“ yī lín mǒu zhī jiàn me ……”
“依林某之见么……”
"From Lin Xuan's perspective..."
lín xuān liǎn shàng gù yì lù chū ruò yǒu suǒ sī zhī sè ：“ hài rén zhī xīn bù kě yǒu ， fáng rén zhī xīn bù kě wú 。”
林轩脸上故意露出若有所思之色：“害人之心不可有，防人之心不可无。”
Lin Xuan deliberately showed a thoughtful expression on his face. "One should not harbor the intention to harm others, but one must always be wary of them."
“ ń ， dào yǒu suǒ yán bù cuò ， qiè shēn yǔ miào yīn xiān zi de jiāo qíng shí fēn qiǎn bó ， cǐ nǚ jiū jìng yǒu shén me xiǎng fǎ bìng bù qīng chǔ ， duō yī sī fáng bèi zǒng shì méi cuò 。”
“嗯，道友所言不错，妾身与妙音仙子的交情十分浅薄，此女究竟有什么想法并不清楚，多一丝防备总是没错。”
"Mmm, Fellow Daoist, your words are correct. My relationship with Fairy Miao Yin is rather shallow. I'm not sure what her intentions are, so it's better to have a bit more caution."
jiàn cǐ nǚ zhè me shuō ， lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū jí wéi mǎn yì de shén sè ， zhè yàng de jié guǒ ， zhèng shì zì jǐ xiǎng yào de ， yú shì tā chèn rè dǎ tiě de kāi kǒu le ：“ xiān zi xiǎng fǎ yǔ lín mǒu chà bu duō ， nǐ jì yǒu gù jì ， nà lín mǒu zhè ér yǒu yí gè tí yì ， duì nǐ duì wǒ ， dōu yǒu hǎo chù ， jiù bù zhī dào xiān zi yì xià rú hé ？”
见此女这么说，林轩脸上露出极为满意的神色，这样的结果，正是自己想要的，于是他趁热打铁的开口了：“仙子想法与林某差不多，你既有顾忌，那林某这儿有一个提议，对你对我，都有好处，就不知道仙子意下如何？”
Seeing this, Lin Xuan's face showed an extremely satisfied expression. This was exactly the result he wanted. He then seized the opportunity and spoke up: "Fairy, your thoughts are similar to mine. Since you have concerns, I would like to propose something that benefits both of us. What do you think?"
“ ó ， dào yǒu qǐng shuō ， qiè shēn zài zhè ér xǐ ěr gōng tīng zhe 。”
“哦，道友请说，妾身在这儿洗耳恭听着。”
"Oh, Fellow Daoist, please speak. I am here listening attentively."
“ xiān zi kè qì le ， jì rán nǐ wǒ de dān xīn xiāng chà fǎng fú ， nà bù rú lián shǒu rú hé ？”
“仙子客气了，既然你我的担心相差仿佛，那不如联手如何？”
"Fellow Daoist, it's an honor. If our worries are somewhat similar, why not join forces?"
“ lián shǒu ？”
“联手？”
"Join forces?"
“ bù cuò ， bǐ cǐ shǒu wàng xiāng zhù ， zhè yàng jí biàn miào yīn cǐ nǚ ， yǒu shén me yīn móu guǐ jì ， nǐ wǒ gòng tóng duì fù ， yě jiù bù yòng tài guò pà le 。”
“不错，彼此守望相助，这样即便妙音此女，有什么阴谋诡计，你我共同对付，也就不用太过怕了。”
"Yes, we can support each other and face any scheming from Fairy Miao Yin together. That way, you won't have to fear too much."
lín xuān zhè fān huà hé qíng hé lǐ ， nà hēi fèng yāo nǚ de xīn zhōng ， yě jiù kāi shǐ le suàn jì 。
林轩这番话合情合理，那黑凤妖女的心中，也就开始了算计。
Lin Xuan's words were reasonable, and the Black Phoenix妖女 began to strategize in her mind.
