ér cóng nà shí hòu kāi shǐ ， xiū yāo liú pài yě jiù zhú jiàn shuāi luò le xià qù ， zhí zhì mù qián de hǎn yǒu rén zhī 。
而从那时候开始，修妖流派也就逐渐衰落了下去，直至目前的罕有人知。
Since then, the cultivation sects that imitated妖族 have gradually declined and are now little known.
tīng wán lín xuān de jiǎng shù ， yuè ér zhòu méi xiàn rù le sī suǒ ， bù guò hěn kuài jiù tái qǐ tóu ， miàn dài bù jiě de kāi kǒu ：“ shào yé bú duì a ， suī shuō mó fǎng yāo zú de gōng fǎ méi néng yán cháng shòu mìng ， dàn xiū yāo zhě de shuāi luò kǒng pà hái lìng yǒu yǐn qíng 。”
听完林轩的讲述，月儿皱眉陷入了思索，不过很快就抬起头，面带不解的开口：“少爷不对啊，虽说模仿妖族的功法没能延长寿命，但修妖者的衰落恐怕还另有隐情。”
After listening to Lin Xuan's explanation, Yue'er frowned in thought. However, she quickly lifted her head with a look of不解 on her face as she spoke: "Young Master is wrong. While imitating the power of the beast races didn't extend their lifespans, the decline of cultivators might have other reasons."
“ ó ， hé yǐ jiàn dé ？” lín xuān xiào yín yín de kāi kǒu le ， zhè yā tou hái zhēn shì bù cuò ， xiǎo nǎo guā líng huó le xǔ duō ， rú jīn dōu xué huì jǔ yī fǎn sān le 。
“哦，何以见得？”林轩笑吟吟的开口了，这丫头还真是不错，小脑瓜灵活了许多，如今都学会举一反三了。
"Ah, how so?" Lin Xuan smiled and replied, impressed by the girl's quick thinking and ability to draw inferences.
“ zhè bú shì míng bǎi zhe 。” yuè ér lǐ le lǐ fà sī ， liǎn shàng dài zhe zì xìn de xiào yì ：“ suī shuō méi néng shí xiàn chū zhōng ， dàn dào dǐ chuǎng chū le lìng wài yī tiáo bù tóng yú qián rén de xiū liàn zhī lù ， ér qiě tā huì fán róng jìn shí wàn nián zhī jiǔ ， chú le cháng shòu de yòu huò ， kěn dìng yě hái yǒu bié de kě qǔ zhī chù ， zēng jiā shòu yuán de xī wàng pò miè yǐ hòu ， shuāi luò dào yě suàn shì zhèng cháng de ， dàn bīn lín jué jì jiù wèi miǎn jiù yǒu xiē shuō bù guò qù ……”
“这不是明摆着。”月儿理了理发丝，脸上带着自信的笑意：“虽说没能实现初衷，但到底闯出了另外一条不同于前人的修炼之路，而且牠会繁荣近十万年之久，除了长寿的诱惑，肯定也还有别的可取之处，增加寿元的希望破灭以后，衰落倒也算是正常的，但濒临绝迹就未免就有些说不过去……”
"This is obvious," Yue'er combed her hair and wore a confident smile. "Although it failed to achieve its original goal, it did create a new path of cultivation distinct from others. It thrived for nearly ten thousand years, beyond just longevity; there must be other benefits. After the hope of extending lifespan was shattered, decline is understandable, but near extinction seems too extreme."
“ ń 。” lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， yuè ér fēn xī dé hěn yǒu dào lǐ ：“ zhè hái yào cóng xiū yāo zhě běn shēn de quē xiàn shuō qǐ 。”
“嗯。”林轩点了点头，月儿分析得很有道理：“这还要从修妖者本身的缺陷说起。”
Lin Xuan nodded in agreement. Yue'er's analysis made sense: "This all stems from the inherent flaws of beast cultivators."
“ xiū yāo zhě běn shēn de quē xiàn ， nán dào tā men de gōng fǎ yǒu hěn duō ruò diǎn ？”
“修妖者本身的缺陷，难道他们的功法有很多弱点？”
"Flaws? Do their cultivation methods have many weaknesses?"
