yǔ duì fāng de zháo jí xiāng bǐ ， lín xuān xiǎn de xiōng yǒu chéng zhú ， zhì shǎo biǎo miàn shàng shì zhè yàng ， yī biān yòng fú huǒ pīn duì fāng de fǎ shù ， jiàn huò hái shǐ yòng líng lì nòng gè bīng dàn jué shén me de tōu xí yī xià ， suī rán shāng bù liǎo yàn tiān héng ， què yě jiāng tā qì dé qī qiào shēng yān 。
与对方的着急相比，林轩显得胸有成竹，至少表面上是这样，一边用符火拼对方的法术，间或还使用灵力弄个冰弹诀什么的偷袭一下，虽然伤不了燕天衡，却也将他气得七窍生烟。
Compared to his opponent's anxiety, Lin Xuan exuded a sense of confidence. At least on the surface, he was using talisman flames to counter his foe’s spells and occasionally launching ice needles as an ambush attack. While these couldn’t harm Yan Tianheng, they certainly irritated him to no end.
yóu qí shì lín xuān de biǎo qíng ， yī liǎn bǐ shì ， bù shí hái tiáo kǎn jǐ jù ， yàn tiān héng de liǎn sè yuè lái yuè fā hēi le 。
尤其是林轩的表情，一脸鄙视，不时还调侃几句，燕天衡的脸色越来越发黑了。
Especially Lin Xuan’s expression, one filled with disdain, often punctuated by taunting remarks. Yan Tianheng's face turned darker and darker.
yě nán guài ， hǎo dǎi tā yě shì yī jiā zhī zhǔ ， dì qī céng gōng fǎ de dà gāo shǒu ， què ná yí gè sì céng gōng fǎ de xiǎo zi mò nài hé ， xīn zhōng dāng rán chōng mǎn cuò bài gǎn le 。
也难怪，好歹他也是一家之主，第七层功法的大高手，却拿一个四层功法的小子没奈何，心中当然充满挫败感了。
It was understandable; after all, he was the head of a family, a great expert in the Seventh Stage cultivation technique, yet he found himself helpless against a mere Fourth Stage cultivator. The sense of defeat gnawed at him.
yóu qí shì nà fù qiàn biǎn de mú yàng ， zhēn shì huó huó néng jiāng rén qì sǐ 。
尤其是那副欠扁的模样，真是活活能将人气死。
Especially that smug look—truly, it could drive anyone mad with rage.
lín xuān zhēn de rú cǐ qīng tiāo ma ？
林轩真的如此轻佻吗？
Was Lin Xuan really so cavalier?
dāng rán bú shì ！
当然不是！
Of course not!
tā zhè me zuò shì gù yì de ， zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， zhàn dòu de shí hòu xīn fú qì zào shí lì kěn dìng huì dà dǎ zhé kòu ， miàn duì yí gè bǐ zì jǐ qiáng de gāo shǒu ， yào xiǎng qǔ shèng ， qí shí fēi cháng kùn nán ， bù jǐn yào zhèng què de zhàn lüè zhàn shù ， bù néng chū cuò ， ér qiě gōng xīn shù yě fēi cháng zhòng yào 。
他这么做是故意的，众所周知，战斗的时候心浮气躁实力肯定会大打折扣，面对一个比自己强的高手，要想取胜，其实非常困难，不仅要正确的战略战术，不能出错，而且攻心术也非常重要。
He was deliberately putting on this act. It was well-known that when one's mind is agitated during battle, their strength would be significantly diminished. Facing a stronger opponent, winning required more than just the right strategy and tactics; psychological warfare was equally important.
suǒ yǐ lín xuān gù yì zhuāng chū yī fù qiàn biǎn de mú yàng ， zài yòng yán yǔ tiǎo dòu ， yàn tiān héng guǒ rán chén bú zhù qì le 。
所以林轩故意装出一副欠扁的模样，再用言语挑逗，燕天衡果然沉不住气了。
Thus, Lin Xuan acted smugly, taunting his foe, and Yan Tianheng indeed lost his composure. This showed that Lin Xuan had read him well—though Yan Tianheng was ruthless and cunning like an old fox, he also had a fiery temper, making it not too difficult to provoke him.
