dì sān qiān wǔ bǎi wǔ shí bā zhāng yǔn luò de zhēn líng
第三千五百五十八章陨落的真灵
Chapter 3558 - The Fallen True Spirit
yuè ér zài wú yì yì ， liǎng rén fēn kāi xiū xī 。
月儿再无异议，两人分开休息。
Moon did not object. The two of them separated to rest.
yǎng jīng xù ruì ， yǐ dài yìng fù míng rì de wēi jī 。
养精蓄锐，以待应付明日的危机。
Replenishing their energy and spirits, they prepared for the impending crisis tomorrow.
yī yè wú shì 。
一夜无事。
The night passed uneventfully.
dì èr tiān yī zǎo ， tiān gāng mēng mēng liàng ， líng zú shèng nǚ jiù lái dào le guì bīn lóu lǐ 。
第二天一早，天刚蒙蒙亮，灵族圣女就来到了贵宾楼里。
At dawn, as the sky began to lighten, the Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden arrived at the guest pavilion.
“ zěn me ， lìng yī wèi dào yǒu bù yǔ wǒ men yì qǐ ？” lín xuān de biǎo qíng dài zhe jǐ fēn yà yì 。
“怎么，另一位道友不与我们一起？”林轩的表情带着几分讶异。
"Why is it that the other daoist friend is not with us?" Lin Xuan's expression was tinged with surprise.
“ yì fù tā shāng shì pǒ zhòng ， suǒ yǐ zhè cì wài chū ， jiù yóu qiè shēn lǐng lù ， yì fù tā lǎo rén jiā bù qù le 。”
“义父他伤势颇重，所以这次外出，就由妾身领路，义父他老人家不去了。”
"Uncle has sustained significant injuries this time. Therefore, I will lead the way for him; Uncle will remain behind."
líng zú shèng nǚ tàn le kǒu qì ， biǎo qíng píng jìng yǐ jí 。
灵族圣女叹了口气，表情平静以极。
The Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden sighed, her expression as calm as a stone.
rán ér zài tā nèi xīn lǐ ， cǐ kè de gǎn shòu què shì bù kě sī yì 。
然而在她内心里，此刻的感受却是不可思议。
However, in her heart, she felt an inexplicable sensation. She knew Uncle's abilities well—winning against late-stage Golden Transformation veterans was almost certain. For an ancient spirit race to lose to a peer-level cultivator was unimaginable.
yì fù de shén tōng ， zì jǐ zuì qīng chǔ ， biàn shì duì shàng dù jié hòu qī de lǎo guài wù ， yě shì shí ná jiǔ wěn de ， shēn wèi shàng gǔ líng zú ， shū gěi tóng jiē xiū xiān zhě ， jiǎn zhí shì bù kě xiǎng xiàng zhī shì 。
义父的神通，自己最清楚，便是对上渡劫后期的老怪物，也是十拿九稳的，身为上古灵族，输给同阶修仙者，简直是不可想象之事。
Yet, this time, not only did Uncle lose, but he lost terribly. It would take hundreds of years of seclusion for him to recover from his injuries.
rán ér yì fù zhè cì bù jǐn shū ， ér qiě bài dé jí cǎn ， shāng shì méi gè shù bǎi nián de bì guān ， bié xiǎng fù yuán 。
然而义父这次不仅输，而且败得极惨，伤势没个数百年的闭关，别想复原。
This increased her fear of Lin Xuan, though she wouldn't show it on the surface. As a Golden Transformation cultivator, she had some depth.
zhè ràng tā duì lín xuān de wèi jù ， yòu duō le yì diǎn ， dāng rán ， biǎo miàn shàng bú huì shì ruò 。
这让她对林轩的畏惧，又多了一点，当然，表面上不会示弱。
"Oh, so that daoist friend cannot come? That's too bad," Lin Xuan said indifferently, showing no emotion.
shēn wèi dù jié jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， zhè diǎn chéng fǔ hái shì yǒu de 。
身为渡劫级别的修仙者，这点城府还是有的。
"Are you and your daoist friend ready to depart? Shall we go?"
