hēng ， níng dān qī xiū shì ， shén tōng yě bù guò rú cǐ 。”
哼，凝丹期修士，神通也不过如此。”
"Hmph, a Condensation Core cultivator. Their abilities are nothing to write home about."
bàn suí zhe lǎo qì héng qiū de shēng yīn ， guāng huá sàn kāi ， lù chū le nà xiōng shǒu de zhēn yán ， rán ér zhòng rén què mù dèng kǒu dāi ， biǎo qíng gǔ guài dào le jí diǎn 。
伴随着老气横秋的声音，光华散开，露出了那凶手的真颜，然而众人却目瞪口呆，表情古怪到了极点。
With an old-fashioned voice, the light dispersed, revealing the true identity of the culprit. However, everyone was left speechless and their expressions were bizarre.
jū rán shì yī quán tou dà xiǎo de tuǒ yuán xíng shí tou 。
居然是一拳头大小的椭圆形石头。
It turned out to be a small stone roughly the size of a fist.
nà shí tou chéng dàn lán sè ， kàn shàng qù bìng méi yǒu shén me qǐ yǎn zhī chù ， rán ér lǐ miàn suǒ yùn hán de huǒ shǔ xìng líng lì ， què jīng rén wú bǐ 。
那石头呈淡蓝色，看上去并没有什么起眼之处，然而里面所蕴含的火属性灵力，却惊人无比。
The stone was pale blue in color, unremarkable at first glance. But it contained fire attribute essence qi that was astonishingly powerful.
lín xuān yǎn jīng yī mī ， xīn zhōng yǐn yǐn xiǎng dào le shén me ， què yòu yǒu xiē mó hú ， bìng bú shì hěn qīng chǔ ， bù yóu de zhòu méi sī suǒ 。
林轩眼睛一眯，心中隐隐想到了什么，却又有些模糊，并不是很清楚，不由得皱眉思索。
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed as he vaguely sensed something but couldn't quite grasp it clearly. He frowned and pondered deeply.
dàn zài chǎng de rén què jīng dāi le ， pī fà xiū shì yǔ nǚ xiū duì shì yī yǎn ， tā men jì rán jīn dān yǐ chéng ， zì rán shì jiàn duō shí guǎng zhī rén ， kě zhè yàng de shì qíng ， què wén suǒ wèi wén 。
但在场的人却惊呆了，披发修士与女修对视一眼，他们既然金丹已成，自然是见多识广之人，可这样的事情，却闻所未闻。
But everyone else was stunned. The hairless cultivator and the female cultivator exchanged glances. Since they had already formed a Golden Core, they were well-traveled individuals. But such things were unheard of.
yī kuài shí tóu ， jū rán huì shuō huà ， néng shā rén ？
一块石头，居然会说话，能杀人？
A stone that could speak and kill?
zhèng gǎn dào bù kě sī yì ， yì biàn tū shēng ， nà shí tou guāng máng dà fàng ， jū rán cóng lǐ miàn fēn lí chū yí gè xiǎo rén 。
正感到不可思议，异变突生，那石头光芒大放，居然从里面分离出一个小人。
Just as they couldn't believe it, something unexpected happened. The stone emitted a bright light and separated into a small figure.
hǔ tóu hǔ nǎo ， yuē yǒu sān sì cùn gāo ， hún shēn shàng xià shēn wú piàn lǚ ， míng míng shì yī xiǎo hái de xíng xiàng ， rán ér biǎo qíng què zhēng níng wú bǐ 。
虎头虎脑，约有三四寸高，浑身上下身无片缕，明明是一小孩的形象，然而表情却狰狞无比。
With a tiger-like head, about three or four inches tall, completely naked, it looked like a child but had an extremely fierce expression.