zhè yě shuō míng lín xuān kàn rén hěn zhǔn ， zhè wèi yàn jiā jiā zhǔ suī rán xīn hěn shǒu là ， shì lǎo hú lí ， dàn què shì yī fù huǒ bào pí qì ， xiàng yào qì tā ， bìng bù suàn hěn nán de shì 。
这也说明林轩看人很准，这位燕家家主虽然心狠手辣，是老狐狸，但却是一副火爆脾气，像要气他，并不算很难的事。
Lin Xuan did all this for victory. In truth, he was equally frustrated inside. The reason? Using talismans to counter his opponent's spells—it simply hurt his heart. These were hard-won resources; losing even one felt like a loss.
lín xuān zuò zhè yī qiè ， dōu shì wèi le shèng lì ， qí shí tā de xīn lǐ ， tóng yàng ào nǎo bù yǐ ， yuán yīn wú tā ， yòng fú lù yìng pīn duì fāng de fǎ shù ， zì jǐ zěn me kě néng bù xīn téng ， zhè xiē kě dōu shì zì jǐ hǎo bù róng yì dé dào de ， yòng yī zhāng shǎo yī zhāng 。
林轩做这一切，都是为了胜利，其实他的心里，同样懊恼不已，原因无他，用符箓硬拼对方的法术，自己怎么可能不心疼，这些可都是自己好不容易得到的，用一张少一张。
What further vexed Lin Xuan was that using lower-grade talismans in such quantities was wasteful. Five lower-grade talismans could just neutralize one medium-grade spell, and he had already used thirty of them. If those thirty weren’t spread out but activated simultaneously, they would have long since obliterated his opponent.
gèng ràng lín xuān yù mèn de shì ， xiàng xiàn zài zhè yàng wǔ zhāng wǔ zhāng de shǐ yòng dī jiē fú ， qí shí shì yī zhǒng hěn làng fèi de xíng wéi 。
更让林轩郁闷的是，像现在这样五张五张的使用低阶符，其实是一种很浪费的行为。
However, this was just a theory. The reason? Activating lower-grade talismans still required essence energy. With Lin Xuan’s current cultivation level, he could only use five at most before needing to rest and gather himself for a few seconds—though brief, it made a significant difference when used in intervals. This allowed his opponent to counter with another medium-grade spell, turning the battle into aattrition war (exhaustion war), where whoever depleted their essence energy or talismans first would lose.
wǔ zhāng dī jiē fú ， gāng hǎo kě yǐ pīn diào duì fāng de yí gè zhōng jiē fǎ shù ， xiàn zài zì jǐ yǐ jīng yòng le sān shí zhāng le ， jiǎ rú zhè sān shí zhāng fú bú shì fēn kāi ， ér shì tóng shí fā dòng ， zǎo jiù kě yǐ jiāng duì fāng zhà dé shī gǔ wú cún le 。
五张低阶符，刚好可以拼掉对方的一个中阶法术，现在自己已经用了三十张了，假如这三十张符不是分开，而是同时发动，早就可以将对方炸得尸骨无存了。
In reality, using more than five talismans at once was possible but required recondensing them and linking them with a rare treasure called Essence-Inducing Grass. It was like setting off firecrackers; one could set each one off individually or link them together to be ignited all at once. This Essence-Inducing Grass acted as the fuse, allowing for simultaneous activation of dozens, even hundreds.
