nán dào yōu zhōu fù dì de gè dà zōng mén shì lì ， méi yǒu chū shǒu jiù yuán ？” lín T chén ， yǒu xiē bù néng zhì xìn de kāi kǒu 。~~ mèng xiǎng wén xué wǎng ~~
难道幽州腹地的各大宗门势力，没有出手救援？”林T沉，有些不能置信的开口。~~梦想文学网~~
"Could it be that the major sects in the heart of Youzhou didn't offer any rescue?" Lin Xuan couldn't quite believe his ears.
“ qián bèi yǒu suǒ bù zhī ， yīn hún zài wǒ men xiū xiān jiè bù xià le jiān xì ， tā men suǒ tiāo xuǎn de fā nàn shí jiān ， bié yǒu yī fān kǎo liáng 。” luó tiān rén yáo tóu tàn xī ， mǎn liǎn de kǔ sè zhī yì 。
“前辈有所不知，阴魂在我们修仙界布下了奸细，牠们所挑选的发难时间，别有一番考量。”罗天仁摇头叹息，满脸的苦涩之意。
"Senior, you are unaware. The Yinying spirit had spies within our cultivation world. They chose a time for the attack with great deliberation," Luo Tianren shook his head and sighed, his face showing deep bitterness.
“ nǐ shì shuō ……” lín xuān xīn zhōng yī dòng ， yǐn yǐn cāi dào le shén me 。
“你是说……”林轩心中一动，隐隐猜到了什么。
"You mean..." Lin Xuan's heart stirred as he vaguely guessed what was happening.
“ qián bèi suǒ liào bù cuò ， dāng guǐ luó chéng bèi wú shù guǐ guài wéi gōng de shí kè ， zhèng mó shuāng fāng yě zài tiān xiá shān zhǎn kāi le guī mó kōng qián de dà zhàn ， dī jiē dì zǐ bù tán ， shuāng fāng tóu rù de zhù jī qī yǐ shàng xiū shì ， jiù dá dào shù wàn zhī duō ， bù jǐn yǒu níng dān qī gāo shǒu ， shèn zhì jǐ wèi yuán yīng qī de qián bèi yě qīn zì chū shǒu ……”
“前辈所料不错，当鬼罗城被无数鬼怪围攻的时刻，正魔双方也在天霞山展开了规模空前的大战，低阶弟子不谈，双方投入的筑基期以上修士，就达到数万之多，不仅有凝丹期高手，甚至几位元婴期的前辈也亲自出手……”
"Your guess is correct. When countless ghosts and monsters besieged Ghost Luo City, the forces of Good and Evil were already engaged in a massive battle on Heavenly Mist Mountain. Not only did low-ranking disciples not participate, but thousands of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators from both sides joined the fight. There were even several Senior Golden Core cultivators who personally took part..."
“ shén me ？” lín xuān xīn zhōng hài rán ， xiǎng bú dào zì jǐ lí kāi de zhè duàn shí jiān ， xíng shì huì jí zhuǎn ér biàn ， dāng chū zhèng mó sān tiān yī xiǎo dǎ ， wǔ tiān yī dà zhàn ， dàn zǒng tǐ ér yán ， dōu hái shì shì tàn ， bì jìng cóng shí lì ér yán ， kě wèi qí gǔ xiāng dāng ， suǒ yǐ dōu zài bì miǎn liǎng bài jù shāng ， méi xiǎng dào zhè yī zhuǎn yǎn ， jiù jīng ruì jǐn chū ， yào fēn gè nǐ sǐ wǒ huó ， zhào lǐ shuō ， bù yīng gāi rú cǐ ， nán dào yě shì yīn hún de yīn móu ， lín xuān àn àn xiǎng zhe 。
“什么？”林轩心中骇然，想不到自己离开的这段时间，形势会急转而变，当初正魔三天一小打，五天一大战，但总体而言，都还是试探，毕竟从实力而言，可谓旗鼓相当，所以都在避免两败俱伤，没想到这一转眼，就精锐尽出，要分个你死我活，照理说，不应该如此，难道也是阴魂的阴谋，林轩暗暗想着。
"What?" Lin Xuan was taken aback. He hadn't expected things to change so drastically during his absence. Initially, Good and Evil would engage in small skirmishes every few days, but overall, it had been just probing. Given their roughly equal strength, both sides had avoided mutual destruction. But now, all the elite forces were being deployed, ready for a decisive battle. It didn't make sense; could this also be part of Yinying's plot?
