bù guò zhè ge gōng zuò hěn shì fán suǒ ， bìng fēi yī shí piàn kè ， jiù kě yǐ wán chéng de ， zhì shǎo ， xū yào liǎng sān gè yuè de gōng fu 。
不过这个工作很是繁琐，并非一时片刻，就可以完成的，至少，需要两三个月的功夫。
However, this task was rather tedious and couldn't be completed in a short time. At least, it would take Lin Xuan two to three months.
huàn jù huà shuō ， lín xuān zàn shí ， hái bù néng huí zì jǐ de dòng fǔ 。
换句话说，林轩暂时，还不能回自己的洞府。
In other words, Lin Xuan could not return to his cave abode for the time being.
bù guò méi yǒu guān xì ， zuò wèi yún yǐn zōng de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo zhī yī ， lín xuān suī rán hěn shǎo huí zǒng duò ， dàn zhè lǐ ， yòu qǐ huì méi yǒu tā de qī shēn zhī suǒ 。
不过没有关系，做为云隐宗的太上长老之一，林轩虽然很少回总舵，但这里，又岂会没有他的栖身之所。
But that didn’t matter. As one of the senior elders of Cloud Conceal Sect, although Lin Xuan rarely returned to the main hall, he certainly had a place to stay here.
zài yún yǐn shān mài líng qì zuì wèi nóng yù zhī chù ， zǎo ān pái dé yǒu lín xuān de dòng fǔ 。
在云隐山脉灵气最为浓郁之处，早安排得有林轩的洞府。
His cave abode was arranged in an area where the spiritual energy was most concentrated within the Cloud Conceal Mountains. It had been preserved for thousands of years, ready for emergencies. If Lin Elder were to return and have to reside at the guest house, it would be rather embarrassing.
shù qiān nián lái yì zhí bǎo liú zhe ， yǐ bèi bù shí zhī xū ， fǒu zé lín zhǎng lǎo ruò shì huí dào zhè lǐ ， què yào qù zhù guì bīn lóu ， ruò shì chuán yáng chū qù ， qǐ bù shì tài gǎo xiào le xiē 。
数千年来一直保留着，以备不时之需，否则林长老若是回到这里，却要去住贵宾楼，若是传扬出去，岂不是太搞笑了些。
At that time, it would be a loss to the Cloud Conceal Sect’s face.
dào shí hòu diū de ， kě shì yún yǐn zōng zì jǐ de miàn zi 。
到时候丢的，可是云隐宗自己的面子。
Without further ado, the young man with the dragon surname and the silver-eyed maiden personally escorted Lin Xuan to his cave abode.
jiē xià lái bù yòng tí ， lóng xìng shào nián yǔ yín tóng shào nǚ qīn zì jiāng lín xuān sòng dào le dòng fǔ qù 。
接下来不用提，龙姓少年与银瞳少女亲自将林轩送到了洞府去。
The environment was not an issue; it was quiet and beautiful. Although the spiritual energy here did not match that of Hundred Flowers Valley, it was meticulously crafted by skilled artisans. Since Lin Xuan had embarked on the path of cultivation, he had stayed in countless cave abodes, but none could compare to this one.
huán jìng bù yòng tí ， yōu jìng ér měi lì 。
环境不用提，幽静而美丽。
After lying down on the bed made from black jade, Lin Xuan quickly fell asleep and woke up feeling refreshed the next day.
líng qì suī rán bù jí bǎi huā gǔ ， dàn yě pǒ duō kě quān kě diǎn zhī chù ， guāng shì zài dòng fǔ de sì zhōu ， jiù zhǒng yǒu shù kē gāo pǐn zhì dì líng yǎn zhī shù 。
灵气虽然不及百花谷，但也颇多可圈可点之处，光是在洞府的四周，就种有数颗高品质的灵眼之树。
Then, a loud noise reached his ears as the stone door opened, and Lin Xuan stepped out of his cave abode.
wèi le lín xuān zhè wèi tài shàng zhǎng lǎo néng gòu zhù dé shū fú ， yún yǐn zōng kě shì xià le dà gōng fū 。
为了林轩这位太上长老能够住得舒服，云隐宗可是下了大工夫。
It would take at least two or three months for Hundred Flowers Valley to fully recover. During this period, Lin Xuan did not plan on secluding himself in meditation or refining the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword. Cultivation should be balanced; it was important to have a proper balance between work and rest.
