xuán fèng mén ， tiān jìn fēng 。
玄凤门，天劲峰。
Xuanfeng Sect, Tianjin Peak.
cǐ shān gāo shù qiān zhàng ， tǐng bá dǒu qiào ， zhí chā yún xiāo ， wèi yú gāi chù yāo mài de quán yǎn zhī shàng ， duì yú xiū yāo zhě lái shuō ， zhèng shì jué jiā de xiū liàn zhī suǒ 。
此山高数千丈，挺拔陡峭，直插云霄，位于该处妖脉的泉眼之上，对于修妖者来说，正是绝佳的修炼之所。
This mountain towered thousands of feet high, towering and steep, piercing the clouds. It was situated above a spring in the妖脉, making it an ideal place for cultivators to practice their arts.
xuán fèng mén jīng yīng dì zǐ ， shí yǒu ** dōu jū yú gāi fēng zhī shàng ， dà dà xiǎo xiǎo de dòng fǔ bù jì qí shù ， rán ér yǒu zī gé tà zú fēng dǐng de bìng bù duō 。
玄凤门精英弟子，十有**都居于该峰之上，大大小小的洞府不计其数，然而有资格踏足峰顶的并不多。
Most of Xuanfeng Sect's elite disciples resided on this peak, with countless small and large cave dwellings scattered about. However, few were qualified to step onto its summit.
zhǐ yǒu liáo liáo èr shí yú wèi yuán yīng qī zhǎng lǎo 。
只有寥寥二十余位元婴期长老。
Only twenty or so元婴期 elders did.
cǐ shí zài fēng dǐng de yuán yáng gé ， zhè xiē lǎo guài wù jù jū yī táng ， shén sè níng zhòng de shāng liáng zhe shén me 。
此时在峰顶的元阳阁，这些老怪物聚居一堂，神色凝重的商量着什么。
At the top of the peak was Yuanyang Pavilion, where these old monsters gathered, their expressions solemn as they discussed something important.
zuò zài zhǔ wèi de shì yī wèi xū jiē bái de lǎo zhě ， suī rán nián jì jǐ bù xiǎo le ， rán ér hún shēn shàng xià què yǒu yī gǔ piāo yì zhī qì ， xiū wèi gèng dào le yuán yīng zhōng qī 。
坐在主位的是一位须皆白的老者，虽然年纪己不小了，然而浑身上下却有一股飘逸之气，修为更到了元婴中期。
Seated in the main position was an elderly man with all-white beard. Though he wasn't young anymore, a sense of elegance permeated his entire being, and his cultivation had reached the中期 stage.
“ wú shī xiōng ， dà zhǎng lǎo hái méi yǒu chū guān me ， rú jīn jǐ huǒ shāo méi máo ， xuě hú wáng dài lǐng wú shù yāo shòu ， jiāng běn mén tuán tuán wéi zhù ， yìng fù yí dàn shāo yǒu bù tuǒ 、 hòu guǒ kě jiù bù kān shè xiǎng le 。” shuō huà de shì yī míng shēn chuān lán páo de lǎo zhě ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì xīn jí huǒ liǎo zhī sè 。
“吴师兄，大长老还没有出关么，如今己火烧眉毛，雪狐王带领无数妖兽，将本门团团围住，应付一旦稍有不妥、后果可就不堪设想了。”说话的是一名身穿蓝袍的老者，脸上满是心急火燎之色。
"Brother Wu, has the Grand Elder still not emerged from seclusion? The situation is dire; Snow Fox King and countless beastly creatures have surrounded our sect. If we handle it improperly, the consequences could be unimaginable," said a blue-robed elderly man with an anxious look on his face.
