lín xuān liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī jīng yà zhī sè ， wǔ zhǐ yī hé ，“ chī chī ” de pò kōng shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， qīng guāng bào shè ， xī lì de jiàn guāng yòu zài yí cì jiāng nà xiē kuǐ lěi wǔ mǎ fēn shī diào le 。
林轩脸上闪过一丝惊讶之色，五指一合，“嗤嗤”的破空声传入耳朵，青光爆射，犀利的剑光又再一次将那些傀儡五马分尸掉了。
Lin Xuan's face showed a trace of surprise as he closed his fingers. "Cish, cish," the sound of breaking air entered his ears, followed by a burst of green light and sharp swordlight that once again decapitated those puppet warriors.
dàn shì qíng bìng méi yǒu jié shù 。
但事情并没有结束。
But this wasn't the end of it.
bàn suí zhe yī zhèn fàn yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， nà xiē pò suì de kuǐ lěi cán piàn wǎng zhōng jiān yī hé ， zhǎn xīn de kuǐ lěi chóng xīn fú xiàn ér chū 。
伴随着一阵梵音传入耳朵，那些破碎的傀儡残片往中间一合，崭新的傀儡重新浮现而出。
With a series of Buddhist chants entering his ears, the broken puppet fragments merged together to form brand new puppets.
yī cì kě néng shì qiǎo hé ， yì ér zài ， zài ér sān de chū xiàn zhè yàng jié guǒ jiù jué bù jǐn jǐn shì jī yuán pèng qiǎo le 。
一次可能是巧合，一而再，再而三的出现这样结果就绝不仅仅是机缘碰巧了。
One time might have been coincidental, but repeated occurrences suggested more than just good fortune.
lín xuān méi tóu yī tiāo ， yǐn yǐn fā xiàn suí zhe kuǐ lěi fù huó ， sì zhōu de tiān dì yuán qì yì xī bó le xǔ duō 。
林轩眉头一挑，隐隐发现随着傀儡复活，四周的天地元气亦稀薄了许多。
Lin Xuan's brows furrowed as he vaguely sensed that the surrounding primordial qi had thinned significantly with each puppet's revival.
nán dào shuō ……
难道说……
Could it be...
lín xuān xīn zhōng biàn yǐn yǐn yǒu le chuǎi mó ， zài tái qǐ tóu lú ， tiān kōng zhōng de jǐ zuò gé lóu shèn shì duó mù ， ér qí xíng guài zhuàng de kuǐ lěi zhèng yuán yuán bù duàn de cóng nà gé lóu zhōng yǒng chū 。
林轩心中便隐隐有了揣摩，再抬起头颅，天空中的几座阁楼甚是夺目，而奇形怪状的傀儡正源源不断的从那阁楼中涌出。
He guessed that the puppet revivals were somehow linked to these structures. Looking up at the several pavilions in the sky, he noticed strange puppets continuously emerging from them.
“ zhè xiē jiàn zhù ， sì hū shì àn jiǔ gōng bā guà de fāng wèi pái liè de ， nán dào tā men jìng yǒu rú zhèn qí ， kě yǐ xī shōu zhè fù jìn de tiān dì yuán qì ， cóng ér wèi kuǐ lěi de fù huó tí gōng le dòng lì 。”
“这些建筑，似乎是按九宫八卦的方位排列的，难道它们竟有如阵旗，可以吸收这附近的天地元气，从而为傀儡的复活提供了动力。”
"These buildings seem arranged according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. Could they function like an array, absorbing nearby primordial qi to power the puppet's revival?"
lín xuān àn zì dí gū ， yě bù zhī dào zhè fān cāi cè jiū jìng kào bù kào pǔ ér ， dàn cǐ shí cǐ kè ， zì rán méi yǒu shí jiān shēn jiū le ， xiān shì yī shì zài zuò dìng duó 。
林轩暗自嘀咕，也不知道这番猜测究竟靠不靠谱儿，但此时此刻，自然没有时间深究了，先试一试再做定夺。
Lin Xuan murmured to himself, unsure if his theory was correct. However, there wasn't time for further speculation now. He decided to test it out.
