ér děng dài ， yě jiù yì wèi zhe biàn shù 。
而等待，也就意味着变数。
Waiting meant uncertainty.
tiān zhī dào zhè guò chéng zhōng ， huì fā shēng shén me 。
天知道这过程中，会发生什么。
Who knew what could happen during this process?
lín xuān bā bù dé ， xiàn zài jiù qǔ le bǎo wù yuǎn yuǎn lí kāi cǐ chù 。
林轩巴不得，现在就取了宝物远远离开此处。
Lin Xuan wished he could take the treasure and leave as soon as possible. But he couldn't do that.
kě tā bù néng gòu zhè me zuò 。
可他不能够这么做。
The more precious the secret treasure, the less it could be interrupted during its refinement process.
yuè shì zhēn guì de mì bǎo ， liàn zhì de guò chéng yuè shì dǎ duàn bù dé 。
越是珍贵的秘宝，炼制的过程越是打断不得。
This was a fact Lin Xuan understood well.
zhè dào lǐ ， lín xuān xīn lǐ yǒu shù 。
这道理，林轩心里有数。
Otherwise, the power of such a treasure would surely suffer significantly.
fǒu zé ， cǐ bǎo de wēi lì ， fēi dà shòu yǐng xiǎng bù kě 。
否则，此宝的威力，非大受影响不可。
However, waiting like this made Lin Xuan extremely uneasy.
rán ér zhè yàng děng xià qù ， lín xuān xīn zhōng zhe shí shì bù ān yǐ jí 。
然而这样等下去，林轩心中着实是不安以极。
After all, this treasure wasn’t naturally born; it was intentionally refined by someone. Lin Xuan wouldn't forget that ghost sage from the Tribulation Transcending Stage.
bì jìng zhè bǎo wù bìng fēi tiān shēng dì zhǎng ， ér shì rén yǒu yì liàn zhì 。
毕竟这宝物并非天生地长，而是人有意炼制。
That guy had considerable abilities, but Lin Xuan didn't think a mere early-stage tribulation transcender could refine such a treasure.
nà dù jié qī de guǐ shèng lín xuān bú huì wàng jì 。
那渡劫期的鬼圣林轩不会忘记。
It was likely just one of his subordinates!
nà jiā huo shén tōng bù sú ， dàn lín xuān bìng bù rèn wéi yī dù jié chū qī de cún zài néng gòu liàn zhì zhè děng bǎo wù 。
那家伙神通不俗，但林轩并不认为一渡劫初期的存在能够炼制这等宝物。
This speculation wasn’t baseless. To be frank, most middle-stage tribulation transceivers probably couldn’t do this either.
duō bàn zhǐ shì yī shǒu xià bà le ！
多半只是一手下罢了！
Only those old-timers who had passed the late stage of tribulation could have the power to create such an extraordinary treasure—like the Treasure Snake Ice Soul or someone like Master Nale Dragon.
zhè zhǒng tuī cè jué fēi wú dì fàng shǐ 。
这种推测绝非无的放矢。
The other party wasn't here; they just left their subordinates to guard it. Lin Xuan didn’t think this was due to carelessness but more likely because something had detained him, leaving him with no spare hands.
shuō jù bú kè qì de yán yǔ ， dù jié zhōng qī de cún zài duō bàn dōu méi yǒu zhè zhǒng běn shì 。
说句不客气的言语，渡劫中期的存在多半都没有这种本事。
But the treasure was too important for him not to care. Even if he hadn’t wronged these subordinates in the past and there was no current grudge, they would definitely kill him to cover their tracks.
fàng yǎn sān jiè ， yǒu shí lì nòng chū zhè zhǒng yì bǎo lái de ， zhǐ yǒu nà xiē dù jié hòu qī de lǎo jiā huǒ ， bǐ rú shuō bǎo shé bīng pò ， huò zhě nài lóng zhēn rén nà ge děng jí de xiū xiān zhě 。
放眼三界，有实力弄出这种异宝来的，只有那些渡劫后期的老家伙，比如说宝蛇冰魄，或者鼐龙真人那个等级的修仙者。
The cultivation world was one where strength reigned supreme.
