lín xuān jì xù tàn rù shén shí ， duì chǔ wù dài zhōng shèng yú de dōng xī jìn xíng qīng lǐ 。
林轩继续探入神识，对储物袋中剩余的东西进行清理。
Lin Xuan continued to probe with his divine sense, clearing out the remaining items in the storage bag.
yī bǎ wān dāo ， shì yàng yǔ yōu zhōu qí tā dì fāng de bīng qì jiǒng yì ， suī rán kàn zhe yǒu xiē biè niǔ ， dàn què shì pǐn zhì bù dī de fǎ bǎo 。
一把弯刀，式样与幽州其他地方的兵器迥异，虽然看着有些别扭，但却是品质不低的法宝。
A curved sword, its design vastly different from those of other regions in Youzhou. Although it felt a bit awkward, it was still a high-quality magical artifact.
yí gè yù tǒng jiǎn ， yī zhāng pò bù 。
一个玉筒简，一张破布。
An jade cylinder and a piece of tattered cloth.
lín xuān jiāng yù tǒng wò zài shǒu zhōng ， tiē shàng zì jǐ de é tóu ， yuán běn yǐ wéi shì mò yuè zú de gōng fǎ ， nǎ zhī dào rù mù jǐ gè zì què ràng lín xuān dà shī suǒ wàng 。
林轩将玉筒握在手中，贴上自己的额头，原本以为是墨月族的功法，哪知道入目几个字却让林轩大失所望。
Lin Xuan held the jade cylinder in his hand, pressing it against his forehead. He had initially thought it might be a technique from the Moon Shadow Clan, but the words he saw left him disappointed.
líng shòu tú jiàn ！
灵兽图鉴！
Spirit Beast Atlas!
zhè dōng xī yōu zhōu dào chù dōu yǒu ， shí zài méi yǒu shén me hǎo xī qí de ， lín xuān suí shǒu jiāng diū rù le zì jǐ de chǔ wù dài zhōng 。
这东西幽州到处都有，实在没有什么好稀奇的，林轩随手将丢入了自己的储物袋中。
This item was common throughout Youzhou; there wasn't much to get excited about. Lin Xuan casually tossed it into his storage bag.
rán hòu ， ná qǐ shǒu zhōng de pò bù ， cǐ wù shì zhé dié qǐ lái de ， zhǎn kāi zhī hòu ， jū rán yǒu shù zhàng zhī dà ， yī jiǎo yǒu xiē cán pò ， fǎng fú bèi rén yòng lì sī chě guò ， shèn zhì hái yǒu huǒ shāo de hén jì 。
然后，拿起手中的破布，此物是折叠起来的，展开之后，居然有数丈之大，一角有些残破，仿佛被人用力撕扯过，甚至还有火烧的痕迹。
Next, he picked up the piece of cloth. When unfolded, it turned out to be several dozen feet in size, with one corner torn and possibly scorched by fire.
lín xuān xīn zhōng yī dòng ， kàn le yī yǎn dì shàng de hái gǔ ， nán dào shì zhè wèi rén xiōng lín sǐ zhī qián xiǎng yào huǐ qù cǐ wù ， rán ér què yīn wèi shòu shāng guò zhòng ， méi yǒu chéng gōng 。
林轩心中一动，看了一眼地上的骸骨，难道是这位仁兄临死之前想要毁去此物，然而却因为受伤过重，没有成功。
Lin Xuan's mind raced as he glanced at the bones on the ground. Could this fellow have tried to destroy this item before his death due to severe injuries?
jiǎ ruò rú cǐ ， zhè bù qǐ yǎn de pò bù ， kǒng pà fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。
假若如此，这不起眼的破布，恐怕非同小可。
If that was the case, this seemingly insignificant piece of cloth might hold great significance.
lín xuān lián máng níng shén wàng qù 。
林轩连忙凝神望去。
Lin Xuan quickly focused his attention.
shàng miàn shì yī fù jù huà ， páng biān hái yǒu bù shǎo wén zì biāo shí ， kě xī lín xuān yí gè bù shí ， kàn lái yīng gāi shì mò yuè zú de wén zì 。
上面是一副巨画，旁边还有不少文字标识，可惜林轩一个不识，看来应该是墨月族的文字。
The surface depicted a large painting with numerous text labels nearby. Unfortunately, he couldn't read them; they appeared to be from the Moon Shadow Clan.
