“ kě wǎn bèi tīng dào dì xiāo xī ， què shì shén jūn zài zhè yī zhàn hòu ， jiù cóng wǒ men yōu zhōu xiāo shēng nì jì 。” bù guǎn rú hé 。 lín xuān zǒng shì qín zú de xiū shì 。 gē bó zhǒu méi yǒu wǎng wài guǎi dì dào lǐ ， tīng dào zhè lǐ ， rěn bú zhù lěng lěng dì jī fěng le yī jù 。
“可晚辈听到地消息，却是神君在这一战后，就从我们幽州销声匿迹。”不管如何。林轩总是秦族的修士。胳膊肘没有往外拐地道理，听到这里，忍不住冷冷地讥讽了一句。
"However, when I heard the news, it was that Divine Lord Xuan had disappeared from our Youzhou after this battle," Lin Xuan said. Regardless of anything else, he was a cultivator of the Qin clan. There was no reason for him to turn his back on his own kind. Hearing this, he couldn't help but coldly mock.
“ hēng 。 nǐ yǐ wéi shì tài xū nà lǎo jiā huǒ jiāng běn shén jūn dǎ pà le ？ bù 。 běn shén jūn què shí shòu le yī xiē shāng 。 dàn yě méi yǒu rèn hé zhì mìng zhī chù 。 jiāng yǎng yī xiē shí rì jiù néng quán yù le ， wǒ zhī suǒ yǐ lí kāi yōu zhōu 。 shì yīn wèi nà yī zhàn hòu 。 wǒ yǒu yī xiē gǎn wù ， gū mō zhe níng jié yuán yīng méi yǒu wèn tí le 。”
“哼。你以为是太虚那老家伙将本神君打怕了？不。本神君确实受了一些伤。但也没有任何致命之处。将养一些时日就能痊愈了，我之所以离开幽州。是因为那一战后。我有一些感悟，估摸着凝结元婴没有问题了。”
"Hmph. Do you think it's because that old fool Tai Xi scared me? No. I did sustain some injuries, but they weren't fatal. They'll heal in time with proper care. The reason I left Youzhou was that after that battle, I had some insights and felt confident about forming my essence core."
“ nà qián bèi wèi hé ……” lín xuān rěn bú zhù kàn le yī yǎn shēn qián de dà hàn ， shāng shì zàn qiě bù shuō ， xiū wèi yě yī jiù shì níng dān qī dì dǐng fēng bà le 。
“那前辈为何……”林轩忍不住看了一眼身前的大汉，伤势暂且不说，修为也依旧是凝丹期地顶峰罢了。
"Why then, senior?" Lin Xuan couldn't help looking at the large man before him. His injuries aside, his cultivation level remained at the peak of condensation core stage.
“ zhè dōu shì bài hùn yuán nà jiān zéi suǒ cì 。” bǎi dú shén jūn yǎo yá qiè chǐ ：“ wǒ huí lái hòu bù jiǔ 。 shī fù tā lǎo rén jiā jiù dà xiàn yǐ dào 。 zài zuò huà zhī qián ， chuán wèi wǒ jiē rèn lián méng dà zhǎng lǎo 。”
“这都是拜混元那奸贼所赐。”百毒神君咬牙切齿：“我回来后不久。师傅他老人家就大限已到。在坐化之前，传位我接任联盟大长老。”
"This all thanks to that scoundrel Huan Yuan," said Hundred Poison Divine Lord with gritted teeth. "Soon after I returned, my master passed away and bequeathed his position as the Grand Elder of the Alliance to me just before he died."
lín xuān tīng dào zhè lǐ 。 yǐ yǐn yǐn cāi dào yī xiē duān ní ， zhè wèi bǎi dú shén jūn biǎo xiàn dé tài qiáng shì ， suǒ wèi mù xiù yú lín ， fēng bì cuī zhī 。 běn lái tài guò yōu yì de zī zhì jiù yǐ jīng zhāo rén jì hèn 。 rú jīn zài dé dào shī fù de chuán chéng ， zuò wèi dà shī xiōng ér yòu bèi hū lüè dì hùn yuán lǎo zǔ zì rán shì rěn bù xià zhè yì kǒu qì 。
林轩听到这里。已隐隐猜到一些端倪，这位百毒神君表现得太强势，所谓木秀于林，风必摧之。本来太过优异的资质就已经招人忌恨。如今再得到师傅的传承，做为大师兄而又被忽略地混元老祖自然是忍不下这一口气。
Lin Xuan had already guessed some of this. The Hundred Poison Divine Lord's behavior was too domineering. As they say, the taller you stand in a forest, the more likely you are to attract wind. His superior talent had already made him an object of envy. Now that he had inherited his master's legacy and was being overlooked as the senior disciple, Huan Yuan naturally couldn't bear it.
