“ bù jí ！”
“不急！”
"Be patient!"
shàng guān líng de zuǐ jiǎo biān què dài zhe yī sī xiào yì 。[][].[].]
上官翎的嘴角边却带着一丝笑意。[][].[].]
上官翎's lips curled into a smile.
fǎn ér fàng màn le jiǎo bù ， zuǒ gù yòu pàn ， jiù fǎng fú zhēn de zài guàng jiē yì bān 。
反而放慢了脚步，左顾右盼，就仿佛真的在逛街一般。
Instead, he slowed his pace and looked around, as if genuinely shopping.
qí tā sān nǚ bù yóu de miàn miàn xiāng qù ， biàn shì nà hē qì chéng bīng de yāo zú nǚ zǐ ， yǎn zhōng yě bù yóu de lù chū yī sī chà yì 。
其他三女不由得面面相觑，便是那呵气成冰的妖族女子，眼中也不由得露出一丝诧异。
The other three women exchanged glances. Even the icy-tempered妖族 woman couldn't help but show some surprise in her eyes.
bù guò tā men dāng rán bú huì rèn wéi shàng guān líng zhè me zuò ， shì yīn wèi tān wán ， duì fāng kěn dìng lìng yǒu dǎ suàn 。
不过她们当然不会认为上官翎这么做，是因为贪玩，对方肯定另有打算。
However, they knew that this wasn't because of a playful mood. The other party must have another plan.
gù ér sān nǚ chà yì guī chà yì ， què dōu bù zài cuī cù jiāo jí ， fǎn ér yě dōu jǐn liàng pèi hé ， fǎng fú zhēn de shì zài guàng jiē yóu xì 。
故而三女诧异归诧异，却都不再催促焦急，反而也都尽量配合，仿佛真的是在逛街游戏。
Thus, while surprised, none of them urged him further. Instead, they all tried to cooperate as if genuinely shopping.
bù zhī bù jué ， yí gè shí chén guò qù 。
不知不觉，一个时辰过去。
Before long, an hour passed unnoticed.
tā men zài bù jīng yì jiān ， yǐ zǒu dào le yī jiào wéi piān pì de jiē dào lái 。
她们在不经意间，已走到了一较为偏僻的街道来。
They had already arrived at a more secluded street by accident.
rén liú shǎo le hěn duō ， bù guò zài jiē dào de liǎng cè ， yī jiù yǒu yī xiē pù miàn 。
人流少了很多，不过在街道的两侧，依旧有一些铺面。
Though the crowd was thinner here, some shops still lined both sides of the road.
shàng guān líng zhuǎn tóu ， fēi kuài de dǎ liàng le yī xià sì zhōu ， suí hòu dài zhe jǐ nǚ ， fēi kuài de shǎn shēn jìn le yī jiā pù miàn 。
上官翎转头，飞快的打量了一下四周，随后带着几女，飞快的闪身进了一家铺面。
Turning around,上官翎 quickly surveyed his surroundings and then led the three women into one of these shops with a swift movement.
zhè shì yī jiā zá huò diàn 。
这是一家杂货店。
This was a general goods store.
biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， yì diǎn yě bù qǐ yǎn 。
表面上看，一点也不起眼。
From the outside, it looked unremarkable. The merchandise displayed was numerous but somewhat disorganized, and there were no other customers inside.
bǎi fàng de huò wù suī duō ， què yǒu yī xiē zá luàn ， yě méi yǒu qí yú de gù kè zài lǐ miàn 。
摆放的货物虽多，却有一些杂乱，也没有其余的顾客在里面。
A young apprentice was dozing off in the back.
yí gè xiǎo huǒ jì zài lǐ miàn dǎ dǔn ér 。
一个小伙计在里面打盹儿。
Seeing the four girls enter, he woke up groggily and approached them with a yawn: "Welcome, esteemed guests to my humble shop. May I know what you wish to purchase?"
kàn jiàn sì nǚ jìn lái ， tā shuì yǎn xīng sōng de pá le qǐ lái ， dǎ zhe hā qiàn lái dào duì fāng de miàn qián ：“ huān yíng sì wèi kè guān guāng lín xiǎo diàn ， qǐng wèn nǐ men xiǎng mǎi xiē shén me ？”
看见四女进来，他睡眼惺忪的爬了起来，打着哈欠来到对方的面前：“欢迎四位客官光临小店，请问你们想买些什么？”
"Call your master."
