readx(); qì shì jiāo fēng ， yī jiù píng fēn qiū sè 。
readx(); 气势交锋，依旧平分秋色。
The atmosphere of confrontation remained evenly matched.
nà lǎo zhě wàng xiàng lín xuān de biǎo qíng ， yě yuè lái yuè níng zhòng le 。
那老者望向林轩的表情，也越来越凝重了。
The elder's expression toward Lin Xuan grew increasingly serious. He was one of the two Supreme Elders of the Rain Mist Business Alliance, alongside Lady Rain Pong, who claimed to be the foremost figure in the spiritual realm. His identity and strength were nearly on par with those of the lower-ranked Primordial Demons.
tā shì yǔ lán shāng méng de liǎng dà tài shàng zhǎng lǎo zhī yī ， chú le nà wèi hào chēng líng jiè dì yī rén de yǔ tóng xiān zi ， tā liǎ jiù shì yǔ lán shāng méng zuì zhòng yào de rén wù 。
他是雨岚商盟的两大太上长老之一，除了那位号称灵界第一人的雨桐仙子，他俩就是雨岚商盟最重要的人物。
His insights were naturally more profound as he had encountered countless powerful individuals over his lifetime. He could tell that Lin Xuan hadn't mastered a domain yet—no, not even advanced to late-stage Tribulation Transcendence just recently.
shēn fèn shí lì ， jī hū bù xià yú pái míng kào hòu de zhēn mó shǐ zǔ 。
身份实力，几乎不下于排名靠后的真魔始祖。
How could someone possess such formidable strength and demeanor, almost evenly matched with him? It was hard to believe in the real world that such a figure existed without seeing it firsthand. In time, wouldn’t he become another Asura King?
yǎn guāng zì rán gèng yǒu dú dào zhī chù ， shēng píng huì guò qiáng zhě wú shù ， tā néng gòu kàn chū ， lín xuān hái wèi zhǎng wò lǐng yù ， bù …… shèn zhì lián jìn jiē dù jié hòu qī ， dōu shì bù jiǔ zhī qián dì 。
眼光自然更有独到之处，生平会过强者无数，他能够看出，林轩还未掌握领域，不……甚至连进阶渡劫后期，都是不久之前地。
These thoughts crossed his mind as he looked at Lin Xuan with a hint of envy and jealousy.
zěn me néng yǒu rú cǐ shí lì ， qì dù yě rú cǐ liǎo de ， jī hū néng yǔ zì jǐ píng fēn qiū sè 。
怎么能有如此实力，气度也如此了得，几乎能与自己平分秋色。
Of course, such emotions flashed by quickly before he chuckled silently. This boy was indeed impressive, but the path to becoming an Asura King required countless hardships. It was premature to speak about it now.
ruò fēi qīn yǎn mù dǔ ， shí nán xiāng xìn shì jiān hái néng chū xiàn rú cǐ rén wù ， jiā yǐ shí rì ， qǐ bù yòu shì yī wèi ā xiū luó ？
若非亲眼目睹，实难相信世间还能出现如此人物，加以时日，岂不又是一位阿修罗？
Moreover, achieving supremacy in the three realms wasn't easy; whether or not he had such good fortune remained uncertain.
zhè ge niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， tā wàng xiàng lín xuān de biǎo qíng jìng yǒu jǐ fēn xiàn mù yǔ jí dù 。
这个念头转过，他望向林轩的表情竟有几分羡慕与嫉妒。
"Friend, why are you laughing?"
dāng rán ， zhè yàng de qíng xù jǐn jǐn shì yī shǎn ér guò ， suí jí jiù yǎ rán shī xiào qǐ lái le 。
当然，这样的情绪仅仅是一闪而过，随即就哑然失笑起来了。
Lin Xuan found the elder's haughty attitude extremely uncomfortable. He wanted the other party to understand that he didn’t take lightly his position as a soft target for manipulation.
zhè xiǎo zi què rán liǎo de ， kě zhēn xiǎng yào chéng zhǎng dào ā xiū luó wáng nà yàng de dì bù hái bù zhī dào yào jīng lì duō shǎo jiān nán kǔ chǔ ， xiàn zài shuō zhè xiē hái yán zhī tài guò 。
这小子确然了得，可真想要成长到阿修罗王那样的地步还不知道要经历多少艰难苦楚，现在说这些还言之太过。
"I am Earth Crystal Disperser. I have yet to learn your esteemed name, young friend."
hé kuàng zhēn xiǎng yào guān jué sān jiè yòu nǎ ér huì shì nà me róng yì de ， tā yǒu méi yǒu zhè yàng de fú yuán ， hái bù tài hǎo shuō 。
何况真想要冠绝三界又哪儿会是那么容易的，他有没有这样的福缘，还不太好说。
The gray-robed elder wasn't angry; his expression remained pleasant. However, before he could finish speaking, the surrounding spectators began to stir.
