lín xuān shēn shǒu jiē guò ， wēi wēi dī xià tou lú ，. yòu shī shū méng
林轩伸手接过，微微低下头颅，.幼狮书盟
Lin Xuan reached out and took the items, slightly lowering his head. Young Lion Book Alliance
bù chū suǒ liào ， lǐ miàn de cái huò fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， zhè yě shì yì liào zhī zhōng de ， dù jié qī lǎo guài wù ， yǐ shì xiū xiān jiè zhōng zuì dǐng jí de cún zài le ， bù guǎn shí lì rú hé ， shēn jiā dōu yí dìng hěn fēng fù 。
不出所料，里面的财货非同小可，这也是意料之中的，渡劫期老怪物，已是修仙界中最顶级的存在了，不管实力如何，身家都一定很丰富。
As expected, the treasures inside were of considerable value. This was also what he had anticipated; a late-stage Golden Tribulation cultivator was already one of the top existences in the cultivation world. No matter how powerful their strength might be, their wealth would certainly be substantial.
suī rán méi yǒu jiāng liǎng rén de lái lì nòng qīng chǔ ， dàn zhè yàng de jié guǒ ， bù lùn cóng nǎ ge jiǎo dù ， yě dōu suàn shì miǎn qiǎng kě yǐ jiē shòu le 。
虽然没有将两人的来历弄清楚，但这样的结果，不论从哪个角度，也都算是勉强可以接受了。
Although he hadn't fully understood the identities of the two people, such an outcome was acceptable from any angle.
“ xiǎo dié ， xīn kǔ le 。”
“小蝶，辛苦了。”
"Little Butterfly, you've done well."
“ lín xiōng hé bì zhè yàng shuō ， qū qū xiǎo shì ér yǐ ， hé kuàng yě shì xiǎo mèi yīng gāi zuò dì 。”
“林兄何必这样说，区区小事而已，何况也是小妹应该做地。”
"There's no need for you to say so, Brother Lin. It’s just a small matter, and it is what I should do," Little Butterfly waved her hand dismissively.
xiǎo dié bǎi le bǎi shǒu ， bù yǐ wéi wǔ ：“ hǎo le ， méi yǒu shén me shì qíng ， wǒ xiān huí xū yú dòng tiān tú 。”
小蝶摆了摆手，不以为忤：“好了，没有什么事情，我先回须臾洞天图。”
"All right, there's nothing more to it. I'll head back to the Momentary Cavern Scroll first."
lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu 。
林轩点点头。
Lin Xuan nodded his head.
xiǎo dié shēn xíng yī shǎn ， yǐ huí dào nà fú gǔ piáo de huà zhóu lǐ miàn 。
小蝶身形一闪，已回到那幅古朴的画轴里面。
Little Butterfly flashed away, reappearing inside the ancient scroll.
shì qíng zhì cǐ ， suàn shì gào yí duàn luò ， rán ér lín xuān què yǐ shǒu fǔ é ， liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī chén yín zhī sè。
事情至此，算是告一段落，然而林轩却以手抚额，脸上露出一丝沉吟之sè。
With matters concluded for now, Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead and showed a thoughtful expression on his face.
kàn lái jiē xià lái de xíng dòng ， yào xiǎo xīn yì diǎn le 。
看来接下来的行动，要小心一点了。
It seemed that he needed to be more cautious in the future. If his assumptions were correct, those bald man and old woman with white hair were merely cannon fodder. Although Lin Xuan wasn’t a coward, he didn't want to clash with any mysterious forces lurking in the shadows.
