“ nì tiān dì zhī lǐ ……”
“逆天地之理……”
"Against the laws of nature..."
lǐ fán huǎn huǎn dī yǔ ， shuō dào yí bàn ， xià bàn jù què zhǐ shì zài xīn lǐ mò niàn 。
李凡缓缓低语，说到一半，下半句却只是在心里默念。
Li Fan spoke slowly, only completing half of his sentence in his mind.
“ yǐ zhèng cháng shēng ！”
“以证长生！”
"To prove eternal life!"
bù rù xiū xiān jiè yǐ lái ， lǐ fán jiàn dào guò huà shén qī xiū shì bá shān ér zhàn ， yě jiàn dào guò hé dào jìng de chì yán fén hǎi 。
步入修仙界以来，李凡见到过化神期修士拔山而战，也见到过合道境的赤炎焚海。
Since stepping into the world of cultivation, Li Fan had seen divine transformation cultivators battle mountains and dao practitioners of the union realm burn seas with red flames. But none compared to this moment's revelation—seeing fragments of the Immortal Supreme Lord through seemingly unnatural phenomena was far more shocking.
dàn dōu bù rú cǐ kè ， yú yǒu bèi cháng lǐ de zhǒng zhǒng jì xiàng lǐ ， dé yǐ kuī jiàn cháng shēng tiān zūn de yī lín bàn zhǎo lái de zhèn hàn 。
但都不如此刻，于有悖常理的种种迹象里，得以窥见长生天尊的一鳞半爪来的震撼。
This influence, subtle yet pervasive, that altered all cultivators in the world without them noticing, was incomparably stronger than mere destruction.
zhè zhǒng yú wú xíng wú xiāng 、 bù zhī bù jué jiān ， yǐng xiǎng gǎi biàn tiān dì jiān suǒ yǒu xiū shì de lì liàng ， bǐ qǐ dān chún de pò huài ， yào qiáng dà tài duō 。
这种于无形无相、不知不觉间，影响改变天地间所有修士的力量，比起单纯的破坏，要强大太多。
"I only didn't fall under its sway because I knew the red flames were a future calamity," Li Fan thought. "That's why I could notice the impact this Immortal Supreme Lord had on the world by comparing past and present."
“ wǒ yě zhǐ shì yīn wèi ， jì yì zhōng de chì yán fén hǎi ， nǎi shì shǔ yú wèi lái fā shēng de zāi è ， cái méi yǒu bèi zhè gǔ lì liàng suǒ yǐng xiǎng 。”
“我也只是因为，记忆中的赤炎焚海，乃是属于未来发生的灾厄，才没有被这股力量所影响。”
After a long while, he managed to push away the fear of constantly living in the shadow of such a colossal entity.
“ suǒ yǐ cái néng gòu cóng qián hòu duì bǐ jiān ， chá jué dào zhè wèi cháng shēng tiān zūn shī jiā gěi shì jiān de yǐng xiǎng 。”
“所以才能够从前后对比间，察觉到这位长生天尊施加给世间的影响。”
In this cultivation realm, Golden Core cultivators were called True Monks, Foundation Establishment cultivators were True Kings, Spirit Formation cultivators were Immortal Sages, and Unity Realm cultivators were Supreme Lords. The ultimate power was known as the Immortal Supreme Lord.
guò le xǔ jiǔ ， lǐ fán cái huǎn huǎn jiāng zhè zhǒng ， dǒu rán fā jué zì jǐ shí kè shēng cún yú yī zūn jù wù de yīn yǐng xià dài lái de kǒng jù gǎn gěi qū zhú 。
过了许久，李凡才缓缓将这种，陡然发觉自己时刻生存于一尊巨物的阴影下带来的恐惧感给驱逐。
Most Immortal Supremes in the world remained elusive, with few knowing their true names or exact numbers.
cǐ jiān xiū xiān jiè ， yì bān zūn chēng jīn dān qī xiū shì wèi zhēn rén ， yuán yīng qī xiū shì wèi zhēn jūn ， fēn shén qī xiū shì wèi xiān jūn ， hé dào qī xiū shì wèi xiān zūn 。
此间修仙界，一般尊称金丹期修士为真人，元婴期修士为真君，分神期修士为仙君，合道期修士为仙尊。
"Under this Immortal Supreme's influence, all cultivators gradually forget past calamities. It’s not just disasters; it seems any collective memory that brings pain is affected."
ér zuì hòu de ， nà zhì gāo qiáng zhě ， zé bèi chēng zhī wèi cháng shēng tiān zūn 。
而最后的，那至高强者，则被称之为长生天尊。
"It appears this cultivation realm truly is a blissful paradise..."
shì jiān cháng shēng tiān zūn ， dà duō shén lóng jiàn shǒu bù jiàn wěi 。
世间长生天尊，大多神龙见首不见尾。
Li Fan analyzed and understood more deeply. The world was so harsh on cultivators, the conflict between heaven and immortals so intense. Yet, those he encountered—such as Cao Hong, Dao Xuanzi, He Zhenghao, and Wen Xing—all seemed to avoid bitterness and revenge. They mostly just sighed at the difficulty of the immortal path or even smiled all day long.
lián jù tǐ yǒu jǐ wèi ， tā men de míng hào fēn bié shì shén me ， yì bān de xiū shì dōu nán yǐ zhī xiǎo 。
连具体有几位，他们的名号分别是什么，一般的修士都难以知晓。
This might be the work of that Immortal Supreme Lord—to make it easier for cultivators to advance?
