“ zěn me ， dào yǒu yě tīng shuō guò wǒ zhè wèi hǎo yǒu de dà míng ？” lǐ yào tiān mō le mō hú xū ， huí tóu lù chū yī sī xiào yì 。
“怎么，道友也听说过我这位好友的大名？”李耀天摸了摸胡须，回头露出一丝笑意。
"How could it be, that a fellow daoist has heard of my good friend's name?" Li Yaotian stroked his beard and turned to reveal a smile.
“ ń 。” lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， liǎn shàng zhèn jīng de biǎo qíng yǐ jīng xiāo shī dé wú yǐng wú zōng 。
“嗯。”林轩点点头，脸上震惊的表情已经消失得无影无踪。
"Indeed," Lin Xuan nodded. The shock on his face had vanished completely.
rán ér xīn zhōng hái shì yǒu yì diǎn dǎ gǔ 。
然而心中还是有一点打鼓。
However, he still felt a bit uneasy.
zhè wèi líng lóng zhēn rén rén rú qí míng ， xíng shì yuán huá wú bǐ ， jiāo yǒu biàn tiān xià ， jù shuō bù lùn shì zhèng mó liǎng dào ， sān jiào jiǔ liú ， dōu néng yǔ tā xiāng chǔ hé mù 。
这位玲珑真人人如其名，行事圆滑无比，交友遍天下，据说不论是正魔两道，三教九流，都能与他相处和睦。
This Linglong True Person was as clever as his name suggested—smooth in dealings, with friends all over the world. It was said that he could get along well with both the Daoists and the Devils, from the Three Teachings to the Nine Streams.
rán ér ràng lín xuān zhèn dòng de bìng bú shì zhè yì diǎn ， ér shì zhè wèi líng lóng zhēn rén hái shì qī jué tiān de guǎn shì zhī yī ， zhuān mén fù zé yōu zhōu xī nán yī dài de shēng yì 。
然而让林轩震动的并不是这一点，而是这位玲珑真人还是七绝天的管事之一，专门负责幽州西南一带的生意。
But what shocked Lin Xuan wasn't this, but the fact that Linglong True Person was one of the managers of Seven Extremes Heaven, specifically in charge of business in Southwest Youzhou.
méi xiǎng dào zhè jiāo huàn huì shì tā jǔ xíng de a ！
没想到这交换会是他举行的啊！
He never expected it to be him hosting this exchange!
“ zěn me ， dào yǒu yǒu nán chǔ ma ？” lǐ yào tiān yě shì lǎo hú lí ， hěn kuài jiù kàn chū le lín xuān de chí yí 。
“怎么，道友有难处吗？”李耀天也是老狐狸，很快就看出了林轩的迟疑。
"How could it be, that a fellow daoist is having difficulties?" Li Yaotian, who was no stranger to such situations, quickly noticed Lin Xuan's hesitation.
“ hē hē ， méi shì ， zhǐ shì tīng jiàn líng lóng zhēn rén de dà míng yǒu xiē jīng yà ér yǐ 。” lín xuān wēi xiào zhe jiě shì 。
“呵呵，没事，只是听见玲珑真人的大名有些惊讶而已。”林轩微笑着解释。
"Haha, nothing to worry about. I'm just surprised by the name of Linglong True Person," Lin Xuan explained with a smile.
zǐ xì xiǎng xiǎng ， zì jǐ gēn běn jiù méi yǒu shén me hǎo dān xīn ， suī rán yǔ hào tiān guǐ dì yǒu le guò jié ， dàn xīn xū de yīng gāi shì tā men cái duì ， zài zhè xiū shì de dà běn yíng lǐ ， nà xiē yīn hún guǐ wù nán dào hái gǎn duì zì jǐ yǒu suǒ dòng zuò ？
仔细想想，自己根本就没有什么好担心，虽然与昊天鬼帝有了过节，但心虚的应该是他们才对，在这修士的大本营里，那些阴魂鬼物难道还敢对自己有所动作？
Thinking about it, he had nothing to be concerned about. Although he had a grudge against Heavenly Ghost Emperor Hua Tian, they should be the ones feeling guilty. In this land of cultivators, could those ghostly spirits dare to make any moves on him?