ruò shì méi yǒu liào cuò ， nà guāng tóu dà hàn yǔ bái fà lǎo yù ， jǐn jǐn shì mǎ qián zú ， lín xuān suī rán bú shì dǎn xiǎo pà shì de xiū xiān zhě ， dàn běn zhe duō yī shì bù rú shǎo yī shì de yuán zé ， yě bù xiǎng yǔ yǐn cáng zài àn chù de shén mì shì lì chōng tū 。
若是没有料错，那光头大汉与白发老妪，仅仅是马前卒，林轩虽然不是胆小怕事的修仙者，但本着多一事不如少一事的原则，也不想与隐藏在暗处的神秘势力冲突。
With these thoughts in mind, he decided it was best not to linger here for long. He waved his hand to release a spirit boat, then dashed into the cabin.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， cǐ dì bù yí jiǔ liú ， lín xuān huī shǒu fàng chū yī sōu líng zhōu ， shēn xíng yī shǎn ， lái dào chuán cāng lǐ miàn 。
脑海中念头转过，此地不宜久留，林轩挥手放出一艘灵舟，身形一闪，来到船舱里面。
With a slight stomp of his foot, powerful mana surged in.
lüè yī duò zú ， qiáng dà de fǎ lì zhù rù 。
略一跺足，强大的法力注入。
Soon after, a buzzing sound filled the air as a ball of spiritual light enveloped the spirit boat, propelling it swiftly away from the scene.
suí hòu wēng míng shēng dà qǐ ， yī tuán líng guāng jiāng líng zhōu zhěng gè bāo guǒ ， fēng chí diàn chè ， xiàng zhe yuǎn chù jī shè ér qù le 。
随后嗡鸣声大起，一团灵光将灵舟整个包裹，风驰电掣，向着远处激shè而去了。
...
……
……
At the same time, several thousand miles away, two people were hiding in a secret room, whispering to each other.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， zài jù cǐ qiān wàn lǐ wài de mǒu yī jiān mì shì zhōng ， yǒu liǎng rén duǒ zài àn chù ， zhèng shén mì xī xī de jiāo tán zhe shén me 。
与此同时，在距此千万里外的某一间密室中，有两人躲在暗处，正神秘兮兮的交谈着什么。
"Brother, we've had great success recently. We've killed many high-ranking cultivators and accumulated vast amounts of wealth," said a cold voice with evident joy.
“ dà gē ， zuì jìn wǒ men kě shì dà yǒu shōu huò ， miè shā le bù shǎo gāo jiē xiū xiān zhě ， jī zǎn le tiān liàng de cái huò 。” yī qīng lěng de shēng yīn ， mǎn shì huān xǐ de shuō 。
“大哥，最近我们可是大有收获，灭杀了不少高阶修仙者，积攒了天量的财货。”一清冷的声音，满是欢喜的说。
"Humph, short-sighted fellows. What does this meager amount of treasure matter? The Peach Blossom Banquet is about to convene. Compared to the treasures we seek, these few pieces of treasure are far from enough," another voice replied, its tone coarser and tinged with disdain.
“ hēng ， mù guāng duǎn qiǎn de jiā huo ， zhè diǎn cái huò suàn dé le shén me ， pán táo huì mǎ shàng jiù yào zhào kāi le ， yǔ wǒ men xiǎng yào tú móu de bǎo wù xiāng bǐ ， zhè diǎn cái huò yuǎn yuǎn bù zú 。” lìng yí gè shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ lǐ ， sǎng yīn yào cū yǎ yī xiē ， yǐn yǐn tòu chū jǐ fēn bù xiè zhī yì 。
“哼，目光短浅的家伙，这点财货算得了什么，蟠桃会马上就要召开了，与我们想要图谋的宝物相比，这点财货远远不足。”另一个声音传入耳朵里，嗓音要粗哑一些，隐隐透出几分不屑之意。
"So much treasure still isn't enough. Is that item really so exorbitantly priced?" the first voice said doubtfully.
“ zhè me duō cái huò yī jiù bù zú ， nà jiàn dōng xī zhēn guì dé rú cǐ lí pǔ ？” dì yí gè shēng yīn yǒu xiē bù xìn de shuō 。
“这么多财货依旧不足，那件东西真贵得如此离谱？”第一个声音有些不信的说。
"Humph, what do you know? At the Peach Blossom Banquet, all three realms' powerful existences will gather. This treasure is highly attractive to those top-tier beings. Those old monsters have lived for millions of years and are as wealthy as nations. Do you think a few pieces of treasure can ensure us victory?" the second voice said indifferently.
