zhè yàng xiǎng zhe ， lín xuān de liǎn shàng què mǎn shì chéng kěn zhī sè ：“ xiān zi ， zài xià bàn dé dào de shì qíng jué bù tuī cí ， kě nà
这样想着，林轩的脸上却满是诚恳之色：“仙子，在下办得到的事情绝不推辞，可那
Thinking this, Lin Xuan's face was filled with sincerity: "Mistress, I will not shirk any task within my capabilities. However, that jade pendant is truly not in my possession."
yù pèi ， zhēn de bù zài wǒ zhè 。”
玉佩，真的不在我这。”
"Y-You..."
“ nǐ ……”
“你……”
A layer of resentment appeared on Hong Ling's beautiful face as her voice turned icy cold to the bone: "It seems you are unwilling to turn swords into ploughshares and want to force Hong Ling to take action."
hóng líng jiāo měi de miàn róng shàng ， fú xiàn chū yī céng lì qì ， shēng yīn gèng shì bīng hán dào le gǔ zi lǐ ：“ kàn lái dào yǒu shì bù yuàn
红绫娇美的面容上，浮现出一层戾气，声音更是冰寒到了骨子里：“看来道友是不愿
Hmph, threatening me?
yì huà gān gē wéi yù bó ， ér xiǎng yào bī zhe hóng líng dòng shǒu le 。”
意化干戈为玉帛，而想要逼着红绫动手了。”
Lin Xuan frowned slightly. If he could choose, he certainly didn't want to offend this female cultivator in front of him. But giving up his treasure was impossible; if the other party wanted to break their face, Lin Xuan had no reason to yield or compromise, otherwise, they might think he was weak and easily bullied.
hēng ， wēi xié wǒ ？
哼，威胁我？
"I advise you to reconsider your actions, Mistress. I truly have no treasures in my possession. You are forcing me into a confrontation," Lin Xuan's expression also turned grim.
lín xuān méi tóu wēi zhòu ， rú guǒ kě yǐ xuǎn zé ， tā dāng rán bù xiǎng yǔ yǎn qián de nǚ xiū jiāo wù ， dàn ràng tā jiāo chū bǎo wù lái shì
林轩眉头微皱，如果可以选择，他当然不想与眼前的女修交恶，但让他交出宝物来是
"Fine, since that is the case, Hong Ling will test your abilities and see if what you claim is as miraculous as you say."
bù kě néng de ， duì fāng jì yào sī pò liǎn pí ， lín xuān yě wàn méi yǒu tuì ràng qiān jiù de dào lǐ ， fǒu zé hái yǐ wéi zì jǐ ruǎn ruò
不可能的，对方既要撕破脸皮，林轩也万没有退让迁就的道理，否则还以为自己软弱
Hong Ling said this, flicking her sleeves, and a streak of sharp light emerged from her fragrant sleeves, accompanied by a pink mist. The light was barely noticeable, appearing and disappearing in the fog but moved with incredible speed towards Lin Xuan.
kě qī 。
可欺。
This woman truly wasn't ordinary; she made a decisive turn from face to fight.
“ wǒ quàn xiān zi sān sī ér hòu xíng ， lín mǒu shǒu zhōng shì zhēn méi yǒu bǎo wù ， nǐ zhè yàng zuò shì yìng yào yǔ wǒ wèi dí 。” lín xuān
“我劝仙子三思而后行，林某手中是真没有宝物，你这样做是硬要与我为敌。”林轩
However, Lin Xuan did not feel surprised. He stretched out his hand and tapped his storage bag, summoning a shield the size of a palm before it.
de biǎo qíng yě tóng yàng yīn chén le xià qù 。
的表情也同样阴沉了下去。
Dark winds whistled as if the shield was sentient, rotating in front of its master.
