， lín xuān sōng le kǒu qì ， suí jí fàng chū shén shí ， sì zhōu yī jiù shì tū āo ， ér zài tā zuǒ cè ， zhàn zhe yī wèi róng mào juān xiù de miào líng nǚ zǐ 。
，林轩松了口气，随即放出神识，四周依旧是凸凹，而在他左侧，站着一位容貌娟秀的妙龄女子。
Lin Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and immediately released his divine sense. The surroundings remained uneven, but to his left stood a young woman with delicate features.
“ dào yǒu méi shì zhēn shì tài hǎo le ， wǒ hái yì zhí dān xīn nǐ shì fǒu néng píng ān cóng huàn zhèn zhōng chū qù 。”
“道友没事真是太好了，我还一直担心你是否能平安从幻阵中出去。”
"Friend, it's good that you're alright. I was worried whether you could safely exit the illusory realm."
kǒng què xiān zi liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī què yuè de biǎo qíng ， tā gāng gāng què shí yǒu xiē dān xīn ， zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， yāo shòu yǒu zhe qiáng hèng de shēn tǐ ， rěn shòu tòng kǔ de néng lì yuǎn fēi rén lèi xiū shì kě jí 。
孔雀仙子脸上闪过一丝雀跃的表情，她刚刚确实有些担心，众所周知，妖兽有着强横的身体，忍受痛苦的能力远非人类修士可及。
The Fairy Peacock's face showed a hint of joy. Indeed, she had been concerned just now. It was well-known that beast creatures had formidable bodies and far greater pain tolerance than human cultivators.
rán ér jí biàn shì tā ， gāng gāng yě chī le bù xiǎo de kǔ tóu ， qū qū yī níng dān qī de xiū shì ， néng fǒu zài rú cǐ kě pà de huàn zhèn zhōng yǎo yá dǐng zhù ， tā yì diǎn bǎ wò yě méi yǒu 。
然而即便是她，刚刚也吃了不小的苦头，区区一凝丹期的修士，能否在如此可怕的幻阵中咬牙顶住，她一点把握也没有。
However, even she herself had endured quite a bit of hardship. Whether a mere condensation core stage cultivator could withstand such a terrifying illusory realm was something she had no confidence in.
rú jīn liǎng rén shì yī tiáo shéng shàng de mà zhà ， tā zì rán bù xiǎng lín xuān yǒu gè sān cháng liǎng duǎn de 。
如今两人是一条绳上的蚂蚱，她自然不想林轩有个三长两短的。
Now that they were in the same boat, she naturally didn't want anything to happen to Lin Xuan.
“ duō xiè xiān zi guà huái ， zhè diǎn kǎo yàn hái nán bú zhù lín mǒu 。”
“多谢仙子挂怀，这点考验还难不住林某。”
"Thank you for your concern, this test is nothing for me."
“ hǎo ， wǒ men zǒu 。”
“好，我们走。”
"Good. Let's go."
shí jiān jǐn pò ， kǒng què xiān zi yě bù yuàn duō shuō ， lián bù qīng yí ， xiàng qián miàn zǒu qù ， suī rán yǐ méi yǒu le xuè sè wù qì ， dàn zhè lǐ xiǎn rán bù bù wēi jī ， liǎng rén jiē dǎ qǐ shí èr fēn xiǎo xīn ， zhù yì zhe fù jìn de yī cǎo yī mù 。
时间紧迫，孔雀仙子也不愿多说，莲步轻移，像前面走去，虽然已没有了血色雾气，但这里显然步步危机，两人皆打起十二分小心，注意着附近的一草一木。
Time was pressing, and the Fairy Peacock did not wish to waste any more words. She took a few steps forward with light footfalls. Although there was no longer blood-colored mist, the area was clearly full of danger. Both Lin Xuan and the female cultivator remained highly cautious, watching every plant and tree closely.
shuō qǐ lái ， zhè lǐ míng míng shì shān fù ， kě cóng shí tou fèng lǐ ， què zhǎng chū le xǔ duō xī qí gǔ guài de zhí wù ， lín xuān hé kǒng què xiān zi yě suàn jiàn duō shí guǎng le ， què jū rán wán quán rèn bù chū 。
说起来，这里明明是山腹，可从石头缝里，却长出了许多稀奇古怪的植物，林轩和孔雀仙子也算见多识广了，却居然完全认不出。
Speaking of it, this place should have been inside a mountain, but many strange plants grew from the cracks in the rocks. Lin Xuan and the Fairy Peacock had seen much over their travels, yet they couldn't recognize any of these plants.
