xuān běn bù xiǎng duō guǎn xián shì ， dàn cǐ nǚ jì shì piāo yún gǔ xiū shì ， kàn zhe yě yǒu diǎn shuō bù guò qù
轩本不想多管闲事，但此女既是飘云谷修士，看着也有点说不过去
Xuan didn't want to get involved in other people's affairs, but since this woman was a cultivator from Drifting Cloud Valley, it seemed a bit awkward not to help.
hé kuàng lín xuān hái yǒu xiē wèn tí yào cóng cǐ nǚ kǒu zhōng dé zhī 。
何况林轩还有些问题要从此女口中得知。
Moreover, Lin Xuan had some questions he needed to ask her.
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， lín xuān bù zài yǐn cáng xiū wèi ， tǐ nèi líng lì liú zhuǎn ， yī gǔ jīng rén de qì shì dùn shí sàn kāi ， nà xiū mó běn yǐ tái qǐ shǒu lái ， xiǎng yào jiāng zhè ài shì de fán rén chú qù ， tū rán de biàn gù ， ràng tā mù dèng kǒu dāi ， biǎo qíng shí fēn jīng cǎi 。
想到这里，林轩不再隐藏修为，体内灵力流转，一股惊人的气势顿时散开，那修魔本已抬起手来，想要将这碍事的凡人除去，突然的变故，让他目瞪口呆，表情十分精彩。
Thinking of this, Lin Xuan no longer concealed his cultivation and the flow of spiritual energy within him spread out, exuding an astonishing aura. The demon cultivator who was about to strike at the mortal had suddenly changed his mind, leaving him staring in shock.
bù guò zhè wèi fǎn yìng yě shì jí kuài ， máng wān xià yāo qù ， shēn shī yī lǐ ：“ wǎn bèi jí mó dòng dì zǐ shěn yáng jiàn guò qián bèi 。”
不过这位反应也是极快，忙弯下腰去，深施一礼：“晚辈极魔洞弟子沈洋见过前辈。”
However, the reaction from the other party was swift. He quickly bent down and bowed deeply: "Junior disciple Shen Yang from Extreme Demon Cave pays respects to Senior."
jí mó dòng ？
极魔洞？
"Extreme Demon Cave?"
lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī sī xiào róng ， yě méi yǒu xīn qíng qù biàn shí duì fāng zhī yán shì zhēn shì jiǎ 。
林轩嘴角边露出一丝笑容，也没有心情去辨识对方之言是真是假。
Lin Xuan's lips curled into a smile, but he didn't bother verifying her words.
rú jīn mó dào shì dà ， jí è mó zūn bèi gōng rèn wéi yōu zhōu dì yī rén ， bù shǎo qí tā mén pài de xiū mó yě cháng cháng huǎng chēng zì jǐ shì mó zūn de shǒu xià 。
如今魔道势大，极恶魔尊被公认为幽州第一人，不少其他门派的修魔也常常谎称自己是魔尊的手下。
The demon sect had grown in power recently, with Sovereign Evil being recognized as the top figure in Youzhou. Many other sects' demon cultivators often claimed to be under the command of Sovereign Evil.
zhāo yáo zhuàng piàn zhī tú ， bù jǐn fán rén shì jiè hěn duō ， xiū shì yě shǔ bù shèng shǔ 。
招摇撞骗之徒，不仅凡人世界很多，修士也数不胜数。
Fraudulent pretenders were not just common in the mortal world; there were also many among cultivators.
kě xī zhè míng tóu duì bié rén yǒu yòng ， lín xuān què gēn běn bù fàng zài yǎn zhōng ， biàn shì mó zūn wéi yī de qīn chuán dì zǐ ， yě yǔ zì jǐ chēng xiōng dào dì ， yǎn qián zhè kě xiào de jiā huo ， hái xiǎng chě zhe hǔ pí dāng dà qí ？
可惜这名头对别人有用，林轩却根本不放在眼中，便是魔尊唯一的亲传弟子，也与自己称兄道弟，眼前这可笑的家伙，还想扯着虎皮当大旗？
Unfortunately, such titles might work for others but Lin Xuan didn't care about them. Even if he was the only disciple of Sovereign Evil, they would still call him brother or friend. This ridiculous fellow wanted to wave a tiger's skin as his banner?
lín xuān běn bù xiǎng yǐ dà qī xiǎo ， dàn gèng méi yǒu xí guàn fàng hǔ guī shān ， tàn le kǒu qì ， yě bù duō yán ， tái qǐ shǒu lái ， qīng qīng yī dàn ， yī dào yào mù de jiàn guāng cóng zhǐ jiān fēi shè le chū lái 。
林轩本不想以大欺小，但更没有习惯放虎归山，叹了口气，也不多言，抬起手来，轻轻一弹，一道耀目的剑光从指间飞射了出来。
Lin Xuan didn't want to bully someone weaker than himself, but he wasn’t accustomed to letting a tiger go back into the forest. He sighed and said nothing more. With a flick of his hand, a dazzling sword light shot out.