“ bǎ nǐ men zhǎng guì de jiào chū lái 。”
“把你们掌柜的叫出来。”
With a flip of his hand, an ordinary-looking jade pendant appeared before him.
shàng guān líng shǒu zhǎng yī fān ， yī kuài kàn shì pǔ tōng de yù pèi fú xiàn zài le yǎn qián 。
上官翎手掌一翻，一块看似普通的玉佩浮现在了眼前。
The apprentice's eyes lit up as he became more alert: "I am the owner of this general goods store."
nà xiǎo huǒ jì jiàn le ， què yǎn jīng yī liàng ， shuāng mù biàn dé jiǒng jiǒng yǒu shén le qǐ lái ：“ wǒ jiù shì zhè jiā zá huò diàn de lǎo bǎn 。”
那小伙计见了，却眼睛一亮，双目变得炯炯有神了起来：“我就是这家杂货店的老板。”
"What? You are...?"
“ shén me ， nǐ jiù shì ……”
“什么，你就是……”
"Not exactly," said the old man with some embarrassment. "Please follow me upstairs to the guest room for a detailed discussion."
“ bù cuò ， hái qǐng sì wèi qù lóu shàng de xiāng fáng xiáng tán 。”
“不错，还请四位去楼上的厢房详谈。”
"Very well!"
“ hǎo ！”
“好！”
Led by the young man, they went upstairs but didn't enter the guest room. Instead, they entered a hidden secret chamber.
yóu nà nián qīng nán zi yǐn lù ， sì rén lái dào lóu shàng le ， rán ér què bìng méi yǒu jìn rù le xiāng fáng ， ér shì shí fēn yǐn bì de mì shì lǐ miàn 。
由那年轻男子引路，四人来到楼上了，然而却并没有进入了厢房，而是十分隐蔽的密室里面。
This chamber was ingeniously designed with various traps and had an excellent soundproofing enchantment. It not only provided privacy but also prevented the leakage of essence energy.
zhè mì shì bù jǐn bù zhì yǒu gè zhǒng jī guān ， yǎn cáng dé qiǎo miào dào jí diǎn ， ér qiě hái yǒu yī céng gé yīn jìn zhì 。 bù jǐn kě yǐ qǐ dào bǎo mì de xiào guǒ ， líng qì yě bú huì yì sàn ér chū 。
这密室不仅布置有各种机关，掩藏得巧妙到极点，而且还有一层隔音禁制。不仅可以起到保密的效果，灵气也不会逸散而出。
A series of crackling sounds filled their ears as the apprentice's body emitted a shimmering aura. The youthful man in his twenties or thirties visibly aged, yet he still looked vigorous.
suí hòu yī zhèn pī lǐ pā lā de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， nà xiǎo huǒ jì de shēn tǐ biǎo miàn líng guāng dà zuò ， yuán běn yī èr shí yú suì de nián qīng rén ， yǐ ròu yǎn kě jiàn de sù dù biàn lǎo le xǔ duō ， dàn yī jiù shì jīng shén jué shuò 。
随后一阵噼里啪啦的声音传入耳朵，那小伙计的身体表面灵光大做，原本一二十余岁的年轻人，以肉眼可见的速度变老了许多，但依旧是精神矍铄。
A洞玄期 cultivator!
dòng xuán qī xiū xiān zhě ！
洞玄期修仙者！
"Junior Cangmò pays respect to the four seniors. I am sure you are the messengers sent by the Alliance to retrieve supplies. May I see your token of authority?"
