” chuān shuō yuè xiān wǔ yě dào le cǐ chù ， zhū wèi níng dān xiū shí máng jiāng shén shí fàng chū ， yǐn shōu huò ， jù lí tā men zuǒ cè yuē bǎi yú zhàng yuǎn chù ， yǒu yī wèi róng mào xiù měi de shào nǚ zhèng piāo fú zài bàn kōng 。 “ yuè xiān zi ， zhè shì zěn me huí shì ？” rú yǎ nán zi méi tou yí zhòu ， yǒu xiē dān xīn de kāi 。 méi shén me ， shào yé zhèng xiū liàn mǒu zhǒng mì shù ， nǐ men bù yòng zài zhè lǐ dài zhe ， gāi gàn shén me gàn shén me 。” yuè ér rú cǐ zhè bān de shuō ， guān yú fèng wǔ jiǔ tiān jué de mì mì 。 tā zì rán bú huì suí kǒu shuō chū qù 。
”川说月仙午也到了此处，诸位凝丹修十忙将神识放出，引收获，距离他们左侧约百余丈远处，有一位容貌秀美的少女正漂浮在半空。 “月仙子，这是怎么回事？”儒雅男子眉头一皱，有些担心的开。 没什么，少爷正修炼某种秘术，你们不用在这里待着，该干什么干什么。”月儿如此这般的说，关于凤舞九天诀的秘密。她自然不会随口说出去。
Chuan said that Yue Xian had also arrived. The cultivators present focused their divine sense to gather the spoils, and about a hundred feet away from them, a beautiful maiden was floating in mid-air.
“ shì 。”
“是。”
"Yue Xian, what's going on?" asked the refined man with a frown, showing some concern.
rú yǎ nán zi jiāng xìn jiāng yí 。 bù guò jiàn yuè ér liǎn sè bù yù ， yě bù gǎn jì xù dǎ tīng xià qù ， xiū xiān jiè shì qiáng zhě wèi zūn de 。 yuè ér de shí lì bǎi zài nà lǐ ， zhè jǐ nián zài yōu zhōu yǐ shēng míng què qǐ 。
儒雅男子将信将疑。不过见月儿脸色不豫，也不敢继续打听下去，修仙界是强者为尊的。月儿的实力摆在那里，这几年在幽州已声名鹊起。
"It's nothing, Young Master is currently practicing some secret technique. You don't need to stay here; just go about your business," Yue'er said, keeping the secret of Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens to herself.
hěn duō rén dōu zhī dào yǒu yí gè mào měi rú huā de yīn líng shào nǚ ， yǒu zhe yuán yīng qī xià dì yī rén de měi yù ， bèi chēng wéi yuè xiān zi 。
很多人都知道有一个貌美如花的阴灵少女，有着元婴期下第一人的美誉，被称为月仙子。
"Yes."
rú yǎ nán zi zuò wèi yī mén zhī zhǔ ， yě shì méi yǎn tī tòu de rén wù ， yuè xiān zi xià zhú kè lìng le ， duō bàn yǒu shén me yǐn mì qiān chě zài qí zhōng ， yú shì xiàng zhū wèi tóng mén shǐ le gè yǎn sè ， gè shī shén tōng ， fēn fēn xiàng yuǎn fāng ér qù 。
儒雅男子做为一门之主，也是眉眼剔透的人物，月仙子下逐客令了，多半有什么隐秘牵扯在其中，于是像诸位同门使了个眼色，各施神通，纷纷像远方而去。
The refined man was still uncertain but did not dare to pry further as he saw Yue'er's displeased expression. In the cultivation world, strength reigned supreme, and with Yue'er's formidable power, she had already gained a reputation in Youzhou over the years. Many people knew of a beautiful young girl named Ying Ling who was said to be the first cultivator at the Core Formation stage, earning her the title of Yue Xian.
“ xuán ér ， chēng yě zǒu 。”
“璇儿，称也走。”
The refined man, as head of his sect and an astute figure, noticed that Yue'er had given them an implicit dismissal. There must be some hidden matter involved, so he subtly gestured to his fellow disciples who dispersed, each using their own abilities to depart for distant places.
“ shī fù 。” zhèng xuán yī dāi ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng mǎn shì bù yuàn 。
“师傅。”郑璇一呆，脸上的表情满是不愿。
"Xuan'er, let's go."