nán dào shì shàng gǔ shí qī yǐ jīng miè jué de dōng dōng ……
难道是上古时期已经灭绝的东东……
Could they be something that went extinct during ancient times...
lín xuān rú shì cāi xiǎng 。 xiù páo qīng fú 。 yī dào guāng xiá fēi lüè ér chū 。 jiāng yán tú suǒ jiàn dì zhí wù lián gēn bá qǐ 。 néng ná duō shǎo ná duō shǎo 。 jiù suàn shì hòu méi yòng 。 zì jǐ dà bù liǎo suàn shì zuò le yī fān wú yòng gōng 。
林轩如是猜想。袖袍轻拂。一道光霞飞掠而出。将沿途所见地植物连根拔起。能拿多少拿多少。就算事后没用。自己大不了算是做了一番无用功。
Lin Xuan thought to himself as he flicked his sleeves. A streak of light shot out, uprooting all the plants along the way. He took what he could, even if it turned out to be useless later on.
yòu zǒu le yuē yī zhù xiāng dì gōng fu 。 qián fāng tū rán huò rán kāi lǎng 。 lín xuān hé nǚ yāo xiū duì shì yī yǎn 。 bù yuē ér tóng dì jiā kuài le jiǎo bù 。
又走了约一炷香地功夫。前方突然豁然开朗。林轩和女妖修对视一眼。不约而同地加快了脚步。
After about a quarter of an hour, they suddenly found themselves in front of a large stone chamber. It was circular with at least fifty-six feet in diameter and seven or eight feet high, appearing very spacious.
“ yí 。 zhè shì ……”
“咦。这是……”
In the center of the stone chamber, over a dozen statues were arranged haphazardly. These statues were lifelike yet varied in form—some human, some beast, each unique. The most eye-catching one was in the middle.
yī jù dà dì shí shì dòng ** chū xiàn zài le miàn qián 。 chéng yuán xíng 。 zhí jìng zhì shǎo yǒu wǔ liù shí zhàng zhī guǎng 。 gāo yě yǒu qī bā zhàng 。 xiǎn de fēi cháng kōng kuàng 。
一巨大地石室洞**出现在了面前。呈圆形。直径至少有五六十丈之广。高也有七八丈。显得非常空旷。
This statue stood three meters tall. Its lower half was snake-like, while its upper half resembled a human with a sharp horn protruding from its forehead, about a foot long.
zài shí shì zhōng yāng 。 héng qī shù bā dì luó liè zhe shí yú jù diāo xiàng 。 zhè xiē diāo xiàng xǔ xǔ rú shēng 。 què yòu xíng tài gè yì 。 yǒu rén lèi 。 yě yǒu yāo shòu 。 bù yī ér zú 。 qí zhōng zuì yǐn rén zhù mù dì zhōng jiān dì yí gè 。
在石室中央。横七竖八地罗列着十余具雕像。这些雕像栩栩如生。却又形态各异。有人类。也有妖兽。不一而足。其中最引人注目地中间地一个。
It was eerie, and Lin Xuan's face showed extreme surprise. He had seen similar scenes at the Fairy Mine Site on Qingye Mountain.
cǐ diāo xiàng gāo sān mǐ 。 xià bàn shēn shì shé wěi 。 shàng bàn shēn zé shì rén lèi 。 é tóu shàng yǒu zhe yī gēn bàn chǐ lái zhǎng dì jiān jiǎo 。
此雕像高三米。下半身是蛇尾。上半身则是人类。额头上有着一根半尺来长地尖角。
However, this situation was different. Although these statues seemed lifeless, Lin Xuan could sense a dangerous aura emanating from them.
yǒu xiē guǐ yì ， lín xuān liǎn shàng gèng shì lù chū le è rán zhī jí dì biǎo qíng ， dāng chū zài qīng yè shān de xiān kuàng yí zhǐ ， zì jǐ yě jiàn guò lèi sì de chǎng jǐng 。
有些诡异，林轩脸上更是露出了愕然之极地表情，当初在青叶山的仙矿遗址，自己也见过类似的场景。
With that thought, he released his divine sense. Just as it touched one of the statues...
bù guò yǎn qián bìng bù xiāng tóng ， suī rán zhè xiē diāo xiàng kàn qǐ lái xiàng shì sǐ wù ， dàn cóng men shēn shàng ， lín xuān què xiù dào le yī gǔ wēi xiǎn zhī qì 。
不过眼前并不相同，虽然这些雕像看起来像是死物，但从们身上，林轩却嗅到了一股危险之气。
Click, click—those things actually came to life.