“ wǎn bèi cāng mò ， gěi sì wèi qián bèi jiàn lǐ le ， xiǎng lái sì wèi qián bèi ， jiù shì méng zhǔ pài lái qǔ bǔ jǐ wù zī de shǐ zhě ， kě fǒu zài gěi wǒ kàn yī xià nǐ men de lìng fú 。”
“晚辈沧末，给四位前辈见礼了，想来四位前辈，就是盟主派来取补给物资的使者，可否再给我看一下你们的令符。”
"Indeed, Cangmò. You are that famous wandering cultivator known for your skill in concealing qi and changing appearance? I am ashamed to say my abilities fall far short of those of my peers. My cultivation techniques are rather weak, but I have some experience with concealment and disguise."
“ cāng mò 。 nǐ biàn shì nà wèi zhù míng de sàn xiū ， shàn cháng liǎn qì nǐ róng zhī shù ？”
“沧末。你便是那位著名的散修，擅长敛气拟容之术？”
The old man said modestly.
“ cán kuì ， wǎn bèi shí lì yuǎn bù jí tóng jiē xiū xiān zhě ， suǒ xiū liàn de gōng fǎ shén tōng hěn ruò ， bù guò duì liǎn qì yì róng ， dǎo shì yǒu nà me jǐ fēn xīn dé 。” lǎo zhě lüè yǒu xiē gān gà de shuō 。
“惭愧，晚辈实力远不及同阶修仙者，所修炼的功法神通很弱，不过对敛气易容，倒是有那么几分心得。”老者略有些尴尬的说。
"Do not be too humble, Cangmò. Every cultivator has their specialty. We seek the path to immortality, not just brute force. Your skill in concealing qi and changing appearance is invaluable. That's why the Alliance Head sent you on such an important mission," another elder added.
“ cāng dào yǒu bù bì guò qiān ， suǒ wèi shù yè yǒu zhuān gōng ， wǒ děng xiū shì ， suǒ qiú nǎi shì cháng shēng zhī lù 。 bìng bú shì yī wèi hào yǒng dòu hěn ， gé xià de liǎn qì yì róng dà yǒu yòng tú ， fǒu zé méng zhǔ tā lǎo rén jiā ， yě bú huì pài nǐ lái zhí xíng zhè me zhòng yào de rèn wù 。”
“沧道友不必过谦，所谓术业有专攻，我等修士，所求乃是长生之路。并不是一味好勇斗狠，阁下的敛气易容大有用途，否则盟主他老人家，也不会派你来执行这么重要的任务。”
On the surface, there was no sign of disdain on上官翎's face as he flipped his hand out, revealing a clear jade token.
gè wèi dào yǒu jǐn liàng guān zhù yī xià huàn yǔ de wēi xìn 。 zuì jìn huì fā bù yī xiē yǒu qù de zī liào ， dà jiā kě yǐ zài wēi xìn zhōng sōu suǒ “ bǎi liàn chéng xiān huàn yǔ ”， huò zhě “hchy1982” jiù tiān jiā huàn yǔ de wēi xìn le ， lìng wài bǎi liàn shǒu yóu de guān fāng wēi xìn shì “blcxgame”。 huān yíng tiān jiā
各位道友尽量关注一下幻雨的薇信。最近会发布一些有趣的资料，大家可以在薇信中搜索“百炼成仙幻雨”，或者“hchy1982”就添加幻雨的薇信了，另外百炼手游的官方薇信是“blcxgame”。欢迎添加
The old man examined it carefully before nodding with satisfaction: "You are indeed messengers from the Alliance. Please wait while I retrieve the treasures."
shàng guān líng de liǎn shàng què háo wú qīng shì zhī sè ， yù shǒu yī fān ， biàn qǔ chū le yī jīng yíng tī tòu de yù fú 。
上官翎的脸上却毫无轻视之色，玉手一翻，便取出了一晶莹剔透的玉符。
This old man was shrewd; he didn't carry the treasures with him to avoid them falling into the hands of域外天魔 if his identity were exposed.
lǎo zhě jiē guò 。 fǎn fù fān kàn ， què rèn wú wù ， liǎn shàng lù chū xīn rán zhī sè ：“ sì wèi guǒ rán shì méng zhǔ pài lái de shǐ zhě ， nǐ men shāo děng yí xià ， wǒ zhè jiù qù qǔ bǎo wù 。”
老者接过。反复翻看，确认无误，脸上露出欣然之色：“四位果然是盟主派来的使者，你们稍等一下，我这就去取宝物。”
"Please proceed," said the other elder.