ér 。 qiě lín xuān xiāng xìn ， hùn yuán lǎo zǔ jué fēi tā kǒu zhōng suǒ shuō dì fèi wù ， yào bù rán yě bú huì chéng wéi yuán yīng qī de xiū xiān zhě 。 píng xīn ér lùn 。 kěn dìng yě shì tiān cái 。 zhǐ bù guò bǎi dú shén jūn de guāng máng tài yào yǎn ， suǒ yǐ cái bèi yǎn gài 。
而。且林轩相信，混元老祖绝非他口中所说地废物，要不然也不会成为元婴期的修仙者。平心而论。肯定也是天才。只不过百毒神君的光芒太耀眼，所以才被掩盖。
Moreover, Lin Xuan believed that Huan Yuan was no fool. He wouldn't have become a condensation core cultivator if he were. In all honesty, he must be a genius. It was just that Hundred Poison Divine Lord's brilliance overshadowed him, so his talent had been hidden.
“ nà tā ， duì qián bèi nǐ xià shǒu le ？”
“那他，对前辈你下手了？”
"Did he attack you then?"
“ méi yǒu 。” bǎi dú shén jūn yáo le yáo tóu ：“， nà jiā huo xīn jī shēn chén ， zhī dào shén tōng yǔ běn shén jūn xiāng bǐ ， xiāng chà tài yuǎn ， suǒ yǐ shī fù sǐ hòu 。 tā yě yì zhí duì wǒ bì gōng bì jìng 。 bù gǎn yú yuè bàn fēn 。 ér wǒ duì zhè jiān zéi yě hěn xìn rèn 。 shì zhī wèi zuǒ bǎng yòu bì 。 zú zhōng de bù shǎo dà shì 。 quán dōu jiāo yǔ tā qù chù lǐ 。”
“没有。”百毒神君摇了摇头：“，那家伙心机深沉，知道神通与本神君相比，相差太远，所以师傅死后。他也一直对我毕恭毕敬。不敢逾越半分。而我对这奸贼也很信任。视之为左膀右臂。族中的不少大事。全都交予他去处理。”
"No," said the Hundred Poison Divine Lord shaking his head. "That fellow is cunning. He knew his abilities fell far short of mine. So after my master passed away, he remained respectful and never overstepped a boundary. I trusted him as much as an arm or leg, and handed over most of my authority to him."
“ zhè jiā huo yī rěn jiù shì sān nián ， zhí ， dào běn shén jūn bì guān zhǔn bèi níng jié yuán yīng dì nà yī tiān ……”
“这家伙一忍就是三年，直，到本神君闭关准备凝结元婴地那一天……”
"He waited for three years until the day I was about to form my essence core…"
shuō dào zhè lǐ ，， bǎi dú shén jūn dì qì xī biàn dé cū zhòng qǐ lái 。 yǎn zhōng xiōng guāng sì shè ， fǎng fú shòu shāng de yě shòu yì bān 。 zhǔn bèi zé rén ér shì 。
说到这里，，百毒神君地气息变得粗重起来。眼中凶光四射，仿佛受伤的野兽一般。准备择人而噬。
At this point, the Hundred Poison Divine Lord's breath became heavy, his eyes filled with vicious intent, like a wounded beast preparing to strike.
“ dāng shí ，。 nà jiān zéi yǐ shì wǒ zuì wèi xìn rèn zhī rén ， wǒ bì guān zhī qián ， jiāng suǒ yǒu de dà quán 。 quán bù jiāo yóu tā dài lǐ 。 shèn zhì hái yǔn xǔ tā chū rù wǒ suǒ bù xià dì jìn zhì ……”
“当时，。那奸贼已是我最为信任之人，我闭关之前，将所有的大权。全部交由他代理。甚至还允许他出入我所布下地禁制……”
"At that time, he was the one I trusted most. Before I closed myself in meditation, I handed over all of my authority to him and even allowed him to enter the restricted areas I had set up…"
tīng dào zhè lǐ 。 lín xuān liǎn shàng bù yóu lù ， chū yī sī gǔ guài dì biǎo qíng 。
听到这里。林轩脸上不由露，出一丝古怪地表情。
Lin Xuan couldn't help showing an odd expression on his face when he heard this.