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， lín xuān jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， rán ér gāng gāng yǔ yǎn qián de diāo xiàng pèng chù ……
想到这里，林轩将神识放出，然而刚刚与眼前的雕像碰触……
"Bad luck, these are ancient puppets," the Fairy Peacock's face turned pale as she exclaimed.
kā ， kā ， nà dōng xī jū rán huó guò lái le 。
咔，咔，那东西居然活过来了。
"Puppetry?" Lin Xuan frowned. "Is that possible? Puppetry techniques were supposed to have been lost long ago. Our sect was founded by Patriarch Tianzhen only three thousand years ago. How could there be such things?"
“ bù hǎo ， zhè xiē dōng xī shì shàng gǔ shí qī de kuǐ lěi 。” kǒng què xiān zi sì hū xiǎng qǐ le shén me ， liǎn sè dà biàn de shuō dào 。
“不好，这些东西是上古时期的傀儡。”孔雀仙子似乎想起了什么，脸色大变的说道。
"Ask me, who would you ask?" the Fairy Peacock looked gloomy and her tone turned harsher.
“ shàng gǔ kuǐ lěi ？” lín xuān méi tou yí zhòu ：“ bú huì ba ， kuǐ lěi shù bú shì zǎo jiù shī chuán le ma ， běn mén zì tiān chén zǔ shī suàn qǐ ， kāi zōng lì pài dì shí jiān ， yě bù guò sān qiān nián ， zěn me huì yǒu zhè zhǒng dōng xī 。”
“上古傀儡？”林轩眉头一皱：“不会吧，傀儡术不是早就失传了吗，本门自天尘祖师算起，开宗立派地时间，也不过三千年，怎么会有这种东西。”
There were myriad arts in cultivation, vast as the sea of knowledge. Particularly during ancient times, puppetry was extremely common. Low-grade puppets were plentiful here, but some top-tier ones could rival even元婴期 cultivators.
“ nǐ wèn wǒ ， wǒ wèn shuí qù ？” kǒng què xiān zi yī liǎn huì qì ， kǒu qì yě shēng yìng le shǎo xǔ 。
“你问我，我问谁去？”孔雀仙子一脸晦气，口气也生硬了少许。
Lin Xuan had read about them in ancient texts but couldn't recall now.
xiū zhēn bǎi yì ， hào rú yān hǎi ， tè bié shì zài shàng gǔ shí qī ， gèng shì fán róng yǐ jí ， bǐ rú shuō kuǐ lěi de zhì zuò zhī fǎ ， rú jīn zǎo yǐ yān mò zài lì shǐ de cháng hé ， dàn nà shí hòu ， què shì fēi cháng pǔ biàn dì 。
修真百艺，浩如烟海，特别是在上古时期，更是繁荣以极，比如说傀儡的制作之法，如今早已淹没在历史的长河，但那时候，却是非常普遍地。
In that brief conversation, all the statues came to life. Red light shone from their eyes, causing a sense of dread.
kuǐ lěi yǒu qiáng yǒu ruò ， ná zhè yī jiè lái shuō ， dī jiē kuǐ lěi zuì duō ， dàn yī xiē dǐng jí de ， shén tōng zhī qiáng ， shèn zhì néng yǔ yuán yīng qī xiū shì píng fēn qiū sè 。
傀儡有强有弱，拿这一界来说，低阶傀儡最多，但一些顶级的，神通之强，甚至能与元婴期修士平分秋色。
"There's one at the 元婴期 level, and the rest are at the筑基期," the Fairy Peacock exhaled with relief after identifying the puppets' strength. Although the situation was not optimistic, they could still handle it. The key was to act quickly; the Snow参Pill's effects would only last for an hour.
lín xuān céng jīng zài diǎn jí zhōng kàn guò bù shǎo jì zǎi ， zhǐ shì yī shí méi yǒu xiǎng qǐ lái 。
林轩曾经在典籍中看过不少记载，只是一时没有想起来。
Acting first, the Fairy Peacock opened her mouth and expelled a streak of light. As soon as it separated from her body, it rapidly expanded into a hurricane.
