sān tiān hòu 。
三天后。
Three days later.
lín xuān de liǎn sè cāng bái dé xià rén ， yǎn jīng yě méi yǒu le shén cǎi ， yī fù yuán qì dà sǔn de biǎo qíng ， ér yǔ zhī xiāng duì yīng ， yuè ér de qì sè zé hǎo le xǔ duō ， xiǎn rán ， tǐ nèi de shāng shì yǐ jīng wěn dìng le 。
林轩的脸色苍白得吓人，眼睛也没有了神采，一副元气大损的表情，而与之相对应，月儿的气色则好了许多，显然，体内的伤势已经稳定了。
Lin Xuan's face was pale, his eyes lifeless, showing the signs of severe energy depletion. In contrast, Yue'er’s complexion had improved significantly; clearly, her injuries inside were stabilizing.
lín xuān zhēng kāi yǎn jīng ， kàn le yī yǎn shēn qián de hēi sè jù jiǎn ， shuāng shǒu lián lián huī dòng ， jǐ dào fǎ jué zhù rù qí zhōng 。
林轩睁开眼睛，看了一眼身前的黑色巨茧，双手连连挥动，几道法诀注入其中。
Lin Xuan opened his eyes and glanced at the black giant cocoon in front of him. He waved his hands several times, injecting a few spells into it.
hēi qì kāi shǐ bō dòng le qǐ lái ， rán hòu yóu rú zhǎng jīng qǔ shuǐ yì bān ， quán bù bèi shào nǚ xī rù le shēn tǐ lǐ miàn ， yuè ér zhōng yú huǎn huǎn de xǐng le guò lái 。
黑气开始波动了起来，然后犹如长鲸取水一般，全部被少女吸入了身体里面，月儿终于缓缓的醒了过来。
The black aura began to ripple, then seemed to suck all the energy into Yue'er's body like a whale drinking water. Finally, Yue'er slowly regained consciousness.
“ shào yé ！”
“少爷！”
"Master!"
cóng shēng yīn yě bù nán tīng chū ， yuè ér yī jiù shí fēn xū ruò ， bù guò wàng xiàng lín xuān de mù guāng ， què chōng mǎn le gǎn jī zhī sè 。
从声音也不难听出，月儿依旧十分虚弱，不过望向林轩的目光，却充满了感激之色。
From her voice, it was clear that she was still very weak, but her gaze towards Lin Xuan was filled with gratitude.
“ bié dòng ， xiān hǎo hǎo xiū xī ， yǒu shì yī huì er zài tán 。”
“别动，先好好休息，有事一会儿再谈。”
"Don't move, rest well first. We can talk about it later."
lín xuān shuō wán ， cóng huái lǐ qǔ chū shù gè yù píng ， bá kāi píng sāi ， cóng lǐ miàn dào chū wǔ yán liù sè de dān yào ， yī kǒu sāi rù le zuǐ lǐ miàn ， zhè xiē dōu shì tā píng shí liàn zhì de ， néng gòu zī yǎng shēn tǐ ， bǔ chōng yuán qì de líng dān 。
林轩说完，从怀里取出数个玉瓶，拔开瓶塞，从里面倒出五颜六色的丹药，一口塞入了嘴里面，这些都是他平时炼制的，能够滋养身体，补充元气的灵丹。
After saying this, Lin Xuan took out several jade bottles from his chest, uncapped them, and poured colorful pills into his mouth—these were all the medicinal pills he had refined to nourish his body and replenish his energy.
rán hòu yòu yī shǒu fēn bié zhuā le yī kuài zhōng pǐn jīng shí ， kāi shǐ kuáng xī lǐ miàn de tiān dì líng qì 。
然后又一手分别抓了一块中品晶石，开始狂吸里面的天地灵气。
He then grabbed a middle-grade crystal stone with one hand and began to absorb the essence qi inside it voraciously.