yú shì lín xuān xiù páo yī shuǎi ， yī tuán jī dàn dà xiǎo de huǒ yàn fú xiàn 。
于是林轩袖袍一甩，一团鸡蛋大小的火焰浮现。
He flicked his sleeve, and a small fireball about the size of an egg appeared.
wǔ sè liú lí ， sàn fà chū lìng rén xīn jì de fǎ zé zhī lì 。
五色琉璃，散发出令人心悸的法则之力。
The five-colored glass emitted a terrifying rule power.
bú yòng shuō ， zhèng shì tā chóng xīn jì liàn guò de huàn líng tiān huǒ 。
不用说，正是他重新祭炼过的幻灵天火。
It was none other than the Phantasm Heavenly Fire he had re-refined.
lín xuān yī kǒu qīng qì pēn chū 。
林轩一口青气喷出。
Lin Xuan exhaled a puff of green mist.
suí zhe qí dòng zuò ， huàn líng tiān huǒ yī huà wèi sān ， sān fēn wèi jiǔ ， huà wèi jiǔ tiáo huǒ shé ， cháo zhe xū kōng zhōng de lóu gé màn yán ér qù le 。
随着其动作，幻灵天火一化为三，三分为九，化为九条火蛇，朝着虚空中的楼阁蔓延而去了。
As he did so, the Phantasm Heavenly Fire split into three, then nine, transforming into nine fiery serpents that spread towards the buildings in the sky.
yǒu kuǐ lěi xiǎng yào dǎng lù ， què sī háo zuò yòng yě wú 。
有傀儡想要挡路，却丝毫作用也无。
The puppets tried to block his path but were useless.
yì diǎn jiù rán ， huà wèi le jiǔ tuán jù dà de huǒ yàn 。
一点就燃，化为了九团巨大的火焰。
One spark, and they turned into nine massive flames.
gé lóu bèi huǐ ， bù zài yǒu xīn de kuǐ lěi yǒng chū ， nà xiē yǐ jīng shēng chéng de yì méi yǒu bàn fǎ fù huó ， hěn kuài jiù bèi lín xuān qīng lǐ yī kōng diào le 。
阁楼被毁，不再有新的傀儡涌出，那些已经生成的亦没有办法复活，很快就被林轩清理一空掉了。
The pavilions were destroyed, no new puppets emerged, and those already created couldn't be revived. Soon, Lin Xuan cleared them all away.
lín xuān sōng le kǒu qì ， zì jǐ de chuǎi mó guǒ rán yǒu lǐ 。
林轩松了口气，自己的揣摩果然有理。
Lin Xuan sighed in relief; his guess was correct.
zhè ge niàn tou shàng wèi zhuǎn guò ， yǎn qián de jǐng wù tū rán yī zhèn mó hú 。 suí hòu chéng xiàn chū yī piàn xīn de jǐng wù 。
这个念头尚未转过，眼前的景物突然一阵模糊。随后呈现出一片新的景物。
Before he could fully process this, the scene before him suddenly blurred, revealing a new landscape.
lín xuān yǎn jīng wēi mī ， tái tóu dǎ liàng guò qù 。
林轩眼睛微眯，抬头打量过去。
His eyes narrowed as he looked up.
què shì dà dà xiǎo xiǎo shù shí tiáo shí jiē chū xiàn zài shì xiàn lǐ ， měi yī tiáo dōu tōng wǎng yún wù shēn chù ， yān wù liáo rào de kàn bù qīng chǔ 。
却是大大小小数十条石阶出现在视线里，每一条都通往云雾深处，烟雾缭绕的看不清楚。
Dozens of stone steps appeared, each leading to the depths of the clouds, shrouded in mist and unclear.