zhè wèi dǎo shì xīn sī líng lóng ， méi yǒu jiāng bǎo wù suí shēn dài zhe ， zhè yàng tā jí shǐ shēn fèn bào lù ， xīn kǔ shōu jí de bǎo bèi yě bú huì luò dào yù wài tiān mó shǒu zhōng 。
这位倒是心思玲珑，没有将宝物随身带着，这样他即使身份暴露，辛苦收集的宝贝也不会落到域外天魔手中。
Cangmò, who had been called by name, moved swiftly. After a short while, he returned with a storage bag in hand.
“ gé xià qǐng biàn jiù shì 。”
“阁下请便就是。”
Dull and unremarkable on the outside, it contained more than met the eye.
nà wèi jiào cāng mò de lǎo zhě dòng zuò hěn kuài ， yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu hòu jiù chóng xīn huí lái ， shǒu lǐ ná zhe yī chǔ wù dài 。
那位叫沧末的老者动作很快，一盏茶的功夫后就重新回来，手里拿着一储物袋。
"These are the supplies collected by me and my companions. Please count them."
huī pū pū de bìng bù qǐ yǎn ， rán ér què bié yǒu qián kūn zài lǐ miàn 。
灰扑扑的并不起眼，然而却别有乾坤在里面。
"Very well."
“ zhè biàn shì wǎn bèi yǔ tóng bàn shōu luó lái de wù zī ， hái qǐng shǐ zhě diǎn shù 。”
“这便是晚辈与同伴收罗来的物资，还请使者点数。”
上官翎 took the bag and released his divine sense.
“ hǎo 。”
“好。”
Sure enough, various treasures were inside, all as listed by their master.
shàng guān líng jiē guò ， jiāng shén shí fàng chū 。
上官翎接过，将神识放出。
The other three women breathed a sigh of relief. Even the Ice Phoenix Immortal's expression softened slightly; they had successfully completed this mission despite the hardships, with no major mishaps.
guǒ bù qí rán ， lǐ miàn bāo hán le gè zhǒng bǎo wù 。
果不其然，里面包含了各种宝物。
But before they could fully relax, a loud rumbling sound echoed in their ears.
shī zūn céng jīng liè chū de ， wú bù bāo luó ， shù liàng yě méi yǒu cuò 。
师尊曾经列出的，无不包罗，数量也没有错。
Then came cries of alarm. The voices started far away and sounded chaotic but quickly grew into a surging wave.
qí tā sān nǚ jiàn le ， wú bù sōng le kǒu qì ， biàn shì nà wèi bīng fèng xiān zi ， fǎng fú héng gǔ bù biàn de liǎn páng shàng ， yě lù chū le jǐ fēn xiào yì ， zhè yī lù shàng suī rán lì jīng xīn kǔ ， dàn zǒng suàn shì méi yǒu chū chā cuò ， yǒu jīng wú xiǎn de jiāng zhè ge rèn wù wán chéng le 。
其他三女见了，无不松了口气，便是那位冰凤仙子，仿佛恒古不变的脸庞上，也露出了几分笑意，这一路上虽然历经辛苦，但总算是没有出差错，有惊无险的将这个任务完成了。
"What is happening?"
rán ér zhè ge niàn tou shàng wèi zhuǎn guò 。
然而这个念头尚未转过。
上官翎 stood up abruptly. The four women exchanged glances, their faces turning serious.
hōng lōng lóng yī zhèn jù xiǎng chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
轰隆隆一阵巨响传入耳朵。
Could there really be such a coincidence?
suí hòu jīng hū shēng sì qǐ ， nà shēng yīn kāi shǐ hěn yuǎn ， yě yǒu xiē zá luàn ， dàn hěn kuài ， jiù biàn dé rú tóng cháo shuǐ yì bān ， gǔn gǔn ér lái 。
随后惊呼声四起，那声音开始很远，也有些杂乱，但很快，就变得如同潮水一般，滚滚而来。
This place, which had been like an idyllic paradise, was now discovered by the域外天魔.
