“ shī xiōng guǒ rán mù guāng rú jù ， wǒ zhè xiǎo tú ， tiān shēng bǐ cháng rén shǎo le yī pò 。” gǔ zhǎng fēng wēi xiào zhe kāi kǒu
“师兄果然目光如炬，我这小徒，天生比常人少了一魄。”古长风微笑着开口
"Senior Brother truly has keen eyesight. My little disciple is naturally born with one less魄than ordinary people," Ancient Changfeng smiled as he spoke.
le 。
了。
"Oh, only three souls and six魄, yet still able to embark on the path of immortality. It seems this girl has unique opportunities."
“ ó ， zhǐ yǒu sān hún liù pò ， jū rán hái néng tà shàng xiān tú ， kàn lái cǐ nǚ dǎo shì bié yǒu yī fān jī yuán le 。”
“哦，只有三魂六魄，居然还能踏上仙途，看来此女倒是别有一番机缘了。”
The Flame Emperor nodded, a mysterious look flashing in his eyes.
liè yán shén jūn diǎn le diǎn tóu ， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī lǚ mò míng zhī sè 。
烈炎神君点了点头，眼中闪过一缕莫名之色。
"Yes." Ancient Changfeng's face was full of smiles as he recounted Lin Xuan's entry into cultivation.
“ shì de 。” gǔ zhǎng fēng liǎn shàng mǎn shì xiào róng ， jiāng lín xuān rù mén de jīng guò yī yī jiǎng chū 。
“是的。”古长风脸上满是笑容，将林轩入门的经过一一讲出。
After listening, the Flame Emperor said nothing, and Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to draw attention from this old monster of later stages; otherwise, whether or not he could fool him would be uncertain.
liè yán shén jūn tīng le ， bù zhì kě fǒu ， lín xuān yě sōng le kǒu qì ， tā kě bù xiǎng yǐn qǐ zhè hòu qī lǎo guài wù de zhù
烈炎神君听了，不置可否，林轩也松了口气，他可不想引起这后期老怪物的注
"Good work. These four disciples each have their merits. Since you've met me, these things will be given to you."
yì 。
意。
The Flame Emperor waved his sleeves, and a flicker of spiritual light appeared, revealing several spiritual artifacts before them.
fǒu zé duì fāng zhēn de zǐ xì jiǎn chá ， zì jǐ néng fǒu méng hùn guò qù ， hái shì liǎng shuō zhī shì 。
否则对方真的仔细检查，自己能否蒙混过去，还是两说之事。
As the head of the sect and a late-stage cultivator, he naturally did not act ordinary. These spiritual artifacts were crafted by renowned experts and contained spirit souls within them.
“ bù cuò ， zhè sì míng dì zǐ ， jiē yǒu kě qǔ zhī chù ， jì rán yù jiàn lǎo fū ， ń ， zhè xiē dōng xī jiù cì yǔ nǐ
“不错，这四名弟子，皆有可取之处，既然遇见老夫，嗯，这些东西就赐予你
Thus, although they couldn't compare to magical treasures, in top-grade spiritual artifacts, they could still be considered at the pinnacle.
men hǎo le 。”
们好了。”
Lin Xuan and Fairy Red Silk naturally didn't care much about this, but the other two were overjoyed. They bowed deeply in gratitude before selecting a piece each to take away.
liè yán shén jūn xiù páo yī fú ， líng guāng shǎn guò ， jǐ jiàn líng qì yìng rù le yǎn lián 。
烈炎神君袖袍一拂，灵光闪过，几件灵器映入了眼帘。
"Alright, I have more matters to discuss with Senior Brother Ancient. You may go now!"
zuò wéi yī mén zhī zhǔ ， yòu shì hòu qī de dà xiū shì ， chū shǒu zì shì bù fán ， zhè jǐ jiàn líng qì ， jiē chū yú míng jiā
作为一门之主，又是后期的大修士，出手自是不凡，这几件灵器，皆出于名家
"Yes!"
de shǒu bǐ ， ér qiě lǐ miàn hái fēng yìn yǒu qì líng 。
的手笔，而且里面还封印有器灵。
The four of them bowed low and left respectfully.
rú cǐ yī lái ， suī bù néng yǔ fǎ bǎo xiāng bǐ ， dàn jiù suàn zài jí pǐn líng qì lǐ miàn ， yě kě yǐ kān chēng dǐng jiān 。
如此一来，虽不能与法宝相比，但就算在极品灵器里面，也可以堪称顶尖。
Rainy Sound and Chu Xuanren both looked delighted. Being able to meet a late-stage cultivator was like a dream come true for them.
lín xuān yǔ hóng líng xiān zi zì rán bù fàng zài yǎn lǐ ， dàn lìng wài liǎng rén què jīng xǐ jiāo jí ， dà lǐ bài xiè ， rán hòu yī
林轩与红绫仙子自然不放在眼里，但另外两人却惊喜交集，大礼拜谢，然后一
Lin Xuan had considered eavesdropping, but he knew his own limitations. While his divine consciousness far surpassed that of peers, playing tricks in front of a late-stage cultivator would be suicidal.
rén xuǎn le yī jiàn shōu qǐ 。
人选了一件收起。
He wouldn't do such foolish things; smart people didn't complicate matters without certainty.
