“ yí gè yuè me ？”
“一个月么？”
"Only a month?"
tiān yuán hóu de liǎn shàng què bìng méi yǒu lù chū shén me dān xīn zhī sè ， fǎn ér qīng xiào qǐ lái le ：“ zhè yì diǎn ， běn hóu dǎo shì bù cāo xīn de ， yǐ nà lín xiǎo zi de dùn sù ， yí gè yuè de gōng fu ， zěn me yě yīng gāi gǎn dào shì fā dì le 。( yòu shī shū méng .)”
天元侯的脸上却并没有露出什么担心之色，反而轻笑起来了：“这一点，本侯倒是不操心的，以那林小子的遁速，一个月的功夫，怎么也应该赶到事发地了。(幼狮书盟.)”
The Count of Heavenly Essence did not show any signs of worry on his face. Instead, he chuckled lightly: "I'm not too concerned about that. With that Lin boy's speed, it should take him at least a month to reach the scene."
huà yīn wèi luò ， tā yòu shǒu yī tái ， yī tuán yào mù de guāng yùn ， dùn shí chū xiàn zài le zhǐ jiān 。
话音未落，他右手一抬，一团耀目的光晕，顿时出现在了指尖。
Before his words were fully out, he raised his right hand and a dazzling light circle appeared at his fingertips.
suí hòu tā qū zhǐ wēi dàn ， guāng yùn huà zuò lì jiàn ， xùn jí yì cháng de jī shè xiàng le tiān biān 。
随后他屈指微弹，光晕化作利箭，迅疾异常的激射像了天边。
He then flicked his fingers slightly, and the light circle transformed into an arrow-like shape, shooting toward the horizon with incredible speed.
cāng qióng bèi cì pò ， yī sī liè hén fú xiàn ér chū 。
苍穹被刺破，一丝裂痕浮现而出。
The sky was pierced, leaving a crackling trace. It spread like spider webs, quickly covering over ten feet of space.
suí hòu rú zhī zhū wǎng yì bān de màn yán ， hěn kuài ， biàn pá mǎn le shí yú zhàng zhī yuǎn 。
随后如蜘蛛网一般的蔓延，很快，便爬满了十余丈之远。
A white hole appeared.
yī bái méng méng de kǒng dòng chū xiàn 。
一白蒙蒙的孔洞出现。
The Count of Heavenly Essence lifted his foot and entered without hesitation.
tiān yuán hóu jiǎo yī tái ， háo bù yóu yù de jìn rù le qí jiān 。
天元侯脚一抬，毫不犹豫的进入了其间。
...
……
……
The entire action flowed smoothly, but Lin Xuan did not know this. At this moment, he was already millions of miles away.
zhěng gè dòng zuò rú xíng yún liú shuǐ yì bān ， ér zhè yī qiè ， lín xuān bìng bù qīng chǔ ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， tā yǐ zài jìn qiān wàn lǐ zhī wài 。
整个动作如行云流水一般，而这一切，林轩并不清楚，此时此刻，他已在近千万里之外。
He continued to fly at high speed, continuing on his journey.
dùn guāng fēi chí ， jì xù gǎn lù 。
遁光飞驰，继续赶路。
In just over ten days, time slipped by unnoticed.
jiù zhè yàng ， shí yú tiān de shí jiān ， zài bù zhī bù jué zhōng liú shì le 。
就这样，十余天的时间，在不知不觉中流逝了。
Lin Xuan had broken free from the constraints of lifespan. The passage of these few days meant little to him. But indeed, it was quite busy. He had experienced multiple times of breaking through the void and shuttling between various small interfaces.
lín xuān yǐ zhèng tuō shòu yuán de shù fù ， zhè diǎn guāng yīn de xiāo sàn ， duì tā ér yán ， jī hū shì wú gǎn ， dàn zhè shí yú tiān ， dàng zhēn shì fēi cháng de máng lù ， bié de bù shuō ， pò suì xū kōng ， biàn jīng lì le shù cì zhī duō ， zài yí gè yòu yí gè de xiǎo jiè miàn jiān chuān suō 。
林轩已挣脱寿元的束缚，这点光阴的消散，对他而言，几乎是无感，但这十余天，当真是非常的忙碌，别的不说，破碎虚空，便经历了数次之多，在一个又一个的小界面间穿梭。
For a weaker cultivator, this would be terrifying. For Lin Xuan, however, it felt as easy as walking on flat ground.
