èr shī xiōng líng xiào de liǎn pí kě shì hòu de hěn 。
二师兄陵笑的脸皮可是厚的很。
Second Senior Brother Ling Xiao had a thick skin.
gàn huài shì bèi xiǎo shī dì dǎi le gè zhèng zhe ， què jū rán háo wú yì sè 。
干坏事被小师弟逮了个正着，却居然毫无异色。
Having done something bad and being caught by Little Junior Brother, he still showed no signs of surprise. Instead, he wiggled his eyebrows and asked Li Fan if he wanted to try it out as well. Before Li Fan could reply, the eldest senior brother's sword arrived instantly.
shèn zhì hái jǐ méi nòng yǎn ， wèn lǐ fán yào bù yào shì yī shì 。
甚至还挤眉弄眼，问李凡要不要试一试。
The killing intent spread everywhere, scaring the misbehaving cats into fleeing in all directions.
lǐ fán hái méi lái de jí huí dá ， dà shī xiōng de jiàn jiù qǐng kè ér zhì 。
李凡还没来得及回答，大师兄的剑就顷刻而至。
Second Senior Brother Ling Xiao awkwardly smiled, put away his pen, and quickly escaped the cave dwelling, seeking new toys to play with.
shā qì sì yì ， jiāng yī qún zuò luàn de māo māo xià de sì chù táo cuàn 。
杀气四溢，将一群作乱的猫猫吓的四处逃窜。
"Little Junior Brother, you mustn't learn from your second senior brother."
èr shī xiōng gān gà de xiào le yī xiào ， shōu qǐ le zì jǐ de bǐ ， huī liū liū de táo chū dòng fǔ ， qù xún zhǎo xīn de tǐ yàn wán jù le 。
二师兄尴尬的笑了一笑，收起了自己的笔，灰溜溜的逃出洞府，去寻找新的体验玩具了。
"The transformed creatures should be something respectable."
“ xiǎo shī dì ， nǐ kě qiān wàn bú yào xué nǐ èr shī xiōng 。”
“小师弟，你可千万不要学你二师兄。”
Star Xingyu gave a serious reminder. Li Fan nodded in agreement.
“ huà shēn wù yí dìng yào xuǎn zé zhèng jīng diǎn de 。”
“化身物一定要选择正经点的。”
...
sī xīng yǔ zhòng xīn cháng de zhǔ fù dào 。
司星语重心长的嘱咐道。
Such amusing little incidents occurred frequently.
lǐ fán lián lián diǎn tóu chēng shì 。
李凡连连点头称是。
Overall, the atmosphere within the sect was quite harmonious and friendly.
……
……
Li Fan continued to strengthen his body while practicing [Body Transformation into Freedom], as he had done for six years since entering the simulated world.
zhū rú cǐ lèi yǒu qù de xiǎo chā qǔ hái yǒu hěn duō 。
诸如此类有趣的小插曲还有很多。
From afar on the horizon, a series of urgent and captivating bells echoed through the air. The sound caused Li Fan's blood to surge, filling him with an indescribable fear.
zǒng de lái shuō ， shēn huà dào mén pài nèi de qì fēn ， hái shì hěn hé xié yǒu ài de 。
总的来说，身化道门派内的气氛，还是很和谐友爱的。
The other senior brothers who were busy with their tasks were also woken up by this.
lǐ fán jiù zài zhè yàng de fēn wéi zhōng ， yī biān bù duàn jī fā zì shēn tǐ nèi mì cáng ， zhuàng dà chán ruò de shēn tǐ 。
李凡就在这样的氛围中，一边不断激发自身体内密藏，壮大孱弱的身体。
"This bell... is it the Zha Immortal Bell?!"
yī biān xiū xíng 【 shēn huà tā zì zài 】。
一边修行【身化他自在】。
Several senior brothers arrived and showed signs of shock.
zài lǐ fán fù shēn jìn rù nǐ huà shì jiè hòu de dì liù nián 。
在李凡附身进入拟化世界后的第六年。
"The last time the Zha Immortal Bell rang was when the immortal cultivators collectively rebelled, right?"
yáo yuǎn de tiān biān ， chuán lái le yī lián chuàn jí cù ér yǒu shè rén xīn pò de zhōng shēng 。
遥远的天边，传来了一连串急促而有摄人心魄的钟声。
"Correct. At that time, the Ten Great Immortal Sects issued a warrant for any captured rebels. Anyone who caught one could receive a [Thousand Years' Pearl], adding several hundred years of lifespan."
zhōng shēng rù ěr ， lǐ fán dùn jué quán shēn qì xuè fān yǒng ， xīn tóu zhǐ bú zhù de jīng jù 。
钟声入耳，李凡顿觉全身气血翻涌，心头止不住的惊惧。
"The temptation to live an extra century is too great for most cultivators to resist. They fought fiercely over these rebel immortal cultivators, causing quite a commotion."
