“ xiàng mào me ， dāng dé qǐ chén yú luò yàn ， bì yuè xiū huā zhī shuō 。”
“相貌么，当得起沉鱼落雁，闭月羞花之说。”
"Appearance, well, she certainly lives up to the saying 'sinking fish and falling swan.'"
“ bù cuò ， nà yún zhōng nǚ mó suī shì xīn hěn shǒu là zhī tú ， dàn xiàng mào shēn duàn zhe shí bù cuò 。”
“不错，那云中女魔虽是心狠手辣之徒，但相貌身段着实不错。”
"Not bad. Although that cloud-dwelling demoness is ruthless, her looks are indeed good."
yī páng de lǚ xìng zhōng nián rén diǎn le diǎn tóu lú ：“ qì zhì yì shì bù sú ， biàn shuō jiǔ tiān xuán nǚ yóu tiān shàng jiàng luò ， yì bù wèi guò 。”
一旁的吕姓中年人点了点头颅：“气质亦是不俗，便说九天玄女由天上降落，亦不为过。”
The middle-aged man with the surname Lu nodded his head: "Her aura is also not ordinary; if we say that the Nine Heavens Divine Maiden descended from heaven, it's not too much to say."
“ píng jià jū rán zhè me gāo me 。” yuè ér méi tou yí zhòu ， méi yǒu duō shuō 。
“评价居然这么高么。”月儿眉头一皱，没有多说。
"Such high praise." Moon's brows furrowed as she said no more.
lín xuān què yáng qǐ le tóu lú ：“ liǎng wèi céng shuō ， nà yún zhōng xiān zi xiàng lái bù liú huó kǒu ， dà néng gèng shì wú yī lì wài ， quán bù yǔn luò ， tā de zhēn miàn mù ， liǎng wèi rú hé yòu huì jiàn guò ？”
林轩却扬起了头颅：“两位曾说，那云中仙子向来不留活口，大能更是无一例外，全部陨落，她的真面目，两位如何又会见过？”
Lin Xuan raised his head: "You two mentioned before that the Cloud Fairy never leaves any survivors. Even great cultivators are all destroyed without exception. How can you have seen her true form?"
“ bù cuò ， liǎng wèi mò fēi shì xū yán qī wǒ ？”
“不错，两位莫非是虚言欺我？”
"Not bad, do you think we're deceiving you with empty words?"
yuè ér yě yǒu xiē bù mǎn le 。
月儿也有些不满了。
Moon was also a bit annoyed.
“ liǎng wèi dào yǒu yán zhòng le ， zhè zhǒng shì qíng ， wǒ men zěn me kě néng huǎng yán xiāng qī ， dù jié qī de dào yǒu ， shì wú yī de huó ， dàn zǒng yǒu yī xiē qí tā jìng jiè de cún zài táo tuō ， zhè xiē rén de shí lì qiě bù tí ， dàn zhì shǎo shì jiàn guò yún zhōng xiān zi de zhēn miàn mù ， suǒ yǐ wǒ yǔ shī dì xiǎo de ， sī háo bù zú wéi qí shén me 。”
“两位道友言重了，这种事情，我们怎么可能谎言相欺，渡劫期的道友，是无一得活，但总有一些其他境界的存在逃脱，这些人的实力且不提，但至少是见过云中仙子的真面目，所以我与师弟晓得，丝毫不足为奇什么。”
"Companions, this is too much to ask of us; how could we possibly deceive you with lies? At the Tribulation Transcending stage, no one lives. But there are always some beings from other stages who escape. These people's strength may not be mentioned, but at least they have seen the true form of the Cloud Fairy. So my younger brother and I know this is nothing to be surprised about."
