suí zhe lǐ fán de tí wèn ， kè zhàn zhōng yòu yī shí xiàn rù le sǐ jì 。
随着李凡的提问，客栈中又一时陷入了死寂。
With Li Fan's questioning, the inn fell into a momentary silence.
tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn sǐ sǐ dīng zhe lǐ fán ， sì hū yào bǎ zhè wèi bù sù zhī kè kàn chuān 。
天玄镜分身死死盯着李凡，似乎要把这位不速之客看穿。
The Heavenly玄 Mirror's avatar stared intently at Li Fan as if trying to penetrate his soul. The more he observed, the more doubtful and alarmed his expression became. It seemed that the apocalyptic words coming from the other party were not mere empty talk!
dàn yuè shì guān chá ， tā de liǎn shàng yuè shì jīng yí bù dìng 。
但越是观察，他的脸上越是惊疑不定。
Only then did the Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar realize what the other had meant by saying they were "the same kind of people." Both held a disdainful attitude towards the lifeforms in the Xuanhuang Realm, but why was it so puzzling to him that he, as an Immortal Artifact, should have such a privilege while this cultivator before him, with only Foundation Establishment realm cultivation, could claim the same?
sì hū duì fāng zuǐ lǐ jīng shì hài sú de miè shì zhī yǔ ， bìng bú shì xū wàng zhī yán ！
似乎对方嘴里惊世骇俗的灭世之语，并不是虚妄之言！
What was even more astonishing was how casually the other spoke of bringing the Xuanhuang Realm down. Even if he, as an Immortal Artifact, fell into the Heavenly墟, it might not be enough to save him.
zhè shí hòu ， tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn fāng cái huǎng rán ， duì fāng cǐ qián suǒ shuō “ qí shí wǒ men dōu shì tóng yī lèi rén ” jiū jìng shì shén me yì si 。
这时候，天玄镜分身方才恍然，对方此前所说“其实我们都是同一类人”究竟是什么意思。
The other must also face certain death but still showed no fear...
tóng yàng dōu duì xuán huáng jiè shēng líng de 、 zì shàng ér xià de mò shì ！
同样都对玄黄界生灵的、自上而下的漠视！
"Will any means do for a purpose? Even at the cost of mutual destruction..."
dàn ràng tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn bù jiě de shì ， zì jǐ nǎi shì xiān qì 、 zì rán yǒu zhè ge zī gé 。 yǎn qián zhè wèi xiū shì bù guò qū qū yuán yīng xiū wèi ， tā yòu shì píng shén me ？
但让天玄镜分身不解的是，自己乃是仙器、自然有这个资格。眼前这位修士不过区区元婴修为，他又是凭什么？
"Could I have misjudged you? You're not just selfish; you’re a madman?"
gèng ràng tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn gǎn dào bù kě sī yì de shì ， duì fāng jū rán rú cǐ qīng miáo dàn xiě de shuō chū lā zhe xuán huáng jiè yì qǐ péi zàng zhī huà 。 tóu dǐng de xiān xū ， ruò shì zhuì rù qí zhōng ， jí biàn shì tā zhè ge xiān qì ， dōu wèi bì néng táo tuō 。
更让天玄镜分身感到不可思议的是，对方居然如此轻描淡写的说出拉着玄黄界一起陪葬之话。头顶的仙墟，若是坠入其中，即便是他这个仙器，都未必能逃脱。
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar's mind raced with these thoughts. He finally took a deep breath, breaking the silence: "I didn't expect to be so wrong."
duì fāng kěn dìng yě shì bì sǐ wú yí ， dàn yī jiù què méi yǒu sī háo wèi jù ……
对方肯定也是必死无疑，但依旧却没有丝毫畏惧……
"You, this dangerous person who breaks all taboos, should be eternally sealed in the Immortal Alliance's [Yin Prison]."
“ wèi dá mù dì ， bù zé shǒu duàn 。 shèn zhì bù xī tóng guī yú jìn ……”
“为达目的，不择手段。甚至不惜同归于尽……”
Li Fan smiled, unbothered: "Yin Prison... There is no place in this world that can confine me."
