dì sān rén zuì nián qīng 。 bù guò sān shí zuǒ yòu 。 róng mào pǔ tōng 。 shǔ yú diū jìn rén duī jiù wàng dé nà zhǒng 。
第三人最年轻。不过三十左右。容貌普通。属于丢进人堆就忘得那种。
The third person was the youngest, around thirty years old. His appearance was unremarkable; he blended into a crowd so easily that one could forget about him.
luò yī 。 gāi xiǎo bù luò zuì yǒu qián tú dé wū shī 。 bù guò xiàn zài 。 yǐ jīng bèi lín xuān suǒ dài tì 。 chuán chéng le tā dé jì yì 。 lín xuān zì rán rèn de shēn qián dé liǎng rén 。
洛伊。该小部落最有前途得巫师。不过现在。已经被林轩所代替。传承了他得记忆。林轩自然认得身前得两人。
Luo Yi. The most promising young witch in this small tribe. But now, Lin Xuan had taken his place. Having inherited Luo Yi's memories, Lin Xuan naturally recognized the two people before him.
lǎo zhě jiào sāng tuō 。 jīn nián yǐ jīng yì bǎi bā shí suì le 。 zhù jī hòu qī dé xiū xiān zhě 。 suī rán tā dé xiū wèi zuì gāo 。 rán ér què yǐ dào le fēng zhú cán nián 。 jīn shēng bù kě néng zài yǒu xī wàng níng dān 。
老者叫桑托。今年已经一百八十岁了。筑基后期得修仙者。虽然他得修为最高。然而却已到了风烛残年。今生不可能再有希望凝丹。
The elder was named Santou and was already 180 years old. He was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Although he was the most advanced in terms of cultivation, he was at the twilight of his life; there was no hope for him to condense his essence core this lifetime.
zhuàng hàn yào nián qīng yī xiē 。 dàn yě chāo guò le bǎi suì nián jì 。 ér qiě zhù jī chéng gōng yě méi yǒu duō jiǔ 。 zī zhì bù guò yì bān ér yǐ 。
壮汉要年轻一些。但也超过了百岁年纪。而且筑基成功也没有多久。资质不过一般而已。
The壮汉 was somewhat younger but had also surpassed a hundred years of age. His success as a Foundation Establishment cultivator was recent, and his talent was merely average.
nà xiē dī jiē wū shī bù shuō 。 sān rén zhōng zì rán shì luò yī zuì yǒu qián tú 。 shēn dé zhǎng lǎo dé qì zhòng 。
那些低阶巫师不说。三人中自然是洛伊最有前途。深得长老得器重。
Not mentioning the low-rank witches, among the three, Luo Yi naturally had the most promising future, deeply favored by the elders.
suī rán dòng fǔ tóng zài yī zuò shān fēng 。 dàn píng rì lǐ yě dōu gè zì xiū liàn 。 hěn shǎo jiàn miàn 。 hù yì diǎn tóu 。 biàn suàn dǎ guò le zhāo hū 。
虽然洞府同在一座山峰。但平日里也都各自修炼。很少见面。互一点头。便算打过了招呼。
Although their cultivation caves were on the same mountain peak, they rarely met each other during their daily practices. A nod or a greeting sufficed as a form of acknowledgment.
lín xuān zì rán bú huì duō huà 。 fǒu zé lù chū pò zhàn qǐ bù shì nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō ？
林轩自然不会多话。否则露出破绽岂不是弄巧成拙？
Lin Xuan would not waste words; otherwise, he might expose his true intentions and turn cleverness into folly.
nà lǎo zhě shén sè dàn dàn 。 cóng huái zhōng tāo chū yī zhāng chuán yīn fú 。 dī yǔ le jǐ jù 。 chuī le kǒu qì 。 dùn shí huà wèi yī dào huǒ guāng 。 fēi rù le dòng fǔ 。
那老者神色淡淡。从怀中掏出一张传音符。低语了几句。吹了口气。顿时化为一道火光。飞入了洞府。
The elder's expression was indifferent. He took out a sound transmission talisman from his pocket, whispered a few words, blew a breath, and it turned into a fiery light that flew into the cave.