duì fāng rén bù zài zhè lǐ ， jǐn jǐn shì ràng shǒu xià shǒu hù ， lín xuān kě bù rèn wéi tā shì yī shí dà yì ， duō bàn shì bèi shén me shì qíng chán zhù ， fēn ☆ shēn fá shù 。
对方人不在这里，仅仅是让手下守护，林轩可不认为他是一时大意，多半是被什么事情缠住，分☆身乏术。
Staying here was dangerous, but how could Lin Xuan bear to leave?
dàn zhè bǎo bèi shí zài tài zhòng yào le ， tā bù kě néng bù guǎn bù gù ， yǎn qián ， shì fēn ☆ shēn fá shù ， dàn děng tā jiě jué diào shǒu zhōng de shì qíng ， rú wú yì wài ， kěn dìng huì mǎ shàng gǎn dào cǐ chù 。
但这宝贝实在太重要了，他不可能不管不顾，眼前，是分☆身乏术，但等他解决掉手中的事情，如无意外，肯定会马上赶到此处。
With all sorts of thoughts swirling through his mind, Lin Xuan's expression fluctuated. If his earlier speculations were correct, this situation was either a chance or an ill-fated encounter, and it was hard to say which at the moment.
zhè yì diǎn jué wú kě yí ， yīn wèi lín xuān huàn wèi sī suǒ ， rú guǒ huàn chéng shì zì jǐ ， tā bǎi fēn zhī bǎi ， huì zhè me zuò 。
这一点绝无可疑，因为林轩换位思索，如果换成是自己，他百分之百，会这么做。
Now he faced a difficult choice: should he stay for the treasure or leave?
jiǎn dān de shuō ， rú guǒ zì jǐ méi yǒu liào cuò ， yī dù jié hòu qī ， shèn zhì gèng lì hài yì diǎn de lǎo jiā huǒ ， suí shí yǒu kě néng gǎn wǎng cǐ chù 。
简单的说，如果自己没有料错，一渡劫后期，甚至更厉害一点的老家伙，随时有可能赶往此处。
Or perhaps take the risk of desecrating a precious item by forcibly taking the treasure now.
nà zì jǐ liú zài jì xù zhè lǐ ， wèi miǎn tài wēi xiǎn le yī xiē 。
那自己留在继续这里，未免太危险了一些。
Lin Xuan didn't know. Each option had its pros and cons.
bié shuō ， zì jǐ jiāng tā de jǐ míng shǒu xià miè chú ， jiù suàn liǎng rén wǎng rì wú yuān ， jìn rì wú chóu ， tā yě kěn dìng huì shā rén miè kǒu 。
别说，自己将他的几名手下灭除，就算两人往日无冤，近日无仇，他也肯定会杀人灭口。
Even with his sharp mind, it was hard to make up his mind in such a situation. The dilemma of having to choose between two desirable but incompatible things was truly painful!
xiū xiān jiè yuán běn jiù shì qiáng zhě wèi zūn de 。
修仙界原本就是强者为尊的。
Lin Xuan sighed inwardly, struggling with indecision. He wondered what kind of treasure this could be, already so dazzling even before its refinement was complete.
liú zài zhè lǐ ， wēi xiǎn bù yòng tí 。
留在这里，危险不用提。
Wait, wait—refinement?
dàn lín xuān yòu zěn me kě néng shě de lí qù ？
但林轩又怎么可能舍得离去？
Since the treasure wasn’t naturally born, it must have been intentionally refined by someone. Where was that refiner?