shèn zhì zài dòng fǔ sì zhōu ， hái yǒu pú cóng shì nǚ ， bù guò zhè zài lín xuān kàn lái ， jiù dà kě bù bì ， shī xiōng shī jiě suī shì yī fān hǎo yì ， dàn lín xuān què bù xǐ huān yǒu rén zài zì jǐ yǎn qián huàng yōu 。
甚至在洞府四周，还有仆从侍女，不过这在林轩看来，就大可不必，师兄师姐虽是一番好意，但林轩却不喜欢有人在自己眼前晃悠。
After successfully ascending through the terrifying heavenly tribulation, Lin Xuan would not continue his cultivation for these two months. Instead, he intended to relax and take things easy.
yú shì biàn jiāng tā men quán dōu qiǎn zǒu 。
于是便将他们全都遣走。
Of course, that did not mean doing nothing at all.
duì yú zhè yì diǎn ， lóng xìng shào nián yǔ yín tóng shào nǚ zì rán méi yǒu rèn hé yì jiàn 。
对于这一点，龙姓少年与银瞳少女自然没有任何意见。
Lin Xuan planned to review some ancient texts; it was not out of boredom but rather because he could not understand why the heavenly tribulation chose this time to descend. Was it a coincidence or for another reason?
zài lǐng zhe lín xuān lüè zuò yī fān cān guān yǐ hòu ， jiù gào cí le 。
在领着林轩略做一番参观以后，就告辞了。
This matter needed clarification before Lin Xuan could truly relax.
tā men yě yǒu xǔ duō shì qíng yào zuò ， qián zhě hái hǎo shuō ， yín tóng shào nǚ cǐ kè ， kě shì xīn yǎng nán náo ， jí zhe huí qù cān wù xiǎo dù jié qī gōng fǎ de 。
他们也有许多事情要做，前者还好说，银瞳少女此刻，可是心痒难挠，急着回去参悟小渡劫期功法的。
During these two months, he would take things easy and deal with this issue as well.
yǐ qián kǎ zài píng jǐng yě jiù bà le ， rú jīn lín shī dì ， jiāng yī piàn xīn de tiān dì ， zhǎn shì zài zì jǐ miàn qián ， yú qíng yú lǐ ， dāng rán dōu yào gèng jiā yòng gōng nǔ lì yì diǎn 。
以前卡在瓶颈也就罢了，如今林师弟，将一片新的天地，展示在自己面前，于情于理，当然都要更加用功努力一点。
Of course, now that Lin Xuan was in his current position, even if he wanted to look through ancient texts, he did not necessarily have to do it personally. He just had to describe the problems he needed help with, and his subordinates would find solutions for him.
zhì yú mén pài zhōng de zá wù ， jiù zàn shí jiāo yǔ qīn xìn dì zǐ le 。
至于门派中的杂务，就暂时交予亲信弟子了。
This was one of the benefits of being a senior elder; otherwise, why would Lin Xuan go through so much trouble to support Cloud Conceal Sect? Even if someone helped him investigate the heavenly tribulation, it was still a waste of time.
yún yǐn zōng zhuàng dà dào rú jīn zhè bān dì bù ， lóng xìng shào nián yǔ yín tóng shào nǚ 。 yě bù kě néng shì bì gōng qīn ， nà yàng jiù suàn yǒu fēn shēn shù ， yě jué duì máng bù guò lái de 。
云隐宗壮大到如今这般地步，龙姓少年与银瞳少女。也不可能事必躬亲，那样就算有分身术，也绝对忙不过来的。
Every day, he wandered around, played chess, drank wine, and enjoyed scenic views. This kind of leisurely life had been long forgotten by Lin Xuan; he couldn’t even remember how long it had been since he last experienced such freedom.
hěn duō shì qíng ， dōu yào fàng xīn ràng mén rén dì zǐ qù zuò ， fǒu zé ， jiù shì yǔ zì jǐ guò bù qù le 。
很多事情，都要放心让门人弟子去做，否则，就是与自己过不去了。
Sometimes, he thought that cultivators were rather pitiful. They chose a path filled with danger and peril to seek immortality. Was it really worth it?
