yī lù shùn lì ， yùn qì gù rán bù sú ， dàn zhǔ yào hái shì ， tā men zhè yī lù shàng ， zú gòu xiǎo xīn de yuán gù ， rán ér bù zhī wèi hé ， lín xuān què gǎn jué yǒu xiē bù ān ， fǎng fú yù zhào zhe ， qián lù huì yù jiàn jù dà de wēi xiǎn 。
一路顺利，运气固然不俗，但主要还是，他们这一路上，足够小心的缘故，然而不知为何，林轩却感觉有些不安，仿佛预兆着，前路会遇见巨大的危险。
Smooth sailing brought good fortune, but the main reason for their success was their extreme caution throughout the journey. However, Lin Xuan felt uneasy, as if a great danger awaited them ahead.
zhè zhǒng gǎn jué lái de mí hū ， yǔ xīn tóu líng zhào yě yǒu jǐ fēn bù tóng zhī chù 。
这种感觉来得迷糊，与心头灵兆也有几分不同之处。
This feeling was vague and different from his usual sense of foreboding.
shì zì jǐ xiǎng dé tài duō ， hái shì yīn wèi bié de shén me yuán gù ？
是自己想得太多，还是因为别的什么缘故？
Was it just overthinking, or something else?
lín xuān yì bù qīng chǔ 。
林轩亦不清楚。
Lin Xuan wasn't sure.
dàn dōu zǒu dào zhè yī bù ， dāng rán bù kě néng dǎ tuì táng gǔ ， jiù suàn qián lù yǒu zài dà de wēi xiǎn zài qián fú ， yě zhǐ yǒu zǒu yī bù kàn yī bù 。
但都走到这一步，当然不可能打退堂鼓，就算前路有再大的危险在潜伏，也只有走一步看一步。
But they had come so far that giving up now would be foolish. Even if the dangers were immense, they could only take things as they came.
líng zú shèng nǚ de biǎo qíng yì hěn yán sù ， cháng cháng yī zhěng tiān dōu chén mò guǎ yán de 。
灵族圣女的表情亦很严肃，常常一整天都沉默寡言的。
The spirit maiden's expression was also serious; she rarely spoke much during the day.
jiù zhè yàng ， yòu guò le bàn gè yuè zuǒ yòu de gōng fu ， zhè zhēn líng fén mù ， miàn jī zhī guǎng bó ， yuǎn chāo lín xuān xiǎng xiàng xǔ duō 。
就这样，又过了半个月左右的功夫，这真灵坟墓，面积之广博，远超林轩想象许多。
After about half a month, this true spirit tomb turned out to be much larger than Lin Xuan had imagined. As time passed, their journey became less peaceful.
ér suí zhe shí jiān de tuī yí ， lù shàng zhōng yú yě jiù bù zài nà me píng jìng le 。
而随着时间的推移，路上终于也就不再那么平静了。
They encountered various creatures and strange beings—some weak enough for them to easily dispose of, causing only minor troubles. But occasionally, they would face formidable monsters on par with cultivators at the Tribulation Transcending stage.
mó chóng ， yì shòu ， hái yǒu yī xiē xī qí gǔ guài de shēng wù ， qián qián hòu hòu ， tā men dōu zāo yù dào le 。
魔虫，异兽，还有一些稀奇古怪的生物，前前后后，他们都遭遇到了。
Such beings were difficult to handle even when working together. The spirit maiden had no choice but to use the Momentary Heaven and Earth Scroll again.
ruò xiǎo yī xiē de qiě bù tí ， yǐ sān rén de shí lì ， suí shǒu jiù néng jiāng qí miè qù ， suǒ zào chéng de ， bù guò shì yī xiē xiǎo xiǎo de má fán yǔ kùn rǎo ér yǐ 。
弱小一些的且不提，以三人的实力，随手就能将其灭去，所造成的，不过是一些小小的麻烦与困扰而已。
However, using this scroll required a significant amount of spiritual energy. After a few uses, she reached her limit and could no longer rely on it due to overexertion.
dàn ǒu ěr qí zhōng yě huì mào chū jí wéi qiáng dà de guài wù ， shí lì kān bǐ dù jié jí bié de xiū xiān zhě 。
但偶尔其中也会冒出极为强大的怪物，实力堪比渡劫级别的修仙者。
With this option exhausted, their situation would become dire if they encountered any more dangers.