nǎo hǎi zhōng zhū bān niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， lín xuān de liǎn sè ， yě yīn qíng bù dìng qǐ lái le ， rú guǒ zì jǐ gāng gāng de yī fān tuī cè méi cuò ， yǎn qián jiū jìng shì jī yuán ， hái shì ràng zì jǐ dǎo méi hòu huǐ de zāo yù ， xiàn zài jiù zuò dìng lùn ， hái zhēn de hěn nán shuō 。
脑海中诸般念头转过，林轩的脸色，也阴晴不定起来了，如果自己刚刚的一番推测没错，眼前究竟是机缘，还是让自己倒霉后悔的遭遇，现在就做定论，还真的很难说。
Lin Xuan suddenly recalled a detail he had overlooked.
rú jīn tā miàn lín zhe liǎng nán de jué zé ， jiū jìng yīng gāi zěn me zuò 。
如今他面临着两难的抉择，究竟应该怎么做。
It made sense for him to consider this point, as his thoughts were usually meticulous. He originally came here in search of Master Fish, the Refining Artisan, because of Cloud Forging techniques.
wèi bǎo wù liú xià ， hái shì zǒu ne ？
为宝物留下，还是走呢？
But everything underground was so astonishing that all his attention was drawn there. In the moment, he lost all capacity for thought and naturally overlooked such small details.
huò zhě gān cuì bào zhēn tiān wù ， xiàn zài jiù qiáng xíng jiāng nà bǎo bèi qǔ le 。
或者干脆暴珍天物，现在就强行将那宝贝取了。
After all, Lin Xuan was human, and humans could make mistakes.
lín xuān yě bù xiǎo de 。
林轩也不晓得。
He didn’t mind making a mistake but now, with this realization, he extended his divine sense outwards.
měi yī zhǒng xuǎn zé ， nà dōu shì yǒu bù tóng lì bì lái zhe 。
每一种选择，那都是有不同利弊来着。
Although the rock cave wasn’t vast, it was still too small compared to Lin Xuan’s powerful divine sense. Soon, he found what he was searching for.
jí biàn shì tā ， zài zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng ， yě hěn nán jiāng jué xīn zuò xià ， yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé de zī wèi ér ， hái zhēn shì fèn wài nán guò ！
即便是他，在这种情况，也很难将决心做下，鱼与熊掌不可兼得的滋味儿，还真是分外难过！
Lin Xuan’s light speeded towards the left side of the cave.
lín xuān àn àn tàn xī ， xīn zhōng yě shì zhēng zhá jiū jié bù yǐ 。
林轩暗暗叹息，心中也是挣扎纠结不已。
There was a protruding rock about seven or eight zhang high, conveniently blocking his view. He hadn’t released his divine sense earlier, so it was understandable that he had overlooked it.
yě bù zhī dào jiū jìng shì shén me bǎo wù ， míng míng hái méi yǒu liàn zhì chéng gōng ， suǒ sàn fà chū lái de líng guāng bǎo qì ， jiù rú cǐ duó mù xuàn lì 。
也不知道究竟是什么宝物，明明还没有炼制成功，所散发出来的灵光宝气，就如此夺目绚丽。
In just a few dozen feet, Lin Xuan arrived there in an instant.
yí ， děng děng ， liàn zhì ？
咦，等等，炼制？
But what met his eyes left him speechless.
cǐ bǎo jì bú shì tiān dì zì shēng zhī wù ， ér shì yóu rén kè yì liàn zhì chū lái de ， nà liàn bǎo shī zài 『 bǎi dù tiē ba ☆ wén zì shǒu fā 』 nǎ lǐ ？
此宝既不是天地自生之物，而是由人刻意炼制出来的，那炼宝师在『百度贴吧☆文字首发』哪里？
Three cultivators were sitting there: an elderly man, a beautiful woman dressed in court attire, and another with two heads and four arms—a remnant of ancient demons.
lín xuān tū rán xiǎng dào le yí gè gāng gāng ràng zì jǐ hū lüè diào de wèn tí 。
林轩突然想到了一个刚刚让自己忽略掉的问题。
Despite their different actions, they all seemed to be controlling the array for refining the treasure.