zào páo lǎo zhě rú cǐ zhè bān de shuō ， huà yīn wèi luò ， shì wèi le qǔ xìn yú lín xuān ， zhǐ jiàn tā xiù páo yī fú ， dùn shí yī fú gǔ piáo de juàn zhóu cóng yī xiù zhōng fēi lüè ér chū 。
皂袍老者如此这般的说，话音未落，似为了取信于林轩，只见他袖袍一拂，顿时一幅古朴的卷轴从衣袖中飞掠而出。
The old man in the black robe spoke thusly. Before he finished speaking, it seemed as if he wanted to prove his words to Lin Xuan. He waved his sleeves, and a simple scroll appeared from within.
rán ér què bú shì shén me bǎo wù ， jǐn jǐn shì yī fú huà bà le 。
然而却不是什么宝物，仅仅是一幅画罢了。
It wasn't any treasure; just a painting.
lǎo zhě shǒu yī dǒu ， qīng guāng yī xiàn ， huà zhóu zhǎn kāi ， què shì yī měi nǚ de xíng xiàng yìng rù yǎn lián 。
老者手一抖，青光一现，画轴展开，却是一美女的形象映入眼帘。
With a shake of the old man's hand, green light flashed, and the scroll unfurled, revealing an image of a beautiful woman.
“ zhè shì ……”
“这是……”
"Who is this..."
lín xuān tóng kǒng wēi suō ， yuè ér de liǎn shàng yì lù chū chī jīng zhī sè ， huà zhóu shàng de rén guǒ rán shì qín yán méi cuò ， suī rán xì jié shāo yǒu bù tóng ， dàn róng mào shēn duàn jiē yǔ jì yì zhōng de yìn xiàng chóng hé ， jué jì bù kě néng yǒu jiǎ huò shì rèn cuò ， ér huà zhè fú huà xiǎn rán shì cǐ zhōng gāo shǒu ， lián qì zhì dōu lín mó dé jí xiàng ， fǎng fú yào tòu zhǐ ér chū 。
林轩瞳孔微缩，月儿的脸上亦露出吃惊之色，画轴上的人果然是秦妍没错，虽然细节稍有不同，但容貌身段皆与记忆中的印象重合，决计不可能有假或是认错，而画这幅画显然是此中高手，连气质都临摹得极像，仿佛要透纸而出。
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted. Moon's face showed surprise as well. The person in the painting was indeed Qian Yan, though there were slight differences in detail. Her appearance and figure perfectly matched her memory, leaving no room for doubt or misidentification. The painter must have been a master, even capturing her aura so vividly that it seemed to leap off the paper.
nán dào miè rén mén hù zhī shì ， zhēn shì yún zhōng xiān zi qín yán suǒ zuò 。 rán ér tā wèi hé yào rú cǐ ne ？
难道灭人门户之事，真是云中仙子秦妍所做。然而她为何要如此呢？
Could the Cloud Fairy really be responsible for destroying Qian Yan's family? But why would she do such a thing?
zài zì jǐ de jì yì lǐ ， tā de xìng gé suī rán qīng lěng le xiē ， dàn jué bú huì rú cǐ hěn dú guāi lì ， zhè zhōng jiān jiū jìng yǒu shén me bù wéi rén zhī de yǐn mì 。
在自己的记忆里，她的性格虽然清冷了些，但绝不会如此狠毒乖戾，这中间究竟有什么不为人知的隐秘。
In his memories, although her personality was somewhat cold, she wouldn't be this cruel and vicious. There must be some unknown secret between them.
lín xuān tái qǐ tóu lú ， zhòu méi sī suǒ ， rán ér rèn píng tā jī biàn bǎi chū ， yī shí piàn kè ， què yòu nǎ lǐ néng gòu xiǎng dé qīng chǔ 。
林轩抬起头颅，皱眉思索，然而任凭他机变百出，一时片刻，却又哪里能够想得清楚。
Lin Xuan raised his head, frowning in thought. No matter how clever he was, it wasn't easy to figure everything out in an instant.
