lín xuān tīng dào zhè lǐ biǎo qíng yī dòng ， zhè dào yǔ zì jǐ chá tàn de jié guǒ xiāng tóng ， tā yě bù lù shēng sè ， jìng jìng de tīng duì fāng wǎng xià shuō 。 xiǎo
林轩听到这里表情一动，这倒与自己查探的结果相同，他也不露声色，静静的听对方往下说。小
Lin Xuan's expression flickered as he listened. This was consistent with his own investigation, and he remained silent, listening intently to the other person continue.
“ zhè yún hǎi yǒu duō dà miàn jī ， xiàn zài yě wú cóng dé zhī ， ér zài bèi xī shàng lái de shí hòu ， wǒ men suǒ chù de lù dì ， zài yí cì fēn liè le 。”
“这云海有多大面积，现在也无从得知，而在被吸上来的时候，我们所处的陆地，再一次分裂了。”
"Firstly, how vast is this Cloud Sea? We can't know for sure now. When we were pulled up, the land we were on split again."
“ zài cì fēn liè ？” lín xuān méi tóu yī tiāo ， lù chū gǎn xìng qù zhī sè 。
“再次分裂？”林轩眉头一挑，露出感兴趣之色。
"Split again?" Lin Xuan's brows furrowed in interest.
“ shì de ， lù dì fēn liè wèi wú shù kuài ， sàn bù yú yún hǎi gè chù ， ér qí zhōng zuì dà de yī kuài ， jiào qī xīng dǎo ， jù shuō tā de miàn jī bǐ qí tā xiǎo dǎo miàn jī de zǒng hé hái dà ， suǒ yǐ wǒ men suǒ chù de zhè ge dì fāng ， yě yǐ cǐ mìng míng ， bèi chēng wéi qī xīng dǎo yún hǎi 。”
“是的，陆地分裂为无数块，散布于云海各处，而其中最大的一块，叫七星岛，据说牠的面积比其他小岛面积的总和还大，所以我们所处的这个地方，也以此命名，被称为七星岛云海。”
"Yes, the land was divided into countless pieces scattered throughout the Cloud Sea. The largest piece is known as Seven-Star Island. It’s said to be larger than the combined area of all the smaller islands. Hence, this place is named after it and called Seven-Star Island Cloud Sea."
duì fāng de huà qīng xī de chuán rù ěr lǐ ， lín xuān yī biān tīng yě yī biān jìn xíng zhe fēn xī 。
对方的话清晰的传入耳里，林轩一边听也一边进行着分析。
The other person's words were clear in Lin Xuan's ears. He listened while analyzing.
zhè ge dì fāng biǎo miàn kàn fēi cháng shén mì ， dàn shuō bái le ， yě méi yǒu shén me liǎo bù qǐ ， jiù xiāng dāng yú yī dà piàn hǎi yù shàng yǒu wú shù de xiǎo dǎo ， qí zhōng yǒu yī zuò tè bié jù dà 。
这个地方表面看非常神秘，但说白了，也没有什么了不起，就相当于一大片海域上有无数的小岛，其中有一座特别巨大。
This place seemed very mysterious on the surface but was essentially just a large expanse of islands floating in an ocean of clouds.
zhǐ bù guò zhè hǎi bú shì shuǐ ， ér shì yún 。
只不过这海不是水，而是云。
"Then how far apart are these islands? If we want to go to another island, what can we do?"
“ nà gè dǎo zhī jiān de jù lí yuǎn ma ， ruò . shì xiǎng dào qí tā dǎo yǔ de huà yǒu shén me bàn fǎ ？”
“那各岛之间的距离远吗，若.是想到其他岛屿的话有什么办法？”
Upon hearing Lin Xuan’s question, the three cultivators at his table exchanged glances. One of them, the stocky one, spoke up.
tīng le lín xuān de huà ， tóng zhuō de sān míng xiū shì . duì shì yī yǎn ， biǎo qíng jiē biàn dé yǒu xiē gǔ guài ， zuì hòu hái shì yóu ǎi zhuàng xiū shì kāi kǒu 。
听了林轩的话，同桌的三名修士.对视一眼，表情皆变得有些古怪，最后还是由矮壮修士开口。
"It's hard to say. There are too many islands in the Cloud Sea, some even uninhabited. The distances between these islands vary greatly. If there are people on an island, there might be teleportation arrays nearby. Of course, each teleportation costs a fortune and is beyond our means. Without crystal stones for teleportation, we can buy maps from the market and travel by flying. However, you must beware of cloud beasts."