ruò shì shí lì chà diǎn de xiū xiān zhě ， shuō dé shàng shì jīng xīn dòng pò 。
若是实力差点的修仙者，说得上是惊心动魄。
Lin Xuan once asked where they were going. The Spirit Axis Daoist did not hide anything either. According to him, although the path out of that immortal cave was unclear, getting inside had become a bit more feasible.
dàn duì yú lín xuān zhè yàng de cún zài ér yán ， zé yǔ rú lǚ píng dì xiāng chà fǎng fú 。
但对于林轩这样的存在而言，则与如履平地相差仿佛。
Their destination was in between two small interfaces—a fragment of space... well, it sounded abstract.
lín xuān yě céng wèn guò duì fāng ， jiū jìng yào qù hé chù ， nà wèi líng jī dào rén yě bìng méi yǒu cáng zhe yē zhe ， jù tā suǒ yán ， nà xiān rén dòng fǔ ， suī rán bù zhī dào zěn yàng ， cái néng cóng lǐ miàn chū lái ， dàn xiǎng yào jìn qù ， què bèi tā mō dào le yì diǎn mén lù 。
林轩也曾问过对方，究竟要去何处，那位灵玑道人也并没有藏着掖着，据他所言，那仙人洞府，虽然不知道怎样，才能从里面出来，但想要进去，却被他摸到了一点门路。
Simply put, during ancient times when the Three Realms War began, two top-tier cultivators clashed, creating chaos. One small interface was shattered into fragments.
tā men de mù dì dì ， shì liǎng gè xiǎo jiè miàn zhī jiān ， yī yóu dàng de kōng jiān cán piàn …… ń ， zhè yàng shuō 。 sì hū chōu xiàng le yì diǎn 。
他们的目的地，是两个小界面之间，一游荡的空间残片……嗯，这样说。似乎抽象了一点。
This particular fragment drifted amidst spatial rifts. Their current goal was one such fragment.
jiǎn dān de shuō ， jiù shì shàng gǔ zhī shí ， sān jiè dà zhàn kāi qǐ ， liǎng wèi dǐng jí dà néng jiāo zhàn ， dǎ le yí gè tiān hūn dì àn ， qí zhōng mǒu gè xiǎo jiè miàn ， bèi dǎ dé fēn bēng lí xī ， huà wèi le suì piàn 。
简单的说，就是上古之时，三界大战开启，两位顶级大能交战，打了一个天昏地暗，其中某个小界面，被打得分崩离析，化为了碎片。
Day and night, they continued their journey. After another spatial traversal, Lin Xuan shook his head to find that the scenery before him had changed significantly from ordinary spirit realms.
dāng rán ， shì jí ruò xiǎo de yí gè jiè miàn 。
当然，是极弱小的一个界面。
It was a space colored entirely in shades of gray, with occasional ruins visible when looking up. The rest were scattered rocks.
miàn jī tán bù shàng guǎng bó 。
面积谈不上广博。
A layer of hazy fog hung in the sky.
dàn yě zú gòu lìng rén chī jīng le 。
但也足够令人吃惊了。
Essence energy was extremely sparse. Compared to Nael Dragon Realm or even the human world back then, it was clearly inferior.
nà ge xiǎo jiè miàn suì piàn ， biàn yóu lí zài kōng jiān liè fèng zhī jiān 。 cǐ shí tā men de mù dì dì ， biàn shì qí zhōng yī kuài cán piàn 。
那个小界面碎片，便游离在空间裂缝之间。此时他们的目的地，便是其中一块残片。
But there were no lingering restrictions.
