hé gài dǎ kāi ， lǐ miàn shì yī kē tóu lú 。
盒盖打开，里面是一颗头颅。
The lid of the box was opened, revealing a human skull inside.
kūn shān hé shàng jiàn le cǐ wù ， lì kè gǎi biàn zhǔ yì le 。
昆山和尚见了此物，立刻改变主意了。
Seeing this object, Master Monk Kunshan immediately changed his mind.
liǔ jūn háo mǎn liǎn dé yì zhī sè ， yī qiè dōu zài zì jǐ de zhǎng wò zhī zhōng ， nà xiān kuàng fèi kēng zhōng de zhàn dòu ， tā jì gāo yī chóu ， zuì zhōng yǐ shèng lì gào zhōng ， yè qīng chéng jì rán yǔn luò ， duì fāng yǐ jīng méi yǒu le níng dān qī gāo shǒu ， liǎng jiā shí lì de duì bǐ ， yǐ jīng dà dà cháo zì jǐ zhè biān qīng xié ， gāi rú hé xuǎn zé ， kūn shān hé shàng bú shì bái chī ， zì rán huì yī fù qiáng shì 。
柳君豪满脸得意之色，一切都在自己的掌握之中，那仙矿废坑中的战斗，他技高一筹，最终以胜利告终，叶青城既然陨落，对方已经没有了凝丹期高手，两家实力的对比，已经大大朝自己这边倾斜，该如何选择，昆山和尚不是白痴，自然会依附强势。
Liu Junhao's face was filled with smug satisfaction; everything was under his control. The battle in the abandoned mine had gone well for him, as he outmatched Ye Qingcheng and ultimately emerged victorious. Since Ye Qingcheng had perished, there were no Core Condensation experts on the other side, which meant that their strength disparity was heavily tilted towards his favor. Master Monk Kunshan wasn't a fool; he would naturally align himself with the stronger party.
bù guò nà jiā huo yě hěn huì dé cùn jìn chǐ ， suī rán tóng yì bāng máng ， què yòu tí chū le yí gè tiáo jiàn ， yào yè rú zuò lú dǐng 。
不过那家伙也很会得寸进尺，虽然同意帮忙，却又提出了一个条件，要叶茹做炉鼎。
However, this fellow was also cunning, agreeing to help but then imposing another condition: using Ye Ru as a furnace鼎 for his cultivation.
liǔ jūn háo zhòu le zhòu méi ， duì yú yè rú ， tā tóng yàng xīn huái bù guǐ ， dàn què bù jǐn jǐn shì hào sè ， yào zhī dào cǎi bǔ xiū liàn zhī fǎ ， suī rán dēng bù liǎo dà yǎ zhī táng ， dàn què shí shì tū pò píng jǐng ， xùn sù tí gāo shí lì de yī tiáo jié jìng 。
柳君豪皱了皱眉，对于叶茹，他同样心怀不轨，但却不仅仅是好色，要知道采补修炼之法，虽然登不了大雅之堂，但确实是突破瓶颈，迅速提高实力的一条捷径。
Liu Junhao frowned. He harbored ill intentions toward Ye Ru too, not just because of lust. After all, the method of cultivation by draining essence and energy from a partner, though considered unrefined, was indeed an effective shortcut to breaking through bottlenecks and rapidly enhancing one's strength.
zài yī xiē fāng shì de pāi mài huì zhōng ， bù shí yě huì chū xiàn nǚ xiū lú dǐng ， suī rán zhèng dào duì cǐ chī zhī yǐ bí ， dàn qí shí yě shì zhēng yī zhī yǎn bì yī zhī yǎn de tīng zhī rèn zhī 。
在一些坊市的拍卖会中，不时也会出现女修炉鼎，虽然正道对此嗤之以鼻，但其实也是睁一只眼闭一只眼的听之任之。
In some markets, female cultivators were sometimes used as furnaces, even if orthodox sects disapproved, they often turned a blind eye. However, most of these furnace partners were from the Flexible Spirit Period; successful Foundation Establishment cultivators usually had some background or power behind them. Occasionally, a Foundation Establishment stage furnace partner would attract fierce competition among high-ranking experts, especially beautiful ones, fetching thousands or even tens of thousands of crystal stones.
rán ér tōng cháng dōu shì líng dòng qī de lú dǐng jū duō ， néng gòu zhù jī chéng gōng de nǚ xiū shì ， bèi hòu duō shǎo dōu yǒu yī xiē bèi jǐng yǔ shí lì 。
然而通常都是灵动期的炉鼎居多，能够筑基成功的女修士，背后多少都有一些背景与实力。
For Ye Ru, Liu Junhao initially intended to keep her for himself but was now heartbroken at the thought of losing her. Looking at her slender figure and beautiful face, Master Kunshan's eyes bulged with saliva. Not only was she beautiful, but her root was also exceptionally good. Using her as a furnace partner would undoubtedly advance his Golden Armor Technique.