ér gè gàn gè shì de jǐ wèi shī xiōng men ， yě quán dōu bèi jīng xǐng le 。
而各干个事的几位师兄们，也全都被惊醒了。
"Who knows what's happening in the world of cultivation this time?"
“ zhè zhōng shēng …… shì zhā xiān zhōng ？！”
“这钟声……是吒仙钟？！”
The senior brothers exchanged their thoughts.
wén shēng ér lái de jǐ wèi shī xiōng fēn fēn miàn lù jīng hài zhī sè 。
闻声而来的几位师兄纷纷面露惊骇之色。
Li Fan listened silently and took advantage of the pause to ask with curiosity: "Senior Brother Senior Brother, what are immortal cultivators? And what is this Thousand Years' Pearl?"
“ zhā xiān zhōng shàng yī cì xiǎng ， wǒ jì de hái shì yīn wèi bèi xiān zōng quān yǎng de cháng shēng zhǒng men ， jí tǐ pàn táo ba ？”
“吒仙钟上一次响，我记得还是因为被仙宗圈养的长生种们，集体叛逃吧？”
This time, they didn't avoid answering as usual.
“ méi cuò 。 dāng shí shí dà xiān zōng fā bù le zhuī jī lìng ， dàn fán zhuō ná rèn yī táo cuàn de cháng shēng zhǒng ， jiù néng dé cì 【 bǎi shòu zhū 】， píng tiān jǐ shí shàng bǎi nián shòu yuán 。”
“没错。当时十大仙宗发布了追缉令，但凡捉拿任一逃窜的长生种，就能得赐【百寿珠】，平添几十上百年寿元。”
Second Senior Brother Ling Xiao sighed, filled with envy. "Little Junior Brother, you should know that heaven never plays fair."
“ duō huó bǎi nián de yòu huò ， méi yǒu duō shǎo xiū shì néng gòu dǐ dǎng 。 wèi le zhēng duó zhè xiē pàn táo cháng shēng zhǒng de rén tóu ， dāng shí xiū shì men kě shì hù xiāng shā hóng le yǎn ， xiān qǐ le hǎo dà yī zhèn xīng fēng xuè yǔ 。”
“多活百年的诱惑，没有多少修士能够抵挡。为了争夺这些叛逃长生种的人头，当时修士们可是互相杀红了眼，掀起了好大一阵腥风血雨。”
"Ordinary humans can be considered long-lived if they live for a century."
“ bù zhī dào zhè cì ， xiū xiān jiè yòu fā shēng le shén me dà shì 。”
“不知道这次，修仙界又发生了什么大事。”
"Even cultivators cannot surpass thousands of years in lifespan without reaching the Immortal Realm."
shī xiōng jǐ gè hù xiāng gǎn kǎi jiāo tán dào 。
师兄几个互相感慨交谈道。
Ling Xiao paused and said softly: "But there are some creatures on this world that naturally possess an extremely long lifespan. Even their ordinary members, with no powerful cultivation, can easily live for one or two millennia."
lǐ fán zài yī páng mò mò tīng zhe ， zhuā zhù tā men huà tí tíng dùn de gōng fu ， bǎi chū shí fēn yī fù hào qí de miàn páng ：“ shī xiōng shī xiōng ， cháng shēng zhǒng shì shén me ？ bǎi shòu zhū yòu shì shá ？”
李凡在一旁默默听着，抓住他们话题停顿的功夫，摆出十分一副好奇的面庞：“师兄师兄，长生种是什么？百寿珠又是啥？”
"For short-lived humans, how unfair!"
zhè cì shī xiōng men dào méi yǒu xiàng wǎng cháng bèi tí wèn yì bān ， bì ér bù dá 。
这次师兄们倒没有像往常被提问一般，避而不答。
"Immortal cultivators..." Li Fan's mind raced.