suī rán zì jǐ bìng bù rèn shí ， dàn píng zhe zhè fù tú huà ， lín xuān yě jiāng suǒ biǎo shì de yì si kàn le gè qī qī bā bā ， zhè yīng gāi shì yī fù dì tú a ！
虽然自己并不认识，但凭着这副图画，林轩也将所表示的意思看了个七七八八，这应该是一副地图啊！
Though he didn’t recognize them, Lin Xuan managed to understand most of what was being conveyed by the picture—a map!
shùn zhe nà jiǎn lòu de xiàn tiáo yī lù kàn qù ， lín xuān zhǎo dào le jǐ gè qí guài de yuán quān ， zhè lǐ ， nán dào shì mò yuè zú de jù jū zhī dì kàn lái zì jǐ wú yì jiān xiàn le yí gè dà mì mì 。
顺着那简陋的线条一路看去，林轩找到了几个奇怪的圆圈，这里，难道是墨月族的聚居之地看来自己无意间现了一个大秘密。
Following the crude lines, Lin Xuan found several strange circles. Could these represent settlements of the Moon Shadow Clan? It seemed like a significant discovery.
nà gǔ yù tǒng jì zǎi de ， bèi shì rén rèn wéi shì huāng miù zhī yán jū rán shì shì shí ， mò yuè zú bìng méi yǒu xiāo shī 。 fǎn ér zài shí wàn dà shān shēng cún ， fán yǎn le xià qù 。
那古玉筒记载的，被世人认为是荒谬之言居然是事实，墨月族并没有消失。反而在十万大山生存，繁衍了下去。
The ancient jade cylinder had recorded something that people considered absurd; it turned out to be true—the Moon Shadow Clan hadn’t disappeared but survived and thrived in the Ten Thousand Mountains.
nà me kuí yīn shān mài děng dì kǒng pà yě yǒu tā men de bù luò jù jí 。
那么奎阴山脉等地恐怕也有他们的部落聚集。
Perhaps there were also their tribes in other regions, such as the Kuiyin Mountain Range.
lín xuān yáo le yáo tóu ， zhè xiē bù guān zì jǐ dì shì 。 bù guò tā hái shì zhēn ér zhòng zhī de jiāng dì tú shōu rù le chǔ wù dài lǐ 。
林轩摇了摇头，这些不关自己地事。不过他还是珍而重之的将地图收入了储物袋里。
Lin Xuan shook his head. This was none of his business. Nevertheless, he carefully stored the map in his storage bag.
bù zhī dào hái yǒu méi yǒu bié de dōng xī ， lín xuān chóng xīn yòng shén shí zài yí hái jí qí fù jìn sōu suǒ le qǐ lái 。
不知道还有没有别的东西，林轩重新用神识在遗骸及其附近搜索了起来。
Wondering if there might be more items, Lin Xuan used his divine sense to search around the remains and nearby area.
tū rán ， tā liǎn sè yī biàn ， méi yǔ jiān lǒng zhào shàng le yī céng yīn mái 。
突然，他脸色一变，眉宇间笼罩上了一层阴霾。
Suddenly, his expression changed as a layer of gloom settled on his brows.
zhè yí hái dì zuǒ biān lèi gǔ ， jū rán cùn cùn duàn liè 。 rán ér bìng bú shì xiàng bèi xiū zhēn de fǎ bǎo suǒ shāng ， dào gèng xiàng shì shòu chuàng yú yāo shòu de lì zhuǎ 。
这遗骸地左边肋骨，居然寸寸断裂。然而并不是像被修真的法宝所伤，倒更像是受创于妖兽的利爪。
The rib bones on the left side were shattered inch by inch. They didn’t appear to have been damaged by cultivation artifacts but rather by the claws of a beast.
lín xuān de shén qíng yī xià zi biàn dé jǐng tì qǐ lái ， yuán yīn wú tā ， zhè wèi dǎo méi de wū shī jì rán yōng yǒu fǎ bǎo 。 nà bú yòng shuō ， tā zhì shǎo yě yōng yǒu níng dān qī dì xiū wèi a 。
林轩的神情一下子变得警惕起来，原因无他，这位倒霉的巫师既然拥有法宝。那不用说，他至少也拥有凝丹期地修为啊。
Lin Xuan’s demeanor became more vigilant. The unfortunate wizard had possessed a magical artifact, indicating he was at least in the Condensation Core stage.
