rú cǐ yī lái ， kùn jū yú dōng yuán zhōu de xiū shì zì rán jiào kǔ lián tiān ， jiù suàn néng gòu jiāng shēn fèn shuō qīng chǔ ， kě bèi céng céng pán bō ， kǒng pà hái zǒu bù chū qiān lǐ zhī yuǎn ， jiù yǐ qīng jiā dàng chǎn 。
如此一来，困居于东缘州的修士自然叫苦连天，就算能够将身份说清楚，可被层层盘剥，恐怕还走不出千里之远，就已倾家荡产。
Thus, the cultivators confined in Dongyuan Province naturally complained bitterly. Even if they could explain their identities clearly, being harassed layer by layer, they might not be able to leave even a thousand miles away without going bankrupt.
“ shī shū ， nán dào zhēn de méi yǒu bié de bàn fǎ me ？” nián qīng nǚ zǐ de liǎn shàng mǎn shì wéi nán zhī sè 。
“师叔，难道真的没有别的办法么？”年轻女子的脸上满是为难之色。
"Senior Uncle, is there really no other way?" The young woman's face was filled with difficulty.
“ bàn fǎ …… dāng rán yǒu 。” lǎo zhě de zuǐ jiǎo biān què liú lù chū yī lǚ jī cháo ：“ chú fēi yǒu wàn guǐ hú de yuán yīng qī zhǎng lǎo zuò dān bǎo 。”
“办法……当然有。”老者的嘴角边却流露出一缕讥嘲：“除非有万鬼湖的元婴期长老做担保。”
"Certainly, there are ways," the old man's mouth curled in ridicule. "Unless there’s an Elder of the Immortal Infants from Lake of Ten Thousand Ghosts as a guarantor."
nǚ zǐ tīng le ， zhāng kǒu jié shé ， zhè fāng fǎ míng xiǎn bù kào pǔ ， yǐ tā men de xiū wèi shén tōng ， nǎ yǒu kě néng bā jié shàng nà zhǒng děng jiē de lǎo guài wù ？
女子听了，张口结舌，这方法明显不靠谱，以他们的修为神通，哪有可能巴结上那种等阶的老怪物？
The woman was speechless upon hearing this; clearly, such a method was unreliable. With their cultivation and abilities, how could they possibly curry favor with those high-ranking old monsters?
lín xuān tīng dào zhè lǐ xīn zhōng yī dòng ， yě jiāng shén shí huí shōu 。
林轩听到这里心中一动，也将神识回收。
Lin Xuan heard this and his mind stirred. He retracted his spirit sense.
zhè huí chuǎng de luàn zi hái zhēn bù xiǎo ， kàn lái xiǎng yào shén bù zhī guǐ bù jué de lí kāi dōng yuán zhōu ， xī wàng hái zhēn shì miǎo máng 。
这回闯的乱子还真不小，看来想要神不知鬼不觉的离开东缘州，希望还真是渺茫。
This disturbance really wasn't small. It seemed that the hope of leaving Dongyuan Province without anyone knowing was rather faint.
lín xuān yǐ shǒu fǔ é ， liǎn shàng lù chū chén . yín zhī sè ， piàn kè hòu ， zhōng yú tàn le kǒu qì ， kàn lái bù dé bù zài zhè lǐ dòu liú yī duàn rì zi 。
林轩以手抚额，脸上露出沉.吟之色，片刻后，终于叹了口气，看来不得不在这里逗留一段日子。
Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead, showing a contemplative expression. After a moment, he sighed; it looked like he had to stay here for some time.
bì jìng duì fāng zhè zhǒng dà guī mó fēng suǒ ， huā fèi . de rén lì wù lì dōu jí wéi jīng rén ， jué bù kě néng cháng jiǔ ， yǔ qí xiàng bàn fǎ lí kāi ， bù rú zhǎo yī yǐn mì de dì diǎn cáng nì qǐ lái ， děng fēng shēng guò qù yǐ hòu ， zài zǒu gèng wéi ān quán wěn tuǒ yì diǎn 。
毕竟对方这种大规模封锁，花费.的人力物力都极为惊人，绝不可能长久，与其像办法离开，不如找一隐秘的地点藏匿起来，等风声过去以后，再走更为安全稳妥一点。
After all, such large-scale blockades required an enormous amount of manpower and resources, which couldn't last forever. Instead of finding a way out, it was better to hide in a secret location until the wind died down before leaving, as this would be safer and more reliable.