jiàn lín xuān bì mù sī liáng ， luó tiān rén yě bù gǎn dǎ rǎo ， shù shǒu zhàn zài yī páng 。
见林轩闭目思量，罗天仁也不敢打扰，束手站在一旁。
Seeing Lin Xuan deep in thought, Luo Tianren did not dare to disturb him and stood by silently.
shǎo qǐng ， lín xuān zhēng kāi yǎn ：“ nǐ jiē zhe jiǎng 。”
少顷，林轩睁开眼：“你接着讲。”
After a while, Lin Xuan opened his eyes and said, "Continue."
“ shì ！” duì yú zhè miàn mù pǔ tōng de shào nián ， luó tiān rén yuè jiē chù ， yuè jué de tā shēn bù kě cè ， jìng wèi zhī xīn jù zēng ， àn zì cāi cè ， nán dào cǐ rén bìng bù xiàng biǎo miàn nà yàng nián qīng ， ér shì mǒu gè xiū liàn le zhù yán gōng fǎ de lǎo guài wù ， tūn le yī kǒu tuò mò 。
“是！”对于这面目普通的少年，罗天仁越接触，越觉得他深不可测，敬畏之心俱增，暗自猜测，难道此人并不像表面那样年轻，而是某个修炼了驻颜功法的老怪物，吞了一口唾沫。
"Yes!" The ordinary-looking youth only seemed more enigmatic as Luo Tianren grew increasingly respectful. He secretly wondered if the man wasn't just young on the surface but an old monster who had mastered longevity techniques. He swallowed hard.
“ yóu yú yīn hún tiāo xuǎn de shí jiān qiǎo miào ， suǒ yǐ dāng xiāo xī chuán dào zhī shí ， zhèng mó liǎng dà shì lì jī zhàn zhèng hān ， yǐ jīng shā hóng le yǎn ， jí qiè zhī jiān ， gēn běn jiù wú fǎ fēn kāi ， suǒ yǐ guǐ luó chéng zhì shǐ zhì zhōng ， yě gēn běn jiù méi yǒu děng dào rèn hé jiù yuán 。 mèng xiǎng wén xué wǎng ”
“由于阴魂挑选的时间巧妙，所以当消息传到之时，正魔两大势力激战正酣，已经杀红了眼，急切之间，根本就无法分开，所以鬼罗城至始至终，也根本就没有等到任何救援。梦想文学网”
"Due to Yinying's clever timing, when news of the attack reached us, both Good and Evil were already in full battle mode, fighting with bloodlust. There was no time to separate, so Ghost Luo City never received any aid."
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。” lín xuān zǒng suàn nòng míng bái liǎo shì qíng de shǐ mò ， bú yòng shuō ， zhè jué duì shì zǎo yǒu yù móu ， xiǎng xiǎng yě bù qí guài ， guāng shì qī jué tiān zhè bù àn qí ， duì fāng jiù mái xià le wàn nián zhī jiǔ ， zhè dòng shǒu shí jī zhī qiǎo ， zì rán yě jiù zài qíng lǐ zhī zhōng 。
“原来如此。”林轩总算弄明白了事情的始末，不用说，这绝对是早有预谋，想想也不奇怪，光是七绝天这步暗棋，对方就埋下了万年之久，这动手时机之巧，自然也就在情理之中。
"So that's how it is," Lin Xuan finally understood the entire situation. It was clear this had been premeditated. Thinking about it, it wasn't surprising; even a single move like Seven Extremes Heaven took thousands of years to set up. The timing for this attack was equally well-calculated.
“ hòu lái rú hé ？”
“后来如何？”
"What happened next?"