néng gòu rán ràng yī wèi níng dān qī de wū shī mǐn miè ， zhè yāo shòu zì rán shì fēi tóng xiǎo kǒu 。
能够然让一位凝丹期的巫师泯灭，这妖兽自然是非同小口。
A creature capable of annihilating a Condensation Core wizard must be formidable indeed.
suī rán cǐ rén shī tǐ yǐ huà wèi bái gǔ ， yǔn luò yě yǒu xiē nián fèn le ， dàn wàn yī nà yāo shòu zài fù jìn zhù xià wō ， zǐ xì xiǎng xiǎng 。 zhè zhǒng kě néng xìng yě bìng bù suàn xiǎo ó ！
虽然此人尸体已化为白骨，陨落也有些年份了，但万一那妖兽在附近筑下窝，仔细想想。这种可能性也并不算小哦！
Although this body had turned to bones and the death was some time ago, it wasn’t impossible that the beast had made its nest nearby. The possibility couldn’t be ignored.
niàn jí zhì cǐ ， lín xuān lián máng fàng chū shén shí ， bìng jiāng de fàn wéi kuò zhǎn dào jí zhì ， kāi shǐ sōu suǒ qǐ lái 。
念及至此，林轩连忙放出神识，并将的范围扩展到极致，开始搜索起来。
With this thought, Lin Xuan quickly expanded his divine sense to cover as wide an area as possible.
piàn kè hòu lín xuān zhēng kāi yǎn ， zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī sī kǔ sè de xiào róng ， zhēn shì yuè pà shén me yuè róng yì yù dào ， jū rán bù xìng bèi zì jǐ cāi zhōng le 。
片刻后林轩睁开眼，嘴角边露出一丝苦涩的笑容，真是越怕什么越容易遇到，居然不幸被自己猜中了。
After a moment, he opened his eyes with a bitter smile. As expected, bad luck struck. There was indeed a den about seven or eight li away, hidden very well. If not for his attention, it would have been easily overlooked.
zài jù lí cǐ dì dà qī bā lǐ dì dì fāng ， yǒu yī chù cháo xué ， yǐn bì fēi cháng 。 ruò bú shì zì jǐ yǒu xīn 。 hái zhēn róng yì jiāng hū lüè diào 。
在距离此地大七八里地地方，有一处巢穴，隐蔽非常。若不是自己有心。还真容易将忽略掉。
Inside the den, a spider was sleeping soundly.
zài cháo xué zhī zhōng ， yǒu yī tóu yāo shòu zhèng zài chén shuì 。
在巢穴之中，有一头妖兽正在沉睡。
This creature was a giant spider, its body diameter several dozen feet in size, covered with green fur. Just looking at it made one feel uneasy.
cǐ wù shì yī tóu zhī zhū 。 rán ér què dà dé jīng rén ， shēn tǐ de zhí jìng zú yǒu shù zhàng 。 hún shēn cháng mǎn le lǜ sè de róng máo ， guāng shì kàn yī yǎn ， jiù ràng rén máo gǔ sǒng rán 。
此物是一头蜘蛛。然而却大得惊人，身体的直径足有数丈。浑身长满了绿色的绒毛，光是看一眼，就让人毛骨悚然。
Lin Xuan’s pupils narrowed to recognize Moon Shadow Spider.
lín xuān de tóng kǒng wēi wēi sōu suǒ ， yuè mó zhī zhū 。
林轩的瞳孔微微搜索，月魔蜘蛛。
He had encountered such creatures before; back when he was just a low-ranking Foundation Establishment cultivator who had joined Spirit Medicine Mountain not long ago.
qí shí zhè zhǒng yāo shòu zì jǐ céng jīng yù dào guò ， nà shí hòu ， zì jǐ hái shì yí gè xiǎo xiǎo de zhù jī qī xiū zhēn ， jiā rù líng yào shān wèi jiǔ 。
其实这种妖兽自己曾经遇到过，那时候，自己还是一个小小的筑基期修真，加入灵药山未久。
To collect the souls of beasts, Lin Xuan ventured into the Kuiyin Mountains with other Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, they met an entity possessed by the Heavenly Tyrant Demon Lord.
