gǔ mó dà xǐ ， liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī níng xiào zhī sè， ér rén lèi xiū shì ， zé yí gè gè àn àn jiào kǔ 。
古魔大喜，脸上闪过一丝狞笑之sè，而人类修士，则一个个暗暗叫苦。
The ancient demon was elated, a wicked smile crossing his face. The human cultivators, on the other hand, silently groaned.
“ yú chǔn de jiā huo ， hái bù kuài shù shǒu jiù fù ， kě yǐ shǎo shòu xǔ duō kǔ chǔ 。”
“愚蠢的家伙，还不快束手就缚，可以少受许多苦楚。”
"Stupid fellows, hurry and surrender! You'll suffer less," came the deep voice of the ancient demon. It sounded like thunder in the sky, yet he continued to move with six arms, creating an intimidating purple fist shadow that seemed unstoppable.
nà gǔ mó xióng hún de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， jiù yǔ qíng tiān pī lì xiāng chà fǎng fú ， ér tā kǒu zhōng dà hē ， shǒu shàng de dòng zuò què yě sī háo méi yǒu xián zhe ， liù zhǐ shǒu bì shàng xià fēi wǔ ， shà shí jiān yī piàn zǐ sè de quán yǐng mí sàn ér chū ， shēng shì jīng rén dào wú yǐ fù jiā de dì bù 。
那古魔雄浑的声音传入耳朵，就与晴天霹雳相差仿佛，而他口中大喝，手上的动作却也丝毫没有闲着，六只手臂上下飞舞，霎时间一片紫sè的拳影弥散而出，声势惊人到无以复加的地步。
His target was a round-faced young girl who had just made a mistake. She appeared no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, but her true age was undoubtedly much older. Her cultivation foundation was still unstable, suggesting she had only recently condensed her golden core.
ér tā gōng jī de mù biāo ， zhèng shì gāng gāng chū cuò de yuán liǎn shào nǚ 。
而他攻击的目标，正是刚刚出错的圆脸少女。
Just as she panicked from the previous mishap, this ancient demon's fierce attack struck again. The girl seemed frozen with fear and stood motionless.
cǐ nǚ kàn shàng qù bù guò shí qī bā suì nián jì ， suī rán zhēn zhèng de nián líng kěn dìng bù zhǐ ， dàn wú yí yě shì zhè qún rén lèi xiū shì zhōng zuì nián qīng dì 。
此女看上去不过十七八岁年纪，虽然真正的年龄肯定不止，但无疑也是这群人类修士中最年轻地。
"Xing'er, what are you doing?"
kàn tā jìng jiè dōu hái bù zěn me wěn gù ， xiǎn rán gāng gāng níng jié chéng jīn dān hái méi yǒu duō jiǔ de 。
看她境界都还不怎么稳固，显然刚刚凝结成金丹还没有多久的。
The leading human elder was both angry and alarmed. His nephew had made such a foolish mistake at a critical moment, causing him immense frustration.
gāng gāng jiù máng zhōng chū cuò ， cǐ kè shào nǚ xīn zhōng de huáng kǒng shàng wèi sàn qù ， jiù yòu miàn lín gǔ mó kuáng měng de gōng jī ， cǐ nǚ hài rán zhī yú ， sì hū jìng bèi xià dé shǎ le ， jiù zhè me yī dòng bù dòng de zhàn zài yuán dì 。
刚刚就忙中出错，此刻少女心中的惶恐尚未散去，就又面临古魔狂猛的攻击，此女骇然之余，似乎竟被吓得傻了，就这么一动不动的站在原地。
However, regret was useless now; it was too late to save the situation. He wouldn't sit idly by.
