“ cóng wèi jiàn guò ？”
“从未见过？”
"Never seen it before?"
nài lóng zhēn rén yī dāi ， biǎo qíng biàn dé fú rán bù yuè qǐ lái ：“ zhè zěn me kě néng ， nǐ gāng cái suǒ shī zhǎn de zhēn líng huà jiàn jué ， kě shì mò yuè zú de zuì gāo mì shù ， jù wǒ suǒ zhī ， biàn shì xī rì mò yuè zú quán shèng zhī shí ， xué huì cǐ shén tōng de yě jǐn yǒu tiān wū shén nǚ yí gè ， biàn shì gāi zú de dà zhǎng lǎo ， yě wú yuán shí jīng de 。”
鼐龙真人一呆，表情变得怫然不悦起来：“这怎么可能，你刚才所施展的真灵化剑诀，可是墨月族的最高秘术，据我所知，便是昔日墨月族全盛之时，学会此神通的也仅有天巫神女一个，便是该族的大长老，也无缘识荆的。”
Nailong Zhenren was taken aback, his expression turning displeased. "How is that possible? The True Spirit Sword Art you just demonstrated is the highest secret technique of the Moon Shadow Clan. To my knowledge, even during their golden age, only one divine maiden, the Heavenly Witch Goddess, mastered this power. Even the clan's senior elders couldn't learn it."
“ gèng bié shuō jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn de liàn zhì ， gèng wéi bù yì ， ruò méi yǒu tiān wū shén nǚ bāng zhù ， sān dì nǐ xiǎng yào zài duǎn duǎn de shí jiān nèi wán chéng cǐ wù ， jī hū shì bù kě néng wán chéng de rèn wù 。”
“更别说九宫须臾剑的炼制，更为不易，若没有天巫神女帮助，三弟你想要在短短的时间内完成此物，几乎是不可能完成的任务。”
"Let alone the difficulty in forging the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword; it was no easy feat. Without the help of the Heavenly Witch Goddess, your third brother would have found it nearly impossible to complete such a task within a short time."
nài lóng zhēn rén de biǎo qíng biàn dé yán sù 。
鼐龙真人的表情变得严肃。
Nailong Zhenren's expression grew serious.
rán ér lín xuān liǎn shàng què mǎn shì kǔ xiào zhī sè 。
然而林轩脸上却满是苦笑之色。
However, Lin Xuan wore a bitter smile on his face.
dà gē suǒ yán yǒu lǐ 。
大哥所言有理。
Your words are right.
rán ér zì jǐ què yǒu wú shù de qí yù ， gēn běn bù kě néng xiǎo zhī yǐ cháng lǐ 。
然而自己却有无数的奇遇，根本不可能晓之以常理。
But I've had countless extraordinary experiences; it's impossible to explain them with common sense.
“ dà gē ， shì qíng yǔ nǐ suǒ xiǎng xiàng de shì bù tóng dì 。”
“大哥，事情与你所想象的是不同地。”
"Big Brother, the situation is different from what you imagined."
hǎo zài zhè xiē bìng fēi bù kě gào rén de mì mì ， yú shì lín xuān biàn cóng rén jiè de jīng lì shuō qǐ ， rú hé yì wài lái dào mò yuè zú de bù luò ， rú hé yǔ bǎi dú shén jūn jiāo yì ， dé dào gāi bù luò de gōng fǎ ， xiū liàn bì huàn yōu huǒ de mì shù 。
好在这些并非不可告人的秘密，于是林轩便从人界的经历说起，如何意外来到墨月族的部落，如何与百毒神君交易，得到该部落的功法，修炼碧幻幽火的秘术。
Fortunately, these weren't secrets that couldn't be shared. So, Lin Xuan began recounting his human world experiences—how he accidentally arrived at the Moon Shadow Clan's tribe, how he traded with Divine Lord of Poison for their cultivation techniques and secret arts to refine the Green Illusion Fiery Technique.
dào dá líng jiè yǐ hòu ， yòu rú hé jī yuán qiǎo hé ， zài hǎi dǐ fā xiàn mò yuè zú de yí jì ， dé dào le mò yuè tiān wū jué de chuán chéng 。
到达灵界以后，又如何机缘巧合，在海底发现墨月族的遗迹，得到了墨月天巫诀的传承。
After arriving in the Spirit Realm, he discovered remnants of the Moon Shadow Clan underwater, where he obtained the inheritance of the Heavenly Witch Art.
