qū qū yī fēn shén jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， jū rán néng dǎ bài dù jié qī lǎo guài wù ， zhè yàng de shì qíng fàng yǎn sān jiè ， zòng héng jīn gǔ ， kǒng pà yě cóng lái méi yǒu fā shēng guò 。
区区一分神级别的修仙者，居然能打败渡劫期老怪物，这样的事情放眼三界，纵横今古，恐怕也从来没有发生过。
A mere cultivator of the Focused Spirit realm could defeat an old monster at the Tribulation Transcendence stage? Such a feat, in all three realms and throughout history, would be unprecedented.
bù lùn cóng nǎ ge jiǎo dù ， dōu tài huāng dàn le ， ruò fēi qīn yǎn mù dǔ ， shí zài lìng rén nán yǐ xìn fú 。
不论从哪个角度，都太荒诞了，若非亲眼目睹，实在令人难以信服。
No matter which angle one approached it from, this was too absurd. If not for witnessing it firsthand, no one would have believed such a tale.
gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ chū wén cǐ shì ， yě shì zhèn jīng le hǎo jiǔ ， jī hū yǐ wéi shì zì jǐ de ěr duǒ tīng cuò ， rán ér tā yǔ nà ruò yán xiān zi de jiāo qíng ， shí zài fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， shēn zhī zì jǐ zhè wèi hǎo yǒu ， xiàng lái shì shuō yī bù èr de xìng gé ， zhè zhǒng shì qíng ， gèng méi yǒu qī piàn zì jǐ de lǐ yóu 。
宫装女子初闻此事，也是震惊了好久，几乎以为是自己的耳朵听错，然而她与那若颜仙子的交情，实在非同小可，深知自己这位好友，向来是说一不二的xìng格，这种事情，更没有欺骗自己的理由。
The woman dressed in court attire was equally stunned when she first heard the news. She almost thought her ears must be deceiving her. However, her relationship with Fairy Ruo Yan was profound and she knew her friend was known for being straightforward. There was no reason for her to lie about this matter.
bì jìng dāng shí ， jiàn hú gōng yǔ yún yǐn zōng ， shàng wèi jiāo wù ， yú qíng yú lǐ ， tā dōu méi yǒu bì yào tì lín xuān hú luàn chuī xū de 。
毕竟当时，剑湖宫与云隐宗，尚未交恶，于情于理，她都没有必要替林轩胡乱吹嘘的。
After all, at that time, Sword Lake Palace had not yet fallen out with Cloud Concealment Sect. Emotionally and logically, there was no need for her to exaggerate Lin Xuan's achievements.
hé kuàng shì shàng wú bù tòu fēng de qiáng ， péng lái xiān dǎo fā shēng de yí mù ， gù rán zhǐ yǒu qīn lín gāi dì de dù jié qī lǎo guài men qīn yǎn mù dǔ ， yǐ zhè xiē jiā huo de shēn fèn ， diǎn lǐ shàng fā shēng guò shén me ， tā men yě bú huì suí kǒu luàn shuō ， dàn jí biàn shì dù jié qī lǎo guài wù ， zǒng yě yǒu zhì jiāo hǎo yǒu ， huò zhě tè bié qīn jìn de mén rén dì zǐ 。
何况世上无不透风的墙，蓬莱仙岛发生的一幕，固然只有亲临该地的渡劫期老怪们亲眼目睹，以这些家伙的身份，典礼上发生过什么，他们也不会随口乱说，但即便是渡劫期老怪物，总也有至交好友，或者特别亲近的门人弟子。
Moreover, there were no secrets in the world; what happened on Penglai Immortal Island could only be witnessed by the old monsters present. Even they would not casually spread rumors about events at grand ceremonies. However, even old monsters had close friends or particularly favored disciples.