chuán shuō ， shàng gǔ yǒu yī wèi fù xìng zhū gě de dà néng xiū xiān zhě ， yuán běn yǒu jī huì jìn jiē dào dù jié hòu qī 。 shèn zhì fēi shēng chéng xiān de ， jiù shì yīn wèi fàng bù xià zōng mén shì wù ， bù lùn shì wú jù xì ， dōu yào guò wèn ， jié guǒ lèng shì nòng dé zì jǐ méi yǒu shí jiān xiū liàn ， zuì hòu zhōng yú yǔn luò zài tiān jié xià le 。
传说，上古有一位复姓诸葛的大能修仙者，原本有机会进阶到渡劫后期。甚至飞升成仙的，就是因为放不下宗门事务，不论事无巨细，都要过问，结果愣是弄得自己没有时间修炼，最后终于陨落在天劫下了。
Sometimes, ordinary people might be happier than them.
yí dài tiān cái luò de rú cǐ jié guǒ ， zhe shí lìng rén è wàn tàn xī de 。
一代天才落得如此结果，着实令人扼腕叹息的。
Although cultivation extended their lifespan compared to mortals, was it meaningful? Most of the time, cultivators spent their lives in seclusion meditating.
zhè ge diǎn gù ， yín tóng shào nǚ yǔ lóng xìng shào nián yóu diǎn jí zhōng kàn guò ， zì rán bú huì shǎ hū hū 。 zài qù fàn shàng xiāng tóng de cuò 。
这个典故，银瞳少女与龙姓少年由典籍中看过，自然不会傻乎乎。再去犯上相同的错。
It was difficult to imagine how challenging it would be to close oneself off for a thousand years or more. Even with his resilient nature, two millennia of meditation were still a daunting task for others.
tā men liǎ zàn qiě bù tí ， qiě shuō lín xuān cān guān wán zì jǐ de xīn dòng fǔ ， yě shí fēn mǎn zú 。
他们俩暂且不提，且说林轩参观完自己的新洞府，也十分满足。
Sometimes, he thought that cultivators led unhappy lives.
zhěng gè dòng fǔ bù jǐn bù jú hé lǐ 。 kuān chǎng míng liàng ， ér qiě měi yī chù xì jié ， dōu shì yóu néng gōng qiǎo jiàng ，jīng diāo xì zuó ， zhè me shuō ba ， lín xuān zì cóng tà shàng xiū xiān zhī lù ， cóng jiǎn dān dào shē huá ， nà shì zhù guò wú shù de dòng fǔ ， dàn què méi yǒu yī chù 。 néng gòu yǔ yǎn qián xiāng pì měi de 。
整个洞府不仅布局合理。宽敞明亮，而且每一处细节，都是由能工巧匠，jīng雕细琢，这么说吧，林轩自从踏上修仙之路，从简单到奢华，那是住过无数的洞府，但却没有一处。能够与眼前相媲美的。
But such thoughts only flashed through Lin Xuan’s mind briefly.
tǎng zài wò shì de xuán yù chuáng shàng ， lín xuān hěn kuài jiù jìn rù le mèng xiāng ， dì èr tiān qǐ lái ， shén qīng qì shuǎng 。
躺在卧室的玄玉床上，林轩很快就进入了梦乡，第二天起来，神清气爽。
Unhappy as they may be, the current hardships would lead to immortality. Once he reached the stage of heavenly tribulation, he could break free from the constraints of lifespan. If he could ascend and fly among the clouds, that would be even better; true immortals could live as long as heaven and earth, controlling the laws of this world.
suí hòu hōng lōng lóng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， shí mén dǎ kāi 。 lín xuān yóu dòng fǔ zhōng zǒu le chū lái 。
随后轰隆隆的声音传入耳朵，石门打开。林轩由洞府中走了出来。
Then, he could spend eternity with his beloved.
bǎi huā gǔ xiǎng yào jǐn fù jiù guān ， zhì shǎo xū yào liǎng sān gè yuè de shí jiān 。
百花谷想要尽复旧观，至少需要两三个月的时间。
He only wished for eternal love like a pair of swans, but ordinary people couldn’t understand how special it was to be an immortal couple. They would never be separated by yin and yang, and their youth would remain forever.