guò le piàn kè 。 yǎn qián dé yún wù tū rán jù liè dé fān yǒng qǐ lái 。 bàn suí zhe dī chén dé hōng míng zhī shēng 。 xiàng liǎng biān fēn kāi 。 lù chū le yī tiáo tōng dào lái 。
过了片刻。眼前得云雾突然剧烈得翻涌起来。伴随着低沉得轰鸣之声。像两边分开。露出了一条通道来。
After a while, the clouds in front suddenly churned violently, accompanied by deep rumbling sounds as if the walls parted to reveal a passage.
sān rén hù wàng le yī yǎn 。 rán hòu biàn yǐ nà lǎo zhě jū shǒu 。 lín xuān cì zhī 。 zhuàng hàn pái zài zuì hòu 。 yú guàn fēi le jìn qù 。
三人互望了一眼。然后便以那老者居首。林轩次之。壮汉排在最后。鱼贯飞了进去。
The three exchanged glances before entering the cave with Santou leading, Lin Xuan second, and the壮汉 bringing up the rear.
zhè shì yí gè yǔ luò yī xiū liàn zhī chù xiāng sì dé dòng fǔ 。 rán ér miàn jī què yào dà dé duō 。 chú le liàn gōng fáng 。 qǐ jū shì yǐ wài 。 hái yǒu yī chù xiǎo xiǎo dé yào yuán 。 líng shòu shì 。 cáng shū gé ……
这是一个与洛伊修炼之处相似得洞府。然而面积却要大得多。除了练功房。起居室以外。还有一处小小得药园。灵兽室。藏书阁……
This cave was similar to Luo Yi's practice cave but much larger. Besides the training room and living quarters, there was also a small herb garden, a spirit beast chamber, and a library...
suī rán tóng wèi xiū xiān zhě 。 dàn bù dé bù shuō 。 wū shī suǒ xué bǐ xiū shì hái yào gèng wéi fán zá 。 dāng rán 。 yě bú shì shuō zhè yàng jiù shì hǎo shì 。 jiū jìng lì bì rú hé 。 hái zài liǎng shuō 。
虽然同为修仙者。但不得不说。巫师所学比修士还要更为繁杂。当然。也不是说这样就是好事。究竟利弊如何。还在两说。
Although they were all cultivators, it couldn't be denied that witches had more complex studies than ordinary cultivators. Whether this was good or bad remained to be seen.
sān rén jìn le dòng fǔ yǐ hòu 。 zài yī jiān jù dà dé shí shì là le xià lái 。
三人进了洞府以后。在一间巨大得石室落了下来。
After entering the cave, the three landed in a large stone room.
shí shì chéng yuán xíng 。 miàn jī jí wéi guǎng kuò 。 guāng shì gāo jiù yǒu qī bā zhàng 。 líng qì chōng zú 。 ér sì zhōu dé shān bì shàng 。 yǒu bù shǎo dāo kè fǔ xuē dé hén jì 。 xiǎn rán shì bèi rén yòng ** lì 。 yìng shēng shēng kāi pì chū lái de 。
石室呈圆形。面积极为广阔。光是高就有七八丈。灵气充足。而四周得山壁上。有不少刀刻斧削得痕迹。显然是被人用**力。硬生生开辟出来得。
The stone room was round with an extremely vast area, about seven or eight zhang high. The air was rich with essence qi, and the walls around were marked with knife cuts and chisel marks, clearly indicating that they had been forcibly carved out by some force.
zài shí shì dé zhōng yāng 。 yǒu xiǎo xiǎo dé yuán xíng yī kuài 。 xiàng xià xiàn le jìn qù 。 yí gè róng mào qīng qí dé lǎo zhě 。 zài xià miàn dǎ zuò 。
在石室得中央。有小小得圆形一块。向下陷了进去。一个容貌清奇得老者。在下面打坐。
In the center of the stone room, there was a small circular depression where an elderly man with a clear face sat in meditation.