ér yǎn qián de gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ ， hǎo dǎi yě shì fēn shén hòu qī de xiū shì ， yòu shì jiàn hú gōng zhǎng lǎo ， bù lùn shēn fèn shí lì ， dōu fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， zhǐ yào yǒu xīn dǎ tīng ， zì rán huì yǒu shōu huò 。
而眼前的宫装女子，好歹也是分神后期的修士，又是剑湖宫长老，不论身份实力，都非同小可，只要有心打听，自然会有收获。
The woman dressed in court attire was a late-stage Focused Spirit cultivator and an elder of Sword Lake Palace. With her status and power, she could easily gather information if she wished to do so.
yú shì zài lüè fèi le yī fān bō zhé zhī hòu ， cǐ nǚ yìn zhèng le zì jǐ de cāi cè ， ruò yán xiān zi guǒ rán méi yǒu hú yán luàn shuō ， lín xuān zài nài lóng zhēn rén de shuāng xiū diǎn lǐ shàng dà chū fēng tou ， biàn shì nà xiē dù jié qī lǎo zǔ de fēng guāng yě bèi gài guò
于是在略费了一番波折之后，此女印证了自己的猜测，若颜仙子果然没有胡言乱说，林轩在鼐龙真人的双修典礼上大出风头，便是那些渡劫期老祖的风光也被盖过
After some effort, the woman confirmed her suspicions: Fairy Ruo Yan indeed did not exaggerate. Lin Xuan's performance at Nael Dragon Immortal's dual cultivation ceremony overshadowed even the old monsters' glory.
méi yǒu rén gǎn yīn wèi tā zhǐ shì fēn shén qī xiū xiān zhě jiù xiǎo kàn shén me 。
没有人敢因为他只是分神期修仙者就小看什么。
No one dared to underestimate him because he was just a Focused Spirit cultivator.
yún yǐn zōng bù hǎo rě ！
云隐宗不好惹！
Cloud Concealment Sect was not an easy target!
gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ yǐ dé chū zhè ge jié lùn le 。
宫装女子已得出这个结论了。
The woman had reached this conclusion, but her face showed sorrow. Although the information she provided was true, it sounded too outlandish. Her fellow disciples chose to ignore it.
rán ér liǎn shàng què lù chū bēi āi zhī sè， yīn wèi tā suǒ shuō de qíng bào ， suī jù jù shǔ shí ， rán ér tīng shàng qù ， què wèi miǎn lí pǔ le yī xiē ， yú shì tóng mén shī xiōng dì dōu xuǎn zé liǎo wú shì 。
然而脸上却露出悲哀之sè，因为她所说的情报，虽句句属实，然而听上去，却未免离谱了一些，于是同门师兄弟都选择了无视。
As they say, knowing oneself and one's enemy leads to victory in a hundred battles. What would happen if one underestimated their opponent?
sú huà shuō ， zhī jǐ zhī bǐ bǎi zhàn bù dài ， nà me xiǎo kàn duì shǒu ， huì yǒu shén me jié guǒ ne ？
俗话说，知己知彼百战不怠，那么小看对手，会有什么结果呢？
The woman did not know. However, an unsettling feeling emerged from within her. At her level of power, she could not ignore the omens that appeared in her heart, no matter how much she tried. Could this conflict with Cloud Concealment Sect bring significant trouble to her sect?
gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ yě bù xiǎo de 。
宫装女子也不晓得。
A thought crossed her mind, and even she found it absurd. After all, Sword Lake Palace was ranked first among all sects in Nael Dragon Realm. Even though the Venerable Master Ten Thousand Swords was not present, there were still two senior elders here. Didn't Old Demon Xue of the Ten Thousand Demons Valley return empty-handed just recently?
dàn tā nèi xīn shēn chù · què mò míng yǒu bù ān de gǎn jué fú xiàn ér chū 。
但她内心深处·却莫名有不安的感觉浮现而出。
The woman consoled herself, but that unsettling feeling persisted.
shí lì dào le tā zhè ge děng jí ， duì yú xīn tóu líng zhào suī tán bù shàng qū zhī ruò wù ， dàn yě jué bù kě néng shú shì wú dǔ ， nán dào zhè yī cì · běn mén yǔ yún yǐn zōng chōng tū ， huì chī shàng bù xiǎo de kǔ tóu ？
实力到了她这个等级，对于心头灵兆虽谈不上趋之若鹜，但也绝不可能熟视无睹，难道这一次·本门与云隐宗冲突，会吃上不小的苦头？
"Senior brothers, Lin Xuan is no ordinary Focused Spirit cultivator. His strength far surpasses his peers and can even stand on equal footing with old monsters at Tribulation Transcendence stage. Everyone must not be careless."
