shuō ，,” lín xuān mī le mī yǎn 。 biǎo qíng píng 。
说，,”林轩眯了眯眼。表情平。
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, his expression calm.
mǎ tiān míng yī jiàn 。 zì rán bù gǎn zài wān mǒ | de dān gē shí jiān 。 shuāng xī wēi qū 。 yǐ rán guì le xià qù ：“ bù mán qián bèi 。 wǎn bèi zuì jìn xiū xíng 。 shí shì yù dào le píng jǐng 。 nán yǒu cùn jìn 。 hái wàng qián bèi zhǐ diǎn mí jīn 。”
马天鸣一见。自然不敢再弯抹|的耽搁时间。双膝微曲。已然跪了下去：“不瞒前辈。晚辈最近修行。实是遇到了瓶颈。难有寸进。还望前辈指点迷津。”
Seeing this, Ma Tianming naturally didn't dare to waste any more time. He knelt down with a slight bend in his knees: "I beg your pardon, senior. Recently, my cultivation has hit a bottleneck and I've made no progress. I hope you can guide me."
lín xuān tīng le 。 bù zhì kě 。 ér mǎ tiān míng yě méi yǒu zài kāi kǒu duō shuō shén me 。 zhǐ shì liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng chōng mǎn le rè qiè yǔ kěn 。
林轩听了。不置可。而马天鸣也没有再开口多说什么。只是脸上的表情充满了热切与恳。
Lin Xuan remained silent, not making any comment. Ma Tianming didn't say much either; he merely looked eager and earnest.
xīn zhōng tǎn tè zì bù bì shuō 。 rú jīn tā de xiū wèi yǐ dào le zhù jī chū qī de dǐng fēng 。 bié kàn jù lí zhōng qī zhǐ yǒu yī bù zhī yáo 。 dàn zhè zhōng jiān de chā kě jiù yǒu tiān yuān zhī bié le 。
心中忐忑自不必说。如今他的修为已到了筑基初期的顶峰。别看距离中期只有一步之遥。但这中间的差可就有天渊之别了。
His heart was filled with unease. His current cultivation had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment初期, just one step away from the中期 stage. But the gap between them was like a chasm in the sky.
yùn qì hǎo 。 huò xǔ yòng bù liǎo jǐ tiān jiù néng tū pò 。 dàn gèng dà de kě néng shì 。 zài zhè ge píng jǐng shàng bèi dān gē shù shí nián zhī jiǔ 。
运气好。或许用不了几天就能突破。但更大的可能是。在这个瓶颈上被耽搁数十年之久。
If his luck held, he might break through within a few days. However, it was more likely that he would be stuck at this bottleneck for decades.
xiān dào běn jiù jiān nán 。 ér zì jǐ de zī zhì 。 shí zài shuō bù shàng hǎo 。
仙道本就艰难。而自己的资质。实在说不上好。
The path to immortality was already difficult enough. His own talent wasn't particularly good either.
mǎ tiān míng yě shì páng huáng wú jì 。 cái xiǎng dào le qiú zhù yú zhè wèi qián bèi de fǎ zi 。
马天鸣也是彷徨无计。才想到了求助于这位前辈的法子。
Ma Tianming was also uncertain and had no other choice but to seek help from this senior.
bì jìng duì fāng kě shì níng dān hòu qī xiū shì 。 yòu shēn fèn zūn chóng 。 huái yǒu dà shén tōng 。 zhǐ yào kěn chū shǒu 。 zhè jiàn shì qíng 。 bù guò jǔ shǒu zhī láo 。
毕竟对方可是凝丹后期修士。又身份尊崇。怀有大神通。只要肯出手。这件事情。不过举手之劳。
After all, the other party was a late-stage Core Formation cultivator with a revered status and great abilities. As long as they were willing to help, it would be just a matter of raising an eyebrow.