“ xìng ér ， nǐ zài gàn má ？”
“杏儿，妳在干嘛？”
With anxiety, he raised his hand and released a long beam of white light. Despite the others not seeing clearly, Lin Xuan's superior vision revealed that the light contained a戒尺-shaped treasure.
nà wéi shǒu de rén lèi lǎo zhě yòu jīng yòu nù ， guān jiàn shí kè ， shī zhí jū rán fàn xià zhè me yú chǔn de cuò wù ， tā xīn zhōng de yù mèn shì kě xiǎng ér zhī de 。
那为首的人类老者又惊又怒，关键时刻，师侄居然犯下这么愚蠢的错误，他心中的郁闷是可想而知的。
The light sped towards the ancient demon’s head.
rán ér ào nǎo yòu yǒu shén me yòng chǔ ， cǐ kè bǔ jiù sì hū dōu lái bù jí le ， dàn wú lùn rú hé ， tā yě jué bú huì zuò yǐ dài bì 。
然而懊恼又有什么用处，此刻补救似乎都来不及了，但无论如何，他也绝不会坐以待毙。
"Idiot!"
jiāo lǜ zhī xià ， zhǐ jiàn tā dān shǒu yī yáng ， fàng chū yī dào zhàng xǔ zhǎng de bái guāng ， bié rén huò xǔ kàn bù qīng chǔ ， dàn lín xuān yǔ tā men de jìng jiè xiāng chà tài duō ， yǎn qián de yī qiè què shì qīng xī rù mù ， nà bái guāng zhōng de ， shì yī jiè chǐ xíng zhuàng de bǎo wù 。
焦虑之下，只见他单手一扬，放出一道丈许长的白光，别人或许看不清楚，但林轩与他们的境界相差太多，眼前的一切却是清晰入目，那白光中的，是一戒尺形状的宝物。
The ancient demon ignored it, spewing out pitch-black demonic flames. These flames transformed into a burning hand, grabbing the戒尺 and crushing it with his five fingers. The magical aura dimmed significantly.
sù dù kuài jí ， xiàng zhe gǔ mó tóu dǐng pī qù 。
速度快极，向着古魔头顶劈去。
Despite this, the ancient demon's other actions remained unaffected. Purple fist shadows swiftly approached the round-faced girl.
“ chǔn huò ！”
“蠢货！”
She seemed to be about to perish.
gǔ mó què shì ruò wú dǔ ， zhāng kǒu yī dào qī hēi de mó yán pēn chū 。
古魔却视若无睹，张口一道漆黑的魔炎喷出。
Suddenly, a strong wind swept through, causing those purple fist shadows to disintegrate like water bubbles.
nà mó yán yī shǎn ， huà wèi yī xióng xióng rán shāo de dà shǒu fú xiàn yú yǎn qián ， kuài rú shǎn diàn ， xiàng xià lāo qù 。 yī bǎ jiù jiāng nà jiè chǐ zhuā zài le shǒu lǐ 。
那魔炎一闪，化为一熊熊燃烧的大手浮现于眼前，快如闪电，像下捞去。一把就将那戒尺抓在了手里。
"What happened?"
wǔ zhǐ jǐn wò 。 cǐ bǎo de líng guāng dùn shí àn dàn le xǔ duō 。
五指紧握。此宝的灵光顿时黯淡了许多。
"It can't be!"
zhěng gè guò chéng tù qǐ hú luò ， ér gǔ mó qí yú de dòng zuò ， què fēn háo yě méi yǒu shòu yǐng xiǎng shén me 。
整个过程兔起鹘落，而古魔其余的动作，却分毫也没有受影响什么。
The ancient demon and the human cultivators exclaimed in shock. Their emotions were vastly different: the humans were elated while the ancient demon was both shocked and enraged...
zǐ sè de quán yǐng yī shùn jiān jiù lái dào nà yuán liǎn shào nǚ de shēn qián sān chǐ zhī chù 。
紫sè的拳影一瞬间就来到那圆脸少女的身前三尺之处。
No one present knew what had occurred. The gap between Lin Xuan's power and theirs was too great.
cǐ nǚ sì hū mǎ shàng jiù yào xiāng xiāo yù yǔn diào le 。
此女似乎马上就要香消玉殒掉了。
"Who is this high-ranking expert? You have broken my technique, why not show yourself?"
rán ér jiù zài zhè shí 。 yì biàn tū qǐ ， yī dào kuáng fēng juǎn guò ， nà xiē zǐ sè de quán yǐng jū rán rú shuǐ pào yì bān de pò miè diào le 。
然而就在这时。异变突起，一道狂风卷过，那些紫sè的拳影居然如水泡一般的破灭掉了。
The ancient demon paused before speaking in a hoarse voice. He was already contemplating retreat but decided to provoke instead.
