jī shā qiáng dí yǐ hòu ， yuè ér suí shǒu dàn chū jǐ lì huǒ qiú ， huǐ shī miè jì ， zhè yě shì gēn shào yé xué xí ， rú cǐ
击杀强敌以后，月儿随手弹出几粒火球，毁尸灭迹，这也是跟少爷学习，如此
After defeating a powerful enemy, Moon casually shot out several fireballs to destroy the remains. This was something she had learned from her young master.
yī lái ， wàn guǐ hú de xiū shì quán bù yǔn luò ， yòu méi yǒu mù jī zhě ， zhè bǐ zhàng ， wú lùn rú hé ， dōu suàn bú dào
一来，万鬼湖的修士全部陨落，又没有目击者，这笔账，无论如何，都算不到
In any case, with all the demons and spirits of Thousand Ghost Lake dead and no witnesses, this incident would not be laid at Lin Xuan's feet.
lín xuān tóu shàng 。
林轩头上。
Once everything was done, the master and servant left the scene immediately without delay. The distance to the market district was only about a hundred miles, and with Lin Xuan’s speed, it took him roughly half an hour to travel that far. However, just as he had flown one-third of the way, his body suddenly slowed down, and he abruptly stopped.
zuò hǎo zhè yī qiè hòu ， zhǔ pú èr rén bìng bù dān gē ， dì yī shí jiān lí kāi shì fā xiàn chǎng 。
做好这一切后，主仆二人并不耽搁，第一时间离开事发现场。
Lin Xuan turned his head, revealing a look of shock on his face. "Young Master, what's wrong?" Moon asked curiously.
zhè lǐ jù lí fāng shì ， bù guò bǎi lǐ ， yǐ lín xuān de dùn sù ， yě jiù dà yuē bàn zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， rán ér tā cái
这里距离坊市，不过百里，以林轩的遁速，也就大约半盏茶的功夫，然而他才
Without answering, Lin Xuan quickly took out a Hidden Spirit Pill from his pocket and swallowed it. Then, without further ado, he flew towards a nearby small hill, landed, and concealed his aura, hiding among the trees.
gāng gāng fēi le sān fēn zhī yī de jù lí ， tū rán shēn xíng yī huǎn ， měng de tíng le xià lái 。
刚刚飞了三分之一的距离，突然身形一缓，猛的停了下来。
Just as he finished these actions, two dazzling beams of light appeared on the horizon, streaking towards them at incredible speed.
zhuǎn le zhuǎn tóu ， lín xuān de liǎn shàng ， jìng rán lù chū le yī lǚ hài rán zhī sè 。
转了转头，林轩的脸上，竟然露出了一缕骇然之色。
The light faded, revealing two cultivators. One was an old man in black robes with a hunched back and white hair. The other was a middle-aged woman dressed in courtly attire, about thirty years old, with a striking appearance.
“ shào yé ， zěn me le ？” yuè ér hào qí de kāi kǒu 。
“少爷，怎么了？”月儿好奇的开口。
Both were experts of the元婴期 (Advanced Spirit Stage).
lín xuān méi yǒu huí dá ， ér shì xùn sù cóng huái zhōng qǔ chū yī lì yǐn líng dān fú xià ， suí hòu èr huà bù shuō ， zhí jiē fēi
林轩没有回答，而是迅速从怀中取出一粒隐灵丹服下，随后二话不说，直接飞
Such a remote place rarely saw even condensation core cultivators, let alone now having two formidable figures appear out of nowhere, which seemed rather odd.
xiàng bù yuǎn chù de yī zuò xiǎo shān ， jiàng luò xià lái ， shōu liǎn qì xī ， yǐn shēn yú shù cóng lǐ 。
向不远处的一座小山，降落下来，收敛气息，隐身于树丛里。
Lin Xuan carefully concealed his aura. Although they were several miles apart, his keen eyes could see everything clearly.