“ hǎo ， jì rán rú cǐ ， hóng líng dào yào lǐng jiào yī xià ， kàn kàn dào yǒu de gōng fǎ ， shì fǒu zhēn yǒu nǐ chuī xū de nà yàng shén qí 。”
“好，既然如此，红绫倒要领教一下，看看道友的功法，是否真有你吹嘘的那样神奇。”
The sharp light struck the shield like lightning. Lin Xuan's essence energy flared but he firmly held on to this attack.
hóng líng shuō dào zhè lǐ ， xiù páo yī fú ， bàn suí zhe fěn hóng sè de xiāng wù ， yī lǚ lì máng cóng xiāng xiù zhōng huá luò ér chū 。
红绫说到这里，袖袍一拂，伴随着粉红色的香雾，一缕厉芒从香袖中滑落而出。
"Hmph!"
nà guāng háo bù qǐ yǎn ， zài wù qì zhōng ruò yǐn ruò xiàn 。 dàn què xùn jié yǐ jí de cì xiàng le lín xuān 。
那光毫不起眼，在雾气中若隐若现。但却迅捷以极的刺向了林轩。
Hong Ling's voice entered his ears, accompanied by an undertone of disappointment. Although she did not use her full strength, it was still beyond a common condensation core cultivator. The other party had not exaggerated; his cultivation level indeed matched that of an early-stage元婴 cultivator.
cǐ nǚ guǒ rán bù fán ， shā fá jué duàn ， shuō fān liǎn jiù fān liǎn 。
此女果然不凡，杀伐决断，说翻脸就翻脸。
This was going to be tricky!
rán ér lín xuān yě bìng méi yǒu gǎn dào yì wài 。
然而林轩也并没有感到意外。
But he must reclaim the treasure.
shēn chū shǒu lái ， zài chǔ wù dài shàng yī pāi ， yí miàn bā zhǎng dà xiǎo de dùn pái yǐ bèi tā jì le qǐ lái 。
伸出手来，在储物袋上一拍，一面巴掌大小的盾牌已被他祭了起来。
Hong Ling flicked her sleeves again and summoned the Stabbing Spirit Ring. Although it would be troublesome, if she didn't spare any cost, she could still kill this annoying young man.
yīn fēng cǎn cǎn ， cǐ dùn fǎng ruò tōng líng yì bān ， xuán zhuǎn zhe dǎng zài le zhǔ rén de miàn qián 。
阴风惨惨，此盾仿若通灵一般，旋转着挡在了主人的面前。
Lin Xuan's experience in fighting others was vast; from the woman's expression, he knew that things couldn't end well. This time, they were not just showing off their power but... life or death!
lì máng ruò diàn ， xià yī kè ， yǐ jīng hěn hěn de zhuàng shàng le dùn pái ， lín xuān shēn shàng líng lì kuáng shǎn ， dàn què jiāng zhè gōng jī wěn wěn
厉芒若电，下一刻，已经狠狠的撞上了盾牌，林轩身上灵力狂闪，但却将这攻击稳稳
It seemed that the value of that jade pendant was much greater than he had imagined, otherwise Hong Ling wouldn't act so recklessly.
de jiē le xià lái 。
的接了下来。
Lin Xuan's heart was a mix of emotions—both joy and worry.
“ hēng ！”
“哼！”
He hadn't expected things to escalate this far, but fortunately, he had left an escape route.
hóng líng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr lǐ ， què yǐn yǐn bàn yǒu shī wàng de tàn xī ， zhè yī jī tā suī méi yǒu jié jìn quán lì ， dàn yě bú shì
红绫的声音传入耳里，却隐隐伴有失望的叹息，这一击她虽没有竭尽全力，但也不是
Lin Xuan flicked his left hand, and a round disk appeared in his palm. A spell was cast on it, causing the entire forest to tremble violently.
pǔ tōng níng dān qī xiū shì kě yǐ jiē xià lái de ， duì fāng dào méi yǒu xū zhāng shēng shì 。 tā de xiū wèi què shí kān bǐ yuán yīng chū qī xiū
普通凝丹期修士可以接下来的，对方倒没有虚张声势。他的修为确实堪比元婴初期修
Dark mists spread everywhere, as if the sky itself was about to collapse.
shì 。
士。
"Accursed, changing our meeting location—indeed, you want to play tricks," Hong Ling's voice was both shocked and angry. Although she had anticipated this outcome earlier, Lin Xuan's significant increase in cultivation made the situation vastly different from her initial expectations.