lín xuān kàn zhe mǎn liǎn huáng kǒng de mǎ dà shǎo 。 shén sè yī jiù dàn dàn de 。 shēn chū shǒu lái 。 zài chǔ wù dài shàng yī pāi 。 yī dào bái guāng cóng miàn fēi le chū lái 。 shì yī wān dòu dà xiǎo de yào wán 。
林轩看着满脸惶恐的马大少。神色依旧淡淡的。伸出手来。在储物袋上一拍。一道白光从面飞了出来。是一豌豆大小的药丸。
Lin Xuan looked at Ma Tianming, who appeared very anxious, his expression still calm. He stretched out his hand and tapped on his storage bag, sending out a beam of white light that was the size of a pea—a medicinal pill.
mǎ tiān míng lèng lèng de jiē guò 。 bù gǎn duō shuō 。 dàn liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng 。 què lù chū yī lǚ yí huò ：“ zhè ge 。”
马天鸣愣愣的接过。不敢多说。但脸上的表情。却露出一缕疑惑：“这个。”
Ma Tianming hesitated but took it without saying anything more. His face showed a hint of confusion: "This."
huà yīn wèi luò 。 yī gǔ xiāng cóng nà dān yào shàng piāo sàn le chū lái 。 zuān rù bí duān 。 mǎ tiān míng de biǎo qíng dùn shí biàn de kuáng xǐ qǐ lái ：“ zhè 。 zhè shì shàng pǐn zhù jī dān ？”“ bù cuò 。 nǐ de zī zhì suī rán yì bān 。 dàn yǒu cǐ wù xiāng zhù 。 tū pò jìn rù zhōng qī yīng gāi bù nán 。”
话音未落。一股香从那丹药上飘散了出来。钻入鼻端。马天鸣的表情顿时变的狂喜起来：“这。这是上品筑基丹？”“不错。你的资质虽然一般。但有此物相助。突破进入中期应该不难。”
Before he could finish speaking, a fragrant aroma wafted from the medicinal pill and entered his nostrils. Ma Tianming's expression turned ecstatic: "This is an Upper-grade Foundation Establishment Pill?"
“ duō 。 duō xiè qián bèi chéng quán 。”
“多。多谢前辈成全。”
"Indeed. Although your talent isn't great, with this help, breaking through to the中期 stage shouldn't be difficult."
mǎ tiān míng fān shēn jiù bài jī dān suī rán bù suàn shén me 。 dàn shàng pǐn de què yuǎn fēi zì jǐ suǒ néng jiē chù 。 chuán shuō gōng xiào nì tiān 。 zì jǐ xiū wèi dà zhǎng zhǐ rì kě dài 。
马天鸣翻身就拜基丹虽然不算什么。但上品的却远非自己所能接触。传说功效逆天。自己修为大涨指日可待。
"Thank you very much, senior for your kindness."
cǐ rén xīn xǐ zhī xià 。 mǎ pì shēng bù jué yú ěr 。 zhí dào lín xuān wēi lù bù yù zhī sè cái fēi cháng cōng míng de shī lǐ gào cí le 。
此人欣喜之下。马屁声不绝于耳。直到林轩微露不豫之色才非常聪明的施礼告辞了。
Ma Tianming immediately prostrated himself in gratitude. A Foundation Establishment Pill wasn't rare, but an Upper-grade one was far beyond his reach. Legend had it that its effects were extraordinary, and he could expect a significant boost to his cultivation soon.
“ shào yé 。 jīn tiān zěn me zhè me dà fāng ？”
“少爷。今天怎么这么大方？”
Overjoyed, Ma Tianming showered Lin Xuan with flattery until the latter showed a hint of displeasure before he gracefully excused himself.
mǎ tiān míng lí kāi yǐ hòu 。 yín líng bān de xiào shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ 。 yuè ér yǐ fēi chū le yī xiù 。
马天鸣离开以后。银铃般的笑声传入耳朵。月儿已飞出了衣袖。
"Master, why are you being so generous today?"
