shí tiān hòu ， jù lí piāo yún gǔ yuē 1o wàn lǐ de mǒu gè shān gǔ ， zhè lǐ shì jiāo jiè de biān jìng zhī chù ， qīng shān cuì lǜ ， lián mián qǐ fú ， rán ér chú cǐ yǐ wài ， yě méi yǒu shén me tè yì zhī chù 。
十天后，距离飘云谷约1o万里的某个山谷，这里是交界的边境之处，青山翠绿，连绵起伏，然而除此以外，也没有什么特异之处。
Ten days later, in a valley approximately 100,000 li away from Drifting Cloud Valley, this was the border region where green mountains and lush forests stretched endlessly. However, there were no other remarkable features.
zhěng zuò shān fēng cháng nián bèi nóng nóng de wù qì lǒng zhào zhe 。
整座山峰常年被浓浓的雾气笼罩着。
The entire mountain was shrouded in thick mist throughout the year.
rán ér hěn shǎo yǒu rén qīng chǔ ， zhè lǐ shì bài xuān gé wèi yú yōu zhōu jìng nèi de fēn duò ， tóng shí yě shì zuì dà de yī zuò ， lùn xiū shì de shí lì yǔ guī mó ， shèn zhì bǐ zǒng tán hái yào shèng shàng yī chóu 。
然而很少有人清楚，这里是拜轩阁位于幽州境内的分舵，同时也是最大的一座，论修士的实力与规模，甚至比总坛还要胜上一筹。
However, few people knew that this place was actually the branch sect of the Venerable Pavilion within Youzhou territory—a branch with the largest scale. In terms of the strength and size of its cultivators, it even surpassed the main hall by a considerable margin.
xiū xiān jiè méi yǒu rén yì dào dé ， fèng xíng lì liàng zhì shàng de cóng lín fǎ zé ， jǐn guǎn mǎ yún tōng xī rì luò pò zhī shí ，6 yíng ér céng zhù guò tā yī bì zhī lì ， kě zhè jiā huo xīn zhōng yě bìng méi yǒu rú hé gǎn jī ， fǎn ér yì zhí duì gé zhǔ de bǎo zuò xīn huái jì yú 。
修仙界没有仁义道德，奉行力量至上的丛林法则，尽管马云通昔日落魄之时，6盈儿曾助过他一臂之力，可这家伙心中也并没有如何感激，反而一直对阁主的宝座心怀觊觎。
In the cultivation world, there were no rules of morality or righteousness; only the law of survival of the fittest applied. Although Yun Man Tong had once received assistance from Ying'er when he was in dire straits, this man harbored no gratitude and instead coveted the position of Pavilion Master for himself.
zì jǐ yī níng dān hòu qī de xiū xiān zhě ， zěn me néng qū jū liǎng gè wǎn bèi zhī xià ne ？
自己一凝丹后期的修仙者，怎么能屈居两个晚辈之下呢？
How could a late-stage Condensation Core cultivator be content to rank below two juniors?
jīng guò duō nián de qián fú ， tā lā lǒng le dà liàng yǔ zì jǐ yī yàng wàng ēn fù yì de jiā huo ， tú móu fǎn pàn yǐ jīng hěn jiǔ le 。
经过多年的潜伏，他拉拢了大量与自己一样忘恩负义的家伙，图谋反叛已经很久了。
After years of covert operations, he had gathered many ungrateful individuals like himself, planning a rebellion for a long time.
yuán běn yī qiè shùn lì ， tā shǒu zhōng de shí lì yǐ bǐ liǎng wèi gé zhǔ duō chū le jìn yí bèi de yàng zi ， suī rán hái yǒu bù shǎo zhōng yú 6 yíng ér yǔ liú xīn de dì zǐ ， shèn zhì bāo kuò shí jǐ wèi níng dān qī xiū shì 。
原本一切顺利，他手中的实力已比两位阁主多出了近一倍的样子，虽然还有不少忠于6盈儿与刘芯的弟子，甚至包括十几位凝丹期修士。
Everything seemed to be going smoothly until his strength far surpassed that of the two Pavilion Masters by nearly double. Although there were still some disciples loyal to Ying'er and Liu Xin, including several late-stage Condensation Core cultivators, the balance had clearly tilted in his favor.
