yī jiàn jiàn tiān cái dì bǎo wèi kuǐ lěi gǔ jià ， jīn sè yuán lì cháo xī bān de yǒng dòng ， xíng chéng “ xuè ròu zǔ zhī ”、 fù zhuó zài gǔ jià zhī shàng 。
一件件天材地宝为傀儡骨架，金色源力潮汐般的涌动，形成“血肉组织”、附着在骨架之上。
Piece by piece, the puppet's skeleton was formed with celestial and terrestrial treasures. Golden source energy surged like a tidal wave, creating "flesh and blood tissue" that attached to the framework.
tiān jī kuǐ lěi màn màn xiǎn chū xíng zhuàng 。
天机傀儡慢慢显出形状。
The puppet slowly took shape before Li Fan’s eyes.
ér zài jīn sè yuán lì yǒng xiàn de guò chéng zhōng ， lǐ fán hái yǐn yǐn tóng shí tīng dào le duàn duàn xù xù de ní nán shēng 。
而在金色源力涌现的过程中，李凡还隐隐同时听到了断断续续的呢喃声。
During this process, he faintly heard intermittent murmurs.
“ zhè shì shén me dòng jìng ？” qiǎo gōng jū shì yī fù yóu rèn yǒu yú de yàng zi ， lǐ fán yě jiù bù pà dǎ rǎo 、 zhí jiē chū shēng wèn dào 。
“这是什么动静？”巧工居士一副游刃有余的样子，李凡也就不怕打扰、直接出声问道。
"What is this commotion?" the Artisan Sage seemed at ease as Li Fan dared not disturb him by asking directly.
“ bù qīng chǔ 。 dàn què shì lì yòng yuán lì bì rán huì chū xiàn de xiàn xiàng ， bù bì dān xīn 。 wǒ men tiān jī jiè xiū shì ， jiāng qí chēng zhī wèi 【 shì jiè dī yǔ 】。 jiàn dé duō le ， jiù xí guàn le 。”
“不清楚。但却是利用源力必然会出现的现象，不必担心。我们天机界修士，将其称之为【世界低语】。见得多了，就习惯了。”
"I don't know. But it's a phenomenon bound to occur when using source energy. Don’t worry about it. We call it [World Whisper] in our world of Artisans. The more I see, the more accustomed I become."
huí dá lǐ fán de tóng shí ， tā jǐn jǐn dīng zhe tiān jī kuǐ lěi 、 jīng xì de cāo zòng zhe yuán lì 。
回答李凡的同时，他紧紧盯着天机傀儡、精细的操纵着源力。
While answering Li Fan, he closely watched and meticulously controlled the source energy on the puppet.
sì zhī 、 qū gàn 、 tóu lú ， ér hòu shì pí fū 、 máo fà ……
四肢、躯干、头颅，而后是皮肤、毛发……
The limbs, torso, head—followed by skin and hair—gradually appeared.
jǐn jiē màn màn xiǎn xiàn 。
尽皆慢慢显现。
Liu Ruchen, patriarch of the Medicine King Sect, looked stunned at this spectacle. Such a method of crafting puppets far exceeded his imagination.
yào wáng zōng zhǔ liǔ rú chén ， zé shì mǎn liǎn zhèn jīng de kàn zhuó yǎn qián zhè yí mù 。
药王宗主柳如尘，则是满脸震惊的看着眼前这一幕。
When the puppet with an identical appearance to Liu Ruchen was created, he felt an inexplicable urge to possess it himself.
rú cǐ liàn zhì kuǐ lěi de shǒu duàn ， wán quán chāo hū le tā de xiǎng xiàng 。
如此炼制傀儡的手段，完全超乎了他的想象。
"Friend Daoist, please," the Artisan Sage said lazily.
dāng wài biǎo yàng mào gēn liǔ rú chén wán quán yí zhì de tiān jí kuǐ lěi bèi chuàng zào chū lái de shùn jiān ， liǔ rú chén xīn zhōng yě mò míng shēng chū yī gǔ pò bù jí dài xiǎng yào fù shēn qí zhōng de kě wàng 。
当外表样貌跟柳如尘完全一致的天极傀儡被创造出来的瞬间，柳如尘心中也莫名生出一股迫不及待想要附身其中的渴望。
Seeing Li Fan nod, Liu Ruchen cautiously approached. A faint glow erupted from the puppet before its eyes opened after a moment.