wèi le shōu jí yāo shòu de hún pò ， ér qù le kuí yīn shān mài 。
为了收集妖兽的魂魄，而去了奎阴山脉。
Normally, Moon Shadow Spiders were second-stage premium monsters, but this one was clearly much stronger than those in the Kuiyin Mountains. With a divine sense sweep, Lin Xuan’s heart sank; it was a third-grade superior, equivalent to a Condensation Core后期 cultivator.
hái yǔ lìng wài jǐ wèi zhù jī qī xiū shì hé zuò ， zhǔn bèi wéi jiǎo yuè mó zhī zhū ， nǎ zhī dào què yù jiàn le tiān shā mó jūn fù tǐ dì guài wù 。
还与另外几位筑基期修士合作，准备围剿月魔蜘蛛，哪知道却遇见了天煞魔君附体地怪物。
Moon Shadow Spider wasn’t a growth-type beast. Under normal circumstances, they couldn’t advance beyond three stages. However, like humans, if the Moon Shadow Spiders had some extraordinary luck and coincidentally ingested heavenly treasures…
àn zhào zhèng cháng qíng kuàng lái shuō ， yuè mó zhī zhū yě jiù shì èr jiē jí pǐn de guài wù ， kě yǎn qián zhè tóu ， míng xiǎn bǐ kuí yīn shān mài nà zhǐ ， qiáng zhuàng le bù zhī fán jǐ ， lín xuān yòng shén shí yī sǎo ， xīn zhōng dùn shí jiù liáng le bàn jié ， jū rán shì sān jí shàng pǐn ， xiāng dāng yú níng dān hòu qī de xiū shì 。
按照正常情况来说，月魔蜘蛛也就是二阶极品的怪物，可眼前这头，明显比奎阴山脉那只，强壮了不知凡几，林轩用神识一扫，心中顿时就凉了半截，居然是三级上品，相当于凝丹后期的修士。
Such beasts often possessed special abilities, making them formidable foes.
yuè mó zhī zhū bìng bú shì chéng zhǎng xì de yāo shòu ， yě jiù shì shuō ， tōng cháng qíng kuàng xiāng ài shì bù kě néng jìn jí dào sān jiē de ， dāng rán ， fán shì méi yǒu jué duì ， ruò shì xiàng rén lèi yī yàng ， yuè mó zhī zhū yě yǒu qí yù ， qiǎo hé zhī xià ， fú shí le shén me tiān cái dì bǎo ……
月魔蜘蛛并不是成长系的妖兽，也就是说，通常情况相爱是不可能晋级到三阶的，当然，凡事没有绝对，若是像人类一样，月魔蜘蛛也有奇遇，巧合之下，服食了什么天材地宝……
Lin Xuan frowned as he stood there in thought.
ér yīn wèi zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng jìn jí de yāo shòu ， cháng cháng yōng yǒu tè shū shén tōng ， nán chán jiù yí gè cí 。
而因为这种情况晋级的妖兽，常常拥有特殊神通，难缠就一个词。
If it were a regular Condensation Core cultivator, encountering this mutated Moon Shadow Spider would only result in fleeing. But for him, the chances of victory were quite high.
lín xuān méi tóu wēi zhòu ， zhàn zài yuán dì sī suǒ qǐ lái le 。
林轩眉头微皱，站在原地思索起来了。
Of course, danger was inevitable, but escaping wouldn’t be an issue.
rú guǒ shì pǔ tōng de níng dān chū qī de xiū shì ， pèng jiàn zhè biàn yì de yuè mó zhī zhū ， kěn dìng zhǐ yǒu luò huāng ér táo ， dàn zì jǐ dì huà ， zhàn shèng ， bǎ wò hái shì pǒ dà 。
如果是普通的凝丹初期的修士，碰见这变异的月魔蜘蛛，肯定只有落荒而逃，但自己地话，战胜，把握还是颇大。
After much consideration, Lin Xuan decided to eliminate the beast first.
dāng rán ， wēi xiǎn kěn dìng duō shǎo yě yǒu yì diǎn ， dàn zhì bù jì ， táo zǒu kěn dìng shì méi yǒu wèn tí 。
当然，危险肯定多少也有一点，但至不济，逃走肯定是没有问题。
He wasn't doing it out of revenge for the unfortunate wizard; he had his own reasons.