“ xiǎo yā tou 。 hú shuō shén me 。 nán dào shào yé wǒ yǐ qián hěn lìn sè 。 ná rén qián cái tì rén xiāo zāi 。 jì rán jiē shòu le duì fāng de lǐ wù 。 zì rán yào chū shǒu xiàng zhù 。” lín xuān bù yǐ wéi rán de kāi kǒu 。
“小丫头。胡说什么。难道少爷我以前很吝啬。拿人钱财替人消灾。既然接受了对方的礼物。自然要出手相助。”林轩不以为然的开口。
After Ma Tianming left, a tinkling laughter entered his ears. Moon had already flown out from his sleeve.
“ kě wǒ zǒng jué de yǔ shào yé yǐ wǎng de zuò fēng bù tóng 。 nín míng míng xǐ huān dī diào hé bì wèi yī zhū wàn nián líng cǎo jiù ná chū bǎo guì de dān yào 。 ruò shì zhōng pǐn de dào yě bà le kě shàng pǐn dān fēi tóng fán xiǎng hěn róng yì yǐn qǐ yǒu xīn rén jì yú 。”
“可我总觉的与少爷以往的作风不同。您明明喜欢低调何必为一株万年灵草就拿出宝贵的丹药。若是中品的倒也罢了可上品丹非同凡响很容易引起有心人觊觎。”
"Little girl, what nonsense are you saying? Did I seem stingy in the past? Accepting gifts and repaying kindness is natural. Since we received something from them, it's only right to return the favor."
“ nà yòu rú hé ？” lín xuān de zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū yī sī xiào yì 。“ guò qù wǒ xiū wèi shàng qiǎn 。 zuò shì qíng zì rán yào shì shì xiǎo xīn 。 rú jīn mó yīng yǐ rán chéng xíng 。 suī bù néng cóng cǐ gāo zhěn wú yōu 。 dàn yě bù xū yào zài rú lǚ bó bīng 。 zhàn zhàn jīng jīng 。”
“那又如何？”林轩的嘴角边露出一丝笑意。“过去我修为尚浅。做事情自然要事事小心。如今魔婴已然成型。虽不能从此高枕无忧。但也不需要再如履薄冰。战战兢兢。”
"But I feel that this isn't like your usual behavior," Moon said hesitantly. "You always prefer a low profile; why would you use precious medicinal pills for just an ordinary ten-thousand-year-old spirit herb?"
“ cǐ huà tīng lái yǒu lǐ dàn shì 。” yuè ér hái shì yù yán yòu zhǐ 。
“此话听来有理但是。”月儿还是欲言又止。
"Past me was inexperienced and naturally had to be cautious in everything. Now that the Demon Fetus has formed, although I can't rest easy, there's no need to walk on eggshells."
“ fàng xīn wǒ xīn zhōng yǒu shù 。 suī rán rú yǐ néng lì dí yuán yīng qī de lǎo guài wù dàn bìng bú huì jiù cǐ zhāng yáng de 。 zhī suǒ yǐ huì gěi chū shàng pǐn dān yào 。 shì yīn wèi duì fāng jìn xiàn de yě bú shì pǔ tōng de líng cǎo 。” lín xuān diān le diān shǒu zhōng de yù 。 liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī shén mì de dào 。
“放心我心中有数。虽然如已能力敌元婴期的老怪物但并不会就此张扬的。之所以会给出上品丹药。是因为对方进献的也不是普通的灵草。”林轩掂了掂手中的玉。脸上露出一丝神秘的道。
"But," Moon still hesitated.
“ shào yé nǐ mò fēi zài kāi xiào 。 zhè míng míng jiù shì pǔ tōng de wàn nián rén shēn 。 wǒ zěn me méi yǒu kàn chū lái yǒu hé qī qiāo ？”
“少爷你莫非在开笑。这明明就是普通的万年人参。我怎么没有看出来有何蹊跷？”
"I have it under control. Although I can face an old monster of the Core Formation stage, I won't flaunt my strength. The reason for giving away the Upper-grade medicinal pill is because what they offered wasn't just a common spirit herb." Lin Xuan weighed the jade in his hand and said mysteriously.
