guāng tóu xiū shì diǎn le diǎn tóu ， zhèng zhǔn bèi jiā lì ， tū rán yī dào lì máng xiàng zhe tā xié xié zhǎn qù 。
光头修士点了点头，正准备加力，突然一道厉芒向着他斜斜斩去。
The bald cultivator nodded and was about to exert more force when suddenly a fierce light slashed diagonally towards him.
biàn qǐ cāng cù ， dàn guāng tóu xiū shì bì jìng yǐ dào níng dān qī ， zì rán bù kě néng shù shǒu dài bì ， liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī lì qì ， shuāng shǒu yī qiā ， yī dào mó qì cóng tā shēn shàng chōng tiān ér qǐ ， huà wèi yī tiáo hēi mǎng ， fān shēn yíng shàng 。
变起仓促，但光头修士毕竟已到凝丹期，自然不可能束手待毙，脸上闪过一丝戾气，双手一掐，一道魔气从他身上冲天而起，化为一条黑蟒，翻身迎上。
The situation had changed rapidly, but the bald cultivator, having reached the Condensation Core stage, naturally wouldn't sit idly by. A hint of malevolence flashed across his face as he quickly formed hand seals. A black python emerged from his body and shot up to meet the attack head-on.
mó qì tūn tǔ ， líng máng shǎn shuò ， guāng tóu xiū shì liǎn shàng háo wú xuè sè ， xiǎn rán zhè yī cì jiāo shǒu ， tā yǐ chī le bù xiǎo de kǔ tóu 。
魔气吞吐，灵芒闪烁，光头修士脸上毫无血色，显然这一次交手，他已吃了不小的苦头。
The magic aura pulsed, and a spiritual light flickered. The bald cultivator's face was devoid of any blood color; clearly, this encounter had taken its toll on him.
lǎo zhě yī dāi ， liǎn shàng bù yóu de lù chū le jǐ fēn yóu yù lái ， dàn zuì zhōng hái shì dùn guāng yī huǎn ， tíng zài le guāng tóu xiū shì de páng biān 。
老者一呆，脸上不由得露出了几分犹豫来，但最终还是遁光一缓，停在了光头修士的旁边。
The elder was momentarily stunned but couldn't help showing some hesitation. However, he ultimately slowed his retreat and stopped beside the bald cultivator.
dāng rán ， tā zhī suǒ yǐ rú cǐ ， bìng fēi shì jiǎng shén me yì qì ， ér shì rú jīn zhè zhǒng qíng xíng ， liǎng rén fēn kāi táo mìng ， zhǐ néng bì sǐ wú yí ， fǎn zhī ， ruò néng lián shǒu duì dí ， shuō bù dìng hái huì yǒu yī xiàn shēng jī 。
当然，他之所以如此，并非是讲什么义气，而是如今这种情形，两人分开逃命，只能必死无疑，反之，若能联手对敌，说不定还会有一线生机。
Of course, his actions weren’t out of courtesy; rather, in their current situation, separating to run would only lead to certain death. If they could join forces against their enemy, there might be a chance for survival.
cǐ rén bù kuì shì níng dān zhōng qī xiū shì ， qǐng kè zhī jiān ， bù yǐ quán héng hǎo le lì bì 。
此人不愧是凝丹中期修士，顷刻之间，不已权衡好了利弊。
This person was indeed a mid-stage Condensation Core cultivator and had quickly weighed the pros and cons.
shēn chū shǒu lái ， zài chǔ wù dài shàng yī pāi ， yī dào xiá guāng fēi le chū lái ， pán xuán zhī hòu guāng máng shōu liǎn ， lù chū lái de què jū rán shì yī wū hēi tiě guǎi 。
伸出手来，在储物袋上一拍，一道霞光飞了出来，盘旋之后光芒收敛，露出来的却居然是一乌黑铁拐。
Reaching into his storage bag, he flicked out a streak ofmorning glory (Note: In some contexts, "morning glory" can be replaced with "sunset glow" or "dawn light")light that spiraled before dissipating, revealing an iron cane.