tā yǔ miào yīn wǎng rì wú yuàn ， jìn rì wú chóu ， rán ér lín xuān suǒ tí chū lái de jiàn yì ， què jué bú shì kōng xué lái fēng 。
她与妙音往日无怨，近日无仇，然而林轩所提出来的建议，却绝不是空穴来风。
She had no grudges with Fairy Miao Yin; they hadn't wronged each other recently. However, Lin Xuan's proposal was not baseless. As a veteran from the Tribulation Period, he had seen it all. In the cultivation world, there were too many cases of turning friends into enemies and breaking bridges after crossing rivers.
zuò wèi dù jié qī lǎo guài wù ， shén me méi yǒu jiàn guò ， ér xiū xiān jiè ēn jiāng chóu bào ， guò hé chāi qiáo de shì qíng tài duō 。
做为渡劫期老怪物，什么没有见过，而修仙界恩将仇报，过河拆桥的事情太多。
Therefore, she wasn't opposed to joining forces with Lin Xuan. But she still had some reservations. Although this young man had just advanced in cultivation, his strength far surpassed hers. Miao Yin might try to break the bridge, but so could Lin Xuan.
suǒ yǐ duì yú lín xuān lián shǒu de tí yì ， tā shì bìng bù fǎn duì de 。
所以对于林轩联手的提议，她是并不反对的。
What if he was only using her?
bù guò tā xīn zhōng hái shì yǒu jǐ fēn gù jì ， zhè lín xiǎo zi suī rán gāng gāng jìn jí ， dàn shí lì què yuǎn shèng zì jǐ ， miào yīn yǒu kě néng zuò nà guò hé chāi qiáo zhī shì ， zhè lín xuān yòu hé cháng bú shì rú cǐ ？
不过她心中还是有几分顾忌，这林小子虽然刚刚晋级，但实力却远胜自己，妙音有可能做那过河拆桥之事，这林轩又何尝不是如此？
She didn't want to be someone else's bride.
wàn yī tā yě jǐn jǐn shì lì yòng zì jǐ ……
万一他也仅仅是利用自己……
Better to let the wolf into the gate and welcome the tiger behind it. This woman had a deep understanding of things and considered everything thoroughly.
zhè wèi xiǎo xiān zi kě bù xiǎng wèi bié rén zuò nà jià yī 。
这位筱仙子可不想为别人做那嫁衣。
After a moment's hesitation, she decided to come straight to the point: "Fellow Daoist, you are worried about this? Rest assured, I am not a bridge-breaking cultivator. If you're still uneasy, we can use our souls to sign a contract."
qián mén jù láng ， hòu mén yíng hǔ 。
前门拒狼，后门迎虎。
"A soul contract?"
cǐ nǚ yōng yǒu jí shēn de chéng fǔ ， kǎo lǜ shì qíng nà yě shì jí wéi zhōu quán de 。
此女拥有极深的城府，考虑事情那也是极为周全的。
The Black Phoenix妖女 was taken aback but then showed a delighted expression. At their level, they wouldn't trust empty vows. A soul contract had strong binding power, and Lin Xuan's proactive offer demonstrated his sincerity.
tā lüè yī chí yí ， gān cuì jiù kāi mén jiàn shān de shuō chū le zì jǐ de gù lǜ 。
她略一迟疑，干脆就开门见山的说出了自己的顾虑。
"Very well, Fellow Daoist, let us use the soul contract to swear our support for each other."
“ xiān zi yuán lái dān xīn zhè ge ， nǐ fàng xīn ， lín mǒu bú shì guò hé chāi qiáo de xiū xiān zhě ， xiān zi ruò bù fàng xīn ， nǐ wǒ yòng yuán shén qiān dìng yí gè qì yuē rú hé ？”
“仙子原来担心这个，你放心，林某不是过河拆桥的修仙者，仙子若不放心，你我用元神签订一个契约如何？”
Lin Xuan nodded. With this agreement in place, their relationship became closer. After a few more discussions, they finalized the terms of the contract without any objections.
“ yuán shén qì yuē ？”
“元神契约？”
With everything settled, Lin Xuan waved his sleeve and a streak of green light shot out, turning into a book-like scroll as it flickered with divine light. The text, about the size of a fist, appeared on the scroll, outlining their agreed-upon conditions.
hēi fèng yāo nǚ yī dāi ， suí hòu lù chū huān xǐ de biǎo qíng lái 。 shí lì dào le tā men zhè ge děng jí 。 dāng rán bú huì xiāng xìn kōng kǒu bái yá de fā shì 。
黑凤妖女一呆，随后露出欢喜的表情来。实力到了他们这个等级。当然不会相信空口白牙的发誓。
"Fairy, please check to see if there are any issues."