rán ér ， zhè zhǐ shì xiǎng xiǎng ， yuán yīn wú tā ， qǐ dòng dī jiē fú ， tóng yàng xū yào líng lì a ， yǐ lín xuān xiàn zài de xiū wèi ， yī cì zuì duō yòng wǔ zhāng ， rán hòu bì xū jiàn gé xiū xī yī xià ， yě jiù shì huǎn huǎn qì ， suī rán hěn duǎn ， yě jiù liǎng sān miǎo zhōng ， dàn bié xiǎo kàn le zhè diǎn shí jiān ， jiàn gé le zài shǐ yòng xià yī zǔ wǔ zhāng fú xiào guǒ jiù yǐ jīng shì dà dà bù tóng 。
然而，这只是想想，原因无他，启动低阶符，同样需要灵力啊，以林轩现在的修为，一次最多用五张，然后必须间隔休息一下，也就是缓缓气，虽然很短，也就两三秒钟，但别小看了这点时间，间隔了再使用下一组五张符效果就已经是大大不同。
Lin Xuan had acquired so many lower-grade talismans with the intention of finding this Essence-Inducing Grass and recondensing them later. But now, he was forced to use them in groups of five without further refinement.
yīn wèi duì fāng yě kě yǐ shǐ yòng xià yí gè zhōng jiē fǎ shù ， yú shì jiù biàn chéng xiāo hào zhàn le ， kàn shì yàn tiān héng de líng lì xiān kū jié ， hái shì lín xuān de fú xiān yòng guāng 。
因为对方也可以使用下一个中阶法术，于是就变成消耗战了，看是燕天衡的灵力先枯竭，还是林轩的符先用光。
Thus, Lin Xuan’s mood was gloomy and painful, but on the surface, he maintained a nonchalant demeanor, exuding confidence—a useful psychological tactic in battle.
qí shí yào xiǎng tóng shí shǐ yòng chāo guò wǔ zhāng yǐ shàng de fú yě bìng fēi méi yǒu bàn fǎ ， yǐ qián lín xuān zài yī běn shū shàng kàn guò jiè shào ， nà xū yào jiāng fú chóng xīn níng liàn yī biàn ， yòng yī zhǒng jiào zuò yǐn líng cǎo de zhēn guì bǎo wù jiāng tā men chuàn lián qǐ lái 。
其实要想同时使用超过五张以上的符也并非没有办法，以前林轩在一本书上看过介绍，那需要将符重新凝炼一遍，用一种叫做引灵草的珍贵宝物将牠们串联起来。
Meanwhile, Yan Tianheng was equally perplexed. Initially, he thought that capturing a Fourth Stage cultivator would be easy. But now, he wasn’t sure how many talismans this youngster had and feared his own essence energy might run out first.
jǔ gè lì zi ba ， jiù hǎo xiàng biān pào yī yàng ， kě yǐ yí gè yí gè de dān dú fàng ， dàn yě kě yǐ yòng yǐn xiàn chuàn chéng yì qǐ ， zhǐ xū yào diǎn yī cì ， jiù quán bù fàng wán ， ér zhè yǐn líng cǎo jiù xiāng dāng yú yǐn xiàn ， zhǐ yào yòng tā jiāng fú chuàn lián qǐ lái ， jiù kě yǐ jǐ shí zhāng ， shèn zhì shàng bǎi zhāng de tóng shí shǐ yòng 。
举个例子吧，就好像鞭炮一样，可以一个一个的单独放，但也可以用引线串成一起，只需要点一次，就全部放完，而这引灵草就相当于引线，只要用牠将符串联起来，就可以几十张，甚至上百张的同时使用。
However, from another angle, the young man seemed incredibly wealthy—his assets far surpassing those of a Foundation Establishment stage expert. Reflecting on him trading medium-grade pills for cultivation techniques, it was possible that he had more than one such pill.
lín xuān shōu gòu nà me duō dī jiē fú ， jiù shì dǎ suàn huí qù zài xiǎng bàn fǎ xún yǐn líng cǎo ， kě nǎ zhī dào ， zhè me kuài yù shàng le dí rén ， zhè xiē fú gēn běn jiù méi yǒu chóng xīn liàn guò ， zhǐ hǎo wǔ zhāng wǔ zhāng de yòng le 。
林轩收购那么多低阶符，就是打算回去再想办法寻引灵草，可哪知道，这么快遇上了敌人，这些符根本就没有重新练过，只好五张五张的用了。
If he could obtain a medium-grade pill, his chances of advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage would increase significantly. This thought made Yan Tianheng’s eyes gleam with greed as he licked his lips. It seemed he couldn’t avoid using his treasure.