“ hòu lái ？” luó tiān rén liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī jī cháo 。 sì hū hái yǒu yuàn dú yǔ bù mǎn zhī sè ：“ hái néng zěn yàng 。 guǐ luó chéng xiàn luò yǐ hòu 。 yōu zhōu fù dì jiù bào lù zài guǐ guài dì tú dāo zhī xià le 。 yīn hún men cháng qū zhí rù 。 fēn sān lù shā rù yōu zhōu 。 fán rén zàn qiě bù shuō 。 zì rán shì bèi tú chuō dài jìn 。 biàn shì tóng dào xiū shì 。 yě sǐ shāng bù jì qí shù 。”
“后来？”罗天仁脸上露出一丝讥嘲。似乎还有怨毒与不满之色：“还能怎样。鬼罗城陷落以后。幽州腹地就暴露在鬼怪地屠刀之下了。阴魂们长驱直入。分三路杀入幽州。凡人暂且不说。自然是被屠戳殆尽。便是同道修士。也死伤不计其数。”
"Next?" Luo Tianren's face showed a hint of mockery and resentment: "What else could happen? After Ghost Luo City fell, the heartland of Youzhou was exposed to the monsters' blades. Yinying spirits advanced unimpeded, dividing into three groups to invade Youzhou. Ordinary people were naturally slaughtered; even fellow cultivators suffered heavy losses."
“ méi yǒu rén néng gòu shāo zuò dǐ dǎng me ？” lín xuān yě gǎn jué shì qíng yǒu xiē bù miào le 。
“没有人能够稍作抵挡么？”林轩也感觉事情有些不妙了。
"Wasn't anyone able to resist?" Lin Xuan felt things were getting serious.
“ dǐ dǎng 。 zěn me dǐ dǎng ？ guǐ luó chéng yǒu jìn wàn xiū shì 。 shèn zhì hái yǒu hóng fā lǎo zǔ zhè yàng dì yuán yīng qī qián bèi zuò zhèn 。 yě zuì zhōng yě là le gè chéng pò rén wáng 。 qí tā dì zōng mén shì lì 。 dà xiǎo jiā zú 。 jiù suàn fèn qǐ yíng zhàn 。 yě bù guò táng bì dǎng chē 。 méi yǒu sī háo zuò yòng 。 xiàng wǒ men zhāo yáng mén 。 jiù yǒu shù wèi zhù jī qī dì zhǎng lǎo yǔn luò 。 zuì zhōng bù dé bù duǒ dào zhè ge dì fāng 。 gǒu yán cán chuǎn bà le 。”
“抵挡。怎么抵挡？鬼罗城有近万修士。甚至还有红发老祖这样地元婴期前辈坐镇。也最终也落了个城破人亡。其他地宗门势力。大小家族。就算奋起迎战。也不过螳臂挡车。没有丝毫作用。像我们朝阳门。就有数位筑基期地长老陨落。最终不得不躲到这个地方。芶延残喘罢了。”
"How could they? Ghost Luo City had nearly ten thousand cultivators, including the Red-haired Ancestor, a Senior Golden Core cultivator. They still ended up with the city destroyed and people dead. Other sects and families tried their best but were like ants trying to stop a car. We of the Dawn Peak Sect lost several Foundation Establishment stage elders before retreating here."
“ zhèng mó shuāng fāng ne 。 fā shēng le zhè zhǒng shì qíng 。 wǒ bù xiāng xìn tā men hái huì nèi dòu 。 bù guǎn ēn yuàn yǒu duō shēn 。 bǐ cǐ dì lì chǎng yòu yǒu duō me dì bù kě tiáo hé 。 kě tā men tóng wéi rén lèi zhè yì diǎn 。 shǐ zhōng què shì wú fǎ gǎi biàn 。”
“正魔双方呢。发生了这种事情。我不相信他们还会内斗。不管恩怨有多深。彼此地立场又有多么地不可调和。可他们同为人类这一点。始终却是无法改变。”
"What about Good and Evil? After such an event, I doubt they would fight each other. Regardless of how deep their grudges are or how irreconcilable their stances, as humans, this can't be changed."
“ qián bèi shuō dé bù cuò 。” luó tiān rén hē le yī kǒu chá shuǐ 。 yě zài páng biān dì mǒu zhāng yǐ zi shàng zuò le xià lái ：“ yīn hún rù qīn 。 hào jié chóng yǎn 。 zhèng mó liǎng dà shì lì què shí zàn shí fàng xià le chén jiàn 。 rán ér tiān xiá shān yī zhàn 。 shuāng fāng kě wèi liǎng bài jù shāng 。 sǔn shī jí wéi cǎn zhòng 。 tīng shuō guāng shì gè zì dì níng dān qī gāo shǒu 。 jiù yǔn luò le shù bǎi wèi zhī duō 。 shèn zhì jǐ wèi yuán yīng qī qián bèi 。 yě fēn bié fù shāng le 。”
“前辈说得不错。”罗天仁喝了一口茶水。也在旁边地某张椅子上坐了下来：“阴魂入侵。浩劫重演。正魔两大势力确实暂时放下了陈见。然而天霞山一战。双方可谓两败俱伤。损失极为惨重。听说光是各自地凝丹期高手。就陨落了数百位之多。甚至几位元婴期前辈。也分别负伤了。”
"Your words are correct," Luo Tianren took a sip of tea and sat down on another chair: "The invasion by Yinying spirits brought about a great calamity, but the forces of Good and Evil did temporarily set aside old grievances. However, after the battle at Heavenly Mist Mountain, both sides suffered heavy losses. Hundreds of Condensation Core stage experts perished, and several Senior Golden Core cultivators were injured."