“ ó ， nà wèi dào yǒu bù néng lái me ， zhēn shì tài kě xī le 。” lín xuān dàn dàn de shuō ， kàn bù chū xǐ nù 。
“哦，那位道友不能来么，真是太可惜了。”林轩淡淡的说，看不出喜怒。
"No problem."
“ liǎng wèi dào yǒu zhǔn bèi hǎo le me ， wǒ men zhè jiù chū fā rú hé ？”
“两位道友准备好了么，我们这就出发如何？”
Lin Xuan did not object. The Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden smiled slightly as she waved her jade hand, emitting a streak of red light that transformed into an ancient-looking chariot.
“ méi yǒu wèn tí 。”
“没有问题。”
"Please!"
lín xuān bìng wú yì yì 。
林轩并无异议。
She gestured for them to enter. Lin Xuan didn't hesitate and flashed with spiritual light, arriving on the chariot. Moon followed closely behind, not wanting to lag behind.
líng zú shèng nǚ tīng le ， liǎn shàng lù chū yī lǚ xiào róng ， yù shǒu qīng fú ， yī dào hóng sè de guāng huá fēi lüè ér chū ， lüè yī pán xuán fēi wǔ ， huàn huà chéng yī shì yàng gǔ piáo de shòu chē 。
灵族圣女听了，脸上露出一缕笑容，玉手轻拂，一道红色的光华飞掠而出，略一盘旋飞舞，幻化成一式样古朴的兽车。
The Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden climbed aboard last, lightly tapping her jade foot, causing the chariot to tremble. It was enveloped in a dazzling red glow as it broke through the sky, flying far away.
“ qǐng ！”
“请！”
The speed was astonishing, and before long, they vanished from sight.
cǐ nǚ bǎi shǒu yíng kè ， lín xuān yě bù jiǎo qíng ， hún shēn líng guāng yī shǎn ， jiù lái dào le shòu chē de shàng miàn 。
此女摆手迎客，林轩也不矫情，浑身灵光一闪，就来到了兽车的上面。
...
yuè ér yì bù gǎn dài màn ， lián bù qīng yí ， gēn zài shào yé de shēn biān 。
月儿亦不敢怠慢，莲步轻移，跟在少爷的身边。
After half a day:
líng zú shèng nǚ zuì hòu shàng lái ， yù zú wēi diǎn ， shòu chē dùn shí chàn dòng qǐ lái ， bèi yào mù de hóng máng bāo guǒ ， pò kōng fēi xiàng le yuǎn chù 。
灵族圣女最后上来，玉足微点，兽车顿时颤动起来，被耀目的红芒包裹，破空飞向了远处。
A streak of lightning raced across the horizon, cutting through the sea surface.
sù dù lìng rén chēng mù jié shé ， zhuǎn shùn jiān jiù yú tiān dì xiāo shī le 。
速度令人瞠目结舌，转瞬间就于天地消失了。
Waves sparkled, and the ocean never lacked powerful spirit beasts. They preferred to hunt on land but sensed the formidable presence within the streak, causing even the most daring of them to retreat.
……
……
They all kept their distance.
dà bàn tiān hòu 。
大半天后。
Thus, they traveled uneventfully until a vast forest appeared before them, stretching endlessly.
yī dào jīng hóng huà pò tiān jì ， zài hǎi miàn shàng fēi chí 。
一道惊虹划破天际，在海面上飞驰。
The streak slowed down, finally coming to a stop.
bō guāng lín lín ， hǎi yáng zhōng cóng lái bù fá qiáng dà de líng shòu ， gèng xǐ huān chū shuǐ mì shí ， rán ér cǐ kè gǎn shòu de dào nà jīng hóng zhōng ruò yǒu ruò wú de qiáng dà qì xī ， nǎ ér yǒu bù zhǎng yǎn jīng de yì shòu gǎn lái luō hǔ xū 。
波光粼粼，海洋中从来不乏强大的灵兽，更喜欢出水觅食，然而此刻感受的到那惊虹中若有若无的强大气息，哪儿有不长眼睛的异兽敢来捋虎须。
"Why is it that this True Spirit Cemetery lies inside?"
bù yuē ér tóng de duǒ dé yuǎn yuǎn dì 。
不约而同的躲得远远地。
Lin Xuan released his divine sense but found nothing amiss. He looked puzzled.