“ dào yǒu xiào shén me ？”
“道友笑什么？”
"What? Earth Crystal Disperser! He is one of the legendary Two Elders of Heaven and Earth!"
duì fāng nà fù gāo gāo zài shàng de tài dù ， ràng lín xuān jí bù shū fú 。
对方那副高高在上的态度，让林轩极不舒服。
"Who are these Two Elders?"
tā xiǎng yào ràng duì fāng nòng qīng chǔ ， bú yào yǐ wéi shén me dōu jǐn zài zhǎng wò ， yǐ wéi zì jǐ shì ruǎn shì zi ， kě yǐ rèn yóu tā ná niē de 。
他想要让对方弄清楚，不要以为什么都尽在掌握，以为自己是软柿子，可以任由他拿捏的。
"Hey, you must be quite ignorant if you haven’t heard of the famous Heavenly and Earthly Elders. As a Tribulation Transcender, you should know better. The Heavenly and Earthly Elders are well-known figures—Heavenly Spinor Venerable and Earth Crystal Disperser."
“ lǎo fū dì jī sàn rén ， hái méi yǒu qǐng jiào zhè wèi xiǎo dào yǒu zūn xìng dà míng 。”
“老夫地玑散人，还没有请教这位小道友尊姓大名。”
"So that's it. I only knew there were three powerful figures in the Rain Mist Business Alliance, but I didn’t know who they were." The previous speaker seemed slightly ashamed. "Is it true that these Two Elders are so formidable?"
huī páo lǎo zhě bìng bù shēng qì ， biǎo qíng yī jiù shì ràng rén rú mù chūn fēng dì ， kě tā huà yīn wèi luò ， zhōu wéi nà xiē páng guān de xiū xiān zhě ， jiù yí gè èr gè de zhà kāi le guō 。
灰袍老者并不生气，表情依旧是让人如沐春风地，可他话音未落，周围那些旁观的修仙者，就一个二个的炸开了锅。
"Of course," another person boasted proudly. "They are among the oldest living cultivators, roughly on par with Loose Immortals and Demon Kings from the same era. They emerged at the dawn of creation, their lifespan a mystery to all."
“ shén me ， dì jī sàn rén ， tā biàn shì chuán shuō zhōng de tiān dì èr lǎo zhī yī 。”
“什么，地玑散人，他便是传说中的天地二老之一。”
"They chased stars and moons, vying for treasures in the primordial age. They traversed various planes, engaging in battles against unknown powerful entities from other worlds."
“ tiān dì èr lǎo 。 nà shì hé fāng shén shèng ？”
“天地二老。那是何方神圣？”
"They once fought against Primordial Demons and had conflicts with the Six Kings of the Netherworld. They witnessed the Asura King's unparalleled demeanor and met True Immortals descending to the spiritual realm. While we are Tribulation Transcenders, they are incomparably different. Don’t you think the Two Elders are extraordinary?"
“ hēi ， wǒ shuō nǐ yě zhēn shì gū lòu guǎ wén ， lián dà míng dǐng dǐng de tiān dì èr lǎo yě bù céng tīng shuō guò 。 wǎng wèi dù jié jí bié de xiū xiān zhě ， zhè tiān dì èr lǎo 。 kě shì dà míng dǐng dǐng ， tiān xuán zūn zhě ， dì jī sàn rén ， hé chēng tiān dì èr lǎo 。”
“嘿，我说你也真是孤陋寡闻，连大名鼎鼎的天地二老也不曾听说过。枉为渡劫级别的修仙者，这天地二老。可是大名鼎鼎，天璇尊者，地玑散人，合称天地二老。”
...
“ yuán lái rú cǐ ， wǒ zhǐ zhī dào yǔ lán shāng méng yǒu sān dà qiáng zhě ， dàn jiū jìng shì nǎ sān wèi dà rén què bìng bù xiǎo de 。” xiān qián zhī rén lüè yǒu xiē cán kuì de shuō ：“ zěn me ， zhè tiān dì èr lǎo fēi cháng liǎo de ？”
“原来如此，我只知道雨岚商盟有三大强者，但究竟是哪三位大人却并不晓得。”先前之人略有些惭愧的说：“怎么，这天地二老非常了得？”
The murmurs continued, and as time passed, the spectators' eyes filled with admiration.