zhōng jiān zhè duàn kòng xì ， lín xuān kě bù dǎ suàn bì guān dǎ zuò ， huò zhě liàn zhì jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn shén me ， jiù suàn shì xiū xiān 。 nà yě yào zhāng chí yǒu dù ， jiǎng jiū yí gè láo yì jié hé 。
中间这段空隙，林轩可不打算闭关打坐，或者炼制九宫须臾剑什么，就算是修仙。那也要张弛有度，讲究一个劳逸结合。
What about the future?
hǎo bù róng yì chéng gōng jìn jí ， jiāng kě pà de tiān jié yě dù guò ， lín xuān dāng rán bú huì shǎ hū hū de jì xù xiū liàn le 。
好不容易成功晋级，将可怕的天劫也渡过，林轩当然不会傻乎乎的继续修炼了。
That was laughable; it was too vague. Lin Xuan did not believe in reincarnation. His destiny was his own to control. His goal was to skip over the Five Elements Cycle, a feat only true immortals could achieve.
zhè liǎng sān gè yuè de shí jiān ， jiù suàn shì lǎo tiān yé cì yǔ zì jǐ de ， hǎo hǎo fàng sōng xiū xī 。
这两三个月的时间，就算是老天爷赐予自己的，好好放松休息。
Therefore, all this effort was worth it.
dāng rán ， yě bú shì shuō ， shén me yě bù zuò 。
当然，也不是说，什么也不做。
Lin Xuan wanted that moment of ascending and flying among the clouds.
lín xuān zhǔn bèi fān yuè yī xià gǔ jí ， dào bú shì xián dé fā huāng ， xiǎng yào zēng zhǎng jiàn shí ， ér shì lín xuān xiàn zài dōu xiǎng bù tōng ， tiān jié wèi shén me yào tiāo zhè ge shí jiān jiàng luò 。
林轩准备翻阅一下古籍，倒不是闲得发慌，想要增长见识，而是林轩现在都想不通，天劫为什么要挑这个时间降落。
But for now, he would not cultivate; instead, he planned to relax.
jiū jìng shì qiǎo hé ， hái shì bié yǒu shén me yuán gù ？
究竟是巧合，还是别有什么缘故？
However, idling away his time by sightseeing and playing chess got boring after a while. Occasionally, Lin Xuan would give advice on cultivation to some disciples or casually bestow precious treasures upon those who caught his eye.
zhè yì diǎn bù nòng qīng chǔ ， lín xuān shí zài nán yǐ ān xīn 。
这一点不弄清楚，林轩实在难以安心。
Lin Xuan’s wealth was beyond measure; even what he considered trash could be invaluable to other cultivators, especially low-rank ones.
suī rán zì jǐ de shí lì ， yuǎn shèng tóng jiē xiū xiān zhě ， dàn lín xuān què jué bù gǎn ， yīn cǐ jiù xiǎo kàn tiān jié zhī wēi shén me 。
虽然自己的实力，远胜同阶修仙者，但林轩却绝不敢，因此就小看天劫之威什么。
Moreover, with just one word of guidance from him, it was like hearing a lecture for ten years, helping them avoid many detours in their cultivation journey.
zhè yī cì néng dù guò ， xià yī huí ， què wèi bì yǒu zhè yàng hǎo de jī huì le 。
这一次能度过，下一回，却未必有这样好的机会了。
For cultivators, these detours were often measured in centuries.
zhè cì mò míng jiàng luò de tiān jié ， jiù fǎng fú xīn zhōng de yī gēn cì ， bù jiāng tā de lái lóng qù mài nòng qīng chǔ ， lín xuān yòu zěn me kě néng ān xīn ne ？
这次莫名降落的天劫，就仿佛心中的一根刺，不将牠的来龙去脉弄清楚，林轩又怎么可能安心呢？
Thus, the benefits of receiving Lin Xuan’s guidance were clear.
zhè liǎng sān gè yuè fàng sōng xiū xī ， zhèng hǎo jiāng zhè jiàn shì qíng yě yī bìng chǔ lǐ 。
这两三个月放松休息，正好将这件事情也一并处理。
However, Cloud Conceal Sect had too many disciples. Even if Lin Xuan did not hesitate to give advice, those fortunate enough to receive it were few and far between—almost like a rare phoenix feather or unicorn horn.
