niàn jí cǐ chù ， yán fāng zhōu xīn zhōng lěng hēng yī shēng 。
念及此处，阎方洲心中冷哼一声。
Thinking about this, Yan Fangzhou let out a cold snort.
“ bì jìng wǒ de wò dǐ shēn fèn nǎi shì jué mì ， zhǐ yǒu zūn zhě zhī xiǎo 。”
“毕竟我的卧底身份乃是绝密，只有尊者知晓。”
"Ultimately, my undercover identity is top secret. Only the High Sage knows."
yán fāng zhōu bù miǎn yǒu xiē dé yì ， liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī xiào róng ， yíng xiàng le shāng tiān cì 。
阎方洲不免有些得意，脸上露出一丝笑容，迎向了商天赐。
Yan Fangzhou felt a bit smug and smiled as he met Tian赐's gaze.
shāng tiān cì jǐn jǐn zhuā zhù yán fāng zhōu de shuāng shǒu ， shàng xià dǎ liàng 。 tóng shí zuǐ lǐ bù duàn niàn dāo zhe ：“ méi shì jiù hǎo ， méi shì jiù hǎo 。”
商天赐紧紧抓住阎方洲的双手，上下打量。同时嘴里不断念叨着：“没事就好，没事就好。”
Tian赐 tightly held onto Yan Fangzhou’s hands, examining them up and down while muttering to himself: "That’s good, that’s good."
shuō shí huà ， duì yú bǎ yán fāng zhōu yòu guǎi piàn lái líng mù jiè 、 shòu dào bèi yōu bì de zhé mó ， shāng tiān cì xīn zhōng hái shì yǒu xiē kuì jiù de 。
说实话，对于把阎方洲诱拐骗来灵木界、受到被幽闭的折磨，商天赐心中还是有些愧疚的。
To be honest, Tian赐 still felt some guilt for luring Yan Fangzhou away from the Spirit Wood World and subjecting him to confinement. However, he dared not oppose Li Fan's authority and could only hope that Yan Fangzhou would soon realize his mistake.
bù guò ài yú lǐ fán yín wēi ， shāng tiān cì yě bù gǎn yǒu rèn hé de fǎn duì yì jiàn 。 zhǐ shì pàn zhe yán fāng zhōu néng zǎo rì kàn qīng chǔ xíng shì ， mí tú zhī fǎn 。
不过碍于李凡淫威，商天赐也不敢有任何的反对意见。只是盼着阎方洲能早日看清楚形式，迷途知返。
It seemed that Li Fan had successfully trained Yan Fangzhou.
xiàn zài kàn lái ， lǐ fán duì yán fāng zhōu de tiáo jiào hěn shì chéng gōng 。
现在看来，李凡对阎方洲的调教很是成功。
"Before I came here, the High Sage gave me instructions. Let bygones be bygones; try not to bring up past events in the future. From today on, Fangzhou and I are brothers in the Interdimensional Alliance," Tian赐 thought as he smiled at Yan Fangzhou.
“ wǒ lái zhī qián ， zūn zhě yǒu guò jiāo dài 。 guò qù de shì jiù guò qù le ， yǐ hòu jǐn liàng bú yào zài tí 。 cóng jīn rì qǐ ， wǒ gēn fāng zhōu tā dōu shì wàn jiè lián hé huì de xiōng dì le 。” shāng tiān cì rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， gēn yán fāng zhōu xiāng shì yī xiào 。
“我来之前，尊者有过交代。过去的事就过去了，以后尽量不要再提。从今日起，我跟方洲他都是万界联合会的兄弟了。”商天赐如此想着，跟阎方洲相视一笑。
Everything was left unsaid between them.
yī qiè jǐn zài bù yán zhōng 。
一切尽在不言中。
Yan Fangzhou followed Tian赐 around and toured the entire Spirit Wood World with him.
yán fāng zhōu zài shāng tiān cì de dài lǐng xià ， jiāng líng mù jiè zhěng gè cān guān le yī biàn 。
阎方洲在商天赐的带领下，将灵木界整个参观了一遍。
"Indeed, the Interdimensional Alliance is ever-changing. Compared to the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect, it seems rather decadent," Yan Fangzhou said as he looked at the continuously releasing spirit energy from the Heavenly Earth Furnace.