“ zhè wèi dào yǒu ， qǐng ba 。” qiǎo gōng jū shì lǎn yáng yáng dì shuō dào 。
“这位道友，请吧。”巧工居士懒洋洋地说道。
Liu Ruchen, reborn, clutched his hand in awe: "It's... exactly like my original body."
kàn le yǎn lǐ fán ， jiàn tā diǎn le diǎn tóu 。 liǔ rú chén zhè cái xiǎo xīn yì yì dì fēi shēn kào jìn 。
看了眼李凡，见他点了点头。柳如尘这才小心翼翼地飞身靠近。
"Even with a dantian and识海! How did you manage to do this?"
tiān jī kuǐ lěi shàng bào fā chū yī zhèn yōu guāng ， piàn kè zhī hòu ， zhēng kāi le yǎn jīng 。
天机傀儡上爆发出一阵幽光，片刻之后，睁开了眼睛。
The Artisan Sage paid no heed to Liu Ruchen. "Is that enough? I’ll go back now. Fellow Daoist Heavenly Yang is still waiting for me!" he said impatiently.
chóng huò xīn shēng de liǔ rú chén shǒu zhǎng zhāng wò ， shén qíng zhèn hàn ：“ jiǎn zhí …… gēn wǒ běn lái de shēn tǐ gǎn jué yī mú yī yàng 。”
重获新生的柳如尘手掌张握，神情震撼：“简直……跟我本来的身体感觉一模一样。”
Li Fan smiled, letting him leave.
“ shèn zhì hái yǒu dān tián 、 shí hǎi de cún zài ！ zhè jiū jìng shì zěn me zuò dào de ？”
“甚至还有丹田、识海的存在！这究竟是怎么做到的？”
"Master Medicine King, how are our methods in the Interworld Alliance?" Li Fan asked as Liu Ruchen continued to experience his new body.
qiǎo gōng jū shì gēn běn méi lǐ huì liǔ rú chén ：“ xíng le ba ？ méi qí tā shì wǒ jiù xiān huí qù le 。 tiān yáng dào yǒu hái děng zhe wǒ ne ！” tā pò bù jí dài dì wèn dào 。
巧工居士根本没理会柳如尘：“行了吧？没其他事我就先回去了。天阳道友还等着我呢！”他迫不及待地问道。
"They are truly beyond compare," Liu Ruchen said with genuine admiration.
lǐ fán xiào le xiào ， fàng qí lí kāi 。
李凡笑了笑，放其离开。
Then, his expression shifted slightly. "Interworld Alliance... Could it be that the Artisan Sage wasn't a native of Xuanhuang Realm?"
“ liǔ zōng zhǔ ， wǒ men wàn jiè lián hé huì de shǒu duàn rú hé ？” kàn zhe hái zài tǐ yàn zì jǐ xīn shēn tǐ de liǔ rú chén ， lǐ fán wèn dào 。
“柳宗主，我们万界联合会的手段如何？”看着还在体验自己新身体的柳如尘，李凡问道。
Li Fan nodded. "Master Medicine King indeed has remarkable insight. The Artisan Sage comes from [World of Artistry]."
“ shén hū qí jì 、 shén hū qí jì 。” liǔ rú chén xīn yuè chéng fú dào 。
“神乎其技、神乎其技。”柳如尘心悦诚服道。
Liu Ruchen exclaimed in surprise: "World of Artistry? That realm rumored to exist on a giant puppet, drifting through the stars?"