dǎ dìng le zhǔ yì ， lín xuān jiù bù zài yóu yù ，. jiǎo xià wēi yī yòng lì ， yǐ huǎn huǎn de chén rù le tǔ lǐ 。
打定了主意，林轩就不再犹豫，.脚下微一用力，已缓缓的沉入了土里。
Having made up his mind, Lin Xuan no longer hesitated. He exerted a little force with his feet and slowly sank into the ground.
yì zhí shēn rù shù shí zhàng ， cái huǎn huǎn tíng le xià lái ， suí hòu shōu liǎn qì xī ，. fēng bì shén shí ， shèn zhì lián xīn tiào yǔ hū xī dōu jī hū tíng zhǐ ， jiǎn dān de shuō ， jiù shì jìn rù le jiǎ sǐ 。
一直深入数十丈，才缓缓停了下来，随后收敛气息，.封闭神识，甚至连心跳与呼吸都几乎停止，简单的说，就是进入了假死。
After sinking several dozen feet, he gradually stopped. Then he concealed his aura, sealed his spirit sense, even stopping almost all signs of heartbeat and breathing—simply put, entering a state of apparent death.
qí jiān yě yǒu bù shǎo rén cóng zhè zuò huāng shān lù guò ， shèn zhì bù fá yuán yīng . qī de xiū xiān zhě ， bù guò shuí yě méi yǒu fā xiàn rèn hé bù tuǒ 。
其间也有不少人从这座荒山路过，甚至不乏元婴.期的修仙者，不过谁也没有发现任何不妥。
Many people passed through this desolate path, some even being Immortal Infants, but no one noticed anything amiss.
dōng qù chūn lái ， zhuǎn yǎn guò qù le yī zài ， lín xuān suǒ liào méi cuò ， suí zhe . shí jiān de tuī yí ， wàn guǐ hú zhī zhǔ suī bào tiào rú léi ， dàn yě bù kě néng jiāng zhěng gè dōng yuán zhōu chí xù fēng suǒ 。
冬去春来，转眼过去了一载，林轩所料没错，随着.时间的推移，万鬼湖之主虽暴跳如雷，但也不可能将整个东缘州持续封锁。
Winter turned to spring, and a year passed. Lin Xuan's prediction was correct; as time went on, although the master of Lake of Ten Thousand Ghosts was furious, he couldn't continue to blockade Dongyuan Province indefinitely.
yī lái guò qù le nà . me jiǔ ， dōu méi yǒu xiàn suǒ ， zài pán chá xià qù ， duō bàn yě bù kě néng zhǎo dào bǎo wù 。
一来过去了那.么久，都没有线索，再盘查下去，多半也不可能找到宝物。
Firstly, so much time had passed with no leads, further investigation would likely be fruitless. Secondly, while this area was within his territory, such a large-scale operation also attracted the attention of other forces in the Cloud Sea. Even conflicts arose between them and Heavenly Corpse Sect, resulting in mutual losses and significant casualties among Core Formation cultivators.
èr lái ， suī shuō zhè lǐ shì zì jǐ de shì lì fàn wéi ， kě zhè zhǒng dà guī mó xíng dòng ， yě yǐn qǐ yún hǎi qí tā shì lì de zhù yì le 。
二来，虽说这里是自己的势力范围，可这种大规模行动，也引起云海其他势力的注意了。
Finally, after more than a year, Dongyuan Province gradually returned to its usual peace.
shèn zhì yǔ tiān shī mén qǐ le jǐ chǎng chōng tū ， shuāng fāng hù yǒu shèng fù ， dōu chī le diǎn xiǎo kuī ， zhé sǔn le bù shǎo níng dān qī gāo shǒu 。
甚至与天尸门起了几场冲突，双方互有胜负，都吃了点小亏，折损了不少凝丹期高手。
Lin Xuan didn't know about all this, but judging by his reasoning, the wind should have died down now.
zhōng yú zài yī nián duō yǐ hòu ， dōng yuán zhōu yòu jiàn jiàn huī fù wǎng rì de píng jìng le 。
终于在一年多以后，东缘州又渐渐恢复往日的平静了。
One morning, he quietly emerged from inside the mountain body.