“ nà hái yòng shuō 。” lìng wài yī rén dé yì yáng yáng de kāi kǒu le ：“ tā men dōu shì huó dé zuì jiǔ de xiū xiān zhě 。 yǔ sàn xiān yāo wáng chà bu duō shì tóng yī shí dài de rén wù ， dàn shēng yú kāi tiān pì dì zhī chū ， jiū jìng huó le duō me jiǔ yuǎn de suì yuè shuí yě bù qīng chǔ 。”
“那还用说。”另外一人得意洋洋的开口了：“他们都是活得最久的修仙者。与散仙妖王差不多是同一时代的人物，诞生于开天辟地之初，究竟活了多么久远的岁月谁也不清楚。”
Lin Xuan faced immense pressure at this moment.
“ céng zhuī xīng gǎn yuè ， yǔ shàng gǔ zhēn líng zhēng duó hóng méng shí dài de bǎo wù 。 céng zài gè dà jiè miàn jiān chuān suō ， dòu guò nǎ xiē wǒ men jiàn dōu méi yǒu jiàn guò de yì jiè qiáng zhě 。”
“曾追星赶月，与上古真灵争夺鸿蒙时代的宝物。曾在各大界面间穿梭，斗过哪些我们见都没有见过的异界强者。”
Despite his surprise and a hint of jealousy, he ultimately believed that Lin Xuan still had much room for growth and was too weak to be feared. The danger could be contained before it grew.
“ tā men céng yǔ zhēn mó shǐ zǔ wèi dí ， yě céng yǔ yīn sī liù wáng jiāo wù ， tā men jiàn guò ā xiū luó wáng de jué shì fēng fàn ， yě céng jīng bài huì guò jiàng lín dào líng jiè lái de zhēn xiān 。 tóng wèi dù jié qī ， dàn yǔ wǒ men zhè xiē rén ， què shì wán quán bù tóng dì ， nǐ shuō tiān dì èr lǎo le bù liǎo bù qǐ ？”
“他们曾与真魔始祖为敌，也曾与阴司六王交恶，他们见过阿修罗王的绝世风范，也曾经拜会过降临到灵界来的真仙。同为渡劫期，但与我们这些人，却是完全不同地，你说天地二老了不了不起？”
...
……
……
Lin Xuan was unaware of these thoughts. It was impossible to discern such an old monster's true intentions.
wēng wēng de yì lùn hái zài bù tíng chuán rù ěr lǐ ， suí zhe shí jiān de tuī yí 。 páng guān zhòng xiū shì de yǎn zhōng zhǐ shèng xià le jìng yǎng zhī yì 。
嗡嗡的议论还在不停传入耳里，随着时间的推移。旁观众修士的眼中只剩下了敬仰之意。
Thus, he answered the elder’s question humbly: "I am Lin Xuan. I apologize deeply for breaking your alliance's rules. But there were compelling reasons behind my actions, and I truly had no intention of opposing your sect."
kě xiǎng ér zhī ， lín xuān cǐ kè ， miàn duì zhe zěn yàng de yā lì 。
可想而知，林轩此刻，面对着怎样的压力。
Lin Xuan lowered his stance.
guài shuō bù dé ， zhè wèi dì jī sàn rén ， nà shì nù qì yì diǎn bù lù ， shí lì dào le tā zhè yàng de děng jí ， yòu yǒu zhe zhè yàng fēng fù de jīng lì ， yǎn qián de bō lán ， zài tā yǎn zhōng ， bù zhí yī tí ， gēn běn méi yǒu bàn fǎ yǔ tā xī rì de jīng lì xiāng bǐ 。
怪说不得，这位地玑散人，那是怒气一点不露，实力到了他这样的等级，又有着这样丰富的经历，眼前的波澜，在他眼中，不值一提，根本没有办法与他昔日的经历相比。
He wasn’t afraid but pragmatic. If submitting and saying flattering words could pass without conflict, why risk it with such a formidable existence?
suī rán tā yě duì lín xuān gǎn dào jīng qí ， shèn zhì yǒu yì diǎn diǎn jí dù de xīn lǐ ， dàn guī gēn jié dǐ ， lín xuān hái yǒu hěn dà chéng zhǎng de yú dì ， ér xiàn zài de tā ， tài ruò xiǎo le xiē 。
虽然他也对林轩感到惊奇，甚至有一点点嫉妒的心理，但归根结底，林轩还有很大成长的余地，而现在的他，太弱小了些。
However, gaining forgiveness was far from easy.
