bsp; nà líng yǎn zhī hú bù jǐn miàn jī guǎng bó ， suǒ sàn fà chū lái de líng qì ， gèng shì chōng pèi wú bǐ ， jiù suàn shì shàng pǐn líng mài ， yě méi yǒu bàn fǎ yǔ qí tā xiāng bǐ 。
bsp; 那灵眼之湖不仅面积广博，所散发出来的灵气，更是充沛无比，就算是上品灵脉，也没有办法与其他相比。
The Spirit Eye Lake was vast, and the aura of essence qi it emitted was abundant. Even a superior-grade spirit vein could not compare to it.
lín xuān shēn shēn hū xī ， gǎn jué xīn kuàng shén yí 。
林轩深深呼吸，感觉心旷神怡。
Lin Xuan took a deep breath, feeling refreshed. But then he sighed.
suí hòu què tàn le kǒu qì 。
随后却叹了口气。
Sure enough, as they say, greed is insatiable. The Sword Lake Palace already had such a good Spirit Eye Lake, yet they still plotted to seize the treasures of Cloud Concealment Sect, inviting powerful enemies out of nowhere. This was truly foolish beyond measure.
guǒ rán shì rén xīn bù zú shé tūn xiàng ， jiàn hú gōng míng míng yǐ jīng yǒu le zhè yàng hǎo de líng yǎn zhī hú ， què hái yào móu duó yún yǐn zōng de bǎo wù ， píng kōng zhāo rě qiáng dí ， jiǎn zhí shì yú bù kě jí
果然是人心不足蛇吞象，剑湖宫明明已经有了这样好的灵眼之湖，却还要谋夺云隐宗的宝物，凭空招惹强敌，简直是愚不可及
Of course, this was just on the surface. After all, though the Sword Lake Palace had many cultivators, none could predict the future. Naturally, they never dreamed that the long-missing elder from Cloud Concealment Sect, Lin Xuan, would advance to the Tribulation Transcending stage and reappear in Cloud Concealment Sect.
dāng rán ， zhè yě zhǐ shì biǎo miàn ér yǐ ， bì jìng jiàn hú gōng xiū shì suī duō ， què wú rén néng yǒu wèi bǔ xiān zhī zhī shù ， zì rán zuò mèng yě xiǎng bú dào ， lín xuān zhè wèi xiāo shī yǐ jiǔ de yún yǐn zōng zhǎng lǎo ， huì jìn jiē dào dù jié qī ， bìng zhòng xīn chū xiàn zài yún yǐn zōng lǐ 。
当然，这也只是表面而已，毕竟剑湖宫修士虽多，却无人能有未卜先知之术，自然做梦也想不到，林轩这位消失已久的云隐宗长老，会进阶到渡劫期，并重新出现在云隐宗里。
But whether or not such a rash choice would be made was now uncertain.
fǒu zé duì fāng shì fǒu huì zuò chū zhè yàng qīng shuài de xuǎn zé ， rú jīn kě jiù shì liǎng shuō 。
否则对方是否会做出这样轻率的选择，如今可就是两说。
However, there were no "ifs" in the cultivation world. Regardless of what happened, Cloud Concealment Sect had already fallen out with the Sword Lake Palace, and Lin Xuan had even invaded their main hall.
dàn xiū xiān jiè méi yǒu rú guǒ ， bù guǎn rú hé ， yún yǐn zōng yǐ yǔ jiàn hú gōng jiāo wù ， zì jǐ gèng shì shā rù le duì fāng zǒng duò 。
但修仙界没有如果，不管如何，云隐宗已与剑湖宫交恶，自己更是杀入了对方总舵。
Once an arrow is shot, it cannot be recalled. For Lin Xuan, there was only one choice: to forge ahead fearlessly.
kāi gōng méi yǒu huí tóu jiàn ， lín xuān xiàn zài chú le yǒng wǎng zhí qián ， yě méi yǒu dì èr zhǒng xuǎn zé 。
开弓没有回头箭，林轩现在除了勇往直前，也没有第二种选择。
With this thought, the last trace of doubt in his eyes vanished.
niàn jí zhì cǐ ， lín xuān yǎn zhōng zuì hòu yī lǚ mí máng xiāo shī 。
念及至此，林轩眼中最后一缕迷茫消失。
Now that he had arrived at the heart of the Sword Lake Palace's main hall, he believed they had few tricks left and not many trump cards.
