jiāng xiāo xī chá shí yǐ hòu ， lín xuān zì rán gèng bù dān gē ， lián yè gǎn lù 。
将消息查实以后，林轩自然更不耽搁，连夜赶路。
After verifying the information, Lin Xuan naturally did not waste any more time and set off immediately.
suī rán zhè lǐ shí fēn piān pì ， dàn yě zhǐ néng wèi tā zhēng qǔ wéi shù bù duō de shí jiān ér yǐ 。
虽然这里十分偏僻，但也只能为他争取为数不多的时间而已。
Although this place was very remote, it could only provide him with a limited amount of time.
suī rán zhè lǐ bù bǐ lún xiàn qū ， xiū xiān jiè yōng yǒu zhèng dào ， mó dào yǐ jí líng yào shān sān gǔ páng dà de shì lì ， dàn yīn hún jì rán chóu móu le zhè me jiǔ ， xiǎng bì chū qī rén lèi duō shǎo huì chī yī xiē kǔ tóu 。
虽然这里不比沦陷区，修仙界拥有正道，魔道以及灵药山三股庞大的势力，但阴魂既然筹谋了这么久，想必初期人类多少会吃一些苦头。
Unlike the occupied zones where the cultivation world had the Three Major Forces—Mainstream Dao, Evil Dao, and Spirit Herb Mountains—this area still had its share of challenges. However, since the yin spirits had been planning for so long, it was likely that humans would face some hardships at the beginning.
shèng fù nán liào ， dàn dòng dàng kěn dìng shì miǎn bù liǎo ， sú huà shuō yè cháng mèng duō ， lín xuān kě bù xī wàng zì jǐ zài zhǎo dào gǔ chuán sòng zhèn zhī qián zài bèi juǎn rù shén me shì fēi zhī zhōng 。
胜负难料，但动荡肯定是免不了，俗话说夜长梦多，林轩可不希望自己在找到古传送阵之前再被卷入什么是非之中。
The outcome was uncertain, but there would definitely be upheaval. As the saying went, "Long nights breed many dreams." Lin Xuan did not want to get involved in any moreright or wrong (troubles) before he found the ancient teleportation array.
yǐ tā de xiū wèi ， dùn guāng quán kāi ， suī rán tán bù shàng fēng chí diàn chè ， dàn sù dù dào yě shí fēn jīng rén le 。
以他的修为，遁光全开，虽然谈不上风驰电掣，但速度倒也十分惊人了。
With his cultivation level, his light travel technique was quite impressive, though not as swift as a bolt of lightning. Nevertheless, it was still very fast.
bàn gè yuè hòu ， lín xuān zhōng yú lái dào le yù tǒng jiǎn suǒ miáo shù de dì diǎn 。
半个月后，林轩终于来到了玉筒简所描述的地点。
After half a month, Lin Xuan finally arrived at the location described by the jade cylinder.
yǎn qián shì yī piàn cāng máng de dà shān ， mián yán bù jué ， yī yǎn wàng qù ， gēn běn kàn bú dào jìn tóu zài nǎ lǐ 。
眼前是一片苍茫的大山，绵延不绝，一眼望去，根本看不到尽头在哪里。
Before him lay an endless expanse of rugged mountains stretching for miles and miles. There seemed to be no end in sight.
zhè zuò cāng lǐng shān yě shì yōu zhōu yǒu shù de dà shān mài zhī yī ， mián yán wàn lǐ ， jù shuō shān lǐng shēn chù yǒu bù shǎo yāo shòu qī xī ， jí shǐ shì xiū xiān zhě ， děng xián yě bù gǎn shè zú cǐ dì 。
这座苍岭山也是幽州有数的大山脉之一，绵延万里，据说山岭深处有不少妖兽栖息，即使是修仙者，等闲也不敢涉足此地。
MountAzure Ridge (Cang Ling) was one of the major mountain ranges in Youzhou, spanning thousands of miles. It was said that many monsters dwelled deep within its peaks, making it a place even cultivators would hesitate to enter casually.