“ bù ， mó fǎng yāo zú shén tōng bìng méi yǒu cuò ，. cóng wēi lì lái shuō bìng bù xùn sè yú fú dào rú mó ， kě zhè shì jiān de yāo mài tài shǎo le ……”
“不，模仿妖族神通并没有错，.从威力来说并不逊色于佛道儒魔，可这世间的妖脉太少了……”
"No, imitating the power of beasts isn't wrong. In terms of strength, it doesn't fall short of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, or demonic techniques. However, there are simply too few beast veins in this world..."
lín xuān bìng bù xū yào jiǎng dé duō xiáng xì ， jǐn jǐn . zhè me yī jù jiù dào chū le xiū yāo zhě jué jì de yǐn mì ， xiū yāo ， xiū yāo ， zì rán xū yào yǒu nóng zhòng de yāo qì ， kě rén jiè ， què hǎn yǒu hé shì de xiū liàn zhī dì 。
林轩并不需要讲得多详细，仅仅.这么一句就道出了修妖者绝迹的隐秘，修妖，修妖，自然需要有浓重的妖气，可人界，却罕有合适的修炼之地。
Lin Xuan didn't need to elaborate much; just that one sentence revealed the secret behind the disappearance of beast cultivators. Cultivating beasts required a heavy concentration of beast qi, but human realms had few suitable places for cultivation.
zài zhè ge liú pài gāng gāng chuàng lì chū lái de . shí hòu ， yīn wèi yǒu zēng jiā shòu yuán de yòu huò ， rén men hái kě yǐ miǎn qiǎng rěn nài de ， kào zēng jiā dǎ zuò shí jiān ， fú shí dān yào mí bǔ 。
在这个流派刚刚创立出来的.时候，因为有增加寿元的诱惑，人们还可以勉强忍耐的，靠增加打坐时间，服食丹药弥补。
At first, when the sect was newly established and promised extended lifespans, people could endure by increasing their meditation time and taking pills to compensate. After all, base foundation stage cultivators lived for four hundred years—a prospect that was too tempting.
bì jìng ， zhù jī qī xiū shì de shòu yuán ， jiù yǒu sì bǎi nián ， zhè shì duō me lìng . rén dòng xīn 。
毕竟，筑基期修士的寿元，就有四百年，这是多么令.人动心。
Unfortunately, it was just a beautiful dream. When hope faded, ancient cultivators knew what choices to make; pointless efforts were left to fools only.
rán ér kě xī ， nà jǐn jǐn shì měi hǎo de yuàn jǐng ， dāng xī wàng pò miè yǐ hòu ，. gǔ xiū shì zì rán zhī dào gāi zuò chū zěn yàng de xuǎn zé ， fèi lì ér bù tǎo hǎo de shì qíng zhǐ yǒu shǎ guā cái huì qù zuò 。
然而可惜，那仅仅是美好的愿景，当希望破灭以后，.古修士自然知道该做出怎样的选择，费力而不讨好的事情只有傻瓜才会去做。
As time passed, this once-prosperous sect gradually vanished from the human world.
yú shì suí zhe shí jiān de liú shì ， zhè fán róng yī shí de liú pài jiù cóng . rén jiè zhú jiàn xiāo shī 。
于是随着时间的流逝，这繁荣一时的流派就从.人界逐渐消失。
"Ah, I see." Yue'er nodded in understanding, finally grasping the full story.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ 。” yuè ér . diǎn le diǎn tóu ， zhōng yú nòng qīng chǔ liǎo shì qíng de shǐ mò 。
“原来如此。”月儿.点了点头，终于弄清楚了事情的始末。
That's why it wasn't strange that beast cultivators appeared here. The area seemed to have many beast veins, even ordinary mists contained ample beast qi—perfect for a cultivation paradise.
nà yǎn qián chū xiàn xiū yāo zhě yě jiù bù qí guài le ， yīn wèi zhè ge dì fāng de yāo mài sì hū hěn duō ， shèn zhì lián pǔ tōng de wù qì zhī zhōng ， dōu yùn hán dé yǒu chōng zú de yāo lì ， duì yú xiū yāo zhě ér yán ， jiǎn zhí shì zài shì hé bù guò de xiū liàn shèng dì 。
那眼前出现修妖者也就不奇怪了，因为这个地方的妖脉似乎很多，甚至连普通的雾气之中，都蕴含得有充足的妖力，对于修妖者而言，简直是再适合不过的修炼圣地。
Meanwhile, as Lin Xuan and Yue'er conversed telepathically, the middle-aged man's situation grew increasingly perilous. His cultivation was only at the mid-base foundation stage; facing a second-tier top-grade monster, he had no chance of defending himself.