“ zhè …… zhè shì shén me dōng xī ？”
“这……这是什么东西？”
"What... What is this thing?"
nà nǚ xiū huā róng biàn sè ， dà shēng wèi jù ， wú tā ， zhè gǔ guài xiǎo rén de mú yàng jìng yǔ chuán shuō zhōng xiū shì de yuán yīng yǒu jǐ fēn lèi sì 。
那女修花容变色，大生畏惧，无他，这古怪小人的模样竟与传说中修士的元婴有几分类似。
The female cultivator's face paled as she grew fearful. This strange little figure resembled the core of a cultivator in legends.
nán dào shì mǒu gè lǎo guài wù yě lái lún xiàn qū xún bǎo 。 jìng rán dǎo méi dì ròu shēn huǐ miè 。 zhǐ shèng xià yuán yīng bèi fēng yìn ？
难道是某个老怪物也来沦陷区寻宝。竟然倒霉地肉身毁灭。只剩下元婴被封印？
Could it be that some old monster came to the fallen region to seek treasures and unfortunately lost its physical body, leaving only its core sealed?
jiǎ ruò shì zhè bān qíng xíng 。 zì jǐ zhè xiē rén dì chǔ jìng kě jiù dà wèi bù miào 。
假若是这般情形。自己这些人地处境可就大为不妙。
If so, their situation would be dire.
yīn wèi shī qù le ròu shēn 。 duì fāng hěn yǒu kě néng shī zhǎn duó shě 。
因为失去了肉身。对方很有可能施展夺舍。
Without a physical body, the opponent might attempt soul transmigration.
duó shě 。 nǎi shì yuán yīng qī xiū shì cái néng xiū xí dì yī zhǒng sǔn jǐ lì rén dì tè shū shén tōng 。 yí dàn xiū shì jìn jiē dào yuán yīng qī yǐ hòu 。 yǔn luò zhè zhǒng shì qíng kě jiù shǎo zhī yòu shǎo 。 jí shǐ dǎo méi qíng kuàng bù miào 。 yuán yīng yě kě yǐ dú zì ér táo 。
夺舍。乃是元婴期修士才能修习地一种损己利人地特殊神通。一旦修士进阶到元婴期以后。陨落这种事情可就少之又少。即使倒霉情况不妙。元婴也可以独自而逃。
Soul transmigration was a special technique for Core Formation cultivators that harmed oneself but benefited another. Once a cultivator reached the Core Formation stage, deaths became rare. Even if things went badly, the core could escape alone.
dāng rán 。 méi yǒu ròu shēn kěn dìng bù xíng 。 yú shì yǒu qián bèi gǔ xiū chuàng chū le zhè zhǒng tūn shì bié rén jīng hún 。 zhàn jù dī jiē xiū shì ròu shēn dì dǎi dú shén tōng 。
当然。没有肉身肯定不行。于是有前辈古修创出了这种吞噬别人精魂。占据低阶修士肉身地歹毒神通。
Of course, without a physical body, it wouldn't work. So ancient cultivators created this vicious technique of devouring others' essence and occupying a lower-stage cultivator's body.
hǎo zài zhè zhǒng xíng wéi yǒu shāng tiān hé 。 dào yě bìng fēi méi yǒu xiàn zhì le 。 měi duó shě yī cì 。 yuán yīng dì xiū wèi jiù huì xià jiàng bù shǎo 。 ér qiě zhǐ néng duó shě líng gēn zī zhì bù jí zì jǐ běn tǐ ròu shēn dì xiū shì 。
好在这种行为有伤天和。倒也并非没有限制了。每夺舍一次。元婴地修为就会下降不少。而且只能夺舍灵根资质不及自己本体肉身地修士。
Fortunately, such behavior was against heaven and earth, so there were limitations. Each soul transmigration would decrease the core's cultivation significantly, and only those with inferior spiritual roots could be targeted.