“ zhè ge bù hǎo shuō ， yún hǎi zhōng de dǎo yǔ tài . duō le ， yǒu yī xiē shèn zhì gēn běn jiù wú rén jū zhù ， gè dǎo yǔ zhī jiān de jù lí ， yě yuǎn jìn bù yī ， rú guǒ shì yǒu rén de dǎo yǔ ， xiāng lín jìn de ， dū huì yǒu chuán sòng zhèn ， dāng rán ， měi yī cì chuán sòng jià gé bù fēi ， gēn běn bú shì wǒ děng fù dān dé qǐ ， rú guǒ méi yǒu jīng shí chuán sòng ， yě kě yǐ qù fāng shì gòu mǎi hǎi tú ， nà yàng de huà jiù kě yǐ tōng guò fēi xíng de fāng shì qù qí tā dǎo yǔ ， bù guò ， nà yào xiǎo xīn yún shòu cái xíng 。”
“这个不好说，云海中的岛屿太.多了，有一些甚至根本就无人居住，各岛屿之间的距离，也远近不一，如果是有人的岛屿，相邻近的，都会有传送阵，当然，每一次传送价格不菲，根本不是我等负担得起，如果没有晶石传送，也可以去坊市购买海图，那样的话就可以通过飞行的方式去其他岛屿，不过，那要小心云兽才行。”
"Cloud beasts?" Lin Xuan scratched his head; he had never heard this term before.
“ yún shòu ？” lín xuān náo le náo tóu ， zhè ge míng cí tā yě shì dì yī cì tīng shuō 。
“云兽？”林轩挠了挠头，这个名词他也是第一次听说。
"Oh, I forgot that Brother Lin has lost his memory. But you should know about妖兽, right!"
“ ó ， wǒ wàng jì lín xiōng shī qù jì yì le ， bù guò yāo shòu nǐ zǒng gāi jì de . ba ！”
“哦，我忘记林兄失去记忆了，不过妖兽你总该记得.吧！”
Lin Xuan nodded.
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu 。
林轩点了点头。
"These cloud beasts are similar to妖兽. They are special creatures in the Cloud Sea, diverse and ferocious. Even as cultivators, we dare not easily provoke them. Moreover, these cloud beasts are slightly more powerful than their counterparts at the same stage. Some can even shed their beast forms and transform into humans. Occasionally, high-ranking cloud beasts lead their followers to attack islands, massacring both cultivators and ordinary people."
“ zhè yún shòu qí shí yǔ yāo shòu chà bu duō ， tā shì yún hǎi lǐ miàn yī zhǒng tè . bié de shēng wù ， wǔ huā bā mén ， dàn dōu shēng xìng cán bào ， jí shǐ shì wǒ men xiū shì ， yě bù gǎn qīng yì zhāo rě ， ér qiě yún shòu yào bǐ tóng jiē de yāo shòu lì hài nà me yì diǎn diǎn ， huà xíng qī de tóng yàng kě yǐ tùn qù shòu shēn ， huà wéi rén xíng ， ǒu ěr hái huì fā shēng gāo jiē yún shòu dài lǐng pú cóng ， gōng dǎ dǎo yǔ ， jiāng shàng miàn de xiū xiān zhě yǔ fán rén tú chuō yī kōng de cǎn shì 。” ǎi zhuàng xiū shì shuō dào hòu miàn ， xīn yǒu yú jì ， liǎn sè nán kàn wú bǐ 。
“这云兽其实与妖兽差不多，牠是云海里面一种特.别的生物，五花八门，但都生性残暴，即使是我们修士，也不敢轻易招惹，而且云兽要比同阶的妖兽厉害那么一点点，化形期的同样可以褪去兽身，化为人形，偶尔还会发生高阶云兽带领仆从，攻打岛屿，将上面的修仙者与凡人屠戳一空的惨事。”矮壮修士说到后面，心有余悸，脸色难看无比。
The stocky man's face turned pale as he spoke.
lín xuān zé méi yǒu shén me gǎn jué ， yāo zú yǔ rén lèi běn lái jiù tán bù . shàng shén me hé mù ， yún shòu jì rán yǔ yāo shòu chà bu duō ， nà me huì xiāng hù gōng fá yě bù zú wéi qí le 。
林轩则没有什么感觉，妖族与人类本来就谈不.上什么和睦，云兽既然与妖兽差不多，那么会相互攻伐也不足为奇了。
Lin Xuan remained indifferent. Relations between the妖族and humans were never harmonious. Since cloud beasts resembled妖兽, it was not surprising that they would engage in mutual attacks.
xiū xiān jiè běn jiù shì ruò ròu qiáng shí 。
修仙界本就是弱肉强食。
In the cultivation world, survival of the fittest prevailed.