ér hòu shén sè wēi wēi yī dòng ：“ wàn jiè lián hé …… mò fēi gāng gāng nà wèi qiǎo gōng dào yǒu ， bìng fēi xuán huáng jiè běn tǔ xiū shì ？”
而后神色微微一动：“万界联合……莫非刚刚那位巧工道友，并非玄黄界本土修士？”
"So that explains it."
lǐ fán diǎn le diǎn tóu ：“ liǔ zōng zhǔ guǒ rán jiàn shí fēi fán 。 qiǎo gōng dào yǒu ， nǎi shì 【 tiān jī jiè 】 chū shēn 。”
李凡点了点头：“柳宗主果然见识非凡。巧工道友，乃是【天机界】出身。”
After Li Fan's inquiries, he learned that the ancient Medicine King "Barbarian Immortal Son Piaomiao" had recorded his travels across various realms during his wanderings.
liǔ rú chén wén yán shī shēng dào ：“ tiān jī jiè ？ nà ge chuán wén zhōng jiàn lì zài yī jù jù dà kuǐ lěi zhī shàng 、 zài xīng kōng zhōng piāo hū bù dìng de xiū xiān jiè ？”
柳如尘闻言失声道：“天机界？那个传闻中建立在一具巨大傀儡之上、在星空中飘忽不定的修仙界？”
Among these records was an account of the World of Artistry.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ ， zhè yàng jiù shuō de tōng le 。”
“原来如此，这样就说的通了。”
"But after the cessation of the Path to Immortality, there has been little interaction between realms. Thus, most records are from long ago."
lǐ fán yī fān xún wèn zhī xià ， fāng cái zhī dào ， yuán lái dāng nián yào wáng zōng lǎo zǔ “ yào wáng sūn piāo miǎo ” dāng nián yóu lì zhū jiè 、 jì lù xià le gè jiè jiàn wén 。
李凡一番询问之下，方才知道，原来当年药王宗老祖“药王孙缥缈”当年游历诸界、记录下了各界见闻。
"When I decided to lead my entire sect into exile and escape Xuanhuang, my target was the nearest [Eternal Leisure] Realm. Its inhabitants revered inaction and leisure, shunned conflict, and were friendly towards outsiders—making it a good place. Unfortunately..."
qí zhōng jiù yǒu guān yú tiān jī jiè de jì zǎi 。
其中就有关于天机界的记载。
Liu Ruchen's face darkened as he shared his memories.
“ bù guò hòu lái xiān lù duàn jué ， gè gè xiū xiān jiè zhī jiān jiù jī běn bù zài yǒu wǎng lái le 。 suǒ yǐ guān yú gè jiè de jì lù ， dōu hái tíng liú zài jiǔ yuǎn de guò qù 。”
“不过后来仙路断绝，各个修仙界之间就基本不再有往来了。所以关于各界的记录，都还停留在久远的过去。”
While speaking, he transmitted the spirit consciousness of Medicine King Piaomiao’s travelogue to Li Fan.
“ dāng nián wǒ jué dìng dài lǐng quán zōng yuǎn dùn 、 táo lí xuán huáng zhī hòu ， qián wǎng de mù biāo jiù shì jù lí zuì jìn de 【 xiāo yáo 】 jiè 。 nà lǐ de xiū shì zūn chóng wú wéi 、 xiāo yáo zhī dào ， bù xǐ zhēng dòu 。 duì yú wài lái zhě yě shí fēn yǒu shàn 。 shì gè hǎo qù chù 。 zhǐ kě xī ……”
“当年我决定带领全宗远遁、逃离玄黄之后，前往的目标就是距离最近的【逍遥】界。那里的修士尊崇无为、逍遥之道，不喜争斗。对于外来者也十分友善。是个好去处。只可惜……”
A simple star map instantly appeared in Li Fan's mind, marking eighteen cultivation realms around Xuanhuang.
liǔ rú chén liǎn sè yǒu xiē àn rán 。
柳如尘脸色有些黯然。
The positions seemed randomly scattered without any discernible pattern.
shuō huà de gōng fu ， tā shí fēn shí qù de jiāng yào wáng sūn piāo miǎo de yóu jì shén shí chuán shū gěi le lǐ fán 。
说话的功夫，他十分识趣的将药王孙缥缈的游记神识传输给了李凡。
Apart from the eighteen fixed ones, there were two more realms with unspecified locations: one being the World of Artistry, and the other named [Xuan Commerce].
yī fù jiǎn yì de xīng tú shà shí chū xiàn zài lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng 。
一副简易的星图霎时出现在李凡脑海中。
According to the travelogue, Xuan Commerce was not a world but a vast flying boat.