ér liǎng rén duì huà de zhè diǎn shí jiān ， nà xiē diāo xiàng yǐ jīng quán bù huó le guò lái ， yǎn zhōng fàng chū shēn hóng sè de guāng máng ， kàn shàng qù lìng rén xīn jīng dǎn zhàn 。
而两人对话的这点时间，那些雕像已经全部活了过来，眼中放出深红色的光芒，看上去令人心惊胆战。
"Quickly!"
“ yí gè yuán yīng qī ， qí tā zé shì zhù jī qī 。” biàn rèn chū kuǐ lěi dì xiū wèi ， kǒng què xiān zi sōng le kǒu qì ， suī rán xíng shì shuō bù shàng lè guān ， dàn liǎng rén hái néng gòu yìng fù ， guān jiàn shì sù zhàn sù jué ， bì jìng xuě cān wán de xiào lì zhǐ yǒu duǎn duǎn de yí gè shí chén ér yǐ 。
“一个元婴期，其他则是筑基期。”辨认出傀儡地修为，孔雀仙子松了口气，虽然形势说不上乐观，但两人还能够应付，关键是速战速决，毕竟雪参丸的效力只有短短的一个时辰而已。
She pointed with her jade hand, transforming the streak of light into a hurricane about ten feet in diameter that swept towards the puppets.
xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng ， kǒng què xiān zi tán kǒu wēi zhāng ， pēn tǔ chū yī dào guāng xiá ， nà xiá guāng lí tǐ yǐ hòu ， xùn sù péng zhàng biàn dà 。
先下手为强，孔雀仙子檀口微张，喷吐出一道光霞，那霞光离体以后，迅速膨胀变大。
Lin Xuan wasn't idle either. He shook his shoulders and injected his magical power into his divine sword, Drifting Cloud Snowfall Sword. The sword trembled before transforming into a deep blue dragon, following closely behind.
tā shēn chū yù shǒu yì diǎn zhǐ ， nà xiá guāng huà wèi le yī dào zhí jìng zhàng xǔ de jù fēng ， hū xiào zhe xiàng zhe kuǐ lěi xí juǎn ér qù 。
她伸出玉手一点指，那霞光化为了一道直径丈许的飓风，呼啸着向着傀儡席卷而去。
With an ear-piercing crack, the dozen筑基期 puppets were easily defeated. However, neither of them showed any joy. The Fairy Peacock continued to lead the hurricane towards the half-human, half-snake monster, as the others were just minor threats. This 元婴期 puppet was their main adversary.
lín xuān yě méi yǒu xián zhe ， jiān tóu wēi yáo ， jiāng fǎ lì zhù rù tóu dǐng de xiān jiàn ， piāo yún luò xuě jiàn yī chàn zhī hòu ， huà wèi yī dào shēn lán sè de jiāo lóng ， jǐn suí qí hòu 。
林轩也没有闲着，肩头微摇，将法力注入头顶的仙剑，飘云落雪剑一颤之后，化为一道深蓝色的蛟龙，紧随其后。
Half human and half snake, it was said that such creatures existed during the洪荒 era but had since gone extinct. At that time, people called them Naga.
cī lā ……
刺啦……
Seeing the hurricane approach, a hint of mockery flashed across the Naga's face. Lin Xuan felt his heart sink as he saw this scene. Although puppetry techniques were lost, the general principle was clear to him—these puppets were made from various rare materials and infused with souls. Regardless, they were still clay figures. The fact that their expressions were so lifelike meant that an 元婴期 puppet was indeed formidable.
bàn suí zhe cì ěr dì suì liè shēng ， nà shí yú jù zhù jī qī de kuǐ lěi bù kān yī jī ， rán ér liǎng rén liǎn shàng bìng méi yǒu huān xǐ ， kǒng què xiān zi cāo zòng zhe jù fēng jì xù xiàng zhe nà rén shēn shé wěi dì guài wù shā qù ， qí tā de bù guò shì xiǎo zú zi ， zhè yuán yīng qī dì kuǐ lěi cái shì dà dí 。
伴随着刺耳地碎裂声，那十余具筑基期的傀儡不堪一击，然而两人脸上并没有欢喜，孔雀仙子操纵着飓风继续向着那人身蛇尾地怪物杀去，其他的不过是小卒子，这元婴期地傀儡才是大敌。
The puppet's figure flickered as it seemingly vanished from its spot.