zhè yī cì wèi yuè ér liáo shāng ， zì jǐ kě shì yuán qì dà sǔn bù xiǎo 。
这一次为月儿疗伤，自己可是元气大损不小。
This healing for Yue'er had cost him considerable energy depletion.
jiù zhè yàng ， lín xuān zhěng zhěng dǎ zuò le yī tiān yī yè ， cái huī fù le guò lái ， tái tóu kàn le yī yǎn ， yuè ér yī jiù tǎng zài páng biān ， liǎn sè huī bái ， lín xuān zhòu le zhòu méi ， guān xīn de dào ：“ yuè ér ， gǎn jué rú hé ？”
就这样，林轩整整打坐了一天一夜，才恢复了过来，抬头看了一眼，月儿依旧躺在旁边，脸色灰白，林轩皱了皱眉，关心的道：“月儿，感觉如何？”
Thus, Lin Xuan sat in meditation for an entire day and night before recovering. He looked up and saw that Yue'er was still lying beside him, her face grayish-white. Lin Xuan frowned as he asked with concern, "How do you feel, Yue'er?"
“ hái hǎo 。 xiè xiè shào yé xiāng jiù 。” yuè ér miǎn qiǎng lù chū yī sī xiào róng 。
“还好。谢谢少爷相救。”月儿勉强露出一丝笑容。
"Better. Thank you, Master for saving me."
“ zhè yā tou 。 tài yě bù zhī qīng zhòng 。 níng dān zhè me zhòng yào dì shì qíng 。 jū rán yě bù tōng zhī wǒ zài yī páng hù fǎ 。 fǒu zé chú le wèn tí 。 wǒ néng gòu jí shí yuán shǒu dì huà 。 yě bú huì yǒu zhè yàng yán zhòng dì hòu guǒ 。” lín xuān rěn bú zhù zé bèi le yī jù 。 rán ér gèng duō dì què shì guān xīn dì yǔ qì 。
“这丫头。太也不知轻重。凝丹这么重要地事情。居然也不通知我在一旁护法。否则除了问题。我能够及时援手地话。也不会有这样严重地后果。”林轩忍不住责备了一句。然而更多地却是关心地语气。
"This girl... she's too careless. Condensation is such an important matter; why didn't she notify me to protect the process? If I could have intervened in time, this wouldn't have been so serious," Lin Xuan couldn’t help but blame her. Yet his tone was more concerned.
“ duì bù qǐ shào yé 。” yuè ér tǔ le tǔ shé tou 。 zhè cì zì jǐ shì yǒu xiē dà yì le 。
“对不起少爷。”月儿吐了吐舌头。这次自己是有些大意了。
"I'm sorry, Master." Yue'er stuck out her tongue. She had indeed been careless this time.
yuán lái 。 zuì jìn yī duàn shí jiān 。 yuè ér dì xiū wèi jìn bù hěn kuài 。 bàn nián qián jiù yǐ jīng dá dào le zhù jī qī dà yuán mǎn 。 jiù zài shù rì yǐ qián 。 zhè yā tou yì xiǎng tiān kāi dì xiǎng yào chōng jī jié dān 。
原来。最近一段时间。月儿地修为进步很快。半年前就已经达到了筑基期大圆满。就在数日以前。这丫头异想天开地想要冲击结丹。
---
qí shí tā yě bú shì méi yǒu xiǎng guò qǐng shào yé xiāng zhù 。 zài yī páng kān hù 。 rán ér wú qiǎo bù qiǎo 。 lín xuān zhèng zài bì huán zhì fú 。 yuè ér jǐ jīng sī liáng zhī hòu 。 jué duì hái shì bù dǎ rǎo shào yé le 。 fǎn zhèng dòng fǔ wài yǒu jí yīn è líng zhèn bǎo hù 。 ān quán dé duō 。
其实她也不是没有想过请少爷相助。在一旁看护。然而无巧不巧。林轩正在闭环制符。月儿几经思量之后。绝对还是不打扰少爷了。反正洞府外有极阴恶灵阵保护。安全得多。
In fact, over the past few months, Yue'er's cultivation had progressed rapidly. Half a year ago, she had already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment stage. Just a few days before, she had foolishly attempted to condense her essence core.