guāng tóu xiū shì gèng bù hán hù ， chuí le chuí xiōng kǒu ， cóng tā zuǐ lǐ pēn chū yī bā jiāo xiǎo shàn 。
光头修士更不含糊，捶了捶胸口，从他嘴里喷出一芭蕉小扇。
The bald cultivator wasn't hesitant. He spat out a mouthful of essence energy towards one of his treasures—a banana-shaped magical fan. Although his cultivation level was not high, this fan was a rare treasure.
shàn miàn zhī shàng ， fú wén liú zhuǎn ， cǐ bǎo jìng shì pǒ wèi bù fán 。
扇面之上，符文流转，此宝竟似颇为不凡。
Its origin story was quite interesting. It was well-known that after cultivating to the Golden Core stage, cultivators would travel widely in search of materials to refine their own treasures. This process was extremely arduous, and the materials required were very strict, often taking decades to collect. For major sects!
liǎng rén duì shì le yī yǎn ， yòu tóng shí qǐ dòng le hù shēn guāng zhào ， zhè cái yǒu xián xiá fàng chū shén shí ， xún zhǎo dí rén de zōng jì 。
两人对视了一眼，又同时启动了护身光罩，这才有闲暇放出神识，寻找敌人的踪迹。
For some scattered cultivators or small families, even if someone managed to condense a Golden Core, due to shallow roots, they might never be able to gather all the necessary materials in their lifetime.
cóng gāng cái gōng jī de qiáng dù lái kàn ， suī rán kě bù ， dàn xiǎn rán bìng fēi yuán yīng lǎo guài ， zhì shǎo bú shì běn tǐ fā chū de ， gù ér tā men bìng fēi méi yǒu shēng jī 。
从刚才攻击的强度来看，虽然可怖，但显然并非元婴老怪，至少不是本体发出的，故而他们并非没有生机。
The path of cultivation was difficult not just in terms of practice but also with various essential resources, especially for grassroots cultivators. It could be an uphill battle every step of the way.
zhǐ shì dí rén jiū jìng yǐn cáng zài nǎ lǐ ？
只是敌人究竟隐藏在哪里？
In the past, the bald cultivator had faced such challenges. Despite his solitary status and good fortune, he had managed to condense a Golden Core through hard work and sacrifice. However, due to his limited resources, finding materials to refine a proper treasure was no easy feat.
zài zhè dú wù shī qì zhī zhōng ， shén shí dà shòu xiàn zhì ， liǎng rén bù dé bù zhuǎn tóu sì gù ， shēng pà bù yī xiǎo xīn ， jiù bèi duì fāng gěi tōu xí 。
在这毒雾尸气之中，神识大受限制，两人不得不转头四顾，生怕不一小心，就被对方给偷袭。
He had roamed various islands in the Cloud Sea, searching for needed materials. But known mineral veins were long since claimed by various sects. As a lone Condensation Core cultivator, he couldn't compete with them.
“ yí ， nà …… nà shì shén me ？” guāng tóu xiū shì tū rán dèng dà le shuāng mù ， liǎn lù jīng kǒng de shuō 。
“咦，那……那是什么？”光头修士突然瞪大了双目，脸露惊恐的说。
Not only did he struggle to find special attribute materials, but even common copper essence that took a thousand years to refine, he could only gather an infant's fist-sized piece after over ten years of searching.
lǎo zhě yī dāi ， lián máng shùn zhe wàng le guò lái 。
老者一呆，连忙顺着望了过来。
The thought filled him with sorrow.
yuán běn tā men de jiǎo dǐ ， shì yī piàn róu ruǎn de zhǎo zé ， rán ér cǐ kè què fǎng fú zhǔ fèi de tāng guō ， gū gū de xiàng shàng mào zhe qì pào le 。
原本他们的脚底，是一片柔软的沼泽，然而此刻却仿佛煮沸的汤锅，咕咕的向上冒着气泡了。
Actually, if he had enough crystals, many materials could be purchased in the market. Even if ordinary shops couldn't provide them, auctions would yield significant gains. But alas, his pockets were still empty.
yī gǔ fǔ shī de wèi dào ， mí màn zài kōng qì lǐ ， liǎng rén de biǎo qíng biàn dé nán kàn yǐ jí 。
一股腐尸的味道，弥漫在空气里，两人的表情变得难看以极。
His frustration was palpable. However, using a Spirit Artifact instead of a treasure seemed like a step down for a Condensation Core cultivator.