hǎo zài yù tǒng jiǎn miáo shù de dì diǎn zhǐ zài shān lǐng wài wéi bǎi lǐ zuǒ yòu ， yǐ lín xuān de xiū wèi ， dào yě shì wú ài de 。
好在玉筒简描述的地点只在山岭外围百里左右，以林轩的修为，倒也是无碍的。
Fortunately, the location described by the jade cylinder was only about a hundred miles from the outer edge of the mountains. With his cultivation level, Lin Xuan had no trouble traversing this area.
shì bù yí chí ， lín xuān suí biàn zhǎo le yí gè dì diǎn xiē le yī wǎn ， dài fǎ lì huī fù yǐ hòu ， lì kè dùn guāng jìn rù le cāng lǐng shān zhōng 。
事不宜迟，林轩随便找了一个地点歇了一晚，待法力恢复以后，立刻遁光进入了苍岭山中。
Time was of the essence. Lin Xuan found a suitable spot and rested for the night before resuming his search upon regaining his energy.
sān tiān yǐ hòu 。
三天以后。
Three days later.
lín xuān zuò zài yī kuài yá dǐng dì yán shí shàng 。 shǒu zhōng bǎ wán zhe liǎng lì lóng yǎn dà xiǎo dì zhū zi 。 liǎn shàng dì biǎo qíng yīn chén wú bǐ 。
林轩坐在一块崖顶地岩石上。手中把玩着两粒龙眼大小地珠子。脸上地表情阴沉无比。
Lin Xuan sat on a rock at the top of a cliff, idly playing with two dragon-eye-sized beads in his hand. His expression was grim.
méi yǒu jìn zhǎn 。
没有进展。
There had been no progress.
àn zhào yù tǒng jiǎn jì zǎi 。 yīng gāi zài zhè yī dài 。 kě lín xuān jiāng fù jìn lái huí sōu suǒ le jǐ quān 。 què gēn běn jiù méi yǒu sī háo fā xiàn 。
按照玉筒简记载。应该在这一带。可林轩将附近来回搜索了几圈。却根本就没有丝毫发现。
According to the jade cylinder's records, he should have found something around this area, but after searching the surroundings several times, Lin Xuan still came up empty-handed.
tā zài chǔ wù dài shàng yī pāi 。 zài cì jiāng nà yù tǒng jiǎn qǔ le chū lái 。
他在储物袋上一拍。再次将那玉筒简取了出来。
He tapped on his storage pouch and once again retrieved the jade cylinder.
shén shí chén rù lǐ miàn 。
神识沉入里面。
With his divine sense delving into it, a moment later, Lin Xuan raised his head, still looking troubled.
bàn xiǎng ， lín xuān tái qǐ tóu lái ， yī jiù chóu méi bù zhǎn 。
半响，林轩抬起头来，依旧愁眉不展。
"Master, could the terrain have changed?" A clear voice sounded in his ears.
“ shào yé ， huì bú huì shì dì xíng yǒu biàn ？” qīng cuì de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr biān 。
“少爷，会不会是地形有变？”清脆的声音传入耳边。
"Hmm, I'm thinking the same thing. After all, tens of thousands of years have passed. Although we can't say that everything has changed, there must be significant changes to the landscape."
“ ń ， wǒ yě shì zhè me xiǎng de ， bì jìng guò qù le shù wàn nián ， suī rán tán bù shàng cāng hǎi sāng tián ， dàn dì mào kěn dìng huì yǒu hěn dà de biàn qiān 。”
“嗯，我也是这么想的，毕竟过去了数万年，虽然谈不上沧海桑田，但地貌肯定会有很大的变迁。”
"What should we do? If we rely on the features described in the jade cylinder, it would be impossible to pinpoint the exact location," Yue'er said with some concern.
“ nà zěn me bàn ， zhè yàng yī lái ， àn zhào yù tǒng zhōng miáo shù dì jǐ chù tè diǎn biāo jì ， gēn běn jiù zhǎo bú dào zhēn shí de wèi zhì yīng gāi zài nǎ lǐ 。” yuè ér yǒu xiē dān xīn de fēn xī 。
“那怎么办，这样一来，按照玉筒中描述地几处特点标记，根本就找不到真实的位置应该在哪里。”月儿有些担心的分析。
Lin Xuan remained silent as he was also struggling with this problem. He then transformed into a light travel technique and began searching again nearby.