“ zhè shì ……”
“这是……”
But this seemed too coincidental.
shàng guān líng huò rán zhàn qǐ ， sì nǚ fēi cháng kuài de jiāo huàn de yī xià yǎn sè ， liǎn shàng dōu lù chū níng zhòng zhī sè 。
上官翎豁然站起，四女非常快的交换的一下眼色，脸上都露出凝重之色。
"Perhaps our appearance gave us away."
mǎn liǎn yīn mái ， nán dào tiān xià jìng yǒu zhè yàng de qiǎo hé ？
满脸阴霾，难道天下竟有这样的巧合？
"That's impossible! We encountered patrols of域外天魔 on our journey but dealt with them efficiently. How could we have exposed ourselves?"
yì zhí rú tóng shì wài táo yuán bān de cǐ chù ， jìng bèi yù wài tiān mó gěi fā xiàn le 。
一直如同世外桃源般的此处，竟被域外天魔给发现了。
"There is no certainty..."
kě zhè yě wèi miǎn tài guò qiǎo hé 。
可这也未免太过巧合。
"Enough! Whether it was premeditated or a coincidence, now that those域外天魔 have found this place, we can't just wait here. Let's break through and return to the Cloud Concealment Sect."
“ yě xǔ shì wǒ men shēn xíng bào lù 。”
“也许是我们身形暴露。”
The purple-robed girl spoke with resolve, her face showing a fierce determination. In that moment, she seemed like a sword breaking free from its scabbard.
“ bù kě néng ， yī lù shàng wǒ men suī rán yù jiàn le yù wài tiān mó xún luó ， dàn měi yī cì ， dōu gān jìng lì luò de jiāng tā men miè kǒu le ， shēn xíng zěn me kě néng bào lù 。”
“不可能，一路上我们虽然遇见了域外天魔巡逻，但每一次，都干净利落的将他们灭口了，身形怎么可能暴露。”
"That would be unwise," said上官翎, shaking his head.
“ zhè yě nán shuō ……”
“这也难说……”
"Why?"
“ hǎo le ， xiàn zài zhēng zhè xiē hái yǒu shén me yòng tú ， bù guǎn shì yǒu yù móu hái shì qiǎo hé ， jì rán nà xiē tiān wài mó tóu zhǎo dào le cǐ chù ， wǒ men zǒng bù néng zuò yǐ dài bì ， zhè jiù shā chū chóng wéi ， huí yún yǐn zōng qù 。”
“好了，现在争这些还有什么用途，不管是有预谋还是巧合，既然那些天外魔头找到了此处，我们总不能坐以待毙，这就杀出重围，回云隐宗去。”
"The situation is unclear. Rushing out might backfire. Perhaps those域外天魔 didn't come looking for us; they just happened to pass by."
shuō huà de shì nà zǐ yī shào nǚ ， liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī jué jué de shā yì ， zài zhè yī shùn jiān ， tā zhěng gè rén fǎng fú biàn chéng le yī bǐng chū qiào de lì jiàn ， qì zhì yǒu le jí dà de gǎi biàn 。
说话的是那紫衣少女，脸上闪过一丝决绝的杀意，在这一瞬间，她整个人仿佛变成了一柄出窍的利剑，气质有了极大的改变。
Indeed, all they had heard were sounds so far. The exact situation remained uncertain.
“ bù tuǒ ， bù néng nà me zuò 。”
“不妥，不能那么做。”
But leaving here was always the right choice.
shàng guān líng què yáo le yáo tóu lú 。
上官翎却摇了摇头颅。
The four women exited the general goods store together.
“ wèi hé ？”
“为何？”
Meanwhile, the entire city descended into chaos. The clear sky rapidly darkened as魔云 swirled around it, concealing countless域外天魔 and monsters.