yí gè niàn tou zài nǎo hǎi zhōng zhuǎn guò ， gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ zì jǐ dōu jué de lí pǔ ， bì jìng jiàn hú gōng kě shì nài lóng jiè pái míng dì yī de zōng mén jiā zú ， suī rán wàn jiàn zūn zhě bù zài le ， dàn hái yǒu lìng wài liǎng wèi tài shàng zhǎng lǎo zuò zhèn cǐ chù ， jiù suàn shì wàn yāo gǔ de xuē lǎo mó · qián yī zhèn bù yě shā yǔ ér guī me ？
一个念头在脑海中转过，宫装女子自己都觉得离谱，毕竟剑湖宫可是鼐龙界排名第一的宗门家族，虽然万剑尊者不在了，但还有另外两位太上长老坐镇此处，就算是万妖谷的薛老魔·前一阵不也铩羽而归么？
Her soft voice echoed in the ears of her fellow disciples. Although they doubted her words, as a cultivator of Sword Lake Palace, she should remind them.
cǐ nǚ zài xīn zhōng ān wèi zhe zì jǐ ， kě nà bù ān de gǎn jué jiù shì huī zhī bù qù 。
此女在心中安慰着自己，可那不安的感觉就是挥之不去。
"Haha, junior sister, you're overthinking this," said one of the black-clothed men with a confident laugh.
“ gè wèi shī xiōng ， nà lín xuān bú shì pǔ tōng de fēn shén qī xiū xiān zhě ， shí lì zhī qiáng ， yuǎn zài tóng jiē cún zài zhī shàng ， shèn zhì néng yǔ dù jié qī lǎo zǔ fēn tíng kàng lǐ ， dà jiā qiān wàn bù kě dà yì 。”
“各位师兄，那林轩不是普通的分神期修仙者，实力之强，远在同阶存在之上，甚至能与渡劫期老祖分庭抗礼，大家千万不可大意。”
"How can a Focused Spirit cultivator defeat an old monster at Tribulation Transcendence stage? Such absurdity has never happened in all three realms. How could you believe such nonsense?"
cǐ nǚ yōu yōu de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， suī rán gè wèi shī xiōng dì duì zì jǐ de huà · biǎo shì huái yí ， dàn shēn wèi jiàn hú gōng xiū shì ， yú qíng yú lǐ · tā dōu yīng gāi tí xǐng jǐ jù 。
此女幽幽的声音传入耳朵，虽然各位师兄弟对自己的话·表示怀疑，但身为剑湖宫修士，于情于理·她都应该提醒几句。
"Indeed, that Lin boy is likely just seeking fame and fortune. When the attack on Cloud Concealment Sect's main hall begins, we won't need any of our fellow disciples to act; Wu can capture him alive by himself," said the black-clothed man with a boastful tone.
“ hā hā ， shī mèi ， nǐ duō lǜ le 。”
“哈哈，师妹，你多虑了。”
The woman sighed. Even though she expected this outcome, everyone misunderstanding her intentions left her heart heavy.
“ fēn shén qī xiū shì ， zěn me kě néng dǎ bài dù jié qī lǎo zǔ ， zhè zhǒng shì qíng fàng yǎn sān jiè ， zòng héng jīn gǔ ， dōu bù céng fā shēng guò ， rú cǐ huāng miù ， shī mèi zěn me yě huì xiāng xìn ne 。”
“分神期修士，怎么可能打败渡劫期老祖，这种事情放眼三界，纵横今古，都不曾发生过，如此荒谬，师妹怎么也会相信呢。”
Then, another voice entered their ears, strange and unfamiliar.
“ jiù shì ， nà lín xiǎo zi · duō bàn shì yī gū míng diào yù zhī tú ， dào shí hòu jìn gōng yún yǐn zōng zǒng duò ， yě bù xū gè wèi shī xiōng dì dòng shǒu ， wú mǒu yī rén ， jiù néng jiāng nà lín xiǎo zi shēng qín huó zhuō 。” nà hēi yī dà hàn kǎi rán de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， yī fù xiāo zhāng zhī sè。
“就是，那林小子·多半是一沽名钓誉之徒，到时候进攻云隐宗总舵，也不需各位师兄弟动手，吴某一人，就能将那林小子生擒活捉。”那黑衣大汉慨然的声音传入耳朵，一副嚣张之sè。
"Do not worry, Senior Auntie Zhou. Although Lin boy is formidable, he has already gone missing."
gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ tàn le kǒu qì · suī rán zǎo liào dào zhè ge jié jú ， dàn suǒ yǒu rén dōu wù huì zì jǐ de hǎo yì ， hái shì ràng tā xīn huī yì lěng yǐ jí 。
宫装女子叹了口气·虽然早料到这个结局，但所有人都误会自己的好意，还是让她心灰意冷以极。
The speaker was the only one present at the Conception Profound realm; a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance but a sharp mind.
jiù zài zhè shí hòu ， yòu yí gè shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， zài tā tīng lái què shì mò shēng dào jí chù 。
就在这时候，又一个声音传入耳朵，在她听来却是陌生到极处。
This person had been sent to Cloud Concealment Sect to deliver messages and attempt to seize Spirit Eye Lake without bloodshed. However, he was forcefully expelled by the silver-eyed maiden.
“ zhōu shī shū bù yòng dān xīn ， nà lín xiǎo zi suī rán fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， dàn zǎo yǐ shī zōng diào le 。”
“周师叔不用担心，那林小子虽然非同小可，但早已失踪掉了。”
"What? Lin Xuan has gone missing?"
shuō huà zhī rén shì zài chǎng wéi yī de yī míng dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ， róng mào pǔ tōng ， sān shí duō suì nián jì ， rán ér liǎn shàng què tòu chū jǐ fēn jīng míng zhī yì 。
说话之人是在场唯一的一名洞玄期修仙者，容貌普通，三十多岁年纪，然而脸上却透出几分jīng明之意。
Not just other Focused Spirit cultivators, even the woman in court attire showed surprise.
zhèng shì cǐ rén bèi pài wǎng yún yǐn zōng chuán dì xiāo xī ， xiǎng yào bīng bù xuè rèn de duó qǔ líng yǎn zhī hú ， jié guǒ què bèi yín tóng shào nǚ háo bù yóu yù de gǎn chū qù 。
正是此人被派往云隐宗传递消息，想要兵不血刃的夺取灵眼之湖，结果却被银瞳少女毫不犹豫的赶出去。
"Indeed, although Cloud Concealment Sect tried to keep this a secret, there's no such thing as an impenetrable wall. After declining Senior Uncle's offer, I began gathering information about what was happening inside their sect. It took much effort, but the results were significant. Lin Xuan disappeared over two hundred years ago, coinciding with when Venerable Master Ten Thousand Swords lost contact with the sect."
“ shén me ， lín xuān yǐ shī zōng diào le ？”
“什么，林轩已失踪掉了？”
The group was stunned. Two hundred years ago, Venerable Master Ten Thousand Swords had also lost contact with the sect around that time. Could it be that Lin Xuan's situation mirrored his, encountering trouble after attending Nael Dragon Immortal's dual cultivation ceremony?
bù shuō qí tā de fēn shén qī xiū xiān zhě ， zhè yī cì lián nà gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ dōu lù chū è rán zhī sè。
不说其他的分神期修仙者，这一次连那宫装女子都露出愕然之sè。
They could not speculate on the exact circumstances, but knowing Lin Xuan was gone was enough to relieve the woman's tension. However, her unease remained.
“ bù cuò ， yún yǐn zōng suī kè yì yǐn mán xiāo xī ， dàn zhè shì jiè shàng ， qiáng nǎ ér yǒu bù tòu fēng de dào lǐ ， duì fāng jù jué le zhǎng mén shī bó de hǎo yì ， shī zhí jiù kāi shǐ liú yì dǎ tàn yún yǐn zōng mén nèi de xiāo xī ， fèi le bù shǎo lì qì ， dàn shōu huò yě fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， nà lín xiǎo zi yě zǎo zài liǎng bǎi duō nián qián ， jiù shī zōng diào le ， suàn suàn shí jiān ， dào yǔ dà zhǎng lǎo de qíng kuàng xiāng chà fǎng fú 。”
“不错，云隐宗虽刻意隐瞒消息，但这世界上，墙哪儿有不透风的道理，对方拒绝了掌门师伯的好意，师侄就开始留意打探云隐宗门内的消息，费了不少力气，但收获也非同小可，那林小子也早在两百多年前，就失踪掉了，算算时间，倒与大长老的情况相差仿佛。”
She did not have much more to say as Cloud Concealment Sect had made significant progress in recent years, but compared to Sword Lake Palace's deep foundations, it was like a small witch seeing a great witch. Without Lin Xuan, they were no match for the sect from any angle.
