“ shén me ， zhēn xiān yí jì ， dào yǒu què dìng me ？”
“什么，真仙遗迹，道友确定么？”
"What, True Immortal ruins? Fellow Daoist, are you sure?"
lín xuān liǎn shàng ， yě háo bù yǎn shì de lù chū le dòng róng zhī sè ， rèn píng tā jī zhì bǎi chū ， yě jué xiǎng bú dào ， miào yīn xiān zi shēn yè lái zhǎo zì jǐ ， jū rán shì wèi le zhè ge 。
林轩脸上，也毫不掩饰的露出了动容之色，任凭他机智百出，也绝想不到，妙音仙子深夜来找自己，居然是为了这个。
Lin Xuan's face betrayed no small amount of astonishment. No matter how clever he was, he never imagined that Miao Yinfairy maiden would come to find him in the middle of the night for this reason.
zhēn xiān ， duì yú yì bān de xiū xiān zhě ， tài guò yáo yuǎn 。
真仙，对于一般的修仙者，太过遥远。
True Immortals were too distant for ordinary cultivators. However, for their situation as Golden Transformation Period existences, they weren't unattainable.
rán ér jiù tā men dù jié qī cún zài de qíng kuàng ér yán ， què bìng fēi kě wàng ér bù kě jí de cún zài 。
然而就他们渡劫期存在的情况而言，却并非可望而不可及的存在。
Anything related to True Immortals naturally stirred Lin Xuan's intense interest, as it might contain the secret of ascending to the heavens.
yǔ zhēn xiān yǒu guān de dōng xī ， lín xuān zì rán shì dòng xīn yǐ jí ， lǐ miàn huò xǔ jiù yǐn cáng zhe jǔ xiá fēi shēng de mì mì 。
与真仙有关的东西，林轩自然是动心以极，里面或许就隐藏着举霞飞升的秘密。
However, suspicion still lingered in his eyes, or rather, a certain level of vigilance. He sized up the young girl before him and cautiously asked, "True Immortal ruins? Are you sure, Fellow Daoist?"
bù guò lín xuān de yǎn zhōng què yī jiù dài zhe huái yí ， huò zhě shuō bǎo chí yǒu jǐ fēn jǐng tì ， shàng xià dǎ liàng le yī yǎn shēn qián de shào nǚ ， zhēn zhuó zhe kāi kǒu le ：“ zhēn xiān yí jì ， dào yǒu què dìng me ？”
不过林轩的眼中却依旧带着怀疑，或者说保持有几分警惕，上下打量了一眼身前的少女，斟酌着开口了：“真仙遗迹，道友确定么？”
"Miao Yin's Precious Mansion's fragments... Brother Lin has already seen them. I can't claim absolute certainty, but according to my estimation, there shouldn't be any mistakes," Miao Yin's voice was full of confidence.
“ nà xiān fǔ qí zhēn de cán piàn ， lín xiōng bú shì yǐ jīng kàn guò ， bǎi fēn zhī bǎi de bǎ wò bù gǎn shuō ， dàn jù xiǎo mèi tuī cè ， yīng gāi bú huì chū shén me chā cuò 。” miào yīn de shēng yīn yǔ qì ， dōu xiǎn de xìn xīn shí zú 。
“那仙府奇珍的残片，林兄不是已经看过，百分之百的把握不敢说，但据小妹推测，应该不会出什么差错。”妙音的声音语气，都显得信心十足。
"Why come to me?"
“ wèi shén me zhǎo wǒ ？”
“为什么找我？”
"What do you mean?"
“ shén me ？”
“什么？”
"Your sect's strength is well known. The Heavenly Sound Palace ranks among the top five in the Spirit Realm with over a dozen Golden Transformation Period existences. With such power, even if we were to seek out True Immortal ruins, there wouldn't be a shortage of people. There's no need for you to get involved," Lin Xuan said.