suī rán tā dé liǎn shàng yě bù mǎn le zhòu wén 。 dàn yǔ nà sāng tuō xiāng bǐ 。 míng xiǎn yào nián qīng yī xiē 。 bù guò shí jì nián líng 。 què dà le yí bèi bù zhǐ 。 cǐ rén shì níng dān qī dé wū shī 。
虽然他得脸上也布满了皱纹。但与那桑托相比。明显要年轻一些。不过实际年龄。却大了一倍不止。此人是凝丹期得巫师。
Although his face was also lined with wrinkles, he appeared younger than Santou. However, his actual age was more than double. He was a Condensation Core stage witch.
“ zhǎng lǎo 。” sān rén shuāng shǒu jiāo chā yú xiōng qián 。 yì qǐ gōng shēn xíng lǐ 。
“长老。”三人双手交叉于胸前。一起躬身行礼。
"Senior," the three crossed their hands and bowed together as a sign of respect.
“ ń 。” lǎo zhě huǎn huǎn zhēng kāi le yǎn jīng ：“ dōu lái le 。 zhè cì wǒ zhào huàn nǐ men 。 nǎi shì yào shāng liáng wū fǎ dà huì dì shì 。”
“嗯。”老者缓缓睁开了眼睛：“都来了。这次我召唤你们。乃是要商量巫法大会地事。”
"Hmm." The elder slowly opened his eyes: "You're all here. I summoned you today to discuss matters concerning the Witchcraft Convention."
“ wū fǎ dà huì ？” lín xuān méi tóu qīng qīng zhòu zài le yì qǐ 。 méi yǒu yìn xiàng 。 luò yī dé jì yì lǐ 。 wán quán méi yǒu cǐ shì 。
“巫法大会？”林轩眉头轻轻皱在了一起。没有印象。洛伊得记忆里。完全没有此事。
"Witchcraft Convention?" Lin Xuan's brows furrowed slightly; he had no recollection, and Luo Yi's memories did not mention it either.
rán ér lín xuān yòng yǎn jiǎo dì yú guāng yī piǎo 。 lìng wài liǎng rén 。 zé lù chū yòu jīng yòu xǐ dé shén sè 。 xiǎn rán zhè wū fǎ dà huì 。 tā men xīn zhōng shì yì qīng èr chǔ 。
然而林轩用眼角地余光一瞟。另外两人。则露出又惊又喜得神色。显然这巫法大会。他们心中是一清二楚。
However, when he glanced at the other two, they showed a mix of surprise and excitement. Clearly, this Witchcraft Convention was something they were well aware of.
méi dào lǐ zhǐ yǒu luò yī bù zhī dào 。 xiǎng dào zhè lǐ 。 lín xuān bù yóu de kǔ xiào 。 kàn lái hái shì dāng shí shǐ yòng sōu hún ** shí chū le wèn tí 。
没道理只有洛伊不知道。想到这里。林轩不由得苦笑。看来还是当时使用搜魂**时出了问题。
It wouldn't make sense if only Luo Yi didn't know about it. Thinking so, Lin Xuan couldn't help but smile bitterly; it seemed that there had been an issue when he used the Soul Searching Talisman.
zì jǐ suī rán yě dé dào le xǔ duō yǒu yòng dé xìn xī 。 rán ér què yǒu yī xiǎo bù fèn jì yì quē shī 。 jiù xiàng bèi shén me mì fǎ gěi píng bì le yī yàng 。
自己虽然也得到了许多有用得信息。然而却有一小部分记忆缺失。就像被什么秘法给屏蔽了一样。
Although he had gained much useful information, a small part of his memory was missing—like being shielded by some secret technique.
yí gè xiǎo xiǎo dé zhù jī qī wū shī jiù yǒu zhè yàng dé běn lǐng 。 zhe shí ràng lín xuān yì wài 。 zhè wū fǎ dà huì 。 guāng cóng míng zì 。 jiù néng tīng chū tā dé bù fán 。 lín xuān dùn shí liú shén le qǐ lái 。
一个小小得筑基期巫师就有这样得本领。着实让林轩意外。这巫法大会。光从名字。就能听出它得不凡。林轩顿时留神了起来。
A little Foundation Establishment stage witch could possess such abilities, which genuinely surprised Lin Xuan. The name of this Witchcraft Convention alone suggested its significance, and Lin Xuan became more attentive.
