lóng shān mián yán wàn lǐ 。 dà xiǎo shān fēng bù jì qí shù 。 bù guò zuì yǒu míng de hái fēng 。 cǐ shān xíng zhuàng qí tè 。 yǒu ruò yī bǎ lì jiàn zhí chā yún xiāo 。 gāo shù qiān zhàng 。 cháng nián bèi bái wù suǒ lǒng zhào 。
龙山绵延万里。大小山峰不计其数。不过最有名的还峰。此山形状奇特。有若一把利剑直插云霄。高数千丈。常年被白雾所笼罩。
Dragon Mountain stretched for miles, its peaks and ridges countless. But the most famous was Peak Jiufeng. The mountain's shape was peculiar; it resembled a sword piercing the clouds, towering thousands of feet high, perpetually shrouded in white mist.
guān yú cǐ fēng de lái yóu 。 hái yǒu yī duàn měi miào chuán shuō 。
关于此峰的来由。还有一段美妙传说。
There was a beautiful legend about how this peak came to be. Long ago, Nine Dragons Celestial Sovereign single-handedly challenged the Demons. The two powerful experts at the Separation and Union stage fought fiercely, with the battle's aftermath splitting the mountain into an isolated peak.
dāng nián jiǔ lóng tiān zūn dān tiāo mó 。 liǎng wèi lí hé qī gāo shǒu dǎ dī tiān fān de fù 。 jù shuō cǐ shān yuán běn gāo dà wēi é 。 shì bèi zhàn dòu de yú bō yìng shēng shēng pǐ chéng yī zuò gū fēng de 。
当年九龙天尊单挑魔。两位离合期高手打的天翻的覆。据说此山原本高大巍峨。是被战斗的余波硬生生劈成一座孤峰的。
Recalling his ancestor's glory days, one could only marvel at their martial prowess. Unfortunately, today’s Nine Dragons Sect had long since declined. With just five thousand disciples across the entire sect, few were of high rank, making them merely mid-level in the cultivation world of Youzhou.
yáo xiǎng zǔ shī dāng nián 。 hé yīng wǔ 。 kě xī rú jīn de jiǔ lóng pài 。 zǎo yǐ mò luò 。 quán pài shàng xià 。 yě bù guò wǔ qiān dì zǐ 。 zhōng hǎn yǒu gāo jiē xiū shì 。 shí lì zài yōu zhōu de xiū xiān jiè 。 zhǐ néng suàn zhōng děng ér yǐ 。
遥想祖师当年。何英武。可惜如今的九龙派。早已没落。全派上下。也不过五千弟子。中罕有高阶修士。实力在幽州的修仙界。只能算中等而已。
Fortunately, this sect was above reproach, so there was no need to worry about others coveting their position.
hǎo zài běn pài de wèi chāo rán 。 dào yě bù yòng dān xīn yǒu rén jì yú 。
好在本派的位超然。倒也不用担心有人觊觎。
However, a significant event had recently occurred.
bù guò zuì jìn 。 què fā le yī jiàn dà shì 。
不过最近。却发了一件大事。
Dark souls invaded, and nearly one-third of Yanzhou had already fallen. In such perilous times, major forces were forced to set aside their grudges and unite against the enemy.
yīn hún rù qīn 。 zhōu yǐ jīng lún xiàn le jìn sān fēn zhī yī de miàn jī 。 dāng cǐ wēi nàn zhī jì 。 gè dà shì lì bù de bù jiāng bǐ cǐ jiān de ēn yuàn zàn shí fàng xià 。 xié shǒu kàng dí 。
阴魂入侵。州已经沦陷了近三分之一的面积。当此危难之际。各大势力不的不将彼此间的恩怨暂时放下。携手抗敌。
The meeting point for this alliance was chosen at Nine Dragons Sect.