“ nà zhè yún hǎi gè dǎo jiān de xiū xiān shì lì yòu shì zěn me fēn bù ？”
“那这云海各岛间的修仙势力又是怎么分布？”
"Then how are the various cultivation forces distributed among these islands?"
tīng le zhè ge wèn tí ，. sān rén miàn miàn xiāng qù ， zuì hòu ǎi zhuàng xiū shì hóng zhe liǎn dào 。
听了这个问题，.三人面面相觑，最后矮壮修士红着脸道。
The three cultivators exchanged glances before the stocky man blushed and said, "Brother Lin, we're sorry. We don't know."
“ bù hǎo yì sī lín xiōng ， zhè ge wǒ men yě bù qīng chǔ 。”
“不好意思林兄，这个我们也不清楚。”
"You aren't natives here, right?" Lin Xuan frowned in confusion.
“ sān wèi yě bù qīng chǔ ， nǐ men bú shì zhè lǐ tǔ shēng tǔ zhǎng de xiū shì ma ？” lín xuān méi tou yí zhòu ， bù jiě de kāi kǒu 。
“三位也不清楚，你们不是这里土生土长的修士吗？”林轩眉头一皱，不解的开口。
"We are local cultivators, but just scattered practitioners. Our cultivation levels have never taken us beyond this island, so we naturally know nothing about the outside world," one of them explained.
“ wǒ men shì běn dì xiū shì méi cuò ， dàn jǐn jǐn shì sàn xiū ， ér qiě yǐ wǒ men de jìng jiè ， cóng lái méi yǒu lí kāi guò běn dǎo ， duì yú wài miàn de qíng kuàng ， zì rán bù zhī dào 。”
“我们是本地修士没错，但仅仅是散修，而且以我们的境界，从来没有离开过本岛，对于外面的情况，自然不知道。”
Seeing Lin Xuan's disappointment, the stocky man added hurriedly, "But if Brother Lin wants to learn more about our island’s cultivation scene, we can provide some information."
jiàn lín xuān liǎn shàng liú lù chū shī wàng ， ǎi zhuàng xiū shì yòu máng bǔ chōng ：“ dàn lín xiōng ruò xiǎng yào liǎo jiě běn dǎo xiū xiān jiè de qíng kuàng ， wǒ men hái shì kě yǐ tí gōng yī èr de 。”
见林轩脸上流露出失望，矮壮修士又忙补充：“但林兄若想要了解本岛修仙界的情况，我们还是可以提供一二的。”
"Alright, then I'll trouble you."
“ hǎo ba ， nà jiù yǒu láo xiōng tái le 。”
“好吧，那就有劳兄台了。”
"Our island, Azure Jade Island, is a secondary-level island in the entire Cloud Sea."
“ wǒ men suǒ chù de cāng cuì dǎo ， zài zhěng gè yún hǎi ， suàn shì èr jí dǎo yǔ 。”
“我们所处的苍翠岛，在整个云海，算是二级岛屿。”
"A secondary-level island?" Lin Xuan was taken aback.
“ èr jí dǎo yǔ ？” lín xuān yí zhèng 。
“二级岛屿？”林轩一怔。
"Yes. The islands in the Cloud Sea are ranked from level one to seven based on their size and population. Level seven has only one island—Seven-Star Island. We are a secondary-level island, with the main cultivation sect being the Scarlet Shadow Sect. It has over two thousand disciples. The sect’s head is a fairy named He, who is said to have reached the middle stage of condensation core. There are also nine Elders at the same stage serving as guardians."