“ zhè ……” lín xuān tīng dé chēng mù jié shé 。 jí è mó zūn yǔ sān jù tóu dì jǐ wèi tài shàng zhǎng lǎo 。 dōu shì lǎo jiān jù huá dì rén wù 。 méi xiǎng dào zhè cì luò rù yīn hún men dì quān tào 。 chī kuī zhe shí bù xiǎo 。
“这……”林轩听得瞠目结舌。极恶魔尊与三巨头地几位太上长老。都是老奸巨猾地人物。没想到这次落入阴魂们地圈套。吃亏着实不小。
"This..." Lin Xuan was speechless, realizing that even the Extreme Demon Sovereign and his top elders had fallen into Yinying's trap.
“ zhèng mó shí lì dà sǔn ， yī shí zhī jiān ， yě nán yǐ dǐ dǎng guǐ guài men de fēng máng ， hé kuàng tā men suī rán zàn shí wò shǒu yán hé ， kě xiāng hù jiān de chén jiàn què yě bìng fēi yī shí sān kè ， jiù kě yǐ huà jiě de ， wú fǎ jié chéng gōng shǒu tóng méng ， liǎng dà shì lì gè zì wéi zhàn ， xíng shì bù róng lè guān ， rú jīn yōu zhōu de sān fēn zhī yī ， dōu luò rù le yīn hún men de shǒu lǐ 。”
“正魔实力大损，一时之间，也难以抵挡鬼怪们的锋芒，何况他们虽然暂时握手言和，可相互间的陈见却也并非一时三刻，就可以化解的，无法结成攻守同盟，两大势力各自为战，形势不容乐观，如今幽州的三分之一，都落入了阴魂们的手里。”
"Their strength was severely damaged; they couldn't withstand the monsters' attacks for now. Despite their temporary truce, old grievances wouldn't be resolved in a day or two. They couldn't form an alliance, so both sides fought separately, making the situation grim. One-third of Youzhou is now under Yinying's control."
tīng dào zhè lǐ ， lín xuān fǎn ér sōng le kǒu qì ， jú shì què shí zāo gāo ， bù guò méi yǒu wán quán xiàn luò ， yǐ jīng shì lǎo tiān yé bǎo yòu 。
听到这里，林轩反而松了口气，局势确实糟糕，不过没有完全陷落，已经是老天爷保佑。
Hearing this, Lin Xuan felt a bit relieved. The situation was indeed dire, but not completely lost; it was a blessing from heaven.
le yī xiǎng ， yǒu xiē hào qí de dào ：“ sān fēn zhī yī ， nà me zhè lǐ ， yí dìng shì lún xiàn de dì yù ， nǐ men wèi hé bù bān qiān chū qù ， fǎn ér liú liàn zhè lǐ ， mò fēi shì gù tǔ nán lí ？”
了一想，有些好奇的道：“三分之一，那么这里，一定是沦陷的地域，你们为何不搬迁出去，反而留恋这里，莫非是故土难离？”
Thinking about it, he asked curiously: "One-third, so this must be the area that fell. Why don't you move out? Do you still linger here because of your homeland?"