hé kuàng duì yú guǐ dì zhè zhǒng cún zài ér yán ， nà tiān de shì qíng bù guò shì yī jiàn wēi bù zú dào de xiǎo chā qǔ ， gèng bié shuō tā táng táng guǐ dì ， jū rán ràng yī míng xiǎo xiǎo de níng dān qī xiū shì cóng zì jǐ shǒu lǐ táo tuō ， shuō chū qù yě tài shāng yán miàn le ， suǒ yǐ cǐ shì tā duō bàn shǒu kǒu rú píng ， jué bú huì xuān yáng chū qù 。
何况对于鬼帝这种存在而言，那天的事情不过是一件微不足道的小插曲，更别说他堂堂鬼帝，居然让一名小小的凝丹期修士从自己手里逃脱，说出去也太伤颜面了，所以此事他多半守口如瓶，绝不会宣扬出去。
Moreover, for an existence like the Ghost Emperor, that incident was merely a trivial matter. He, as a great and honorable Ghost Emperor, letting a mere Core Formation Stage cultivator escape from his hands would be too embarrassing to publicize.
qī jué tiān zhī bù zhī dào zì jǐ zhè ge rén ， kǒng pà dōu hái shì liǎng shuō zhī shì lín xuān zài xīn zhōng lüè yī sī liáng ， biàn pàn duàn chū cǐ xíng duō bàn méi yǒu wēi xiǎn 。 jiāo yì huì zì jǐ kě yǐ fàng xīn dà dǎn de cān jiā ， bù róng gù jì 。
七绝天知不知道自己这个人，恐怕都还是两说之事林轩在心中略一思量，便判断出此行多半没有危险。交易会自己可以放心大胆的参加，不容顾忌。
Li Yaotian probably kept this secret tightly. As for whether Seven Extremes Heaven knew about him, it was still uncertain. Lin Xuan quickly concluded that there was little danger on this trip. He could participate in the exchange with full confidence.
piàn kè hòu 。 yī dào qīng hóng yǔ yī piàn huǒ yún fēi rù le shān mài zhī zhōng 。 guāng máng sàn kāi 。 fēn bié xiǎn chū le lǐ yào tiān yǔ lín xuān dì róng yán 。
片刻后。一道青虹与一片火云飞入了山脉之中。光芒散开。分别显出了李耀天与林轩地容颜。
After a moment, a streak of green light and a cloud of flames flew into the mountain. The light dispersed to reveal Li Yaotian and Lin Xuan's faces.
“ jiù shì zhè lǐ ？”
“就是这里？”
"Is it here?"
lín xuān dǎ liàng zhuó yǎn qián dì jǐng wù 。 lüè lüè yǒu xiē chà yì 。 cǐ kè tā men zài zhàn zài yī piàn guāng tū tū dì shí bì miàn qián 。 lín xuān yòng shén shí yī sǎo 。 bìng méi yǒu xiàn zhàng yǎn fǎ yǔ jìn zhì dì hén jì 。
林轩打量着眼前地景物。略略有些诧异。此刻他们在站在一片光秃秃地石壁面前。林轩用神识一扫。并没有现障眼法与禁制地痕迹。
Lin Xuan looked around, slightly surprised. They were standing before a bare stone wall. His divine sense didn't detect any illusions or restrictions.
“ hē hē 。 dào yǒu bù bì jīng qí 。 yě bié zài bái fèi lì qì 。 zhè wèi líng lóng zhēn rén bù jǐn shì níng dān zhōng qī dì xiū shì 。 ér qiě gèng shì mí huàn lèi jìn zhì dì dà shī 。 tā suǒ bù xià dì zhàng yǎn fǎ 。 chú le jǐ wèi yuán yīng qī qián bèi 。 biàn shì dà yuán mǎn jìng jiè dì xiū shì 。 yě wú fǎ kàn chū duān ní 。” lǐ yào tiān wēi xiào zhe jiě shì 。
“呵呵。道友不必惊奇。也别再白费力气。这位玲珑真人不仅是凝丹中期地修士。而且更是迷幻类禁制地大师。他所布下地障眼法。除了几位元婴期前辈。便是大圆满境界地修士。也无法看出端倪。”李耀天微笑着解释。
"Haha, fellow daoist need not be surprised. You don't have to waste your efforts either. Linglong True Person is not only a Core Formation中期 cultivator but also an expert in illusionary barriers. The illusions he sets up can only be seen through by senior元婴 cultivators and those at the Great Perfection stage," Li Yaotian explained with a smile.
