shì qíng fā zhǎn dào zhè yī bù ， duì yún yǐn zōng lái shuō ， shǐ liào wèi jí ， zì rán yě jiù xiàn rù le jué dà de wēi jī 。
事情发展到这一步，对云隐宗来说，始料未及，自然也就陷入了绝大的危机。
At this point, the situation had taken a turn that the Cloud Conceal Sect did not anticipate. Consequently, they found themselves in an unprecedented crisis.
tā men dào bú shì pà pàng shòu zūn zhě ， guān jiàn shì lín xuān gēn běn jiù bù zài zǒng duò 。
他们倒不是怕胖瘦尊者，关键是林轩根本就不在总舵。
They weren't afraid of the Plump and Slim Sovereign; the key issue was that Lin Xuan wasn't at the main headquarters.
piān piān yún yǐn zōng hái bù néng zhè me shuō ， fǒu zé huì bèi kàn chéng shì shì ruò 。
偏偏云隐宗还不能这么说，否则会被看成是示弱。
However, the Cloud Conceal Sect couldn’t simply say this, as it would be seen as a sign of weakness.
nǐ shuō tài shàng zhǎng lǎo bù zài zǒng duò ， wài chū yóu lì qù le ？
你说太上长老不在总舵，外出游历去了？
If you said that the Supreme Elder wasn't at the main headquarters but had gone out to travel?
xíng ， méi wèn tí 。
行，没问题。
Sure, no problem. We can postpone the duel and wait for him to return before deciding the outcome.
nà wǒ men kě yǐ jiāng jué dòu de shí jiān tuī chí yī xiē 。
那我们可以将决斗的时间推迟一些。
The other party’s response seemed reasonable, yet the Cloud Conceal Sect found themselves in a difficult position. They didn’t know where Lin Xuan had gone. Ordinary disciples were unaware that the Supreme Elder had left as well. Only the silver-eyed maiden and the Long family youth knew, but even then, Lin Xuan only said he was going to an extremely distant place without specifying his exact destination, just mentioning that this time it would be a long journey.
děng tā huí lái zài dìng shèng fù 。
等他回来再定胜负。
The Three Realms were vast, with hundreds of small spirit realms within the Spirit Realm. Lin Xuan had left no means of contact, so where could the Cloud Conceal Sect look for him?
duì fāng zhè yàng huí fù ， kàn shì hé qíng hé lǐ ， rán ér yún yǐn zōng què yǒu kǔ shuō bù chū 。
对方这样回复，看似合情合理，然而云隐宗却有苦说不出。
But the other party didn’t care about these difficulties. Even if they told him, he would only see it as a sign of cowardice.
tā men gēn běn bù zhī dào lín xuān qù le hé chù 。
他们根本不知道林轩去了何处。
The saying goes, "Lose in spirit but not in battle." The Cloud Conceal Sect was no longer what it used to be; it had risen to become the top force in the Dragon Pillar Realm. How could it stoop so low as to explain itself?
pǔ tōng de mén rén dì zǐ ， shèn zhì hái bù xiǎo de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo yǐ jīng wài chū 。
普通的门人弟子，甚至还不晓得太上长老已经外出。
Clearly, the other party wanted to humiliate Lin Xuan. Words wouldn’t solve the issue. To protect their sect’s reputation, they had no choice but to fight.
yín tóng shào nǚ ， lóng xìng shào nián gù rán qīng chǔ ， dàn lín xuān yě zhǐ shuō yào qù jí yuǎn zhī chù 。
银瞳少女，龙姓少年固然清楚，但林轩也只说要去极远之处。
This was the only solution, laid out very clearly. But with Lin Xuan not at the main headquarters, who could the Cloud Conceal Sect send as a representative?
jù tǐ yào qù nǎ lǐ ， méi yǒu míng yán ， zhǐ shuō zhè yī cì yào qù de dì fāng jí yuǎn ， kě néng yào huā fèi hěn zhǎng yī duàn shí jiān 。
具体要去哪里，没有明言，只说这一次要去的地方极远，可能要花费很长一段时间。
Don't look at how formidable the Cloud Conceal Sect has become, a respected and revered sect that countless other sects looked up to. Its rise had been too rapid, relying solely on the reputation of Lin Xuan. It lacked depth.