“ zhǎng lǎo dà rén 。 zhēn dé xiàn zài jiù yào zhào kāi ma 。 nà shèng guǒ bú shì hái yǒu qī nián cái huì chéng shú 。 zěn me huì tí qián le zhè me duō ？” sāng tuō xiān kāi kǒu fā wèn le 。 liǎn shàng lù chū jì yì wài yòu kuáng rè dé shén sè 。
“长老大人。真得现在就要召开吗。那圣果不是还有七年才会成熟。怎么会提前了这么多？”桑托先开口发问了。脸上露出既意外又狂热得神色。
"Senior Master, is it really time for the convention now? The Holy Fruit still has seven years before it ripens; why would we hold it so soon?" Santou asked first, his face showing a mix of surprise and fervor.
“ ń 。 què shí bǐ yù liào dé zǎo yì diǎn 。 bù guò shèng guǒ dì chéng shú zhī qī běn lái jiù yǒu yí gè fàn wéi 。 shàng xià fú dòng 。 jí biàn yǐ dà zhǎng lǎo dé shén tōng 。 yù liào ǒu yǒu shī wù 。 yě shì fēi cháng zhèng cháng dé 。” níng dān qī dé wū shī wēi xiào zhe jiě shì 。 ér lín xuān zhè shí hòu yě xiǎng qǐ le tā dì míng zì 。 yǒu diǎn qí guài 。 jiào kū yè dà shī 。 dào yǔ xī rì tiān mù pài zhǎng mén 。 kū mù zhēn rén dé dào hào yǒu xiē lèi sì 。
“嗯。确实比预料得早一点。不过圣果地成熟之期本来就有一个范围。上下浮动。即便以大长老得神通。预料偶有失误。也是非常正常得。”凝丹期得巫师微笑着解释。而林轩这时候也想起了他地名字。有点奇怪。叫枯叶大师。倒与昔日天目派掌门。枯木真人得道号有些类似。
"Hmm. It's indeed earlier than expected, but the maturity period of the Holy Fruit has some range, with fluctuations. Even with the Elder's divine abilities, occasional errors are very normal," explained the Condensation Core stage witch with a smile. Lin Xuan also recalled his name; it was strange, as he was called Master Withered Leaf, somewhat similar to the former Tianmu Sect's master, Withered Tree.
zhuàng hàn tóng yàng mù guāng shǎn dòng 。 lù chū guān zhù zhī sè 。 rán ér què yǔ lín xuān yī yàng 。 méi yǒu kāi kǒu 。
壮汉同样目光闪动。露出关注之色。然而却与林轩一样。没有开口。
The壮汉's eyes flashed with interest but remained silent like Lin Xuan.