“ hǎo le ， wǒ yǔ gǔ shī dì hái yǒu shì yào tán ， nǐ men sàn qù ba ！”
“好了，我与古师弟还有事要谈，你们散去吧！”
...
“ shì ！”
“是！”
Half an hour later, Lin Xuan returned to his cave dwelling.
sì rén wān yāo xíng lǐ ， rán hòu bì gōng bì jìng de tuì le chū qù 。
四人弯腰行礼，然后毕恭毕敬的退了出去。
Unlike before, a heavy cloud now hung on his face.
léi yīn ér yǔ chǔ xuān rén dōu mǎn liǎn xīn xǐ ， néng gòu yǒu yuán jiàn shàng hòu qī dà xiū shì yí miàn ， duì yú tā liǎ ér yán ，
雷音儿与楚宣仁都满脸欣喜，能够有缘见上后期大修士一面，对于他俩而言，
"Master, what should we do?" A flash of white light appeared as Mo'er stepped forward. The little girl's expression was also solemn; she asked worriedly.
jiǎn zhí zuò mèng zhuān wǎ dòng zhe nǎo jīn 。
简直做梦砖瓦动着脑筋。
Lin Xuan remained silent. Honestly, he felt heavy-hearted too. He hadn't expected that a routine meeting would end up with so many surprises.
lín xuān bú shì méi yǒu xiǎng guò tōu tīng ， dàn tā hái shì yǒu zì zhī zhī míng ， suī rán zì jǐ de shén shí yuǎn chāo tóng jiē xiū shì
林轩不是没有想过偷听，但他还是有自知之明，虽然自己的神识远超同阶修士
Fairy Red Silk was one thing; given his current abilities, even if he wasn't as strong as her, there was no need to worry too much. Besides, she had hidden her strength and entered this place, which meant she also had many concerns. He believed she wouldn’t act rashly.
， dàn zài hòu qī de dà xiū shì miàn qián wán xiǎo cōng míng ， wú yí zhǎo sǐ 。
，但在后期的大修士面前玩小聪明，无疑找死。
But the sudden appearance of that cultivator was too perplexing. Was everything that happened today just a coincidence, or did the Flame Emperor deliberately arrange it?
lín xuān cái bú huì qù gàn nà zhǒng shǎ shì ， cōng míng rén bú huì zài méi yǒu bǎ wò de qíng kuàng xià jié wài shēng zhī 。
林轩才不会去干那种傻事，聪明人不会在没有把握的情况下节外生枝。
If it was the former, there would be no need to worry; but if it was the latter, his situation would be very dangerous!
……
……
Given Lin Xuan's cautious nature, in such a perilous and complex situation, he would have long left if given another choice. But condensing his core was his top priority, and he didn't want to leave easily for the sake of the Qilin Fireline.
bàn gè shí chén yǐ hòu ， lín xuān huí dào le zì jǐ de dòng fǔ 。
半个时辰以后，林轩回到了自己的洞府。
As they say, fortune favors the bold. To advance further in cultivation, one had to take risks and make bets.
yǔ gāng cái bù tóng ， cǐ kè tā de liǎn shàng yīn yún mì bù 。
与刚才不同，此刻他的脸上阴云密布。
Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and silently made up his mind.
“ shào yé ， gāi zěn me bàn ？” bái guāng yī shǎn ， yuè ér chū xiàn zài le miàn qián ， xiǎo yā tou de biǎo qíng yě hěn chén zhòng
“少爷，该怎么办？”白光一闪，月儿出现在了面前，小丫头的表情也很沉重
He then tapped on his storage bag, taking out two sets of array tools, reinforcing the禁制around his cave dwelling. While it couldn’t be considered impregnable, it could still buy some time against an婴期 monster.