zhè yàng de cún zài kě jiù bù hǎo yìng fù 。
这样的存在可就不好应付。
Moon's worried expression reflected the poor state: "Young Master, maybe we should return."
jí biàn sān rén lián shǒu ， yě méi yǒu bǎ wò ， jiāng qí wú shēng wú xī de miè chú 。
即便三人联手，也没有把握，将其无声无息的灭除。
"Ridiculous talk. Why bring up such a thought? Even if things get worse, I won't retreat," Lin Xuan said firmly.
bù dé yǐ ， líng zú shèng nǚ zhǐ hǎo yòu jiāng xū yú dòng tiān tú jì chū 。
不得已，灵族圣女只好又将须臾洞天图祭出。
Moon sighed and stopped trying to persuade him further. She knew that they had no choice but to face whatever lay ahead.
dàn xiǎng yào fēng yìn zhù zhè ge děng jiē de guài wù ， duì yú fǎ lì de xiāo hào ， kě shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， liǎng sān cì zhī hòu ， cǐ nǚ yě jiù dào jí xiàn le ， shuō fǎ lì tòu zhī yǒu xiē tài guò 。 dàn què rán bù néng zài shǐ yòng xū yú dòng tiān tú 。
但想要封印住这个等阶的怪物，对于法力的消耗，可是非同小可，两三次之后，此女也就到极限了，说法力透支有些太过。但确然不能再使用须臾洞天图。
After another half day of travel, they flew over a valley and crossed a vast river as wide as an ocean. Before them was a vast expanse of desert.
rú cǐ yī lái ， zài yù jiàn wēi xiǎn 。 sān rén de jìng yù ， jiāng bù miào dào jí chù 。
如此一来，再遇见危险。三人的境遇，将不妙到极处。
"This is..."
zāo gāo de jìng kuàng ， ràng yuè ér chóu méi jǐn suǒ ：“ shào yé ， yào bù …… wǒ men xiān huí qù hǎo le 。”
糟糕的境况，让月儿愁眉紧锁：“少爷，要不……我们先回去好了。”
Lin Xuan's pupils narrowed in disbelief. The two women beside him shared his astonishment.
“ shǎ huà ， yòu shuō zhè ge gàn má ， bié shuō xiàn zài de qíng kuàng hái kě yǐ yìng fù ， jiù suàn zhēn yù jiàn wēi xiǎn wǒ yě bú huì tuì suō 。”
“傻话，又说这个干嘛，别说现在的情况还可以应付，就算真遇见危险我也不会退缩。”
The sun had set, casting golden light through the clouds, turning the sand into a golden hue.
lín xuān zhǎn dīng jié tiě de shuō 。
林轩斩钉截铁的说。
Another desert, but this one was different—there stood an impressive city amidst the sands.
“ yuè ér tàn le kǒu qì 。”
“月儿叹了口气。”
A ruined ancient city stood there, its walls and structures reduced to mere remnants. The dilapidated buildings spoke of the passage of time.
shào yé de biǎo qíng jiān jué wú bǐ ， tā yě bù hǎo jì xù xiāng quàn xià qù 。 huò zhě shuō ， quàn yì méi yǒu yòng tú ， dāo shān huǒ hǎi ， wéi yǒu yìng zhe tóu pí péi tā chuǎng le 。
少爷的表情坚决无比，她也不好继续相劝下去。或者说，劝亦没有用途，刀山火海，唯有硬着头皮陪他闯了。
The city was enormous, but what shocked them most was that it was in a true spirit tomb. True spirits, despite their immense power and longevity, could not take on human form.
jiù zhè yàng ， yòu xíng le bàn rì zuǒ yòu de gōng fu 。
就这样，又行了半日左右的功夫。
So why did this ancient city exist here? If not built by true spirits, who had thecourage to construct such an imposing city in this place?
fēi guò shān gǔ ， yòu dù guò yī tiáo miàn jī rú hǎi yáng bān kuān guǎng de dà hé ， yǎn qián chū xiàn le yī piàn cāng mǎng de jǐng sè 。
飞过山谷，又度过一条面积如海洋般宽广的大河，眼前出现了一片苍莽的景色。
The mystery only deepened.