“ shì de ， zhěng gè yún hǎi de dǎo yǔ ， gēn jù miàn jī yǔ rén kǒu ， cóng xiǎo dào dà ， fēn wéi yī zhì qī jí ， qí zhōng qī jí dǎo yǔ zhǐ yǒu yī zuò ， jiù shì qī xīng dǎo ， ér wǒ men cāng cuì dǎo ， zé shì èr jí dǎo yǔ ， shàng miàn zuì zhǔ yào de xiū xiān mén pài shì yàn yǐng mén ， gòng yǒu dì zǐ liǎng qiān yú rén ， zhǎng mén xiān zi xìng hé ， jù shuō yǐ yǒu níng dān zhōng qī de xiū wèi le ， ér gāi mén pài níng dān qī de hù fǎ zhǎng lǎo ， yī gòng hái yǒu jiǔ gè 。”
“是的，整个云海的岛屿，根据面积与人口，从小到大，分为一至七级，其中七级岛屿只有一座，就是七星岛，而我们苍翠岛，则是二级岛屿，上面最主要的修仙门派是艳影门，共有弟子两千余人，掌门仙子姓何，据说已有凝丹中期的修为了，而该门派凝丹期的护法长老，一共还有九个。”
Lin Xuan was struck by this information. Although these three fools claimed they knew nothing about the outside world, Lin Xuan's intelligence allowed him to infer useful details from their words. Generally, the larger and more populous an island, the higher the level of cultivation in that area. A minor secondary-level island like Azure Jade Island had ten condensation core cultivators, indicating that the local cultivation level was far superior to Yanzhou.
lín xuān tīng dào zhè lǐ ， sǒng rán dòng róng ， suī rán zhè sān gè shǎ guā kǒu kǒu shēng shēng bù liǎo jiě wài biān de qíng kuàng ， dàn lín xuān hé děng cōng míng ， cóng yì diǎn diǎn zhū sī mǎ jì jiù kě yǐ tuī cè chū yǒu yòng de xìn xī ， yì bān shuō lái ， xiū xiān zhě suī rán yǐ jīng chāo tuō shì sú ， dàn fán rén bì jìng shì xiū xiān jiè de jī chǔ ， dǎo yǔ yuè dà ， rén kǒu yuè duō ， yǔ zhī xiāng duì yīng ， xiū xiān jiè de shuǐ píng yě jiù yuè gāo le ， qū qū yí gè mò liú èr jí dǎo yǔ shàng de mén pài ， jiù yōng yǒu shí wèi níng dān qī de xiū xiān zhě ， kàn lái cǐ dì de xiū xiān shuǐ píng ， yuǎn yuǎn zài yōu zhōu zhī shàng a ！
林轩听到这里，耸然动容，虽然这三个傻瓜口口声声不了解外边的情况，但林轩何等聪明，从一点点蛛丝马迹就可以推测出有用的信息，一般说来，修仙者虽然已经超脱世俗，但凡人毕竟是修仙界的基础，岛屿越大，人口越多，与之相对应，修仙界的水平也就越高了，区区一个末流二级岛屿上的门派，就拥有十位凝丹期的修仙者，看来此地的修仙水平，远远在幽州之上啊！
Lin Xuan felt elated. The higher the cultivation level, the easier it would be for him to advance. It seemed he had made a wise decision by risking being pulled into the spatial vortex.
lín xuān xīn zhōng yī zhèn huān xǐ ， yuè shì zài xiū xiān shuǐ píng gāo de dì fāng ， yuè róng yì jìn jí ， kàn lái zì jǐ zhè cì mào zhe bèi juǎn rù kōng jiān luàn liú de wēi xiǎn chuán sòng ， hái zhēn shì dǔ duì le 。
林轩心中一阵欢喜，越是在修仙水平高的地方，越容易晋级，看来自己这次冒着被卷入空间乱流的危险传送，还真是赌对了。
Putting aside his excitement, Lin Xuan continued listening.
àn nà zhù xīn zhōng de xīng fèn ， lín xuān jì xù tīng duì fāng wǎng xià shuō 。
按捺住心中的兴奋，林轩继续听对方往下说。
"Besides Scarlet Shadow Sect, there are several other smaller sects and some cultivation families on our island, collectively controlling the crystal mines and spirit veins here. As for us scattered practitioners, we number nearly ten thousand, but only a few have reached the foundation establishment stage, so we don't hold much power."