biāo shì chū le xuán huáng jiè zhōu wéi gòng yī shí bā gè xiū xiān jiè de dào biāo wèi zhì 。
标示出了玄黄界周围共一十八个修仙界的道标位置。
Xuan Commerce traded between various cultivation realms, exchanging resources and making profits.
hǎo sì suí jī pái liè ， méi yǒu kàn chū yǒu shén me tè shū guī lǜ 。
好似随机排列，没有看出有什么特殊规律。
...
chú le shí bā gè gù dìng bù dòng de ， hái yǒu liǎng gè méi yǒu jù tǐ dào biāo fāng wèi de xiū xiān jiè 。
除了十八个固定不动的，还有两个没有具体道标方位的修仙界。
"Piaomiao Senior Immortal, truly enviable to be able to roam through worlds," Li Fan said after reviewing the contents of the travelogue.
qí yī jiù shì tiān jī jiè ， zhì yú lìng wài yí gè ， zé shì míng wèi 【 xuán shāng 】。
其一就是天机界，至于另外一个，则是名为【玄商】。
The passage of time had been too long, and the star map had changed significantly. The recorded details might have vanished or even been swallowed by Xuanhuang.
gēn jù yóu jì de jì zǎi ， xuán shāng yǔ qí shuō shì shì jiè ， bù rú shuō shì yī sōu jù dà de fēi zhōu 。
根据游记的记载，玄商与其说是世界，不如说是一艘巨大的飞舟。
"Xuan Commerce..."
xuán shāng lái wǎng gè gè xiū xiān jiè zhī jiān ， jiāo huàn wù zī 、 móu qǔ lì rùn 。
玄商来往各个修仙界之间，交换物资、谋取利润。
"The behavior of this realm's cultivators seems similar to that of Fellow Daoist Jiaoxiu Yuan. If given a chance in the future, I can verify it."
……
……
Liu Ruchen, unaware of Li Fan’s thoughts, continued: "It is said that Senior Immortal intended to explore further but changed his mind for some reason. It might be due to something special about this star cluster. However, he never revealed the exact reason to us."
“ piāo miǎo lǎo zǔ ， néng gòu shén yóu zhū jiè ， dàng zhēn lìng rén xiàn mù 。” bǎ yóu jì zhōng de nèi róng sǎo le jǐ biàn ， lǐ fán gǎn tàn zhe shuō dào 。
“缥缈老祖，能够神游诸界，当真令人羡慕。”把游记中的内容扫了几遍，李凡感叹着说道。
Li Fan's expression shifted slightly.
nián dài tài guò jiǔ yuǎn ， xīng hǎi jù biàn 。 yóu jì zhōng jì zǎi de yī qiè ， kǒng pà yǐ jīng jìn shù huà zuò xū wú le 。
年代太过久远，星海巨变。游记中记载的一切，恐怕已经尽数化作虚无了。
During Piaomiao's time, the Path to Immortality had not yet been severed, and the [High Wall] did not exist either.
yòu huò zhě ， yǐ jīng bèi xuán huáng tūn shì le yě shuō bù dìng 。
又或者，已经被玄黄吞噬了也说不定。
But Xuanhuang Realm was different...
“ xuán shāng ……”
“玄商……”
"Every senior immortal who ascended from Xuanhuang has no record of their existence."
“ cǐ jiè xiū shì de xíng shì fēng gé ， kàn qǐ lái gēn jiāo xiū yuǎn yǒu xiē lèi sì 。 yǐ hòu ruò yǒu jī huì ， kě yǐ yàn zhèng yī fān 。”
“此界修士的行事风格，看起来跟焦修远有些类似。以后若有机会，可以验证一番。”
Either every senior had become a nameless True Immortal or some great power had erased all records of them.