rú jīn zì jǐ yǐ lái dào le duì fāng zǒng duò de fù xīn wèi zhì ， xiāng xìn jiàn hú gōng suǒ shèng de huā yàng bù duō ， shā shǒu jiǎn yě méi yǒu jǐ gè 。
如今自己已来到了对方总舵的腹心位置，相信剑湖宫所剩的花样不多，杀手锏也没有几个。
But Lin Xuan did not feel much relief. The mysterious dual-cultivators of the Sword Lake Palace were still nowhere to be seen.
dàn lín xuān xīn zhōng ， què bìng méi yǒu duō shǎo qīng sōng zhī sè， wú tā ， jiàn hú gōng nà duì shén mì de shuāng xiū dào lǚ ， yī jiù bú jiàn zōng jì 。
但林轩心中，却并没有多少轻松之sè，无他，剑湖宫那对神秘的双修道侣，依旧不见踪迹。
Lin Xuan trusted his intelligence from his senior sister; even the old demon, Xiao Laoyao, had fallen at their hands. Now that he had caused chaos in the Sword Lake Palace, why weren't these two figures visible?
lín xuān xiāng xìn ， cóng shī jiě nà ér tīng dé de qíng bào bú huì yǒu cuò ， lián xuē lǎo yāo yě zài tā men shǒu xià xī bài diào le ， rú jīn zì jǐ yǐ jiāng jiàn hú gōng nào le yí gè tiān fān dì fù ， wèi hé què bú jiàn zhè liǎng rén de zōng jì ne ？
林轩相信，从师姐那儿听得的情报不会有错，连薛老妖也在他们手下惜败掉了，如今自己已将剑湖宫闹了一个天翻地覆，为何却不见这两人的踪迹呢？
Lin Xuan was very curious and felt a bit wary deep down.
lín xuān shí fēn hào qí ， nèi xīn shēn chù gèng shì duō le jǐ fēn jǐng tì 。
林轩十分好奇，内心深处更是多了几分jǐng惕。
He did not believe they would fear him.
lín xuān kě bù xiāng xìn tā men huì hài pà zì jǐ 。
林轩可不相信他们会害怕自己。
A cultivator of Tribulation Transcending rank could never be timid; thus, their delayed appearance only made Lin Xuan more cautious.
táng táng dù jié jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， zěn me kě néng shì dǎn xiǎo pà shì zhī tú ， suǒ yǐ tā men chí chí bù xiàn shēn ， fǎn ér ràng lín xuān yǒu le gèng duō de gù lǜ 。
堂堂渡劫级别的修仙者，怎么可能是胆小怕事之徒，所以他们迟迟不现身，反而让林轩有了更多的顾虑。
Open arrows were easy to dodge, but hidden darts were hard to guard against. Who knew what these old monsters had in mind?
míng qiāng yì duǒ ， àn jiàn nán fáng ， tiān zhī dào zhè liǎng gè lǎo guài wù ， xīn zhōng jiū jìng yǒu zhe zěn yàng de mù dì 。
明枪易躲，暗箭难防，天知道这两个老怪物，心中究竟有着怎样的目的。
But despite this, Lin Xuan did not have the time or mood to ponder further. He would meet any challenge with a bold approach. With his mind made up, he released his divine awareness.
bù guò huà suī rú cǐ ， lín xuān yě méi yǒu xīn qíng duō kǎo lǜ xià qù ， bīng lái jiāng dǎng 。 shuǐ lái tǔ yǎn 。 yǔ qí zài zhè lǐ dān xīn wèi jù ， bù rú kuài dāo zhǎn luàn má ， xiān jiāng duì fāng zǒng duò gěi ná xià 。
不过话虽如此，林轩也没有心情多考虑下去，兵来将挡。水来土掩。与其在这里担心畏惧，不如快刀斩乱麻，先将对方总舵给拿下。
The lake surface was dotted with dozens of islands, each rich in essence qi. Many cultivators lived on these islands, and countless caves were scattered about. Those who could establish such caves here were undoubtedly core disciples of the Sword Lake Palace.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， lín xuān jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， hú miàn shàng xīng luó qí bù ， yǒu shù shí zuò líng qì nóng yù de xiǎo dǎo diǎn zhuì zài nà lǐ 。
脑海中念头转过，林轩将神识放出，湖面上星罗棋布，有数十座灵气浓郁的小岛点缀在那里。
But soon, Lin Xuan's gaze shifted to one particular island.