lín xuān zì rán bù zhī dào zhè yī qiè ， dàn zhào tā tuī xiǎng ， rú jīn fēng shēng yě yīng gāi yǐ guò 。
林轩自然不知道这一切，但照他推想，如今风声也应该已过。
He then cautiously released his spirit sense and began to probe an area of nearly a hundred miles. After about a cup of tea's time, Lin Xuan let out a sigh of relief.
zhè tiān qīng chén ， tā qiāo qiāo de cóng shān tǐ de nèi bù zuān chū lái le 。
这天清晨，他悄悄的从山体的内部钻出来了。
Over such a vast distance, he only faintly sensed several cultivators. It seemed that Lake of Ten Thousand Ghosts had withdrawn its checkpoints, confirming the correctness of his initial choice.
suí hòu xiǎo xīn de fàng chū shén shí ， kāi shǐ dòng chè fāng yuán jìn bǎi lǐ ， yuē yī zhǎn chá de *** fū yǐ hòu ， lín xuān sōng le kǒu qì 。
随后小心的放出神识，开始洞彻方圆近百里，约一盏茶的***夫以后，林轩松了口气。
In other words, he was now preliminarily out of danger. Of course, Lin Xuan still didn't plan to stay here for long and immediately transformed into a streak of startling light, vanishing from the sky at breakneck speed.
zhè me guǎng de jù lí ， tā jǐn liáo liáo gǎn jué dào jǐ míng xiū shì ér yǐ ， kàn lái wàn guǐ hú de guān qiǎ yǐ jīng chè qù ， zì jǐ dāng chū de xuǎn zé wán quán zhèng què 。
这么广的距离，他仅寥寥感觉到几名修士而已，看来万鬼湖的关卡已经撤去，自己当初的选择完全正确。
Though his speed was fast, the light was unremarkable; unless encountering an Immortal Infant, he would likely go unnoticed.
huàn jù huà shuō ， rú jīn suàn shì chū bù tuō xiǎn le ， dāng rán ， lín xuān yī jiù bù dǎ suàn zài zhè lǐ duō dài ， lì kè huà wèi yī dào jīng hóng ， fēng chí diàn chè bān de xiāo shī zài tiān kōng shàng miàn 。
换句话说，如今算是初步脱险了，当然，林轩依旧不打算在这里多待，立刻化为一道惊虹，风驰电掣般的消失在天空上面。
This time, Lin Xuan didn't stop. He traveled day and night, crossing several prefectures in one breath, calculating that he had already covered nearly a million miles from Dongyuan Province. The influence of Lake of Ten Thousand Ghosts was now too distant to reach, so he let out another sigh of relief before resuming his normal speed to prepare for his own affairs.
bù guò dùn sù suī kuài ， nà guāng máng què háo bù qǐ yǎn ， chú fēi shì yù jiàn yuán yīng qī lǎo guài ， fǒu zé kǒng pà hěn nán jiāng tā fā xiàn 。
不过遁速虽快，那光芒却毫不起眼，除非是遇见元婴期老怪，否则恐怕很难将他发现。
Of course, during this time, he also took out the round disk several times but after much study, found no results.
zhè huí lín xuān kě shì sī háo yě méi yǒu tíng xiē ， zhòu yè gǎn lù ， yì kǒu qì chuān yuè shù zuò zhōu fǔ ， suàn suàn jù lí dōng yuán zhōu yǐ yǒu jìn bǎi wàn lǐ ， wàn guǐ hú de shì lì zǎo yǐ biān cháng mò jí ， zhè cái sōng le kǒu qì ， huī fù le zhèng cháng de sù dù ， kāi shǐ zhǔn bèi zuò zì jǐ de shì qíng le 。
这回林轩可是丝毫也没有停歇，昼夜赶路，一口气穿越数座州府，算算距离东缘州已有近百万里，万鬼湖的势力早已鞭长莫及，这才松了口气，恢复了正常的速度，开始准备做自己的事情了。
It seemed that relying solely on his intelligence would be difficult to decipher its mysteries.
dāng rán ， zài zhè qí jiān ， tā yě céng jiāng nà yuán pán ná chū lái shù cì ， kě yán jiū le bàn tiān ， yī jiù méi yǒu rèn hé jié guǒ 。
当然，在这其间，他也曾将那圆盘拿出来数次，可研究了半天，依旧没有任何结果。
However, Lin Xuan wasn't annoyed. This was not a particularly difficult matter; there were no walls without holes in the world. He could slowly gather information and eventually find some clues... If it didn't work out, he could always capture a high-ranking cultivator from Lake of Ten Thousand Ghosts and use soul probing.