“ zhè shì ……”
“这是……”
"Young Master, should we go inside?"
lín xuān tóng kǒng wēi suō 。 liǎn shàng lù chū bù kě sī yì zhī sè 。
林轩瞳孔微缩。脸上露出不可思议之色。
Moon's weak voice reached his ears.
shēn páng liǎng nǚ de biǎo qíng yì xiāng chà fǎng fú 。
身旁两女的表情亦相差仿佛。
"What do you think?"
cǐ shí tài yáng yǐ jīng là xià le shān pō ， jīn sè de yú huī yóu yún céng zhōng sǎ luò ， jiāng dì shàng de shā lì yě rǎn chéng le jīn huáng zhī sè 。
此时太阳已经落下了山坡，金色的余晖由云层中洒落，将地上的沙粒也染成了金黄之色。
Lin Xuan sighed; there was no turning back now. "Let's go and see what it is."
zhè yòu shì yī piàn shā mò 。
这又是一片沙漠。
With a flash of his figure, Lin Xuan led the way towards the strange ancient city. Moon and the spirit maiden followed without hesitation.
dàn yǔ xiān qián xiāng jiàn de què dà bù xiāng tóng ， yīn wèi shā mò shàng ， jū rán yǒu yī piàn huī huáng de chéng guō 。
但与先前相见的却大不相同，因为沙漠上，居然有一片辉煌的城郭。
Upon closer inspection, the city seemed even more magnificent, with vast areas showing signs of magical battles. For instance, there was a deep trench stretching for over a hundred feet, its bottom unseen.
yī zuò gǔ chéng chù lì zài nà lǐ 。
一座古城矗立在那里。
It appeared to have been cut by a single sword strike. At first glance, it looked fine, but Lin Xuan's keen eyes revealed something alarming.
zhǐ shèng xià xiē xǔ cán yuán duàn bì 。
只剩下些许残垣断壁。
"Young Master, what is it?"
cán pò de jiàn zhù ， sù shuō zhe suì yuè de qì xī 。
残破的建筑，诉说着岁月的气息。
Moon's puzzled voice echoed in his ears.
cǐ chéng dà dé lí pǔ 。 dàn ràng sān rén jīng yà de ， zì rán bú shì tā de miàn jī ， ér shì …… bié wàng le ， zhè lǐ shì zhēn líng mù dì 。
此城大得离谱。但让三人惊讶的，自然不是它的面积，而是……别忘了，这里是真灵墓地。
Lin Xuan didn't speak. Instead, he swept his sleeves and released a silver sword beam from his sleeve.
zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， zhēn líng de shí lì suī rán qiáng dà wú bǐ 。 shòu yuán yě màn cháng yǐ jí ， dàn què shì bù néng gòu biàn huà chéng rén xíng dì 。
众所周知，真灵的实力虽然强大无比。寿元也漫长以极，但却是不能够变化成人形地。
The blade grew to over ten feet long as it slashed towards the ground, mere inches away from the trench.
jì rán bù néng huà xíng 。 zhè gǔ chéng suàn zěn me yī huí shì ？
既然不能化形。这古城算怎么一回事？
Silent and invisible!
ruò bú shì zhēn líng xiū jiàn dì ， yòu yǒu shuí zhè me dà de dǎn zi ， zài zhè zhòng dì fāng ， jiàn rú cǐ qì shì huī hóng de chéng chí 。
若不是真灵修建地，又有谁这么大的胆子，在这种地方，建如此气势恢宏的城池。
Even with Moon and the spirit maiden's keen eyes, they could estimate the power of this strike. A blow from a Tribulation Transcending cultivator was no small matter.
chú le chà yì hái shì chà yì 。
除了诧异还是诧异。
But what followed was even more astonishing.
yǎn qián yǒu zhe tài duō de mì mì 。
眼前有着太多的秘密。
The sword barely made a crack in the ground, only a few feet deep. Lin Xuan himself looked bewildered.
