zhè zhēn shì yì wài zhī xǐ 。
这真是意外之喜。
This was truly an unexpected windfall.
rú cǐ jié guǒ ， suī rán yǒu xiē guǐ yì ， dàn lín xuān yǐ kě yǐ shuō shì fēn shén hòu qī de xiū shì wú yí 。
如此结果，虽然有些诡异，但林轩已可以说是分神后期的修士无疑。
The result, though somewhat peculiar, undoubtedly placed Lin Xuan at the peak of the Spirit Dividing stage. Despite it being a case of the guest overshadowing the host—where the demon core advanced one level ahead of the two元婴—it still had its advantages for Lin Xuan.
suī rán yòu shì qiáng bīn yā zhǔ ， yāo dān bǐ liǎng gè yuán yīng hái xiān jìn shàng nà me yī jí 。
虽然又是强宾压主，妖丹比两个元婴还先晋上那么一级。
Unlike ordinary cultivators, Lin Xuan possessed dual元婴 and a demon core, making him an exceptionally powerful figure. Not only was his strength impressive, but his overall capabilities far surpassed those of his peers at the same stage.
biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， shì zhǔ cì diān dǎo le ， rán ér zhè yàng yī zhǒng qíng xíng ， duì lín xuān lái shuō ， què shì yǒu bǎi lì ér wú yī hài dì 。
表面上看，是主次颠倒了，然而这样一种情形，对林轩来说，却是有百利而无一害地。
However, as with all things, there were drawbacks to this arrangement. While having two元婴 and a demon core was commendable, advancing would require more精气 than usual since both元婴 and the demon core needed to advance simultaneously.
wú tā ， lín xuān yǔ yì bān xiū shì bù tóng ， nǎi shì yōng yǒu shuāng yīng yī dān de jué qiǎng rén wù ， bù jǐn tīng zhe liǎo bù qǐ ， ér qiě gè fāng miàn de shí lì ， yě yuǎn fēi tóng jiē xiū shì kě yǐ qǐ jí 。
无他，林轩与一般修士不同，乃是拥有双婴一丹的绝强人物，不仅听着了不起，而且各方面的实力，也远非同阶修士可以企及。
Fortunately, Lin Xuan had the Azure Star Sea, which allowed his advancement to be swift. Nevertheless, he still harbored concerns and faced challenges.
dàn fán shì yǒu lì jiù yǒu bì 。
但凡事有利就有弊。
The primary元婴 was no issue; with time, it would surely reach the peak of the Spirit Dividing stage. The second元婴 wasn't a problem either, as its body was that of a medicinal spirit entity, making its progress naturally slower but not unacceptably so…
shuāng yīng yī dān shì liǎo de ， kě jìn jí ， yě yào bǐ yì bān xiū shì huā shàng gèng duō de jīng lì ， yīn wèi zhè liǎng gè yuán yīng yǔ yí gè yāo dān quán bù dōu xū yào jìn jí 。
双婴一丹是了得，可晋级，也要比一般修士花上更多的jīng力，因为这两个元婴与一个妖丹全部都需要晋级。
But what about the demon core?
hǎo zài lín xuān yǒu lán sè xīng hǎi ， jìn jí de sù dù dǎo shì hěn kuài ， bù guò ， yī jiù yǒu zhe zì jǐ yǐn yōu yǔ nán diǎn 。
好在林轩有蓝sè星海，晋级的速度倒是很快，不过，依旧有着自己隐忧与难点。
Lin Xuan couldn’t just cultivate another avatar to command; doing so would significantly slow down his own progression and potentially drag the other two元婴 behind.
