zài shuō lìng yī biān ， nà jǐ dào dùn guāng què shì yī huǎn ， qí zhōng yǒu yī dào tíng le xià lái 。
再说另一边，那几道遁光却是一缓，其中有一道停了下来。
On the other side, those several streaks of light slowed down. One of them stopped.
guāng máng shōu liǎn ， lù chū nà hóng yī nǚ zǐ de róng yán ， mǎn liǎn jīng yí de huí guò tóu lú ， mù guāng zhōng mǎn shì yóu yí bù dìng de shén sè 。
光芒收敛，露出那红衣女子的容颜，满脸惊疑的回过头颅，目光中满是游移不定的神色。
The light condensed, revealing a red-robed woman's face. She turned her head back with a look of surprise and uncertainty in her eyes.
“ xuē shī mèi ， zěn me le ？” nà dào zhuāng nán zi lái dào tā de shēn cè ， yǒu xiē chà yì de shuō 。
“薛师妹，怎么了？”那道装男子来到她的身侧，有些诧异的说。
"Junior Sister Xue, what happened?" The man dressed as a woman came to her side and said with some astonishment.
“ wǒ yě bù qīng chǔ ， gāng cái tū rán gǎn dào yī zhèn xīn jì nán guò ， jiù fǎng fú bèi shén me qiáng dà yì cháng de cún zài gěi suǒ dìng le 。” nǚ zǐ mù guāng shǎn shuò ， jīng yí bù dìng de shuō 。
“我也不清楚，刚才突然感到一阵心悸难过，就仿佛被什么强大异常的存在给锁定了。”女子目光闪烁，惊疑不定的说。
"I'm not sure either. Just now, I suddenly felt a wave of heartache and discomfort, as if something extraordinarily powerful had locked onto me," the woman said, her gaze flickering uncertainly.
“ zhè zěn me kě néng ne ， wèi xiōng kě méi yǒu gǎn dào rèn hé bù tuǒ ， hé kuàng zhè lǐ shì yún yǐn zōng zǒng duò ， bù kě néng cún zài yù wài tiān mó ， lián tā men de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo dōu duì wǒ men xiǎo xīn lǐ yù ， gāi pài qí tā de xiū shì yòu qǐ gǎn yǒu bù jìng de xīn lǐ ？”
“这怎么可能呢，为兄可没有感到任何不妥，何况这里是云隐宗总舵，不可能存在域外天魔，连他们的太上长老都对我们小心礼遇，该派其他的修士又岂敢有不敬的心理？”
"This is impossible. Brother, I didn't feel anything amiss. Besides, this is the main sect hall of Cloud Concealment Sect. There's no way it would have any域外天魔. Their Supreme Elder treats us with respect and courtesy; how could other cultivators dare to be disrespectful?"
nà nán zi tīng le xiān shì yī è ， suí hòu hā hā dà xiào de shuō 。
那男子听了先是一愕，随后哈哈大笑的说。
The man was taken aback for a moment before he burst into laughter.
“ zhè kě nán shuō ……”
“这可难说……”
"This can't be said for sure..."
nà hóng yī nǚ zǐ de liǎn shàng de jǐng tì ， yī jiù bú jiàn fēn háo xiāo jiě dàn mò ：“ shī xiōng yīng gāi qīng chǔ ， xiǎo mèi nǎi shì lái zì zhēn líng shì jiā ， shēn jù líng shòu dì tīng de xuè tǒng ， zài zhēn líng zhōng ， dì tīng de shí lì huò xǔ suàn bù shàng chū zhòng ， dàn què néng gòu xiǎo fú lǐ ， tōng rén xìng ， bì xié è ， nǎi shì jí xiáng zhī wù ， zuì dǒng de qū jí bì xiōng ， wǒ jì rán yǒu suǒ gǎn chù ， yīng gāi bú shì kōng xué lái fēng 。”
那红衣女子的脸上的警惕，依旧不见分毫消解淡漠：“师兄应该清楚，小妹乃是来自真灵世家，身具灵兽谛听的血统，在真灵中，谛听的实力或许算不上出众，但却能够晓佛理，通人性，避邪恶，乃是吉祥之物，最懂得趋吉避凶，我既然有所感触，应该不是空穴来风。”
The red-robed woman’s vigilance remained unchanged, her expression indifferent: "Brother Senior, you should know that I come from the True Spirit Family and possess the bloodline of the谛听Spirit Beast. While its strength may not be outstanding among the True Spirits, it can understand Buddhist principles, comprehend human nature, avoid evil, and is a symbol of good fortune—most adept at avoiding misfortune. If I have sensed something, it mustn't be baseless."