“ yuè ér 。 cuò le 。 wù bìng bú shì rén shēn 。 yào bǎo guì de duō 。”
“月儿。错了。物并不是人参。要宝贵的多。”
"Master, are you joking? This is clearly just an ordinary ten-thousand-year-old ginseng. I can’t see anything suspicious about it."
lín xuān huà yīn wèi luò 。 méi tóu tū rán yī tiāo 。 liǎn sè shùn jiān yīn chén le xià lái 。
林轩话音未落。眉头突然一挑。脸色瞬间阴沉了下来。
"It's not ginseng, Moon. It’s much more valuable," Lin Xuan corrected her.
“ shào yé 。 zěn me le ？”
“少爷。怎么了？”
Suddenly, a frown appeared on his brow as his expression turned grim.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí 。 jù lí zhè lǐ yuē shù shí lǐ de mǒu wú míng gū fēng 。
与此同时。距离这里约数十里的某无名孤峰。
"Master, what happened?"
cǐ shān gāo yuē qiān zhàng 。 líng qì chōng zú 。 shān shì yě jiào wéi píng huǎn 。 fàng yǎn wàng qù 。 yù yù cōng cōng de yī piàn 。 cāng tiān gǔ shù zhī jiān 。 yǐn yuē kě jiàn bù shǎo tíng tái lóu gé 。 zhèng shì mǎ jiā de zǒng tán 。
此山高约千丈。灵气充足。山势也较为平缓。放眼望去。郁郁葱葱的一片。苍天古树之间。隐约可见不少亭台楼阁。正是马家的总坛。
At the same time, several dozen miles away from here, there was an unnamed solitary peak.
zì cóng yǒu le lín xuān zhè zuò shān 。 mǎ jiā de shì lì péng zhàng hěn kuài 。 suī rán xīn jìn rù mén de 。 dà duō shì dī jiē dì zǐ 。 dàn zhè fù jìn de rén qì 。 yě jiàn jiàn de wàng le qǐ lái 。
自从有了林轩这座山。马家的势力膨胀很快。虽然新近入门的。大多是低阶弟子。但这附近的人气。也渐渐的旺了起来。
The mountain stood about a thousand feet tall, with abundant qi and relatively gentle terrain. From afar, it was lush and green, with ancient trees and pavilions visible among them—this was the main stronghold of the Ma Family.
shān fēng zhī shàng 。 kāi pì le bù shǎo jiǎn lòu dàn shí yòng de dòng fǔ 。 xiū shì men zhèng zài lǐ miàn dǎ zuò 。 wèi tí gāo shí lì pīn mìng de nǔ lì zhe 。
山峰之上。开辟了不少简陋但实用的洞府。修士们正在里面打坐。为提高实力拼命的努力着。
Since Lin Xuan arrived, the Ma Family's power had grown rapidly. Although most new members were low-ranking disciples, the area around the mountain gradually became more bustling.
mǎ shì qí zhōng yí gè 。 tā jīn nián yǐ kuài sān le 。 cóng wǔ suì kāi shǐ xiū xiān 。 rú jīn yǐ èr shí yú zài 。 suī rán hái zài líng dòng zhōng qī pái huái 。 dàn tā cóng bù qì něi 。 zhǐ yào zì jǐ nǔ lì 。 zǒng yǒu yī tiān huì chéng gōng zhù jī 。
马是其中一个。他今年已快三了。从五岁开始修仙。如今已二十余载。虽然还在灵动中期徘徊。但他从不气馁。只要自己努力。总有一天会成功筑基。
On the peak, many simple but practical caves had been carved out where cultivators meditated and worked hard to improve their strength.