zhǔ yuán yīng bù yòng tí ， jiā yǐ shí rì bì néng jìn jiē dào fēn shén hòu qī ， dì èr yuán yīng xiàn zài yě méi yǒu guān xì ， shēn nèi huà shēn nǎi yào líng zhī tǐ ， zhè xiū liàn de sù dù zì rán yě màn bú dào nǎ ér qù ……
主元婴不用提，加以时rì必能进阶到分神后期，第二元婴现在也没有关系，身内化身乃药灵之体，这修炼的速度自然也慢不到哪儿去……
It was indeed a situation he didn't want to see. However, for now, there were no immediate solutions. He could only take things one step at a time, hoping that by continuing to refine himself, he might find some opportunities for the demon core.
kě yāo dān ne ？
可妖丹呢？
While this was true, implementing it proved incredibly difficult. Lin Xuan had little confidence in his luck; while it had been good so far, fortune was an elusive thing, and no one could predict its whims.
lín xuān zǒng bù néng zài xiū liàn yī jù huà shēn gōng tā qū shǐ ， rú cǐ yī lái ， xiū liàn de sù dù ， xiāng duì ér yán ， jiù huì hěn màn 。
林轩总不能再修炼一俱化身供他驱使，如此一来，修炼的速度，相对而言，就会很慢。
However, fate seemed to have a twist in store this time around. His reckless use of the True Spirit Essence Technique to refine the true toad spirit blood had nearly cost him his life, with several near-death experiences over the past decade…
shuō tuō liǎng gè yuán yīng de hòu tuǐ yě bù wèi guò 。
说拖两个元婴的后腿也不为过。
But now, after all that suffering, he had gained something unexpected. The demon core hadn't held him back; instead, it advanced ahead of both元婴 and entered the peak of the Spirit Dividing stage.
ér zhè yàng de jú miàn xiǎn rán shì lín xuān bìng bù xiǎng kàn dào de ， dàn yī shí piàn kè ， yě xiǎng bú dào shén me jiě jué zhī cè ， tā néng zuò de ， shì zǒu yī bù kàn yī bù ， wéi yǒu yī biān xiū liàn ， yī biān kàn kàn ， néng bù néng wèi yāo dān xún mì dào yì diǎn jī yuán 。
而这样的局面显然是林轩并不想看到的，但一时片刻，也想不到什么解决之策，他能做的，是走一步看一步，唯有一边修炼，一边看看，能不能为妖丹寻觅到一点机缘。
Moreover, there were additional benefits. Unbeknownst to Lin Xuan, this newly formed demon core was quite different from before. It was golden in color, rotating within his dantian, emitting a noble and beautiful light.
rán ér dǎ suàn shì zhè yàng méi cuò ， zhēn xiǎng yào zuò ， què shì qiān nán wàn nán ， lín xuān gēn běn jiù méi yǒu tài dà bǎ wò ， zì jǐ yùn qì suī rán yí xiàng bù cuò ， dàn jī yuán zhè zhǒng dōng xī ， yuán běn jiù shì xū wú piāo miǎo zhī wù ， shuí yòu néng shuō dé qīng chǔ 。
然而打算是这样没错，真想要做，却是千难万难，林轩根本就没有太大把握，自己运气虽然一向不错，但机缘这种东西，原本就是虚无缥缈之物，谁又能说得清楚。
Its size was similar to before but appeared more solid and dense. The lingering demonic aura had vanished, replaced by faint traces of true spirit essence.
rán ér méi xiǎng dào zhè yī cì yīn huò dé fú 。
然而没想到这一次因祸得福。
Even more fascinatingly, as the demon core rotated, it seemed to summon beautiful lotuses that floated around it, real yet illusory. Within these lotuses were shadowy images of various spiritual beasts, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that surrounded the demon core.
zì jǐ yòng mò yù zhēn líng jué liàn huà zhēn chán líng xuè tài mǎng zhuàng le ， zhōng jiān gèng jǐ cì yǔ sǐ shén cā jiān ér guò ， jī hū yào hún guī dì fǔ 。 zhè shí nián lái ， gèng shì shòu jǐn zhé mó ……
自己用墨玉真灵诀炼化真蟾灵血太莽撞了，中间更几次与死神擦肩而过，几乎要魂归地府。这十年来，更是受尽折磨……
Lin Xuan couldn't help but smile at this sight. When he first used Inner Vision and saw this scene, he had been quite startled.