jiù zhè yàng ， méi rì méi yè de gǎn lù ， yòu jīng guò yī cì kōng jiān chuān suō ， lín xuān huǎng le huǎng tóu lú ， fā xiàn yǎn qián de jǐng wù ， yǐ yǔ pǔ tōng de líng jiè dà wèi bù tóng 。
就这样，没日没夜的赶路，又经过一次空间穿梭，林轩晃了晃头颅，发现眼前的景物，已与普通的灵界大为不同。
Lin Xuan released his divine sense and found that this area was not vast—just a few million miles in all directions.
zhè shì yī chù chú le huī yán sè ， bié wú qí tā sè cǎi de kōng jiān ， tái shǒu wàng qù 。 mǎn mù chuāng yí ， ǒu ěr kě yǐ kàn jiàn yī xiē cán yuán duàn bì 。
这是一处除了灰颜色，别无其他色彩的空间，抬首望去。满目疮痍，偶尔可以看见一些残垣断壁。
"So, this is where we're going? The entrance to that immortal cave?"
qí yú de ， biàn shì dà dà xiǎo xiǎo de suì shí 。
其余的，便是大大小小的碎石。
Lin Xuan's muttered words reached his ears.
tiān kōng zhōng ， mí màn zhe yī céng huī méng méng de wù qì 。
天空中，弥漫着一层灰蒙蒙的雾气。
"Indeed. This place."
líng qì jí wéi xī bó 。 bié shuō yǔ nài lóng jiè xiāng bǐ ， biàn shì jiào zhī dāng nián de rén jiè ， míng xiǎn yě yào chà shàng yī xiē 。
灵气极为稀薄。别说与鼐龙界相比，便是较之当年的人界，明显也要差上一些。
The Spirit Axis Daoist seemed quite familiar with the location.
dàn bìng méi yǒu cán cún de jìn zhì 。
但并没有残存的禁制。
"There's an altar ahead. Through it, you can enter the immortal's cave."
lín xuān jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， fā xiàn suǒ zài de zhè ge dì fāng miàn jī bìng bù guǎng bó 。 fāng yuán bù guò shù wàn lǐ bà le 。
林轩将神识放出，发现所在的这个地方面积并不广博。方圆不过数万里罢了。
"The friend is correct, but Lin wonders why someone would build a sacrificial altar in a fragment of shattered space?" Lin Xuan slowly turned his head, his eyes hinting at sharpness.
“ zhè me shuō ， zhè ér jiù shì mù dì dì ， tōng wǎng nà xiān rén dòng fǔ de rù kǒu ？”
“这么说，这儿就是目的地，通往那仙人洞府的入口？”
"I... I'm not sure," said the Spirit Axis Daoist.
lín xuān nán nán zì yǔ de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
林轩喃喃自语的声音传入耳朵。
"Are you truly unsure or hiding something?"
“ ń 。 jiù shì cǐ dì méi cuò 。”
“嗯。就是此地没错。”
Lin Xuan's words became increasingly unkind.
nà wèi líng jī dào zhǎng ， dǎo shì xiǎn de shú mén shú lù 。
那位灵玑道长，倒是显得熟门熟路。
"What do you mean? We've had no grudge for a long time. I brought your wife's news out of goodwill, and yet you doubt me. Isn't that cold-hearted?" The Spirit Axis Daoist was visibly displeased.
“ qián miàn yǒu yí gè jì tán ， tōng guò tā ， biàn kě yǐ jìn rù dào xiān rén de dòng fǔ lǐ miàn 。”
“前面有一个祭坛，通过它，便可以进入到仙人的洞府里面。”
"You did bring Moon's message, but it seems you have ulterior motives," Lin Xuan's cold voice echoed in his ears.
“ dào yǒu huà shì méi cuò ， bù guò lín mǒu hěn hào qí ， zhè ér jì rán shì yī jiè miàn fěn suì hòu de cán piàn ， yòu zěn me huì yǒu rén xiū jiàn jì tán ？” lín xuān huǎn huǎn zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， mù guāng zhōng yǐn yǐn yǒu jīng máng liú lù 。
“道友话是没错，不过林某很好奇，这儿既然是一界面粉碎后的残片，又怎么会有人修建祭坛？”林轩缓缓转过头颅，目光中隐隐有精芒流露。
"Ulterior motives? What evidence do you have?"