“ zěn me ， chēng bù tīng wèi shī de huà me ？” yuè ér píng shí suī rán hěn chǒng nà yā tou 。 dàn zhēn bǎi qǐ shī fù jià zi lái yě mán wēi yán de 。
“怎么，称不听为师的话么？”月儿平时虽然很宠那丫头。但真摆起师傅架子来也蛮威严的。
"Master." Zheng Xuan was taken aback and showed reluctance on her face.
“ tú ér bù gǎn 。”
“徒儿不敢。”
"Why not listen to your master?" Yue'er, though she often pampered the girl, could be stern when necessary.
jiàn shī zūn zhēn de shēng qì ， zhèng xuán máng yíng yíng xíng le yī lǐ ， suí hòu yòu kàn le yī yǎn nà sì nüè de yāo fēng ， cái huà wèi yī yào yǎn jīng hóng fēi xiàng tiān kōng 。
见师尊真的生气，郑璇忙盈盈行了一礼，随后又看了一眼那肆虐的妖风，才化为一耀眼惊虹飞像天空。
"I dare not."
hōng lōng ！
轰隆！
Seeing Master truly angry, Zheng Xuan quickly bowed gracefully. She then glanced at the raging demon wind before transforming into a dazzling light that soared towards the sky.
shǎn diàn huà pò cāng qióng 。 jù dà de bào liè shēng bù tíng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， tiān sè yě yuè fā de hūn àn 。
闪电划破苍穹。巨大的爆裂声不停传入耳朵，天色也越发的昏暗。
Boom!
wū yún rú mò ， yǔ xī xī lì lì de xià zhe ， kāi shǐ hái dàn zhú jiàn de ， què yǒu le dà yǔ qīng pén de shì tou ， yuè ér de liǎn sè yě yuè fā nàn kàn 。
乌云如墨，雨淅淅沥沥的下着，开始还但逐渐的，却有了大雨倾盆的势头，月儿的脸色也越发难看。
Lightning split the heavens, and the continuous thundering echoed in their ears as the sky grew darker.
shào yé zhè huí níng dān 。 sì hū bù shùn dào le jí diǎn 。
少爷这回凝丹。似乎不顺到了极点。
Dark clouds gathered like ink, and rain began to fall. Initially gentle, it soon turned into a heavy downpour. Yue'er's expression darkened further.
yòu guò piàn kè ， yǔ què mò míng qí miào de tíng le xià lái ， wū yún xiāo sàn ， tài yáng chóng xīn yào chū le xiào liǎn 。
又过片刻，雨却莫名其妙的停了下来，乌云消散，太阳重新要出了笑脸。
Young Master seems to be having an extremely difficult time forming his demon core this time around.
dòng fǔ zhōng ， lín xuān pán xī ér zuò ， huǎn huǎn zhēng kāi shuāng móu ， tái qǐ yòu shǒu ， zhǐ jiàn jī fū biǎo miàn ， fàn qǐ yī céng zǐ hóng sè guāng zé ， kàn shàng qù guǐ yì dào le jí chù 。
洞府中，林轩盘膝而坐，缓缓睁开双眸，抬起右手，只见肌肤表面，泛起一层紫红色光泽，看上去诡异到了极处。
After a while, the rain inexplicably stopped, the clouds dissipated, and the sun reappeared with a smile.
lín xuān tàn le kǒu qì 。 tǐ nèi fǎ lì lüè yī yùn zhuàn ， nà zǐ hóng sè guāng zé dùn shí xiāo nì dé wú yǐng wú zōng ”
林轩叹了口气。体内法力略一运转，那紫红色光泽顿时消匿得无影无踪”
In their cave dwelling, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged and slowly opened his eyes. He raised his right hand, and a layer of purplish-red glow appeared on his skin, looking extremely strange.
jiù chà yì diǎn diǎn ， dào tóu lái zì jǐ hái shì méi yǒu níng chéng yāo dān 。
就差一点点，到头来自己还是没有凝成妖丹。
Lin Xuan sighed. After circulating his essence force within his body, that purplish-red glow vanished completely.
lín xuān liǎn shàng xiàn chū shī wàng zhī sè ， dàn hěn kuài yòu huī fù píng jìng le ， xiān dào jiān nán ， shī bài yī cì bù suàn shén me ， fú shí shí nián yǐ hòu ， dú lóng chá de yào lì yǐ dà wèi jiǎn ruò ， kàn lái yǐ hòu dé xún zhǎo bié de líng yào le 。
林轩脸上现出失望之色，但很快又恢复平静了，仙道艰难，失败一次不算什么，服食十年以后，毒龙茶的药力已大为减弱，看来以后得寻找别的灵药了。
Just one step short, but in the end, he still failed to form a demon core.