hǎo zài shì shǒu dé yún kāi jiàn yuè lǎng 。
好在是守得云开见月朗。
The spirits surrounding the demon core weren’t ordinary; they were the true toad, rainbow phoenix, golden-winged bird, and qilin—each corresponding to one of the four true spirit essences Lin Xuan had once refined.
zì jǐ dà nàn bù sǐ guǒ rán yǒu le hòu fú ， yāo dān bù jǐn méi yǒu tuō hòu tuǐ ， fǎn ér xiān bǐ liǎng gè yuán yīng jìn jí ， mài rù le fēn shén hòu qī 。
自己大难不死果然有了后福，妖丹不仅没有拖后腿，反而先比两个元婴晋级，迈入了分神后期。
What did this mean? To be honest, Lin Xuan wasn't entirely sure. He knew that the demon core was no longer what it used to be; this unexpected fortune not only allowed for advancement but also brought about a surprising transformation.
ér qiě hǎo chù hái bù jǐn yú cǐ 。
而且好处还不仅于此。
However, given his current situation, such a transformation seemed highly beneficial. Initially, when the true toad self-destructed, Lin Xuan had obtained vast amounts of spirit blood, but the most precious true spirit essence inner core was nowhere to be found.
yě bù zhī dào shì bú shì xī nà le zhēn chán líng xuè de yuán gù ， zhè xīn níng jù ér chéng de yāo dān yǔ yǐ wǎng dà bù xiāng tóng 。
也不知道是不是吸纳了真蟾灵血的缘故，这新凝聚而成的妖丹与以往大不相同。
Although he felt regret, he understood that it was better not to desire too much. After all, having so much toad spirit blood was a great fortune in itself; there was no need to covet more.
zuò jīn huáng zhī sè， zài dān tián zhōng xuán zhuǎn ， zhàn fàng chū zūn guì ér měi lì de guāng zé 。
做金黄之sè，在丹田中旋转，绽放出尊贵而美丽的光泽。
What Lin Xuan didn’t know was that when the true toad was slain by Fairy Hundred Flowers, it had used its last remaining true spirit essence to infuse it into its blood before self-destructing. It did this not for rebirth but because it knew that Fairy Hundred Flowers would never let such a treasure go.
dà xiǎo dǎo shì yǔ wǎng xī chà bu duō 。 bù guò xiǎn de gèng wéi níng hòu ， yuán běn de yāo qì ， yǐ shì yī sī yě wú ， fǎn ér yǐn yǐn yǒu yī sī zhēn líng de qì xī zhàn fàng ér chū 。
大小倒是与往昔差不多。不过显得更为凝厚，原本的妖气，已是一丝也无，反而隐隐有一丝真灵的气息绽放而出。
Without the true spirit essence, the inner core's value diminished significantly and was far less precious than what Lin Xuan had in his hands. Despite Fairy Hundred Flowers' grievous injuries, she overlooked this detail, allowing Lin Xuan to inadvertently gain a significant advantage.
gèng jiā xuán miào de shì ， suí zhe yāo dān de xuán zhuǎn ， zhōu wéi jū rán fú xiàn chū yī duǒ duǒ měi lì de lián huā ， shì zhēn shì jiǎ ， huǎn huǎn piāo fú ， ér zài lián huā zhī zhōng 。 hái yǒu jǐ zhī dà xiǎo bù yī de líng shòu huàn yǐng ， ruò yǐn ruò xiàn ， jiù fǎng fú shì mèng jìng yì bān 。 jiāng yāo dān wéi zài zhōng jiān 。
更加玄妙的是，随着妖丹的旋转，周围居然浮现出一朵朵美丽的莲花，似真似假，缓缓漂浮，而在莲花之中。还有几只大小不一的灵兽幻影，若隐若现，就仿佛是梦境一般。将妖丹围在中间。
Unfortunately, like a double-edged sword, this great fortune nearly cost him his life. The true spirit essence's absorption into the demon core led to its collapse. If Lin Xuan were of the demon race, it would have disintegrated entirely, but as he was neither fully human nor demon, with an元婴 still within him, he remained unharmed.