kě shèng lì de tiān píng yǐ míng xiǎn qīng xiàng zì jǐ zhè biān le 。
可胜利的天平已明显倾向自己这边了。
However, fate did not favor traitors.
rán ér tiān bú huì zhù pàn nì zhě 。
然而天不会助叛逆者。
Just as he was about to make a move, an enigmatic Immortal婴 cultivator arrived at Drifting Cloud Valley. Although his identity remained unclear, it was evident that he had some connection with the two females.
jiù zài tā xiǎng yào dòng de qián yī kè ， yī shén mì de yuán yīng xiū shì lái dào le piāo yún gǔ ， suī rán shēn fèn shàng bù qīng chǔ ， dàn míng xiǎn yǔ liǎng nǚ guān xì fēi zì de 。
就在他想要动的前一刻，一神秘的元婴修士来到了飘云谷，虽然身份尚不清楚，但明显与两女关系非渍的。
This was troublesome. An Immortal婴 cultivator possessed unpredictable and astonishing abilities, far beyond what these people could handle. But he would not give up; how could so much preparation be in vain? If two lowly individuals could ally themselves, why couldn't he?
zhè kě yǒu xiē má fán le ， yuán yīng lǎo guài yōng yǒu shén guǐ mò cè de jīng rén shén tōng ， bìng fēi zì jǐ zhè xiē rén kě yǐ duì fù ， dàn tā bú huì fú shū ， jīng xīn zhǔn bèi duō nián de jì huà zěn me kě yǐ fù zhū dōng liú ？ liǎng rén jiàn rén huì zhàn bāng shǒu ， nán dào zì jǐ jiù bù chéng me ？
这可有些麻烦了，元婴老怪拥有神鬼莫测的惊人神通，并非自己这些人可以对付，但他不会服输，精心准备多年的计划怎么可以付诸东流？两人贱人会战帮手，难道自己就不成么？
Thus, he extended a friendly hand to his long-standing enemy. The support behind the Tiansheng Vessel was the Liyao Palace, and they had even dispatched an Immortal婴 period Elder, sufficient to deal with that mysterious figure. Yun Man Tong's calculations were precise.
yú shì tā xiàng sù dí shēn chū le yǒu hǎo zhī shǒu ， tiān yuán fǎng bèi hòu de kào shān shì lí yào gōng ， ér qiě hái pài lái le yī wèi yuán yīng qī zhǎng lǎo ， zú kě duì fù nà shén mì de jiā huo ， mǎ yún tōng suàn pán dǎ dé shì bāng bāng de 。
于是他像夙敌伸出了友好之手，天缘舫背后的靠山是离药宫，而且还派来了一位元婴期长老，足可对付那神秘的家伙，马云通算盘打得是梆梆的。
Of course, circumstances had changed, and now he couldn't risk alarming them. He decided to delay his plans for a few months.
dāng rán ， qíng kuàng yǒu biàn ， xiàn zài bù néng dǎ cǎo jīng shé ， tā jué dìng jiāng jì huà tuī cí jǐ yuè zài shuō 。
当然，情况有变，现在不能打草惊蛇，他决定将计划推辞几月再说。
However, things did not go as planned.
rán ér shì qíng què yǒu xiē chū hū yù kē 。
然而事情却有些出乎预科。
Although most cultivators in Drifting Cloud Valley remained loyal to the two females, he had long since planted spies within, making it easy to gather internal information.
suī shuō piāo yún gǔ de xiū shì dà duō zhōng xīn liǎng nǚ ， dàn tā zǎo yǐ jiāng jiān xì ān chā jìn qù ， zì rán bù nán dé dào nèi bù xiāo xī 。
虽说飘云谷的修士大多忠心两女，但他早已将奸细安插进去，自然不难得到内部消息。
But what came back was uncertain. The two females had successfully advanced and become late-stage Condensation Core cultivators.
kě chuán huí lái de què ràng tā jiāng xìn jiāng yí 。
可传回来的却让他将信将疑。
How was that possible? The difficulty of forming a condensation core was well-known.