ér huì méng de de diǎn jiù xuǎn zài jiǔ lóng pài 。
而会盟的的点就选在九龙派。
For Nine Dragons Sect to host such a gathering was a matter of great prestige. The entire sect worked tirelessly; they renovated their inn long ago, cleaned it thoroughly, and sent clever and agile disciples to patrol nearby areas daily.
néng gòu zhǔ chí huì méng 。 duì jiǔ lóng pài lái shuō 。 zì shì yī jiàn jí qí zhǎng liǎn de shì 。 gāi pài shàng xià yī xīn 。 zhòng shì wú bǐ 。 bù jǐn lǎo zǎo jiù jiāng guǎn fān xiū yī xīn 。 dǎ sǎo gàn 。 ér qiě měi tiān pài chū cōng míng jī mǐn de dì zǐ 。 fù jìn xún shì 。
能够主持会盟。对九龙派来说。自是一件极其涨脸的事。该派上下一心。重视无比。不仅老早就将馆翻修一新。打扫干。而且每天派出聪明机敏的弟子。附近巡视。
The date was set for the first day of August, but various forces arrived early to ensure everything was in place.
shí jiān dìng zài bā yuè chū yī 。 dàn gè fāng shì lì bàn huì tí qián zǎo dào jǐ rì 。
时间定在八月初一。但各方势力半会提前早到几日。
This time, all present were top-tier figures in the cultivation world. Nine Dragons Sect could not afford to be careless or negligent.
zhè cì lái de 。 wú yī bú shì dāng jīn xiū xiān zhòng liàng jí de dà rén wù 。 jiǔ lóng pài zì rán bù gǎn yǒu sī háo dài màn qīng hū 。
这次来的。无一不是当今修仙重量级的大人物。九龙派自然不敢有丝毫怠慢轻忽。
At this moment, two young cultivators, both around twenty years old, were conducting their usual patrol. Their cultivation levels were negligible, barely reaching the Flexible Spirit Period. They flew while whispering to each other.
cǐ shí 。 liǎng míng èr shí suì de nián qīng xiū shì 。 zhèng zuò zhe lì cháng xún luó 。 tā men xiū wèi bù zhí yī tí 。 dà yuē zhǐ dào líng dòng qī 。 yī biān fēi 。 yī biān qiè qiè sī yǔ 。
此时。两名二十岁的年轻修士。正做着例常巡逻。他们修为不值一提。大约只到灵动期。一边飞。一边窃窃私语。
"Senior Brother, are dark souls really that formidable? Hearing that hundreds of sects in Youzhou have been destroyed, is this an exaggeration?" The younger disciple, dressed in a light blue robe and still showing signs of youth, asked doubtfully.
“ shī xiōng 。 yīn hún zhēn de me lì hài ？ tīng yōu zhōu lún xiàn le sān fēn zhī yī 。 huī fēi yān miè de dà xiǎo mén pài shù yǐ bǎi jì shì bú shì kuā dà cí ？” qí zhōng yī míng shēn chuān qīng yī 。 zhì qì wèi tuō de nán dì zǐ 。 yǒu xiē bù xìn de wèn dào 。
“师兄。阴魂真的么厉害？听幽州沦陷了三分之一。灰飞烟灭的大小门派数以百计是不是夸大词？”其中一名身穿青衣。稚气未脱的男弟子。有些不信的问道。
"You ask me who else should I ask? We've never left Dragon Mountain since joining the sect. But everyone says so; it's unlikely to be mere nonsense," replied the older one, wearing scholar attire, with a raised eyebrow as he shook his head.
