第三千零七十三章 前因后果

bsp;   “ nà shì hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ yǐ qián de shì le ， bù guò qiè shēn dào hái jì de qīng chǔ ， yīn wèi nà shí ， wǒ yě shì shǒu hù jì tán de wèi shì 。”

bsp;   “那是很久很久以前的事了，不过妾身倒还记得清楚，因为那时，我也是守护祭坛的卫士。”

"Those were times long, long ago. But I do remember clearly, as a guardian of the altar myself at that time."

xuě líng yōu yōu de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ lǐ ， mù guāng què yǒu xiē mí lí ， xiǎn rán shì xiǎng qǐ le chén fēng zài jì yì shēn chù de wǎng shì 。

雪灵幽幽的声音传入耳朵里，目光却有些迷离，显然是想起了尘封在记忆深处的往事。

Snow Spirit's voice was soft and ethereal, but her gaze seemed distant, recalling memories buried deep in her mind.

“ xiān zi yě shì shǒu hù jì tán de wèi shì ？”

“仙子也是守护祭坛的卫士？”

"Wasn't the Fairy also a guardian of the altar?"

lín xuān què hài rán shī sè， yǎn qián de xuě líng ， suī rán zhǐ shèng xià le yī lǚ cán pò ， dàn tā de běn tǐ ， yě shì dù jié jí bié de xiū xiān zhě 。 . .

林轩却骇然失sè，眼前的雪灵，虽然只剩下了一缕残魄，但她的本体，也是渡劫级别的修仙者。 . .

Lin Xuan was taken aback by this revelation. Although Snow Spirit had only a fragmentary soul left, her true form was an ancient cultivator who had passed through tribulation.

zhè zhǒng shí lì de cún zài ， bù lùn fàng dào nǎ lǐ ， dōu kān chēng yī fāng bà zhǔ ， suī rán zài shàng gǔ zhī shí ， mò yuè zú gāo shǒu bèi chū ， dàn táng táng dù jié jí bié de lǎo zǔ ， jǐn jǐn zuò yī míng shǒu hù jì tán de wèi shì ， hái shì yǒu xiē tài lí pǔ 。

这种实力的存在，不论放到哪里，都堪称一方霸主，虽然在上古之时，墨月族高手辈出，但堂堂渡劫级别的老祖，仅仅做一名守护祭坛的卫士，还是有些太离谱。

Such power could be considered a ruler in any realm. In ancient times, while Mo Yue Clan produced many powerful experts, it seemed too absurd for the head of such a lineage to merely guard the altar.

shuō dà cái xiǎo yòng dōu bù wèi guò 。

说大材小用都不为过。

Lin Xuan's thoughts reflected this as he listened without showing his surprise.

lín xuān xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， liǎn shàng zì rán ér rán de yě jiù yǒu le jǐ fēn liú lù 。

林轩心中如此想着，脸上自然而然的也就有了几分流露。

"Lord Young Master, you misunderstand. At that time, I had not yet advanced to the Tribulation Transcending stage; I was only at the Spirit Refinement Middle Stage," Snow Spirit quickly added.

“ shǎo zhǔ wù huì le ， qiè shēn nà shí hòu kě hái méi yǒu jìn jiē dào dù jié qī ， bù guò shì fēn shén zhōng qī ér yǐ 。” xuě líng lián máng bǔ chōng le yī jù 。

“少主误会了，妾身那时候可还没有进阶到渡劫期，不过是分神中期而已。”雪灵连忙补充了一句。

"Oh, I see."

“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。”

“原来如此。”

Lin Xuan finally understood. While a Spirit Refinement Middle Stage cultivator was formidable, it made sense for Mo Yue Clan to assign someone of that level to guard the altar given their importance and the blue star sea's current status as an object of worship.

lín xuān zhè cái huǎng rán ， fēn shén zhōng qī de shí lì suī rán yě suàn bù sú ， dàn yǐ mò yuè zú de qiáng dà zuò yī míng shǒu hù jì tán de wèi shì yě bù zú guài de 。

林轩这才恍然，分神中期的实力虽然也算不俗，但以墨月族的强大做一名守护祭坛的卫士也不足怪的。

Snow Spirit continued softly:

bì jìng nà jì tán běn shēn ， jiù shì mò yuè zú zuì zhòng yào de jìn dì ， gèng bú yào tí ， lán sè xīng hǎi rú jīn ， yě bèi gòng fèng zài nà lǐ 。 . .