yǒu xiē jí shǒu le ！
有些棘手了！
Now trapped within an array, fighting against him would be extremely disadvantageous for her.
bù guò rú hé yě yào duó huí bǎo wù 。
不过如何也要夺回宝物。
However, despite her anger, Hong Ling did not fear. She was a woman of great courage; otherwise, how could she have dared to ambush a separation period cultivator?
hóng líng xiāng xiù yī fú ， yǐ jiāng cì líng huán jì chū ， suī rán yǒu xiē má fán ， dàn ruò shì zì jǐ bù jì dài jià ， yě wèi shǐ bù néng
红绫香袖一拂，已将刺灵环祭出，虽然有些麻烦，但若是自己不计代价，也未始不能
With a cold snort, several pea-sized treasure beads shot out from her mouth.
jiāng zhè kě wù de xiǎo zi miè shā 。
将这可恶的小子灭杀。
They sparkled with different colors.
lín xuān yǔ rén zhēng dòu de jīng yàn hé děng fēng fù ， cóng cǐ nǚ de liǎn sè ， yǐ kàn chū cǐ shì bù néng shàn le 。 zhè huí dòng shǒu ， kě
林轩与人争斗的经验何等丰富，从此女的脸色，已看出此事不能善了。这回动手，可
"Quickly!"
bú shì xià mǎ wēi shén me ， ér shì …… nǐ sǐ wǒ huó ！
不是下马威什么，而是……你死我活！
Hong Ling pointed at these small beads, and countless essence energies converged around them, swirling nonstop. Several whirlwinds of over ten feet in diameter suddenly appeared, their presence shocking.
kàn lái nà yù pèi de jià zhí bǐ zì jǐ xiǎng xiàng de hái yào zhòng de duō ， fǒu zé hóng líng bú huì rú cǐ bù jì hòu guǒ 。
看来那玉佩的价值比自己想像的还要重的多，否则红绫不会如此不计后果。
"Hmph, wanting to disperse my dark mists—what a delusion!"
lín xuān xīn zhōng wǔ wèi zá chén ， kě shuō shì xǐ yōu cān bàn a ！
林轩心中五味杂陈，可说是喜忧参半啊！
Lin Xuan's lips curled slightly, hinting at some mockery. The techniques of this Hong Ling were not impressive either.
tā yě méi xiǎng dào shì qíng huì nòng dào rú cǐ dì bù ， hái hǎo zì jǐ yǐ jīng liú xià le tuì lù 。
他也没想到事情会弄到如此地步，还好自己已经留下了退路。
But before he could finish his thoughts, the scene changed dramatically.
lín xuān zuǒ shǒu yī fān ， zhǎng xīn zhī zhōng yǐ duō chū le yí gè yuán pán ， yī dào fǎ jué dǎ zài shàng miàn ， zhěng gè shān lín tū rán hōng lōng
林轩左手一翻，掌心之中已多出了一个圆盘，一道法诀打在上面，整个山林突然轰隆
Roar!
lóng de chàn dǒu le qǐ lái 。
隆的颤抖了起来。
From that hurricane, an incredibly loud roar came. Then the whirlwinds dispersed to reveal several clouds each as large as an acre, seemingly wanting to contain living creatures within them.
mó wù mí màn ， zhěng gè tiān kōng jiù fǎng fú yào tā xiàn yì bān 。
魔雾弥漫，整个天空就仿佛要塌陷一般。
"What is this..." Lin Xuan's face showed surprise, especially strange was how familiar he felt about the scene before him, as if he had seen it somewhere.