“ shào yé ， wǒ men yào bù yào jìn qù ？”
“少爷，我们要不要进去？”
His own abilities were well known to him. Although he had casually cast this sword strike, it should have easily split stone and metal. Splitting a mountain would be trivial.
yuè ér ruò ruò de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ lǐ 。
月儿弱弱的声音传入耳朵里。
Yet, it only created a tiny crack.
” nǐ shuō ne ？”
”你说呢？”
This wasn't ordinary soil; either it was trapped by some massive array or something else entirely.
lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì ， xiàn zài yòu zěn me kě néng tuì bì 。
林轩叹了口气，现在又怎么可能退避。
Lin Xuan made his judgment instantly: if his guess was correct, this place in the true spirit tomb might hold significant importance. It could even have been where the Sky-Flying Demon Lord clashed with hundreds of true spirits during an ancient battle.
“ zǒu ba ， wǒ men qù yī tàn jiū dǐ 。”
“走吧，我们去一探究底。”
With this theory, Lin Xuan carefully examined the ruins and found numerous clues. Many marks on the walls weren't from time's erosion but from magical battles.
lín xuān shēn xíng yī shǎn ， dāng xiān xiàng nà qí guài de gǔ chéng fēi le guò qù ， yuè ér hé líng zú shèng nǚ yě bù zài chí yí ， shuāng shuāng gēn le guò qù 。
林轩身形一闪，当先像那奇怪的古城飞了过去，月儿和灵族圣女也不再迟疑，双双跟了过去。
This discovery surprised them, but more importantly, it brought hope. They had stumbled upon something valuable indeed—perhaps the Sky-Flying Demon Lord's treasures lay scattered here.
hěn kuài jiù dào le 。
很快就到了。
Finding a needle in a haystack turned out to be effortless.
jìn jù lí kàn ， zhè gǔ chéng gèng jiā de páng bó ， miàn jī gèng shì dà dé lí pǔ ， bù shǎo dì fāng cán liú zhe dòu fǎ de hén jì 。
近距离看，这古城更加的磅礴，面积更是大得离谱，不少地方残留着斗法的痕迹。
Of course, they couldn't celebrate yet. While there was a chance of finding treasure, encountering true spirit ghosts was also likely.
bǐ rú shuō yǎn qián ， dì shàng jiù yǒu yī tiáo jù dà de gōu hè 。
比如说眼前，地上就有一条巨大的沟壑。
They proceeded cautiously and simultaneously released their divine senses to search.
cháng zú yǒu bǎi zhàng yú ， shēn bú jiàn dǐ ， zǐ xì yī kàn ， què shì bèi rén yī jiàn pī chū lái dì 。
长足有百丈余，深不见底，仔细一看，却是被人一剑劈出来地。
Sure enough, they found some fragments—a black crystal from an unknown weapon. Despite being broken, it still radiated intense demonic energy, dancing in the air.
biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， sì hū méi yǒu shén me bù tuǒ ， huò zhě shuō ， chū qí zhī chù ， kě lín xuān zǐ xì yī qiáo ， què liǎn sè dà biàn le 。
表面上看，似乎没有什么不妥，或者说，出奇之处，可林轩仔细一瞧，却脸色大变了。
"Indeed, this is where the Sky-Flying Demon Clan clashed with countless true spirits back then," Lin Xuan muttered, his tone now very certain.
“ shào yé ， zěn me le ？”
“少爷，怎么了？”
Before he could finish speaking, a figure suddenly appeared ahead.
yuè ér bù jiě de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
月儿不解的声音传入耳朵。
"Who's there?"
lín xuān méi yǒu kāi kǒu 。
林轩没有开口。
Lin Xuan turned sharply and saw a slender silhouette. Although she was faceless, Lin Xuan felt an intense familiarity.
Smooth sailing brought good fortune, but the main reason for their success was their extreme caution throughout the journey. However, Lin Xuan felt uneasy, as if a great danger awaited them ahead.
This feeling was vague and different from his usual sense of foreboding.
Was it just overthinking, or something else?
Lin Xuan wasn't sure.
But they had come so far that giving up now would be foolish. Even if the dangers were immense, they could only take things as they came.
The spirit maiden's expression was also serious; she rarely spoke much during the day.
After about half a month, this true spirit tomb turned out to be much larger than Lin Xuan had imagined. As time passed, their journey became less peaceful.