àn lǐ ， zhè me qiǎn xiǎn de dào lǐ ， yǐ lín xuān xīn sī zhī zhěn mì shì bù yīng gāi hū lüè dì ， tā lái dào zhè lǐ zuì chū de mù dì ， yuán běn jiù shì yīn wèi yún duàn zhī shù ， ér xún zhǎo nà wèi xìng yú de liàn qì dà shī lái de 。
按理，这么浅显的道理，以林轩心思之缜密是不应该忽略地，他来到这里最初的目的，原本就是因为云锻之术，而寻找那位姓鱼的炼器大师来的。
"Sure enough, it’s the Art of Array Refinement."
zhǐ shì shì yǒu qiǎo hé ， zhè dì xià yán dòng zhōng de yī qiè ， tài guò lìng rén chēng mù ， lín xuān suǒ yǒu de zhù yì lì ， quán bù bèi xī yǐn guò qù le 。
只是事有巧合，这地下岩洞中的一切，太过令人瞠目，林轩所有的注意力，全部被吸引过去了。
Lin Xuan muttered. Although he no longer delved into arrays now, this famous Art of Array Refinement was something he couldn’t have ignored.
yī shí jiān ， shī qù le suǒ yǒu de sī kǎo néng lì ， hū lüè diào zhè diǎn xiǎo xì jié nà yě jiù bù zú wéi qí 。
一时间，失去了所有的思考能力，忽略掉这点小细节那也就不足为奇。
The Art of Array Refinement meant using an array as a means to refine treasures—a combination of array techniques and refining arts, incredibly profound.
bì jìng lín xuān yě shì rén ， ér shì rén ， nà jiù nán miǎn huì fàn cuò 。
毕竟林轩也是人，而是人，那就难免会犯错。
Only the top-tier refiners knew how to use it, creating superlative treasures in the process.
fàn cuò méi yǒu guān xì ， cǐ kè zài xiǎng qǐ zhè ge wèn tí ， lín xuān bù yóu jiāng shén shí fàng le chū qù 。
犯错没有关系，此刻再想起这个问题，林轩不由将神识放了出去。
This treasure wasn't ordinary, and its refinement through the Art of Array Refinement was unsurprising. What shocked Lin Xuan was that these three individuals were definitely refiners.
cǐ yán dòng miàn jī suī rán yě suàn guǎng bó ， dàn xiāng duì lín xuān shén shí de qiáng dà què yòu bù zú kàn le ， hěn kuài ， tā jiù zhǎo dào le zì jǐ xiǎng yào sōu xún de dōng xī 。
此岩洞面积虽然也算广博，但相对林轩神识的强大却又不足看了，很快，他就找到了自己想要搜寻的东西。
There was no doubt about their identities, and this treasure must have been refined by them. Their cautious control over the array indicated it. But…
lín xuān dùn guāng yì qǐ ， xiàng zuǒ cè fēi le guò qù 。
林轩遁光一起，像左侧飞了过去。
At this moment, all three had died.
nà ér yǒu yī kuài tū qǐ de yán shí ， gāo qī bā zhàng de yàng zi ， wú qiǎo bù qiǎo ， gāng hǎo jiāng lín xuān de shì xiàn dǎng zhù ， tā yī kāi shǐ yòu méi yǒu fàng chū shén shí sōu suǒ ， suǒ yǐ nán miǎn bèi hū lüè guò qù le 。
那儿有一块突起的岩石，高七八丈的样子，无巧不巧，刚好将林轩的视线挡住，他一开始又没有放出神识搜索，所以难免被忽略过去了。
Their outward appearance showed no signs of injury, suggesting they weren’t killed in an ambush.
duǎn duǎn shù shí zhàng de jù lí ， lín xuān zì rán shì shùn xī jiù dào le nà lǐ 。
短短数十丈的距离，林轩自然是瞬息就到了那里。
How did these three die?
rán ér yìng rù yǎn lián de yí mù ， què ràng tā chēng mù jié shé 。
然而映入眼帘的一幕，却让他瞠目结舌。
Lin Xuan extended his divine sense outwards.
