“ xiǎng zǒu ？” jīn xìng nán zi de liǎn shàng lù chū de jī fěng de xiào róng ：“ zài běn shǎo zhǔ miàn qián ， nà bù guò shì bái
“想走？”金姓男子的脸上露出的讥讽的笑容：“在本少主面前，那不过是白
"Want to leave?" the man with the surname Jin sneered. "Before this young master, it's just a daydream!"
rì zuò mèng ！”
日做梦！”
Before he could finish speaking, his left hand, which had been transformed by demonization, opened up a small hole in its center, and dark mist poured out from it, quickly enveloping the streak of light.
huà yīn wèi luò ， tā yǐ xìng qù le nà bèi yāo huà hòu de zuǒ shǒu ， quán tou zhōng yāng chū xiàn le yī mǔ zhǐ dà xiǎo de kǒng dòng
话音未落，他已兴趣了那被妖化后的左手，拳头中央出现了一拇指大小的孔洞
The light faded rapidly. Ye Ping'er's body trembled as she fell from mid-air.
， qī hēi rú mò de yāo wù cóng lǐ miàn pēn shè ér chū ， xùn sù jiāng nà mǒ jīng hóng bāo guǒ 。
，漆黑如墨的妖雾从里面喷射而出，迅速将那抹惊虹包裹。
At this point, the young woman finally showed signs of fear, though she didn't want to surrender easily. Her inner power had been trapped by the demon fog, making her limbs weak and powerless. She gritted her teeth to stay standing.
dùn guāng de yán sè xùn sù àn dàn xià qù 。 yè píng ér jiāo qū yī chàn ， cóng bàn kōng zhōng shuāi là xià lái 。
遁光的颜色迅速黯淡下去。叶瓶儿娇躯一颤，从半空中摔落下来。
"Is that so? Now you're on my chopping block. If you had followed this young master's wishes back then, it wouldn't have been as hard for you. Are you regretting your decision now?"
dào le zhè dì bù ， shào nǚ zhōng yú huā róng shī sè ， jǐn guǎn bù xiǎng shù shǒu jiù qín ， kě tǐ nèi de fǎ lì yǐ bèi nà yāo
到了这地步，少女终于花容失色，尽管不想束手就擒，可体内的法力已被那妖
"Regret? Pah! Ping'er only regrets not having enough power to kill such a despicable scoundrel!" Despite her fear, the young woman still shouted defiantly.
wù jìn gù ， shèn zhì lián sì zhī ， dōu biàn dé suān ruǎn wú lì ， jǐn yǎo bèi chǐ ， cái néng miǎn qiǎng zhàn lì 。
雾禁锢，甚至连四肢，都变得酸软无力，紧咬贝齿，才能勉强站立。
"That filthy girl, daring to be so bold at the brink of death, humph. With a nature that attracts others, this young master will make you a proper鼎炉," the man with the surname Jin said as he approached with lecherous laughter.
“ rú hé ， xiàn zài bù yě shì wǒ zhēn bǎn shàng de ròu ， dāng chū ruò shùn le běn shǎo zhǔ de xīn yì ， hái kě yǐ shǎo chī kǔ
“如何，现在不也是我砧板上的肉，当初若顺了本少主的心意，还可以少吃苦
Ye Ping'er's expression was bleak; her eyes filled with despair.
tóu ， xiàn zài shì bú shì xīn zhōng hòu huǐ le ？”
头，现在是不是心中后悔了？”
Was she really going to end up here? But even if she wanted to commit suicide now, it would be too late.
“ hòu huǐ ？ pēi ， píng ér zhǐ hèn zì jǐ fǎ lì dī wēi ， bù néng miè shā nǐ zhè wú chǐ zhī tú ！” shào nǚ suī mǎn liǎn
“后悔？呸，瓶儿只恨自己法力低微，不能灭杀你这无耻之徒！”少女虽满脸
Just when things seemed dire, a cold spiritual awareness descended from the sky and enveloped both of them. It felt like being stared down by a snake.
huáng kǒng ， dàn yī jiù jué jiàng de pò kǒu dà mà zhe 。
惶恐，但依旧倔强的破口大骂着。
A chill ran down their spines!
