yuè ér zì rán sī háo yì yì yě wú ， lín xuān zé yóu mù sì gù ， zǐ xì dǎ liàng qǐ sì zhōu de huán jìng lái le 。
月儿自然丝毫异议也无，林轩则游目四顾，仔细打量起四周的环境来了。
Moon naturally had no objections. Lin Xuan, on the other hand, looked around carefully, scrutinizing his surroundings.
rù mù suǒ jí ， tiān kōng bì lán rú xǐ ， míng jìng měi lì 。
入目所及，天空碧蓝如洗，明净美丽。
The sky was a pristine blue, clear and beautiful to behold. He and Moon were in a small valley.
zì jǐ yǔ yuè ér ， zé shì shēn zài yī xiǎo shān gǔ lǐ 。
自己与月儿，则是身在一小山谷里。
To either side, green mountains rose high into the clouds, showcasing a unique beauty amidst their ruggedness.
liǎng páng qīng shān cuì lǜ ， gāo sǒng rù yún ， yú xiǎn jùn tǐng bá zhōng xiǎn chū yī zhǒng bié yàng de měi lì 。
两旁青山翠绿，高耸入云，于险峻挺拔中显出一种别样的美丽。
The air within the valley was thick with qi, flowers blooming everywhere, their fragrance wafting through the air.
gǔ zhōng líng qì nóng yù ， bǎi huā zhàn fàng ， fāng xiāng pū bí 。
谷中灵气浓郁，百花绽放，芳香扑鼻。
It was like a fairyland.
hǎo yī pài shén xiān fǔ dǐ 。
好一派神仙府邸。
Lin Xuan couldn't help but praise it silently. Who would believe that true spirits were buried here? But the records in the classics could not be wrong.
lín xuān xīn zhōng àn zàn bù yǐ 。
林轩心中暗赞不已。
Considering the matter objectively, this place was indeed an excellent location for cultivation.
ruò fēi qīn yǎn mù dǔ ， shuí huì xiāng xìn zhēn líng mái gǔ yú cǐ chù ？
若非亲眼目睹，谁会相信真灵埋骨于此处？
As someone who had seen much of the world, Lin Xuan quickly regained his composure. A layer of green light enveloped him as he and Moon flew forward together.
dàn diǎn jí zhōng de jì zǎi zǒng bú huì yǒu cuò 。
但典籍中的记载总不会有错。
The scenery along their path was breathtakingly beautiful; even the Netherworld or the Spirit Realm would not boast such sights so easily.
píng xīn lái shuō ， zhè dǎo shì yī jué jiā de xiū liàn zhī suǒ 。
平心来说，这倒是一绝佳的修炼之所。
Perhaps the True Immortal Realm described in legends was no different.
lín xuān bì jìng shì jiàn guò dà shì miàn de rén wù ， hěn kuài biǎo qíng jiù píng jìng xià lái le ， hún shēn qīng máng yì qǐ ， yǔ yuè ér lián mèi xiàng qián fēi qù 。
林轩毕竟是见过大世面的人物，很快表情就平静下来了，浑身青芒一起，与月儿联袂向前飞去。
Moon's face showed a look of intoxication.
yī lù fēng jǐng yōu měi yǐ jí ， bié shuō yīn sī dì fǔ ， biàn shì líng jiè ， zhè yàng de jǐng zhì ， yě shì bù duō jiàn dì 。
一路风景优美以极，别说阴司地府，便是灵界，这样的景致，也是不多见地。
Girls, after all, loved beautiful things. Even if she were reborn as the King of Asuras, she couldn't escape this.
xiǎng bì chuán shuō zhōng de zhēn xiān jiè ， yě bù guò rú cǐ 。
想必传说中的真仙界，也不过如此。
But just then, a faint sound of breaking air entered their ears.
yuè ér liǎn shàng lù chū mí zuì zhī yì 。
月儿脸上露出迷醉之意。
So subtle it sounded like a mosquito buzzing.