xiān shì liǎng nǚ jìn jí chéng gōng ， yī yuè chéng wéi le níng dān qī de xiū xiān zhě 。
先是两女晋级成功，一跃成为了凝丹期的修仙者。
While Ying'er and Liu Xin had both reached the Foundation Establishment stage several years ago, seemingly just one step away from becoming Condensation Core cultivators, cultivators knew that this line was an insurmountable barrier. A hair's breadth could make all the difference.
zhè zěn me kě néng ne ？ jié dān de nán dù shì zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī de 。
这怎么可能呢？结丹的难度是众所周知的。
They had attempted it before but failed every time.
suī shuō zài liǎng sān nián qián ，6 yíng ér yǔ liú xīn jiù xiān hòu dá dào le zhù jī qī dà yuán mǎn ， kàn shì yǔ níng dān zhǐ xiāng chà yī xiàn 。
虽说在两三年前，6盈儿与刘芯就先后达到了筑基期大圆满，看似与凝丹只相差一线。
Though they hadn't given up, collecting some useful pills over the years wouldn't have much effect. Whether or not they could form a condensation core depended largely on their innate talent, and with their spirit roots, both were likely to remain at this stage for life.
kě xiū shì dōu qīng chǔ ， zhè —— xiàn què shì bù kě yú yuè de tiān qiàn 。
可修士都清楚，这——线却是不可逾越的天堑。
Of course, nothing was absolute; it wasn't impossible that they might still have a chance, but only if they had extraordinary luck.
chā zhī háo lí ， miù yǐ qiān lǐ 。
差之毫厘，谬以千里。
If just one of them had succeeded, there would be some credibility. But two? It was sheer folly to believe in such a scenario.
liǎng nǚ yǐ qián bìng fēi méi yǒu zuò guò cháng shì ， rán ér wú bù shì shī bài de jié jú 。
两女以前并非没有做过尝试，然而无不是失败的结局。
This was Yun Man Tong's first reaction upon receiving the intelligence.
suī rán tā liǎ bìng wèi sǐ xīn ， zhè xiē nián kěn dìng jiāng yī xiē yǒu yòng de dān yào shōu jí ， dàn yě bú huì yǒu duō dà zuò yòng dì ， néng fǒu níng dān guān jiàn nì kàn tiān zī ， yǐ liǎng nǚ de líng gēn ！ zhì jīn shēng duō bàn yě jiù zhǐ néng pái huái zài zhè lǐ 。
虽然她俩并未死心，这些年肯定将一些有用的丹药收集，但也不会有多大作用地，能否凝丹关键逆看天资，以两女的灵根！质今生多半也就只能徘徊在这里。
Impossible! However, as he gradually calmed down and thought about it, he realized that although this seemed too absurd, his spy was one of his close disciples.
dāng rán ， fán shì méi yǒu jué duì ， yě bù néng shuō tā men jiù yí dìng méi yǒu jié dān de xī wàng le ， kě nà dé yǒu nì tiān de hǎo yùn cái xíng 。
当然，凡事没有绝对，也不能说她们就一定没有结丹的希望了，可那得有逆天的好运才行。
Logically, there should be no false reports from him.
rú guǒ jǐn shì yī nǚ jié dān ， nà miǎn qiǎng hái yǒu jǐ fēn kě xìn zhī chù 。
如果仅是一女结丹，那勉强还有几分可信之处。
So… could it really be true?
kě liǎng nǚ yì qǐ …… chú fēi zì jǐ shì shǎ guā cái huì xiāng xìn 。
可两女一起……除非自己是傻瓜才会相信。
He continued to frown in deep thought. Suddenly, a glimmer of inspiration flashed through his mind as the furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and a hint of joy appeared in his eyes.
zhè shì mǎ yún tōng shōu dào xiàn bào hòu de dì yī fǎn yìng 。
这是马云通收到线报后的第一反应。
He finally found an explanation: ordinary cultivators could form condensation cores with some luck.
jué wú kě néng ！ rán ér jiàn jiàn lěng jìng xià lái zhī hòu ， tā yòu xiàn rù le sī suǒ ， suī shuō zhè jiàn shì qíng tīng qǐ lái tài guò huāng dàn guǐ yì ， kě pài qù wò dǐ de rén ， nǎi zì jǐ de xīn fù dì zǐ 。
绝无可能！然而渐渐冷静下来之后，他又陷入了思索，虽说这件事情听起来太过荒诞诡异，可派去卧底的人，乃自己的心腹弟子。
After all, that person was an Immortal婴 cultivator; if he were willing to expend great amounts of true essence to use the secret art of Essence Cleansing from Yi Jing, there would be a seven or eight in ten chance.