dǎo shàng yǒu zhe shù liàng zhòng duō de xiū xiān zhě ， dòng fǔ gèng shì bù jì qí shù 。 néng gòu zài zhè lǐ kāi pì dòng fǔ ， bú yòng shuō ， zì rán shì jiàn hú gōng de hé xīn dì zǐ le 。
岛上有着数量众多的修仙者，洞府更是不计其数。能够在这里开辟洞府，不用说，自然是剑湖宫的核心弟子了。
At first glance, this island seemed unremarkable. However, atop a mountain peak was a gathering of nearly a hundred cultivators at the Spirit Cultivation stage. Among them, there were more than ten at the late-stage Spirit Cultivation level.
dàn hěn kuài ， lín xuān de mù guāng jiù yuè guò xiǎo hú ， luò zài qí zhōng de yī zuò xiǎo dǎo shàng le 。
但很快，林轩的目光就越过小湖，落在其中的一座小岛上了。
Clearly, these were all the Sword Lake Palace's officials and elders.
cǐ dǎo cū yī kàn ， yě méi yǒu shén me chū qí 。 rán ér zài dǎo yǔ de yī zuò shān fēng shàng ， què jù jí zhe jìn bǎi míng fèn shén jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， guāng shì fēn shén hòu qī de cún zài ， jiù yǒu shí jǐ gè 。
此岛粗一看，也没有什么出奇。然而在岛屿的一座山峰上，却聚集着近百名分神级别的修仙者，光是分神后期的存在，就有十几个。
The cream of the sect had gathered here; could it be that they had some sinister plot?
bú yòng shuō ， quán shì jiàn hú gōng de zhí shì yǔ zhǎng lǎo le 。
不用说，全是剑湖宫的执事与长老了。
Otherwise, wouldn't they fear being caught in one fell swoop?
gāi pài de jīng yīng ， huì jí yǔ cǐ chù ， nán dào shuō ， shì yǒu shén me yīn móu ？
该派的jīng英，汇集与此处，难道说，是有什么yīn谋？
Lin Xuan was puzzled but quickly pushed such thoughts aside. He wasn't fearless or undervaluing his enemies; rather, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
fǒu zé 。 nán dào bù pà bèi zì jǐ yī wǎng dǎ jìn le ？
否则。难道不怕被自己一网打尽了？
Even if there were plots, as long as he could eliminate these nearly a hundred Spirit Cultivation cultivators, the Sword Lake Palace would not only be reduced tomonkeys scattering (monkeys scattered) but also suffer severe losses.
lín xuān xīn zhōng 。 yě yǒu jǐ fēn yí huò ， dàn hěn kuài 。 jiù jiāng zhè ge niàn tou pāo dào jiǔ xiāo yún wài qù le 。
林轩心中。也有几分疑惑，但很快。就将这个念头抛到九霄云外去了。
With such a scenario, what resources did Cloud Concealment Sect have left to challenge them?
dào bìng bú shì tā dǎn dà ， bù jiāng dí rén fàng zài yǎn lǐ ， ér shì yǎn qián ， shí zài shì qiān zǎi nán féng de liáng jī 。
倒并不是他胆大，不将敌人放在眼里，而是眼前，实在是千载难逢的良机。
Danger and reward were always proportional. If Lin Xuan had still been at the Spirit Cultivation stage, he wouldn't dare approach so boldly.
jiù suàn yǒu yīn móu yòu rú hé ， zhǐ yào jiāng zhè jìn bǎi míng fèn shén jí bié de xiū xiān zhě miè chú ， jiàn hú gōng jiù suàn bù shù dǎo hú sūn sàn ， yě fēi yuán qì dà shāng bù kě 。
就算有yīn谋又如何，只要将这近百名分神级别的修仙者灭除，剑湖宫就算不树倒猢狲散，也非元气大伤不可。
But after advancing to Tribulation Transcending, his strength was formidable. Facing this situation, he dared to take a risk.
rú cǐ yī lái ， gāi pài hái yǒu shén me běn qián yǔ yún yǐn zōng wèi dí ？
如此一来，该派还有什么本钱与云隐宗为敌？
Prosperity comes from taking risks. Without hesitation, Lin Xuan's body shone with a green aura as he flew towards the island he had targeted.
