shào yé ， zhè jiù shì nà shàng gǔ cán piān zhōng jì zǎi de dú yàn ？”
少爷，这就是那上古残篇中记载的毒焰？”
"Is this the toxic flame described in those ancient fragments, Master Young Lord?"
kàn zhuó yǎn qián jī dàn dà xiǎo de huǒ yàn ， yuè ér yǎn zhōng mǎn shì hào qí ， cǐ huǒ yàn chú le yán sè yǒu xiē guǐ yì zhī wài ， sì hū kàn bù chū shén me jīng rén wēi lì
看着眼前鸡蛋大小的火焰，月儿眼中满是好奇，此火焰除了颜色有些诡异之外，似乎看不出什么惊人威力
Moon looked at the small flame before her with curiosity. Apart from its unusual color, it didn't seem to have any extraordinary power.
“ bù cuò ， zhè jiù shì bì huàn yōu huǒ 。”
“不错，这就是碧幻幽火。”
"Not bad, this is indeed the Green Illusion Obscuring Flame."
lín xuān wēi xiào zhe diǎn le diǎn tóu ， zhāng kāi kǒu ， jiāng qí xī rù fù zhōng 。
林轩微笑着点了点头，张开口，将其吸入腹中。
Lin Xuan smiled and nodded slightly, then opened his mouth to inhale the flame.
“ kě ……” yuè ér yīng chún wēi qǐ ， yù yán yòu zhǐ 。
“可……”月儿樱唇微启，欲言又止。
"But…" Moon's lips parted but she hesitated.
“ shǎ yā tou ， duì shào yé hái yǒu shén me nán yǐ qǐ chǐ ， shì bú shì jué de méi yǒu chuán shuō zhōng nà yàng shén qí ？”
“傻丫头，对少爷还有什么难以启齿，是不是觉得没有传说中那样神奇？”
"Stupid girl, what are you still holding back? Don't you think it's not as magical as the legends say?"
“ ń 。” yuè ér lüè dài gān gà de diǎn le diǎn tóu 。
“嗯。”月儿略带尴尬的点了点头。
"Mm," Moon nodded awkwardly.
“ hē hē ， zhè shì zì rán ， wǒ bù guò liàn huà le yī lì jué dú dān ， jiāng jiā rù dào dān huǒ lǐ miàn ， wēi lì zì rán yǒu xiàn ， wǒ suī rán shuō guò zhè zhǒng mì fǎ chú le wēi xiǎn ， bìng bù xū yào duō zhǎng shí jiān ， kě nán dào zhēn de yǐ wéi ， zhè zhǒng nì tiān shén tōng ， shì shù rì jiù kě yǐ chéng gōng ？”
“呵呵，这是自然，我不过炼化了一粒绝毒丹，将加入到丹火里面，威力自然有限，我虽然说过这种秘法除了危险，并不需要多长时间，可难道真的以为，这种逆天神通，是数日就可以成功？”
"Haha, of course. I only refined a single Poison Pill and incorporated it into the flame. The power is naturally limited. Although I said this secret technique has dangers but doesn't require much time, do you really believe such an extraordinary divine power can be achieved in just a few days?"
“ hē hē ， shì xiǎo bì xīn jí 。” yuè ér bù hǎo yì sī de tǔ le tǔ shé tou ：“ nà xū yào duō jiǔ ？”
“呵呵，是小婢心急。”月儿不好意思的吐了吐舌头：“那需要多久？”
"Haha, my lady servant is too impatient," Moon blushed as she stuck out her tongue. "How long will it take?"