zuǒ sī yòu xiǎng ， lín xuān jué dìng xiān jiāng zhè yāo shòu chú qù 。
左思右想，林轩决定先将这妖兽除去。
Firstly, he intended to explore the ancient cultivator’s site, which was too close to this spider’s den. Regardless of how careful he was, there would be no avoiding an alarm.
dāng rán ， tā kě bú shì wèi le tì zhè dǎo méi dì wū shī bào chóu ， ér shì yǒu zhe zì jǐ de kǎo lǜ 。
当然，他可不是为了替这倒霉地巫师报仇，而是有着自己的考虑。
A fierce battle was inevitable. It would be better to deal with it now rather than later.
xiān ， zì jǐ yào qù nà gǔ xiū shì dì yí zhǐ tàn mì ， ér dì diǎn jù lí zhè yāo shòu de cháo xué tài jìn le ， zhǐ yǒu qī bā mǐ ， bù lùn zì jǐ rú hé dì xiǎo xīn ， jīng dòng kěn dìng shì wú yí 。
先，自己要去那古修士地遗址探秘，而地点距离这妖兽的巢穴太近了，只有七八米，不论自己如何地小心，惊动肯定是无疑。
Secondly, danger and opportunity often coexisted. Though terrifying, a third-grade superior beast like this one wasn’t easy to come by without some luck. Killing it could yield significant rewards; every part of the creature was valuable.
dào shí hòu yī fān xuè zhàn yě wú kě bì miǎn ， yǔ qí rú cǐ ， hái bù rú xiàn zài xiǎng bàn fǎ xiān jiāng zhè yāo shòu gěi miè le 。
到时候一番血战也无可避免，与其如此，还不如现在想办法先将这妖兽给灭了。
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xuan acted.
qí cì ， wēi xiǎn yǔ jī yù wǎng wǎng dōu shì bìng cún de ， zhè zhǒng sān jiē shàng pǐn yāo shòu suī rán kě pà ， dàn méi yǒu jī yuán ， děng xián yě hěn nán yù dào a ， miè le ， kě shì yī dà bǐ shōu huò ， zhè jiā huo hún shēn shàng xià ， méi yǒu yī chù ， bú shì bǎo wù 。
其次，危险与机遇往往都是并存的，这种三阶上品妖兽虽然可怕，但没有机缘，等闲也很难遇到啊，灭了，可是一大笔收获，这家伙浑身上下，没有一处，不是宝物。
A stealth attack would be best, saving him much effort. There were no issues with being underhanded when dealing with beasts. He swallowed a Concealment Talisman and used a secret technique from Nine Heaven Mystical Power to conceal his aura completely.
niàn jí zhì cǐ ， lín xuān jiù dòng shǒu le 。
念及至此，林轩就动手了。
To avoid detection by the beast, he didn’t use any遁光 (flying light) but instead employed a Lightness Technique. His figure flickered as it moved over ten dozen feet before vanishing into the jungle.
néng gòu tōu xí shì zuì hǎo de ， zhè yàng kě yǐ shěng xià bù shǎo lì qì ， duì yú yāo shòu ， méi yǒu bēi bǐ bù bēi bǐ de wèn tí ， gù ér tā fú xià le yī kē yǐn líng dān ， rán hòu shǐ chū jiǔ tiān xuán gōng zhōng de mì fǎ ， jiāng zì jǐ de qì xī quán bù yǐn qù 。
能够偷袭是最好的，这样可以省下不少力气，对于妖兽，没有卑鄙不卑鄙的问题，故而他服下了一颗隐灵丹，然后使出九天玄功中的秘法，将自己的气息全部隐去。
Though several li away, Lin Xuan arrived in less than half an incense stick’s time.
wèi le bù bèi yāo shòu chá jué ， lín xuān lián dùn guāng dōu méi yǒu yòng ， zhí jiē wèi zì jǐ shī jiā le yí gè qīng shēn shù ， rán hòu shēn xíng yī huǎng ， yǐ xiàng qián piāo chū shí yú zhàng yuǎn ， bù yī huì er ， biàn xiāo shī zài le cóng lín jiān 。
为了不被妖兽察觉，林轩连遁光都没有用，直接为自己施加了一个轻身术，然后身形一晃，已向前飘出十余丈远，不一会儿，便消失在了丛林间。
Pushing aside the weeds, he found a large cave filled with spider webs. The spider silk was thick enough to be finger-sized.