“ zěn me huí shì ？”
“怎么回事？”
Lin Xuan remained expressionless. With his immense abilities, he found no need to bother with such trivial matters.
“ bù kě néng ！”
“不可能！”
With a flash of light, Lin Xuan appeared from hiding.
gǔ mó yǔ nà xiē rén lèi xiū shì qí shēng jīng hū 。 rán ér yǔ qì zhōng bāo hán de qíng xù què shì dà bù xiāng tóng ， rén lèi zhè biān shì jīng xǐ ， gǔ mó zé shì jīng nù jiāo jí ……
古魔与那些人类修士齐声惊呼。然而语气中包含的情绪却是大不相同，人类这边是惊喜，古魔则是惊怒交集……
Boom!
zài chǎng zhè me duō xiū xiān zhě ， què wú yī rén zhī dào fā shēng le shén me 。
在场这么多修仙者，却无一人知道发生了什么。
A terrifying spiritual pressure descended from the sky.
zhè bù xī qí ， lín xuān yǔ tā men zhī jiān ， yǒu zhe tài dà de chā jù 。
这不稀奇，林轩与他们之间，有着太大的差距。
This pressure had been toned down; it was only one-third of his full power. Otherwise, the cultivators present would have exploded under the sheer force.
“ hé fāng gāo rén ， jià lín cǐ chù ， gǎn pò qù běn zūn de zhāo shù ， wèi hé bù gǎn xiàn shēn yī jiàn ne ？”
“何方高人，驾临此处，敢破去本尊的招数，为何不敢现身一见呢？”
Even so, the ancient demon stepped back several steps. The human cultivators reacted similarly, releasing their protective treasures. Their expressions mirrored the weight of a thousand pounds pressing on them.
nà gǔ mó mò rán piàn kè 。 shēng yīn sī yǎ de kāi kǒu le ， píng xīn lái shuō ， tā xīn zhōng yǐ jīng yǒu le jǐ fēn tuì yì 。 dàn cǐ shí cǐ kè 。 zhuǎn shēn ér táo ， míng xiǎn shì bú shì hé dì 。 suǒ yǐ cái yìng zhe tóu pí ， shuō chū zhè me yī jù tiǎo xìn de yán yǔ 。
那古魔默然片刻。声音嘶哑的开口了，平心来说，他心中已经有了几分退意。但此时此刻。转身而逃，明显是不适合地。所以才硬着头皮，说出这么一句挑衅的言语。
"You..."
ér lín xuān tīng zài ěr lǐ ， què sī háo biǎo qíng yě wú ， yǐ tā de shén tōng shí lì ， zì rán zǎo yǐ bú xiè yú ， tóng yī yuán yīng jí bié de xiǎo jiā huo zhì qì 。
而林轩听在耳里，却丝毫表情也无，以他的神通实力，自然早已不屑于，同一元婴级别的小家伙置气。
The ancient demon's face showed shock and disbelief as he struggled to speak.
lín xuān de dòng zuò gān cuì wú bǐ ， zhí jiē líng guāng yī shǎn ， jiù cóng cáng nì de dì fāng xiàn shēn chū lái 。
林轩的动作干脆无比，直接灵光一闪，就从藏匿的地方现身出来。
Initially, he had assumed that the mysterious expert was at most late-stage婴灵, giving him some hope for survival even if he couldn't defeat him. Now, he realized how deep this opponent’s power went; his very soul seemed on the brink of destruction.
hōng ！
轰！
Even a cultivator at the合体 stage wouldn’t be this terrifying. Could this guy actually be an old patriarch from the洞玄 realm?
tóng shí ， yī gǔ kě pà de líng yā cóng tiān ér luò 。
同时，一股可怕的灵压从天而落。
His fear intensified as he considered the implications. The ancient demon's combativeness meant he was usually stronger than his peers, but the difference between婴灵 and 洞玄 realms was immense. Facing such a powerful expert, there was no chance of escape.