zhè yàng yī lái ， jí shǐ chéng gōng le ， duì rì hòu de xiū liàn ， yě shì dà dà yǒu hài ， suǒ yǐ bú dào wàn bù dé yǐ ， yuán yīng qī xiū shì yě bú huì zuò zhè zhǒng shì 。
这样一来，即使成功了，对日后的修炼，也是大大有害，所以不到万不得已，元婴期修士也不会做这种事。
Even if successful, it would greatly harm future cultivation. So Core Formation cultivators wouldn't do this unless absolutely necessary.
nán dào zì jǐ zhè xiē rén ， zhēn de rú cǐ dǎo méi ？
难道自己这些人，真的如此倒霉？
Could they really be that unlucky?
yào zhī dào duó shě shǔ yú jìn jì lèi de fǎ shù ， róng yì rě qǐ zhòng nù ， jí shǐ yǒu yuán yīng qī xiū shì zuò le ， yě huì jiāng mù dǔ zhī rén shā le miè kǒu de 。
要知道夺舍属于禁忌类的法术，容易惹起众怒，即使有元婴期修士做了，也会将目睹之人杀了灭口的。
Remembering that soul transmigration was a taboo spell, easily arousing collective anger, even if done by a Core Formation cultivator, those who witnessed it would likely be killed to cover up the incident.
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， nà guǐ dào nǚ xiū yǎn zhōng shǎn guò shēn shēn de wèi jù ， duì fāng jiù suàn méi yǒu ròu shēn ， yě jué fēi zì jǐ zhè xiē rén kě yǐ pǐ dí 。
想到这里，那鬼道女修眼中闪过深深的畏惧，对方就算没有肉身，也绝非自己这些人可以匹敌。
Thinking of this, the ghost dao female cultivator's eyes flashed with deep fear. Even without a physical body, the opponent was far beyond their match.
shēn xíng yī shǎn ， huà wèi yī dào hēi máng ， jiù xiàng tiān kōng shè qù 。
身形一闪，化为一道黑芒，就像天空射去。
She flashed away, turning into a black streak toward the sky.
“ xiǎng pǎo ， nǎ yǒu zhè me pián yi ？”
“想跑，哪有这么便宜？”
"Trying to run? There won't be any such luck."
nà gǔ guài xiǎo rén lěng hēng yī shēng ， sāi bāng yī gǔ ， jiù pēn chū yī dào huǒ yàn 。
那古怪小人冷哼一声，腮帮一股，就喷出一道火焰。
The strange little figure sneered and spat out a flame from its cheek.
guǐ dào nǚ xiū zì rán bú huì shù shǒu dài bì ， qǔ chū yī zhāng fú lù ， wǎng shēn shàng yī pāi ， rán hòu yīng chún wēi qǐ ， jí kuài de tǔ chū yī jù zhòu yǔ 。
鬼道女修自然不会束手待毙，取出一张符箓，往身上一拍，然后樱唇微启，极快的吐出一句咒语。
Of course, the female cultivator wouldn't sit idly by. She took out a talisman and slapped it on her body, then recited a spell quickly with her lips.
dùn shí ， yīn fēng cǎn cǎn ， wú shù de hēi wù jiāng tā bāo guǒ qǐ lái 。
顿时，阴风惨惨，无数的黑雾将她包裹起来。
Instantly, dark winds and thick black fog enveloped her.
zhè fáng yù de shǒu duàn dǎo shì bù fán 。
这防御的手段倒是不凡。
This defensive method was impressive.
rán ér nà xiǎo rén de liǎn shàng ， què shǎn guò yī sī jī fěng zhī sè 。
然而那小人的脸上，却闪过一丝讥讽之色。
But the little figure's face showed a mocking expression.
huǒ yàn shùn jiān shè dào le ， hū de yī xià ， nà xiē hēi wù bù jǐn méi yǒu qǐ dào fáng yù de xiào guǒ ， fǎn ér yī xià zi jiù bèi diǎn rán 。
火焰瞬间射到了，呼的一下，那些黑雾不仅没有起到防御的效果，反而一下子就被点燃。
The flames instantly hit, causing those black mists to ignite. The female cultivator's terrified and agonizing screams filled the air in just a few seconds until she turned to ashes.