“ zěn me ， nǐ yǐ wéi lǎo fū shì shǎ guā me ？” bǎi dú shén jūn hēng le yī shēng ：“ zhè níng jié yuán yīng kě yǔ jié dān dà bù xiāng tóng 。 huì yǒu xīn mó rù qīn 。 yùn qì bù hǎo shèn zhì huì yǐn lái tiān jié jiàng lín 。 suǒ yǐ zì gǔ yǐ lái 。 zhǔn bèi jié yīng dì xiū xiān zhě ， chú le zài bì guān zhī suǒ bù xià chóng chóng jìn zhì 。 hái xū yào tóng mén hǎo yǒu zài yī páng hù fǎ fú chí 。 lǎo fū suī rán tiān zòng qí cái 。 kě yě bù gǎn bǎo zhèng jié yīng guò chéng jiù huì yī fān fēng shùn 。 zuò zhè yàng de zhǔn bèi yě shì wèi le yǐ fáng wàn yī 。”
“怎么，你以为老夫是傻瓜么？”百毒神君哼了一声：“这凝结元婴可与结丹大不相同。会有心魔入侵。运气不好甚至会引来天劫降临。所以自古以来。准备结婴地修仙者，除了在闭关之所布下重重禁制。还需要同门好友在一旁护法扶持。老夫虽然天纵奇才。可也不敢保证结婴过程就会一帆风顺。做这样的准备也是为了以防万一。”
"Think you old man is a fool?" The Hundred Poison Divine Lord snorted. "Forming an essence core isn't like condensing a golden core. There are heart demons that can invade, and if one's luck is bad, they might even attract heavenly tribulation. That's why cultivators always set up many restrictions in their meditation chambers to protect themselves. Even though I am a prodigy, I couldn't guarantee the process would be smooth sailing. These preparations were made just in case."
jiǎng dào zhè lǐ 。 bǎi dú shén jūn tàn le kǒu qì ：“ kě wǒ zuò mèng yě bù céng xiǎng ， hùn yuán nà jiān zéi biǎo miàn gōng shùn wú bǐ ， àn dì lǐ què duì wǒ bù huái hào yì 。 jiù zài wǒ yuán yīng jiāng chéng dì guān jiàn shí kè ， zhè jiā huo tū rán duì wǒ chū shǒu le 。”
讲到这里。百毒神君叹了口气：“可我做梦也不曾想，混元那奸贼表面恭顺无比，暗地里却对我不怀好意。就在我元婴将成地关键时刻，这家伙突然对我出手了。”
The Hundred Poison Divine Lord sighed. "But I never imagined that Huan Yuan, this scoundrel, would secretly plot against me. Just as my essence core was about to form, he suddenly attacked me."
“ lǎo fū nà shí zhèng zài dǐ dǎng xīn mó ， kě yǐ shuō shì zuì xū ruò de shí kè ， shí chéng shén tōng zuì duō fā huī dé liǎng sān céng bà le 。 ér hùn yuán nà jiān zéi suī rán shì gè fèi wù ， kě zài lǎo fū dì tí xié zhǐ diǎn xià ， xiū wèi yě dào níng dān hòu qī le ， yī cháng dà zhàn xià lái 。 lǎo fū yǐn hèn luò bài ， bù guò hùn yuán nà jiā huo yě méi yǒu tǎo dào hǎo chù 。 tóng yàng bèi wǒ pǐ chéng le zhòng shāng 。”
“老夫那时正在抵挡心魔，可以说是最虚弱的时刻，十成神通最多发挥得两三层罢了。而混元那奸贼虽然是个废物，可在老夫地提携指点下，修为也到凝丹后期了，一场大战下来。老夫饮恨落败，不过混元那家伙也没有讨到好处。同样被我劈成了重伤。”
"I was fighting off heart demons at the time, which is when I am most vulnerable. My full power could only be unleashed in two or three layers. Although Huan Yuan is a waste of space, his cultivation had reached late condensation core stage under my guidance. After our battle, I suffered defeat and humiliation, but so did that scoundrel. He was also severely injured by me."