“ zhè …… pín dào yě bù qīng chǔ 。” líng jī dào rén rú cǐ zhè bān de shuō 。
“这……贫道也不清楚。”灵玑道人如此这般的说。
"Evidence? You're not human or a demon. 'Spirit Axis' is likely a fabrication. A puppet came to deliver a message to me—aren't these clear signs?" Lin Xuan turned his head, revealing a hint of mockery at the corner of his mouth.
“ nǐ shì zhēn bù qīng chǔ ， hái shì yǒu yì yǐn mán shén me ……”
“你是真不清楚，还是有意隐瞒什么……”
Upon hearing him, the Spirit Axis Daoist fell silent for several seconds before speaking again: "How did you figure that out?"
lín xuān de huà yǔ ， yuè lái yuè bú kè qì 。
林轩的话语，越来越不客气。
"To cover your tracks, one must act as if they have nothing to hide. I was fortunate enough to have slightly stronger divine sense than others in my rank, which allowed me to discover this."
“ dào yǒu zhè shì hé yì ， zài xià yǔ nǐ wǎng rì wú yuān jìn rì wú chóu ， hǎo xīn tì nǐ sòng lái zūn fū rén de xiāo xī ， nǐ què rú cǐ huái yí yú wǒ ， qǐ bù shì lìng rén chǐ lěng me ？” líng jī dào rén fú rán bù yuè de shuō 。
“道友这是何意，在下与你往日无冤近日无仇，好心替你送来尊夫人的消息，你却如此怀疑于我，岂不是令人齿冷么？”灵玑道人怫然不悦的说。
However, upon hearing him, the Spirit Axis Daoist's expression turned extremely grim.
“ gé xià shì sòng lái yuè ér de xiāo xī méi cuò ， dàn kǒng pà shì jū xīn pǒ cè 。” lín xuān lěng lěng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
“阁下是送来月儿的消息没错，但恐怕是居心叵测。”林轩冷冷的声音传入耳朵。
"You don't need to be so modest. Being able to discern my true form means your divine sense is far more powerful than a mere peer. If I'm not mistaken, it rivals that of a True Immortal," said the Spirit Axis Daoist with a cold smile.
“ jū xīn pǒ cè ， nǐ yǒu shén me zhèng jù ？”
“居心叵测，你有什么证据？”
"Thank you for the compliment."
“ zhèng jù ， gé xià gēn běn bú shì rén lèi huò zhě yāo zú ， líng jī zhī míng kǒng pà yì shì dù zhuàn de ， yī kuǐ lěi pǎo lái xiàng lín mǒu sòng xìn ， zhè hái bù gòu míng xiǎn me ？” lín xuān zhuǎn guò tóu lú ， zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū le jǐ fēn jī fěng zhī sè 。
“证据，阁下根本不是人类或者妖族，灵玑之名恐怕亦是杜撰的，一傀儡跑来像林某送信，这还不够明显么？”林轩转过头颅，嘴角边露出了几分讥讽之色。
Lin Xuan smiled mildly. While he preferred to be humble, the situation had changed, and hiding these facts was useless. In his eyes, this opponent was already dead.
tīng le tā de yán yǔ ， nà líng jī dào rén xiàn rù le chén mò ， guò le zú zú shí jǐ xī de gōng fu ， cái chóng xīn kāi kǒu ：“ nǐ zěn me kàn chū lái de ？”
听了他的言语，那灵玑道人陷入了沉默，过了足足十几息的功夫，才重新开口：“你怎么看出来的？”
"Even if I'm a puppet, what difference does it make? I don't believe you would ignore your wife's safety," said the Spirit Axis Daoist with a cold laugh.