“ ó ？” lín xuān lù chū liǎo rán zhī sè 。 méi yǒu zài shuō shén me 。
“哦？”林轩露出了然之色。没有再说什么。
"Oh?" Lin Xuan nodded, showing understanding without saying more.
ér lǐ yào tiān zé cóng huái lǐ tāo chū yī zhāng chuán yīn fú 。 qīng qīng yī pāo 。 dùn shí biàn huà wèi yī dào huǒ guāng 。 fēi rù le shān bì zhī zhōng 。
而李耀天则从怀里掏出一张传音符。轻轻一抛。顿时便化为一道火光。飞入了山壁之中。
Li Yaotian then took out a sound transmission talisman from his pocket, threw it lightly, and it turned into a flame of light that flew into the stone wall.
piàn kè hòu ， nà shān bì yī zhèn shǎn shuò ， lù chū le yī tiáo tōng lù 。
片刻后，那山壁一阵闪烁，露出了一条通路。
After a moment, the stone wall flickered and revealed a path.
lǐ yào tiān dāng xiān fēi rù le lǐ miàn 。
李耀天当先飞入了里面。
Li Yaotian led the way inside.
lín xuān zé zhàn zài yuán dì méi dòng 。 yǎn jīng wēi mī ， móu dǐ shēn chù shǎn guò yī sī jīng yì 。
林轩则站在原地没动。眼睛微眯，眸底深处闪过一丝惊异。
Lin Xuan stood still, eyes narrowing as he saw something unusual in his depths.
“ lín dào yǒu ， zěn me le ， kuài jìn lái a ！” lǐ yào tiān huí tóu zhāo hū 。
“林道友，怎么了，快进来啊！”李耀天回头招呼。
"Daoist Lin, what's wrong? Come in quickly!" Li Yaotian turned to call out.
“ hǎo de 。” lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， yě huà wèi yī dào jīng hóng ， wěi suí ér zhì 。
“好的。”林轩点点头，也化为一道惊虹，尾随而至。
"Alright," Lin Xuan nodded and followed closely behind as a streak of green light.
yǎn qián de shān dòng jìng shì jù dà wú bǐ 。 yī yǎn wàng qù shēn bú jiàn dǐ 。
眼前的山洞竟是巨大无比。一眼望去深不见底。
The cave before them was enormous, seemingly endless.
liǎng páng dì shí bì shàng xiāng qiàn yǒu yè míng zhū ， yòng lái zuò zhào míng zhī yòng ， cǐ wù fàng zài shì sú suàn shì wú jià zhī bǎo ， bù guò duì xiū shì ér yǐ ， què bù suàn shén me 。
两旁地石壁上镶嵌有夜明珠，用来做照明之用，此物放在世俗算是无价之宝，不过对修士而已，却不算什么。
Night明珠 were embedded on the walls for lighting, making this treasure in the secular world seem ordinary to cultivators.
lín xuān fēi zài lǐ yào tiān de hòu miàn ， sù dù yào shāo màn yì diǎn ， bù zhī dào zài xiǎng xiē shén me 。
林轩飞在李耀天的后面，速度要稍慢一点，不知道在想些什么。
Lin Xuan flew slightly slower behind Li Yaotian, lost in thought.
zài qī wān bā guǎi zhī hòu 。 yī zuò dà tīng zhōng yú chū xiàn zài yǎn qián le 。
在七弯八拐之后。一座大厅终于出现在眼前了。
After many twists and turns, a grand hall finally appeared.
“ hē hē 。 lǐ dào yǒu ， xìng huì xìng huì 。 bù zhī zhè wèi dào yǒu shì ……”
“呵呵。李道友，幸会幸会。不知这位道友是……”
"Haha, Daoist Li, it's an honor to meet you. May I ask who this fellow daoist is?"
yī lǎo chū xiàn zài le miàn qián ， cǐ rén shēn cái ǎi xiǎo 。 què yī liǎn hé qì ， xiào róng kě jū ， ràng rén yī jiàn zhī xià ， jiù huì duì tā shēng chū qīn jìn zhī yì 。
一老出现在了面前，此人身材矮小。却一脸和气，笑容可掬，让人一见之下，就会对他生出亲近之意。
An old man appeared before them. He was short but had a friendly face with a warm smile that made one feel close upon seeing him.