zhì yú jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn ， nà què shí shì lì jīng wú shù jiān nán xiǎn zǔ ， dàn zài zhè qí zhōng ， lín xuān dàng zhēn méi yǒu huò dé bié rén de bāng zhù ， dōu shì yī kào zì jǐ de nǔ lì ， yí bù yí bù wán chéng de 。
至于九宫须臾剑，那确实是历经无数艰难险阻，但在这其中，林轩当真没有获得别人的帮助，都是依靠自己的努力，一步一步完成的。
As for the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword, it was indeed a journey filled with countless challenges. But Lin Xuan truly didn't receive any help; he achieved everything through his own efforts and hard work.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。”
“原来如此。”
"Ah, I see."
tīng wán lín xuān de jiǎng shù ， nài lóng zhēn rén què shì chàng rán ruò shī 。
听完林轩的讲述，鼐龙真人却是怅然若失。
After hearing Lin Xuan's explanation, Nailong Zhenren seemed disappointed. His expression showed clear signs of despondency. The disappointment in his eyes was evident to anyone.
yī fù shī hún luò pò zhī sè 。
一副失魂落魄之色。
Could it be...
nà yǎn zhōng de shī wàng shì rén dōu néng kàn de qīng chǔ 。
那眼中的失望是人都能看得清楚。
Lin Xuan began guessing quietly. Curiosity grew within him.
nán dào shuō ……
难道说……
"Big Brother, do you know the Heavenly Witch Goddess well?"
lín xuān qiāo qiāo kāi shǐ le cāi cè 。
林轩悄悄开始了猜测。
Lin Xuan tentatively asked.
hào qí zài xīn dǐ zī zhǎng qǐ lái le 。
好奇在心底滋长起来了。
"Not just well."
“ dà gē ， nán dào nǐ yǔ tiān wū shén nǚ hěn shú ？”
“大哥，难道你与天巫神女很熟？”
Nailong Zhenren sighed. "She is my dream goddess. Unfortunately, she has no interest in me; it's like a prince's desire for a maiden who isn't interested."
lín xuān shì tàn zhe kāi kǒu le 。
林轩试探着开口了。
Lin Xuan was greatly surprised. So, it was only Big Brother's one-sided affection.
“ qǐ zhǐ shì hěn shú 。”
“岂止是很熟。”
Wasn't Nailong the first flower-hearted rogue in the Three Realms? He was both refined and elegant yet unrestrained, with a charm that could be deadly to women. How could such a master of seduction suffer from unrequited love?
nài lóng zhēn rén de liǎn shàng mǎn shì tàn xī zhī sè ：“ tā shì wǒ de mèng zhōng nǚ shén ， kě xī què shì xiāng wáng yǒu yì 。 shén nǚ wú xīn ……”
鼐龙真人的脸上满是叹息之色：“她是我的梦中女神，可惜却是襄王有意。神女无心……”
Lin Xuan's mind brimmed with curiosity and doubt.
lín xuān tīng dé dà qí ， zhè me shuō zhǐ shì dà gē dān xiāng sī 。
林轩听得大奇，这么说只是大哥单相思。
But no matter how curious he was, Lin Xuan wasn't an insensitive cultivator; even his sworn big brother, he wouldn't pry into such matters too deeply.
yǒu méi yǒu gǎo cuò 。 nài lóng kě shì sān jiè dì yī huā huā gōng zi ， wēn wén ěr yǎ 。 què yòu kuáng fàng bù jī ， jié rán bù tóng de qì zhì ， duì yú nǚ zǐ yǒu zhe zhì mìng de shā shāng lì 。
有没有搞错。鼐龙可是三界第一花花公子，温文尔雅。却又狂放不羁，截然不同的气质，对于女子有着致命的杀伤力。
He comforted himself briefly.
zhè zhǒng qíng shèng jí bié de rén wù ， yě huì bǎo cháng xiāng sī zhī kǔ ？
这种情圣级别的人物，也会饱尝相思之苦？
Nailong naturally wasn't a delicate young lady. He quickly regained his unrestrained nature.