àn lǐ shuō ， wú lùn rú hé yě bù kě néng chuán lái jiǎ xiāo xī de 。
按理说，无论如何也不可能传来假消息的。
But would he really do so?
nà me …… nán dào jìng shì zhēn de ？
那么……难道竟是真的？
That secret technique almost defied nature. After its use, even without dropping his cultivation stage, the old monster would surely suffer severe injuries.
tā jì xù zhòu méi sī suǒ 。
他继续皱眉思索。
But only this could explain everything. Yun Man Tong's intelligence was not weak, but he couldn't guess that Lin Xuan had the Heaven Dust Pill—a treasure that could drive the entire cultivation world mad.
tū rán nǎo hǎi zhōng líng guāng yī shǎn ， jǐn suǒ de méi tóu jiàn jiàn shū zhǎn kāi ， yǎn zhōng fǎn ér lù chū le jǐ fēn xǐ sè 。
突然脑海中灵光一闪，紧锁的眉头渐渐舒展开，眼中反而露出了几分喜色。
After all, while the two Pavilion Masters were not breathtaking beauties, they were still considered exceptional by any standard. Perhaps the old monster was a lecher and might take them as concubines.
tā zhōng yú xiǎng dào le yí gè yuán yóu ， ràng zī zhì yì bān de rén jié dān ， dào yě bìng fēi méi yǒu bàn diǎn jī yuán 。
他终于想到了一个缘由，让资质一般的人结丹，倒也并非没有半点机缘。
Yun Man Tong's mind raced with these thoughts, his heart suddenly at ease.
bú yào wàng le ， nà rén kě shì yuán yīng lǎo guài ， zhǐ yào tā bù xī dà hào zhēn wú ， tì liǎng rén shī zhǎn yì jīng xǐ suǐ de mì shù 。
不要忘了，那人可是元婴老怪，只要他不惜大耗真无，替两人施展易经洗髓的秘术。
Though an Immortal婴 cultivator, such a lustful nature made him easy to deal with. Moreover, after suffering severe injuries, he would be no match for the Elder from Liyao Palace.
nà yàng de huà ， dào yǒu qī bā fēn bǎ wò 。
那样的话，倒有七八分把握。
As for their advancement, Yun Man Tong paid it little heed; two late-stage Condensation Core cultivators at best, and their cultivation stages might not even stabilize in such a short time. What was there to fear?
kě duì fāng zhēn de huì rú cǐ zuò me ？
可对方真的会如此做么？
Yun Man Tong continued to think one-sidedly.
nà zhǒng mì shù jī hū dào le nì tiān de dì bù ， shī zhǎn yǐ hòu ， lǎo guài wù jiù suàn jìng jiè méi yǒu diào luò ， yě bì dìng yuán qì dà shāng le 。
那种秘术几乎到了逆天的地步，施展以后，老怪物就算境界没有掉落，也必定元气大伤了。
Of course, this didn't mean he could rest easy.
dàn yě zhǐ yǒu zhè yàng cái néng jiě shì qīng chǔ ， mǎ yún tōng de zhì shāng suī yě bù ruò ， dàn wú lùn rú hé yě cāi bú dào lín xuān huì yǒu tiān chén dān zhè yàng zú yǐ ràng xiū xiān jiè fēng kuáng de dōng dōng 。
但也只有这样才能解释清楚，马云通的智商虽也不弱，但无论如何也猜不到林轩会有天尘丹这样足以让修仙界疯狂的东东。
Another matter weighed heavily on his mind.