“ lín xiōng ， wǒ lái jiè shào yī xià ， zhè wèi jiù shì dà míng dǐng dǐng de líng lóng zhēn rén ， ér zhè wèi xiōng dì ， xìng lín míng xuān ， nǎi shì zài xià de zhī jiāo hǎo yǒu ， wǒ dài tā lái cān jiā zhè cì jiāo huàn huì ， líng lóng xiōng bú huì guài zuì ba ！”
“林兄，我来介绍一下，这位就是大名鼎鼎的玲珑真人，而这位兄弟，姓林名轩，乃是在下的知交好友，我带他来参加这次交换会，玲珑兄不会怪罪吧！”
"Brother Lin, let me introduce. This is the famous Linglong True Person. And this brother here, his name is Lin Xuan, my dear friend and acquaintance. I brought him to participate in this exchange, will Linglong Brother be angry?"
“ lǐ xiōng shuō nǎ lǐ huà ， néng gòu rèn shí xīn dì dào yǒu ， xiǎo dì gāo xìng hái lái bù jí ， qǐ huì yǒu yuàn guài zhī yì ？” lǎo xiào zhe dǎ le yí gè hā hā ， shuō huà yě shí fēn fēng qù ：“ liǎng wèi qǐng 。”
“李兄说哪里话，能够认识新地道友，小弟高兴还来不及，岂会有怨怪之意？”老笑着打了一个哈哈，说话也十分风趣：“两位请。”
"Don't talk nonsense," the old man laughed heartily, "to meet new daoists is a joy for me, how could I have any resentment?"
lǐ yào tiān dāng xiān jiù yào mài rù ， jiàn lín xuān yī jiù xuán fú zài bàn kōng zhī zhōng ， dòng yě wèi dòng ， liǎn shàng bù yóu fú xiàn chū yī sī chà yì ：“ dào yǒu gàn má lèng zhe ？”
李耀天当先就要迈入，见林轩依旧悬浮在半空之中，动也未动，脸上不由浮现出一丝诧异：“道友干嘛愣着？”
Li Yaotian was about to step forward when he saw Lin Xuan still floating mid-air. He looked surprised.
“ xiǎo dì dào yě xiǎng jìn rù ， bù guò liǎng wèi ruò shì kěn jiāng qián miàn dòng fǔ zhōng de zhèn fǎ chè qù de huà ， zài xià huì bǐ jiào xīn ān a ！” lín xuān wēi wēi yī xiào ， zuǐ shàng què shuō chū chū rén yì liào de yǔ yán 。
“小弟倒也想进入，不过两位若是肯将前面洞府中的阵法撤去的话，在下会比较心安啊！”林轩微微一笑，嘴上却说出出人意料的语言。
"Daoist, why are you standing there? Come in!"
“ shén me zhèn fǎ ？” liǎng rén tīng le ， dà chī yī jīng ， lǐ yào tiān gèng shì mǎn liǎn bù jiě de biǎo qíng 。
“什么阵法？”两人听了，大吃一惊，李耀天更是满脸不解的表情。
"If the two of you can remove the array in front, then this humble one will feel much more at ease," Lin Xuan smiled slightly but spoke unexpectedly.
“ lín mǒu jì rán yǐ jīng kàn pò xuán jī ， liǎng wèi yòu hé bì bái fèi xīn jī de zuò xì ， yǎn qián zhè wèi dào yǒu ， kǒng pà yě bú shì líng lóng zhēn rén ba ！”
“林某既然已经看破玄机，两位又何必白费心机的做戏，眼前这位道友，恐怕也不是玲珑真人吧！”
"What kind of array?" Both were taken aback, Li Yaotian's expression full of confusion.
“ nǐ zěn me kàn chū lái de ？” zhè yī cì lǐ yào tiān bù zài fǒu rèn le ， ér nà lǎo gèng shì liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī bào nüè de shā qì 。
“你怎么看出来的？”这一次李耀天不再否认了，而那老更是脸上闪过一丝暴虐的杀气。
"You have already figured out the truth. Why bother with such a farce? This fellow daoist is not Linglong True Person!"
lěng xiào yī shēng zhī hòu ， hún shēn de gǔ gé pī pā zuò xiǎng ， jìng rán píng kōng zhǎng gāo le shù cún ， yǒu ǎi pàng lǎo ， biàn chéng le pí fū wēi hēi ， shēn cái shòu cháng dì zhōng nián xiū shì 。
冷笑一声之后，浑身的骨骼劈啪作响，竟然凭空长高了数存，有矮胖老，变成了皮肤微黑，身材瘦长地中年修士。
"How did you figure it out?" Li Yaotian no longer denied it, and the old man's face showed a vicious killing intent.