“ shī mèi yán zhī yǒu lǐ 。”
“师妹言之有理。”
"Junior Sister makes a valid point,"
nà dào zhuāng nán zi tīng le ， liǎn shàng yě bù yóu de shōu qǐ xī xiào zhī yì ：“ zhǐ shì zhè cì yún yǐn zōng zhī xíng yī qiè shùn lì ， yú qíng yú lǐ ， dōu bù gāi yǒu shén me bù tuǒ ， yào me shì shī mèi gǎn yìng chū cuò ， yào me jiù shì duì fāng zài xū yǔ wēi yí ……”
那道装男子听了，脸上也不由得收起嬉笑之意：“只是这次云隐宗之行一切顺利，于情于理，都不该有什么不妥，要么是师妹感应出错，要么就是对方在虚与委蛇……”
The man said with his smile fading.
shuō dào zhè lǐ ， nà dào zhuāng nán zi de liǎn shàng lù chū jǐ fēn zhēng níng zhī yì ：“ rú jīn shì yì shí yí ， yún yǐn zōng jīn fēi xī bǐ ， dàn ruò shì méi yǒu nà lín xiǎo zi bì hù ， qū qū yún yǐn zōng gēn běn jiù suàn bù liǎo shén me ， tā men yǒu shén me běn qián duì běn zōng xū yǔ wēi yí ， nán dào shuō 。 tā men yǐ jīng tóu kào le qí tā shì lì me ？”
说到这里，那道装男子的脸上露出几分狰狞之意：“如今事易时移，云隐宗今非昔比，但若是没有那林小子庇护，区区云隐宗根本就算不了什么，他们有什么本钱对本宗虚与委蛇，难道说。他们已经投靠了其他势力么？”
"Just that this mission to Cloud Concealment Sect has been smooth so far; there's no reason for anything to go wrong. Either you've sensed wrongly or the other party is just playing along..."
“ nǐ shuō wàn yāo zōng hái shì hēi fèng gǔ ？”
“你说万妖宗还是黑凤谷？”
He then revealed a sinister look on his face: "Now, times have changed. Cloud Concealment Sect isn't what it used to be. But without that Lin boy’s protection, this sect wouldn’t amount to much. What could they possibly gain by being accommodating? Could they have already aligned with other forces?"
hóng yī nǚ zǐ de liǎn shàng lù chū jiāng xìn jiāng yí de shén sè ：“ zhè liǎng dà zōng mén de shí lì suī rán bù zài wǒ wàn xiǎo xiān gōng zhī xià ， dàn dōu shì yāo zú de shì lì ， yún yǐn zōng zěn me kě néng yǔ tā men hé zuò ， suī rán rú jīn wèi le duì fù yù wài tiān mó 。 rén zú yǔ yāo zú zàn shí fàng xià le xián xì 。 dàn yú qíng yú lǐ ， tā men dōu yīng gāi jiē shòu wǒ men de tiáo jiàn dì 。”
红衣女子的脸上露出将信将疑的神色：“这两大宗门的实力虽然不在我万晓仙宫之下，但都是妖族的势力，云隐宗怎么可能与他们合作，虽然如今为了对付域外天魔。人族与妖族暂时放下了嫌隙。但于情于理，他们都应该接受我们的条件地。”
"Is it the Ten Thousand Demons Sect or Black Phoenix Valley?"