xiān dào jiān nán 。 shàng zhì yuán yīng lǎo guài 。 xià zhì líng dòng qī cài niǎo 。 bù lùn xiū wèi gāo dī 。 měi gè rén zǒng yòng zì jǐ de fāng fǎ jìn xíng nǔ lì 。
仙道艰难。上至元婴老怪。下至灵动期菜鸟。不论修为高低。每个人总用自己的方法进行努力。
Ma was one of them. He was nearly thirty years old. He started cultivation at five, having spent over two decades in the中期 stage. Though he still hadn't reached Foundation Establishment, he never gave up. With enough effort, he believed he would eventually succeed.
zuì jìn de xiū xíng hái suàn shùn lì 。 mǎ zuò le yī cì dà zhōu tiān xún huán 。 zhèng xiǎng shāo shì xiū xī 。 tū rán biǎo qíng yī jiāng 。 liǎng gǔ kě pà de líng yā cóng tiān ér jiàng 。
最近的修行还算顺利。马做了一次大周天循环。正想稍事休息。突然表情一僵。两股可怕的灵压从天而降。
The path to immortality was difficult, from the Core Formation stage's powerful monsters to the early-stage Spirit Flexibility cultivators. Everyone used their own methods to strive for improvement.
nà shì yī zhǒng lìng rén jīng sǒng de gǎn jué 。 tā de tǐ shèn zhì bù néng dòng tán 。 biàn shì jiā zhǔ yě yuǎn yuǎn bù jí 。 nán dào jìng yǒu níng qī xiū shì lái dào le lǐ ？
那是一种令人惊悚的感觉。他的体甚至不能动弹。便是家主也远远不及。难道竟有凝期修士来到了里？
Recently, his cultivation had been going smoothly. He had completed a Grand Circulation once and was about to rest when suddenly, two terrifying qi pressures descended from the sky.
kě nà wèi lǐ zhǎng lǎo míng míng jǐn xíng dān yǐng zhī 。 zhè kě pà de líng yā què lái zì liǎng gè bù tóng de gè tǐ 。
可那位李长老明明仅形单影只。这可怕的灵压却来自两个不同的个体。
It was an eerie feeling that paralyzed even his body; his family head was far less capable. Could it be that a late-stage Core Formation cultivator had arrived?
xīn zhōng yí huò 。 tóng shí yòu yǒu yī zhǒng mò míng bù ān de gǎn jué 。 zhèng xiǎng yào chū qù kàn kàn 。 yī dào hóng guāng tū rán cóng wài miàn fēi shè ér lái 。
心中疑惑。同时又有一种莫名不安的感觉。正想要出去看看。一道红光突然从外面飞射而来。
But Elder Li, who appeared alone, seemed to emanate these fearsome qi pressures from different individuals.
sù dù jí kuài 。 gèng shì yào yǎn dào le jí diǎn 。 tā lái bù jí yǒu sī háo fǎn yìng 。 jiù jué jǐng bù yī liáng 。 tóu lú yǐ jīng luò zài le de shàng ……
速度极快。更是耀眼到了极点。他来不及有丝毫反应。就觉颈部一凉。头颅已经落在了的上……
His heart filled with confusion and unease, he was about to go out when a bright red light suddenly shot in from outside.
ér zhè zhǒng qíng xíng 。 bìng bú shì gè lì 。 zhěng gè mǎ jiā zǒng tán 。 lǒng zhào zài yī piàn xīng fēng xuè yǔ 。 wú shù dī jiē xiū shì 。 shèn zhì nòng bù qīng chǔ fā shēng le shén me shì 。 jiù yǐ shēn shǒu fēn lí 。
而这种情形。并不是个例。整个马家总坛。笼罩在一片腥风血雨。无数低阶修士。甚至弄不清楚发生了什么事。就已身首分离。
It moved incredibly fast, so dazzling that before he could react, his neck felt cold. His head had already fallen onto the ground...
mǎ lǎo ér de biǎo qíng gèng shì nán kàn wú bǐ 。 cǐ shí tā de miàn qián zhàn zhe yī èr shí yú suì de rú páo xiū shì 。 yì tài xián sǎn 。 rán ér mǎ lǎo ér de yǎn jīng yào mào chū huǒ lái 。
马老儿的表情更是难看无比。此时他的面前站着一二十余岁的儒袍修士。意态闲散。然而马老儿的眼睛要冒出火来。
This wasn't an isolated incident; the entire Ma Family stronghold was shrouded in blood and gore. Countless low-ranking cultivators were decapitated without knowing what happened.