jiù zhè yàng ， yī lù wú shì ， hěn kuài ， chuān guò le dà hǎi ， jiē zhe yòu fēi guò gāo shān ， yī dà piàn sēn lín chū xiàn zài miàn qián ， yī wàng wú biān 。
就这样，一路无事，很快，穿过了大海，接着又飞过高山，一大片森林出现在面前，一望无边。
What was the other party playing at? If she had bad intentions, her sudden change of face seemed too early.
nà jīng hóng sù dù yī huǎn ， zhōng yú màn màn de tíng le xià lái 。
那惊虹速度一缓，终于慢慢的停了下来。
Lin Xuan felt increasingly perplexed as he stared at the Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden, waiting for a reasonable explanation.
“ zěn me ， nà zhēn líng mù dì ， jiù zài lǐ miàn ？”
“怎么，那真灵墓地，就在里面？”
"Beyond this mountain and through that forest, the True Spirit Cemetery is not far," the Holy Maiden said calmly under their gaze. "Why have we stopped here?"
lín xuān jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， què méi yǒu fā xiàn bù tuǒ ， shén sè jiān lüè dài yí huò 。
林轩将神识放出，却没有发现不妥，神色间略带疑惑。
"Why stop now when it’s still so far away?"
duì fāng nòng shén me xuán xū ， ruò shuō tā bù huài hǎo yì ， zhè fān liǎn de shí jiān ， tiāo xuǎn dé yòu wèi miǎn tài zǎo le yī xiē 。
对方弄什么玄虚，若说她不坏好意，这翻脸的时间，挑选得又未免太早了一些。
According to her description, the cemetery wasn't actually close; Lin Xuan estimated at least tens of thousands of miles remained.
lín xuān bù yóu de dà gǎn yí huò ， kàn zhe líng zú shèng nǚ ， jiù děng tā gěi chū yí gè hé lǐ de jiě shì le 。
林轩不由得大感疑惑，看着灵族圣女，就等她给出一个合理的解释了。
"Because danger lies ahead."
“ fān guò zhè zuò gāo shān ， zài jiāng qián miàn de sēn lín zǒu wán ， zhēn líng mù dì jiù yǐ bù yuǎn 。” miàn duì liǎng rén de zhù shì ， líng zú shèng nǚ què xiǎn de píng jìng yǐ jí ， dàn rán de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ lǐ 。
“翻过这座高山，再将前面的森林走完，真灵墓地就已不远。”面对两人的注视，灵族圣女却显得平静以极，淡然的声音传入耳朵里。
"Danger?" Lin Xuan frowned. "What exactly is in the True Spirit Cemetery? You haven’t explained that clearly. Now that we're here, can you elaborate?"
“ nà wèi hé xiàn zài jiù tíng xià lái 。”
“那为何现在就停下来。”
"The souls of true spirits," the Holy Maiden said softly.
zhào duì fāng de miáo shù ， suǒ wèi de bù yuǎn qí shí shì xiāng duì ér yán ， lín xuān chū lüè yī gū ， zhì shǎo hái yǒu shù shí wàn lǐ de lù 。
照对方的描述，所谓的不远其实是相对而言，林轩初略一估，至少还有数十万里的路。
"The souls of true spirits?"
“ nà wèi hé xiàn zài jiù tíng xià lái ？”
“那为何现在就停下来？”
Lin Xuan repeated it, still confused.
“ yīn wèi zài wǎng qián zǒu ， jiù huì yù jiàn wēi xiǎn 。”
“因为再往前走，就会遇见危险。”
"Indeed, I mentioned the origins of this place. Initially, hundreds of true spirits sacrificed themselves to defeat the Flying Heavenly Demon Lord. However, their sacred treasures were lost mysteriously."
“ wēi xiǎn ？” lín xuān méi tóu wēi zhòu ：“ zhēn líng mù dì zhōng jiū jìng yǒu shén me ， dào yǒu kě yì zhí méi yǒu shuō qīng chǔ ， xiàn zài yǐ jīng dào le dì tóu ， shì fǒu kě yǐ xiáng xì jiě shì yī xià le 。”
“危险？”林轩眉头微皱：“真灵墓地中究竟有什么，道友可一直没有说清楚，现在已经到了地头，是否可以详细解释一下了。”
"This result left the true spirits deeply aggrieved. The living ones searched tirelessly for the lost treasure, while those who perished in that battle remained as restless spirits due to their unfulfilled desires."