dāng rán ， lín xuān xiàn zài shēn fèn bù tóng ， jí biàn shì chá diǎn jí ， yě bù yí dìng ， fēi yào qīn lì qīn wéi bù kě 。
当然，林轩现在身份不同，即便是查典籍，也不一定，非要亲力亲为不可。
But that was beside the point; opportunities were unpredictable.
tā zhǐ yào jiāng zì jǐ xiǎng yào zhǎo de wèn tí miáo shù qīng chǔ ， zì rán yǒu xià miàn de dì zǐ bān tā qù xún zhǎo jiě jué zhī cè 。
他只要将自己想要找的问题描述清楚，自然有下面的弟子般他去寻找解决之策。
Thus, the most popular scene at Cloud Conceal Sect now was asking each other whether they had seen Senior Ancestor Lin.
zhè jiù shì tài shàng zhǎng lǎo de hǎo chù ， yào bù rán ， lín xuān yòu gàn má huā zhè me dà de lì qì qù fú chí yún yǐn zōng ne ？
这就是太上长老的好处，要不然，林轩又干嘛花这么大的力气去扶持云隐宗呢？
As for his disciples, their dream was to be favored by Senior Ancestor Lin and become one of his inner disciples—a step up in cultivation.
lián tiān jié de yí huò ， dōu yǒu xià miàn de rén bāng zì jǐ chá zhǎo ， lín xuān yě suàn shì xián dé wú liáo 。
连天劫的疑惑，都有下面的人帮自己查找，林轩也算是闲得无聊。
Imagine how much progress a disciple could make with just a few casual words from him; even the trifling gifts he bestowed were treasures beyond compare.
měi tiān dōng yóu xī guàng ， xià xià qí ， hē hē jiǔ ， yóu shān wán shuǐ 。
每天东游西逛，下下棋，喝喝酒，游山玩水。
For juniors, this was already beneficial. As for disciples, the benefits would be multiplied by hundreds or thousands.
zhè zhǒng yōu xián de shēng huó ， suàn suàn ， zì jǐ yǐ jīng yǒu duō jiǔ ， méi yǒu guò ， lín xuān zì jǐ dōu shuō bù qīng chǔ 。
这种悠闲的生活，算算，自己已经有多久，没有过，林轩自己都说不清楚。
It wasn’t wrong to say that it was like fish leaping over a dragon gate.
yǒu shí hòu xiǎng xiǎng ， xiū xiān zhě ， qí shí yě shì tǐng bēi āi de ， wèi le zhuī xún cháng shēng ， ér xuǎn zé le zhè tiáo bù mǎn jīng jí yǔ xīng fēng xuè yǔ de dào lù 。
有时候想想，修仙者，其实也是挺悲哀的，为了追寻长生，而选择了这条布满荆棘与腥风血雨的道路。
Legend had it that Lin Xuan had never taken on any apprentices. Many people’s hopes ran high, dreaming of good fortune falling upon them.
shì fǒu zhēn de zhí de ？
是否真的值得？
However, wishing for such luck was one thing; could it really happen?
yǒu shí hòu ， hái zhēn bù rú yī jiè fán fū sú zǐ guò dé kuài lè 。
有时候，还真不如一介凡夫俗子过得快乐。
Actually, the rumors outside were incorrect. How could Lin Xuan have never taken an apprentice? And not just one—three in a single year.
suī rán tōng guò xiū xíng ， shì bǐ fán rén de shòu yuán zhǎng le hěn duō 。
虽然通过修行，是比凡人的寿元长了很多。
They were located on another small interface within the spirit realm, far from Dragon Cage World.
kě yǒu yì yì me ？
可有意义么？
"Feather, Swallow, and Ye Ru, I wonder how they are doing now?"
yī míng xiū shì chú le mào xiǎn ， dà bù fèn shí jiān ， dōu yòng zài le bì guān dǎ zuò shàng miàn 。
一名修士除了冒险，大部分时间，都用在了闭关打坐上面。
Lin Xuan sometimes missed these three apprentices. But with Moonleech missing as well, he had no time to worry about his disciples. For now, he focused on enhancing his own strength.