“ guì pài de dǐ yùn ， lín mǒu bù shuō ， dào yǒu yě qīng chǔ ， tiān yīn gōng zài líng jiè yě kě yǐ pái míng qián wǔ ， guāng shì dù jié qī cún zài jiù yǒu shí jǐ gè ， jiù shí lì lái shuō ， nǎ pà yào tàn xún zhēn xiān yí jì ， yě jué bú huì rén shǒu bù zú ， yú qíng yú lǐ ， dōu méi yǒu bì yào zhǎo wǒ ……”
“贵派的底蕴，林某不说，道友也清楚，天音宫在灵界也可以排名前五，光是渡劫期存在就有十几个，就实力来说，哪怕要探寻真仙遗迹，也绝不会人手不足，于情于理，都没有必要找我……”
"Ah, I see."
zhè yě zhèng shì ràng lín xuān bǎi sī bù dé qí jiě zhī chù 。
这也正是让林轩百思不得其解之处。
Lin Xuan nodded. This explanation made sense. After all, it was like the saying: "Both the cause and effect are due to Xiao He." The Heavenly Sound Palace's strength was indeed enviable, but having too many Golden Transformation Period existences wasn't entirely a good thing.
àn zhào cháng lǐ ， zhè yàng de xiāo xī ， bǎo mì shàng qiě bù jí ， nǎ ér yǒu zhǔ dòng xiàng wài tòu lù de dào lǐ 。
按照常理，这样的消息，保密尚且不及，哪儿有主动向外透露的道理。
For example, there was only one True Immortal ruin. Dividing its treasures among over ten old patriarchs would be like trying to feed too many monks with too little rice.
kě kàn duì fāng de biǎo qíng jǔ zhǐ ， yòu zhe shí bù xiàng yǒu yīn móu de yàng zi 。
可看对方的表情举止，又着实不像有阴谋的样子。
If he were Miao Yin, he might have made the same choice. At their level of strength, the sect merely provided some convenience, while the treasures left by True Immortals held the secret of ascending to the heavens.
“ yǐ běn mén de shí lì ， xiǎng yào tàn xún zhēn xiān yí jì què shí méi yǒu wèn tí ， rán ér zhèng rú dào yǒu suǒ shuō ， běn mén dù jié qī cún zài ， zú yǒu shí jǐ gè ， ruò zhēn zhǎo dào shén me liǎo bù qǐ de bǎo wù ， zhè me duō rén ， kě bù gòu fēn de 。” miào yīn xiān zi tàn le yì kǒu qì de shuō 。
“以本门的实力，想要探寻真仙遗迹确实没有问题，然而正如道友所说，本门渡劫期存在，足有十几个，若真找到什么了不起的宝物，这么多人，可不够分的。”妙音仙子叹了一口气的说。
Even if it meant retreating a step and using heavenly realm medicinal pills, she could still break through her current bottleneck and advance in cultivation.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。”
“原来如此。”
As for Miao Yin's Precious Mansion's treasures, they would significantly boost his strength. Such benefits made sharing them with others unreasonable.
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， zhè fān jiě shì dào yě zài qíng lǐ zhī zhōng 。
林轩点了点头，这番解释倒也在情理之中。
With so many Golden Transformation Period existences at the Heavenly Sound Palace, along with two powerful late-stage monsters, once this news leaked out, what benefit could he possibly gain?
suǒ wèi chéng yě xiāo hé bài xiāo hé ， tiān yīn gōng de shí lì guǒ rán lìng rén xiàn mù ， rán ér dù jié qī cún zài tài duō 。 què yě bìng fēi quán shì hǎo shì de 。
所谓成也萧何败萧何，天音宫的实力果然令人羡慕，然而渡劫期存在太多。却也并非全是好事的。
The best treasure was bound to be taken by the two senior elders, and trailing behind them would only allow him to drink from their leftovers.
jiù ná yǎn qián lái shuō 。
就拿眼前来说。
This was Miao Yin's reasoning. As an old patriarch, she wouldn't do such a thing for others; thus, she kept this secret tightly. However, exploring these True Immortal ruins alone was too difficult.