“ nǐ wèn wǒ wǒ wèn shuí qù 。 yú xiōng yǔ nǐ yī 。 zì cóng bài rù mén pài 。 jiù cóng wèi lí kāi jiǔ lóng shān 。 bù guò wài jiè dōu zhè me chuán 。 xiǎng bì yě bú huì shì huāng miù wàng yán 。” lìng yī rén nián líng yào shāo dà yī diǎn zuò rú shēng dǎ bàn 。 méi tóu yī tiāo yáo tóu huàng nǎo de shuō dào 。
“你问我我问谁去。愚兄与你一。自从拜入门派。就从未离开九龙山。不过外界都这么传。想必也不会是荒谬妄言。”另一人年龄要稍大一点做儒生打扮。眉头一挑摇头晃脑的说道。
"Indeed, Senior Brother. If dark souls weren't that terrifying, the righteous and demonic forces wouldn't have paused their conflict just for us." The blue-robed disciple nodded in agreement, deep in thought.
“ ń 。 shī xiōng yán zhī yǒu |。 ruò yīn hún bú shì nà me xiōng è 。 xiǎng bì zhèng mó yě bú huì qīng yì tíng zhàn huì méng yú wǒ jiǔ lóng shān ” nà qīng yī dì zǐ diǎn diǎn tóu 。 ruò yǒu suǒ sī de kāi kǒu 。
“嗯。师兄言之有|。若阴魂不是那么凶恶。想必正魔也不会轻易停战会盟于我九龙山”那青衣弟子点点头。若有所思的开口。
"That's right; recently, both sides fought fiercely, losing thousands of cultivators, including nearly a hundred Core Formation stage experts. Such profound enmity can only mean how much they fear dark souls," the older one continued.
“ nǐ zhè huà shuō dào diǎn zi shàng le 。 qián yī zhèn zhèng mó dà dǎ chū shǒu 。 shuāng fāng yǔn luò de xiū shì shǔ yǐ wàn jì 。 biàn shì níng dān qī gāo shǒu 。 tīng shuō yě yǒu jìn bǎi zhī duō 。 zhè me shēn de chóu hèn dōu zàn qiě fàng xià 。 zú kě jiàn yīn hún yǒu duō me pà 。”
“你这话说到点子上了。前一阵正魔大打出手。双方陨落的修士数以万计。便是凝丹期高手。听说也有近百之多。这么深的仇恨都暂且放下。足可见阴魂有多么怕。”
"Can we win?" The blue-robed disciple, after hearing this, couldn't help feeling worried. Thanks to his ancestor's blessings and the sect’s elevated status, he was largely unaffected by external changes. But now, if dark souls invaded Dragon Mountain, it would be impossible for them to escape unscathed.
“ nà wǒ men néng shèng lì ma ？” tīng le yī xí huà 。 qīng yī dì zǐ bù yóu de yǒu xiē dān xīn yīn wèi zǔ shī yé de fú yīn 。 běn pài de wèi chāo rán 。 xiū xiān jiè de shì lì bù guǎn zěn yàng biàn huà 。 dōu yǔ tā men wú guān 。 rán ér zhè huí bù tóng 。 yīn hún ruò shì dǎ jìn lái jiǔ lóng shān yě jué bù kě néng xìng miǎn 。
“那我们能胜利吗？”听了一席话。青衣弟子不由的有些担心因为祖师爷的福荫。本派的位超然。修仙界的势力不管怎样变化。都与他们无关。然而这回不同。阴魂若是打进来九龙山也绝不可能幸免。
"Why worry about that? The outcome of the war is beyond our lowly cultivators' control. It's like when a sky falls; someone must bear the brunt. You don't need to trouble yourself with such thoughts. Just focus on your tasks," the scholar smiled, offering wise advice.
“ nǐ dān xīn zhè xiē gàn má ？ zhàn jú rú hé qǐ shì wǒ men zhè xiē dī jiē xiū shì kě yǐ zuǒ yòu 。 suǒ wèi tiān tā xiàn lái yǒu gè gāo de xiān dǐng zhe shī dì nǐ yòu hé bì zì xún fán nǎo 。 zhǐ yào zuò hǎo shǒu tóu de gōng jiù hǎo 。” rú shēng ěr yī xiào 。 pǒ yǒu jiàn de de quàn wèi dào 。
“你担心这些干嘛？战局如何岂是我们这些低阶修士可以左右。所谓天塌陷来有个高的先顶着师弟你又何必自寻烦恼。只要做好手头的工就好。”儒生尔一笑。颇有见的的劝慰道。
"But..." The blue-robed disciple opened his mouth but stopped as he suddenly saw something alarming: "What is that?"
