lín xuān jué de yī gǔ hán yì cóng jǐ liáng gǔ mào chū ， biàn shì dǎn dà bāo tiān de hóng líng ， yǎn móu dǐ shēn chù ， yǐn yǐn yě
林轩觉得一股寒意从脊梁骨冒出，便是胆大包天的红绫，眼眸底深处，隐隐也
Lin Xuan felt a chill run down his spine, even the audacious Red Silken Ribbon seemed to harbor a hint of fear in her eyes.
liú lù chū yī lǚ wèi jù zhī yì 。
流露出一缕畏惧之意。
The room was not just occupied by Ancient Longfeng; there was also an old monster at the One-Elementinfant period stage. Moreover, he was... a late-stage cultivator!
fáng jiān zhōng chú le gǔ zhǎng fēng ， hái yǒu yī yuán yīng qī lǎo guài wù 。
房间中除了古长风，还有一元婴期老怪物。
As they say, one needn't be afraid of ghosts if one doesn't do anything to provoke them. But Lin Xuan and Red Silken Ribbon had their own plans when they infiltrated this sect.
ér qiě shì …… hòu qī de dà xiū xiān zhě ！
而且是……后期的大修仙者！
Thus, he felt uneasy at the moment, fearing that his plot might be discovered by the other party. Why else would a late-stage cultivator come here? And it was just so coincidental that he happened to meet Ancient Longfeng at this moment...
sú huà shuō bù zuò kuī xīn shì ， bù pà guǐ qiāo mén ， dàn lín xuān yǔ hóng líng hùn rù gāi pài ， kě dōu shì yǒu zhe zì jǐ de
俗话说不做亏心事，不怕鬼敲门，但林轩与红绫混入该派，可都是有着自己的
Could this all be a trap?
dǎ suàn 。
打算。
Lin Xuan's mind raced with possibilities as his throat dried up and his heart pounded. He hadn't felt such tension in a long time.
cǐ kè zì rán shì yǒu xiē zhuì zhuì bù ān 。
此刻自然是有些惴惴不安。
What should he do... turn back now?
shēng pà suǒ tú bèi duì fāng zhuàng pò ， fǒu zé hòu qī de dà xiū shì lái zhè lǐ zuò shén me ？
生怕所图被对方撞破，否则后期的大修士来这里做什么？
He shook his head, rejecting the idea. Although he had never seen a late-stage cultivator in action, there were many descriptions of their power in ancient texts—enough to make him realize that escaping was almost impossible with his current cultivation level.
ér qiě piān piān xuǎn gǔ zhǎng fēng jiē jiàn zì jǐ de zhè yī kè …… shí jī bǎ wò de wèi miǎn yě tài qiǎo le 。
而且偏偏选古长风接见自己的这一刻……时机把握的未免也太巧了。
Well, better to go into the tiger's den than not at all. Since they were already here, why not take a chance? Perhaps, this old man wasn't after them.
nán dào zhè gēn běn jiù shì yī xiàn jǐng yīn móu ？
难道这根本就是一陷阱阴谋？
If that was true, fleeing would be the stupidest choice.
lín xuān nǎo hǎi zhōng zhuǎn guò zhū bān niàn tou ， gǎn jué kǒu gān shé zào ， xīn pēng pēng zhí tiào ， yǐ jīng hǎo jiǔ méi yǒu zhè zhǒng jǐn
林轩脑海中转过诸般念头，感觉口干舌燥，心怦怦直跳，已经好久没有这种紧
Lin Xuan continued his thoughts, secretly eyeing Red Silken Ribbon again. The strange look in her eyes had faded, and she looked calm and composed—just like him.
zhāng de gǎn jué le 。
张的感觉了。
Lin Xuan felt a bit absurd; he and Red Silken Ribbon were enemies, but they shared a common predicament. If their plan was discovered, they might even have to join forces against an enemy.
gāi zěn me bàn …… zhuǎn shēn lí kāi ？
该怎么办……转身离开？
"Grandmaster, the four senior disciples have arrived."
lín xuān yáo yáo tóu gěi fǒu le ， suī rán tā cóng wèi jiàn guò hòu qī de dà xiū shì chū shǒu ， dàn diǎn jí zhōng miáo shù kě hěn duō
林轩摇摇头给否了，虽然他从未见过后期的大修士出手，但典籍中描述可很多
"Let them in." The door opened of its own accord, revealing a spacious hall. It was about a hundred feet wide and decorated with various exotic flowers. Ancient paintings adorned the walls.
