suí zhe shí jiān tuī yí ， tiān zhào biàn dé yuè jù liè ， yīn fēng lì xiào ， dào le shǎng wǔ ， fāng yuán shù shí lǐ ， zhěng gè tiān kōng ， jìng rán xiàn rù le yī piàn hēi àn ， shēn shǒu bù jiàn wǔ zhǐ 。
随着时间推移，天兆变得越剧烈，阴风厉啸，到了晌午，方圆数十里，整个天空，竟然陷入了一片黑暗，伸手不见五指。
As time passed, the celestial omens grew more intense. The howling of the dark wind became louder and more ferocious. By noon, a vast area of tens of miles around was plunged into darkness, so thick that one could not see their own hand.
wú shù de yīn qì ， fēng kuáng xiàng zhe nà huāng shān jù jí ， dì miàn chàn dǒu bù zhǐ ， fēi shā zǒu shí ， dào chù dōu mí màn zhe yīn fēng yǔ shī qì ……
无数的阴气，疯狂向着那荒山聚集，地面颤抖不止，飞沙走石，到处都弥漫着阴风与尸气……
Innumerable阴气 rushed towards the desolate mountain, causing the ground to tremble violently. Sand and stones flew everywhere, and the entire area was filled with dark winds and corpse stench...
lín xuān què yōu yōu tàn le kǒu qì ， liǎn shàng bù jǐn háo wú xǐ sè ， méi tóu fǎn ér yuè suǒ yuè shēn le 。
林轩却幽幽叹了口气，脸上不仅毫无喜色，眉头反而越锁越深了。
Lin Xuan sighed deeply. His face showed no joy; instead, his brows were furrowed even deeper.
yòu guò le yuē yī zhù xiāng de gōng fu ， lín xuān tū rán fàng xià le shǒu ， bù zài jiāng zhēn wú shū chū ， ér bāo guǒ zhe shào nǚ jiāo qū de guǐ wù ， què kāi shǐ jù liè fān yǒng ， yí gè gè fú wén shǎn shuò ， suí hòu yòu huàn miè diào le 。
又过了约一炷香的功夫，林轩突然放下了手，不再将真无输出，而包裹着少女娇躯的鬼雾，却开始剧烈翻涌，一个个符文闪烁，随后又幻灭掉了。
After about a quarter of an incense stick's time had passed, Lin Xuan suddenly stopped his true void output, but the ghostly mist enveloping the young girl began to churn violently. Various runes flickered and then vanished.
jiē zhe rú zhǎng jīng qǔ shuǐ yì bān ， guǐ wù bèi shào nǚ xī rù le shēn tǐ lǐ miàn ， hēi qì shōu liǎn ， lù chū le yuè ér de róng yán 。
接着如长鲸取水一般，鬼雾被少女吸入了身体里面，黑气收敛，露出了月儿的容颜。
Next, like a whale drinking water, the ghostly mist was drawn into the girl’s body. The black aura dissipated, revealing Mo’er's face.
yī jiù shì rú huā de juān liǎn ， rán ér méi yǔ zhī jiān ， què xiě mǎn le pí juàn ， jié yīng bìng wèi chéng gōng ， yuè ér biǎo qíng bèi shī wàng chōng mǎn 。
依旧是如花的涓脸，然而眉宇之间，却写满了疲倦，结婴并未成功，月儿表情被失望充满。
Her face remained as beautiful as ever, but her brows were etched with fatigue. She had failed to form an infant spirit core, and disappointment filled her expression.
kàn le yī yǎn lín xuān ， shào nǚ dī chuí xià le zhēn 。
看了一眼林轩，少女低垂下了臻。
She cast a glance at Lin Xuan before lowering her chin.
“ hǎo le ， yā tou ， zhè yǒu hǎo shén me jǔ sàng de ， xiān dào jiān xiǎn ， jié yīng gèng shì nán shàng jiā nán ， shī bài yī cì shì hěn zhèng cháng de ， wǒ men jiù dāng jī lěi jīng yàn ， yǐ hòu zài děng jī yuán 。” lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū xiào róng ， zì rán bú huì zé bèi yuè ér shén me ， shuō qǐ gǔ lì tā de huà lái le 。
“好了，丫头，这有好什么沮丧的，仙道艰险，结婴更是难上加难，失败一次是很正常的，我们就当积累经验，以后再等机缘。”林轩嘴角边露出笑容，自然不会责备月儿什么，说起鼓励她的话来了。
"Alright, little miss, there’s no need to be so downcast. The path of immortals is perilous, and forming an infant spirit core is even more difficult. It's normal to fail once; let’s just consider it experience for the future," Lin Xuan smiled, not reproaching Mo’er but instead offering words of encouragement.
