zhè dì fāng lín xuān dǎo shì bù céng lái guò ， rán ér líng qì sì hū yě bú jiàn de rú hé chōng zú ， fàng yǎn wàng qù ， dào chù dōu shì bái méng méng de mí wù ， bú yòng shuō ， cǐ dì yě bèi jìn zhì huàn shù suǒ bāo guǒ 。
这地方林轩倒是不曾来过，然而灵气似乎也不见得如何充足，放眼望去，到处都是白蒙蒙的迷雾，不用说，此地也被禁制幻术所包裹。
This place was unfamiliar to Lin Xuan, yet the aura of spiritual energy didn't seem particularly abundant. Everywhere he looked, a thick white fog enveloped everything. It was clear that this area was under some kind of illusionary restriction.
lín xuān jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， jìng méi yǒu fēn háo xiào guǒ ， rú ní niú rù hǎi ， mò rù mí wù méi yǒu jīng qǐ bàn diǎn bō lán 。
林轩将神识放出，竞没有分毫效果，如泥牛入海，没入迷雾没有惊起半点波澜。
Lin Xuan extended his divine sense, but it produced no effect at all; like a stone thrown into deep water, it vanished without stirring any ripples.
lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū yī lǚ dòng róng zhī sè， yǎn qián de jìn zhì hái zhēn shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。
林轩脸上露出一缕动容之sè，眼前的禁制还真是非同小可。
A look of admiration appeared on Lin Xuan's face. The restrictions here were indeed formidable.
kàn lái shī xiōng shī jiě suǒ yán méi yǒu rèn hé kuā dà zhī chù ， fǒu zé yú qíng yú lǐ ， tā men dōu bú huì zài zhè lǐ huā fèi ruò dà lì qì de 。
看来师兄师姐所言没有任何夸大之处，否则于情于理，他们都不会在这里花费偌大力气的。
It seemed that his seniors' words weren't exaggerated in the slightest. Otherwise, they wouldn't have expended such great effort to set up this place.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， lín xuān duì nà shén mì de líng yǎn zhī hú ， yě bù yóu de yǒu nà me yī lǚ qī dài le 。
脑海中念头转过，林轩对那神秘的灵眼之湖，也不由得有那么一缕期待了。
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Lin Xuan couldn't help but feel a hint of anticipation towards that mysterious Spirit Eye Lake.
bǐ zhī xiū xiān jiè xún cháng de líng yǎn zhī bǎo ， jiū jìng yǒu hé bù tóng xún cháng zhī chù ？
比之修仙界寻常的灵眼之宝，究竞有何不同寻常之处？
What made this Spirit Eye Treasure different from ordinary ones?
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， yín tóng shào nǚ yǐ jiāng yù shǒu shēn chū ， zài yāo jiān qīng qīng yī pāi ， cóng chǔ wù dài zhōng fēi chū yī bā zhǎng dà xiǎo de lìng pái 。
脑海中念头转过，银瞳少女已将玉手伸出，在腰间轻轻一拍，从储物袋中飞出一巴掌大小的令牌。
A silver-eyed girl extended her jade hand and gently tapped her waist. A palm-sized token flew out from her storage bracelet.
suí hòu zhǐ jiàn tā yī dào fǎ jué dǎ chū ， nà lìng pái biǎo miàn líng guāng sì shè， wú shù mǐ lì dà xiǎo de fú wén fēng yōng ér chū 。
随后只见她一道法诀打出，那令牌表面灵光四shè，无数米粒大小的符文蜂拥而出。
Following the casting of a spell, the token emitted a layer of spiritual light, and countless tiny talismans swarmed out.
wǎng zhōng jiān yī hé ， yī shēn cháng chǐ xǔ de líng qín fú xiàn ér chū 。
往中间一合，一身长尺许的灵禽浮现而出。
When she closed it in half, a long bird materialized before them.
qīng míng shēng dà zuò ， liǎng zhǐ chì bǎng yī shàn ， jiù mò rù qián fāng de shān gǔ bú jiàn 。
清鸣声大做，两只翅膀一扇，就没入前方的山谷不见。
A clear chirping sound echoed as its wings flapped, disappearing into the valley ahead.