bì jìng liǎng wèi gé zhǔ suī fēi qīng guó qīng chéng zhī sè ， dàn yě miǎn qiǎng kě shuō shì jué sè měi nǚ ， yě xǔ nà lǎo guài wù hào sè ， jiāng liǎng rén shōu wèi shì qiè yě shuō bù dìng de 。
毕竟两位阁主虽非倾国倾城之色，但也勉强可说是绝色美女，也许那老怪物好色，将两人收为侍妾也说不定的。
Initially, he only wanted to take control of the Venerable Pavilion, but after interacting with the Tiansheng Vessel, he realized that their long-standing enemy had been absorbed by the Liyao Palace.
mǎ yún tōng yì xiāng qíng yuàn de xiǎng zhe ， niàn jí zhì cǐ ， xīn zhōng dùn shí yī sōng 。
马云通一厢情愿的想着，念及至此，心中顿时一松。
Compared to the towering Liyao Palace, he was just an ant and couldn't match it. So, he went along with it, using the Venerable Pavilion as a gift for his audience with the Liyao Palace in exchange for the opportunity to join.
nà lǎo guài wù suī shì yuán yīng xiū xiān zhě ， dàn rú cǐ hào sè ， bì dìng bù nán duì fù ， ér qiě yuán qì dà shāng yǐ hòu ， gèng jiā bú shì lí yào gōng zhǎng lǎo de duì shǒu 。
那老怪物虽是元婴修仙者，但如此好色，必定不难对付，而且元气大伤以后，更加不是离药宫长老的对手。
Everything had been settled, but now he relied on Senior Fang to deal with the Immortal婴 cultivator behind the two females. However, why was there no word from the envoy who left five days ago?
zhì yú liǎng nǚ jìn jí ， mǎ yún tōng gēn běn jiù méi yǒu fàng zài yǎn lǐ ， chōng qí liàng yě bù guò shì liǎng gè gāng gāng níng dān de chū qī xiū shì ， zhè me duǎn de shí jiān ， jìng jiè yě bù yí dìng néng gòu jiē gù ， yǒu shén me hǎo pà de ？
至于两女晋级，马云通根本就没有放在眼里，充其量也不过是两个刚刚凝丹的初期修士，这么短的时间，境界也不一定能够秸固，有什么好怕的？
Had something gone wrong?
mǎ yún tōng yì xiāng qíng yuàn de xiǎng zhe 。
马云通一厢情愿的想着。
Yun Man Tong felt uneasy as he pondered this.
dāng rán ， yě bìng bú shì shuō tā jiù kě yǐ gāo zhěn wú yōu 。
当然，也并不是说他就可以高枕无忧。
"Where has Xiao Qi gone?" in the spacious hall, Yun Man Tong muttered.
hái yǒu yī jiàn shì qíng yā zài xīn tóu 。
还有一件事情压在心头。
"Are you looking for your favored disciple?"
yuán běn tā jǐn jǐn shì xiǎng yào zhí zhǎng bài xuān gé ， kě yǔ tiān yuán fǎng jiē chù yǐ hòu ， cái zhī dào zhè xī rì le sù dí yǐ bèi xī nà rù le lí yào gōng 。
原本他仅仅是想要执掌拜轩阁，可与天缘舫接触以后，才知道这昔日了夙敌已被吸纳入了离药宫。
A pleasant voice echoed, familiar to his ears. Yun Man Tong's face suddenly changed; he lifted his head sharply and shouted, "Who is it? What are you doing here?"
yǔ nà qíng tiān jù pài xiāng bǐ ， zì jǐ bù guò shì yī mǎ yǐ ， rú hé néng gòu xiāng pǐ dí ， yú shì tā shùn shuǐ tuī zhōu ， yǐ bài xuān gé zuò wèi jìn jiàn zhī lǐ ， tóng yàng huàn qǔ le jiā rù lí yào gōng de liáng jī 。
与那擎天巨派相比，自己不过是一蚂蚁，如何能够相匹敌，于是他顺水推舟，以拜轩阁做为觐见之礼，同样换取了加入离药宫的良机。
Though his voice was loud, there was a hint of fear beneath the bravado. This hall was deep within the branch sect, protected by numerous restrictions, yet someone had entered silently.