“ shì xiǎo bì méi yòng 。”
“是小婢没用。”
"It was my fault."
“ xíng le ， wǒ dōu shuō guò ， bié wǎng xīn lǐ qù ， yǐ hòu hái yǒu jī huì de 。” lín xuān lái dào yuè ér shēn biān zuò xià ：“ jié yīng bù chéng ，$$； méi yǒu shòu shén me shāng ba ！”
“行了，我都说过，别往心里去，以后还有机会的。”林轩来到月儿身边坐下：“结婴不成，$$；没有受什么伤吧！”
"Come now, I’ve already told you not to worry about it. There are people coming this way."
“ xiǎo bì méi shì ， dǎo shì bái bái làng diē le shào yé nà me duō kuí yuán 。” yuè ér hái shì yǒu xiē zì zé ， yào zhī dào běn mìng zhēn yuán duì xiū xiān zhě lái shuō kě shì zuì bǎo guì de 。
“小婢没事，倒是白白浪爹了少爷那么多奎元。”月儿还是有些自责，要知道本命真元对修仙者来说可是最宝贵的。
Lin Xuan suddenly looked surprised and raised his head to gaze at the sky on his left.
“ nà bù suàn shén me ， duō chī dān yào ， qín jiā xiū liàn ， zì rán kě yǐ bǔ chōng huí lái 。” lín xuān hǎo yán hǎo f6 de xiāng quàn 。
“那不算什么，多吃丹药，勤加修炼，自然可以补充回来。”林轩好言好f6的相劝。
Mo’er turned her head as well, but saw nothing unusual. She then released her spiritual sense and felt two streams of energy rapidly approaching them.
suī shuō yuè ér xiū xiān de zī zhì yuǎn fēi zì jǐ kě bǐ ， rán ér jié yīng běn jiù shì wàn zhōng wú yī de shì ， méi yǒu dān yào fǔ zuǒ ， shī bài yī cì yě bù suàn shén me ， yǐ hòu zài xiǎng bàn fǎ hǎo le 。
虽说月儿修仙的资质远非自己可比，然而结婴本就是万中无一的事，没有丹药辅佐，失败一次也不算什么，以后再想办法好了。
Condensation core cultivators!
rán ér yuè ér suǒ xiǎng de què yǔ lín xuān bù tóng ， tā shī wàng de dào bù jǐn jǐn shì méi néng jié yīng chéng gōng ， fǎ lì zēng zhǎng bù suàn shén me ， kě bù dá dào yuán yīng qī ， jiù bù néng chóng xīn sù zào chū xīn de shēn tǐ ， fǎn dào shì zhè yì diǎn ， ràng xiǎo yā tou jǔ sàng wú bǐ ……
然而月儿所想的却与林轩不同，她失望的倒不仅仅是没能结婴成功，法力增长不算什么，可不达到元婴期，就不能重新塑造出新的身体，反倒是这一点，让小丫头沮丧无比……
"Master, someone is coming," Mo’er said.
kàn le yī yǎn wēn róu de shào yé ， yuè ér bù zhī xiǎng dào le shén me ， xiǎo liǎn hóng hóng de 。
看了一眼温柔的少爷，月儿不知想到了什么，小脸红红的。
Indeed, Lin Xuan’s brows furrowed in surprise. "Correct. And they are ghost cultivators."
lín xuān kě bù zhī zhè yā tou xīn zhōng de xiǎo jiǔ jiǔ ， bù guò zài kuān wèi le bàn gè shí chén yǐ hòu ， yuè ér liǎn shàng de yīn mái zhōng yú dàn qù ， xīn qíng zhuǎn hǎo ， zhǔ pú èr rén lí kāi le nà lín shí de shān dòng 。
林轩可不知这丫头心中的小九九，不过在宽慰了半个时辰以后，月儿脸上的阴霾终于淡去，心情转好，主仆二人离开了那临时的山洞。
To be honest, the presence of several ghost cultivators was not unexpected given the size of the celestial omen Mo’er had just summoned, which covered a radius of dozens of miles. However, it was somewhat unusual for ghost cultivators to appear here.
què shuō yuè ér suī fèng zhǐ le shī fǎ ， kě nà tiān zhào què méi yǒu mǎ shàng xiāo chú ， zhè yě shì guǐ dào de gǔ guài zhī chù ， fù jìn de dì mài yīn qì dōu bèi yǐn dòng ， xiāng xìn bù shǎo shēn mái dì xià de shī tǐ dōu yǒu kě néng biàn wèi jiāng shī de 。
却说月儿虽俸止了施法，可那天兆却没有马上消除，这也是鬼道的古怪之处，附近的地脉阴气都被引动，相信不少深埋地下的尸体都有可能变为僵尸的。
After all, the path of ghosts was merely one branch of the cultivation sects, and few chose this path. Even fewer were experts in it.