nǚ hái zi ， yuán běn jiù xǐ huān měi lì de shì wù ， jí biàn ā xiū luó wáng zhuǎn shì ， yì bù néng miǎn sú 。
女孩子，原本就喜欢美丽的事物，即便阿修罗王转世，亦不能免俗。
Moon didn't notice anything amiss, but Lin Xuan's face suddenly showed shock.
rán ér jiù zài zhè shí ， què yǒu yī zhèn jí qīng wēi de pò kōng shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
然而就在这时，却有一阵极轻微的破空声传入耳朵。
Without hesitation, he pushed Moon away forcefully with his hand.
xì ruò wén yíng 。
细若蚊蝇。
As for himself, there was no time to dodge; he could only try to sidestep the attack.
yuè ér bìng méi yǒu chá jué dào bù tuǒ ， lín xuān liǎn shàng què yī xià zi liú lù chū hài rán zhī sè 。
月儿并没有察觉到不妥，林轩脸上却一下子流露出骇然之色。
The air blurred momentarily as a crescent-shaped light blade shot down from below.
bù jí duō zuò sī suǒ ， shēn shǒu hěn hěn jiāng yuè ér tuī kāi le 。
不及多做思索，伸手狠狠将月儿推开了。
Blood splattered.
zhì yú tā zì jǐ ， zé lái bù jí duǒ ， zhǐ néng miǎn qiǎng jiāng shēn tǐ yī cè 。
至于他自己，则来不及躲，只能勉强将身体一侧。
Lin Xuan's shoulder had been cut open, blood raining down like raindrops.
xū kōng yī zhèn mó hú ， dàn jiàn jīn máng cì mù ， yī dào yuè yá xíng de guāng rèn cóng xià fāng jī shè ér lái 。
虚空一阵模糊，但见金芒刺目，一道月牙形的光刃从下方激射而来。
Fortunately, he had moved quickly enough. Otherwise, his entire arm would have been severed.
xuè huā bèng jiàn 。
血花迸溅。
"Master, are you alright?"
què shì lín xuān de jiān tóu bèi gē kāi ， xuè huā rú yǔ diǎn bān sǎ luò xià lái 。
却是林轩的肩头被割开，血花如雨点般洒落下来。
Moon rushed over, her face filled with concern and a hint of guilt. If she hadn't been so entranced by the beautiful scenery, Master wouldn't have gotten injured to save her.
zhè hái shì tā duǒ dé kuài 。
这还是他躲得快。
It's all my fault!
fǒu zé ， jiù bù jǐn jǐn shì bèi gē kāi yī tiáo shāng kǒu nà me jiǎn dān ， zhěng tiáo bì bǎng ， duō bàn dū huì bèi xiè xià lái 。
否则，就不仅仅是被割开一条伤口那么简单，整条臂膀，多半都会被卸下来。
"Don't worry about it, dear. It's just a minor injury."
“ shào yé ， nǐ méi shì ba ！”
“少爷，你没事吧！”
Lin Xuan comforted her gently as he stopped the bleeding. As a cultivator, getting hurt wasn't something to fret over.
yuè ér pū le shàng lái ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì tòng xī ， hái yǒu jǐ fēn zì zé zhī yì 。 ruò bú shì zì jǐ chén zuì yú yǎn qián měi lì de jǐng zhì ， shào yé běn bù bì wèi jiù zì jǐ ér shòu shāng dì 。
月儿扑了上来，脸上满是痛惜，还有几分自责之意。若不是自己沉醉于眼前美丽的景致，少爷本不必为救自己而受伤地。
But while reassuring his wife, Lin Xuan kept his guard up. He released his divine sense and quickly found what he was looking for.
dōu guài wǒ ！
都怪我！
Several stone statues stood tall in the valley below, clad in iron armor, their long spears emitting an ancient aura.