“ kě wù ， gǎi biàn jiàn miàn dì diǎn ， nǐ guǒ rán shì xiǎng yào shuǎ yīn móu 。” hóng líng de shēng yīn yòu jīng yòu nù ， jǐn guǎn tā xiān qián
“可恶，改变见面地点，你果然是想要耍阴谋。”红绫的声音又惊又怒，尽管她先前
But for now, he couldn't recall where.
yě liào dào zhè zhǒng jié guǒ ， bù guò lín xuān xiū wèi dà zēng yǐ hòu ， qíng shì kě shì yǔ zuì chū yù jì de wán quán bù tóng 。
也料到这种结果，不过林轩修为大增以后，情势可是与最初预计的完全不同。
However, the spiritual pressure from those clouds was immense. Lin Xuan did not dare to take it lightly.
rú jīn shēn xiàn zhèn fǎ zhī zhōng ， zài yǔ duì fāng pīn dòu ， xíng shì kě shì duì zì jǐ fēi cháng bù lì le 。
如今身陷阵法之中，再与对方拼斗，形势可是对自己非常不利了。
Regardless, he needed to figure out his opponent's true form first.
bù guò qì guī qì ， hóng líng yě bìng bù wèi jù ， tā nǎi dǎn dà bāo tiān de nǚ zǐ ， fǒu zé dāng chū yòu zěn me gǎn tōu xí lí hé qī
不过气归气，红绫也并不畏惧，她乃胆大包天的女子，否则当初又怎么敢偷袭离合期
Lin Xuan flicked his sleeves and cast a spell, causing the dark mists to change. Originally pitch-black like ink, they now turned blood-red, continuously surging towards the center, compressing into a ghastly ghost towering over twenty feet tall.
de xiū shì 。
的修士。
Lin Xuan nodded satisfactorily; the "Five Ghosts Soul Splitting Formation" he received from Master Gu truly had extraordinary power and should not be underestimated.
lěng hēng yī shēng zhī hòu ， yī zhāng tán kǒu ， cóng zuǐ lǐ pēn chū jǐ lì wān dòu dà xiǎo de bǎo zhū 。
冷哼一声之后，一张檀口，从嘴里喷出几粒豌豆大小的宝珠。
Since he couldn't determine his opponent's true strength, Lin Xuan decided to activate the array's restrictions first. The ghost clenched its massive fist and fiercely smashed it into the yellow cloud nearby, regardless of what creature was inside, this strike would force him out.
shǎn shǎn fā guāng ， yán sè gè bù yí yàng 。
闪闪发光，颜色各不一样。
Bang!
“ jí ！”
“疾！”
The sound echoed like a dull thunder in his ears, but no monster appeared; instead, the cloud's volume suddenly expanded tenfold.
hóng líng chōng zhè xiē xiǎo zhū yì diǎn zhǐ ， wú shù líng lì fēng yōng jù jiāo ， yǐ xiǎo zhū wèi zhōng xīn ， dī liū liū de xuán zhuǎn gè bù tíng 。
红绫冲这些小珠一点指，无数灵力蜂拥聚焦，以小珠为中心，滴溜溜的旋转个不停。
"Haha," silver laughter rang through Lin Xuan's ears, drawing his attention. Turning around, Hong Ling floated about a hundred feet to his left with a smug smile on her face.
jǐ dào zhí jìng zhàng xǔ de xuán fēng píng kōng ér qǐ ， shēng shì jīng rén yǐ jí 。
几道直径丈许的旋风凭空而起，声势惊人以极。
"Lin Daoist, you cannot break my spell. Why don't we shake hands and make peace? If you hand over the sect's token, Hong Ling will still be your friend."
“ hēng ， xiǎng yào qū sàn wǒ de mó wù ， chī xīn wàng xiǎng bà le ！”
“哼，想要驱散我的魔雾，痴心妄想罢了！”
"I appreciate your offer, but I truly have no such item. How can I give it to you?" Lin Xuan sighed, his expression sincere.
lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo wēi wēi shàng qiào ， yǐn yǐn liú lù chū yī sī jī cháo ， zhè wèi hóng líng xiān zi de shǒu duàn ， sì hū yě bù zěn me yàng 。
林轩嘴角微微上翘，隐隐流露出一丝讥嘲，这位红绫仙子的手段，似乎也不怎么样。
He wasn't a fool; with their faces already broken, ending this confrontation was not easy. The other party’s secret technique might seem intimidating, but he didn’t believe that he couldn’t break through it.
rán ér zhè ge niàn tou hái méi yǒu zhuǎn wán ， qǐng kè zhī jiān ， fēng yún tū biàn 。
然而这个念头还没有转完，顷刻之间，风云突变。
The outcome was uncertain, and besides, he still had many tricks up his sleeve.