shén shí zài fù jìn yī sǎo 。 lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo biān lù chū jǐ fēn wēi xiào ：“ shǎ yā tou ， lèng zài wài miàn gàn má ， jìn lái a ！”
神识在附近一扫。林轩嘴角边露出几分微笑：“傻丫头，愣在外面干嘛，进来啊！”
Disappointment showed on Lin Xuan's face, but he quickly regained composure. The path of immortality was fraught with difficulties; failing once wasn't a big deal. After ten years of consuming Toxin Dragon Tea, its medicinal power had weakened significantly. He would have to seek out other spirit herbs in the future.
tīng shào yé zhào huàn zì jǐ 。 yuè ér háo bù chí yí ， huà wèi yī dào jīng hóng fēi le jìn qù 。
听少爷召唤自己。月儿毫不迟疑，化为一道惊虹飞了进去。
Scanning his surroundings, Yue'er smiled slightly: "Silly girl, why stand outside? Come inside!"
jiàn lín xuān pán xī ér zuò 。 yuè ér lián bù qīng yí ， huǎn huǎn zǒu le guò qù ：“ shào yé ， zhēn shì kě
见林轩盘膝而坐。月儿莲步轻移，缓缓走了过去：“少爷，真是可
Hearing Young Master's call, Yue'er hesitated not and transformed into a dazzling light that flew inside.
“ méi shén me ， níng jié yāo dān ér yǐ ， xià cì yí dìng kě yǐ chéng gōng 。” lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū dàn rán de xiào róng ：“ bù guò wǒ men yǐ zài bì yún shān dài le shí nián ， shì shí hòu yīng gāi lí kāi 。”
“没什么，凝结妖丹而已，下次一定可以成功。”林轩脸上露出淡然的笑容：“不过我们已在碧云山待了十年，是时候应该离开。”
Seeing Lin Xuan sitting cross-legged, Yue'er gently walked over. "Young Master, really?"
“ zhè jiù yào zǒu ？”
“这就要走？”
"It's nothing; just forming a demon core. I'll definitely succeed next time," Lin Xuan said with a calm smile. "But we've been in Azure Cloud Mountain for ten years and should leave."
“ bù cuò ， chēng wǒ xiū liàn rú jīn dōu yù jiàn le píng jǐng ， dài zài zhè lǐ méi yǒu bài yì ， yōu zhōu de xiū xiān jiè hái shì tài huāng liáng le xiē 。 wǒ men zì rán yào chū wài yóu lì 。”
“不错，称我修炼如今都遇见了瓶颈，待在这里没有稗益，幽州的修仙界还是太荒凉了些。我们自然要出外游历。”
"Are you leaving now?"
“ ó ， nà shào yé zhǔn bèi dào nǎ lǐ ？”
“哦，那少爷准备到哪里？”
"Yes, my cultivation has hit a bottleneck here. Staying won't help. The cultivation world of Youzhou is still too desolate. We naturally need to venture out."
“ zhè hái yòng shuō ma ， yào qù jiù qù fēng yún jì huì zhī chù ， chēng shuō yún zhōu rú hé ？”
“这还用说吗，要去就去风云际会之处，称说云州如何？”
"Oh, where are you planning to go?"
xiǎo bì méi yǒu yì jiàn ， shào yé jué dìng jiù hǎo le 。”
小婢没有意见，少爷决定就好了。”
"We don't need to say it; we'll head for the place where the winds and clouds meet. How about Yunzhou?"
yuè ér xiàn zài suī yǐ míng shēng zài wài ， dàn zài lín xuān miàn qián ， yī jiù biǎo xiàn dé hěn guāi 。
月儿现在虽已名声在外，但在林轩面前，依旧表现得很乖。
The servant had no objections; Young Master's decision was final.