“ chòu yā tou ， sǐ dào lín tóu ， hái gǎn zuǐ yìng ， hēng ， tiān shēng mèi gǔ ， běn shǎo zhǔ yí dìng huì ràng nǐ zuò yī míng hé
“臭丫头，死到临头，还敢嘴硬，哼，天生媚骨，本少主一定会让你做一名合
The two froze, but their expressions were starkly different.
gé de dǐng lú 。” jīn xìng nán zi yī biān shuō ， yī biān yín xiào zhe xiàng shào nǚ zǒu qù 。
格的鼎炉。”金姓男子一边说，一边淫笑着向少女走去。
Ye Ping'er's face lit up with joy; her situation couldn't get any worse than it was now.
yè píng ér biǎo qíng cǎn dàn ， shuāng móu yǐ bèi jué wàng zhī sè tián mǎn 。
叶瓶儿表情惨淡，双眸已被绝望之色填满。
But the man with the surname Jin looked grim. He dared not show his anger, yet he knew this terrifying spiritual awareness could only belong to a condensation core cultivator.
nán dào zì jǐ zhēn yào ** yú cǐ ， rán ér cǐ shí cǐ kè ， jí biàn xiǎng yào zì shā yě lái bù jí 。
难道自己真要**于此，然而此时此刻，即便想要自杀也来不及。
Though this person was despicable and shameless, his mind worked quickly. His eyes flashed with an odd light as he put on a servile smile, bowing from afar: "I don't know which esteemed senior has graced us with your presence; please forgive my lack of welcome."
yǎn kàn dào le qiān jūn yī fà zhī jì ， yī gǔ bīng lěng de shén shí tū rán cóng tiān ér jiàng ， sì wú jì dàn de jiāng liǎng rén bāo
眼看到了千钧一发之际，一股冰冷的神识突然从天而降，肆无忌惮的将两人包
"Words that don't match your intentions, you don't deserve to ask Lin's name," a voice without emotion replied. A few dozen feet away, a faint light appeared, revealing an ordinary-looking young man.
guǒ ， gǎn jué jiù xiàng shì qīng wā bèi shé dīng zhù 。
裹，感觉就像是青蛙被蛇盯住。
The other looked incredibly young—no more than twenty—but his aura was so powerful it made one feel uneasy.
máo gǔ sǒng rán de gǎn jué ！
毛骨悚然的感觉！
The man with the surname Jin was taken aback and secretly released his spiritual awareness to scan. His eyes immediately showed extreme fear; indeed, this was a condensation core cultivator.
liǎng rén yī dāi ， rán ér biǎo qíng què jié rán xiāng fǎn 。
两人一呆，然而表情却截然相反。
On the other side, Ye Ping'er's eyes widened in shock as she saw the expression on her face. Wasn't he the friend who had bought books from her at the market yesterday?
yè píng ér de qiào liǎn shàng mǎn shì jīng xǐ ， bì jìng duì tā lái shuō ， qíng kuàng yǐ jīng bù kě néng bǐ rú jīn gèng zāo le 。
叶瓶儿的俏脸上满是惊喜，毕竟对她来说，情况已经不可能比如今更糟了。
So... He was actually a condensation core expert!
ér jīn xìng nán zi zé mǎn liǎn yīn mái ， piān piān nù qì què yòu bù gǎn fā zuò chū lái ， rú cǐ kě pà de shén shí ， nán dào
而金姓男子则满脸阴霾，偏偏怒气却又不敢发作出来，如此可怕的神识，难道
The encounter was so extraordinary that the young woman felt everything was unreal, like a dream.
shì níng dān qī xiū shì ？
是凝丹期修士？
Seeing Lin Xuan's disapproving gaze, drops of sweat formed on the man with the surname Jin's forehead. He forced a smile and bowed: "May I ask your esteemed name? Your late disciple is a student of Elder Kun Nan. If you have any instructions for me, I will do anything..."
cǐ rén suī bēi bǐ wú chǐ ， dàn nǎo jīn què zhuǎn dé jí kuài ， yǎn zhōng yì sè yī shǎn ， liǎn shàng jiù duī qì chū yī fù bēi wēi
此人虽卑鄙无耻，但脑筋却转得极快，眼中异色一闪，脸上就堆砌出一副卑微
This guy was smart; to avoid being at a disadvantage, he brought up his master. However, Lin Xuan's lips curled in a sardonic smile: "Elder Kun Nan... Hmm, what kind of thing is that?"
de xiào róng lái ， yáo yáo shī le yī lǐ ：“ bù zhī nǎ wèi qián bèi dà jià guāng lín ， qǐng shù wǎn bèi wèi céng yuǎn yíng 。”
的笑容来，遥遥施了一礼：“不知哪位前辈大驾光临，请恕晚辈未曾远迎。”
The man with the surname Jin's expression froze. Though his cultivation wasn't impressive, Elder Kun Nan was a notorious figure in the魔道. No one had ever dared to insult their master like this.