“ lián hé huì dàng zhēn shì rì xīn yuè yì ， yǔ zhī xiāng bǐ ， wàn xiān méng wèi miǎn yǒu xiē tài guò fǔ xiǔ le 。”
“联合会当真是日新月异，与之相比，万仙盟未免有些太过腐朽了。”
Tian赐 echoed his sentiments: "Yes, in just a few years, the Spirit Wood World has undergone such a dramatic transformation..."
yán fāng zhōu kàn zhe bù yuǎn chù yuán yuán bù duàn shì fàng líng qì de 【 tiān dì hōng lú 】， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī yì sè 。
阎方洲看着不远处源源不断释放灵气的【天地烘炉】，眼中闪过一丝异色。
"Perhaps, joining the Interdimensional Alliance was the most correct decision I ever made."
shāng tiān cì yě gǎn tàn dào ：“ shì a ， bù guò jǐ nián shí jiān ， líng mù jiè jiù yǒu rú cǐ tiān fān dì fù de biàn huà ……”
商天赐也感叹道：“是啊，不过几年时间，灵木界就有如此天翻地覆的变化……”
Both of them felt the same way.
“ huò xǔ ， dāng rì xuǎn zé jiā rù wàn jiè lián hé huì ， shì wǒ zhè bèi zi zuò guò de zuì zhèng què de jué dìng 。”
“或许，当日选择加入万界联合会，是我这辈子做过的最正确的决定。”
At the same time, an idea sprang to mind for both of them: perhaps they should persuade the other brothers from Mountain and River Pavilion to follow the right path?
èr rén jiē shì xīn yǒu tóng gǎn 。
二人皆是心有同感。
The counterattack on the Xuanhuang World by the Interdimensional Alliance was a trend. They couldn't let these young geniuses waste their time in the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect.
tóng shí ， yí gè niàn tou zài tā men èr rén xīn jiān fú xiàn ：“ bù rú ， bǎ 【 shān hé xuān 】 de qí tā xiōng dì yě quàn rù zhèng tú ？”
同时，一个念头在他们二人心间浮现：“不如，把【山河轩】的其他兄弟也劝入正途？”
Moreover, the Interdimensional Alliance was rapidly growing at this moment. Joining now would make them senior members later. If they waited for a few more years, they might not have that opportunity even if they begged to join.
“ wàn jiè lián hé huì fǎn gōng xuán huáng jiè nǎi shì dà shì suǒ qū ， bù néng ràng tā men zài wàn xiān méng zhōng bái bái cuō tuó le suì yuè 。”
“万界联合会反攻玄黄界乃是大势所趋，不能让他们在万仙盟中白白蹉跎了岁月。”
...
“ kuàng qiě ， rú jīn lián hé huì zhèng shì kuài sù zhuàng dà de shí hòu ， xiàn zài jiā rù 、 yǐ hòu jiù shì yuán lǎo yī jí de rén wù 。 ruò shì zài děng gè jǐ nián ， kǒng pà tā men qiú zhe yào jiā rù yě méi jī huì le 。”
“况且，如今联合会正是快速壮大的时候，现在加入、以后就是元老一级的人物。若是再等个几年，恐怕他们求着要加入也没机会了。”
The two brothers quickly came to an agreement and began discussing their plan.
……
……
Li Fan watched all of their actions with a smile. The young geniuses from the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect in Mountain and River Pavilion were still somewhat useful to him.
xiōng dì liǎng rén yī pāi jí hé ， yì qǐ zhuó mó qǐ lái 。
兄弟两人一拍即合，一起琢磨起来。
Deriving and perfecting the Primordial Golden Core Technique and subsequent methods truly required prodigies.
ér jiāng tā men de suǒ zuò suǒ wéi jìn shù shōu rù yǎn zhōng de lǐ fán ， zhǐ shì wēi wēi yī xiào 。 shān hé xuān nèi wàn xiān méng de zhè xiē tiān jiāo ， duì tā ér yán hái shì yǒu diǎn yòng chǔ de 。
而将他们的所作所为尽数收入眼中的李凡，只是微微一笑。山河轩内万仙盟的这些天骄，对他而言还是有点用处的。
"Even if it’s not a lifelong achievement, as long as we make progress, that's victory."
tuī yǎn 【 hùn yuán jīn dān 】 yǐ jí zhī hòu de fǎ mén ， hái zhēn shì fēi tiān jiāo bù kě 。
推衍【混元金丹】以及之后的法门，还真是非天骄不可。
"My lord..." Li Fan was just thinking this when Lin Ling suddenly transmitted her voice into his mind.