“ hēng ， nǐ zhī dào shén me ， pán táo huì shàng sān jiè qiáng zhě jù jí ， zhè jiàn bǎo wù ， duì nà xiē dǐng jiān de cún zài ， dōu shì hěn yǒu xī yǐn lì de ， ér nà xiē lǎo guài wù ， wú bù shì huó le shù bǎi wàn nián de rén wù ， fù kě dí guó ， nǐ yǐ wéi zhè diǎn cái huò ， jiù kě yǐ wěn cāo shèng quàn le me ？” dì èr gè shēng yīn dàn dàn de shuō 。
“哼，你知道什么，蟠桃会上三界强者聚集，这件宝物，对那些顶尖的存在，都是很有吸引力的，而那些老怪物，无不是活了数百万年的人物，富可敌国，你以为这点财货，就可以稳cāo胜券了么？”第二个声音淡淡的说。
Before their words had even finished, a flash of fire entered the room—a telepathic message.
huà yīn wèi luò ， sī háo zhēng zhào yě wú ， yī dào huǒ guāng fēi jìn lái le ， shì chuán yīn fú 。
话音未落，丝毫征兆也无，一道火光飞进来了，是传音符。
The owner of the second voice was taken aback but still retrieved it.
nà dì èr gè shēng yīn de zhǔ rén lüè gǎn cuò è ， dàn hái shì jiāng tā qǔ dào le shǒu zhōng 。
那第二个声音的主人略感错愕，但还是将它取到了手中。
After slightly injecting his spiritual sense into it, he exploded with rage: "Damned, my left and right arms have actually perished."
wēi wēi jiāng shén shí zhù rù ， hěn kuài jiù bào tiào rú léi qǐ lái le ：“ kě wù ， wǒ de zuǒ bǎng yòu bì jū rán yǔn luò diào le 。”
微微将神识注入，很快就暴跳如雷起来了：“可恶，我的左膀右臂居然陨落掉了。”
"What? You say those two people are only slightly weaker than us. But they're late-stage Golden Tribulation cultivators. How could they easily fall in a joint attack? They didn't even escape their元婴. Could the one who struck be a realm powerhouse?" the first voice said, greatly alarmed.
“ shén me ， nǐ shuō nà liǎng rén ， nà liǎng rén de shí lì ， suī rán bǐ wǒ men shāo ruò ， dàn yě shì dù jié zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ， lián shǒu zhī xià ， zěn me kě néng qīng yì yǔn luò ， lián yuán yīng dōu bù céng táo chū ， nán dào chū shǒu de ， jìng shì lǐng yù qiáng zhě 。” dì yí gè shēng yīn dà jīng de shuō 。
“什么，你说那两人，那两人的实力，虽然比我们稍弱，但也是渡劫中期的修仙者，联手之下，怎么可能轻易陨落，连元婴都不曾逃出，难道出手的，竟是领域强者。”第一个声音大惊的说。
"I don’t know if it was a realm powerhouse, but I won't suffer this humiliation. This grudge I must settle," the second voice said viciously, his tone filled with malice.
“ shì bú shì lǐng yù qiáng zhě wǒ bù xiǎo de ， dàn běn zūn jué bú huì chī zhè yǎ ba kuī de ， cǐ chóu wǒ fēi bào bù kě 。”
“是不是领域强者我不晓得，但本尊绝不会吃这哑巴亏的，此仇我非报不可。”
...
dì èr gè shēng yīn è hěn hěn de shuō ， shēng yīn zhōng chōng mǎn le yuàn dú 。
第二个声音恶狠狠的说，声音中充满了怨毒。
Lin Xuan was unaware of all this. At this moment, he was still traveling through the Rain Pine Realm.