“ kǒu shì xīn fēi de dōng xī ， píng nǐ yě pèi wèn lín mǒu de míng zì 。” háo wú gǎn qíng de shēng yīn xiǎng qǐ ， jiē zhe zuǒ
“口是心非的东西，凭你也配问林某的名字。”毫无感情的声音响起，接着左
Feeling furious, but not stupid, he put on a servile smile: "You're joking, my teacher is an元婴 cultivator; your powers must have heard of his name."
cè yuē shí yú zhàng zhī chù ， líng guāng yī shǎn ， píng kōng mào chū le yī wèi miàn mào pǔ tōng de shào nián 。
侧约十余丈之处，灵光一闪，凭空冒出了一位面貌普通的少年。
"Oh, are you threatening me?" Lin Xuan's face showed a nonchalant smile.
duì fāng kàn shàng qù nián qīng yǐ jí ， zuì duō bù guò èr shí chū tóu de nián jì ， kě hún shēn de líng qì què ràng rén xīn jì 。
对方看上去年轻以极，最多不过二十出头的年纪，可浑身的灵气却让人心悸。
"No, I misunderstood..." the man with the surname Jin panicked as he tried to explain. But Lin Xuan wasn't in the mood for explanations and flicked his sleeve. A green sword light shot out.
jīn xìng nán zi yī dāi ， mǎn liǎn yà rán ， tōu tōu fàng chū shén shí ， yī sǎo zhī hòu ， yǎn zhōng dùn shí lù chū wèi jù yǐ jí
金姓男子一呆，满脸讶然，偷偷放出神识，一扫之后，眼中顿时露出畏惧以极
With such low cultivation, there was no time to react. The sword circled around the man's neck, and a head rolled off into the air. Lin Xuan showed disgust as he turned it into ashes with a fireball.
de shén sè ， guǒ rán shì níng dān qī xiū xiān zhě 。
的神色，果然是凝丹期修仙者。
Then, Lin Xuan glanced at the young woman in front of him; she seemed nervous.
ér lìng yī biān ， yè píng ér zé dèng dà le měi móu ， qiào liǎn shàng mǎn shì chī jīng zhī sè ， zhè bú shì zuó rì zài fāng shì zhōng
而另一边，叶瓶儿则瞪大了美眸，俏脸上满是吃惊之色，这不是昨日在坊市中
It wasn't surprising—alone with a stranger in such an isolated place, especially when compared to her, he was like an ant. If she suddenly had bad thoughts...
xiàng zì jǐ mǎi shū de dào yǒu ？
向自己买书的道友？
With his intelligence, Lin Xuan guessed her thoughts and shook his head without anger. He formed hand seals and channeled some power into her body.
yuán lái …… tā jìng shì níng dān qī gāo shǒu ！
原来……他竟是凝丹期高手！
"Ah..."
jì yù zhī qí ， mò guò yú cǐ ， shào nǚ gǎn jué yī qiè dōu nà me bù zhēn shí ， jiǎn zhí yǔ mèng jìng xiāng sì ！
际遇之奇，莫过于此，少女感觉一切都那么不真实，简直与梦境相似！
Ye Ping'er felt warmth in her dantian as the trapped inner power flowed back through her meridians. Her limbs regained strength.
jiàn lín xuān mù guāng bù shàn de wàng xiàng zì jǐ ， jīn xìng nán zi de é tóu shàng shèn chū le xì mì de hàn dī 。 qiǎng xiào zhe shī
见林轩目光不善的望向自己，金姓男子的额头上渗出了细密的汗滴。强笑着施
"Thank you for saving me," Ye Ping'er said, bowing gracefully.
le yī lǐ ：“ gǎn wèn qián bèi zūn xìng dà míng ， wǎn bèi nǎi kūn nán lǎo zǔ zuò xià dì zǐ 。 qián bèi ruò yǒu fēn fù ， wǎn
了一礼：“敢问前辈尊姓大名，晚辈乃昆楠老祖座下弟子。前辈若有吩咐，晚
"No need for such formalities; it's a small favor to Lin," Lin Xuan smiled. He had some fondness for this girl—not because of her beauty but due to her good character.
bèi yí dìng fù tāng dǎo huǒ ……”
辈一定赴汤蹈火……”
Scanning her with his spiritual awareness, Lin Xuan was genuinely surprised.