zhēn xiān yí jì jǐn yǒu yī chù 。 ràng shí duō míng dù jié qī lǎo zǔ lái guā fēn qí zhōng de bǎo wù ， kě jiù xiǎn de yǒu diǎn sēng duō zhōu shǎo le 。
真仙遗迹仅有一处。让十多名渡劫期老祖来瓜分其中的宝物，可就显得有点僧多粥少了。
While treasures were tempting, risking his life over them wasn't worth it. So, she needed help.
jiǎ rú zì jǐ shì miào yīn xiān zi ， kǒng pà yě huì zuò chū tóng yàng de xuǎn zé 。
假如自己是妙音仙子，恐怕也会做出同样的选择。
But not just anyone could be her helper. Several conditions had to be met:
bì jìng shí lì dào le tā men zhè yàng de děng jí ， mén pài bù guò shì wèi tā men tí gōng xiē xǔ biàn lì ， ér zhēn xiān yí liú xià lái de bǎo wù ， zé qiān chě zhe jǔ xiá fēi shēng de mì mì 。
毕竟实力到了他们这样的等级，门派不过是为他们提供些许便利，而真仙遗留下来的宝物，则牵扯着举霞飞升的秘密。
Firstly, the helper must be a Golden Transformation Period cultivator. After all, that wasn't some ancient immortal's cave; it was left by True Immortals, who knew what dangers or restrictions might still linger there.
jiù suàn tuì yī bù ， xiān jiè de dān yào 。 yě néng ràng tā jiāng yǎn qián de píng jǐng tū pò ， xiū wèi zài jìn yī jí 。
就算退一步，仙界的丹药。也能让她将眼前的瓶颈突破，修为再晋一级。
Cultivators below the Golden Transformation stage were useless. If danger arose, they couldn't even protect themselves, let alone help him.
zhì yú xiān fǔ qí zhēn ， zé néng dà dà tí gāo shí lì 。
至于仙府奇珍，则能大大提高实力。
Secondly, the helper needed to have a certain level of strength but not too much. Otherwise, if any treasures were found, he would be doing others' work.
zhè yàng de hǎo chù ， yú qíng yú lǐ ， dōu méi yǒu yǔ bié rén fēn xiǎng de dào lǐ 。
这样的好处，于情于理，都没有与别人分享的道理。
The best choice was an early-stage Golden Transformation Period cultivator, as he himself was at mid-stage. This way, in case of disputes, he had a better chance of winning.
ér tiān yīn gōng dù jié qī cún zài tài duō ， hái yǒu liǎng wèi hòu qī de lǎo guài wù 。 zhè ge xiāo xī yí dàn xiè lòu ， yǒu shén me hǎo chù ， nǎ lǐ hái lún dé dào zì jǐ 。
而天音宫渡劫期存在太多，还有两位后期的老怪物。这个消息一旦泄露，有什么好处，哪里还轮得到自己。
Thirdly, the helper should be a wandering cultivator to ensure that news wouldn't leak out easily.
zuì hǎo de bǎo bèi ， kěn dìng yào bèi liǎng wèi dà zhǎng lǎo dé qù ， fǎn kè wéi zhǔ ， ér zì jǐ gēn zài tā men hòu miàn ， néng gòu hē shàng jǐ kǒu tāng jiù bù cuò 。
最好的宝贝，肯定要被两位大长老得去，反客为主，而自己跟在他们后面，能够喝上几口汤就不错。
All three conditions were essential, but finding someone who met all these criteria was no easy task. In the Three Realms, there weren't many Golden Transformation Period existences. While the Heavenly Sound Realm ranked high in the Spirit Realm, such cultivators were rare as hen's teeth.
zhè yě jiù shì miào yīn xiān zi de kǎo liáng le 。
这也就是妙音仙子的考量了。
Finding an early-stage wandering cultivator with no connection to the Heavenly Sound Palace proved challenging.
