hěn kuài ， nà lǜ zhōu yìng rù yǎn lián ， fàng yǎn wàng qù ， yù yù cōng cōng de yī piàn ， jū rán wàng bú dào biān 。
很快，那绿洲映入眼帘，放眼望去，郁郁葱葱的一片，居然望不到边。
Soon, the oasis came into view. It was lush and green, stretching endlessly as far as the eye could see.
zhè lǜ zhōu miàn jī zhī guǎng ， yuǎn zài zì jǐ xiǎng xiàng zhī shàng ， shuǐ cǎo féi měi ， gè zhǒng nèn lǜ de zhí wù ， zài zhè lǐ wú yōu wú lǜ de shēng zhǎng zhe 。
这绿洲面积之广，远在自己想象之上，水草肥美，各种嫩绿的植物，在这里无忧无虑的生长着。
The size of this oasis far exceeded Lin Xuan's imagination. The water and grass were rich and fertile, with various tender green plants growing freely without a care in the world.
kàn guàn le shā mò zhōng nà zhǒng hūn huáng de yán sè ， yǎn qián de nèn lǜ ， ràng lín xuān xīn xiōng wèi zhī yī shuǎng ， bù jǐn rú cǐ ， tā gǎn jué tiān dì jiān de líng qì ， sì hū yě yào bǐ gāng gāng shāo wēi nóng le yī xiē 。
看惯了沙漠中那种昏黄的颜色，眼前的嫩绿，让林轩心胸为之一爽，不仅如此，他感觉天地间的灵气，似乎也要比刚刚稍微浓了一些。
After getting used to the dull yellow hues of the desert, the vibrant green before him made Lin Xuan feel refreshed. Moreover, he sensed that the qi in the air seemed slightly denser than just moments ago.
ér qiě yuè shì kào jìn lǜ zhōu ， zhè zhǒng qíng xíng yuè shì míng xiǎn yǐ jí 。
而且越是靠近绿洲，这种情形越是明显以极。
The closer one got to the oasis, the more pronounced this phenomenon became.
nán dào shuō ……
难道说……
Could it be...
lín xuān yǐ shǒu fǔ é ， xīn zhōng yǐn yǐn yǒu le jǐ fēn cāi cè ， zhè lǜ zhōu dǐ xià ， jìng yǒu yī tiáo pǐn zhì bù sú de líng mài bù chéng me ？
林轩以手抚额，心中隐隐有了几分猜测，这绿洲底下，竟有一条品质不俗的灵脉不成么？
Lin Xuan touched his forehead as a vague guess formed in his mind. Could there actually be a decent-grade spirit vein beneath this oasis?
zhà yī tīng ， yǒu xiē lí pǔ ， dàn wéi yǒu zhè yàng ， cái néng jiāng yǎn qián de yī qiè jiě shì tòu chè 。
乍一听，有些离谱，但唯有这样，才能将眼前的一切解释透彻。
At first glance, this sounded far-fetched, but only such an explanation could make sense of everything before him.
bù guò zhè ge wèn tí ， lín xuān yě méi yǒu qù duō fèi sī liáng zhōu zhé ， hěn kuài ， tā de zhù yì lì ， jiù bèi lìng wài yī biān xī yǐn guò qù le 。
不过这个问题，林轩也没有去多费思量周折，很快，他的注意力，就被另外一边吸引过去了。
However, Lin Xuan did not dwell on the matter for long. His attention was quickly drawn to another side.
gāng gāng zì jǐ tīng jiàn de bào liè shēng jiù shì cóng nà ér lái de 。
刚刚自己听见的爆裂声就是从那儿来的。
That burst he had heard came from there.
zhǐ jiàn tiān kōng zhī shàng ， fǎ bǎo fēi jiàn màn tiān fēi wǔ ， gè zhǒng yán sè de líng guāng rú shǎn diàn jīng hóng ， zài cāng qióng zhōng pī cì huá guò ， shēng shì dàng zhēn shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。
只见天空之上，法宝飞剑漫天飞舞，各种颜色的灵光如闪电惊虹，在苍穹中劈刺划过，声势当真是非同小可。
Above the sky, flying法宝and swords danced wildly. Various colored spiritual lights flashed like lightning and rainbow streaks across the heavens, making quite a spectacle.