nà xiū mó liǎn sè dà biàn ， máng shuāng shǒu yī pāi ， tóng shí pēn chū yī kǒu jīng xuè ， jì qǐ le yī xíng zhuàng gǔ guài de fáng yù líng qì 。
那修魔脸色大变，忙双手一拍，同时喷出一口精血，祭起了一形状古怪的防御灵器。
The demon cultivator's face changed drastically. He quickly clapped his hands and spat out some blood, summoning an oddly shaped defensive spiritual artifact.
kě xī shì tú láo de zhēng zhá ér yǐ ， yǐ lín xuān rú jīn de shí lì ， jí biàn shì suí shǒu yī jī ， yòu qǐ shì xiǎo xiǎo de zhù jī qī xiū shì kě yǐ dǐ dǎng de 。
可惜是徒劳的挣扎而已，以林轩如今的实力，即便是随手一击，又岂是小小的筑基期修士可以抵挡的。
Unfortunately, it was all in vain. With Lin Xuan’s current strength, even a casual strike could easily overpower a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.
pū chī yī shēng ， nà líng qì yǔ jiàn guāng xiāng chù ， yǒu rú zhǐ hú ， qīng ér yì jǔ jiù bèi pǐ chéng liǎng bàn le ， xiū mó lái bù jí táo ， nà jiàn guāng zài tā bó zi shàng yī rào ， xuè yǔ mǎn tiān ， yī jù méi yǒu tóu lú de shī tǐ dào zài le dì shàng 。
噗嗤一声，那灵器与剑光相触，有如纸糊，轻而易举就被劈成两半了，修魔来不及逃，那剑光在他脖子上一绕，血雨满天，一具没有头颅的尸体倒在了地上。
With a 'pfft' sound, the spiritual artifact was shattered as the sword light cut through it. The woman fell to the ground but quickly sat up, placing her hands on her knees and recovering her mana.
ér lín xuān gēn běn kàn dōu méi kàn ， jiù xiàng shì zuò le jiàn wú zú qīng zhòng de xiǎo shì yì bān ， zuǒ shǒu yī fú ， yī kē quán tou dà de huǒ qiú fēi shè ér chū ， jiāng duì fāng huà wéi huī jìn le 。
而林轩根本看都没看，就像是做了件无足轻重的小事一般，左手一拂，一颗拳头大的火球飞射而出，将对方化为灰烬了。
Lin Xuan didn't give her any rare elixirs, but his treatment had remarkable effects. After only a short while, her breathing became steady, and she recovered about half of her mana.
zhěng gè dòng zuò yī qì hē chéng ， kàn dé nà shào nǚ dèng dà le yǎn jīng ， kàn xiàng lín xuān de mù guāng chōng mǎn le fù zá de gǎn qíng ， lǐ miàn yǒu gǎn jī ， yě yǔ wèi jù ……
整个动作一气呵成，看得那少女瞪大了眼睛，看向林轩的目光充满了复杂的感情，里面有感激，也与畏惧……
Of course, this was due to the fact that her cultivation level wasn’t high. High-level cultivators like Lin Xuan wouldn't have such good results.
zài zhè wèi dà shén tōng qián bèi de miàn qián ， zì jǐ ruò xiǎo dé jiù xiàng yī zhī mǎ yǐ 。
在这位大神通前辈的面前，自己弱小得就像一只蚂蚁。
The woman opened her eyes and smiled, bowing deeply: "Thank you for saving me, Senior."
hǎo zài lín xuān sī háo méi yǒu wéi nán tā de yì si ， fǎn ér cóng chǔ wù dài zhōng qǔ chū yī yù píng ， pāo zài shào nǚ dì shǒu lǐ ：“ fú xià qù 。”
好在林轩丝毫没有为难她的意思，反而从储物袋中取出一玉瓶，抛在少女地手里：“服下去。”
"Ah," Lin Xuan nodded but didn't reveal his identity.
xǔ jiā yí zhèng ， bá kāi píng sāi ， dào chū liǎng lì fěn hóng sè de yào wán ， yī yǎng tóu ， tūn rù dù zhōng 。
许佳一怔，拔开瓶塞，倒出两粒粉红色的药丸，一仰头，吞入肚中。
"You don't need to be so polite. Let's talk while standing."
gān cuì lì suǒ ， bìng fēi xǔ jiā duì zhè wèi jiù mìng ēn rén yǒu duō me de xìn rèn ， ér shì yǐ duì fāng de shén tōng xiū wèi ， xiǎng yào duì fù zì jǐ ， gēn běn jiù bù xū yào dú yào zhè zhǒng dōng xī 。
干脆利索，并非许佳对这位救命恩人有多么的信任，而是以对方的神通修为，想要对付自己，根本就不需要毒药这种东西。
"Yes."