tū rán ， yī bào liè shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ 。 dì dòng shān yáo 。
突然，一爆裂声传入耳朵。地动山摇。
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the air. The ground trembled as if the mountain was collapsing.
zhè wàn zhàng gāo de shān fēng ， qǐng kè jiān ， jìng xiàng shì yào bēng tā le yī yàng 。
这万丈高的山峰，顷刻间，竟像是要崩塌了一样。
This towering peak seemed about to crumble at any moment.
lín xuān tóng kǒng wēi suō ， yún xiá pài de liǎng wèi tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ， gèng shì lù chū chī jīng zhī sè 。
林轩瞳孔微缩，云霞派的两位太上长老，更是露出吃惊之色。
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted, and the two senior elders of the CloudXia School also showed signs of surprise.
yào bú shì tā men liǎng rén shēn shàng 。 fēn bié bèi lín xuān hé yuè ér xià le jìn zhì ， shuō bù dìng yǐ chōng chū qù le 。
要不是他们两人身上。分别被林轩和月儿下了禁制，说不定已冲出去了。
If it weren't for the restrictions Lin Xuan and Moon had placed on them, they might have rushed out already.
xīn zhōng gèng shì tǎn tè ， nán bù chéng nà líng guī shì jǐng bìng wèi chū cuò ， nà yún zhōng nǚ mó ， dào dǐ dǎ shàng mén lái le 。
心中更是忐忑，难不成那灵龟示警并未出错，那云中女魔，到底打上门来了。
Their hearts were filled with anxiety. Could the warning from the spirit turtle not be wrong? The cloud-dwelling demoness was indeed coming to their doorstep.
yī niàn zhì cǐ ， liǎng rén xīn zhōng yuè fā jiāo jí ， rán ér tā men shēn shàng 。 yòu bèi xià yǒu jìn zhì ， lín xuān bù kāi kǒu ， liǎng rén zì rán bù gǎn qīng jǔ wàng dòng 。
一念至此，两人心中越发焦急，然而他们身上。又被下有禁制，林轩不开口，两人自然不敢轻举妄动。
With this thought, both became even more anxious, but they couldn't move without Lin Xuan's permission.
“ zǒu ba ， wǒ men chū qù qiáo qiáo ！”
“走吧，我们出去瞧瞧！”
"Let's go! We'll check it out!"
hǎo zài zhè shí 。 lín xuān de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， yuè ér zì rán bú huì yǒu yì yì ， yún xiá pài de liǎng rén gèng shì dà xǐ ， dé dào yǔn kě 。 yī mǎ dāng xiān ， biàn chōng le chū qù 。
好在这时。林轩的声音传入耳朵，月儿自然不会有异议，云霞派的两人更是大喜，得到允可。一马当先，便冲了出去。
Fortunately, Lin Xuan's voice reached them. Moon naturally had no objections. The two from the CloudXia School were overjoyed and rushed out upon receiving permission.
wài miàn 。 zǎo yǐ shì hùn luàn yǐ jí 。
外面。早已是混乱以极。
Outside, chaos reigned supreme.
zhěng gè yún xiá dǎo ， bù lùn fán rén ， hái shì xiū shì ， jiē mǎn liǎn jīng huáng zhī sè ， fàng yǎn wàng qù ， jiù yǔ méi tóu cāng yíng xiāng sì 。
整个云霞岛，不论凡人，还是修士，皆满脸惊惶之色，放眼望去，就与没头苍蝇相似。
The entire Cloud Island was in a state of panic—both commoners and cultivators looked like headless flies.