“ zhēn líng de hún pò 。” líng zú shèng nǚ yōu yōu de shuō 。
“真灵的魂魄。”灵族圣女幽幽的说。
"Restless spirits?"
“ zhēn líng de hún pò ？”
“真灵的魂魄？”
Lin Xuan turned to look at Moon. Even if he didn't mention it, she had lived in the Netherworld for thousands of years and had countless ghostly creatures under her command. She should be familiar with such things.
lín xuān chóng fù le yī jù ， què shì tīng dé yún lǐ wù lǐ 。
林轩重复了一句，却是听得云里雾里。
The Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden seemed to read his thoughts and sighed: "These spirits formed as restless souls are different from those in the Netherworld. They exist due to their unfulfilled desires, lacking any true intelligence. Their sole purpose is to seek out the lost treasures."
“ ń ， qiè shēn shuō guò zhè lǐ de lái lì ， dāng chū ， shù yǐ bǎi jì de zhēn líng shě shēn wàng sǐ ， zuì hòu lián kǒng què dōu yǔn luò ， zhōng yú dǎ bài le fēi tiān mó zhǔ ， rán ér zhēn líng de shèng wù què yě méi yǒu bǎo zhù ， mò míng qí miào de shī luò diào le 。”
“嗯，妾身说过这里的来历，当初，数以百计的真灵舍身忘死，最后连孔雀都陨落，终于打败了飞天魔主，然而真灵的圣物却也没有保住，莫名其妙的失落掉了。”
However, because their minds were lost, they wouldn't venture far, roaming within a radius of tens of thousands of miles.
“ zhè yàng de jié guǒ ， ràng zhēn líng men bù gān yǐ jí ， nà xiē huó zhe de zhēn líng ， gù rán sì chù xún zhǎo shī luò de bǎo wù ， biàn shì nà xiē zài zhè yī yì yǔn luò de zhēn líng ， yì yīn wèi zhí niàn ér wú fǎ zhòng rù lún huí le qù ， huà wèi le wáng líng ……”
“这样的结果，让真灵们不甘以极，那些活着的真灵，固然四处寻找失落的宝物，便是那些在这一役陨落的真灵，亦因为执念而无法重入轮回了去，化为了亡灵……”
"So, our greatest danger lies with these fallen true spirits?"
“ wáng líng ？”
“亡灵？”
"Essentially, yes."
lín xuān bù yóu de zhuǎn tóu kàn le yuè ér yī yǎn ， qián shì de ā xiū luó wáng qiě bù tí ， biàn shì zhè bèi zi ， yuè ér yì zài yīn sī dì fǔ ， shēng huó le shù qiān nián zhī jiǔ ， shǒu xià yǒu dà yāo guǐ wú shù ， wáng líng shén me de ， tā yīng gāi hěn shú xī 。
林轩不由得转头看了月儿一眼，前世的阿修罗王且不提，便是这辈子，月儿亦在阴司地府，生活了数千年之久，手下有大妖鬼无数，亡灵什么的，她应该很熟悉。
"How powerful are these fellows?" Moon interjected curiously.
fǎng fú cāi dào le lín xuān xīn zhōng suǒ xiǎng ， líng zú shèng nǚ tàn le kǒu qì ：“ zhè zhēn líng suǒ xíng chéng de wáng líng kě shì yǔ yīn sī jiè de dà yāo guǐ bù tóng dì ， tā men yīn wèi zhí niàn ér shēng ， kě yǐ shuō ， yǐ jīng méi yǒu le líng zhì ， wéi yī cún zài de yuàn wàng yǔ mù dì ， jiù shì xún zhǎo shī luò de shèng wù 。”
仿佛猜到了林轩心中所想，灵族圣女叹了口气：“这真灵所形成的亡灵可是与阴司界的大妖鬼不同地，他们因为执念而生，可以说，已经没有了灵智，唯一存在的愿望与目的，就是寻找失落的圣物。”
"It depends on who you ask," the Holy Maiden sighed. "These true spirits have lost their intelligence and True Spirit Fire after death, so their strength is much diminished compared to when they were alive. But that's relative; even a thin camel is still bigger than a horse."