“ ń ， wǒ men yí gè yuè hòu lí kāi ， mí xiān huí qù zhěng lǐ yī xià ， wèi zhèng xuán liú xià xiū liàn de gōng fǎ ， jì rán zuò le rén jiā shī fù ， jiù yào yǒu shǐ yǒu zhōng 。” lín xuān wēi xiào zhe shuō 。
“嗯，我们一个月后离开，弥先回去整理一下，为郑璇留下修炼的功法，既然做了人家师傅，就要有始有终。”林轩微笑着说。
Although Yue'er was already well-known, she still behaved obediently in front of Lin Xuan.
xiǎo bì zhī dào le 。”
小婢知道了。”
"Alright, we will leave in a month. I'll go back toorganize some notes for Zheng Xuan before we depart. As her master, I must fulfill my responsibilities," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
bàn gè shí chén yǐ hòu 。 yuè ér lí kāi ， chú le gōng fǎ ， tā hái xū yào zhěng lǐ yī piān bǐ jì chū lái ， bì jìng zì jǐ yào suí shào yé yì qǐ zǒu ， xuán ér yǐ hòu yǒu shén me wèn tí jiù zhǐ néng zì jǐ zhuó mó ， zuò wèi shī fù ， zhè zuì hòu yì diǎn shí jiān ， zěn me yě dé jǐn yī jìn zé 。
半个时辰以后。月儿离开，除了功法，她还需要整理一篇笔记出来，毕竟自己要随少爷一起走，璇儿以后有什么问题就只能自己琢磨，做为师傅，这最后一点时间，怎么也得尽一尽责。
The servant understood.
hái bié shuō ， bǐ qǐ dà bù fèn xiū xiān zhě ， yuè ér kě shì yào yǒu zé rèn xīn dé duō 。
还别说，比起大部分修仙者，月儿可是要有责任心得多。
Half an hour later, Yue'er left. Besides the cultivation techniques, she needed to prepare some notes as well. She would have to rely on herself after leaving, so during this last bit of time, she should at least do her duty as a master.
yǔ xiǎo yā tou fēn bié 。 lín xuān yě lái dào le chóng shì zhī zhōng 。
与小丫头分别。林轩也来到了虫室之中。
Indeed, compared to most cultivators, Yue'er was much more conscientious.
shàng cì cóng mò yuè zú de gǔ jí lǐ 。 lín xuān zhǎo dào le fāng fǎ ， zhǐ xū yòng jí pǐn jīng shí wèi yǎng ， jiù kě yǐ jiāng cǐ chóng péi yù chéng shú 。
上次从墨月族的古籍里。林轩找到了方法，只需用极品晶石喂养，就可以将此虫培育成熟。
After bidding farewell to the young servant, Lin Xuan entered the insect room.
tīng zhe sì hū yǒu jiě jué zhī dào ， rán ér què děng yú méi shuō
听着似乎有解决之道，然而却等于没说
Previously, from the ancient texts of the Mo Yue Clan, Lin Xuan found a method. By feeding with top-grade crystal stones, he could mature this insect.
jí pǐn jīng shí ， nà kě shì nì tiān zhī wù ， jiù suàn dào le shàng jiè ， yě bǎo guì wú bǐ de ， yòng xī lái sì yǎng qí chóng ， zhè bú shì kāi wán xiào me ？
极品晶石，那可是逆天之物，就算到了上界，也宝贵无比的，用牺来饲养奇虫，这不是开玩笑么？
It seemed like there was a solution, but it amounted to nothing.
lín xuān yě yǒu xiē nǎo huǒ 。 rán ér nǎo hǎi zhōng què yòu mào chū le yí gè niàn tou 。 nà gǔ jí shàng shuō ， zhī suǒ yǐ yào yòng jí pǐn jīng shí cuī shú mó chóng ， shì yīn wèi yù luó fēng xǐ huān tūn shì jīng chún líng qì ， ér qiě shì bù hán yì diǎn zá zhì dì nà zhǒng 。
林轩也有些恼火。然而脑海中却又冒出了一个念头。那古籍上说，之所以要用极品晶石催熟魔虫，是因为玉罗蜂喜欢吞噬精纯灵气，而且是不含一点杂质的那种。
Top-grade crystal stones were divine treasures, invaluable even in the higher realms. Using them to feed magical insects—wasn't that just a joke?