sān jiè miàn jī guǎng kuò ， guāng shì líng jiè de xiǎo jiè miàn jiù yǒu shù bǎi zhī duō ， lín xuān yòu bù céng liú xià fāng shì lián luò ， nǐ ràng yún yǐn zōng qù nǎ ér zhǎo xún tā ne ？
三界面积广阔，光是灵界的小界面就有数百之多，林轩又不曾留下方式联络，你让云隐宗去哪儿找寻他呢？
Given enough time—say, several thousand or even tens of thousands of years—it could have steadily grown stronger, perhaps producing a few Transcendence Realm cultivators. Then, the Cloud Conceal Sect would truly be formidable and deserving of its status.
kě zhè zhōng jiān de nán chǔ ， duì fāng què gēn běn bù zài hū 。
可这中间的难处，对方却根本不在乎。
But now, despite having gathered many outstanding disciples, they hadn't yet matured. With Lin Xuan present, they naturally could hold their ground. But without him, facing such a challenge, the Cloud Conceal Sect’s situation became awkward.
jiù suàn shuō yǔ tā tīng ， tā yě zhǐ dāng nǐ shì wèi zhàn qiè nuò 。
就算说与他听，他也只当你是畏战怯懦。
Of course, this was something Lin Xuan had not anticipated either. The various means he left behind were meant to defend against external threats.
sú huà shuō ， shū rén bù shū zhèn ， yún yǐn zōng rú jīn jīn fēi xī bǐ ， nǎi shì nài lóng jiè pái míng dì yī de shì lì ， yòu zěn me kě néng zhè yàng dī sān xià sì de qù xiàng duì fāng jiě shì 。
俗话说，输人不输阵，云隐宗如今今非昔比，乃是鼐龙界排名第一的势力，又怎么可能这样低三下四的去像对方解释。
For example, if the Plump and Slim Sovereign intended to attack the main headquarters, there would be no other outcome but defeat for them.
duì fāng rú jīn bǎi míng liǎo yào xuē lín xuān de miàn zi ， yán cí jiě jué bù liǎo wèn tí ， xiǎng yào jiāng zōng mén de wēi míng bǎo zhù ， wéi zhàn yī tú 。
对方如今摆明了要削林轩的面子，言辞解决不了问题，想要将宗门的威名保住，唯战一途。
But crucially, others hadn’t done that; they wanted a fair duel with Lin Xuan. If the Cloud Conceal Sect was just an unknown minor sect, it wouldn't matter. But now, as the top force in the Dragon Pillar Realm, it couldn’t be ignored. Refusal wasn’t an option; otherwise, their reputation would suffer.
zhè shì wéi yī de jiě jué zhī cè ， shí fēn míng xiǎn de bǎi zhe 。
这是唯一的解决之策，十分明显的摆着。
In any case, they had to fight!
kě lín xuān bù zài zǒng duò ， yún yǐn zōng yòu néng pài shuí chū zhàn ne ？
可林轩不再总舵，云隐宗又能派谁出战呢？
Even if they couldn’t find Lin Xuan, there was no reason to retreat. They must protect the Cloud Conceal Sect.
bié kàn yún yǐn zōng rú jīn yě shì páng rán dà wù ， ràng wú shù zōng mén shì lì yǎng wàng de míng mén dà pài le 。
别看云隐宗如今也是庞然大物，让无数宗门势力仰望的名门大派了。
But while easy to say, doing so proved incredibly difficult.
kě tā jué qǐ tài guò xùn sù ， wán quán shì kào lín xuān yí gè rén de wēi míng zài zhī chēng zhe 。
可它崛起太过迅速，完全是靠林轩一个人的威名在支撑着。
Who should go?
dǐ yùn bù zú 。
底蕴不足。
The Cloud Conceal Sect had three Supreme Elders, but only Lin Xuan had reached the Transcendence Realm. The silver-eyed maiden was a minor Transcender, with strength far beyond the Shen State realm, but still incomparable to true Transcenders. At best, she could muster only one-third of her Transcender power.
ruò shì yǒu zú gòu de shí jiān ， zài fā zhǎn gè jǐ qiān shù wàn nián 。 yí bù yí bù de wěn zhā wěn dǎ ， màn màn zhuàng dà ， yě xǔ hái néng chū xiàn jǐ wèi dù jié qī xiū xiān zhě ， nà shí hòu ， yún yǐn zōng cái shì zhēn zhèng de páng rán dà wù ， míng zhì shí guī le 。
若是有足够的时间，再发展个几千数万年。一步一步的稳扎稳打，慢慢壮大，也许还能出现几位渡劫期修仙者，那时候，云隐宗才是真正的庞然大物，名至实归了。
Facing the Plump and Slim Sovereign, they had no chance at all.