“ wǒ mǎ jiā yǔ gé xià wú yuān wú chóu 。 nǐ wèi hé yào xià dú shǒu ？”
“我马家与阁下无冤无仇。你为何要下毒手？”
The expression on the old man's face was even more terrible. Standing before him was a scholar-robed cultivator who seemed relaxed, but his eyes blazed with fury.
cǐ rén zhèng shì hào rán zōng de liǎng wèi zhǎng lǎo zhī yī 。 wén yán xiào ér bù yǔ 。 kě tā de xiào róng lǐ miàn 。 yě bāo hán yǒu wú jìn de hán qì 。
此人正是浩然宗的两位长老之一。闻言笑而不语。可他的笑容里面。也包含有无尽的寒气。
"Why should my Ma Family suffer from your treachery? We have no grudge against each other."
“ gé xià zhè me zuò 。 nán dào bù pà yǐn qǐ xuán kōng dǎo liǎng dà shì lì de zhàn huǒ ？”
“阁下这么做。难道不怕引起旋崆岛两大势力的战火？”
This person was one of the two elders of the Vast and Righteous Sect. He smiled without replying, but his smile contained endless coldness.
rú páo xiū shì yī jiù méi yǒu shén me biǎo shì 。 què tái qǐ shǒu lái 。 qīng qīng yī zhǐ 。 yī dào cì mù de hóng sè guāng huá cóng tā de yī xiù lǐ fēi lüè ér chū 。 mǎ lǎo ér dà jīng shī sè 。 tā suī rán xīn zhōng fèn nù 。 dàn yě zhī dào duì fāng níng dān qī dǐng de xiū wèi jué bú shì zì jǐ kě yǐ lì dí 。
儒袍修士依旧没有什么表示。却抬起手来。轻轻一指。一道刺目的红色光华从他的衣袖里飞掠而出。马老儿大惊失色。他虽然心中愤怒。但也知道对方凝丹期顶的修为绝不是自己可以力敌。
"Will you not fear starting a war between the two major forces on Xuan Kong Island by doing this?"
jīn zhī jì 。 zhǐ yǒu qù nà shān gǔ 。 xiàng lǐ zhǎng lǎo qiú zhù 。
今之计。只有去那山谷。像李长老求助。
The scholar-robed cultivator remained silent; he merely raised his hand and pointed lightly. A glaring red light shot out from his sleeve, causing the old man to panic. Although he was furious, he knew that his late-stage Core Formation cultivation could not match the other party.
zhè ge xiǎng fǎ gù rán méi cuò 。 ér què yǐ lái bù jí shí xiàn le 。 yǎn jiàn hóng máng dào le shēn qián 。 tā zhāng kāi kǒu 。 pēn chū yí miàn xiǎo xiǎo de dùn pái 。 xiǎng yào dǐ dǎng yī èr 。
这个想法固然没错。而却已来不及实现了。眼见红芒到了身前。他张开口。喷出一面小小的盾牌。想要抵挡一二。
His only hope now was to seek help from Elder Li in the valley.
kě cī lā yī shēng qīng xiǎng chuán ěr duǒ 。 nà dùn pái yǒu rú zhǐ hú 。 bèi pī wèi le liǎng bàn 。 kě lián mǎ lǎo ér shēn wèi yī jiā zhī zhǔ 。 yī rán méi yǒu táo tuō yǔn luò 。 lián shī tǐ yě bèi duì fāng huà wéi huī jìn le 。
可刺啦一声轻响传耳朵。那盾牌有如纸糊。被劈为了两半。可怜马老儿身为一家之主。依然没有逃脱陨落。连尸体也被对方化为灰烬了。
This idea was correct, but it was too late. As the red light approached him, he opened his mouth and sprayed out a small shield, trying to block it.