“ qián bèi shuō xiào le ， gù tǔ dāng rán méi yǒu rén shě de lí qù ， dàn yǔ xìng mìng xiàng bǐ ， què yòu bù suàn shén me ， wǒ men zhī suǒ yǐ liú xià lái ， shì pò bù dé yǐ 。” shuō dào zhè lǐ ， luó tiān rén de liǎn sè yīn chén xià lái ， jǐn jǐn shì zuò zài tā páng biān ， lín xuān jiù néng gǎn jué dào nà jīng tiān de yuàn qì 。
“前辈说笑了，故土当然没有人舍得离去，但与性命相比，却又不算什么，我们之所以留下来，是迫不得已。”说到这里，罗天仁的脸色阴沉下来，仅仅是坐在他旁边，林轩就能感觉到那惊天的怨气。
"Senior, you jest. No one would leave their homeland willingly, but compared to life and death, it's nothing. We stayed out of necessity," Luo Tianren's face turned grim as he spoke. Even sitting next to him, Lin Xuan could feel the overwhelming resentment.
“ pò bù dé yǐ ， jiū jìng shì zěn me huí shì ？”
“迫不得已，究竟是怎么回事？”
"Why is that necessary?"
“ qián bèi yǒu suǒ bù zhī ， dāng yīn hún gāng gāng rù qīn zhī shí ， bù shǎo zōng mén yǔ xiū xiān jiā zú jiàn shì bù kě wèi ， què shí xiǎng dào guò bān qiān de zhǔ yì ， rán ér ……”
“前辈有所不知，当阴魂刚刚入侵之时，不少宗门与修仙家族见事不可为，确实想到过搬迁的主意，然而……”
"You are unaware. When Yinying first invaded, many sects and cultivation families considered moving but... What happened?"
“ zěn me le ？”
“怎么了？”
"What happened?"
“ nín yě zhī dào ， wǒ men zhè xiē xiū xiān zhī rén ， xiǎng yào xiū wèi bù duàn de jīng jìn ， bù jǐn xū yào zài líng mài zhī dì jiàn lì zōng mén ， hái xū yào hào fèi shù liàng bù fēi de jīng shí cǎo yào ， ér xiū xiān jiè de zī yuán ， běn shì yí dìng de ， yōu zhōu suī rán guǎng kuò ， kě gè zhǒng líng mài kuàng shān ， zǎo yǐ bèi guā fēn dài jìn ， yǐ qián gè zōng mén jiā zú gè yǒu gè de shì lì fàn wéi ， chǔ yú yī wēi miào de píng héng ， dào yě xiāng ān wú shì ， kě xiàn rú jīn ， sān fēn zhī yī de dì yù bèi zhàn lǐng ， lún xiàn qū shù bǎi gè zōng mén yǒng rù lìng wài sān fēn zhī èr de dì yù ， zì rán dài lái liǎo wú jǐn de chōng tū ， zhè biān ， yīn hún de wēi xié shàng wèi xiāo chú ， ér rén lèi wèi le zhēng duó xiū liàn zī yuán ， què yǐ jīng zhòng rán zhàn huǒ ……”
“您也知道，我们这些修仙之人，想要修为不断的精进，不仅需要在灵脉之地建立宗门，还需要耗费数量不菲的晶石草药，而修仙界的资源，本是一定的，幽州虽然广阔，可各种灵脉矿山，早已被瓜分殆尽，以前各宗门家族各有各的势力范围，处于一微妙的平衡，倒也相安无事，可现如今，三分之一的地域被占领，沦陷区数百个宗门涌入另外三分之二的地域，自然带来了无尽的冲突，这边，阴魂的威胁尚未消除，而人类为了争夺修炼资源，却已经重燃战火……”
"You know, we cultivators need to continuously improve our cultivation in areas with Spirit Channels. We also require a lot of crystal stones and medicinal herbs. The resources in the cultivation world are limited, and Youzhou, though vast, had its Spirit Channel mines long depleted. Previously, each sect and family had their own territories, maintaining a delicate balance. But now, with one-third occupied, hundreds of fallen sects and families flooded into the remaining two-thirds, bringing endless conflicts. The threat from Yinying spirits hasn't been eliminated, but humans are already fighting for cultivation resources..."
tīng dào zhè lǐ ， lín xuān de zuǐ jiǎo biān ， bù yóu de lù chū le yī sī jī cháo zhī sè ， zhēn shì rén bù wèi jǐ tiān dì zhū ， bù guò rú cǐ duǎn shì de xíng wéi ， wú yì yú zì jué fén mù 。
听到这里，林轩的嘴角边，不由得露出了一丝讥嘲之色，真是人不为己天地诛，不过如此短视的行为，无异于自掘坟墓。
Hearing this, Lin Xuan couldn't help but sneer. It was indeed shortsighted; such behavior was like digging one's own grave.