“ yào xiǎng rén bù zhī ， chú fēi jǐ mò wèi ， lín mǒu yě shì yùn qì bù cuò ， pèng qiǎo shén shí bǐ tóng jiē cún zài qiáng dà yì diǎn diǎn ， suǒ yǐ cái néng fā xiàn 。”
“要想人不知，除非己莫为，林某也是运气不错，碰巧神识比同阶存在强大一点点，所以才能发现。”
"You're right."
rán ér líng jī dào rén tīng le ， liǎn sè què shì nán kàn dào jí diǎn ：“ gé xià yòu hé bì tài qiān ， néng gòu kàn chuān wǒ de běn tǐ ， nǐ de shén shí yòu qǐ huì shì jǐn bǐ tóng jiē xiū shì qiáng dà yī xiē ， ruò shì zài xià méi yǒu liào cuò ， kǒng pà yǐ néng pì měi zhēn xiān le 。”
然而灵玑道人听了，脸色却是难看到极点：“阁下又何必太谦，能够看穿我的本体，你的神识又岂会是仅比同阶修士强大一些，若是在下没有料错，恐怕已能媲美真仙了。”
Lin Xuan sighed. The other party wasn't playing any covert games; they were using straightforward tactics. Even if he discovered this, there was no need to fear being ensnared.
“ chéng méng kuā jiǎng 。”
“承蒙夸奖。”
But what of it?
lín xuān wēi xiào zhe shuō ， suī rán dī diào shì tā de yuán zé ， dàn shì yǐ zhì cǐ ， yǐn mán zhè xiē yǐ méi yǒu yòng chǔ ， fǎn zhèng duì fāng zài tā de yǎn lǐ ， yǐ jīng shì yí gè sǐ rén le 。
林轩微笑着说，虽然低调是他的原则，但事已至此，隐瞒这些已没有用处，反正对方在他的眼里，已经是一个死人了。
Lin Xuan had never been one to shy away from challenges.
“ jiù suàn fā xiàn le wǒ shì kuǐ lěi zhī shēn yòu rú hé ， wǒ jiù bù xiāng xìn ， nǐ néng zhì zì jǐ fū rén de ān wēi yú bù gù 。” líng jī dào rén lěng xiào zhe shuō 。
“就算发现了我是傀儡之身又如何，我就不相信，你能置自己夫人的安危于不顾。”灵玑道人冷笑着说。
Moon's safety was paramount. He would save her, regardless of the obstacles—god or demon, he would eliminate them.
“ nǐ shuō dé bù cuò 。”
“你说得不错。”
As for this guy, he needed to be dealt with immediately.
lín xuān tàn xī ， duì fāng wán de gēn běn jiù bú shì shén me yīn móu guǐ jì ， ér shì yáng móu ， jiù suàn nǐ fā xiàn le ， yě bù pà nǐ bù rù wèng 。
林轩叹息，对方玩的根本就不是什么阴谋诡计，而是阳谋，就算你发现了，也不怕你不入瓮。
"You have ulterior motives and brought me here. Do you have any intention of falling in battle?"
dàn nà yòu rú hé ？
但那又如何？
"Falling in battle?" The Spirit Axis Daoist's expression turned ferocious: "Die first!"
lín xuān cóng lái bú shì shén me wèi jù jiān nán de xiū xiān zhě 。
林轩从来不是什么畏惧艰难的修仙者。
Before his words were fully out, a series of cracking sounds filled the air.
yuè ér yǒu wēi xiǎn ， zì jǐ shì yí dìng yào jiù ， shén dǎng shā shén ， mó dǎng chú mó 。
月儿有危险，自己是一定要救，神挡杀神，魔挡除魔。
His figure suddenly swelled up.
zhì yú yǎn qián zhè jiā huo ， gèng shì dì yī shí jiān yào chú qù de 。
至于眼前这家伙，更是第一时间要除去的。
He grew three feet taller, his body becoming imposing and his skin turning metallic. A strange aura emanated from him.
“ nǐ jū xīn pǒ cè ， jiāng lín mǒu hǒng piàn dào zhè lǐ ， kě yǒu yǔn luò de jué wù ？”
“你居心叵测，将林某哄骗到这里，可有陨落的觉悟？”
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted; this guy was not truly a cultivator.