ǒu ěr chū xiàn zhù jī qī de lú dǐng ， dū huì yǐn lái gāo jiē xiū shì men de fēng qiǎng ， yóu qí piào liàng de ， gèng kě yǐ pāi chū shù qiān shèn zhì shàng wàn jīng shí de tiān jià 。
偶尔出现筑基期的炉鼎，都会引来高阶修士们的疯抢，尤其漂亮的，更可以拍出数千甚至上万晶石的天价。
With a sinister laugh, Master Kunshan waved his hand, causing the surrounding qi to twist into strange ropes that snaked towards Ye Ru.
duì yú yè rú ， liǔ jūn háo běn xiǎng liú gěi zì jǐ xiǎng yòng ， tīng kūn shān hé shàng suǒ yào ， zì rán yī zhèn xīn téng ， rán ér zuò wèi yī jiā zhī zhǔ ， yǎn guāng zì rán yào cháng yuǎn yì diǎn ， quán héng lì bì ， tā hái shì dā yìng le xià lái 。
对于叶茹，柳君豪本想留给自己享用，听昆山和尚索要，自然一阵心疼，然而做为一家之主，眼光自然要长远一点，权衡利弊，他还是答应了下来。
"Big Sister, get out of there quickly!"
suí hòu ， liǔ jiā jīng guò yī fān jīng xīn zhǔn bèi ， jiù xiàng yè jiā bǎo dòng le jìn gōng 。
随后，柳家经过一番精心准备，就像叶家堡动了进攻。
Ye Xing was shocked and pushed Ye Ru aside without hesitation. He released a short rod-shaped灵器 and bravely faced the oncoming attack.
suī bù néng shuō shì rú pò zhú ， dàn yě pǒ wèi shùn lì ， jīn tiān tiān hēi yǐ qián ， yí dìng néng ràng zhěng zuò yè jiā bǎo luò rù zì jǐ de shǒu lǐ 。
虽不能说势如破竹，但也颇为顺利，今天天黑以前，一定能让整座叶家堡落入自己的手里。
"Hmm?"
liǔ jūn háo dì liǎn shàng 。 mǎn shì xīng fèn zhī sè 。 suí hòu huà wèi yī dào dùn guāng 。 pū xiàng le yè jiā bǎo 。
柳君豪地脸上。满是兴奋之色。随后化为一道遁光。扑向了叶家堡。
Master Kunshan's expression changed as he looked at the young man blocking his path. Rubbing his eyes, he marveled that this novice from the Flexible Spirit Period dared to challenge him, a Core Condensation expert?
“ dà xiǎo jiě 。 kuài zǒu ba 。 bú yào yóu yù le 。 zài dān gē kě jiù wǎn le 。” yè xīng jiāo jí dì shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。 zhè ge róng mào pǔ tōng dì nián qīng rén mǎn liǎn tōng hóng 。 suī rán méi yǒu qīn yǎn suǒ jiàn 。 dàn yǐ zhī dào zì jǐ dì shī fù yǐ jīng yǔn luò zì bào 。 shī fù dì yí mìng shì ràng zì jǐ bǎo hù xiǎo jiě lí kāi 。 wú lùn rú hé yě yào wán chéng zhè zuì hòu dì rèn wù 。
“大小姐。快走吧。不要犹豫了。再耽搁可就晚了。”叶兴焦急地声音传入耳朵。这个容貌普通地年轻人满脸通红。虽然没有亲眼所见。但已知道自己地师傅已经陨落自爆。师傅地遗命是让自己保护小姐离开。无论如何也要完成这最后地任务。
Though evil and cruel, Master Kunshan was impressed by the boy’s courage and momentarily felt an admiration for his spirit. He said with a sigh, "You think you can win against me? I never leave any survivors. Today, I'll make an exception; get out of my way."
rán ér yè rú chōng ěr bù wén 。 bú shì tā rèn xìng 。 fù qīn shēng sǐ wèi bǔ 。 zú rén hái zài yù xuè fèn zhàn 。 zì jǐ zěn me kě yǐ dān dú lí kāi 。
然而叶茹充耳不闻。不是她任性。父亲生死未卜。族人还在浴血奋战。自己怎么可以单独离开。
Ye Xing's eyes were red from rage. He knew their strength disparity but had no choice but to obey his master’s dying command.