bàn rén bàn shé ， jù shuō zài hóng huāng shí qī ， hái zhēn yǒu zhè zhǒng shēng wù ， zhǐ bù guò rú jīn yǐ rán miè jué le ， dāng shí ， rén men chēng hū qí wèi nà jiā 。
半人半蛇，据说在洪荒时期，还真有这种生物，只不过如今已然灭绝了，当时，人们称呼其为那迦。
The hurricane missed its target, but a loud explosion came from Lin Xuan's side, followed by a glaring red light.
jiàn jù fēng shā lái ， nà jiā liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī jī cháo ， lín xuān jiàn le cǐ jǐng ， xīn zhōng bù yóu de yī chén ， kuǐ lěi shù suī rán yǐ jīng shī chuán ， dàn dà tǐ de yuán lǐ ， lín xuān xīn zhōng hái shì qīng chǔ ， yóu gè zhǒng zhēn xī cái liào níng liàn ér chéng ， bìng pèi yǐ hún pò ， dàn bù guǎn rú hé ， zǒng shì ní sù mù diāo zhī wù ， biǎo qíng jū rán rú cǐ wéi miào wéi xiào ， yuán yīng qī dì kuǐ lěi guǒ rán fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。
见飓风杀来，那迦脸上闪过一丝讥嘲，林轩见了此景，心中不由得一沉，傀儡术虽然已经失传，但大体的原理，林轩心中还是清楚，由各种珍稀材料凝炼而成，并配以魂魄，但不管如何，总是泥塑木雕之物，表情居然如此惟妙惟肖，元婴期地傀儡果然非同小可。
Lin Xuan was alarmed. He didn't know when the opponent had sneaked up behind him. Fortunately, his ancient shield's defense was impressive; otherwise, he might have fallen victim to this surprise attack.
shēn xíng wēi huǎng ， nà kuǐ lěi jū rán cóng yuán dì xiāo shī le 。
身形微晃，那傀儡居然从原地消失了。
This guy has incredible speed!
jù fēng zì rán luò kōng ， suí hòu lín xuān shēn cè chuán lái yī shēng jù xiǎng ， hóng máng yào mù 。
飓风自然落空，随后林轩身侧传来一声巨响，红芒耀目。
Failing to hit with one strike, the Naga retreated. Lin Xuan, shaken by the encounter, immediately poured all his magical power into the ancient shield and threw out several more defensive talismans.
lín xuān dà hài ， bù zhī hé shí ， duì fāng jū rán qián dào le zì jǐ shēn biān ， hái hǎo fú wén gǔ dùn fáng yù jīng rén ， fǒu zé zì jǐ shuō bù dìng yǐ mò míng qí miào de yǔn luò 。
林轩大骇，不知何时，对方居然潜到了自己身边，还好符文古盾防御惊人，否则自己说不定已莫名其妙的陨落。
Fortunately, while its speed was impressive, it wasn't completely unmanageable. He had been too careless just now because of the Fairy Peacock's presence.
zhè jiā huo hǎo jīng rén de sù dù ！
这家伙好惊人的速度！
Lin Xuan focused his divine sense on the monster in front of him but didn't act rashly. This opponent's strength could rival an early-stage 元婴 cultivator, and there was no need for him to take the lead.
yī jī bù zhōng ， nà jiā piāo shēn tuì hòu ， xīn yǒu yú jì de lín xuān ， máng jiāng hún shēn de fǎ lì zhù rù dào gǔ dùn zhī zhōng ， tóng shí yī yáng shǒu ， yòu jì chū le jǐ dào fáng yù fú 。
一击不中，那迦飘身退后，心有余悸的林轩，忙将浑身的法力注入到古盾之中，同时一扬手，又祭出了几道防御符。
The Fairy Peacock's face turned unpleasant. She had just been attacked by her own puppet, showing utter disrespect. Let me show you my might.