dāng rán ， zhè yǐ jīng shì yǒu suǒ shōu liǎn le ， lín xuān fàng chū de líng yā ， bù zú quán shèng zhuàng tài de sān fēn zhī yī ， fǒu zé ， guāng shì zhè yā lì ， yǎn qián de xiū xiān zhě ， jiù huì chéng shòu bú zhù ， zhí jiē bào tǐ ér wáng le 。
当然，这已经是有所收敛了，林轩放出的灵压，不足全盛状态的三分之一，否则，光是这压力，眼前的修仙者，就会承受不住，直接爆体而亡了。
"Senior..."
jí biàn rú cǐ ， nà gǔ mó yě dēng dēng dēng tuì hòu jǐ bù ， rén lèi xiū shì gèng bú yòng shuō ， lián máng gè zì fàng chū hù tǐ de bǎo wù ， yí gè gè de biǎo qíng ， yī jiù shì yǔ wàn jīn yā shēn chà bu duō 。
即便如此，那古魔也蹬蹬蹬退后几步，人类修士更不用说，连忙各自放出护体的宝物，一个个的表情，依旧是与万斤压身差不多。
The only option was to use flattery, but Lin Xuan showed no interest in listening. With a wave of his sleeve, the ancient demon exploded without any warning.
“ nǐ ……”
“你……”
Reduced to powder under Lin Xuan's divine might, he didn't even have time to release his元婴.
wàng zhe lín xuān de miàn róng ， nà gǔ mó yī fù jīng hài yù jué de shén sè， yǐ jīng shuō bù chū huà lái le 。
望着林轩的面容，那古魔一副惊骇yù绝的神sè，已经说不出话来了。
This scene left the other cultivators with complex expressions, quickly replaced by awe and unease.
yuán běn ， tā yǐ wéi nà shén mì de gāo shǒu zuì duō bù guò yuán yīng hòu qī ， zhè yàng ， zì jǐ jí shǐ dǎ bù guò ， bǎo mìng zǒng hái shì yǒu jǐ fēn bǎ wò dì ， suǒ yǐ ， tā xīn zhōng yě bú shì tè bié de wèi jù 。
原本，他以为那神秘的高手最多不过元婴后期，这样，自己即使打不过，保命总还是有几分把握地，所以，他心中也不是特别的畏惧。
It was understandable why they were nervous. While Lin Xuan had saved them, the disparity in power between him and these young cultivators was too great.
nǎ xiǎo de ， què shì rú cǐ de shēn bù kě cè ， guāng shì nà líng yā ， zì jǐ jiù yào hún fēi pò sàn diào le 。
哪晓得，却是如此的深不可测，光是那灵压，自己就要魂飞魄散掉了。
The elder leading the group, though his hair was gray, spoke with vigor as he bowed before Lin Xuan without waiting for an invitation.
jiù suàn shì lí hé jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， yě bù kě néng kě pà dào zhè ge chéng dù ， nán dào zhè jiā huo ， jū rán shì dòng xuán qī lǎo zǔ ？
就算是离合级别的修仙者，也不可能可怕到这个程度，难道这家伙，居然是洞玄期老祖？
"Thank you, senior, for saving us from that ancient demon. If not for your help, we would have been harmed. We will do our best to serve you."
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， tā xīn zhōng de wèi jù yǐ shì wú yǐ fù jiā le ， gǔ mó yīn wèi hào dòu de yuán gù ， shí lì jiù yì bān qíng kuàng lái shuō ， yào shèng guò tóng jiē xiū xiān zhě ， dàn yuán yīng yǔ dòng xuán ， lì liàng zé gēn běn bú shì yí gè céng miàn ， duì shàng zhè zhǒng jí bié de gāo shǒu ， zì jǐ gēn běn jiù yī fèn táo pǎo de jī huì yě wú 。
脑海中念头转过，他心中的畏惧已是无以复加了，古魔因为好斗的缘故，实力就一般情况来说，要胜过同阶修仙者，但元婴与洞玄，力量则根本不是一个层面，对上这种级别的高手，自己根本就一份逃跑的机会也无。
Lin Xuan asked simply, "Which sect are you from? Where is this place?"