cái gāng gāng zuò hǎo zhè xiē ， liǎng dào yào yǎn de guāng huá jiù chū xiàn zài le tiān biān ， fēng chí diàn chè bān de xiàng zhe zhè biān dùn
才刚刚做好这些，两道耀眼的光华就出现在了天边，风驰电掣般的向着这边遁
"Junior Sister Li, what's going on? Just now, the life tokens of eight of our fellow disciples all disappeared. Could something unexpected have happened?" The old man sighed, his expression filled with surprise and suspicion.
lái 。
来。
"It shouldn't be the case. Old Monster Ku is severely injured; he can only use a fraction of his power. With the strength of our eight junior brothers, they should be able to take him down," the woman in courtly attire said, her expression also troubled as she pondered aloud.
guāng huá shōu liǎn ， xiàn chū le liǎng míng xiū shì de róng yán 。
光华收敛，现出了两名修士的容颜。
"Could there have been someone aiding them?"
yī wèi zào páo lǎo zhě ， bèi yǒu diǎn tuó ， xū fà jiē yǐ bān bái le ， ér lìng wài yí gè ， zé shì gōng zhuāng měi fù ， dà
一位皂袍老者，背有点驼，须发皆已斑白了，而另外一个，则是宫装美妇，大
"This… it's highly unlikely. Although Old Monster Ku is an elder of Sword Obscure Sect, this theft was clearly his personal idea. Otherwise, after succeeding, why would he seek refuge at the main hall instead of running away to a distant place?" The woman in courtly attire spoke with a coarse tone despite her good looks.
yuē sān shí chū tóu ， pǒ yǒu jǐ fēn zī sè 。
约三十出头，颇有几分姿色。
"Indeed, Sister Li has a point. But if it wasn't Sword Obscure Sect cultivators aiding them, our junior brother Lei and his companions must have failed," the old man nodded, analyzing the situation.
liǎng rén jiē shì yuán yīng qī gāo shǒu 。
两人皆是元婴期高手。
"It is indeed strange. To my knowledge, East Border Province doesn’t have any powerful cultivators; only Stone Tiger Academy stands out in this area."
zhè zhǒng piān pì de chǎng suǒ ， píng rì lǐ kě lián níng dān qī xiū shì dōu bù duō ， rú jīn yī xià zi mào chū liǎng wèi lǎo guài wù
这种偏僻的场所，平日里可连凝丹期修士都不多，如今一下子冒出两位老怪物
"Stone Tiger Academy?" The old man was taken aback, showing interest on his face.
， kě zhe shí yǒu nà me jǐ fēn guǐ yì le 。
，可着实有那么几分诡异了。
"Yes, it's a sect under the Confucian Sect, ranking around fourth or fifth tier. However, there are still some condensation core cultivators within its ranks. If they put all their effort into it, perhaps they could kill Junior Brother Lei, but they have always stayed out of worldly affairs and would never act without reason," the woman in courtly attire said coolly.
lín xuān xiǎo xīn shōu liǎn zhe zì jǐ de qì xī ， duì fāng suī rán xiāng gé shù lǐ ， dàn yǐ tā de yǎn lì ， zì rán shì kàn de
林轩小心收敛着自己的气息，对方虽然相隔数里，但以他的眼力，自然是看的
"Haha, Sister Li truly has extensive knowledge; this is a lead. Another possibility is that we happened to encounter another Advanced Spirit cultivator passing through here," the old man stroked his beard with a meaningful expression.
yì qīng èr chǔ 。
一清二楚。
"This… it's too coincidental!" The woman in courtly attire raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "Of course, there’s still a possibility. Elder Brother, about one hundred miles west of here is a market district. If any outsiders are Advanced Spirit cultivators, they will most likely go there."