ér zhè yī qiè ， lín xuān shì ruò wú dǔ ， tā tái qǐ tóu lú ， tiào wàng xiǎng tiān biān jí yuǎn zhī chù 。
而这一切，林轩视若无睹，他抬起头颅，眺望想天边极远之处。
Lin Xuan paid no attention to this. He raised his head and gazed toward the far horizon.
zhǐ jiàn zài nà hǎi tiān jiāo jiē zhī dì ， chū xiàn le yī dào hēi qì ， fàng yǎn wàng qù ， wú biān wú jì ， hēi qì fù jìn de kōng jiān ， dōu zài tān tā niǔ qū 。
只见在那海天交接之地，出现了一道黑气，放眼望去，无边无际，黑气附近的空间，都在坍塌扭曲。
At the sea's edge, a black aura appeared. As he looked on, it seemed endless, with space around it collapsing and distorting.
“ zhè shì …… hùn dùn yāo qì ！”
“这是……混沌妖气！”
"This is... chaotic demon energy!"
lín xuān de yǎn zhōng lù chū jīng yà zhī sè ， tā yǔ zhēn líng dǎ jiāo dào de cì shù ， yě bù suàn shǎo ， zì rán néng gòu yī yǎn rèn chū 。
林轩的眼中露出惊讶之色，他与真灵打交道的次数，也不算少，自然能够一眼认出。
Surprise flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. He had dealt with true spirits enough times to recognize them instantly.
rán ér yǔ guò wǎng suǒ jiàn xiāng bǐ ， yǎn qián de hùn dùn yāo qì ， què shì kuáng bào yǐ jí ， shèn zhì kě yǐ shuō ， chōng mǎn le fēng kuáng zhī yì 。
然而与过往所见相比，眼前的混沌妖气，却是狂暴以极，甚至可以说，充满了疯狂之意。
However, compared to what he had seen before, this chaotic demon energy was incredibly wild, almost frenzied.
zěn huì rú cǐ ？
怎会如此？
How could that be?
lín xuān yǎn jīng wēi mī ， yún xiá pài de liǎng rén ， què shì rú lín dà dí ， yuán lái líng guī shì jǐng méi cuò ， lái de suī bú shì yún zhōng xiān zi ， kě kàn zhe shēng shì ， kǒng pà yóu yǒu guò zhī 。
林轩眼睛微眯，云霞派的两人，却是如临大敌，原来灵龟示警没错，来的虽不是云中仙子，可看着声势，恐怕犹有过之。
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed as the two from CloudXia School stood on high alert. The warning from the spirit turtle wasn't wrong; although it wasn't the Cloud Fairy, its power seemed even more formidable.
nán dào běn mén zuì zhōng ， hái shì yào fù miè yú cǐ 。
难道本门最终，还是要覆灭于此。
Could their sect really fall here?
shī xiōng dì èr rén duì shì yī yǎn ， bù yóu de dōu tái tóu kàn xiàng qián miàn de lín xuān 。
师兄弟二人对视一眼，不由得都抬头看向前面的林轩。
The two looked at each other and couldn't help but look towards Lin Xuan in front.
zhè duì shén mì de shuāng xiū dào lǚ ， shí lì rú hé ， tā men yǐ lǐng jiào guò ， kě yǐ shuō ， yuǎn yuǎn shèng guò le tóng jiē xǔ duō 。
这对神秘的双修道侣，实力如何，他们已领教过，可以说，远远胜过了同阶许多。
These mysterious dual cultivation partners were no weaklings—Lin Xuan had already experienced their strength. They far surpassed those of their level.
èr rén ruò shì yuàn yì xiāng zhù ， yě xǔ hái yǒu jī yuán huà xiǎn wéi yí ， kě xiū xiān zhě dà duō guǎ qíng báo yì ， méi yǒu hǎo chù ， duì fāng yòu zěn me huì píng bái wú gù ， gān mào qí xiǎn 。
二人若是愿意相助，也许还有机缘化险为夷，可修仙者大多寡情薄意，没有好处，对方又怎么会平白无故，甘冒奇险。
If they were willing to help, perhaps there was a chance for them to survive the crisis. However, most cultivators were cold and calculating; without any benefit, why would someone risk everything?
shī xiōng dì xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， bù yóu de tàn le kǒu qì 。
师兄弟想到这里，不由得叹了口气。
The two sighed as they thought this.