fú xià yǐ hòu ， gǎn jué yī gǔ nuǎn yì zài fù bù shēng qǐ ， xǔ jiā xīn zhōng yī xǐ ， máng zhēng zhá zhe zuò le qǐ lái ， shuāng shǒu píng fàng yú xī gài ， huí fù qǐ fǎ lì lái 。
服下以后，感觉一股暖意在腹部升起，许佳心中一喜，忙挣扎着坐了起来，双手平放于膝盖，回复起法力来。
Staying cautious, the woman noticed that there weren’t many condensation stage cultivators in her sect. Moreover, this young man’s cultivation seemed far superior to even the sect leader.
lín xuān gěi tā fú de ， bìng fēi zhēn xī líng dān ， dàn xiào guǒ yě shì bù fán ， jǐn jǐn guò le yī zhǎn chá de shí jiān ， shào nǚ de qì xī jiù biàn dé píng wěn qǐ lái ， fǎ lì huī fù le yī xiǎo bàn 。
林轩给她服的，并非珍稀灵丹，但效果也是不凡，仅仅过了一盏茶的时间，少女的气息就变得平稳起来，法力恢复了一小半。
What was more unbelievable was how young he was. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look at Lin Xuan several times. The seemingly ordinary face began to seem familiar.
dāng rán ， zhè yě shì yóu yú tā běn shēn xiū wèi bù gāo dì yuán gù ， xiàng lín xuān zhè yàng de gāo jiē xiū xiān ， kě méi yǒu rú cǐ hǎo de xiào guǒ 。
当然，这也是由于她本身修为不高地缘故，像林轩这样的高阶修仙，可没有如此好的效果。
But that wasn’t possible!
shào nǚ zhēng kāi shuāng móu ， zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī sī xiào yì ， xiàng lín xuān xíng le yí gè dà lǐ ：“ xiè xiè qián bèi jiù mìng zhī ēn 。”
少女睁开双眸，嘴角边露出一丝笑意，像林轩行了一个大礼：“谢谢前辈救命之恩。”
Although she felt her thoughts were too absurd, the woman still blurted out: "Senior, are you surnamed Lin?"
“ ń 。” lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， bìng méi yǒu biǎo míng zì jǐ de shēn fèn 。
“嗯。”林轩点了点头，并没有表明自己的身份。
Lin Xuan was speechless. She had recognized him! Did women have such good memories?
“ gū niáng bù bì duō lǐ ， qǐ lái shuō huà jiù shì 。”
“姑娘不必多礼，起来说话就是。”
According to reason, he should be unknown in Drifting Cloud Valley at that time.
“ shì 。”
“是。”
Though it seemed a bit strange, since things were as they were, Lin Xuan didn’t deny it and smiled: "Sister Senior Xujia, are you well?"
xǔ jiā xiǎn de shí fēn xiǎo xīn ， níng dān qī xiū shì tā xiàn zài yě méi yǒu jiàn guò jǐ rén ， ér qiě zhè ge shào nián xiū wèi zhī shēn ， sì hū hái yuǎn shèng guò le zhǎng mén zhēn rén 。
许佳显得十分小心，凝丹期修士她现在也没有见过几人，而且这个少年修为之深，似乎还远胜过了掌门真人。
Xujia was stunned. Her words had come out without thinking, and she felt embarrassed when she realized she might have guessed right.
gèng bù kě sī yì dì shì rú cǐ nián qīng ， xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， tā bù yóu de duō kàn le lín xuān jǐ yǎn ， kě zhè yī kàn bù dǎ jǐn ， yuè kàn yuè jué de zhè zhāng mào sì píng fán de miàn kǒng yǒu xiē shú xī 。
更不可思议地是如此年轻，想到这里，她不由得多看了林轩几眼，可这一看不打紧，越看越觉得这张貌似平凡的面孔有些熟悉。
"Are you really Lin Xuan?"
sì hū yǔ jì yì zhōng dì mǒu rén chóng hé zài le yì qǐ 。
似乎与记忆中地某人重合在了一起。
"Yes."
rán ér bù kě néng a ！
然而不可能啊！
Xujia covered her mouth with her hands. She and Lin Xuan were in the same batch of disciples back then, and his image was still vivid in her mind. However, it wasn’t because he had outstanding talent; quite the opposite, he was known for being foolish.
suī rán jué de zì jǐ de xiǎng fǎ tài huāng miù ， dàn xǔ jiā hái shì rěn bú zhù chōng kǒu ér chū ：“ qián bèi kě shì xìng lín ？”
虽然觉得自己的想法太荒谬，但许佳还是忍不住冲口而出：“前辈可是姓林？”
According to what her fellow cultivators said, he didn't have a spiritual root and entered the sect by chance. But such mortals destined for the path of immortality would only reach the lower layers of the Spirit Flexibility stage even with great effort.
lín xuān yī zhèn wú yǔ ， duì fāng jìng rèn chū le zì jǐ ， nán dào nǚ rén dōu yǒu zhè me hǎo de jì xìng ？
林轩一阵无语，对方竟认出了自己，难道女人都有这么好的记性？
Back then, this disciple had been mocked by many senior disciples as a fool. However, in her peer group, his name was well-known.