“ lí shī mèi ， zěn me huí shì ， jiù zài gāng gāng ， léi shī zhí děng bā rén de běn mìng lìng pái quán bù xiāo shī ， nán dào jìng
“黎师妹，怎么回事，就在刚刚，雷师侄等八人的本命令牌全部消失，难道竟
"Very well, then we'll split up to find useful clues. No matter what, that treasure must be retrieved; otherwise, the sect leader's wrath would be unbearable for us," the old man said solemnly.
chū xiàn le shén me lìng rén yì wài de shì ？” zào páo lǎo zhě tàn le kǒu qì ， shén sè jiān mǎn shì jīng yí 。
出现了什么令人意外的事？”皂袍老者叹了口气，神色间满是惊疑。
"Agreed." The woman in courtly attire did not refute but instead showed a hint of fear in her eyes. Then, they transformed into two different-colored streaks of light and disappeared into the distance.
“ àn shuō bú huì ， kǔ lǎo guài yǐ shēn fù zhòng shāng ， yī shēn xiū wèi ， zuì duō fā huī chū shí fēn zhī yī èr ， yǐ léi shī
“按说不会，苦老怪已身负重伤，一身修为，最多发挥出十分之一二，以雷师
Silence returned to the surroundings.
zhí bā rén zhī lì ， ná xià tā jué bú huì yǒu wèn tí 。” gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ biǎo qíng yě bù hǎo ， què chén yín zhe kāi kǒu dào 。
侄八人之力，拿下他绝不会有问题。”宫装女子表情也不好，却沉吟着开口道。
After a long while.
“ huì yǒu huì yǒu rén jiē yìng duì fāng ？”
“会有会有人接应对方？”
"Young Master, this time you've stirred up a hornet's nest."
“ zhè ge …… kě néng xìng hěn xiǎo ， kǔ lǎo guài suī shì jiàn yōu gōng zhǎng lǎo ， dàn cǐ cì dào bǎo ， què míng xiǎn shì tā sī
“这个……可能性很小，苦老怪虽是剑幽宫长老，但此次盗宝，却明显是他私
"Who cares? Thousand Ghost Lake doesn't know it was me who did this case," Lin Xuan said nonchalantly.
rén zhī yì ， fǒu zé dé shǒu yǐ hòu ， gàn má bù huí zǒng tán xún qiú bì hù ， fǎn ér rào le yí gè dà quān ， zuì jìn pǎo
人之意，否则得手以后，干嘛不回总坛寻求庇护，反而绕了一个大圈，最近跑
"That’s true, but this matter seems more complicated than I thought. Otherwise, Thousand Ghost Lake wouldn’t have sent two Advanced Spirit cultivators here."
dào zhè niǎo bù lā shǐ de dì fāng lái 。” gōng zhuāng měi fù zī róng bù sú ， rán ér shuō qǐ huà lái què pǒ wèi cū lǔ 。
到这鸟不拉屎的地方来。”宫装美妇姿容不俗，然而说起话来却颇为粗鲁。
Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead, showing a thoughtful expression. Although he didn’t know much, from the few words they had exchanged, it seemed that Master Ku acted on his own initiative and secretly entered Thousand Ghost Lake to steal something of great importance.
“ ēn ， shī mèi yán zhī yǒu lǐ ， dàn jiǎ rú bú shì jiàn yōu gōng xiū shì jiē yīng ， léi shī zhí tā men wàn méi yǒu shī shǒu de
“恩，师妹言之有理，但假如不是剑幽宫修士接应，雷师侄他们万没有失手的
This angered Thousand Ghost Lake so much that they launched a series of attacks until the unfortunate master met his end.
dào lǐ 。” zào páo lǎo zhě bù yǐ wéi yì ， diǎn le diǎn tóu ， rú cǐ zhè bān de fēn xī 。
道理。”皂袍老者不以为意，点了点头，如此这般的分析。
Moreover, even the sect leader was alarmed. As one of the Nine Great Forces in Cloud Sea, their leader must be an Advanced Spirit cultivator at a late stage. To anger such a person, the treasure must be invaluable.