zì jǐ nǔ lì jié dān jiù xíng 。 gěi shào yé yí gè jīng xǐ 。 dāng nián zhù jī zhī shí 。 bù yě zhè yàng jiù qīng sōng guò qù 。
自己努力结丹就行。给少爷一个惊喜。当年筑基之时。不也这样就轻松过去。
Actually, she had considered asking Master for help and protection, but unfortunately, Lin Xuan was engrossed in refining talismans at that time. After much deliberation, Yue'er decided not to disturb him since the outer cave was protected by an extremely yin evil spirit array, making it safer outside.
rán ér yuè ér de xiǎng fǎ tài jiǎn dān ， bù cuò ， tā zài guǐ dào shàng de tiān zī ， sī háo bù xùn sè yú yōng yǒu shèng líng gēn dì xiū shì 。 rán ér níng dān ， nǎ yǒu nà me jiǎn dān 。
然而月儿的想法太简单，不错，她在鬼道上的天资，丝毫不逊色于拥有圣灵根地修士。然而凝丹，哪有那么简单。
She would just try her best to condense her essence core and give Master a surprise. Back then, when he had reached Foundation Establishment stage, it was also easy for him.
tōng cháng yì bǎi gè líng dòng qī dì zǐ ， zǒng yǒu wǔ liù rén néng gòu zhù jī chéng gōng 。 ér yī qiān gè zhù jī qī xiū shì ， yě bù yí dìng néng chū xiàn yī wèi jié chéng níng dān qī de gāo shǒu 。
通常一百个灵动期弟子，总有五六人能够筑基成功。而一千个筑基期修士，也不一定能出现一位结成凝丹期的高手。
However, Yue'er's idea was overly simple. Indeed, in the ghost path, her talent did not fall short of that of a cultivator with a Saint Spirit Root. But condensing an essence core? That wasn’t as simple.
zhè kě yǐ shuō shì yí gè fēn shuǐ lǐng ， yuán yīng qī bì jìng kě wàng ér bù kě jí ， dōu shì yī xiē yōng yǒu shèng líng gēn ， qiě shàng tiān juàn gù ， yōng yǒu fēi fán jì yù de rén wù ， néng gòu jié chéng jīn dān ， jiù yǐ jīng suàn shì gāo jiē de xiū xiān 。 dāng rán ， yuè ér néng gòu níng dān chéng gōng lín xuān cóng lái jiù méi yǒu huái yí 。 dàn yě bù kě néng rú cǐ qīng ér yì jǔ ， dāng chū lín xuān shì lián fú shù méi tiān chén dān ， nà zhǒng gōng xiào nì tiān de líng yào ， cái yī jǔ tà rù le zhè qí miào de jìng jiè ， qí tā dì gāo jiē xiū shì ， chōng jī níng dān jìng jiè zhī shí ， nǎ yí gè bú shì zhǔn bèi liáng jiǔ ， yǒu shī zhǎng hǎo yǒu de bāng zhù ， yǐ jí bié de yī xiē líng yào de tūn fú 。 zhè cái jiǎo xìng chéng gōng ！
这可以说是一个分水岭，元婴期毕竟可望而不可及，都是一些拥有圣灵根，且上天眷顾，拥有非凡际遇的人物，能够结成金丹，就已经算是高阶的修仙。当然，月儿能够凝丹成功林轩从来就没有怀疑。但也不可能如此轻而易举，当初林轩是连服数枚天尘丹，那种功效逆天的灵药，才一举踏入了这奇妙的境界，其他地高阶修士，冲击凝丹境界之时，哪一个不是准备良久，有师长好友的帮助，以及别的一些灵药的吞服。这才侥幸成功！
Typically, out of one hundred flexible spirit period disciples, only five to six could successfully establish their foundation. And even among a thousand Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, it was rare for someone to reach the Condensation Core stage.