ér qiě fāng xiàng jiǒng yì 。
而且方向迥异。
And they all pointed in different directions.
lín xuān de liǎn sè bù yóu de nán kàn yǐ jí 。
林轩的脸色不由得难看以极。
Lin Xuan's face turned pale with worry.
zhè me duō lù ， jiū jìng gāi xuǎn nǎ yī tiáo ne ？
这么多路，究竟该选哪一条呢？
So many paths—how should he choose?
zhè wèi huà yǔ zhēn rén ， hái zhēn shì huì gù nòng xuán xū ， tā de xīn zhōng bù yóu de fù fěi bù yǐ 。
这位化羽真人，还真是会故弄玄虚，他的心中不由得腹诽不已。
This place was truly playing a game of cat and mouse, Lin Xuan thought indignantly.
lín xuān bù zhī dào de shì ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， lìng wài liǎng wèi bù sù zhī kè ， chà bu duō yě miàn lín zhe yǔ zì jǐ xiāng tóng de xuǎn zé 。
林轩不知道的是，此时此刻，另外两位不速之客，差不多也面临着与自己相同的选择。
Unbeknownst to Lin Xuan, two other uninvited guests were facing the same dilemma at this moment.
hōng lōng lóng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。 zài zhǎn shā le yī qún dài chì fēi shé zhī hòu ， yuán běn de dì miàn ， tū rán tā xiàn zhuì luò ， suí hòu shù shí gè tōng wǎng dì dǐ shēn chù de dà dòng biàn yìng rù dào nà xuán gǔ shàng rén de yǎn lián lǐ le 。
轰隆隆的声音传入耳朵。在斩杀了一群带翅飞蛇之后，原本的地面，突然塌陷坠落，随后数十个通往地底深处的大洞便映入到那玄古上人的眼帘里了。
Rumbling sounds echoed as the ground collapsed after a group of winged snakes had been slain. Numerous large holes leading deep underground appeared before the ancient sage's eyes.
měi yí gè dòng ， dōu shēn bú jiàn dǐ ， yōu shēn de shí jiē ， bù zhī dào màn yán xiàng nǎ lǐ 。
每一个洞，都深不见底，幽深的石阶，不知道蔓延像哪里。
Each hole was bottomless, with dark stone steps extending into the unknown.
suī rán jǐng xiàng bù tóng ， dàn yǎn qián de zāo yù ， zěn me kàn 。 yě yǔ lín xuān xiāng sì 。
虽然景象不同，但眼前的遭遇，怎么看。也与林轩相似。
Though different in appearance, their situation mirrored Lin Xuan’s.
ér nài lóng de yùn qì ， yě bìng bù bǐ tā men shāo hǎo yī xiē 。
而鼐龙的运气，也并不比他们稍好一些。
Nailong's luck wasn't much better.
yī lái dào zhēn xiān de dòng fǔ lǐ ， biàn yù jiàn gè zhǒng gè yàng de gōng jī ， suī rán jiē bèi tā huà xiǎn wéi yí 。 dàn hái shì hěn lìng rén fán xīn dì 。
一来到真仙的洞府里，便遇见各种各样的攻击，虽然皆被他化险为夷。但还是很令人烦心地。
Upon entering the Immortal's lair, he encountered various attacks. Although he managed to defuse them all, it was still quite annoying.
ér dāng zhè yī qiè jié shù ， què shì shù shí gè chuán sòng zhèn zài yǎn lián zhōng fú xiàn ér chū 。
而当这一切结束，却是数十个传送阵在眼帘中浮现而出。
When everything ended, dozens of teleportation arrays appeared before his eyes.
lín xuān wàng zhuó yǎn qián de shù shí tiáo shí jiē ， yǎn shén zhōng lù chū yī sī yóu yù ， zì jǐ zǒng bù néng yī tiáo yī tiáo de shì tàn xià qù 。
林轩望着眼前的数十条石阶，眼神中露出一丝犹豫，自己总不能一条一条的试探下去。
Lin Xuan looked at the numerous stone steps in front of him, a hint of hesitation in his gaze. He couldn't test each one individually; some might lead directly to the core of the lair while others were likely filled with traps.
yào zhī dào qí zhōng huò xǔ yǒu yī tiáo néng tōng wǎng dòng fǔ de hé xīn chù 。 qí yú de ， shí yǒu ** dōu yǒu xiàn jǐng zài nà lǐ děng zhe 。
要知道其中或许有一条能通往洞府的核心处。其余的，十有**都有陷阱在那里等着。
Testing them all would be foolish and time-consuming.