lín xuān xīn zhōng ， chōng mǎn le hào qí yǔ dí gū 。
林轩心中，充满了好奇与嘀咕。
"Right, third brother. You came here to find your sister's whereabouts. Do you have any leads?"
dàn zài hào qí yòu rú hé ， lín xuān bìng fēi bù shí dà tǐ de xiū xiān zhě ， jiù suàn shì zì jǐ de jié bài dà gē ， zhè zhǒng shì qíng yě bù hǎo qù xì xì dǎ tàn de 。
但再好奇又如何，林轩并非不识大体的修仙者，就算是自己的结拜大哥，这种事情也不好去细细打探的。
"It all depends on this woman."
suí biàn kuān wèi le jǐ jù 。
随便宽慰了几句。
Lin Xuan turned around. The eight-tailed immortal fox beside him lowered her head submissively. After witnessing their powers, she dared not underestimate or take chances.
ér nài lóng zì rán yě bú shì niǔ niē zuò tài de xiǎo ér nǚ ， hěn kuài jiù huī fù le kuáng fàng bù jī 。
而鼐龙自然也不是扭捏作态的小儿女，很快就恢复了狂放不羁。
"The lady said that two women had visited True Immortal Feathers' cave before us?"
“ duì le sān dì 。 nǐ shuō lái zhè lǐ ， shì wèi le xún zhǎo dì mèi de zōng jì ， kě yǒu xiàn suǒ ？”
“对了三弟。你说来这里，是为了寻找弟妹的踪迹，可有线索？”
"Correct. I did say so," the eight-tailed fox replied meekly.
“ zhè jiù yào zhuó luò zài cǐ nǚ de shēn shàng le 。”
“这就要着落在此女的身上了。”
"Where are they now?"
lín xuān zhuǎn guò tóu ， yī páng de bā wěi xiān hú dī méi shùn mù ， zài jiàn shí le liǎng rén de shén tōng hòu ， tā kě bù gǎn yǒu rèn hé de qīng shì yǔ jiǎo xìng le 。
林轩转过头，一旁的八尾仙狐低眉顺目，在见识了两人的神通后，她可不敢有任何的轻视与侥幸了。
"I can lead you there, but you must agree to one request."
“ xiān zi céng shuō ， zài wǒ men zhī qián ， céng yǒu liǎng wèi nǚ zǐ ， lái guò huà yǔ zhēn rén de dòng fǔ ？”
“仙子曾说，在我们之前，曾有两位女子，来过化羽真人的洞府？”
The eight-tailed fox smiled lightly.
“ bù cuò 。 xiǎo nǚ zǐ què rán zhè yàng shuō 。”
“不错。小女子确然这样说。”
"You're acting recklessly now. In this situation, do you still have the right to make demands on us?" Lin Xuan laughed.
“ nà tā men rú jīn shēn zài hé chù ？”
“那她们如今身在何处？”
"Indeed, their strength is beyond mine. My life is in your hands. But Feathers' cave is incredibly mysterious. Without my help, friends, you won't find them," the eight-tailed fox said firmly. "Do you think I'm just rambling? You must test it?"
“ wǒ kě yǐ dài nǐ qù ， dàn nǐ yě yào tóng yì wǒ yí gè yāo qiú 。” bā wěi xiān hú qīng xiào zhe shuō 。
“我可以带你去，但你也要同意我一个要求。”八尾仙狐轻笑着说。
Lin Xuan and Nailong Zhenren exchanged glances.
“ xiàn zài hái zhēn shì bù zhī sǐ huó ， rú jīn zhè zhǒng jìng kuàng ， nǐ hái yǒu zī gé 。 yǔ wǒ jiǎng shén me tiáo jiàn me ？” lín xuān shī xiào qǐ lái le 。
“现在还真是不知死活，如今这种境况，你还有资格。与我讲什么条件么？”林轩失笑起来了。
"Tell me your conditions."