“ yǔn luò ？” líng jī dào rén de liǎn sè ， yī xià zi biàn dé zhēng níng qǐ lái le ：“ nǐ xiān gěi wǒ qù sǐ ！”
“陨落？”灵玑道人的脸色，一下子变得狰狞起来了：“你先给我去死！”
A mid-transcendence puppet?
huà yīn wèi luò ， gē bēng gē bēng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
话音未落，咯嘣咯嘣的声音传入耳朵。
Lin Xuan had seen such puppets before, but the one in front of him was clearly different from those he once possessed—coming from divine techniques and far more refined. Even without considering his realm, his strength was undoubtedly superior.
tā de shēn xíng ， zhòu rán péng zhàng qǐ lái le 。
他的身形，骤然膨胀起来了。
After completing the transformation, this guy raised a hand and punched Lin Xuan with incredible force.
shēn gāo bá gāo le sān chǐ ， tǐ xíng biàn dé páng bó ， jī fū yì biàn chéng le jīn shǔ de yán sè ， liú guāng yì cǎi ， yī gǔ qí guài de wēi yā sàn fà chū lái 。
身高拔高了三尺，体型变得磅礴，肌肤亦变成了金属的颜色，流光溢彩，一股奇怪的威压散发出来。
A burst of light flashed as a massive energy ball resembling a crimson fireball formed in mid-air, slamming towards Lin Xuan with malice.
lín xuān tóng kǒng wēi suō ， zhè jiā huo guǒ rán bú shì zhēn zhèng de xiū xiān zhě 。
林轩瞳孔微缩，这家伙果然不是真正的修仙者。
Though it lackedrule's strength or force of rule (lawful power), it still posed significant danger.
dù jié zhōng qī de kuǐ lěi me ？
渡劫中期的傀儡么？
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted. He did not dare to be too cautious; after all, this was something crafted by an immortal. Let's test his strength.
yào shuō zhè zhǒng jí bié de kuǐ lěi ， lín xuān yě bú shì méi yǒu jiàn guò ， dàn yǎn qián de ， míng xiǎn yǔ zì jǐ céng jīng yōng yǒu de zhēn líng kuǐ lěi bù tóng 。
要说这种级别的傀儡，林轩也不是没有见过，但眼前的，明显与自己曾经拥有的真灵傀儡不同。
With a thought in mind, Lin Xuan punched forward as well.
"Only a month?"
The Count of Heavenly Essence did not show any signs of worry on his face. Instead, he chuckled lightly: "I'm not too concerned about that. With that Lin boy's speed, it should take him at least a month to reach the scene."
Before his words were fully out, he raised his right hand and a dazzling light circle appeared at his fingertips.
He then flicked his fingers slightly, and the light circle transformed into an arrow-like shape, shooting toward the horizon with incredible speed.
Sizzle...
The sky was pierced, leaving a crackling trace. It spread like spider webs, quickly covering over ten feet of space.
A white hole appeared.
The Count of Heavenly Essence lifted his foot and entered without hesitation.
...
The entire action flowed smoothly, but Lin Xuan did not know this. At this moment, he was already millions of miles away.
He continued to fly at high speed, continuing on his journey.
In just over ten days, time slipped by unnoticed.
Lin Xuan had broken free from the constraints of lifespan. The passage of these few days meant little to him. But indeed, it was quite busy. He had experienced multiple times of breaking through the void and shuttling between various small interfaces.
For a weaker cultivator, this would be terrifying. For Lin Xuan, however, it felt as easy as walking on flat ground.
Lin Xuan once asked where they were going. The Spirit Axis Daoist did not hide anything either. According to him, although the path out of that immortal cave was unclear, getting inside had become a bit more feasible.
Their destination was in between two small interfaces—a fragment of space... well, it sounded abstract.
Simply put, during ancient times when the Three Realms War began, two top-tier cultivators clashed, creating chaos. One small interface was shattered into fragments.
This particular fragment drifted amidst spatial rifts. Their current goal was one such fragment.