ér yuán shén qì yuē ， zé yǒu hěn hǎo de yuē shù lì ， lín xuān huì zhǔ dòng tí chū lái ， xiǎn de jí yǒu chéng yì 。
而元神契约，则有很好的约束力，林轩会主动提出来，显得极有诚意。
The Black Phoenix妖女 didn't dare be careless and carefully examined the text several times before nodding in satisfaction.
“ hǎo ， dào yǒu jì rán zhè me shuō ， nà qiè shēn yě bù jiǎo qíng le ， nǐ wǒ jiù yǐ yuán shén qì yuē wèi shì 。 shǒu wàng xiāng zhù 。”
“好，道友既然这么说，那妾身也不矫情了，你我就以元神契约为誓。守望相助。”
Lin Xuan nodded as well. He tapped his forehead lightly with his right hand, sending a beam of light from his眉心 into the scroll, which vanished like a stone thrown into water.
lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， liǎng rén què dìng le hé zuò ， wú xíng jiān guān xì yě jiù qīn jìn le xǔ duō ， suí hòu yòu shāng yì le jǐ jù ， jiù jiāng shì yuē de nèi róng ， yě yī gǔ nǎo què dìng xià lái le 。
林轩点点头，两人确定了合作，无形间关系也就亲近了许多，随后又商议了几句，就将誓约的内容，也一股脑确定下来了。
Seeing this, the Black Phoenix妖女 performed the same action. They quickly signed the soul contract without delay.
bǐ cǐ méi yǒu le yì yì 。 lín xuān xiù páo yī fú ， yī dào qīng xiá fēi lüè ér chū ， lüè yī zhuǎn zhé ， líng guāng shǎn shuò ， jū rán huàn huà chū yī fú shū juàn lái le 。
彼此没有了异议。林轩袖袍一拂，一道青霞飞掠而出，略一转折，灵光闪烁，居然幻化出一幅书卷来了。
With that matter resolved, the scroll melted away and merged into the void. With their alliance formed, Lin Xuan's relationship with Fairy Xiao became closer. They chatted for a while before settling down to meditate.
shàng miàn yǒu yí gè gè quán tou dà xiǎo de wén zì ruò yǐn ruò xiàn de tūn tǔ ， zhèng shì liǎng rén gāng cái shāng dìng chū lái de tiáo jiàn lái zhe 。
上面有一个个拳头大小的文字若隐若现的吞吐，正是两人刚才商定出来的条件来着。
Lin Xuan's expression remained calm, but his heart was filled with joy. He had found what he had been looking for without effort. With the Black Phoenix妖女's help, his original plan was now foolproof.
“ xiān zi kàn kàn ， yǒu méi yǒu wèn tí ？”
“仙子看看，有没有问题？”
As for the soul contract, Lin Xuan didn't take it seriously at all. When signing it, he had left a subtle loophole. By injecting his second元婴's soul into the contract, if he violated the agreement, only his second元婴 would suffer backlash. As long as his main元婴 was safe, recovering from temporary damage to the second元婴 would be easy.
zhè zhǒng shì qíng ， hēi fèng yāo nǚ zì rán yě bù gǎn yǒu fēn háo de dà yì 。 tái qǐ tóu lú 。 níng shén kàn le shù biàn ， què dìng dū méi yǒu cuò 。 tā de liǎn shàng lù chū mǎn yì zhī sè 。
这种事情，黑凤妖女自然也不敢有分毫的大意。抬起头颅。凝神看了数遍，确定都没有错。她的脸上露出满意之色。
Of course, Lin Xuan merely left this as a precaution. He wasn't an ungrateful cultivator and generally wouldn't break bridges unless absolutely necessary.
lín xuān jiàn le ， yě bù duō shuō ， yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， zài tóu dǐng qīng qīng yī pāi ， yī dào guāng huá yóu méi xīn jī shè chū lái ， yī shǎn jí shì de mò rù qián miàn de shū juàn ， rú ní niú rù hǎi ， xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
林轩见了，也不多说，右手抬起，在头顶轻轻一拍，一道光华由眉心激射出来，一闪即逝的没入前面的书卷，如泥牛入海，消失不见。
...