zhì yú rú jīn ， suī rán shōu le bù shǎo jié chū dì zǐ ， dàn gēn běn jiù hái méi yǒu chéng zhǎng qǐ lái 。
至于如今，虽然收了不少杰出弟子，但根本就还没有成长起来。
But apart from her, the other Cloud Conceal Sect members were even weaker.
ruò yǒu lín xuān ， zì rán kě yǐ chēng zhù chǎng miàn 。
若有林轩，自然可以撑住场面。
This was a martial contest; there couldn’t be an advantage in numbers.
rán ér tā ruò shì bù zài zǒng duò 。 miàn duì zhè yàng de tiǎo zhàn ， yún yǐn zōng de chǔ jìng ， kě jiù gān gà le qǐ lái 。
然而他若是不在总舵。面对这样的挑战，云隐宗的处境，可就尴尬了起来。
The silver-eyed maiden convened the elders to discuss strategies. But with such a significant power gap, unless Lin Elder could return, their chances of winning this duel were nil.
dāng rán ， chū xiàn zhè yàng de zhuàng kuàng ， běn yě shì lín xuān shǐ liào wèi jí 。
当然，出现这样的状况，本也是林轩始料未及。
"Let it be," sighed the silver-eyed maiden. "As headmaster, I can't back down."
tā liú xià de zhū duō shǒu duàn 。 běn shì wèi le fáng yù wài dí 。
他留下的诸多手段。本是为了防御外敌。
"But Senior Sister, you won’t win either," said the Long family youth anxiously.
jiù ná xiàn zài de qíng kuàng lái shuō ， pàng shòu zūn zhě ， ruò shì tú móu bù guǐ ， xiǎng yào jìn gōng yún yǐn zōng zǒng duò ， nà kěn dìng zhǐ yǒu chī bù liǎo dōu zhe zǒu yí gè jié guǒ 。
就拿现在的情况来说，胖瘦尊者，若是图谋不轨，想要进攻云隐宗总舵，那肯定只有吃不了兜着走一个结果。
"I know, but what can we do? Even if we delay, the problem remains unsolved. We'll end up being mocked by the cultivation world. It’s better for me to fight and lose than to be seen as a coward."
kě guān jiàn shì ， bié rén méi zhè me zuò 。
可关键是，别人没这么做。
The silver-eyed maiden's voice was low and resolute, indicating her determination.
ér shì zhèng dà guāng míng de xiǎng yào yǔ lín xuān qiē cuō 。
而是正大光明的想要与林轩切磋。
"But Senior Sister, your words are right, but how do we know the Plump and Slim Sovereign’s mood? What if they attack with all their might?" The Long family youth's face still showed his anxiety.
ruò yún yǐn zōng zhǐ shì míng bú jiàn jīng zhuàn de xiǎo jiǎo sè ， zì rán kě yǐ bù zài hū 。 kě rú jīn tā yǐ shì nài lóng jiè pái míng dì yī de zōng mén jiā zú ， shù dà zhāo fēng ， jiù bù kě néng zài jiāng qí shì zhī wú wù 。
若云隐宗只是名不见经传的小角色，自然可以不在乎。可如今它已是鼐龙界排名第一的宗门家族，树大招风，就不可能再将其视之无物。
These two were ascetic cultivators; they didn’t understand. But from their actions, it was clear that both had very proud personalities.
jù jué shì bù kě néng de 。
拒绝是不可能的。
Although they said this duel should be a mere formality, in the end, the power of magic wasn't always predictable.
fǒu zé děng lái de ， jiāng shì shēng míng sǎo dì de jié guǒ 。
否则等来的，将是声名扫地的结果。
"Junior Brother, I know you have good intentions, but being overly cautious will get us nowhere. The Cloud Conceal Sect’s rise is due to Lin Xuan's efforts. He has just left; how can we let others bully us? Even if there are dangers, at least they’ll know that our Cloud Conceal Sect cultivators aren’t cowards."