……
……
He went to the markets to exchange astronomical amounts of crystal stones, learning from past experiences.
zhè yī qiè lín xuān bìng bù qīng chǔ ， cǐ shí ， tā yī jiù zài yǔ tóng jiè gè chù yóu lì 。
这一切林轩并不清楚，此时，他依旧在雨桐界各处游历。
This time, Lin Xuan was more cautious when exchanging crystal stones. Every time he entered a market, he would use disguise techniques, sometimes appearing as a stout old man, other times as a rugged giant, or even as a monk or hermit.
tóng shí qù fāng shì duì huàn tiān wén shù zì de jīng shí ， bù guò chī yī qiàn ， zhǎng yī zhì 。
同时去坊市兑换天文数字的晶石，不过吃一堑，长一智。
Each time he appeared in public, his image was completely different from the last.
zhè yī cì duì huàn jīng shí ， lín xuān kě jiù duō zhǎng le gè xīn yǎn 。
这一次兑换晶石，林轩可就多长了个心眼。
This naturally provided excellent cover and kept him unremarkable. The mysterious force hated Lin Xuan to the core but finding him under such circumstances would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
tā měi dào yī dì ， jìn rù fāng shì ， dū huì shī zhǎn yì róng shù ， yǒu shí biàn chéng ǎi pàng lǎo zhě ， yǒu shí biàn chéng cū háo dà hàn ， yǒu shí bàn zuò sēng lǚ ， yǒu shí bàn chéng yǐn shì 。
他每到一地，进入坊市，都会施展易容术，有时变成矮胖老者，有时变成粗豪大汉，有时扮作僧侣，有时扮成隐士。
Moreover, with Lin Xuan now being a late-stage Golden Tribulation cultivator, breaking through the void was no big deal.
zǒng zhī ， měi yī cì chū xiàn zài rén qián de xíng xiàng dōu shì wán quán bù tóng dì 。
总之，每一次出现在人前的形象都是完全不同地。
Traveling between minor realms of the Spirit Realm might as well be like eating or drinking. Knowing that he had been noticed by someone intent on finding him, Lin Xuan didn’t limit his crystal stone exchanges to just the Rain Pine Realm.
rú cǐ yī lái ， zì rán zuì hǎo de qǐ dào le yǎn hù de xiào guǒ ， bù yǐn rén zhǔ mù 。
如此一来，自然最好的起到了掩护的效果，不引人瞩目。
He often visited nearby minor realms as well. Not only did this make exchanging crystal stones easier and safer, but it was a two-for-one deal.
nà shén mì de shì lì ， suī rán duì lín xuān hèn zhī rù gǔ ， dàn zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， xiǎng yào jiāng tā zhǎo dào ， jiǎn zhí bǐ dà hǎi lāo zhēn hái nán 。
那神秘的势力，虽然对林轩恨之入骨，但这种情况下，想要将他找到，简直比大海捞针还难。
...
gèng bú yào shuō ， lín xuān rú jīn yǐ shì dù jié hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， pò suì xū kōng gēn běn jiù suàn bù liǎo shén me 。
更不要说，林轩如今已是渡劫后期的修仙者，破碎虚空根本就算不了什么。
Time passed like a fleeting moment in cultivation; a hundred years flashed by quickly.
xiǎng yào qù mó jiè huò zhě yīn sī dì fǔ ， huò xǔ shāo wēi yǒu nà me yì diǎn nán dù ， dàn jǐn jǐn shì zài líng jiè gè xiǎo jiè miàn jiān chuān suō ， zé yǔ chī fàn hē shuǐ chà bu duō 。
想要去魔界或者yīn司地府，或许稍微有那么一点难度，但仅仅是在灵界各小界面间穿梭，则与吃饭喝水差不多。
In these past hundred years, Lin Xuan hadn’t encountered any major troubles, nor had he found the sought-after opportunities.
míng zhī dào zì jǐ yǐ jīng luò rù le yǒu xīn rén de yǎn lǐ ， lín xuān duì huàn jí pǐn jīng shí dāng rán yě jiù bù jǐn jǐn jú xiàn yú yǔ tóng jiè zhè yī dì 。
明知道自己已经落入了有心人的眼里，林轩兑换极品晶石当然也就不仅仅局限于雨桐界这一地。
Whether it was what he needed or Little Butterfly's current bottleneck, nothing had been resolved.
fù jìn de xiǎo jiè miàn tā yě cháng cháng guāng gù ， rú jīn yī lái ， bù jǐn duì huàn jīng shí róng yì le xǔ duō ， ān quán xìng yě tí shēng le ， yī jǔ liǎng dé 。
附近的小界面他也常常光顾，如今一来，不仅兑换晶石容易了许多，安全xìng也提升了，一举两得。
But this was expected. So neither of them felt disheartened over it.