hǎo zài zhè jiā huo sù dù suī rán yǒu xiē jīng rén ， dào yě bìng méi yǒu dào fáng bù shèng fáng de dì bù ， gāng gāng shì yīn wèi yǒu kǒng què xiān zi zài yī páng ， gù ér yǒu xiē qīng xīn dà yì 。
好在这家伙速度虽然有些惊人，倒也并没有到防不胜防的地步，刚刚是因为有孔雀仙子在一旁，故而有些轻心大意。
Her jade hand extended, a small golden sword appearing in her palm.
lín xuān jí zhōng quán bù de shén shí ， suǒ dìng le yǎn qián de guài wù ， bù guò tā dào méi yǒu qīng yì dòng shǒu ， bì jìng zhè jiā huo de shí lì zú yǐ pì měi yuán yīng chū qī de xiū shì ， zì jǐ méi yǒu bì yào qiáng chū tóu 。
林轩集中全部的神识，锁定了眼前的怪物，不过他倒没有轻易动手，毕竟这家伙的实力足以媲美元婴初期的修士，自己没有必要强出头。
Unlike human cultivators who favored talismans and treasures, beast cultivators focused on their physical bodies and were more adept at manipulating the five elements. This golden sword was formed from pure beast energy.
kǒng què xiān zi liǎn sè yǒu xiē nán kàn ， dāng zhe zì jǐ de miàn tōu xí lín xuān ， zhè kuǐ lěi jiǎn zhí mù zhōng wú rén dào le jí diǎn ， ràng kàn kàn běn xiān zi de lì hài 。
孔雀仙子脸色有些难看，当着自己的面偷袭林轩，这傀儡简直目中无人到了极点，让看看本仙子的厉害。
Despite its chilling appearance, it seemed no less formidable than a well-crafted treasure.
yù shǒu shēn chū ， zhǎng xīn zhōng chū xiàn le yī jī dàn dà xiǎo de guāng qiú ， cī lā ， guāng qiú pò kāi ， cóng lǐ miàn fēi chū yī bǐng jīn sè de xiǎo jiàn 。
玉手伸出，掌心中出现了一鸡蛋大小的光球，刺啦，光球破开，从里面飞出一柄金色的小剑。
"Go!"
yǔ rén lèi xiū shì xǐ huān shǐ yòng fǎ bǎo bù tóng ， yāo xiū gèng zhù zhòng yú běn tǐ de duàn liàn ， tóng shí wǔ xíng fǎ shù yě gèng jiā de chū shén rù huà ， xiàng yǎn qián zhè bǐng jīn jiàn ， nǎi shì yòng chún zhèng de yāo lì huàn huà 。
与人类修士喜欢使用法宝不同，妖修更注重于本体的锻炼，同时五行法术也更加的出神入化，像眼前这柄金剑，乃是用纯正的妖力幻化。
The Fairy Peacock's sharp cry echoed as the golden sword stretched out, transforming into a dazzling beam of light that flashed before appearing above one of the puppets' heads.
Lin Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and immediately released his divine sense. The surroundings remained uneven, but to his left stood a young woman with delicate features.
"Friend, it's good that you're alright. I was worried whether you could safely exit the illusory realm."
The Fairy Peacock's face showed a hint of joy. Indeed, she had been concerned just now. It was well-known that beast creatures had formidable bodies and far greater pain tolerance than human cultivators.
However, even she herself had endured quite a bit of hardship. Whether a mere condensation core stage cultivator could withstand such a terrifying illusory realm was something she had no confidence in.
Now that they were in the same boat, she naturally didn't want anything to happen to Lin Xuan.
"Thank you for your concern, this test is nothing for me."
"Good. Let's go."
Time was pressing, and the Fairy Peacock did not wish to waste any more words. She took a few steps forward with light footfalls. Although there was no longer blood-colored mist, the area was clearly full of danger. Both Lin Xuan and the female cultivator remained highly cautious, watching every plant and tree closely.
Speaking of it, this place should have been inside a mountain, but many strange plants grew from the cracks in the rocks. Lin Xuan and the Fairy Peacock had seen much over their travels, yet they couldn't recognize any of these plants.
Could they be something that went extinct during ancient times...
Lin Xuan thought to himself as he flicked his sleeves. A streak of light shot out, uprooting all the plants along the way. He took what he could, even if it turned out to be useless later on.
After about a quarter of an hour, they suddenly found themselves in front of a large stone chamber. It was circular with at least fifty-six feet in diameter and seven or eight feet high, appearing very spacious.