suǒ wèi jīn guó bù ràng xū méi 。 lín zhèn tuō táo shì kě chǐ dì 。
所谓巾帼不让须眉。临阵脱逃是可耻地。
"Refusing the wine and drinking the punishment!"
shēn chū qiàn shǒu 。 zài chǔ wù dài shàng yī pāi 。 yī bǐng báo rú chán yì dì duǎn jiàn bèi tā jì le qǐ lái 。 zhèng xiǎng jiā rù zhàn tuán 。 yī duǒ jù dà dì yún cǎi què fēi le jìn lái 。
伸出纤手。在储物袋上一拍。一柄薄如蝉翼地短剑被她祭了起来。正想加入战团。一朵巨大地云彩却飞了进来。
Master Kunshan sneered as he raised his palm, a golden lightning bolt shooting forth from it...
nà yún guǐ yì zhì jí 。 jū rán shì dàn jīn sè 。 bù shí cóng lǐ miàn fàng shè chū yī dào dào wǎn kǒu cū dì guāng zhù 。 yī lù xíng lái 。 yǐ jīng yǒu bù xià èr shí míng dì yè jiā dì zi bèi tā shè shā le 。
那云诡异至极。居然是淡金色。不时从里面放射出一道道碗口粗地光柱。一路行来。已经有不下二十名地叶家弟子被他射杀了。
Thunder Palm!
cóng gōng fǎ shàng kàn ， cǐ rén yīng gāi bú shì liǔ jiā de gāo shǒu ， yě bù zhī liǔ jūn háo cóng nǎ lǐ wǎng luó lái de qí rén yì shì ， zhe shí jí shǒu 。
从功法上看，此人应该不是柳家的高手，也不知柳君豪从哪里网罗来的奇人异士，着实棘手。
This was a low-grade spell, simple yet effective.
nà yún cǎi zài tiān kōng zhōng zhuǎn le yī quān ， wù qì xiāo liǎn ， xiàn chū yī pàng dà hé shàng de shēn yǐng lái 。
那云彩在天空中转了一圈，雾气消敛，现出一胖大和尚的身影来。
Ye Xing let out a cry of pain. Though brave, his courage couldn't make up for their strength disparity. He didn’t even get to scream before turning into ashes in the golden lightning.
shēn cái gāo dà ， féi ròu duī jī zài yì qǐ ， zhěng gè rén biàn xiàng shì yī zuò ròu shān 。
身材高大，肥肉堆积在一起，整个人便像是一座肉山。
How infuriating!
“ kūn shān shàng rén ！”
“昆山上人！”
Ye Ru’s beautiful face was filled with anger as she watched her comrade die right before her eyes. She quickly summoned her furnace灵器.
fù jìn dì yè jiā zǐ dì liǎn sè yī biàn 。 duì yú zhè wèi zhù míng de sàn xiū ， suī rán wèi céng móu miàn ， dàn tā de xíng xiàng shì jì ， huò duō huò shǎo dōu tīng shuō guò yī xiē 。
附近地叶家子弟脸色一变。对于这位著名的散修，虽然未曾谋面，但他的形象事迹，或多或少都听说过一些。
A short sword turned into a chilling beam, piercing through the opponent's belly. Ye Ru felt elated; this guy was too careless. Though he was a Core Condensation expert, without any protective shield, his attack couldn't possibly block a furnace’s strike.
jiā zhǔ bù zài ， cǐ rén yòu yǔ liǔ jiā xiāng gōu jié ， zhòng rén de xīn ， dōu diē luò dào le gǔ dǐ 。
家主不在，此人又与柳家相勾结，众人的心，都跌落到了谷底。
However, in the next moment, her joy vanished as she stared at the meaty figure before her with wide eyes. How could it be? No blood emerged, and the opponent smiled nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.
kūn shān shàng rén mī zhe huáng dòu dà de xiǎo yǎn ， zài chǎng zhōng yī sǎo ， lì kè jiù suǒ dìng le mù biāo 。 kàn zhe shēn cái xiū cháng ， róng yán měi lì de yè jiā dà xiǎo jiě ， kuáng tūn tuò mò 。
昆山上人眯着黄豆大的小眼，在场中一扫，立刻就锁定了目标。看着身材修长，容颜美丽的叶家大小姐，狂吞唾沫。
"Hmph, little girl, just a low-grade furnace can you think to break through my Golden Armor Technique's defenses?" Master Kunshan licked his lips and pointed at the strange ropes made of qi, which transformed into terrifying snakes that lunged towards Ye Ru.