ér wēi xiǎn kě yǐ è shā zài méng yá lǐ ， suǒ yǐ xiàn zài de lín xuān ， bù zú wèi jù 。
而危险可以扼杀在萌芽里，所以现在的林轩，不足为惧。
What Lin Xuan didn't expect was that another opponent emerged at this moment.
……
……
"Supreme Elder, don’t believe this boy's nonsense. He showed no respect to our Rain Mist Business Alliance just now. His words were extremely disrespectful, calling us mere merchants and boasting about his power. He said he could easily eliminate all of us with a flick of his finger and urged us not to provoke him or face dire consequences."
zhè yī qiè ， lín xuān bìng bù qīng chǔ ， bì jìng zhè zhǒng lǎo guài wù xīn zhōng jiū jìng zài xiǎng shén me ， gēn běn bù tài kě néng bèi kàn pò 。
这一切，林轩并不清楚，毕竟这种老怪物心中究竟在想什么，根本不太可能被看破。
"He also claimed that the three elders are merely pretenders, that the position of Supreme Elder in our Rain Mist Business Alliance should have been passed on long ago, and it should be his turn..."
suǒ yǐ ， tā zhǐ néng lǎo lǎo shí shí huí dá duì fāng de wèn tí ：“ zài xià lín xuān ， pò huài guì méng de guī jǔ ， bào qiàn yǐ jí ， dàn wǒ zhēn de shì yǒu bù dé yǐ de kǔ zhōng dì ， hái qǐng dào yǒu tǐ liàng yú wǒ ， zài xià zhēn de wú yì yǔ guì pài wèi dí 。”
所以，他只能老老实实回答对方的问题：“在下林轩，破坏贵盟的规矩，抱歉以极，但我真的是有不得已的苦衷地，还请道友体谅于我，在下真的无意与贵派为敌。”
"What?"
lín xuān jiāng zì jǐ de zī tài fàng dé hěn dī 。
林轩将自己的姿态放得很低。
Earth Crystal Disperser's originally calm expression soured as he glared at Lin Xuan. "Boy, you really said such things."
dào bìng bú shì wèi jù ， ér shì shí shí wù ， ruò shì fú ruǎn shuō diǎn hǎo tīng de yán yǔ jiù néng méng hùn guò qù ， nà yòu hé bì shǎ shǎ de yǔ zhè děng qiáng dà de cún zài wèi dí 。
倒并不是畏惧，而是识时务，若是服软说点好听的言语就能蒙混过去，那又何必傻傻的与这等强大的存在为敌。
"Of course I did; how could a subordinate dare deceive the Supreme Elder? This boy is nothing but a chatterbox who loves to speak nonsense. I only regret not being more effective in defending our Rain Mist Business Alliance from his slander."
kě dào lǐ shì zhè ge dào lǐ ， zhēn xiǎng yào dé dào duì fāng de liàng jiě yòu nǎ ér yǒu zhè me róng yì 。
可道理是这个道理，真想要得到对方的谅解又哪儿有这么容易。
The Long Eyebrow Venerable of the Seven True Sages appeared deeply pained, his expression filled with self-blame, almost convincing enough that he had no flaws.
gèng ràng lín xuān wàn wàn xiǎng bú dào de shì ， piān piān jiù zài zhè shí ， yòu yǒu rén tiào chū lái yǔ tā wèi dí 。
更让林轩万万想不到的是，偏偏就在这时，又有人跳出来与他为敌。
Lin Xuan was speechless. While deceit and cunning were common in the cultivation world, such blatant lies in front of others were rare.