“ bù qiú yī shì dá chéng ， zhǐ yào néng tuī dòng jìn dù ， jiù shì shèng lì 。”
“不求一世达成，只要能推动进度，就是胜利。”
Her tone was hesitant and uncertain.
“ zhǔ rén ……” lǐ fán zhèng zhè me xiǎng zhe ， lín líng tū rán de chuán yīn zài xīn dǐ xiǎng qǐ 。
“主人……”李凡正这么想着，林灵突然的传音在心底响起。
"Haha, come to the secret room to see me."
shēng yīn yǒu xiē tǎn tè ， yòu yǒu xiē yóu yù 。
声音有些忐忑，又有些犹豫。
Not long after, Lin Ling appeared before Li Fan and knelt down slowly.
“ hē hē ， lái mì shì jiàn wǒ ba 。”
“呵呵，来密室见我吧。”
"Your inner self seems somewhat lost and uneasy," Li Fan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, speaking calmly.
bù duō shí ， lín líng de shēn yǐng jiù chū xiàn zài lǐ fán miàn qián ， xú xú guì dǎo 。
不多时，林灵的身影就出现在李凡面前，徐徐跪倒。
Lin Ling pursed her lips, hesitating to speak.
“ nǐ de nèi xīn ， sì hū yǒu xiē páng huáng 、 yòu yǒu xiē bù ān 。” lǐ fán pán zuò zhe ， bì zhe shuāng yǎn ， dàn dàn dì shuō dào 。
“你的内心，似乎有些彷徨、又有些不安。”李凡盘坐着，闭着双眼，淡淡地说道。
Her thoughts and expressions were far more complex than when she was first born.
lín líng mǐn zhe shuāng chún ， yù yán yòu zhǐ 。
林灵抿着双唇，欲言又止。
Li Fan chuckled: "You are a naturally raised being. Submitting to a stronger individual is your nature. When you were young and didn't understand the world, recognizing me as your master wasn’t an issue. After wandering in this mundane world, various feelings of dissatisfaction and resentment have emerged within you. Is that correct?"
wú lùn shì xīn sī hái shì shén qíng ， dōu bǐ gāng gāng dàn shēng zhī shí yào fēng fù tài duō 。
无论是心思还是神情，都比刚刚诞生之时要丰富太多。
Lin Ling’s body trembled as she quickly bowed again, denying it.
lǐ fán shěn rán yī xiào ：“ nǐ nǎi tiān shēng dì yǎng ， chén fú qiáng zhě nǎi shì tiān xìng 。 yǐ qián měng dǒng 、 bù míng shì lǐ shí ， rèn wǒ wéi zhǔ shàng bù yǐ wéi yì 。 rú jīn zài hóng chén zhōng zǒu le yī zāo ， xīn zhōng jiù yǒu zhǒng zhǒng bù mǎn 、 fèn mèn de niàn tou yǒng xiàn 。 shì yě bú shì ？”
李凡哂然一笑：“你乃天生地养，臣服强者乃是天性。以前懵懂、不明事理时，认我为主尚不以为意。如今在红尘中走了一遭，心中就有种种不满、愤懑的念头涌现。是也不是？”
In truth, only she knew what was happening.
lín líng shēn qū yī zhèn ， lián máng fǔ shēn zài bài ， lián dào bù gǎn 。
林灵身躯一震，连忙俯身再拜，连道不敢。
During her time outside the Spirit Wood World, she had learned that the ancient tree from the earth vein was quite unhappy with her recognizing Li Fan as her master.
shí zé jiū jìng shì shén me qíng kuàng zhǐ yǒu tā zì jǐ xīn lǐ qīng chǔ 。
实则究竟是什么情况只有她自己心里清楚。
Although he didn’t directly incite her to rebel, he did transmit many memories from the ancient trees. This rapid growth in her "mind" made her thoughts more turbulent and she wanted to leave Li Fan’s side to explore a wider world.