cǐ nǚ bù jǐn měi lì ， ér qiě líng gēn tóng yàng shí fēn yōu yì ， jiāng tā zuò wéi cǎi bǔ de lú dǐng ， zì jǐ de jīn jiǎ gōng bì dìng gèng jìn yī céng 。
此女不仅美丽，而且灵根同样十分优异，将她作为采补的炉鼎，自己的金甲功必定更进一层。
"Ru'er, run!"
hēi hēi yín xiào le liǎng shēng zhī hòu ， kūn shān shàng rén yī huī shǒu ， shēn tǐ zhōu wéi de líng qì dùn shí jiū jié chéng jǐ tiáo gǔ guài dì shéng suǒ ， xiàng zhe yè rú chán rào ér qù le 。
嘿嘿淫笑了两声之后，昆山上人一挥手，身体周围的灵气顿时纠结成几条古怪地绳索，向着叶茹缠绕而去了。
A thunderous shout echoed as purple light flew over from the side, colliding with the snakes.
“ dà xiǎo jiě kuài duǒ ！”
“大小姐快躲！”
The snakes shattered, and the light dispersed to reveal an old man standing tall.
yè xīng dà jīng shī sè 。 xiǎng yě bù xiǎng de yī tuī yè rú 。 tóng shí fàng chū yī duǎn bàng mú yàng de líng qì ， háo wú wèi jù dì yíng le shàng qù 。
叶兴大惊失色。想也不想的一推叶茹。同时放出一短棒模样的灵器，毫无畏惧地迎了上去。
"Auntie Er!"
“ yí ？”
“咦？”
Ye Ru gasped in surprise but also with joy. The man was named Ye Qingsong, his brother’s legitimate younger brother and one of the strongest elders within their family. But the lineage must continue; we must survive no matter what," he said with a grimace, though his expression remained calm.
kūn shān shàng rén mǎn liǎn jīng qí 。 kàn le yī yǎn lán zài zì jǐ shēn qián de shào nián ， róu le róu yǎn ， líng dòng hòu qī ， zhè zhǒng chū chū máo lú de xiǎo zi ， jū rán gǎn tiǎo zhàn zì jǐ zhè wèi níng dān qī de xiū shì ？
昆山上人满脸惊奇。看了一眼拦在自己身前的少年，揉了揉眼，灵动后期，这种初出茅庐的小子，居然敢挑战自己这位凝丹期的修士？
"Auntie Er, how could it be? Father will surely return."
zhè wèi dà hé shàng suī rán xié è cán rěn ， dàn cǐ shí yě yǒu diǎn pèi fú duì fāng de yǒng qì ， pò tiān huāng de qǐ le yì diǎn ài cái zhī xīn ， sǎ rán dào ：“ nǐ xiǎng yào yǐ luǎn jī shí ， fó yé shǒu lǐ cóng bù liú huó kǒu ， jīn tiān pò lì yī cì ， nǐ gěi wǒ gǔn yī biān qù 。”
这位大和尚虽然邪恶残忍，但此时也有点佩服对方的勇气，破天荒的起了一点爱才之心，洒然道：“你想要以卵击石，佛爷手里从不留活口，今天破例一次，你给我滚一边去。”
"Big Brother is gone."
yè xīng shuāng yǎn tōng hóng ， tā hé cháng bù zhī dào yǔ dí rén shí lì xiāng chà xuán shū ， dàn shī fù yǐ jīng yǔn luò ， tā de yí mìng zì jǐ wú lùn rú hé yě yào fú cóng 。
叶兴双眼通红，他何尝不知道与敌人实力相差悬殊，但师父已经陨落，他的遗命自己无论如何也要服从。
"What?" Liu Junhao's sudden attack was highly unusual and violated common sense for Ye Ru. She had guessed some of the truth but couldn’t accept it emotionally. Biting her lip, she choked out, "How can that be? Auntie Er, you must have made a mistake. Father is a Core Condensation expert; how could he fall so easily?"