què shuō lìng yī biān ， dàng yuè ér hé lín xuān zài shén shí zhōng wěi wěi jiāo tán ， nà zhōng nián rén de chǔ jìng yě yuè fā jiān xiǎn 。
却说另一边，当月儿和林轩在神识中娓娓交谈，那中年人的处境也越发艰险。
Fortunately, his technique wasn't bad, allowing him to hold on for now.
bì jìng tā de xiū wèi bù guò zhù jī zhōng qī ， miàn duì èr jí dǐng jiē yāo shòu zì rán méi yǒu huán shǒu zhī lì 。
毕竟他的修为不过筑基中期，面对二级顶阶妖兽自然没有还手之力。
The man was sweating profusely when Lin Xuan approached slowly. He couldn't hide his joy and desperately flew over: "Friend, save me! I am from the Xuanfeng Sect; please help. I will offer a generous reward."
hǎo zài cǐ rén de gōng fǎ dào yě bù fán ， zhè cái miǎn qiǎng zhī chēng le xià lái 。
好在此人的功法倒也不凡，这才勉强支撑了下来。
Xuanfeng Sect?
cǐ rén zhèng mǎn tóu dà hán ， tū rán kàn jiàn le huǎn huǎn jiē jìn de lín xuān ， liǎn shàng bù yóu de lù chū kuáng xǐ ， pīn mìng xiàng zhè biān fēi le guò qù ：“ dào yǒu jiù mìng ， zài xià nǎi xuán fèng mén dì zǐ ， hái wàng dào yǒu yuán shǒu ， bǐ rén yí dìng zhòng chóu 。”
此人正满头大汗，突然看见了缓缓接近的林轩，脸上不由得露出狂喜，拼命像这边飞了过去：“道友救命，在下乃玄凤门弟子，还望道友援手，鄙人一定重酬。”
A strange look flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. It was said that the names of beast cultivator sects often reflected the beasts they imitated.
xuán fèng mén ？
玄凤门？
Phoenixes were dominant even in the spirit realm, so could this sect have any connection to ancient spirits like phoenixes?
lín xuān yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī lǚ yì sè ， jù shuō xiū yāo zhě zōng mén de míng zì ， tōng cháng dōu yǔ tā men suǒ mó fǎng de yāo zú yǒu hěn dà guān xì 。
林轩眼中闪过一缕异色，据说修妖者宗门的名字，通常都与他们所模仿的妖族有很大关系。
Despite his doubts, Lin Xuan maintained a calm demeanor and flicked his fingers, sending several dazzling sword lights that intercepted the monster. With his power comparable to an婴期 expert, dispatching the beast was easy, but he didn't show off.
fèng huáng ， jí shǐ zài líng jiè ， nà yě shì yī fāng bà zhǔ ， nán dào gāi pài jìng yǔ zhè zhǒng yuǎn gǔ líng shòu yǒu shén me qiān chě ？
凤凰，即使在灵界，那也是一方霸主，难道该派竟与这种远古灵兽有什么牵扯？
As they say, great trees attract much wind; in this unfamiliar place, it was wise to keep some cards up his sleeve. Lin Xuan had already taken a hidden spirit pill and used concealment techniques to make his cultivation appear only mid-condensation stage.
xīn zhōng jīng yí ， bù guò lín xuān biǎo miàn shàng yī jiù shì yī fù dàn dàn de qíng xù ， qū zhǐ wēi dàn ， jǐ dào yào mù de jiàn guāng shǎn xiàn ， jiāng nà yāo shòu gěi jié le xià lái 。
心中惊疑，不过林轩表面上依旧是一副淡淡的情绪，屈指微弹，几道耀目的剑光闪现，将那妖兽给截了下来。
Even so, the giant ape was terrified, trying to flee but finding itself trapped by the sword lights, like a fish in a pot.
yǐ tā pì měi yuán yīng qī lǎo guài de xiū wèi ， miè le yǎn qián yāo shòu ， bù guò jǔ shǒu zhī láo ， bù guò lín xuān bìng méi yǒu nà me xiāo zhāng 。
以他媲美元婴期老怪的修为，灭了眼前妖兽，不过举手之劳，不过林轩并没有那么嚣张。
The middle-aged man sighed in relief as he slowed down and stopped before Lin Xuan: "Junior Zhou Xueheng. Thank you for saving me."