“ jù tǐ bù hǎo shuō ， dàn zhì shǎo yě yào jiāng zhè lú jué dú dān wán quán liàn huà ， cái huì lüè yǒu xiǎo chéng 。”
“具体不好说，但至少也要将这炉绝毒丹完全炼化，才会略有小成。”
"It's hard to say exactly, but at least we need to fully refine this Poison Pill before seeing any progress."
lín xuān shuō wán 。 chóng xīn bì shàng le shuāng móu 。
林轩说完。重新闭上了双眸。
After Lin Xuan finished speaking, he closed his eyes again.
yuè ér wēi wēi yī xiào 。 yě jiù bù zài dǎ rǎo 。 tóng yàng kāi shǐ le yòng gōng 。
月儿微微一笑。也就不再打扰。同样开始了用功。
Moon smiled and stopped pestering him, starting to focus on her own practice.
lín xuān dì jǔ dòng 。 měi tiān zì rán yǒu yǎn xiàn huí bào gěi cáo yuè yǔ zhōu miǎn 。 fū qī èr rén dà gǎn è rán 。 dàn zhōu miǎn zài zǐ xì sī liáng zhī hòu zuǐ jiǎo biān què lù chū yī sī jī fěng 。
林轩地举动。每天自然有眼线回报给曹月与周冕。夫妻二人大感愕然。但周冕在仔细思量之后嘴角边却露出一丝讥讽。
Lin Xuan's activities were naturally reported back to Cao Yue and Zhou Mian by spies. The couple was stunned but Zhou Mian smirked after some thought.
zhè wèi shǎo mén zhǔ 。 guǒ rán shì xīn jī shēn chén dì rén wù 。 tā zhè yàng zuò 。 shì xiǎng yào yǐ yì dài láo 。 děng zì jǐ lù chū pò zhàn lái me ？
这位少门主。果然是心机深沉地人物。他这样做。是想要以逸待劳。等自己露出破绽来么？
This young master indeed has deep scheming. He wants us to wait until he makes a mistake?
zhōu miǎn zì yǐ wéi shì dì xiǎng zhe 。 tā cái bù xiāng xìn lín xuān shì zhēn dì zài liàn gōng 。
周冕自以为是地想着。他才不相信林轩是真地在练功。
Zhou Mian thought to himself, not believing that Lin Xuan was truly practicing.
ér zì cóng lín xuān lái dào fēn tán yǐ hòu ， qián yī zhèn jiǎo dé rén xīn huáng huáng dì guài shì tū rán gā rán ér zhǐ ， dī jiē xiū shì men yòu jīng yòu xǐ ， suī rán yǒu xiē bù míng suǒ yǐ ， dàn duì lín xuān què dà wèi gǎn jī 。
而自从林轩来到分坛以后，前一阵搅得人心惶惶地怪事突然嘎然而止，低阶修士们又惊又喜，虽然有些不明所以，但对林轩却大为感激。
Since Lin Xuan arrived at the branch sect, the strange incidents that had caused such panic among the low-rank cultivators suddenly stopped. They were both relieved and grateful for his help. A dozen days passed, but Lin Xuan's pavilion remained tightly closed, causing Zhou Mian some anxiety, though he was still patient.
zhuǎn yǎn ， shí jǐ tiān guò qù le ， lín xuān de gé lóu yī jiù dà mén jǐn bì ， zhōu miǎn lüè yǒu xiē zháo jí ， bù guò yī jiù chén dé zhù qì 。
转眼，十几天过去了，林轩的阁楼依旧大门紧闭，周冕略有些着急，不过依旧沉得住气。
...
yí gè yuè hòu ， qíng kuàng yǔ yǐ qián méi yǒu shén me bù tóng ， zhōu miǎn kāi shǐ yǒu xiē zuò bú zhù 。
一个月后，情况与以前没有什么不同，周冕开始有些坐不住。
A month later, nothing had changed, and Zhou Mian began to feel restless.