yī tiáo yī tiáo de shì ， jì yú bù kě jí 。 yòu tài guò fèi shì 。
一条一条的试，既愚不可及。又太过费事。
Where could Moon and Butterfly be?
yuè ér yǔ xiǎo dié jiū jìng huì zài nǎ lǐ ？
月儿与小蝶究竟会在哪里？
Before he could ponder further, the ground beneath Lin Xuan's feet suddenly sank, revealing a large pit.
zhè ge niàn tou shàng wèi zhuǎn guò ， lín xuān jiǎo xià de dà dì tū rán āo xiàn xià qù le ， sī háo zhēng zhào yě wú ， yí gè dà kēng fú xiàn ér chū 。
这个念头尚未转过，林轩脚下的大地突然凹陷下去了，丝毫征兆也无，一个大坑浮现而出。
"What...?"
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
Lin Xuan was stunned but even more surprised when a familiar figure appeared before him.
lín xuān chēng mù jié shé ， dàn gèng lìng tā jīng yà de ， shì jiē xià lái de yí mù ， dàn jiàn rén yǐng yī shǎn ， yí gè shú xī de jiā huo yìng rù yǎn lián 。
林轩瞠目结舌，但更令他惊讶的，是接下来的一幕，但见人影一闪，一个熟悉的家伙映入眼帘。
"Highness Tianyuan? No, who are you?"
“ tiān yuán hóu ， bú duì ， nǐ jiū jìng shì hé rén ？”
“天元侯，不对，你究竟是何人？”
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted as he recognized the differences between this person and Highness Tianyuan.
lín xuān tóng kǒng wēi suō ， yī yǎn jiù rèn chū yǎn qián de jiā huo yǔ tiān yuán hóu yǒu zhū duō bù tóng zhī chù 。
林轩瞳孔微缩，一眼就认出眼前的家伙与天元侯有诸多不同之处。
"A little Lin?" The ancient sage's face showed surprise. He hadn't expected to meet Lin so soon.
“ xìng lín de xiǎo jiā huo ？”
“姓林的小家伙？”
"Hmph, even Heaven is helping me. Little guy, since we've met, your luck has run out."
xuán gǔ shàng rén de liǎn shàng yì lù chū yī sī chà rán zhī sè ， méi xiǎng dào zhè me kuài ， jiù yǔ lín xuān xiá lù xiāng féng le 。
玄古上人的脸上亦露出一丝诧然之色，没想到这么快，就与林轩狭路相逢了。
The ancient sage's lips curled in a sneer as he waved his sleeve, causing a sudden gale. A golden lotus flower slowly bloomed before him, emitting golden light that turned into fist-sized golden runes.
“ hēng hēng ， lián lǎo tiān yé dōu bāng wǒ ， xiǎo jiā huo ， jì rán yù jiàn le běn xiān ， jiù suàn nǐ mìng bù hǎo le 。”
“哼哼，连老天爷都帮我，小家伙，既然遇见了本仙，就算你命不好了。”
They flew towards Lin Xuan with a flash.
xuán gǔ shàng rén de zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī sī jī fěng zhī sè ， xiù páo yī fú ， tiān dì jiān měng rán kuáng fēng dà zuò ， suí hòu tā shēn qián ， yī duǒ jīn sè de lián huā xú xú zhàn fàng kāi le 。
玄古上人的嘴角边露出一丝讥讽之色，袖袍一拂，天地间猛然狂风大作，随后他身前，一朵金色的莲花徐徐绽放开了。
Lin Xuan's expression was grim.
jīn sè de guāng máng ， yóu lǐ miàn jī shè ， suí hòu huà wèi yí gè gè quán tou dà xiǎo de jīn sè fú wén le 。
金色的光芒，由里面激射，随后化为一个个拳头大小的金色符文了。
This guy wasn't Highness Tianyuan; these golden runes seemed unremarkable but he sensed immense danger from them.
yī shǎn ， biàn cháo zhe lín xuān fēi le guò lái 。
一闪，便朝着林轩飞了过来。
He was shocked but didn't flinch. He flicked his sleeve, and sharp swordlight appeared.