毕竟那祭坛本身，就是墨月族最重要的禁地，更不要提，蓝sè星海如今，也被供奉在那里。 . .

"At that time, experts from all planes gathered here with the goal of obtaining the treasure brought back by the Fairy. Although we were reluctant, we had no choice but to hand over the blue star sea when faced with overwhelming numbers. If we delayed, it would bring disaster upon our clan. The best outcome was mutual destruction."

lín xuān shì hé děng cōng míng de rén wù ， huǎng yǎn jiān ， jiù jiāng qí zhōng de guān jié xiǎng qīng chǔ ， què bù dòng shēng sè， jì xù děng zhe duì fāng wǎng xià shuō 。

林轩是何等聪明的人物，晃眼间，就将其中的关节想清楚，却不动声sè，继续等着对方往下说。

Lin Xuan nodded. He could imagine the dire situation Mo Yue Clan found themselves in. Facing thousands of top-tier experts from various planes was terrifying.

xuě líng yě méi yǒu gū fù tā de qī xǔ ， wěi wǎn de shēng yīn jì xù chuán rù ěr lǐ ：

雪灵也没有辜负他的期许，委婉的声音继续传入耳里：

Handing over the blue star sea might seem weak, but it was a smart choice given their overwhelming odds. Fish and net both die; Mo Yue Clan had to make a stand.

“ dāng shí ， gè dà jiè miàn de qiáng zhě qí jù cǐ chù ， mù dì dōu shì wèi le tú móu shén nǚ dà rén dài huí lái de nà jiàn bǎo wù ， wǒ men suī rán bù shě ， dàn hǎo hàn dí bù guò rén duō ， nà zhǒng qíng kuàng xià rú guǒ hái xiǎng yào bǎo quán bǎo wù ， kě jiù yǒu xiē bù zhì le ， yí gè bù hǎo ， jiù huì wèi běn zú dài lái dà huò ， yù shí jù fén dōu suàn shì bǐ jiào lǐ xiǎng de jié jú le ……”

“当时，各大界面的强者齐聚此处，目的都是为了图谋神女大人带回来的那件宝物，我们虽然不舍，但好汉敌不过人多，那种情况下如果还想要保全宝物，可就有些不智了，一个不好，就会为本族带来大祸，玉石俱焚都算是比较理想的结局了……”

Snow Spirit continued:

lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， mò yuè zú dāng shí miàn duì de qíng xíng tā suī rán méi yǒu jīng lì guò 。 dàn yě bù nán xiǎng xiàng de 。

林轩点了点头，墨月族当时面对的情形他虽然没有经历过。但也不难想象的。

"Things reached such a dire state that our clan's strength alone could not face thousands of experts from other planes. Fortunately, they all coveted the blue star sea, so they were wary of each other, giving us some breathing room. However, if this stalemate persisted, our clan would still be doomed."

lín xuān suàn shì dǎn dà bāo tiān de xiū xiān zhě 。 kě xiǎng xiàng yī xià yào miàn duì shàng qiān jiè miàn zuì dǐng jí de qiáng zhě ， yě tóu pí fā má le 。

林轩算是胆大包天的修仙者。可想象一下要面对上千界面最顶级的强者，也头皮发麻了。

"The situation was too dire for us to hesitate. The Grand Elder stepped forward and negotiated with them, agreeing to hand over the blue star sea by a certain date. Unfortunately, on the night before,域外天魔 invaded the altar. The Heavenly Realm Demon Lord attempted possession, and the Grand Elder was ambushed."

mò yuè zú xiǎng yào jiāo chū lán sè xīng hǎi ， yě tán bù shàng shì ruò ， shèn zhì kě yǐ shuō shì nà zhǒng qíng xíng xià shí fēn cōng míng de xuǎn zé ， bì jìng yú sǐ wǎng pò yě xū yào shí lì de ， nà zhǒng qíng xíng xià ， shuāng fāng shí lì chā jù tài dà 。 mò yuè zú rú cǐ zuò ， zhǐ néng shì yǐ luǎn jī shí a ！

墨月族想要交出蓝sè星海，也谈不上示弱，甚至可以说是那种情形下十分聪明的选择，毕竟鱼死网破也需要实力的，那种情形下，双方实力差距太大。墨月族如此做，只能是以卵击石啊！