“ jìng jiǔ bù chī chī fá jiǔ ！”
“敬酒不吃吃罚酒！”
Ye Qingsong smiled bitterly. He wished it were true, but he had just seen his brother's head with his own eyes—there was no doubt about it. Liu Junhao intended to demoralize the Ye family by showing their leader dead. However, seeing their master killed only spurred the Ye family’s cultivators to redouble their efforts.
kūn shān shàng rén yī shēng níng xiào ， tái qǐ pú shàn dà de shǒu zhǎng ， líng qì tūn tǔ ， yī dào jīn sè de shǎn diàn lǐ zhǎng xīn zhōng fàng shè ér chū ……
昆山上人一声狞笑，抬起蒲扇大的手掌，灵气吞吐，一道金色的闪电里掌心中放射而出……
A desperate beast could unleash astonishing strength, causing significant trouble for Liu Junhao and his followers. This was far beyond what he had anticipated.
zhǎng xīn léi ！
掌心雷！
Without time to discuss further with his niece, Ye Qingsong commanded, "Ru'er, run! I'll hold them off."
zhè yě shì dì jiē dì fǎ shù ， jiǎn dān ér shí yòng 。
这也是地阶地法术，简单而实用。
"Hold them off?"
yè xīng yī shēng cǎn jiào ， wú yí tā shì yī wèi yǒng shì ， dàn yǒng qì bìng bù néng mí bǔ shuāng fāng shí lì jiān de jù dà hóng gōu ， yè xīng lián cǎn jiào dōu lái bù jí ， jiù zài jīn sè de diàn máng zhōng huà wéi huī jìn ， xiāo shī dé wú yǐng wú zōng 。
叶兴一声惨叫，无疑他是一位勇士，但勇气并不能弥补双方实力间的巨大鸿沟，叶兴连惨叫都来不及，就在金色的电芒中化为灰烬，消失得无影无踪。
Master Kunshan looked at the old man before him. His strength wasn't weak; he was in the False Core stage. But that meant nothing; after all, they were still Foundation Establishment cultivators trying to stall him—mere delusions.
kě wù ！
可恶！
With a cold laugh, Master Kunshan raised his hand again, sending down several palm-sized bolts of lightning.
yè rú xiù lì de miàn róng shàng chōng mǎn le fèn nù ， suī rán yè xīng jǐn jǐn shì yī míng wài mén dì zǐ ， zì jǐ duì tā ， shèn zhì kě yǐ shuō jiào bù chū míng zì ， dàn kàn zhe tā zài zì jǐ yǎn qián ér sǐ ， yè rú hái shì gǎn jué fèn nù sāi mǎn le xiōng yì ， háo bù yóu yù de jì chū le líng qì 。
叶茹秀丽的面容上充满了愤怒，虽然叶兴仅仅是一名外门弟子，自己对他，甚至可以说叫不出名字，但看着他在自己眼前而死，叶茹还是感觉愤怒塞满了胸臆，毫不犹豫的祭出了灵器。
Facing the golden lightning, Ye Qingsong's expression turned grave as he tapped his storage pouch and summoned a round shield-shaped furnace. Unlike ordinary defensive furnaces, this one was thick in the middle but sharp on the edges, clearly designed for both offense and defense.
sōu ， duǎn jiàn huà wèi yī lǚ hán máng ， hěn hěn de cì zài le duì fāng de dù pí shàng ， yè rú xīn zhōng yī xǐ ， zhè ge jiā huo tài dà yì ， suī rán tā shì níng dān qī xiū shì ， dàn zài méi yǒu hù zhào de qíng kuàng xià ， yě jué bù kě néng dǎng zhù líng qì de yī jī 。
嗖，短剑化为一缕寒芒，狠狠的刺在了对方的肚皮上，叶茹心中一喜，这个家伙太大意，虽然他是凝丹期修士，但在没有护罩的情况下，也绝不可能挡住灵器的一击。
The shield flew above Ye Qingsong’s head, spinning and growing larger to deflect three bolts of lightning. Though trembling, it managed to hold them off.
rán ér xià yī kè ， yè rú liǎn shàng dì jīng xǐ jiù xiāo shī le ， dèng dà le měi lì de shuāng yǎn ， jīng hài de kàn zhuó yǎn qián de ròu shān ， zěn me kě néng ， méi yǒu xiān xuè mào chū lái ， duì fāng xiào xī xī de ， sì hū yì diǎn yě bù zài yì 。
然而下一刻，叶茹脸上地惊喜就消失了，瞪大了美丽的双眼，惊骇的看着眼前的肉山，怎么可能，没有鲜血冒出来，对方笑嘻嘻的，似乎一点也不在意。
Ye Qingsong exhaled with relief. The Heavenly Shield was an excellent furnace, but whether it could withstand a low-grade spell attack was uncertain. Thankfully, the artifact did not disappoint him.