kàn lái ， jǐn píng zì jǐ de cái zhì ， shì hěn nán cān wù qí zhōng de ào miào le 。
看来，仅凭自己的才智，是很难参悟其中的奥妙了。
Lin Xuan wasn't in a hurry. In any case, what needed to be resolved first was the matter of Heavenly Dust Pill.
bù guò ， lín xuān yě bìng bù qì nǎo ， zhè bù suàn shén me nán shì ， tiān xià wú bù tòu fēng de qiáng ， zì jǐ màn màn dǎ tīng ， zǒng kě yǐ xún mì dào yī xiē zhū sī mǎ jì …… jiù suàn bù xíng ， dà bù liǎo zhuā yī míng wàn guǐ hú de gāo jiē xiū shì ， rán hòu shī yǐ sōu hún zhī shù 。
不过，林轩也并不气恼，这不算什么难事，天下无不透风的墙，自己慢慢打听，总可以寻觅到一些蛛丝马迹……就算不行，大不了抓一名万鬼湖的高阶修士，然后施以搜魂之术。
Half a month later, Lin Xuan appeared on the ground of Yan Province.
lín xuān bù jí ， zǒng zhī xiān yào bǎi píng de shì tiān chén dān zhī shì 。
林轩不急，总之先要摆平的是天尘丹之事。
This region was at the southern end of Seven Stars Island and also one of the hottest places, with temperatures consistently above thirty degrees Celsius, sometimes even breaking fifty.
bàn gè yuè yǐ hòu ， lín xuān chū xiàn zài le yán zhōu de dì miàn 。
半个月以后，林轩出现在了炎州的地面。
Such a place naturally wasn't suitable for ordinary people to live in; there were few inhabitants. Apart from some indigenous tribes living deep in the dense forests, only a few large cities could be found.
zhè ér wèi yú qī xīng dǎo nán duān ， yě shì tiān qì zuì wèi yán rè de dì diǎn ， cháng nián qì wēn gāo dá sān shí dù yǐ shàng ， zuì rè de shí hòu shèn zhì huì tū pò wǔ shí dà guān 。
这儿位于七星岛南端，也是天气最为炎热的地点，常年气温高达三十度以上，最热的时候甚至会突破五十大关。
The hot weather made the vegetation lush, and many insects and snakes lived in the depths of the forest, even occasionally spotting traces of beasts.
zhè zhòng dì fāng ， zì rán bú shì hé fán rén jū zhù ， rén yān shì pǒ wèi xī shǎo de ， chú le yī xiē jū zhù zài mì lín shēn chù de tǔ zhù ， jù jū de dà chéng liáo liáo wú jǐ 。
这种地方，自然不适合凡人居住，人烟是颇为稀少的，除了一些居住在密林深处的土著，聚居的大城寥寥无几。
This province was also one of the richest in geothermal resources on Seven Stars Island.
yán rè de tiān qì yě ràng zhí wù mào mì ， mì lín shēn chù pǒ duō chóng shé ， shèn zhì cháng cháng kě yǐ kàn jiàn yāo shòu de zōng jì 。
炎热的天气也让植物茂密，密林深处颇多虫蛇，甚至常常可以看见妖兽的踪迹。
There were dozens of fire attribute spirit veins within its borders, naturally attracting numerous sects and families to settle here.
gāi zhōu yě shì qī xīng dǎo dì huǒ zī yuán zuì fēng fù de dì diǎn zhī yī 。
该州也是七星岛地火资源最丰富的地点之一。
The most famous was undoubtedly Flame Mountain.
jìng nèi guāng huǒ shǔ xìng de líng mài jiù yǒu shù shí chù ， zì rán xī yǐn le bù shǎo zōng mén jiā zú lái cǐ dì ān jiā luò hù 。
境内光火属性的灵脉就有数十处，自然吸引了不少宗门家族来此地安家落户。
This mountain range had peaks stretching hundreds of miles, all composed of various-sized extinct volcanoes. In the midst of these mountains, there were reportedly several large mines producing crystals, iron ore, copper, and other essential materials for cultivation.
qí zhōng zuì yǒu míng de zì rán shì liè yáng shān le 。
其中最有名的自然是烈阳山了。
Apart from the rich resources, the hundred-mile-long spirit veins here were among the best in quality.