sú huà shuō 。 nì shuǐ xíng zhōu ， bù jìn zé tuì ， yún yǐn zōng hǎo bù róng yì cái fā zhǎn zhuàng dà dào zhè ge dì bù ， bù lùn yín tóng shào nǚ 。 hái shì lóng xìng shào nián ， dōu bú huì fàng rèn zhè zhǒng zāo gāo de jié guǒ chū xiàn 。
俗话说。逆水行舟，不进则退，云隐宗好不容易才发展壮大到这个地步，不论银瞳少女。还是龙姓少年，都不会放任这种糟糕的结果出现。
The silver-eyed maiden smiled softly but her tone was firm.
wéi yǒu yī zhàn ！
唯有一战！
"Senior Sister, what about me stepping in for you?" The Long family youth’s concern was evident.
jí biàn zhǎo bú dào lín xuān 。 yě méi yǒu tuì suō de lǐ yóu ， tā men bì xū shǒu hù yún yǐn zōng 。
即便找不到林轩。也没有退缩的理由，他们必须守护云隐宗。
They had been comrades-in-arms for countless eons; their bond far exceeded that of ordinary siblings.
kě shuō shuō qīng sōng ， zhēn yào zuò ， què shì qiān nán wàn nán 。
可说说轻松，真要做，却是千难万难。
"Not appropriate," the silver-eyed maiden shook her head.
yóu shuí chū zhàn ？
由谁出战？
Sending junior brother would be equally dangerous. She had advanced to a minor Transcender and could defend herself, but junior brother had only just reached the Shen State late stage, his foundation still unstable. Sending him would be truly perilous.
yún yǐn zōng de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ， zú yǒu sān gè ， dàn dù jié jí bié de ， qí shí zhǐ yǒu lín xuān yī rén bà le 。
云隐宗的太上长老，足有三个，但渡劫级别的，其实只有林轩一人罢了。
After some discussion, they found no other options and had to proceed this way.
yín tóng shào nǚ dǎo shì xiǎo dù jié qī ， yǒu zhe yuǎn chāo fēn shén jìng jiè de shí lì 。
银瞳少女倒是小渡劫期，有着远超分神境界的实力。
At that moment, a respectful voice entered their ears: "Report to the Supreme Elder and all Senior Uncles, Sister Sun Yu'er has returned."
dàn cǐ jìng jiè ， nǎi shì lìng pì xī jìng suǒ de ， bǐ zhī zhēn zhèng de dù jié qī lǎo guài wù ， yī jiù shì yuǎn yuǎn bù jí ， mǎn dǎ mǎn suàn ， yě zhǐ yǒu tā jìn jiē dù jié hòu de sān fēn zhī yī de shí lì bà le 。
但此境界，乃是另辟蹊径所得，比之真正的渡劫期老怪物，依旧是远远不及，满打满算，也只有她进阶渡劫后的三分之一的实力罢了。
"Yu'er is back; let her in without further ado," the silver-eyed maiden’s tone was reproachful yet tinged with joy.
duì shàng pàng shòu zūn zhě ， kě yǐ shuō fēn háo shèng suàn yě wú 。
对上胖瘦尊者，可以说分毫胜算也无。
Sun Yu'er was an internal disciple and Lin Xuan's disciple as well, known for her intelligence and strategy. Even Lin Xuan held her in high regard. Now she had rushed to Cloud Fox Mountain; could she have a good idea?
At this point, the situation had taken a turn that the Cloud Conceal Sect did not anticipate. Consequently, they found themselves in an unprecedented crisis.
They weren't afraid of the Plump and Slim Sovereign; the key issue was that Lin Xuan wasn't at the main headquarters.
However, the Cloud Conceal Sect couldn’t simply say this, as it would be seen as a sign of weakness.
If you said that the Supreme Elder wasn't at the main headquarters but had gone out to travel?
Sure, no problem. We can postpone the duel and wait for him to return before deciding the outcome.
The other party’s response seemed reasonable, yet the Cloud Conceal Sect found themselves in a difficult position. They didn’t know where Lin Xuan had gone. Ordinary disciples were unaware that the Supreme Elder had left as well. Only the silver-eyed maiden and the Long family youth knew, but even then, Lin Xuan only said he was going to an extremely distant place without specifying his exact destination, just mentioning that this time it would be a long journey.
The Three Realms were vast, with hundreds of small spirit realms within the Spirit Realm. Lin Xuan had left no means of contact, so where could the Cloud Conceal Sect look for him?
But the other party didn’t care about these difficulties. Even if they told him, he would only see it as a sign of cowardice.
The saying goes, "Lose in spirit but not in battle." The Cloud Conceal Sect was no longer what it used to be; it had risen to become the top force in the Dragon Pillar Realm. How could it stoop so low as to explain itself?