dàn yīn wèi líng zhì yǐ jīng mí shī ， suǒ yǐ tā men bú huì zǒu dé tài yuǎn ， jiù zài zhè fāng yuán shù shí wàn lǐ de fàn wéi zhōng yóu yì 。
但因为灵智已经迷失，所以它们不会走得太远，就在这方圆数十万里的范围中游弋。
"Some of them are as powerful as late-stage Golden Transformation cultivators, like the fallen peacock," Lin Xuan and Moon said in unison.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ ， zhè me shuō ， wǒ men cǐ xíng zuì dà de wēi xiǎn ， jiù shì nà xiē yǐ jīng yǔn luò de zhēn líng ？”
“原来如此，这么说，我们此行最大的危险，就是那些已经陨落的真灵？”
Their faces turned grim at this revelation. It was no wonder the Spirit Clan dared not venture into the True Spirit Cemetery; it would be suicidal for even a hundred Golden Transformation cultivators unless the Arhats returned here.
“ kě yǐ zhè me shuō 。”
“可以这么说。”
"How dangerous! Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
“ zhè xiē jiā huo de shí lì rú hé ？” yuè ér rěn bú zhù chā kǒu le 。
“这些家伙的实力如何？”月儿忍不住插口了。
Lin Xuan was furious. He might have formidable strength, but he certainly wasn’t arrogant enough to take such risks.
“ nà yào kàn duì shuí lái shuō 。”
“那要看对谁来说。”
Venturing into the True Spirit Cemetery was a one-way ticket to certain death.
líng zú shèng nǚ tàn le kǒu qì ：“ zhè xiē zhēn líng jì yǐ yǔn luò ， yòu shī diào le líng zhì yǔ zhēn líng zhī huǒ ， shí lì dāng rán méi yǒu bàn fǎ yǔ shēng qián xiāng bǐ ， dà jiàng le xǔ duō ， dàn nà zhǐ shì xiāng duì ér yán ， bì jìng ， shòu sǐ de luò tuó bǐ mǎ dà ， yī jiù bù róng qīng rǔ ， dà bù fèn ， yī jiù shì dù jié jí bié de 。”
灵族圣女叹了口气：“这些真灵既已陨落，又失掉了灵智与真灵之火，实力当然没有办法与生前相比，大降了许多，但那只是相对而言，毕竟，瘦死的骆驼比马大，依旧不容轻辱，大部分，依旧是渡劫级别的。”
"Brother Lin, please calm down; I did not intentionally hide anything," the Holy Maiden said with a smile, trying to soothe him. "Let me explain fully."
“ yǒu yī xiē de shí lì ， shèn zhì bù xùn sè yú dù jié hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， bǐ rú shuō ， nà yǔn luò diào de kǒng què 。”
“有一些的实力，甚至不逊色于渡劫后期的修仙者，比如说，那陨落掉的孔雀。”
"What is it?"
lín xuān yǔ yuè ér tīng dào zhè lǐ ， liǎn sè dōu nán kàn yǐ jí ， guài shuō bù dé ， yǐ líng zú de qiáng dà shí lì ， yě bù gǎn lái zhè zhēn líng mù dì ， kāi shén me wán xiào ， shàng bǎi dù jié jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， chú fēi ā xiū luó wáng fù shēng yú cǐ chù ， fǒu zé huàn zuò shuí ， ǒu fēi wàng fēng ér táo bù kě 。
林轩与月儿听到这里，脸色都难看以极，怪说不得，以灵族的强大实力，也不敢来这真灵墓地，开什么玩笑，上百渡劫级别的修仙者，除非阿修罗王复生于此处，否则换做谁，偶非望风而逃不可。
Lin Xuan's eyes glowed with anger. If she couldn't provide a reasonable explanation, he would have no choice but to confront her.