qī bā lǐ de jù lí ， suī bù néng shuō zhuǎn shùn jí zhì ， dàn yě jǐn jǐn huā le xiǎo bàn zhù xiāng de shí jiān 。
七八里的距离，虽不能说转瞬即至，但也仅仅花了小半炷香的时间。
Lin Xuan released his divine sense; the Moon Shadow Spider lay deep within the cave. To avoid waking it, Lin Xuan didn’t probe further.
bō kāi luàn cǎo ， yǎn qián chū xiàn le yī jù dà de dòng xué ， yǎn qián zhū wǎng biàn bù ， guāng shì zhū sī ， jiù yǒu rén de zhǐ tou nà me cū 。
拨开乱草，眼前出现了一巨大的洞穴，眼前蛛网遍布，光是蛛丝，就有人的指头那么粗。
He flipped his hand and took out a silver talisman.
lín xuān jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， nà yuè mó zhī zhū ， zhèng pā wò zài dòng xué de shēn chù ， wèi le bù jiāng jīng xǐng ， lín xuān bìng méi yǒu yòng shén shí duì duō zuò tàn cè 。
林轩将神识放出，那月魔蜘蛛，正趴卧在洞穴的深处，为了不将惊醒，林轩并没有用神识对多做探测。
Using magical artifacts for attacks would have caused too much noise, but a spirit talisman required only a small amount of spiritual energy to activate—perfect for a stealth attack.
shǒu zhǎng yī fān ， qǔ chū le yī zhāng yín sè de fú lái 。
手掌一翻，取出了一张银色的符来。
With a gentle wave, the talisman ignited on its own, transforming into a massive fireball about ten feet in diameter. A low-grade spirit talisman; just by the sound and spectacle, it was no ordinary item.
lín xuān zhī suǒ yǐ bù yòng fǎ bǎo gōng jī ， shì yīn wèi qǐ dòng fǎ bǎo dòng jìng tài dà ， ér fú zhǐ xū yào zhù rù yì diǎn diǎn líng lì jiù kě yǐ jī ， shí nǎi tōu xí de zuì jiā xuǎn zé 。
林轩之所以不用法宝攻击，是因为启动法宝动静太大，而符只需要注入一点点灵力就可以激，实乃偷袭的最佳选择。
"Go!"
shǒu qīng qīng yī huī ， nà fú wú fēng zì rán ， huà wèi le yī tuán zhí jìng zhàng xǔ de jù dà huǒ yàn ， dì jiē líng fú ， guāng kàn shēng shì jiù fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。
手轻轻一挥，那符无风自燃，化为了一团直径丈许的巨大火焰，地阶灵符，光看声势就非同小可。
Lin Xuan flicked his hand, sending the fireball hurtling through the cave like a meteor, trailing long flames as it flew towards the spider’s lair.
Lin Xuan continued to probe with his divine sense, clearing out the remaining items in the storage bag.
A curved sword, its design vastly different from those of other regions in Youzhou. Although it felt a bit awkward, it was still a high-quality magical artifact.
An jade cylinder and a piece of tattered cloth.
Lin Xuan held the jade cylinder in his hand, pressing it against his forehead. He had initially thought it might be a technique from the Moon Shadow Clan, but the words he saw left him disappointed.
Spirit Beast Atlas!
This item was common throughout Youzhou; there wasn't much to get excited about. Lin Xuan casually tossed it into his storage bag.
Next, he picked up the piece of cloth. When unfolded, it turned out to be several dozen feet in size, with one corner torn and possibly scorched by fire.
Lin Xuan's mind raced as he glanced at the bones on the ground. Could this fellow have tried to destroy this item before his death due to severe injuries?
If that was the case, this seemingly insignificant piece of cloth might hold great significance.
Lin Xuan quickly focused his attention.
The surface depicted a large painting with numerous text labels nearby. Unfortunately, he couldn't read them; they appeared to be from the Moon Shadow Clan.
Though he didn’t recognize them, Lin Xuan managed to understand most of what was being conveyed by the picture—a map!
Following the crude lines, Lin Xuan found several strange circles. Could these represent settlements of the Moon Shadow Clan? It seemed like a significant discovery.
The ancient jade cylinder had recorded something that people considered absurd; it turned out to be true—the Moon Shadow Clan hadn’t disappeared but survived and thrived in the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Perhaps there were also their tribes in other regions, such as the Kuiyin Mountain Range.