， qí shén tōng jiǎn zhí kě yòng jīng tiān dòng dì lái xíng róng ， yǐ zì jǐ rú jīn de xiū wèi ， néng gòu táo chū qù de kě néng xìng
，其神通简直可用惊天动地来形容，以自己如今的修为，能够逃出去的可能性
At the end of the hall stood a fire jade bed, with several cushions placed on it. In the center sat an ordinary-looking old man in gray robes. At first glance, he seemed unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, his aura was extraordinary. Even though Lei Yinyin and Chu Xuanren couldn't discern much, Lin Xuan and Red Silken Ribbon were deeply impressed. His cultivation had reached a state of simplicity and purity—truly an advanced One-Element cultivator.
wēi hū qí wēi 。
微乎其微。
By the fire jade bed stood a middle-aged man in his forties with three long strands of beard. He exuded a divine aura, none other than Master of Fire Cloud Peak, Ancient Longfeng.
bà le ， bù rù hǔ xué ， yān dé hǔ zi ， fǎn zhèng dōu dào le zhè ge dì bù ， bù rú dǔ yī dǔ ， huò xǔ ， duì fāng
罢了，不入虎穴，焉得虎子，反正都到了这个地步，不如赌一赌，或许，对方
With such a revered identity, he was standing respectfully aside. What kind of mysterious figure could this unassuming old man be?
yě bú shì wèi zì jǐ lái de 。
也不是为自己来的。
Regardless of whether they were genuinely shocked or just pretending, the four of them opened their mouths wide in unison, as if forgetting to bow.
nà yàng de huà ， táo zǒu fǎn ér chéng le zuì shǎ de xuǎn zé 。
那样的话，逃走反而成了最傻的选择。
Only when Ancient Longfeng coughed lightly did they snap out of it and prostrated themselves: "Junior disciple (disciple) greets Grandmaster (Master)."
lín xuān zì gù zì de xiǎng zhe 。
林轩自顾自的想着。
"Enough," Ancient Longfeng waved his hand. "Quickly pay your respects to the sect leader."
niàn jí zhì cǐ ， tā yòu tōu tōu dǎ liàng le yī yǎn hóng líng xiān zi ， cǐ nǚ yǎn zhōng de yì sè yǐ jīng tuì qù ， huī fù le
念及至此，他又偷偷打量了一眼红绫仙子，此女眼中的异色已经退去，恢复了
"Sect leader?"
dàn dìng cóng róng ， xiǎn rán yǔ zì jǐ dǎ suàn chà bu duō 。
淡定从容，显然与自己打算差不多。
Lin Xuan and Red Silken Ribbon knew, but Lei Yinyin and Chu Xuanren were genuinely surprised. Although they were among the top disciples of the third generation, they had never seen this sect's top expert.
lín xuān xīn zhōng yǒu xiē huāng miù ， zì jǐ yǔ hóng líng shì dí fēi yǒu ， dàn cǐ shí cǐ kè ， què tóng bìng xiāng lián ， jiǎ ruò suǒ
林轩心中有些荒谬，自己与红绫是敌非友，但此时此刻，却同病相怜，假若所
Even the senior cultivators at the Condensation Core stage hadn't met him either. After all, in the mortal world, Separation Period cultivators only existed in legends; no one knew if there was such a realm or not. Late-stage One-Element cultivators were almost invincible.
tú zhēn bèi zhuàng pò ， shuō bù dìng hái dé lián shǒu yù dí de 。
图真被撞破，说不定还得联手御敌的。
There were very few of them, and Li Yan was one of them. He had forgotten his secular name long ago, and people respectfully called him the Flame Sun Sect Leader after he became its leader.
dāng rán ， zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng zuì hǎo bù yào chū xiàn 。
当然，这种情况最好不要出现。
"Salute the sect leader."
“ qǐ bǐng shī zǔ ， sì wèi shī shū yǐ jīng dào le 。”
“启禀师祖，四位师叔已经到了。”
The four prostrated themselves again, though Lin Xuan and Red Silken Ribbon were secretly annoyed, unable to help but curse inwardly despite their tension.