ér qí tā děng jiē de líng shí 。 zá zhì zé tài duō ， mó chóng tūn shì le jiù méi yǒu xiào guǒ 。
而其他等阶的灵石。杂质则太多，魔虫吞噬了就没有效果。
Lin Xuan was also frustrated. But an idea popped into his mind. The ancient texts stated that top-grade crystal stones were used to mature demonic insects because the Jade Luo Bee enjoyed devouring pure essence qi without any impurities.
lán sè xīng hǎi bù zhèng hǎo yǒu tí chún de xiào guǒ 。
蓝色星海不正好有提纯的效果。
Lower-grade spirit stones contained too many impurities, making them ineffective for maturing these insects.
yú shì zài bì yún ràng de zhè xiē nián ， lín xuān chú le xiū liàn ， xián xiá zhī yú ， yě kāi shǐ jí pǐn jīng shí tí chún de cháng shì 。
于是在碧云让的这些年，林轩除了修炼，闲暇之余，也开始极品晶石提纯的尝试。
The Blue Star Sea was perfect for purifying essence qi.
dāng rán ， tí chū lái de dōng xī ， bù néng shuō shì zhēn zhèng de jí pǐn jīng shí ， zhǐ bù guò lǐ miàn de líng qì ， yě jiào wéi chún jìng ér yǐ
当然，提出来的东西，不能说是真正的极品晶石，只不过里面的灵气，也较为纯净而已
Over the years in Azure Cloud Mountain, Lin Xuan had also experimented with purifying top-grade crystal stones during his free time.
qǐ chū ， lín xuān yòng de zhōng pǐn jīng shí 。
起初，林轩用的中品晶石。
Of course, what came out wasn't true top-grade crystal stones; only the essence within was somewhat pure.
rú jīn yǐ jìn jiē yuán yīng qī 。 tā duì lán sè xīng hǎi de yùn yòng chún shǔ wú bǐ ， kě yī lián shù rì ， lín xuān cháng shì le bù xià bǎi cì ， què quán shì shī bài de jié jú 。
如今已进阶元婴期。他对蓝色星海的运用纯属无比，可一连数日，林轩尝试了不下百次，却全是失败的结局。
Initially, he used middle-grade crystal stones. Now that he was at the Core Formation stage, his mastery of the Blue Star Sea was unparalleled. However, after countless attempts over several days, all ended in failure.
zhuī qí gēn yuán ， shì zhōng pǐn jīng shí děng jí tài dī ， xiǎng yào jiāng lǐ miàn líng qì tí chún dào jí pǐn de chéng dù ， gēn běn jiù shì chī xīn wàng xiǎng ér yǐ 。
追其根源，是中品晶石等级太低，想要将里面灵气提纯到极品的程度，根本就是痴心妄想而已。
The root cause was that middle-grade crystal stones were too low in grade; it was a futile effort to purify their essence to top-grade standards.
bù dé yǐ ， lín xuān zhǐ hǎo yǎo yá ná chū le gāo pǐn jīng shí 。
不得已，林轩只好咬牙拿出了高品晶石。
Reluctantly, Lin Xuan had to use high-grade crystal stones.
àn zhào shì jià ， yī kuài gāo pǐn jīng shí kě yǐ duì huàn yī wàn kuài pǔ tōng jīng shí 。
按照市价，一块高品晶石可以兑换一万块普通晶石。
According to the market price, one high-grade crystal stone could be exchanged for ten thousand ordinary ones.
rán ér jǐn jǐn shì lǐ lùn shàng 。 jīng shí zhōng líng qì yuè nóng ， yuè yǒu yòng chù ， shuí huì chī bǎo le fàn shǎ ， jiāng gāo pǐn jīng shí duì huàn chéng yī wàn kuài dī jiē de a 。
然而仅仅是理论上。晶石中灵气越浓，越有用处，谁会吃饱了犯傻，将高品晶石兑换成一万块低阶的啊。
But theoretically only. The more concentrated and useful the essence in the crystal stone was, the less likely someone would exchange a high-grade one for thousands of low-grade ones.
dì xià jiāo yì huì zhōng ， nǐ jiù suàn chū liǎng bèi ， sān bèi de jià gé bié rén yě bù yí dìng huì huàn 。
地下交易会中，你就算出两倍，三倍的价格别人也不一定会换。
At underground auctions, even if you offered twice or three times the price, others might not swap them.
gāo pǐn jīng shí ， suī bù néng shuō yǒu jià wú shì ， dàn yě shí fēn zhēn xī 。
高品晶石，虽不能说有价无市，但也十分珍稀。
High-grade crystal stones were rare treasures, though not entirely out of reach.
jí biàn yǐ lín xuān shēn jiā zhī fēng hòu ， hái shì gǎn jué ròu téng ， zhí de qìng xìng de shì ， zhè huí tí liàn chéng gōng 。
即便以林轩身家之丰厚，还是感觉肉疼，值得庆幸的是，这回提炼成功。
Despite his wealth, Lin Xuan still felt a pang. Fortunately, this time he succeeded in purification.