bù qīn shēn jīng lì ， shì hěn nán xiǎng xiàng ， yì kǒu qì bì guān gè jǐ bǎi shàng qiān nián ， shì duō me jiān nán ……
不亲身经历，是很难想象，一口气闭关个几百上千年，是多么艰难……
Time passed quickly; the two months of leisure came to an end.
jí biàn yǐ lín xuān jiān rèn de xìng gé ， nà liǎng qiān nián de dǎ zuò ， yě ràng tā gǎn jué shí fēn nán guò ， páng rén jiù zì bù bì shuō 。
即便以林轩坚韧的xìng格，那两千年的打坐，也让他感觉十分难过，旁人就自不必说。
One day, Lin Xuan was playing chess with a young woman.
yǒu shí hòu xiǎng xiǎng ， xiū xiān zhě guò dé què shí bù kuài lè 。
有时候想想，修仙者过得确实不快乐。
This woman was tall and beautiful, familiar to Lin Xuan from before—Silver-Eyed Maiden’s younger sister, Lin Yujiao, who had accompanied him on his trip to the demon realm for divine spirit trials.
bù guò zhè zhǒng xiǎng fǎ ， yě jǐn jǐn shì zài lín xuān nǎo hǎi zhōng yī shǎn ér guò 。
不过这种想法，也仅仅是在林轩脑海中一闪而过。
Now that time had passed, she had made rapid progress, reaching the late Profound Knowledge stage. She was just one step away from breaking through to the Divine Spirit stage.
bù kuài lè yòu rú hé ， xiàn zài de xīn kǔ ， shì wèi le zhuī xún cháng shēng zhī lù ， zhǐ yào zì jǐ néng jìn jiē dào dù jié hòu qī ， jiù kě yǐ tiào chū shòu yuán de shù fù 。
不快乐又如何，现在的辛苦，是为了追寻长生之路，只要自己能进阶到渡劫后期，就可以跳出寿元的束缚。
However, breaking through the Divine Spirit bottleneck was not easy.
ruò shì néng jǔ xiá fēi shēng ， nà gèng liǎo bù dé ， zhēn xiān kě shì néng gòu yǔ tiān dì tóng shòu ， gèng néng cāo kòng zhè shì jiān de fǎ zé ， nà shí hòu ， zì jǐ jiù kě yǐ yǔ xīn ài de rén yǒng yuǎn xiāng yī xiāng shǒu 。
若是能举霞飞升，那更了不得，真仙可是能够与天地同寿，更能cāo控这世间的法则，那时候，自己就可以与心爱的人永远相依相守。
Since they had some acquaintance, this woman boldly came to seek his advice.
zhǐ xiàn yuān yāng bù xiàn xiān ， nà xiē fán fū sú zǐ yòu zěn me xiǎo de ， zhǐ yǒu xiān lǚ cái néng ràng ài qíng yǒng héng ， xiāng ài de rén bù zài yīn yáng liǎng gé ， néng gòu qīng chūn cháng zhù de yǒng bàn zuǒ yòu 。
只羡鸳鸯不羡仙，那些凡夫俗子又怎么晓得，只有仙侣才能让爱情永恒，相爱的人不再yīn阳两隔，能够青chūn常驻的永伴左右。
For an old friend, Lin Xuan would not be stingy with his advice, especially since she was Silver-Eyed Maiden’s sister. He shared many of his insights and experiences with her.
lái shì ？
来世？
Lin Yujiao gained much from these teachings.
xiào huà ， nà tài guò xū wú piāo miǎo 。 lín xuān bù xiāng xìn gé shì zhī yuán ， wǒ de mìng yùn wǒ zuò zhǔ ， tā de mù biāo shì yào jiāng wǔ xíng lún huí quán dōu tiào guò ， ér zhè ， shì zhǐ yǒu zhēn xiān cái néng gòu bàn dào de 。
笑话，那太过虚无缥缈。林轩不相信隔世之缘，我的命运我做主，他的目标是要将五行轮回全都跳过，而这，是只有真仙才能够办到的。
After Lin Xuan finished explaining his cultivation insights, he let this woman accompany him to play chess. They drank wine while playing, and despite being far stronger than her in cultivation, Lin Xuan was no match for her when it came to chess.