“ shǎ yā tou ， bù yòng zài yì ， xiǎo shāng ér yǐ 。”
“傻丫头，不用在意，小伤而已。”
With a wave of their hands, golden light blades sliced through the air.
lín xuān zé wēn yán ān wèi le yī jù ， xuè yǐ jīng zhǐ zhù 。
林轩则温言安慰了一句，血已经止住。
Those were the ones who had attacked him just now.
shēn wèi xiū xiān zhě ， shòu diǎn shāng yòu suàn dé le shén me 。
身为修仙者，受点伤又算得了什么。
"Mechanical puppets?"
bù guò tā zuǐ lǐ ， suī rán zài ān fǔ ài qī ， zhěng gè rén ， què bǎo chí zhe gāo dù de jǐng tì 。
不过他嘴里，虽然在安抚爱妻，整个人，却保持着高度的警惕。
Lin Xuan released his divine sense to confirm that these statues were lifeless. He was momentarily stunned.
jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， hěn kuài jiù yǒu le shōu huò 。
将神识放出，很快就有了收获。
He felt as if he had fallen into a thick fog.
zhǐ jiàn zài xià fāng de xiá gǔ lǐ 。 jǐ gè zhàng xǔ gāo de shí rén ào rán ér lì ， shēn pī tiě jiǎ ， shǒu zhōng de zhǎng gē què sàn fà chū gǔ piáo de qì xī 。
只见在下方的峡谷里。几个丈许高的石人傲然而立，身披铁甲，手中的长戈却散发出古朴的气息。
As one of the hundred arts in cultivation, mechanical puppets weren't uncommon in the Spirit Realm, and Lin Xuan wasn't unfamiliar with them either. But how could they be here?
lüè yī huī wǔ ， lì kè jiù yǒu jīn sè guāng rèn huà pò tiān jì 。
略一挥舞，立刻就有金色光刃划破天际。
This place was where true spirits were buried; no other cultivators appeared here. Could it be that these stone puppets had been brought by severely injured true spirits?
gāng gāng jiù shì tā men zài duì zì jǐ gōng jī 。
刚刚就是它们在对自己攻击。
Was this even possible?
“ jī guān kuǐ lěi ？”
“机关傀儡？”
Lin Xuan shook his head, finding the idea absurd.
lín xuān jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， què dìng jǐ zūn shí rén dōu shì méi yǒu shēng mìng zhī wù ， bù yóu de lèng zhù 。
林轩将神识放出，确定几尊石人都是没有生命之物，不由得愣住。
Before he could fully process his thoughts, another golden light blade appeared before his eyes.
yī shí jiān ， rú zhuì rù wǔ lǐ yún wù 。
一时间，如坠入五里云雾。
This time, Lin Xuan and Moon were more composed.
zuò wèi xiū xiān bǎi yì zhī yī ， jī guān kuǐ lěi zài xiū xiān jiè suàn bù shàng xī qí ， lín xuān gèng shì háo bù mò shēng dì 。 dàn wèn tí shì …… tā men zěn me kě néng chū xiàn zài zhè lǐ 。
做为修仙百艺之一，机关傀儡在修仙界算不上稀奇，林轩更是毫不陌生地。但问题是……它们怎么可能出现在这里。
Their figures blurred slightly as they dodged the sharp attack.
zhè ér kě shì zhēn líng mái gǔ zhī suǒ ， bú jiàn bié de xiū xiān zhě ， nán bù chéng zhè shí kuǐ lěi shì zhòng shāng zhēn líng zì jǐ dài guò lái de ？
这儿可是真灵埋骨之所，不见别的修仙者，难不成这石傀儡是重伤真灵自己带过来的？
Then, Lin Xuan released a sword energy, which effortlessly reduced the first statue to dust. With his current strength, not even these mechanical puppets could stand against him if he wasn't caught off guard.
cún zài zhè zhǒng kě néng xìng me ？
存在这种可能性么？
The remaining statues soon fell under control.
lín xuān yáo le yáo tóu ， jué de zhè ge xiǎng fǎ tài huāng miù 。
林轩摇了摇头，觉得这个想法太荒谬。
The couple landed their light and examined the area carefully.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou shàng wèi zhuǎn guò 。 jīn sè de guāng rèn yòu yú yǎn lián fú xiàn ér chū 。
脑海中念头尚未转过。金色的光刃又于眼帘浮现而出。
After some time.
dàn zhè yī cì lín xuān yǔ yuè ér jiù xiǎn de cóng róng bù pò 。
但这一次林轩与月儿就显得从容不迫。
Lin Xuan remained silent, his expression strange.