“ wǒ zhè cì zhào jí nǐ men lái 。 jiù shì wèi nà wū fǎ dà huì zhī shì 。 nǐ men yě zhī dào 。 wū fǎ dà huì shàng dé bǐ pīn 。 zhí jiē guān xì dào shèng guǒ suǒ liàn líng yào dé fēn pèi guī shǔ 。 ér wǒ men tiān cāng bù 。 zài shàng gǔ shí qī 。 běn shì mò yuè zú qū zhǐ kě shǔ dé dà bù luò 。 guāng shì yuán yīng qī wū shī 。 jiù yǒu shù rén zhī duō 。 shèn zhì bù fá yuán yīng hòu qī dé chāo jí qiáng zhě 。 kě yǔ qín zú yī zhàn zhōng 。 sǔn shī yě zuì wèi cǎn zhòng 。 dào rú jīn 。 zhǐ shèng xià le liáo liáo jǐ qiān rén ér yǐ 。 wū shī gèng zhǐ yǒu wǒ men shí jǐ gè 。”
“我这次召集你们来。就是为那巫法大会之事。你们也知道。巫法大会上得比拼。直接关系到圣果所炼灵药得分配归属。而我们天苍部。在上古时期。本是墨月族屈指可数得大部落。光是元婴期巫师。就有数人之多。甚至不乏元婴后期得超级强者。可与秦族一战中。损失也最为惨重。到如今。只剩下了寥寥几千人而已。巫师更只有我们十几个。”
"I've summoned you here for the Witchcraft Convention. You know that the competition at the convention directly affects the distribution of the Holy Fruit-processed elixirs. In ancient times, our Tiancang Tribe was one of the largest among the Moon Clan, with several Incarnation Stage witches and even some super-strong late-stage Incarnates. However, in the battle against the Qin tribe, we suffered the most significant losses, leaving only a few thousand people today. We have only about ten witches."
kū yè shuō dào zhè lǐ 。 liǎn shàng mǎn shì luò jì zhī yì 。 ruò shì zài tiān cāng bù quán shèng shí qī 。 zì jǐ yí gè xiǎo xiǎo dé níng dān chū qī wū shī 。 bié shuō zhǎng lǎo 。 jiù suàn shì hù fǎ zhī zhí 。 jué duì yě lún bù shàng zì jǐ 。
枯叶说到这里。脸上满是落寂之意。若是在天苍部全盛时期。自己一个小小得凝丹初期巫师。别说长老。就算是护法之职。绝对也轮不上自己。
Wither Leaf's expression was filled with sadness. If it were during the peak of Tiancang Tribe, as a lowly early-stage Condensation Core witch, he would never have been considered for such an important role.
“ rén dīng bù wàng 。 xīn shēng dé yīng ér wǒ dōu qù chá kàn guò le 。 méi yǒu yī rén yōng yǒu líng gēn 。 huàn jù huà shuō 。 duǎn shí jiān nèi 。 bù luò bú huì zēng jiā xīn dé wū shī 。 fù xīng yáo yáo wú qī 。”
“人丁不旺。新生得婴儿我都去查看过了。没有一人拥有灵根。换句话说。短时间内。部落不会增加新得巫师。复兴遥遥无期。”
"The population is sparse; I've checked all newborns, and none possess a spirit root. In other words, in the short term, our tribe won't gain any new witches, and revival is far off."
yán jǐn yú cǐ 。 sāng tuō yǔ nà zhuàng hàn dì liǎn sè tóng yàng yīn chén le xià qù 。
言尽于此。桑托与那壮汉地脸色同样阴沉了下去。
With that said, Santou and the壮汉's faces turned gloomy.
“ suǒ yǐ zhè cì wū fǎ dà huì wǒ men gèng yào zhòng shì 。 ruò shì zài bǐ pīn zhōng néng gòu qǔ dé hǎo dì míng cì 。 nà me yòng shèng guǒ liàn zhì chū lái de líng yào yě jiù kě yǐ duō fēn yī xiē 。 wǒ men tiān cāng bù yòu kě yǐ zēng jiā jǐ míng xīn dé wū shī 。”
“所以这次巫法大会我们更要重视。若是在比拼中能够取得好地名次。那么用圣果炼制出来得灵药也就可以多分一些。我们天苍部又可以增加几名新得巫师。”
"So this time, we must take the Witchcraft Convention seriously. If we can secure good rankings in the competition, more elixirs will be produced from the Holy Fruit, allowing us to add several new witches to our tribe."
tīng dào zhè lǐ 。 lín xuān xīn zhōng yī dòng 。 yǐn yǐn bǔ zhuō dào shén me 。 què yòu yǒu xiē mó hú 。 nòng dé bú shì hěn qīng chǔ 。 dàn què yuè fā dé guān zhù qǐ lái le 。
听到这里。林轩心中一动。隐隐捕捉到什么。却又有些模糊。弄得不是很清楚。但却越发得关注起来了。
Hearing this, Lin Xuan felt a stir of interest, though he was still vague about it. But his attention only grew.