“ nán bù chéng wǒ kàn cuò le ， zhè bú shì gè chè tóu chè wěi de zì sī zhī rén ， ér shì gè fēng zi ？”
“难不成我看错了，这不是个彻头彻尾的自私之人，而是个疯子？”
"Even this darkest starry sky."
tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn chà nà zhī jiān ， nǎo hǎi zhōng shǎn guò wú shù niàn tou 。
天玄镜分身刹那之间，脑海中闪过无数念头。
These words caused a slight change in the Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar's expression.
zuì zhōng zhǎng hū yì kǒu qì ， dǎ pò le jì jìng ：“ méi xiǎng dào ， wǒ hái zhēn kàn zǒu yǎn le 。”
最终长呼一口气，打破了寂静：“没想到，我还真看走眼了。”
"Not only are we alike; our goals align as well. I wish to escape from this cage, and so do you—freeing yourself from your shackles..."
“ nǐ zhè zhǒng bǎi wú jìn jì de wēi xiǎn rén wù ， yīng gāi bèi yǒng shì zhèn yā zài xiān méng de 【 yōu yù 】 lǐ 。”
“你这种百无禁忌的危险人物，应该被永世镇压在仙盟的【幽狱】里。”
"By the way, is merely creating a human avatar truly your path? True freedom?"
lǐ fán xiào le xiào le ， bù yǐ wéi yì ：“ yōu yù …… zhè shì jiān ， hái méi yǒu shén me dì fāng néng kùn zhù wǒ 。”
李凡笑了笑了，不以为意：“幽狱……这世间，还没有什么地方能困住我。”
Without your main body, your avatar is no different from those fragile mortals. Freedom... Li Fan sneered.
“ jiù suàn shì zhè piàn zhì àn xīng kōng yě shì yī yàng 。”
“就算是这片至暗星空也是一样。”
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar did not refute him.
cǐ yán yī chū ， tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn de liǎn sè zài dù wēi wēi biàn huà 。
此言一出，天玄镜分身的脸色再度微微变化。
In this battle of wits, he had truly lost.
“ wǒ men zhī jiān ， bù jǐn jǐn shì hěn xiàng 。 jiù lián sù qiú yě shì yí zhì de ， wǒ yù táo lí zhè piàn qiú lóng 、 nǐ yě shì xiǎng yào bǎi tuō zhì gù ……”
“我们之间，不仅仅是很像。就连诉求也是一致的，我欲逃离这片囚笼、你也是想要摆脱桎梏……”
The reason was that he hadn't fully understood the true identity of his opponent. He even wondered if the other might be one of the surviving Immortals from the ancient era.
“ shùn biàn wèn yī jù ， jǐn jǐn shì fēn huà chū suǒ wèi de rén lèi fēn shēn lái ， jiù shì nǐ zhēn zhèng de dào le ma ？ jiù shì zhēn zhèng de zì yóu le ma ？”
“顺便问一句，仅仅是分化出所谓的人类分身来，就是你真正的道了吗？就是真正的自由了吗？”
"If what you say is true, we can still cooperate," after much thought, the Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar finally spoke.
“ méi yǒu le nǐ de běn tǐ ， nǐ de fēn shēn gēn nà xiē cuì ruò de fán rén yòu yǒu shén me qū bié ？ tóng yàng dōu shì yī niē jí sǐ de lóu yǐ bà le 。 zì yóu ……” lǐ fán chī xiào dào 。
“没有了你的本体，你的分身跟那些脆弱的凡人又有什么区别？同样都是一捏即死的蝼蚁罢了。自由……”李凡嗤笑道。
"But I still can’t trust you." However, he quickly changed his tone.
kàn zhe lǐ fán ， tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn zhōng jiū shì méi yǒu fǎn bó 。
看着李凡，天玄镜分身终究是没有反驳。
Li Fan waved his hand and offered a friendly smile: "I understand your thoughts. But our cooperation can be gradual, building mutual trust."
zài zhè chǎng jī fēng jiào liàng lǐ ， tā shì zhēn de bài le 。
在这场机锋较量里，他是真的败了。
"Even if I change my mind halfway, you'll have gained enough benefits."
jiū qí yuán yīn ， shì zhēn de kàn bù gòu yǎn qián zhī rén de zhēn shí shēn fèn 。
究其原因，是真的看不够眼前之人的真实身份。
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar considered it and nodded slowly.
shèn zhì cāi cè qǐ lái ， duì fāng shì bú shì dāng nián xiān jiè de xìng cún de xiān rén 。
甚至猜测起来，对方是不是当年仙界的幸存的仙人。
"The restrictions left by the Transmission Sage on me, along with the years of accumulation by the Mirror Keeper, now reach a terrifying level. With your current cultivation, even with three daoists aiding from outside, rescuing me is impossible..."