shēn xíng lüè yī mó hú ， jiù jiāng zhè xī lì de gōng jī duǒ guò 。
身形略一模糊，就将这犀利的攻击躲过。
"Master, did you find anything?"
suí hòu lín xuān tái shǒu fàng chū yī dào jiàn qì ， zuì qián miàn de shí rén sī háo dǐ kàng lì yě wú ， bèi dǎ chéng le fěn mò 。 zhǐ yào bú shì biàn qǐ cāng cù ， lín xuān rú jīn de shí lì ， kě bú shì qū qū yī xiē jī guān kuǐ lěi kě yǐ dǐ dǎng de 。
随后林轩抬手放出一道剑气，最前面的石人丝毫抵抗力也无，被打成了粉末。只要不是变起仓促，林轩如今的实力，可不是区区一些机关傀儡可以抵挡的。
Moon turned her head. Though she was in tune with Lin Xuan's thoughts, there were still things she couldn't guess.
shèng xià de jǐ gè shí rén 。 yě hěn kuài bèi zhì fú 。
剩下的几个石人。也很快被制伏。
"These mechanical puppets' crafting techniques are completely different from what I've seen in the Spirit Realm," Lin Xuan said, looking up to the sky.
fū qī èr rén jiāng dùn guāng jiàng luò ， xì xì chá kàn qǐ lái le 。
夫妻二人将遁光降落，细细查看起来了。
"Master means that these puppets must have been here all along. Could it be that true spirits created them..."
liáng jiǔ 。
良久。
"No, not like that."
lín xuān chén yín bù yǔ ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng ， yì shì gǔ guài yǐ jí 。
林轩沉吟不语，脸上的表情，亦是古怪以极。
Lin Xuan shook his head. "True spirits and demons are different. True spirits may be incredibly powerful, but they rarely take on human forms or learn human techniques to create mechanical puppets. There must be another reason."
“ shào yé ， nǐ yǒu shén me fā xiàn me ？”
“少爷，你有什么发现么？”
"Could someone have come here before us?" Moon suggested.
yuè ér zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， tā yǔ lín xuān suī shuō xīn yǒu líng xī ， dàn yǒu yī xiē dōng xī ， bì jìng yě shì cāi bú dào dì 。
月儿转过头颅，她与林轩虽说心有灵犀，但有一些东西，毕竟也是猜不到地。
"I'm not sure. We don't have much information. Let's explore more first before making any decisions," Lin Xuan said.
“ zhè shí kuǐ lěi de liàn zhì zhī shù ， yǔ wǒ zài líng jiè jiàn guò de ， wán quán bù tóng 。” lín xuān tái tóu wàng tiān ， nán nán zì yǔ de kāi kǒu 。
“这石傀儡的炼制之术，与我在灵界见过的，完全不同。”林轩抬头望天，喃喃自语的开口。
"Alright."
“ shào yé shì shuō ， zhè xiē kuǐ lěi shì zhēn líng mái gǔ zhī dì ， běn shēn jiù yǒu de dōng xī ， nán dào shì zhēn líng liàn zhì ……”
“少爷是说，这些傀儡是真灵埋骨之地，本身就有的东西，难道是真灵炼制……”
Moon had no objections.
“ bù ， wǒ kě méi zhè yàng shuō 。”
“不，我可没这样说。”
The two then transformed into a streak of green light and flew away.
lín xuān yáo le yáo tóu ：“ zhēn líng yǔ yāo zú bù tóng ， suī qiáng dà wú bǐ ， què xiǎn yǒu tīng wén néng gòu huàn huà chéng rén xíng dì ， gèng bú huì xué xí rén lèi de fǎ shù ， qù liàn zhì shén me kuǐ lěi ， zhè zhōng jiān ， kěn dìng shì lìng yǒu yuán gù 。”
林轩摇了摇头：“真灵与妖族不同，虽强大无比，却鲜有听闻能够幻化成人形地，更不会学习人类的法术，去炼制什么傀儡，这中间，肯定是另有缘故。”
...