lín xuān tīng dé xīn xià hài rán 。 ruò bú shì zhī dào yǎn qián zhè wèi chuán shuō zhōng dì rén wù jué bú huì sā huǎng ， jiǎn zhí jiù gēn tiān fāng yè tán yī yàng 。
林轩听得心下骇然。若不是知道眼前这位传说中地人物绝不会撒谎，简直就跟天方夜谭一样。
Lin Xuan was shocked to hear this. If not for knowing the legendary figure before him would never lie, it sounded like a fairy tale.
zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， dāng xiū shì wèi tí shēng jìng jiè ér chōng jī píng jǐng zhī shí ， zuì jì huì de jiù shì bèi wài wù dǎ rǎo 。 zhè yě shì wèi shén me lín xuān níng jié jīn dān dì shí hòu huì pǎo dào huāng mò ， yì wài yù jiàn duó mìng shū shēng yǐ hòu 。 yuè ér qíng yuàn bù jiè zhù zhèn fǎ zhī lì yě yào zài yuǎn chù jiāng tā jié xià lái ， yīn wèi yí dàn shòu dào yǐng xiǎng ， bù jǐn huì níng dān shī bài 。 ér qiě líng lì dào liú 。 huì xiàn rù zǒu huǒ rù mó dì wàn jié bù fù zhī zhōng 。
众所周知，当修士为提升境界而冲击瓶颈之时，最忌讳的就是被外物打扰。这也是为什么林轩凝结金丹地时候会跑到荒漠，意外遇见夺命书生以后。玥儿情愿不借助阵法之力也要在远处将他截下来，因为一旦受到影响，不仅会凝丹失败。而且灵力倒流。会陷入走火入魔地万劫不复之中。
It's common knowledge that when cultivators attempt to break through their barriers, they are most vulnerable to external interference. This is why Lin Xuan had fled to the desert to condense his golden core and why Yue'er preferred to use her powers without an array to intercept him, as any distraction could result in failure or even a descent into madness.
yǔ níng dān shí xiāng bǐ 。 jié yīng gèng shì wēi xiǎn chóng chóng 。 ér bǎi dú shén jūn zài dǐ dǎng xīn mó rù qīn dì shí kè 。 jū rán hái néng yǔ rén dòng shǒu 。 shèng fù zàn qiě bù shuō 。 guāng shì zhè yì diǎn 。 jiù zú yǐ xiào ào qún xióng 。
与凝丹时相比。结婴更是危险重重。而百毒神君在抵挡心魔入侵地时刻。居然还能与人动手。胜负暂且不说。光是这一点。就足以笑傲群雄。
Compared to condensing a golden core, forming an essence core was even more perilous. And yet, while fighting off heart demons, the Hundred Poison Divine Lord had still managed to engage in battle. Regardless of who won, this alone was enough to make him stand out among his peers.
“ hùn yuán nà jiān zéi suī rán bèi wǒ dǎ chéng le zhòng shāng ， dàn lǎo fū dì qíng kuàng què gèng wéi bù miào ， bù jǐn jí jiāng chéng xíng de yuán yīng kuì sàn diào le ， ér qiě bèi xīn mó rù nǎo 。 yī shēn fǎ lì fèi le shí zhī **， zuì zhōng luò de le rú cǐ xià chǎng 。”
“混元那奸贼虽然被我打成了重伤，但老夫地情况却更为不妙，不仅即将成形的元婴溃散掉了，而且被心魔入脑。一身法力废了十之**，最终落得了如此下场。”
"Although Huan Yuan was severely injured by me, my situation was worse. My forming essence core scattered and I suffered severe damage from the heart demon invasion. In the end, I ended up like this."
zhè shī xiōng dì jiān dì qíng chóu tīng qǐ lái jīng xīn dòng pò 。 bù guò lín xuān shēn wèi jú wài zhī rén dǎo shì miàn bù gǎi sè 。 fǎn ér mō le mō xià bā ， ruò yǒu suǒ sī de kāi kǒu le ：“ hùn yuán lǎo zǔ jiān jì dé chěng ， què liú le gé xià yī mìng 。 xiǎng bì shì yǒu tè shū de yuán yóu 。”
这师兄弟间地情仇听起来惊心动魄。不过林轩身为局外之人倒是面不改色。反而摸了摸下巴，若有所思的开口了：“混元老祖奸计得逞，却留了阁下一命。想必是有特殊的缘由。”
This tale of brotherly rivalry sounded thrilling, but Lin Xuan, as an outsider, remained unperturbed. He even stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "Huan Yuan's treachery succeeded in leaving you alive for a reason."