“ kě shì 。” qīng yī dì zǐ zhāng le zhāng kǒu 。 zhèng yào fēn biàn shén me 。 liǎn shàng de dān yōu què tū rán biàn chéng le jīng yà zhī sè ：“ nà 。 nà shì shén me ？”
“可是。”青衣弟子张了张口。正要分辨什么。脸上的担忧却突然变成了惊讶之色：“那。那是什么？”
In the distance, four streaks of light appeared, dazzling and rapidly approaching them.
zhǐ jiàn yuǎn fāng de tiān kōng zhī shàng 。 ruò yǐn ruò xiàn de chū xiàn le sì dào dùn 。 huá lì yǐ jí 。 zhèng yǐ jīng rén de sù dù fēi xiàng zhè lǐ 。
只见远方的天空之上。若隐若现的出现了四道遁。华丽以极。正以惊人的速度飞向这里。
"Could these be senior figures attending the meeting?"
“ nán dào shì cān jiā huì méng de qián bèi ？”
“难道是参加会盟的前辈？”
The scholar's face changed when he saw this. His reaction was faster; recalling Master True Person’s instructions, he quickly pulled out a sound transmission talisman from his pocket, exhaled some spiritual energy, and launched it. Then, he tugged on his junior disciple’s sleeve to greet them.
nà rú shēng zhuǎn tóu kàn jiàn cǐ jǐng 。 bù yóu de liǎn sè dà biàn 。 bù guò tā fǎn yìng míng xiǎn yào kuài yì diǎn 。 xiǎng qǐ zhǎng mén zhēn rén de fēn fù 。 èr huà bù shuō 。 cóng huái lǐ mō chū yī zhāng chuán yīn fú 。 líng lì wēi tǔ 。 jiāng qí jì chū 。 rán hòu yī lā shī dì de yī xiù 。 yíng shàng qù le 。
那儒生转头看见此景。不由的脸色大变。不过他反应明显要快一点。想起掌门真人的吩咐。二话不说。从怀里摸出一张传音符。灵力微吐。将其祭出。然后一拉师弟的衣袖。迎上去了。
After a moment, they met.
piàn kè hòu 。 shuāng fāng pèng tóu 。
片刻后。双方碰头。
The streaks of light converged into three men and one woman, all with distinct appearances but an extraordinary presence.
nà sì dào guāng huá shōu liǎn yǐ hòu 。 xiàn chū le sān nán yī nǚ 。 suī rán gāo ǎi pàng shòu bù yī 。 rén jí è yōng yǒu fēi fán de qì zhì
那四道光华收敛以后。现出了三男一女。虽然高矮胖瘦不一。人极恶拥有非凡的气质
The two young cultivators scanned their minds, realizing that the others' cultivation levels were beyond comprehension; they couldn't determine what rank these cultivators belonged to.
liǎng gè xiǎo xiū shì shén niàn sǎo guò 。 fā xiàn tā men de xiū wèi shēn bù kě cè 。 zì jǐ gēn běn jiù fēn biàn bù chū duì fāng shì shén me děng jí de xiū xiān zhě 。
两个小修士神念扫过。发现他们的修为深不可测。自己根本就分辨不出对方是什么等级的修仙者。
They looked shocked.
bù yóu de miàn lù hài rán zhī sè 。
不由的面露骇然之色。
"Salutations, seniors. May I ask if you are here for the meeting?" Though nervous, it was necessary to inquire further; otherwise, inviting them back without proper introductions could lead to trouble.