zuò wéi dù jié qī lǎo zǔ ， zhè zhǒng wèi bié rén zuò jià yī de shì qíng tā kěn dìng bú huì zuò 。
作为渡劫期老祖，这种为别人做嫁衣的事情她肯定不会做。
After much effort, Miao Yin finally found two candidates. However, she estimated that three people would still be too risky for the expedition.
nà jiù zhǐ yǒu bǎo shǒu zhè ge mì mì le 。
那就只有保守这个秘密了。
She decided to find one more person.
gù ér duì tóng mén 。 tā fēn háo kǒu fēng yě bù lù 。 rán ér zì jǐ yí gè rén ， xiǎng yào tàn xún zhè zhēn xiān yí jì nán dù yòu tài dà le 。
故而对同门。她分毫口风也不露。然而自己一个人，想要探寻这真仙遗迹难度又太大了。
But this last cultivator was impossible to locate. The woman was extremely frustrated.
bǎo wù gù rán lìng rén xīn dòng 。 rán ér ruò shì yīn cǐ jiāng xiǎo mìng ér dā jìn qù jiù dé bù cháng shī le 。
宝物固然令人心动。然而若是因此将小命儿搭进去就得不偿失了。
Unexpectedly, today's encounter with Lin Xuan brought her joy.
suǒ yǐ tā xū yào zhǎo bāng shǒu 。
所以她需要找帮手。
It was like finding a needle in a haystack, but without effort. Using the Heavenly Sound Palace's influence, she managed to uncover everything about Lin Xuan within half a day.
ér zhè bāng shǒu yě bú shì shéi dōu néng zuò ， bì xū yǒu jǐ gè tiáo jiàn xū yào fú hé 。
而这帮手也不是谁都能做，必须有几个条件需要符合。
Miao Yin was highly satisfied. Although he wasn't a wandering cultivator, he had no roots in the Heavenly Sound Realm, so there was no risk of information leaking out. Moreover, his recent promotion meant that even if rumors suggested he was exceptionally powerful, she didn't believe it. A newly promoted cultivator couldn't possibly be far superior to others at their level.
shǒu xiān ， bì xū shì dù jié qī xiū xiān zhě 。
首先，必须是渡劫期修仙者。
Thus, she decided to cooperate with Lin Xuan. After hearing the woman's intentions, such a good offer was hard to refuse. They quickly reached an agreement.
yào zhī dào ， nà kě bú shì gǔ xiū shì dòng fǔ ， ér shì zhēn xiān liú xià lái de ， tiān zhī dào yǒu shén me wēi xiǎn huò shì jìn zhì cán cún zhe 。
要知道，那可不是古修士洞府，而是真仙留下来的，天知道有什么危险或是禁制残存着。
Miao Yin left, watching her figure disappear. Lin Xuan's eyes flashed with coldness. He wasn't truly interested in cooperating; his ultimate goal was to save his wife. However, at the Heavenly Sound Palace headquarters, any confrontation would be disastrous for him.
dù jié yǐ xià de xiū xiān zhě ， gēn běn jiù méi yǒu yòng chǔ ， yí dàn yù jiàn wēi xiǎn ， lián fēn háo zì bǎo de néng lì yě wú ， bù jǐn bāng bù shàng zì jǐ ， fǎn ér yǒu kě néng chéng wéi léi zhuì de 。
渡劫以下的修仙者，根本就没有用处，一旦遇见危险，连分毫自保的能力也无，不仅帮不上自己，反而有可能成为累赘的。
He also found Miao Yin's True Immortal ruins intriguing. So he decided to delay action and follow her to explore the ruins first, then act as circumstances dictated.
dì èr diǎn ， zé shì bāng shǒu yào yǒu yí dìng de shí lì ， dàn yòu bù néng tài lí pǔ ， fǒu zé ， yí dàn zhǎo dào bǎo wù ， kě jiù wèi bié rén zuò jià yī le 。
第二点，则是帮手要有一定的实力，但又不能太离谱，否则，一旦找到宝物，可就为别人做嫁衣了。
This way, he could both obtain treasures left by True Immortals and rescue Qinxin.