lín xuān méi yǒu kāi kǒu ， tā yě zhèng wèi zhè ge fàn nán ， suí jí shēn xíng yī zhuǎn ， huà wèi dùn guāng zài cì zài fù jìn sōu suǒ le qǐ lái 。
林轩没有开口，他也正为这个犯难，随即身形一转，化为遁光再次在附近搜索了起来。
Although his efforts now were like looking for a needle in a haystack, waiting without action offered no hope at all. Regardless of the outcome, that ancient teleportation array was so mysterious; there must be some anomaly in the local spirit energy. With this thought, Lin Xuan released his divine sense and carefully searched every possible spot.
suī rán rú jīn zhè yàng zuò ， yǒu rú dà hǎi lāo zhēn ， dàn rú guǒ gàn děng zhe ， gèng shì shén me xī wàng yě méi yǒu ， bù guǎn rú hé ， nà gǔ chuán sòng zhèn rú cǐ shén miào ， kěn dìng huì yǒu yī xiē líng qì yì cháng ， niàn jí zhì cǐ ， lín xuān jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， xiǎo xīn yì yì dì sōu suǒ ， bù fàng guò rèn hé yì diǎn kě zhī chù 。
虽然如今这样做，有如大海捞针，但如果干等着，更是什么希望也没有，不管如何，那古传送阵如此神妙，肯定会有一些灵气异常，念及至此，林轩将神识放出，小心翼翼地搜索，不放过任何一点可之处。
Half an hour later.
bàn gè shí chén yǐ hòu 。
半个时辰以后。
"Eh?" Lin Xuan's light travel technique slowed down as he stopped mid-air, turning to look at a direction on his left. He narrowed his eyes, looking somewhat puzzled.
“ yí ？” lín xuān dùn guāng yī huǎn ， zài bàn kōng zhōng tíng le xià lái ， zhuǎn tóu wàng xiàng zuǒ shǒu biān de fāng xiàng ， mī le mī yǎn ， biǎo qíng xiē gǔ guài 。
“咦？”林轩遁光一缓，在半空中停了下来，转头望向左手边的方向，眯了眯眼，表情些古怪。
"Master, what is it? Just some low-level cultivators here; why are you so concerned?" Yue'er's divine sense was also not weak. After a quick scan, she said curiously.
“ shào yé ， zěn me le ， nà biān bù guò jǐ míng zhù jī qī xiū shì ér yǐ ， yǒu shén me hǎo zài yì ？” yuè ér de shén shí yě shì bù ruò ， lüè wēi yī sǎo ， yǒu xiē qí guài dì dào 。
“少爷，怎么了，那边不过几名筑基期修士而已，有什么好在意？”月儿的神识也是不弱，略微一扫，有些奇怪地道。
"Because their cultivation level is too low, which makes me suspicious."
“ zhèng yīn wèi duì fāng xiū wèi bù gāo ， suǒ yǐ wǒ cái gǎn dào qī qiāo 。”
“正因为对方修为不高，所以我才感到蹊跷。”
"Oh?" Yue'er was taken aback, looking thoroughly confused.
“ a ？” yuè ér yī lèng ， mǎn liǎn de bù jiě 。
“啊？”月儿一愣，满脸的不解。
"This place may not be as dangerous as the Ten Thousand Mountains or Kuinei Range, but it's still one of Youzhou's more notorious areas. The two monsters I just killed were all at the third-stage level; to me, they're nothing. But if these people encounter them, their chances are slim. Judging by their attire, they should be local cultivators and wouldn't be unaware of the dangers here. It's strange that they would still venture in."
“ cǐ dì suī rán bǐ bù shàng shí wàn dà shān yǔ kuí yīn shān mài ， què yě shì yōu zhōu yī chù jiào wéi yǒu míng de xiǎn dì ， xiàng wǒ gāng cái zǎi diào dì liǎng tóu yāo shòu ， kě dōu yǒu sān jiē de děng jí ， duì wǒ lái shuō ， zì rán bù suàn shén me ， dàn zhè xiē rén rú guǒ yù jiàn le ， zé xiōng duō jí shǎo ， kàn tā men de fú shì ， yīng gāi shì běn dì de xiū shì ， bú huì bù zhī dào cǐ chù dì wēi xiǎn ， kě hái shēn rù jìn lái ， bù jué dé yǒu xiē qí guài 。”
“此地虽然比不上十万大山与奎阴山脉，却也是幽州一处较为有名的险地，像我刚才宰掉地两头妖兽，可都有三阶的等级，对我来说，自然不算什么，但这些人如果遇见了，则凶多吉少，看他们的服饰，应该是本地的修士，不会不知道此处地危险，可还深入进来，不觉得有些奇怪。”
"You have a point, Master. The only reason for a cultivator to risk their life is because there's something beneficial to cultivation. But what seems valuable to them might not even catch your attention," Yue'er combed her hair and smiled gently.