zhǐ jiàn nà lǐ zuò zhe sān míng xiū xiān zhě 。
只见那里坐着三名修仙者。
After a short while, he looked up with a doubtful expression. If his divine sense was correct, the three seemed to have been drained of their life force by this array.
yī míng lǎo wēng ， yī míng gōng zhuāng měi fù ， hái yǒu yí gè ， shuāng tóu sì bì ， jū rán shì gǔ mó 。
一名老翁，一名宫装美妇，还有一个，双头四臂，居然是古魔。
But how was that possible?
sān rén de dòng zuò suī rán gè bù xiāng tóng ， dàn kàn shàng qù ， yīng gāi dōu shì zài cāo kòng zhèn fǎ liàn zhì bǎo wù 。
三人的动作虽然各不相同，但看上去，应该都是在操控阵法炼制宝物。
As refiners, they should have set up the array themselves. Knowing its characteristics shouldn’t be a secret. How could a refiner die from an array he himself had set up?
“ guǒ rán shì yǐ zhèn liàn qì zhī shù 。”
“果然是以阵炼器之术。”
Lin Xuan wasn’t naive; he had seen many strange things in his cultivation journey. But everything here was puzzling and left him scratching his head.
lín xuān nán nán zì yǔ de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， suī rán rú jīn ， tā duì zhèn fǎ yī dào ， yǐ jī běn bù zěn me shè zú ， dàn zhè dà míng dǐng dǐng de yǐ zhèn liàn qì zhī shù ， yòu zěn me kě néng bù céng tīng shuō 。
林轩喃喃自语的声音传入耳朵，虽然如今，他对阵法一道，已基本不怎么涉足，但这大名鼎鼎的以阵炼器之术，又怎么可能不曾听说。
Moreover, it was astonishing that the three refiners were dead while the array still operated smoothly, refining the treasure without a hitch.
yǐ zhèn liàn qì ， gù míng sī yì ， jiù shì yǐ zhèn fǎ jìn zhì zuò wéi shǒu duàn ， yòng lái liàn zhì bǎo wù de yī zhǒng fāng fǎ ， kě yǐ shuō shì zhèn fǎ zhī dào yǔ liàn qì shù de jié hé ， bó dà jīng shēn dào jí chù 。
以阵炼器，顾名思义，就是以阵法禁制作为手段，用来炼制宝物的一种方法，可以说是阵法之道与炼器术的结合，博大精深到极处。
Such a scenario would be hard to believe if told to others. Lin Xuan didn’t know what caused this, but there was no denying the eerie atmosphere here.
zhǐ yǒu zuì dǐng jiān de liàn qì shī cái dǒng de ， yòng tā liàn zhì chū lái de bǎo wù ， nà yě dōu shì chāo yì liú de 。
只有最顶尖的炼器师才懂得，用它炼制出来的宝物，那也都是超一流的。
Despite feeling slightly uneasy, Lin Xuan stayed put and sat cross-legged, waiting quietly.
Waiting meant uncertainty.
Who knew what could happen during this process?
Lin Xuan wished he could take the treasure and leave as soon as possible. But he couldn't do that.
The more precious the secret treasure, the less it could be interrupted during its refinement process.
This was a fact Lin Xuan understood well.
Otherwise, the power of such a treasure would surely suffer significantly.
However, waiting like this made Lin Xuan extremely uneasy.
After all, this treasure wasn’t naturally born; it was intentionally refined by someone. Lin Xuan wouldn't forget that ghost sage from the Tribulation Transcending Stage.
That guy had considerable abilities, but Lin Xuan didn't think a mere early-stage tribulation transcender could refine such a treasure.
It was likely just one of his subordinates!
This speculation wasn’t baseless. To be frank, most middle-stage tribulation transceivers probably couldn’t do this either.
Only those old-timers who had passed the late stage of tribulation could have the power to create such an extraordinary treasure—like the Treasure Snake Ice Soul or someone like Master Nale Dragon.