“ qī shī dì ， nǐ bú yào zháo jí ， zhū wèi yòu bú shì bù qīng chǔ ， dà zhǎng lǎo zhèng bì guān chōng jī píng jǐng ， xiǎng yào tū pò dào yuán yīng hòu qī ”“ nà xū jiē bái de lǎo zhě tàn le kǒu qì 。” wú shī xiōng ， wǒ men dāng rán zhī dào dà zhǎng lǎo rú guǒ jìn jiē dào yuán yīng hòu qī ， duì yú běn mén yì wèi zhe shén me ， kě zhè cì de shì qíng ， zǒng bù néng méi yǒu rén chǔ lǐ 。“ shuō huà de shì yī míng shēn chuān gōng zhuāng de nǚ zǐ ， dà yuē sān shí chū tóu ， zhǎng xiàng pǒ wèi qīng xiù 。
“漆师弟，你不要着急，诸位又不是不清楚，大长老正闭关冲击瓶颈，想要突破到元婴后期”“那须皆白的老者叹了口气。”吴师兄，我们当然知道大长老如果进阶到元婴后期，对于本门意味着什么，可这次的事情，总不能没有人处理。“说话的是一名身穿宫装的女子，大约三十出头，长相颇为清秀。
"Do not worry, Brother Qi," replied the white-bearded elder, sighing. "Brother Wu, of course, we understand what entering the元婴后期 stage means for our sect. But this matter cannot wait for someone else to handle."
bái xū lǎo zhě tīng le ， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī yīn fù ， duì fāng zhè yàng shuō ， fēn míng shì bù jiāng zì jǐ zhè dài mén zhǔ fàng zài yǎn zhōng ， bù guò tā xīn zhōng suī rán fèn nù ， què yě míng bái rú jīn bú shì nèi dòu de shí kè ， zhuǎn guò tóu ， wàng xiàng yī míng sì shí yú suì de mǎ liǎn hàn zi ：” wěi shī dì ， zhè jǐ cì ， dōu shì yóu nǐ yǔ xuě hú zú jiāo shè ， duì fāng de tài dù hái shì rú cǐ qiáng yìng me ？“” bù cuò 。“ mǎ liǎn hàn zi tàn le kǒu qì ， lù chū yī fù yòu shì fèn nù ， yòu shì yù mèn de biǎo qíng ：” nà xiē yāo shòu mán bù jiǎng lǐ “ yì kǒu yǎo dìng wǒ men bǎng jià le tā men de xiǎo gōng zhǔ ， xiàn dìng wǒ men yú sān rì zhī nèi jiāo chū ， fǒu zé ”。“” rú hé ？“” shuō yào jiāng wǒ men xuán fèng mén xuè xǐ ， lián gēn bá qǐ 。“ wéi ， hú chuī dà qì 。” jiē kǒu de què shì nà gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ ：“ xiǎng wǒ xuán fèng mén zì zǔ shī lái dào yāo líng dǎo ， chuán chéng le jìn bǎi wàn nián ， zhōng jiān bù zhī lì jīng le duō shǎo fēng yǔ ， tā men xiǎng jiāng běn mén huǐ qù ， hǎo dà de kǒu qì 。”
白须老者听了，眼中闪过一丝阴覆，对方这样说，分明是不将自己这代门主放在眼中，不过他心中虽然愤怒，却也明白如今不是内斗的时刻，转过头，望向一名四十余岁的马脸汉子：”委师弟，这几次，都是由你与雪狐族交涉，对方的态度还是如此强硬么？“”不错。“马脸汉子叹了口气，露出一副又是愤怒，又是郁闷的表情：”那些妖兽蛮不讲理“一口咬定我们绑架了他们的小公主，限定我们于三日之内交出，否则”。“”如何？“”说要将我们玄凤门血洗，连根拔起。“惟，胡吹大气。”接口的却是那宫装女子：“想我玄凤门自祖师来到妖灵岛，传承了近百万年，中间不知历经了多少风雨，他们想将本门毁去，好大的口气。”
A woman in a court dress, around thirty years old with a refined appearance, spoke up: "Grand Elder, if he advances to the元婴后期 stage, it would mean everything to our sect. However, we can't let such an important matter be left unattended."
qí tā lǎo guài wù tīng le ， yě wú bù dà nù ， duì fāng tài mù zhōng wú rén le ， yī shí zhī jiān ， fēn fēn gǔ zào qǐ lái 。
其他老怪物听了，也无不大怒，对方太目中无人了，一时之间，纷纷鼓噪起来。
The white-bearded elder's eyes flashed with a hint of resentment. The woman clearly did not respect him as the current sect master. Although he was angry, he understood that this wasn't the time for internal strife and turned his gaze to a forty-year-old man with a horse face: "Brother Comrade, you've been handling negotiations with the Snow Fox Clan several times. Has their attitude remained so firm?"