“ bù cuò 。” bǎi dú shén jūn mǎn liǎn yuàn dú ， bù guò wàng xiàng lín xuān dì mù guāng què dài le yī sì zàn xǔ zhī sè ：“ lǎo fū zài yī tiān 。 nà jiān zéi jiù zuò lì bù ān 。 bù guò tā què shǐ zhōng bù shā wǒ ， jiù shì xiǎng cóng wǒ zhè lǐ dé dào zhèn zú zhī bǎo de xià luò 。”
“不错。”百毒神君满脸怨毒，不过望向林轩地目光却带了一似赞许之色：“老夫在一天。那奸贼就坐立不安。不过他却始终不杀我，就是想从我这里得到镇族之宝的下落。”
"Indeed," said the Hundred Poison Divine Lord with venomous eyes, but his gaze held a hint of approval toward Lin Xuan. "As long as I am alive, that scoundrel will be restless. But he never killed me because he wanted to extract information about our clan's treasure from me."
“ nà bǎo wù zài qián bèi dì shǒu lǐ ？”
“那宝物在前辈地手里？”
"Do you have this treasure?"
“ dāng rán ， shī zūn yǒu yì ràng wǒ jiē rèn lián méng dà zhǎng lǎo ， zhè zhèn zú zhī bǎo zì rán shì chuán yǔ běn shén jūn le 。”
“当然，师尊有意让我接任联盟大长老，这镇族之宝自然是传与本神君了。”
"Of course. My master intended for me to take over the position of Grand Elder, so naturally, this treasure was passed down to me," said the Hundred Poison Divine Lord.
“ nán dào tā bú huì duì qián bèi yòng sōu hún **？” lín xuān yǒu diǎn chà yì dì dào 。
“难道他不会对前辈用搜魂**？”林轩有点诧异地道。
"Wouldn't he try to use soul searching on you?" Lin Xuan asked in surprise.
bǎi dú shén jūn xī rì zài fēng guāng ， rú jīn yě yǐ chéng le fèi rén yí gè ， ér hùn yuán lǎo zǔ zé shì yuán yīng qī dì dà wū shī le 。 cǐ xiāo bǐ zhǎng zhī xià ， yòng sōu hún ** qiáng xíng dú qǔ duì fāng dì jì yì yīng gāi bù nán ba 。
百毒神君昔日再风光，如今也已成了废人一个，而混元老祖则是元婴期地大巫师了。此消彼长之下，用搜魂**强行读取对方地记忆应该不难吧。
The Hundred Poison Divine Lord had once been a formidable figure, but now he was reduced to a cripple. Huan Yuan, however, was an advanced condensation core cultivator. With their relative positions reversed, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to use soul searching to read his memories.
“ hēng 。 nǐ yǐ wéi nà jiān zéi bù xiǎng ， kě lǎo fū suī rán hǔ luò píng yáng ， yī rán bú shì kě yóu rén suí yì qī rǔ zhī bèi ， yī xiē xiǎo shǒu duàn zú kě ràng tā de sōu hún ** wú gōng ér fǎn 。” shuō dào zhè lǐ ， bǎi dú shén jūn miàn lù ào rán ：“ zěn me yàng ， xiǎo zi 。 zhè liǎng bǎi nián lái ， hùn yuán nà jiān zéi fèi jìn xīn jī dōu bù céng dé dào dì zhèn zú zhī bǎo 。 zhǐ yào nǐ dā yìng wèi lǎo fū bào chóu ， wǒ jiù shuāng shǒu fèng shàng 。”
“哼。你以为那奸贼不想，可老夫虽然虎落平阳，依然不是可由人随意欺辱之辈，一些小手段足可让他的搜魂**无功而返。”说到这里，百毒神君面露傲然：“怎么样，小子。这两百年来，混元那奸贼费劲心机都不曾得到地镇族之宝。只要你答应为老夫报仇，我就双手奉上。”
"Hmph. Do you think that scoundrel wanted to? Although I am no longer formidable, I still can't be easily bullied. A few tricks should prevent his soul searching from succeeding," said the Hundred Poison Divine Lord with a proud look. "What do you say, boy? This clan treasure that Huan Yuan has been after for two hundred years - just hand it over if you agree to avenge me."