lín xuān mù guāng yóu yí ， hěn kuài jiù kàn jiàn le liǎng nán yī nǚ ， gè zì cāo zòng zì jǐ de bǎo wù ， yǔ shù liàng zhòng duō de shí kuǐ lěi zhēng dòu zhe 。
林轩目光游移，很快就看见了两男一女，各自操纵自己的宝物，与数量众多的石傀儡争斗着。
Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the scene, where two men and one woman were each controlling their treasures while battling numerous stone puppets.
méi cuò ， jiù shì shí kuǐ lěi ， niǎo shòu chóng yú ， xíng tài gè yì 。
没错，就是石傀儡，鸟兽虫鱼，形态各异。
Indeed, they were stone puppets in various shapes—some towering several meters high, others as small as ordinary bees. Regardless of size, these puppets proved extremely tenacious. Three Spirit Refinement cultivators struggled to hold them off.
dà de shēn gāo shù zhàng yǒu yú ， xiǎo de ， bù guò yǔ yī pǔ tōng de mì fēng xiāng sì 。
大的身高数丈有余，小的，不过与一普通的蜜蜂相似。
Lin Xuan sighed inwardly. The puppet technique was truly formidable.
dàn bù lùn dà xiǎo rú hé ， jiē nán chán dào jí chù ， sān míng fèn shén jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， jū rán yǒu xiē dǐ dǎng bú zhù 。
但不论大小如何，皆难缠到极处，三名分神级别的修仙者，居然有些抵挡不住。
It was well-known that while stone puppets were a branch of puppetry, they were far more difficult to forge than ordinary puppets. They required no heavenly treasures or earthly jewels; just common stones and demonic souls as materials.
lín xuān àn àn tàn xī ， zhè kuǐ lěi shù dàng zhēn shì gāo míng yǐ jí 。
林轩暗暗叹息，这傀儡术当真是高明以极。
The quality of these stone puppets hinged on two factors: the grade of the demonic soul and the skill used in their creation.
zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， shí kuǐ lěi suī rán shì kuǐ lěi shù de fēn zhī ， dàn yuǎn bǐ yì bān de kuǐ lěi gèng jiā nán yǐ liàn zhì ， yīn wèi tā bù xū yào rèn hé tiān cái dì bǎo ， zhǐ yòng pǔ tōng de shí tou yǔ yāo hún zuò wéi cái liào 。
众所周知，石傀儡虽然是傀儡术的分支，但远比一般的傀儡更加难以炼制，因为它不需要任何天材地宝，只用普通的石头与妖魂作为材料。
Lin Xuan's gaze swept over them, confirming that the demonic souls sealed within were not particularly powerful. Thus, what made these puppets so formidable, forcing three Spirit Refinement cultivators to struggle, was undoubtedly their craftsmanship and technique.
ér shí kuǐ lěi pǐn zhì rú hé ， jué dìng yú liǎng gè zhòng yào yīn shù ， yī shì yāo hún děng jí ， dì èr zé shì liàn zhì de shǒu fǎ jì yì 。
而石傀儡品质如何，决定于两个重要因数，一是妖魂等级，第二则是炼制的手法技艺。
But how did so many puppet monsters appear here? Could they be from those palace guards?
lín xuān mù guāng sǎo guò ， yǐ jīng kě yǐ què dìng zhè xiē shí kuǐ lěi zhōng fēng yìn de yāo hún bìng bù rú hé ， nà tā men nán chán dào rú cǐ dì bù ， ràng sān míng fèn shén qī xiū shì dōu pí yú yìng fù ， suǒ yǐ zhàng de ， zì rán jiù shì qí liàn zhì de shǒu fǎ yǔ jì yì le 。
林轩目光扫过，已经可以确定这些石傀儡中封印的妖魂并不如何，那它们难缠到如此地步，让三名分神期修士都疲于应付，所倚仗的，自然就是其炼制的手法与技艺了。
Lin Xuan was puzzled. It had been said that the palace had turned into ruins, with only a few remnants left. The presence of so many guards in such circumstances seemed implausible.