“ shào yé ， xiàn zài wǒ bó yīng gāi gàn má ， nǐ yǒu shén me dǎ suàn ma ？”
“少爷，现在我博应该干嘛，你有什么打算吗？”
The former Great Demon Sovereign had reached the late infant spirit stage, but apart from him, there weren’t many experts in the ghost path within the demon sect.
“ zhè ge ……” lín xuān yǐ shǒu fǔ é ， xū yào zuò de shì qíng hěn duō ， bù guò xiàn zài yīng gāi xiān zuò nǎ yí gè 。
“这个……”林轩以手抚额，需要做的事情很多，不过现在应该先做哪一个。
Since that great land beyond the sky had traversed through, not only was Yanzhou declining, but even the cultivation world of Youzhou was waning. The resources for cultivation were too scarce compared to other states and regions, causing many sects and families to move far away.
lín xuān zhèng zhòu méi sī suǒ ， liǎn shàng tū rán lù chū le jǐ fēn yà rán zhī sè ， tái qǐ tóu ， wàng xiàng le zuǒ shǒu biān de tiān kōng 。
林轩正皱眉思索，脸上突然露出了几分讶然之色，抬起头，望向了左手边的天空。
In such a situation, two ghost cultivators appeared in this desolate place, both at the condensation core stage. This was indeed strange.
yuè ér yī dāi ， yě zhuǎn tóu wàng le guò lái ， què shén gè yě méi yǒu ， suí hòu jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， biàn gǎn jué dào liǎng gǔ líng qì zhèng xùn jiē jìn cǐ chù 。
月儿一呆，也转头望了过来，却什各也没有，随后将神识放出，便感觉到两股灵气正迅接近此处。
However, if it had been any other time, Lin Xuan, with his cautious nature, would have quietly retreated, avoiding unnecessary trouble. He didn’t want to get involved in random troubles out of curiosity.
níng dān qī xiū xiān zhě ！
凝丹期修仙者！
But now, as an infant spirit mid-stage cultivator, he no longer needed to be overly cautious. After a moment’s thought, the master and servant did not retreat but instead concealed their aura.
“ shào yé ， yǒu rén lái le 。”
“少爷，有人来了。”
After a short while, two streaks of light appeared before them—gray and white, with a faintly eerie quality. They moved swiftly and arrived at the top of the desolate mountain in just an incense stick's time.
“ bù cuò ， ér qiě dào shì guǐ xiū 。” lín xuān méi tou yí zhòu ， yǒu xiē yà rán de kāi kǒu 。
“不错，而且道是鬼修。”林轩眉头一皱，有些讶然的开口。
The concealment lights stopped, revealing a middle-aged cultivator and a plump old man.
yào shuō yuè ér gāng gāng yǐn de tiān zhào ， lǒng zhào fàn wéi zú yǒu shù shí lǐ guǎng ， jí shǐ yǐn lái jǐ míng xiū xiān zhě ， yě shì zài zhèng cháng bù guò 。
要说月儿刚刚引的天兆，笼罩范围足有数十里广，即使引来几名修仙者，也是再正常不过。
Of course, they were the two ghost cultivators from Linghun Valley.
kě guǐ dào zhōng rén què wèi miǎn yǒu xiē qí shuān le 。
可鬼道中人却未免有些奇栓了。
"Hmm, judging by this scene, it doesn’t seem like there’s any extraordinary treasure. Perhaps we misjudged," said the middle-aged man, frowning as he looked at the gradually weakening dark aura and spoke with a displeased expression.
xū zhī ， guǐ dào zhī shù bù guò shì xiū mó zhě de yí gè fēn zhī ér yǐ ， ér xuǎn zé zhè tiáo lù de rén bìng bù duō ， gāo shǒu gèng shì liáo liáo wú jǐ de 。
须知，鬼道之术不过是修魔者的一个分支而已，而选择这条路的人并不多，高手更是寥寥无几的。
"Humph, my brother has always said that since we have important matters to attend to, we should avoid unnecessary complications. If you insist on staying, now that there are no treasures, let’s just return," sighed the plump old man, his voice tinged with resentment.
xī rì de jí è mó zūn suī dá dào le yuán yīng zhōng qī ， kě chú tā yǐ wài ， mó dào zhī zhōng què jī hū méi yǒu shén me xiū liàn guǐ dào de gāo shǒu 。
昔日的极恶魔尊虽达到了元婴中期，可除他以外，魔道之中却几乎没有什么修炼鬼道的高手。
"Wait, we’ve come this far, so why rush? Although the celestial omen is about to disappear, such an anomaly must have a reason behind it. Even if there are no treasures, something else might be present. It would be a pity to leave now," the middle-aged man shook his head and spoke with disdain.