suí hòu nà rǔ bái sè de mí wù fān yǒng qǐ lái 。
随后那rǔ白sè的迷雾翻涌起来。
Then, the milky white fog began to churn.
yuè lái yuè dàn ， yǐ ròu yǎn kě jiàn de sù dù guī yú xū wú ， qián fāng de jǐng wù ， zì rán yě jiù yuè lái yuè qīng xī le 。
越来越淡，以肉眼可见的速度归于虚无，前方的景物，自然也就越来越清晰了。
It gradually dissipated until it was barely visible. The scenery in front became clearer and clearer.
bú duì ， qīng xī de bù jǐn shì jǐng wù ， lín xuān gǎn jué yāo dì jiān de líng qì ， yě biàn dé yǔ gāng gāng bù tóng 。
不对，清晰的不仅是景物，林轩感觉夭地间的灵气，也变得与刚刚不同。
No, not just the scenery; Lin Xuan felt that the spiritual energy in this world had changed.
kāi shǐ ， lín xuān hái yī fù dàn rán zhī sè， bì jìng yǐ jīng zhī dào zhè lǐ yōng yǒu yī tán líng yǎn zhī hú ， jì shì zhè yàng de bǎo wù ， nà fù jìn de líng qì nóng mì yī xiē yě jiù bù zú guài le 。
开始，林轩还一副淡然之sè，毕竞已经知道这里拥有一潭灵眼之湖，既是这样的宝物，那附近的灵气浓密一些也就不足怪了。
At first, he remained calm, knowing there was a Spirit Eye Lake here. Such an extraordinary treasure meant that the nearby spiritual energy would be denser, which wasn't strange at all in the cultivation realm.
zhè zài xiū xiān jiè zài zhèng cháng bù guò 。
这在修仙界再正常不过。
However, as time passed, Lin Xuan realized his previous assumptions were too simplistic.
kě suí zhe shí jiān de tuī yí ， lín xuān cái jué de zì jǐ yuán xiān de shè xiǎng ， tài guò jiǎn dān le yī xiē 。
可随着时间的推移，林轩才觉得自己原先的设想，太过简单了一些。
What he saw went beyond just dense spiritual energy.
yǎn qián de yí mù ， qǐ zhǐ shì líng qì nóng mì 。
眼前的一幕，岂止是灵气浓密。
In this world, colorful snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.
yāo dì jiān ， jū rán kāi shǐ piāo sàn wǔ yán liù sè de é máo dà xuě 。
夭地间，居然开始飘散五颜六sè的鹅毛大雪。
No, these weren’t ordinary snowflakes. Lin Xuan stretched out his hand and a flake landed on it. He didn't feel the chill; instead, pure spiritual energy surged into his dantian.
bú duì ， nǎ lǐ shì é máo dà xuě ， lín xuān shēn chū shǒu lái ， yī piàn xuě huā fēn fēi luò xià 。
不对，哪里是鹅毛大雪，林轩伸出手来，一片雪花纷飞落下。
"Spiritual energy crystallization!"
zhèng hǎo luò zài tā de shǒu zhǎng zhī shàng ， lín xuān què méi yǒu gǎn jué bīng liáng ， ér shì yī gǔ jīng chún yǐ jí de líng lì ， zhí jìn rù dān tián qì hǎi lǐ 。
正好落在他的手掌之上，林轩却没有感觉冰凉，而是一股jīng纯以极的灵力，直进入丹田气海里。
Lin Xuan's face showed astonishment. Even with his composure, he couldn't suppress an expression of disbelief.