èr shī xiōng líng xiào tàn le kǒu qì ， yǎn zhōng mǎn shì xiàn mù de dào ：“ xiǎo shī dì ， nǐ yào zhī dào ， lǎo tiān yé cóng lái dōu bú shì gōng píng de 。”
二师兄陵笑叹了口气，眼中满是羡慕的道：“小师弟，你要知道，老天爷从来都不是公平的。”
Before his last life, he had read about similar immortal cultivator concepts in various strange tales.
“ pǔ tōng rén lèi ， néng huó shàng bǎi zài ， jiù néng chēng de shàng cháng shòu le 。”
“普通人类，能活上百载，就能称得上长寿了。”
But in the real world of cultivation, there was never any mention of immortal cultivators.
“ jiù suàn chéng wéi xiū xiān zhě ， bú dào cháng shēng jìng ， shòu shù qiān zài ， jiù shì jí xiàn 。”
“就算成为修仙者，不到长生境，寿数千载，就是极限。”
Much less seeing a living one with his own eyes.
líng xiào dùn le dùn ， yǔ qì yōu yōu dào ：“ ér rán ， zài zhè shì jiè shàng ， yǒu yī xiē shēng wù ， tā men tiān shēng jiù yōng yǒu jí wéi màn cháng de shòu mìng 。 jiù suàn bù zú zhōng de pǔ tōng chéng yuán ， méi yǒu shén me qiáng dà de xiū wèi ， yě néng qīng qīng sōng sōng ， huó shàng gè yī liǎng qiān nián 。”
陵笑顿了顿，语气幽幽道：“而然，在这世界上，有一些生物，它们天生就拥有极为漫长的寿命。就算部族中的普通成员，没有什么强大的修为，也能轻轻松松，活上个一两千年。”
"Senior Brother, what do these immortal cultivators look like? Are they like the monsters from legends?" Li Fan asked earnestly, looking at Ling Xiao.
“ duì yú duǎn zàn shòu mìng de rén lèi lái shuō ， zhè hé qí bù gōng ！”
“对于短暂寿命的人类来说，这何其不公！”
Ling Xiao patted Little Junior Brother's head and explained: "Haha, there are many. Some resemble strange beasts but can speak human language."
“ cháng shēng zhǒng ……” lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī dòng 。
“长生种……”李凡心中一动。
"Some are plant spirits."
tā chuān yuè zhī qián ， zài gè zhǒng zhì yì zhōng ， dōu céng kàn guò lèi sì yú cháng shēng zhǒng de shè dìng 。
他穿越之前，在各种志异中，都曾看过类似于长生种的设定。
"Others look almost human, with all members of their group being exceptionally beautiful..."
dàn shì zài xiàn shí xiū xiān jiè zhōng ， què cóng lái méi yǒu jiàn dào guò yǒu guān cháng shēng zhǒng de xìn xī 。
但是在现实修仙界中，却从来没有见到过有关长生种的信息。
"Oh right, I once wrote a book called 'Wind and Moon Tales,' about the immortal cultivators from a distant continent. Let me see if I still have it..."
gèng bù yòng tí qīn yǎn jiàn dào huó shēng shēng de cháng shēng zhǒng le 。
更不用提亲眼见到活生生的长生种了。
Ling Xiao suddenly got excited as he changed the topic.
“ shī xiōng ， zhè xiē cháng shēng zhǒng dōu zhǎng shá yàng a ？ shì gēn chuán shuō zhōng de yāo guài chà bu duō me ？” lǐ fán yòng tiān zhēn de yǎn shén kàn zhe líng xiào ， dà shēng wèn dào 。
“师兄，这些长生种都长啥样啊？是跟传说中的妖怪差不多么？”李凡用天真的眼神看着陵笑，大声问道。
Before he could finish, Eldest Senior Brother appeared behind him with a stern expression.
líng xiào mō le mō xiǎo shī dì de tóu ， wèi lǐ fán jiě shì qǐ lái ：“ hē hē ， zhè kě duō le 。 yǒu de xíng rú yì shòu ， dàn tōng rén yán 。”
陵笑摸了摸小师弟的头，为李凡解释起来：“呵呵，这可多了。有的形如异兽，但通人言。”
Second Senior Brother Ling Xiao awkwardly ended the inappropriate conversation and returned to the main topic.
“ yǒu de shì cǎo mù jīng guài 。”
“有的是草木精怪。”
"Um, what were we talking about? Right, immortal cultivators..."