hǒu ！
吼！
Hearing this, Hong Ling's expression changed. The other party's determination left no room for compromise; thus, she could only see who had the superior technique.
cóng nà jù fēng zhī zhōng ， chuán lái jīng rén yǐ jí de páo xiāo ， jiē zhe xuán fēng sàn kāi ， lù chū le jǐ gè mǔ xǔ dà xiǎo de yún tuán 。
从那飓风之中，传来惊人以极的咆哮，接着旋风散开，露出了几个亩许大小的云团。
"You are courting death!"
měi yí gè jiē chǔn chǔn yù dòng ， jìng xiǎng yǒu huó wù cún zài yú qí zhōng ！
每一个皆蠢蠢欲动，竟想有活物存在于其中！
With a slight anger in her beauty, she still exuded charm. However, the dark mists emanating from her sleeves were deadly.
“ zhè shì shén me ……” lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū jīng yà zhī sè ， yóu qí gǔ guài de shì ， yǎn qián de chǎng jǐng ， yǐn yǐn de ， tā
“这是什么……”林轩脸上露出惊讶之色，尤其古怪的是，眼前的场景，隐隐的，他
Lin Xuan frowned and activated his protective essence energy, adding another layer of shielding with the Three Yin White Bone Shield. Only then did he relax as he looked ahead.
jìng jué de yǒu xiē yǎn shú ， sì hū zài nǎ lǐ jiàn guò 。
竟觉得有些眼熟，似乎在哪里见过。
After expanding to over ten acres, the cloud stopped growing. The ghost's size was insignificant compared to Lin Xuan; each punch only produced a continuous thumping sound without any effect.
rán ér yī shí bàn huì er què yòu xiǎng bù qǐ lái le 。
然而一时半会儿却又想不起来了。
Lin Xuan's expression gradually darkened. This wouldn't work. He crossed his fingers and the blood mists around the ghost changed again...
Thinking this, Lin Xuan's face was filled with sincerity: "Mistress, I will not shirk any task within my capabilities. However, that jade pendant is truly not in my possession."
"Y-You..."
A layer of resentment appeared on Hong Ling's beautiful face as her voice turned icy cold to the bone: "It seems you are unwilling to turn swords into ploughshares and want to force Hong Ling to take action."
Hmph, threatening me?
Lin Xuan frowned slightly. If he could choose, he certainly didn't want to offend this female cultivator in front of him. But giving up his treasure was impossible; if the other party wanted to break their face, Lin Xuan had no reason to yield or compromise, otherwise, they might think he was weak and easily bullied.
"I advise you to reconsider your actions, Mistress. I truly have no treasures in my possession. You are forcing me into a confrontation," Lin Xuan's expression also turned grim.
"Fine, since that is the case, Hong Ling will test your abilities and see if what you claim is as miraculous as you say."
Hong Ling said this, flicking her sleeves, and a streak of sharp light emerged from her fragrant sleeves, accompanied by a pink mist. The light was barely noticeable, appearing and disappearing in the fog but moved with incredible speed towards Lin Xuan.
This woman truly wasn't ordinary; she made a decisive turn from face to fight.
However, Lin Xuan did not feel surprised. He stretched out his hand and tapped his storage bag, summoning a shield the size of a palm before it.
Dark winds whistled as if the shield was sentient, rotating in front of its master.
The sharp light struck the shield like lightning. Lin Xuan's essence energy flared but he firmly held on to this attack.
"Hmph!"
Hong Ling's voice entered his ears, accompanied by an undertone of disappointment. Although she did not use her full strength, it was still beyond a common condensation core cultivator. The other party had not exaggerated; his cultivation level indeed matched that of an early-stage元婴 cultivator.
This was going to be tricky!
But he must reclaim the treasure.
Hong Ling flicked her sleeves again and summoned the Stabbing Spirit Ring. Although it would be troublesome, if she didn't spare any cost, she could still kill this annoying young man.