xiū xiān zhī lù ， běn jiù shì nì tiān ， yuè ér hái shì xiǎng dé tài jiǎn dān le yì diǎn 。
修仙之路，本就是逆天，月儿还是想得太简单了一点。
This marked a significant divide; Incubation Stage was still unattainable for most. It required extraordinary luck and unique experiences, with some even having a Saint Spirit Root. Forming a golden core was already considered high-level cultivation. Of course, Lin Xuan had never doubted that Yue'er would succeed in condensing her essence core. But it wouldn’t be so easy; he had to swallow several Heavenly Dust Pills, those miraculous medicinal pills, before successfully entering this wondrous realm. Other high-level cultivators who attempted the Condensation Core stage usually prepared for a long time and relied on their mentors or friends' assistance, as well as other spiritual medicines. Only then did they have a chance of success!
níng dān de nán dù yǔ zhù jī xiāng bǐ ， gēn běn jiù shì yí gè tiān shàng ， yí gè dì xià ， bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ ， xiàng yuè ér zhè yàng bù zuò sī háo zhǔn bèi jiù chéng gōng le de huà ， jiǎn zhí shì méi yǒu tiān lǐ 。
凝丹的难度与筑基相比，根本就是一个天上，一个地下，不可同日而语，像月儿这样不做丝毫准备就成功了的话，简直是没有天理。
The path to cultivation was inherently against nature; Yue'er had underestimated it.
yuán běn ， lín xuān yǔ zhè yā tou qiān yǒu xuè qì 。 liǎng rén xīn shén zhī jiān 。 zì rán huì yǒu yī xiē lián xì ， kě piān piān qián yī zhèn 。 lín xuān chén nì yú zhì fú ， hé kuàng yuè ér xiū liàn cóng bù xū yào zì jǐ cāo xīn de ， suǒ yǐ lín xuān yě jiù méi yǒu zhù yì guò ， nǎ zhī dào zhè yí bù xiǎo xīn ， jiù huài shì le 。
原本，林轩与这丫头签有血契。两人心神之间。自然会有一些联系，可偏偏前一阵。林轩沉溺于制符，何况月儿修炼从不需要自己操心的，所以林轩也就没有注意过，哪知道这一不小心，就坏事了。
Compared to Foundation Establishment, condensing an essence core was like heaven and earth—uncomparable. For Yue'er to succeed without any preparation was utterly unreasonable.
yuè ér xiàng lín xuān xù shù le tā níng dān de jīng guò ， kāi shǐ hái hǎo ， pǒ wèi shùn lì ， líng qì yě jiàn jiàn de nóng chóu le qǐ lái ， bìng qiě zài dān tián chù níng jié chéng le yī mǔ zhǐ dà xiǎo dì jīn dān 。
月儿像林轩叙述了她凝丹的经过，开始还好，颇为顺利，灵气也渐渐的浓稠了起来，并且在丹田处凝结成了一拇指大小地金丹。
Originally, Lin Xuan and this girl had signed a blood pact, so there would naturally be some connection between their minds. However, recently, he had been engrossed in refining talismans, and since Yue'er's cultivation didn’t require his attention, he hadn't paid much heed to her. Unfortunately, this oversight led to the current situation.
rán ér hòu lái bù zhī zěn me de ， zhè cū jù xíng tài de jīn dān tū rán mò míng qí miào dì kuì sàn ， yuán běn jù jí qǐ lái de líng lì kāi shǐ sì nüè qǐ lái 。
然而后来不知怎么的，这粗具形态的金丹突然莫名其妙地溃散，原本聚集起来的灵力开始肆虐起来。
Yue'er recounted how she attempted condensation. At first, it went smoothly; the essence qi gradually thickened and formed a thumb-sized golden core in her dantian. However, something inexplicable happened later, and that roughly-formed golden core suddenly disintegrated. The gathered essence qi began to wreak havoc again.
zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng ， yǒu diǎn lèi sì yú shì sú wǔ lín zhōng de zǒu huǒ rù mó ， rán ér gèng jiā yán zhòng ， yào zhī dào ， yuè ér xiū xí de kě shì guǐ dào shén tōng ， zhè yí dàn fǎn shì qǐ lái kě yǐ shuō shì shí sǐ wú shēng de 。 yuè ér xīn zhōng yě shí fēn jīng kǒng ， jiā shàng nán yǐ biǎo shù de téng tòng ， bù guò zhè yā tou bīng xuě cōng míng ， míng bái cǐ shí cǐ kè ， qiān wàn huāng bù dé ， yú shì yī biān rěn shòu zhe líng lì fǎn shì de tòng kǔ ， pīn mìng de duì bào zǒu de líng lì jiā yǐ kòng zhì ， yī biān xiàng shào yé chū qiú jiù dì xìn xī 。
这种情况，有点类似于世俗武林中的走火入魔，然而更加严重，要知道，月儿修习的可是鬼道神通，这一旦反噬起来可以说是十死无生的。月儿心中也十分惊恐，加上难以表述的疼痛，不过这丫头冰雪聪明，明白此时此刻，千万慌不得，于是一边忍受着灵力反噬的痛苦，拼命的对暴走的灵力加以控制，一边像少爷出求救地信息。
This situation was akin to a mortal’s entering a state of demonic possession, but even more severe. After all, Yue'er practiced ghost path techniques; once the backlash occurred, it could be fatal. Yue'er was terrified and in excruciating pain. But she was clever enough to understand that panicking would only worsen things. She endured the essence qi backlash while desperately trying to control the rampant energy, sending out a distress signal to Lin Xuan.
lín xuān lái de hěn jí shí ， huàn yí gè rén ， hěn yǒu kě néng duì yǎn qián de yī qiè shù shǒu wú cè ， hǎo zài lín xuān shēn huái yīn yáng jué ， tóng yàng xiū xí guò 《 xuán mó zhēn jīng 》， yǔ yuè ér kě yǐ shuō yì chū tóng yuán ， duì tā xiàn zài de zhuàng kuàng shí fēn liǎo jiě ， yú shì pīn zhe zì sǔn líng lì ， zhōng yú jiāng xiǎo yā tou de shāng shì wěn dìng le xià qù 。
林轩来的很及时，换一个人，很有可能对眼前的一切束手无策，好在林轩身怀阴阳诀，同样修习过《玄魔真经》，与月儿可以说艺出同源，对她现在的状况十分了解，于是拼着自损灵力，终于将小丫头的伤势稳定了下去。
Lin Xuan arrived just in time; anyone else might have been helpless before this situation. Fortunately, he possessed Yin-Yang Techniques and had also practiced The True Scripture of Profane Demons, so he understood Yue'er's current state well. He risked damaging his own energy but finally stabilized her injuries.
duì yú yuè ér zhè cì zì zuò zhǔ zhāng ， lín xuān xīn zhōng zì rán shì shí fēn de shēng qì ， bù guò shì yǐ zhì cǐ ， zé bèi yě méi yǒu yòng tú ， xiāng xìn jīng guò cǐ shì yǐ hòu ， yuè ér xīn zhōng yě shì shí fēn ào nǎo ， gù ér lín xuān hǎo yán hǎo yǔ ān wèi yī zhèn zhī hòu ， jiù chū qù le 。
对于月儿这次自作主张，林轩心中自然是十分的生气，不过事已至此，责备也没有用途，相信经过此事以后，月儿心中也是十分懊恼，故而林轩好言好语安慰一阵之后，就出去了。
Lin Xuan was naturally angry at Yue'er for acting on her own without permission. However, after the incident, scolding would be futile. Believing that Yue'er would learn from this experience, Lin Xuan consoled her gently before leaving.