“ ràng tā men jìn lái 。” fáng jiān de mén wú fēng zì kāi ， yī kuān chǎng de dà diàn yìng rù yǎn lián 。
“让他们进来。”房间的门无风自开，一宽敞的大殿映入眼帘。
"Stand up!"
yuē yǒu bǎi yú zhàng fāng yuán ， bù zhì dé qīng xīn sù yǎ ， lǐ miàn pén zāi zhe gè zhǒng gè yàng de qí huā 。 ér zài sì zhōu de
约有百余丈方圆，布置得清新素雅，里面盆栽着各种各样的奇花。而在四周的
The Flame Sun Sect Leader had a stern personality, but was quite amiable towards his junior disciples. "You needn't be nervous. The sect leader is visiting the Sky Cloud Peak today and heard that I would meet you. Out of curiosity, he decided to come along as well. With such vast cultivation, even if he offers some guidance, it will be a great fortune for you all—something you can benefit from your entire lives."
qiáng bì shàng ， hái xuán guà yǒu gǔ sè gǔ xiāng de zì huà 。
墙壁上，还悬挂有古色古香的字画。
Ancient Longfeng stroked his beard and smiled, explaining further. The four disciples clearly looked overly nervous, almost unsteady on their feet.
zài dà tīng jìn tóu ， yǒu yī zhāng huǒ yù chuáng ， jǐ gè pú tuán fàng zài qí shàng 。
在大厅尽头，有一张火玉床，几个蒲团放在其上。
"Yes!"
zhōng jiān de wèi zhì shàng ， zuò zhe yī huī yī lǎo zhě ， xiàng mào pǔ tōng ， chū yī kàn ， háo bù qǐ yǎn ， rán ér zài zǐ xì
中间的位置上，坐着一灰衣老者，相貌普通，初一看，毫不起眼，然而再仔细
They bowed again.
guān chá ， què fā xiàn tā de qì shì hěn bù yī bān ， shén guāng nèi liǎn ， léi yīn ér yǔ chǔ xuān rén huò xǔ kàn bù chū shén me
观察，却发现他的气势很不一般，神光内敛，雷音儿与楚宣仁或许看不出什么
The Flame Sun Sect Leader had already released his divine sense to scan them. Lin Xuan's heart raced as he felt like everything was being seen through. He quickly braced himself, holding his breath and focusing, silently invoking a secret technique from the Nine Heaven Mystical Art to protect his dantian and qiantian. Under no circumstances could they detect any weakness.
， dàn lín xuān hé hóng líng xiān zi què xīn zhōng zhèn hàn ， cǐ rén de shén tōng yǐ dá dào le fǎn pú guī zhēn de dì bù ， guǒ rán
，但林轩和红绫仙子却心中震撼，此人的神通已达到了返璞归真的地步，果然
In just a few seconds, it seemed like he had fought a battle. His forehead was covered in sweat, but so were everyone else's.
shì yuán yīng hòu qī de dà xiū xiān zhě 。
是元婴后期的大修仙者。
They finally made it through.
ér zài huǒ yù chuáng de páng biān ， hái zhàn zhe yī wèi sì shí yú suì de zhōng nián nán zi ， sān lǚ zhǎng xū ， xiān fēng dào gǔ ，
而在火玉床的旁边，还站着一位四十余岁的中年男子，三缕长须，仙风道骨，
The great cultivator withdrew his divine sense without finding anything amiss. Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling lucky.
zhèng shì huǒ yún fēng fēng zhǔ ， gǔ zhǎng fēng le 。
正是火云峰峰主，古长风了。
Red Silken Ribbon also didn't reveal any weaknesses, which made Lin Xuan look at her with new respect. He didn't know that the cultivation method Red Silken Ribbon had practiced was inherently capable of extraordinary concealment techniques. Otherwise, she wouldn't dare to sneak an attack on a Separation Period senior disciple and nearly succeeded.
yǐ shī zǔ zūn guì de shēn fèn ， jū rán zài yī páng shù shǒu zhàn zhe ， mǎn liǎn gōng jìng zhī sè ， zhè mào bù jīng rén de lǎo zhě
以师祖尊贵的身份，居然在一旁束手站着，满脸恭敬之色，这貌不惊人的老者
To deceive the Flame Sun Sect Leader's detection was easier for her than Lin Xuan.