“ chú le yàn yǐng mén yǐ wài ， běn dǎo hái yǒu dà xiǎo bù yī de shù gè zōng pài ， yǐ jí yī xiē xiū xiān jiā zú ， gòng tóng bǎ chí zhe cāng cuì dǎo de jǐ chù jīng kuàng yǔ líng mài ， zhì yú wǒ děng sàn xiū ， rén shù yě yǒu jìn wàn ， dàn dá dào zhù jī qī de yě liáo liáo wú jǐ ， gù ér zài dǎo shàng méi yǒu duō shǎo quán lì 。” shuō dào zhè lǐ ， ǎi zhuàng hàn zi lù chū yī sī chóu chàng zhī yì 。
“除了艳影门以外，本岛还有大小不一的数个宗派，以及一些修仙家族，共同把持着苍翠岛的几处晶矿与灵脉，至于我等散修，人数也有近万，但达到筑基期的也寥寥无几，故而在岛上没有多少权利。”说到这里，矮壮汉子露出一丝惆怅之意。
At this point, the stocky man looked somewhat melancholic.
bàn gè shí chén yǐ hòu ， lín xuān chū le chá lóu ， gāi dǎ tīng de xiāo xī dōu yǐ jīng dào shǒu ， zhì yú yī xiē qí tā de ， sān rén xiū wèi tài dī ， yě bù shèn qīng chǔ ， zhǐ néng yǐ hòu màn màn zài shuō 。
半个时辰以后，林轩出了茶楼，该打听的消息都已经到手，至于一些其他的，三人修为太低，也不甚清楚，只能以后慢慢再说。
Half an hour later, Lin Xuan left the teahouse with all the information he needed. The other two cultivators' low cultivation levels made them unclear about many things, so they could be discussed another time.
xiàn zài lín xuān miàn lín yí gè xuǎn zé 。
现在林轩面临一个选择。
Now, Lin Xuan faced a choice: join a sect to use their spirit veins for cultivation or find a secluded place to retreat and improve his strength.
jiū jìng shì zhǎo yí gè mén pài jiā rù ， rán hòu jiè yòng tā men de líng mài kāi shǐ qián xiū ， hái shì zì jǐ qù xún zhǎo yí gè huāng pì zhī dì bì guān tí gāo shí lì 。
究竟是找一个门派加入，然后借用他们的灵脉开始潜修，还是自己去寻找一个荒僻之地闭关提高实力。
The former seemed simple and appealing, as having a sect would accelerate his cultivation. However, it posed several challenges for Lin Xuan.
qián yí gè fāng fǎ kàn qǐ lái jiǎn dān ， yě hěn yòu rén ， bì jìng yǒu mén pài zuò wèi zhī chēng ， xiū liàn de sù dù yào kuài dé duō ， dàn duì lín xuān lái shuō ， xiǎng yào zhè me zuò ， què miàn lín zhe bù shǎo nán tí 。
前一个方法看起来简单，也很诱人，毕竟有门派做为支撑，修炼的速度要快得多，但对林轩来说，想要这么做，却面临着不少难题。
Firstly, Azure Jade Island was only a secondary-level island with limited power. The Scarlet Shadow Sect's headmaster was merely at the middle stage of condensation core, far weaker than Spirit Medicine Mountain. Such a small sect held no interest for Lin Xuan to join.
shǒu xiān ， zhè cāng cuì dǎo bù guò shì yí gè èr jí dǎo yǔ ， shàng miàn de mén pài shí lì yǒu xiàn ， jiù ná zhè yàn yǐng mén lái shuō ba ， mén zhǔ yě bù guò níng dān zhōng qī de xiū shì ， bǐ qǐ líng yào shān yuǎn yuǎn bù jí ， duì yú zhè yàng de xiǎo pài lín xuān méi yǒu shén me xìng qù jiā rù 。
首先，这苍翠岛不过是一个二级岛屿，上面的门派实力有限，就拿这艳影门来说吧，门主也不过凝丹中期的修士，比起灵药山远远不及，对于这样的小派林轩没有什么兴趣加入。
Of course, he could hide his cultivation level and pretend to be a low-ranking disciple, but according to their words, the Scarlet Shadow Sect was a branch of the Harmony Sect, known for dual-cultivation techniques. Although Lin Xuan was in his prime, he wasn't about to engage in such practices just for spirit veins.