àn lǐ shuō ， zì jǐ dāng chū zài piāo yún gǔ ， yīng gāi shì mò mò wú míng 。
按理说，自己当初在飘云谷，应该是默默无名。
Xujia hadn't bullied Lin Xuan, but she often heard stories about him from others.
suī rán jué de yǒu xiē guǐ yì ， dàn shì yǐ zhì cǐ ， lín xuān dào yě bù dǎ suàn fǒu rèn ， wēi wēi yī xiào ：“ xǔ shī jiě bié lái kě hǎo ？”
虽然觉得有些诡异，但事已至此，林轩倒也不打算否认，微微一笑：“许师姐别来可好？”
It was said that he had initially worked hard but later gave up on cultivation and took a job at the Wasteful Elixir Room. He gradually faded into obscurity until he completely disappeared from the sect.
zhè yī huí lún dào xǔ jiā lèng zhù ， tā gāng cái nà huà gēn běn jiù méi yǒu jīng guò dà nǎo ， tuō kǒu yǐ hòu zì jǐ yě gǎn jué hǎo xiào ， méi xiǎng dào jū rán méng duì le 。
这一回轮到许佳愣住，她刚才那话根本就没有经过大脑，脱口以后自己也感觉好笑，没想到居然蒙对了。
Of course, such a useless disciple didn't matter to Drifting Cloud Valley, so Xujia had long forgotten about this experience.
“ nǐ zhēn shì lín xuān ？”
“你真是林轩？”
But today, Lin Xuan appeared with such power, not only saving her but also reaching the Condensation stage.
“ rú jiǎ bāo huàn 。”
“如假包换。”
How was that possible? Even if one lacked a spiritual root, it would be rare for even a prodigy to reach the Condensation stage in less than a hundred years.
xǔ jiā yòng shǒu wǔ zhù le xiǎo zuǐ ， dāng nián tā yǔ lín xuān shì tóng yī qī rù mén ， duì yú zhè wèi shī dì yìn xiàng shēn kè ， bù guò bú shì yīn wèi lín xuān zī zhì chū zhòng ， bèi shī zhǎng qīng yǎn ， qià qià xiāng fǎn ， cǐ rén nǎi shì chū le míng de yú bèn 。
许佳用手捂住了小嘴，当年她与林轩是同一期入门，对于这位师弟印象深刻，不过不是因为林轩资质出众，被师长青眼，恰恰相反，此人乃是出了名的愚笨。
Watching his expression, Lin Xuan smiled. He remembered those unforgettable days: "Thirty years east, thirty years west." Those who once looked down on him probably never imagined he would become a senior one day!
tīng tóng mén shuō ， tā méi yǒu líng gēn ， rù mén yě shì yīn wèi qiǎo hé ， rán ér zhè zhǒng fán rén zǒu shàng xiān tú ， chéng jiù zhù dìng shì yǒu xiàn de ， dà bù fèn yě jiù zài líng dòng qī yī èr céng pái huái ér yǐ ， jiù suàn tè bié kè kǔ zhī rén qīng bì shēng jīng lì ， yě zuì duō dá dào líng dòng zhōng qī 。
听同门说，他没有灵根，入门也是因为巧合，然而这种凡人走上仙途，成就注定是有限的，大部分也就在灵动期一二层徘徊而已，就算特别刻苦之人倾毕生精力，也最多达到灵动中期。
However, this woman was still relatively good as she hadn't mocked him before. This was also why Lin Xuan was willing to help.
dāng nián zhè wèi shī dì zài mén pài lǐ shòu jǐn bái yǎn ， hěn duō shī xiōng dì dōu jiāng tā dàng zuò shǎ guā xì nòng ， shī
当年这位师弟在门派里受尽白眼，很多师兄弟都将他当作傻瓜戏弄，师
The two fell into silence for a while until Lin Xuan broke the ice: "Sister Xujia, do you feel better?"
wèi kōng qì ， dàn zài tóng jiē dì zǐ lǐ ， míng qì zhī dà ， zú kě yǐ yǔ jǐ 。
为空气，但在同阶弟子里，名气之大，足可以与几。
"Thank Senior for your concern. I am fine now."
xǔ jiā suī rán cóng lái méi yǒu qī fù guò lín xuān ， dàn ěr rú mù rǎn ， què yě cháng cháng tīng dào yǔ tā yǒu guān de chuán yán 。
许佳虽然从来没有欺负过林轩，但耳濡目染，却也常常听到与他有关的传言。
Xujia blinked and bowed gracefully. She was obedient; although she had studied with him before, her current abilities far surpassed his, so she couldn't treat him as an equal. According to the rules of the cultivation world, status determined everything.