zhòng rén yí zhèng ， liǎng bǎi duō nián qián ， wàn jiàn zūn zhě yě jiù shì zài nà ge shí hòu yǔ mén nèi shī qù lián xì de ， nán dào lín xuān de qíng kuàng yě chà bu duō ， dōu shì zài cān jiā wán nài lóng zhēn rén shuāng xiū diǎn lǐ hòu jiù yù jiàn má fán le 。
众人一怔，两百多年前，万剑尊者也就是在那个时候与门内失去联系的，难道林轩的情况也差不多，都是在参加完鼐龙真人双修典礼后就遇见麻烦了。
The Spirit Eye Lake would eventually belong to their side. Such an extraordinary treasure could not be overlooked; even the two senior elders would be interested.
jù tǐ qíng xíng tā men dāng rán méi yǒu bàn fǎ tuī cè ， bù guò zhī dào lín xuān bù zài jiù xíng le ， nà gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ yě míng xiǎn sōng le kǒu qì ， dàn bù zhī wèi hé ， xīn zhōng de bù ān ， què yī jiù shì huī zhī bù
具体情形他们当然没有办法推测，不过知道林轩不在就行了，那宫装女子也明显松了口气，但不知为何，心中的不安，却依旧是挥之不
Discussions concluded, and the two major sects indeed clashed fiercely. As previously mentioned, although Cloud Concealment Sect was formidable, it still fell short of Sword Lake Palace in terms of strength. They were naturally at a disadvantage.
dàn tā yě bù hǎo zài xiāng quàn shén me ， yún yǐn zōng zhè xiē nián de fā zhǎn suī rán fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， dàn yǔ jiàn hú gōng shēn hòu de dǐ yùn xiāng bǐ ， zì rán shì xiǎo wū jiàn dà wū ， méi yǒu le lín xuān ， bù lùn cóng nǎ ge jiǎo dù ， tā men dōu bù kě néng shì běn mén de duì shǒu 。
但她也不好再相劝什么，云隐宗这些年的发展虽然非同小可，但与剑湖宫深厚的底蕴相比，自然是小巫见大巫，没有了林轩，不论从哪个角度，他们都不可能是本门的对手。
Fortunately, they were on the offensive, protected by禁制and阵法, so they did not suffer too much.
nà líng yǎn zhī hú ， chí zǎo shì běn mén de náng zhōng wù 。
那灵眼之湖，迟早是本门的囊中物。
However, such a battle would only end with one side's victory. Cloud Concealment Sect could not afford to lose; even a dead camel is bigger than a horse. Besides, other than Venerable Master Ten Thousand Swords' disappearance, the rest of Sword Lake Palace remained intact.
néng gòu ràng líng qì jīng huà ， zhè yàng de yì bǎo ， zěn me kě yǐ fàng guò ， biàn shì liǎng wèi tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ， yě yī yàng huì dà gǎn xìng qù de 。
能够让灵气晶化，这样的异宝，怎么可以放过，便是两位太上长老，也一样会大感兴趣的。
Lin Xuan knew this well, as did the silver-eyed maiden and the dragon-named youth. They would not sit idly by but gathered to discuss strategies.
tǎo lùn yǐ gào yí duàn luò ， jiē xià lái ， liǎng dà zōng mén guǒ rán bào fā le jī liè jiāo shǒu ， zhèng rú qián miàn suǒ shuō ， yún yǐn zōng rú jīn ， suī rán yě suàn páng rán dà wù ， rán ér yǔ jiàn hú gōng xiāng bǐ ， shí lì què xùn sè le bù zhǐ yī chóu ， bú yòng shuō ， zì rán shì wán quán chù zài le xià fēng 。
讨论已告一段落，接下来，两大宗门果然爆发了激烈交手，正如前面所说，云隐宗如今，虽然也算庞然大物，然而与剑湖宫相比，实力却逊sè了不止一筹，不用说，自然是完全处在了下风。
However, when Lin Xuan proposed his plan, both he and the other person shook their heads vigorously in disagreement.