róng mào gèng shì chǒu lòu yǐ jí ， dòu jī yǎn ， jiǔ zāo bí ， yǎn zhōng xiōng guāng shǎn shuò bù yǐ 。
容貌更是丑陋以极，斗鸡眼，酒糟鼻，眼中凶光闪烁不已。
With a cold laugh, his bones cracked as he grew taller, transforming from a short and fat old man into a lean middle-aged cultivator with dark skin.
lín xuān méi yǒu huí dá ， ruò shì pǔ tōng de xiū shì ， xiǎng yào xiàn pò zhàn què shí hěn nán ， dàn lín xuān bù tóng ， shēn huái 《 xuán jī xīn dé 》 de tā ， duì yú zhèn fǎ ， tóng yàng liǎo jiě pǒ duō 。
林轩没有回答，若是普通的修士，想要现破绽确实很难，但林轩不同，身怀《璇玑心得》的他，对于阵法，同样了解颇多。
His appearance was extremely ugly, with bulging eyes and a red nose, his eyes flashing with ferocity.
suī rán duì fāng de zhàng yǎn fǎ yǔ yǐn nì gōng fu zuò dé bù cuò ， dàn lín xuān hái shì xiàn le yī xiē zhū sī mǎ jì de yí diǎn ó ！
虽然对方的障眼法与隐匿功夫做得不错，但林轩还是现了一些蛛丝马迹的疑点哦！
Lin Xuan didn't respond. For ordinary cultivators, it would be hard to spot such flaws, but Lin Xuan, carrying the *Xuanji Heart Insight*, knew quite a bit about arrays.
“ hē hē ， kàn yàng zi ， liǎng wèi shì xiǎng yào qǐng jūn rù wèng ， shā rén yuè huò ， zài xià kě yǒu shuō cuò ？” lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī sī jī cháo de xiào róng ：“ dāng chū lǐ dào yǒu zài yǎn zhōu dì shí hòu ， jiù gǎo dé rén shén gòng fèn ， zěn me ， hǎo le chuāng bā wàng le téng ， dào yǒu hái xiǎng yào zài yōu zhōu yě chéng wéi xiū zhēn jiè de gōng dí me ？”
“呵呵，看样子，两位是想要请君入瓮，杀人越货，在下可有说错？”林轩嘴角边露出一丝讥嘲的笑容：“当初李道友在兖州地时候，就搞得人神共愤，怎么，好了疮疤忘了疼，道友还想要在幽州也成为修真界的公敌么？”
Although their illusions were well done, some inconsistencies still caught his attention!
“ nǐ …… nǐ zěn me zhī dào wǒ de dǐ xì ？” lǐ yào tiān dào chōu le yī kǒu liáng qì ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng mǎn shì jīng yí 。
“你……你怎么知道我的底细？”李耀天倒抽了一口凉气，脸上的表情满是惊疑。
"Haha, it seems that you want to lure me in and kill for profit. Did I say something wrong?" Lin Xuan's lips curled into a mocking smile: "When Daoist Li was in Youzhou, he caused public outrage. How is it that you've forgotten your pain and want to become an enemy of the cultivation world again?"
shì qíng yǒu xiē tuō lí kòng zhì 。
事情有些脱离控制。
"Y-you know my secrets…" Li Yaotian gasped, his expression filled with shock.
dāng chū zài yǎn zhōu shēn bài míng liè yǐ hòu ， tā shì yào shā huí qù bào chóu 。
当初在兖州身败名裂以后，他誓要杀回去报仇。
The situation had gone out of control.
rán ér dào le yōu zhōu ， cái xiàn zhè lǐ yǔ yǎn zhōu xiū zhēn shuǐ píng de chā jù ， yuǎn bǐ chuán yán zhōng gèng dà ， zì jǐ qū qū yí gè níng dān qī xiū shì ， zài zhè lǐ kě yǐ shuō ， shén me yě bú shì 。
然而到了幽州，才现这里与兖州修真水平的差距，远比传言中更大，自己区区一个凝丹期修士，在这里可以说，什么也不是。
After failing in Youzhou, he vowed to return for revenge.