“ qián bèi ……”
“前辈……”
"We are from the Sea Sand Sect, and this is the Illusory Dark Forest," the elder replied in shock.
wéi yī de chū lù jiù shì qiǎo yán lìng sè， rán ér lín xuān gēn běn jiù méi yǒu xìng qù tīng tā luō suo ， xiù páo yī fú ， yě bú jiàn shén me líng guāng shǎn shuò ， gāng gāng hái xiōng yàn wàn zhàng de gǔ mó ， jiù mò míng qí miào de bào zhà diào le 。
唯一的出路就是巧言令sè，然而林轩根本就没有兴趣听他啰嗦，袖袍一拂，也不见什么灵光闪烁，刚刚还凶焰万丈的古魔，就莫名其妙的爆炸掉了。
Lin Xuan's question was too simple for such a powerful expert. Despite his doubts, he gave a standard response.
zài lín xuān de shén wēi xià huà wèi le fěn mò ， lián yuán yīng dōu méi yǒu jī huì táo chū 。
在林轩的神威下化为了粉末，连元婴都没有机会逃出。
"Illusory Dark Forest?" Lin Xuan frowned. He could confirm that there was no such place in the Nael Dragon Realm.
zhè yí mù luò zài nà xiē xiū shì de yǎn lǐ ， yí gè gè biǎo qíng fù zá yǐ jí ， dàn hěn kuài ， jiù bèi jìng wèi suǒ dài tì ， shén qíng gèng shì jú cù wú bǐ 。
这一幕落在那些修士的眼里，一个个表情复杂以极，但很快，就被敬畏所代替，神情更是局促无比。
"Is this still the Spirit Realm?"
yě nán guài tā men tǎn tè ， lín xuān shì tì tā men jiě wéi le méi cuò ， dàn shuāng fāng bǐ cǐ de shí lì ， chā jù què yě wèi miǎn tài dà le yī xiē 。
也难怪他们忐忑，林轩是替他们解围了没错，但双方彼此的实力，差距却也未免太大了一些。
Directly addressing these young cultivators, Lin Xuan asked his biggest question.
cǐ shí cǐ kè ， zhè xiē xiū shì de xīn zhōng yě zài dǎ gǔ ， bì jìng zhè zhǒng děng jí de lǎo guài wù ， pí qì gǔ guài nà shì zài zhèng cháng bù guò ， shēng pà yí gè yìng duì bù hǎo ， rě lái tāo tiān dà huò 。
此时此刻，这些修士的心中也在打鼓，毕竟这种等级的老怪物，脾气古怪那是再正常不过，生怕一个应对不好，惹来滔天大祸。
The elder was taken aback but quickly understood: "Senior, you are not from here; it's understandable why you don't know. This is a lost realm, no longer part of the Spirit Realm."
“ duō xiè qián bèi jiù mìng zhī ēn ， ruò bú shì qián bèi xiāng zhù ， wǒ děng duō bàn yǐ bèi nà gǔ mó jiā hài diào le ， dà ēn bù yán xiè ， qián bèi ruò yǒu shén me shì qíng ， wǎn bèi děng yí dìng jìn lì xiào láo de 。”
“多谢前辈救命之恩，若不是前辈相助，我等多半已被那古魔加害掉了，大恩不言谢，前辈若有什么事情，晚辈等一定尽力效劳的。”
P.S.: On New Year’s Day, I wish all fellow daoists a happy new year, fulfilling wishes, and everything going well.
The ancient demon was elated, a wicked smile crossing his face. The human cultivators, on the other hand, silently groaned.
"Stupid fellows, hurry and surrender! You'll suffer less," came the deep voice of the ancient demon. It sounded like thunder in the sky, yet he continued to move with six arms, creating an intimidating purple fist shadow that seemed unstoppable.
His target was a round-faced young girl who had just made a mistake. She appeared no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, but her true age was undoubtedly much older. Her cultivation foundation was still unstable, suggesting she had only recently condensed her golden core.