zì cóng nà kuài tiān wài de dà 6 chuān yuè yǐ hòu ， yǎn zhōu bù shuō ， biàn shì yōu zhōu de xiū xiān jiè yě yuè mò luò ， bì jìng yǔ qí tā zhōu fǔ xiāng bǐ ， xiū liàn zī yuán tài guò pín jí ， bù shǎo zōng mén jiā zú dōu yuǎn qiān ér qù 。
自从那块天外的大6穿越以后，兖州不说，便是幽州的修仙界也越没落，毕竟与其他州府相比，修炼资源太过贫瘠，不少宗门家族都远迁而去。
"Junior brother, don’t meddle…" The old man felt uneasy just being here, as it made him feel uncomfortable.
zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， yòu zài rú cǐ huāng pì de dì diǎn ， jū rán chū xiàn le liǎng míng guǐ xiū ， ér qiě hái shì níng dān qī ， zhè zì rán yǒu xiē guǐ yì 。
这种情况下，又在如此荒僻的地点，居然出现了两名鬼修，而且还是凝丹期，这自然有些诡异。
Before he could finish speaking, a faint voice echoed in their ears: "The friend you mentioned is correct. Since we’ve come this far, there’s no need to rush off. We should clarify some matters."
dāng rán ， rú guǒ shì zài yǐ qián ， yǐ lín xuān jǐn shèn xiǎo xīn de xìng gé ， kěn dìng qiāo qiāo de pǎo le ， duō yī shì bù rú shǎo yī shì ， tā kě bù xiǎng yīn wèi hào qí ， ér juǎn rù wú duān de má fán lǐ 。
当然，如果是在以前，以林轩谨慎小心的性格，肯定悄悄的跑了，多一事不如少一事，他可不想因为好奇，而卷入无端的麻烦里。
The voice was ethereal and seemed to come from an unknown direction. The two condensation core cultivators were startled and quickly placed their hands on their storage bags, showing a wary expression.
kě xiàn zài bù tóng ， lín xuān yǐ shì yuán yīng zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ， fán shì zì rán bù yòng qián pà láng ， hòu pà hǔ ， yú shì lüè yī sī liáng zhī hòu ， zhǔ pú èr rén bù jǐn méi yǒu tuì zǒu ， fǎn ér jiāng qì xī shōu liǎn qǐ lái le 。
可现在不同，林轩已是元婴中期的修仙者，凡事自然不用前怕狼，后怕虎，于是略一思量之后，主仆二人不仅没有退走，反而将气息收敛起来了。
They simultaneously released their spiritual senses to search the surroundings, but Lin Xuan’s concealment techniques were too subtle for these two minor condensation core cultivators to discern. Their efforts were in vain.
piàn kè hòu ， liǎng dào jīng hóng chū xiàn zài le yǎn lián ， yī huī yī bái ， pǒ yǒu jǐ fēn guǐ yì zài shàng miàn ， dù dào yě bù màn ， jǐn jǐn yī zhù xiāng de gōng fu ， jiù lái dào le huāng shān dǐng bù 。
片刻后，两道惊虹出现在了眼帘，一灰一白，颇有几分诡异在上面，度倒也不慢，仅仅一炷香的功夫，就来到了荒山顶部。
"Who are you? Hiding like this; if you have any guts, show yourself," said the middle-aged man, his face pale with saliva dripping from his mouth.
dùn guāng tíng xià yǐ hòu ， lù chū le yī míng zhōng nián xiū shì yǔ yī míng ǎi pàng lǎo zhě 。
遁光停下以后，露出了一名中年修士与一名矮胖老者。
He then raised a triangular shield and it rapidly expanded, blocking him.
bú yòng shuō ， zì rán shì lì hún gǔ de liǎng míng guǐ xiū 。
不用说，自然是厉魂谷的两名鬼修。
The plump old man did something similar, taking out a gray sword from his storage bag.
“ yí ， kàn zhè qíng jǐng ， sì hū yòu bù xiàng yì bǎo chū shì ， nán dào wǒ men liào cuò le 。” kàn le yī yǎn zhú jiàn jiǎn ruò de yīn qì ， zhōng nián hàn zi méi tou yí zhòu ， liǎn sè nán kàn de kāi kǒu 。
“咦，看这情景，似乎又不像异宝出世，难道我们料错了。”看了一眼逐渐减弱的阴气，中年汉子眉头一皱，脸色难看的开口。
"Humph, clearly your cultivation level is too low to penetrate my movements. A mere junior dare to argue here?" The mocking voice entered their ears as two figures appeared ten feet away on the left side of them.