rán ér quán tou dà de yī kuài jīng zhe 。 jīng guò tí chún yǐ hòu ， què gēn zhǐ jiǎ gài de tǐ jī chà bu duō 。
然而拳头大的一块晶着。经过提纯以后，却跟指甲盖的体积差不多。
However, after refining, a fist-sized crystal stone shrank to about the size of a fingernail.
líng qì què shí hěn nóng 。 dàn zhè me xiǎo yì diǎn nǎ gòu sì yǎng mó chóng ， xiǎng yào jiāng yù 、 luó fēng cuī shú ， kǒng pà ràng zì jǐ qīng jiā dàng chǎn yě bù gòu 。
灵气确实很浓。但这么小一点哪够饲养魔虫，想要将玉、罗蜂催熟，恐怕让自己倾家荡产也不够。
While the essence was indeed concentrated, it was far too small for feeding a demon insect like the Jade Luo Bee. Even if he spent his entire fortune, it might not be enough.
fàng qì yòu jué de bù shě 。 lín xuān xiàn rù le liǎng nán de jué zé 。
放弃又觉得不舍。林轩陷入了两难的抉择。
Giving up felt unsatisfactory, leaving him in a dilemma.
jīng guò yī fān sī liáng zhī hòu 。 lín xuān zhōng yú zuò chū le yí gè wú nài de xuǎn zé 。
经过一番思量之后。林轩终于做出了一个无奈的选择。
After much consideration, Lin Xuan finally made an inevitable choice: mature one Jade Luo Bee first to test its full potential and see if it was worth the effort.
xiān jiāng yī zhī yù luó fēng cuī shú ， shì shì zhè zhǒng mó chóng chéng shú tǐ de wēi lì jiū jìng rú hé ， gòu bù gòu zì jǐ huā fèi ruò dà gōng fu 。
先将一只玉罗蜂催熟，试试这种魔虫成熟体的威力究竟如何，够不够自己花费偌大功夫。
If satisfactory, he would look for other methods; otherwise, he would abandon the idea.
rú guǒ mǎn yì de huà ， jiù zài qù xún zhǎo bié de sì yǎng fāng fǎ ， rú guǒ jǐn jǐn yì bān ， nà jiù fàng qì hǎo le 。
如果满意的话，就再去寻找别的饲养方法，如果仅仅一般，那就放弃好了。
Originally, ten years wouldn't be enough, but with a single demon bee, he could use many crystal stones to accelerate its maturation. Now that they were leaving, it was time to see the results.
Chuan said that Yue Xian had also arrived. The cultivators present focused their divine sense to gather the spoils, and about a hundred feet away from them, a beautiful maiden was floating in mid-air.
"Yue Xian, what's going on?" asked the refined man with a frown, showing some concern.
"It's nothing, Young Master is currently practicing some secret technique. You don't need to stay here; just go about your business," Yue'er said, keeping the secret of Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens to herself.
"Yes."
The refined man was still uncertain but did not dare to pry further as he saw Yue'er's displeased expression. In the cultivation world, strength reigned supreme, and with Yue'er's formidable power, she had already gained a reputation in Youzhou over the years. Many people knew of a beautiful young girl named Ying Ling who was said to be the first cultivator at the Core Formation stage, earning her the title of Yue Xian.
The refined man, as head of his sect and an astute figure, noticed that Yue'er had given them an implicit dismissal. There must be some hidden matter involved, so he subtly gestured to his fellow disciples who dispersed, each using their own abilities to depart for distant places.
"Xuan'er, let's go."
"Master." Zheng Xuan was taken aback and showed reluctance on her face.
"Why not listen to your master?" Yue'er, though she often pampered the girl, could be stern when necessary.
"I dare not."
Seeing Master truly angry, Zheng Xuan quickly bowed gracefully. She then glanced at the raging demon wind before transforming into a dazzling light that soared towards the sky.
Boom!
Lightning split the heavens, and the continuous thundering echoed in their ears as the sky grew darker.
Dark clouds gathered like ink, and rain began to fall. Initially gentle, it soon turned into a heavy downpour. Yue'er's expression darkened further.
Young Master seems to be having an extremely difficult time forming his demon core this time around.
After a while, the rain inexplicably stopped, the clouds dissipated, and the sun reappeared with a smile.