yǎn zhōu de xiū zhēn jiè ， yǐ jīng shì zì jǐ wèi quán mín gōng dí ， xiǎng yào shā huí qù ， tán hé róng yì 。
兖州的修真界，已经视自己为全民公敌，想要杀回去，谈何容易。
But upon arriving in Youzhou, he realized that the gap between the cultivation levels here was even greater than rumors suggested. As a mere Core Formation Stage cultivator, he was practically nothing here.
dì yī bù ， bì xū jiàn lì zhōng yú zì jǐ de shì lì ， kě rén dì shēng shū ， zhǐ yǒu zì jǐ yī rén ， shí zài shì kùn nán dào le jí zhì 。
第一步，必须建立忠于自己的势力，可人地生疏，只有自己一人，实在是困难到了极致。
Youzhou's cultivation world already regarded him as an enemy of all. Returning would be extremely difficult.
hǎo zài mò guò duō jiǔ ， lù xù yòu pǎo guò lái yī xiē huǒ líng mén dì cán yú xiū shì ， dāng chū běn mén suī rán huī fēi yān miè ， jiǔ chéng yǐ shàng dì dì zǐ quán dōu zhàn sǐ ， dàn hái shì yǒu shǎo shù yùn qì hǎo de pǎo le chū qù 。
好在没过多久，陆续又跑过来一些火灵门地残余修士，当初本门虽然灰飞烟灭，九成以上地弟子全都战死，但还是有少数运气好的跑了出去。
The first step was to build his own loyal forces, but with no one familiar and only himself, it was incredibly challenging.
lǐ yào tiān zì rán bú huì rèn yóu tā men liú luò ， fèi jǐn qiān xīn wàn kǔ ， zhōng yú jiāng tā men jù jí qǐ lái le 。
李耀天自然不会任由他们流落，费尽千辛万苦，终于将他们聚集起来了。
Fortunately, not long after, several remnants from Fire Spirit Sect started coming over. Although the sect had been destroyed, most of its disciples were killed in battle, a few lucky ones managed to escape.
rán ér zhè diǎn shí lì ， gēn běn jiù bù gòu kàn ， jiù yōu zhōu dì qíng kuàng ér yán ， lián sì liú dōu suàn bù shàng ， zuì duō yǔ yí gè zhōng děng guī mó de xiū zhēn jiā zú ， yī jiào cháng duǎn 。
然而这点实力，根本就不够看，就幽州地情况而言，连四流都算不上，最多与一个中等规模的修真家族，一较长短。
Li Yaotian wouldn't let them wander aimlessly. After much effort, he finally gathered them together.
ér qiě zhè hái shì yóu yú yǒu zì jǐ zhè wèi níng dān qī xiū shì ， fǒu zé chǔ jìng kǒng pà hái yào gèng bēi cǎn yī xiē 。
而且这还是由于有自己这位凝丹期修士，否则处境恐怕还要更悲惨一些。
However, this small strength was insufficient. In Youzhou's situation, they barely counted as fourth-rate and could at best match an average-sized cultivation family.
Moreover, it was only due to his presence as a Core Formation cultivator that their situation wasn't even worse.
"How could it be, that a fellow daoist has heard of my good friend's name?" Li Yaotian stroked his beard and turned to reveal a smile.
"Indeed," Lin Xuan nodded. The shock on his face had vanished completely.
However, he still felt a bit uneasy.
This Linglong True Person was as clever as his name suggested—smooth in dealings, with friends all over the world. It was said that he could get along well with both the Daoists and the Devils, from the Three Teachings to the Nine Streams.
But what shocked Lin Xuan wasn't this, but the fact that Linglong True Person was one of the managers of Seven Extremes Heaven, specifically in charge of business in Southwest Youzhou.
He never expected it to be him hosting this exchange!
"How could it be, that a fellow daoist is having difficulties?" Li Yaotian, who was no stranger to such situations, quickly noticed Lin Xuan's hesitation.
"Haha, nothing to worry about. I'm just surprised by the name of Linglong True Person," Lin Xuan explained with a smile.
Thinking about it, he had nothing to be concerned about. Although he had a grudge against Heavenly Ghost Emperor Hua Tian, they should be the ones feeling guilty. In this land of cultivators, could those ghostly spirits dare to make any moves on him?
Moreover, for an existence like the Ghost Emperor, that incident was merely a trivial matter. He, as a great and honorable Ghost Emperor, letting a mere Core Formation Stage cultivator escape from his hands would be too embarrassing to publicize.