qiú rén bù rú qiú jǐ ， jīn tiān wéi yǒu pīn sǐ yī bó ér yǐ 。
求人不如求己，今天唯有拼死一搏而已。
Better to rely on oneself than others. Today, they could only fight with all their might.
zài shuō lín xuān ， zé yì zhí zhù yì zhe qián miàn de hùn dùn yāo qì 。
再说林轩，则一直注意着前面的混沌妖气。
Lin Xuan continued to observe the chaotic demon energy ahead.
tā jiàn guò de zhēn líng yǐ bù zài shǎo shù ， què méi yǒu yī zhǒng de yāo qì ， rú cǐ lí pǔ ， qiě bù shuō qiáng ruò ， lǐ miàn suǒ yùn hán de fēng kuáng zhī yì ， gēn běn jiù nán yǐ yòng yán yǔ shuō dé qīng chǔ 。
他见过的真灵已不再少数，却没有一种的妖气，如此离谱，且不说强弱，里面所蕴含的疯狂之意，根本就难以用言语说得清楚。
He had seen many true spirits before, but none of them exhibited such bizarre behavior. Regardless of strength, the madness within was beyond description.
zěn me shuō ne ？
怎么说呢？
How to explain it?
jiù xiàng shì ……
就像是……
It was as if...
jiù xiàng shì nà zhēn líng liàn gōng chū cuò ， zǒu huǒ rù mó ， shén zhì cuò luàn yǐ jīng fēng diào le 。
就像是那真灵练功出错，走火入魔，神智错乱已经疯掉了。
The true spirit had made a mistake while practicing and had gone mad with delusions.
zhè huà tīng qǐ lái lí pǔ ， rán ér xiū xiān jiè guāng guài lù lí ， fā shēng shén me dōu shì yǒu kě néng dì 。
这话听起来离谱，然而修仙界光怪陆离，发生什么都是有可能地。
This sounded absurd, but in the strange world of cultivation, anything could happen.
xiān rén shàng yǒu kě néng liàn gōng chū cuò ， zhēn líng xiū liàn ， yī yàng kě néng zǒu huǒ rù mó 。
仙人尚有可能练功出错，真灵修炼，一样可能走火入魔。
Even immortals could make mistakes when practicing; true spirits could also go mad.
diǎn jí shàng lèi sì de jì zǎi yě shì yǒu de ， zhǐ bù guò miáo xiě dé bìng bù xiáng xì ， lín xuān yě jǐn jǐn shì yǒu suǒ ěr wén ér yǐ ， yǎn qián jiū jìng shì bú shì hái yǒu dài zhèng shí 。
典籍上类似的记载也是有的，只不过描写得并不详细，林轩也仅仅是有所耳闻而已，眼前究竟是不是还有待证实。
Similar records existed in ancient texts, though they were not detailed. Lin Xuan had only heard about them secondhand. Whether this was true or not remained to be seen.
ruò shì yì bān de xiū xiān zhě ， jiàn dào zhēn líng ， zì rán jìng ér yuǎn zhī 。
若是一般的修仙者，见到真灵，自然敬而远之。
If ordinary cultivators saw a true spirit, they would naturally avoid it out of respect.
zhēn líng bù hǎo rě ， jí biàn shì pái míng jiào wéi kào hòu de jīn yuè zhēn chán ， shí lì yě jí wéi kě bù ， suǒ yǐ bú dào wàn bù dé yǐ ， shì méi yǒu rén yuàn yì yǔ zhēn líng qǐ chōng tū dì 。
真灵不好惹，即便是排名较为靠后的金玥真蟾，实力也极为可怖，所以不到万不得已，是没有人愿意与真灵起冲突地。
True spirits were formidable; even the lower-ranked Golden Jade True Toad was terrifying in strength. So, unless absolutely necessary, no one willingly clashed with true spirits.