zài líng mù jiè zhī wài de zhè duàn shí jiān lǐ ， dé zhī le tā zāo yù de dì mài gǔ shù qián bèi duì yú tā rèn lǐ fán wéi zhǔ zhè jiàn shì shí fēn bù mǎn 。
在灵木界之外的这段时间里，得知了她遭遇的地脉古树前辈对于她认李凡为主这件事十分不满。
However, after returning to the Spirit Wood World and witnessing numerous changes within it, she suddenly felt a sense of warning about betraying Li Fan.
suī shuō méi yǒu zhí jiē sǒng yǒng lín líng pàn biàn ， què yě chuán shū le zhū duō gǔ shù jì yì zhōng de huà miàn 。
虽说没有直接怂恿林灵叛变，却也传输了诸多古树记忆中的画面。
Perhaps...
shǐ de lín líng de “ xīn zhì ” dé dào le kuài sù de chéng zhǎng 。
使得林灵的“心智”得到了快速的成长。
If she truly betrayed him, there might be dire consequences.
dí què shǐ de lín líng xīn sī fú dòng ， xiǎng yào lí kāi lǐ fán shēn biān ， què kàn kàn gèng guǎng kuò de xuán huáng dà shì jiè 。
的确使得林灵心思浮动，想要离开李凡身边，却看看更广阔的玄黄大世界。
The natural order of things was most accurate in sensing danger. This warning lingered for days, making Lin Ling feel constantly under threat from an unseen enemy, causing her great distress.
bù guò zhè cì fǎn huí líng mù jiè ， qīn yǎn mù dǔ le shì jiè zhōng de zhū duō biàn huà zhī hòu ， tā de xīn zhōng yòu dǒu rán shēng chū yī gǔ duì bèi pàn lǐ fán de jǐng xǐng gǎn 。
不过这次返回灵木界，亲眼目睹了世界中的诸多变化之后，她的心中又陡然生出一股对背叛李凡的警醒感。
Unable to bear it any longer, she prepared to confess everything to Li Fan.
sì hū ……
似乎……
Just as she was about to speak, Li Fan said with a light laugh: "You foolish child..."
ruò shì zhēn de bèi pàn ， kǒng pà huì yǒu dà nàn lín tóu 。
若是真的背叛，恐怕会有大难临头。
"Enough, today you will see what true power means."
tiān dì zào wù ， líng jué zuì wèi zhǔn què 。 jǐng xǐng jiǔ jiǔ bù sàn ， zhè xiē tiān lín líng fǎng fú yì zhí dōu shí kè chù zài tiān dí de hǔ shì dān dān bāo wéi zhōng ， zuò lì bù ān 。
天地造物，灵觉最为准确。警醒久久不散，这些天林灵仿佛一直都时刻处在天敌的虎视眈眈包围中，坐立不安。
Lin Ling froze and looked up suddenly. She felt an overwhelming aura emanating from her master that was so strong it seemed impossible. Despite only being at the Foundation Establishment Realm, his presence was suffocating even to a realm-bonded cultivator like her.
shí zài zāo shòu bú zhù ， zhè cái zhǔn bèi xiàng lǐ fán tǎn bái yī qiè 。
实在遭受不住，这才准备向李凡坦白一切。
"Journeys can’t be judged by their destination. Killing you would be as simple as crushing an ant."
zhèng yù kāi kǒu ， què tīng lǐ fán qīng xiào dào ：“ nǐ zhè chī ér ……”
正欲开口，却听李凡轻笑道：“你这痴儿……”
Li Fan’s voice suddenly came from above Lin Ling's head.
“ bà le ， jīn tiān jiù ràng nǐ jiàn shí jiàn shí ， shén me cái shì zhēn zhèng de lì liàng 。”
“罢了，今天就让你见识见识，什么才是真正的力量。”
Lin Ling felt as if he had placed one hand on top of hers, choking her fate.
lín líng lèng zhù ， měng rán tái tóu 。
林灵愣住，猛然抬头。
Her body stiffened and she instantly couldn't move.
què zhǐ gǎn jué yī gǔ qiáng hèng dào nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng de qì xī cóng zì jǐ zhǔ rén shēn shàng bào fā kāi lái ， míng míng zhǐ yǒu yuán yīng jìng jiè ， dàn shì tā de wēi yā ， què shì ràng hé dào jìng jiè de tā dōu gǎn dào shí zú de yā yì 。
却只感觉一股强横到难以想象的气息从自己主人身上爆发开来，明明只有元婴境界，但是他的威压，却是让合道境界的她都感到十足的压抑。
Lin Ling felt that even a slight push from Li Fan could result in her immediate death!