liǎng gè yuè yǐ hòu ……
两个月以后……
Two months later…
“ shī xiōng ， wǒ men bù néng jì xù zhè yàng děng ， suī rán sòng qù le yī xiē fán rén ， dàn méi yǒu xiū shì de xuè ròu yǔ jīng hún ， zūn de xiū wèi wú fǎ huī fù ， méi yǒu tā wèi wǒ men guàn zhù mó qì ， bié shuō xiū liàn mó yīng jué ， wǒ gǎn jué tǐ nèi de fǎ lì ……”
“师兄，我们不能继续这样等，虽然送去了一些凡人，但没有修士的血肉与精魂，尊的修为无法恢复，没有他为我们灌注魔气，别说修炼魔婴诀，我感觉体内的法力……”
"Senior Brother, we can't keep waiting like this. Although we've sent some commoners, without the blood and essence of cultivators, His Excellency's cultivation cannot recover. Without him infusing demonic energy, not only can I not practice the Demonic Infant Art, but I feel my own qi…"
“ rè xuè rú fèi ， fǎng fú yào zǒu huǒ rù mó yì bān ？” zhōu miǎn biǎo qíng yīn chén ， lěng lěng de kāi kǒu 。
“热血如沸，仿佛要走火入魔一般？”周冕表情阴沉，冷冷的开口。
"It's as if it's boiling inside me, about to turn me into a demon?" Zhou Mian's face was grim as he spoke coldly.
“ shī xiōng ， nǐ yě yǒu ？” cáo yuè de liǎn sè gèng jiā nán kàn 。
“师兄，你也有？”曹月的脸色更加难看。
"Senior Brother, you're also affected?" Cao Yue's expression turned even more gloomy.
“ ń 。” zhōu miǎn diǎn le diǎn tóu ：“ kàn lái ， què shí wú fǎ zài tuō ， bù guǎn zhè wèi shǎo mén zhǔ hú lú lǐ jiū jìng mài dì shén me yào ， cóng míng tiān kāi shǐ ， wǒ men àn yǐ qián de jì huà xíng shì 。”
“嗯。”周冕点了点头：“看来，确实无法再拖，不管这位少门主葫芦里究竟卖地什么药，从明天开始，我们按以前的计划行事。”
"Mm," Zhou Mian nodded. "It seems we can't delay any longer. No matter what the young master is up to, starting tomorrow, we'll stick to our original plan."
“ kě wàn yī bèi tā xiàn le ……” cáo yuè de liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī dān xīn zhī sè 。
“可万一被他现了……”曹月的脸上露出一丝担心之色。
"But if he discovers us…" Cao Yue showed a hint of worry on her face.
“ xiàn zài nǎ hái guǎn dé le zhè xǔ duō ， qǐ chū wǒ bù yuàn dǎ cǎo jīng shé ， kě shuí ràng tā lài zài zhè lǐ bù zǒu ， ruò shì qíng zhēn de bài lù ， dà bù liǎo chū shǒu jiāng tā gěi miè le 。”
“现在哪还管得了这许多，起初我不愿打草惊蛇，可谁让他赖在这里不走，若事情真的败露，大不了出手将他给灭了。”
"Now's not the time for such concerns. I didn't want to alert him at first, but look how he refuses to leave. If this fails, we can just deal with him," Zhou Mian said with a sneer.
“ shā le lín xuān ， shī xiōng ， nǐ bù pà líng yào shān zhǎo wǒ men má fán ？”
“杀了林轩，师兄，你不怕灵药山找我们麻烦？”
"Killing Lin Xuan, Senior Brother, won't you fear retaliation from Spirit Medicine Mountain?"
“ hēng ， lín xuān suī rán shì shǎo mén zhǔ ， kě zhè lǐ bì jìng shì lún xiàn qū ， líng yào shān shì lì zài dà ， yě biān cháng mò jí ， hé kuàng nà shí hòu zūn yě huī fù le xiū wèi ， yǐ tā dì shén tōng ， biàn shì jí è mó zūn ， kěn dìng yě yào xùn sè yī chóu ， yǒu tā zuò wèi hòu dùn ， wǒ men yòu hé xū wèi jù líng yào shān ？” zhōu miǎn xiǎn rán yǐ yǒu zì jǐ de dǎ suàn ：“ děng wǒ men fū qī liàn chéng le mó yīng jué ， zì rán jiù gèng jiā gāo zhěn wú yōu 。”
“哼，林轩虽然是少门主，可这里毕竟是沦陷区，灵药山势力再大，也鞭长莫及，何况那时候尊也恢复了修为，以他地神通，便是极恶魔尊，肯定也要逊色一筹，有他做为后盾，我们又何须畏惧灵药山？”周冕显然已有自己的打算：“等我们夫妻练成了魔婴诀，自然就更加高枕无忧。”
"Humph, although he's the young master, this is still occupied territory. Even if Spirit Medicine Mountain is powerful, they can't interfere here. Besides, His Excellency will have recovered his strength by then. With his abilities, even a Supreme Demon Lord would be inferior to him. With him as our support, we needn't fear Spirit Medicine Mountain," Zhou Mian seemed confident in his plan. "Once my wife and I master the Demonic Infant Art, we'll be safe."