Li Yaotian probably kept this secret tightly. As for whether Seven Extremes Heaven knew about him, it was still uncertain. Lin Xuan quickly concluded that there was little danger on this trip. He could participate in the exchange with full confidence.
After a moment, a streak of green light and a cloud of flames flew into the mountain. The light dispersed to reveal Li Yaotian and Lin Xuan's faces.
"Is it here?"
Lin Xuan looked around, slightly surprised. They were standing before a bare stone wall. His divine sense didn't detect any illusions or restrictions.
"Haha, fellow daoist need not be surprised. You don't have to waste your efforts either. Linglong True Person is not only a Core Formation中期 cultivator but also an expert in illusionary barriers. The illusions he sets up can only be seen through by senior元婴 cultivators and those at the Great Perfection stage," Li Yaotian explained with a smile.
"Oh?" Lin Xuan nodded, showing understanding without saying more.
Li Yaotian then took out a sound transmission talisman from his pocket, threw it lightly, and it turned into a flame of light that flew into the stone wall.
After a moment, the stone wall flickered and revealed a path.
Li Yaotian led the way inside.
Lin Xuan stood still, eyes narrowing as he saw something unusual in his depths.
"Daoist Lin, what's wrong? Come in quickly!" Li Yaotian turned to call out.
"Alright," Lin Xuan nodded and followed closely behind as a streak of green light.
The cave before them was enormous, seemingly endless.
Night明珠 were embedded on the walls for lighting, making this treasure in the secular world seem ordinary to cultivators.
Lin Xuan flew slightly slower behind Li Yaotian, lost in thought.
After many twists and turns, a grand hall finally appeared.
"Haha, Daoist Li, it's an honor to meet you. May I ask who this fellow daoist is?"
An old man appeared before them. He was short but had a friendly face with a warm smile that made one feel close upon seeing him.
"Brother Lin, let me introduce. This is the famous Linglong True Person. And this brother here, his name is Lin Xuan, my dear friend and acquaintance. I brought him to participate in this exchange, will Linglong Brother be angry?"
"Don't talk nonsense," the old man laughed heartily, "to meet new daoists is a joy for me, how could I have any resentment?"
Li Yaotian was about to step forward when he saw Lin Xuan still floating mid-air. He looked surprised.
"Daoist, why are you standing there? Come in!"
"If the two of you can remove the array in front, then this humble one will feel much more at ease," Lin Xuan smiled slightly but spoke unexpectedly.
"What kind of array?" Both were taken aback, Li Yaotian's expression full of confusion.
"You have already figured out the truth. Why bother with such a farce? This fellow daoist is not Linglong True Person!"
"How did you figure it out?" Li Yaotian no longer denied it, and the old man's face showed a vicious killing intent.
With a cold laugh, his bones cracked as he grew taller, transforming from a short and fat old man into a lean middle-aged cultivator with dark skin.
His appearance was extremely ugly, with bulging eyes and a red nose, his eyes flashing with ferocity.
Lin Xuan didn't respond. For ordinary cultivators, it would be hard to spot such flaws, but Lin Xuan, carrying the *Xuanji Heart Insight*, knew quite a bit about arrays.
Although their illusions were well done, some inconsistencies still caught his attention!
"Haha, it seems that you want to lure me in and kill for profit. Did I say something wrong?" Lin Xuan's lips curled into a mocking smile: "When Daoist Li was in Youzhou, he caused public outrage. How is it that you've forgotten your pain and want to become an enemy of the cultivation world again?"
"Y-you know my secrets…" Li Yaotian gasped, his expression filled with shock.
The situation had gone out of control.
After failing in Youzhou, he vowed to return for revenge.
But upon arriving in Youzhou, he realized that the gap between the cultivation levels here was even greater than rumors suggested. As a mere Core Formation Stage cultivator, he was practically nothing here.
Youzhou's cultivation world already regarded him as an enemy of all. Returning would be extremely difficult.
The first step was to build his own loyal forces, but with no one familiar and only himself, it was incredibly challenging.
Fortunately, not long after, several remnants from Fire Spirit Sect started coming over. Although the sect had been destroyed, most of its disciples were killed in battle, a few lucky ones managed to escape.
Li Yaotian wouldn't let them wander aimlessly. After much effort, he finally gathered them together.
However, this small strength was insufficient. In Youzhou's situation, they barely counted as fourth-rate and could at best match an average-sized cultivation family.
Moreover, it was only due to his presence as a Core Formation cultivator that their situation wasn't even worse.