sú huà shuō ， shù dà zhāo fēng ， yóu qí shì zài zhè zhǒng mò shēng de dì diǎn ， gèng yào gěi zì jǐ liú yī xiē dǐ pái ， lín xuān yǐ qǔ chū yǐn líng dān fú xià ， bìng shī zhǎn liǎn qì zhī fǎ ， ràng xiū wèi kàn qǐ lái yě jiù níng dān zhōng qī 。
俗话说，树大招风，尤其是在这种陌生的地点，更要给自己留一些底牌，林轩已取出隐灵丹服下，并施展敛气之法，让修为看起来也就凝丹中期。
"It's nothing," Lin Xuan waved his hand dismissively. "A small favor; no need for such formalities."
dàn jí biàn rú cǐ ， yě ràng nà jù yuán dà gǎn wèi jù ， xiǎng yào táo zǒu ， què bèi jiàn guāng tuán tuán kùn zhù ， jiǎn zhí jiù gēn wèng zhōng zhuō biē yī yàng le 。
但即便如此，也让那巨猿大感畏惧，想要逃走，却被剑光团团困住，简直就跟瓮中捉鳖一样了。
"Thank you." Zhou Xueheng remained respectfully humble, bowing slightly.
zhōng nián rén sōng le kǒu qì ， dùn guāng yī huǎn ， zài lín xuān miàn qián tíng le xià lái ：“ wǎn bèi zhōu xuè hén ， duō xiè qián bèi jiù mìng zhī ēn 。”
中年人松了口气，遁光一缓，在林轩面前停了下来：“晚辈周血痕，多谢前辈救命之恩。”
"Do I come from the Beast Spirit Island?" he asked.
“ bà le 。” lín xuān jiāng shǒu yī bǎi ：“ jǔ shǒu zhī láo ér yǐ ， hé bì shī cǐ dà lǐ 。”
“罢了。”林轩将手一摆：“举手之劳而已，何必施此大礼。”
Beast Spirit Island!
“ shì 。” zhōu xuè hén liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng yī jiù gōng jìng wú bǐ ， wān yāo ér lì ：“ gǎn wèn qián bèi ， shì fǒu bú shì wǒ yāo líng dǎo shàng de tǔ zhù jū mín ？”
“是。”周血痕脸上的表情依旧恭敬无比，弯腰而立：“敢问前辈，是否不是我妖灵岛上的土著居民？”
Though he had guessed as much, hearing it confirmed by the other party made Lin Xuan's expression grim. It was indeed that legendary beast sanctuary.
yāo líng dǎo ！
妖灵岛！
Still, with his composure, Lin Xuan quickly regained his calm: "Yes."
jǐn guǎn xīn zhōng zǎo yǐ cāi dào ， dàn cǐ kè cóng duì fāng zuǐ lǐ zhèng shí ， lín xuān de biǎo qíng hái shì nán kàn wú bǐ ， shùn jiān yīn chén le xià qù 。
尽管心中早已猜到，但此刻从对方嘴里证实，林轩的表情还是难看无比，瞬间阴沉了下去。
"Ah, that makes sense; Beast Spirit Island cultivators rarely dress like you," Zhou Xueheng smiled.
guǒ rán shì nà chuán shuō zhōng de yāo zú shèng dì 。
果然是那传说中的妖族圣地。
"Why so? Does this island often have outsiders?" Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow and asked attentively.
bù guò yǐ lín xuān de chéng fǔ ， hěn kuài jiù huī fù le cóng róng zhī sè ：“ bù cuò 。”
不过以林轩的城府，很快就恢复了从容之色：“不错。”
"Of course not. You know well that strictly speaking, Beast Spirit Island is no longer fully part of the human world."
“ hē hē ， zhè jiù duì le ， yāo líng dǎo de xiū shì ， kě hěn shǎo xiàng qián bèi zhè me chuān zhe 。” zhōu xuè hén wēi xiào zhe kāi kǒu 。
“呵呵，这就对了，妖灵岛的修士，可很少像前辈这么穿着。”周血痕微笑着开口。
Nodding, Lin Xuan recalled ancient texts mentioning that Penglai Mountain, Beast Spirit Island, and Wuzheng River were special realms between the human and spirit worlds.