They encountered various creatures and strange beings—some weak enough for them to easily dispose of, causing only minor troubles. But occasionally, they would face formidable monsters on par with cultivators at the Tribulation Transcending stage.
Such beings were difficult to handle even when working together. The spirit maiden had no choice but to use the Momentary Heaven and Earth Scroll again.
However, using this scroll required a significant amount of spiritual energy. After a few uses, she reached her limit and could no longer rely on it due to overexertion.
With this option exhausted, their situation would become dire if they encountered any more dangers.
Moon's worried expression reflected the poor state: "Young Master, maybe we should return."
"Ridiculous talk. Why bring up such a thought? Even if things get worse, I won't retreat," Lin Xuan said firmly.
Moon sighed and stopped trying to persuade him further. She knew that they had no choice but to face whatever lay ahead.
After another half day of travel, they flew over a valley and crossed a vast river as wide as an ocean. Before them was a vast expanse of desert.
"This is..."
Lin Xuan's pupils narrowed in disbelief. The two women beside him shared his astonishment.
The sun had set, casting golden light through the clouds, turning the sand into a golden hue.
Another desert, but this one was different—there stood an impressive city amidst the sands.
A ruined ancient city stood there, its walls and structures reduced to mere remnants. The dilapidated buildings spoke of the passage of time.
The city was enormous, but what shocked them most was that it was in a true spirit tomb. True spirits, despite their immense power and longevity, could not take on human form.
So why did this ancient city exist here? If not built by true spirits, who had thecourage to construct such an imposing city in this place?
The mystery only deepened.
"Young Master, should we go inside?"
Moon's weak voice reached his ears.
"What do you think?"
Lin Xuan sighed; there was no turning back now. "Let's go and see what it is."
With a flash of his figure, Lin Xuan led the way towards the strange ancient city. Moon and the spirit maiden followed without hesitation.
Upon closer inspection, the city seemed even more magnificent, with vast areas showing signs of magical battles. For instance, there was a deep trench stretching for over a hundred feet, its bottom unseen.
It appeared to have been cut by a single sword strike. At first glance, it looked fine, but Lin Xuan's keen eyes revealed something alarming.
"Young Master, what is it?"
Moon's puzzled voice echoed in his ears.
Lin Xuan didn't speak. Instead, he swept his sleeves and released a silver sword beam from his sleeve.
The blade grew to over ten feet long as it slashed towards the ground, mere inches away from the trench.
Silent and invisible!
Even with Moon and the spirit maiden's keen eyes, they could estimate the power of this strike. A blow from a Tribulation Transcending cultivator was no small matter.
But what followed was even more astonishing.
The sword barely made a crack in the ground, only a few feet deep. Lin Xuan himself looked bewildered.
His own abilities were well known to him. Although he had casually cast this sword strike, it should have easily split stone and metal. Splitting a mountain would be trivial.
Yet, it only created a tiny crack.
This wasn't ordinary soil; either it was trapped by some massive array or something else entirely.
Lin Xuan made his judgment instantly: if his guess was correct, this place in the true spirit tomb might hold significant importance. It could even have been where the Sky-Flying Demon Lord clashed with hundreds of true spirits during an ancient battle.
With this theory, Lin Xuan carefully examined the ruins and found numerous clues. Many marks on the walls weren't from time's erosion but from magical battles.
This discovery surprised them, but more importantly, it brought hope. They had stumbled upon something valuable indeed—perhaps the Sky-Flying Demon Lord's treasures lay scattered here.
Finding a needle in a haystack turned out to be effortless.
Of course, they couldn't celebrate yet. While there was a chance of finding treasure, encountering true spirit ghosts was also likely.
They proceeded cautiously and simultaneously released their divine senses to search.
Sure enough, they found some fragments—a black crystal from an unknown weapon. Despite being broken, it still radiated intense demonic energy, dancing in the air.
"Indeed, this is where the Sky-Flying Demon Clan clashed with countless true spirits back then," Lin Xuan muttered, his tone now very certain.
Before he could finish speaking, a figure suddenly appeared ahead.
"Who's there?"
Lin Xuan turned sharply and saw a slender silhouette. Although she was faceless, Lin Xuan felt an intense familiarity.