cǐ shān mài fēng luán dié zhàng ， mián yán shù bǎi lǐ ， quán bù shì yóu dà xiǎo bù yī de sǐ huǒ shān zǔ chéng ， ér zài qún shān zhī zhōng ， jù shuō hái yǒu shù gè dà de kuàng chǎng ， shèng chǎn jīng shí 、 tiě mǔ 、 tóng jīng ， děng xiū xiān bì xū zhī wù 。
此山脉峰峦叠嶂，绵延数百里，全部是由大小不一的死火山组成，而在群山之中，据说还有数个大的矿场，盛产晶石、铁母、铜精，等修仙必须之物。
Logically speaking, such a feng shui treasure land should attract countless cultivation sects to vie for it. However, the actual situation was that no one dared to show even the slightest hint of covetousness.
guāng shì fēng fù de zī yuán jiù lìng rén yǎn hóng ， gèng bié shuō màn yán bǎi lǐ de líng mài nǎi shì cǐ zhōu pǐn zhì zuì jiā de 。
光是丰富的资源就令人眼红，更别说蔓延百里的灵脉乃是此州品质最佳的。
There was nothing else; this mountain range already had its owner—Flame Mountain Sect, one of the nine major forces in Cloud Sea, thriving and flourishing. Who would dare to target their main base? Unless it was a long-lived old man hanging himself, thinking his life was too short.
àn lǐ shuō ， rú cǐ fēng shuǐ bǎo dì bì jiāng yǐn dé wú shù xiū xiān zōng mén pīn mìng qiǎng duó ， rán ér zhēn shí de qíng kuàng què shì méi yǒu shuí gǎn lù chū nǎ pà bàn diǎn jì yú zhī sè 。
按理说，如此风水宝地必将引得无数修仙宗门拼命抢夺，然而真实的情况却是没有谁敢露出哪怕半点觊觎之色。
Actually, not just that mountain, but every cultivation sect in Yan Province had some connection with Flame Mountain Sect. In fact, more than eighty percent were its peripheral forces; otherwise, they would definitely be marginalized.
wú tā ， gāi shān mài yǐ yǒu zhǔ rén le ， liè yáng mén ， yún hǎi jiǔ dà shì lì ， chāng shèng wú bǐ ， shuí gǎn dǎ tā zǒng tán de zhǔ yì ， chú fēi shì lǎo shòu xīng shàng diào ， xián mìng zhǎng le 。
无他，该山脉已有主人了，烈阳门，云海九大势力，昌盛无比，谁敢打牠总坛的主意，除非是老寿星上吊，嫌命长了。
Knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy—Lin Xuan wanted to take advantage of the chaos, so he naturally needed to gather such information.
qí shí bié shuō gāi shān ， zhěng gè yán zhōu de xiū xiān mén pài ， nǎ yí gè yòu bù yǔ liè yáng mén yǒu zhe qiān sī wàn lǚ de lián xì ， shèn zhì shí zhī bā jiǔ dōu shì gāi pài de wài wéi shì lì 。
其实别说该山，整个炎州的修仙门派，哪一个又不与烈阳门有着千丝万缕的联系，甚至十之八九都是该派的外围势力。
At this time, he concealed his cultivation level to Core Formation stage and arrived at a certain market within Yan Province.
fǒu zé ， tiě dìng huì bèi pái jǐ chū qù 。
否则，铁定会被排挤出去。
It wasn't for buying or selling anything; rather, it was to gather more information. This market was one of Flame Mountain Sect's enterprises, located in a relatively remote area, making its scale only average among the many markets established by the sect.
suǒ wèi zhī jǐ zhī bǐ ， lín xuān jì rán xiǎng yào hún shuǐ mō yú ， zhè xiē xiāo xī ， zì rán shì yào zhǎng wò dì 。
所谓知己知彼，林轩既然想要浑水摸鱼，这些消息，自然是要掌握地。
However, upon entering, Lin Xuan was surprised. There were nine large streets, each wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to pass side by side, stretching several thousand meters long.
cǐ shí ， tā jiāng xiū wèi shōu liǎn dào zhù jī qī ， lái dào le yán zhōu jìng nèi de mǒu zuò fāng shì 。
此时，他将修为收敛到筑基期，来到了炎州境内的某做坊市。
In addition, smaller streets crisscrossed like a spider's web, with countless shops of all sizes.