“ wú shī xiōng ， dà zhǎng lǎo bù zài ， nǐ jiù ná gè zhǔ yì hǎo le 。”
“吴师兄，大长老不在，你就拿个主意好了。”
"Yes," sighed the man with a mix of anger and frustration on his face. "Those beastly creatures are unreasonable; they insist we kidnapped their princess and demand that we hand her over within three days or else."
“ bù cuò 。 nà xiē yāo shòu yě tài bù jiāng wǒ men fàng zài yǎn zhōng ， xuě hú zú suī rán gāo shǒu rú yún ， dàn běn mén yě jué fēi ruǎn shì zi ， kě yǐ rèn yóu tā men zǎi gē 。” shì zhàn shì hé ， nín shì zěn me xiǎng de 。“ jiàn xià miàn qún qíng jī fèn de yàng zi ” bái xū lǎo zhě méi tou yí zhòu ， bǎi le bǎi shǒu ， zhòng rén cái zhōng yú jiàn jiàn ān jìng xià lái le 。
“不错。那些妖兽也太不将我们放在眼中，雪狐族虽然高手如云，但本门也绝非软柿子，可以任由他们宰割。”是战是和，您是怎么想的。“见下面群情激奋的样子”白须老者眉头一皱，摆了摆手，众人才终于渐渐安静下来了。
"How?" asked the woman in the court dress.
“ zhū wèi shī dì shī mèi ， dà jiā xiān xiāo le xīn huǒ ” cǐ shì kě bù néng yì qì yòng shì de ， bù cuò ， běn mén chuán chéng jǐ yǒu bǎi wàn nián ， shí lì bù róng qīng rǔ ， dàn zhèng yīn wèi rú cǐ 。 wǒ men zuò shì qíng gèng yào zhèng zhòng ， fǒu zé zǔ shī de jī yè rú guǒ huǐ zài shǒu zhōng ， wǒ men yǐ hòu ， yǒu hé miàn mù qù jiàn dì xià de liè zǔ liè zōng 。“ bái xū lǎo zhě de biǎo qíng shí fēn níng zhòng ” huǎn huǎn kāi kǒu 。
“诸位师弟师妹，大家先消了心火”此事可不能意气用事的，不错，本门传承己有百万年，实力不容轻辱，但正因为如此。我们做事情更要郑重，否则祖师的基业如果毁在手中，我们以后，有何面目去见地下的列祖列宗。“白须老者的表情十分凝重”缓缓开口。
"They threaten to completely destroy our Xuanfeng Sect, root and branch," she interjected. "Think about it—our sect has been here for nearly a million years since our ancestor arrived on the Spirit Island. We've weathered countless storms. They want us to be destroyed? What arrogance!"
“ shī xiōng 。 nǐ cǐ huà hé yì ， nán dào wǒ men yào xiàng nà xiē yāo shòu bēi gōng qū xī 。” shuō huà de shì nà gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ 。 cǐ rén suī shì nǚ liú ， què shì yī fù huǒ bào pí qì “ bǎi chū duō duō bī rén de yàng zi 。” hé shī mèi ， nǐ xiān bú yào jí ， lǎo fū shén me shí hòu shuō guò yào xiàng yāo shòu tuǒ xié le ？“ bái xū lǎo zhě méi tou yí zhòu ， miàn dài bù mǎn de kāi kǒu ：” wǒ de yì si shì ， yào xiān jiāng shì qíng nòng qīng chǔ ， xuě hú zú zhī suǒ yǐ xīng shī wèn zuì ， shì shuō wǒ men bì jià le tā men de xiǎo gōng zhǔ ， kě zhè jiàn shì qíng ， wǒ men míng míng méi yǒu zuò guò ， běn mén shì bù shòu wēi xié ， dàn yě bù néng dǎ hú tú zhàng ， tì bié rén bèi le hēi guō 。“ zhè fān huà hé qíng hé lǐ ， lǎo guài wù men jiē diǎn tóu biǎo shì tóng yì 。” jiāng shī dì ， xuě hú zú shuō tā men de xiǎo gōng zhǔ zài wǒ men shǒu lǐ ， yǒu shén me zhèng jù ？