“ shào yé shuō dé yě yǒu dào lǐ ， huì ràng xiū xiān zhě bù gù xìng mìng mào xiǎn de ， zhǐ kě néng shì duì xiū liàn dà yǒu hǎo chù de bǎo wù ， bù guò duì yú tā men lái shuō liǎo bù qǐ de dōng xī ， huò xǔ shào yé gēn běn jiù bù kàn zài yǎn lǐ 。” yuè ér lǐ le lǐ xiù fà ， qiǎn xiào zhe fēn xī 。
“少爷说得也有道理，会让修仙者不顾性命冒险的，只可能是对修炼大有好处的宝物，不过对于他们来说了不起的东西，或许少爷根本就不看在眼里。”月儿理了理秀发，浅笑着分析。
"Exactly. You're starting to think like an adult now. Originally, I didn't want to get involved in trivial matters or be swayed by the treasures these low-level cultivators covet. However, since there's noharvest (yield), perhaps we can gain some clues from these local cultivators," Lin Xuan said, treating it as a last resort. With no leads, he might as well take a chance.
“ bù cuò ， dào yě huì xiǎng shì qíng le ， yuán běn wǒ yě bù xiǎng duō guǎn xián shì ， gèng bú huì duì jǐ míng dī jiē xiū shì kàn zhòng de bǎo wù dòng xīn ， bù guò fǎn zhèng yě méi yǒu shōu huò ， yě xǔ cóng zhè xiē běn dì xiū shì de shēn shàng dào néng dé dào yī xiē xiàn suǒ 。” lín xuān zhè me shuō ， yě suàn shì sǐ mǎ dàng zuò huó mǎ yī le ， zuǒ yòu méi yǒu tóu xù ， bù rú guò qù pèng yī pèng yùn qì 。
“不错，倒也会想事情了，原本我也不想多管闲事，更不会对几名低阶修士看中的宝物动心，不过反正也没有收获，也许从这些本地修士的身上倒能得到一些线索。”林轩这么说，也算是死马当作活马医了，左右没有头绪，不如过去碰一碰运气。
With those words, his lips moved slightly as he formed hand seals. His body was enveloped in flickering spirit light, making him almost invisible.
wán zhè huà ， tā zuǐ chún wēi dòng ， shuāng shǒu qiā jué ， shēn shàng líng guāng shǎn le jǐ shǎn ， qì xī dùn shí biàn dé ruò yǒu ruò wú qǐ lái 。
完这话，他嘴唇微动，双手掐诀，身上灵光闪了几闪，气息顿时变得若有若无起来。
The color of his light travel technique also began to fade, appearing almost transparent. Lin Xuan turned and flew towards the left.
suí hòu dùn guāng dì yán sè yě kāi shǐ biàn dàn ， kàn shàng qù jiù xiàng tòu míng de yì bān ， lín xuān fāng xiàng yī zhuǎn ， fēi xiàng le zuǒ shǒu biān 。
随后遁光地颜色也开始变淡，看上去就像透明的一般，林轩方向一转，飞向了左手边。
Soon, he arrived at the entrance of a canyon.
hěn kuài jiù dào le yī chù xiá gǔ dì wài miàn 。
很快就到了一处峡谷地外面。
Several green-robed cultivators were visible, whispering among themselves.
jǐ gè shēn chuān lǜ páo de xiū shì yìng rù yǎn lián ， zhèng qiè qiè sī yǔ dì shāng liáng zhe shén me 。
几个身穿绿袍的修士映入眼帘，正窃窃私语地商量着什么。
"Second Senior Brother, with our current cultivation level, can we really enter this place? I heard that there are already third-stage monsters in the vicinity. If we accidentally encounter them, we won't even have a chance to escape," said a bearded man, looking worried at his companion.