“ dào lǐ shì rú cǐ 。 dàn yě nán bǎo tā men bú huì tóu nǎo fā rè ， suàn le ， zhè xiē shì qíng bú shì nǐ wǒ néng gòu cāo xīn de ， wǒ men zhǐ shì zuò wèi shǐ zhě 。 jù tǐ shì wù ， hái xū yào huí zōng mén yǐ hòu bǐng gào tài shàng zhǎng lǎo ， qǐng tā lǎo rén jiā dìng duó 。”
“道理是如此。但也难保他们不会头脑发热，算了，这些事情不是你我能够操心的，我们只是做为使者。具体事务，还需要回宗门以后禀告太上长老，请他老人家定夺。”
The red-robed woman's expression showed a mix of doubt and skepticism: "Though those two major sects are not inferior in strength to my Immortal Palace, they are still demonic forces. How could Cloud Concealment Sect possibly ally with them? Although humans and demons have temporarily set aside their grudges to fight the域外天魔, logically, they should accept our terms."
“ ń ， shī xiōng suǒ yán bù cuò 。”
“嗯，师兄所言不错。”
"That's true, but one can never be too sure. Let’s leave these matters for the Supreme Elder of our sect to decide after we report back."
hóng yī nǚ zǐ liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng yě shì xiāng chà fǎng fú 。
红衣女子脸上的表情也是相差仿佛。
"Agreed,"
shì qíng jì rán méi yǒu méi mù ， nà zài tán lùn xià qù yě jiù méi yǒu yì yì le 。
事情既然没有眉目，那再谈论下去也就没有意义了。
The red-robed woman’s expression mirrored his.
liǎng rén shēn wèi fēn shén qī xiū xiān zhě ， yě shì ná de qǐ fàng dé xià de rén wù ， bù zài duō shuō 。 fēng chí diàn chè ， zhǔn bèi huí qù xiàng tài shàng zhǎng lǎo bǐng gào hòu zài zuò dìng duó 。
两人身为分神期修仙者，也是拿得起放得下的人物，不再多说。风驰电掣，准备回去像太上长老禀告后再做定夺。
Since there was no clear direction, discussing further would be meaningless.
……
……
As cultivators at the 分神 Stage, they were pragmatic and didn’t waste any more time. They prepared to return and report their findings to the Supreme Elder.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， lín xuān yì huí dào le yún yǐn zōng zǒng duò 。
与此同时，林轩亦回到了云隐宗总舵。
...
hái méi jìn mén ， jiù yù jiàn yín tóng shào nǚ yǔ lóng xìng shào nián le 。
还没进门，就遇见银瞳少女与龙姓少年了。
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan had returned to the main sect hall of Cloud Concealment Sect.
“ shī xiōng shī jiě zěn me zài cǐ chù ？” lín xuān yǒu xiē yà yì de shuō 。
“师兄师姐怎么在此处？”林轩有些讶异的说。
Before he even entered, he encountered a silver-eyed girl and a young man with the surname Long.
“ lín shī dì nǐ huí lái le 。 yí ， dì mèi yě tóng zài ， nǐ yǐ jīng shì dù jié qī de xiū xiān zhě ， zhēn shì kě xǐ kě hè 。”
“林师弟你回来了。咦，弟妹也同在，你已经是渡劫期的修仙者，真是可喜可贺。”
"Brother Senior and Sister Senior, why are you here?" Lin Xuan asked in surprise.
rán ér liǎng rén què méi yǒu huí dá lín xuān de wèn tí ， zhù yì lì jiē bèi ōu yáng qín xīn gěi xī yǐn le guò qù 。
然而两人却没有回答林轩的问题，注意力皆被欧阳琴心给吸引了过去。
"S Brother Junior, you've returned. Ah, Sister Junior is also here. You’ve reached the劫境 stage; it's truly cause for celebration,"
suī rán qín xīn de shí lì méi yǒu bàn fǎ yǔ lín xuān xiāng bǐ ， dàn yún yǐn zōng yòu duō chū yī wèi dù jié qī de dà xiū shì wú yí shì kě xǐ kě hè dì 。
虽然琴心的实力没有办法与林轩相比，但云隐宗又多出一位渡劫期的大修士无疑是可喜可贺地。
However, they didn't answer his question, their attention drawn to Ouyang Qinxin.