“ ruò zhēn xiàng nǐ shuō de nà yàng ， wǒ men yě bú shì bù néng hé zuò 。” sī lǜ liáng jiǔ ， tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn zuì zhōng kāi kǒu dào 。
“若真像你说的那样，我们也不是不能合作。”思虑良久，天玄镜分身最终开口道。
Li Fan interrupted bluntly: "My strength isn't something you need to worry about."
“ dàn ， wǒ zhōng jiū hái shì xìn bù guò nǐ 。” bù guò ， hěn kuài tā jiù huà fēng yī zhuǎn 。
“但，我终究还是信不过你。”不过，很快他就话锋一转。
"Since I can pinpoint your location, you should know that I've already infiltrated the Mirror Keeper Cang's forces."
lǐ fán bǎi le bǎi shǒu ， lù chū le gè qīn qiè de xiào róng ：“ wǒ néng lǐ jiě nǐ de xiǎng fǎ 。 bù guò wǒ men de hé zuò ， kě yǐ yí bù bù lái 、 màn màn jiā shēn bǐ cǐ jiān de xìn rèn 。”
李凡摆了摆手，露出了个亲切的笑容：“我能理解你的想法。不过我们的合作，可以一步步来、慢慢加深彼此间的信任。”
"And among the Transmitters, we have our people. Hmph! The Immortal Alliance has existed for thousands of years; it couldn’t possibly be a monolith!"
“ zhè yàng ， jiù suàn wǒ zhēn de bàn tú fǎn huǐ ， nǐ yě néng shōu dào le zú gòu de hǎo chù 。”
“这样，就算我真的半途反悔，你也能收到了足够的好处。”
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar hesitated: "Even so, helping me break free might be too much to ask."
tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn xiǎng le xiǎng ， zhè huà sì hū méi yǒu shén me máo bìng ， yú shì huǎn huǎn diǎn tóu 。
天玄镜分身想了想，这话似乎没有什么毛病，于是缓缓点头。
Li Fan didn't directly answer but asked instead: "Do you know why I originally planned to kill you?"
“ dāng nián chuán fǎ tiān zūn liú zài wǒ shēn shàng de jìn zhì ， yǐ jí zhè xiē nián zhǎng jìng rén bù duàn dì lěi jī ， rú jīn yǐ jīng dào le gè xiāng dāng kǒng bù de jí bié 。 píng nǐ xiàn zài de xiū wèi ， jiù suàn zài jiā shàng wài miàn sān gè hé dào dǎ shǒu ， xiǎng yào jiě jiù wǒ ， yě jué wú kě néng ……”
“当年传法天尊留在我身上的禁制，以及这些年掌镜人不断地累积，如今已经到了个相当恐怖的级别。凭你现在的修为，就算再加上外面三个合道打手，想要解救我，也绝无可能……”
After some thought, the Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar replied: "Cut off your retreat path?"
lǐ fán háo bú kè qì de bǎ tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn de huà dǎ duàn ：“ wǒ de shí lì ， nǐ bù yòng dān xīn 。”
李凡毫不客气的把天玄镜分身的话打断：“我的实力，你不用担心。”
"Correct. But now that your dao is complete and cannot stop you from escaping in an avatar form, our plans have changed. Xuan Tian Wang, Xuanyan Hong—do you remember him?"
“ jì rán néng suǒ dìng nǐ de wèi zhì ， nǐ jiù yīng gāi zhī dào 、 wǒ yǐ jīng shèn tòu jìn rù le zhǎng jìng rén cāng de shì lì 。”
“既然能锁定你的位置，你就应该知道、我已经渗透进入了掌镜人苍的势力。”
"Xuanyan Hong?" The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar narrowed his eyes, trying to recall.
“ ér chuán fǎ zhě dāng zhōng ， yě yǒu wǒ men de rén 。 hēng ， xiān méng fā zhǎn shù qiān nián ， zěn me kě néng yì zhí shì tiě bǎn yī kuài ！”
“而传法者当中，也有我们的人。哼，仙盟发展数千年，怎么可能一直是铁板一块！”
Due to the loss of some memories due to avatar division or simply the human body's inability to handle vast amounts of information, he took a long time before asking: "Are you from Xuan Tian Sect?"
tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn wén yán ， yǒu xiē chí yí ：“ jí biàn rú cǐ ， xiǎng yào bāng zhù wǒ bǎi tuō kòng zhì ， yě wèi miǎn yǒu xiē miǎn qiǎng ba 。”
天玄镜分身闻言，有些迟疑：“即便如此，想要帮助我摆脱控制，也未免有些勉强吧。”
"It can't be. Xuan Tian Sect shouldn’t have someone like you..."