“ bù cuò ， liǎng wèi de shí lì ， fēi xiǎo nǚ zǐ kě jí 。 wǒ de xiǎo mìng ér ， què rán shì zhǎng wò zài nǐ men de shǒu lǐ 。 dàn zhè huà yǔ zhēn rén de dòng fǔ ， yì shì shén qí dào jí chù 。 ruò méi yǒu wǒ de bāng zhù ， dào yǒu xiū xiǎng zhǎo dào nà liǎng rén de 。” bā wěi xiān hú zhǎn dīng jié tiě de shuō ：“ hái shì liǎng wèi yǐ wéi wǒ zài hú yán luàn yǔ ， yí dìng yào shì shàng yī shì ？”
“不错，两位的实力，非小女子可及。我的小命儿，确然是掌握在你们的手里。但这化羽真人的洞府，亦是神奇到极处。若没有我的帮助，道友休想找到那两人的。”八尾仙狐斩钉截铁的说：“还是两位以为我在胡言乱语，一定要试上一试？”
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed.
lín xuān yǔ nài lóng zhēn rén duì shì yī yǎn 。
林轩与鼐龙真人对视一眼。
"I'll lead you to her, but after success, you must leave immediately. First, don't harm me; second, I won't stay here searching for other treasures."
“ shuō shuō nǐ de tiáo jiàn 。”
“说说你的条件。”
"Agreed!"
lín xuān de yǎn jīng mī le qǐ lái 。
林轩的眼睛眯了起来。
Lin Xuan readily agreed.
“ wǒ dài liǎng wèi xún rén ， dàn shì chéng yǐ hòu nǐ men yào mǎ shàng lí kāi cǐ dì ， dì yī bù zhǔn shāng hài wǒ ， dì èr wǒ yě bù xǔ zài lài zài zhè lǐ sōu xún qí tā de bǎo wù 。”
“我带两位寻人，但事成以后你们要马上离开此地，第一不准伤害我，第二我也不许再赖在这里搜寻其他的宝物。”
"You're not going to take advantage of my promise, right?"
“ hǎo ！”
“好！”
Lin Xuan's agreement was too straightforward, causing the eight-tailed fox to look doubtful.
lín xuān yī kǒu yīng xià 。
林轩一口应下。
"Hmph, what do you mean by this? Do you want us to swear an oath or something?"
“ nǐ bú huì shì xiǎng yào shí yán ér féi de piàn wǒ ba ！”
“你不会是想要食言而肥的骗我吧！”
Unlike Nailong, Lin Xuan wasn't a flower-loving cultivator. If the other party pushed his limits, he wouldn't mind giving them a taste of their own medicine.
lín xuān dā yìng dé tài guò shuǎng kuài ， fǎn ér ràng bā wěi xiān hú de yǎn zhōng chōng mǎn le yóu yí 。
林轩答应得太过爽快，反而让八尾仙狐的眼中充满了犹疑。
"Ha, there's no need for that. I have faith in the integrity of two seniors,"
“ hēng ， dào yǒu zhè shì hé yì ， nán dào hái yào wǒ xiōng dì èr rén dǔ zhòu fā shì 。”
“哼，道友这是何意，难道还要我兄弟二人赌咒发誓。”
Foxes were suspicious but also adept at reading people. She understood she had touched on Lin Xuan'sbottom line (bottom line). Persisting would only bring misfortune to herself; the Three Realms revered strength above all.
lín xuān kě bù xiàng nài lóng nà yàng ， shì lián huā xī yù de xiū xiān zhě ， duì fāng ruò shì dé cùn jìn chǐ ， tā bù jiè yì ， gěi duì fāng yì diǎn kǔ tóu chī de 。
林轩可不像鼐龙那样，是怜花惜玉的修仙者，对方若是得寸进尺，他不介意，给对方一点苦头吃的。
Thus, she wisely changed her mind.
“ hē hē ， zhè què bù bì ， liǎng wèi qián bèi de rén pǐn ， wǒ yòu zěn me kě néng xìn bù guò dì 。”
“呵呵，这却不必，两位前辈的人品，我又怎么可能信不过地。”
Though unwillingly, there was no other choice.
hú xìng duō yí ， dàn yě dǒng de chá yán guān sè ， rú hé bù míng bái zì jǐ yǐ jīng chù jí lín xuān de dǐ xiàn le ， yī wèi jiān chí ， dǎo méi de zhǐ néng shì zì jǐ ， xiū xiān jiè bì jìng shì yǐ qiáng zhě wèi zūn dì 。
狐性多疑，但也懂得察言观色，如何不明白自己已经触及林轩的底线了，一味坚持，倒霉的只能是自己，修仙界毕竟是以强者为尊地。
Lin Xuan didn't look at her face: "Since you agree, what are you still hesitating about? Let's go."