suǒ yǐ lín xuān de xīn qíng hěn jǔ sàng ， ròu téng ， zhǐ bù guò biǎo miàn shàng ， què shì yī fù mǎn bù zài hū ， xiōng yǒu chéng zhú ， zhè shì zhàn dòu zhōng hěn yǒu yòng de gōng xīn zhī shù 。
所以林轩的心情很沮丧，肉疼，只不过表面上，却是一副满不在乎，胸有成竹，这是战斗中很有用的攻心之术。
He released another medium-grade technique and enhanced his essence energy shield. Reaching into his pocket, he prepared for a powerful move.
tóng shí lín xuān hái zài sī kǎo ， zhè yàng xià qù bù xíng ， duì fāng de líng lì suī rán shuāi ruò le bù shǎo ， kě jù lí kū jié ， hái yǒu hěn zhǎng yī duàn shí jiān ， nán dào zì jǐ zhēn yǔ tā yìng hào ？
同时林轩还在思考，这样下去不行，对方的灵力虽然衰弱了不少，可距离枯竭，还有很长一段时间，难道自己真与他硬耗？
Lin Xuan frowned, a dark cloud forming on his face. He knew what Yan Tianheng was about to do.
zài shuō lìng yī rén ， yàn tiān héng tóng yàng jīng yí bù dìng ， yuán běn tā xīn zhōng suǒ xiǎng ， yí gè dì sì céng gōng fǎ de xiǎo zi ， hái bú shì shǒu dào qín lái de shì ， kě xiàn zài ， xīn zhōng què méi dǐ le ， zhè xiǎo zi jiū jìng yǒu duō shǎo fú ， zhè yàng xià qù ， zì jǐ de fǎ lì huì xiān zhī chí bú zhù 。
再说另一人，燕天衡同样惊疑不定，原本他心中所想，一个第四层功法的小子，还不是手到擒来的事，可现在，心中却没底了，这小子究竟有多少符，这样下去，自己的法力会先支持不住。
Lin Xuan wouldn't let him succeed so easily. Now, he didn’t care about the cost and directly threw two medium-grade talismans from Zhang Yu’s collection—one countering the Firebird Technique, another transforming into a massive curved sword that descended upon Yan Tianheng.
dàn huàn yí gè jiǎo dù ， zhè xiǎo zi jiǎn zhí tài fù yǒu le ， shēn jiā bǐ zhù jī qī de gāo shǒu hái yào fēng hòu ， lián xiǎng dào tā céng jīng yòng zhōng pǐn dān huàn qǔ gōng fǎ ， jì rán yǒu yī kē ， nà me hái yǒu dì èr kē sì hū yě shì yǒu kě néng de 。
但换一个角度，这小子简直太富有了，身家比筑基期的高手还要丰厚，联想到他曾经用中品丹换取功法，既然有一颗，那么还有第二颗似乎也是有可能的。
Since his next move required full concentration, Yan Tianheng had no choice but to endure it.
rú guǒ néng dé dào zhōng pǐn dān ， nà me zì jǐ bù rù zhù jī qī de xī wàng yě jiù gèng dà ， xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， yàn tiān héng yǎn zhōng shǎn guò nóng zhòng de tān lán zhī sè ， shé tou tiǎn le tiǎn zuǐ chún ， kàn lái ， zì jǐ bù dé bù dòng yòng nà jiàn bǎo bèi le 。
如果能得到中品丹，那么自己步入筑基期的希望也就更大，想到这里，燕天衡眼中闪过浓重的贪婪之色，舌头舔了舔嘴唇，看来，自己不得不动用那件宝贝了。
Boom!
tā yòu fàng chū yí gè zhōng jí gōng fǎ ， tóng shí tǐ biǎo wài de líng lì hù dùn háo guāng dà fàng ， xiǎn de gèng jiā de jiān gù ， jiāng shǒu shēn rù huái zhōng 。
他又放出一个中级功法，同时体表外的灵力护盾毫光大放，显得更加的坚固，将手伸入怀中。
The power of a medium-grade spell was formidable; far beyond the earlier flames. The impact with the essence energy shield produced a tremendous shockwave.