“” zhè ge ……“ mǎ liǎn hàn zi biǎo qíng yǒu xiē gǔ guài ， shēn shǒu yī pāi ， cóng chǔ wù dài shàng qǔ chū yī bā zhǎng dà xiǎo de lìng pái ：” jiù shì zhè ge ， duì fāng shuō shì zài bīng mò huāng yuán guān de ， běn mén zhǎng lǎo jié zǒu le tā men de xiǎo gōng zhǔ 。“ zhòng xiū shì jiē yòng shén shí lǒng zhào le nà kuài lìng fú ， bái xū lǎo zhě méi tou yí zhòu ， qīng qīng zhāo le zhāo shǒu ， nà lìng fú jiù luò dào le tā de zhǎng zhōng ， xì xì bǎ wán ， liǎn sè què suí zhī yīn chén le xià lái ：” huāng miù ， zhè bù guò shì yī kuài kè qīng lìng pái ， yōng yǒu xī de rén zuì duō shì yī míng níng dān qī xiū shì ， zhè yàng de rén néng shēn rù bīng mò huāng yuán ， hái jié zǒu xuě hú zú de tiān zhī jiāo nǚ ， tā nán dào dāng wǒ men shì bái chī ？“ yě nán guài cǐ rén rú cǐ fèn nù ， zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， bīng mò huāng yuán shēn chù ， yóu yú shàng gǔ xiū shì dòu fǎ ， wǔ xíng zhī bǎo bù néng shǐ yòng ， nà zhòng dì fāng ， bié shuō yī qū qū de níng dān qī xiū shì ， jiù shì tā men zhè xiē yuán yīng qī lǎo guài wù ， yě bù gǎn dān dú shēn rù ， gèng bié tí jiāng xuě hú wáng de nǚ ér jié zǒu ， duì fāng de lǐ yóu ， jiǎn zhí gǒu pì bù tōng 。” hēng ， qiè shēn zǎo jiù shuō guò ， yù jiā zhī zuì ， hé huàn wú cí ， guān zài shì qíng jǐ jīng hěn qīng chǔ ， shén me xiǎo gōng zhǔ zǒu diū ， chún cuì shì jiè kǒu ， duì fāng de mù dì ， shì yào yǔ běn mén guò bù qù 。“ gōng zhuāng nǚ zǐ lǐ le lǐ sī ， shēng yīn chōng mǎn le hán qì ， kàn lái tā duì nà xiē yāo shòu ， nǎo hèn wú bǐ 。” kě shì shī jiě ， běn mén yǔ xuě hú zú wú yuān wú chóu ， tā men wèi hé yào yǔ wǒ men guò bù qù ？“ nà mǎ liǎn nán zi què yáo le yáo tóu ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì bù yǐ wéi rán zhī sè ” hēng ， wǒ nǎ ér qīng chǔ ， nà xiē yāo shòu xiōng cán xié è ， běn lái jiù bù néng yǐ cháng lǐ chuài dù 。“ zì zhuāng nǚ zǐ méi hǎo qì de shuō 。” hǎo le ， nǐ liǎ bú yào chǎo le 。“ bái xū lǎo zhě de liǎn shàng shǎn guò yī sī nù sè ， tā shēn wèi dài mén zhǔ ， xiū wèi yě dào yuán yīng zhōng qī ， zhè yī nù ， liǎng rén dào yě bù gǎn jì xù zhēng zhí 。” jiāng shī dì ， shì dào rú jīn ， zài tǎo lùn xuě hú zú de mù dì jǐ méi yǒu yì yì ， dāng wù zhī jí ， wǒ men shì yào kǎo lǜ rú hé yìng dí ， chuán lìng xià qù ， chú le hù pài dà zhèn ， jiāng qí tā de jìn zhì yě quán bù kāi qǐ ， bù yòng jié yuē jīng shí ， jiāng líng dòng qī de dì zǐ chè dào tiān xuán fēng fù jìn ， tā men xiū wèi tài dī ， yí dàn zhàn shì kāi qǐ ， zhǐ néng chéng wéi pào huī ， wǒ men bù néng sǔn le běn mén gēn jī ， zhì yú zhù jī qī yǔ níng dān qī dì zǐ ， zé quán bù zhào huí ， dà jiā bù néng sōng xiè ， suí shí zhǔn bèi yìng fù xuě hú zú de tū xí 。