“ zěn me ， nán dào cǐ dǎo shí cháng dū huì yǒu wài rén chū mò ？” lín xuān méi tóu yī tiāo ， shí fēn guān zhù de dào 。
“怎么，难道此岛时常都会有外人出没？”林轩眉头一挑，十分关注的道。
"I am only a lowly base foundation cultivator with limited knowledge. But I often read books; according to records, every hundred years or so, Beast Spirit Island rips through space, appearing in the human world. If you're lucky, someone like you might be sucked in."
“ dāng rán bú shì ， qián bèi xiǎng yě qīng chǔ ， zhè yāo líng dǎo yán gé shuō lái ， qí shí yǐ jīng bù wán quán suàn zuò shì rén jiè 。”
“当然不是，前辈想也清楚，这妖灵岛严格说来，其实已经不完全算做是人界。”
Lin Xuan couldn't help smiling bitterly at this. A one-in-a-century chance—his luck was truly terrible.
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， zhè zhǒng cāi cè ， gǔ jí shàng jiù yǒu ， shuō péng lái shān ， yāo líng dǎo ， hái yǒu wú dìng hé sān chù shèng dì ， jì bù shǔ yú rén jiè ， yě bù shǔ yú líng jiè ， ér shì liǎng zhě zhī jiān de yī tè shū wèi miàn 。
林轩点了点头，这种猜测，古籍上就有，说蓬莱山，妖灵岛，还有无定河三处圣地，既不属于人界，也不属于灵界，而是两者之间的一特殊位面。
Of course, self-pity wouldn't solve anything; now he needed to think about how to leave.
“ wǎn bèi zhǐ shì yī xiǎo xiǎo de zhù jī qī xiū shì ， jiàn shí qiǎn lòu ， bù guò píng rì lǐ xǐ huān kàn shū ， jù diǎn jí shàng suǒ shuō ， yì bān měi guò bǎi nián zuǒ yòu ， yāo líng dǎo jiù huì sī liè kōng jiān ， zài rén jiè chū xiàn ， rú guǒ pèng qiǎo ， jiù huì yǒu rén xiàng qián bèi yī yàng ， bèi xī rù jìn lái 。”
“晚辈只是一小小的筑基期修士，见识浅漏，不过平日里喜欢看书，据典籍上所说，一般每过百年左右，妖灵岛就会撕裂空间，在人界出现，如果碰巧，就会有人像前辈一样，被吸入进来。”
"If you don't mind, please accompany me back. My cultivation is insignificant, but the Xuanfeng Sect is one of the largest forces on Beast Spirit Island," Zhou Xueheng suggested cautiously.
lín xuān tīng dào zhè lǐ ， zuǐ jiǎo biān bù yóu de lù chū yī sī kǔ sè de xiào róng ， bǎi nián yī yù ， zì jǐ de yùn qì ， zhēn shì dǎo méi dé kě yǐ 。
林轩听到这里，嘴角边不由得露出一丝苦涩的笑容，百年一遇，自己的运气，真是倒霉得可以。
"Alright." Lin Xuan nodded and agreed.
dāng rán ， zì yuàn zì yì jiě jué bù liǎo wèn tí ， rú jīn yào sī liáng de shì ， zěn me cóng zhè lǐ chū qù 。
当然，自怨自艾解决不了问题，如今要思量的是，怎么从这里出去。
Given that this was a beast sanctuary, danger lurked everywhere. Although he believed his abilities were formidable, he had no interest in adventuring alone. Joining a sect would be ideal, as higher-stage cultivators might provide clues on how to return.
“ qián bèi ruò shì bù qì ， bù fáng suí wǎn bèi huí qù ， zài xià de xiū wèi suī bù zhí yī tí ， dàn xuán fèng mén kě shì yāo líng dǎo zuì dà de xiū xiān shì lì zhī yī 。” zhōu xuè hén xiǎo xīn de tí chū jiàn yì 。
“前辈若是不弃，不妨随晚辈回去，在下的修为虽不值一提，但玄凤门可是妖灵岛最大的修仙势力之一。”周血痕小心的提出建议。
In moments, Lin Xuan made up his mind.