“ jìng jiè ， bù néng shuō míng shén me 。 wǒ ruò shā nǐ ， jiù rú tóng niē sǐ zhǐ mǎ yǐ bān jiǎn dān 。”
“境界，不能说明什么。我若杀你，就如同捏死只蚂蚁般简单。”
And this wasn’t through control over the Wood Heart. It was sheer power superiority!
lǐ fán de shēng yīn hū de zì lín líng tóu dǐng chuán lái 。
李凡的声音忽的自林灵头顶传来。
Lin Ling’s heart was filled with shock beyond comprehension. She couldn’t fathom how a Golden Core cultivator had suddenly become so powerful.
lín líng zhǐ jué de duì fāng de yī zhī shǒu ， qīng qīng yā zài le zì jǐ de tóu dǐng 。
林灵只觉得对方的一只手，轻轻压在了自己的头顶。
"Could it be that my master has been pretending all along?"
wǎn rú bèi è zhù le mìng yùn de yān hóu ， lín líng de shēn qū jiāng zhí 、 shùn jiān wú fǎ dòng tán 。
宛如被扼住了命运的咽喉，林灵的身躯僵直、瞬间无法动弹。
The thought of this made Lin Ling shiver in fear.
lín líng yǒu zhǒng gǎn jué ， zhǐ yào lǐ fán zài qīng qīng yī yòng lì ， zì jǐ kǒng pà jiù huì qǐng kè jiān shēn sǐ dào xiāo ！
林灵有种感觉，只要李凡再轻轻一用力，自己恐怕就会顷刻间身死道消！
Under the pressure of life and death, she no longer harbored any rebellious thoughts.
ér qiě ， bìng fēi shì tōng guò mù zhī xīn duì zì jǐ de kòng zhì shí xiàn de 。 ér shì zhēn zhèng de shí lì niǎn yā ！
而且，并非是通过木之心对自己的控制实现的。而是真正的实力碾压！
After an indeterminate amount of time, Li Fan finally released his right hand and sat cross-legged again.
lín líng xīn zhōng jīng hài wú bǐ ， wán quán nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng ， dāng rì de jīn dān xiū shì wèi hé tū rán yī yuè biàn dé rú cǐ zhī qiáng le 。
林灵心中惊骇无比，完全难以想象，当日的金丹修士为何突然一跃变得如此之强了。
Lin Ling fell to the ground instantly.
“ nán bù chéng ， zhǔ rén qí shí yì zhí zài wěi zhuāng ？”
“难不成，主人其实一直在伪装？”
She then struggled to stand up and knelt before Li Fan to apologize in detail about her changing thoughts.
nǎo hǎi zhōng fú xiàn zhè ge niàn tou de lín líng ， hán yì gēng shēng 。
脑海中浮现这个念头的林灵，寒意更生。
"Earth vein ancient tree..." Li Fan’s eyes flashed with coldness as he recorded this in his mind.
shēng sǐ wēi jī de yā pò xià ， xīn zhōng zài wú yī sī fǎn niàn 。
生死危机的压迫下，心中再无一丝反念。
"Do you have more to say?"
bù zhī guò le duō jiǔ ， lǐ fán zhōng yú sōng kāi yòu shǒu ， chóng xīn pán zuò qián fāng xū kōng 。
不知过了多久，李凡终于松开右手，重新盘坐前方虚空。
Lin Ling's body trembled again at Li Fan's words.
lín líng dùn shí tān ruǎn zài dì 。
林灵顿时瘫软在地。
"Yes, my lord. However, it is just a guess and may not be true."
ér hòu yòu zhēng zhá zhe qǐ shēn ， xiàng lǐ fán kē tóu qǐng zuì 。
而后又挣扎着起身，向李凡磕头请罪。
"But speak freely."
bǎ zì jǐ rú hé xīn shēng fǎn yì de guò chéng xiáng jìn dào le 。
把自己如何心生反意的过程详尽到了。
After some hesitation, Lin Ling gritted her teeth and said: "I suspect that Senior Stone was dragged away by the unknown entity in the fishing pond. It’s very likely that琉璃was secretly informing them!"