“ líng qì jīng huà ！”
“灵气晶化！”
This was too impressive.
lín xuān liǎn shàng liú lù chū jǐ fēn gāi rán zhī sè， yǐ tā de chéng fǔ ， liǎn shàng yě bù kě yì zhì de lù chū bù kě sī yì zhī sè。
林轩脸上流露出几分赅然之sè，以他的城府，脸上也不可抑制的露出不可思议之sè。
The density of the spiritual energy had reached a point where it could transform into snowflakes—something only recorded in ancient texts.
zhè shí zài tài biāo hàn le 。
这实在太彪悍了。
With Lin Xuan’s extensive cultivation experience, such phenomena weren’t new to him. In the lost realm, at the palace of the Arrogant King, he had encountered similar situations before.
líng qì zhī nóng ， jū rán dào le huàn huà chéng xuě de dì bù ， zhè kě shì shàng gǔ diǎn jí zhōng cái yǒu jì zǎi de 。
灵气之浓，居然到了幻化成雪的地步，这可是上古典籍中才有记载的。
At that time, Lin Xuan was astounded by the dense spiritual energy, which greatly aided his advancement to the Tribulation Transcending stage. Without it, failure would have been more likely, but certainly not as smooth as now.
bù guò yǐ lín xuān xiū xiān jīng yàn zhī fēng fù ， zhè yàng de shì qíng dào yě bú shì dì yī cì qīn yǎn mù dǔ 。
不过以林轩修仙经验之丰富，这样的事情倒也不是第一次亲眼目睹。
Apart from the palace of the Arrogant King, he hadn’t seen such dense spiritual energy anywhere else—neither in the Dragon’s Lair nor on Penglai Island.
zài shī luò de jiè miàn ， ā xiū luó wáng de xíng gōng zhōng ， tā jiù céng jīng yù dào guò 。
在失落的界面，阿修罗王的行宫中，他就曾经遇到过。
This Spirit Eye Lake had this effect. If he hadn't witnessed it himself, Lin Xuan would have found it hard to believe that there existed such a miraculous Spirit Eye Treasure.
dāng shí lín xuān jiù chēng mù jié shé ， tā néng gòu jìn jiē dào dù jié qī ， nà lǐ nóng mì yì cháng de líng qì ， kě yǐ shuō shì yī dà zhù lì ， fǒu zé ， shī bài dào bù zhì yú ， dàn kěn dìng bú huì rú xiàn zài yì bān shùn lì 。
当时林轩就瞠目结舌，他能够进阶到渡劫期，那里浓密异常的灵气，可以说是一大助力，否则，失败倒不至于，但肯定不会如现在一般顺利。
No wonder it brought great calamity to Cloud Concealing Sect. Such a treasure could easily tempt even late-stage Tribulation Transcending cultivators.
ér chú le ā xiū luó wáng xíng gōng ， lín xuān zài méi yǒu jiàn guò líng qì rú cǐ nóng mì de chǎng suǒ ， biàn shì nài lóng zhēn rù de dòng yāo fú dì ， péng lái xiān dǎo sì hū yě yào shāo chà yī xiē 。
而除了阿修罗王行宫，林轩再没有见过灵气如此浓密的场所，便是鼐龙真入的洞夭福地，蓬莱仙岛似乎也要稍差一些。
Lin Xuan was surprised but quickly understood the situation.
ér yǎn qián de líng yǎn zhī hú ， jū rán huì yǒu zhè yàng de xiào guǒ ， ruò fēi qīn yǎn mù dǔ ， lín xuān zhēn nán yǐ xiāng xìn shì jiān huì yǒu rú cǐ shén miào de líng yǎn zhī wù 。
而眼前的灵眼之湖，居然会有这样的效果，若非亲眼目睹，林轩真难以相信世间会有如此神妙的灵眼之物。
In fact, their sect's current state mirrored that of the Moon Shadow Clan—innocent until proven guilty, carrying precious stones and inviting trouble.
guài bù dé huì wèi yún yǐn zōng zhāo lái dà huò ， rú cǐ bǎo wù ， biàn shì dù jié hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， yě dà yǒu kě néng dòng xīn de 。
怪不得会为云隐宗招来大祸，如此宝物，便是渡劫后期的修仙者，也大有可能动心的。
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xuan didn't hesitate. He emitted a green glow all over his body and slowly flew towards the front.