“ hēng ， xiǎo yā tou ， qū qū líng qì ér yǐ ， nǐ yǐ wéi néng pò běn shàng rén jīn jiǎ gōng de fáng yù ？” kàn zhe měi rén jīng hài de biǎo qíng ， kūn shān shàng rén shēn chū shé tou ， tiǎn le tiǎn zuǐ chún ， chōng zhe nà xiē líng qì suǒ huà de gǔ guài shéng zi yī zhǐ ， jǐ xià niǔ dòng zhī hòu jìng rán biàn chéng le yī tiáo tiáo xíng mào kǒng bù de dú shé ， hěn hěn dì pū xiàng le yè rú 。
“哼，小丫头，区区灵器而已，你以为能破本上人金甲功的防御？”看着美人惊骇的表情，昆山上人伸出舌头，舔了舔嘴唇，冲着那些灵气所化的古怪绳子一指，几下扭动之后竟然变成了一条条形貌恐怖的毒蛇，狠狠地扑向了叶茹。
Pointing his finger, the shield spun faster and emitted a layer of white light from its edges.
“ rú ér nǐ kuài zǒu ！”
“茹儿你快走！”
"Go!"
yī pī lì bān dì dà hē chuán rù ěr duǒ ， yī dào zǐ sè de xiá guāng cóng páng biān fēi le guò lái ， pī pā yī xià zhuàng xiàng le dú shé 。
一霹雳般地大喝传入耳朵，一道紫色的霞光从旁边飞了过来，劈啪一下撞向了毒蛇。
With his divine sense, Ye Qingsong intended to command this artifact to attack, but he suddenly stopped as his eyes widened in disbelief. A small hole appeared on his forehead, blood gushing out.
dú shé cùn cùn duàn liè ， xiá guāng yě sàn le kāi lái ， lù chū le yī shēn cái gāo shòu dì lǎo 。
毒蛇寸寸断裂，霞光也散了开来，露出了一身材高瘦地老。
"Fool, the term 'false core' is merely a compliment; you think you can match us true Core Condensation experts."
“ èr shū ！”
“二叔！”
Master Kunshan's lips curled into a sneer as he summoned a blue ice cone-shaped treasure from Ye Qingsong’s forehead.
yè rú yī shēng jīng hū 。 shēng yīn zhōng què yǒu shuō bù jìn de xǐ yuè ， lái rén míng jiào yè qīng sōng ， nǎi shì yè qīng chéng dì dí qīn dì di ， yě shì běn jiā shí lì zuì qiáng de jǐ míng zhǎng lǎo zhī le 。 dàn xiāng huǒ bù néng jiù cǐ duàn jué ， yào jiān qiáng de huó xià qù 。” yè qīng sōng tàn le qì ， shēng yīn suī rán yīn lì ， dàn biǎo qíng què lěng jìng wú bǐ 。
叶茹一声惊呼。声音中却有说不尽的喜悦，来人名叫叶青松，乃是叶青城地嫡亲弟弟，也是本家实力最强的几名长老之了。但香火不能就此断绝，要坚强的活下去。”叶青松叹了气，声音虽然阴厉，但表情却冷静无比。
This was the same artifact that had easily pierced through the Heavenly Shield and killed Ye Qingsong earlier.
“ èr shū ， zěn me huì ne ， diē diē tā yí dìng huì huí lái de 。”
“二叔，怎么会呢，爹爹他一定会回来的。”
Even an excellent furnace couldn't withstand a treasure's attack; this was the gap!
“ dà gē yǐ jīng bù zài le 。”
“大哥已经不在了。”
"Master!"
“ shén me ？” liǔ jiā de dà jǔ tōu xí ， shí zài wéi fǎn cháng lǐ ， yè rú yě shì hěn cōng míng de nǚ hái zi ， qí shí duō shǎo yǐ jīng cāi dào le yī xiē 。 dàn qíng gǎn shàng ， tā què yì zhí jiāng zhè zhǒng xiǎng fǎ pái chì ， cǐ kè yǎo le yǎo zuǐ chún 。 shēng yīn què yǐ jīng dài zhe gěng yàn ：“ zěn me kě néng ， èr shū nǐ yí dìng shì nòng cuò le ， diē diē shì níng dān qī gāo shǒu ， nǎ yǒu nà me róng yì yǔn luò ？”
“什么？”柳家的大举偷袭，实在违反常理，叶茹也是很聪明的女孩子，其实多少已经猜到了一些。但情感上，她却一直将这种想法排斥，此刻咬了咬嘴唇。声音却已经带着梗咽：“怎么可能，二叔你一定是弄错了，爹爹是凝丹期高手，哪有那么容易陨落？”
"Auntie Er!"