Lin Xuan's experience in fighting others was vast; from the woman's expression, he knew that things couldn't end well. This time, they were not just showing off their power but... life or death!
It seemed that the value of that jade pendant was much greater than he had imagined, otherwise Hong Ling wouldn't act so recklessly.
Lin Xuan's heart was a mix of emotions—both joy and worry.
He hadn't expected things to escalate this far, but fortunately, he had left an escape route.
Lin Xuan flicked his left hand, and a round disk appeared in his palm. A spell was cast on it, causing the entire forest to tremble violently.
Dark mists spread everywhere, as if the sky itself was about to collapse.
"Accursed, changing our meeting location—indeed, you want to play tricks," Hong Ling's voice was both shocked and angry. Although she had anticipated this outcome earlier, Lin Xuan's significant increase in cultivation made the situation vastly different from her initial expectations.
Now trapped within an array, fighting against him would be extremely disadvantageous for her.
However, despite her anger, Hong Ling did not fear. She was a woman of great courage; otherwise, how could she have dared to ambush a separation period cultivator?
With a cold snort, several pea-sized treasure beads shot out from her mouth.
They sparkled with different colors.
"Quickly!"
Hong Ling pointed at these small beads, and countless essence energies converged around them, swirling nonstop. Several whirlwinds of over ten feet in diameter suddenly appeared, their presence shocking.
"Hmph, wanting to disperse my dark mists—what a delusion!"
Lin Xuan's lips curled slightly, hinting at some mockery. The techniques of this Hong Ling were not impressive either.
But before he could finish his thoughts, the scene changed dramatically.
Roar!
From that hurricane, an incredibly loud roar came. Then the whirlwinds dispersed to reveal several clouds each as large as an acre, seemingly wanting to contain living creatures within them.
"What is this..." Lin Xuan's face showed surprise, especially strange was how familiar he felt about the scene before him, as if he had seen it somewhere.
But for now, he couldn't recall where.
However, the spiritual pressure from those clouds was immense. Lin Xuan did not dare to take it lightly.
Regardless, he needed to figure out his opponent's true form first.
Lin Xuan flicked his sleeves and cast a spell, causing the dark mists to change. Originally pitch-black like ink, they now turned blood-red, continuously surging towards the center, compressing into a ghastly ghost towering over twenty feet tall.
Lin Xuan nodded satisfactorily; the "Five Ghosts Soul Splitting Formation" he received from Master Gu truly had extraordinary power and should not be underestimated.
Since he couldn't determine his opponent's true strength, Lin Xuan decided to activate the array's restrictions first. The ghost clenched its massive fist and fiercely smashed it into the yellow cloud nearby, regardless of what creature was inside, this strike would force him out.
Bang!
The sound echoed like a dull thunder in his ears, but no monster appeared; instead, the cloud's volume suddenly expanded tenfold.
"Haha," silver laughter rang through Lin Xuan's ears, drawing his attention. Turning around, Hong Ling floated about a hundred feet to his left with a smug smile on her face.
"Lin Daoist, you cannot break my spell. Why don't we shake hands and make peace? If you hand over the sect's token, Hong Ling will still be your friend."
"I appreciate your offer, but I truly have no such item. How can I give it to you?" Lin Xuan sighed, his expression sincere.
He wasn't a fool; with their faces already broken, ending this confrontation was not easy. The other party’s secret technique might seem intimidating, but he didn’t believe that he couldn’t break through it.
The outcome was uncertain, and besides, he still had many tricks up his sleeve.
Hearing this, Hong Ling's expression changed. The other party's determination left no room for compromise; thus, she could only see who had the superior technique.
"You are courting death!"
With a slight anger in her beauty, she still exuded charm. However, the dark mists emanating from her sleeves were deadly.
Lin Xuan frowned and activated his protective essence energy, adding another layer of shielding with the Three Yin White Bone Shield. Only then did he relax as he looked ahead.
After expanding to over ten acres, the cloud stopped growing. The ghost's size was insignificant compared to Lin Xuan; each punch only produced a continuous thumping sound without any effect.
Lin Xuan's expression gradually darkened. This wouldn't work. He crossed his fingers and the blood mists around the ghost changed again...