“ zhè cì wū fǎ bǐ pīn 。 àn zhào gǔ lǎo xiāng chuán dé guī jǔ 。 cān jiā zhī rén 。 bù néng chāo guò yì bǎi suì nián jì 。”
“这次巫法比拼。按照古老相传得规矩。参加之人。不能超过一百岁年纪。”
"The participants for this witchcraft contest cannot exceed one hundred years old," Wither Leaf continued.
tīng dào zhè lǐ 。 sāng tuō yǔ nà zhuàng hàn liǎn shàng dōu liú lù chū shī wàng zhī yì 。 liǎng rén dé mù guāng bù yóu zhuǎn xiàng luò yī 。
听到这里。桑托与那壮汉脸上都流露出失望之意。两人得目光不由转向洛伊。
Santou and the壮汉's faces showed disappointment as their gazes turned to Luo Yi.
nà míng jiào kū yè dé níng dān qī wū shī yě tóng yàng wàng le guò lái ：“ luò yī 。 zhè yī cì jiù yóu nǐ gēn wǒ qù 。 xiān huí qù hǎo hǎo zhǔn bèi zhǔn bèi 。 sān tiān hòu wǒ men chū fā 。”
那名叫枯叶得凝丹期巫师也同样望了过来：“洛伊。这一次就由你跟我去。先回去好好准备准备。三天后我们出发。”
The Condensation Core stage witch named Wither Leaf also looked over: "Luo Yi, you'll go with me. Go back and prepare well; we will leave in three days."
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu 。 gōng jìng dì xíng le yī lǐ 。 méi yǒu biǎo shì rèn hé yì yì 。
林轩点了点头。恭敬地行了一礼。没有表示任何异议。
Lin Xuan nodded and respectfully bowed without any objections.
bàn gè shí chén hòu 。 lí kāi le kū yè dì dòng fǔ 。 huí dào zì jǐ dé zhù chù 。 rán ér lín xuān bìng méi yǒu xián zhe 。 shǒu zhōng hái yǒu yī jiàn shì qíng jí xū zì jǐ nòng qīng chǔ 。
半个时辰后。离开了枯叶地洞府。回到自己得住处。然而林轩并没有闲着。手中还有一件事情急需自己弄清楚。
Half an hour later, they left Wither Leaf's cave and returned to their own residence. But Lin Xuan was not idle; he still had a pressing matter that needed his attention.
wū fǎ dà huì jiū jìng shì shén me ？
巫法大会究竟是什么？
What exactly was the Witchcraft Convention?
suī rán cóng zhī yán piàn yǔ lǐ 。 lín xuān tīng chū fēi tóng xún cháng 。 dàn luò yī guān yú tā dé jì yì 。 wán quán shì kòng bái 。 méi yǒu sī háo xìn xī liú xià lái 。
虽然从只言片语里。林轩听出非同寻常。但洛伊关于它得记忆。完全是空白。没有丝毫信息留下来。
Although he could sense its importance from snippets of information, Luo Yi's memories about it were entirely blank, leaving no trace behind.
bù guò “ shèng guǒ ”。“ líng yào ” què ràng lín xuān dà gǎn xìng qù 。 wèi hé yǒu le cǐ wù kě yǐ ràng bù luò zēng jiā jǐ míng xīn dé wū shī 。 nán dào shì .
不过“圣果”。“灵药”却让林轩大感兴趣。为何有了此物可以让部落增加几名新得巫师。难道是.