“ zhè me wēi xiǎn ， dào yǒu xiān qián ， wèi hé bù shuō ？”
“这么危险，道友先前，为何不说？”
"It’s like this: although these dead true spirits' strength remains formidable, one thing has changed significantly," the Holy Maiden said with a smile.
lín xuān bó rán dà nù ， zì jǐ shí lì suī rán bù sú ， dàn yě jué méi yǒu zì dà dào zhè ge dì bù 。
林轩勃然大怒，自己实力虽然不俗，但也绝没有自大到这个地步。
"What? What else?"
yìng chuǎng zhēn líng mù dì ， jiǎn zhí jiù shì jiǔ sǐ yì shēng de jié guǒ 。
硬闯真灵墓地，简直就是九死一生的结果。
"Divine sense."
“ lín xiōng xī nù ， bìng fēi xiǎo mèi yǒu yì yǐn mán ， zhè zhēn líng mù dì ， qí shí bìng méi yǒu nǐ xiǎng xiàng de wēi xiǎn ， nǐ xiān tīng wǒ shuō wán 。” líng zú shèng nǚ lián máng péi zhe xiào liǎn ， hǎo yán xiāng quàn 。
“林兄息怒，并非小妹有意隐瞒，这真灵墓地，其实并没有你想象的危险，你先听我说完。”灵族圣女连忙陪着笑脸，好言相劝。
"Divine sense?" Lin Xuan repeated.
“ nǐ shuō ……”
“你说……”
"Yes, it's the divine sense. For some reason, their divine senses have become extremely weak, even weaker than condensation core cultivators, only slightly better than Golden Transformation level," the Holy Maiden explained.
lín xuān yǎn zhōng rú yù mào huǒ ， duì fāng rú guǒ bù néng gěi chū yí gè hé lǐ de jiě shì ， tā kě jiù yào zhēn de fān liǎn le 。
林轩眼中如欲冒火，对方如果不能给出一个合理的解释，他可就要真的翻脸了。
"So you mean to say that—"
“ shì zhè yàng de ， zhè xiē sǐ qù zhēn líng de shí lì ， suī rán yī jiù fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， dàn yǒu yì diǎn ， què shì yuǎn yuǎn wú fǎ yǔ huó zhe shí xiāng bǐ le 。” líng zú shèng nǚ péi xiào zhe shuō 。
“是这样的，这些死去真灵的实力，虽然依旧非同小可，但有一点，却是远远无法与活着时相比了。”灵族圣女陪笑着说。
"This is what I meant. I must accompany you on this journey; how could I speak without knowing?" [This text was provided by the Qihang Update Team with the support of Water Cargo suppliers.]
Chapter 3558 - The Fallen True Spirit
"Good!"
Moon did not object. The two of them separated to rest.
Replenishing their energy and spirits, they prepared for the impending crisis tomorrow.
The night passed uneventfully.
At dawn, as the sky began to lighten, the Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden arrived at the guest pavilion.
"Why is it that the other daoist friend is not with us?" Lin Xuan's expression was tinged with surprise.
"Uncle has sustained significant injuries this time. Therefore, I will lead the way for him; Uncle will remain behind."
The Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden sighed, her expression as calm as a stone.
However, in her heart, she felt an inexplicable sensation. She knew Uncle's abilities well—winning against late-stage Golden Transformation veterans was almost certain. For an ancient spirit race to lose to a peer-level cultivator was unimaginable.
Yet, this time, not only did Uncle lose, but he lost terribly. It would take hundreds of years of seclusion for him to recover from his injuries.
This increased her fear of Lin Xuan, though she wouldn't show it on the surface. As a Golden Transformation cultivator, she had some depth.
"Oh, so that daoist friend cannot come? That's too bad," Lin Xuan said indifferently, showing no emotion.
"Are you and your daoist friend ready to depart? Shall we go?"
"No problem."
Lin Xuan did not object. The Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden smiled slightly as she waved her jade hand, emitting a streak of red light that transformed into an ancient-looking chariot.
"Please!"
She gestured for them to enter. Lin Xuan didn't hesitate and flashed with spiritual light, arriving on the chariot. Moon followed closely behind, not wanting to lag behind.
The Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden climbed aboard last, lightly tapping her jade foot, causing the chariot to tremble. It was enveloped in a dazzling red glow as it broke through the sky, flying far away.