cǐ hòu de rì zi lǐ ， lín xuān měi tiān zǎo zhōng wǎn gè lái jiàn yuè ér yī cì ， qǐ chū ， xiǎo yā tou de shāng shì huī fù dé hěn hǎo ， liǎng tiān hòu jiù néng gòu zì jǐ pán xī dǎ zuò le ， lín xuān yě sōng le kǒu qì ， xīn wèi bù yǐ 。
此后的日子里，林轩每天早中晚各来见月儿一次，起初，小丫头的伤势恢复得很好，两天后就能够自己盘膝打坐了，林轩也松了口气，欣慰不已。
---
rán ér hǎo jǐng bù cháng ， qī rì hòu ， tā de shāng shì jū rán mò míng qí miào dì kāi shǐ fù ， tǐ nèi míng míng yǐ jīng shū dǎo hǎo de líng lì tū rán yòu chóng xīn sì nüè qǐ lái ， xìng yǒu lín xuān jí shí yuán shǒu cái zhōng yú dù guò le wēi jī 。
然而好景不长，七日后，她的伤势居然莫名其妙地开始复，体内明明已经疏导好的灵力突然又重新肆虐起来，幸有林轩及时援手才终于渡过了危机。
In the following days, Lin Xuan visited Yue'er three times a day—morning, noon, and night. Initially, her injuries recovered well; by the second day, she could sit in meditation on her own. Lin Xuan was relieved and overjoyed.
rán ér jiē xià lái de jǐ tiān ， měi tiān lín xuān dōu bì xū yòng bù guāng zì jǐ de zhēn yuán ， bāng zhù yuè ér shū dǎo kòng zhì hùn luàn de líng lì ， fǒu zé tā jí yǒu kě néng miàn lín hún fēi pò sàn de wēi xiǎn 。
然而接下来的几天，每天林轩都必须用不光自己的真元，帮助月儿疏导控制混乱的灵力，否则他极有可能面临魂飞魄散的危险。
However, good fortune didn’t last long. Seven days later, her injuries inexplicably began to worsen again. The essence qi inside her body suddenly surged out of control once more, but it was only thanks to Lin Xuan’s timely intervention that they managed to overcome the crisis.
zěn me huì zhè yàng ne ， lín xuān bǎi sī bù dé qí jiě ， fān biàn le 《 xuán mó zhēn jīng 》 yě méi yǒu zhǎo dào dá àn 。
怎么会这样呢，林轩百思不得其解，翻遍了《玄魔真经》也没有找到答案。
Over the next few days, Lin Xuan had to use not just his true energy but also help Yue'er stabilize and control the chaotic essence qi every day. Otherwise, he might face the danger of losing his soul.
lín xuān xīn zhōng yù mèn bù yǐ ， tā zì rán bú huì yǎn zhēng zhēng de kàn zhe yuè ér sǐ qù ， zhè rì ， bāng xiǎo yā tou jiāng líng lì wěn dìng zhī hòu ， lín xuān lái dào le cáng shū gé 。
林轩心中郁闷不已，他自然不会眼睁睁的看着月儿死去，这日，帮小丫头将灵力稳定之后，林轩来到了藏书阁。
Why did this happen? Lin Xuan was at a loss, having searched through The True Scripture of Profane Demons in vain.
zhè shì yī dòng bǎo tǎ xíng zhuàng de jiàn zhù ， gòng fēn qī céng ， yuē yǒu shí yú zhàng gāo ， bù zhī shì yóu shén me jiàn zhù ér chéng ， biǎo miàn jū rán sàn zhe dàn dàn de yín guāng 。
这是一栋宝塔形状的建筑，共分七层，约有十余丈高，不知是由什么建筑而成，表面居然散着淡淡的银光。
Feeling depressed, Lin Xuan wouldn’t just watch as Yue'er died. One day, after stabilizing her essence qi, he went to the library.