jiàn zhàng fū shuō dào hòu miàn ， yǐ shì méi fēi sè wǔ ， cáo yuè yǐn yǐn jué de yǒu xiē bù tuǒ ， kě chú cǐ yǐ wài ， tā yě xiǎng bú dào bié dì fāng fǎ ， zhǐ hǎo tàn le kǒu qì ， suàn shì mò xǔ 。
见丈夫说到后面，已是眉飞色舞，曹月隐隐觉得有些不妥，可除此以外，她也想不到别地方法，只好叹了口气，算是默许。
Seeing her husband's excitement, Cao Yue felt uneasy but had no other choice. She sighed and agreed.
yú shì ， zài lín xuān bì guān zhěng zhěng liù shí tiān hòu ， yuán běn yǐ jiàn jiàn huī fù le shēng jī de líng yào shān fēn tán zài yí cì bèi kǒng bù suǒ lǒng zhào 。
于是，在林轩闭关整整六十天后，原本已渐渐恢复了生机的灵药山分坛再一次被恐怖所笼罩。
Thus, sixty days after Lin Xuan closed himself off for practice, the once revitalized Spirit Medicine Mountain branch sect was again shrouded in terror.
mǒu rì yè lǐ ， liǎng gè xún yè de wài shì dì zǐ mò míng shī zōng 。
某日夜里，两个巡夜的外事弟子莫名失踪。
One night, two external disciples went missing without a trace.
dì èr tiān ， yòu yǒu sān míng líng dòng qī de dī jiē dì zǐ zài zì jǐ de fáng jiān lǐ bèi xī chéng le gān shī ， bù jǐn xiān xuè liú jǐn ， lián jīng hún dōu bèi mǒu zhǒng xié shù shōu zǒu 。
第二天，又有三名灵动期的低阶弟子在自己的房间里被吸成了干尸，不仅鲜血流尽，连精魂都被某种邪术收走。
The next day, three low-rank cultivators were found completely drained of blood and essence in their rooms, as if they had been sucked dry by some dark magic.
zhòng rén huá rán ， liǎng wèi níng dān qī zhǎng lǎo “ yòu jīng yòu nù ”， zài dà sì sōu suǒ le yī fān zhī hòu ， yī rán hé yǐ qián yī yàng ， yī wú suǒ huò 。
众人哗然，两位凝丹期长老“又惊又怒”，在大肆搜索了一番之后，依然和以前一样，一无所获。
Everyone was shocked. Two Condensation Core Elders "were both alarmed and angry." After a thorough search, nothing was found, just like before.
zhǐ néng xià lìng zhòng dì zǐ bù dé suí yì wài chū 。
只能下令众弟子不得随意外出。
Orders were given to all disciples not to leave the premises.
rán ér dì sān tiān ， gèng jiā kě pà de shì qíng shēng le ， bù zhǐ shì dī jiē dì zǐ ， nà wèi zhī dì guài wù jū rán jiāng mó zhǎo shēn xiàng le gāo jiē xiū shì ， sān míng zhù jī qī de shī shū bó yě zāo le dú shǒu ， jīng hún bèi shōu zǒu ， ér shī tǐ xiàng bèi měng shòu kěn shì guò 。
然而第三天，更加可怕的事情生了，不止是低阶弟子，那未知地怪物居然将魔爪伸向了高阶修士，三名筑基期的师叔伯也遭了毒手，精魂被收走，而尸体像被猛兽啃噬过。
However, on the third day, something even more terrifying happened. Not only low-rank cultivators but also high-rank ones were targeted; three senior brothers of the base foundation stage met their end, with their essences taken and their bodies torn apart as if by beasts.