lín xuān zhòu le zhòu méi ， liǎn shàng fú xiàn chū yī lǚ yīn mái ， kàn le duì fāng de jǔ dòng ， nǎ hái bù zhī dào tā jí jiāng shǐ yòng lì hài de zhāo shù 。
林轩皱了皱眉，脸上浮现出一缕阴霾，看了对方的举动，哪还不知道他即将使用厉害的招数。
Dust rose as a deep trench was gouged into the ground. After being hit, Yan Tianheng’s face turned pale, and blood trickled from his lips. But Lin Xuan inwardly lamented that it could have been more effective. Although the curved sword had severely wounded him, it ultimately failed to break through the essence energy shield.
lín xuān dāng rán bú huì ràng tā cóng róng dé shǒu ， xiàn zài yě gù bù dé xīn téng le ， zhí jiē shuǎi chū le liǎng zhāng cóng zhāng yǔ nà ér dé dào de zhōng jiē fú ， yī zhāng pīn diào huǒ niǎo shù ， lìng wài yī zhāng zé huàn huà chū le yī bǎ jù dà de wān dāo ， dāng tóu jiù xiàng yàn tiān héng pī le xià lái 。
林轩当然不会让他从容得手，现在也顾不得心疼了，直接甩出了两张从张羽那儿得到的中阶符，一张拼掉火鸟术，另外一张则幻化出了一把巨大的弯刀，当头就像燕天衡劈了下来。
"Brat, you’ve pushed me to this point; you’re good. Now, you can die!"
yīn wèi jiē xià lái de shā shǒu jiǎn xū yào jí zhōng quán bù de jīng shén ， suǒ yǐ kàn jiàn jīn shǔ xìng de wān dāo shù zhǎn xiàng zì jǐ ， yàn tiān héng yě wú jì kě shī 。
因为接下来的杀手锏需要集中全部的精神，所以看见金属性的弯刀术斩向自己，燕天衡也无计可施。
Before the dust settled, Yan Tianheng’s resentful voice echoed, filled with a chilling ruthlessness. Lin Xuan felt a chill run down his spine as he gathered his essence energy at his fingertips and grabbed another talisman.
hōng ！
轰！
But he didn’t act rashly. In uncertain times, hasty actions were foolish. He needed to observe what his opponent was preparing before making any moves.
zhōng jiē fǎ shù de wēi lì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， yuǎn yuǎn bú shì gāng cái de huǒ yàn shù kě yǐ bǐ nǐ de ， guāng shì yǔ líng lì hù dùn xiāng zhuàng de shēng shì jiù fēi cháng jīng rén 。
中阶法术的威力非同小可，远远不是刚才的火焰术可以比拟的，光是与灵力护盾相撞的声势就非常惊人。
Though wary, Lin Xuan harbored no fear. His opponent had a trump card, but so did he—his hidden treasures, the Ice Needle Technique and Golden Chain, remained unused. A grandperfect realm expert was nothing; in cultivation battles, essence energy and talismans were equally decisive factors.
Compared to his opponent's anxiety, Lin Xuan exuded a sense of confidence. At least on the surface, he was using talisman flames to counter his foe’s spells and occasionally launching ice needles as an ambush attack. While these couldn’t harm Yan Tianheng, they certainly irritated him to no end.
Especially Lin Xuan’s expression, one filled with disdain, often punctuated by taunting remarks. Yan Tianheng's face turned darker and darker.
It was understandable; after all, he was the head of a family, a great expert in the Seventh Stage cultivation technique, yet he found himself helpless against a mere Fourth Stage cultivator. The sense of defeat gnawed at him.
Especially that smug look—truly, it could drive anyone mad with rage.
Was Lin Xuan really so cavalier?
Of course not!
He was deliberately putting on this act. It was well-known that when one's mind is agitated during battle, their strength would be significantly diminished. Facing a stronger opponent, winning required more than just the right strategy and tactics; psychological warfare was equally important.