liǎng rén dōu shì xǐ dòng yán sè ， yě jiù nán guài huì jiāng lín xuān gěi lěng luò dào yī biān le 。
两人都是喜动颜色，也就难怪会将林轩给冷落到一边了。
Although Qinxin’s strength couldn’t compare to Lin Xuan’s, adding another cultivator at the劫境 stage to Cloud Concealment Sect was indeed a cause for celebration. Both were visibly delighted and naturally ignored Lin Xuan.
“ dōu shì tuō fū jūn de fú ， xiǎo mèi yùn qì yě bù cuò 。”
“都是托夫君的福，小妹运气也不错。”
"It's all thanks to my husband. I've had some good luck too,"
ōu yáng qín xīn qiān xùn de shuō ， kě yǐ kàn chū ， tā tóng liǎng rén yě shì shú rěn dào jí chù ， bǐ cǐ hé mù 。
欧阳琴心谦逊的说，可以看出，她同两人也是熟稔到极处，彼此和睦。
Ouyang Qinxin modestly said, showing that she was close friends with them, their relationship harmonious.
“ nà yě shì dì mèi zī zhì bù sú ， huàn zuò yú xiōng biàn shì yǒu shī dì xiāng zhù ， yě nán yǐ tà chū zhè yī bù 。” lóng xìng shào nián de shēng yīn bù wú xiàn mù 。
“那也是弟妹资质不俗，换做愚兄便是有师弟相助，也难以踏出这一步。”龙姓少年的声音不无羡慕。
"That’s also due to Sister Junior’s excellent资质. If it were me, even with a younger brother’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to reach this stage," the young man with the surname Long said enviously.
dù jié qī ， nǎ yī míng xiū shì bú shì mèng mèi yǐ qiú dì 。
渡劫期，哪一名修士不是梦寐以求地。
Reaching the劫境 stage is every cultivator's dream.
suī rán tā de shí lì jīn fēi xī bǐ ， dàn xiǎo dù jié qī yǔ zhēn zhèng de dù jié dà néng bì jìng shì yǒu chā jù 。
虽然他的实力今非昔比，但小渡劫期与真正的渡劫大能毕竟是有差距。
Although his strength had improved significantly, the difference between a minor劫境 and a true劫境 cultivator was still considerable.
dàn xiàn mù guī xiàn mù ， tā yě míng bái ， měi gè rén de zī zhì jì yù ， nà shì gè bù xiāng tóng ， rén guì zhī zú ， duì yú ōu yáng qín xīn zǒu dào zhè yī bù ， tā zài xiàn mù zhī yú ， shì zhōng xīn zhù fú 。
但羡慕归羡慕，他也明白，每个人的资质际遇，那是各不相同，人贵知足，对于欧阳琴心走到这一步，他在羡慕之余，是衷心祝福。
Though he envied her, he understood that everyone’s资质 and fate were different. He wished Ouyang Qinxin well in her journey.
yín tóng shào nǚ de biǎo qíng yě chà bu duō ， jǐ rén tán tiān shuō dì ， xiǎn de shì qí lè róng róng yǐ jí 。
银瞳少女的表情也差不多，几人谈天说地，显得是其乐融融以极。
The silver-eyed girl shared a similar expression as they chatted happily.
“ duì le ， shī xiōng shī jiě ， nǐ men wèi hé huì zài cǐ chù ， gāng cái lí qù de nà jǐ gè jiā huo ， kě shì wàn xiǎo xiān gōng de rén me ， tā men lái běn zōng shì wèi hé ？” lín xuān tū rán yòu méi tou yí zhòu de shuō 。
“对了，师兄师姐，你们为何会在此处，刚才离去的那几个家伙，可是万晓仙宫的人么，他们来本宗是为何？”林轩突然又眉头一皱的说。
"By the way, Brother Senior and Sister Senior, why are you here? Were those people from Immortal Palace Ten Thousand Lights? What brought them to our sect?" Lin Xuan suddenly frowned and asked.