， mǎn liǎn dān xīn de kāi kǒu 。
，满脸担心的开口。
Of course, being in a tiger's den, such measures were largely useless, but better than nothing.
lín xuān mò rán ， shuō shí huà ， cǐ kè tā de xīn qíng yě shí fēn chén zhòng ， méi xiǎng dào yī cì pǔ tōng de jìn jiàn ， zuì hòu
林轩默然，说实话，此刻他的心情也十分沉重，没想到一次普通的觐见，最后
In short, he was just seeking peace of mind.
huì gǎo de yì wài lián lián 。
会搞的意外连连。
But Lin Xuan wasn't an ordinary cultivator; he didn't want to risk his life by leaving it in someone else’s hands. Over the next few days, although he continued as usual, showing no signs of unusual behavior, he remained vigilant, fearing any potential ambush from Flame Peak.
hóng líng yě jiù bà le ， yǐ zì jǐ rú jīn de shén tōng xiū wèi ， jiù suàn yī rán bù jí cǐ nǚ ， dàn yě bù yòng guò yú dān
红绫也就罢了，以自己如今的神通修为，就算依然不及此女，但也不用过于担
Fortunately, this was all unnecessary worry. Three months passed quietly without any incidents.
xīn ， hé kuàng duì fāng yǐn nì xiū wèi qián rù cǐ dì ， tóng yàng yǒu zhe zhū duō gù jì ， xiāng xìn tā shì bú huì luàn lái de 。
心，何况对方隐匿修为潜入此地，同样有着诸多顾忌，相信她是不会乱来的。
Lin Xuan's heart finally calmed down.
dàn nà tū rán chū xiàn de dà xiū shì ， jiù tài lìng rén fèi jiě ， jīn tiān suǒ fā shēng de yī qiè ， jiū jìng zhǐ shì qiǎo hé ，
但那突然出现的大修士，就太令人费解，今天所发生的一切，究竟只是巧合，
If the other party truly wanted to act, there would be no need for such delays. It seemed that the cultivator who came last time really just coincidentally appeared; he hadn’t seen through anything about him.
hái shì liè yán shén jūn gù yì ān pái de ？
还是烈炎神君故意安排的？
This trial was over, and Lin Xuan became even more cautious in his actions. He stayed mostly indoors, only occasionally venturing out to complete tasks assigned by Thunder Heaven.
rú guǒ shì qián zhě ， zì rán bù yòng dān xīn shén me ， dàn jià qī shì hòu zhě ， zì jǐ de chǔ jìng kě jiù fēi cháng bù miào le ！
如果是前者，自然不用担心什么，但假期是后者，自己的处境可就非常不妙了！
One morning, while meditating in his cave dwelling, Lin Xuan suddenly raised an eyebrow as a streak of green light emitted from his body. A sound transmission talisman flew in from outside.
yǐ lín xuān jǐn xiǎo shèn wēi de xìng gé ， miàn duì zhè zhǒng wēi xiǎn fù zá de chǔ jìng ， jiǎ ruò yǒu bié de xuǎn zé ， kěn dìng zǎo
以林轩谨小慎微的性格，面对这种危险复杂的处境，假若有别的选择，肯定早
Lin Xuan sank his divine consciousness and transformed the talisman into dust. His expression began to change.
jiù pāi pāi pì gǔ ， yǐ zuì kuài de sù dù shǎn rén zǒu lù ， rán ér rú jīn níng jié yuán yīng shì dì yī yào wù ， wèi le qí
就拍拍屁股，以最快的速度闪人走路，然而如今凝结元婴是第一要务，为了麒
"Master, what's wrong?" Mo'er stood beside him, unable to resist asking.
lín huǒ mài ， tā kě bù yuàn qīng yì lí kāi 。
麟火脉，他可不愿轻易离开。
"Fairy Red Silk wants to meet me," Lin Xuan’s expression returned to its calm demeanor as he spoke slowly.
sú huà shuō de hǎo ， fù guì xiǎn zhōng qiú ， xiǎng yào xiū wèi gèng jìn yí bù ， jiù bù dé bù mào xiǎn dǔ yī dǔ 。
俗话说的好，富贵险中求，想要修为更进一步，就不得不冒险赌一赌。
"What? That mid-stage婴female cultivator? After all these days of no contact, she suddenly wants to meet you for something?" Mo'er frowned and asked in puzzlement.
lín xuān yǎo le yǎo yá ， àn àn jiāng jué dìng zuò xià 。
林轩咬了咬牙，暗暗将决定做下。
"I don’t know. But it makes sense that she would want to meet me now after our encounter with the Flame Emperor. She must have been uneasy and stayed hidden for a long time..."
suí hòu tā zài chǔ wù dài shàng yī pāi ， qǔ chū liǎng tào bù zhèn qì jù lái ， jiāng dòng fǔ wài de jìn zhì yòu jiā qiáng le yī biàn
随后他在储物袋上一拍，取出两套布阵器具来，将洞府外的禁制又加强了一遍
Lin Xuan's prediction was correct; Fairy Red Silk had infiltrated Firecloud Peak with ulterior motives, but seeing the head of Flame Peak frightened her into hiding. Only now did she send him a sound transmission talisman.