“ zhè wèi cháng shēng tiān zūn ， zài tā de yǐng xiǎng xià ， tiān xià xiū shì ， dū huì màn màn jiāng céng jīng fā shēng guò de zāi è yí wàng 。 huò zhě shuō ， bù jǐn jǐn zhǐ shì zāi è 。 sì hū zhǐ yào shì yī xiē huì dài lái tòng kǔ de qún tǐ jì yì ， dōu chǔ yú tā de quán néng de yǐng xiǎng xià 。”
“这位长生天尊，在祂的影响下，天下修士，都会慢慢将曾经发生过的灾厄遗忘。或者说，不仅仅只是灾厄。似乎只要是一些会带来痛苦的群体记忆，都处于祂的权能的影响下。”
Or was there some other purpose?
“ sì hū ， zhè xiū xiān jiè zhēn de shì yī chù wú yōu lè tǔ yì bān ……”
“似乎，这修仙界真的是一处无忧乐土一般……”
Li Fan never hesitated to assume the worst about others.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng huǎn huǎn fēn xī zhe ， tóng shí yòu yǒu suǒ míng wù 。
李凡心中缓缓分析着，同时又有所明悟。
...
zhè ge shì jiè ， tiān dì duì xiū shì è yì rú cǐ zhī dà ， tiān xiān máo dùn rú cǐ jiān ruì 。
这个世界，天地对修士恶意如此之大，天仙矛盾如此尖锐。
Eternal life was Li Fan's ultimate pursuit. But he still had a long way to go.
dàn tā suǒ yù dào de xiū shì men ， kòu hóng 、 dào xuán zi 、 hé zhèng hào 、 yǔ wén xīng děng děng 。
但他所遇到的修士们，寇洪、道玄子、何正浩、宇文星等等。
Grounding himself, he should focus on solid cultivation. Recovering from the shock of the Immortal Supreme Lord, Li Fan began researching ancient body transformation techniques.
què jī hū méi yǒu kǔ dà chóu shēn 、 dòng bù dòng jiù yào miè tiān de nà zhǒng lèi xíng 。
却几乎没有苦大仇深、动不动就要灭天的那种类型。
Not a secret, it wasn't hard to find relevant information.
quán dōu yǒu yì wú yì hū lüè le tiān dì de è yì 。
全都有意无意忽略了天地的恶意。
Body Transformation wasn’t a sect dedicated to specialized techniques; instead, its disciples practiced a unique method: transforming their consciousness into external objects. They could control and synchronize with these objects completely. At the highest level, they could abandon their bodies entirely and become one with the object.
zuì duō yě zhǐ shì gǎn tàn yú xiān dào jiān nán ， shèn zhì hái yǒu zhěng tiān lè hē hē de ……
最多也只是感叹于仙道艰难，甚至还有整天乐呵呵的……
He found this information easily because...
zhè bǎo bù zhǔn ， jiù shì nà wèi cháng shēng tiān zūn de shǒu bǐ 。
这保不准，就是那位长生天尊的手笔。
The Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror contained numerous descriptions of True Monks using body transformation to engage in various bizarre sexual practices with different objects. The variety was impressive.
shì wèi le tiān xià xiū shì ， néng gèng hǎo de xiū xíng ？
是为了天下修士，能更好的修行？
After reviewing it, Li Fan shook his head and closed the text.
hái shì yǒu shén me qí tā mù dì ？
还是有什么其他目的？
"From what I can see, that Yang Tianzhen sealed a puppet under the sea's volcanic vents before his death and set up defenses. His soul then transferred into the puppet."
lǐ fán xiàng lái bù dàn yǐ zuì huài de è yì chuǎi cè páng rén de 。
李凡向来不惮以最坏的恶意揣测旁人的。
"Over thousands of years, the puppet absorbed the earth’s fire continuously, growing stronger. Meanwhile, Yang Tianzhen transformed from a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator to a formidable existence capable of battling divine transformation sages."