Lin Xuan shook his head. This was none of his business. Nevertheless, he carefully stored the map in his storage bag.
Wondering if there might be more items, Lin Xuan used his divine sense to search around the remains and nearby area.
Suddenly, his expression changed as a layer of gloom settled on his brows.
The rib bones on the left side were shattered inch by inch. They didn’t appear to have been damaged by cultivation artifacts but rather by the claws of a beast.
Lin Xuan’s demeanor became more vigilant. The unfortunate wizard had possessed a magical artifact, indicating he was at least in the Condensation Core stage.
A creature capable of annihilating a Condensation Core wizard must be formidable indeed.
Although this body had turned to bones and the death was some time ago, it wasn’t impossible that the beast had made its nest nearby. The possibility couldn’t be ignored.
With this thought, Lin Xuan quickly expanded his divine sense to cover as wide an area as possible.
After a moment, he opened his eyes with a bitter smile. As expected, bad luck struck. There was indeed a den about seven or eight li away, hidden very well. If not for his attention, it would have been easily overlooked.
Inside the den, a spider was sleeping soundly.
This creature was a giant spider, its body diameter several dozen feet in size, covered with green fur. Just looking at it made one feel uneasy.
Lin Xuan’s pupils narrowed to recognize Moon Shadow Spider.
He had encountered such creatures before; back when he was just a low-ranking Foundation Establishment cultivator who had joined Spirit Medicine Mountain not long ago.
To collect the souls of beasts, Lin Xuan ventured into the Kuiyin Mountains with other Foundation Establishment cultivators. However, they met an entity possessed by the Heavenly Tyrant Demon Lord.
Normally, Moon Shadow Spiders were second-stage premium monsters, but this one was clearly much stronger than those in the Kuiyin Mountains. With a divine sense sweep, Lin Xuan’s heart sank; it was a third-grade superior, equivalent to a Condensation Core后期 cultivator.
Moon Shadow Spider wasn’t a growth-type beast. Under normal circumstances, they couldn’t advance beyond three stages. However, like humans, if the Moon Shadow Spiders had some extraordinary luck and coincidentally ingested heavenly treasures…
Such beasts often possessed special abilities, making them formidable foes.
Lin Xuan frowned as he stood there in thought.
If it were a regular Condensation Core cultivator, encountering this mutated Moon Shadow Spider would only result in fleeing. But for him, the chances of victory were quite high.
Of course, danger was inevitable, but escaping wouldn’t be an issue.
After much consideration, Lin Xuan decided to eliminate the beast first.
He wasn't doing it out of revenge for the unfortunate wizard; he had his own reasons.
Firstly, he intended to explore the ancient cultivator’s site, which was too close to this spider’s den. Regardless of how careful he was, there would be no avoiding an alarm.
A fierce battle was inevitable. It would be better to deal with it now rather than later.
Secondly, danger and opportunity often coexisted. Though terrifying, a third-grade superior beast like this one wasn’t easy to come by without some luck. Killing it could yield significant rewards; every part of the creature was valuable.
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xuan acted.
A stealth attack would be best, saving him much effort. There were no issues with being underhanded when dealing with beasts. He swallowed a Concealment Talisman and used a secret technique from Nine Heaven Mystical Power to conceal his aura completely.
To avoid detection by the beast, he didn’t use any遁光 (flying light) but instead employed a Lightness Technique. His figure flickered as it moved over ten dozen feet before vanishing into the jungle.
Though several li away, Lin Xuan arrived in less than half an incense stick’s time.
Pushing aside the weeds, he found a large cave filled with spider webs. The spider silk was thick enough to be finger-sized.
Lin Xuan released his divine sense; the Moon Shadow Spider lay deep within the cave. To avoid waking it, Lin Xuan didn’t probe further.
He flipped his hand and took out a silver talisman.
Using magical artifacts for attacks would have caused too much noise, but a spirit talisman required only a small amount of spiritual energy to activate—perfect for a stealth attack.
With a gentle wave, the talisman ignited on its own, transforming into a massive fireball about ten feet in diameter. A low-grade spirit talisman; just by the sound and spectacle, it was no ordinary item.
"Go!"
Lin Xuan flicked his hand, sending the fireball hurtling through the cave like a meteor, trailing long flames as it flew towards the spider’s lair.