， jiū jìng shì hé fāng shén shèng ？
，究竟是何方神圣？
Of course, neither knew about each other's cultivation secrets, so their admiration only added to their mutual caution.
bù guǎn shì zhēn de dà chī yī jīng ， hái shì chún cuì zhuāng chū lái ， lín xuān děng sì rén hěn yǒu mò qì de zhāng dà zuǐ bā ， shì
不管是真的大吃一惊，还是纯粹装出来，林轩等四人很有默契的张大嘴巴，似
"Good work. These four disciples have potential. After over a hundred years of seclusion, Fire Cloud Peak has gained some interesting juniors," the Flame Sun Sect Leader said with approval.
hū lián xíng lǐ dōu wàng le 。
乎连行礼都忘了。
"Brother is jesting. While these disciples are excellent, they can't compare to your senior disciples," Ancient Longfeng quicklyhumilityed.
zhí dào gǔ zhǎng fēng yī shēng qīng ké ， sì rén cái rú mèng chū xǐng ， dà lǐ cān bài ：“ tú sūn （ tú ér ） jiàn guò shī zǔ
直到古长风一声轻咳，四人才如梦初醒，大礼参拜：“徒孙（徒儿）见过师祖
"Haha, Brother needn't be so pretentious. I heard about it when you came here." The Flame Sun Sect Leader was in a good mood and smiled. "Take this young lady, Lei Yinyin. She has only been on the path of immortality for ten years but managed to successfully build her foundation. Her speed is almost as impressive as mine."
（ shī fù ）。”
（师父）。”
"It's nothing special. In the immortal path, it becomes harder to advance the further you go. Faster progress at first doesn't mean much; there were disciples before who started with great talent but ultimately failed to form a core."
“ bà le 。” gǔ zhǎng fēng yī bǎi shǒu ， dǎo shì hé yán yuè sè ：“ hái bù kuài cān bài mén zhǔ 。”
“罢了。”古长风一摆手，倒是和颜悦色：“还不快参拜门主。”
"Brother is being overly modest. Lei Yinyin has a Holy Spirit root, so forming a core isn't an issue. However, condensing an infant spirit is much harder. With proper cultivation, she might have hope in a few hundred years. But there's something strange... I noticed her soul power seems slightly weaker than normal. What could be the problem..." The Flame Sun Sect Leader stroked his beard with some hesitation.
Lin Xuan felt a chill run down his spine, even the audacious Red Silken Ribbon seemed to harbor a hint of fear in her eyes.
The room was not just occupied by Ancient Longfeng; there was also an old monster at the One-Elementinfant period stage. Moreover, he was... a late-stage cultivator!
As they say, one needn't be afraid of ghosts if one doesn't do anything to provoke them. But Lin Xuan and Red Silken Ribbon had their own plans when they infiltrated this sect.
Thus, he felt uneasy at the moment, fearing that his plot might be discovered by the other party. Why else would a late-stage cultivator come here? And it was just so coincidental that he happened to meet Ancient Longfeng at this moment...
Could this all be a trap?
Lin Xuan's mind raced with possibilities as his throat dried up and his heart pounded. He hadn't felt such tension in a long time.
What should he do... turn back now?
He shook his head, rejecting the idea. Although he had never seen a late-stage cultivator in action, there were many descriptions of their power in ancient texts—enough to make him realize that escaping was almost impossible with his current cultivation level.
Well, better to go into the tiger's den than not at all. Since they were already here, why not take a chance? Perhaps, this old man wasn't after them.
If that was true, fleeing would be the stupidest choice.
Lin Xuan continued his thoughts, secretly eyeing Red Silken Ribbon again. The strange look in her eyes had faded, and she looked calm and composed—just like him.
Lin Xuan felt a bit absurd; he and Red Silken Ribbon were enemies, but they shared a common predicament. If their plan was discovered, they might even have to join forces against an enemy.
"Grandmaster, the four senior disciples have arrived."
"Let them in." The door opened of its own accord, revealing a spacious hall. It was about a hundred feet wide and decorated with various exotic flowers. Ancient paintings adorned the walls.