hēi fèng yāo nǚ jiàn le ， yě shì tóng yàng de dòng zuò ， liǎng rén bìng méi yǒu dān gē ， hěn kuài jiù jiāng yuán shén qì yuē qiān dìng le 。
黑凤妖女见了，也是同样的动作，两人并没有耽搁，很快就将元神契约签订了。
The two didn't say much more and settled down to meditate. Time passed quickly over several days.
cǐ shì suàn shì gào yí duàn luò ， zhǐ jiàn nà shū juàn bīng xuě xiāo róng ， róng rù le xū kōng zhī zhōng 。
此事算是告一段落，只见那书卷冰雪消融，融入了虚空之中。
One day at noon, the sun still hung lazily in the sky.
ér dá chéng le gōng shǒu tóng méng ， lín xuān yǔ zhè wèi xiǎo xiān zi de guān xì ， yě jiù qīn jìn le xǔ duō ， liǎng rén yòu liáo le yī huì er bié de ， biàn gè zì dǎ zuò 。
而达成了攻守同盟，林轩与这位筱仙子的关系，也就亲近了许多，两人又聊了一会儿别的，便各自打坐。
Although slightly different from other places, the midday heat was still intense in the Green Cloud Desert.
lín xuān biǎo qíng sī háo pò zhàn yě wú ， rán ér xīn zhōng què zhe shí huān xǐ 。
林轩表情丝毫破绽也无，然而心中却着实欢喜。
Everything seemed unchanged.
tà pò tiě xié wú mì chù ， dé lái quán bù fèi gōng fu ， yǒu le hēi fèng yāo nǚ xiāng zhù ， zì jǐ yuán xiān de jì huà ， suàn shì wàn wú yī shī le 。
踏破铁鞋无觅处，得来全不费工夫，有了黑凤妖女相助，自己原先的计划，算是万无一失了。
Suddenly, without any warning, the sky turned dark.
zhì yú nà yuán shén qì yuē ， lín xuān zé gēn běn méi yǒu fàng zài yǎn lǐ 。
至于那元神契约，林轩则根本没有放在眼里。
Lin Xuan frowned and slowly raised his head. In the distance, a massive shadow appeared at the horizon where the desert met the skyline.
yīn wèi tā zài qiān dìng de shí hòu ， shì liú le yí gè xīn yǎn ér dì 。
因为他在签订的时候，是留了一个心眼儿地。
Despite the distance, Lin Xuan's divine sense allowed him to see the entire figure clearly.
lín xuān jiāng dì èr yuán yīng de yuán shén zhù rù ， zhè yàng ， zì jǐ jí shǐ wéi fǎn le yuē dìng ， shòu dào fǎn shì de ， yě zhǐ shì dì èr yuán yīng 。
林轩将第二元婴的元神注入，这样，自己即使违反了约定，受到反噬的，也只是第二元婴。
Lin Xuan was well-traveled, but even he couldn't help taking in a cold breath. It was a turtle-like monster he had never seen before, with a massive body that resembled a towering mountain.
zhǐ yào zhǔ yuán yīng píng ān ， dì èr yuán yīng jí shǐ zàn shí shòu xiē sǔn shī ， xiǎng yào huī fù ， yě shì hěn róng yì de 。
只要主元婴平安，第二元婴即使暂时受些损失，想要恢复，也是很容易的。
The hard shell was black and covered with countless natural patterns, giving it an ancient and mysterious aura. Its head resembled a dragon, and its limbs were incredibly thick. Each step caused the ground to tremble.
dāng rán ， lín xuān yě jǐn jǐn shì liú yī hòu shǒu ， tā bìng bú shì wàng ēn fù yì de xiū xiān zhě ， guò hé chāi qiáo de shì qíng yì bān yě bú huì qù zuò ， bú dào wàn bù dé yǐ ， tā shì bú huì wéi fǎn yuē dìng de 。
当然，林轩也仅仅是留一后手，他并不是忘恩负义的修仙者，过河拆桥的事情一般也不会去做，不到万不得已，他是不会违反约定的。
"Could this be the Black Tortoise?"