lǐ fán méi yǒu zhèng miàn huí dá ， ér shì tū rán fā wèn ：“ nǐ kě zhī dào ， wǒ yuán xiān zhǔn bèi lái zhū shā nǐ de yuán yīn ？”
李凡没有正面回答，而是突然发问：“你可知道，我原先准备来诛杀你的原因？”
Li Fan snorted: "We want to know where Xuan Tian Wang is now. If anyone in the Xuanhuang Realm knows his whereabouts, it might only be you. The original plan was to kill your avatar and cut off your retreat path, then force you to cooperate with us using an enhanced version of Xuan Tian's Soul Sealing..."
tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn sī suǒ le piàn kè zhī hòu ， huí dá dào ：“ duàn wǒ tuì lù ？”
天玄镜分身思索了片刻之后，回答道：“断我退路？”
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar was stunned: "Back then, I was the treasure of Xuan Tian Sect. Now that I'm trapped in the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, you don't even save me. You actually came up with such a plan?"
“ bù cuò 。 bù guò xiàn zài jì rán nǐ de dào yǐ jīng chéng ， wú fǎ zǔ zhǐ nǐ yǐ fēn shēn de xíng shì wài táo 。 nà me jì huà yě jiù suí zhī gǎi biàn le 。 xuán tiān wáng ， xuān yuán hóng ， cǐ rén nǐ kě hái jì de ？”
“不错。不过现在既然你的道已经成，无法阻止你以分身的形式外逃。那么计划也就随之改变了。玄天王，轩辕宏，此人你可还记得？”
Li Fan sneered: "After our defeat and the mysterious disappearance of Xuan Tian Wang, everything happened too quickly and suspiciously. And now that you're serving the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, who can be sure if you’re not the traitor from back then!"
“ xuān yuán hóng ？” tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn mī zhuó yǎn jīng ， xiǎng le huì 。
“轩辕宏？”天玄镜分身眯着眼睛，想了会。
"I'm a traitor?" These words seemed to anger the Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar, as his voice rose slightly.
sì hū shì yīn wèi fēn huà fēn shēn dǎo zhì de mǒu xiē jì yì de yí shī ， yì huò zhě dān chún shì rén lèi shēn qū bù zú yǐ zhī chí tiān liàng xìn xī de dú qǔ 。
似乎是因为分化分身导致的某些记忆的遗失，亦或者单纯是人类身躯不足以支持天量信息的读取。
"Back then..." Xuanyan Hong was about to say something when he suddenly stopped.
zú zú guò le bàn shǎng zhī hòu ， tā cái huí xiǎng qǐ lái ， jīng wèn dào ：“ nǐ shì xuán tiān jiào de rén ？”
足足过了半晌之后，他才回想起来，惊问道：“你是玄天教的人？”
"Back then..."
“ bù kě néng a ， xuán tiān jiào bù yīng gāi yǒu nǐ zhè yàng de rén ……”
“不可能啊，玄天教不应该有你这样的人……”
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar struggled to recall. His mind kept coming up empty from that fateful day when Xuan Tian Sect fell.
lǐ fán lěng hēng yī shēng ：“ wǒ men xiǎng yào zhī dào xī rì xuán tiān wáng rú jīn de xià luò 。 ruò shì zhè xuán huáng jiè ， yǒu shuí hái néng zhī dào tā de xìn xī ， kǒng pà zhǐ yǒu nǐ le 。 yuán xiān de jì huà shì ， zhǎn nǐ fēn shēn 、 duàn nǐ hòu lù ， ér hòu yòng qiáng huà bǎn de xuán tiān fēng líng ， bī pò nǐ yǔ wǒ men hé zuò ……”
李凡冷哼一声：“我们想要知道昔日玄天王如今的下落。若是这玄黄界，有谁还能知道他的信息，恐怕只有你了。原先的计划是，斩你分身、断你后路，而后用强化版的玄天封灵，逼迫你与我们合作……”
"It's important information only the main body can access." The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar said gravely.
tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn zhí jiē zhèng zhù ：“ wǒ dāng nián hǎo dǎi yě shì xuán tiān jiào zhèn jiào zhī qì ， rú jīn wǒ bèi kùn wàn xiān méng ， nǐ men bù jiù wǒ yě jiù bà le 。 jū rán hái chū rú cǐ jì cè ？”
天玄镜分身直接怔住：“我当年好歹也是玄天教镇教之器，如今我被困万仙盟，你们不救我也就罢了。居然还出如此计策？”
Li Fan laughed in response.