“ ó ， shī dì pèng jiàn tā men le ， shēn fèn kě yǒu bèi kàn pò ？”
“哦，师弟碰见他们了，身份可有被看破？”
"Oh, you met them. Did their identities slip your notice?"
“ bù céng ， wǒ men cā jiān ér guò ， nà jǐ gè jiā huo yǎn gāo yú dǐng ， bìng méi yǒu liú yì yú wǒ 。” lín xuān dàn dàn de shuō ， tā dāng rán bú huì zhēn de yǔ jǐ míng fèn shén qī de xiǎo bèi zhì qì le 。
“不曾，我们擦肩而过，那几个家伙眼高于顶，并没有留意于我。”林轩淡淡的说，他当然不会真的与几名分神期的小辈置气了。
"No, we passed each other by. They were too preoccupied to pay attention to me," Lin Xuan said indifferently. He certainly wasn’t going to hold a grudge over this with several 分神 cultivators.
jì ** fèn ， yòu fàn bù zháo 。
既**份，又犯不着。
It was neither worth the trouble nor the dignity.
“ shī dì hái shì zhè me yōu mò ， bù guò shēn fèn méi yǒu bèi kàn pò ， zì rán shì zuì hǎo de ， xiáng qíng wǒ men xiān huí zǒng duò ， yī huì er zài shuō 。” yín tóng shào nǚ qīng xiào de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
“师弟还是这么幽默，不过身份没有被看破，自然是最好的，详情我们先回总舵，一会儿再说。”银瞳少女轻笑的声音传入耳朵。
"Brother Junior is as witty as ever. But it’s best that their identities weren't revealed. We’ll discuss more details once we return to the main sect hall,"
lín xuān zì rán sī háo yì yì yě wú 。
林轩自然丝毫异议也无。
The silver-eyed girl's light laughter entered his ears.
yú shì yī xíng rén zài dì zǐ de cù yōng xià huí dào le zǒng duò 。
于是一行人在弟子的簇拥下回到了总舵。
Lin Xuan had no objections.
yī jiù shì zài nà xióng wěi de dà diàn luò zuò ， chú le tā men sì gè ， qí yú zhī rén zé zàn qiě tuì xià le 。
依旧是在那雄伟的大殿落座，除了他们四个，其余之人则暂且退下了。
So, they returned to the main sect hall with a retinue of disciples.
zì yǒu shì nǚ sòng shàng měi jiǔ guā guǒ ， líng chá de wèi dào yě bù cuò 。
自有侍女送上美酒瓜果，灵茶的味道也不错。
They sat in the grand hall as before. The rest left temporarily while servants brought them wine, fruit, and excellent spiritual tea.
dàn sì rén lái dào cǐ chù ， zì rán bú shì wèi chī jiǔ hē chá de 。
但四人来到此处，自然不是为吃酒喝茶的。
But their gathering wasn’t for drinking or sipping tea; it was for something else.
“ shī xiōng shī jiě ， xiàn zài zǒng kě yǐ míng yán le 。”
“师兄师姐，现在总可以明言了。”
"Brother Senior and Sister Senior, you can speak freely now."
“ shī dì hái zhēn shì xīn jí ， rú nǐ suǒ yán ， nà jǐ gè jiā huo ， què shí shì wàn xiǎo xiān gōng de shǐ zhě ， lái wǒ yún yǐn zōng zǒng duò ， shì wēi bī lì yòu ， xiǎng ràng wǒ men guī fù yú tā men de 。” yín tóng shào nǚ wēi xiào zhe shuō 。
“师弟还真是心急，如你所言，那几个家伙，确实是万晓仙宫的使者，来我云隐宗总舵，是威逼利诱，想让我们归附于他们的。”银瞳少女微笑着说。
"You’re quite impatient, Brother Junior. As you said, those people are indeed representatives from Immortal Palace Ten Thousand Lights. They came to our sect to pressure us into submission," the silver-eyed girl smiled.