cǐ kè tā men yǐ jīng qīng chǔ ， tōu xí tā men de nǎi shì shī mó ， zhè ge kě pà de jiā huo ， nán dào shì xiǎng gè gè jī pò ？
此刻他们已经清楚，偷袭他们的乃是尸魔，这个可怕的家伙，难道是想各个击破？
Despite the slim hope, he continued searching, traveling between major islands daily and sometimes venturing into dangerous areas to hunt cloud beasts for necessary crystals.
lǎo zhě yǎn zhū yī zhuǎn ， liǎn shàng jiù lù chū le jǐ fēn xiàn mèi de biǎo qíng lái ：“ qián bèi míng jiàn ， wǎn bèi nǎi wú yì chuǎng rù nín de lǐng dì ， jué bù gǎn yǔ gé xià wèi dí ， hái qǐng gāo tái guì shǒu ， fàng wǒ men lí qù 。”
老者眼珠一转，脸上就露出了几分献媚的表情来：“前辈明鉴，晚辈乃无意闯入您的领地，绝不敢与阁下为敌，还请高抬贵手，放我们离去。”
Over a decade passed, but his gains remained meager. The bald cultivator was nearly despondent when fate intervened. One day, while pursuing a second-stage monster, he stumbled upon an abandoned ancient cave where he discovered a skeleton.
“ shì a ， qián bèi ， wǒ men zhǐ shì xiǎo zá yú ， xiàn zài kě shì yǒu yī men yuán yīng lǎo guài ， yì tú duì nín bù lì 。” guāng tóu xiū shì yǎn zhū yī zhuǎn ， gèng xiǎng chū le huò shuǐ dōng yǐn de dú jì lái ， zhì yú lín xuān gāng cái de yuán shǒu zhī dé ， zǎo yǐ bèi tā pāo zhì le jiǔ xiāo yún wài 。
“是啊，前辈，我们只是小杂鱼，现在可是有一们元婴老怪，意图对您不利。”光头修士眼珠一转，更想出了祸水东引的毒计来，至于林轩刚才的援手之德，早已被他抛至了九霄云外。
The identity of the skeleton's owner was unknown to him, and he had no interest in investigating further. However, the storage bag beside it filled him with joy. Inside were nearly ten thousand crystals, some bottles, and a banana-shaped magical fan.
zhǐ yào néng gòu huó xià qù ， wú chǐ yì diǎn yǒu shén me guān xì ？
只要能够活下去，无耻一点有什么关系？
From its spiritual glow, it seemed to be a high-grade treasure. Heaven had been kind; this was a windfall for him.
kě xī zhè fān fèi jìn xīn jī ， sǐ duì tou lái yě zhǐ shì bái fèi lì qì 。
可惜这番费尽心机，死对头来也只是白费力气。
The skeleton crumbled into ash upon contact, indicating its age of countless millennia. The bald cultivator took the fan, examining it carefully.
shī mó shì xiǎng yào tūn shì liǎng rén de jīn dān ， yòng lái zēng jìn fǎ lì ， qǐ huì yīn wèi yī fān huā yán qiǎo yǔ ， jiù shǎ shǎ de fàng tā men guò qù ？
尸魔是想要吞噬两人的金丹，用来增进法力，岂会因为一番花言巧语，就傻傻的放他们过去？
With such an ancient treasure in hand, he felt content. Although he couldn't refine it with his own essence fire, following ghostly techniques and sacrificing blood could still unlock much of its power.
nà zhǎo zé zhōng fèi téng de shī qì ， bù jǐn méi yǒu xuē ruò ， fǎn ér yuè fā de jù liè le 。
那沼泽中沸腾的尸气，不仅没有削弱，反而越发的剧烈了。
Adding to this unexpected crystal gain, the bald cultivator's life as a scattered cultivator became quite comfortable.
sōu ！
嗖！
He had a promising future; how could he die here?