dào bú shì xiǎng yào mǎi mài shén me dōng xī ， ér shì xiǎng yào dǎ tàn gèng duō de xiāo xī 。
倒不是想要买卖什么东西，而是想要打探更多的消息。
This market was only considered medium-sized?
zhè fāng shì ， yě shì liè yáng mén de chǎn yè zhī yī ， yóu yú dì chǔ jiào wéi piān pì ， zài gāi pài kāi shè de zhū duō fāng shì zhī zhōng ， guī mó zhǐ néng suàn shì zhōng děng ér yǐ 。
这坊市，也是烈阳门的产业之一，由于地处较为偏僻，在该派开设的诸多坊市之中，规模只能算是中等而已。
Lin Xuan couldn't help but be speechless. The largest market in Youzhou Province paled in comparison.
dàn lín xuān jìn qù yǐ hòu ， què bèi xià le yī tiào ， guāng shì dà de jiē dào ， jiù yǒu jiǔ tiáo ， měi yī tiáo kě gōng sì liàng mǎ chē bìng jià qí qū ， zhǎng shù qiān mǐ 。
但林轩进去以后，却被吓了一跳，光是大的街道，就有九条，每一条可供四辆马车并驾齐驱，长数千米。
Clearly, the cultivation world in Cloud Sea was thriving.
chú cǐ yǐ wài ， xiǎo de jiē dào rú zhī zhū wǎng bān ， mì mì má má de fēn bù ， dà xiǎo diàn pù bù jì qí shù 。
除此以外，小的街道如蜘蛛网般，密密麻麻的分布，大小店铺不计其数。
Of course, Lin Xuan was well-traveled and quickly regained his composure after a moment of surprise as he walked into the market.
zhè ge fāng shì ， jū rán jǐn suàn shì zhōng děng guī mó ？
这个坊市，居然仅算是中等规模？
There were many cultivators here, bustling about, some even being high-ranking ones. With his ordinary appearance and Core Formation-stage concealment, Lin Xuan naturally didn't attract any attention. He spent several hours walking around the entire market before stopping in front of a two-story wooden structure. (!)
Thus, the cultivators confined in Dongyuan Province naturally complained bitterly. Even if they could explain their identities clearly, being harassed layer by layer, they might not be able to leave even a thousand miles away without going bankrupt.
"Senior Uncle, is there really no other way?" The young woman's face was filled with difficulty.
"Certainly, there are ways," the old man's mouth curled in ridicule. "Unless there’s an Elder of the Immortal Infants from Lake of Ten Thousand Ghosts as a guarantor."
The woman was speechless upon hearing this; clearly, such a method was unreliable. With their cultivation and abilities, how could they possibly curry favor with those high-ranking old monsters?
Lin Xuan heard this and his mind stirred. He retracted his spirit sense.
This disturbance really wasn't small. It seemed that the hope of leaving Dongyuan Province without anyone knowing was rather faint.
Lin Xuan rubbed his forehead, showing a contemplative expression. After a moment, he sighed; it looked like he had to stay here for some time.
After all, such large-scale blockades required an enormous amount of manpower and resources, which couldn't last forever. Instead of finding a way out, it was better to hide in a secret location until the wind died down before leaving, as this would be safer and more reliable.
Having made up his mind, Lin Xuan no longer hesitated. He exerted a little force with his feet and slowly sank into the ground.
After sinking several dozen feet, he gradually stopped. Then he concealed his aura, sealed his spirit sense, even stopping almost all signs of heartbeat and breathing—simply put, entering a state of apparent death.
Many people passed through this desolate path, some even being Immortal Infants, but no one noticed anything amiss.
...
Winter turned to spring, and a year passed. Lin Xuan's prediction was correct; as time went on, although the master of Lake of Ten Thousand Ghosts was furious, he couldn't continue to blockade Dongyuan Province indefinitely.
Firstly, so much time had passed with no leads, further investigation would likely be fruitless. Secondly, while this area was within his territory, such a large-scale operation also attracted the attention of other forces in the Cloud Sea. Even conflicts arose between them and Heavenly Corpse Sect, resulting in mutual losses and significant casualties among Core Formation cultivators.
Finally, after more than a year, Dongyuan Province gradually returned to its usual peace.