“” shì ！“ yuán yīng qī lǎo guài men lù chū zhèng zhòng zhī sè ， fēn fēn gōng shēn jiē lìng le 。” yú shī dì ， gǔ shī mèi ， liǎng wèi de dùn shù jīng miào wú bǐ ， hái yào láo fán nǐ men duō pǎo yī tàng yuǎn lù ， qù xiàng tiān hé bāng ， lí huā pài ， yǐ jí wǔ fèng dāo děng jǐ gè yǔ běn mén jiāo hǎo de zōng pài qiú yuán ， wǒ men xiàng lái shǒu wàng xiāng zhù ， tā men bú huì zhì zhī bù lǐ 。“” jǐn zūn shī xiōng fēn fù 。“ yī duì pì rén zhàn le chū lái ， kàn shàng qù ， bù guò èr shí yú suì nián jì ， jiù xiàng shì yī duì shuāng xiū dào lǚ 。
“师兄。你此话何意，难道我们要像那些妖兽卑躬屈膝。”说话的是那宫装女子。此人虽是女流，却是一副火暴脾气“摆出咄咄逼人的样子。”何师妹，你先不要急，老夫什么时候说过要像妖兽妥协了？“白须老者眉头一皱，面带不满的开口：”我的意思是，要先将事情弄清楚，雪狐族之所以兴师问罪，是说我们弊架了他们的小公主，可这件事情，我们明明没有做过，本门是不受威胁，但也不能打糊涂账，替别人背了黑锅。“这番话合情合理，老怪物们皆点头表示同意。”姜师弟，雪狐族说他们的小公主在我们手里，有什么证据？“”这个……“马脸汉子表情有些古怪，伸手一拍，从储物袋上取出一巴掌大小的令牌：”就是这个，对方说是在冰漠荒原观的，本门长老劫走了他们的小公主。“众修士皆用神识笼罩了那块令符，白须老者眉头一皱，轻轻招了招手，那令符就落到了他的掌中，细细把玩，脸色却随之阴沉了下来：”荒谬，这不过是一块客卿令牌，拥有牺的人最多是一名凝丹期修士，这样的人能深入冰漠荒原，还劫走雪狐族的天之骄女，他难道当我们是白痴？“也难怪此人如此愤怒，众所周知，冰漠荒原深处，由于上古修士斗法，五行之宝不能使用，那种地方，别说一区区的凝丹期修士，就是他们这些元婴期老怪物，也不敢单独深入，更别提将雪狐王的女儿劫走，对方的理由，简直狗屁不通。”哼，妾身早就说过，欲加之罪，何患无辞，观在事情己经很清楚，什么小公主走丢，纯粹是借口，对方的目的，是要与本门过不去。“宫装女子理了理丝，声音充满了寒气，看来她对那些妖兽，恼恨无比。”可是师姐，本门与雪狐族无冤无仇，他们为何要与我们过不去？“那马脸男子却摇了摇头，脸上满是不以为然之色”哼，我哪儿清楚，那些妖兽凶残邪恶，本来就不能以常理踹度。“字装女子没好气的说。”好了，你俩不要吵了。“白须老者的脸上闪过一丝怒色，他身为代门主，修为也到元婴中期，这一怒，两人倒也不敢继续争执。”姜师弟，事到如今，再讨论雪狐族的目的己没有意义，当务之急，我们是要考虑如何应敌，传令下去，除了护派大阵，将其他的禁制也全部开启，不用节约晶石，将灵动期的弟子撤到天玄峰附近，他们修为太低，一旦战事开启，只能成为炮灰，我们不能损了本门根基，至于筑基期与凝丹期弟子，则全部召回，大家不能松懈，随时准备应付雪狐族的突袭。“”是！“元婴期老怪们露出郑重之色，纷纷躬身接令了。”余师弟，古师妹，两位的遁术精妙无比，还要劳烦你们多跑一趟远路，去像天河帮，梨花派，以极五凤刀等几个与本门交好的宗派求援，我们向来守望相助，他们不会置之不理。“”谨尊师兄吩咐。“一对譬人站了出来，看上去，不过二十余岁年纪，就像是一对双修道侣。
The other old monsters were equally enraged by this. The room erupted in noise.
"Brother Wu, what should we do if the Grand Elder isn't around?"
"Right. Those beastly creatures are too disrespectful. Although the Snow Fox Clan has many powerful cultivators, our sect is not a soft target to be easily bullied," said the white-bearded elder, frowning as he gestured for silence.
"My fellow disciples and sisters, calm down," he said seriously. "We cannot act on impulse in this matter. True, our sect's legacy spans a million years, and we must respect its strength. But because of that very reason, we need to handle things with the utmost caution. Otherwise, if we destroy the foundation built by our ancestors, how can we face them from beyond?"