“ zhè ……” tīng le zhè me duō 。 jiù suàn shì shǎ guā yě zhī dào 。 nà zhèn zú zhī bǎo kěn dìng fēi bǐ xún cháng 。 shèn zhì yuǎn chāo zì jǐ dì xiǎng xiàng 。 lín xuān jù jué dì huà gù rán shì shuō bù chū kǒu ， kě yī xiǎng dào yào yǔ yuán yīng qī xiū shì wèi dí 。 dā yìng yě shì yī jiàn wàn fēn wéi nán de shì 。
“这……”听了这么多。就算是傻瓜也知道。那镇族之宝肯定非比寻常。甚至远超自己地想象。林轩拒绝地话固然是说不出口，可一想到要与元婴期修士为敌。答应也是一件万分为难的事。
"Is... this really worth risking everything?" Lin Xuan thought about it. Even though he was young, he was very smart and didn't want to be tricked by the old monster.
jiū jìng gāi zěn yàng xuǎn zé ， zhè jué xīn hái zhēn bù hǎo xià 。
究竟该怎样选择，这决心还真不好下。
After some hesitation, Lin Xuan finally said carefully, "I wonder what kind of treasure this is and how it can help me?"
chóu chú le yī huì er 。 lín xuān zhōng yú zhēn zhuó zhe kāi kǒu ：“ bù zhī dào nà zhèn zú zhī bǎo jiū jìng shì hé zhǒng shì wù ， duì wǎn bèi yòu néng yǒu shén me bāng zhù ？”
踌躇了一会儿。林轩终于斟酌着开口：“不知道那镇族之宝究竟是何种事物，对晚辈又能有什么帮助？”
People do things for money or food, but whether it's worth risking everything depends on the reward. He had just heard the other party bragging, so he needed to be cautious. Huan Yuan might be trying to trick him into agreeing.
rén wéi cái sǐ ， niǎo wèi shí wáng ， bù guò jiū jìng zhí bù zhí dé mào xiǎn 。 hái yào kàn kàn bào chóu shì fǒu gòu fēng hòu ， bì jìng gāng cái zhǐ shì tīng duì fāng chuī xū ér yǐ 。 bǎi dú shén jūn yǐ jīn fēi xī bǐ ， wàn yī tā shì wèi le bào chóu ér piàn zì jǐ shàng dàng ？
人为财死，鸟为食亡，不过究竟值不值得冒险。还要看看报酬是否够丰厚，毕竟刚才只是听对方吹嘘而已。百毒神君已今非昔比，万一他是为了报仇而骗自己上当？
Although Lin Xuan was young, he was very smart and didn't want to be fooled by this old monster.
"However, when I heard the news, it was that Divine Lord Xuan had disappeared from our Youzhou after this battle," Lin Xuan said. Regardless of anything else, he was a cultivator of the Qin clan. There was no reason for him to turn his back on his own kind. Hearing this, he couldn't help but coldly mock.
"Hmph. Do you think it's because that old fool Tai Xi scared me? No. I did sustain some injuries, but they weren't fatal. They'll heal in time with proper care. The reason I left Youzhou was that after that battle, I had some insights and felt confident about forming my essence core."
"Why then, senior?" Lin Xuan couldn't help looking at the large man before him. His injuries aside, his cultivation level remained at the peak of condensation core stage.
"This all thanks to that scoundrel Huan Yuan," said Hundred Poison Divine Lord with gritted teeth. "Soon after I returned, my master passed away and bequeathed his position as the Grand Elder of the Alliance to me just before he died."
Lin Xuan had already guessed some of this. The Hundred Poison Divine Lord's behavior was too domineering. As they say, the taller you stand in a forest, the more likely you are to attract wind. His superior talent had already made him an object of envy. Now that he had inherited his master's legacy and was being overlooked as the senior disciple, Huan Yuan naturally couldn't bear it.