The other party wasn't here; they just left their subordinates to guard it. Lin Xuan didn’t think this was due to carelessness but more likely because something had detained him, leaving him with no spare hands.
But the treasure was too important for him not to care. Even if he hadn’t wronged these subordinates in the past and there was no current grudge, they would definitely kill him to cover their tracks.
The cultivation world was one where strength reigned supreme.
Staying here was dangerous, but how could Lin Xuan bear to leave?
With all sorts of thoughts swirling through his mind, Lin Xuan's expression fluctuated. If his earlier speculations were correct, this situation was either a chance or an ill-fated encounter, and it was hard to say which at the moment.
Now he faced a difficult choice: should he stay for the treasure or leave?
Or perhaps take the risk of desecrating a precious item by forcibly taking the treasure now.
Lin Xuan didn't know. Each option had its pros and cons.
Even with his sharp mind, it was hard to make up his mind in such a situation. The dilemma of having to choose between two desirable but incompatible things was truly painful!
Lin Xuan sighed inwardly, struggling with indecision. He wondered what kind of treasure this could be, already so dazzling even before its refinement was complete.
Wait, wait—refinement?
Since the treasure wasn’t naturally born, it must have been intentionally refined by someone. Where was that refiner?
Lin Xuan suddenly recalled a detail he had overlooked.
It made sense for him to consider this point, as his thoughts were usually meticulous. He originally came here in search of Master Fish, the Refining Artisan, because of Cloud Forging techniques.
But everything underground was so astonishing that all his attention was drawn there. In the moment, he lost all capacity for thought and naturally overlooked such small details.
After all, Lin Xuan was human, and humans could make mistakes.
He didn’t mind making a mistake but now, with this realization, he extended his divine sense outwards.
Although the rock cave wasn’t vast, it was still too small compared to Lin Xuan’s powerful divine sense. Soon, he found what he was searching for.
Lin Xuan’s light speeded towards the left side of the cave.
There was a protruding rock about seven or eight zhang high, conveniently blocking his view. He hadn’t released his divine sense earlier, so it was understandable that he had overlooked it.
In just a few dozen feet, Lin Xuan arrived there in an instant.
But what met his eyes left him speechless.
Three cultivators were sitting there: an elderly man, a beautiful woman dressed in court attire, and another with two heads and four arms—a remnant of ancient demons.
Despite their different actions, they all seemed to be controlling the array for refining the treasure.
"Sure enough, it’s the Art of Array Refinement."
Lin Xuan muttered. Although he no longer delved into arrays now, this famous Art of Array Refinement was something he couldn’t have ignored.
The Art of Array Refinement meant using an array as a means to refine treasures—a combination of array techniques and refining arts, incredibly profound.
Only the top-tier refiners knew how to use it, creating superlative treasures in the process.
This treasure wasn't ordinary, and its refinement through the Art of Array Refinement was unsurprising. What shocked Lin Xuan was that these three individuals were definitely refiners.
There was no doubt about their identities, and this treasure must have been refined by them. Their cautious control over the array indicated it. But…
At this moment, all three had died.
Their outward appearance showed no signs of injury, suggesting they weren’t killed in an ambush.
How did these three die?
Lin Xuan extended his divine sense outwards.
After a short while, he looked up with a doubtful expression. If his divine sense was correct, the three seemed to have been drained of their life force by this array.
But how was that possible?
As refiners, they should have set up the array themselves. Knowing its characteristics shouldn’t be a secret. How could a refiner die from an array he himself had set up?
Lin Xuan wasn’t naive; he had seen many strange things in his cultivation journey. But everything here was puzzling and left him scratching his head.
Moreover, it was astonishing that the three refiners were dead while the array still operated smoothly, refining the treasure without a hitch.
Such a scenario would be hard to believe if told to others. Lin Xuan didn’t know what caused this, but there was no denying the eerie atmosphere here.
Despite feeling slightly uneasy, Lin Xuan stayed put and sat cross-legged, waiting quietly.