Clearly, the other party wanted to humiliate Lin Xuan. Words wouldn’t solve the issue. To protect their sect’s reputation, they had no choice but to fight.
This was the only solution, laid out very clearly. But with Lin Xuan not at the main headquarters, who could the Cloud Conceal Sect send as a representative?
Don't look at how formidable the Cloud Conceal Sect has become, a respected and revered sect that countless other sects looked up to. Its rise had been too rapid, relying solely on the reputation of Lin Xuan. It lacked depth.
Given enough time—say, several thousand or even tens of thousands of years—it could have steadily grown stronger, perhaps producing a few Transcendence Realm cultivators. Then, the Cloud Conceal Sect would truly be formidable and deserving of its status.
But now, despite having gathered many outstanding disciples, they hadn't yet matured. With Lin Xuan present, they naturally could hold their ground. But without him, facing such a challenge, the Cloud Conceal Sect’s situation became awkward.
Of course, this was something Lin Xuan had not anticipated either. The various means he left behind were meant to defend against external threats.
For example, if the Plump and Slim Sovereign intended to attack the main headquarters, there would be no other outcome but defeat for them.
But crucially, others hadn’t done that; they wanted a fair duel with Lin Xuan. If the Cloud Conceal Sect was just an unknown minor sect, it wouldn't matter. But now, as the top force in the Dragon Pillar Realm, it couldn’t be ignored. Refusal wasn’t an option; otherwise, their reputation would suffer.
In any case, they had to fight!
Even if they couldn’t find Lin Xuan, there was no reason to retreat. They must protect the Cloud Conceal Sect.
But while easy to say, doing so proved incredibly difficult.
Who should go?
The Cloud Conceal Sect had three Supreme Elders, but only Lin Xuan had reached the Transcendence Realm. The silver-eyed maiden was a minor Transcender, with strength far beyond the Shen State realm, but still incomparable to true Transcenders. At best, she could muster only one-third of her Transcender power.
Facing the Plump and Slim Sovereign, they had no chance at all.
But apart from her, the other Cloud Conceal Sect members were even weaker.
This was a martial contest; there couldn’t be an advantage in numbers.
The silver-eyed maiden convened the elders to discuss strategies. But with such a significant power gap, unless Lin Elder could return, their chances of winning this duel were nil.
"Let it be," sighed the silver-eyed maiden. "As headmaster, I can't back down."
"But Senior Sister, you won’t win either," said the Long family youth anxiously.
"I know, but what can we do? Even if we delay, the problem remains unsolved. We'll end up being mocked by the cultivation world. It’s better for me to fight and lose than to be seen as a coward."
The silver-eyed maiden's voice was low and resolute, indicating her determination.
"But Senior Sister, your words are right, but how do we know the Plump and Slim Sovereign’s mood? What if they attack with all their might?" The Long family youth's face still showed his anxiety.
These two were ascetic cultivators; they didn’t understand. But from their actions, it was clear that both had very proud personalities.
Although they said this duel should be a mere formality, in the end, the power of magic wasn't always predictable.
"Junior Brother, I know you have good intentions, but being overly cautious will get us nowhere. The Cloud Conceal Sect’s rise is due to Lin Xuan's efforts. He has just left; how can we let others bully us? Even if there are dangers, at least they’ll know that our Cloud Conceal Sect cultivators aren’t cowards."
The silver-eyed maiden smiled softly but her tone was firm.
"Senior Sister, what about me stepping in for you?" The Long family youth’s concern was evident.
They had been comrades-in-arms for countless eons; their bond far exceeded that of ordinary siblings.
"Not appropriate," the silver-eyed maiden shook her head.
Sending junior brother would be equally dangerous. She had advanced to a minor Transcender and could defend herself, but junior brother had only just reached the Shen State late stage, his foundation still unstable. Sending him would be truly perilous.
After some discussion, they found no other options and had to proceed this way.
At that moment, a respectful voice entered their ears: "Report to the Supreme Elder and all Senior Uncles, Sister Sun Yu'er has returned."
"Yu'er is back; let her in without further ado," the silver-eyed maiden’s tone was reproachful yet tinged with joy.
Sun Yu'er was an internal disciple and Lin Xuan's disciple as well, known for her intelligence and strategy. Even Lin Xuan held her in high regard. Now she had rushed to Cloud Fox Mountain; could she have a good idea?