zhǐ shì ， zhè lǐ zěn me huì chū xiàn rú cǐ duō de kuǐ lěi guài wù ， nán dào shuō ， shì nà gōng diàn zhōng de wèi shì me ？
只是，这里怎么会出现如此多的傀儡怪物，难道说，是那宫殿中的卫士么？
The scorpion demon had stayed away due to fear and had never encountered these stone puppets. But how did it know the palace was in ruins?
lín xuān bù xiǎo de ， xīn zhōng chōng mǎn le yí huò ， bú shì shuō ， nà gōng diàn yǐ huà wèi le yī piàn fèi xū ， zhǐ shèng xià xiē xǔ cán yuán duàn bì ， zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， hái yǒu rú cǐ duō de shǒu wèi ， kě jiù yǒu xiē lí pǔ ， yú qíng lǐ shàng ， bù tài shuō dé tōng le 。
林轩不晓得，心中充满了疑惑，不是说，那宫殿已化为了一片废墟，只剩下些许残垣断壁，这种情况下，还有如此多的守卫，可就有些离谱，于情理上，不太说得通了。
Lin Xuan pondered another strange question.
piān piān nà xiē guài yīn wèi wèi jù ， bù gǎn guò yú kào jìn zhè lǐ ， suǒ yǐ zhè xiē shí kuǐ lěi ， tā yě jiù bù céng pèng jiàn guò 。
偏偏那蝎怪因为畏惧，不敢过于靠近这里，所以这些石傀儡，他也就不曾碰见过。
Unfortunately, he did not get a satisfactory explanation from the other's soul memory; his momentary carelessness had overlooked this detail at the time.
děng děng ， tā jì rán bù céng kào jìn zhè lǐ ， yòu zěn me zhī dào gōng diàn yǐ shì yī piàn fèi xū ， zhǐ shèng xià xiē xǔ yí jì ？
等等，它既然不曾靠近这里，又怎么知道宫殿已是一片废墟，只剩下些许遗迹？
It’s wise for even the wisest to make mistakes sometimes.
lín xuān yòu xiǎng dào le yí gè qí guài de wèn tí 。
林轩又想到了一个奇怪的问题。
Even tigers doze. Lin Xuan’s oversight was normal. After all, while soul probing techniques were incredibly convenient, they had their flaws. They could provide useful clues but not necessarily a complete theft of memories. Some details would inevitably be omitted, and what those omissions might be, the one performing the technique couldn’t control.
kě xī cóng duì fāng shén hún de jì yì lǐ ， bìng méi yǒu dé dào hé lǐ de jiě shì ， dāng shí yī shí dà yì ， yě jiāng zhè yì diǎn hū lüè le guò qù 。
可惜从对方神魂的记忆里，并没有得到合理的解释，当时一时大意，也将这一点忽略了过去。
In other words, this spell wasn't absolutely reliable; some luck was needed in between.
bù yòng hào qí ， zhì zhě qiān lǜ bì yǒu yī shī 。
不用好奇，智者千虑必有一失。
Lin Xuan’s luck seemed to have been slightly lacking this time, leaving him with many unanswered questions.
lǎo hǔ hái yǒu dǎ dǔn ér de shí hòu ， lín xuān dà yì ， nà yě shì hěn zhèng cháng dì ， hé kuàng sōu hún zhī shù ， gù rán fāng biàn yǐ jí ， dàn rèn hé dōng xī dōu shì yǒu quē xiàn dì 。
老虎还有打盹儿的时候，林轩大意，那也是很正常地，何况搜魂之术，固然方便以极，但任何东西都是有缺陷地。
But it didn’t matter. Not knowing about these stone puppets’ origins or whether that palace was a ruin wouldn’t change anything. He would investigate anyway and take his time. Lin Xuan believed he could solve these mysteries himself.