“ zhèng mó nán dào bù guǎn me ？”
“正魔难道不管么？”
"Didn't Good and Evil intervene?"
“ zěn me bù guǎn ， tā men yǐ zhì xù de wéi hù zhě zì jū ， zài zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， chū miàn gān yù ， zhì zhǐ xiū shì men zì xiāng cán shā 。”
“怎么不管，他们以秩序的维护者自居，在这种情况下，出面干预，制止修士们自相残杀。”
"They did! They claim to maintain order and stepped in to stop the cultivators from self-destructing."
“ zhè hěn hǎo a ！”
“这很好啊！”
"That's good!"
“ hǎo gè pì 。“ luó tiān rén jī fèn zhī xià ， mà le yī jù cū kǒu ， suí jí fǎn yìng guò lái ， mǎn liǎn dà hán ， tōu yǎn kàn le yī yǎn lín xuān ， jiàn tā shén sè rú cháng ， sī háo yě méi yǒu zhuī jiū zhī yì ， zhè cái fàng xià le xīn lái ：” duì bù qǐ qián bèi ， wǎn bèi shī lǐ le 。“
“好个屁。“罗天仁激愤之下，骂了一句粗口，随即反应过来，满脸大汗，偷眼看了一眼林轩，见他神色如常，丝毫也没有追究之意，这才放下了心来：”对不起前辈，晚辈失礼了。“
"Not at all," Luo Tianren, agitated, cursed under his breath. Realizing he had said something inappropriate, he quickly wiped sweat from his face and glanced at Lin Xuan. Seeing him calm, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Forgive me, Senior."
“ méi guān xì ， jì xù shuō xià qù 。”
“没关系，继续说下去。”
"It doesn't matter. Continue."
“ shì 。” luó tiān rén tǔ le yī kǒu zhuó qì ， jiāng jī dòng de xīn qíng píng fù xià qù ， zhè cái chóng xīn kāi kǒu ：“ zhèng mó mào sì gōng yǔn ， chū lái zhǔ chí dà jú ， rán ér tā men de gēn jī yě zài cǐ dì ， yǔ dāng dì de mén pài yǒu zhe qiān sī wàn lǚ de lián xì ， bù shǎo zài dà zhàn zhī qián ， jiù xuǎn zé yī fù yú tā men ， zuò shì qíng qǐ huì bù piān bù yǐ ， duì wǒ men wài lái de mén pài dà jiā pái jǐ 。”
“是。”罗天仁吐了一口浊气，将激动的心情平复下去，这才重新开口：“正魔貌似公允，出来主持大局，然而他们的根基也在此地，与当地的门派有着千丝万缕的联系，不少在大战之前，就选择依附于他们，做事情岂会不偏不倚，对我们外来的门派大加排挤。”
"Yes." Luo Tianren exhaled deeply to calm himself before continuing: "Good and Evil appeared fair and impartial in their role as arbiters, but they have roots here. Many sects chose to ally with them before the battle for their own interests. They wouldn't be impartial when dealing with outsiders; they would discriminate against us."
"Could it be that the major sects in the heart of Youzhou didn't offer any rescue?" Lin Xuan couldn't quite believe his ears.
"Senior, you are unaware. The Yinying spirit had spies within our cultivation world. They chose a time for the attack with great deliberation," Luo Tianren shook his head and sighed, his face showing deep bitterness.
"You mean..." Lin Xuan's heart stirred as he vaguely guessed what was happening.
"Your guess is correct. When countless ghosts and monsters besieged Ghost Luo City, the forces of Good and Evil were already engaged in a massive battle on Heavenly Mist Mountain. Not only did low-ranking disciples not participate, but thousands of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators from both sides joined the fight. There were even several Senior Golden Core cultivators who personally took part..."
"What?" Lin Xuan was taken aback. He hadn't expected things to change so drastically during his absence. Initially, Good and Evil would engage in small skirmishes every few days, but overall, it had been just probing. Given their roughly equal strength, both sides had avoided mutual destruction. But now, all the elite forces were being deployed, ready for a decisive battle. It didn't make sense; could this also be part of Yinying's plot?
Seeing Lin Xuan deep in thought, Luo Tianren did not dare to disturb him and stood by silently.
After a while, Lin Xuan opened his eyes and said, "Continue."