“ shī xiōng 。 wǒ men zhè yàng zuò shì bú shì yǒu diǎn tài guò ？” guāng huá shǎn guò 。 sù rú yě lái dào shēn qián le 。
“师兄。我们这样做是不是有点太过？”光华闪过。宿儒也来到身前了。
But with a sharp sound, the shield shattered like paper. The old man, who was the head of the family, could not escape his fate; even his body was reduced to ashes by the other party.
“ hēng 。 liàng xiǎo fēi jūn zǐ 。 wú dú bù zhàng fū 。 bù jiāng mǎ jiā miè |。 wǒ men jiù suàn shā le nà mó yōu mén de zhǎng lǎo 。 shēn fèn yě tóng yàng huì bào lù 。 nà yàng huì wèi zōng pài yǐn lái má fán 。 suǒ yǐ miè shā cǐ rén zhī qián 。 zì rán yào xiān jiāng zá yú qīng lǐ diào le 。”
“哼。量小非君子。无毒不丈夫。不将马家灭|。我们就算杀了那魔幽门的长老。身份也同样会暴露。那样会为宗派引来麻烦。所以灭杀此人之前。自然要先将杂鱼清理掉了。”
"Senior Brother, are we being too harsh?" The scholar-robed cultivator appeared before him.
"Hmph. A petty mind is not that of a gentleman. Without poison, one cannot be a true man. If we don't exterminate the Ma Family, even if we kill their elder from the Demon Obscure Sect, our identities will still be exposed. That would bring trouble to the sect. Therefore, before killing this person, we must first eliminate the smaller fish," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, his expression calm.
Seeing this, Ma Tianming naturally didn't dare to waste any more time. He knelt down with a slight bend in his knees: "I beg your pardon, senior. Recently, my cultivation has hit a bottleneck and I've made no progress. I hope you can guide me."
Lin Xuan remained silent, not making any comment. Ma Tianming didn't say much either; he merely looked eager and earnest.
His heart was filled with unease. His current cultivation had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment初期, just one step away from the中期 stage. But the gap between them was like a chasm in the sky.
If his luck held, he might break through within a few days. However, it was more likely that he would be stuck at this bottleneck for decades.
The path to immortality was already difficult enough. His own talent wasn't particularly good either.
Ma Tianming was also uncertain and had no other choice but to seek help from this senior.
After all, the other party was a late-stage Core Formation cultivator with a revered status and great abilities. As long as they were willing to help, it would be just a matter of raising an eyebrow.
Lin Xuan looked at Ma Tianming, who appeared very anxious, his expression still calm. He stretched out his hand and tapped on his storage bag, sending out a beam of white light that was the size of a pea—a medicinal pill.
"Here."
Ma Tianming hesitated but took it without saying anything more. His face showed a hint of confusion: "This."
Before he could finish speaking, a fragrant aroma wafted from the medicinal pill and entered his nostrils. Ma Tianming's expression turned ecstatic: "This is an Upper-grade Foundation Establishment Pill?"
"Indeed. Although your talent isn't great, with this help, breaking through to the中期 stage shouldn't be difficult."
"Thank you very much, senior for your kindness."
Ma Tianming immediately prostrated himself in gratitude. A Foundation Establishment Pill wasn't rare, but an Upper-grade one was far beyond his reach. Legend had it that its effects were extraordinary, and he could expect a significant boost to his cultivation soon.
Overjoyed, Ma Tianming showered Lin Xuan with flattery until the latter showed a hint of displeasure before he gracefully excused himself.
"Master, why are you being so generous today?"
After Ma Tianming left, a tinkling laughter entered his ears. Moon had already flown out from his sleeve.
"Little girl, what nonsense are you saying? Did I seem stingy in the past? Accepting gifts and repaying kindness is natural. Since we received something from them, it's only right to return the favor."