lǐ fán lěng xiào dào ：“ dāng nián wǒ men xuán tiān jiào zhàn bài ， xuán tiān wáng mò míng shī zōng 。 zhè yī qiè fā shēng de dōu tài kuài 、 tài guò qī qiāo le 。 zài jiā shàng nǐ rú jīn yòu chén fú yú wàn xiān méng ， shuí yòu néng kěn dìng ， nǐ shì bú shì dāng nián de nà ge pàn tú ！”
李凡冷笑道：“当年我们玄天教战败，玄天王莫名失踪。这一切发生的都太快、太过蹊跷了。再加上你如今又臣服于万仙盟，谁又能肯定，你是不是当年的那个叛徒！”
"Since your requirement is to find the missing Xuan Tian Wang, I think we do have a basis for cooperation."
“ wǒ shì pàn tú ？” cǐ huà sì hū chù nù le tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn ， tā de shēng yīn dǒu rán bá gāo le shǎo xǔ 。
“我是叛徒？”此话似乎触怒了天玄镜分身，他的声音陡然拔高了少许。
"I still trust those from the old Xuan Tian Sect. But you..." The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar suspiciously sized up Li Fan.
“ dāng nián ” zhèng yù shuō xiē shén me ， què hū rán zhǐ zhù 。
“当年”正欲说些什么，却忽然止住。
"A thousand years of time can change one's nature; haven't you seen examples?" Li Fan explained disdainfully.
“ dāng nián ……”
“当年……”
"Our initial plan is this: continue to build [Xuan Tian Soul Sealing] within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, using it as an excuse to fully control the Heavenly玄 Mirror. In reality, we'll replace the core of the array from controlling to releasing."
tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn kǔ kǔ sī suǒ zhe ， nǎo hǎi zhōng guān yú dāng nián xuán tiān jiào fù miè yī shì ， què shǐ zhōng yī wú suǒ huò 。
天玄镜分身苦苦思索着，脑海中关于当年玄天教覆灭一世，却始终一无所获。
"Then use your privileges in the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance to create a chance for escape. I can even coordinate with the Five Elders Association and other small-world forces to attack the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, creating chaos."
“ shì zhòng yào xìn xī ， zhǐ néng běn tǐ cái yǒu quán xiàn chá kàn 。” tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn liǎn sè níng zhòng dào 。
“是重要信息，只能本体才有权限查看。”天玄镜分身脸色凝重道。
Li Fan spoke confidently, revealing more than he intended.
lǐ fán cháo xiào le yī shēng ， yǐ zuò huí yìng 。
李凡嘲笑了一声，以作回应。
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar listened intently, analyzing each word.
“ jì rán nǐ men de yāo qiú shì zhǎo dào shī zōng de xuán tiān wáng ， nà me wǒ xiǎng wǒ men zhī jiān dí què yǒu hé zuò de jī chǔ 。”
“既然你们的要求是找到失踪的玄天王，那么我想我们之间的确有合作的基础。”
Finally, he was tempted by this ultimate "escape plan," as it seemed theoretically feasible.
“ duì yú xuán tiān jiào dāng nián nà qún rén ， wǒ hái shì yǒu jǐ fēn xìn rèn de 。 bù guò nǐ ma ……” tiān xuán jìng fēn shēn yǒu xiē hú yí de dǎ liàng zhe lǐ fán 。
“对于玄天教当年那群人，我还是有几分信任的。不过你嘛……”天玄镜分身有些狐疑的打量着李凡。
(End of Chapter)
With Li Fan's questioning, the inn fell into a momentary silence.
The Heavenly玄 Mirror's avatar stared intently at Li Fan as if trying to penetrate his soul. The more he observed, the more doubtful and alarmed his expression became. It seemed that the apocalyptic words coming from the other party were not mere empty talk!
Only then did the Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar realize what the other had meant by saying they were "the same kind of people." Both held a disdainful attitude towards the lifeforms in the Xuanhuang Realm, but why was it so puzzling to him that he, as an Immortal Artifact, should have such a privilege while this cultivator before him, with only Foundation Establishment realm cultivation, could claim the same?
What was even more astonishing was how casually the other spoke of bringing the Xuanhuang Realm down. Even if he, as an Immortal Artifact, fell into the Heavenly墟, it might not be enough to save him.
The other must also face certain death but still showed no fear...
"Will any means do for a purpose? Even at the cost of mutual destruction..."