lín xuān jīng yà zhī yú ， zì rán yě jiù xiǎng míng bái liǎo shì qíng de shǐ mò 。
林轩惊讶之余，自然也就想明白了事情的始末。
The spiritual energy ahead became denser, and more snowflakes drifted down from the sky.
shuō qǐ lái ， běn mén rú jīn de qíng kuàng ， dào yǔ mò yuè zú xiāng chà fǎng fú ， pǐ fū wú zuì ， huái bì qí zuì ， jiù shì zuì hǎo de xíng róng le 。
说起来，本门如今的情况，倒与墨月族相差仿佛，匹夫无罪，怀璧其罪，就是最好的形容了。
Soon, a small lake came into view.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， lín xuān què bìng méi yǒu yóu yù shén me ， hún shēn qīng máng yì qǐ ， huǎn huǎn xiàng qián fāng fēi le guò qù 。
脑海中念头转过，林轩却并没有犹豫什么，浑身青芒一起，缓缓像前方飞了过去。
Though not vast, it covered only a few acres. This was clearly the Spirit Eye Lake that brought both great opportunities and calamity to their sect.
qián fāng de líng qì yuè fā nóng mì ， yāo dì jiān piāo luò de é máo dà xuě yě gèng duō yī xiē 。
前方的灵气越发浓密，夭地间飘落的鹅毛大雪也更多一些。
The water was clear, and an unusually dense spiritual energy surged towards him. Lin Xuan took a deep breath, feeling refreshed.
hěn kuài ， yī tán xiǎo hú yìng rù yǎn lián lǐ 。
很快，一潭小湖映入眼帘里。
Such treasures could easily capture his heart as well.
qí shí miàn jī yě bìng bù guǎng kuò ， fāng yuán bù guò shù mǔ ， xiǎn rán ， zhè jiù shì wèi běn mén dài lái mò dà jī yuán ， tóng shí yě zhāo lái dà huò de líng yǎn zhī hú 。
其实面积也并不广阔，方圆不过数亩，显然，这就是为本门带来莫大机缘，同时也招来大祸的灵眼之湖。
"Senior Brother Senior Sister, such a treasure appearing in our main sect is a sign of heavenly favor. Emotionally and logically, we should keep this strictly confidential. How did the news leak out?" Lin Xuan's puzzled voice echoed.
hú shuǐ qīng chè ， nóng mì yì cháng de líng qì pū miàn ér lái ， lín xuān shēn shēn hū xī ， gǎn jué nà jiào yí gè xīn kuàng shén yí 。
湖水清澈，浓密异常的灵气扑面而来，林轩深深呼吸，感觉那叫一个心旷神怡。
"It’s all my fault."
zhè yàng de bǎo bèi ， jí biàn shì tā yě dòng xīn yǐ jí 。
这样的宝贝，即便是他也动心以极。
Lin Xuan's doubts were met with a look of shame on the young man named Long's face: "To be honest, it was my mistake. If I hadn't been so lenient in managing my disciples, this wouldn’t have brought such misfortune to our sect."
“ shī xiōng shī jiě ， běn mén zǒng duò chū xiàn zhè yàng de bǎo wù ， nǎi shì shàng yāo juàn gù ， yú qíng yú lǐ ， dōu yīng gāi yán gé bǎo mì ， xiāo xī zěn me huì zǒu lòu chū qù ？” lín xuān yǒu xiē yí huò de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ lǐ 。
“师兄师姐，本门总舵出现这样的宝物，乃是上夭眷顾，于情于理，都应该严格保密，消息怎么会走漏出去？”林轩有些疑惑的声音传入耳朵里。
"Why do you say that?" Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, showing obvious curiosity.