"But I feel that this isn't like your usual behavior," Moon said hesitantly. "You always prefer a low profile; why would you use precious medicinal pills for just an ordinary ten-thousand-year-old spirit herb?"
"Past me was inexperienced and naturally had to be cautious in everything. Now that the Demon Fetus has formed, although I can't rest easy, there's no need to walk on eggshells."
"But," Moon still hesitated.
"I have it under control. Although I can face an old monster of the Core Formation stage, I won't flaunt my strength. The reason for giving away the Upper-grade medicinal pill is because what they offered wasn't just a common spirit herb." Lin Xuan weighed the jade in his hand and said mysteriously.
"Master, are you joking? This is clearly just an ordinary ten-thousand-year-old ginseng. I can’t see anything suspicious about it."
"It's not ginseng, Moon. It’s much more valuable," Lin Xuan corrected her.
Suddenly, a frown appeared on his brow as his expression turned grim.
"Master, what happened?"
At the same time, several dozen miles away from here, there was an unnamed solitary peak.
The mountain stood about a thousand feet tall, with abundant qi and relatively gentle terrain. From afar, it was lush and green, with ancient trees and pavilions visible among them—this was the main stronghold of the Ma Family.
Since Lin Xuan arrived, the Ma Family's power had grown rapidly. Although most new members were low-ranking disciples, the area around the mountain gradually became more bustling.
On the peak, many simple but practical caves had been carved out where cultivators meditated and worked hard to improve their strength.
Ma was one of them. He was nearly thirty years old. He started cultivation at five, having spent over two decades in the中期 stage. Though he still hadn't reached Foundation Establishment, he never gave up. With enough effort, he believed he would eventually succeed.
The path to immortality was difficult, from the Core Formation stage's powerful monsters to the early-stage Spirit Flexibility cultivators. Everyone used their own methods to strive for improvement.
Recently, his cultivation had been going smoothly. He had completed a Grand Circulation once and was about to rest when suddenly, two terrifying qi pressures descended from the sky.
It was an eerie feeling that paralyzed even his body; his family head was far less capable. Could it be that a late-stage Core Formation cultivator had arrived?
But Elder Li, who appeared alone, seemed to emanate these fearsome qi pressures from different individuals.
His heart filled with confusion and unease, he was about to go out when a bright red light suddenly shot in from outside.
It moved incredibly fast, so dazzling that before he could react, his neck felt cold. His head had already fallen onto the ground...
This wasn't an isolated incident; the entire Ma Family stronghold was shrouded in blood and gore. Countless low-ranking cultivators were decapitated without knowing what happened.
The expression on the old man's face was even more terrible. Standing before him was a scholar-robed cultivator who seemed relaxed, but his eyes blazed with fury.
"Why should my Ma Family suffer from your treachery? We have no grudge against each other."
This person was one of the two elders of the Vast and Righteous Sect. He smiled without replying, but his smile contained endless coldness.
"Will you not fear starting a war between the two major forces on Xuan Kong Island by doing this?"
The scholar-robed cultivator remained silent; he merely raised his hand and pointed lightly. A glaring red light shot out from his sleeve, causing the old man to panic. Although he was furious, he knew that his late-stage Core Formation cultivation could not match the other party.
His only hope now was to seek help from Elder Li in the valley.
This idea was correct, but it was too late. As the red light approached him, he opened his mouth and sprayed out a small shield, trying to block it.
But with a sharp sound, the shield shattered like paper. The old man, who was the head of the family, could not escape his fate; even his body was reduced to ashes by the other party.
"Senior Brother, are we being too harsh?" The scholar-robed cultivator appeared before him.
"Hmph. A petty mind is not that of a gentleman. Without poison, one cannot be a true man. If we don't exterminate the Ma Family, even if we kill their elder from the Demon Obscure Sect, our identities will still be exposed. That would bring trouble to the sect. Therefore, before killing this person, we must first eliminate the smaller fish," Lin Xuan said with a smile.