yī qiè dōu tán tuǒ dàng le ， xiàn zài jiù zhǐ wàng fāng qián bèi lái duì fù liǎng nǚ bèi hòu de yuán yīng qī xiū xiān zhě ， rán ér pài qù de shǐ zhě yǐ zǒu le wǔ tiān ， wèi hé què yīn xìn quán wú ？
一切都谈妥当了，现在就指望方前辈来对付两女背后的元婴期修仙者，然而派去的使者已走了五天，为何却音信全无？
Could it be an Immortal婴 cultivator?
nán dào jìng shì chū le shén me chā cuò ？
难道竟是出了什么差错？
His face turned pale as he thought this. However, a slender and graceful figure slowly emerged from the darkness, tall with prominent eyebrows and eyes, dressed in green palace attire, exuding an air of elegance like a celestial maiden. But Yun Man Tong's pupils narrowed, his expression one of shock: "Is it me?"
mǎ yún tōng lüè yǒu bù ān de xiǎng wù 。
马云通略有不安的想务。
"Hmph, such an attitude before the Pavilion Master; it seems you can't wait to rebel," Ying'er adjusted her hair and spoke with a voice that carried both fear and amusement.
“ xiǎo qī jiū jìng dào nǎ ér qù le ？” kuān chǎng de dà diàn zhōng ， mǎ yún tōng nán nán de kāi kǒu 。
“小七究竟到哪儿去了？”宽敞的大殿中，马云通喃喃的开口。
"Hmph." Yun Man Tong did not refute. At this point, he had no choice but to tear off his mask. But why could she enter so silently?
“ mǎ dào yǒu shì zài zhǎo nǐ de dé yì dì zǐ me ？”
“马道友是在找你的得意弟子么？”
He was surprised and released his divine sense to scan the area. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as his voice turned icy with anger: "What's in your hand? Why do you have Xiao Qi's spirit weapon?"
Ten days later, in a valley approximately 100,000 li away from Drifting Cloud Valley, this was the border region where green mountains and lush forests stretched endlessly. However, there were no other remarkable features.
The entire mountain was shrouded in thick mist throughout the year.
However, few people knew that this place was actually the branch sect of the Venerable Pavilion within Youzhou territory—a branch with the largest scale. In terms of the strength and size of its cultivators, it even surpassed the main hall by a considerable margin.
In the cultivation world, there were no rules of morality or righteousness; only the law of survival of the fittest applied. Although Yun Man Tong had once received assistance from Ying'er when he was in dire straits, this man harbored no gratitude and instead coveted the position of Pavilion Master for himself.
How could a late-stage Condensation Core cultivator be content to rank below two juniors?
After years of covert operations, he had gathered many ungrateful individuals like himself, planning a rebellion for a long time.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly until his strength far surpassed that of the two Pavilion Masters by nearly double. Although there were still some disciples loyal to Ying'er and Liu Xin, including several late-stage Condensation Core cultivators, the balance had clearly tilted in his favor.
However, fate did not favor traitors.
Just as he was about to make a move, an enigmatic Immortal婴 cultivator arrived at Drifting Cloud Valley. Although his identity remained unclear, it was evident that he had some connection with the two females.
This was troublesome. An Immortal婴 cultivator possessed unpredictable and astonishing abilities, far beyond what these people could handle. But he would not give up; how could so much preparation be in vain? If two lowly individuals could ally themselves, why couldn't he?
Thus, he extended a friendly hand to his long-standing enemy. The support behind the Tiansheng Vessel was the Liyao Palace, and they had even dispatched an Immortal婴 period Elder, sufficient to deal with that mysterious figure. Yun Man Tong's calculations were precise.
Of course, circumstances had changed, and now he couldn't risk alarming them. He decided to delay his plans for a few months.
However, things did not go as planned.
Although most cultivators in Drifting Cloud Valley remained loyal to the two females, he had long since planted spies within, making it easy to gather internal information.
But what came back was uncertain. The two females had successfully advanced and become late-stage Condensation Core cultivators.
How was that possible? The difficulty of forming a condensation core was well-known.