“ tài shàng zhǎng lǎo bú yào xiāng xìn zhè xiǎo zi hú yán luàn yǔ ， tā gāng cái duì wǒ yǔ lán shāng méng kě shì háo wú jìng yì ， chū yán bù xùn yǐ jí ， shuō shén me qū qū yí gè shāng méng ér yǐ ， jiù bú yào hú chuī dà qì ， hái shuō wǒ yǔ lán shāng méng de xiū shì jiē shì fèi wù ， tā dòng dòng xiǎo zhǐ tou jiù néng miè chú ， ràng wǒ men bú yào chěng néng le ， fǒu zé jiāng tā rě nù ， yào jiāng wǒ yǔ lán shāng méng de xiū shì yí gè gè quán dōu miè chú 。”
“太上长老不要相信这小子胡言乱语，他刚才对我雨岚商盟可是毫无敬意，出言不逊以极，说什么区区一个商盟而已，就不要胡吹大气，还说我雨岚商盟的修士皆是废物，他动动小指头就能灭除，让我们不要逞能了，否则将他惹怒，要将我雨岚商盟的修士一个个全都灭除。”
Moreover, while deceit among cultivators often stemmed from greed for treasures, the cultivation world wasn't entirely devoid of honor.
“ tā hái shuō sān wèi dà rén yě dōu shì làng dé xū míng zhī tú ， zhè yǔ lán shāng méng tài shàng zhǎng lǎo de wèi zhì ， zǎo jiù gāi tuì wèi ràng xián le ， yīng gāi yóu tā lái zuò ……”
“他还说三位大人也都是浪得虚名之徒，这雨岚商盟太上长老的位置，早就该退位让贤了，应该由他来做……”
Lower-ranking cultivators might lie more frequently to survive, but higher-ranking ones generally avoided such behavior as it damaged their reputation and status.
“ shén me ？”
“什么？”
A high-ranking Tribulation Transcender like Earth Crystal Disperser lying in front of others was something Lin Xuan had never imagined, even in his wildest dreams. Yet, this situation unfolded before him.
nà dì jī sàn rén yuán běn shì yī liǎn de yún dàn fēng qīng zhī sè ， kě tīng le zhè huà ， liǎn sè yě biàn dé nán kàn yǐ jí le ， sēn rán de mù guāng zài lín xuān liǎn shàng sǎo guò ：“ xiǎo zi wú lǐ ， nǐ dàng zhēn céng zhè yàng shuō 。”
那地玑散人原本是一脸的云淡风轻之色，可听了这话，脸色也变得难看以极了，森然的目光在林轩脸上扫过：“小子无礼，你当真曾这样说。”
Lin Xuan's expression soured, but the spectators exchanged glances without defending him. Although they disapproved of the Long Eyebrow Venerable’s actions, it didn’t concern them directly.
“ dāng rán shuō guò ， shǔ xià yòu zěn me gǎn qī piàn tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ne ， zhè xiǎo zi jiù shì yī huá fú wú liáo zhī tú ， zuì xǐ huān hú yán luàn shuō ， zhǐ hèn shǔ xià méi yòng ， ràng tā dǐ huǐ wǒ yǔ lán shāng méng 。”
“当然说过，属下又怎么敢欺骗太上长老呢，这小子就是一滑浮无聊之徒，最喜欢胡言乱说，只恨属下没用，让他诋毁我雨岚商盟。”
These onlookers had no kinship with Lin Xuan and were unwilling to defend him, as it would bring unnecessary conflict with the Rain Mist Business Alliance.
tài zhēn qī xiū zhōng de zhǎng méi lǎo zhě xiǎn de shí fēn chén tòng ， yī liǎn de zì zé ， qí biǎo qíng jiǎn zhí dào le yǐ jiǎ luàn zhēn de chéng dù ， yī sī pò zhàn yě wú 。
太真七修中的长眉老者显得十分沉痛，一脸的自责，其表情简直到了以假乱真的程度，一丝破绽也无。
The remaining six elders from the Seven True Sages remained silent but couldn't support their fellow elder's position.
The atmosphere of confrontation remained evenly matched.
The elder's expression toward Lin Xuan grew increasingly serious. He was one of the two Supreme Elders of the Rain Mist Business Alliance, alongside Lady Rain Pong, who claimed to be the foremost figure in the spiritual realm. His identity and strength were nearly on par with those of the lower-ranked Primordial Demons.
His insights were naturally more profound as he had encountered countless powerful individuals over his lifetime. He could tell that Lin Xuan hadn't mastered a domain yet—no, not even advanced to late-stage Tribulation Transcendence just recently.
How could someone possess such formidable strength and demeanor, almost evenly matched with him? It was hard to believe in the real world that such a figure existed without seeing it firsthand. In time, wouldn’t he become another Asura King?
These thoughts crossed his mind as he looked at Lin Xuan with a hint of envy and jealousy.
Of course, such emotions flashed by quickly before he chuckled silently. This boy was indeed impressive, but the path to becoming an Asura King required countless hardships. It was premature to speak about it now.