“ cān jiàn sì wèi qián bèi 。 gǎn wèn sì wèi kě shì lái cān jiā huì méng de ma ？” suī rán xīn zhōng tǎn tè 。 dàn kěn dìng hái shì xū yào pán wèn yī èr de 。 fǒu duì fāng bú shì jǐ dà shì lì de dài biǎo 。 ér shì lù guò cǐ de de xiū shì 。 mào mào rán jiāng tā men qǐng huí qù 。 kěn dìng méi yǒu hǎo guǒ zi 。
“参见四位前辈。敢问四位可是来参加会盟的吗？”虽然心中忐忑。但肯定还是需要盘问一二的。否对方不是几大势力的代表。而是路过此的的修士。冒冒然将他们请回去。肯定没有好果子。
The scholar finished his question and secretly sized up their guests. The other three were fine, but the ordinary-looking young man seemed a year or two younger than him. Could he be a powerful cultivator?
rú shēng wèn wán huà 。 zài cì tōu tōu de dǎ liàng qǐ duì fāng 。 qí tā sān rén dào yě bà le 。 kě nà míng róng mào pǔ tōng de qīng nián 。 sì hū bǐ zì jǐ hái xiǎo shàng yī liǎng suì 。 nán dào yě huì shì shén me gāo shǒu bù chéng ？
儒生问完话。再次偷偷的打量起对方。其他三人倒也罢了。可那名容貌普通的青年。似乎比自己还小上一两岁。难道也会是什么高手不成？
This thought made him curious, and he couldn't help but extend his spiritual sense again. After all, even low-ranking elders like foundation establishment stage masters could reveal their cultivation levels.
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ 。 tā xīn zhōng qí 。 rěn bú zhù zài cì jiāng shén shí fàng chū qù 。 yào zhī dào 。 nà xiē zhù jī qī de shī shū shī bó 。 zì yě shì néng gòu kàn tā men xiū wèi de 。 ér tā shuō shén me yě bù xiāng xìn 。 zhè ge róng mào pǔ tōng de nián qīng rén 。 huì shì níng dān qī 。
想到这里。他心中奇。忍不住再次将神识放出去。要知道。那些筑基期的师叔师伯。自也是能够看他们修为的。而他说什么也不相信。这个容貌普通的年轻人。会是凝丹期。
"Muhe, don’t be rude."
“ mò hé 。 bù de wú lǐ 。”
“墨禾。不的无礼。”
His action didn't go unnoticed by the present experts; however, Lin Xuan frowned slightly but didn't argue with the junior disciple. Instead, a loud voice echoed from beside him: "Junior Master, you mustn't act so impolitely."
tā de zhè ge dòng zuò 。 zì mán bù guò zài chǎng de gāo shǒu 。 bù guò lín xuān méi tóu wēi zhòu 。 bìng méi yǒu yǔ zhè xiǎo bèi jì jiào 。 dǎo shì páng biān yī shēng dà hē 。 rú léi míng bān de chuán lái le 。
他的这个动作。自瞒不过在场的高手。不过林轩眉头微皱。并没有与这小辈计较。倒是旁边一声大喝。如雷鸣般的传来了。
Following this, a golden crane flew in from the left side. This crane was larger than usual and had yellow feathers.
jiē zhe cóng zuǒ cè 。 fēi lái le yī zhī xiān hè 。 nà xiān hè bǐ pǔ tōng de yào dà shàng | zuǒ yòu 。 ér qiě yǔ máo shì huáng sè de 。
接着从左侧。飞来了一只仙鹤。那仙鹤比普通的要大上|左右。而且羽毛是黄色的。
On the back of the crane was an adult male dressed in a certain manner.
xiān hè bèi shàng 。 yǒu yī dào dǎ bàn de zhōng nián nán
仙鹤背上。有一道打扮的中年男
"Salutations, Grandmaster."