“ xiàn zài qíng kuàng wèi míng ， mào rán chōng chū ， shuō bù dìng huì nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō ， yě xǔ nà xiē yù wài tiān mó bú shì lái zhǎo wǒ men de ， jǐn jǐn pèng qiǎo lù guò ， nà yàng zuò ， qǐ bù shì ……”
“现在情况未明，冒然冲出，说不定会弄巧成拙，也许那些域外天魔不是来找我们的，仅仅碰巧路过，那样做，岂不是……”
The atmosphere grew heavy, making breathing difficult.
shàng guān líng rú cǐ zhè bān de shuō 。
上官翎如此这般的说。
This was a human city with little connection to the cultivation world. Still, as the saying went, one could see pigs run even without eating pork. Since the域外天魔's arrival, many cities had been destroyed by their attacks.
bì jìng tā men rú jīn jǐn jǐn shì tīng jiàn yī xiē shēng yīn ér yǐ ， jù tǐ qíng kuàng rú hé ， shàng bù qīng chǔ 。
毕竟他们如今仅仅是听见一些声音而已，具体情况如何，尚不清楚。
Seeing the魔云 looming overhead, everyone panicked. Cries of "Father!" and "Mother!" filled the air as people scattered in all directions.
dàn bù guǎn rú hé ， xiān lí kāi zhè lǐ zǒng shì méi cuò 。
但不管如何，先离开这里总是没错。
But escaping was not easy; the域外天魔 were ruthless. A series of loud sounds echoed, and beams of light shot out from the魔云.
sì nǚ yì qǐ chū le zá huò pù 。
四女一起出了杂货铺。
Countless humans didn't even have time to scream before they vanished.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， zhěng zuò chéng chí ， què yǐ xiàn rù yí piàn hùn luàn le ， yuán běn qíng lǎng de tiān sè ， jǐn jǐn shùn xī de gōng fu ， jiù yǐ àn dàn le xǔ duō 。
与此同时，整座城池，却已陷入一片混乱了，原本晴朗的天色，仅仅瞬息的功夫，就已黯淡了许多。
The four women saw this horrifying scene as they left the general goods store.
chéng chí sì zhōu ， mó yún fān yǒng ， hēi yā yā de ， bù zhī dào yǐn cáng zhe duō shǎo mó zú jiǎ shì yǔ guài wù 。
城池四周，魔云翻涌，黑压压的，不知道隐藏着多少魔族甲士与怪物。
"How despicable! They are killing innocent people," said上官雁, enraged.
qì fēn níng zhòng ， ràng rén lián qì dōu tòu bù chū 。
气氛凝重，让人连气都透不出。
PS: It's been a while since I've asked for monthly votes. I'm not sure how to write such requests anymore. Fellow cultivators, seeing my honest and adorable nature, shouldn't you also consider giving me more monthly votes? (To be continued...)
"Be patient!"
上官翎's lips curled into a smile.
Instead, he slowed his pace and looked around, as if genuinely shopping.
The other three women exchanged glances. Even the icy-tempered妖族 woman couldn't help but show some surprise in her eyes.
However, they knew that this wasn't because of a playful mood. The other party must have another plan.
Thus, while surprised, none of them urged him further. Instead, they all tried to cooperate as if genuinely shopping.
Before long, an hour passed unnoticed.
They had already arrived at a more secluded street by accident.
Though the crowd was thinner here, some shops still lined both sides of the road.
Turning around,上官翎 quickly surveyed his surroundings and then led the three women into one of these shops with a swift movement.
This was a general goods store.
From the outside, it looked unremarkable. The merchandise displayed was numerous but somewhat disorganized, and there were no other customers inside.
A young apprentice was dozing off in the back.
Seeing the four girls enter, he woke up groggily and approached them with a yawn: "Welcome, esteemed guests to my humble shop. May I know what you wish to purchase?"
"Call your master."
With a flip of his hand, an ordinary-looking jade pendant appeared before him.
The apprentice's eyes lit up as he became more alert: "I am the owner of this general goods store."
"What? You are...?"
"Not exactly," said the old man with some embarrassment. "Please follow me upstairs to the guest room for a detailed discussion."
"Very well!"
Led by the young man, they went upstairs but didn't enter the guest room. Instead, they entered a hidden secret chamber.