“ yǒu de zhǎng de hé rén shén sì ， ér qiě qún luò chéng yuán dōu jí qí jùn měi ……”
“有的长的和人神似，而且群落成员都极其俊美……”
"There is one special type of immortal cultivator who looks almost identical to ordinary humans. They are essentially human."
“ duì le ， shī xiōng wǒ céng xiě zuò guò yī běn 《 fēng yuè wù yǔ 》， zhǔ jué jiù shì yáo yuǎn dà lù shàng de cháng shēng zhǒng men 。 děng xià wǒ zhǎo zhǎo hái yǒu méi yǒu shèng xià ……”
“对了，师兄我曾写作过一本《风月物语》，主角就是遥远大陆上的长生种们。等下我找找还有没有剩下……”
"The only difference is their extraordinary longevity that surpasses common mortals."
líng xiào huà tí tū biàn ， liǎn shàng bù yóu dì xīng fèn qǐ lái 。
陵笑话题突变，脸上不由地兴奋起来。
"They live among people, carefully keeping a low profile. Every so often, they change identities and lifestyles to avoid being discovered."
hái méi shuō wán ， dà shī xiōng liǎn sè yī hēi ， chū xiàn zài tā shēn hòu 。
还没说完，大师兄脸色一黑，出现在他身后。
Li Fan immediately asked: "They're afraid of being found? Is it related to the Thousand Years' Pearl?"
èr shī xiōng bù dé bù shàn shàn dì zhōng zhǐ le shào ér bù yí de huà tí ， zhòng guī zhèng guǐ 。
二师兄不得不讪讪地终止了少儿不宜的话题，重归正轨。
Ling Xiao said seriously: "Little Junior Brother, imagine this. You can only live for a century before you become old. But others who are hundreds or even thousands of years old still look young. Wouldn't that be unfair and infuriating?"
“ é ， gāng gāng shuō shá lái zhe de 。 duì le ， cháng shēng zhǒng ……”
“额，刚刚说啥来着的。对了，长生种……”
Li Fan nodded vigorously. "Too infuriating! Too unfair!"
“ yǒu yī lèi tè shū de cháng shēng zhǒng ， tā men hé pǔ tōng rén lèi jī hū yī mú yī yàng 。 huò zhě shuō ， tā men jiù shì rén lèi 。”
“有一类特殊的长生种，他们和普通人类几乎一模一样。或者说，他们就是人类。”
"Yes, normal people cannot endure such disparity. As I mentioned earlier, some immortal cultivators have no powerful cultivation."
“ wéi yī tè shū de dì fāng ， jiù shì tā men yōng yǒu cháng rén nán yǐ qǐ jí de yōu cháng shòu mìng 。”
“唯一特殊的地方，就是他们拥有常人难以企及的悠长寿命。”
"Hmph, as the saying goes, those with a treasure to hide will bring trouble upon themselves. Those cultivators at the Transcendence and Unity Realm who can't hope for immortality would naturally envy these immortal cultivators."
“ zhè xiē rén jiù qián fú zài rén qún zhōng ， xiǎo xīn yì yì de shēng huó zhe 。 měi guò yī duàn shí jiān ， jiù yào gǎi tóu huàn miàn ， huàn gè shēn fèn ， chóng xīn shēng huó ， bì miǎn bèi rén fā xiàn 。”
“这些人就潜伏在人群中，小心翼翼的生活着。每过一段时间，就要改头换面，换个身份，重新生活，避免被人发现。”
Ling Xiao lowered his voice: "The great sects possess a secret technique called [Metamorphosis of Essence], which allows them to extract life essence from living beings, using it for their own purposes."
lǐ fán dāng jí wèn dào ：“ pà bèi bié rén fā xiàn ？ zhè shì wèi shén me ？ gēn nà wàn shòu zhū yǒu guān xì ma ？”
李凡当即问道：“怕被别人发现？这是为什么？跟那万寿珠有关系嘛？”
"Among all the extracted essences, those from immortal cultivators are the purest."
líng xiào yán sù dào ：“ xiǎo shī dì ， nǐ xiǎng xiàng 。 nǐ zhǐ néng huó gè bǎi lái suì ， jiù yǐ jīng chuí chuí lǎo yǐ 。 ér bié rén jǐ bǎi suì nǎi zhì shàng qiān suì de shí hòu ， dōu yī rán qīng chūn rú chū 。 nǐ huì bú huì jué de hěn bù gōng píng ， hěn shēng qì 。”
陵笑严肃道：“小师弟，你想象。你只能活个百来岁，就已经垂垂老矣。而别人几百岁乃至上千岁的时候，都依然青春如初。你会不会觉得很不公平，很生气。”
"Over thousands of years of extraction from ordinary people, only a few Life Fruits can be condensed, adding just over a century of lifespan."
lǐ fán chóng chóng de diǎn tóu dào ：“ tài kě qì le ！ tài bù gōng píng le ！”
李凡重重的点头道：“太可气了！太不公平了！”
"But one immortal cultivator's essence can refine hundreds or even dozens of [Life Pearls]."