“ cān jiàn shī zǔ 。”
“参见师祖。”
The two young cultivators were startled and quickly bowed. This man was one of Nine Dragons Sect's three top experts, with Core Formation stage cultivation; his Dao name was Crane Obsessed.
liǎng míng xiǎo xiū shì xià le yī tiào 。 máng gōng shēn xíng lǐ 。 cǐ rén shì jiǔ lóng pài de sān dà gāo shǒu zhī yī 。 xiū wèi yǐ dào níng dān chū qī 。 dào hào hè chī 。
两名小修士吓了一跳。忙躬身行礼。此人是九龙派的三大高手之一。修为已到凝丹初期。道号鹤痴。
He wasn't from Jiufeng Peak but had come across the sound transmission talisman by chance. He had gone to the market early that morning for some errands and returned just in time.
tā bìng fēi lái zì tiān yún fēng de fāng xiàng 。 zì rán bú shì shōu dào chuán yīn fú gǎn lái zhè lǐ 。 ér shì jīn tiān yī dà zǎo 。 yǒu shì qù le fāng shì 。 huí lái zhèng hǎo pèng jiàn ér yǐ 。
他并非来自天云峰的方向。自然不是收到传音符赶来这里。而是今天一大早。有事去了坊市。回来正好碰见而已。
Unlike the low-ranking disciples, he had a much higher perspective. He immediately recognized these four as esteemed guests of Spirit Medicine Mountain.
yǔ liǎng gè dī jiē dì zǐ bù tóng 。 tā de yǎn guāng kě yào gāo de duō 。 yī yǎn jiù kàn chū zhè sì rén nǎi shì líng yào shān de guì kè 。
与两个低阶弟子不同。他的眼光可要高的多。一眼就看出这四人乃是灵药山的贵客。
After all, this alchemy sect was no longer what it used to be; while few had personally seen True Person Tongyu, his portrait spread throughout the cultivation world.
bì jìng zhè liàn dān de mén pài zǎo fēi xī bǐ 。 jiù suàn qīn yǎn jiàn guò tōng yǔ zhēn rén de xiū shì bù duō 。 dàn tā de huà xiàng zǎo yǐ zài xiū xiān jiè liú chuán kāi lái le 。
毕竟这炼丹的门派早非昔比。就算亲眼见过通羽真人的修士不多。但他的画像早已在修仙界流传开来了。
In recent years, Lin Xuan had risen to prominence despite his deliberate low profile, and many high-ranking cultivators fell at his hands. His reputation was immense.
ér zuì jìn jǐ nián 。 lín xuān zhǎn lù tóu jiǎo 。 suī rán tā kè yì dī diào 。 dàn yī xiē shì qíng hái shì liú chuán kāi le 。 yǔn luò zài tā shǒu zhōng yǒu míng yǒu xìng de gāo jiē xiū shì zhe shí bù shǎo 。 fēng tou yě shì jí shèng 。
而最近几年。林轩崭露头角。虽然他刻意低调。但一些事情还是流传开了。陨落在他手中有名有姓的高阶修士着实不少。风头也是极盛。
People compared him with the Demonic Sect's young master, the only disciple of Demon Sovereign, Tian Xiaojian, as the most promising figures in the cultivation world today.
rén men jiāng tā hé mó dào shǎo |。 mó zūn wéi yī de ài tú 。 tián xiǎo jiàn xiāng tí bìng lùn 。 bèi yù wéi dāng jīn xiū xiān jiè zuì yǒu qián tú de liǎng rén 。
人们将他和魔道少|。魔尊唯一的爱徒。田小剑相提并论。被誉为当今修仙界最有前途的两人。
Muhe’s actions were disrespectful; repeatedly probing others' spiritual senses without permission was a grave offense.