……
……
Lin Xuan's jaw dropped as he made his judgment. But quickly shook his head. As one of the Four Symbols, the Black Tortoise was the mightiest turtle-like monster. This guy, while formidable, didn't seem to have reached that level yet.
liǎng rén yě bù duō shuō ， gè zì dǎ zuò ， ér shù rì de shí jiān ， yī huǎng yǎn jiù guò qù le 。
两人也不多说，各自打坐，而数日的时间，一晃眼就过去了。
But he shouldn't be underestimated; he likely had some bloodline connection to the Black Tortoise.
zhè tiān zhōng wǔ ， tài yáng yī jiù lǎn yáng yáng de xuán guà zài tiān kōng 。
这天中午，太阳依旧懒洋洋的悬挂在天空。
Lin Xuan's expression quickly returned to calm, and Fairy Xiao's as well. They stared coldly at each other.
qīng yún shā mò suī yǔ bié de dì fāng lüè yǒu bù tóng ， dàn zhèng wǔ shí fēn ， yī jiù shì bǐ jiào rè 。
青云沙漠虽与别的地方略有不同，但正午时分，依旧是比较热。
After a short while, the turtle-like monster approached, with a towering figure sitting on its back. The man was bald and barefoot, his appearance grotesque. At first glance, it was hard to tell his age, but he didn't look like someone who had mastered the art of youth preservation. Lin Xuan found this quite remarkable.
yī qiè dōu yǔ wǎng rì mò yǒu shén me bù tóng 。
一切都与往日没有什么不同。
The man reached out and the giant turtle quickly shrunk before being stored in a divine beast bag.
tū rán ， sī háo zhēng zhào yě wú ， tiān sè yī xià zi yīn chén xià qù le 。
突然，丝毫征兆也无，天色一下子阴沉下去了。
Lin Xuan's gaze swept over him; the man was also an early-stage元婴 cultivator, but at the peak stage, with formidable and condensed magical power.
lín xuān méi tou yí zhòu ， huǎn huǎn de tái qǐ le tóu lú 。
林轩眉头一皱，缓缓的抬起了头颅。
"Two Fellow Daoists came so early!"
suí hòu ， zài yuǎn chù shā mò yǔ dì píng xiàn de jiāo jiè zhī chù ， yī jù dà de yǐng zi fú xiàn ér chū 。
随后，在远处沙漠与地平线的交界之处，一巨大的影子浮现而出。
The man smiled openly. However, his next action surprised everyone. He didn't introduce himself or say much more, just found a clean spot to sit cross-legged and ignored them. (To be continued...)
"From Lin Xuan's perspective..."
Lin Xuan deliberately showed a thoughtful expression on his face. "One should not harbor the intention to harm others, but one must always be wary of them."
"Mmm, Fellow Daoist, your words are correct. My relationship with Fairy Miao Yin is rather shallow. I'm not sure what her intentions are, so it's better to have a bit more caution."
Seeing this, Lin Xuan's face showed an extremely satisfied expression. This was exactly the result he wanted. He then seized the opportunity and spoke up: "Fairy, your thoughts are similar to mine. Since you have concerns, I would like to propose something that benefits both of us. What do you think?"
"Oh, Fellow Daoist, please speak. I am here listening attentively."
"Fellow Daoist, it's an honor. If our worries are somewhat similar, why not join forces?"
"Join forces?"
"Yes, we can support each other and face any scheming from Fairy Miao Yin together. That way, you won't have to fear too much."
Lin Xuan's words were reasonable, and the Black Phoenix妖女 began to strategize in her mind.
She had no grudges with Fairy Miao Yin; they hadn't wronged each other recently. However, Lin Xuan's proposal was not baseless. As a veteran from the Tribulation Period, he had seen it all. In the cultivation world, there were too many cases of turning friends into enemies and breaking bridges after crossing rivers.
Therefore, she wasn't opposed to joining forces with Lin Xuan. But she still had some reservations. Although this young man had just advanced in cultivation, his strength far surpassed hers. Miao Yin might try to break the bridge, but so could Lin Xuan.
What if he was only using her?