“ nán dào shì zài zhè zhī qián ， céng yǒu rén lái guò zhè lǐ ， hái shì ……” yuè ér yě zài yī páng ， bāng zhe zuò qǐ le cāi cè 。
“难道是在这之前，曾有人来过这里，还是……”月儿也在一旁，帮着做起了猜测。
Meanwhile, on an unknown peak far away, an old man with a youthful appearance and white hair sighed.
“ zhè wǒ yě bù qīng chǔ ， shǒu zhōng de qíng bào tài shǎo le ， wǒ men hái shì xiān guàng guàng ， zài zuò dìng duó 。”
“这我也不清楚，手中的情报太少了，我们还是先逛逛，再做定夺。”
He held an jade talisman in his hand, shimmering with divine light, clearly not something ordinary. But now, the talisman was cracked and broken.
lín xuān rú cǐ zhè bān de shuō 。
林轩如此这般的说。
The old man muttered to himself: "I thought I had avoided this fate, but trouble still found its way here."
“ hǎo 。”
“好。”
"Can our spirit lineage escape the ancient prophecy?"
yuè ér sī háo yì yì yě wú 。
月儿丝毫异议也无。
"Let it be. Fortune or misfortune, we cannot avoid what is destined to come."
suí hòu liǎng rén huà wèi yī dào shí yú zhàng cháng qīng hóng de pò kōng fēi zǒu 。
随后两人化为一道十余丈长青虹的破空飞走。
His face hardened as he regained his composure and clapped his hands.
……
……
"Senior, any orders?"
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， zài jù cǐ bù zhī dào duō yuǎn de yī zuò shān fēng de mǒu zuò dòng fǔ lǐ ， yī tóng yán hè fà de lǎo zhě tàn le kǒu qì 。
与此同时，在距此不知道多远的一座山峰的某座洞府里，一童颜鹤发的老者叹了口气。
Two beams of light flew in from outside.
tā de shǒu lǐ ， ná zhe yī méi yù fú ， líng guāng shǎn shǎn ， yī kàn jiù bú shì fán wù ， rán ér cǐ kè ， nà yù fú què liè wén biàn bù ， suì liè diào le 。
他的手里，拿着一枚玉符，灵光闪闪，一看就不是凡物，然而此刻，那玉符却裂纹遍布，碎裂掉了。
"Fangya, Liji, you two go out and scout the area for any unfamiliar presence that might have entered this realm," the old man said.
yǐn yǐn kě tīng jiàn lǎo zhě zì yán zì yǔ ：“ lǎo fū běn yǐ wéi yǐ jīng duǒ guò le tiān jī ， méi xiǎng dào ， má fán hái shì zhǎo dào le zhè lǐ 。”
隐隐可听见老者自言自语：“老夫本以为已经躲过了天机，没想到，麻烦还是找到了这里。”
"A stranger? Senior, it's impossible. This is where true spirits are buried; only true spirits can enter this realm."
“ zhè shàng gǔ yù yán ， wǒ líng zú yī mài néng fǒu xìng miǎn ？”
“这上古预言，我灵族一脉能否幸免？”
Fangya looked up. She was a young and beautiful woman, but her entire body shimmered with an ethereal glow, making her mysterious to the core.
“ bà le ， shì fú bú shì huò ， shì huò duǒ bù guò ， gāi lái de ， zǒng huì lái de 。”
“罢了，是福不是祸，是祸躲不过，该来的，总会来的。”
Liji, on the other hand, remained hidden in the darkness, his features indistinct yet giving off a sense of extreme danger.
suí hòu tā de liǎn shàng yòu huī fù le jǐ fēn hěn lì ， qì dù yě biàn dé cóng róng yǐ jí ， pāi le pāi shǒu 。
随后他的脸上又恢复了几分狠厉，气度也变得从容以极，拍了拍手。
For years, no other beings had appeared here except for their lineage and true spirits.
“ lǎo zǔ ， yòu hé fēn fù ？”
“老祖，又何吩咐？”
"The jade talisman warned us; I couldn't ignore it. There are great powers across the Three Realms who might stumble upon this place by chance," the old man said with a sigh.
liǎng dào guāng huá cóng wài miàn fēi le jìn lái 。
两道光华从外面飞了进来。
"Understood, Senior. We'll go out."