“ shén me ， xiǎng ràng běn mén chéng wéi tā men de fù shǔ shì lì ， zhè xiē jiā huo mò fēi nǎo dài yǒu wèn tí ， yě bù pà wèi kǒu tài dà ， jiāng zì jǐ gěi chēng shǎ 。” lín xuān tīng le ， nù jí fǎn xiào ：“ nà shī xiōng shī jiě hái yǔ tā men kè qì ， qīn zì sòng chū mén qù 。”
“什么，想让本门成为他们的附属势力，这些家伙莫非脑袋有问题，也不怕胃口太大，将自己给撑傻。”林轩听了，怒极反笑：“那师兄师姐还与他们客气，亲自送出门去。”
"What? To make this sect their vassal force? These fellows must be out of their minds; they won’t risk overextending themselves and going mad," Lin Xuan laughed in anger: "Then, Brother Senior and Sister Senior should have rebuffed them politely. Send them away."
“ fū jūn ， nǐ xiān bú yào zháo jí ， wǒ xiǎng shī xiōng shī jiě zhè me zuò ， yīng gāi shì zì yǒu tā men de dào lǐ 。” ōu yáng qín xīn tàn le kǒu qì 。
“夫君，你先不要着急，我想师兄师姐这么做，应该是自有他们的道理。”欧阳琴心叹了口气。
"Spouse, don't rush. I think Brother Senior and Sister Senior are doing this for a reason," Ouyang Qinxin sighed.
“ ń 。” lín xuān xiào ér bù yǔ ， tā gāng cái bù guò shì zhuāng qiāng zuò shì ， kāi kāi wán xiào ér yǐ 。
“嗯。”林轩笑而不语，他刚才不过是装腔作势，开开玩笑而已。
"Hmm,"
fǒu zé yǐ tā de chéng fǔ ， yòu rú hé huì lián zhè diǎn qì dōu chén bú zhù 。
否则以他的城府，又如何会连这点气都沉不住。
Lin Xuan smiled without replying. He had only been feigning interest earlier, just for some light-hearted banter.
dàn lín xuān yě zhēn de yǒu xiē hào qí ， shī xiōng shī jiě wèi hé huì jiāng zī tài fàng dé zhè me dī 。
但林轩也真的有些好奇，师兄师姐为何会将姿态放得这么低。
But with his depth of character, he wouldn’t have lost his composure over such trivial matters.
wàn xiǎo xiān gōng suī rán shì nài lóng jiè yǒu míng de zōng mén jiā zú ， dàn yún yǐn zōng yě bù ruò ， yóu qí shì zì jǐ yǐ jīng huí lái ， gāi pài jiù gèng suàn bù liǎo shén me 。
万晓仙宫虽然是鼐龙界有名的宗门家族，但云隐宗也不弱，尤其是自己已经回来，该派就更算不了什么。
However, Lin Xuan was genuinely curious about why his senior siblings were lowering their姿态 so much.
shuō bù zhí yī tí tài guò ， dàn zhì shǎo bù yòng wèi jù hài pà shén me 。
说不值一提太过，但至少不用畏惧害怕什么。
Though Immortal Palace Ten Thousand Lights is a famous sect in the Nai Long Realm, Cloud Concealment Sect isn't weak. With him back, this sect would be insignificant.
chú fēi shì yǒu suǒ tú ， xiān yǐ dī zī tài gěi duì fāng yǐ mí huò 。
除非是有所图，先以低姿态给对方以迷惑。
While it wasn’t worth mentioning, they didn’t need to fear anything either.
shī xiōng shī jiě shì fǒu shì zhè yàng dǎ suàn de ？
师兄师姐是否是这样打算的？
Unless there was some ulterior motive, lowering their姿态 might just be a ruse to mislead the other party.
lín xuān shuō chū le zì jǐ de cāi cè 。
林轩说出了自己的猜测。
Was that what his senior siblings were planning?