“ hēng ， yú xiōng zǎo jiù shuō guò ， xiàn zài wǒ men shēn yǒu yào shì ， zuì hǎo bù yào jié wài shēng zhī ， nǐ bù tíng ， rú jīn jì rán méi yǒu bǎo wù ， nà wǒ men huí qù jiù hǎo le ， ǎi pàng lǎo zhě tàn le kǒu qì ， shēng yīn zhōng dài zhe jǐ fēn yuàn duì zhī yì 。
“哼，愚兄早就说过，现在我们身有要事，最好不要节外生枝，你不停，如今既然没有宝物，那我们回去就好了，矮胖老者叹了口气，声音中带着几分怨怼之意。
A young man in a green robe, unremarkable and unassuming, stood beside him. Ten beautiful girls surrounded him, each with a radiant smile that almost blinded one’s eyes.
“ děng děng ， lái dōu lái le ， yòu hé bì jí yú yī shí ， tiān zhào suī rán kuài yào xiāo shī ， dàn zhè zhǒng yì xiàng ， zǒng bú huì shì wú yuán wú gù shēng chéng de ， jiù suàn méi yǒu bǎo wù ， duō bàn yě huì yǒu yī xiē bié de dōng xī ， jiù zhè yàng zǒu le ， qǐ bù kě xī 。” zhōng nián hàn zi què yáo le yáo tóu ， bù yǐ wéi rán de kāi kǒu 。
“等等，来都来了，又何必急于一时，天兆虽然快要消失，但这种异象，总不会是无缘无故生成的，就算没有宝物，多半也会有一些别的东西，就这样走了，岂不可惜。”中年汉子却摇了摇头，不以为然的开口。
However, when the plump cultivator saw this pair, his face changed dramatically.
“ shī dì ， nǐ bié duō shì ……” bù zhī wèi hé ， lǎo zhě xīn zhōng què zǒng jué de yǒu xiē bù tuǒ ， dài zài zhè lǐ ， ràng tā hún shēn yǒu xiē bù shū fú 。
“师弟，你别多事……”不知为何，老者心中却总觉得有些不妥，待在这里，让他浑身有些不舒服。
"You… you are an infant spirit stage cultivator?"
rán ér tā huà yīn wèi luò ， yī dàn dàn de shēng yīn què chuán rù le ěr duǒ ：“ zhè wèi dào yǒu shuō dé bù cuò ， jì rán lái dōu lái le ， yòu hé bì jí zhe zǒu ne ， zǒng yào jiāng yī xiē shì qíng ， shuō qīng chǔ 。”
然而他话音未落，一淡淡的声音却传入了耳朵：“这位道友说得不错，既然来都来了，又何必急着走呢，总要将一些事情，说清楚。”
Although Lin Xuan concealed his spiritual power, the pressure he exerted was formidable and not something a condensation core cultivator could possess. Moreover, as a disciple of Linghun Valley, he knew everything about the underworld realm. He immediately recognized that the young girl before him, despite her beauty, was nothing but a spirit body.
nà shēng yīn piāo miǎo ， jìng rán bù zhī dào chuán zhì nǎ ge fāng xiàng ， liǎng míng níng dān xiū shì dà chī yī jīng ， máng shǒu àn chǔ wù dài ， liǎn shàng lù chū jǐng tì de biǎo qíng lái 。
那声音飘渺，竞然不知道传至哪个方向，两名凝丹修士大吃一惊，忙手按储物袋，脸上露出警惕的表情来。
"Humph, your eyes are sharp; it seems you’re not from some minor sect either. I will report your sect to you. Lin Xuan has many acquaintances, and perhaps we know each other’s seniors," said Lin Xuan with a faint smile.
tóng shí jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， zài fù jìn sōu suǒ ， kě xī lín xuān de yǐn nì shù ， qǐ shì liǎng míng xiǎo xiǎo de níng dān xiū shì néng gòu kàn pò ， zì rán shì bái fèi gōng fu 。
同时将神识放出，在附近搜索，可惜林轩的隐匿术，岂是两名小小的凝丹修士能够看破，自然是白费功夫。
Of course, this was all nonsense, but his intention was to probe their identities further.
“ gé xià shì shuí ， guǐ guǐ suì suì ， yǒu běn shì jiù xiàn shēn chū lái 。” zhōng nián hàn zi tūn le yī kǒu tuò mò ， liǎn sè bái de shuō 。
“阁下是谁，鬼鬼祟祟，有本事就现身出来。”中年汉子吞了一口唾沫，脸色白的说。
The plump man seemed more mature and cautious; upon hearing Lin Xuan's words, he showed some hesitation in his eyes. However, the middle-aged man spoke quickly: "We are both officials of Linghun Valley. We offer our respects to you, sir. Please give us any instructions, and we will do our best."
tóng shí yī yáng shǒu ， jì chū le yī shàng jiān xià fāng de dùn pái ， xùn bào zhǎng ， dǎng zài le tā de qián miàn 。
同时一扬手，祭出了一上尖下方的盾牌，迅暴涨，挡在了他的前面。
"What? Linghun Valley?"