She didn't want to be someone else's bride.
Better to let the wolf into the gate and welcome the tiger behind it. This woman had a deep understanding of things and considered everything thoroughly.
After a moment's hesitation, she decided to come straight to the point: "Fellow Daoist, you are worried about this? Rest assured, I am not a bridge-breaking cultivator. If you're still uneasy, we can use our souls to sign a contract."
"A soul contract?"
The Black Phoenix妖女 was taken aback but then showed a delighted expression. At their level, they wouldn't trust empty vows. A soul contract had strong binding power, and Lin Xuan's proactive offer demonstrated his sincerity.
"Very well, Fellow Daoist, let us use the soul contract to swear our support for each other."
Lin Xuan nodded. With this agreement in place, their relationship became closer. After a few more discussions, they finalized the terms of the contract without any objections.
With everything settled, Lin Xuan waved his sleeve and a streak of green light shot out, turning into a book-like scroll as it flickered with divine light. The text, about the size of a fist, appeared on the scroll, outlining their agreed-upon conditions.
"Fairy, please check to see if there are any issues."
The Black Phoenix妖女 didn't dare be careless and carefully examined the text several times before nodding in satisfaction.
Lin Xuan nodded as well. He tapped his forehead lightly with his right hand, sending a beam of light from his眉心 into the scroll, which vanished like a stone thrown into water.
Seeing this, the Black Phoenix妖女 performed the same action. They quickly signed the soul contract without delay.
With that matter resolved, the scroll melted away and merged into the void. With their alliance formed, Lin Xuan's relationship with Fairy Xiao became closer. They chatted for a while before settling down to meditate.
Lin Xuan's expression remained calm, but his heart was filled with joy. He had found what he had been looking for without effort. With the Black Phoenix妖女's help, his original plan was now foolproof.
As for the soul contract, Lin Xuan didn't take it seriously at all. When signing it, he had left a subtle loophole. By injecting his second元婴's soul into the contract, if he violated the agreement, only his second元婴 would suffer backlash. As long as his main元婴 was safe, recovering from temporary damage to the second元婴 would be easy.
Of course, Lin Xuan merely left this as a precaution. He wasn't an ungrateful cultivator and generally wouldn't break bridges unless absolutely necessary.
...
The two didn't say much more and settled down to meditate. Time passed quickly over several days.
One day at noon, the sun still hung lazily in the sky.
Although slightly different from other places, the midday heat was still intense in the Green Cloud Desert.
Everything seemed unchanged.
Suddenly, without any warning, the sky turned dark.
Lin Xuan frowned and slowly raised his head. In the distance, a massive shadow appeared at the horizon where the desert met the skyline.
Despite the distance, Lin Xuan's divine sense allowed him to see the entire figure clearly.
Lin Xuan was well-traveled, but even he couldn't help taking in a cold breath. It was a turtle-like monster he had never seen before, with a massive body that resembled a towering mountain.
The hard shell was black and covered with countless natural patterns, giving it an ancient and mysterious aura. Its head resembled a dragon, and its limbs were incredibly thick. Each step caused the ground to tremble.
"Could this be the Black Tortoise?"
Lin Xuan's jaw dropped as he made his judgment. But quickly shook his head. As one of the Four Symbols, the Black Tortoise was the mightiest turtle-like monster. This guy, while formidable, didn't seem to have reached that level yet.
But he shouldn't be underestimated; he likely had some bloodline connection to the Black Tortoise.
Lin Xuan's expression quickly returned to calm, and Fairy Xiao's as well. They stared coldly at each other.
After a short while, the turtle-like monster approached, with a towering figure sitting on its back. The man was bald and barefoot, his appearance grotesque. At first glance, it was hard to tell his age, but he didn't look like someone who had mastered the art of youth preservation. Lin Xuan found this quite remarkable.
The man reached out and the giant turtle quickly shrunk before being stored in a divine beast bag.
Lin Xuan's gaze swept over him; the man was also an early-stage元婴 cultivator, but at the peak stage, with formidable and condensed magical power.
"Two Fellow Daoists came so early!"
The man smiled openly. However, his next action surprised everyone. He didn't introduce himself or say much more, just found a clean spot to sit cross-legged and ignored them. (To be continued...)