sōu hún ， néng gòu dé dào duì zì jǐ yǒu yòng de xiàn suǒ ， dàn bìng bú shì shuō ， néng gòu jiāng duì fāng de jì yì ， wán zhěng de qiè qǔ ， duō duō shǎo shǎo ， huì yí lòu yī xiē dōng xī ， ér qiě yí lòu shén me ， yě bú shì shī zhǎn sōu hún shù de xiū xiān zhě ， kě yǐ zhǎng kòng dì 。
搜魂，能够得到对自己有用的线索，但并不是说，能够将对方的记忆，完整的窃取，多多少少，会遗漏一些东西，而且遗漏什么，也不是施展搜魂术的修仙者，可以掌控地。
With this thought, he regained his composure. However, there was still one decision to make—should he help the cultivators?
huàn jù huà shuō ， zhè fǎ shù bìng bú shì jué duì kě kào dì ， zhōng jiān ， hái xū yào nà me yì diǎn yùn qì 。
换句话说，这法术并不是绝对可靠地，中间，还需要那么一点运气。
After all, they were strangers to him. As a cultivator with an indifferent attitude towards others' affairs, it wasn’t necessary for him to intervene.
ér lín xuān zhè yī cì de yùn qì ， sì hū jiù shāo wēi qiàn quē le nà me yī xiē ， suǒ yǐ ， cái huì liú xià nà me duō lìng tā yí huò de bù jiě zhī mí 。
而林轩这一次的运气，似乎就稍微欠缺了那么一些，所以，才会留下那么多令他疑惑的不解之谜。
But from another angle, having more companions when facing this mysterious palace and oasis couldn't be a bad thing.
bù guò méi guān xì ， bù zhī dào zhè xiē shí kuǐ lěi de lái lì yòu rú hé ， bù qīng chǔ nà gōng diàn shì bú shì fèi xū yòu zěn me yàng ne ？
不过没关系，不知道这些石傀儡的来历又如何，不清楚那宫殿是不是废墟又怎么样呢？
Lin Xuan frowned in thought but stopped hesitating when his gaze fell on one person.
fǎn zhèng zì jǐ dōu yào qù tàn xún yī fān de ， dà bù liǎo yī huì er xiǎo xīn yì diǎn jiù xíng le ， lín xuān xiāng xìn ， zì jǐ yí dìng néng gòu qīn shǒu jiě kāi zhè xiē mí tí 。
反正自己都要去探寻一番的，大不了一会儿小心一点就行了，林轩相信，自己一定能够亲手解开这些谜题。
"Meeting someone is fate. Since we have acquaintances here, I can't just stand by."
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， tā de liǎn shàng huī fù le cóng róng dàn dìng zhī sè ， bù guò yǎn qián ， què hái yǒu yī jiàn shì qíng ， děng zhe lín xuān jué zé ， bāng bù bāng máng zhè xiē xiū xiān zhě de máng ne ？
想到这里，他的脸上恢复了从容淡定之色，不过眼前，却还有一件事情，等着林轩抉择，帮不帮忙这些修仙者的忙呢？
The familiar figure he was referring to was the robed old man who had brought him to Lei Kong Island. Had it not been for encountering this fellow, he wouldn’t have been dragged into this situation.
bì jìng zì jǐ yǔ tā men fēi qīn fēi gù ， yǐ xiū xiān zhě shì bù guān jǐ gāo gāo guà qǐ de xìng gé ， wán quán bù bì qù duō cǐ yī jǔ de 。
毕竟自己与他们非亲非故，以修仙者事不关己高高挂起的性格，完全不必去多此一举的。
Entering Spirit Wave Valley might bring either fortune or misfortune; it was hard to say now. While he and the robed old man had kept a distance on their journey, they got along well enough. Although his temperament was somewhat irritable, his personality was extremely straightforward. From that perspective, he did have some appeal for Lin Xuan.