ǎi pàng lǎo zhě de biǎo gé yě chà bu duō ， tǐ shǒu zài chǔ wù dài shàng yī jū ， jiāng yī bǐng huī sè de xiān jiàn jì le qǐ lái 。
矮胖老者的表格也差不多，体手在储物袋上一拘，将一柄灰色的仙剑祭了起来。
Lin Xuan’s face showed surprise. He wasn’t just a newcomer; in recent days, he had learned much about the Twelve States from Baixuan Pavilion. Linghun Valley was one of the seven major sects, with enough power to rival Liyao Palace. There were over ten infant spirit stage cultivators within their sect, and even some late-stage experts.
“ hēng ， míng míng shì nǐ men xiū wèi dà dī ， kàn bù pò lín mǒu xíng jì ， qū qū xiǎo bèi ， yě gǎn zài zhè ér shuǎ zuǐ pí zi 。” jī fěng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr lǐ ， jiē zhe zài liǎng rén zuǒ cè shí yú zhàng yuǎn chù ， guāng huá yī shǎn ， liǎng gè rén yǐng xiàn shēn chū lái 。
“哼，明明是你们修为大低，看不破林某行迹，区区小辈，也敢在这儿耍嘴皮子。”讥讽的声音传入耳里，接着在两人左侧十余丈远处，光华一闪，两个人影现身出来。
Their main hall was in Yunzhou, so why would they be here in this desolate place?
yī shēn chuān qīng shān de shào nián ， róng mào píng fán ， háo bù qǐ yǎn ， ér zài tā shēn biān ， hái yǒu shí měi mào shào nǚ ， què shì xiào yè rú huā ， měi dé cì tòng rén de shuāng yǎn 。
一身穿青衫的少年，容貌平凡，毫不起眼，而在他身边，还有十美貌少女，却是笑靥如花，美得刺痛人的双眼。
Lin Xuan’s mind was filled with many questions, but his expression softened.
kě kàn zhe zhè zhǔ pú liǎng rén ， ǎi pàng xiū shì què liǎn sè dà biàn 。
可看着这主仆两人，矮胖修士却脸色大变。
The two condensation core cultivators had been watching him closely. They exchanged glances and breathed a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate that their sect was indeed famous enough to make an infant spirit stage cultivator take notice.
“ nǐ …… nǐ shì yuán yīng qī de xiū xiān zhě ？”
“你……你是元婴期的修仙者？”
The middle-aged man smiled, while the plump old man still felt uneasy. He bowed deeply: "Sir, if you have any further instructions, I will not dare to refuse."
suī rán lín mǎng yī shēn líng lì shě ér bù lù ， dàn nà wēi yā yī jiù shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， jué fēi níng dān qī xiū xiān zhě néng gòu yōng yǒu de 。
虽然林莽一身灵力舍而不露，但那威压依旧是非同小可，绝非凝丹期修仙者能够拥有的。
"Good, those are your words," Lin Xuan smiled.
hé kuàng shēn wèi lì guǐ gǔ dì zǐ ， duì yú yīn sī jiè de yī qiè gèng shì shú xī ， yī yǎn jiù kàn chū zhàn zài páng biān de shào nǚ měi zé měi yǐ ， dàn gēn běn jiù shì yīn hún zhī tǐ 。
何况身为厉鬼谷弟子，对于阴司界的一切更是熟悉，一眼就看出站在旁边的少女美则美矣，但根本就是阴魂之体。
The plump old man was taken aback; he had only intended a polite response, but now it seemed the other party truly wanted him to comply. He inwardly groaned but faced an infant spirit stage cultivator and couldn’t afford to break his word. Reluctantly, he said: "To serve you is my honor, but I fear my low power might cause trouble..."
“ hēng ， yǎn guāng dǎo shì bù cuò ， kàn lái nǐ men yě bú shì shén me xiǎo pài de xiū xiān zhě ， jiāng nǐ men shī mén bào chū ， lín mǒu jiāo yóu guǎng kuò ， shuō bù dìng yǔ nǐ shī mén qián bèi xiāng shí yě bù yí dìng de 。 lín xuān dàn dàn de shuō 。
“哼，眼光倒是不错，看来你们也不是什么小派的修仙者，将你们师门报出，林某交游广阔，说不定与你师门前辈相识也不一定的。林轩淡淡的说。
"Don't worry; this task will be within your capabilities," Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows.
dāng rán ， zhè fān huà chún cuì hú chě ， mù dì hái shì xiǎng yào jiāng liǎng rén de shēn fèn tào chū 。
当然，这番话纯粹胡扯，目的还是想要将两人的身份套出。
Before the plump old man could finish speaking, Lin Xuan extended his right hand and flicked his fingers. Two sword lights shot out, expanding as they met the wind to form a dozen feet in length, like a mountain pressing down on them, cutting towards both of them with force.