The white-bearded elder's expression was grave as he continued.
"Brother Jiang, what evidence does the Snow Fox Clan have for saying their princess is in our hands?" asked the blue-robed man.
"This... " The horse-faced man looked a bit awkward and pulled out a palm-sized token from his storage bag. "This is it; they claim that one of our elders took away their princess while she was at the Ice Desert Wasteland."
The cultivators used their divine senses to examine the order token, and the white-bearded elder frowned as he gently waved his hand, causing the token to land in his palm. He examined it carefully, his face darkening.
"This is absurd; this merely serves as a guest invitation token. The person who possesses it can at most be a Condensation Core cultivator. Such a person would not dare venture into the Ice Desert Wasteland and kidnap Snow Fox Clan's princess. Are we supposed to believe they are fools?" It was no wonder he was so angry; it was common knowledge that deep within the Ice Desert Wasteland, due to ancient conflicts among cultivators, the Five Elements treasures could not be used. Even for them, the old monsters, venturing there alone would be dangerous, let alone abducting Snow Fox Clan's princess.
"Ugh, I told you so; they are trying to pin a crime on us," said the woman in the court dress with a cold voice. "Clearly, it is just an excuse. Their goal is to cause trouble for our sect."
"But Sister, we have no grudge against the Snow Fox Clan. Why would they target us?" The horse-faced man shook his head, clearly unimpressed.
"Hmph, I don't know," he said with a sneer. "Those beastly creatures are vicious and evil; one cannot judge them by normal standards."
The woman in the court dress retorted impatiently. "Alright, you two stop arguing." The white-bearded elder's face showed a hint of anger as an old sect master who had reached the中期 stage. His anger caused the two to fall silent.
"Fellow Disciple Jiang, Fellow Sister Yu, your遁术 are unparalleled; please take this long journey and seek aid from the天河帮, 梨花派, and other allied sects such as the Five Phoenix Saber Sect. We always help each other in times of need; they won't ignore us."
"We will follow your instructions," said a pair of people who appeared to be no more than twenty years old, looking like a couple of cultivation partners.
"Order the activation of all禁制 except for the Protective Great Array. Do not save on crystal stones and move the灵动期 disciples to Tianxuan Peak; their cultivation is too low, and they can only serve as cannon fodder in battle. We cannot harm our sect's foundation. As for the筑基期 and Condensation Core cultivators, recall them all. Everyone must remain vigilant and be ready to respond to any sudden attacks from the Snow Fox Clan."
"Understood!" The old monsters showed solemn expressions and bowed to receive his orders.
"Fellow Disciple Yu, Fellow Sister Ji, your遁术 are extraordinary; please take this long journey and seek aid from the天河帮, 梨花派, and other allied sects such as the Five Phoenix Saber Sect. We always help each other in times of need; they won't ignore us."
"We will follow your instructions," said the pair of people who stepped forward, looking no more than twenty years old, clearly a couple of cultivation partners.
Xuanfeng Sect, Tianjin Peak.
This mountain towered thousands of feet high, towering and steep, piercing the clouds. It was situated above a spring in the妖脉, making it an ideal place for cultivators to practice their arts.
Most of Xuanfeng Sect's elite disciples resided on this peak, with countless small and large cave dwellings scattered about. However, few were qualified to step onto its summit.
Only twenty or so元婴期 elders did.
At the top of the peak was Yuanyang Pavilion, where these old monsters gathered, their expressions solemn as they discussed something important.
Seated in the main position was an elderly man with all-white beard. Though he wasn't young anymore, a sense of elegance permeated his entire being, and his cultivation had reached the中期 stage.
"Brother Wu, has the Grand Elder still not emerged from seclusion? The situation is dire; Snow Fox King and countless beastly creatures have surrounded our sect. If we handle it improperly, the consequences could be unimaginable," said a blue-robed elderly man with an anxious look on his face.
"Do not worry, Brother Qi," replied the white-bearded elder, sighing. "Brother Wu, of course, we understand what entering the元婴后期 stage means for our sect. But this matter cannot wait for someone else to handle."
A woman in a court dress, around thirty years old with a refined appearance, spoke up: "Grand Elder, if he advances to the元婴后期 stage, it would mean everything to our sect. However, we can't let such an important matter be left unattended."