hǎo zài tā men shì yǐ gōng dài shǒu ， dé jìn zhì yǔ zhèn fǎ xiàng zhù ， cái méi yǒu chī tài dà de kǔ tóu 。
好在他们是以攻代守，得禁制与阵法相助，才没有吃太大的苦头。
"We cannot do that, Junior Brother Lin. Your idea is too risky."
rán ér zhè yàng dǎ xià qù ， shuí shèng shuí fù què shì xiǎn ér yì jiàn de ， jiù suàn shì xiāo hào ， yún yǐn zōng yě hào bù qǐ ， shòu sǐ de luò tuó bǐ mǎ dà jiù shì zhè ge dào lǐ ， hé kuàng jiàn hú gōng chú le dà zhǎng lǎo wàn jiàn zūn zhě xiāo shī ， qí tā de shí lì ， kě shì wán hǎo wú sǔn dì 。
然而这样打下去，谁胜谁负却是显而易见的，就算是消耗，云隐宗也耗不起，瘦死的骆驼比马大就是这个道理，何况剑湖宫除了大长老万剑尊者消失，其他的实力，可是完好无损地。
"Venturing into a tiger's den can be disastrous; if anything happens to you, what will our sect do?"
zhè yì diǎn lín xuān xīn zhōng yǒu shù ， yín tóng shào nǚ yǔ lóng xìng shào nián yě shí fēn qīng chǔ ， pīn xiāo hào yún yǐn zōng shì bàn fēn shèng suàn yě wú 。
这一点林轩心中有数，银瞳少女与龙姓少年也十分清楚，拼消耗云隐宗是半分胜算也无。
"That's right. Although we are at a disadvantage now, things have not reached an irreparable state. Why should you risk your life for this?"
tā men zì rán bù kě néng shén me yě bù zuò ， còu zài yì qǐ shāng liáng qǐ le duì cè 。
他们自然不可能什么也不做，凑在一起商量起了对策。
PS: It wasn't due to laziness on my part. Yesterday afternoon, my mother-in-law developed acute appendicitis and we rushed her to the hospital. That's why I only posted one chapter yesterday and today. We're quite busy, but I'll try to return to normal updates tomorrow. Please continue supporting me and Hundred Refinements; thank you.
A mere cultivator of the Focused Spirit realm could defeat an old monster at the Tribulation Transcendence stage? Such a feat, in all three realms and throughout history, would be unprecedented.
No matter which angle one approached it from, this was too absurd. If not for witnessing it firsthand, no one would have believed such a tale.
The woman dressed in court attire was equally stunned when she first heard the news. She almost thought her ears must be deceiving her. However, her relationship with Fairy Ruo Yan was profound and she knew her friend was known for being straightforward. There was no reason for her to lie about this matter.
After all, at that time, Sword Lake Palace had not yet fallen out with Cloud Concealment Sect. Emotionally and logically, there was no need for her to exaggerate Lin Xuan's achievements.
Moreover, there were no secrets in the world; what happened on Penglai Immortal Island could only be witnessed by the old monsters present. Even they would not casually spread rumors about events at grand ceremonies. However, even old monsters had close friends or particularly favored disciples.
The woman dressed in court attire was a late-stage Focused Spirit cultivator and an elder of Sword Lake Palace. With her status and power, she could easily gather information if she wished to do so.
After some effort, the woman confirmed her suspicions: Fairy Ruo Yan indeed did not exaggerate. Lin Xuan's performance at Nael Dragon Immortal's dual cultivation ceremony overshadowed even the old monsters' glory.
No one dared to underestimate him because he was just a Focused Spirit cultivator.
Cloud Concealment Sect was not an easy target!
The woman had reached this conclusion, but her face showed sorrow. Although the information she provided was true, it sounded too outlandish. Her fellow disciples chose to ignore it.
As they say, knowing oneself and one's enemy leads to victory in a hundred battles. What would happen if one underestimated their opponent?
The woman did not know. However, an unsettling feeling emerged from within her. At her level of power, she could not ignore the omens that appeared in her heart, no matter how much she tried. Could this conflict with Cloud Concealment Sect bring significant trouble to her sect?