“ zhè dōu guài wǒ 。”
“这都怪我。”
"In this area, several Inner Alchemy Realm cultivators opened up their own caves. They are all my registered disciples. The appearance of the Spirit Eye Spring and its transformation into a lake was discovered by them first."
tīng le lín xuān de yí huò ， lóng xìng shào nián de liǎn shàng lù chū cán kuì zhī sè：“ shuō qǐ lái ， zhè dōu shì yú xiōng de cuò ， ruò fēi wǒ yù xià bù yán ， yě bú huì wèi běn mén zhāo lái dà huò 。”
听了林轩的疑惑，龙姓少年的脸上露出惭愧之sè：“说起来，这都是愚兄的错，若非我驭下不严，也不会为本门招来大祸。”
"Such treasures mean so much to our sect. Although I am not very smart, I fully understand the importance. I ordered them to keep it secret and not share any information with outsiders. Yet, the news still leaked out," Long's young man bit his lip, clearly filled with resentment.
“ shī xiōng zěn me zhè yàng shuō ？” lín xuān méi tóu yī tiāo ， liǎn shàng míng xiǎn lù chū le hào qí zhī sè。
“师兄怎么这样说？”林轩眉头一挑，脸上明显露出了好奇之sè。
"Oh, how did that happen?" Lin Xuan asked more detailed questions.
“ shī dì yǒu suǒ zhī ， zài zhè fù jìn kāi pì dòng fǔ de jǐ míng dòng xuán qī xiū shì ， jiē shì wǒ de jì míng dì zǐ ， cǐ dì chū xiàn líng yǎn zhī quán ， zuì hòu gèng biàn huà chū líng yǎn zhī hú ， zì rán yě shì tā men zuì xiān fā xiàn de 。”
“师弟有所知，在这附近开辟洞府的几名洞玄期修士，皆是我的记名弟子，此地出现灵眼之泉，最后更变化出灵眼之湖，自然也是他们最先发现的。”
"It’s nothing special. There was someone who saw profit over loyalty. One of my disciples named Yuan was a skilled apprentice. He had good qualities and matured well after joining the sect. He completed all tasks assigned to him successfully and even made significant contributions to our sect, earning my recognition as his registered disciple."
“ rú cǐ bǎo wù ， duì běn mén yì wèi zhe shén me ， yú xiōng suī rán yú dùn ， dàn yě yì qīng èr chǔ ， yǐ jīng yán lìng tā men bǎo shǒu mì mì ， bù dé xiàng rèn hé rù shuō qǐ ， rán ér hái shì zǒu lòu le xiāo xī 。” shuō dào zhè lǐ ， lóng xìng shào nián yǎo yá qiè chǐ ， míng xiǎn xīn zhōng hèn jí 。
“如此宝物，对本门意味着什么，愚兄虽然愚钝，但也一清二楚，已经严令他们保守秘密，不得像任何入说起，然而还是走漏了消息。”说到这里，龙姓少年咬牙切齿，明显心中恨极。
"So that's how it is."
“ ó ， shì rú hé zǒu lòu xiāo xī ？” lín xuān què xún wèn dé bǐ jiào xiáng xì 。
“哦，是如何走漏消息？”林轩却询问得比较详细。
Lin Xuan nodded and waited for more details.
“ zhè yǒu shén me xī qí ， yǒu rù jiàn lì wàng yì ， lóng shī dì de jǐ míng dì zǐ zhōng ， yǒu yí gè xìng yuán de jiā huo ， shì dài yì tóu shī ， yīn wèi tā zī zhì bù cuò ， rù mén yǐ hòu ， wèi rù yě suàn wěn zhòng chéng shú ， jiāo yǔ tā zuò de shì wù ， yě dōu wán chéng dé bù cuò ， shèn zhì hái wèi běn mén lì xià guò bù xiǎo de gōng láo ， suǒ yǐ cái dé dào lóng shī dì shǎng shí ， jiāng tā shōu wèi jì míng dì zǐ 。”
“这有什么稀奇，有入见利忘义，龙师弟的几名弟子中，有一个姓袁的家伙，是带艺投师，因为他资质不错，入门以后，为入也算稳重成熟，交予他做的事务，也都完成得不错，甚至还为本门立下过不小的功劳，所以才得到龙师弟赏识，将他收为记名弟子。”
"However, we didn’t know that he was actually a cultivator from Sword Lake Palace before making such a grave mistake that led to his expulsion."