This chamber was ingeniously designed with various traps and had an excellent soundproofing enchantment. It not only provided privacy but also prevented the leakage of essence energy.
A series of crackling sounds filled their ears as the apprentice's body emitted a shimmering aura. The youthful man in his twenties or thirties visibly aged, yet he still looked vigorous.
A洞玄期 cultivator!
"Junior Cangmò pays respect to the four seniors. I am sure you are the messengers sent by the Alliance to retrieve supplies. May I see your token of authority?"
"Indeed, Cangmò. You are that famous wandering cultivator known for your skill in concealing qi and changing appearance? I am ashamed to say my abilities fall far short of those of my peers. My cultivation techniques are rather weak, but I have some experience with concealment and disguise."
The old man said modestly.
"Do not be too humble, Cangmò. Every cultivator has their specialty. We seek the path to immortality, not just brute force. Your skill in concealing qi and changing appearance is invaluable. That's why the Alliance Head sent you on such an important mission," another elder added.
On the surface, there was no sign of disdain on上官翎's face as he flipped his hand out, revealing a clear jade token.
The old man examined it carefully before nodding with satisfaction: "You are indeed messengers from the Alliance. Please wait while I retrieve the treasures."
This old man was shrewd; he didn't carry the treasures with him to avoid them falling into the hands of域外天魔 if his identity were exposed.
"Please proceed," said the other elder.
Cangmò, who had been called by name, moved swiftly. After a short while, he returned with a storage bag in hand.
Dull and unremarkable on the outside, it contained more than met the eye.
"These are the supplies collected by me and my companions. Please count them."
"Very well."
上官翎 took the bag and released his divine sense.
Sure enough, various treasures were inside, all as listed by their master.
The other three women breathed a sigh of relief. Even the Ice Phoenix Immortal's expression softened slightly; they had successfully completed this mission despite the hardships, with no major mishaps.
But before they could fully relax, a loud rumbling sound echoed in their ears.
Then came cries of alarm. The voices started far away and sounded chaotic but quickly grew into a surging wave.
"What is happening?"
上官翎 stood up abruptly. The four women exchanged glances, their faces turning serious.
Could there really be such a coincidence?
This place, which had been like an idyllic paradise, was now discovered by the域外天魔.
But this seemed too coincidental.
"Perhaps our appearance gave us away."
"That's impossible! We encountered patrols of域外天魔 on our journey but dealt with them efficiently. How could we have exposed ourselves?"
"There is no certainty..."
"Enough! Whether it was premeditated or a coincidence, now that those域外天魔 have found this place, we can't just wait here. Let's break through and return to the Cloud Concealment Sect."
The purple-robed girl spoke with resolve, her face showing a fierce determination. In that moment, she seemed like a sword breaking free from its scabbard.
"That would be unwise," said上官翎, shaking his head.
"Why?"
"The situation is unclear. Rushing out might backfire. Perhaps those域外天魔 didn't come looking for us; they just happened to pass by."
Indeed, all they had heard were sounds so far. The exact situation remained uncertain.
But leaving here was always the right choice.
The four women exited the general goods store together.
Meanwhile, the entire city descended into chaos. The clear sky rapidly darkened as魔云 swirled around it, concealing countless域外天魔 and monsters.
The atmosphere grew heavy, making breathing difficult.
This was a human city with little connection to the cultivation world. Still, as the saying went, one could see pigs run even without eating pork. Since the域外天魔's arrival, many cities had been destroyed by their attacks.
Seeing the魔云 looming overhead, everyone panicked. Cries of "Father!" and "Mother!" filled the air as people scattered in all directions.
But escaping was not easy; the域外天魔 were ruthless. A series of loud sounds echoed, and beams of light shot out from the魔云.
Countless humans didn't even have time to scream before they vanished.
The four women saw this horrifying scene as they left the general goods store.
"How despicable! They are killing innocent people," said上官雁, enraged.
PS: It's been a while since I've asked for monthly votes. I'm not sure how to write such requests anymore. Fellow cultivators, seeing my honest and adorable nature, shouldn't you also consider giving me more monthly votes? (To be continued...)