“ dì mài gǔ shù ……” lǐ fán yǎn móu zhōng shǎn guò yī sī hán máng ， xīn zhōng yǐ rán jiāng qí jì xià 。
“地脉古树……”李凡眼眸中闪过一丝寒芒，心中已然将其记下。
"Hmm?" Li Fan was surprised at this revelation.
“ nǐ sì hū ， hái yǒu wèi jǐn zhī yán ？”
“你似乎，还有未尽之言？”
Lin Ling whispered: "Originally, I wasn't sure. I only thought that琉璃was leading me closer to the fishing pond for some benefit."
lín líng de shēn qū suí zhe lǐ fán de zhè yī jù huà ， zài dù měng dì dǒu dòng 。
林灵的身躯随着李凡的这一句话，再度猛地抖动。
"But on the day of the incident, when Senior Stone was suddenly dragged forward, little琉璃’s face showed no fear or shock."
“ shì de zhǔ rén 。 bù guò ， zhè yě zhǐ shì wǒ de cāi cè ， bù yí dìng wèi zhēn 。”
“是的主人。不过，这也只是我的猜测，不一定为真。”
"It seemed as if she knew this would happen."
“ dàn shuō wú fáng 。”
“但说无妨。”
"Although she quickly reacted and pretended to be scared afterward, I noticed that change in an instant."
lín líng chóu chú le huì ， zuì zhōng hái shì yǎo yá jiǎng chū ：“ wǒ huái yí ， shí bǎn qián bèi bèi diào yú chí nèi de wèi zhī tuō zǒu 。 hěn kě néng shì liú lí zài àn zhōng tōng fēng bào xìn ！”
林灵踌躇了会，最终还是咬牙讲出：“我怀疑，石板前辈被钓鱼池内的未知拖走。很可能是琉璃在暗中通风报信！”
"This child, 琉璃, must have some hidden agenda!"
“ ń ？” cǐ yán yī chū ， jiù lián lǐ fán dōu yǒu jǐ fēn jīng yà 。
“嗯？”此言一出，就连李凡都有几分惊讶。
Lin Ling said with certainty.
lín líng qiǎo shēng jiě shì dào ：“ yuán lái wǒ hái yǒu xiē bù què xìn ， zhǐ yǐ wéi liú lí lā zhe wǒ bù duàn kào jìn diào yú chí ， zhǐ shì wèi le cóng shí bǎn qián bèi shēn shàng cèng diǎn hǎo chù 。”
林灵悄声解释道：“原来我还有些不确信，只以为琉璃拉着我不断靠近钓鱼池，只是为了从石板前辈身上蹭点好处。”
(End of chapter)
Thinking about this, Yan Fangzhou let out a cold snort.
"Ultimately, my undercover identity is top secret. Only the High Sage knows."
Yan Fangzhou felt a bit smug and smiled as he met Tian赐's gaze.
Tian赐 tightly held onto Yan Fangzhou’s hands, examining them up and down while muttering to himself: "That’s good, that’s good."
To be honest, Tian赐 still felt some guilt for luring Yan Fangzhou away from the Spirit Wood World and subjecting him to confinement. However, he dared not oppose Li Fan's authority and could only hope that Yan Fangzhou would soon realize his mistake.
It seemed that Li Fan had successfully trained Yan Fangzhou.
"Before I came here, the High Sage gave me instructions. Let bygones be bygones; try not to bring up past events in the future. From today on, Fangzhou and I are brothers in the Interdimensional Alliance," Tian赐 thought as he smiled at Yan Fangzhou.
Everything was left unsaid between them.
Yan Fangzhou followed Tian赐 around and toured the entire Spirit Wood World with him.
"Indeed, the Interdimensional Alliance is ever-changing. Compared to the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect, it seems rather decadent," Yan Fangzhou said as he looked at the continuously releasing spirit energy from the Heavenly Earth Furnace.
Tian赐 echoed his sentiments: "Yes, in just a few years, the Spirit Wood World has undergone such a dramatic transformation..."
"Perhaps, joining the Interdimensional Alliance was the most correct decision I ever made."
Both of them felt the same way.
At the same time, an idea sprang to mind for both of them: perhaps they should persuade the other brothers from Mountain and River Pavilion to follow the right path?
The counterattack on the Xuanhuang World by the Interdimensional Alliance was a trend. They couldn't let these young geniuses waste their time in the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect.