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。”
“原来如此。”
"Sword Lake Palace?"
lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， jì xù děng tā wǎng xià shuō 。
林轩点点头，继续等她往下说。
Lin Xuan’s expression turned grim at the mention of this name. While other sects or families might not pose much threat, Lin Xuan had confidence in dealing with them after advancing past Tribulation Transcendence.
“ kě wǒ men dōu bù xiǎo de ， zhè jiā huo ， yǐ qián qí shí shì jiàn hú gōng xiū shì ， zhǐ yīn wèi fàn le dà cuò ， suǒ yǐ cái bèi zhú chū mén qiáng le 。”
“可我们都不晓得，这家伙，以前其实是剑湖宫修士，只因为犯了大错，所以才被逐出门墙了。”
However, Sword Lake Palace was renowned for its power and influence. For thousands of years, it consistently ranked first among all major forces in the world. The sect traced its origins back to ancient times but had a far deeper foundation than Cloud Concealing Sect. Their strength was incomparable.
“ jiàn hú gōng ？”
“剑湖宫？”
The palace was home to many powerful cultivators, including the Great Elder Thousand Swords, an old monster at late-stage Tribulation Transcendence. He had only advanced to this stage several thousand years ago and likely hadn’t yet entered the realm of domains. His power compared poorly with ancient greats like Dragon’s Lair True Man or Fairy Hundred Flowers.
lín xuān tīng dào zhè lǐ ， yuán běn dàn rán de biǎo qíng yě biàn dé nán kàn yǐ jí 。
林轩听到这里，原本淡然的表情也变得难看以极。
Lin Xuan was well aware of this, but what could he do? Even among late-stage Tribulation Transcendence cultivators, his opponent might be weaker relatively speaking, but that didn’t change the fact that he was a genuine late-stage cultivator. Lin Xuan, despite his immense power, couldn't possibly contend with such an existence.
This place was unfamiliar to Lin Xuan, yet the aura of spiritual energy didn't seem particularly abundant. Everywhere he looked, a thick white fog enveloped everything. It was clear that this area was under some kind of illusionary restriction.
Lin Xuan extended his divine sense, but it produced no effect at all; like a stone thrown into deep water, it vanished without stirring any ripples.
A look of admiration appeared on Lin Xuan's face. The restrictions here were indeed formidable.
It seemed that his seniors' words weren't exaggerated in the slightest. Otherwise, they wouldn't have expended such great effort to set up this place.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Lin Xuan couldn't help but feel a hint of anticipation towards that mysterious Spirit Eye Lake.
What made this Spirit Eye Treasure different from ordinary ones?
A silver-eyed girl extended her jade hand and gently tapped her waist. A palm-sized token flew out from her storage bracelet.
Following the casting of a spell, the token emitted a layer of spiritual light, and countless tiny talismans swarmed out.
When she closed it in half, a long bird materialized before them.
A clear chirping sound echoed as its wings flapped, disappearing into the valley ahead.
Then, the milky white fog began to churn.
It gradually dissipated until it was barely visible. The scenery in front became clearer and clearer.
No, not just the scenery; Lin Xuan felt that the spiritual energy in this world had changed.
At first, he remained calm, knowing there was a Spirit Eye Lake here. Such an extraordinary treasure meant that the nearby spiritual energy would be denser, which wasn't strange at all in the cultivation realm.
However, as time passed, Lin Xuan realized his previous assumptions were too simplistic.
What he saw went beyond just dense spiritual energy.
In this world, colorful snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.
No, these weren’t ordinary snowflakes. Lin Xuan stretched out his hand and a flake landed on it. He didn't feel the chill; instead, pure spiritual energy surged into his dantian.
"Spiritual energy crystallization!"
Lin Xuan's face showed astonishment. Even with his composure, he couldn't suppress an expression of disbelief.
This was too impressive.
The density of the spiritual energy had reached a point where it could transform into snowflakes—something only recorded in ancient texts.