lín xuān de liǎn sè hěn nán kàn 。
林轩的脸色很难看。
A loud boom echoed as the Nine Palaces Instant Sword clashed with the golden runes. An invisible force surged, silencing everything before a massive explosion shook the heavens.
yǎn qián zhè jiā huo ， jué bú shì tiān yuán hóu le ， zhè xiē jīn sè de fú wén ， bìng bù qǐ yǎn ， piān piān zì jǐ ， què cóng lǐ miàn gǎn shòu dào le mò dà de wēi xiǎn 。
眼前这家伙，绝不是天元侯了，这些金色的符文，并不起眼，偏偏自己，却从里面感受到了莫大的危险。
The Nine Palaces Instant Sword shattered into pieces; these runes were incredibly powerful.
tā xīn zhōng jīng yì ， dàn dāng rán méi yǒu ái dǎ bù huán shǒu de dào lǐ ， xiù páo yī shuǎi ， yī dào dào xī lì de jiàn guāng fú xiàn chū lái 。
他心中惊异，但当然没有挨打不还手的道理，袖袍一甩，一道道犀利的剑光浮现出来。
Lin Xuan's face paled as he unfurled his sleeve to reveal a golden flower.
dùn shí ， hōng míng shēng dà zuò 。
顿时，轰鸣声大做。
No, it was fiery gold.
jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn yǔ nà jīn sè de fú wén zhuàng zài le yì qǐ ， yī lún wú xíng lì liàng jī dàng kāi ， tiān dì yī piàn jì rán ， suí hòu cái yǒu jù xiǎng shēng chuán lái ， tiān dì tā xiàn 。
九宫须臾剑与那金色的符文撞在了一起，一轮无形力量激荡开，天地一片寂然，随后才有巨响声传来，天地塌陷。
It swirled and transformed into something head-sized that shot towards him.
jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn jū rán huà wèi le suì piàn ， zhè jīn sè fú wén de lì liàng dàng zhēn shì jīng rén dào le jí diǎn 。
九宫须臾剑居然化为了碎片，这金色符文的力量当真是惊人到了极点。
Phantasm Heavenly Fire. The ancient sage's eyes widened in surprise. He knew this spirit flame wasn't easy to deal with. A spell flew out, turning the runes into a shield which spun before blocking the attack.
lín xuān liǎn sè yī bái ， xiǎng yě bù xiǎng de jiāng xiù páo dǒu kāi ， dùn shí ， yī duǒ jīn huā fú xiàn chū lái 。
林轩脸色一白，想也不想的将袖袍抖开，顿时，一朵金花浮现出来。
But in an instant, the flames exploded, leaving the ancient sage covered in soot. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Xuan chose a random stone step and began climbing upwards.
bú duì ， shì jīn sè de huǒ yàn 。
不对，是金色的火焰。
"Damnit."
lüè yī fān yǒng ， biàn huà wèi tóu lú dà xiǎo zhī wù ， cháo zhe duì fāng jī shè ér chū 。
略一翻涌，便化为头颅大小之物，朝着对方激射而出。
The flames dispersed; the ancient sage's expression was angry but he didn't chase after Lin Xuan. Instead, he looked at the dozen stone steps with a thoughtful expression.
huàn líng tiān huǒ ， xuán gǔ shàng rén yě bù yóu de tóng kǒng wēi suō ， kàn chū cǐ líng yàn bù hǎo rě ，“ sōu ” yī dào fǎ jué dǎ chū ， jīn sè de fú wén dùn shí huà wèi le yí miàn dùn pái ， dī liū liū yī zhuǎn ， biàn dǎng zài le tā de shēn qián 。
幻灵天火，玄古上人也不由得瞳孔微缩，看出此灵焰不好惹，“嗖”一道法诀打出，金色的符文顿时化为了一面盾牌，滴溜溜一转，便挡在了他的身前。
"Stairway to Heaven, interesting."
dàn xià yī kè ， nà huǒ yàn què sà rán bào kāi ， jiāng tā zhà le yí gè huī tóu tǔ liǎn ， chèn cǐ jī huì ， lín xuān suí biàn xuǎn le yī tiáo shí jiē ， xiàng shàng pān yán 。
但下一刻，那火焰却飒然爆开，将他炸了一个灰头土脸，趁此机会，林轩随便选了一条石阶，向上攀岩。
He chose another path.