“ shī dì suǒ yán bù cuò ， hái yǒu dà yuē bàn gè yuè de gōng fu ， xiān méng dà huì jiù yào zhào kāi le ， zhè yī cì ， jiāng tuī jǔ méng zhǔ ， yǐ shī dì de shí lì ， zì rán shì háo wú yí wèn kě yǐ wèn dǐng dì ， dàn ruò shì ràng tā men zhī dào ， nǐ yǐ jīng huí lái ， shuō bù dìng jiù huì duō shàng xiē xǔ bō zhé 。”
“师弟所言不错，还有大约半个月的功夫，仙盟大会就要召开了，这一次，将推举盟主，以师弟的实力，自然是毫无疑问可以问鼎地，但若是让他们知道，你已经回来，说不定就会多上些许波折。”
Lin Xuan voiced his guess.
“ yǐ shī dì de shí lì ， zì rán bù jù ， dàn duō yī shì bù rú shǎo yī shì ， suǒ yǐ ， wǒ men cái gù yì jiāng zī tài fàng dī 。”
“以师弟的实力，自然不惧，但多一事不如少一事，所以，我们才故意将姿态放低。”
"Brother Junior is right. In about half a month, the Immortal Alliance Conference will convene. This time, they’ll elect the new alliance leader. With your strength, there’s no doubt you can claim the position,"
"But if they know I’ve returned, it might add some complications,"
Lin Xuan said with a smile.
"Brother Junior needn’t worry; we’re lowering our姿态 for a reason,"
On the other side, those several streaks of light slowed down. One of them stopped.
The light condensed, revealing a red-robed woman's face. She turned her head back with a look of surprise and uncertainty in her eyes.
"Junior Sister Xue, what happened?" The man dressed as a woman came to her side and said with some astonishment.
"I'm not sure either. Just now, I suddenly felt a wave of heartache and discomfort, as if something extraordinarily powerful had locked onto me," the woman said, her gaze flickering uncertainly.
"This is impossible. Brother, I didn't feel anything amiss. Besides, this is the main sect hall of Cloud Concealment Sect. There's no way it would have any域外天魔. Their Supreme Elder treats us with respect and courtesy; how could other cultivators dare to be disrespectful?"
The man was taken aback for a moment before he burst into laughter.
"This can't be said for sure..."
The red-robed woman’s vigilance remained unchanged, her expression indifferent: "Brother Senior, you should know that I come from the True Spirit Family and possess the bloodline of the谛听Spirit Beast. While its strength may not be outstanding among the True Spirits, it can understand Buddhist principles, comprehend human nature, avoid evil, and is a symbol of good fortune—most adept at avoiding misfortune. If I have sensed something, it mustn't be baseless."
"Junior Sister makes a valid point,"
The man said with his smile fading.
"Just that this mission to Cloud Concealment Sect has been smooth so far; there's no reason for anything to go wrong. Either you've sensed wrongly or the other party is just playing along..."
He then revealed a sinister look on his face: "Now, times have changed. Cloud Concealment Sect isn't what it used to be. But without that Lin boy’s protection, this sect wouldn’t amount to much. What could they possibly gain by being accommodating? Could they have already aligned with other forces?"
"Is it the Ten Thousand Demons Sect or Black Phoenix Valley?"
The red-robed woman's expression showed a mix of doubt and skepticism: "Though those two major sects are not inferior in strength to my Immortal Palace, they are still demonic forces. How could Cloud Concealment Sect possibly ally with them? Although humans and demons have temporarily set aside their grudges to fight the域外天魔, logically, they should accept our terms."
"That's true, but one can never be too sure. Let’s leave these matters for the Supreme Elder of our sect to decide after we report back."
"Agreed,"
The red-robed woman’s expression mirrored his.
Since there was no clear direction, discussing further would be meaningless.