"Could I have misjudged you? You're not just selfish; you’re a madman?"
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar's mind raced with these thoughts. He finally took a deep breath, breaking the silence: "I didn't expect to be so wrong."
"You, this dangerous person who breaks all taboos, should be eternally sealed in the Immortal Alliance's [Yin Prison]."
Li Fan smiled, unbothered: "Yin Prison... There is no place in this world that can confine me."
"Even this darkest starry sky."
These words caused a slight change in the Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar's expression.
"Not only are we alike; our goals align as well. I wish to escape from this cage, and so do you—freeing yourself from your shackles..."
"By the way, is merely creating a human avatar truly your path? True freedom?"
Without your main body, your avatar is no different from those fragile mortals. Freedom... Li Fan sneered.
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar did not refute him.
In this battle of wits, he had truly lost.
The reason was that he hadn't fully understood the true identity of his opponent. He even wondered if the other might be one of the surviving Immortals from the ancient era.
"If what you say is true, we can still cooperate," after much thought, the Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar finally spoke.
"But I still can’t trust you." However, he quickly changed his tone.
Li Fan waved his hand and offered a friendly smile: "I understand your thoughts. But our cooperation can be gradual, building mutual trust."
"Even if I change my mind halfway, you'll have gained enough benefits."
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar considered it and nodded slowly.
"The restrictions left by the Transmission Sage on me, along with the years of accumulation by the Mirror Keeper, now reach a terrifying level. With your current cultivation, even with three daoists aiding from outside, rescuing me is impossible..."
Li Fan interrupted bluntly: "My strength isn't something you need to worry about."
"Since I can pinpoint your location, you should know that I've already infiltrated the Mirror Keeper Cang's forces."
"And among the Transmitters, we have our people. Hmph! The Immortal Alliance has existed for thousands of years; it couldn’t possibly be a monolith!"
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar hesitated: "Even so, helping me break free might be too much to ask."
Li Fan didn't directly answer but asked instead: "Do you know why I originally planned to kill you?"
After some thought, the Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar replied: "Cut off your retreat path?"
"Correct. But now that your dao is complete and cannot stop you from escaping in an avatar form, our plans have changed. Xuan Tian Wang, Xuanyan Hong—do you remember him?"
"Xuanyan Hong?" The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar narrowed his eyes, trying to recall.
Due to the loss of some memories due to avatar division or simply the human body's inability to handle vast amounts of information, he took a long time before asking: "Are you from Xuan Tian Sect?"
"It can't be. Xuan Tian Sect shouldn’t have someone like you..."
Li Fan snorted: "We want to know where Xuan Tian Wang is now. If anyone in the Xuanhuang Realm knows his whereabouts, it might only be you. The original plan was to kill your avatar and cut off your retreat path, then force you to cooperate with us using an enhanced version of Xuan Tian's Soul Sealing..."
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar was stunned: "Back then, I was the treasure of Xuan Tian Sect. Now that I'm trapped in the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, you don't even save me. You actually came up with such a plan?"
Li Fan sneered: "After our defeat and the mysterious disappearance of Xuan Tian Wang, everything happened too quickly and suspiciously. And now that you're serving the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, who can be sure if you’re not the traitor from back then!"
"I'm a traitor?" These words seemed to anger the Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar, as his voice rose slightly.
"Back then..." Xuanyan Hong was about to say something when he suddenly stopped.
"Back then..."
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar struggled to recall. His mind kept coming up empty from that fateful day when Xuan Tian Sect fell.
"It's important information only the main body can access." The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar said gravely.
Li Fan laughed in response.
"Since your requirement is to find the missing Xuan Tian Wang, I think we do have a basis for cooperation."
"I still trust those from the old Xuan Tian Sect. But you..." The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar suspiciously sized up Li Fan.
"A thousand years of time can change one's nature; haven't you seen examples?" Li Fan explained disdainfully.
"Our initial plan is this: continue to build [Xuan Tian Soul Sealing] within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, using it as an excuse to fully control the Heavenly玄 Mirror. In reality, we'll replace the core of the array from controlling to releasing."
"Then use your privileges in the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance to create a chance for escape. I can even coordinate with the Five Elders Association and other small-world forces to attack the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, creating chaos."
Li Fan spoke confidently, revealing more than he intended.
The Heavenly玄 Mirror’s avatar listened intently, analyzing each word.
Finally, he was tempted by this ultimate "escape plan," as it seemed theoretically feasible.
(End of Chapter)