zhè jiā huo dào yě jī líng ， wèi pà duì fāng yú jǐ bù lì ， xiān chě chū le shī chéng zhè miàn dà qí ， rán ér lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo
这家伙倒也机灵，为怕对方于己不利，先扯出了师承这面大旗，然而林轩嘴角
She possessed an ice attribute 异灵根 and a nature that attracted others. Her cultivation potential was outstanding.
biān què lù chū yī sī jī fěng de xiào yì ：“ kūn nán lǎo zǔ …… hēng ， nà shì shén me dōng xī ？”
边却露出一丝讥讽的笑意：“昆楠老祖……哼，那是什么东西？”
Such talent should have been sought after by various sects; it didn't make sense for her to be a wandering cultivator without a master.
jīn xìng nán zi biǎo qíng yī zhì ， tā de xiū wèi suī bù zhí yī tí ， dàn bèi hòu de kūn nán lǎo zǔ què shì yǒu míng de mó dào
金姓男子表情一滞，他的修为虽不值一提，但背后的昆楠老祖却是有名的魔道
But the man with the surname Jin had mentioned she came from a broken-down family, which might explain why she refused other sects.
jù xiāo ， cóng méi jiàn guò yǒu rén gǎn bèi hòu duì shī zūn dǐ huǐ zhì cǐ 。
巨枭，从没见过有人敢背后对师尊诋毁至此。
However, without guidance, cultivating alone was extremely difficult. Lin Xuan felt a kinship with her.
xīn zhōng qì jí ， dàn tā dào dǐ bú shì bái chī ， liǎn shàng yī jiù shì yī fù tǎo hǎo de xiào róng ：“ qián bèi shuō xiào le ，
心中气急，但他到底不是白痴，脸上依旧是一副讨好的笑容：“前辈说笑了，
He decided to help again: "Here, take these two bottles of medicinal pills."
jiā shī nǎi yuán yīng xiū shì ， yǐ qián bèi de shén tōng ， xiǎng bì bú huì méi tīng shuō guò tā de míng zì 。”
家师乃元婴修士，以前辈的神通，想必不会没听说过他的名字。”
Ye Ping'er's face showed surprise. "Esteemed sir, what are you doing?"
“ ó ， nǐ shì zài wēi xié wǒ ？” lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū sì xiào fēi xiào de shén sè 。
“哦，你是在威胁我？”林轩脸上露出似笑非笑的神色。
"Stupid girl, it's rare for me to do good deeds; these pills will greatly enhance your inner power. With your potential, you should be able to successfully cultivate the foundation in a few years."
“ bù ， qián bèi wù huì le ……” jīn xìng nán zi dà jīng ， máng xiǎng yào qiǎo yán jiě shì ， bù guò lín xuān yǐ bù xiǎng yǔ
“不，前辈误会了……”金姓男子大惊，忙想要巧言解释，不过林轩已不想与
"Thank you very much," Ye Ping'er was overjoyed, her grateful eyes glistening as she bowed: "Your kindness, I can only remember it and repay when my cultivation improves..."
tā luō suo ， xiù páo yī fú ， yī dào qīng sè de jiàn guāng fēi shè ér chū 、
他啰嗦，袖袍一拂，一道青色的剑光飞射而出、
Lin Xuan nodded, valuing her more. With his powers, he didn't expect anything in return, but her reaction pleased him.
yǐ duì fāng de xiū wèi ， zì rán méi yǒu fǎn yìng de shí jiān ， jiàn guāng wéi zhe tā de bó zi yī xuán ， xuè huā zhī zhōng ， nà
以对方的修为，自然没有反应的时间，剑光围着他的脖子一旋，血花之中，那
Most people would talk about repaying in the next life, but such vague promises weren't as sincere as hers...
"Want to leave?" the man with the surname Jin sneered. "Before this young master, it's just a daydream!"
Before he could finish speaking, his left hand, which had been transformed by demonization, opened up a small hole in its center, and dark mist poured out from it, quickly enveloping the streak of light.
The light faded rapidly. Ye Ping'er's body trembled as she fell from mid-air.
At this point, the young woman finally showed signs of fear, though she didn't want to surrender easily. Her inner power had been trapped by the demon fog, making her limbs weak and powerless. She gritted her teeth to stay standing.
"Is that so? Now you're on my chopping block. If you had followed this young master's wishes back then, it wouldn't have been as hard for you. Are you regretting your decision now?"
"Regret? Pah! Ping'er only regrets not having enough power to kill such a despicable scoundrel!" Despite her fear, the young woman still shouted defiantly.
"That filthy girl, daring to be so bold at the brink of death, humph. With a nature that attracts others, this young master will make you a proper鼎炉," the man with the surname Jin said as he approached with lecherous laughter.