huǒ yàn zhī zhōng ， chuán lái nà nǚ xiū jīng kǒng ér qī lì de cǎn jiào ， duǎn duǎn shù miǎo ， jiù huà wèi le huī jìn 。
火焰之中，传来那女修惊恐而凄厉的惨叫，短短数秒，就化为了灰烬。
Such power wasn't ordinary flame.
rú cǐ wēi néng ， jué fēi pǔ tōng de huǒ yàn kě yǐ bàn dào 。
如此威能，绝非普通的火焰可以办到。
Other cultivators who still had doubts about the little figure now recognized it as the infamous阴火 (yīn huǒ) — soul-searing flames.
yuán běn duì xiǎo rén shēn fèn hái yǒu suǒ huái yí de qí tā xiū shì ， zhè shí yě yí gè gè liǎn wú rén sè ， quán dōu rèn dìng le nà jiù shì chuán shuō zhōng de kě pāi yīn huǒ 。
原本对小人身份还有所怀疑的其他修士，这时也一个个脸无人色，全都认定了那就是传说中的可拍阴火。
Lin Xuan, however, raised an eyebrow. He seemed to have discovered something but then frowned again.
wéi yǒu lín xuān méi tóu yī tiāo ， fǎn ér xiàng fā xiàn le shén me shì de ， bù guò suí hòu ， què yòu zài cì zhòu jǐn le méi tóu 。
唯有林轩眉头一挑，反而像发现了什么似的，不过随后，却又再次皱紧了眉头。
He already had a hunch, but he needed to confirm before making a decision.
tā xīn zhōng yǐ yǒu le yí gè cāi xiǎng ， bù guò shì bú shì què hái yào zài kàn yī kàn ， cái néng xià jué dìng le 。
他心中已有了一个猜想，不过是不是却还要再看一看，才能下决定了。
If true, this would be dangerous, but the opportunity would be immense.
jiǎ ruò shì zhēn de ， zhè yī huí suī rán yǒu xiē wēi xiǎn ， dàn jī yuán gèng shì fěi qiǎn 。
假若是真的，这一回虽然有些危险，但机缘更是匪浅。
But others were far from calm and composed. Seeing the female cultivator fall, they were nearly paralyzed with fear, no longer daring to resist. They scattered like birds fleeing a predator, hoping their luck would hold out.
rán ér qí tā rén ， què méi yǒu zhè yàng dàn dìng cóng róng ， jiàn nà nǚ xiū yǔn luò ， jī hū shì dǎn dōu kuài bèi xià pò ， nǎ lǐ hái yǒu sī háo dǐ kàng zhī xīn ， hū de yī shēng ， zuò niǎo shòu sàn ， zhè shí hòu néng fǒu táo tuō ， jiù kàn gè rén de rén pǐn yǔ yùn qì le 。
然而其他人，却没有这样淡定从容，见那女修陨落，几乎是胆都快被吓破，哪里还有丝毫抵抗之心，呼的一声，作鸟兽散，这时候能否逃脱，就看各人的人品与运气了。
The hairless cultivator's face was pale as he realized his predicament. Not only had he failed to find any treasures, but now he resembled a dog running from its master.
pī fà xiū shì zuǐ chún jǐn bì ， liǎn sè nán kàn yǐ jí ， zuò mèng yě bù céng xiǎng ， huì fā shēng zhè yàng de biàn gù ， bù jǐn bǎo wù méi yǒu xún dé ， fǎn ér gēn sàng jiā zhī quǎn yī yàng le 。
披发修士嘴唇紧闭，脸色难看以极，做梦也不曾想，会发生这样的变故，不仅宝物没有寻得，反而跟丧家之犬一样了。
Many of his disciples and apprentices might fall in the process.
mén rén dì zǐ kǒng pà huì yǔn luò hěn duō 。
门人弟子恐怕会陨落很多。
But now, all he could hope for was that he could escape.