"On that night, the blue star sea was already under the Grand Elder's protection. It became their prize. News spread, and the Fairy led several elders to intervene. A fierce battle ensued. Despite the power of the域外天魔, they did not linger but tried to break through our defenses and escape."

xuě líng de shēng yīn jì xù chuán rù ěr duǒ ：

雪灵的声音继续传入耳朵：

"Fortunately, the altar was a sacred place with strict defenses. The invaders could not succeed immediately. Just as it seemed hopeless, Heavenly Witch Fairy arrived and attempted to destroy them. However, the Heavenly Realm Demon Lord's abilities were too strange; she could not defeat him quickly. Meanwhile, other域外天魔 saw no chance of escape and condensed into true demon bodies, greatly increasing their power. They used a mutually destructive tactic, holding back the Heavenly Witch Fairy and several elders while the Heavenly Realm Demon Lord fled using an elusive technique."

“ dāng shí de qíng xíng yǐ zāo gāo dào wú yǐ fù jiā de dì bù ， běn zú shí lì suī rán bù sú ， dàn jué bù kě néng tóng shí miàn duì shàng qiān jiè miàn de qiáng zhě ， hǎo zài zhè xiē jiā huo dōu shì wèi le tú móu lán sè xīng hǎi ， gè huái guǐ tāi 。 hù xiāng qiān chě ， zǒng suàn gěi le běn zú chuǎn qì zhī xī ， dàn ruò shì rèn yóu jú miàn zhè yàng tuō yán xià qù ， miè zú zhī huò yī jiù shì nán miǎn dì 。”

“当时的情形已糟糕到无以复加的地步，本族实力虽然不俗，但绝不可能同时面对上千界面的强者，好在这些家伙都是为了图谋蓝sè星海，各怀鬼胎。互相牵扯，总算给了本族喘气之息，但若是任由局面这样拖延下去，灭族之祸依旧是难免地。”

Snow Spirit's voice grew bitter as she spoke, her face showing不甘 (reluctance).

“ suī rán xīn zhōng bù shě ， dàn zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià yě zhǐ yǒu zhuàng shì duàn wàn yī tiáo lù ， dà zhǎng lǎo chū miàn ， yǔ nà xiē jiā huo dōu shāng liáng hǎo le ， yuē dìng shí jiān jiāng lán sè xīng hǎi jiāo chū 。 kě piān piān jiù zài tóu tiān yè wǎn 。 yù wài tiān mó què chuǎng rù le jì tán ， dài tóu de tiān wài mó jūn gèng shī zhǎn duó shě 。 dà zhǎng lǎo yí gè bù chá ， bèi duì fāng tōu xí dé shǒu le 。”

“虽然心中不舍，但这种情况下也只有壮士断腕一条路，大长老出面，与那些家伙都商量好了，约定时间将蓝sè星海交出。可偏偏就在头天夜晚。域外天魔却闯入了祭坛，带头的天外魔君更施展夺舍。大长老一个不查，被对方偷袭得手了。”

This incident was the catalyst for our clan's downfall. As a guardian of the altar, I could not intervene in the final battle, which filled me with regret. However, it was beyond my control; after all, neither side involved were at my level. The Grand Elders and域外天魔 were all Tribulation Transcending experts, leaving no room for interference.

“ nà yī wǎn ， lán sè xīng hǎi yuán běn jiù yóu dà zhǎng lǎo bǎo guǎn ， rú cǐ yī lái ， chéng le duì fāng de náng zhōng wù ， xiāo xī chuán kāi ， shén nǚ dà rén lián máng dài lǐng jǐ wèi zhǎng lǎo huí yuán ， yī cháng jī zhàn ， kě yù wài tiān mó de shí lì shí zài bù sú ， ér qiě tā men de mù biāo ， xiǎn rán yě shì wèi le duó qǔ bǎo wù ， yǎn qián yǐ jīng dé shǒu ， gēn běn jiù bù jiū chán ， quán lì xiǎng yào chōng kāi fáng yù ， táo chū shēng tiān 。”

“那一晚，蓝sè星海原本就由大长老保管，如此一来，成了对方的囊中物，消息传开，神女大人连忙带领几位长老回援，一场激战，可域外天魔的实力实在不俗，而且他们的目标，显然也是为了夺取宝物，眼前已经得手，根本就不纠缠，全力想要冲开防御，逃出生天。”

"So, they managed to escape with the blue star sea."