huǒ yàn sàn kāi ， xuán gǔ shàng rén de biǎo qíng yǒu yī xiē fèn nù ， dàn bìng méi yǒu qù zhuī lín xuān ， ér shì kàn zhuó yǎn qián de shí jǐ tiáo shí jiē ， liǎn shàng lù chū ruò yǒu suǒ sī zhī sè 。
火焰散开，玄古上人的表情有一些愤怒，但并没有去追林轩，而是看着眼前的十几条石阶，脸上露出若有所思之色。
A short while later, a flash of light revealed a teleportation array appearing out of nowhere. Nailong arrived at this location as well.
“ dēng tiān tī ， yǒu yì si 。”
“登天梯，有意思。”
The sky was vast and white clouds drifted by.
suí hòu tā xuǎn le lìng wài yī tiáo lù 。
随后他选了另外一条路。
Nailong's face showed amusement as he looked up the stone steps leading into the clouds. He rubbed his forehead in thought before choosing one and climbing upwards.
ér yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu zhī hòu ， líng guāng yī shǎn ， yí gè chuán sòng zhèn píng kōng fú xiàn ， nài lóng zhēn rén yě lái dào le zhè ge dì diǎn 。
而一盏茶的功夫之后，灵光一闪，一个传送阵凭空浮现，鼐龙真人也来到了这个地点。
Lin Xuan, having finally escaped his formidable opponent, wasn't truly afraid of the ancient sage but preferred to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
tiān dì yōu yōu ， bái yún piāo dàng 。
天地悠悠，白云飘荡。
"This guy is far more powerful than Highness Tianyuan, with a similar appearance. What's their connection?"
wàng zhe tōng wǎng bái yún shēn chù de shí jiē ， nài lóng zhēn rén de liǎn shàng tóng yàng lù chū wán wèi zhī sè ， yǐ shǒu fǔ é ， sī liáng piàn kè ， suí hòu yě xuǎn zé le yī tiáo shí jiē ， xiàng shàng pān dēng le 。
望着通往白云深处的石阶，鼐龙真人的脸上同样露出玩味之色，以手抚额，思量片刻，随后也选择了一条石阶，向上攀登了。
Even Lin Xuan, known for his cleverness, couldn't fully understand the situation. He flicked his sleeve and the fragments of Nine Palaces Instant Sword reformed into a new immortal sword.
……
……
PS: I'm not feeling great today; this chapter was written slowly. Please forgive me! (To be continued...)
Lin Xuan's face showed a trace of surprise as he closed his fingers. "Cish, cish," the sound of breaking air entered his ears, followed by a burst of green light and sharp swordlight that once again decapitated those puppet warriors.
But this wasn't the end of it.
With a series of Buddhist chants entering his ears, the broken puppet fragments merged together to form brand new puppets.
One time might have been coincidental, but repeated occurrences suggested more than just good fortune.
Lin Xuan's brows furrowed as he vaguely sensed that the surrounding primordial qi had thinned significantly with each puppet's revival.
Could it be...
He guessed that the puppet revivals were somehow linked to these structures. Looking up at the several pavilions in the sky, he noticed strange puppets continuously emerging from them.
"These buildings seem arranged according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. Could they function like an array, absorbing nearby primordial qi to power the puppet's revival?"
Lin Xuan murmured to himself, unsure if his theory was correct. However, there wasn't time for further speculation now. He decided to test it out.
He flicked his sleeve, and a small fireball about the size of an egg appeared.
The five-colored glass emitted a terrifying rule power.
It was none other than the Phantasm Heavenly Fire he had re-refined.
Lin Xuan exhaled a puff of green mist.
"Pfft!"
As he did so, the Phantasm Heavenly Fire split into three, then nine, transforming into nine fiery serpents that spread towards the buildings in the sky.
The puppets tried to block his path but were useless.
One spark, and they turned into nine massive flames.
The pavilions were destroyed, no new puppets emerged, and those already created couldn't be revived. Soon, Lin Xuan cleared them all away.