Lin Xuan didn't know about all this, but judging by his reasoning, the wind should have died down now.
One morning, he quietly emerged from inside the mountain body.
He then cautiously released his spirit sense and began to probe an area of nearly a hundred miles. After about a cup of tea's time, Lin Xuan let out a sigh of relief.
Over such a vast distance, he only faintly sensed several cultivators. It seemed that Lake of Ten Thousand Ghosts had withdrawn its checkpoints, confirming the correctness of his initial choice.
In other words, he was now preliminarily out of danger. Of course, Lin Xuan still didn't plan to stay here for long and immediately transformed into a streak of startling light, vanishing from the sky at breakneck speed.
Though his speed was fast, the light was unremarkable; unless encountering an Immortal Infant, he would likely go unnoticed.
This time, Lin Xuan didn't stop. He traveled day and night, crossing several prefectures in one breath, calculating that he had already covered nearly a million miles from Dongyuan Province. The influence of Lake of Ten Thousand Ghosts was now too distant to reach, so he let out another sigh of relief before resuming his normal speed to prepare for his own affairs.
Of course, during this time, he also took out the round disk several times but after much study, found no results.
It seemed that relying solely on his intelligence would be difficult to decipher its mysteries.
However, Lin Xuan wasn't annoyed. This was not a particularly difficult matter; there were no walls without holes in the world. He could slowly gather information and eventually find some clues... If it didn't work out, he could always capture a high-ranking cultivator from Lake of Ten Thousand Ghosts and use soul probing.
Lin Xuan wasn't in a hurry. In any case, what needed to be resolved first was the matter of Heavenly Dust Pill.
Half a month later, Lin Xuan appeared on the ground of Yan Province.
This region was at the southern end of Seven Stars Island and also one of the hottest places, with temperatures consistently above thirty degrees Celsius, sometimes even breaking fifty.
Such a place naturally wasn't suitable for ordinary people to live in; there were few inhabitants. Apart from some indigenous tribes living deep in the dense forests, only a few large cities could be found.
The hot weather made the vegetation lush, and many insects and snakes lived in the depths of the forest, even occasionally spotting traces of beasts.
This province was also one of the richest in geothermal resources on Seven Stars Island.
There were dozens of fire attribute spirit veins within its borders, naturally attracting numerous sects and families to settle here.
The most famous was undoubtedly Flame Mountain.
This mountain range had peaks stretching hundreds of miles, all composed of various-sized extinct volcanoes. In the midst of these mountains, there were reportedly several large mines producing crystals, iron ore, copper, and other essential materials for cultivation.
Apart from the rich resources, the hundred-mile-long spirit veins here were among the best in quality.
Logically speaking, such a feng shui treasure land should attract countless cultivation sects to vie for it. However, the actual situation was that no one dared to show even the slightest hint of covetousness.
There was nothing else; this mountain range already had its owner—Flame Mountain Sect, one of the nine major forces in Cloud Sea, thriving and flourishing. Who would dare to target their main base? Unless it was a long-lived old man hanging himself, thinking his life was too short.
Actually, not just that mountain, but every cultivation sect in Yan Province had some connection with Flame Mountain Sect. In fact, more than eighty percent were its peripheral forces; otherwise, they would definitely be marginalized.
Knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy—Lin Xuan wanted to take advantage of the chaos, so he naturally needed to gather such information.
At this time, he concealed his cultivation level to Core Formation stage and arrived at a certain market within Yan Province.
It wasn't for buying or selling anything; rather, it was to gather more information. This market was one of Flame Mountain Sect's enterprises, located in a relatively remote area, making its scale only average among the many markets established by the sect.
However, upon entering, Lin Xuan was surprised. There were nine large streets, each wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to pass side by side, stretching several thousand meters long.
In addition, smaller streets crisscrossed like a spider's web, with countless shops of all sizes.
This market was only considered medium-sized?
Lin Xuan couldn't help but be speechless. The largest market in Youzhou Province paled in comparison.
Clearly, the cultivation world in Cloud Sea was thriving.
Of course, Lin Xuan was well-traveled and quickly regained his composure after a moment of surprise as he walked into the market.
There were many cultivators here, bustling about, some even being high-ranking ones. With his ordinary appearance and Core Formation-stage concealment, Lin Xuan naturally didn't attract any attention. He spent several hours walking around the entire market before stopping in front of a two-story wooden structure. (!)