“ èr shī xiōng ， yǐ wǒ men de xiū wèi jìn rù zhè lǐ zhēn dì méi yǒu wèn tí ma ， jù wǒ suǒ zhī ， zhè fù jìn yǐ jīng yǒu sān jiē yāo shòu chū mò ， ruò shì wǒ men bù xiǎo xīn yù shàng le ， kě shì lián táo pǎo de jī huì yě méi yǒu 。” yī mǎn liǎn hú xū de hàn zi ， zhèng dān yōu de xiàng tóng bàn shuō dào 。
“二师兄，以我们的修为进入这里真地没有问题吗，据我所知，这附近已经有三阶妖兽出没，若是我们不小心遇上了，可是连逃跑的机会也没有。”一满脸胡须的汉子，正担忧的像同伴说道。
"Humph, you know how dangerous it is here; do you think I don't? However, the sect master has given strict orders: no matter what, we must find that treasure. Otherwise, there will be severe punishment. But if we succeed, we can get a bottle of elixir to enhance our cultivation power. Did you not hear when he issued the order?" The second senior brother was an old man with a stern expression, speaking slowly.
“ hēng ， nǐ zhī dào cǐ dì de wēi xiǎn ， nán dào wǒ huì bù qīng chǔ ， rán ér mén zhǔ xià le yán lìng ， wú lùn rú hé ， yě yào jiāng nà bǎo wù zhǎo dào ， fǒu zé bì jiāng yán chéng ， ér rú guǒ lì xià gōng láo ， zé kě yǐ dé dào yī píng zēng qiáng fǎ lì de dān yào ， dāng shí xià lìng de shí hòu ， nǐ nán dào méi yǒu tīng dào ？” nà èr shī xiōng shì yí miàn mù yīn hán de lǎo zhě ， yī zì yī dùn de shuō dào 。
“哼，你知道此地的危险，难道我会不清楚，然而门主下了严令，无论如何，也要将那宝物找到，否则必将严惩，而如果立下功劳，则可以得到一瓶增强法力的丹药，当时下令的时候，你难道没有听到？”那二师兄是一面目阴寒的老者，一字一顿的说道。
"I heard it, but this is strange. The sect said for us to search in this area but didn't specify what we're looking for. Isn't that too difficult?" The bearded man scratched his head, sounding somewhat frustrated.
“ wǒ shì tīng dào le ， kě zhè yàng cái qí guài ， mén zhōng shuō le ràng wǒ men zài zhè fù jìn sōu suǒ ， què méi shuō jù tǐ de shì shén me ， zhè bú shì tài wéi nán rén le me ？” mǎn liǎn hú xū de hàn zi ， mō le mō tóu ， yǒu diǎn ào nǎo de kāi kǒu 。
“我是听到了，可这样才奇怪，门中说了让我们在这附近搜索，却没说具体的是什么，这不是太为难人了么？”满脸胡须的汉子，摸了摸头，有点懊恼的开口。
"Exactly, Senior Brother. What kind of treasure are we searching for? Can you tell us? You must know the details since you hold a high position in our sect," said a woman with some charm, shaking the old man's arm and speaking in a seductive tone.
“ shì a ， shī xiōng ， jiū jìng shì zhǎo shén me bǎo bèi ， nǐ shuō lái tīng tīng ba ， yǐ nǐ zài běn mén de dì wèi ， kěn dìng shì zhī dào nèi mù de xiáng qíng 。” páng biān yī lüè yǒu jǐ fēn zī sè de nǚ zǐ ， yáo zhe lǎo zhě de shǒu bì ， jiāo shēng shuō dào ， xiàn mèi de biǎo qíng ， xiǎn lù wú 。
“是啊，师兄，究竟是找什么宝贝，你说来听听吧，以你在本门的地位，肯定是知道内幕的详情。”旁边一略有几分姿色的女子，摇着老者的手臂，娇声说道，献媚的表情，显露无。
"Well, I'll share what I know about the search to be more beneficial. But don't leak any information; otherwise, even me might face severe punishment from the sect master," the old man half-closed his eyes, clearly enjoying the flattery.