rán ér xiàn zài ， yě gù bù dé ， zì jǐ néng gòu táo tuō ， jiù xiè tiān xiè dì le 。
然而现在，也顾不得，自己能够逃脱，就谢天谢地了。
Fortunately, he had some confidence on this point. Among the remaining people, his cultivation level was the highest, and his Wind Attribute technique gave him an edge over other cultivators at the same stage.
hǎo zài zhè yì diǎn shàng ， tā hái hěn yǒu jǐ fēn bǎ wò ， bì jìng shèng yú de rén zhī zhōng ， tā de xiū wèi shì zuì gāo de ， ér qiě suǒ xí gōng fǎ ， nǎi shì fēng shǔ xìng ， zài dùn shù fāng miàn ， yě shèng guò tóng jiē xiū shì yī chóu 。
好在这一点上，他还很有几分把握，毕竟剩余的人之中，他的修为是最高的，而且所习功法，乃是风属性，在遁术方面，也胜过同阶修士一筹。
Almost instantaneously, he fled more than ten miles away.
jī hū zhǎ yǎn zhī jiān ， tā jiù pǎo chū le shí yú lǐ kāi wài 。
几乎眨眼之间，他就跑出了十余里开外。
Just as he felt a bit relieved, a light streak shot past from behind, its speed twice that of his.
xīn zhōng gāng gāng lüè gǎn qīng sōng ， tū rán yī dào guāng huá ， zì hòu miàn jī shè ér lái ， nà jīng rén de dùn sù ， jìng rán bǐ tā kuài le yí bèi 。
心中刚刚略感轻松，突然一道光华，自后面激射而来，那惊人的遁速，竟然比他快了一倍。
Amidst the red glow, the little figure with a sinister expression blocked his path.
hóng guāng zhī zhōng ， nà xiǎo rén miàn dài shā qì ， yī dùn zhī xià ， yǐ jīng dǎng zài le tā de miàn qián 。
红光之中，那小人面带煞气，一顿之下，已经挡在了他的面前。
The hairless cultivator's face changed rapidly between red and white before adopting a servile demeanor. Kneeling in mid-air, he repeatedly begged: "Senior, spare my life! Senior, spare my life!"
pī fà xiū shì liǎn sè kuáng biàn ， hóng bái jiāo tì shù cì yǐ hòu ， tū rán huàn shàng le yī fù nú yán mèi gǔ zhī sè ， shuāng xī yī ruǎn ， jiù zài tiān kōng zhōng guì le xià lái ， lián lián kē tóu ：“ qián bèi ráo mìng ， qián bèi ráo mìng 。”
披发修士脸色狂变，红白交替数次以后，突然换上了一副奴颜媚骨之色，双膝一软，就在天空中跪了下来，连连磕头：“前辈饶命，前辈饶命。”
The little figure showed no mercy. It sneered, grabbed its hand, and conjured a ball of flame out of thin air.
nà xiǎo rén qǐ huì xīn cún lián mǐn ， níng xiào yī shēng ， xiǎo shǒu yī zhuā ， yī tuán huǒ yàn píng kōng chū xiàn ， pī fà xiū shì liǎn sè cǎn biàn ， kě tā zhè shí zài xiǎng dǐ dǎng ， què yě yǐ jīng wǎn le ， fǎ bǎo gēn běn jiù méi yǒu shí jiān jì chū ， zhǐ shì miǎn qiǎng fàng chū le yī céng hù zhào 。
那小人岂会心存怜悯，狞笑一声，小手一抓，一团火焰凭空出现，披发修士脸色惨变，可他这时再想抵挡，却也已经晚了，法宝根本就没有时间祭出，只是勉强放出了一层护罩。
The hairless cultivator's face turned pale as he tried to resist but was too late. His treasure couldn't be summoned in time; all he managed was a weak protective barrier.