The speed was astonishing, and before long, they vanished from sight.
...
After half a day:
A streak of lightning raced across the horizon, cutting through the sea surface.
Waves sparkled, and the ocean never lacked powerful spirit beasts. They preferred to hunt on land but sensed the formidable presence within the streak, causing even the most daring of them to retreat.
They all kept their distance.
Thus, they traveled uneventfully until a vast forest appeared before them, stretching endlessly.
The streak slowed down, finally coming to a stop.
"Why is it that this True Spirit Cemetery lies inside?"
Lin Xuan released his divine sense but found nothing amiss. He looked puzzled.
What was the other party playing at? If she had bad intentions, her sudden change of face seemed too early.
Lin Xuan felt increasingly perplexed as he stared at the Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden, waiting for a reasonable explanation.
"Beyond this mountain and through that forest, the True Spirit Cemetery is not far," the Holy Maiden said calmly under their gaze. "Why have we stopped here?"
"Why stop now when it’s still so far away?"
According to her description, the cemetery wasn't actually close; Lin Xuan estimated at least tens of thousands of miles remained.
"Because danger lies ahead."
"Danger?" Lin Xuan frowned. "What exactly is in the True Spirit Cemetery? You haven’t explained that clearly. Now that we're here, can you elaborate?"
"The souls of true spirits," the Holy Maiden said softly.
"The souls of true spirits?"
Lin Xuan repeated it, still confused.
"Indeed, I mentioned the origins of this place. Initially, hundreds of true spirits sacrificed themselves to defeat the Flying Heavenly Demon Lord. However, their sacred treasures were lost mysteriously."
"This result left the true spirits deeply aggrieved. The living ones searched tirelessly for the lost treasure, while those who perished in that battle remained as restless spirits due to their unfulfilled desires."
"Restless spirits?"
Lin Xuan turned to look at Moon. Even if he didn't mention it, she had lived in the Netherworld for thousands of years and had countless ghostly creatures under her command. She should be familiar with such things.
The Spirit Clan's Holy Maiden seemed to read his thoughts and sighed: "These spirits formed as restless souls are different from those in the Netherworld. They exist due to their unfulfilled desires, lacking any true intelligence. Their sole purpose is to seek out the lost treasures."
However, because their minds were lost, they wouldn't venture far, roaming within a radius of tens of thousands of miles.
"So, our greatest danger lies with these fallen true spirits?"
"Essentially, yes."
"How powerful are these fellows?" Moon interjected curiously.
"It depends on who you ask," the Holy Maiden sighed. "These true spirits have lost their intelligence and True Spirit Fire after death, so their strength is much diminished compared to when they were alive. But that's relative; even a thin camel is still bigger than a horse."
"Some of them are as powerful as late-stage Golden Transformation cultivators, like the fallen peacock," Lin Xuan and Moon said in unison.
Their faces turned grim at this revelation. It was no wonder the Spirit Clan dared not venture into the True Spirit Cemetery; it would be suicidal for even a hundred Golden Transformation cultivators unless the Arhats returned here.
"How dangerous! Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Lin Xuan was furious. He might have formidable strength, but he certainly wasn’t arrogant enough to take such risks.
Venturing into the True Spirit Cemetery was a one-way ticket to certain death.
"Brother Lin, please calm down; I did not intentionally hide anything," the Holy Maiden said with a smile, trying to soothe him. "Let me explain fully."
"What is it?"
Lin Xuan's eyes glowed with anger. If she couldn't provide a reasonable explanation, he would have no choice but to confront her.
"It’s like this: although these dead true spirits' strength remains formidable, one thing has changed significantly," the Holy Maiden said with a smile.
"What? What else?"
"Divine sense."
"Divine sense?" Lin Xuan repeated.
"Yes, it's the divine sense. For some reason, their divine senses have become extremely weak, even weaker than condensation core cultivators, only slightly better than Golden Transformation level," the Holy Maiden explained.
"So you mean to say that—"
"This is what I meant. I must accompany you on this journey; how could I speak without knowing?" [This text was provided by the Qihang Update Team with the support of Water Cargo suppliers.]