“ hǎo ba ， jiāng qíng kuàng shuō yǔ nǐ men kě yǐ ， bì jìng duì xún bǎo gèng jiā yǒu lì ， dàn nǐ men kě bù néng tòu lù fēn háo ， fǒu zé jí biàn shì wǒ ， yě huì shòu dào shī zūn yán chéng de 。” nà lǎo zhě yǎn jīng bàn zhēng bàn bì ， xiǎn rán shí fēn xiǎng shòu nǚ zǐ de mǎ pì 。
“好吧，将情况说与你们可以，毕竟对寻宝更加有利，但你们可不能透露分毫，否则即便是我，也会受到师尊严惩的。”那老者眼睛半睁半闭，显然十分享受女子的马屁。
"Don't worry, Master Brother. We understand the importance of keeping secrets and will keep our mouths shut. We won't let you down," the bearded man quickly assured with a chest-thumping gesture.
“ shī xiōng fàng xīn ， wǒ men yòu bú shì bù zhī dào qīng zhòng ， zì rán huì shǒu kǒu rú píng ， jué duì bù gǎn ràng shī xiōng nǐ wéi nán de 。” nà hú xū hàn zi lián máng pāi zhe xiōng pú ， lián shēng bǎo zhèng de shuō 。
“师兄放心，我们又不是不知道轻重，自然会守口如瓶，绝对不敢让师兄你为难的。”那胡须汉子连忙拍着胸脯，连声保证的说。
The others nodded in agreement, their submissive demeanor pleasing the old man immensely.
qí tā rén yě pīn mìng diǎn tóu ， gōng shùn de yàng zi ràng lǎo zhě shí fēn shòu yòng 。
其他人也拼命点头，恭顺的样子让老者十分受用。
"Keeping this secret is necessary because the sect master fears that the Divine Water Sect and Holy Shade Sect might also get wind of it. You know how remote Mount Cang Ling is; even during the recent conflict between Mainstream Dao and Evil Dao, it was untouched. For thousands of years, our Greatwood, Divine Water, and Holy Shade three major sects have controlled this area in a balance of power, with each side winning and losing over the millennia. But recently, when the sect master came to hunt monsters here, he accidentally discovered an extraordinary treasure. If we can obtain it, we might surpass the other two sects and dominate South China," the old man looked at his stunned fellow cultivators with a smug smile before slowly revealing the secret.
After verifying the information, Lin Xuan naturally did not waste any more time and set off immediately.
Although this place was very remote, it could only provide him with a limited amount of time.
Unlike the occupied zones where the cultivation world had the Three Major Forces—Mainstream Dao, Evil Dao, and Spirit Herb Mountains—this area still had its share of challenges. However, since the yin spirits had been planning for so long, it was likely that humans would face some hardships at the beginning.
The outcome was uncertain, but there would definitely be upheaval. As the saying went, "Long nights breed many dreams." Lin Xuan did not want to get involved in any moreright or wrong (troubles) before he found the ancient teleportation array.
With his cultivation level, his light travel technique was quite impressive, though not as swift as a bolt of lightning. Nevertheless, it was still very fast.
After half a month, Lin Xuan finally arrived at the location described by the jade cylinder.
Before him lay an endless expanse of rugged mountains stretching for miles and miles. There seemed to be no end in sight.
MountAzure Ridge (Cang Ling) was one of the major mountain ranges in Youzhou, spanning thousands of miles. It was said that many monsters dwelled deep within its peaks, making it a place even cultivators would hesitate to enter casually.
Fortunately, the location described by the jade cylinder was only about a hundred miles from the outer edge of the mountains. With his cultivation level, Lin Xuan had no trouble traversing this area.
Time was of the essence. Lin Xuan found a suitable spot and rested for the night before resuming his search upon regaining his energy.
Three days later.
Lin Xuan sat on a rock at the top of a cliff, idly playing with two dragon-eye-sized beads in his hand. His expression was grim.
There had been no progress.
According to the jade cylinder's records, he should have found something around this area, but after searching the surroundings several times, Lin Xuan still came up empty-handed.
He tapped on his storage pouch and once again retrieved the jade cylinder.
With his divine sense delving into it, a moment later, Lin Xuan raised his head, still looking troubled.
"Master, could the terrain have changed?" A clear voice sounded in his ears.