jù shuō tā qǐ chū yě hěn kè kǔ ， dàn hòu lái jiàn xiū liàn wú wàng ， jiù qù tǎo le yī fèn fèi dān fáng de chāi shì ， jiàn jiàn dàn chū rén men de shì jiǎo ， hòu lái gèng chè dǐ cóng mén pài lǐ xiāo shī 。
据说他起初也很刻苦，但后来见修炼无望，就去讨了一份废丹房的差事，渐渐淡出人们的视角，后来更彻底从门派里消失。
Lin Xuan didn’t bother with formalities. He could easily be called Senior.
dāng rán ， zhè zhǒng fèi wù yì bān de dì zǐ ， shì sǐ shì huó ， piāo yún gǔ zì rán shì háo bù zài yì ， zhè me duō nián guò qù ， xǔ jiā yě zǎo jiāng zhè yī duàn jīng lì ， jiàn jiàn wàng jì 。
当然，这种废物一般的弟子，是死是活，飘云谷自然是毫不在意，这么多年过去，许佳也早将这一段经历，渐渐忘记。
"Since you are fine, may I ask a few questions?"
kě méi xiǎng dào jīn tiān ， duì fāng sà rán chū xiàn ， bù jǐn jiù le zì jǐ ， ér qiě xiū wèi gèng shì bào zhǎng dào níng dān qī 。
可没想到今天，对方飒然出现，不仅救了自己，而且修为更是暴涨到凝丹期。
"Senior please speak. I will not hide anything," Xujia replied respectfully, taking out a crystal and continuing to recover her mana.
zěn me kě néng ， bié shuō duì fāng méi yǒu líng gēn ， jiù suàn shì zī zhì jué dǐng dì tiān cái ， néng gòu zài bú dào yì bǎi nián de shí jiān lǐ ， jìn jūn níng dān qī ， yě shì fèng máo lín jiǎo 。
怎么可能，别说对方没有灵根，就算是资质绝顶地天才，能够在不到一百年的时间里，进军凝丹期，也是凤毛麟角。
"Why is Drifting Cloud Valley in Yanzhou, yet you are fighting here?" Lin Xuan was curious. If it were the past, he could understand, but now, there was a no-man's-land infested by evil spirits between Yanzhou and this place. A Foundation Establishment cultivator of early stage couldn't possibly cross such a distance.
jiāng duì fāng de biǎo qíng kàn zài yǎn lǐ ， lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo wēi wēi shàng qiào ， yě xiǎng qǐ le xī rì nà nán wàng de jīng lì ， suǒ wèi sān shí nián hé dōng ， sān shí nián hé xī ， xī rì nà xiē kàn bù qǐ zì jǐ de tóng mén ， kǒng pà zuò mèng yě bù céng xiǎng dào zì jǐ huì yǒu chéng wèi qián bèi de yī tiān ba ！
将对方的表情看在眼里，林轩嘴角微微上翘，也想起了昔日那难忘的精力，所谓三十年河东，三十年河西，昔日那些看不起自己的同门，恐怕做梦也不曾想到自己会有成为前辈的一天吧！
"Senior, you don’t know. Yanzhou has turned into a realm of demons," Xujia replied with a somber expression.
bù guò cǐ nǚ hái suàn hǎo de le ， zhì shǎo zài jì yì lǐ ， tā méi yǒu xī luò guò zì jǐ ， zhè yě shì lín xuān yuàn yì chū shǒu de yuán yīn zhī yī 。
不过此女还算好的了，至少在记忆里，她没有奚落过自己，这也是林轩愿意出手的原因之一。
"What?" Lin Xuan was shocked, his face showing disbelief: "You mean the evil spirits have taken over Yanzhou?"
liǎng rén xiàn rù huí yì ， dà yǎn dèng xiǎo yǎn le bàn tiān ， hái shì lín xuān xiān huí guò le shén lái ：“ xǔ gū niáng gǎn jué kě hǎo le diǎn ？”
两人陷入回忆，大眼瞪小眼了半天，还是林轩先回过了神来：“许姑娘感觉可好了点？”
"Yes."
“ xiè qián bèi guà huái ， wǎn bèi yǐ wú dà ài 。”
“谢前辈挂怀，晚辈已无大碍。”
Lin Xuan frowned and sat down to digest this terrifying news.
xǔ jiā zhǎ le zhǎ yǎn ， yíng yíng xià bài ， cǐ nǚ dào yě guāi qiǎo ， lín xuān suī céng yǔ tā tóng mén xué yì ， bù guò duì fāng yǐ jīn fēi xī bǐ ， yī shēn běn lǐng tōng tiān chè dì ， tā nǎ lǐ hái gǎn yǔ duì fāng píng bèi lùn jiāo ， zì rán shì àn zhào xiū zhēn jiè de guī jǔ ， shēn fèn jué dìng yú shí lì 。
许佳眨了眨眼，盈盈下拜，此女倒也乖巧，林轩虽曾与她同门学艺，不过对方已今非昔比，一身本领通天彻地，她哪里还敢与对方平辈论交，自然是按照修真界的规矩，身份决定于实力。
In this world, things were indeed strange. Both Youzhou and Yanzhou belonged to the state of Zhao, but despite all the chaos in Youzhou, neither mortals nor cultivators had fled because there was nowhere to go.