……
……
Regardless, the purpose of exchanging crystal stones had been successfully achieved.
xiū xiān wú suì yuè ， duǎn duǎn de bǎi nián ， yī huǎng ér guò 。
修仙无岁月，短短的百年，一晃而过。
After nearly a century of hard work, Lin Xuan had traveled through various minor realms in the Spirit Realm and entered markets countless times.
zhè bǎi nián lái ， lín xuān méi yǒu yù jiàn shén me dà de má fán ， què yě méi yǒu xún zhǎo dào mèng mèi yǐ qiú de jī yù 。
这百年来，林轩没有遇见什么大的麻烦，却也没有寻找到梦寐以求的机遇。
He auctioned off his unnecessary treasures, converting them into premium crystal stones.
bù lùn zì jǐ xū yào de dōng xī ， hái shì xiǎo dié suǒ miàn lín de píng jǐng ， dōu wèi néng tū pò 。
不论自己需要的东西，还是小蝶所面临的瓶颈，都未能突破。
The exact number was unclear to him, but it was too many to count. However, with so much crystal stone, Lin Xuan felt more confident about the upcoming Peach Blossom Banquet. If he found what he needed at the auction, he had the confidence to compete against those top-tier old monsters.
bù guò zhè yuán běn yě shì yù liào zhī zhōng de ， suǒ yǐ liǎng rén bìng méi yǒu yīn cǐ ， jiù jǔ sàng shén me 。
不过这原本也是预料之中的，所以两人并没有因此，就沮丧什么。
Besides crystal stones, Lin Xuan also exchanged some items from the market—astronomical numbers of spiritual talismans.
bù guǎn rú hé ， duì huàn jīng shí de mù dì ， shùn lì dá chéng le 。
不管如何，兑换晶石的目的，顺利达成了。
Talismans were one of the most commonly used attack methods by cultivators. However, high-grade talismans were rare, making them ineffective against late-stage Golden Tribulation cultivators. But with enough quantity, these talismans might still have unexpected effects in critical moments.
jīng guò zhè jìn bǎi nián de xīn kǔ ， lín xuān zài líng jiè gè xiǎo jiè miàn jiān chuān suō ， chū rù fāng shì de cì shù ， gèng shì nán yǐ jì de qīng chǔ 。
经过这近百年的辛苦，林轩在灵界各小界面间穿梭，出入坊市的次数，更是难以记得清楚。
In any case, Lin Xuan hadn’t wasted his time over the past century; he had done everything possible to prepare thoroughly.
tā jiāng zì jǐ yòng bù zhe de bǎo wù ， ná chū qù pāi mài ， duì huàn chéng jí pǐn jīng shí 。
他将自己用不着的宝物，拿出去拍卖，兑换成极品晶石。
Opportunities always favored those who were well-prepared. Could this Peach Blossom Banquet bring Lin Xuan some surprises and fulfill his wishes?
zuì hòu huàn le duō shǎo ， lín xuān zì jǐ dōu yǒu xiē xī lǐ hú tú ， zǒng zhī shù liàng tài duō ， gēn běn jiù nán yǐ jì shù 。
最后换了多少，林轩自己都有些稀里糊涂，总之数量太多，根本就难以计数。
No one knew for sure, but deep down, Lin Xuan was very eager.
dàn bù guǎn rú hé ， yǒu le zhè me duō jīng shí ， ràng lín xuān duì jí jiāng zhào kāi de pán táo huì ， yě duō le jǐ fēn qī dài ， huò zhě shuō dǐ qì shí zú ， ruò pāi mài huì shàng zhēn chū xiàn zì jǐ xū yào de bǎo wù ， lín xuān yě yǒu xìn xīn ， tóng nà xiē zuì dǐng jí de lǎo guài wù ， zhēng qiǎng yī fān le 。
但不管如何，有了这么多晶石，让林轩对即将召开的蟠桃会，也多了几分期待，或者说底气十足，若拍卖会上真出现自己需要的宝物，林轩也有信心，同那些最顶级的老怪物，争抢一番了。
...