"Phew."
Lin Xuan sighed in relief; his guess was correct.
Before he could fully process this, the scene before him suddenly blurred, revealing a new landscape.
His eyes narrowed as he looked up.
Dozens of stone steps appeared, each leading to the depths of the clouds, shrouded in mist and unclear.
And they all pointed in different directions.
Lin Xuan's face turned pale with worry.
So many paths—how should he choose?
This place was truly playing a game of cat and mouse, Lin Xuan thought indignantly.
...
Unbeknownst to Lin Xuan, two other uninvited guests were facing the same dilemma at this moment.
Rumbling sounds echoed as the ground collapsed after a group of winged snakes had been slain. Numerous large holes leading deep underground appeared before the ancient sage's eyes.
Each hole was bottomless, with dark stone steps extending into the unknown.
Though different in appearance, their situation mirrored Lin Xuan’s.
...
Nailong's luck wasn't much better.
Upon entering the Immortal's lair, he encountered various attacks. Although he managed to defuse them all, it was still quite annoying.
When everything ended, dozens of teleportation arrays appeared before his eyes.
...
Lin Xuan looked at the numerous stone steps in front of him, a hint of hesitation in his gaze. He couldn't test each one individually; some might lead directly to the core of the lair while others were likely filled with traps.
Testing them all would be foolish and time-consuming.
Where could Moon and Butterfly be?
Before he could ponder further, the ground beneath Lin Xuan's feet suddenly sank, revealing a large pit.
"What...?"
Lin Xuan was stunned but even more surprised when a familiar figure appeared before him.
"Highness Tianyuan? No, who are you?"
Lin Xuan's pupils constricted as he recognized the differences between this person and Highness Tianyuan.
"A little Lin?" The ancient sage's face showed surprise. He hadn't expected to meet Lin so soon.
"Hmph, even Heaven is helping me. Little guy, since we've met, your luck has run out."
The ancient sage's lips curled in a sneer as he waved his sleeve, causing a sudden gale. A golden lotus flower slowly bloomed before him, emitting golden light that turned into fist-sized golden runes.
They flew towards Lin Xuan with a flash.
Lin Xuan's expression was grim.
This guy wasn't Highness Tianyuan; these golden runes seemed unremarkable but he sensed immense danger from them.
He was shocked but didn't flinch. He flicked his sleeve, and sharp swordlight appeared.
A loud boom echoed as the Nine Palaces Instant Sword clashed with the golden runes. An invisible force surged, silencing everything before a massive explosion shook the heavens.
The Nine Palaces Instant Sword shattered into pieces; these runes were incredibly powerful.
Lin Xuan's face paled as he unfurled his sleeve to reveal a golden flower.
No, it was fiery gold.
It swirled and transformed into something head-sized that shot towards him.
Phantasm Heavenly Fire. The ancient sage's eyes widened in surprise. He knew this spirit flame wasn't easy to deal with. A spell flew out, turning the runes into a shield which spun before blocking the attack.
But in an instant, the flames exploded, leaving the ancient sage covered in soot. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Xuan chose a random stone step and began climbing upwards.
"Damnit."
The flames dispersed; the ancient sage's expression was angry but he didn't chase after Lin Xuan. Instead, he looked at the dozen stone steps with a thoughtful expression.
"Stairway to Heaven, interesting."
He chose another path.
...
A short while later, a flash of light revealed a teleportation array appearing out of nowhere. Nailong arrived at this location as well.
The sky was vast and white clouds drifted by.
Nailong's face showed amusement as he looked up the stone steps leading into the clouds. He rubbed his forehead in thought before choosing one and climbing upwards.
...
Lin Xuan, having finally escaped his formidable opponent, wasn't truly afraid of the ancient sage but preferred to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
"This guy is far more powerful than Highness Tianyuan, with a similar appearance. What's their connection?"
Even Lin Xuan, known for his cleverness, couldn't fully understand the situation. He flicked his sleeve and the fragments of Nine Palaces Instant Sword reformed into a new immortal sword.
PS: I'm not feeling great today; this chapter was written slowly. Please forgive me! (To be continued...)