“ shì a ， zhèng cháng rén dōu nán yǐ rěn shòu zhè zhǒng chà jù 。 qián miàn shuō guò ， yǒu yī bù fèn cháng shēng zhǒng ， shì méi yǒu shén me qiáng dà xiū wèi de 。”
“是啊，正常人都难以忍受这种差距。前面说过，有一部分长生种，是没有什么强大修为的。”
Ling Xiao's eyes gleamed with greed. "The higher the cultivation level of an immortal cultivator, the better quality the extracted [Life Pearls] will be."
“ hēng ， zhèng suǒ wèi huái bì qí zuì 。 nà xiē huà shén 、 hé dào qī xiū wèi ， dàn shì què cháng shēng wú wàng de xiū shì ， yòu zěn me kě néng bù yǎn hóng zhè xiē cháng shēng zhǒng 。”
“哼，正所谓怀璧其罪。那些化神、合道期修为，但是却长生无望的修士，又怎么可能不眼红这些长生种。”
"I once had the chance to participate in capturing an immortal cultivator and received a Thousand Years' Pearl. After swallowing it, I felt like I was back in my youth."
líng xiào yā dī le shēng yīn ：“ nà xiē xiān mén dà zōng ， zhǎng wò zhe yī zhǒng 【 huà yuán zhuǎn shēng 】 de mì fǎ ， néng gòu chōu qǔ shēng líng shòu yuán ， jiā yǐ lì yòng 。”
陵笑压低了声音：“那些仙门大宗，掌握着一种【化元转生】的秘法，能够抽取生灵寿元，加以利用。”
"That feeling..."
“ ér yòu yǐ yòng cháng shēng zhǒng chōu qǔ de shòu yuán ， zuì wèi chún cuì 。”
“而又以用长生种抽取的寿元，最为纯粹。”
Ling Xiao licked his lips, reminiscing.
“ shù wàn fán rén ， jīng nián lěi yuè de chōu qǔ ， bù guò zhǐ néng níng jié jǐ méi shòu guǒ 。 zēng tiān bǎi duō nián shòu mìng 。”
“数万凡人，经年累月的抽取，不过只能凝结几枚寿果。增添百多年寿命。”
"Even the Thousand Years' Pearl is such a sensation; imagine how delicious the legendary Ten Thousand Years' Pearl or even Hundred Thousand Years' Pearl must be."
“ dàn yī wèi cháng shēng zhǒng tí gōng de shòu yuán ， jiù néng tí liàn chū jǐ shí shàng bǎi méi 【 shòu zhū 】。”
“但一位长生种提供的寿元，就能提炼出几十上百枚【寿珠】。”
At this moment, usually quiet Third Senior Brother suddenly spoke up: "Xiao Xiang, with your cultivation level, you might just end up having your lifespan extracted again if you accidentally swallowed a Ten Thousand Years' Pearl."
líng xiào de yǎn zhōng yě bù yóu dì lù chū yī sī tān lán zhī sè ：“ cháng shēng zhǒng de xiū wèi yuè gāo ， tí liàn de 【 shòu zhū 】 pǐn zhì yě jiù yuè gāo 。”
陵笑的眼中也不由地露出一丝贪婪之色：“长生种的修为越高，提炼的【寿珠】品质也就越高。”
Ling Xiao glared at Lin and said unhappily: "Xiao Xiang? Can you call me that? Old Three, you're getting more disrespectful by the day."
“ dāng nián shī xiōng wǒ céng jīng yǒu xìng cān yù guò yī cì zhǎng shēng zhǒng de zhuī bǔ ， fēn de yī kē 【 bǎi shòu zhū 】。 tūn fú zhī hòu ， dùn jué piāo piāo yù xiān ， fǎng fú zhòng huí zuì shào nián zhī shí 。”
“当年师兄我曾经有幸参与过一次长生种的追捕，分得一颗【百寿珠】。吞服之后，顿觉飘飘欲仙，仿佛重回最少年之时。”
Third Senior Brother crossed his arms and looked at Ling Xiao with interest. "So, are you going to challenge me?"