dāng rán ， tā yě kě yǐ yǐn mán xiū wèi ， mào chōng dī jiē dì zǐ hùn jìn qù ， bù guò jù sān rén suǒ shuō ， zhè yàn yǐng mén nǎi shì mó dào jù xiāo hé huān pài de fēn zhī ， shàn cháng shuāng xiū gōng fǎ ， lín xuān suī rán zhèng shì xuè qì fāng gāng de nián jì ， dàn yě bù zhì yú jī bù zé shí ， wèi le líng mài ， qù yǔ mò shēng de nǚ zǐ shuāng xiū 。
当然，他也可以隐瞒修为，冒充低阶弟子混进去，不过据三人所说，这艳影门乃是魔道巨枭合欢派的分支，擅长双修功法，林轩虽然正是血气方刚的年纪，但也不至于饥不择食，为了灵脉，去与陌生的女子双修。
Moreover, before reaching the yuan婴stage, dual cultivation was merely a form of premature growth. Lin Xuan would not do something so foolish.
hé kuàng zài xiū wèi dào dá yuán yīng qī yǐ qián ， shuāng xiū bù guò shì bá miáo zhù zhǎng ér yǐ ， lín xuān zì rán bú huì gàn zhè yàng de shǎ shì 。
何况在修为到达元婴期以前，双修不过是拔苗助长而已，林轩自然不会干这样的傻事。
Other sects were even weaker than Scarlet Shadow Sect and had poorer spirit veins, making them unsuitable options as well.
zhì yú qí tā de mén pài ， shí lì yuǎn bù jí yàn yǐng mén ， zhàn jù de líng mài dāng rán yào chà yī xiē ， suǒ yǐ lín xuān gèng bú huì kǎo lǜ 。
至于其他的门派，实力远不及艳影门，占据的灵脉当然要差一些，所以林轩更不会考虑。
Azure Jade Island was small; there were no extra spirit veins left. In other words, he couldn't cultivate alone here either!
ér zhè cāng cuì dǎo bù dà ， kěn dìng yě méi yǒu duō yú de líng mài shèng xià ， huàn jù huà shuō zì jǐ xiǎng yào dú zì xiū xíng yě bù chéng a ！
而这苍翠岛不大，肯定也没有多余的灵脉剩下，换句话说自己想要独自修行也不成啊！
Lin Xuan scratched his head. Was the only option to teleport to another island?
lín xuān náo le náo tóu ， nán dào zhǐ yǒu chuán sòng qù bié de xiǎo dǎo le ？
林轩挠了挠头，难道只有传送去别的小岛了？
But now that he was in a strange place, going elsewhere didn't seem like a good choice. Other secondary-level islands were similar, and higher-level islands with too many high-ranking cultivators might not be as free-spirited.
kě xiàn zài zì jǐ rén shēng dì bù shú ， qù bié de dì fāng sì hū yě bú shì hǎo de xuǎn zé ， qí tā de èr jí dǎo yǔ gēn zhè lǐ qíng kuàng chà bu duō ， ér qù gèng gāo jí de dǎo yǔ rú guǒ gāo jiē xiū shì tài duō sì hū hái bù rú zhè lǐ xiāo yáo kuài huó 。
可现在自己人生地不熟，去别的地方似乎也不是好的选择，其他的二级岛屿跟这里情况差不多，而去更高级的岛屿如果高阶修士太多似乎还不如这里逍遥快活。
Lin Xuan pondered his options, weighing the pros and cons of each path before making a decision.
Lin Xuan's expression flickered as he listened. This was consistent with his own investigation, and he remained silent, listening intently to the other person continue.
"Firstly, how vast is this Cloud Sea? We can't know for sure now. When we were pulled up, the land we were on split again."
"Split again?" Lin Xuan's brows furrowed in interest.
"Yes, the land was divided into countless pieces scattered throughout the Cloud Sea. The largest piece is known as Seven-Star Island. It’s said to be larger than the combined area of all the smaller islands. Hence, this place is named after it and called Seven-Star Island Cloud Sea."
The other person's words were clear in Lin Xuan's ears. He listened while analyzing.
This place seemed very mysterious on the surface but was essentially just a large expanse of islands floating in an ocean of clouds.
"Then how far apart are these islands? If we want to go to another island, what can we do?"
Upon hearing Lin Xuan’s question, the three cultivators at his table exchanged glances. One of them, the stocky one, spoke up.
"It's hard to say. There are too many islands in the Cloud Sea, some even uninhabited. The distances between these islands vary greatly. If there are people on an island, there might be teleportation arrays nearby. Of course, each teleportation costs a fortune and is beyond our means. Without crystal stones for teleportation, we can buy maps from the market and travel by flying. However, you must beware of cloud beasts."
"Cloud beasts?" Lin Xuan scratched his head; he had never heard this term before.