bù guò huàn yí gè jiǎo dù ， miàn duì zhè shén mì mò cè de gōng diàn yǔ lǜ zhōu ， duō jǐ míng tóng bàn yě bù yí dìng shì huài shì de 。
不过换一个角度，面对这神秘莫测的宫殿与绿洲，多几名同伴也不一定是坏事的。
Regardless, having some connection with the other party, Lin Xuan couldn’t just abandon someone in need of help.
lín xuān zhòu méi sī suǒ ， bù guò dāng tā mù guāng luò dào qí zhōng yí gè rén shēn shàng de shí hòu ， jiù bù zài jiū jié zhēng zhá le 。
林轩皱眉思索，不过当他目光落到其中一个人身上的时候，就不再纠结挣扎了。
With this thought, he emerged from hiding and pretended to arrive just now.
“ xiāng féng jí shì yǒu yuán ， jì rán shú rén zài cǐ chù ， zì jǐ dào yě bù hǎo xiù shǒu páng guān 。”
“相逢即是有缘，既然熟人在此处，自己倒也不好袖手旁观。”
The three cultivators naturally noticed him. Amidst their busy battle, they turned around, faces lighting up with joy, especially the robed old man who shouted excitedly: "What a coincidence! Fellow Daoist Lin, you’ve come here too. We’re truly fated to meet. Help us get rid of these stone puppets!"
lín xuān shuō de shú rén ， jiù shì yǐn tā lái dào léi kōng dǎo de zào páo lǎo zhě ， kě yǐ shuō bú shì yù jiàn le zhè jiā huo ， zì jǐ bú huì bèi tuō rù yǎn qián de xuán wō 。
林轩说的熟人，就是引他来到雷空岛的皂袍老者，可以说不是遇见了这家伙，自己不会被拖入眼前的漩涡。
The robed old man’s voice was filled with excitement. It wasn’t surprising; they had been struggling against the stone puppets’ attack. With four people, it would be easier to turn the tide and defeat them.
bù guò xuǎn zé jìn rù zhè líng bō gǔ ， jiū jìng shì fú shì huò ， xiàn zài hái hěn nán shuō ， ér zì jǐ yǔ zào páo lǎo zhě ， yī lù shàng suī xū yǐ wéi shé ， dàn biǎo miàn shàng ， zhì shǎo xiāng chǔ dé hái bú cuò ， cǐ rén pí qì suī rán bào zào le yī xiē ， dàn xìng gé què háo shuǎng yǐ jí ， cóng zhè ge jiǎo dù ， dǎo shì pǒ yǒu jǐ fēn duì lín xuān wèi kǒu de 。
不过选择进入这灵波谷，究竟是福是祸，现在还很难说，而自己与皂袍老者，一路上虽虚以为蛇，但表面上，至少相处得还不错，此人脾气虽然暴躁了一些，但性格却豪爽以极，从这个角度，倒是颇有几分对林轩胃口的。
With an extra person came more strength, giving them a chance to reverse their fortunes and eliminate these annoying puppets. The robed old man had once been saved by Lin Xuan and knew his companion’s power. If he intervened now, victory was certain.
bù guǎn rú hé ， yǔ duì fāng duō duō shǎo shǎo yǒu jǐ fēn jiāo qíng ， lín xuān suī rán lěng mò ， què yě bù hǎo zuò nà jiàn sǐ bù jiù zhī shì de 。
不管如何，与对方多多少少有几分交情，林轩虽然冷漠，却也不好做那见死不救之事的。
"Alright!"
niàn jí zhì cǐ ， lín xuān bù zài chí yí ， cóng yǐn nì de dì fāng xiàn xíng ér chū ， zhuāng zuò gāng fēi dào cǐ chù 。
念及至此，林轩不再迟疑，从隐匿的地方现形而出，装作刚飞到此处。
Lin Xuan intended to act anyway. His nature wouldn’t allow him to be overly sentimental. He flicked his sleeve and a fiery red immortal sword appeared. Against mere stone puppets, there was no need for him to use his primary treasure. The sword he used last time to save the robed old man was the same.