However, "Holy Fruit" and "elixirs" piqued Lin Xuan's interest. Why would having this item allow the tribe to gain new witches? Could it be...
lín xuān zì rán bù kě néng xún wèn bié rén 。 zhǐ néng gòu zì jǐ qiāo qiāo fān yuè diǎn jí 。
林轩自然不可能询问别人。只能够自己悄悄翻阅典籍。
Lin Xuan couldn't ask anyone; he could only secretly search through ancient texts.
hǎo zài zhè yě bú shì shén me mì mì zhī shì 。 hěn kuài lín xuān jiù zài yī kuài gǔ yù tǒng jiǎn zhōng zhǎo dào le guān yú “ wū fǎ dà huì ” dé jì zǎi 。
好在这也不是什么秘密之事。很快林轩就在一块古玉筒简中找到了关于“巫法大会”得记载。
Fortunately, this wasn't a secret matter. Soon, Lin Xuan found records of the "Witchcraft Convention" in an old jade scroll.
zhè jiàn shì hái yào cóng yuǎn gǔ shí qī shuō qǐ .
这件事还要从远古时期说起.
This matter dates back to ancient times.
zài yǔ qín zú dé dà zhàn zhōng shī bài yǐ hòu 。 mò yuè zú bèi pò tuì dào le qióng shān è shuǐ 。 ér tā men dé rén shù gèng shì ruì jiǎn 。 kě yǐ zhè me shuō 。 yòu yōu zhōu dé dì èr dà zú 。 dào le bīn lín miè jué dé dì bù 。
在与秦族得大战中失败以后。墨月族被迫退到了穷山恶水。而他们得人数更是锐减。可以这么说。又幽州得第二大族。到了濒临灭绝得地步。
After their defeat against the Qin tribe, the Moon Clan was forced into remote and harsh lands, with their numbers drastically reduced. It could be said that they were on the brink of extinction, having become the second largest clan after Youzhou but now teetering on the edge of annihilation.
The third person was the youngest, around thirty years old. His appearance was unremarkable; he blended into a crowd so easily that one could forget about him.
Luo Yi. The most promising young witch in this small tribe. But now, Lin Xuan had taken his place. Having inherited Luo Yi's memories, Lin Xuan naturally recognized the two people before him.
The elder was named Santou and was already 180 years old. He was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Although he was the most advanced in terms of cultivation, he was at the twilight of his life; there was no hope for him to condense his essence core this lifetime.
The壮汉 was somewhat younger but had also surpassed a hundred years of age. His success as a Foundation Establishment cultivator was recent, and his talent was merely average.
Not mentioning the low-rank witches, among the three, Luo Yi naturally had the most promising future, deeply favored by the elders.
Although their cultivation caves were on the same mountain peak, they rarely met each other during their daily practices. A nod or a greeting sufficed as a form of acknowledgment.
Lin Xuan would not waste words; otherwise, he might expose his true intentions and turn cleverness into folly.
The elder's expression was indifferent. He took out a sound transmission talisman from his pocket, whispered a few words, blew a breath, and it turned into a fiery light that flew into the cave.
After a while, the clouds in front suddenly churned violently, accompanied by deep rumbling sounds as if the walls parted to reveal a passage.
The three exchanged glances before entering the cave with Santou leading, Lin Xuan second, and the壮汉 bringing up the rear.
This cave was similar to Luo Yi's practice cave but much larger. Besides the training room and living quarters, there was also a small herb garden, a spirit beast chamber, and a library...
Although they were all cultivators, it couldn't be denied that witches had more complex studies than ordinary cultivators. Whether this was good or bad remained to be seen.
After entering the cave, the three landed in a large stone room.
The stone room was round with an extremely vast area, about seven or eight zhang high. The air was rich with essence qi, and the walls around were marked with knife cuts and chisel marks, clearly indicating that they had been forcibly carved out by some force.
In the center of the stone room, there was a small circular depression where an elderly man with a clear face sat in meditation.
Although his face was also lined with wrinkles, he appeared younger than Santou. However, his actual age was more than double. He was a Condensation Core stage witch.