"Oh, I forgot that Brother Lin has lost his memory. But you should know about妖兽, right!"
Lin Xuan nodded.
"These cloud beasts are similar to妖兽. They are special creatures in the Cloud Sea, diverse and ferocious. Even as cultivators, we dare not easily provoke them. Moreover, these cloud beasts are slightly more powerful than their counterparts at the same stage. Some can even shed their beast forms and transform into humans. Occasionally, high-ranking cloud beasts lead their followers to attack islands, massacring both cultivators and ordinary people."
The stocky man's face turned pale as he spoke.
Lin Xuan remained indifferent. Relations between the妖族and humans were never harmonious. Since cloud beasts resembled妖兽, it was not surprising that they would engage in mutual attacks.
In the cultivation world, survival of the fittest prevailed.
"Then how are the various cultivation forces distributed among these islands?"
The three cultivators exchanged glances before the stocky man blushed and said, "Brother Lin, we're sorry. We don't know."
"You aren't natives here, right?" Lin Xuan frowned in confusion.
"We are local cultivators, but just scattered practitioners. Our cultivation levels have never taken us beyond this island, so we naturally know nothing about the outside world," one of them explained.
Seeing Lin Xuan's disappointment, the stocky man added hurriedly, "But if Brother Lin wants to learn more about our island’s cultivation scene, we can provide some information."
"Alright, then I'll trouble you."
"Our island, Azure Jade Island, is a secondary-level island in the entire Cloud Sea."
"A secondary-level island?" Lin Xuan was taken aback.
"Yes. The islands in the Cloud Sea are ranked from level one to seven based on their size and population. Level seven has only one island—Seven-Star Island. We are a secondary-level island, with the main cultivation sect being the Scarlet Shadow Sect. It has over two thousand disciples. The sect’s head is a fairy named He, who is said to have reached the middle stage of condensation core. There are also nine Elders at the same stage serving as guardians."
Lin Xuan was struck by this information. Although these three fools claimed they knew nothing about the outside world, Lin Xuan's intelligence allowed him to infer useful details from their words. Generally, the larger and more populous an island, the higher the level of cultivation in that area. A minor secondary-level island like Azure Jade Island had ten condensation core cultivators, indicating that the local cultivation level was far superior to Yanzhou.
Lin Xuan felt elated. The higher the cultivation level, the easier it would be for him to advance. It seemed he had made a wise decision by risking being pulled into the spatial vortex.
Putting aside his excitement, Lin Xuan continued listening.
"Besides Scarlet Shadow Sect, there are several other smaller sects and some cultivation families on our island, collectively controlling the crystal mines and spirit veins here. As for us scattered practitioners, we number nearly ten thousand, but only a few have reached the foundation establishment stage, so we don't hold much power."
At this point, the stocky man looked somewhat melancholic.
...
Half an hour later, Lin Xuan left the teahouse with all the information he needed. The other two cultivators' low cultivation levels made them unclear about many things, so they could be discussed another time.
Now, Lin Xuan faced a choice: join a sect to use their spirit veins for cultivation or find a secluded place to retreat and improve his strength.
The former seemed simple and appealing, as having a sect would accelerate his cultivation. However, it posed several challenges for Lin Xuan.
Firstly, Azure Jade Island was only a secondary-level island with limited power. The Scarlet Shadow Sect's headmaster was merely at the middle stage of condensation core, far weaker than Spirit Medicine Mountain. Such a small sect held no interest for Lin Xuan to join.
Of course, he could hide his cultivation level and pretend to be a low-ranking disciple, but according to their words, the Scarlet Shadow Sect was a branch of the Harmony Sect, known for dual-cultivation techniques. Although Lin Xuan was in his prime, he wasn't about to engage in such practices just for spirit veins.
Moreover, before reaching the yuan婴stage, dual cultivation was merely a form of premature growth. Lin Xuan would not do something so foolish.
Other sects were even weaker than Scarlet Shadow Sect and had poorer spirit veins, making them unsuitable options as well.
Azure Jade Island was small; there were no extra spirit veins left. In other words, he couldn't cultivate alone here either!
Lin Xuan scratched his head. Was the only option to teleport to another island?
But now that he was in a strange place, going elsewhere didn't seem like a good choice. Other secondary-level islands were similar, and higher-level islands with too many high-ranking cultivators might not be as free-spirited.
Lin Xuan pondered his options, weighing the pros and cons of each path before making a decision.