“ yě hǎo 。” lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， shùn shì dā yìng xià lái 。
“也好。”林轩点了点头，顺势答应下来。
"Great! I'll lead the way; please try to conceal your aura. We need to pass through the Illusory Swamp ahead, where many high-stage beasts are."
zhè lǐ jì shì yāo zú shèng dì ， xiǎng bì chù chù xiōng xiǎn ， lín xuān suī rán zì chí shén tōng bù ruò ， dàn yě méi yǒu xìng qù gū jiā guǎ rén zài wài mào xiǎn ， yī fù yí gè mén pài shì zuì jiā xuǎn zé ， hé kuàng zhǐ yǒu gāo jiē xiū shì duō de dì fāng ， cái yǒu kě néng dǎ tīng dào rú hé huí qù de xiāo xī 。
这里既是妖族圣地，想必处处凶险，林轩虽然自持神通不弱，但也没有兴趣孤家寡人在外冒险，依附一个门派是最佳选择，何况只有高阶修士多的地方，才有可能打听到如何回去的消息。
As Zhou Xueheng spoke, he emitted heavy beast qi, and Lin Xuan was momentarily stunned. Beast cultivator techniques were indeed impressive—without careful observation, one might mistake him for a beast.
piàn kè zhī jiān ， lín xuān xīn zhōng jiù zuò xià jué dìng 。
片刻之间，林轩心中就做下决定。
"Sorry for the confusion," Zhou Xueheng said as he transformed into a cloud of beast qi leading the way. Lin Xuan's own flight became indistinct; while he couldn't mimic beast qi, his concealment techniques were confident enough.
“ tài hǎo le ， wǎn bèi zhè jiù dài lù ， hái qǐng qián bèi jǐn liàng bǎ qì xī shōu liǎn ， qián miàn wǒ men dé chuān guò huàn yōu zhǎo zé ， nà lǐ de gāo jiē yāo shòu hěn duō 。”
“太好了，晚辈这就带路，还请前辈尽量把气息收敛，前面我们得穿过幻幽沼泽，那里的高阶妖兽很多。”
Unless facing a transformation-stage monster, it wouldn't be easy to spot him.
zhōu xuè hén yī biān shuō ， yī biān dī liū liū yī zhuǎn ， nóng zhòng de yāo qì cóng tā shēn shàng shì fàng chū lái ， lín xuān yī dāi ， yāo xiū gōng fǎ què shí bù fán ， zì jǐ ruò bù zǐ xì guān chá dū huì jiāng tā dàng zuò shì yāo shòu le 。
周血痕一边说，一边滴溜溜一转，浓重的妖气从他身上释放出来，林轩一呆，妖修功法确实不凡，自己若不仔细观察都会将他当作是妖兽了。
After a scan with his divine sense, Zhou Xueheng was impressed as well. The two quickly vanished into the distant horizon.
Since then, the cultivation sects that imitated妖族 have gradually declined and are now little known.
After listening to Lin Xuan's explanation, Yue'er frowned in thought. However, she quickly lifted her head with a look of不解 on her face as she spoke: "Young Master is wrong. While imitating the power of the beast races didn't extend their lifespans, the decline of cultivators might have other reasons."
"Ah, how so?" Lin Xuan smiled and replied, impressed by the girl's quick thinking and ability to draw inferences.
"This is obvious," Yue'er combed her hair and wore a confident smile. "Although it failed to achieve its original goal, it did create a new path of cultivation distinct from others. It thrived for nearly ten thousand years, beyond just longevity; there must be other benefits. After the hope of extending lifespan was shattered, decline is understandable, but near extinction seems too extreme."
Lin Xuan nodded in agreement. Yue'er's analysis made sense: "This all stems from the inherent flaws of beast cultivators."
"Flaws? Do their cultivation methods have many weaknesses?"
"No, imitating the power of beasts isn't wrong. In terms of strength, it doesn't fall short of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, or demonic techniques. However, there are simply too few beast veins in this world..."
Lin Xuan didn't need to elaborate much; just that one sentence revealed the secret behind the disappearance of beast cultivators. Cultivating beasts required a heavy concentration of beast qi, but human realms had few suitable places for cultivation.
At first, when the sect was newly established and promised extended lifespans, people could endure by increasing their meditation time and taking pills to compensate. After all, base foundation stage cultivators lived for four hundred years—a prospect that was too tempting.
Unfortunately, it was just a beautiful dream. When hope faded, ancient cultivators knew what choices to make; pointless efforts were left to fools only.