kǒng jù rú tóng wēn yì yì bān ， kāi shǐ zài fēn tán màn yán ……
恐惧如同瘟疫一般，开始在分坛蔓延……
Fear spread like a plague through the branch sect…
ér zài jù lí zhè lǐ yuē shù shí lǐ wài dì yī chù huāng shān 。
而在距离这里约数十里外地一处荒山。
...
cǐ shān cùn cǎo bù shēng ， xiǎn de sǐ qì chén chén ， ér zài shān fù mǒu bù yǐn rén zhù yì de dì diǎn ， què yǒu yī shān dòng ， dòng kǒu xiǎo qiǎo ， kě lǐ miàn què fēi cháng kuān chǎng ， dá qiān yú zhàng zhī guǎng 。
此山寸草不生，显得死气沉沉，而在山腹某不引人注意的地点，却有一山洞，洞口小巧，可里面却非常宽敞，达千余丈之广。
A few dozen miles away in an uninhabited mountain.
“ zūn ， nín xū yào xiū shì xuè jì ， wǒ fū fù jiāng tā dài dào zhè lǐ jiù shì ， nín yòu hé bì pài chū fēn shēn ， chū qù dà kāi shā jiè ， nà yàng yě tài xiǎn yǎn le xiē ， yǐ qián méi yǒu guān xì ， dàn xiàn zài lín xuān lái dào le zhè lǐ ……” zhōu miǎn dì biǎo qíng suī rán gōng jìng ， dàn yǔ qì què liú lù chū le yī sī bù mǎn 。
“尊，您需要修士血祭，我夫妇将他带到这里就是，您又何必派出分身，出去大开杀戒，那样也太显眼了些，以前没有关系，但现在林轩来到了这里……”周冕地表情虽然恭敬，但语气却流露出了一丝不满。
This mountain was barren, devoid of life. Yet, within its depths, there was a cave that seemed unremarkable from the outside but was surprisingly spacious, stretching over a thousand feet wide.
ér tā de miàn qián ， shì yī jù dà dì guài wù ， bàn rén bàn shòu ， zhēng níng dǎi dú ， jiù fǎng fú shàng gǔ shí qī de xié shén yì bān ， zhèng shì xuè mó zūn 。
而他的面前，是一巨大地怪物，半人半兽，狰狞歹毒，就仿佛上古时期的邪神一般，正是血魔尊。
"His Excellency, you need blood sacrifices. I brought him here as instructed, so why do you have to dispatch your avatar and go on a killing spree? It's too conspicuous," Zhou Mian's expression was respectful, but his tone betrayed some dissatisfaction.
yǔ gāng gāng cóng fēng yìn zhōng chū lái shí xiāng bǐ ， zhè ge lǎo guài wù de qì sè hǎo le xǔ duō ， shēn tǐ yǐ bù zài nà me gān kū ， bù guò xiǎng yào huī fù dào diān fēng shí qī ， hái xū yào dà liàng jīng xuè 。
与刚刚从封印中出来时相比，这个老怪物的气色好了许多，身体已不再那么干枯，不过想要恢复到巅峰时期，还需要大量精血。
Before him stood a monstrous figure, half-human, half-animal, with a sinister appearance that seemed like an ancient demon. This was the Blood Demon Lord.
“ hēng ， nǐ men dǒng shén me ， jiāng jì pǐn nòng yūn le dài dào zhè lǐ ， què shí jiǎn biàn yòu bù yǐn rén zhù yì ， dàn xuè jì de xiào guǒ ， què shì bàn ér gōng bèi le 。”
“哼，你们懂什么，将祭品弄晕了带到这里，确实简便又不引人注意，但血祭的效果，却事半而功倍了。”
Compared to when he first emerged from his seal, this old monster looked much healthier, no longer so emaciated. However, it would take a lot of blood to return him to his peak condition.