yú shì tā cōng míng de xuǎn zé le gǎi kǒu 。
于是她聪明的选择了改口。
"Oh, okay."
suī rán xīn zhōng yǒu zhū duō bù yuàn yì ， dàn zhè yě shì wú jì kě shī 。
虽然心中有诸多不愿意，但这也是无计可施。
Although still nervous, with no other options, the eight-tailed fox obediently led the way.
lín xuān què bù qù kàn tā de liǎn sè ：“ dào yǒu jì rán tóng yì le ， hái zài zhè lǐ mó cèng shén me ， kuài diǎn dài lù 。”
林轩却不去看她的脸色：“道友既然同意了，还在这里磨蹭什么，快点带路。”
...
“ ó ， hǎo de 。”
“哦，好的。”
Their journey was much smoother compared to before. With a guide, it was like an old horse knowing the path.
suī rán yī jiù xīn zhōng tǎn tè ， dàn rú jīn yǐ méi yǒu bié de xuǎn zé ， bā wěi xiān hú guāi guāi de zǒu zài qián miàn le 。
虽然依旧心中忐忑，但如今已没有别的选择，八尾仙狐乖乖的走在前面了。
Of course, there were still some dangers, but Lin Xuan and Nailong's power made trivial traps ineffective.
……
……
Despite this, they spent several hours before arriving at a small valley.
zhè yī lù zǒu lái ， yǔ gāng gāng xiāng bǐ ， wú yí shùn lì le xǔ duō ， bì jìng yǒu rén dài lù ， jiù xiāng dāng yú lǎo mǎ shí tú 。
这一路走来，与刚刚相比，无疑顺利了许多，毕竟有人带路，就相当于老马识途。
To be honest, from the outside, the valley didn't stand out. Though flowers bloomed everywhere, in the Fairy Realm, whereimmortal spirit qi (spiritual energy) nourished beautiful scenery, it wasn't particularly remarkable.
dāng rán ， yě bú shì shuō ， jiù dīng diǎn wēi xiǎn dōu méi yǒu 。
当然，也不是说，就丁点危险都没有。
"Are Moon and Little Butterfly here?"
dàn yǐ lín xuān yǔ nài lóng de shí lì ， qū qū yī xiē wú rén zhǔ chí de zhèn fǎ ， huò zhě xiàn jǐng jìn zhì dōu méi yǒu zuò yòng 。
但以林轩与鼐龙的实力，区区一些无人主持的阵法，或者陷阱禁制都没有作用。
Lin Xuan was surprised. The scene of the valley was clear; there were no signs of Moon or Little Butterfly.
dàn ráo shì rú cǐ ， hái shì zú zú huā fèi le shù gè shí chén de gōng fu ， tā men cái lái dào yī xiǎo shān gǔ 。
但饶是如此，还是足足花费了数个时辰的功夫，他们才来到一小山谷。
"Of course, I wouldn't dare deceive you. However, this valley is a special place in Feathers' cave."
píng xīn lái shuō ， zhè shān gǔ cóng wài biǎo shàng kàn ， bìng méi yǒu shén me qǐ yǎn zhī chù ， suī rán yě bǎi huā zhàn fàng ， dàn zài xiǎo xiān yù lǐ ， yīn wèi xiān líng qì de zī yǎng ， yōu měi de fēng jǐng suí chù kě jiàn ， zhe shí suàn bù shàng chū qí 。
平心来说，这山谷从外表上看，并没有什么起眼之处，虽然也百花绽放，但在小仙域里，因为仙灵气的滋养，优美的风景随处可见，着实算不上出奇。
"Special place?"
“ yuè ér tā men jiù zài zhè lǐ ？”
“月儿她们就在这里？”
"Yes. Back then, it could be considered the location where Feathers closed himself off. The spiritual energy here was much denser than elsewhere. Because of its importance, strict restrictions were set up, but they are hard to detect from the surface. Yet, entering is extremely difficult."
lín xuān xīn zhōng dà qí ， fàng yǎn wàng qù ， shān gǔ zhōng de jǐng xiàng yī lǎn wú yú ， nǎ ér yǒu yuè ér yǔ xiǎo dié de zōng jì 。
林轩心中大奇，放眼望去，山谷中的景象一览无余，哪儿有月儿与小蝶的踪迹。
"To be honest, I still can't figure out how those two divine maidens entered this valley back then. But clearly, they could enter but couldn't leave; they're trapped here."