zuì hǎo shì dù jié chū qī de xiū xiān zhě ， yīn wèi zì jǐ shì zhōng qī xiū shì ， zhè yàng yí dàn fā shēng zhēng zhí ， zì jǐ yě yǒu yíng de bǎ wò 。
最好是渡劫初期的修仙者，因为自己是中期修士，这样一旦发生争执，自己也有赢的把握。
After considering this plan in his mind, Lin Xuan felt it was feasible. He temporarily suppressed his anger.
dì sān ， zé shì zhǎo sàn xiū ， zhè yàng xiāo xī cái bù róng yì zǒu lòu 。
第三，则是找散修，这样消息才不容易走漏。
Revenge can wait ten years; Miao Yin wouldn't dream that Qinxin would be his wife.
sān gè tiáo jiàn dōu shì bì xū ， kě shuō shuō róng yì ， zhēn xiǎng yào zuò dào què shì nán rù dēng tiān dì 。
三个条件都是必须，可说说容易，真想要做到却是难入登天地。
Soon, the sun rose, and dawn arrived.
fàng yǎn sān jiè ， dù jié qī cún zài yě bù duō ， tiān yīn jiè suī rán zài líng jiè pái míng kào qián ， dàn zhè ge jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， shù liàng nà yě shì fèng máo lín jiǎo de 。
放眼三界，渡劫期存在也不多，天音界虽然在灵界排名靠前，但这个级别的修仙者，数量那也是凤毛麟角的。
With a clear plan for what to do next, Lin Xuan didn't linger further. He found Zhou Ling and made up an excuse, saying he had something to attend to before bidding farewell.
dù jié chū qī ， hái shì sàn xiū ， yǔ tiān yīn gōng méi yǒu guā gé ， guāng shì zhè jǐ gè tiáo jiàn ， jiù ràng miào yīn xiān zi zhe shí fā chóu 。
渡劫初期，还是散修，与天音宫没有瓜葛，光是这几个条件，就让妙音仙子着实发愁。
Zhou Ling was surprised but didn't ask more since Lin Xuan had saved her life. She accompanied him out of the Cloud Concealment Sect headquarters, after which Lin Xuan bid his leave. (To be continued...)
"What, True Immortal ruins? Fellow Daoist, are you sure?"
Lin Xuan's face betrayed no small amount of astonishment. No matter how clever he was, he never imagined that Miao Yinfairy maiden would come to find him in the middle of the night for this reason.
True Immortals were too distant for ordinary cultivators. However, for their situation as Golden Transformation Period existences, they weren't unattainable.
Anything related to True Immortals naturally stirred Lin Xuan's intense interest, as it might contain the secret of ascending to the heavens.
However, suspicion still lingered in his eyes, or rather, a certain level of vigilance. He sized up the young girl before him and cautiously asked, "True Immortal ruins? Are you sure, Fellow Daoist?"
"Miao Yin's Precious Mansion's fragments... Brother Lin has already seen them. I can't claim absolute certainty, but according to my estimation, there shouldn't be any mistakes," Miao Yin's voice was full of confidence.
"Why come to me?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your sect's strength is well known. The Heavenly Sound Palace ranks among the top five in the Spirit Realm with over a dozen Golden Transformation Period existences. With such power, even if we were to seek out True Immortal ruins, there wouldn't be a shortage of people. There's no need for you to get involved," Lin Xuan said.
"Ah, I see."
Lin Xuan nodded. This explanation made sense. After all, it was like the saying: "Both the cause and effect are due to Xiao He." The Heavenly Sound Palace's strength was indeed enviable, but having too many Golden Transformation Period existences wasn't entirely a good thing.
For example, there was only one True Immortal ruin. Dividing its treasures among over ten old patriarchs would be like trying to feed too many monks with too little rice.