“ què shí qí guài ， jù wǒ suǒ zhī ， zhè dōng yuán zhōu bìng méi yǒu shén me lì hài de xiū shì ， fāng yuán qiān lǐ ， yě jiù zhǐ
“确实奇怪，据我所知，这东缘州并没有什么厉害的修士，方圆千里，也就只
Thinking this, Lin Xuan felt a surge of excitement. Whether he had stirred up trouble or not, he was sure to have gained something significant.
yǒu shí hǔ shū yuàn jiào wéi chū míng 。”
有石虎书院较为出名。”
With that thought, he couldn’t contain his eagerness any longer and quickly flipped open Master Ku’s storage bag with his palm.
“ shí hǔ shū yuàn ？” lǎo zhě yī dāi ， liǎn shàng bù yóu de lù chū jǐ fēn gǎn xìng qù de biǎo qíng lái 。
“石虎书院？”老者一呆，脸上不由得露出几分感兴趣的表情来。
He sank his divine sense into it, focusing intently on searching through the contents.
“ ēn ， nà shì lì shǔ yú rú mén de zōng pài ， yě jiù sì wǔ liú ， dāng rán ， mén nèi hái shì yǒu jǐ gè níng dān qī de
“恩，那是隶属于儒门的宗派，也就四五流，当然，门内还是有几个凝丹期的
There were too many items to distinguish at once. Lin Xuan frowned and decided to turn over the bag.
xiū xiān zhě ， rú guǒ qīng jìn quán lì ， huò xǔ kě yǐ miè shā léi shī zhí ， dàn tā men xiàng lái bù wèn shì shì ， jué méi yǒu
修仙者，如果倾尽全力，或许可以灭杀雷师侄，但他们向来不问世事，绝没有
A burst of霞光 (fiery light) revealed all the contents inside.
wú duān chū shǒu de dào lǐ 。” gōng zhuāng měi fù dàn dàn de kāi kǒu 。
无端出手的道理。”宫装美妇淡淡的开口。
Even with his composure, he couldn’t help swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
“ hē hē ， shī mèi guǒ rán jiàn shí guǎng bó ， zhè yě shì yí gè xiàn suǒ ， lìng wài hái yǒu yī zhǒng kě néng ， jiù shì pèng qiǎo
“呵呵，师妹果然见识广博，这也是一个线索，另外还有一种可能，就是碰巧
Sure enough, an Advanced Spirit cultivator was wealthy. Apart from various colored middle-grade crystal stones numbering in the hundreds, there were several jade boxes and bottles filled with precious herbs.
yǒu bié de yuán yīng qī lǎo guài cóng zhè ér lù guò 。” zào páo lǎo zhě mō le mō hú xū ， biǎo qíng dà yǒu shēn yì 。
有别的元婴期老怪从这儿路过。”皂袍老者摸了摸胡须，表情大有深意。
A stack of earth-grade talismans also caught his eye. Although Lin Xuan’s current cultivation level could easily use earth-grade spells without much effort, instantaneously usable and non-resource-consuming talismans seemed more practical. They might even have life-saving effects in certain situations.
“ zhè …… yīng gāi bú huì rú cǐ qiǎo ba ！” gōng zhuāng měi fù xiù méi yī tiāo ， suí jí yòu yáo le yáo tóu ：“ dāng rán
“这……应该不会如此巧吧！”宫装美妇秀眉一挑，随即又摇了摇头：“当然
Next came a set of array flags. The stench of blood was evident when he held them, indicating that many living souls had been used to refine this item. It was an extremely evil魔道 (Dark Arts) artifact.
， yě shì yǒu kě néng de ， shī xiōng ， cóng cǐ wǎng xī ， dà yuē yì bǎi lǐ ， yǒu yī zuò fāng shì ， rú guǒ yǒu wài lái de
，也是有可能的，师兄，从此往西，大约一百里，有一座坊市，如果有外来的
Five Ghost Soul Splitting Array!
yuán yīng xiū shì ， shí yǒu ** huì qù nà lǐ 。”
元婴修士，十有**会去那里。”
Although Lin Xuan was well-versed in the璇玑 Heart Technique, he wasn’t a master of array techniques. Moreover, there were billions of miles between Youzhou and Cloud Sea, making the array arts quite different. Fortunately, the text on the flags made it easier to identify them.