As cultivators at the 分神 Stage, they were pragmatic and didn’t waste any more time. They prepared to return and report their findings to the Supreme Elder.
...
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan had returned to the main sect hall of Cloud Concealment Sect.
Before he even entered, he encountered a silver-eyed girl and a young man with the surname Long.
"Brother Senior and Sister Senior, why are you here?" Lin Xuan asked in surprise.
"S Brother Junior, you've returned. Ah, Sister Junior is also here. You’ve reached the劫境 stage; it's truly cause for celebration,"
However, they didn't answer his question, their attention drawn to Ouyang Qinxin.
Although Qinxin’s strength couldn’t compare to Lin Xuan’s, adding another cultivator at the劫境 stage to Cloud Concealment Sect was indeed a cause for celebration. Both were visibly delighted and naturally ignored Lin Xuan.
"It's all thanks to my husband. I've had some good luck too,"
Ouyang Qinxin modestly said, showing that she was close friends with them, their relationship harmonious.
"That’s also due to Sister Junior’s excellent资质. If it were me, even with a younger brother’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to reach this stage," the young man with the surname Long said enviously.
Reaching the劫境 stage is every cultivator's dream.
Although his strength had improved significantly, the difference between a minor劫境 and a true劫境 cultivator was still considerable.
Though he envied her, he understood that everyone’s资质 and fate were different. He wished Ouyang Qinxin well in her journey.
The silver-eyed girl shared a similar expression as they chatted happily.
"By the way, Brother Senior and Sister Senior, why are you here? Were those people from Immortal Palace Ten Thousand Lights? What brought them to our sect?" Lin Xuan suddenly frowned and asked.
"Oh, you met them. Did their identities slip your notice?"
"No, we passed each other by. They were too preoccupied to pay attention to me," Lin Xuan said indifferently. He certainly wasn’t going to hold a grudge over this with several 分神 cultivators.
It was neither worth the trouble nor the dignity.
"Brother Junior is as witty as ever. But it’s best that their identities weren't revealed. We’ll discuss more details once we return to the main sect hall,"
The silver-eyed girl's light laughter entered his ears.
Lin Xuan had no objections.
So, they returned to the main sect hall with a retinue of disciples.
They sat in the grand hall as before. The rest left temporarily while servants brought them wine, fruit, and excellent spiritual tea.
But their gathering wasn’t for drinking or sipping tea; it was for something else.
"Brother Senior and Sister Senior, you can speak freely now."
"You’re quite impatient, Brother Junior. As you said, those people are indeed representatives from Immortal Palace Ten Thousand Lights. They came to our sect to pressure us into submission," the silver-eyed girl smiled.
"What? To make this sect their vassal force? These fellows must be out of their minds; they won’t risk overextending themselves and going mad," Lin Xuan laughed in anger: "Then, Brother Senior and Sister Senior should have rebuffed them politely. Send them away."
"Spouse, don't rush. I think Brother Senior and Sister Senior are doing this for a reason," Ouyang Qinxin sighed.
"Hmm,"
Lin Xuan smiled without replying. He had only been feigning interest earlier, just for some light-hearted banter.
But with his depth of character, he wouldn’t have lost his composure over such trivial matters.
However, Lin Xuan was genuinely curious about why his senior siblings were lowering their姿态 so much.
Though Immortal Palace Ten Thousand Lights is a famous sect in the Nai Long Realm, Cloud Concealment Sect isn't weak. With him back, this sect would be insignificant.
While it wasn’t worth mentioning, they didn’t need to fear anything either.
Unless there was some ulterior motive, lowering their姿态 might just be a ruse to mislead the other party.
Was that what his senior siblings were planning?
Lin Xuan voiced his guess.
"Brother Junior is right. In about half a month, the Immortal Alliance Conference will convene. This time, they’ll elect the new alliance leader. With your strength, there’s no doubt you can claim the position,"
"But if they know I’ve returned, it might add some complications,"
Lin Xuan said with a smile.
"Brother Junior needn’t worry; we’re lowering our姿态 for a reason,"