lín xuān xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī sī xiào yì ， jì de gāng shī zhǎn nèi shì shù kàn jiàn zhè yí mù de shí hòu ， zì jǐ kě shì xià le yī dà tiào de 。
林轩想到这里，嘴角边露出一丝笑意，记得刚施展内视术看见这一幕的时候，自己可是吓了一大跳的。
Thus, when the demon core shattered and transformed into clouds, they had a chance to reform into a new demon core. Strictly speaking, this wasn't technically a demon core anymore.
yīn wèi wéi zài yāo dān zhōu cè de ， kě bú shì shén me pǔ tōng de líng shòu xū yǐng ， ér shì zhēn chán 、 cǎi fèng ， jīn chì dà péng niǎo hái yǒu qí lín ……
因为围在妖丹周侧的，可不是什么普通的灵兽虚影，而是真蟾、彩凤，金翅大鹏鸟还有麒麟……
Lin Xuan's experience that day was truly unique, marked by a series of fortunate coincidences. The key factor was having both an元婴 and a demon core, along with the mental fortitude to withstand trials. Such conditions were rare indeed; besides Lin Xuan, no one else in the Three Realms could claim such an achievement.
zhèng hǎo yǔ zì jǐ céng jīng liàn huà guò de sì zhǒng zhēn líng zhī xuè yī yī xiāng duì yīng 。
正好与自己曾经炼化过的四种真灵之血一一相对应。
The greatest gain from this experience wasn't the demon core's advancement but rather its unexpected transformation. While advancing two levels at once and entering the peak of the Spirit Dividing stage was impressive, it was something that could be achieved with time and effort, not a cause for great celebration.
zhè yì wèi zhe shén me ， shuō shí huà ， lín xuān yě bú shì hěn qīng chǔ 。 tā zhǐ xiǎo de ， yāo dān yǐ bú shì yǐ qián nà ge yāo dān le ， zhè yī cì yīn huò dé fú ， bù jǐn jìn jí ， hái fā shēng le lìng rén jīng chà de biàn yì 。
这意味着什么，说实话，林轩也不是很清楚。他只晓得，妖丹已不是以前那个妖丹了，这一次因祸得福，不仅晋级，还发生了令人惊诧的变异。
PS: First update today; I'll have three updates by the end of the day, so please rest assured. The second and third will follow shortly—please vote for monthly tickets! The entire story is ongoing.
This was truly an unexpected windfall.
The result, though somewhat peculiar, undoubtedly placed Lin Xuan at the peak of the Spirit Dividing stage. Despite it being a case of the guest overshadowing the host—where the demon core advanced one level ahead of the two元婴—it still had its advantages for Lin Xuan.
Unlike ordinary cultivators, Lin Xuan possessed dual元婴 and a demon core, making him an exceptionally powerful figure. Not only was his strength impressive, but his overall capabilities far surpassed those of his peers at the same stage.
However, as with all things, there were drawbacks to this arrangement. While having two元婴 and a demon core was commendable, advancing would require more精气 than usual since both元婴 and the demon core needed to advance simultaneously.
Fortunately, Lin Xuan had the Azure Star Sea, which allowed his advancement to be swift. Nevertheless, he still harbored concerns and faced challenges.
The primary元婴 was no issue; with time, it would surely reach the peak of the Spirit Dividing stage. The second元婴 wasn't a problem either, as its body was that of a medicinal spirit entity, making its progress naturally slower but not unacceptably so…
But what about the demon core?