chú le jīng shí ， lín xuān hái cóng fāng shì duì huàn le yī xiē dōng xī 。
除了晶石，林轩还从坊市兑换了一些东西。
One day, while Lin Xuan was meditating on the spirit boat, a dragon-like and phoenix-like voice suddenly sounded in his ears without any warning.
nà jiù shì tiān wén shù zì de líng fú 。
那就是天文数字的灵符。
Lin Xuan opened his eyes. His expression remained calm as he sighed, patting his waist.
fú lù ， xiū xiān zhě zuì cháng yòng de gōng jī shǒu duàn zhī yī 。
符箓，修仙者最常用的攻击手段之一。
A flash of light appeared, revealing an inch-wide jade pendant—the invitation to the Peach Blossom Banquet. The dragon-like and phoenix-like voice came from it.
dàn pǐn jí gāo de fú lù nán dé ， gù ér cǐ wù ， duì yú dù jié jí bié de lǎo guài wù ， yǐ nán yǒu shén me xiào guǒ ， dàn yǐ duō yǎo sǐ xiàng ， lín xuān duì huàn de líng fú shù liàng gòu duō ， guān jiàn shí kè ， shuō bù dé yě néng qǐ dào yì xiǎng bù dào de xiào guǒ 。
但品级高的符箓难得，故而此物，对于渡劫级别的老怪物，已难有什么效果，但蚁多咬死象，林轩兑换的灵符数量够多，关键时刻，说不得也能起到意想不到的效果。
Without hesitation, Lin Xuan pointed a finger forward.
zǒng zhī zhè bǎi nián ， lín xuān méi yǒu bái guò ， yǐ jìn qí suǒ néng ， zuò le zuì chōng fèn de zhǔn bèi 。
总之这百年，林轩没有白过，已尽其所能，做了最充分的准备。
The jade pendant emitted a burst of spiritual light, and clear text appeared on its surface.
Lin Xuan reached out and took the items, slightly lowering his head. Young Lion Book Alliance
As expected, the treasures inside were of considerable value. This was also what he had anticipated; a late-stage Golden Tribulation cultivator was already one of the top existences in the cultivation world. No matter how powerful their strength might be, their wealth would certainly be substantial.
Although he hadn't fully understood the identities of the two people, such an outcome was acceptable from any angle.
"Little Butterfly, you've done well."
"There's no need for you to say so, Brother Lin. It’s just a small matter, and it is what I should do," Little Butterfly waved her hand dismissively.
"All right, there's nothing more to it. I'll head back to the Momentary Cavern Scroll first."
"Hmm."
Lin Xuan nodded his head.
Little Butterfly flashed away, reappearing inside the ancient scroll.
With matters concluded for now, Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead and showed a thoughtful expression on his face.
It seemed that he needed to be more cautious in the future. If his assumptions were correct, those bald man and old woman with white hair were merely cannon fodder. Although Lin Xuan wasn’t a coward, he didn't want to clash with any mysterious forces lurking in the shadows.
With these thoughts in mind, he decided it was best not to linger here for long. He waved his hand to release a spirit boat, then dashed into the cabin.
With a slight stomp of his foot, powerful mana surged in.
Soon after, a buzzing sound filled the air as a ball of spiritual light enveloped the spirit boat, propelling it swiftly away from the scene.
...
At the same time, several thousand miles away, two people were hiding in a secret room, whispering to each other.
"Brother, we've had great success recently. We've killed many high-ranking cultivators and accumulated vast amounts of wealth," said a cold voice with evident joy.
"Humph, short-sighted fellows. What does this meager amount of treasure matter? The Peach Blossom Banquet is about to convene. Compared to the treasures we seek, these few pieces of treasure are far from enough," another voice replied, its tone coarser and tinged with disdain.