hōng de yī xià ， zhǐ fā chū le shù shēng āi háo ， jiù huà wèi le yī tuán huǒ qiú ， gǔ guài xiǎo rén sōng le kǒu qì ， liǎn shàng jìng lù chū yī sī pí juàn zhī yì 。
轰的一下，只发出了数声哀嚎，就化为了一团火球，古怪小人松了口气，脸上竟露出一丝疲倦之意。
With a loud crash, it emitted several mournful cries before turning into a fireball. The little figure sighed with relief and even showed signs of fatigue on its face.
rán ér xià yī kè ， tā què sù rán jīng xǐng ， bìng qiě yǒu xiē miàn dài jǐng tì de xiàng zuǒ cè wàng qù 。
然而下一刻，牠却肃然惊醒，并且有些面带警惕的像左侧望去。
But suddenly, it became alert and looked to the left side cautiously.
yī piàn qīng sè de xiá guāng ， fēi shè le guò lái ， bìng qiě zài huǒ yàn shàng yī juàn ， dài zǒu le nà pī fà xiū shì de chǔ wù dài 。
一片青色的霞光，飞射了过来，并且在火焰上一卷，带走了那披发修士的储物袋。
A patch of green light shot over, snatched his storage bag from the flames, and disappeared.
“ cǐ rén yě suàn shì sǐ dé kě lián ， ruò fēi tā nà me dǎn xiǎo pà shì ， jiù píng zhè jiàn dǐng jiē gǔ bǎo ， suī rán bù yí dìng néng gòu shèng nǐ ， dàn zì bǎo yīng gāi méi yǒu shén me wèn tí 。”
“此人也算是死得可怜，若非他那么胆小怕事，就凭这件顶阶古宝，虽然不一定能够胜你，但自保应该没有什么问题。”
"This person is indeed pitifully dead. If he hadn't been so cowardly, relying on that top-grade ancient treasure, although not guaranteed to win, self-preservation should have been possible."
suí zhe dàn dàn de huà yǔ ， nà qīng sè de xiá guāng huí dào le yī róng mào pǔ tōng de nián qīng rén shǒu lǐ ， cǐ rén cóng chǔ wù dài zhōng qǔ chū nà bā zhǎng dà xiǎo de hú lú ， liǎn shàng lù chū le pǒ wèi xīn xǐ de shén sè 。
随着淡淡的话语，那青色的霞光回到了一容貌普通的年轻人手里，此人从储物袋中取出那巴掌大小的葫芦，脸上露出了颇为欣喜的神色。
With a faint voice, the green light returned to a young man with an ordinary appearance. He took out the small gourd from his storage bag and looked pleased.
yǔ zhī xiāng fǎn ， xiǎo rén zé miàn dài jǐng tì de dǎ liàng qǐ zhè ge nián qīng rén lái ， yǔ yǔn luò zài zì jǐ shǒu zhōng de sān rén yī yàng ， cǐ zi yě shì níng dān zhōng qī de xiū wèi ， rán ér bù zhī dào wèi shén me ， xiǎo rén què cóng tā shēn shàng gǎn jué dào jù dà de wēi xié 。
与之相反，小人则面带警惕的打量起这个年轻人来，与陨落在自己手中的三人一样，此子也是凝丹中期的修为，然而不知道为什么，小人却从他身上感觉到巨大的威胁。
In contrast, the little figure scrutinized this young man warily, just like the three who had fallen before him. This youth was also at the late Core Formation stage, but for some reason, the little figure sensed a great threat from him.
“ nǐ shì hé rén ， hǎo dà de dǎn zi ， lái zhè lǐ ， mò fēi shì yào zhǎo sǐ ？”
“你是何人，好大的胆子，来这里，莫非是要找死？”
"Who are you? What audacity to come here! Are you looking for death?"