lín xuān méi yǒu yǔ tā kè qì ， zhè shēng qián bèi zì jǐ dāng dé qǐ 。
林轩没有与她客气，这声前辈自己当得起。
Because the border between Youzhou and Yanzhou was a vast sea whose width no one knew for sure—no matter how powerful a cultivator was, they couldn't cross it.
“ gū niáng jì wú dà ài ， nà lín mǒu kě fǒu qǐng jiào jǐ gè wèn tí ？”
“姑娘既无大碍，那林某可否请教几个问题？”
Why would a state's province be separated by an ocean? Because Zhao wasn’t the current existence; this huge empire existed in the Cretaceous period, over a hundred million years ago, before there were any cultivators. However, there had been countless mortals who built an unimaginably vast and powerful empire.
“ qián bèi qǐng shuō ， xiǎo nǚ zǐ zhǐ yào zhī dào ， jué bù gǎn yǒu sī háo yǐn mán de 。” xǔ jiā qǔ chū yī kuài jīng shí ， wò biān jì xù huī fù fǎ lì ， yī biān gōng jìng dì huí dá 。
“前辈请说，小女子只要知道，绝不敢有丝毫隐瞒的。”许佳取出一块晶石，握边继续恢复法力，一边恭敬地回答。
Back then, the empire was contiguous, but later, it suffered terrible disasters, with mountains collapsing and rivers drying up, leading to its fragmentation. Plate tectonics caused it to drift apart, with Youzhou and Yanzhou remaining connected while other provinces were lost in unknown places.
“ piāo yún gǔ bú shì dì chǔ yǎn zhōu ma ， xǔ dào yǒu zěn me huì zài zhè lǐ yǔ rén zhēng dòu ？” lín xuān yǒu xiē hào qí de kāi kǒu ， ruò shì yǐ qián ， huán qíng yǒu kě yuán ， kě xiàn rú jīn ， cǐ dì yǔ yǎn zhōu zhī jiān ， gé zhe yīn hún sì nüè dì lún xiàn qū ， duì fāng zhǐ zhù jī chū qī de xiǎo xiū shì ér yǐ ， zěn me kàn yě bù xiàng yǒu běn lǐng héng chuān píng ān dào dá zhè lǐ 。
“飘云谷不是地处兖州吗，许道友怎么会在这里与人争斗？”林轩有些好奇的开口，若是以前，还情有可原，可现如今，此地与兖州之间，隔着阴魂肆虐地沦陷区，对方只筑基初期的小修士而已，怎么看也不像有本领横穿平安到达这里。
Although Zhao no longer existed, people still used the old names.
“ qián bèi yǒu suǒ bù zhī ， yǎn zhōu zǎo jiù biàn chéng le xiū luó guǐ >。” xǔ jiā shén sè àn rán dì huí dá 。
“前辈有所不知，兖州早就变成了修罗鬼>。”许佳神色黯然地回答。
After a long time, Lin Xuan regained his composure and turned to the woman beside him: "Tell me about how Yanzhou fell. How did it happen?"
“ shén me ？” lín xuān dà chī yī jīng ， liǎn shàng lù chū hài rán de biǎo qíng ：“ nǐ shuō yīn hún yǐ jīng jiāng yǎn zhōu zhàn lǐng ？”
“什么？”林轩大吃一惊，脸上露出骇然的表情：“你说阴魂已经将兖州占领？”
Xujia’s expression grew even more somber as if she was reliving a painful nightmare, but she began speaking nonetheless.
“ shì 。”
“是。”
"Senior, you must know that although Youzhou and Yanzhou are connected, they are poor lands considered barbarian territories. The level of cultivation in the mortal world is incomparable to that of cultivators. There's little interaction between them."
lín xuān méi tóu wēi zhòu ， màn màn zuò le xià lái ， kāi shǐ xiāo huà zhè ge kě pà dì xiāo xī 。
林轩眉头微皱，慢慢坐了下来，开始消化这个可怕地消息。
Lin Xuan nodded; he was well aware of these circumstances since he had been born into Drifting Cloud Valley: "Cut the nonsense and get to the point."