yī wù chōng tiān ér qǐ ， xuán fú dào le bàn kōng ， liǎng rén dìng jīng wàng qù ， què shì yī dòu dà de guǐ tóu ， yǎn rú tóng líng ， xuè pén dà kǒu ， é shàng de dú jiǎo zú yǒu bàn chǐ zhǎng ， yá chǐ rú tóng fēng ruì de dāo piàn yī yàng ， shǎn shuò zhe lìng rén xīn jì de hán guāng 。
一物冲天而起，悬浮到了半空，两人定睛望去，却是一斗大的鬼头，眼如铜铃，血盆大口，额上的独角足有半尺长，牙齿如同锋锐的刀片一样，闪烁着令人心悸的寒光。
With a fierce expression in his eyes, the bald cultivator continuously cast spells. The magical fan expanded with the wind, reaching over ten feet in diameter, and its inscriptions grew clearer.
zhèng shì shī mó de fēn shēn mó tóu 。
正是尸魔的分身魔头。
"Surprise!" The ghost head was drawn to this, showing some surprise on its grotesque face despite its low cultivation level.
rán ér yǔ lín xuān miè diào de shī shòu bù tóng ， zhè guǐ tóu nǎi shì tā yòng sān fēn zhī yī de fēn shén xiū liàn ér chū ， shén tōng zhī qiáng ， yuǎn bú shì pǔ tōng de níng dān qī xiū shì kě yǐ dǐ dǎng ！
然而与林轩灭掉的尸兽不同，这鬼头乃是他用三分之一的分神修炼而出，神通之强，远不是普通的凝丹期修士可以抵挡！
"Quickly!"
gǎn shòu dào duì fāng suǒ shì fàng chū lái de kě pà wēi yā ， liǎng rén de liǎn sè shì yuè fā cāng bái le 。
感受到对方所释放出来的可怕威压，两人的脸色是越发苍白了。
Facing a formidable opponent, the bald cultivator spared no effort. His essence energy surged forth, and with a gentle wave of the fan, two monstrous winds shot out from it—each as thick as a bowl.
“ qián bèi ……” nà lǎo zhě yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī wèi jù ， hái xiǎng yào huā yán qiǎo yǔ ， guǐ tóu què bù xiǎng yǔ tā zài zhè lǐ màn màn dān gē xià qù 。
“前辈……”那老者眼中闪过一丝畏惧，还想要花言巧语，鬼头却不想与他在这里慢慢耽搁下去。
One was dark like ink, faintly emitting an unpleasant stench even at a distance. The other was pale white, resembling corpse fire, causing discomfort just by looking at it.
yǎn kuàng zhī zhōng ， hóng máng shǎn shuò ， dà zuǐ yī zhāng ， cóng lǐ miàn pēn chū yī dào xuè máng 。
眼眶之中，红芒闪烁，大嘴一张，从里面喷出一道血芒。
Needless to say, their power was formidable.
zhǎng yuē bàn chǐ ， huá liū yì cháng ， fǎng fú huó wù yī yàng 。
长约半尺，滑溜异常，仿佛活物一样。
The ghost head showed some concern but quickly sneered. This fan indeed had its merits, but the user's cultivation level was too low to be a threat.
lǎo zhě dà jīng shī sè ， zì rán bù gǎn zài chěng kǒu shé zhī lì le ， máng shuāng shǒu qiā jué ， diǎn xiàng qián fāng de lóng tóu guǎi zhàng 。
老者大惊失色，自然不敢再逞口舌之利了，忙双手掐诀，点向前方的龙头拐杖。
Red light flickered in his eyes as he chanted incomprehensible incantations with his mouth moving wildly. He opened his blood-soaked mouth and spat out a purple mist containing flickering corpse fires that collided with the阴阳怪风.
wū ……
呜……
Silent and colorless, the three colors intertwined, fighting fiercely but only on the surface. Although their techniques were similar in power, the difference in essence energy was vast. The bald cultivator soon showed signs of strain.
The bald cultivator nodded and was about to exert more force when suddenly a fierce light slashed diagonally towards him.
The situation had changed rapidly, but the bald cultivator, having reached the Condensation Core stage, naturally wouldn't sit idly by. A hint of malevolence flashed across his face as he quickly formed hand seals. A black python emerged from his body and shot up to meet the attack head-on.
Ssssh—
The magic aura pulsed, and a spiritual light flickered. The bald cultivator's face was devoid of any blood color; clearly, this encounter had taken its toll on him.
The elder was momentarily stunned but couldn't help showing some hesitation. However, he ultimately slowed his retreat and stopped beside the bald cultivator.