wēi xiǎn zǒng shì yǔ shōu yì chéng zhèng bǐ ， lín xuān ruò hái zhǐ shì fēn shén qī ， zì rán bù gǎn zhè yàng dà dà liē liē de zhǎo shàng mén qù 。
危险总是与收益成正比，林轩若还只是分神期，自然不敢这样大大咧咧的找上门去。
Lin Xuan's actions were bold, but in his mind, he pondered what kind of sinister plots or tricks the Sword Lake Palace might have prepared. While being bold was one thing, acting rashly was foolish.
dàn jìn jiē dù jié yǐ hòu ， tā de shí lì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， miàn duì zhè yàng de xíng shì ， yě jiù yǒu dǎn liàng qù mào yī mào xiǎn le 。
但进阶渡劫以后，他的实力非同小可，面对这样的形势，也就有胆量去冒一冒险了。
Lin Xuan didn't want to end up like a chicken that failed to steal an egg and lost its own. He didn't want to step into their trap.
fù guì xiǎn zhōng qiú ， lín xuān háo bù chí yí ， hún shēn qīng máng dà qǐ ， xiàng nà bèi tā suǒ dìng de xiǎo dǎo fēi le guò qù 。
富贵险中求，林轩毫不迟疑，浑身青芒大起，像那被他锁定的小岛飞了过去。
However, the next scene left everyone speechless.
lín xuān de dòng zuò guǒ gǎn yǐ jí ， rán ér xīn zhōng què zài sī liáng duì fāng jiū jìng zhǔn bèi le zěn yàng yīn móu guǐ jì ， bì jìng dǎn dà shì yī huí shì ， mào shī què shì hěn yú chǔn dì 。
林轩的动作果敢以极，然而心中却在思量对方究竟准备了怎样yīn谋诡计，毕竟胆大是一回事，冒失却是很愚蠢地。
Despite his swift flight, Lin Xuan suddenly saw light rays burst from the sky as hundreds of dazzling lights shot upwards. The late-stage Spirit Cultivation elders scattered in all directions.
lín xuān kě bù xiǎng tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ ， yī jiǎo tà rù duì fāng suǒ bù xià de xiàn jǐng lǐ 。
林轩可不想偷鸡不成蚀把米，一脚踏入对方所布下的陷阱里。
"What...?"
rán ér jiē xià lái de yí mù ， què ràng rén chēng mù jié shé 。
然而接下来的一幕，却让人瞠目结舌。
Lin Xuan was stunned, almost thinking he had misjudged the situation. Just a moment ago, he had been worried about formidable traps and prohibitions set by the Sword Lake Palace. He recalled encountering a sword formation before that seemed easily broken at first but was actually dangerous due to the low-ranking cultivators involved.
lín xuān dùn guāng xùn sù ， kě cái fēi dào zhōng tú ， jiù jiàn guāng yùn dà zuò ， shù yǐ bǎi jì de jīng hóng chōng tiān ér qǐ ， nà xiē fēn shén qī zhǎng lǎo jū rán sì sàn ér táo 。
林轩遁光迅速，可才飞到中途，就见光晕大做，数以百计的惊虹冲天而起，那些分神期长老居然四散而逃。
If these cultivators were even higher in rank—say, Spirit Cultivation stage—it would undoubtedly pose a threat.
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
Lin Xuan's words weren't exaggerated; he had some reservations, but now he realized his fears were unfounded. The Sword Lake Palace elders had fled like birds and beasts.
lín xuān chēng mù jié shé ， jī hū yǐ wéi zì jǐ kàn cuò 。
林轩瞠目结舌，几乎以为自己看错。
Was this a mistake? Lin Xuan was genuinely shocked.
qián yī kè ， tā hái dān xīn duì fāng ān pái le lì hài de xiàn jǐng jìn zhì ， bié de bù tí ， zì jǐ céng yù jiàn de jiàn zhèn ， bié kàn dāng shí ， cuī kū lā xiǔ jiù bèi zì jǐ pò qù ， nà shì yīn wèi bù bù xià cǐ zhèn de shì ， bù guò shì yī xiē dòng xuán jí bié de xiū xiān zhě 。
前一刻，他还担心对方安排了厉害的陷阱禁制，别的不提，自己曾遇见的剑阵，别看当时，摧枯拉朽就被自己破去，那是因为不布下此阵的是，不过是一些洞玄级别的修仙者。
But it was too late to think much as the Sword Lake Palace elders scattered, making it difficult for him to catch them all. This was their main hall; they held the advantage of timing, location, and manpower. Once out of his divine awareness range, finding them would be extremely challenging.