In their cave dwelling, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged and slowly opened his eyes. He raised his right hand, and a layer of purplish-red glow appeared on his skin, looking extremely strange.
Lin Xuan sighed. After circulating his essence force within his body, that purplish-red glow vanished completely.
Just one step short, but in the end, he still failed to form a demon core.
Disappointment showed on Lin Xuan's face, but he quickly regained composure. The path of immortality was fraught with difficulties; failing once wasn't a big deal. After ten years of consuming Toxin Dragon Tea, its medicinal power had weakened significantly. He would have to seek out other spirit herbs in the future.
Scanning his surroundings, Yue'er smiled slightly: "Silly girl, why stand outside? Come inside!"
Hearing Young Master's call, Yue'er hesitated not and transformed into a dazzling light that flew inside.
Seeing Lin Xuan sitting cross-legged, Yue'er gently walked over. "Young Master, really?"
"It's nothing; just forming a demon core. I'll definitely succeed next time," Lin Xuan said with a calm smile. "But we've been in Azure Cloud Mountain for ten years and should leave."
"Are you leaving now?"
"Yes, my cultivation has hit a bottleneck here. Staying won't help. The cultivation world of Youzhou is still too desolate. We naturally need to venture out."
"Oh, where are you planning to go?"
"We don't need to say it; we'll head for the place where the winds and clouds meet. How about Yunzhou?"
The servant had no objections; Young Master's decision was final.
Although Yue'er was already well-known, she still behaved obediently in front of Lin Xuan.
"Alright, we will leave in a month. I'll go back toorganize some notes for Zheng Xuan before we depart. As her master, I must fulfill my responsibilities," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
The servant understood.
Half an hour later, Yue'er left. Besides the cultivation techniques, she needed to prepare some notes as well. She would have to rely on herself after leaving, so during this last bit of time, she should at least do her duty as a master.
Indeed, compared to most cultivators, Yue'er was much more conscientious.
After bidding farewell to the young servant, Lin Xuan entered the insect room.
Previously, from the ancient texts of the Mo Yue Clan, Lin Xuan found a method. By feeding with top-grade crystal stones, he could mature this insect.
It seemed like there was a solution, but it amounted to nothing.
Top-grade crystal stones were divine treasures, invaluable even in the higher realms. Using them to feed magical insects—wasn't that just a joke?
Lin Xuan was also frustrated. But an idea popped into his mind. The ancient texts stated that top-grade crystal stones were used to mature demonic insects because the Jade Luo Bee enjoyed devouring pure essence qi without any impurities.
Lower-grade spirit stones contained too many impurities, making them ineffective for maturing these insects.
The Blue Star Sea was perfect for purifying essence qi.
Over the years in Azure Cloud Mountain, Lin Xuan had also experimented with purifying top-grade crystal stones during his free time.
Of course, what came out wasn't true top-grade crystal stones; only the essence within was somewhat pure.
Initially, he used middle-grade crystal stones. Now that he was at the Core Formation stage, his mastery of the Blue Star Sea was unparalleled. However, after countless attempts over several days, all ended in failure.
The root cause was that middle-grade crystal stones were too low in grade; it was a futile effort to purify their essence to top-grade standards.
Reluctantly, Lin Xuan had to use high-grade crystal stones.
According to the market price, one high-grade crystal stone could be exchanged for ten thousand ordinary ones.
But theoretically only. The more concentrated and useful the essence in the crystal stone was, the less likely someone would exchange a high-grade one for thousands of low-grade ones.
At underground auctions, even if you offered twice or three times the price, others might not swap them.
High-grade crystal stones were rare treasures, though not entirely out of reach.
Despite his wealth, Lin Xuan still felt a pang. Fortunately, this time he succeeded in purification.
However, after refining, a fist-sized crystal stone shrank to about the size of a fingernail.
While the essence was indeed concentrated, it was far too small for feeding a demon insect like the Jade Luo Bee. Even if he spent his entire fortune, it might not be enough.
Giving up felt unsatisfactory, leaving him in a dilemma.
After much consideration, Lin Xuan finally made an inevitable choice: mature one Jade Luo Bee first to test its full potential and see if it was worth the effort.
If satisfactory, he would look for other methods; otherwise, he would abandon the idea.
Originally, ten years wouldn't be enough, but with a single demon bee, he could use many crystal stones to accelerate its maturation. Now that they were leaving, it was time to see the results.