Lin Xuan couldn’t just cultivate another avatar to command; doing so would significantly slow down his own progression and potentially drag the other two元婴 behind.
It was indeed a situation he didn't want to see. However, for now, there were no immediate solutions. He could only take things one step at a time, hoping that by continuing to refine himself, he might find some opportunities for the demon core.
While this was true, implementing it proved incredibly difficult. Lin Xuan had little confidence in his luck; while it had been good so far, fortune was an elusive thing, and no one could predict its whims.
However, fate seemed to have a twist in store this time around. His reckless use of the True Spirit Essence Technique to refine the true toad spirit blood had nearly cost him his life, with several near-death experiences over the past decade…
But now, after all that suffering, he had gained something unexpected. The demon core hadn't held him back; instead, it advanced ahead of both元婴 and entered the peak of the Spirit Dividing stage.
Moreover, there were additional benefits. Unbeknownst to Lin Xuan, this newly formed demon core was quite different from before. It was golden in color, rotating within his dantian, emitting a noble and beautiful light.
Its size was similar to before but appeared more solid and dense. The lingering demonic aura had vanished, replaced by faint traces of true spirit essence.
Even more fascinatingly, as the demon core rotated, it seemed to summon beautiful lotuses that floated around it, real yet illusory. Within these lotuses were shadowy images of various spiritual beasts, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that surrounded the demon core.
Lin Xuan couldn't help but smile at this sight. When he first used Inner Vision and saw this scene, he had been quite startled.
The spirits surrounding the demon core weren’t ordinary; they were the true toad, rainbow phoenix, golden-winged bird, and qilin—each corresponding to one of the four true spirit essences Lin Xuan had once refined.
What did this mean? To be honest, Lin Xuan wasn't entirely sure. He knew that the demon core was no longer what it used to be; this unexpected fortune not only allowed for advancement but also brought about a surprising transformation.
However, given his current situation, such a transformation seemed highly beneficial. Initially, when the true toad self-destructed, Lin Xuan had obtained vast amounts of spirit blood, but the most precious true spirit essence inner core was nowhere to be found.
Although he felt regret, he understood that it was better not to desire too much. After all, having so much toad spirit blood was a great fortune in itself; there was no need to covet more.
What Lin Xuan didn’t know was that when the true toad was slain by Fairy Hundred Flowers, it had used its last remaining true spirit essence to infuse it into its blood before self-destructing. It did this not for rebirth but because it knew that Fairy Hundred Flowers would never let such a treasure go.
Without the true spirit essence, the inner core's value diminished significantly and was far less precious than what Lin Xuan had in his hands. Despite Fairy Hundred Flowers' grievous injuries, she overlooked this detail, allowing Lin Xuan to inadvertently gain a significant advantage.
Unfortunately, like a double-edged sword, this great fortune nearly cost him his life. The true spirit essence's absorption into the demon core led to its collapse. If Lin Xuan were of the demon race, it would have disintegrated entirely, but as he was neither fully human nor demon, with an元婴 still within him, he remained unharmed.
Thus, when the demon core shattered and transformed into clouds, they had a chance to reform into a new demon core. Strictly speaking, this wasn't technically a demon core anymore.
Lin Xuan's experience that day was truly unique, marked by a series of fortunate coincidences. The key factor was having both an元婴 and a demon core, along with the mental fortitude to withstand trials. Such conditions were rare indeed; besides Lin Xuan, no one else in the Three Realms could claim such an achievement.
The greatest gain from this experience wasn't the demon core's advancement but rather its unexpected transformation. While advancing two levels at once and entering the peak of the Spirit Dividing stage was impressive, it was something that could be achieved with time and effort, not a cause for great celebration.
PS: First update today; I'll have three updates by the end of the day, so please rest assured. The second and third will follow shortly—please vote for monthly tickets! The entire story is ongoing.