nà sān míng xiū xiān zhě zì rán yě fā xiàn le ， yú bǎi máng zhōng huí guò tóu lú ， suí hòu liǎn shàng liú lù chū kuáng xǐ zhī sè ， yóu qí shì nà zào páo lǎo zhě ， gèng gāo xìng dé zòng shēng gāo hū ：“ zhēn shì rén shēng hé chù bù xiāng féng ， lín dào yǒu ， nǐ yě lái zhè lǐ le ， yǔ lǎo fū hái zhēn shì yuán fēn bù qiǎn ， kuài kuài chū shǒu ， bāng wǒ men jiāng zhè xiē shí kuǐ lěi miè chú 。”
那三名修仙者自然也发现了，于百忙中回过头颅，随后脸上流露出狂喜之色，尤其是那皂袍老者，更高兴得纵声高呼：“真是人生何处不相逢，林道友，你也来这里了，与老夫还真是缘分不浅，快快出手，帮我们将这些石傀儡灭除。”
The process continued as Lin Xuan joined in. With his help, they gradually regained the upper hand and turned defense into offense. Stone fragments flew everywhere as more stone puppets were extinguished.
zào páo lǎo zhě de shēng yīn zhōng chōng mǎn le jīng xǐ zhī sè ， zhè yě shì nán guài de ， tā men sān rén lián shǒu ， miàn duì zhòng shí kuǐ lěi de wéi gōng ， duō shǎo yǒu xiē pí yú yìng fù ， dàn jiǎ rú shì sì gè rén jiù bù yí yàng le 。
皂袍老者的声音中充满了惊喜之色，这也是难怪的，他们三人联手，面对众石傀儡的围攻，多少有些疲于应付，但假如是四个人就不一样了。
Boom!
duō yí gè rén ， duō yī fèn lì liàng ， tā men jiù yǒu bǎ wò fǎn bài wéi shèng ， jiāng zhè xiē tǎo yàn de shí kuǐ lěi miè chú ， yóu qí shì zào páo lǎo zhě ， céng jīng bèi lín xuān jiù guò ， gèng zhī dào zhè wèi tóng bàn shén tōng bù sú ， tā ruò chū shǒu ， fǎn bài wéi shèng ， nà kě yǐ shuō sī háo xuán niàn yě wú 。
多一个人，多一份力量，他们就有把握反败为胜，将这些讨厌的石傀儡灭除，尤其是皂袍老者，曾经被林轩救过，更知道这位同伴神通不俗，他若出手，反败为胜，那可以说丝毫悬念也无。
A loud explosion echoed as the final stone puppet was shattered by Lin Xuan’s sword.
Soon, the oasis came into view. It was lush and green, stretching endlessly as far as the eye could see.
The size of this oasis far exceeded Lin Xuan's imagination. The water and grass were rich and fertile, with various tender green plants growing freely without a care in the world.
After getting used to the dull yellow hues of the desert, the vibrant green before him made Lin Xuan feel refreshed. Moreover, he sensed that the qi in the air seemed slightly denser than just moments ago.
The closer one got to the oasis, the more pronounced this phenomenon became.
Could it be...
Lin Xuan touched his forehead as a vague guess formed in his mind. Could there actually be a decent-grade spirit vein beneath this oasis?
At first glance, this sounded far-fetched, but only such an explanation could make sense of everything before him.
However, Lin Xuan did not dwell on the matter for long. His attention was quickly drawn to another side.
That burst he had heard came from there.
Above the sky, flying法宝and swords danced wildly. Various colored spiritual lights flashed like lightning and rainbow streaks across the heavens, making quite a spectacle.
Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the scene, where two men and one woman were each controlling their treasures while battling numerous stone puppets.
Indeed, they were stone puppets in various shapes—some towering several meters high, others as small as ordinary bees. Regardless of size, these puppets proved extremely tenacious. Three Spirit Refinement cultivators struggled to hold them off.