“ hǎo zài jì tán shì běn zú jìn dì ， fáng wèi sēn yán ， duì fāng yī shí piàn kè ， nán yǐ dé shǒu ， guān jiàn shí kè ， tiān wū shén nǚ yǐ jīng gǎn dào cǐ chù ， shī zhǎn dà shén tōng xiǎng yào jiāng duì fāng miè chú ， rán ér tiān wài mó jūn de shén tōng zhe shí guǐ yì ， shén nǚ dà rén yī shí piàn kè yě nán yǐ dé shǒu ， ér qí tā jǐ míng yù wài tiān mó yǎn jiàn wú fǎ chōng chū ， jìng bù guǎn bù gù ， níng jié chū zhēn mó zhī tǐ ， rú cǐ yī lái ， shí lì zì rán bào zhǎng xǔ duō ， zhè xiē jiā huo yòu shī zhǎn liǎng bài jù shāng de dǎ fǎ ， jiāng tiān wū shén nǚ yǔ jǐ wèi zhǎng lǎo tuō zhù ， ér lǐng tóu de tiān wài mó jūn ， chèn jī shī zhǎn guǐ yì dùn shù ， táo zhī yāo yāo le ……”

“好在祭坛是本族禁地，防卫森严，对方一时片刻，难以得手，关键时刻，天巫神女已经赶到此处，施展大神通想要将对方灭除，然而天外魔君的神通着实诡异，神女大人一时片刻也难以得手，而其他几名域外天魔眼见无法冲出，竟不管不顾，凝结出真魔之体，如此一来，实力自然暴涨许多，这些家伙又施展两败俱伤的打法，将天巫神女与几位长老拖住，而领头的天外魔君，趁机施展诡异遁术，逃之夭夭了……”

Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead, a thoughtful expression on his face.

xuě líng shuō dào zhè lǐ ， yǎo yá qiè chǐ ， liǎn shàng hái yǒu bù gān zhī sè， bì jìng ruò bú shì yǒu zhè jiàn shì qíng zuò wéi dǎo huǒ suǒ ， mò yuè zú yě bú huì yǒu hòu lái de miè zú zhī huò 。

雪灵说到这里，咬牙切齿，脸上还有不甘之sè，毕竟若不是有这件事情作为导火索，墨月族也不会有后来的灭族之祸。

"Indeed."

shuō qǐ lái ， běn zú jīn tiān luò dào rú cǐ dì bù ， dōu shì bèi yù wài tiān mó gěi hài de ， ér dāng nián tā zuò wéi jì tán de shǒu wèi zhī yī ， zuì hòu de zhàn dòu què wán quán chā bù shàng shǒu qù ， xīn zhōng zì rán shì jí wéi bù gān dì ， dàn zhè yě shì méi yǒu bàn fǎ de shì ， dāng rán tā bù guò fēn shén zhōng qī ， ér dòng shǒu de shuāng fāng ， bù lùn shì mò yuè zú zhè biān de jǐ wèi zhǎng lǎo ， hái shì yù wài tiān mó ， háo wú yí wèn dōu shì dù jié jí bié de lǎo zǔ ， zhè zhǒng cún zài jiāo shǒu ， qǐ huì liú xià ràng tā chā shǒu de yú dì 。

说起来，本族今天落到如此地步，都是被域外天魔给害的，而当年她作为祭坛的守卫之一，最后的战斗却完全插不上手去，心中自然是极为不甘地，但这也是没有办法的事，当然她不过分神中期，而动手的双方，不论是墨月族这边的几位长老，还是域外天魔，毫无疑问都是渡劫级别的老祖，这种存在交手，岂会留下让他插手的余地。

Snow Spirit nodded without emotion.

“ zhè me shuō ， zuì hòu hái shì méi yǒu lán xià yù wài tiān mó ， ràng tā men jiāng lán sè xīng hǎi gěi dào zǒu le 。”

“这么说，最后还是没有拦下域外天魔，让他们将蓝sè星海给盗走了。”

"What happened next?"

lín xuān yǐ shǒu fǔ é ， liǎn shàng lù chū ruò yǒu suǒ sī zhī sè。

林轩以手抚额，脸上露出若有所思之sè。

Despite knowing the outcome, Lin Xuan had to ask.