As time passed, this once-prosperous sect gradually vanished from the human world.
"Ah, I see." Yue'er nodded in understanding, finally grasping the full story.
That's why it wasn't strange that beast cultivators appeared here. The area seemed to have many beast veins, even ordinary mists contained ample beast qi—perfect for a cultivation paradise.
Meanwhile, as Lin Xuan and Yue'er conversed telepathically, the middle-aged man's situation grew increasingly perilous. His cultivation was only at the mid-base foundation stage; facing a second-tier top-grade monster, he had no chance of defending himself.
Fortunately, his technique wasn't bad, allowing him to hold on for now.
The man was sweating profusely when Lin Xuan approached slowly. He couldn't hide his joy and desperately flew over: "Friend, save me! I am from the Xuanfeng Sect; please help. I will offer a generous reward."
Xuanfeng Sect?
A strange look flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. It was said that the names of beast cultivator sects often reflected the beasts they imitated.
Phoenixes were dominant even in the spirit realm, so could this sect have any connection to ancient spirits like phoenixes?
Despite his doubts, Lin Xuan maintained a calm demeanor and flicked his fingers, sending several dazzling sword lights that intercepted the monster. With his power comparable to an婴期 expert, dispatching the beast was easy, but he didn't show off.
As they say, great trees attract much wind; in this unfamiliar place, it was wise to keep some cards up his sleeve. Lin Xuan had already taken a hidden spirit pill and used concealment techniques to make his cultivation appear only mid-condensation stage.
Even so, the giant ape was terrified, trying to flee but finding itself trapped by the sword lights, like a fish in a pot.
The middle-aged man sighed in relief as he slowed down and stopped before Lin Xuan: "Junior Zhou Xueheng. Thank you for saving me."
"It's nothing," Lin Xuan waved his hand dismissively. "A small favor; no need for such formalities."
"Thank you." Zhou Xueheng remained respectfully humble, bowing slightly.
"Do I come from the Beast Spirit Island?" he asked.
Beast Spirit Island!
Though he had guessed as much, hearing it confirmed by the other party made Lin Xuan's expression grim. It was indeed that legendary beast sanctuary.
Still, with his composure, Lin Xuan quickly regained his calm: "Yes."
"Ah, that makes sense; Beast Spirit Island cultivators rarely dress like you," Zhou Xueheng smiled.
"Why so? Does this island often have outsiders?" Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow and asked attentively.
"Of course not. You know well that strictly speaking, Beast Spirit Island is no longer fully part of the human world."
Nodding, Lin Xuan recalled ancient texts mentioning that Penglai Mountain, Beast Spirit Island, and Wuzheng River were special realms between the human and spirit worlds.
"I am only a lowly base foundation cultivator with limited knowledge. But I often read books; according to records, every hundred years or so, Beast Spirit Island rips through space, appearing in the human world. If you're lucky, someone like you might be sucked in."
Lin Xuan couldn't help smiling bitterly at this. A one-in-a-century chance—his luck was truly terrible.
Of course, self-pity wouldn't solve anything; now he needed to think about how to leave.
"If you don't mind, please accompany me back. My cultivation is insignificant, but the Xuanfeng Sect is one of the largest forces on Beast Spirit Island," Zhou Xueheng suggested cautiously.
"Alright." Lin Xuan nodded and agreed.
Given that this was a beast sanctuary, danger lurked everywhere. Although he believed his abilities were formidable, he had no interest in adventuring alone. Joining a sect would be ideal, as higher-stage cultivators might provide clues on how to return.
In moments, Lin Xuan made up his mind.
"Great! I'll lead the way; please try to conceal your aura. We need to pass through the Illusory Swamp ahead, where many high-stage beasts are."
As Zhou Xueheng spoke, he emitted heavy beast qi, and Lin Xuan was momentarily stunned. Beast cultivator techniques were indeed impressive—without careful observation, one might mistake him for a beast.
"Sorry for the confusion," Zhou Xueheng said as he transformed into a cloud of beast qi leading the way. Lin Xuan's own flight became indistinct; while he couldn't mimic beast qi, his concealment techniques were confident enough.
Unless facing a transformation-stage monster, it wouldn't be easy to spot him.
After a scan with his divine sense, Zhou Xueheng was impressed as well. The two quickly vanished into the distant horizon.