The white-bearded elder's eyes flashed with a hint of resentment. The woman clearly did not respect him as the current sect master. Although he was angry, he understood that this wasn't the time for internal strife and turned his gaze to a forty-year-old man with a horse face: "Brother Comrade, you've been handling negotiations with the Snow Fox Clan several times. Has their attitude remained so firm?"
"Yes," sighed the man with a mix of anger and frustration on his face. "Those beastly creatures are unreasonable; they insist we kidnapped their princess and demand that we hand her over within three days or else."
"How?" asked the woman in the court dress.
"They threaten to completely destroy our Xuanfeng Sect, root and branch," she interjected. "Think about it—our sect has been here for nearly a million years since our ancestor arrived on the Spirit Island. We've weathered countless storms. They want us to be destroyed? What arrogance!"
The other old monsters were equally enraged by this. The room erupted in noise.
"Brother Wu, what should we do if the Grand Elder isn't around?"
"Right. Those beastly creatures are too disrespectful. Although the Snow Fox Clan has many powerful cultivators, our sect is not a soft target to be easily bullied," said the white-bearded elder, frowning as he gestured for silence.
"My fellow disciples and sisters, calm down," he said seriously. "We cannot act on impulse in this matter. True, our sect's legacy spans a million years, and we must respect its strength. But because of that very reason, we need to handle things with the utmost caution. Otherwise, if we destroy the foundation built by our ancestors, how can we face them from beyond?"
The white-bearded elder's expression was grave as he continued.
"Brother Jiang, what evidence does the Snow Fox Clan have for saying their princess is in our hands?" asked the blue-robed man.
"This... " The horse-faced man looked a bit awkward and pulled out a palm-sized token from his storage bag. "This is it; they claim that one of our elders took away their princess while she was at the Ice Desert Wasteland."
The cultivators used their divine senses to examine the order token, and the white-bearded elder frowned as he gently waved his hand, causing the token to land in his palm. He examined it carefully, his face darkening.
"This is absurd; this merely serves as a guest invitation token. The person who possesses it can at most be a Condensation Core cultivator. Such a person would not dare venture into the Ice Desert Wasteland and kidnap Snow Fox Clan's princess. Are we supposed to believe they are fools?" It was no wonder he was so angry; it was common knowledge that deep within the Ice Desert Wasteland, due to ancient conflicts among cultivators, the Five Elements treasures could not be used. Even for them, the old monsters, venturing there alone would be dangerous, let alone abducting Snow Fox Clan's princess.
"Ugh, I told you so; they are trying to pin a crime on us," said the woman in the court dress with a cold voice. "Clearly, it is just an excuse. Their goal is to cause trouble for our sect."
"But Sister, we have no grudge against the Snow Fox Clan. Why would they target us?" The horse-faced man shook his head, clearly unimpressed.
"Hmph, I don't know," he said with a sneer. "Those beastly creatures are vicious and evil; one cannot judge them by normal standards."
The woman in the court dress retorted impatiently. "Alright, you two stop arguing." The white-bearded elder's face showed a hint of anger as an old sect master who had reached the中期 stage. His anger caused the two to fall silent.
"Fellow Disciple Jiang, Fellow Sister Yu, your遁术 are unparalleled; please take this long journey and seek aid from the天河帮, 梨花派, and other allied sects such as the Five Phoenix Saber Sect. We always help each other in times of need; they won't ignore us."
"We will follow your instructions," said a pair of people who appeared to be no more than twenty years old, looking like a couple of cultivation partners.
"Order the activation of all禁制 except for the Protective Great Array. Do not save on crystal stones and move the灵动期 disciples to Tianxuan Peak; their cultivation is too low, and they can only serve as cannon fodder in battle. We cannot harm our sect's foundation. As for the筑基期 and Condensation Core cultivators, recall them all. Everyone must remain vigilant and be ready to respond to any sudden attacks from the Snow Fox Clan."
"Understood!" The old monsters showed solemn expressions and bowed to receive his orders.
"Fellow Disciple Yu, Fellow Sister Ji, your遁术 are extraordinary; please take this long journey and seek aid from the天河帮, 梨花派, and other allied sects such as the Five Phoenix Saber Sect. We always help each other in times of need; they won't ignore us."
"We will follow your instructions," said the pair of people who stepped forward, looking no more than twenty years old, clearly a couple of cultivation partners.