liǔ rú chén bù zhī lǐ fán xīn zhōng suǒ xiǎng ， zé shì jiē zhe huà dào ：“ jù shuō dāng nián lǎo zǔ hái zhǔn bèi wǎng gèng yuǎn chù yóu lì de ， dàn què bù zhī wèi hé zuì zhōng gǎi biàn le zhǔ yì 。 sì hū shì yīn wèi wǒ men suǒ chù de zhè piàn xīng kōng yǒu xiē tè shū de yuán yīn 。 bù guò jù tǐ yuán yóu ， lǎo zǔ què méi yǒu gào zhī hòu rén 。”
柳如尘不知李凡心中所想，则是接着话道：“据说当年老祖还准备往更远处游历的，但却不知为何最终改变了主意。似乎是因为我们所处的这片星空有些特殊的原因。不过具体缘由，老祖却没有告之后人。”
"Fascinating..."
lǐ fán shén sè wēi dòng ：“ yǒu xiē tè shū me ？”
李凡神色微动：“有些特殊么？”
Li Fan fell into deep thought.
sūn piāo miǎo suǒ chù de nián dài ， xiān lù hái wèi duàn jué 。【 gāo qiáng 】 zì rán yě hái méi yǒu cún zài 。
孙缥缈所处的年代，仙路还未断绝。【高墙】自然也还没有存在。
...
dàn xuán huáng jiè suǒ chù xīng hǎi ， jiù yǐ jīng yǒu suǒ bù tóng le ……
但玄黄界所处星海，就已经有所不同了……
Next, Li Fan led Liu Ruchen to tour the wonders of the Spirit Wood Realm.
“ xuán huáng jiè lì dài fēi shēng xiān rén ， quán dōu zhǎo bú dào rèn hé xiāng guān jì zǎi 。”
“玄黄界历代飞升仙人，全都找不到任何相关记载。”
From the landscapes and rivers borrowed from Xuanhuang, to the replicas of ancient sect ruins, and even the towering central tree, Liu Ruchen praised them endlessly.
“ yào me jiù shì měi yí gè qián bèi quán dōu jìn shēng chéng wéi le 【 wú míng zhēn xiān 】， yào me jiù shì yǒu dà néng jiāng tā men de xìn xī quán dōu mǒ qù le 。”
“要么就是每一个前辈全都晋升成为了【无名真仙】，要么就是有大能将他们的信息全都抹去了。”
After respectfully paying homage to the stone statue of the Faceless True Immortal, Li Fan retrieved the Medicine King Cauldron.
“ yǒu yì si ……”
“有意思……”
"Given the restriction on simultaneous cultivation, if we awaken all disciples within, they will surely engage in mutual slaughter. Master Medicine King, how do you suggest we proceed?"
lǐ fán xiàn rù le chén sī zhī zhōng 。
李凡陷入了沉思之中。
"Our Interworld Alliance has a technique called [Life-Sustaining Spirit Essence Cultivation]. It can bypass this limitation..."
……
……
After Li Fan's explanation, Liu Ruchen pondered for a moment before responding.
jiē xià lái ， lǐ fán dài lǐng liǔ rú chén cān guān le yī fān líng mù jiè shèng jǐng 。
接下来，李凡带领柳如尘参观了一番灵木界盛景。
"Since we have decided to join the alliance, we must contribute our efforts."
wú lùn shì qǔ jǐng zì xuán huáng jiè de shān chuān jiāng hé ， hái shì fǎng zào de gè dà shàng gǔ zōng mén yí jì 。
无论是取景自玄黄界的山川江河，还是仿造的各大上古宗门遗迹。
"While our Medicine King Sect may not be formidable in combat, we excel in alchemy and cultivating spirit plants."
yì huò zhě shì zhōng yāng nà zhū dǐng tiān ér lì de lín mù ， dōu ràng liǔ rú chén zàn bù jué kǒu 。
亦或者是中央那株顶天而立的林木，都让柳如尘赞不绝口。
"But..." Liu Ruchen appeared hesitant.
zuì hòu zhèng zhòng de bài jiàn liǎo wú miàn zhēn xiān shí xiàng hòu ， lǐ fán jiāng yào wáng dǐng qǔ chū 。
最后郑重的拜见了无面真仙石像后，李凡将药王鼎取出。
"After thousands of years, I don’t know how far Xuanhuang Realm’s elixir arts have progressed. But with some specific elixirs and time, we should be able to catch up."