shuō qǐ zì jǐ suǒ chù de zhè ge shì jiè ， què shí yǒu xiē qí guài ， bù lùn yōu zhōu hái shì yǎn zhōu ， dōu shì zhào guó de yí gè zhōu ， dàn rú jīn yōu zhōu zhè me luàn ， bù lùn fán rén hái shì xiū xiān ， què dōu méi yǒu chū táo ， bú shì bù xiǎng ， ér shì gēn běn jiù méi yǒu dì fāng kě táo 。
说起自己所处的这个世界，确实有些奇怪，不论幽州还是兖州，都是赵国的一个州，但如今幽州这么乱，不论凡人还是修仙，却都没有出逃，不是不想，而是根本就没有地方可逃。
"Understood," Xujia lowered her head, organizing her thoughts before continuing: "In fact, there’s not much to say. Two years ago, when evil spirits emerged en masse and occupied Ghost City, they split their forces into two paths—one advancing towards Youzhou's heartland, while the other took the path through Yanzhou."
yīn wèi zài yōu zhōu hé yǎn zhōu de biān yuán ， shì yí wàng wú yín de dà hǎi ， jù tǐ yǒu duō kuān ， méi yǒu rén zhī dào ， fǎn zhèng jí shǐ shì xiū xiān ， yě shì wú fǎ fēi yuè de 。
因为在幽州和兖州的边缘，是一望无垠的大海，具体有多宽，没有人知道，反正即使是修仙，也是无法飞跃的。
"Was their strength formidable?"
wèi shén me yí gè guó jiā de zhōu ， huì bèi hǎi suǒ gé jué ne ， zhè shì yīn wèi zhào guó gēn běn jiù bú shì xiàn zài cún zài de ， zhè ge páng dà dì guó cún zài de shí jiān ， nǎi shì bǐ hóng huāng shí qī gèng zǎo de bái è jì shí dài ， jìn jīn shàng yì nián ， nà shí hòu hái méi yǒu xiū xiān ， bù guò fán rén shù liàng què shì jí duō ， jiàn lì le páng dà dé bù kě sī yì de dì guó 。
为什么一个国家的州，会被海所隔绝呢，这是因为赵国根本就不是现在存在的，这个庞大帝国存在的时间，乃是比洪荒时期更早的白垩纪时代，近今上亿年，那时候还没有修仙，不过凡人数量却是极多，建立了庞大得不可思议的帝国。
"Yes," Xujia looked embarrassed: "For us, it was. This army of evil spirits was led by fifty ghost kings."
Xuan didn't want to get involved in other people's affairs, but since this woman was a cultivator from Drifting Cloud Valley, it seemed a bit awkward not to help.
Moreover, Lin Xuan had some questions he needed to ask her.
Thinking of this, Lin Xuan no longer concealed his cultivation and the flow of spiritual energy within him spread out, exuding an astonishing aura. The demon cultivator who was about to strike at the mortal had suddenly changed his mind, leaving him staring in shock.
However, the reaction from the other party was swift. He quickly bent down and bowed deeply: "Junior disciple Shen Yang from Extreme Demon Cave pays respects to Senior."
"Extreme Demon Cave?"
Lin Xuan's lips curled into a smile, but he didn't bother verifying her words.
The demon sect had grown in power recently, with Sovereign Evil being recognized as the top figure in Youzhou. Many other sects' demon cultivators often claimed to be under the command of Sovereign Evil.
Fraudulent pretenders were not just common in the mortal world; there were also many among cultivators.
Unfortunately, such titles might work for others but Lin Xuan didn't care about them. Even if he was the only disciple of Sovereign Evil, they would still call him brother or friend. This ridiculous fellow wanted to wave a tiger's skin as his banner?
Lin Xuan didn't want to bully someone weaker than himself, but he wasn’t accustomed to letting a tiger go back into the forest. He sighed and said nothing more. With a flick of his hand, a dazzling sword light shot out.
The demon cultivator's face changed drastically. He quickly clapped his hands and spat out some blood, summoning an oddly shaped defensive spiritual artifact.
Unfortunately, it was all in vain. With Lin Xuan’s current strength, even a casual strike could easily overpower a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.
With a 'pfft' sound, the spiritual artifact was shattered as the sword light cut through it. The woman fell to the ground but quickly sat up, placing her hands on her knees and recovering her mana.
Lin Xuan didn't give her any rare elixirs, but his treatment had remarkable effects. After only a short while, her breathing became steady, and she recovered about half of her mana.
Of course, this was due to the fact that her cultivation level wasn’t high. High-level cultivators like Lin Xuan wouldn't have such good results.
The woman opened her eyes and smiled, bowing deeply: "Thank you for saving me, Senior."
"Ah," Lin Xuan nodded but didn't reveal his identity.
"You don't need to be so polite. Let's talk while standing."
"Yes."
Staying cautious, the woman noticed that there weren’t many condensation stage cultivators in her sect. Moreover, this young man’s cultivation seemed far superior to even the sect leader.
What was more unbelievable was how young he was. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look at Lin Xuan several times. The seemingly ordinary face began to seem familiar.
But that wasn’t possible!
Although she felt her thoughts were too absurd, the woman still blurted out: "Senior, are you surnamed Lin?"