Day and night, they continued their journey. After another spatial traversal, Lin Xuan shook his head to find that the scenery before him had changed significantly from ordinary spirit realms.
It was a space colored entirely in shades of gray, with occasional ruins visible when looking up. The rest were scattered rocks.
A layer of hazy fog hung in the sky.
Essence energy was extremely sparse. Compared to Nael Dragon Realm or even the human world back then, it was clearly inferior.
But there were no lingering restrictions.
Lin Xuan released his divine sense and found that this area was not vast—just a few million miles in all directions.
"So, this is where we're going? The entrance to that immortal cave?"
Lin Xuan's muttered words reached his ears.
"Indeed. This place."
The Spirit Axis Daoist seemed quite familiar with the location.
"There's an altar ahead. Through it, you can enter the immortal's cave."
"The friend is correct, but Lin wonders why someone would build a sacrificial altar in a fragment of shattered space?" Lin Xuan slowly turned his head, his eyes hinting at sharpness.
"I... I'm not sure," said the Spirit Axis Daoist.
"Are you truly unsure or hiding something?"
Lin Xuan's words became increasingly unkind.
"What do you mean? We've had no grudge for a long time. I brought your wife's news out of goodwill, and yet you doubt me. Isn't that cold-hearted?" The Spirit Axis Daoist was visibly displeased.
"You did bring Moon's message, but it seems you have ulterior motives," Lin Xuan's cold voice echoed in his ears.
"Ulterior motives? What evidence do you have?"
"Evidence? You're not human or a demon. 'Spirit Axis' is likely a fabrication. A puppet came to deliver a message to me—aren't these clear signs?" Lin Xuan turned his head, revealing a hint of mockery at the corner of his mouth.
Upon hearing him, the Spirit Axis Daoist fell silent for several seconds before speaking again: "How did you figure that out?"
"To cover your tracks, one must act as if they have nothing to hide. I was fortunate enough to have slightly stronger divine sense than others in my rank, which allowed me to discover this."
However, upon hearing him, the Spirit Axis Daoist's expression turned extremely grim.
"You don't need to be so modest. Being able to discern my true form means your divine sense is far more powerful than a mere peer. If I'm not mistaken, it rivals that of a True Immortal," said the Spirit Axis Daoist with a cold smile.
"Thank you for the compliment."
Lin Xuan smiled mildly. While he preferred to be humble, the situation had changed, and hiding these facts was useless. In his eyes, this opponent was already dead.
"Even if I'm a puppet, what difference does it make? I don't believe you would ignore your wife's safety," said the Spirit Axis Daoist with a cold laugh.
"You're right."
Lin Xuan sighed. The other party wasn't playing any covert games; they were using straightforward tactics. Even if he discovered this, there was no need to fear being ensnared.
But what of it?
Lin Xuan had never been one to shy away from challenges.
Moon's safety was paramount. He would save her, regardless of the obstacles—god or demon, he would eliminate them.
As for this guy, he needed to be dealt with immediately.
"You have ulterior motives and brought me here. Do you have any intention of falling in battle?"
"Falling in battle?" The Spirit Axis Daoist's expression turned ferocious: "Die first!"
Before his words were fully out, a series of cracking sounds filled the air.
His figure suddenly swelled up.
He grew three feet taller, his body becoming imposing and his skin turning metallic. A strange aura emanated from him.
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted; this guy was not truly a cultivator.
A mid-transcendence puppet?
Lin Xuan had seen such puppets before, but the one in front of him was clearly different from those he once possessed—coming from divine techniques and far more refined. Even without considering his realm, his strength was undoubtedly superior.
After completing the transformation, this guy raised a hand and punched Lin Xuan with incredible force.
A burst of light flashed as a massive energy ball resembling a crimson fireball formed in mid-air, slamming towards Lin Xuan with malice.
Though it lackedrule's strength or force of rule (lawful power), it still posed significant danger.
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted. He did not dare to be too cautious; after all, this was something crafted by an immortal. Let's test his strength.
With a thought in mind, Lin Xuan punched forward as well.