Moreover, achieving supremacy in the three realms wasn't easy; whether or not he had such good fortune remained uncertain.
"Friend, why are you laughing?"
Lin Xuan found the elder's haughty attitude extremely uncomfortable. He wanted the other party to understand that he didn’t take lightly his position as a soft target for manipulation.
"I am Earth Crystal Disperser. I have yet to learn your esteemed name, young friend."
The gray-robed elder wasn't angry; his expression remained pleasant. However, before he could finish speaking, the surrounding spectators began to stir.
"What? Earth Crystal Disperser! He is one of the legendary Two Elders of Heaven and Earth!"
"Who are these Two Elders?"
"Hey, you must be quite ignorant if you haven’t heard of the famous Heavenly and Earthly Elders. As a Tribulation Transcender, you should know better. The Heavenly and Earthly Elders are well-known figures—Heavenly Spinor Venerable and Earth Crystal Disperser."
"So that's it. I only knew there were three powerful figures in the Rain Mist Business Alliance, but I didn’t know who they were." The previous speaker seemed slightly ashamed. "Is it true that these Two Elders are so formidable?"
"Of course," another person boasted proudly. "They are among the oldest living cultivators, roughly on par with Loose Immortals and Demon Kings from the same era. They emerged at the dawn of creation, their lifespan a mystery to all."
"They chased stars and moons, vying for treasures in the primordial age. They traversed various planes, engaging in battles against unknown powerful entities from other worlds."
"They once fought against Primordial Demons and had conflicts with the Six Kings of the Netherworld. They witnessed the Asura King's unparalleled demeanor and met True Immortals descending to the spiritual realm. While we are Tribulation Transcenders, they are incomparably different. Don’t you think the Two Elders are extraordinary?"
...
The murmurs continued, and as time passed, the spectators' eyes filled with admiration.
Lin Xuan faced immense pressure at this moment.
Despite his surprise and a hint of jealousy, he ultimately believed that Lin Xuan still had much room for growth and was too weak to be feared. The danger could be contained before it grew.
...
Lin Xuan was unaware of these thoughts. It was impossible to discern such an old monster's true intentions.
Thus, he answered the elder’s question humbly: "I am Lin Xuan. I apologize deeply for breaking your alliance's rules. But there were compelling reasons behind my actions, and I truly had no intention of opposing your sect."
Lin Xuan lowered his stance.
He wasn’t afraid but pragmatic. If submitting and saying flattering words could pass without conflict, why risk it with such a formidable existence?
However, gaining forgiveness was far from easy.
What Lin Xuan didn't expect was that another opponent emerged at this moment.
"Supreme Elder, don’t believe this boy's nonsense. He showed no respect to our Rain Mist Business Alliance just now. His words were extremely disrespectful, calling us mere merchants and boasting about his power. He said he could easily eliminate all of us with a flick of his finger and urged us not to provoke him or face dire consequences."
"He also claimed that the three elders are merely pretenders, that the position of Supreme Elder in our Rain Mist Business Alliance should have been passed on long ago, and it should be his turn..."
"What?"
Earth Crystal Disperser's originally calm expression soured as he glared at Lin Xuan. "Boy, you really said such things."
"Of course I did; how could a subordinate dare deceive the Supreme Elder? This boy is nothing but a chatterbox who loves to speak nonsense. I only regret not being more effective in defending our Rain Mist Business Alliance from his slander."
The Long Eyebrow Venerable of the Seven True Sages appeared deeply pained, his expression filled with self-blame, almost convincing enough that he had no flaws.
Lin Xuan was speechless. While deceit and cunning were common in the cultivation world, such blatant lies in front of others were rare.
Moreover, while deceit among cultivators often stemmed from greed for treasures, the cultivation world wasn't entirely devoid of honor.
Lower-ranking cultivators might lie more frequently to survive, but higher-ranking ones generally avoided such behavior as it damaged their reputation and status.
A high-ranking Tribulation Transcender like Earth Crystal Disperser lying in front of others was something Lin Xuan had never imagined, even in his wildest dreams. Yet, this situation unfolded before him.
Lin Xuan's expression soured, but the spectators exchanged glances without defending him. Although they disapproved of the Long Eyebrow Venerable’s actions, it didn’t concern them directly.
These onlookers had no kinship with Lin Xuan and were unwilling to defend him, as it would bring unnecessary conflict with the Rain Mist Business Alliance.
The remaining six elders from the Seven True Sages remained silent but couldn't support their fellow elder's position.