“ fēi yá ， lì zhuǎ ， nǐ děng èr rén chū qù xún shì yī fān ， kàn shì fǒu yǒu mò shēng de cún zài ， chuǎng rù le zhè ge jiè miàn lái 。”
“飞牙，利爪，你等二人出去巡视一番，看是否有陌生的存在，闯入了这个界面来。”
The two bowed and transformed into streaks of black and white light before flying off.
“ mò shēng de cún zài ， lǎo zǔ ， bù kě néng ba ， zhè zhēn líng mái gǔ zhī suǒ ， jiè miàn fǎ zé yǔ qí tā dì fāng dà bù xiāng tóng ， chú le zhēn líng ， hái yǒu shuí néng lái zhè lǐ ？”
“陌生的存在，老祖，不可能吧，这真灵埋骨之所，界面法则与其他地方大不相同，除了真灵，还有谁能来这里？”
...
fēi yá tái qǐ tóu lái ， què shì yī nián qīng měi mào de nǚ zǐ ， rán ér yǔ pǔ tōng rén bù tóng ， tā hún shēn shàng xià ， dōu shǎn shuò zhe yíng yíng de guāng zé ， kàn shàng qù ， shén mì dào le jí chù 。
飞牙抬起头来，却是一年轻美貌的女子，然而与普通人不同，她浑身上下，都闪烁着莹莹的光泽，看上去，神秘到了极处。
Lin Xuan was unaware of all this as he led Moon to familiarize themselves with their surroundings.
zhì yú páng biān de lì zhuǎ ， zé yǐn zài hēi àn lǐ ， lián wǔ guān róng yán dōu hěn mó hú ， dàn què gěi rén yī zhǒng jí dù wēi xiǎn de gǎn chù 。
至于旁边的利爪，则隐在黑暗里，连五官容颜都很模糊，但却给人一种极度危险的感触。
The true spirit burial ground turned out to be much larger than expected, causing Lin Xuan some concern. Searching for treasures here felt like looking for a needle in a haystack.
zhè me duō nián lái ， chú le tā men zhè yī zú ， yǐ jí zhēn líng yǐ wài ， zhè lǐ cóng lái méi yǒu chū xiàn chū qí tā de cún zài 。
这么多年来，除了他们这一族，以及真灵以外，这里从来没有出现出其他的存在。
P.S.: A new week! I really need your recommendation votes. Thank you all very much.
Moon naturally had no objections. Lin Xuan, on the other hand, looked around carefully, scrutinizing his surroundings.
The sky was a pristine blue, clear and beautiful to behold. He and Moon were in a small valley.
To either side, green mountains rose high into the clouds, showcasing a unique beauty amidst their ruggedness.
The air within the valley was thick with qi, flowers blooming everywhere, their fragrance wafting through the air.
It was like a fairyland.
Lin Xuan couldn't help but praise it silently. Who would believe that true spirits were buried here? But the records in the classics could not be wrong.
Considering the matter objectively, this place was indeed an excellent location for cultivation.
As someone who had seen much of the world, Lin Xuan quickly regained his composure. A layer of green light enveloped him as he and Moon flew forward together.
The scenery along their path was breathtakingly beautiful; even the Netherworld or the Spirit Realm would not boast such sights so easily.
Perhaps the True Immortal Realm described in legends was no different.
Moon's face showed a look of intoxication.
Girls, after all, loved beautiful things. Even if she were reborn as the King of Asuras, she couldn't escape this.
But just then, a faint sound of breaking air entered their ears.
So subtle it sounded like a mosquito buzzing.
Moon didn't notice anything amiss, but Lin Xuan's face suddenly showed shock.
Without hesitation, he pushed Moon away forcefully with his hand.
As for himself, there was no time to dodge; he could only try to sidestep the attack.
The air blurred momentarily as a crescent-shaped light blade shot down from below.
Blood splattered.
Lin Xuan's shoulder had been cut open, blood raining down like raindrops.
Fortunately, he had moved quickly enough. Otherwise, his entire arm would have been severed.