ǎi pàng zhī rén xiǎn rán jiào wéi lǎo chéng chí zhòng ， tīng le lín xuān de yán yǔ ， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī chí yí ， nà zhōng nián xiū shì què zuǐ kuài shuō le chū qù ：“ wǎn bèi liǎng rén ， jiē shì lì hún gǔ zhí shì ， gěi qián bèi jiàn lǐ ， nín yǒu shén me fēn fù ， wǒ men yí dìng huì jìn lì qù zuò 。”
矮胖之人显然较为老成持重，听了林轩的言语，眼中闪过一丝迟疑，那中年修士却嘴快说了出去：“晚辈两人，皆是厉魂谷执事，给前辈见礼，您有什么吩咐，我们一定会尽力去做。”
To be honest, he had no grudge against Linghun Valley, but their appearance here was too strange. Although it wasn’t likely targeting Baixuan Pavilion, for safety’s sake, it was better to investigate further.
“ shén me ， lì hún gǔ ？”
“什么，厉魂谷？”
However, Lin Xuan knew that if he asked politely, the other party wouldn’t cooperate and would use lies as an excuse. Given this, it might be better to directly use soul probing techniques. After all, in the cultivation world, survival of the fittest prevailed, and Lin Xuan was not one to show mercy or hesitation.
As time passed, the celestial omens grew more intense. The howling of the dark wind became louder and more ferocious. By noon, a vast area of tens of miles around was plunged into darkness, so thick that one could not see their own hand.
Innumerable阴气 rushed towards the desolate mountain, causing the ground to tremble violently. Sand and stones flew everywhere, and the entire area was filled with dark winds and corpse stench...
Lin Xuan sighed deeply. His face showed no joy; instead, his brows were furrowed even deeper.
After about a quarter of an incense stick's time had passed, Lin Xuan suddenly stopped his true void output, but the ghostly mist enveloping the young girl began to churn violently. Various runes flickered and then vanished.
Next, like a whale drinking water, the ghostly mist was drawn into the girl’s body. The black aura dissipated, revealing Mo’er's face.
Her face remained as beautiful as ever, but her brows were etched with fatigue. She had failed to form an infant spirit core, and disappointment filled her expression.
She cast a glance at Lin Xuan before lowering her chin.
"Alright, little miss, there’s no need to be so downcast. The path of immortals is perilous, and forming an infant spirit core is even more difficult. It's normal to fail once; let’s just consider it experience for the future," Lin Xuan smiled, not reproaching Mo’er but instead offering words of encouragement.
"It was my fault."
"Come now, I’ve already told you not to worry about it. There are people coming this way."
Lin Xuan suddenly looked surprised and raised his head to gaze at the sky on his left.
Mo’er turned her head as well, but saw nothing unusual. She then released her spiritual sense and felt two streams of energy rapidly approaching them.
Condensation core cultivators!
"Master, someone is coming," Mo’er said.
Indeed, Lin Xuan’s brows furrowed in surprise. "Correct. And they are ghost cultivators."
To be honest, the presence of several ghost cultivators was not unexpected given the size of the celestial omen Mo’er had just summoned, which covered a radius of dozens of miles. However, it was somewhat unusual for ghost cultivators to appear here.
After all, the path of ghosts was merely one branch of the cultivation sects, and few chose this path. Even fewer were experts in it.
The former Great Demon Sovereign had reached the late infant spirit stage, but apart from him, there weren’t many experts in the ghost path within the demon sect.
Since that great land beyond the sky had traversed through, not only was Yanzhou declining, but even the cultivation world of Youzhou was waning. The resources for cultivation were too scarce compared to other states and regions, causing many sects and families to move far away.
In such a situation, two ghost cultivators appeared in this desolate place, both at the condensation core stage. This was indeed strange.
However, if it had been any other time, Lin Xuan, with his cautious nature, would have quietly retreated, avoiding unnecessary trouble. He didn’t want to get involved in random troubles out of curiosity.
But now, as an infant spirit mid-stage cultivator, he no longer needed to be overly cautious. After a moment’s thought, the master and servant did not retreat but instead concealed their aura.
After a short while, two streaks of light appeared before them—gray and white, with a faintly eerie quality. They moved swiftly and arrived at the top of the desolate mountain in just an incense stick's time.
The concealment lights stopped, revealing a middle-aged cultivator and a plump old man.