A thought crossed her mind, and even she found it absurd. After all, Sword Lake Palace was ranked first among all sects in Nael Dragon Realm. Even though the Venerable Master Ten Thousand Swords was not present, there were still two senior elders here. Didn't Old Demon Xue of the Ten Thousand Demons Valley return empty-handed just recently?
The woman consoled herself, but that unsettling feeling persisted.
"Senior brothers, Lin Xuan is no ordinary Focused Spirit cultivator. His strength far surpasses his peers and can even stand on equal footing with old monsters at Tribulation Transcendence stage. Everyone must not be careless."
Her soft voice echoed in the ears of her fellow disciples. Although they doubted her words, as a cultivator of Sword Lake Palace, she should remind them.
"Haha, junior sister, you're overthinking this," said one of the black-clothed men with a confident laugh.
"How can a Focused Spirit cultivator defeat an old monster at Tribulation Transcendence stage? Such absurdity has never happened in all three realms. How could you believe such nonsense?"
"Indeed, that Lin boy is likely just seeking fame and fortune. When the attack on Cloud Concealment Sect's main hall begins, we won't need any of our fellow disciples to act; Wu can capture him alive by himself," said the black-clothed man with a boastful tone.
The woman sighed. Even though she expected this outcome, everyone misunderstanding her intentions left her heart heavy.
Then, another voice entered their ears, strange and unfamiliar.
"Do not worry, Senior Auntie Zhou. Although Lin boy is formidable, he has already gone missing."
The speaker was the only one present at the Conception Profound realm; a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance but a sharp mind.
This person had been sent to Cloud Concealment Sect to deliver messages and attempt to seize Spirit Eye Lake without bloodshed. However, he was forcefully expelled by the silver-eyed maiden.
"What? Lin Xuan has gone missing?"
Not just other Focused Spirit cultivators, even the woman in court attire showed surprise.
"Indeed, although Cloud Concealment Sect tried to keep this a secret, there's no such thing as an impenetrable wall. After declining Senior Uncle's offer, I began gathering information about what was happening inside their sect. It took much effort, but the results were significant. Lin Xuan disappeared over two hundred years ago, coinciding with when Venerable Master Ten Thousand Swords lost contact with the sect."
The group was stunned. Two hundred years ago, Venerable Master Ten Thousand Swords had also lost contact with the sect around that time. Could it be that Lin Xuan's situation mirrored his, encountering trouble after attending Nael Dragon Immortal's dual cultivation ceremony?
They could not speculate on the exact circumstances, but knowing Lin Xuan was gone was enough to relieve the woman's tension. However, her unease remained.
She did not have much more to say as Cloud Concealment Sect had made significant progress in recent years, but compared to Sword Lake Palace's deep foundations, it was like a small witch seeing a great witch. Without Lin Xuan, they were no match for the sect from any angle.
The Spirit Eye Lake would eventually belong to their side. Such an extraordinary treasure could not be overlooked; even the two senior elders would be interested.
Discussions concluded, and the two major sects indeed clashed fiercely. As previously mentioned, although Cloud Concealment Sect was formidable, it still fell short of Sword Lake Palace in terms of strength. They were naturally at a disadvantage.
Fortunately, they were on the offensive, protected by禁制and阵法, so they did not suffer too much.
However, such a battle would only end with one side's victory. Cloud Concealment Sect could not afford to lose; even a dead camel is bigger than a horse. Besides, other than Venerable Master Ten Thousand Swords' disappearance, the rest of Sword Lake Palace remained intact.
Lin Xuan knew this well, as did the silver-eyed maiden and the dragon-named youth. They would not sit idly by but gathered to discuss strategies.
However, when Lin Xuan proposed his plan, both he and the other person shook their heads vigorously in disagreement.
"We cannot do that, Junior Brother Lin. Your idea is too risky."
"Venturing into a tiger's den can be disastrous; if anything happens to you, what will our sect do?"
"That's right. Although we are at a disadvantage now, things have not reached an irreparable state. Why should you risk your life for this?"
PS: It wasn't due to laziness on my part. Yesterday afternoon, my mother-in-law developed acute appendicitis and we rushed her to the hospital. That's why I only posted one chapter yesterday and today. We're quite busy, but I'll try to return to normal updates tomorrow. Please continue supporting me and Hundred Refinements; thank you.