“ shǎo zhǔ ！”
“少主！”
This was a tower-shaped building with seven floors and about ten meters high; it seemed constructed from an unknown material, emitting faint silver light on its surface.
zài bǎo tǎ mén qián ， yǒu liǎng wèi zhōng nián xiū shì ， dōu shì zhù jī hòu qī dì jìng jiè ， jiàn le lín xuān zì rán gōng jìng dì xíng lǐ 。
在宝塔门前，有两位中年修士，都是筑基后期地境界，见了林轩自然恭敬地行礼。
"Young Master!"
“ ń ！”
“嗯！”
Two middle-aged cultivators greeted Lin Xuan respectfully as he approached the library entrance. Both were at the late Foundation Establishment stage.
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， jiù tuī mén zǒu le jìn qù ， liǎng rén yě bù zǔ lán ， yǐ lín xuān de shēn fèn ， zì rán yǒu zī gé suí yì jìn chū běn mén dì zhòng dì 。
林轩点了点头，就推门走了进去，两人也不阻拦，以林轩的身份，自然有资格随意进出本门地重地。
"Hmm."
qián sān céng ， lín xuān dōu zhí jiē lüè guò ， dì yī céng shì zá shū ， dì èr céng shì jiǎn dān de gōng fǎ ， dì sān céng shì yī xiē liàn dān de mì jí yǔ yào shū ， lín xuān de mù biāo shì dì sì céng 。
前三层，林轩都直接略过，第一层是杂书，第二层是简单的功法，第三层是一些炼丹的秘籍与药书，林轩的目标是第四层。
Lin Xuan nodded and pushed open the door. The two did not stop him; given his status, he naturally had the right to freely enter this important area of the sect.
The first three floors were skipped by Lin Xuan directly. The first floor contained miscellaneous books, the second floor held simple cultivation techniques, and the third floor consisted of secret alchemy texts and herbals. His goal was on the fourth floor.
Three days later.
Lin Xuan's face was pale, his eyes lifeless, showing the signs of severe energy depletion. In contrast, Yue'er’s complexion had improved significantly; clearly, her injuries inside were stabilizing.
Lin Xuan opened his eyes and glanced at the black giant cocoon in front of him. He waved his hands several times, injecting a few spells into it.
The black aura began to ripple, then seemed to suck all the energy into Yue'er's body like a whale drinking water. Finally, Yue'er slowly regained consciousness.
"Master!"
From her voice, it was clear that she was still very weak, but her gaze towards Lin Xuan was filled with gratitude.
"Don't move, rest well first. We can talk about it later."
After saying this, Lin Xuan took out several jade bottles from his chest, uncapped them, and poured colorful pills into his mouth—these were all the medicinal pills he had refined to nourish his body and replenish his energy.
He then grabbed a middle-grade crystal stone with one hand and began to absorb the essence qi inside it voraciously.
This healing for Yue'er had cost him considerable energy depletion.
Thus, Lin Xuan sat in meditation for an entire day and night before recovering. He looked up and saw that Yue'er was still lying beside him, her face grayish-white. Lin Xuan frowned as he asked with concern, "How do you feel, Yue'er?"
"Better. Thank you, Master for saving me."
"This girl... she's too careless. Condensation is such an important matter; why didn't she notify me to protect the process? If I could have intervened in time, this wouldn't have been so serious," Lin Xuan couldn’t help but blame her. Yet his tone was more concerned.
"I'm sorry, Master." Yue'er stuck out her tongue. She had indeed been careless this time.
---
In fact, over the past few months, Yue'er's cultivation had progressed rapidly. Half a year ago, she had already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment stage. Just a few days before, she had foolishly attempted to condense her essence core.
Actually, she had considered asking Master for help and protection, but unfortunately, Lin Xuan was engrossed in refining talismans at that time. After much deliberation, Yue'er decided not to disturb him since the outer cave was protected by an extremely yin evil spirit array, making it safer outside.
She would just try her best to condense her essence core and give Master a surprise. Back then, when he had reached Foundation Establishment stage, it was also easy for him.