Thus, Lin Xuan acted smugly, taunting his foe, and Yan Tianheng indeed lost his composure. This showed that Lin Xuan had read him well—though Yan Tianheng was ruthless and cunning like an old fox, he also had a fiery temper, making it not too difficult to provoke him.
Lin Xuan did all this for victory. In truth, he was equally frustrated inside. The reason? Using talismans to counter his opponent's spells—it simply hurt his heart. These were hard-won resources; losing even one felt like a loss.
What further vexed Lin Xuan was that using lower-grade talismans in such quantities was wasteful. Five lower-grade talismans could just neutralize one medium-grade spell, and he had already used thirty of them. If those thirty weren’t spread out but activated simultaneously, they would have long since obliterated his opponent.
However, this was just a theory. The reason? Activating lower-grade talismans still required essence energy. With Lin Xuan’s current cultivation level, he could only use five at most before needing to rest and gather himself for a few seconds—though brief, it made a significant difference when used in intervals. This allowed his opponent to counter with another medium-grade spell, turning the battle into aattrition war (exhaustion war), where whoever depleted their essence energy or talismans first would lose.
In reality, using more than five talismans at once was possible but required recondensing them and linking them with a rare treasure called Essence-Inducing Grass. It was like setting off firecrackers; one could set each one off individually or link them together to be ignited all at once. This Essence-Inducing Grass acted as the fuse, allowing for simultaneous activation of dozens, even hundreds.
Lin Xuan had acquired so many lower-grade talismans with the intention of finding this Essence-Inducing Grass and recondensing them later. But now, he was forced to use them in groups of five without further refinement.
Thus, Lin Xuan’s mood was gloomy and painful, but on the surface, he maintained a nonchalant demeanor, exuding confidence—a useful psychological tactic in battle.
Meanwhile, Yan Tianheng was equally perplexed. Initially, he thought that capturing a Fourth Stage cultivator would be easy. But now, he wasn’t sure how many talismans this youngster had and feared his own essence energy might run out first.
However, from another angle, the young man seemed incredibly wealthy—his assets far surpassing those of a Foundation Establishment stage expert. Reflecting on him trading medium-grade pills for cultivation techniques, it was possible that he had more than one such pill.
If he could obtain a medium-grade pill, his chances of advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage would increase significantly. This thought made Yan Tianheng’s eyes gleam with greed as he licked his lips. It seemed he couldn’t avoid using his treasure.
He released another medium-grade technique and enhanced his essence energy shield. Reaching into his pocket, he prepared for a powerful move.
Lin Xuan frowned, a dark cloud forming on his face. He knew what Yan Tianheng was about to do.
Lin Xuan wouldn't let him succeed so easily. Now, he didn’t care about the cost and directly threw two medium-grade talismans from Zhang Yu’s collection—one countering the Firebird Technique, another transforming into a massive curved sword that descended upon Yan Tianheng.
Since his next move required full concentration, Yan Tianheng had no choice but to endure it.
Boom!
The power of a medium-grade spell was formidable; far beyond the earlier flames. The impact with the essence energy shield produced a tremendous shockwave.
Dust rose as a deep trench was gouged into the ground. After being hit, Yan Tianheng’s face turned pale, and blood trickled from his lips. But Lin Xuan inwardly lamented that it could have been more effective. Although the curved sword had severely wounded him, it ultimately failed to break through the essence energy shield.
"Brat, you’ve pushed me to this point; you’re good. Now, you can die!"
Before the dust settled, Yan Tianheng’s resentful voice echoed, filled with a chilling ruthlessness. Lin Xuan felt a chill run down his spine as he gathered his essence energy at his fingertips and grabbed another talisman.
But he didn’t act rashly. In uncertain times, hasty actions were foolish. He needed to observe what his opponent was preparing before making any moves.
Though wary, Lin Xuan harbored no fear. His opponent had a trump card, but so did he—his hidden treasures, the Ice Needle Technique and Golden Chain, remained unused. A grandperfect realm expert was nothing; in cultivation battles, essence energy and talismans were equally decisive factors.