， suī bù néng shuō gù ruò jīn tāng ， dàn jí shǐ miàn duì yuán yīng qī lǎo guài yě néng qǐ dào yì diǎn tuō yán de xiào guǒ 。
，虽不能说固若金汤，但即使面对元婴期老怪也能起到一点拖延的效果。
"Do you think we should go?" Mo'er, impressed by Fairy Red Silk’s abilities, wasn’t ordinary for a mid-stage婴cultivator.
dāng rán ， zì jǐ shēn chù lóng tán hǔ xué zhī zhōng ， zhè yàng zuò shí zhī ** yě méi yǒu duō dà zuò yòng ， dàn zǒng shì liáo shèng
当然，自己身处龙潭虎穴之中，这样做十之**也没有多大作用，但总是聊胜
"Frankly speaking, I don't want to provoke this old monster who has lived for countless years. But since he sent me the sound transmission talisman, I can't just leave. As they say, you can avoid one day but not another. Should we go?"
yú wú 。
于无。
Mo'er sighed; indeed, it was a dangerous and difficult matter. Fortunately, Master's cultivation had improved so much...
jiǎn dān de shuō ， jiù shì qiú gè xīn ān bà le 。
简单的说，就是求个心安罢了。
"Master, there’s no need to worry. Whether it’s through fire or water, I will accompany you."
bù guò lín xuān dào dǐ bú shì pǔ tōng de xiū xiān zhě ， yě méi yǒu xìng qù jiāng zì jǐ de xiǎo mìng jiāo dào bié rén de shǒu lǐ ，
不过林轩到底不是普通的修仙者，也没有兴趣将自己的小命交到别人的手里，
The words carried deep affection. Lin Xuan wasn’t insensitive; he felt grateful. The atmosphere between them became more intimate as they didn't speak but understood each other without words.
jiē xià lái de shù rì ， tā suī rán yī rú wǎng cháng ， biǎo miàn shàng kàn bù chū bàn diǎn yì yàng ， dàn àn dì lǐ ， què wú shí
接下来的数日，他虽然一如往常，表面上看不出半点异样，但暗地里，却无时
What is life and death together? It was contained in their simple words.
bù kè bù tí gāo zhe jǐng tì ， shēng pà shāo yī sōng xiè jiù bèi liè yáng mén de rén tōu xí 。
不刻不提高着警惕，生怕稍一松懈就被烈阳门的人偷袭。
They said the path of cultivation was emotionless, but cultivators had to control their emotions. Lin Xuan remained cold-hearted when dealing with enemies, but he was also emotionally invested in some people.
hǎo zài zhè dōu shì qǐ rén yōu tiān ér yǐ ， zhuǎn yǎn sān gè yuè guò qù ， shēng huó yī jiù píng jìng wú bō ， bàn diǎn yì yàng yě
好在这都是杞人忧天而已，转眼三个月过去，生活依旧平静无波，半点异样也
The path of immortality was difficult, but it was fortunate that someone always stood by his side!
"Senior Brother truly has keen eyesight. My little disciple is naturally born with one less魄than ordinary people," Ancient Changfeng smiled as he spoke.
"Oh, only three souls and six魄, yet still able to embark on the path of immortality. It seems this girl has unique opportunities."
The Flame Emperor nodded, a mysterious look flashing in his eyes.
"Yes." Ancient Changfeng's face was full of smiles as he recounted Lin Xuan's entry into cultivation.
After listening, the Flame Emperor said nothing, and Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to draw attention from this old monster of later stages; otherwise, whether or not he could fool him would be uncertain.
"Good work. These four disciples each have their merits. Since you've met me, these things will be given to you."
The Flame Emperor waved his sleeves, and a flicker of spiritual light appeared, revealing several spiritual artifacts before them.
As the head of the sect and a late-stage cultivator, he naturally did not act ordinary. These spiritual artifacts were crafted by renowned experts and contained spirit souls within them.
Thus, although they couldn't compare to magical treasures, in top-grade spiritual artifacts, they could still be considered at the pinnacle.
Lin Xuan and Fairy Red Silk naturally didn't care much about this, but the other two were overjoyed. They bowed deeply in gratitude before selecting a piece each to take away.