“ hǎo ， nà wǒ men jiù bīng fēn liǎng lù ， kàn néng fǒu zhǎo dào yǒu yòng de xiàn suǒ ， bù guǎn rú hé ， nà bǎo wù yí dìng yào
“好，那我们就兵分两路，看能否找到有用的线索，不管如何，那宝物一定要
With his dual cultivation of both 正道 (Righteous Path) and 魔道 (Dark Arts), Lin Xuan could easily command this item. However, he decided not to use it immediately as there were many eye-catching treasures nearby.
qǔ huí ， fǒu zé zōng zhǔ zhī nù ， jí biàn nǐ wǒ ， kǒng pà yě shì wú fǎ chéng shòu de 。” lǎo zhě biǎo qíng yán sù ， yī
取回，否则宗主之怒，即便你我，恐怕也是无法承受的。”老者表情严肃，一
First was a bone, about a foot long.
zì yī dùn de kāi kǒu 。
字一顿的开口。
Then came a dagger with no remarkable shape.
“ ēn 。” gōng zhuāng měi fù tīng le ， bù jǐn méi yǒu fǎn bó ， yǎn zhōng fǎn ér shǎn guò yī lǚ jīng pà zhī sè ， suí hòu èr
“恩。”宫装美妇听了，不仅没有反驳，眼中反而闪过一缕惊怕之色，随后二
The last item was the most peculiar; it resembled a dish for fruits and vegetables.
After defeating a powerful enemy, Moon casually shot out several fireballs to destroy the remains. This was something she had learned from her young master.
In any case, with all the demons and spirits of Thousand Ghost Lake dead and no witnesses, this incident would not be laid at Lin Xuan's feet.
Once everything was done, the master and servant left the scene immediately without delay. The distance to the market district was only about a hundred miles, and with Lin Xuan’s speed, it took him roughly half an hour to travel that far. However, just as he had flown one-third of the way, his body suddenly slowed down, and he abruptly stopped.
Lin Xuan turned his head, revealing a look of shock on his face. "Young Master, what's wrong?" Moon asked curiously.
Without answering, Lin Xuan quickly took out a Hidden Spirit Pill from his pocket and swallowed it. Then, without further ado, he flew towards a nearby small hill, landed, and concealed his aura, hiding among the trees.
Just as he finished these actions, two dazzling beams of light appeared on the horizon, streaking towards them at incredible speed.
The light faded, revealing two cultivators. One was an old man in black robes with a hunched back and white hair. The other was a middle-aged woman dressed in courtly attire, about thirty years old, with a striking appearance.
Both were experts of the元婴期 (Advanced Spirit Stage).
Such a remote place rarely saw even condensation core cultivators, let alone now having two formidable figures appear out of nowhere, which seemed rather odd.
Lin Xuan carefully concealed his aura. Although they were several miles apart, his keen eyes could see everything clearly.
"Junior Sister Li, what's going on? Just now, the life tokens of eight of our fellow disciples all disappeared. Could something unexpected have happened?" The old man sighed, his expression filled with surprise and suspicion.
"It shouldn't be the case. Old Monster Ku is severely injured; he can only use a fraction of his power. With the strength of our eight junior brothers, they should be able to take him down," the woman in courtly attire said, her expression also troubled as she pondered aloud.
"Could there have been someone aiding them?"
"This… it's highly unlikely. Although Old Monster Ku is an elder of Sword Obscure Sect, this theft was clearly his personal idea. Otherwise, after succeeding, why would he seek refuge at the main hall instead of running away to a distant place?" The woman in courtly attire spoke with a coarse tone despite her good looks.
"Indeed, Sister Li has a point. But if it wasn't Sword Obscure Sect cultivators aiding them, our junior brother Lei and his companions must have failed," the old man nodded, analyzing the situation.