yè qīng sōng kǔ xiào le yī xià ， tā dào yě xī wàng shì zì jǐ nòng cuò le ， bù guò gāng cái ， qīn yǎn kàn jiàn le dà gē dì rén tóu ， jué fēi wěi zào huò shì jiǎ mào ， liǔ jūn háo de běn yì shì yòng cǐ lái dǎ jī yè jiā zǐ dì dī shì qì 。 nǎ zhī dào shì yǔ yuàn wéi ， jiàn jiā zhǔ bèi shā ， yè jiā de xiū shì bù jǐn méi yǒu bēng kuì ， fǎn ér yí gè gè hóng le yǎn jīng ， kāi shǐ le pīn mìng 。
叶青松苦笑了一下，他倒也希望是自己弄错了，不过刚才，亲眼看见了大哥地人头，绝非伪造或是假冒，柳君豪的本意是用此来打击叶家子弟的士气。哪知道事与愿违，见家主被杀，叶家的修士不仅没有崩溃，反而一个个红了眼睛，开始了拼命。
Ye Ru and several young disciples of the Ye family, their faces filled with sorrow, attacked together.
kùn shòu yóu dòu bào chū lái de shí lì shì jīng rén de ， yī shí jiān jìng gěi liǔ jiā jí qí zhǎo yá zào chéng le bù xiǎo de má fán ， zhè dà dà chū hū liǔ jūn háo yì liào zhī wài 。
困兽犹斗爆出来的实力是惊人的，一时间竟给柳家极其爪牙造成了不小的麻烦，这大大出乎柳君豪意料之外。
Master Kunshan’s face showed surprise. He had seen many cowards before but never such a family that faced death so bravely, unflinching in the face of powerful enemies. Just this alone was enough to ensure the Ye family's survival for thousands of years on Qingye Mountain.
dāng rán ， jù tǐ qíng xíng ， xiàn zài yǐ jīng méi yǒu shí jiān yǔ zhí nǚ xiáng tán 。 yè qīng sōng yòng mìng lìng de yǔ qì kāi kǒu le ：“ rú ér ， nǐ kuài zǒu ， zhè lǐ yǒu lǎo fū tì nǐ dǎng zhù 。”
当然，具体情形，现在已经没有时间与侄女详谈。叶青松用命令的语气开口了：“茹儿，你快走，这里有老夫替你挡住。”
These ancient families truly had some extraordinary qualities.
The lid of the box was opened, revealing a human skull inside.
Seeing this object, Master Monk Kunshan immediately changed his mind.
Liu Junhao's face was filled with smug satisfaction; everything was under his control. The battle in the abandoned mine had gone well for him, as he outmatched Ye Qingcheng and ultimately emerged victorious. Since Ye Qingcheng had perished, there were no Core Condensation experts on the other side, which meant that their strength disparity was heavily tilted towards his favor. Master Monk Kunshan wasn't a fool; he would naturally align himself with the stronger party.
However, this fellow was also cunning, agreeing to help but then imposing another condition: using Ye Ru as a furnace鼎 for his cultivation.
Liu Junhao frowned. He harbored ill intentions toward Ye Ru too, not just because of lust. After all, the method of cultivation by draining essence and energy from a partner, though considered unrefined, was indeed an effective shortcut to breaking through bottlenecks and rapidly enhancing one's strength.
In some markets, female cultivators were sometimes used as furnaces, even if orthodox sects disapproved, they often turned a blind eye. However, most of these furnace partners were from the Flexible Spirit Period; successful Foundation Establishment cultivators usually had some background or power behind them. Occasionally, a Foundation Establishment stage furnace partner would attract fierce competition among high-ranking experts, especially beautiful ones, fetching thousands or even tens of thousands of crystal stones.
For Ye Ru, Liu Junhao initially intended to keep her for himself but was now heartbroken at the thought of losing her. Looking at her slender figure and beautiful face, Master Kunshan's eyes bulged with saliva. Not only was she beautiful, but her root was also exceptionally good. Using her as a furnace partner would undoubtedly advance his Golden Armor Technique.
With a sinister laugh, Master Kunshan waved his hand, causing the surrounding qi to twist into strange ropes that snaked towards Ye Ru.
"Big Sister, get out of there quickly!"
Ye Xing was shocked and pushed Ye Ru aside without hesitation. He released a short rod-shaped灵器 and bravely faced the oncoming attack.
"Hmm?"
Master Kunshan's expression changed as he looked at the young man blocking his path. Rubbing his eyes, he marveled that this novice from the Flexible Spirit Period dared to challenge him, a Core Condensation expert?
Though evil and cruel, Master Kunshan was impressed by the boy’s courage and momentarily felt an admiration for his spirit. He said with a sigh, "You think you can win against me? I never leave any survivors. Today, I'll make an exception; get out of my way."