ruò shì zhè xiē jiā huo de xiū wèi zài gāo yī xiē ， bǐ rú shuō huàn chéng fèn shén xiū shì ， nà bǎi fēn zhī bǎi néng gòu wēi xié dào zì jǐ 。
若是这些家伙的修为再高一些，比如说换成分神修士，那百分之百能够威胁到自己。
However, this wasn't impossible. While the Tribulation Transcending cultivator's divine awareness was formidable, it was weakened under prohibitions. Finding a hidden late-stage Spirit Cultivation cultivator was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack, but not entirely out of reach.
lín xuān zhè huà méi yǒu kuā dà qí cí ， yuán běn tā xīn zhōng yě yǒu jǐ fēn jǐng tì ， nǎ zhī dào zuì hòu què shì zhè zhǒng jié guǒ ， duì fāng jū rán zuò niǎo shòu sàn le 。
林轩这话没有夸大其词，原本他心中也有几分jǐng惕，哪知道最后却是这种结果，对方居然做鸟兽散了。
Such a situation was what Lin Xuan did not want to see.
yǒu méi yǒu gǎo cuò ， lín xuān xīn zhōng shì zhēn de jīng è 。
有没有搞错，林轩心中是真的惊愕。
When indecision leads to chaos, he had no time to hesitate. He raised his right hand and flicked his sleeve towards the front.
dàn shì yǐ zhì cǐ yǐ lái bù jí xiǎng tài duō ， duì fāng sì sàn ér táo de huà zì jǐ xiǎng yào yī wǎng dǎ jìn kě jiù yǒu bù xiǎo nán dù ， zhè lǐ kě shì jiàn hú gōng zǒng duò ， duì fāng zhàn jù zhe tiān shí dì lì rén hé ， yí dàn táo chū zì jǐ shén shí gǎn yìng fàn wéi ， suí biàn zhǎo gè dì fāng yī duǒ ， zì jǐ xiǎng yào jiāng qí zhǎo dào kě jiù qiān nán wàn nán le 。
但事已至此已来不及想太多，对方四散而逃的话自己想要一网打尽可就有不小难度，这里可是剑湖宫总舵，对方占据着天时地利人和，一旦逃出自己神识感应范围，随便找个地方一躲，自己想要将其找到可就千难万难了。
As he moved, the Nine Palaces Swift Sword Fish emerged, emitting silver light. However, the distance was still too great.
ér zhè bìng fēi shì bù kě néng de 。
而这并非是不可能的。
But since Lin Xuan planned this, he had another plan in mind.
dù jié qī xiū shì de shén shí gù rán shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， dàn zài jìn zhì de zuò yòng xià yě bèi xuē ruò le hěn duō ， xiǎng yào zhǎo dào yī xīn duǒ cáng de fēn shén qī xiū xiān zhě ， bù shuō shì dà hǎi lāo zhēn de nán dù ， dàn yě bú huì xiāng chà tài duō 。
渡劫期修士的神识固然是非同小可，但在禁制的作用下也被削弱了很多，想要找到一心躲藏的分神期修仙者，不说是大海捞针的难度，但也不会相差太多。
He waved his hands like a butterfly, sending out spell formulas from his fingertips.
zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng zì rán shì lín xuān bù yuàn yì jiàn dào de 。
这种情况自然是林轩不愿意见到的。
"Combine!"
dāng duàn bù duàn ， fǎn shòu qí luàn ， zhè zhǒng shí kè ， zì rán yóu bù dé lín xuān duō chí yí ， yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， xiù páo cháo zhe qián fāng yī shuǎi ér qù 。
当断不断，反受其乱，这种时刻，自然由不得林轩多迟疑，右手抬起，袖袍朝着前方一甩而去。
Lin Xuan shouted.
suí zhe tā de dòng zuò ， jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn yú yóu ér chū ， yín máng dà zuò ， rán ér jù lí yī jiù shì tài yuǎn le 。
随着他的动作，九宫须臾剑鱼游而出，银芒大做，然而距离依旧是太远了。
As he moved, the Nine Palaces Swift Swords converged. This time, no colorful crystal swords appeared.
bù guò lín xuān jì rán huì rì cì zuò ， xīn zhōng zì rán lìng yǒu yī fān dǎ suàn de 。
不过林轩既然会rì次做，心中自然另有一番打算的。
Instead, a clear ringing sound echoed as a dazzling light shot up into the sky.
zhǐ jiàn tā shuāng shǒu rú chuān huā hú dié yì bān huī wǔ ， yī dào dào fǎ jué yóu zhǐ jiān jī shè ér chū 。
只见他双手如穿花蝴蝶一般挥舞，一道道法诀由指尖激shè而出。
The light was a red beam that pierced through the heavens.