"Senior," the three crossed their hands and bowed together as a sign of respect.
"Hmm." The elder slowly opened his eyes: "You're all here. I summoned you today to discuss matters concerning the Witchcraft Convention."
"Witchcraft Convention?" Lin Xuan's brows furrowed slightly; he had no recollection, and Luo Yi's memories did not mention it either.
However, when he glanced at the other two, they showed a mix of surprise and excitement. Clearly, this Witchcraft Convention was something they were well aware of.
It wouldn't make sense if only Luo Yi didn't know about it. Thinking so, Lin Xuan couldn't help but smile bitterly; it seemed that there had been an issue when he used the Soul Searching Talisman.
Although he had gained much useful information, a small part of his memory was missing—like being shielded by some secret technique.
A little Foundation Establishment stage witch could possess such abilities, which genuinely surprised Lin Xuan. The name of this Witchcraft Convention alone suggested its significance, and Lin Xuan became more attentive.
"Senior Master, is it really time for the convention now? The Holy Fruit still has seven years before it ripens; why would we hold it so soon?" Santou asked first, his face showing a mix of surprise and fervor.
"Hmm. It's indeed earlier than expected, but the maturity period of the Holy Fruit has some range, with fluctuations. Even with the Elder's divine abilities, occasional errors are very normal," explained the Condensation Core stage witch with a smile. Lin Xuan also recalled his name; it was strange, as he was called Master Withered Leaf, somewhat similar to the former Tianmu Sect's master, Withered Tree.
The壮汉's eyes flashed with interest but remained silent like Lin Xuan.
"I've summoned you here for the Witchcraft Convention. You know that the competition at the convention directly affects the distribution of the Holy Fruit-processed elixirs. In ancient times, our Tiancang Tribe was one of the largest among the Moon Clan, with several Incarnation Stage witches and even some super-strong late-stage Incarnates. However, in the battle against the Qin tribe, we suffered the most significant losses, leaving only a few thousand people today. We have only about ten witches."
Wither Leaf's expression was filled with sadness. If it were during the peak of Tiancang Tribe, as a lowly early-stage Condensation Core witch, he would never have been considered for such an important role.
"The population is sparse; I've checked all newborns, and none possess a spirit root. In other words, in the short term, our tribe won't gain any new witches, and revival is far off."
With that said, Santou and the壮汉's faces turned gloomy.
"So this time, we must take the Witchcraft Convention seriously. If we can secure good rankings in the competition, more elixirs will be produced from the Holy Fruit, allowing us to add several new witches to our tribe."
Hearing this, Lin Xuan felt a stir of interest, though he was still vague about it. But his attention only grew.
"The participants for this witchcraft contest cannot exceed one hundred years old," Wither Leaf continued.
Santou and the壮汉's faces showed disappointment as their gazes turned to Luo Yi.
The Condensation Core stage witch named Wither Leaf also looked over: "Luo Yi, you'll go with me. Go back and prepare well; we will leave in three days."
"Yes!"
Lin Xuan nodded and respectfully bowed without any objections.
Half an hour later, they left Wither Leaf's cave and returned to their own residence. But Lin Xuan was not idle; he still had a pressing matter that needed his attention.
What exactly was the Witchcraft Convention?
Although he could sense its importance from snippets of information, Luo Yi's memories about it were entirely blank, leaving no trace behind.
However, "Holy Fruit" and "elixirs" piqued Lin Xuan's interest. Why would having this item allow the tribe to gain new witches? Could it be...
Lin Xuan couldn't ask anyone; he could only secretly search through ancient texts.
Fortunately, this wasn't a secret matter. Soon, Lin Xuan found records of the "Witchcraft Convention" in an old jade scroll.
This matter dates back to ancient times.
After their defeat against the Qin tribe, the Moon Clan was forced into remote and harsh lands, with their numbers drastically reduced. It could be said that they were on the brink of extinction, having become the second largest clan after Youzhou but now teetering on the edge of annihilation.