Lin Xuan was speechless. She had recognized him! Did women have such good memories?
According to reason, he should be unknown in Drifting Cloud Valley at that time.
Though it seemed a bit strange, since things were as they were, Lin Xuan didn’t deny it and smiled: "Sister Senior Xujia, are you well?"
Xujia was stunned. Her words had come out without thinking, and she felt embarrassed when she realized she might have guessed right.
"Are you really Lin Xuan?"
"Yes."
Xujia covered her mouth with her hands. She and Lin Xuan were in the same batch of disciples back then, and his image was still vivid in her mind. However, it wasn’t because he had outstanding talent; quite the opposite, he was known for being foolish.
According to what her fellow cultivators said, he didn't have a spiritual root and entered the sect by chance. But such mortals destined for the path of immortality would only reach the lower layers of the Spirit Flexibility stage even with great effort.
Back then, this disciple had been mocked by many senior disciples as a fool. However, in her peer group, his name was well-known.
Xujia hadn't bullied Lin Xuan, but she often heard stories about him from others.
It was said that he had initially worked hard but later gave up on cultivation and took a job at the Wasteful Elixir Room. He gradually faded into obscurity until he completely disappeared from the sect.
Of course, such a useless disciple didn't matter to Drifting Cloud Valley, so Xujia had long forgotten about this experience.
But today, Lin Xuan appeared with such power, not only saving her but also reaching the Condensation stage.
How was that possible? Even if one lacked a spiritual root, it would be rare for even a prodigy to reach the Condensation stage in less than a hundred years.
Watching his expression, Lin Xuan smiled. He remembered those unforgettable days: "Thirty years east, thirty years west." Those who once looked down on him probably never imagined he would become a senior one day!
However, this woman was still relatively good as she hadn't mocked him before. This was also why Lin Xuan was willing to help.
The two fell into silence for a while until Lin Xuan broke the ice: "Sister Xujia, do you feel better?"
"Thank Senior for your concern. I am fine now."
Xujia blinked and bowed gracefully. She was obedient; although she had studied with him before, her current abilities far surpassed his, so she couldn't treat him as an equal. According to the rules of the cultivation world, status determined everything.
Lin Xuan didn’t bother with formalities. He could easily be called Senior.
"Since you are fine, may I ask a few questions?"
"Senior please speak. I will not hide anything," Xujia replied respectfully, taking out a crystal and continuing to recover her mana.
"Why is Drifting Cloud Valley in Yanzhou, yet you are fighting here?" Lin Xuan was curious. If it were the past, he could understand, but now, there was a no-man's-land infested by evil spirits between Yanzhou and this place. A Foundation Establishment cultivator of early stage couldn't possibly cross such a distance.
"Senior, you don’t know. Yanzhou has turned into a realm of demons," Xujia replied with a somber expression.
"What?" Lin Xuan was shocked, his face showing disbelief: "You mean the evil spirits have taken over Yanzhou?"
"Yes."
Lin Xuan frowned and sat down to digest this terrifying news.
In this world, things were indeed strange. Both Youzhou and Yanzhou belonged to the state of Zhao, but despite all the chaos in Youzhou, neither mortals nor cultivators had fled because there was nowhere to go.
Because the border between Youzhou and Yanzhou was a vast sea whose width no one knew for sure—no matter how powerful a cultivator was, they couldn't cross it.
Why would a state's province be separated by an ocean? Because Zhao wasn’t the current existence; this huge empire existed in the Cretaceous period, over a hundred million years ago, before there were any cultivators. However, there had been countless mortals who built an unimaginably vast and powerful empire.
Back then, the empire was contiguous, but later, it suffered terrible disasters, with mountains collapsing and rivers drying up, leading to its fragmentation. Plate tectonics caused it to drift apart, with Youzhou and Yanzhou remaining connected while other provinces were lost in unknown places.
Although Zhao no longer existed, people still used the old names.
After a long time, Lin Xuan regained his composure and turned to the woman beside him: "Tell me about how Yanzhou fell. How did it happen?"
Xujia’s expression grew even more somber as if she was reliving a painful nightmare, but she began speaking nonetheless.
"Senior, you must know that although Youzhou and Yanzhou are connected, they are poor lands considered barbarian territories. The level of cultivation in the mortal world is incomparable to that of cultivators. There's little interaction between them."
Lin Xuan nodded; he was well aware of these circumstances since he had been born into Drifting Cloud Valley: "Cut the nonsense and get to the point."
"Understood," Xujia lowered her head, organizing her thoughts before continuing: "In fact, there’s not much to say. Two years ago, when evil spirits emerged en masse and occupied Ghost City, they split their forces into two paths—one advancing towards Youzhou's heartland, while the other took the path through Yanzhou."
"Was their strength formidable?"
"Yes," Xujia looked embarrassed: "For us, it was. This army of evil spirits was led by fifty ghost kings."