Just as she panicked from the previous mishap, this ancient demon's fierce attack struck again. The girl seemed frozen with fear and stood motionless.
"Xing'er, what are you doing?"
The leading human elder was both angry and alarmed. His nephew had made such a foolish mistake at a critical moment, causing him immense frustration.
However, regret was useless now; it was too late to save the situation. He wouldn't sit idly by.
With anxiety, he raised his hand and released a long beam of white light. Despite the others not seeing clearly, Lin Xuan's superior vision revealed that the light contained a戒尺-shaped treasure.
The light sped towards the ancient demon’s head.
"Idiot!"
The ancient demon ignored it, spewing out pitch-black demonic flames. These flames transformed into a burning hand, grabbing the戒尺 and crushing it with his five fingers. The magical aura dimmed significantly.
Despite this, the ancient demon's other actions remained unaffected. Purple fist shadows swiftly approached the round-faced girl.
She seemed to be about to perish.
Suddenly, a strong wind swept through, causing those purple fist shadows to disintegrate like water bubbles.
"What happened?"
"It can't be!"
The ancient demon and the human cultivators exclaimed in shock. Their emotions were vastly different: the humans were elated while the ancient demon was both shocked and enraged...
No one present knew what had occurred. The gap between Lin Xuan's power and theirs was too great.
"Who is this high-ranking expert? You have broken my technique, why not show yourself?"
The ancient demon paused before speaking in a hoarse voice. He was already contemplating retreat but decided to provoke instead.
Lin Xuan remained expressionless. With his immense abilities, he found no need to bother with such trivial matters.
With a flash of light, Lin Xuan appeared from hiding.
Boom!
A terrifying spiritual pressure descended from the sky.
This pressure had been toned down; it was only one-third of his full power. Otherwise, the cultivators present would have exploded under the sheer force.
Even so, the ancient demon stepped back several steps. The human cultivators reacted similarly, releasing their protective treasures. Their expressions mirrored the weight of a thousand pounds pressing on them.
"You..."
The ancient demon's face showed shock and disbelief as he struggled to speak.
Initially, he had assumed that the mysterious expert was at most late-stage婴灵, giving him some hope for survival even if he couldn't defeat him. Now, he realized how deep this opponent’s power went; his very soul seemed on the brink of destruction.
Even a cultivator at the合体 stage wouldn’t be this terrifying. Could this guy actually be an old patriarch from the洞玄 realm?
His fear intensified as he considered the implications. The ancient demon's combativeness meant he was usually stronger than his peers, but the difference between婴灵 and 洞玄 realms was immense. Facing such a powerful expert, there was no chance of escape.
"Senior..."
The only option was to use flattery, but Lin Xuan showed no interest in listening. With a wave of his sleeve, the ancient demon exploded without any warning.
Reduced to powder under Lin Xuan's divine might, he didn't even have time to release his元婴.
This scene left the other cultivators with complex expressions, quickly replaced by awe and unease.
It was understandable why they were nervous. While Lin Xuan had saved them, the disparity in power between him and these young cultivators was too great.
The elder leading the group, though his hair was gray, spoke with vigor as he bowed before Lin Xuan without waiting for an invitation.
"Thank you, senior, for saving us from that ancient demon. If not for your help, we would have been harmed. We will do our best to serve you."
Lin Xuan asked simply, "Which sect are you from? Where is this place?"
"We are from the Sea Sand Sect, and this is the Illusory Dark Forest," the elder replied in shock.
Lin Xuan's question was too simple for such a powerful expert. Despite his doubts, he gave a standard response.
"Illusory Dark Forest?" Lin Xuan frowned. He could confirm that there was no such place in the Nael Dragon Realm.
"Is this still the Spirit Realm?"
Directly addressing these young cultivators, Lin Xuan asked his biggest question.
The elder was taken aback but quickly understood: "Senior, you are not from here; it's understandable why you don't know. This is a lost realm, no longer part of the Spirit Realm."
P.S.: On New Year’s Day, I wish all fellow daoists a happy new year, fulfilling wishes, and everything going well.