Moreover, the Interdimensional Alliance was rapidly growing at this moment. Joining now would make them senior members later. If they waited for a few more years, they might not have that opportunity even if they begged to join.
...
The two brothers quickly came to an agreement and began discussing their plan.
Li Fan watched all of their actions with a smile. The young geniuses from the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect in Mountain and River Pavilion were still somewhat useful to him.
Deriving and perfecting the Primordial Golden Core Technique and subsequent methods truly required prodigies.
"Even if it’s not a lifelong achievement, as long as we make progress, that's victory."
"My lord..." Li Fan was just thinking this when Lin Ling suddenly transmitted her voice into his mind.
Her tone was hesitant and uncertain.
"Haha, come to the secret room to see me."
Not long after, Lin Ling appeared before Li Fan and knelt down slowly.
"Your inner self seems somewhat lost and uneasy," Li Fan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, speaking calmly.
Lin Ling pursed her lips, hesitating to speak.
Her thoughts and expressions were far more complex than when she was first born.
Li Fan chuckled: "You are a naturally raised being. Submitting to a stronger individual is your nature. When you were young and didn't understand the world, recognizing me as your master wasn’t an issue. After wandering in this mundane world, various feelings of dissatisfaction and resentment have emerged within you. Is that correct?"
Lin Ling’s body trembled as she quickly bowed again, denying it.
In truth, only she knew what was happening.
During her time outside the Spirit Wood World, she had learned that the ancient tree from the earth vein was quite unhappy with her recognizing Li Fan as her master.
Although he didn’t directly incite her to rebel, he did transmit many memories from the ancient trees. This rapid growth in her "mind" made her thoughts more turbulent and she wanted to leave Li Fan’s side to explore a wider world.
However, after returning to the Spirit Wood World and witnessing numerous changes within it, she suddenly felt a sense of warning about betraying Li Fan.
Perhaps...
If she truly betrayed him, there might be dire consequences.
The natural order of things was most accurate in sensing danger. This warning lingered for days, making Lin Ling feel constantly under threat from an unseen enemy, causing her great distress.
Unable to bear it any longer, she prepared to confess everything to Li Fan.
Just as she was about to speak, Li Fan said with a light laugh: "You foolish child..."
"Enough, today you will see what true power means."
Lin Ling froze and looked up suddenly. She felt an overwhelming aura emanating from her master that was so strong it seemed impossible. Despite only being at the Foundation Establishment Realm, his presence was suffocating even to a realm-bonded cultivator like her.
"Journeys can’t be judged by their destination. Killing you would be as simple as crushing an ant."
Li Fan’s voice suddenly came from above Lin Ling's head.
Lin Ling felt as if he had placed one hand on top of hers, choking her fate.
Her body stiffened and she instantly couldn't move.
Lin Ling felt that even a slight push from Li Fan could result in her immediate death!
And this wasn’t through control over the Wood Heart. It was sheer power superiority!
Lin Ling’s heart was filled with shock beyond comprehension. She couldn’t fathom how a Golden Core cultivator had suddenly become so powerful.
"Could it be that my master has been pretending all along?"
The thought of this made Lin Ling shiver in fear.
Under the pressure of life and death, she no longer harbored any rebellious thoughts.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Li Fan finally released his right hand and sat cross-legged again.
Lin Ling fell to the ground instantly.
She then struggled to stand up and knelt before Li Fan to apologize in detail about her changing thoughts.
"Earth vein ancient tree..." Li Fan’s eyes flashed with coldness as he recorded this in his mind.
"Do you have more to say?"
Lin Ling's body trembled again at Li Fan's words.
"Yes, my lord. However, it is just a guess and may not be true."
"But speak freely."
After some hesitation, Lin Ling gritted her teeth and said: "I suspect that Senior Stone was dragged away by the unknown entity in the fishing pond. It’s very likely that琉璃was secretly informing them!"
"Hmm?" Li Fan was surprised at this revelation.
Lin Ling whispered: "Originally, I wasn't sure. I only thought that琉璃was leading me closer to the fishing pond for some benefit."
"But on the day of the incident, when Senior Stone was suddenly dragged forward, little琉璃’s face showed no fear or shock."
"It seemed as if she knew this would happen."
"Although she quickly reacted and pretended to be scared afterward, I noticed that change in an instant."
"This child, 琉璃, must have some hidden agenda!"
Lin Ling said with certainty.
(End of chapter)