“ rú jīn yǒu fǎ bù kě tóng xiū de xiàn zhì ， ruò shì jiāng dǐng zhōng dì zǐ quán dōu huàn xǐng ， tā men bì dìng huì xiàn rù zì xiāng cán shā zhī zhōng 。 liǔ zōng zhǔ nǐ kàn rú hé yìng duì ？”
“如今有法不可同修的限制，若是将鼎中弟子全都唤醒，他们必定会陷入自相残杀之中。柳宗主你看如何应对？”
Liu Ruchen understood that the best way to ensure the safety of his sect was to demonstrate their value as much as possible.
“ wǒ men wàn jiè lián hé huì ， yǒu yī zhǒng míng wèi 【 cāng shēng líng yuán gōng 】 de gōng fǎ 。 kě yǐ miǎn chú cǐ zhǒng xiàn zhì ……”
“我们万界联合会，有一种名为【苍生灵元功】的功法。可以免除此种限制……”
After witnessing the tree people tirelessly working in Spirit Wood and the flesh puppets reduced to mere cultivation machines, Liu Ruchen knew that the Interworld Alliance was not a benevolent entity.
tīng wán lǐ fán de jiè shào ， liǔ rú chén sī cǔn le piàn kè hòu ， gěi chū le dá fù 。
听完李凡的介绍，柳如尘思忖了片刻后，给出了答复。
And this "Heavenly Messenger" representing the Red Dust Benevolent Immortal, former Vajra Sect Dharmaraja, did not seem as kind or compassionate as he appeared.
“ jì rán yǐ jīng jué dìng jiā rù lián hé huì ， zì rán shì yào chū yī fèn lì de 。”
“既然已经决定加入联合会，自然是要出一份力的。”
"Life-Sustaining Elixir Sutra offers special benefits for alchemy. Therefore, it's best to retain their original cultivation levels."
“ ruò lùn zhàn lì ， wǒ men yào wáng zōng huò xǔ bù zěn me yàng 。 dàn shuō dào liàn dān 、 péi yù líng zhí ， wǒ men yào wáng zōng hái suàn shàn cháng 。”
“若论战力，我们药王宗或许不怎么样。但说到炼丹、培育灵植，我们药王宗还算擅长。”
(End of Chapter)
Piece by piece, the puppet's skeleton was formed with celestial and terrestrial treasures. Golden source energy surged like a tidal wave, creating "flesh and blood tissue" that attached to the framework.
The puppet slowly took shape before Li Fan’s eyes.
During this process, he faintly heard intermittent murmurs.
"What is this commotion?" the Artisan Sage seemed at ease as Li Fan dared not disturb him by asking directly.
"I don't know. But it's a phenomenon bound to occur when using source energy. Don’t worry about it. We call it [World Whisper] in our world of Artisans. The more I see, the more accustomed I become."
While answering Li Fan, he closely watched and meticulously controlled the source energy on the puppet.
The limbs, torso, head—followed by skin and hair—gradually appeared.
Liu Ruchen, patriarch of the Medicine King Sect, looked stunned at this spectacle. Such a method of crafting puppets far exceeded his imagination.
When the puppet with an identical appearance to Liu Ruchen was created, he felt an inexplicable urge to possess it himself.
"Friend Daoist, please," the Artisan Sage said lazily.
Seeing Li Fan nod, Liu Ruchen cautiously approached. A faint glow erupted from the puppet before its eyes opened after a moment.
Liu Ruchen, reborn, clutched his hand in awe: "It's... exactly like my original body."
"Even with a dantian and识海! How did you manage to do this?"
The Artisan Sage paid no heed to Liu Ruchen. "Is that enough? I’ll go back now. Fellow Daoist Heavenly Yang is still waiting for me!" he said impatiently.
Li Fan smiled, letting him leave.
"Master Medicine King, how are our methods in the Interworld Alliance?" Li Fan asked as Liu Ruchen continued to experience his new body.
"They are truly beyond compare," Liu Ruchen said with genuine admiration.
Then, his expression shifted slightly. "Interworld Alliance... Could it be that the Artisan Sage wasn't a native of Xuanhuang Realm?"
Li Fan nodded. "Master Medicine King indeed has remarkable insight. The Artisan Sage comes from [World of Artistry]."