“ wèi shén me ？” zhōu miǎn méi tou yí zhòu ， mǎn liǎn bù jiě de kāi kǒu 。
“为什么？”周冕眉头一皱，满脸不解的开口。
"Humph, what do you know? Bringing the sacrifice unconscious here is indeed simpler and less conspicuous. But the effect of blood sacrifices is twice as powerful."
“ hēng ， jì rán shì xuè jì ， zì rán yǒu de guī zé ， nǐ yǐ wéi guāng shì tūn shì xiū shì de jīng hún yǔ xuè ròu jiù xíng me ， jù tǐ shuō le nǐ yě bù dǒng ， zǒng zhī zhè shì bù kě shěng lüè de bù zhòu 。”
“哼，既然是血祭，自然有的规则，你以为光是吞噬修士的精魂与血肉就行么，具体说了你也不懂，总之这是不可省略的步骤。”
"Why?" Zhou Mian frowned, clearly puzzled.
zhōu miǎn yǔ cáo yuè miàn miàn xiāng qù ， zhè lǎo guài wù suǒ xiū liàn de mó gōng hái zhēn shì guǐ yì 。
周冕与曹月面面相觑，这老怪物所修炼的魔功还真是诡异。
"Humph, this is a ritual for blood sacrifices. Do you think just devouring their essence and flesh will suffice? I can't explain it in detail, but this step cannot be skipped."
“ hǎo le ， bú yào duō shuō 。” xuè mó zūn méi tou yí zhòu ， suí jí yòu huǎn hé xià lái ：“ lǎo fū zhī dào gěi nǐ men zào chéng le bù xiǎo de má fán ， dàn wǒ zì huì bǔ cháng nǐ liǎ 。”
“好了，不要多说。”血魔尊眉头一皱，随即又缓和下来：“老夫知道给你们造成了不小的麻烦，但我自会补偿你俩。”
Zhou Mian and Cao Yue exchanged glances; the demon arts of this old monster were truly bizarre.
shuō dào zhè lǐ ， cóng tā de shēn tǐ lǐ ， mào chū wú shù de mó wù guǐ qì ， zhōu miǎn hé cáo yuè jiàn le ， què bù jīng fǎn xǐ ， hěn kuài ， liǎng rén jiù bèi mó wù suǒ lǒng zhào ， yuǎn yuǎn wàng qù ， fǎng fú liǎng gè jù dà de hēi sè cán jiǎn 。
说到这里，从他的身体里，冒出无数的魔雾鬼气，周冕和曹月见了，却不惊反喜，很快，两人就被魔雾所笼罩，远远望去，仿佛两个巨大的黑色蚕茧。
"Enough, no more talk," the Blood Demon Lord frowned before his expression softened. "I know you've been troubled, but I'll compensate you both."
ér lín xuān zhè shí yě zhōng yú wán chéng le zì jǐ de xiū liàn ， tān kāi shǒu lái ， yī jiù shì yī tuán jī dàn dà xiǎo de huǒ yàn ， rán ér yǔ chū shí de qiǎn lǜ xiāng bǐ ， cǐ kè de huǒ yàn de yán sè yǐ shēn le xǔ duō ， zhè cái shì zhēn zhèng de bì huàn yōu huǒ 。
而林轩这时也终于完成了自己的修炼，摊开手来，依旧是一团鸡蛋大小的火焰，然而与初时的浅绿相比，此刻的火焰的颜色已深了许多，这才是真正的碧幻幽火。
As he spoke, countless demonic mists and ghostly energies emerged from his body. Zhou Mian and Cao Yue didn't react with fear; instead, they were pleased. Soon, both of them were enveloped by the demonic mist, appearing like large black cocoons.
dāng rán ， jǐn jǐn shì lüè yǒu xiǎo chéng bà le 。
当然，仅仅是略有小成罢了。
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan had finally completed his practice. He stretched out his hand, revealing a small flame still about the size of an egg. Compared to its initial pale green color, this flame was now much darker, truly the Green Illusion Obscuring Flame.