Ye Ping'er's expression was bleak; her eyes filled with despair.
Was she really going to end up here? But even if she wanted to commit suicide now, it would be too late.
Just when things seemed dire, a cold spiritual awareness descended from the sky and enveloped both of them. It felt like being stared down by a snake.
A chill ran down their spines!
The two froze, but their expressions were starkly different.
Ye Ping'er's face lit up with joy; her situation couldn't get any worse than it was now.
But the man with the surname Jin looked grim. He dared not show his anger, yet he knew this terrifying spiritual awareness could only belong to a condensation core cultivator.
Though this person was despicable and shameless, his mind worked quickly. His eyes flashed with an odd light as he put on a servile smile, bowing from afar: "I don't know which esteemed senior has graced us with your presence; please forgive my lack of welcome."
"Words that don't match your intentions, you don't deserve to ask Lin's name," a voice without emotion replied. A few dozen feet away, a faint light appeared, revealing an ordinary-looking young man.
The other looked incredibly young—no more than twenty—but his aura was so powerful it made one feel uneasy.
The man with the surname Jin was taken aback and secretly released his spiritual awareness to scan. His eyes immediately showed extreme fear; indeed, this was a condensation core cultivator.
On the other side, Ye Ping'er's eyes widened in shock as she saw the expression on her face. Wasn't he the friend who had bought books from her at the market yesterday?
So... He was actually a condensation core expert!
The encounter was so extraordinary that the young woman felt everything was unreal, like a dream.
Seeing Lin Xuan's disapproving gaze, drops of sweat formed on the man with the surname Jin's forehead. He forced a smile and bowed: "May I ask your esteemed name? Your late disciple is a student of Elder Kun Nan. If you have any instructions for me, I will do anything..."
This guy was smart; to avoid being at a disadvantage, he brought up his master. However, Lin Xuan's lips curled in a sardonic smile: "Elder Kun Nan... Hmm, what kind of thing is that?"
The man with the surname Jin's expression froze. Though his cultivation wasn't impressive, Elder Kun Nan was a notorious figure in the魔道. No one had ever dared to insult their master like this.
Feeling furious, but not stupid, he put on a servile smile: "You're joking, my teacher is an元婴 cultivator; your powers must have heard of his name."
"Oh, are you threatening me?" Lin Xuan's face showed a nonchalant smile.
"No, I misunderstood..." the man with the surname Jin panicked as he tried to explain. But Lin Xuan wasn't in the mood for explanations and flicked his sleeve. A green sword light shot out.
With such low cultivation, there was no time to react. The sword circled around the man's neck, and a head rolled off into the air. Lin Xuan showed disgust as he turned it into ashes with a fireball.
Then, Lin Xuan glanced at the young woman in front of him; she seemed nervous.
It wasn't surprising—alone with a stranger in such an isolated place, especially when compared to her, he was like an ant. If she suddenly had bad thoughts...
With his intelligence, Lin Xuan guessed her thoughts and shook his head without anger. He formed hand seals and channeled some power into her body.
"Ah..."
Ye Ping'er felt warmth in her dantian as the trapped inner power flowed back through her meridians. Her limbs regained strength.
"Thank you for saving me," Ye Ping'er said, bowing gracefully.
"No need for such formalities; it's a small favor to Lin," Lin Xuan smiled. He had some fondness for this girl—not because of her beauty but due to her good character.
Scanning her with his spiritual awareness, Lin Xuan was genuinely surprised.
She possessed an ice attribute 异灵根 and a nature that attracted others. Her cultivation potential was outstanding.
Such talent should have been sought after by various sects; it didn't make sense for her to be a wandering cultivator without a master.
But the man with the surname Jin had mentioned she came from a broken-down family, which might explain why she refused other sects.
However, without guidance, cultivating alone was extremely difficult. Lin Xuan felt a kinship with her.
He decided to help again: "Here, take these two bottles of medicinal pills."
Ye Ping'er's face showed surprise. "Esteemed sir, what are you doing?"
"Stupid girl, it's rare for me to do good deeds; these pills will greatly enhance your inner power. With your potential, you should be able to successfully cultivate the foundation in a few years."
"Thank you very much," Ye Ping'er was overjoyed, her grateful eyes glistening as she bowed: "Your kindness, I can only remember it and repay when my cultivation improves..."
Lin Xuan nodded, valuing her more. With his powers, he didn't expect anything in return, but her reaction pleased him.
Most people would talk about repaying in the next life, but such vague promises weren't as sincere as hers...