"It is indeed strange. To my knowledge, East Border Province doesn’t have any powerful cultivators; only Stone Tiger Academy stands out in this area."
"Stone Tiger Academy?" The old man was taken aback, showing interest on his face.
"Yes, it's a sect under the Confucian Sect, ranking around fourth or fifth tier. However, there are still some condensation core cultivators within its ranks. If they put all their effort into it, perhaps they could kill Junior Brother Lei, but they have always stayed out of worldly affairs and would never act without reason," the woman in courtly attire said coolly.
"Haha, Sister Li truly has extensive knowledge; this is a lead. Another possibility is that we happened to encounter another Advanced Spirit cultivator passing through here," the old man stroked his beard with a meaningful expression.
"This… it's too coincidental!" The woman in courtly attire raised her eyebrows and shook her head. "Of course, there’s still a possibility. Elder Brother, about one hundred miles west of here is a market district. If any outsiders are Advanced Spirit cultivators, they will most likely go there."
"Very well, then we'll split up to find useful clues. No matter what, that treasure must be retrieved; otherwise, the sect leader's wrath would be unbearable for us," the old man said solemnly.
"Agreed." The woman in courtly attire did not refute but instead showed a hint of fear in her eyes. Then, they transformed into two different-colored streaks of light and disappeared into the distance.
Silence returned to the surroundings.
After a long while.
"Young Master, this time you've stirred up a hornet's nest."
"Who cares? Thousand Ghost Lake doesn't know it was me who did this case," Lin Xuan said nonchalantly.
"That’s true, but this matter seems more complicated than I thought. Otherwise, Thousand Ghost Lake wouldn’t have sent two Advanced Spirit cultivators here."
Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead, showing a thoughtful expression. Although he didn’t know much, from the few words they had exchanged, it seemed that Master Ku acted on his own initiative and secretly entered Thousand Ghost Lake to steal something of great importance.
This angered Thousand Ghost Lake so much that they launched a series of attacks until the unfortunate master met his end.
Moreover, even the sect leader was alarmed. As one of the Nine Great Forces in Cloud Sea, their leader must be an Advanced Spirit cultivator at a late stage. To anger such a person, the treasure must be invaluable.
Thinking this, Lin Xuan felt a surge of excitement. Whether he had stirred up trouble or not, he was sure to have gained something significant.
With that thought, he couldn’t contain his eagerness any longer and quickly flipped open Master Ku’s storage bag with his palm.
He sank his divine sense into it, focusing intently on searching through the contents.
There were too many items to distinguish at once. Lin Xuan frowned and decided to turn over the bag.
A burst of霞光 (fiery light) revealed all the contents inside.
Even with his composure, he couldn’t help swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
Sure enough, an Advanced Spirit cultivator was wealthy. Apart from various colored middle-grade crystal stones numbering in the hundreds, there were several jade boxes and bottles filled with precious herbs.
A stack of earth-grade talismans also caught his eye. Although Lin Xuan’s current cultivation level could easily use earth-grade spells without much effort, instantaneously usable and non-resource-consuming talismans seemed more practical. They might even have life-saving effects in certain situations.
Next came a set of array flags. The stench of blood was evident when he held them, indicating that many living souls had been used to refine this item. It was an extremely evil魔道 (Dark Arts) artifact.
Five Ghost Soul Splitting Array!
Although Lin Xuan was well-versed in the璇玑 Heart Technique, he wasn’t a master of array techniques. Moreover, there were billions of miles between Youzhou and Cloud Sea, making the array arts quite different. Fortunately, the text on the flags made it easier to identify them.
With his dual cultivation of both 正道 (Righteous Path) and 魔道 (Dark Arts), Lin Xuan could easily command this item. However, he decided not to use it immediately as there were many eye-catching treasures nearby.
First was a bone, about a foot long.
Then came a dagger with no remarkable shape.
The last item was the most peculiar; it resembled a dish for fruits and vegetables.