"Master, are you alright?"
Moon rushed over, her face filled with concern and a hint of guilt. If she hadn't been so entranced by the beautiful scenery, Master wouldn't have gotten injured to save her.
It's all my fault!
"Don't worry about it, dear. It's just a minor injury."
Lin Xuan comforted her gently as he stopped the bleeding. As a cultivator, getting hurt wasn't something to fret over.
But while reassuring his wife, Lin Xuan kept his guard up. He released his divine sense and quickly found what he was looking for.
Several stone statues stood tall in the valley below, clad in iron armor, their long spears emitting an ancient aura.
With a wave of their hands, golden light blades sliced through the air.
Those were the ones who had attacked him just now.
"Mechanical puppets?"
Lin Xuan released his divine sense to confirm that these statues were lifeless. He was momentarily stunned.
He felt as if he had fallen into a thick fog.
As one of the hundred arts in cultivation, mechanical puppets weren't uncommon in the Spirit Realm, and Lin Xuan wasn't unfamiliar with them either. But how could they be here?
This place was where true spirits were buried; no other cultivators appeared here. Could it be that these stone puppets had been brought by severely injured true spirits?
Was this even possible?
Lin Xuan shook his head, finding the idea absurd.
Before he could fully process his thoughts, another golden light blade appeared before his eyes.
This time, Lin Xuan and Moon were more composed.
Their figures blurred slightly as they dodged the sharp attack.
Then, Lin Xuan released a sword energy, which effortlessly reduced the first statue to dust. With his current strength, not even these mechanical puppets could stand against him if he wasn't caught off guard.
The remaining statues soon fell under control.
The couple landed their light and examined the area carefully.
After some time.
Lin Xuan remained silent, his expression strange.
"Master, did you find anything?"
Moon turned her head. Though she was in tune with Lin Xuan's thoughts, there were still things she couldn't guess.
"These mechanical puppets' crafting techniques are completely different from what I've seen in the Spirit Realm," Lin Xuan said, looking up to the sky.
"Master means that these puppets must have been here all along. Could it be that true spirits created them..."
"No, not like that."
Lin Xuan shook his head. "True spirits and demons are different. True spirits may be incredibly powerful, but they rarely take on human forms or learn human techniques to create mechanical puppets. There must be another reason."
"Could someone have come here before us?" Moon suggested.
"I'm not sure. We don't have much information. Let's explore more first before making any decisions," Lin Xuan said.
"Alright."
Moon had no objections.
The two then transformed into a streak of green light and flew away.
...
Meanwhile, on an unknown peak far away, an old man with a youthful appearance and white hair sighed.
He held an jade talisman in his hand, shimmering with divine light, clearly not something ordinary. But now, the talisman was cracked and broken.
The old man muttered to himself: "I thought I had avoided this fate, but trouble still found its way here."
"Can our spirit lineage escape the ancient prophecy?"
"Let it be. Fortune or misfortune, we cannot avoid what is destined to come."
His face hardened as he regained his composure and clapped his hands.
"Senior, any orders?"
Two beams of light flew in from outside.
"Fangya, Liji, you two go out and scout the area for any unfamiliar presence that might have entered this realm," the old man said.
"A stranger? Senior, it's impossible. This is where true spirits are buried; only true spirits can enter this realm."
Fangya looked up. She was a young and beautiful woman, but her entire body shimmered with an ethereal glow, making her mysterious to the core.
Liji, on the other hand, remained hidden in the darkness, his features indistinct yet giving off a sense of extreme danger.
For years, no other beings had appeared here except for their lineage and true spirits.
"The jade talisman warned us; I couldn't ignore it. There are great powers across the Three Realms who might stumble upon this place by chance," the old man said with a sigh.
"Understood, Senior. We'll go out."
The two bowed and transformed into streaks of black and white light before flying off.
...
Lin Xuan was unaware of all this as he led Moon to familiarize themselves with their surroundings.
The true spirit burial ground turned out to be much larger than expected, causing Lin Xuan some concern. Searching for treasures here felt like looking for a needle in a haystack.
P.S.: A new week! I really need your recommendation votes. Thank you all very much.