Of course, his actions weren’t out of courtesy; rather, in their current situation, separating to run would only lead to certain death. If they could join forces against their enemy, there might be a chance for survival.
This person was indeed a mid-stage Condensation Core cultivator and had quickly weighed the pros and cons.
Reaching into his storage bag, he flicked out a streak ofmorning glory (Note: In some contexts, "morning glory" can be replaced with "sunset glow" or "dawn light")light that spiraled before dissipating, revealing an iron cane.
The bald cultivator wasn't hesitant. He spat out a mouthful of essence energy towards one of his treasures—a banana-shaped magical fan. Although his cultivation level was not high, this fan was a rare treasure.
Its origin story was quite interesting. It was well-known that after cultivating to the Golden Core stage, cultivators would travel widely in search of materials to refine their own treasures. This process was extremely arduous, and the materials required were very strict, often taking decades to collect. For major sects!
For some scattered cultivators or small families, even if someone managed to condense a Golden Core, due to shallow roots, they might never be able to gather all the necessary materials in their lifetime.
The path of cultivation was difficult not just in terms of practice but also with various essential resources, especially for grassroots cultivators. It could be an uphill battle every step of the way.
In the past, the bald cultivator had faced such challenges. Despite his solitary status and good fortune, he had managed to condense a Golden Core through hard work and sacrifice. However, due to his limited resources, finding materials to refine a proper treasure was no easy feat.
He had roamed various islands in the Cloud Sea, searching for needed materials. But known mineral veins were long since claimed by various sects. As a lone Condensation Core cultivator, he couldn't compete with them.
Not only did he struggle to find special attribute materials, but even common copper essence that took a thousand years to refine, he could only gather an infant's fist-sized piece after over ten years of searching.
The thought filled him with sorrow.
Actually, if he had enough crystals, many materials could be purchased in the market. Even if ordinary shops couldn't provide them, auctions would yield significant gains. But alas, his pockets were still empty.
His frustration was palpable. However, using a Spirit Artifact instead of a treasure seemed like a step down for a Condensation Core cultivator.
Despite the slim hope, he continued searching, traveling between major islands daily and sometimes venturing into dangerous areas to hunt cloud beasts for necessary crystals.
Over a decade passed, but his gains remained meager. The bald cultivator was nearly despondent when fate intervened. One day, while pursuing a second-stage monster, he stumbled upon an abandoned ancient cave where he discovered a skeleton.
The identity of the skeleton's owner was unknown to him, and he had no interest in investigating further. However, the storage bag beside it filled him with joy. Inside were nearly ten thousand crystals, some bottles, and a banana-shaped magical fan.
From its spiritual glow, it seemed to be a high-grade treasure. Heaven had been kind; this was a windfall for him.
The skeleton crumbled into ash upon contact, indicating its age of countless millennia. The bald cultivator took the fan, examining it carefully.
With such an ancient treasure in hand, he felt content. Although he couldn't refine it with his own essence fire, following ghostly techniques and sacrificing blood could still unlock much of its power.
Adding to this unexpected crystal gain, the bald cultivator's life as a scattered cultivator became quite comfortable.
He had a promising future; how could he die here?
With a fierce expression in his eyes, the bald cultivator continuously cast spells. The magical fan expanded with the wind, reaching over ten feet in diameter, and its inscriptions grew clearer.
"Surprise!" The ghost head was drawn to this, showing some surprise on its grotesque face despite its low cultivation level.
"Quickly!"
Facing a formidable opponent, the bald cultivator spared no effort. His essence energy surged forth, and with a gentle wave of the fan, two monstrous winds shot out from it—each as thick as a bowl.
One was dark like ink, faintly emitting an unpleasant stench even at a distance. The other was pale white, resembling corpse fire, causing discomfort just by looking at it.
Needless to say, their power was formidable.
The ghost head showed some concern but quickly sneered. This fan indeed had its merits, but the user's cultivation level was too low to be a threat.
Red light flickered in his eyes as he chanted incomprehensible incantations with his mouth moving wildly. He opened his blood-soaked mouth and spat out a purple mist containing flickering corpse fires that collided with the阴阳怪风.
Silent and colorless, the three colors intertwined, fighting fiercely but only on the surface. Although their techniques were similar in power, the difference in essence energy was vast. The bald cultivator soon showed signs of strain.