rán ér lín xuān bù tóng ， tā yīn wèi suǒ xiū gōng fǎ de yuán gù ， yǔ zhēn líng yǒu qiān sī wàn lǚ de qiān chě ， yóu qí shì zhēn líng huà jiàn jué ， gèng xū yào liàn huà zhēn líng zhī xuè 。
然而林轩不同，他因为所修功法的缘故，与真灵有千丝万缕的牵扯，尤其是真灵化剑诀，更需要炼化真灵之血。
However, Lin Xuan was different. His cultivation method had ties to true spirits, especially the True Spirit Sword Technique, which required the refinement of true spirit blood.
suī rán zhēn líng hòu yì de xuè ， yě kě yǐ tí chún chū lái 。
虽然真灵后裔的血，也可以提纯出来。
While the blood of a true spirit descendant could be purified,
rán ér huò zhēn jià shí de zhēn líng zhī xuè ， liàn huà hòu wēi lì zì rán gèng jiā chōng zú dì 。
然而货真价实的真灵之血，炼化后威力自然更加充足地。
the genuine true spirit blood, after being refined, would naturally have greater power.
yǎn qián yǒu wēi xiǎn méi cuò ， dàn duì zì jǐ lái shuō ， hé cháng bú shì yí gè jī huì ne ？
眼前有危险没错，但对自己来说，何尝不是一个机会呢？
There was danger here, but it also presented an opportunity for Lin Xuan. He decided to assess the situation before making any decisions.
zǒng ér yán zhī ， xiān kàn kàn qíng kuàng zài zuò dìng duó 。
总而言之，先看看情况再做定夺。
Seeing that Lin Xuan and Moon had no intention of leaving immediately, the two senior elders from CloudXia School exchanged a glance, showing signs of joy on their faces.
jiàn lín xuān yǔ yuè ér wú yì mǎ shàng lí kāi cǐ chù ， yún xiá dǎo de liǎng wèi tài shàng zhǎng lǎo duì shì yī yǎn ， liǎn shàng dōu yǐn yǐn shǎn guò yī sī xǐ sè 。
见林轩与月儿无意马上离开此处，云霞岛的两位太上长老对视一眼，脸上都隐隐闪过一丝喜色。
In this moment, the chaotic demon energy drew closer.
ér zhè piàn kè de gōng fu ， nà fēng kuáng de hùn dùn yāo qì yòu jìn le xǔ duō 。
而这片刻的功夫，那疯狂的混沌妖气又近了许多。
The sea churned with massive waves, white foam rolling in like an army of thousands. The sound was deafening.
hǎi miàn shàng jù làng tāo tiān ， xuě bái de bō tāo gǔn gǔn ér lái ， rú qiān jūn wàn mǎ bēn téng yì bān ， shēng shì jīng rén dào le jí diǎn 。
海面上巨浪滔天，雪白的波涛滚滚而来，如千军万马奔腾一般，声势惊人到了极点。
"Quickly activate the protective array."
“ kuài ， jiāng hù pài dà zhèn kāi qǐ 。”
“快，将护派大阵开启。”
The old man in black's voice echoed far away. Judging by the direction of the demon energy, it was heading straight for Cloud Island. In a moment or two, it would engulf them all.
zào páo lǎo zhě de shēng yīn yuǎn yuǎn chuán le chū qù ， kàn nà yāo qì de fāng xiàng ， zhèng shì duì zhe yún xiá dǎo ér yǐ ， zài yǒu yī shí sān kè ， jiù huì jiāng yún xiá dǎo tūn mò 。
皂袍老者的声音远远传了出去，看那妖气的方向，正是对着云霞岛而已，再有一时三刻，就会将云霞岛吞没。
Considering its ferocity, without protection, it was hard to imagine any living beings surviving.