bù guò lín xuān yǐ fēi cháng mǎn yì ， zhè bǐ tā yuán xiān yù jì liàn wán zhěng lú jué dú dān de shí jiān ， shǎo le xǔ duō ， bì jìng yǔ liàn huà róng hé dì yī kē shí xiāng bǐ ， shú liàn dù yǐ bù kě tóng rì ér yǔ 。
不过林轩已非常满意，这比他原先预计炼完整炉绝毒丹的时间，少了许多，毕竟与炼化融合第一颗时相比，熟练度已不可同日而语。
Of course, it was only at a minor stage of completion.
suī rán jǐn jǐn shì xiǎo chéng ， dàn lín xuān xiāng xìn de wēi lì ， bù zài nà xiē lǎo guài wù de yīng huǒ zhī xià ， shèn zhì yīn wèi shǔ xìng de yuán gù ， yào shèng shàng yī chóu ， ér zì jǐ yě zhōng yú yǒu zì jǐ de shā shǒu jiǎn le 。
虽然仅仅是小成，但林轩相信的威力，不在那些老怪物的婴火之下，甚至因为属性的缘故，要胜上一筹，而自己也终于有自己的杀手锏了。
But Lin Xuan was very satisfied. This had taken less time than he originally planned for refining the entire Poison Pill, thanks to his increased proficiency from the first one. Although just at a minor stage, he believed its power would surpass that of those old monsters' infant flames and even have an advantage due to its attributes.
PS： shí zài bào qiàn ， tóu téng dé shòu bù liǎo le ， jīn tiān jiù zhè me duō le ， míng tiān sān gēng bǔ cháng dà jiā ， shuō dào zuò dào ！)
PS：实在抱歉，头疼得受不了了，今天就这么多了，明天三更补偿大家，说到做到！)
Now, Lin Xuan finally had his own trump card.
PS: I'm truly sorry; my head hurts so much today. I'll make it up with three updates tomorrow! (I promise!)
"Is this the toxic flame described in those ancient fragments, Master Young Lord?"
Moon looked at the small flame before her with curiosity. Apart from its unusual color, it didn't seem to have any extraordinary power.
"Not bad, this is indeed the Green Illusion Obscuring Flame."
Lin Xuan smiled and nodded slightly, then opened his mouth to inhale the flame.
"But…" Moon's lips parted but she hesitated.
"Stupid girl, what are you still holding back? Don't you think it's not as magical as the legends say?"
"Mm," Moon nodded awkwardly.
"Haha, of course. I only refined a single Poison Pill and incorporated it into the flame. The power is naturally limited. Although I said this secret technique has dangers but doesn't require much time, do you really believe such an extraordinary divine power can be achieved in just a few days?"
"Haha, my lady servant is too impatient," Moon blushed as she stuck out her tongue. "How long will it take?"
"It's hard to say exactly, but at least we need to fully refine this Poison Pill before seeing any progress."
After Lin Xuan finished speaking, he closed his eyes again.
Moon smiled and stopped pestering him, starting to focus on her own practice.
...
Lin Xuan's activities were naturally reported back to Cao Yue and Zhou Mian by spies. The couple was stunned but Zhou Mian smirked after some thought.
This young master indeed has deep scheming. He wants us to wait until he makes a mistake?
Zhou Mian thought to himself, not believing that Lin Xuan was truly practicing.
Since Lin Xuan arrived at the branch sect, the strange incidents that had caused such panic among the low-rank cultivators suddenly stopped. They were both relieved and grateful for his help. A dozen days passed, but Lin Xuan's pavilion remained tightly closed, causing Zhou Mian some anxiety, though he was still patient.
...
A month later, nothing had changed, and Zhou Mian began to feel restless.
Two months later…
"Senior Brother, we can't keep waiting like this. Although we've sent some commoners, without the blood and essence of cultivators, His Excellency's cultivation cannot recover. Without him infusing demonic energy, not only can I not practice the Demonic Infant Art, but I feel my own qi…"
"It's as if it's boiling inside me, about to turn me into a demon?" Zhou Mian's face was grim as he spoke coldly.