“ dāng rán jiù zài cǐ chù ， xiǎo nǚ zǐ nǎ ér gǎn piàn nǐ ， zhǐ bù guò zhè shān gǔ ， zài huà yǔ zhēn rén de dòng fǔ nǎi shì yī tè bié de suǒ zài 。”
“当然就在此处，小女子哪儿敢骗你，只不过这山谷，在化羽真人的洞府乃是一特别的所在。”
"Ah, I see. According to your words, there's no danger for them."
“ tè bié de suǒ zài ？”
“特别的所在？”
"Yes, you can rest assured. The restrictions in the valley will keep them confined, but they are completely safe," the eight-tailed fox said firmly.
“ bù cuò ， dāng nián ， zhè lǐ kě yǐ shuō shì huà yǔ zhēn rén bì guān de dì diǎn ， yīn cǐ xiān líng qì yuǎn bǐ qí tā dì fāng nóng yù xǔ duō ， yě zhèng yīn wèi shì zhè yàng yí gè zhòng yào de chǎng suǒ ， gù ér shè xià jìn zhì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， biǎo miàn shàng gēn běn kàn bù chū duān ní ， dàn xiǎng yào chuǎng jìn qù ， què shì qiān nán wàn nán dì 。”
“不错，当年，这里可以说是化羽真人闭关的地点，因此仙灵气远比其他地方浓郁许多，也正因为是这样一个重要的场所，故而设下禁制非同小可，表面上根本看不出端倪，但想要闯进去，却是千难万难地。”
Lin Xuan felt relieved upon hearing this.
“ shuō shí huà ， dāng nián nà liǎng wèi xiān zi ， shì rú hé jìn rù zhè shān gǔ zhōng dì ， xiǎo nǚ zǐ xiàn zài ， dōu bǎi sī bù dé qí jiě ， bù guò tā men xiǎn rán yě jìn dé lái ， què chū bù qù ， bèi kùn zài le zhè lǐ 。”
“说实话，当年那两位仙子，是如何进入这山谷中地，小女子现在，都百思不得其解，不过她们显然也进得来，却出不去，被困在了这里。”
The other party wouldn't dare deceive him.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ ， zhào nǐ suǒ yán ， tā men bú huì yǒu wēi xiǎn 。”
“原来如此，照你所言，她们不会有危险。”
But how to rescue Moon from inside required much thought. (To be continued...)
"Never seen it before?"
Nailong Zhenren was taken aback, his expression turning displeased. "How is that possible? The True Spirit Sword Art you just demonstrated is the highest secret technique of the Moon Shadow Clan. To my knowledge, even during their golden age, only one divine maiden, the Heavenly Witch Goddess, mastered this power. Even the clan's senior elders couldn't learn it."
"Let alone the difficulty in forging the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword; it was no easy feat. Without the help of the Heavenly Witch Goddess, your third brother would have found it nearly impossible to complete such a task within a short time."
Nailong Zhenren's expression grew serious.
However, Lin Xuan wore a bitter smile on his face.
Your words are right.
But I've had countless extraordinary experiences; it's impossible to explain them with common sense.
"Big Brother, the situation is different from what you imagined."
Fortunately, these weren't secrets that couldn't be shared. So, Lin Xuan began recounting his human world experiences—how he accidentally arrived at the Moon Shadow Clan's tribe, how he traded with Divine Lord of Poison for their cultivation techniques and secret arts to refine the Green Illusion Fiery Technique.
After arriving in the Spirit Realm, he discovered remnants of the Moon Shadow Clan underwater, where he obtained the inheritance of the Heavenly Witch Art.
As for the Nine Palaces Momentary Sword, it was indeed a journey filled with countless challenges. But Lin Xuan truly didn't receive any help; he achieved everything through his own efforts and hard work.
"Ah, I see."
After hearing Lin Xuan's explanation, Nailong Zhenren seemed disappointed. His expression showed clear signs of despondency. The disappointment in his eyes was evident to anyone.
Could it be...
Lin Xuan began guessing quietly. Curiosity grew within him.
"Big Brother, do you know the Heavenly Witch Goddess well?"
