder from a prominent sect, even if newly advanced, was not weak.
That battle had indeed been as described—kill one thousand, lose eight hundred.
PS: I've updated this chapter first to attend a wedding. The next chapter will be posted tonight after I return. Fellow cultivators, please give me more monthly votes! Today's good luck can bring blessings for the whole year. Please smash your monthly votes down!