"Hmm, I'm thinking the same thing. After all, tens of thousands of years have passed. Although we can't say that everything has changed, there must be significant changes to the landscape."
"What should we do? If we rely on the features described in the jade cylinder, it would be impossible to pinpoint the exact location," Yue'er said with some concern.
Lin Xuan remained silent as he was also struggling with this problem. He then transformed into a light travel technique and began searching again nearby.
Although his efforts now were like looking for a needle in a haystack, waiting without action offered no hope at all. Regardless of the outcome, that ancient teleportation array was so mysterious; there must be some anomaly in the local spirit energy. With this thought, Lin Xuan released his divine sense and carefully searched every possible spot.
Half an hour later.
"Eh?" Lin Xuan's light travel technique slowed down as he stopped mid-air, turning to look at a direction on his left. He narrowed his eyes, looking somewhat puzzled.
"Master, what is it? Just some low-level cultivators here; why are you so concerned?" Yue'er's divine sense was also not weak. After a quick scan, she said curiously.
"Because their cultivation level is too low, which makes me suspicious."
"Oh?" Yue'er was taken aback, looking thoroughly confused.
"This place may not be as dangerous as the Ten Thousand Mountains or Kuinei Range, but it's still one of Youzhou's more notorious areas. The two monsters I just killed were all at the third-stage level; to me, they're nothing. But if these people encounter them, their chances are slim. Judging by their attire, they should be local cultivators and wouldn't be unaware of the dangers here. It's strange that they would still venture in."
"You have a point, Master. The only reason for a cultivator to risk their life is because there's something beneficial to cultivation. But what seems valuable to them might not even catch your attention," Yue'er combed her hair and smiled gently.
"Exactly. You're starting to think like an adult now. Originally, I didn't want to get involved in trivial matters or be swayed by the treasures these low-level cultivators covet. However, since there's noharvest (yield), perhaps we can gain some clues from these local cultivators," Lin Xuan said, treating it as a last resort. With no leads, he might as well take a chance.
With those words, his lips moved slightly as he formed hand seals. His body was enveloped in flickering spirit light, making him almost invisible.
The color of his light travel technique also began to fade, appearing almost transparent. Lin Xuan turned and flew towards the left.
Soon, he arrived at the entrance of a canyon.
Several green-robed cultivators were visible, whispering among themselves.
"Second Senior Brother, with our current cultivation level, can we really enter this place? I heard that there are already third-stage monsters in the vicinity. If we accidentally encounter them, we won't even have a chance to escape," said a bearded man, looking worried at his companion.
"Humph, you know how dangerous it is here; do you think I don't? However, the sect master has given strict orders: no matter what, we must find that treasure. Otherwise, there will be severe punishment. But if we succeed, we can get a bottle of elixir to enhance our cultivation power. Did you not hear when he issued the order?" The second senior brother was an old man with a stern expression, speaking slowly.
"I heard it, but this is strange. The sect said for us to search in this area but didn't specify what we're looking for. Isn't that too difficult?" The bearded man scratched his head, sounding somewhat frustrated.
"Exactly, Senior Brother. What kind of treasure are we searching for? Can you tell us? You must know the details since you hold a high position in our sect," said a woman with some charm, shaking the old man's arm and speaking in a seductive tone.
"Well, I'll share what I know about the search to be more beneficial. But don't leak any information; otherwise, even me might face severe punishment from the sect master," the old man half-closed his eyes, clearly enjoying the flattery.
"Don't worry, Master Brother. We understand the importance of keeping secrets and will keep our mouths shut. We won't let you down," the bearded man quickly assured with a chest-thumping gesture.
The others nodded in agreement, their submissive demeanor pleasing the old man immensely.
"Keeping this secret is necessary because the sect master fears that the Divine Water Sect and Holy Shade Sect might also get wind of it. You know how remote Mount Cang Ling is; even during the recent conflict between Mainstream Dao and Evil Dao, it was untouched. For thousands of years, our Greatwood, Divine Water, and Holy Shade three major sects have controlled this area in a balance of power, with each side winning and losing over the millennia. But recently, when the sect master came to hunt monsters here, he accidentally discovered an extraordinary treasure. If we can obtain it, we might surpass the other two sects and dominate South China," the old man looked at his stunned fellow cultivators with a smug smile before slowly revealing the secret.