“ hé ！”
“合！”
Then, it transformed into a phoenix about to take flight.
lín xuān yī shēng dà hē 。
林轩一声大喝。
Over a hundred feet long, its wings spread, shading out the sun and moon. The momentum was terrifying.
suí zhe tā de dòng zuò ， jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn wǎng zhōng jiān yī hé ， rán ér zhè yī cì ， què méi yǒu shén me wǔ cǎi liú lí de jù jiàn fú xiàn ér chū 。
随着他的动作，九宫须臾剑往中间一合，然而这一次，却没有什么五彩琉璃的巨剑浮现而出。
The late-stage Spirit Cultivation cultivators turned their heads, their faces filled with shock. Such an imposing presence seemed like the legendary Heavenly Phoenix had descended here.
qǔ ér dài zhī de shì qīng míng shēng dà zuò ， yī yào mù de guāng huá chōng tiān ér qǐ 。
取而代之的是清鸣声大做，一耀目的光华冲天而起。
But this illusion lasted only a moment. While the phoenix before them was formidable, it still fell short of the true king of birds in terms of power and intelligence.
nà guāng huá nǎi shì yī dào hóng máng ， zhí chōng rù jiǔ xiāo zhī shàng 。
那光华乃是一道红芒，直冲入九霄之上。
However, it wasn't just a simple transformed treasure; the phoenix before him was lifelike, almost intelligent, emitting an aura that did not belong to Tribulation Transcending cultivators.
suí hòu ， jū rán biàn chéng le yī zhǎn chì yù fēi de fèng huáng 。
随后，居然变成了一展翅yù飞的凤凰。
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The Spirit Eye Lake was vast, and the aura of essence qi it emitted was abundant. Even a superior-grade spirit vein could not compare to it.
Lin Xuan took a deep breath, feeling refreshed. But then he sighed.
Sure enough, as they say, greed is insatiable. The Sword Lake Palace already had such a good Spirit Eye Lake, yet they still plotted to seize the treasures of Cloud Concealment Sect, inviting powerful enemies out of nowhere. This was truly foolish beyond measure.
Of course, this was just on the surface. After all, though the Sword Lake Palace had many cultivators, none could predict the future. Naturally, they never dreamed that the long-missing elder from Cloud Concealment Sect, Lin Xuan, would advance to the Tribulation Transcending stage and reappear in Cloud Concealment Sect.
But whether or not such a rash choice would be made was now uncertain.
However, there were no "ifs" in the cultivation world. Regardless of what happened, Cloud Concealment Sect had already fallen out with the Sword Lake Palace, and Lin Xuan had even invaded their main hall.
Once an arrow is shot, it cannot be recalled. For Lin Xuan, there was only one choice: to forge ahead fearlessly.
With this thought, the last trace of doubt in his eyes vanished.
Now that he had arrived at the heart of the Sword Lake Palace's main hall, he believed they had few tricks left and not many trump cards.
But Lin Xuan did not feel much relief. The mysterious dual-cultivators of the Sword Lake Palace were still nowhere to be seen.
Lin Xuan trusted his intelligence from his senior sister; even the old demon, Xiao Laoyao, had fallen at their hands. Now that he had caused chaos in the Sword Lake Palace, why weren't these two figures visible?
Lin Xuan was very curious and felt a bit wary deep down.
He did not believe they would fear him.
A cultivator of Tribulation Transcending rank could never be timid; thus, their delayed appearance only made Lin Xuan more cautious.
Open arrows were easy to dodge, but hidden darts were hard to guard against. Who knew what these old monsters had in mind?
But despite this, Lin Xuan did not have the time or mood to ponder further. He would meet any challenge with a bold approach. With his mind made up, he released his divine awareness.