“ nà gǎn jué ……”
“那感觉……”
Ling Xiao was not intimidated in the least: "It seems I haven't shown my true strength for a long time, leading you to think otherwise."
líng xiào zá ba zá ba zuǐ ， huí wèi dào 。
陵笑砸吧砸吧嘴，回味道。
"Today, I will fully demonstrate the authority of a senior brother!"
“【 bǎi shòu zhū 】 shàng qiě rú cǐ ， zhēn bù zhī nà chuán shuō zhōng de 【 qiān shòu zhū 】、 shèn zhì 【 wàn shòu zhū 】， yòu jiū jìng shì hé zī wèi 。”
“【百寿珠】尚且如此，真不知那传说中的【千寿珠】、甚至【万寿珠】，又究竟是何滋味。”
With that, they began fighting.
zhè shí hòu ， xiàng lái chén mò guǎ yán de sān shī xiōng què shì tū rán chū shēng dào ：“ xiào xiào ， yǐ nǐ de xiū wèi ， kǒng pà jiǎo xìng tūn le qiān shòu zhū ， yě zhǐ bù guò shì bèi rén chóng xīn chōu qǔ shòu yuán de mìng yùn bà le 。”
这时候，向来沉默寡言的三师兄却是突然出声道：“笑笑，以你的修为，恐怕侥幸吞了千寿珠，也只不过是被人重新抽取寿元的命运罢了。”
Eldest Senior Brother stood by with a smile, watching them.
líng xiào xìng xìng dì kàn le yǎn lián cháng ：“ xiào xiào ？ zhè shì nǐ néng hǎn de ma ？ lǎo sān ， nǐ zhēn shì yuè lái yuè méi dà méi xiǎo le 。”
陵笑悻悻地看了眼连常：“笑笑？这是你能喊的嘛？老三，你真是越来越没大没小了。”
How harmonious and warm this scene was!
sān shī xiōng shuāng shǒu huán bào ， ráo yǒu xìng qù de kàn zhe líng xiào ：“ zěn me ， nǐ yào gēn wǒ bǐ huà bǐ huà ？”
三师兄双手环抱，饶有兴趣的看着陵笑：“怎么，你要跟我比划比划？”
But soon, the storm of war would tear it all apart.
Second Senior Brother Ling Xiao had a thick skin.
Having done something bad and being caught by Little Junior Brother, he still showed no signs of surprise. Instead, he wiggled his eyebrows and asked Li Fan if he wanted to try it out as well. Before Li Fan could reply, the eldest senior brother's sword arrived instantly.
The killing intent spread everywhere, scaring the misbehaving cats into fleeing in all directions.
Second Senior Brother Ling Xiao awkwardly smiled, put away his pen, and quickly escaped the cave dwelling, seeking new toys to play with.
"Little Junior Brother, you mustn't learn from your second senior brother."
"The transformed creatures should be something respectable."
Star Xingyu gave a serious reminder. Li Fan nodded in agreement.
...
Such amusing little incidents occurred frequently.
Overall, the atmosphere within the sect was quite harmonious and friendly.
Li Fan continued to strengthen his body while practicing [Body Transformation into Freedom], as he had done for six years since entering the simulated world.
From afar on the horizon, a series of urgent and captivating bells echoed through the air. The sound caused Li Fan's blood to surge, filling him with an indescribable fear.
The other senior brothers who were busy with their tasks were also woken up by this.
"This bell... is it the Zha Immortal Bell?!"
Several senior brothers arrived and showed signs of shock.
"The last time the Zha Immortal Bell rang was when the immortal cultivators collectively rebelled, right?"
"Correct. At that time, the Ten Great Immortal Sects issued a warrant for any captured rebels. Anyone who caught one could receive a [Thousand Years' Pearl], adding several hundred years of lifespan."
"The temptation to live an extra century is too great for most cultivators to resist. They fought fiercely over these rebel immortal cultivators, causing quite a commotion."
"Who knows what's happening in the world of cultivation this time?"
The senior brothers exchanged their thoughts.