ér mò hé bù zhī qīng zhòng 。 yī zài yòng shén shí tàn cè duì fāng 。 zhè kě shì hěn shī lǐ de xíng wéi 。
而墨禾不知轻重。一再用神识探测对方。这可是很失礼的行为。
Therefore, Crane Obsessed bowed to True Person Tongyu and said to Lin Xuan: "Junior Master, I apologize for my junior's impoliteness. Please don't take it amiss." He then performed a deep bow.
suǒ yǐ hè chī zài dà lǐ bài tōng yǔ zhēn rén yǐ ,。 jiù lín xuān lián lián dào qiàn ：“ shǎo mén zhǔ 。 xiǎo bèi bù zhī guī jǔ 。 hái qǐng nín qiān wàn bú yào jiè yì 。” shuō wán shēn shī yī lǐ 。
所以鹤痴在大礼拜通羽真人以,。就林轩连连道歉：“少门主。小辈不知规矩。还请您千万不要介意。”说完深施一礼。
"Ha ha, friend, you're too polite. This young friend was just curious; how could I hold such trivial matters against him?" Lin Xuan waved his hand. Although he wasn’t a good person, he wouldn't bully someone weaker than himself.
“ hē hē 。 dào yǒu tài kè qì le 。 zhè wèi xiǎo yǒu zhǐ shì hào qí ér yǐ 。 lín mǒu qǐ huì yǔ tā yī bān jiàn shí ？” lín xuān bǎi le bǎi 。 tā suī rán bú shì shén me hǎo rén 。 dàn yě bú huì zhàng shì qī rén 。
“呵呵。道友太客气了。这位小友只是好奇而已。林某岂会与他一般见识？”林轩摆了摆。他虽然不是什么好人。但也不会仗势欺人。
"Thank you for your understanding. It's my good fortune to meet all of you. Please follow me to our inn for some rest," Crane Obsessed said, leading the way.
Dragon Mountain stretched for miles, its peaks and ridges countless. But the most famous was Peak Jiufeng. The mountain's shape was peculiar; it resembled a sword piercing the clouds, towering thousands of feet high, perpetually shrouded in white mist.
There was a beautiful legend about how this peak came to be. Long ago, Nine Dragons Celestial Sovereign single-handedly challenged the Demons. The two powerful experts at the Separation and Union stage fought fiercely, with the battle's aftermath splitting the mountain into an isolated peak.
Recalling his ancestor's glory days, one could only marvel at their martial prowess. Unfortunately, today’s Nine Dragons Sect had long since declined. With just five thousand disciples across the entire sect, few were of high rank, making them merely mid-level in the cultivation world of Youzhou.
Fortunately, this sect was above reproach, so there was no need to worry about others coveting their position.
However, a significant event had recently occurred.
Dark souls invaded, and nearly one-third of Yanzhou had already fallen. In such perilous times, major forces were forced to set aside their grudges and unite against the enemy.
The meeting point for this alliance was chosen at Nine Dragons Sect.
For Nine Dragons Sect to host such a gathering was a matter of great prestige. The entire sect worked tirelessly; they renovated their inn long ago, cleaned it thoroughly, and sent clever and agile disciples to patrol nearby areas daily.
The date was set for the first day of August, but various forces arrived early to ensure everything was in place.
This time, all present were top-tier figures in the cultivation world. Nine Dragons Sect could not afford to be careless or negligent.
At this moment, two young cultivators, both around twenty years old, were conducting their usual patrol. Their cultivation levels were negligible, barely reaching the Flexible Spirit Period. They flew while whispering to each other.
"Senior Brother, are dark souls really that formidable? Hearing that hundreds of sects in Youzhou have been destroyed, is this an exaggeration?" The younger disciple, dressed in a light blue robe and still showing signs of youth, asked doubtfully.
"You ask me who else should I ask? We've never left Dragon Mountain since joining the sect. But everyone says so; it's unlikely to be mere nonsense," replied the older one, wearing scholar attire, with a raised eyebrow as he shook his head.
"Indeed, Senior Brother. If dark souls weren't that terrifying, the righteous and demonic forces wouldn't have paused their conflict just for us." The blue-robed disciple nodded in agreement, deep in thought.