However, Yue'er's idea was overly simple. Indeed, in the ghost path, her talent did not fall short of that of a cultivator with a Saint Spirit Root. But condensing an essence core? That wasn’t as simple.
Typically, out of one hundred flexible spirit period disciples, only five to six could successfully establish their foundation. And even among a thousand Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, it was rare for someone to reach the Condensation Core stage.
This marked a significant divide; Incubation Stage was still unattainable for most. It required extraordinary luck and unique experiences, with some even having a Saint Spirit Root. Forming a golden core was already considered high-level cultivation. Of course, Lin Xuan had never doubted that Yue'er would succeed in condensing her essence core. But it wouldn’t be so easy; he had to swallow several Heavenly Dust Pills, those miraculous medicinal pills, before successfully entering this wondrous realm. Other high-level cultivators who attempted the Condensation Core stage usually prepared for a long time and relied on their mentors or friends' assistance, as well as other spiritual medicines. Only then did they have a chance of success!
The path to cultivation was inherently against nature; Yue'er had underestimated it.
Compared to Foundation Establishment, condensing an essence core was like heaven and earth—uncomparable. For Yue'er to succeed without any preparation was utterly unreasonable.
Originally, Lin Xuan and this girl had signed a blood pact, so there would naturally be some connection between their minds. However, recently, he had been engrossed in refining talismans, and since Yue'er's cultivation didn’t require his attention, he hadn't paid much heed to her. Unfortunately, this oversight led to the current situation.
Yue'er recounted how she attempted condensation. At first, it went smoothly; the essence qi gradually thickened and formed a thumb-sized golden core in her dantian. However, something inexplicable happened later, and that roughly-formed golden core suddenly disintegrated. The gathered essence qi began to wreak havoc again.
This situation was akin to a mortal’s entering a state of demonic possession, but even more severe. After all, Yue'er practiced ghost path techniques; once the backlash occurred, it could be fatal. Yue'er was terrified and in excruciating pain. But she was clever enough to understand that panicking would only worsen things. She endured the essence qi backlash while desperately trying to control the rampant energy, sending out a distress signal to Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan arrived just in time; anyone else might have been helpless before this situation. Fortunately, he possessed Yin-Yang Techniques and had also practiced The True Scripture of Profane Demons, so he understood Yue'er's current state well. He risked damaging his own energy but finally stabilized her injuries.
Lin Xuan was naturally angry at Yue'er for acting on her own without permission. However, after the incident, scolding would be futile. Believing that Yue'er would learn from this experience, Lin Xuan consoled her gently before leaving.
---
In the following days, Lin Xuan visited Yue'er three times a day—morning, noon, and night. Initially, her injuries recovered well; by the second day, she could sit in meditation on her own. Lin Xuan was relieved and overjoyed.
However, good fortune didn’t last long. Seven days later, her injuries inexplicably began to worsen again. The essence qi inside her body suddenly surged out of control once more, but it was only thanks to Lin Xuan’s timely intervention that they managed to overcome the crisis.
Over the next few days, Lin Xuan had to use not just his true energy but also help Yue'er stabilize and control the chaotic essence qi every day. Otherwise, he might face the danger of losing his soul.
Why did this happen? Lin Xuan was at a loss, having searched through The True Scripture of Profane Demons in vain.
Feeling depressed, Lin Xuan wouldn’t just watch as Yue'er died. One day, after stabilizing her essence qi, he went to the library.
This was a tower-shaped building with seven floors and about ten meters high; it seemed constructed from an unknown material, emitting faint silver light on its surface.
"Young Master!"
Two middle-aged cultivators greeted Lin Xuan respectfully as he approached the library entrance. Both were at the late Foundation Establishment stage.
"Hmm."
Lin Xuan nodded and pushed open the door. The two did not stop him; given his status, he naturally had the right to freely enter this important area of the sect.
The first three floors were skipped by Lin Xuan directly. The first floor contained miscellaneous books, the second floor held simple cultivation techniques, and the third floor consisted of secret alchemy texts and herbals. His goal was on the fourth floor.