While Ying'er and Liu Xin had both reached the Foundation Establishment stage several years ago, seemingly just one step away from becoming Condensation Core cultivators, cultivators knew that this line was an insurmountable barrier. A hair's breadth could make all the difference.
They had attempted it before but failed every time.
Though they hadn't given up, collecting some useful pills over the years wouldn't have much effect. Whether or not they could form a condensation core depended largely on their innate talent, and with their spirit roots, both were likely to remain at this stage for life.
Of course, nothing was absolute; it wasn't impossible that they might still have a chance, but only if they had extraordinary luck.
If just one of them had succeeded, there would be some credibility. But two? It was sheer folly to believe in such a scenario.
This was Yun Man Tong's first reaction upon receiving the intelligence.
Impossible! However, as he gradually calmed down and thought about it, he realized that although this seemed too absurd, his spy was one of his close disciples.
Logically, there should be no false reports from him.
So… could it really be true?
He continued to frown in deep thought. Suddenly, a glimmer of inspiration flashed through his mind as the furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and a hint of joy appeared in his eyes.
He finally found an explanation: ordinary cultivators could form condensation cores with some luck.
After all, that person was an Immortal婴 cultivator; if he were willing to expend great amounts of true essence to use the secret art of Essence Cleansing from Yi Jing, there would be a seven or eight in ten chance.
But would he really do so?
That secret technique almost defied nature. After its use, even without dropping his cultivation stage, the old monster would surely suffer severe injuries.
But only this could explain everything. Yun Man Tong's intelligence was not weak, but he couldn't guess that Lin Xuan had the Heaven Dust Pill—a treasure that could drive the entire cultivation world mad.
After all, while the two Pavilion Masters were not breathtaking beauties, they were still considered exceptional by any standard. Perhaps the old monster was a lecher and might take them as concubines.
Yun Man Tong's mind raced with these thoughts, his heart suddenly at ease.
Though an Immortal婴 cultivator, such a lustful nature made him easy to deal with. Moreover, after suffering severe injuries, he would be no match for the Elder from Liyao Palace.
As for their advancement, Yun Man Tong paid it little heed; two late-stage Condensation Core cultivators at best, and their cultivation stages might not even stabilize in such a short time. What was there to fear?
Yun Man Tong continued to think one-sidedly.
Of course, this didn't mean he could rest easy.
Another matter weighed heavily on his mind.
Initially, he only wanted to take control of the Venerable Pavilion, but after interacting with the Tiansheng Vessel, he realized that their long-standing enemy had been absorbed by the Liyao Palace.
Compared to the towering Liyao Palace, he was just an ant and couldn't match it. So, he went along with it, using the Venerable Pavilion as a gift for his audience with the Liyao Palace in exchange for the opportunity to join.
Everything had been settled, but now he relied on Senior Fang to deal with the Immortal婴 cultivator behind the two females. However, why was there no word from the envoy who left five days ago?
Had something gone wrong?
Yun Man Tong felt uneasy as he pondered this.
"Where has Xiao Qi gone?" in the spacious hall, Yun Man Tong muttered.
"Are you looking for your favored disciple?"
A pleasant voice echoed, familiar to his ears. Yun Man Tong's face suddenly changed; he lifted his head sharply and shouted, "Who is it? What are you doing here?"
Though his voice was loud, there was a hint of fear beneath the bravado. This hall was deep within the branch sect, protected by numerous restrictions, yet someone had entered silently.
Could it be an Immortal婴 cultivator?
His face turned pale as he thought this. However, a slender and graceful figure slowly emerged from the darkness, tall with prominent eyebrows and eyes, dressed in green palace attire, exuding an air of elegance like a celestial maiden. But Yun Man Tong's pupils narrowed, his expression one of shock: "Is it me?"
"Hmph, such an attitude before the Pavilion Master; it seems you can't wait to rebel," Ying'er adjusted her hair and spoke with a voice that carried both fear and amusement.
"Hmph." Yun Man Tong did not refute. At this point, he had no choice but to tear off his mask. But why could she enter so silently?
He was surprised and released his divine sense to scan the area. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as his voice turned icy with anger: "What's in your hand? Why do you have Xiao Qi's spirit weapon?"