"So much treasure still isn't enough. Is that item really so exorbitantly priced?" the first voice said doubtfully.
"Humph, what do you know? At the Peach Blossom Banquet, all three realms' powerful existences will gather. This treasure is highly attractive to those top-tier beings. Those old monsters have lived for millions of years and are as wealthy as nations. Do you think a few pieces of treasure can ensure us victory?" the second voice said indifferently.
Before their words had even finished, a flash of fire entered the room—a telepathic message.
The owner of the second voice was taken aback but still retrieved it.
After slightly injecting his spiritual sense into it, he exploded with rage: "Damned, my left and right arms have actually perished."
"What? You say those two people are only slightly weaker than us. But they're late-stage Golden Tribulation cultivators. How could they easily fall in a joint attack? They didn't even escape their元婴. Could the one who struck be a realm powerhouse?" the first voice said, greatly alarmed.
"I don’t know if it was a realm powerhouse, but I won't suffer this humiliation. This grudge I must settle," the second voice said viciously, his tone filled with malice.
...
Lin Xuan was unaware of all this. At this moment, he was still traveling through the Rain Pine Realm.
He went to the markets to exchange astronomical amounts of crystal stones, learning from past experiences.
This time, Lin Xuan was more cautious when exchanging crystal stones. Every time he entered a market, he would use disguise techniques, sometimes appearing as a stout old man, other times as a rugged giant, or even as a monk or hermit.
Each time he appeared in public, his image was completely different from the last.
This naturally provided excellent cover and kept him unremarkable. The mysterious force hated Lin Xuan to the core but finding him under such circumstances would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Moreover, with Lin Xuan now being a late-stage Golden Tribulation cultivator, breaking through the void was no big deal.
Traveling between minor realms of the Spirit Realm might as well be like eating or drinking. Knowing that he had been noticed by someone intent on finding him, Lin Xuan didn’t limit his crystal stone exchanges to just the Rain Pine Realm.
He often visited nearby minor realms as well. Not only did this make exchanging crystal stones easier and safer, but it was a two-for-one deal.
...
Time passed like a fleeting moment in cultivation; a hundred years flashed by quickly.
In these past hundred years, Lin Xuan hadn’t encountered any major troubles, nor had he found the sought-after opportunities.
Whether it was what he needed or Little Butterfly's current bottleneck, nothing had been resolved.
But this was expected. So neither of them felt disheartened over it.
Regardless, the purpose of exchanging crystal stones had been successfully achieved.
After nearly a century of hard work, Lin Xuan had traveled through various minor realms in the Spirit Realm and entered markets countless times.
He auctioned off his unnecessary treasures, converting them into premium crystal stones.
The exact number was unclear to him, but it was too many to count. However, with so much crystal stone, Lin Xuan felt more confident about the upcoming Peach Blossom Banquet. If he found what he needed at the auction, he had the confidence to compete against those top-tier old monsters.
Besides crystal stones, Lin Xuan also exchanged some items from the market—astronomical numbers of spiritual talismans.
Talismans were one of the most commonly used attack methods by cultivators. However, high-grade talismans were rare, making them ineffective against late-stage Golden Tribulation cultivators. But with enough quantity, these talismans might still have unexpected effects in critical moments.
In any case, Lin Xuan hadn’t wasted his time over the past century; he had done everything possible to prepare thoroughly.
Opportunities always favored those who were well-prepared. Could this Peach Blossom Banquet bring Lin Xuan some surprises and fulfill his wishes?
No one knew for sure, but deep down, Lin Xuan was very eager.
...
One day, while Lin Xuan was meditating on the spirit boat, a dragon-like and phoenix-like voice suddenly sounded in his ears without any warning.
Lin Xuan opened his eyes. His expression remained calm as he sighed, patting his waist.
A flash of light appeared, revealing an inch-wide jade pendant—the invitation to the Peach Blossom Banquet. The dragon-like and phoenix-like voice came from it.
Without hesitation, Lin Xuan pointed a finger forward.
The jade pendant emitted a burst of spiritual light, and clear text appeared on its surface.