At the end of the hall stood a fire jade bed, with several cushions placed on it. In the center sat an ordinary-looking old man in gray robes. At first glance, he seemed unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, his aura was extraordinary. Even though Lei Yinyin and Chu Xuanren couldn't discern much, Lin Xuan and Red Silken Ribbon were deeply impressed. His cultivation had reached a state of simplicity and purity—truly an advanced One-Element cultivator.
By the fire jade bed stood a middle-aged man in his forties with three long strands of beard. He exuded a divine aura, none other than Master of Fire Cloud Peak, Ancient Longfeng.
With such a revered identity, he was standing respectfully aside. What kind of mysterious figure could this unassuming old man be?
Regardless of whether they were genuinely shocked or just pretending, the four of them opened their mouths wide in unison, as if forgetting to bow.
Only when Ancient Longfeng coughed lightly did they snap out of it and prostrated themselves: "Junior disciple (disciple) greets Grandmaster (Master)."
"Enough," Ancient Longfeng waved his hand. "Quickly pay your respects to the sect leader."
"Sect leader?"
Lin Xuan and Red Silken Ribbon knew, but Lei Yinyin and Chu Xuanren were genuinely surprised. Although they were among the top disciples of the third generation, they had never seen this sect's top expert.
Even the senior cultivators at the Condensation Core stage hadn't met him either. After all, in the mortal world, Separation Period cultivators only existed in legends; no one knew if there was such a realm or not. Late-stage One-Element cultivators were almost invincible.
There were very few of them, and Li Yan was one of them. He had forgotten his secular name long ago, and people respectfully called him the Flame Sun Sect Leader after he became its leader.
"Salute the sect leader."
The four prostrated themselves again, though Lin Xuan and Red Silken Ribbon were secretly annoyed, unable to help but curse inwardly despite their tension.
"Stand up!"
The Flame Sun Sect Leader had a stern personality, but was quite amiable towards his junior disciples. "You needn't be nervous. The sect leader is visiting the Sky Cloud Peak today and heard that I would meet you. Out of curiosity, he decided to come along as well. With such vast cultivation, even if he offers some guidance, it will be a great fortune for you all—something you can benefit from your entire lives."
Ancient Longfeng stroked his beard and smiled, explaining further. The four disciples clearly looked overly nervous, almost unsteady on their feet.
"Yes!"
They bowed again.
The Flame Sun Sect Leader had already released his divine sense to scan them. Lin Xuan's heart raced as he felt like everything was being seen through. He quickly braced himself, holding his breath and focusing, silently invoking a secret technique from the Nine Heaven Mystical Art to protect his dantian and qiantian. Under no circumstances could they detect any weakness.
In just a few seconds, it seemed like he had fought a battle. His forehead was covered in sweat, but so were everyone else's.
They finally made it through.
The great cultivator withdrew his divine sense without finding anything amiss. Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling lucky.
Red Silken Ribbon also didn't reveal any weaknesses, which made Lin Xuan look at her with new respect. He didn't know that the cultivation method Red Silken Ribbon had practiced was inherently capable of extraordinary concealment techniques. Otherwise, she wouldn't dare to sneak an attack on a Separation Period senior disciple and nearly succeeded.
To deceive the Flame Sun Sect Leader's detection was easier for her than Lin Xuan.
Of course, neither knew about each other's cultivation secrets, so their admiration only added to their mutual caution.
"Good work. These four disciples have potential. After over a hundred years of seclusion, Fire Cloud Peak has gained some interesting juniors," the Flame Sun Sect Leader said with approval.
"Brother is jesting. While these disciples are excellent, they can't compare to your senior disciples," Ancient Longfeng quicklyhumilityed.
"Haha, Brother needn't be so pretentious. I heard about it when you came here." The Flame Sun Sect Leader was in a good mood and smiled. "Take this young lady, Lei Yinyin. She has only been on the path of immortality for ten years but managed to successfully build her foundation. Her speed is almost as impressive as mine."
"It's nothing special. In the immortal path, it becomes harder to advance the further you go. Faster progress at first doesn't mean much; there were disciples before who started with great talent but ultimately failed to form a core."
"Brother is being overly modest. Lei Yinyin has a Holy Spirit root, so forming a core isn't an issue. However, condensing an infant spirit is much harder. With proper cultivation, she might have hope in a few hundred years. But there's something strange... I noticed her soul power seems slightly weaker than normal. What could be the problem..." The Flame Sun Sect Leader stroked his beard with some hesitation.