Lin Xuan tentatively asked.
"Not just well."
Nailong Zhenren sighed. "She is my dream goddess. Unfortunately, she has no interest in me; it's like a prince's desire for a maiden who isn't interested."
Lin Xuan was greatly surprised. So, it was only Big Brother's one-sided affection.
Wasn't Nailong the first flower-hearted rogue in the Three Realms? He was both refined and elegant yet unrestrained, with a charm that could be deadly to women. How could such a master of seduction suffer from unrequited love?
Lin Xuan's mind brimmed with curiosity and doubt.
But no matter how curious he was, Lin Xuan wasn't an insensitive cultivator; even his sworn big brother, he wouldn't pry into such matters too deeply.
He comforted himself briefly.
Nailong naturally wasn't a delicate young lady. He quickly regained his unrestrained nature.
"Right, third brother. You came here to find your sister's whereabouts. Do you have any leads?"
"It all depends on this woman."
Lin Xuan turned around. The eight-tailed immortal fox beside him lowered her head submissively. After witnessing their powers, she dared not underestimate or take chances.
"The lady said that two women had visited True Immortal Feathers' cave before us?"
"Correct. I did say so," the eight-tailed fox replied meekly.
"Where are they now?"
"I can lead you there, but you must agree to one request."
The eight-tailed fox smiled lightly.
"You're acting recklessly now. In this situation, do you still have the right to make demands on us?" Lin Xuan laughed.
"Indeed, their strength is beyond mine. My life is in your hands. But Feathers' cave is incredibly mysterious. Without my help, friends, you won't find them," the eight-tailed fox said firmly. "Do you think I'm just rambling? You must test it?"
Lin Xuan and Nailong Zhenren exchanged glances.
"Tell me your conditions."
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed.
"I'll lead you to her, but after success, you must leave immediately. First, don't harm me; second, I won't stay here searching for other treasures."
"Agreed!"
Lin Xuan readily agreed.
"You're not going to take advantage of my promise, right?"
Lin Xuan's agreement was too straightforward, causing the eight-tailed fox to look doubtful.
"Hmph, what do you mean by this? Do you want us to swear an oath or something?"
Unlike Nailong, Lin Xuan wasn't a flower-loving cultivator. If the other party pushed his limits, he wouldn't mind giving them a taste of their own medicine.
"Ha, there's no need for that. I have faith in the integrity of two seniors,"
Foxes were suspicious but also adept at reading people. She understood she had touched on Lin Xuan'sbottom line (bottom line). Persisting would only bring misfortune to herself; the Three Realms revered strength above all.
Thus, she wisely changed her mind.
Though unwillingly, there was no other choice.
Lin Xuan didn't look at her face: "Since you agree, what are you still hesitating about? Let's go."
"Oh, okay."
Although still nervous, with no other options, the eight-tailed fox obediently led the way.
...
Their journey was much smoother compared to before. With a guide, it was like an old horse knowing the path.
Of course, there were still some dangers, but Lin Xuan and Nailong's power made trivial traps ineffective.
Despite this, they spent several hours before arriving at a small valley.
To be honest, from the outside, the valley didn't stand out. Though flowers bloomed everywhere, in the Fairy Realm, whereimmortal spirit qi (spiritual energy) nourished beautiful scenery, it wasn't particularly remarkable.
"Are Moon and Little Butterfly here?"
Lin Xuan was surprised. The scene of the valley was clear; there were no signs of Moon or Little Butterfly.
"Of course, I wouldn't dare deceive you. However, this valley is a special place in Feathers' cave."
"Special place?"
"Yes. Back then, it could be considered the location where Feathers closed himself off. The spiritual energy here was much denser than elsewhere. Because of its importance, strict restrictions were set up, but they are hard to detect from the surface. Yet, entering is extremely difficult."
"To be honest, I still can't figure out how those two divine maidens entered this valley back then. But clearly, they could enter but couldn't leave; they're trapped here."
"Ah, I see. According to your words, there's no danger for them."
"Yes, you can rest assured. The restrictions in the valley will keep them confined, but they are completely safe," the eight-tailed fox said firmly.
Lin Xuan felt relieved upon hearing this.
The other party wouldn't dare deceive him.
But how to rescue Moon from inside required much thought. (To be continued...)