The lake surface was dotted with dozens of islands, each rich in essence qi. Many cultivators lived on these islands, and countless caves were scattered about. Those who could establish such caves here were undoubtedly core disciples of the Sword Lake Palace.
But soon, Lin Xuan's gaze shifted to one particular island.
At first glance, this island seemed unremarkable. However, atop a mountain peak was a gathering of nearly a hundred cultivators at the Spirit Cultivation stage. Among them, there were more than ten at the late-stage Spirit Cultivation level.
Clearly, these were all the Sword Lake Palace's officials and elders.
The cream of the sect had gathered here; could it be that they had some sinister plot?
Otherwise, wouldn't they fear being caught in one fell swoop?
Lin Xuan was puzzled but quickly pushed such thoughts aside. He wasn't fearless or undervaluing his enemies; rather, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Even if there were plots, as long as he could eliminate these nearly a hundred Spirit Cultivation cultivators, the Sword Lake Palace would not only be reduced tomonkeys scattering (monkeys scattered) but also suffer severe losses.
With such a scenario, what resources did Cloud Concealment Sect have left to challenge them?
Danger and reward were always proportional. If Lin Xuan had still been at the Spirit Cultivation stage, he wouldn't dare approach so boldly.
But after advancing to Tribulation Transcending, his strength was formidable. Facing this situation, he dared to take a risk.
Prosperity comes from taking risks. Without hesitation, Lin Xuan's body shone with a green aura as he flew towards the island he had targeted.
Lin Xuan's actions were bold, but in his mind, he pondered what kind of sinister plots or tricks the Sword Lake Palace might have prepared. While being bold was one thing, acting rashly was foolish.
Lin Xuan didn't want to end up like a chicken that failed to steal an egg and lost its own. He didn't want to step into their trap.
However, the next scene left everyone speechless.
Despite his swift flight, Lin Xuan suddenly saw light rays burst from the sky as hundreds of dazzling lights shot upwards. The late-stage Spirit Cultivation elders scattered in all directions.
"What...?"
Lin Xuan was stunned, almost thinking he had misjudged the situation. Just a moment ago, he had been worried about formidable traps and prohibitions set by the Sword Lake Palace. He recalled encountering a sword formation before that seemed easily broken at first but was actually dangerous due to the low-ranking cultivators involved.
If these cultivators were even higher in rank—say, Spirit Cultivation stage—it would undoubtedly pose a threat.
Lin Xuan's words weren't exaggerated; he had some reservations, but now he realized his fears were unfounded. The Sword Lake Palace elders had fled like birds and beasts.
Was this a mistake? Lin Xuan was genuinely shocked.
But it was too late to think much as the Sword Lake Palace elders scattered, making it difficult for him to catch them all. This was their main hall; they held the advantage of timing, location, and manpower. Once out of his divine awareness range, finding them would be extremely challenging.
However, this wasn't impossible. While the Tribulation Transcending cultivator's divine awareness was formidable, it was weakened under prohibitions. Finding a hidden late-stage Spirit Cultivation cultivator was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack, but not entirely out of reach.
Such a situation was what Lin Xuan did not want to see.
When indecision leads to chaos, he had no time to hesitate. He raised his right hand and flicked his sleeve towards the front.
As he moved, the Nine Palaces Swift Sword Fish emerged, emitting silver light. However, the distance was still too great.
But since Lin Xuan planned this, he had another plan in mind.
He waved his hands like a butterfly, sending out spell formulas from his fingertips.
"Combine!"
Lin Xuan shouted.
As he moved, the Nine Palaces Swift Swords converged. This time, no colorful crystal swords appeared.
Instead, a clear ringing sound echoed as a dazzling light shot up into the sky.
The light was a red beam that pierced through the heavens.
Then, it transformed into a phoenix about to take flight.
Over a hundred feet long, its wings spread, shading out the sun and moon. The momentum was terrifying.
The late-stage Spirit Cultivation cultivators turned their heads, their faces filled with shock. Such an imposing presence seemed like the legendary Heavenly Phoenix had descended here.
But this illusion lasted only a moment. While the phoenix before them was formidable, it still fell short of the true king of birds in terms of power and intelligence.
However, it wasn't just a simple transformed treasure; the phoenix before him was lifelike, almost intelligent, emitting an aura that did not belong to Tribulation Transcending cultivators.
PS: A new week requires your support with recommendation votes. Thank you for all the daoists! Full text.