Of course, they were the two ghost cultivators from Linghun Valley.
"Hmm, judging by this scene, it doesn’t seem like there’s any extraordinary treasure. Perhaps we misjudged," said the middle-aged man, frowning as he looked at the gradually weakening dark aura and spoke with a displeased expression.
"Humph, my brother has always said that since we have important matters to attend to, we should avoid unnecessary complications. If you insist on staying, now that there are no treasures, let’s just return," sighed the plump old man, his voice tinged with resentment.
"Wait, we’ve come this far, so why rush? Although the celestial omen is about to disappear, such an anomaly must have a reason behind it. Even if there are no treasures, something else might be present. It would be a pity to leave now," the middle-aged man shook his head and spoke with disdain.
"Junior brother, don’t meddle…" The old man felt uneasy just being here, as it made him feel uncomfortable.
Before he could finish speaking, a faint voice echoed in their ears: "The friend you mentioned is correct. Since we’ve come this far, there’s no need to rush off. We should clarify some matters."
The voice was ethereal and seemed to come from an unknown direction. The two condensation core cultivators were startled and quickly placed their hands on their storage bags, showing a wary expression.
They simultaneously released their spiritual senses to search the surroundings, but Lin Xuan’s concealment techniques were too subtle for these two minor condensation core cultivators to discern. Their efforts were in vain.
"Who are you? Hiding like this; if you have any guts, show yourself," said the middle-aged man, his face pale with saliva dripping from his mouth.
He then raised a triangular shield and it rapidly expanded, blocking him.
The plump old man did something similar, taking out a gray sword from his storage bag.
"Humph, clearly your cultivation level is too low to penetrate my movements. A mere junior dare to argue here?" The mocking voice entered their ears as two figures appeared ten feet away on the left side of them.
A young man in a green robe, unremarkable and unassuming, stood beside him. Ten beautiful girls surrounded him, each with a radiant smile that almost blinded one’s eyes.
However, when the plump cultivator saw this pair, his face changed dramatically.
"You… you are an infant spirit stage cultivator?"
Although Lin Xuan concealed his spiritual power, the pressure he exerted was formidable and not something a condensation core cultivator could possess. Moreover, as a disciple of Linghun Valley, he knew everything about the underworld realm. He immediately recognized that the young girl before him, despite her beauty, was nothing but a spirit body.
"Humph, your eyes are sharp; it seems you’re not from some minor sect either. I will report your sect to you. Lin Xuan has many acquaintances, and perhaps we know each other’s seniors," said Lin Xuan with a faint smile.
Of course, this was all nonsense, but his intention was to probe their identities further.
The plump man seemed more mature and cautious; upon hearing Lin Xuan's words, he showed some hesitation in his eyes. However, the middle-aged man spoke quickly: "We are both officials of Linghun Valley. We offer our respects to you, sir. Please give us any instructions, and we will do our best."
"What? Linghun Valley?"
Lin Xuan’s face showed surprise. He wasn’t just a newcomer; in recent days, he had learned much about the Twelve States from Baixuan Pavilion. Linghun Valley was one of the seven major sects, with enough power to rival Liyao Palace. There were over ten infant spirit stage cultivators within their sect, and even some late-stage experts.
Their main hall was in Yunzhou, so why would they be here in this desolate place?
Lin Xuan’s mind was filled with many questions, but his expression softened.
The two condensation core cultivators had been watching him closely. They exchanged glances and breathed a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate that their sect was indeed famous enough to make an infant spirit stage cultivator take notice.
The middle-aged man smiled, while the plump old man still felt uneasy. He bowed deeply: "Sir, if you have any further instructions, I will not dare to refuse."
"Good, those are your words," Lin Xuan smiled.
The plump old man was taken aback; he had only intended a polite response, but now it seemed the other party truly wanted him to comply. He inwardly groaned but faced an infant spirit stage cultivator and couldn’t afford to break his word. Reluctantly, he said: "To serve you is my honor, but I fear my low power might cause trouble..."
"Don't worry; this task will be within your capabilities," Lin Xuan raised his eyebrows.
Before the plump old man could finish speaking, Lin Xuan extended his right hand and flicked his fingers. Two sword lights shot out, expanding as they met the wind to form a dozen feet in length, like a mountain pressing down on them, cutting towards both of them with force.
To be honest, he had no grudge against Linghun Valley, but their appearance here was too strange. Although it wasn’t likely targeting Baixuan Pavilion, for safety’s sake, it was better to investigate further.
However, Lin Xuan knew that if he asked politely, the other party wouldn’t cooperate and would use lies as an excuse. Given this, it might be better to directly use soul probing techniques. After all, in the cultivation world, survival of the fittest prevailed, and Lin Xuan was not one to show mercy or hesitation.