suǒ yǐ ， xiàn zài de nǔ lì ， jué duì zhí de 。
所以，现在的努力，绝对值得。
Luckily, Lin Yujiao was smart enough to leave some room for herself; otherwise, she would have lost easily.
lín xuān yào de ， jiù shì jǔ xiá fēi shēng de yī kè 。
林轩要的，就是举霞飞升的一刻。
Even with a handicap, Lin Xuan still couldn’t resist. Just then, a bright streak of light flew by.
dàn bù guǎn rú hé 。 zhè liǎng sān gè yuè ， tā bú huì xiū xíng ， ér shì dǎ suàn fàng sōng 。
但不管如何。这两三个月，他不会修行，而是打算放松。
Postscript: This chapter is transitional and rather平淡, please bear with me. Only three days left in the month, and the competition for monthly votes has reached its critical stage. Please support me as much as possible, friends.
bù guò tiān tiān yóu shān wán shuǐ ， hē jiǔ xià qí yě tǐng wú liáo 。
不过天天游山玩水，喝酒下棋也挺无聊。
I need your monthly votes!
However, this task was rather tedious and couldn't be completed in a short time. At least, it would take Lin Xuan two to three months.
In other words, Lin Xuan could not return to his cave abode for the time being.
But that didn’t matter. As one of the senior elders of Cloud Conceal Sect, although Lin Xuan rarely returned to the main hall, he certainly had a place to stay here.
His cave abode was arranged in an area where the spiritual energy was most concentrated within the Cloud Conceal Mountains. It had been preserved for thousands of years, ready for emergencies. If Lin Elder were to return and have to reside at the guest house, it would be rather embarrassing.
At that time, it would be a loss to the Cloud Conceal Sect’s face.
Without further ado, the young man with the dragon surname and the silver-eyed maiden personally escorted Lin Xuan to his cave abode.
The environment was not an issue; it was quiet and beautiful. Although the spiritual energy here did not match that of Hundred Flowers Valley, it was meticulously crafted by skilled artisans. Since Lin Xuan had embarked on the path of cultivation, he had stayed in countless cave abodes, but none could compare to this one.
After lying down on the bed made from black jade, Lin Xuan quickly fell asleep and woke up feeling refreshed the next day.
Then, a loud noise reached his ears as the stone door opened, and Lin Xuan stepped out of his cave abode.
It would take at least two or three months for Hundred Flowers Valley to fully recover. During this period, Lin Xuan did not plan on secluding himself in meditation or refining the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword. Cultivation should be balanced; it was important to have a proper balance between work and rest.
After successfully ascending through the terrifying heavenly tribulation, Lin Xuan would not continue his cultivation for these two months. Instead, he intended to relax and take things easy.
Of course, that did not mean doing nothing at all.
Lin Xuan planned to review some ancient texts; it was not out of boredom but rather because he could not understand why the heavenly tribulation chose this time to descend. Was it a coincidence or for another reason?
This matter needed clarification before Lin Xuan could truly relax.
During these two months, he would take things easy and deal with this issue as well.
Of course, now that Lin Xuan was in his current position, even if he wanted to look through ancient texts, he did not necessarily have to do it personally. He just had to describe the problems he needed help with, and his subordinates would find solutions for him.
This was one of the benefits of being a senior elder; otherwise, why would Lin Xuan go through so much trouble to support Cloud Conceal Sect? Even if someone helped him investigate the heavenly tribulation, it was still a waste of time.
Every day, he wandered around, played chess, drank wine, and enjoyed scenic views. This kind of leisurely life had been long forgotten by Lin Xuan; he couldn’t even remember how long it had been since he last experienced such freedom.
Sometimes, he thought that cultivators were rather pitiful. They chose a path filled with danger and peril to seek immortality. Was it really worth it?
Sometimes, ordinary people might be happier than them.
Although cultivation extended their lifespan compared to mortals, was it meaningful? Most of the time, cultivators spent their lives in seclusion meditating.
It was difficult to imagine how challenging it would be to close oneself off for a thousand years or more. Even with his resilient nature, two millennia of meditation were still a daunting task for others.
Sometimes, he thought that cultivators led unhappy lives.