kàn qí kuáng bào chéng dù ， ruò bù zuò fáng hù ， hěn nán xiǎng xiàng yǒu shēng líng néng gòu cún huó 。
看其狂暴程度，若不做防护，很难想象有生灵能够存活。
This wasn't because true spirits were cruel; they simply had too much power. Just as someone might accidentally step on an ant while walking, the same principle applied here.
zhè dào bú shì shuō zhēn líng cán rěn shì shā shén me ， ér shì tā tài qiáng dà ， jiù fǎng fú yí gè rén zǒu lù de shí hòu ， jí shǐ bú shì gù yì ， yě cháng cháng cǎi sǐ mǎ yǐ ， zhè dào lǐ shì yī yàng dì 。
这倒不是说真灵残忍嗜杀什么，而是它太强大，就仿佛一个人走路的时候，即使不是故意，也常常踩死蚂蚁，这道理是一样地。
People didn't care about stepping on ants, and true spirits felt similarly indifferent.
ér rén cǎi sǐ mǎ yǐ ， dāng rán bú huì zài hū ， zhēn líng de qíng kuàng yě xiāng chà fǎng fú 。
而人踩死蚂蚁，当然不会在乎，真灵的情况也相差仿佛。
But Lin Xuan couldn't let CloudXia School be destroyed by this. The only way was to activate the protective array.
kě wú lùn rú hé ， zì jǐ què bù néng ràng yún xiá pài ， huǐ zài tā de shǒu lǐ ， wéi yī de fāng fǎ ， jiù shì kāi qǐ hù pài dà zhèn de fáng hù 。
可无论如何，自己却不能让云霞派，毁在他的手里，唯一的方法，就是开启护派大阵的防护。
As the chaotic demon energy drew nearer, vague figures could be seen inside.
ér zhè shí hòu ， nà hùn dùn yāo qì yě jìn le 。
而这时候，那混沌妖气也近了。
The White Tiger of the Four Symbols!
"Appearance, well, she certainly lives up to the saying 'sinking fish and falling swan.'"
"Not bad. Although that cloud-dwelling demoness is ruthless, her looks are indeed good."
The middle-aged man with the surname Lu nodded his head: "Her aura is also not ordinary; if we say that the Nine Heavens Divine Maiden descended from heaven, it's not too much to say."
"Such high praise." Moon's brows furrowed as she said no more.
Lin Xuan raised his head: "You two mentioned before that the Cloud Fairy never leaves any survivors. Even great cultivators are all destroyed without exception. How can you have seen her true form?"
"Not bad, do you think we're deceiving you with empty words?"
Moon was also a bit annoyed.
"Companions, this is too much to ask of us; how could we possibly deceive you with lies? At the Tribulation Transcending stage, no one lives. But there are always some beings from other stages who escape. These people's strength may not be mentioned, but at least they have seen the true form of the Cloud Fairy. So my younger brother and I know this is nothing to be surprised about."
The old man in the black robe spoke thusly. Before he finished speaking, it seemed as if he wanted to prove his words to Lin Xuan. He waved his sleeves, and a simple scroll appeared from within.
It wasn't any treasure; just a painting.
With a shake of the old man's hand, green light flashed, and the scroll unfurled, revealing an image of a beautiful woman.
"Who is this..."
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted. Moon's face showed surprise as well. The person in the painting was indeed Qian Yan, though there were slight differences in detail. Her appearance and figure perfectly matched her memory, leaving no room for doubt or misidentification. The painter must have been a master, even capturing her aura so vividly that it seemed to leap off the paper.
Could the Cloud Fairy really be responsible for destroying Qian Yan's family? But why would she do such a thing?
In his memories, although her personality was somewhat cold, she wouldn't be this cruel and vicious. There must be some unknown secret between them.
Lin Xuan raised his head, frowning in thought. No matter how clever he was, it wasn't easy to figure everything out in an instant.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the air. The ground trembled as if the mountain was collapsing.
This towering peak seemed about to crumble at any moment.