"That's right; recently, both sides fought fiercely, losing thousands of cultivators, including nearly a hundred Core Formation stage experts. Such profound enmity can only mean how much they fear dark souls," the older one continued.
"Can we win?" The blue-robed disciple, after hearing this, couldn't help feeling worried. Thanks to his ancestor's blessings and the sect’s elevated status, he was largely unaffected by external changes. But now, if dark souls invaded Dragon Mountain, it would be impossible for them to escape unscathed.
"Why worry about that? The outcome of the war is beyond our lowly cultivators' control. It's like when a sky falls; someone must bear the brunt. You don't need to trouble yourself with such thoughts. Just focus on your tasks," the scholar smiled, offering wise advice.
"But..." The blue-robed disciple opened his mouth but stopped as he suddenly saw something alarming: "What is that?"
In the distance, four streaks of light appeared, dazzling and rapidly approaching them.
"Could these be senior figures attending the meeting?"
The scholar's face changed when he saw this. His reaction was faster; recalling Master True Person’s instructions, he quickly pulled out a sound transmission talisman from his pocket, exhaled some spiritual energy, and launched it. Then, he tugged on his junior disciple’s sleeve to greet them.
After a moment, they met.
The streaks of light converged into three men and one woman, all with distinct appearances but an extraordinary presence.
The two young cultivators scanned their minds, realizing that the others' cultivation levels were beyond comprehension; they couldn't determine what rank these cultivators belonged to.
They looked shocked.
"Salutations, seniors. May I ask if you are here for the meeting?" Though nervous, it was necessary to inquire further; otherwise, inviting them back without proper introductions could lead to trouble.
The scholar finished his question and secretly sized up their guests. The other three were fine, but the ordinary-looking young man seemed a year or two younger than him. Could he be a powerful cultivator?
This thought made him curious, and he couldn't help but extend his spiritual sense again. After all, even low-ranking elders like foundation establishment stage masters could reveal their cultivation levels.
"Muhe, don’t be rude."
His action didn't go unnoticed by the present experts; however, Lin Xuan frowned slightly but didn't argue with the junior disciple. Instead, a loud voice echoed from beside him: "Junior Master, you mustn't act so impolitely."
Following this, a golden crane flew in from the left side. This crane was larger than usual and had yellow feathers.
On the back of the crane was an adult male dressed in a certain manner.
"Salutations, Grandmaster."
The two young cultivators were startled and quickly bowed. This man was one of Nine Dragons Sect's three top experts, with Core Formation stage cultivation; his Dao name was Crane Obsessed.
He wasn't from Jiufeng Peak but had come across the sound transmission talisman by chance. He had gone to the market early that morning for some errands and returned just in time.
Unlike the low-ranking disciples, he had a much higher perspective. He immediately recognized these four as esteemed guests of Spirit Medicine Mountain.
After all, this alchemy sect was no longer what it used to be; while few had personally seen True Person Tongyu, his portrait spread throughout the cultivation world.
In recent years, Lin Xuan had risen to prominence despite his deliberate low profile, and many high-ranking cultivators fell at his hands. His reputation was immense.
People compared him with the Demonic Sect's young master, the only disciple of Demon Sovereign, Tian Xiaojian, as the most promising figures in the cultivation world today.
Muhe’s actions were disrespectful; repeatedly probing others' spiritual senses without permission was a grave offense.
Therefore, Crane Obsessed bowed to True Person Tongyu and said to Lin Xuan: "Junior Master, I apologize for my junior's impoliteness. Please don't take it amiss." He then performed a deep bow.
"Ha ha, friend, you're too polite. This young friend was just curious; how could I hold such trivial matters against him?" Lin Xuan waved his hand. Although he wasn’t a good person, he wouldn't bully someone weaker than himself.
"Thank you for your understanding. It's my good fortune to meet all of you. Please follow me to our inn for some rest," Crane Obsessed said, leading the way.