"Yes!" The ordinary-looking youth only seemed more enigmatic as Luo Tianren grew increasingly respectful. He secretly wondered if the man wasn't just young on the surface but an old monster who had mastered longevity techniques. He swallowed hard.
"Due to Yinying's clever timing, when news of the attack reached us, both Good and Evil were already in full battle mode, fighting with bloodlust. There was no time to separate, so Ghost Luo City never received any aid."
"So that's how it is," Lin Xuan finally understood the entire situation. It was clear this had been premeditated. Thinking about it, it wasn't surprising; even a single move like Seven Extremes Heaven took thousands of years to set up. The timing for this attack was equally well-calculated.
"What happened next?"
"Next?" Luo Tianren's face showed a hint of mockery and resentment: "What else could happen? After Ghost Luo City fell, the heartland of Youzhou was exposed to the monsters' blades. Yinying spirits advanced unimpeded, dividing into three groups to invade Youzhou. Ordinary people were naturally slaughtered; even fellow cultivators suffered heavy losses."
"Wasn't anyone able to resist?" Lin Xuan felt things were getting serious.
"How could they? Ghost Luo City had nearly ten thousand cultivators, including the Red-haired Ancestor, a Senior Golden Core cultivator. They still ended up with the city destroyed and people dead. Other sects and families tried their best but were like ants trying to stop a car. We of the Dawn Peak Sect lost several Foundation Establishment stage elders before retreating here."
"What about Good and Evil? After such an event, I doubt they would fight each other. Regardless of how deep their grudges are or how irreconcilable their stances, as humans, this can't be changed."
"Your words are correct," Luo Tianren took a sip of tea and sat down on another chair: "The invasion by Yinying spirits brought about a great calamity, but the forces of Good and Evil did temporarily set aside old grievances. However, after the battle at Heavenly Mist Mountain, both sides suffered heavy losses. Hundreds of Condensation Core stage experts perished, and several Senior Golden Core cultivators were injured."
"This..." Lin Xuan was speechless, realizing that even the Extreme Demon Sovereign and his top elders had fallen into Yinying's trap.
"Their strength was severely damaged; they couldn't withstand the monsters' attacks for now. Despite their temporary truce, old grievances wouldn't be resolved in a day or two. They couldn't form an alliance, so both sides fought separately, making the situation grim. One-third of Youzhou is now under Yinying's control."
Hearing this, Lin Xuan felt a bit relieved. The situation was indeed dire, but not completely lost; it was a blessing from heaven.
Thinking about it, he asked curiously: "One-third, so this must be the area that fell. Why don't you move out? Do you still linger here because of your homeland?"
"Senior, you jest. No one would leave their homeland willingly, but compared to life and death, it's nothing. We stayed out of necessity," Luo Tianren's face turned grim as he spoke. Even sitting next to him, Lin Xuan could feel the overwhelming resentment.
"Why is that necessary?"
"You are unaware. When Yinying first invaded, many sects and cultivation families considered moving but... What happened?"
"What happened?"
"You know, we cultivators need to continuously improve our cultivation in areas with Spirit Channels. We also require a lot of crystal stones and medicinal herbs. The resources in the cultivation world are limited, and Youzhou, though vast, had its Spirit Channel mines long depleted. Previously, each sect and family had their own territories, maintaining a delicate balance. But now, with one-third occupied, hundreds of fallen sects and families flooded into the remaining two-thirds, bringing endless conflicts. The threat from Yinying spirits hasn't been eliminated, but humans are already fighting for cultivation resources..."
Hearing this, Lin Xuan couldn't help but sneer. It was indeed shortsighted; such behavior was like digging one's own grave.
"Didn't Good and Evil intervene?"
"They did! They claim to maintain order and stepped in to stop the cultivators from self-destructing."
"That's good!"
"Not at all," Luo Tianren, agitated, cursed under his breath. Realizing he had said something inappropriate, he quickly wiped sweat from his face and glanced at Lin Xuan. Seeing him calm, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Forgive me, Senior."
"It doesn't matter. Continue."
"Yes." Luo Tianren exhaled deeply to calm himself before continuing: "Good and Evil appeared fair and impartial in their role as arbiters, but they have roots here. Many sects chose to ally with them before the battle for their own interests. They wouldn't be impartial when dealing with outsiders; they would discriminate against us."