Lin Xuan sighed inwardly. The puppet technique was truly formidable.
It was well-known that while stone puppets were a branch of puppetry, they were far more difficult to forge than ordinary puppets. They required no heavenly treasures or earthly jewels; just common stones and demonic souls as materials.
The quality of these stone puppets hinged on two factors: the grade of the demonic soul and the skill used in their creation.
Lin Xuan's gaze swept over them, confirming that the demonic souls sealed within were not particularly powerful. Thus, what made these puppets so formidable, forcing three Spirit Refinement cultivators to struggle, was undoubtedly their craftsmanship and technique.
But how did so many puppet monsters appear here? Could they be from those palace guards?
Lin Xuan was puzzled. It had been said that the palace had turned into ruins, with only a few remnants left. The presence of so many guards in such circumstances seemed implausible.
The scorpion demon had stayed away due to fear and had never encountered these stone puppets. But how did it know the palace was in ruins?
Lin Xuan pondered another strange question.
Unfortunately, he did not get a satisfactory explanation from the other's soul memory; his momentary carelessness had overlooked this detail at the time.
It’s wise for even the wisest to make mistakes sometimes.
Even tigers doze. Lin Xuan’s oversight was normal. After all, while soul probing techniques were incredibly convenient, they had their flaws. They could provide useful clues but not necessarily a complete theft of memories. Some details would inevitably be omitted, and what those omissions might be, the one performing the technique couldn’t control.
In other words, this spell wasn't absolutely reliable; some luck was needed in between.
Lin Xuan’s luck seemed to have been slightly lacking this time, leaving him with many unanswered questions.
But it didn’t matter. Not knowing about these stone puppets’ origins or whether that palace was a ruin wouldn’t change anything. He would investigate anyway and take his time. Lin Xuan believed he could solve these mysteries himself.
With this thought, he regained his composure. However, there was still one decision to make—should he help the cultivators?
After all, they were strangers to him. As a cultivator with an indifferent attitude towards others' affairs, it wasn’t necessary for him to intervene.
But from another angle, having more companions when facing this mysterious palace and oasis couldn't be a bad thing.
Lin Xuan frowned in thought but stopped hesitating when his gaze fell on one person.
"Meeting someone is fate. Since we have acquaintances here, I can't just stand by."
The familiar figure he was referring to was the robed old man who had brought him to Lei Kong Island. Had it not been for encountering this fellow, he wouldn’t have been dragged into this situation.
Entering Spirit Wave Valley might bring either fortune or misfortune; it was hard to say now. While he and the robed old man had kept a distance on their journey, they got along well enough. Although his temperament was somewhat irritable, his personality was extremely straightforward. From that perspective, he did have some appeal for Lin Xuan.
Regardless, having some connection with the other party, Lin Xuan couldn’t just abandon someone in need of help.
With this thought, he emerged from hiding and pretended to arrive just now.
The three cultivators naturally noticed him. Amidst their busy battle, they turned around, faces lighting up with joy, especially the robed old man who shouted excitedly: "What a coincidence! Fellow Daoist Lin, you’ve come here too. We’re truly fated to meet. Help us get rid of these stone puppets!"
The robed old man’s voice was filled with excitement. It wasn’t surprising; they had been struggling against the stone puppets’ attack. With four people, it would be easier to turn the tide and defeat them.
With an extra person came more strength, giving them a chance to reverse their fortunes and eliminate these annoying puppets. The robed old man had once been saved by Lin Xuan and knew his companion’s power. If he intervened now, victory was certain.
"Alright!"
Lin Xuan intended to act anyway. His nature wouldn’t allow him to be overly sentimental. He flicked his sleeve and a fiery red immortal sword appeared. Against mere stone puppets, there was no need for him to use his primary treasure. The sword he used last time to save the robed old man was the same.
The process continued as Lin Xuan joined in. With his help, they gradually regained the upper hand and turned defense into offense. Stone fragments flew everywhere as more stone puppets were extinguished.
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed as the final stone puppet was shattered by Lin Xuan’s sword.