Ye Xing's eyes were red from rage. He knew their strength disparity but had no choice but to obey his master’s dying command.
"Refusing the wine and drinking the punishment!"
Master Kunshan sneered as he raised his palm, a golden lightning bolt shooting forth from it...
Thunder Palm!
This was a low-grade spell, simple yet effective.
Ye Xing let out a cry of pain. Though brave, his courage couldn't make up for their strength disparity. He didn’t even get to scream before turning into ashes in the golden lightning.
How infuriating!
Ye Ru’s beautiful face was filled with anger as she watched her comrade die right before her eyes. She quickly summoned her furnace灵器.
A short sword turned into a chilling beam, piercing through the opponent's belly. Ye Ru felt elated; this guy was too careless. Though he was a Core Condensation expert, without any protective shield, his attack couldn't possibly block a furnace’s strike.
However, in the next moment, her joy vanished as she stared at the meaty figure before her with wide eyes. How could it be? No blood emerged, and the opponent smiled nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.
"Hmph, little girl, just a low-grade furnace can you think to break through my Golden Armor Technique's defenses?" Master Kunshan licked his lips and pointed at the strange ropes made of qi, which transformed into terrifying snakes that lunged towards Ye Ru.
"Ru'er, run!"
A thunderous shout echoed as purple light flew over from the side, colliding with the snakes.
The snakes shattered, and the light dispersed to reveal an old man standing tall.
"Auntie Er!"
Ye Ru gasped in surprise but also with joy. The man was named Ye Qingsong, his brother’s legitimate younger brother and one of the strongest elders within their family. But the lineage must continue; we must survive no matter what," he said with a grimace, though his expression remained calm.
"Auntie Er, how could it be? Father will surely return."
"Big Brother is gone."
"What?" Liu Junhao's sudden attack was highly unusual and violated common sense for Ye Ru. She had guessed some of the truth but couldn’t accept it emotionally. Biting her lip, she choked out, "How can that be? Auntie Er, you must have made a mistake. Father is a Core Condensation expert; how could he fall so easily?"
Ye Qingsong smiled bitterly. He wished it were true, but he had just seen his brother's head with his own eyes—there was no doubt about it. Liu Junhao intended to demoralize the Ye family by showing their leader dead. However, seeing their master killed only spurred the Ye family’s cultivators to redouble their efforts.
A desperate beast could unleash astonishing strength, causing significant trouble for Liu Junhao and his followers. This was far beyond what he had anticipated.
Without time to discuss further with his niece, Ye Qingsong commanded, "Ru'er, run! I'll hold them off."
"Hold them off?"
Master Kunshan looked at the old man before him. His strength wasn't weak; he was in the False Core stage. But that meant nothing; after all, they were still Foundation Establishment cultivators trying to stall him—mere delusions.
With a cold laugh, Master Kunshan raised his hand again, sending down several palm-sized bolts of lightning.
Facing the golden lightning, Ye Qingsong's expression turned grave as he tapped his storage pouch and summoned a round shield-shaped furnace. Unlike ordinary defensive furnaces, this one was thick in the middle but sharp on the edges, clearly designed for both offense and defense.
The shield flew above Ye Qingsong’s head, spinning and growing larger to deflect three bolts of lightning. Though trembling, it managed to hold them off.
Ye Qingsong exhaled with relief. The Heavenly Shield was an excellent furnace, but whether it could withstand a low-grade spell attack was uncertain. Thankfully, the artifact did not disappoint him.
Pointing his finger, the shield spun faster and emitted a layer of white light from its edges.
"Go!"
With his divine sense, Ye Qingsong intended to command this artifact to attack, but he suddenly stopped as his eyes widened in disbelief. A small hole appeared on his forehead, blood gushing out.
"Fool, the term 'false core' is merely a compliment; you think you can match us true Core Condensation experts."
Master Kunshan's lips curled into a sneer as he summoned a blue ice cone-shaped treasure from Ye Qingsong’s forehead.
This was the same artifact that had easily pierced through the Heavenly Shield and killed Ye Qingsong earlier.
Even an excellent furnace couldn't withstand a treasure's attack; this was the gap!
"Master!"
"Auntie Er!"
Ye Ru and several young disciples of the Ye family, their faces filled with sorrow, attacked together.
Master Kunshan’s face showed surprise. He had seen many cowards before but never such a family that faced death so bravely, unflinching in the face of powerful enemies. Just this alone was enough to ensure the Ye family's survival for thousands of years on Qingye Mountain.
These ancient families truly had some extraordinary qualities.