Li Fan listened silently and took advantage of the pause to ask with curiosity: "Senior Brother Senior Brother, what are immortal cultivators? And what is this Thousand Years' Pearl?"
This time, they didn't avoid answering as usual.
Second Senior Brother Ling Xiao sighed, filled with envy. "Little Junior Brother, you should know that heaven never plays fair."
"Ordinary humans can be considered long-lived if they live for a century."
"Even cultivators cannot surpass thousands of years in lifespan without reaching the Immortal Realm."
Ling Xiao paused and said softly: "But there are some creatures on this world that naturally possess an extremely long lifespan. Even their ordinary members, with no powerful cultivation, can easily live for one or two millennia."
"For short-lived humans, how unfair!"
"Immortal cultivators..." Li Fan's mind raced.
Before his last life, he had read about similar immortal cultivator concepts in various strange tales.
But in the real world of cultivation, there was never any mention of immortal cultivators.
Much less seeing a living one with his own eyes.
"Senior Brother, what do these immortal cultivators look like? Are they like the monsters from legends?" Li Fan asked earnestly, looking at Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao patted Little Junior Brother's head and explained: "Haha, there are many. Some resemble strange beasts but can speak human language."
"Some are plant spirits."
"Others look almost human, with all members of their group being exceptionally beautiful..."
"Oh right, I once wrote a book called 'Wind and Moon Tales,' about the immortal cultivators from a distant continent. Let me see if I still have it..."
Ling Xiao suddenly got excited as he changed the topic.
Before he could finish, Eldest Senior Brother appeared behind him with a stern expression.
Second Senior Brother Ling Xiao awkwardly ended the inappropriate conversation and returned to the main topic.
"Um, what were we talking about? Right, immortal cultivators..."
"There is one special type of immortal cultivator who looks almost identical to ordinary humans. They are essentially human."
"The only difference is their extraordinary longevity that surpasses common mortals."
"They live among people, carefully keeping a low profile. Every so often, they change identities and lifestyles to avoid being discovered."
Li Fan immediately asked: "They're afraid of being found? Is it related to the Thousand Years' Pearl?"
Ling Xiao said seriously: "Little Junior Brother, imagine this. You can only live for a century before you become old. But others who are hundreds or even thousands of years old still look young. Wouldn't that be unfair and infuriating?"
Li Fan nodded vigorously. "Too infuriating! Too unfair!"
"Yes, normal people cannot endure such disparity. As I mentioned earlier, some immortal cultivators have no powerful cultivation."
"Hmph, as the saying goes, those with a treasure to hide will bring trouble upon themselves. Those cultivators at the Transcendence and Unity Realm who can't hope for immortality would naturally envy these immortal cultivators."
Ling Xiao lowered his voice: "The great sects possess a secret technique called [Metamorphosis of Essence], which allows them to extract life essence from living beings, using it for their own purposes."
"Among all the extracted essences, those from immortal cultivators are the purest."
"Over thousands of years of extraction from ordinary people, only a few Life Fruits can be condensed, adding just over a century of lifespan."
"But one immortal cultivator's essence can refine hundreds or even dozens of [Life Pearls]."
Ling Xiao's eyes gleamed with greed. "The higher the cultivation level of an immortal cultivator, the better quality the extracted [Life Pearls] will be."
"I once had the chance to participate in capturing an immortal cultivator and received a Thousand Years' Pearl. After swallowing it, I felt like I was back in my youth."
"That feeling..."
Ling Xiao licked his lips, reminiscing.
"Even the Thousand Years' Pearl is such a sensation; imagine how delicious the legendary Ten Thousand Years' Pearl or even Hundred Thousand Years' Pearl must be."
At this moment, usually quiet Third Senior Brother suddenly spoke up: "Xiao Xiang, with your cultivation level, you might just end up having your lifespan extracted again if you accidentally swallowed a Ten Thousand Years' Pearl."
Ling Xiao glared at Lin and said unhappily: "Xiao Xiang? Can you call me that? Old Three, you're getting more disrespectful by the day."
Third Senior Brother crossed his arms and looked at Ling Xiao with interest. "So, are you going to challenge me?"
Ling Xiao was not intimidated in the least: "It seems I haven't shown my true strength for a long time, leading you to think otherwise."
"Today, I will fully demonstrate the authority of a senior brother!"
With that, they began fighting.
Eldest Senior Brother stood by with a smile, watching them.
How harmonious and warm this scene was!
But soon, the storm of war would tear it all apart.