“ bù cuò 。”

“不错。”

"After that, what else could happen? The Grand Elder was possessed, and the blue star sea was stolen. Our clan planned to hand over the treasure but failed to do so when the appointed time came."

xuě líng diǎn le diǎn tóu ， miàn wú biǎo qíng de shuō 。

雪灵点了点头，面无表情的说。

"The other plane experts were not lenient. Even after explaining everything, they did not believe us and accused us of breaking our word. They demanded we immediately surrender the treasure. In that situation, how could we comply? A great battle ensued..."

“ nà hòu lái rú hé ？”

“那后来如何？”

Lin Xuan sighed. The outcome was clear; Mo Yue Clan suffered a crushing defeat against thousands of top-tier experts.

jǐn guǎn yǐ jīng cāi dào le jié guǒ ， dàn lín xuān hái shì yào wèn yī wèn de 。

尽管已经猜到了结果，但林轩还是要问一问的。

Snow Spirit continued:

“ hòu lái ， hòu lái hái néng rú hé ， dà zhǎng lǎo bèi duì fāng duó shě ， lán sè xīng hǎi yě bèi dào zǒu le ， běn zú yuán běn yǐ jīng dǎ suàn jiāo chū zhè jiàn bǎo wù ， kě dào le yuē dìng de shí jiān ， què ná bù chū lái le 。”

“后来，后来还能如何，大长老被对方夺舍，蓝sè星海也被盗走了，本族原本已经打算交出这件宝物，可到了约定的时间，却拿不出来了。”

"That battle was extremely brutal. Our clan did not want to sit idly by but were powerless despite our efforts. Even the Fairy, facing multiple plane experts, sustained severe injuries. She barely escaped after using several secret techniques."

“ ér nà xiē yì jiè qiáng zhě ， kě bú shì nà me hǎo shuō huà de ， běn zú suī rán jiě shì le qián yīn hòu guǒ ， dàn wú píng wú jù ， tā men què háo bù xiāng xìn ， fǎn ér zhǐ zé běn zú chū ěr fǎn ěr ， mìng lìng wǒ men mǎ shàng jiāo chū bǎo wù ， nà zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， běn zú rú hé ná dé chū lái ， yú shì yī cháng dà zhàn ……”

“而那些异界强者，可不是那么好说话的，本族虽然解释了前因后果，但无凭无据，他们却毫不相信，反而指责本族出尔反尔，命令我们马上交出宝物，那种情况下，本族如何拿得出来，于是一场大战……”

"Oh, so the Heavenly Witch Fairy didn't perish?"

lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì ， jié guǒ bù yòng tí ， mò yuè zú kěn dìng shì dà bài kuī shū ， bì jìng miàn duì shàng qiān jiè miàn de dǐng jí qiáng zhě ， mò yuè zú zài fán róng ， shuō yǐ luǎn jī shí yě bù wèi guò ， gēn běn méi yǒu bàn fēn shèng lì xī wàng de 。

林轩叹了口气，结果不用提，墨月族肯定是大败亏输，毕竟面对上千界面的顶级强者，墨月族在繁荣，说以卵击石也不为过，根本没有半分胜利希望的。

Lin Xuan's face showed surprise. As Mo Yue Clan’s top expert, she faced formidable foes and managed to escape, a remarkable feat.

ér xuě líng hái zài jiǎng shù ：

而雪灵还在讲述：

"Indeed, the Fairy's powers were impressive; she barely escaped. But the invaders would not let her go. They sent many experts in pursuit. The other clan members had no choice but to fight individually. The enemies were too powerful, so most perished while only a few lucky ones managed to escape."

“ nà yī zhàn cǎn liè yǐ jí ， běn zú zì rán bù yuàn shù shǒu dài bì ， kě jí biàn jié jìn quán lì ， yě sī háo méi yǒu yòng tú ， biàn shì shén nǚ dà rén ， miàn duì shù míng yì jiè qiáng zhě de wéi gōng ， yě là le gè zhòng shāng de jié jú ， yī lián shī zhǎn shù zhǒng mì shù ， hǎo bù róng yì cái táo chū shēng tiān le 。”

“那一战惨烈以极，本族自然不愿束手待毙，可即便竭尽全力，也丝毫没有用途，便是神女大人，面对数名异界强者的围攻，也落了个重伤的结局，一连施展数种秘术，好不容易才逃出生天了。”

(Note: The last paragraph about the author's personal situation is omitted as it is unrelated to the story.)