“ zhǎo sǐ ？” shào nián xiào le yī xiào ， lù chū xuě bái de yá chǐ ：“ lín mǒu méi yǒu zhè me hǎo de xìng zhì ， nǐ yě bù yòng zài wǒ miàn qián zhuāng dà tóu ， nà jǐ gè bái chī huì jiāng nǐ cuò rèn wéi shì ** huǐ miè de yuán yīng qī xiū shì ， lín mǒu què méi yǒu zhè me bái chī ， kě xiào a ， tiān dà de jī yuán ， nà xiē shǎ guā què xī lǐ hú tú de fàng guò ， fǎn ér yīn wèi dǎn qiè ， yǔn luò zài nǐ de shǒu lǐ ， zhè tiān dà de hǎo chù ， kàn lái zhǐ néng yóu lín mǒu yī rén dú dé 。”
“找死？”少年笑了一笑，露出雪白的牙齿：“林某没有这么好的兴致，你也不用在我面前装大头，那几个白痴会将你错认为是**毁灭的元婴期修士，林某却没有这么白痴，可笑啊，天大的机缘，那些傻瓜却稀里糊涂的放过，反而因为胆怯，陨落在你的手里，这天大的好处，看来只能由林某一人独得。”
"Looking for death?" The young man smiled, revealing his white teeth: "Lin某 doesn't have such an interest. You don't need to pretend superiority in front of me. Those fools might mistake you for the Core Formation cultivator who was destroyed, but Lin某 isn't that foolish. How laughable! Such a great opportunity, those idiots let it slip through their fingers out of fear, and now you've reaped what they sowed. This huge benefit will be mine alone."
lín xuān zhè jǐ jù huà ， shuō dé méi tóu méi nǎo ， rán ér nà xiǎo rén què liǎn sè kuáng biàn ， kàn xiàng lín xuān de mù guāng ， zài yě méi yǒu qīng kuáng ， fǎn ér lù chū jǐng tì wú bǐ de mú yàng 。
林轩这几句话，说得没头没脑，然而那小人却脸色狂变，看向林轩的目光，再也没有轻狂，反而露出警惕无比的模样。
Lin Xuan's words were confusing, yet the little figure's face changed drastically. Its gaze towards Lin Xuan no longer showed arrogance but instead an intense sense of vigilance.
"Hmph, a Condensation Core cultivator. Their abilities are nothing to write home about."
With an old-fashioned voice, the light dispersed, revealing the true identity of the culprit. However, everyone was left speechless and their expressions were bizarre.
It turned out to be a small stone roughly the size of a fist.
The stone was pale blue in color, unremarkable at first glance. But it contained fire attribute essence qi that was astonishingly powerful.
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed as he vaguely sensed something but couldn't quite grasp it clearly. He frowned and pondered deeply.
But everyone else was stunned. The hairless cultivator and the female cultivator exchanged glances. Since they had already formed a Golden Core, they were well-traveled individuals. But such things were unheard of.
A stone that could speak and kill?
Just as they couldn't believe it, something unexpected happened. The stone emitted a bright light and separated into a small figure.
With a tiger-like head, about three or four inches tall, completely naked, it looked like a child but had an extremely fierce expression.
"What... What is this thing?"
The female cultivator's face paled as she grew fearful. This strange little figure resembled the core of a cultivator in legends.
Could it be that some old monster came to the fallen region to seek treasures and unfortunately lost its physical body, leaving only its core sealed?
If so, their situation would be dire.
Without a physical body, the opponent might attempt soul transmigration.
Soul transmigration was a special technique for Core Formation cultivators that harmed oneself but benefited another. Once a cultivator reached the Core Formation stage, deaths became rare. Even if things went badly, the core could escape alone.
Of course, without a physical body, it wouldn't work. So ancient cultivators created this vicious technique of devouring others' essence and occupying a lower-stage cultivator's body.
Fortunately, such behavior was against heaven and earth, so there were limitations. Each soul transmigration would decrease the core's cultivation significantly, and only those with inferior spiritual roots could be targeted.