But such thoughts only flashed through Lin Xuan’s mind briefly.
Unhappy as they may be, the current hardships would lead to immortality. Once he reached the stage of heavenly tribulation, he could break free from the constraints of lifespan. If he could ascend and fly among the clouds, that would be even better; true immortals could live as long as heaven and earth, controlling the laws of this world.
Then, he could spend eternity with his beloved.
He only wished for eternal love like a pair of swans, but ordinary people couldn’t understand how special it was to be an immortal couple. They would never be separated by yin and yang, and their youth would remain forever.
What about the future?
That was laughable; it was too vague. Lin Xuan did not believe in reincarnation. His destiny was his own to control. His goal was to skip over the Five Elements Cycle, a feat only true immortals could achieve.
Therefore, all this effort was worth it.
Lin Xuan wanted that moment of ascending and flying among the clouds.
But for now, he would not cultivate; instead, he planned to relax.
However, idling away his time by sightseeing and playing chess got boring after a while. Occasionally, Lin Xuan would give advice on cultivation to some disciples or casually bestow precious treasures upon those who caught his eye.
Lin Xuan’s wealth was beyond measure; even what he considered trash could be invaluable to other cultivators, especially low-rank ones.
Moreover, with just one word of guidance from him, it was like hearing a lecture for ten years, helping them avoid many detours in their cultivation journey.
For cultivators, these detours were often measured in centuries.
Thus, the benefits of receiving Lin Xuan’s guidance were clear.
However, Cloud Conceal Sect had too many disciples. Even if Lin Xuan did not hesitate to give advice, those fortunate enough to receive it were few and far between—almost like a rare phoenix feather or unicorn horn.
But that was beside the point; opportunities were unpredictable.
Thus, the most popular scene at Cloud Conceal Sect now was asking each other whether they had seen Senior Ancestor Lin.
As for his disciples, their dream was to be favored by Senior Ancestor Lin and become one of his inner disciples—a step up in cultivation.
Imagine how much progress a disciple could make with just a few casual words from him; even the trifling gifts he bestowed were treasures beyond compare.
For juniors, this was already beneficial. As for disciples, the benefits would be multiplied by hundreds or thousands.
It wasn’t wrong to say that it was like fish leaping over a dragon gate.
Legend had it that Lin Xuan had never taken on any apprentices. Many people’s hopes ran high, dreaming of good fortune falling upon them.
However, wishing for such luck was one thing; could it really happen?
Actually, the rumors outside were incorrect. How could Lin Xuan have never taken an apprentice? And not just one—three in a single year.
They were located on another small interface within the spirit realm, far from Dragon Cage World.
"Feather, Swallow, and Ye Ru, I wonder how they are doing now?"
Lin Xuan sometimes missed these three apprentices. But with Moonleech missing as well, he had no time to worry about his disciples. For now, he focused on enhancing his own strength.
Time passed quickly; the two months of leisure came to an end.
One day, Lin Xuan was playing chess with a young woman.
This woman was tall and beautiful, familiar to Lin Xuan from before—Silver-Eyed Maiden’s younger sister, Lin Yujiao, who had accompanied him on his trip to the demon realm for divine spirit trials.
Now that time had passed, she had made rapid progress, reaching the late Profound Knowledge stage. She was just one step away from breaking through to the Divine Spirit stage.
However, breaking through the Divine Spirit bottleneck was not easy.
Since they had some acquaintance, this woman boldly came to seek his advice.
For an old friend, Lin Xuan would not be stingy with his advice, especially since she was Silver-Eyed Maiden’s sister. He shared many of his insights and experiences with her.
Lin Yujiao gained much from these teachings.
After Lin Xuan finished explaining his cultivation insights, he let this woman accompany him to play chess. They drank wine while playing, and despite being far stronger than her in cultivation, Lin Xuan was no match for her when it came to chess.
Luckily, Lin Yujiao was smart enough to leave some room for herself; otherwise, she would have lost easily.
Even with a handicap, Lin Xuan still couldn’t resist. Just then, a bright streak of light flew by.
Postscript: This chapter is transitional and rather平淡, please bear with me. Only three days left in the month, and the competition for monthly votes has reached its critical stage. Please support me as much as possible, friends.
I need your monthly votes!