With Lin Xuan’s extensive cultivation experience, such phenomena weren’t new to him. In the lost realm, at the palace of the Arrogant King, he had encountered similar situations before.
At that time, Lin Xuan was astounded by the dense spiritual energy, which greatly aided his advancement to the Tribulation Transcending stage. Without it, failure would have been more likely, but certainly not as smooth as now.
Apart from the palace of the Arrogant King, he hadn’t seen such dense spiritual energy anywhere else—neither in the Dragon’s Lair nor on Penglai Island.
This Spirit Eye Lake had this effect. If he hadn't witnessed it himself, Lin Xuan would have found it hard to believe that there existed such a miraculous Spirit Eye Treasure.
No wonder it brought great calamity to Cloud Concealing Sect. Such a treasure could easily tempt even late-stage Tribulation Transcending cultivators.
Lin Xuan was surprised but quickly understood the situation.
In fact, their sect's current state mirrored that of the Moon Shadow Clan—innocent until proven guilty, carrying precious stones and inviting trouble.
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xuan didn't hesitate. He emitted a green glow all over his body and slowly flew towards the front.
The spiritual energy ahead became denser, and more snowflakes drifted down from the sky.
Soon, a small lake came into view.
Though not vast, it covered only a few acres. This was clearly the Spirit Eye Lake that brought both great opportunities and calamity to their sect.
The water was clear, and an unusually dense spiritual energy surged towards him. Lin Xuan took a deep breath, feeling refreshed.
Such treasures could easily capture his heart as well.
"Senior Brother Senior Sister, such a treasure appearing in our main sect is a sign of heavenly favor. Emotionally and logically, we should keep this strictly confidential. How did the news leak out?" Lin Xuan's puzzled voice echoed.
"It’s all my fault."
Lin Xuan's doubts were met with a look of shame on the young man named Long's face: "To be honest, it was my mistake. If I hadn't been so lenient in managing my disciples, this wouldn’t have brought such misfortune to our sect."
"Why do you say that?" Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, showing obvious curiosity.
"In this area, several Inner Alchemy Realm cultivators opened up their own caves. They are all my registered disciples. The appearance of the Spirit Eye Spring and its transformation into a lake was discovered by them first."
"Such treasures mean so much to our sect. Although I am not very smart, I fully understand the importance. I ordered them to keep it secret and not share any information with outsiders. Yet, the news still leaked out," Long's young man bit his lip, clearly filled with resentment.
"Oh, how did that happen?" Lin Xuan asked more detailed questions.
"It’s nothing special. There was someone who saw profit over loyalty. One of my disciples named Yuan was a skilled apprentice. He had good qualities and matured well after joining the sect. He completed all tasks assigned to him successfully and even made significant contributions to our sect, earning my recognition as his registered disciple."
"So that's how it is."
Lin Xuan nodded and waited for more details.
"However, we didn’t know that he was actually a cultivator from Sword Lake Palace before making such a grave mistake that led to his expulsion."
"Sword Lake Palace?"
Lin Xuan’s expression turned grim at the mention of this name. While other sects or families might not pose much threat, Lin Xuan had confidence in dealing with them after advancing past Tribulation Transcendence.
However, Sword Lake Palace was renowned for its power and influence. For thousands of years, it consistently ranked first among all major forces in the world. The sect traced its origins back to ancient times but had a far deeper foundation than Cloud Concealing Sect. Their strength was incomparable.
The palace was home to many powerful cultivators, including the Great Elder Thousand Swords, an old monster at late-stage Tribulation Transcendence. He had only advanced to this stage several thousand years ago and likely hadn’t yet entered the realm of domains. His power compared poorly with ancient greats like Dragon’s Lair True Man or Fairy Hundred Flowers.
Lin Xuan was well aware of this, but what could he do? Even among late-stage Tribulation Transcendence cultivators, his opponent might be weaker relatively speaking, but that didn’t change the fact that he was a genuine late-stage cultivator. Lin Xuan, despite his immense power, couldn't possibly contend with such an existence.