"Alright, I have more matters to discuss with Senior Brother Ancient. You may go now!"
"Yes!"
The four of them bowed low and left respectfully.
Rainy Sound and Chu Xuanren both looked delighted. Being able to meet a late-stage cultivator was like a dream come true for them.
Lin Xuan had considered eavesdropping, but he knew his own limitations. While his divine consciousness far surpassed that of peers, playing tricks in front of a late-stage cultivator would be suicidal.
He wouldn't do such foolish things; smart people didn't complicate matters without certainty.
...
Half an hour later, Lin Xuan returned to his cave dwelling.
Unlike before, a heavy cloud now hung on his face.
"Master, what should we do?" A flash of white light appeared as Mo'er stepped forward. The little girl's expression was also solemn; she asked worriedly.
Lin Xuan remained silent. Honestly, he felt heavy-hearted too. He hadn't expected that a routine meeting would end up with so many surprises.
Fairy Red Silk was one thing; given his current abilities, even if he wasn't as strong as her, there was no need to worry too much. Besides, she had hidden her strength and entered this place, which meant she also had many concerns. He believed she wouldn’t act rashly.
But the sudden appearance of that cultivator was too perplexing. Was everything that happened today just a coincidence, or did the Flame Emperor deliberately arrange it?
If it was the former, there would be no need to worry; but if it was the latter, his situation would be very dangerous!
Given Lin Xuan's cautious nature, in such a perilous and complex situation, he would have long left if given another choice. But condensing his core was his top priority, and he didn't want to leave easily for the sake of the Qilin Fireline.
As they say, fortune favors the bold. To advance further in cultivation, one had to take risks and make bets.
Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and silently made up his mind.
He then tapped on his storage bag, taking out two sets of array tools, reinforcing the禁制around his cave dwelling. While it couldn’t be considered impregnable, it could still buy some time against an婴期 monster.
Of course, being in a tiger's den, such measures were largely useless, but better than nothing.
In short, he was just seeking peace of mind.
But Lin Xuan wasn't an ordinary cultivator; he didn't want to risk his life by leaving it in someone else’s hands. Over the next few days, although he continued as usual, showing no signs of unusual behavior, he remained vigilant, fearing any potential ambush from Flame Peak.
Fortunately, this was all unnecessary worry. Three months passed quietly without any incidents.
Lin Xuan's heart finally calmed down.
If the other party truly wanted to act, there would be no need for such delays. It seemed that the cultivator who came last time really just coincidentally appeared; he hadn’t seen through anything about him.
This trial was over, and Lin Xuan became even more cautious in his actions. He stayed mostly indoors, only occasionally venturing out to complete tasks assigned by Thunder Heaven.
One morning, while meditating in his cave dwelling, Lin Xuan suddenly raised an eyebrow as a streak of green light emitted from his body. A sound transmission talisman flew in from outside.
Lin Xuan sank his divine consciousness and transformed the talisman into dust. His expression began to change.
"Master, what's wrong?" Mo'er stood beside him, unable to resist asking.
"Fairy Red Silk wants to meet me," Lin Xuan’s expression returned to its calm demeanor as he spoke slowly.
"What? That mid-stage婴female cultivator? After all these days of no contact, she suddenly wants to meet you for something?" Mo'er frowned and asked in puzzlement.
"I don’t know. But it makes sense that she would want to meet me now after our encounter with the Flame Emperor. She must have been uneasy and stayed hidden for a long time..."
Lin Xuan's prediction was correct; Fairy Red Silk had infiltrated Firecloud Peak with ulterior motives, but seeing the head of Flame Peak frightened her into hiding. Only now did she send him a sound transmission talisman.
"Do you think we should go?" Mo'er, impressed by Fairy Red Silk’s abilities, wasn’t ordinary for a mid-stage婴cultivator.
"Frankly speaking, I don't want to provoke this old monster who has lived for countless years. But since he sent me the sound transmission talisman, I can't just leave. As they say, you can avoid one day but not another. Should we go?"
Mo'er sighed; indeed, it was a dangerous and difficult matter. Fortunately, Master's cultivation had improved so much...
"Master, there’s no need to worry. Whether it’s through fire or water, I will accompany you."
The words carried deep affection. Lin Xuan wasn’t insensitive; he felt grateful. The atmosphere between them became more intimate as they didn't speak but understood each other without words.
What is life and death together? It was contained in their simple words.
They said the path of cultivation was emotionless, but cultivators had to control their emotions. Lin Xuan remained cold-hearted when dealing with enemies, but he was also emotionally invested in some people.
The path of immortality was difficult, but it was fortunate that someone always stood by his side!