Moreover, Lin Xuan believed that Huan Yuan was no fool. He wouldn't have become a condensation core cultivator if he were. In all honesty, he must be a genius. It was just that Hundred Poison Divine Lord's brilliance overshadowed him, so his talent had been hidden.
"Did he attack you then?"
"No," said the Hundred Poison Divine Lord shaking his head. "That fellow is cunning. He knew his abilities fell far short of mine. So after my master passed away, he remained respectful and never overstepped a boundary. I trusted him as much as an arm or leg, and handed over most of my authority to him."
"He waited for three years until the day I was about to form my essence core…"
At this point, the Hundred Poison Divine Lord's breath became heavy, his eyes filled with vicious intent, like a wounded beast preparing to strike.
"At that time, he was the one I trusted most. Before I closed myself in meditation, I handed over all of my authority to him and even allowed him to enter the restricted areas I had set up…"
Lin Xuan couldn't help showing an odd expression on his face when he heard this.
"Think you old man is a fool?" The Hundred Poison Divine Lord snorted. "Forming an essence core isn't like condensing a golden core. There are heart demons that can invade, and if one's luck is bad, they might even attract heavenly tribulation. That's why cultivators always set up many restrictions in their meditation chambers to protect themselves. Even though I am a prodigy, I couldn't guarantee the process would be smooth sailing. These preparations were made just in case."
The Hundred Poison Divine Lord sighed. "But I never imagined that Huan Yuan, this scoundrel, would secretly plot against me. Just as my essence core was about to form, he suddenly attacked me."
"I was fighting off heart demons at the time, which is when I am most vulnerable. My full power could only be unleashed in two or three layers. Although Huan Yuan is a waste of space, his cultivation had reached late condensation core stage under my guidance. After our battle, I suffered defeat and humiliation, but so did that scoundrel. He was also severely injured by me."
Lin Xuan was shocked to hear this. If not for knowing the legendary figure before him would never lie, it sounded like a fairy tale.
It's common knowledge that when cultivators attempt to break through their barriers, they are most vulnerable to external interference. This is why Lin Xuan had fled to the desert to condense his golden core and why Yue'er preferred to use her powers without an array to intercept him, as any distraction could result in failure or even a descent into madness.
Compared to condensing a golden core, forming an essence core was even more perilous. And yet, while fighting off heart demons, the Hundred Poison Divine Lord had still managed to engage in battle. Regardless of who won, this alone was enough to make him stand out among his peers.
"Although Huan Yuan was severely injured by me, my situation was worse. My forming essence core scattered and I suffered severe damage from the heart demon invasion. In the end, I ended up like this."
This tale of brotherly rivalry sounded thrilling, but Lin Xuan, as an outsider, remained unperturbed. He even stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "Huan Yuan's treachery succeeded in leaving you alive for a reason."
"Indeed," said the Hundred Poison Divine Lord with venomous eyes, but his gaze held a hint of approval toward Lin Xuan. "As long as I am alive, that scoundrel will be restless. But he never killed me because he wanted to extract information about our clan's treasure from me."
"Do you have this treasure?"
"Of course. My master intended for me to take over the position of Grand Elder, so naturally, this treasure was passed down to me," said the Hundred Poison Divine Lord.
"Wouldn't he try to use soul searching on you?" Lin Xuan asked in surprise.
The Hundred Poison Divine Lord had once been a formidable figure, but now he was reduced to a cripple. Huan Yuan, however, was an advanced condensation core cultivator. With their relative positions reversed, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to use soul searching to read his memories.
"Hmph. Do you think that scoundrel wanted to? Although I am no longer formidable, I still can't be easily bullied. A few tricks should prevent his soul searching from succeeding," said the Hundred Poison Divine Lord with a proud look. "What do you say, boy? This clan treasure that Huan Yuan has been after for two hundred years - just hand it over if you agree to avenge me."
"Is... this really worth risking everything?" Lin Xuan thought about it. Even though he was young, he was very smart and didn't want to be tricked by the old monster.
After some hesitation, Lin Xuan finally said carefully, "I wonder what kind of treasure this is and how it can help me?"
People do things for money or food, but whether it's worth risking everything depends on the reward. He had just heard the other party bragging, so he needed to be cautious. Huan Yuan might be trying to trick him into agreeing.
Although Lin Xuan was young, he was very smart and didn't want to be fooled by this old monster.