If he were Miao Yin, he might have made the same choice. At their level of strength, the sect merely provided some convenience, while the treasures left by True Immortals held the secret of ascending to the heavens.
Even if it meant retreating a step and using heavenly realm medicinal pills, she could still break through her current bottleneck and advance in cultivation.
As for Miao Yin's Precious Mansion's treasures, they would significantly boost his strength. Such benefits made sharing them with others unreasonable.
With so many Golden Transformation Period existences at the Heavenly Sound Palace, along with two powerful late-stage monsters, once this news leaked out, what benefit could he possibly gain?
The best treasure was bound to be taken by the two senior elders, and trailing behind them would only allow him to drink from their leftovers.
This was Miao Yin's reasoning. As an old patriarch, she wouldn't do such a thing for others; thus, she kept this secret tightly. However, exploring these True Immortal ruins alone was too difficult.
While treasures were tempting, risking his life over them wasn't worth it. So, she needed help.
But not just anyone could be her helper. Several conditions had to be met:
Firstly, the helper must be a Golden Transformation Period cultivator. After all, that wasn't some ancient immortal's cave; it was left by True Immortals, who knew what dangers or restrictions might still linger there.
Cultivators below the Golden Transformation stage were useless. If danger arose, they couldn't even protect themselves, let alone help him.
Secondly, the helper needed to have a certain level of strength but not too much. Otherwise, if any treasures were found, he would be doing others' work.
The best choice was an early-stage Golden Transformation Period cultivator, as he himself was at mid-stage. This way, in case of disputes, he had a better chance of winning.
Thirdly, the helper should be a wandering cultivator to ensure that news wouldn't leak out easily.
All three conditions were essential, but finding someone who met all these criteria was no easy task. In the Three Realms, there weren't many Golden Transformation Period existences. While the Heavenly Sound Realm ranked high in the Spirit Realm, such cultivators were rare as hen's teeth.
Finding an early-stage wandering cultivator with no connection to the Heavenly Sound Palace proved challenging.
After much effort, Miao Yin finally found two candidates. However, she estimated that three people would still be too risky for the expedition.
She decided to find one more person.
But this last cultivator was impossible to locate. The woman was extremely frustrated.
Unexpectedly, today's encounter with Lin Xuan brought her joy.
It was like finding a needle in a haystack, but without effort. Using the Heavenly Sound Palace's influence, she managed to uncover everything about Lin Xuan within half a day.
Miao Yin was highly satisfied. Although he wasn't a wandering cultivator, he had no roots in the Heavenly Sound Realm, so there was no risk of information leaking out. Moreover, his recent promotion meant that even if rumors suggested he was exceptionally powerful, she didn't believe it. A newly promoted cultivator couldn't possibly be far superior to others at their level.
Thus, she decided to cooperate with Lin Xuan. After hearing the woman's intentions, such a good offer was hard to refuse. They quickly reached an agreement.
Miao Yin left, watching her figure disappear. Lin Xuan's eyes flashed with coldness. He wasn't truly interested in cooperating; his ultimate goal was to save his wife. However, at the Heavenly Sound Palace headquarters, any confrontation would be disastrous for him.
He also found Miao Yin's True Immortal ruins intriguing. So he decided to delay action and follow her to explore the ruins first, then act as circumstances dictated.
This way, he could both obtain treasures left by True Immortals and rescue Qinxin.
After considering this plan in his mind, Lin Xuan felt it was feasible. He temporarily suppressed his anger.
Revenge can wait ten years; Miao Yin wouldn't dream that Qinxin would be his wife.
Soon, the sun rose, and dawn arrived.
With a clear plan for what to do next, Lin Xuan didn't linger further. He found Zhou Ling and made up an excuse, saying he had something to attend to before bidding farewell.
Zhou Ling was surprised but didn't ask more since Lin Xuan had saved her life. She accompanied him out of the Cloud Concealment Sect headquarters, after which Lin Xuan bid his leave. (To be continued...)