In the center of the stone chamber, over a dozen statues were arranged haphazardly. These statues were lifelike yet varied in form—some human, some beast, each unique. The most eye-catching one was in the middle.
This statue stood three meters tall. Its lower half was snake-like, while its upper half resembled a human with a sharp horn protruding from its forehead, about a foot long.
It was eerie, and Lin Xuan's face showed extreme surprise. He had seen similar scenes at the Fairy Mine Site on Qingye Mountain.
However, this situation was different. Although these statues seemed lifeless, Lin Xuan could sense a dangerous aura emanating from them.
With that thought, he released his divine sense. Just as it touched one of the statues...
Click, click—those things actually came to life.
"Bad luck, these are ancient puppets," the Fairy Peacock's face turned pale as she exclaimed.
"Puppetry?" Lin Xuan frowned. "Is that possible? Puppetry techniques were supposed to have been lost long ago. Our sect was founded by Patriarch Tianzhen only three thousand years ago. How could there be such things?"
"Ask me, who would you ask?" the Fairy Peacock looked gloomy and her tone turned harsher.
There were myriad arts in cultivation, vast as the sea of knowledge. Particularly during ancient times, puppetry was extremely common. Low-grade puppets were plentiful here, but some top-tier ones could rival even元婴期 cultivators.
Lin Xuan had read about them in ancient texts but couldn't recall now.
In that brief conversation, all the statues came to life. Red light shone from their eyes, causing a sense of dread.
"There's one at the 元婴期 level, and the rest are at the筑基期," the Fairy Peacock exhaled with relief after identifying the puppets' strength. Although the situation was not optimistic, they could still handle it. The key was to act quickly; the Snow参Pill's effects would only last for an hour.
Acting first, the Fairy Peacock opened her mouth and expelled a streak of light. As soon as it separated from her body, it rapidly expanded into a hurricane.
"Quickly!"
She pointed with her jade hand, transforming the streak of light into a hurricane about ten feet in diameter that swept towards the puppets.
Lin Xuan wasn't idle either. He shook his shoulders and injected his magical power into his divine sword, Drifting Cloud Snowfall Sword. The sword trembled before transforming into a deep blue dragon, following closely behind.
Sizzle...
With an ear-piercing crack, the dozen筑基期 puppets were easily defeated. However, neither of them showed any joy. The Fairy Peacock continued to lead the hurricane towards the half-human, half-snake monster, as the others were just minor threats. This 元婴期 puppet was their main adversary.
Half human and half snake, it was said that such creatures existed during the洪荒 era but had since gone extinct. At that time, people called them Naga.
Seeing the hurricane approach, a hint of mockery flashed across the Naga's face. Lin Xuan felt his heart sink as he saw this scene. Although puppetry techniques were lost, the general principle was clear to him—these puppets were made from various rare materials and infused with souls. Regardless, they were still clay figures. The fact that their expressions were so lifelike meant that an 元婴期 puppet was indeed formidable.
The puppet's figure flickered as it seemingly vanished from its spot.
The hurricane missed its target, but a loud explosion came from Lin Xuan's side, followed by a glaring red light.
Lin Xuan was alarmed. He didn't know when the opponent had sneaked up behind him. Fortunately, his ancient shield's defense was impressive; otherwise, he might have fallen victim to this surprise attack.
This guy has incredible speed!
Failing to hit with one strike, the Naga retreated. Lin Xuan, shaken by the encounter, immediately poured all his magical power into the ancient shield and threw out several more defensive talismans.
Fortunately, while its speed was impressive, it wasn't completely unmanageable. He had been too careless just now because of the Fairy Peacock's presence.
Lin Xuan focused his divine sense on the monster in front of him but didn't act rashly. This opponent's strength could rival an early-stage 元婴 cultivator, and there was no need for him to take the lead.
The Fairy Peacock's face turned unpleasant. She had just been attacked by her own puppet, showing utter disrespect. Let me show you my might.
Her jade hand extended, a small golden sword appearing in her palm.
Unlike human cultivators who favored talismans and treasures, beast cultivators focused on their physical bodies and were more adept at manipulating the five elements. This golden sword was formed from pure beast energy.
Despite its chilling appearance, it seemed no less formidable than a well-crafted treasure.
"Go!"
The Fairy Peacock's sharp cry echoed as the golden sword stretched out, transforming into a dazzling beam of light that flashed before appearing above one of the puppets' heads.