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted, and the two senior elders of the CloudXia School also showed signs of surprise.
If it weren't for the restrictions Lin Xuan and Moon had placed on them, they might have rushed out already.
Their hearts were filled with anxiety. Could the warning from the spirit turtle not be wrong? The cloud-dwelling demoness was indeed coming to their doorstep.
With this thought, both became even more anxious, but they couldn't move without Lin Xuan's permission.
"Let's go! We'll check it out!"
Fortunately, Lin Xuan's voice reached them. Moon naturally had no objections. The two from the CloudXia School were overjoyed and rushed out upon receiving permission.
Outside, chaos reigned supreme.
The entire Cloud Island was in a state of panic—both commoners and cultivators looked like headless flies.
Lin Xuan paid no attention to this. He raised his head and gazed toward the far horizon.
At the sea's edge, a black aura appeared. As he looked on, it seemed endless, with space around it collapsing and distorting.
"This is... chaotic demon energy!"
Surprise flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. He had dealt with true spirits enough times to recognize them instantly.
However, compared to what he had seen before, this chaotic demon energy was incredibly wild, almost frenzied.
How could that be?
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed as the two from CloudXia School stood on high alert. The warning from the spirit turtle wasn't wrong; although it wasn't the Cloud Fairy, its power seemed even more formidable.
Could their sect really fall here?
The two looked at each other and couldn't help but look towards Lin Xuan in front.
These mysterious dual cultivation partners were no weaklings—Lin Xuan had already experienced their strength. They far surpassed those of their level.
If they were willing to help, perhaps there was a chance for them to survive the crisis. However, most cultivators were cold and calculating; without any benefit, why would someone risk everything?
The two sighed as they thought this.
Better to rely on oneself than others. Today, they could only fight with all their might.
Lin Xuan continued to observe the chaotic demon energy ahead.
He had seen many true spirits before, but none of them exhibited such bizarre behavior. Regardless of strength, the madness within was beyond description.
How to explain it?
It was as if...
The true spirit had made a mistake while practicing and had gone mad with delusions.
This sounded absurd, but in the strange world of cultivation, anything could happen.
Even immortals could make mistakes when practicing; true spirits could also go mad.
Similar records existed in ancient texts, though they were not detailed. Lin Xuan had only heard about them secondhand. Whether this was true or not remained to be seen.
If ordinary cultivators saw a true spirit, they would naturally avoid it out of respect.
True spirits were formidable; even the lower-ranked Golden Jade True Toad was terrifying in strength. So, unless absolutely necessary, no one willingly clashed with true spirits.
However, Lin Xuan was different. His cultivation method had ties to true spirits, especially the True Spirit Sword Technique, which required the refinement of true spirit blood.
While the blood of a true spirit descendant could be purified,
the genuine true spirit blood, after being refined, would naturally have greater power.
There was danger here, but it also presented an opportunity for Lin Xuan. He decided to assess the situation before making any decisions.
Seeing that Lin Xuan and Moon had no intention of leaving immediately, the two senior elders from CloudXia School exchanged a glance, showing signs of joy on their faces.
In this moment, the chaotic demon energy drew closer.
The sea churned with massive waves, white foam rolling in like an army of thousands. The sound was deafening.
"Quickly activate the protective array."
The old man in black's voice echoed far away. Judging by the direction of the demon energy, it was heading straight for Cloud Island. In a moment or two, it would engulf them all.
Considering its ferocity, without protection, it was hard to imagine any living beings surviving.
This wasn't because true spirits were cruel; they simply had too much power. Just as someone might accidentally step on an ant while walking, the same principle applied here.
People didn't care about stepping on ants, and true spirits felt similarly indifferent.
But Lin Xuan couldn't let CloudXia School be destroyed by this. The only way was to activate the protective array.
As the chaotic demon energy drew nearer, vague figures could be seen inside.
The White Tiger of the Four Symbols!