Liu Ruchen exclaimed in surprise: "World of Artistry? That realm rumored to exist on a giant puppet, drifting through the stars?"
"So that explains it."
After Li Fan's inquiries, he learned that the ancient Medicine King "Barbarian Immortal Son Piaomiao" had recorded his travels across various realms during his wanderings.
Among these records was an account of the World of Artistry.
"But after the cessation of the Path to Immortality, there has been little interaction between realms. Thus, most records are from long ago."
"When I decided to lead my entire sect into exile and escape Xuanhuang, my target was the nearest [Eternal Leisure] Realm. Its inhabitants revered inaction and leisure, shunned conflict, and were friendly towards outsiders—making it a good place. Unfortunately..."
Liu Ruchen's face darkened as he shared his memories.
While speaking, he transmitted the spirit consciousness of Medicine King Piaomiao’s travelogue to Li Fan.
A simple star map instantly appeared in Li Fan's mind, marking eighteen cultivation realms around Xuanhuang.
The positions seemed randomly scattered without any discernible pattern.
Apart from the eighteen fixed ones, there were two more realms with unspecified locations: one being the World of Artistry, and the other named [Xuan Commerce].
According to the travelogue, Xuan Commerce was not a world but a vast flying boat.
Xuan Commerce traded between various cultivation realms, exchanging resources and making profits.
...
"Piaomiao Senior Immortal, truly enviable to be able to roam through worlds," Li Fan said after reviewing the contents of the travelogue.
The passage of time had been too long, and the star map had changed significantly. The recorded details might have vanished or even been swallowed by Xuanhuang.
"Xuan Commerce..."
"The behavior of this realm's cultivators seems similar to that of Fellow Daoist Jiaoxiu Yuan. If given a chance in the future, I can verify it."
Liu Ruchen, unaware of Li Fan’s thoughts, continued: "It is said that Senior Immortal intended to explore further but changed his mind for some reason. It might be due to something special about this star cluster. However, he never revealed the exact reason to us."
Li Fan's expression shifted slightly.
During Piaomiao's time, the Path to Immortality had not yet been severed, and the [High Wall] did not exist either.
But Xuanhuang Realm was different...
"Every senior immortal who ascended from Xuanhuang has no record of their existence."
Either every senior had become a nameless True Immortal or some great power had erased all records of them.
"Fascinating..."
Li Fan fell into deep thought.
...
Next, Li Fan led Liu Ruchen to tour the wonders of the Spirit Wood Realm.
From the landscapes and rivers borrowed from Xuanhuang, to the replicas of ancient sect ruins, and even the towering central tree, Liu Ruchen praised them endlessly.
After respectfully paying homage to the stone statue of the Faceless True Immortal, Li Fan retrieved the Medicine King Cauldron.
"Given the restriction on simultaneous cultivation, if we awaken all disciples within, they will surely engage in mutual slaughter. Master Medicine King, how do you suggest we proceed?"
"Our Interworld Alliance has a technique called [Life-Sustaining Spirit Essence Cultivation]. It can bypass this limitation..."
After Li Fan's explanation, Liu Ruchen pondered for a moment before responding.
"Since we have decided to join the alliance, we must contribute our efforts."
"While our Medicine King Sect may not be formidable in combat, we excel in alchemy and cultivating spirit plants."
"But..." Liu Ruchen appeared hesitant.
"After thousands of years, I don’t know how far Xuanhuang Realm’s elixir arts have progressed. But with some specific elixirs and time, we should be able to catch up."
Liu Ruchen understood that the best way to ensure the safety of his sect was to demonstrate their value as much as possible.
After witnessing the tree people tirelessly working in Spirit Wood and the flesh puppets reduced to mere cultivation machines, Liu Ruchen knew that the Interworld Alliance was not a benevolent entity.
And this "Heavenly Messenger" representing the Red Dust Benevolent Immortal, former Vajra Sect Dharmaraja, did not seem as kind or compassionate as he appeared.
"Life-Sustaining Elixir Sutra offers special benefits for alchemy. Therefore, it's best to retain their original cultivation levels."
(End of Chapter)