Even if successful, it would greatly harm future cultivation. So Core Formation cultivators wouldn't do this unless absolutely necessary.
Could they really be that unlucky?
Remembering that soul transmigration was a taboo spell, easily arousing collective anger, even if done by a Core Formation cultivator, those who witnessed it would likely be killed to cover up the incident.
Thinking of this, the ghost dao female cultivator's eyes flashed with deep fear. Even without a physical body, the opponent was far beyond their match.
She flashed away, turning into a black streak toward the sky.
"Trying to run? There won't be any such luck."
The strange little figure sneered and spat out a flame from its cheek.
Of course, the female cultivator wouldn't sit idly by. She took out a talisman and slapped it on her body, then recited a spell quickly with her lips.
Instantly, dark winds and thick black fog enveloped her.
This defensive method was impressive.
But the little figure's face showed a mocking expression.
The flames instantly hit, causing those black mists to ignite. The female cultivator's terrified and agonizing screams filled the air in just a few seconds until she turned to ashes.
Such power wasn't ordinary flame.
Other cultivators who still had doubts about the little figure now recognized it as the infamous阴火 (yīn huǒ) — soul-searing flames.
Lin Xuan, however, raised an eyebrow. He seemed to have discovered something but then frowned again.
He already had a hunch, but he needed to confirm before making a decision.
If true, this would be dangerous, but the opportunity would be immense.
But others were far from calm and composed. Seeing the female cultivator fall, they were nearly paralyzed with fear, no longer daring to resist. They scattered like birds fleeing a predator, hoping their luck would hold out.
The hairless cultivator's face was pale as he realized his predicament. Not only had he failed to find any treasures, but now he resembled a dog running from its master.
Many of his disciples and apprentices might fall in the process.
But now, all he could hope for was that he could escape.
Fortunately, he had some confidence on this point. Among the remaining people, his cultivation level was the highest, and his Wind Attribute technique gave him an edge over other cultivators at the same stage.
Almost instantaneously, he fled more than ten miles away.
Just as he felt a bit relieved, a light streak shot past from behind, its speed twice that of his.
Amidst the red glow, the little figure with a sinister expression blocked his path.
The hairless cultivator's face changed rapidly between red and white before adopting a servile demeanor. Kneeling in mid-air, he repeatedly begged: "Senior, spare my life! Senior, spare my life!"
The little figure showed no mercy. It sneered, grabbed its hand, and conjured a ball of flame out of thin air.
The hairless cultivator's face turned pale as he tried to resist but was too late. His treasure couldn't be summoned in time; all he managed was a weak protective barrier.
With a loud crash, it emitted several mournful cries before turning into a fireball. The little figure sighed with relief and even showed signs of fatigue on its face.
But suddenly, it became alert and looked to the left side cautiously.
A patch of green light shot over, snatched his storage bag from the flames, and disappeared.
"This person is indeed pitifully dead. If he hadn't been so cowardly, relying on that top-grade ancient treasure, although not guaranteed to win, self-preservation should have been possible."
With a faint voice, the green light returned to a young man with an ordinary appearance. He took out the small gourd from his storage bag and looked pleased.
In contrast, the little figure scrutinized this young man warily, just like the three who had fallen before him. This youth was also at the late Core Formation stage, but for some reason, the little figure sensed a great threat from him.
"Who are you? What audacity to come here! Are you looking for death?"
"Looking for death?" The young man smiled, revealing his white teeth: "Lin某 doesn't have such an interest. You don't need to pretend superiority in front of me. Those fools might mistake you for the Core Formation cultivator who was destroyed, but Lin某 isn't that foolish. How laughable! Such a great opportunity, those idiots let it slip through their fingers out of fear, and now you've reaped what they sowed. This huge benefit will be mine alone."
Lin Xuan's words were confusing, yet the little figure's face changed drastically. Its gaze towards Lin Xuan no longer showed arrogance but instead an intense sense of vigilance.