"Senior Brother, you're also affected?" Cao Yue's expression turned even more gloomy.
"Mm," Zhou Mian nodded. "It seems we can't delay any longer. No matter what the young master is up to, starting tomorrow, we'll stick to our original plan."
"But if he discovers us…" Cao Yue showed a hint of worry on her face.
"Now's not the time for such concerns. I didn't want to alert him at first, but look how he refuses to leave. If this fails, we can just deal with him," Zhou Mian said with a sneer.
"Killing Lin Xuan, Senior Brother, won't you fear retaliation from Spirit Medicine Mountain?"
"Humph, although he's the young master, this is still occupied territory. Even if Spirit Medicine Mountain is powerful, they can't interfere here. Besides, His Excellency will have recovered his strength by then. With his abilities, even a Supreme Demon Lord would be inferior to him. With him as our support, we needn't fear Spirit Medicine Mountain," Zhou Mian seemed confident in his plan. "Once my wife and I master the Demonic Infant Art, we'll be safe."
Seeing her husband's excitement, Cao Yue felt uneasy but had no other choice. She sighed and agreed.
Thus, sixty days after Lin Xuan closed himself off for practice, the once revitalized Spirit Medicine Mountain branch sect was again shrouded in terror.
One night, two external disciples went missing without a trace.
The next day, three low-rank cultivators were found completely drained of blood and essence in their rooms, as if they had been sucked dry by some dark magic.
Everyone was shocked. Two Condensation Core Elders "were both alarmed and angry." After a thorough search, nothing was found, just like before.
Orders were given to all disciples not to leave the premises.
However, on the third day, something even more terrifying happened. Not only low-rank cultivators but also high-rank ones were targeted; three senior brothers of the base foundation stage met their end, with their essences taken and their bodies torn apart as if by beasts.
Fear spread like a plague through the branch sect…
...
A few dozen miles away in an uninhabited mountain.
This mountain was barren, devoid of life. Yet, within its depths, there was a cave that seemed unremarkable from the outside but was surprisingly spacious, stretching over a thousand feet wide.
"His Excellency, you need blood sacrifices. I brought him here as instructed, so why do you have to dispatch your avatar and go on a killing spree? It's too conspicuous," Zhou Mian's expression was respectful, but his tone betrayed some dissatisfaction.
Before him stood a monstrous figure, half-human, half-animal, with a sinister appearance that seemed like an ancient demon. This was the Blood Demon Lord.
Compared to when he first emerged from his seal, this old monster looked much healthier, no longer so emaciated. However, it would take a lot of blood to return him to his peak condition.
"Humph, what do you know? Bringing the sacrifice unconscious here is indeed simpler and less conspicuous. But the effect of blood sacrifices is twice as powerful."
"Why?" Zhou Mian frowned, clearly puzzled.
"Humph, this is a ritual for blood sacrifices. Do you think just devouring their essence and flesh will suffice? I can't explain it in detail, but this step cannot be skipped."
Zhou Mian and Cao Yue exchanged glances; the demon arts of this old monster were truly bizarre.
"Enough, no more talk," the Blood Demon Lord frowned before his expression softened. "I know you've been troubled, but I'll compensate you both."
As he spoke, countless demonic mists and ghostly energies emerged from his body. Zhou Mian and Cao Yue didn't react with fear; instead, they were pleased. Soon, both of them were enveloped by the demonic mist, appearing like large black cocoons.
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan had finally completed his practice. He stretched out his hand, revealing a small flame still about the size of an egg. Compared to its initial pale green color, this flame was now much darker, truly the Green Illusion Obscuring Flame.
Of course, it was only at a minor stage of completion.
But Lin Xuan was very satisfied. This had taken less time than he originally planned for refining the entire Poison Pill, thanks to his increased proficiency from the first one. Although just at a minor stage, he believed its power would surpass that of those old monsters' infant flames and even have an advantage due to its attributes.
Now, Lin Xuan finally had his own trump card.
PS: I'm truly sorry; my head hurts so much today. I'll make it up with three updates tomorrow! (I promise!)