……
……
"While he seems to have lost his mind now, acting on instinct," Li Fan thought, "he probably won't regret it."
cháng shēng ， nǎi shì lǐ fán bù duàn lún huí ， zhōng jí zhuī qiú suǒ zài 。
长生，乃是李凡不断轮回，终极追求所在。
"Yang Tianzhen's life was no less than that of a mortal."
dàn cǐ kè ， lǐ fán jù lí tā de mù biāo hái shì tài yáo yuǎn le 。
但此刻，李凡距离他的目标还是太遥远了。
"He did live up to the saying."
jiǎo tà shí dì ， yí bù bù jiān shí xiū liàn ， cái shì dāng qián yīng gāi zuò de 。
脚踏实地，一步步坚实修炼，才是当前应该做的。
After musing, Li Fan began his seclusion for cultivation. Reflecting on the divine transformation battle, he felt he was close to breaking through.
cóng cháng shēng tiān zūn dài lái de zhèn hàn zhōng huī fù ， lǐ fán kāi shǐ sōu suǒ qǐ le shàng gǔ shēn huà dào de zī liào 。
从长生天尊带来的震撼中恢复，李凡开始搜索起了上古身化道的资料。
Indeed, five days later, Li Fan sensed his essence energy had reached its limit. Both *Thousand Mechanisms and Jade Circle* and *Steal Heaven and Replace Sun* techniques were now at their peak in the late stage of essence refinement.
bú shì shén me jué mì ， hěn róng yì jiù zhǎo dào le xiāng guān xìn xī 。
不是什么绝密，很容易就找到了相关信息。
However, what delighted him was that this breakthrough hinted at an opportunity. His journey would be filled with smooth sailing and good fortune.
shēn huà dào ， bú shì shén me zhuān xiū jī guān shù de zōng mén 。
身化道，不是什么专修机关术的宗门。
Prepared, Li Fan set out immediately. Before he could leave, a profound insight suddenly entered his mind.
ér shì mén nèi dì zi dōu xiū xíng yī zhǒng tè shū fǎ mén ： shēn huà tā zì zài 。
而是门内弟子都修行一种特殊法门：身化他自在。
The Lin Fan clone, after much contemplation, had finally emerged from seclusion.
néng gòu jiāng xīn shén hún niàn jì tuō yú wài wù zhī shàng 。
能够将心神魂念寄托于外物之上。
Double joy! Everything went smoothly.
jì tuō zhī hòu ， bù jǐn kě yǐ duì qí jìn xíng cāo zòng ， gèng kě yǐ wán quán tóng bù jì tuō wù de gǎn shòu 。
寄托之后，不仅可以对其进行操纵，更可以完全同步寄托物的感受。
This made Li Fan feel like the heavens were aligning in his favor.
xiū liàn dào zuì gāo jìng jiè ， gèng kě yǐ shě qì zì jǐ shēn qū ， cóng cǐ huà shēn jì tuō wù 。
修炼到最高境界，更可以舍弃自己身躯，从此化身寄托物。
Settling his emotions, Li Fan carefully pondered this new divine insight. All things were interconnected and interdependent, leading to life and death.
zhī suǒ yǐ rú cǐ róng yì jiù chá xún dào le xiāng guān zī liào ， dào bú shì yīn wèi zhè shēn huà dào fǎ mén duō mén qiáng dà 。
之所以如此容易就查询到了相关资料，倒不是因为这身化道法门多门强大。
His understanding of Life-Death Chain was a refined version of formless killing intent. By setting a predetermined target as "death," he could trace back through countless connections to find the weakest and most critical link that would lead to their demise.
ér shì yīn wèi ……
而是因为……
By cutting this thread of life, he could push his target toward death without anyone noticing.
tiān xuán jìng nèi ， zhe shí yǒu zhe bù shǎo miáo shù nán nǚ xiū shì jiè zhe shēn huà dào ， jì tuō yú gè zhǒng xī qí gǔ guài zhī wù shàng ， xíng yīn yáng jiāo hé zhī shì de “ jǐn xiù wén zhāng ”。
天玄镜内，着实有着不少描述男女修士借着身化道，寄托于各种稀奇古怪之物上，行阴阳交合之事的“锦绣文章”。
Formless killing intent required locking onto an opponent's target, but if the opponent was too powerful, Li Fan might suffer backlash. There was also a risk of detection.
huā yàng zhī duō ， ràng lǐ fán yě bù jīn zé zé chēng qí 。
花样之多，让李凡也不禁啧啧称奇。
In contrast, Life-Death Chain only needed to know the existence of the target and could largely ignore level differences. With sufficient information, even a late-stage essence cultivator could sever an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator's life thread.
liú lǎn le yī fān hòu ， lǐ fán yáo yáo tóu jiāng qí guān bì 。
浏览了一番后，李凡摇摇头将其关闭。
For example, if Li Fan wanted to kill a Foundation Establishment True King, he wouldn't need to act directly. He would activate Life-Death Chain to trace back the various connections between him and Tianyang Cave Mansion. From there, he'd find the most suitable path, subtly guiding the target to explore Tianyang Cave Mansion.
“ zhè me kàn lái ， nà tiān yáng zhēn rén ， jiù shì zài lín zhōng qián ， jiāng kuǐ lěi mái zài hǎi dǐ huǒ mài zhōng ， bìng shè xià bù zhì 。 zuì hòu hún niàn jì tuō yú kuǐ lěi shēn shàng 。”
“这么看来，那天阳真人，就是在临终前，将傀儡埋在海底火脉中，并设下布置。最后魂念寄托于傀儡身上。”
The Foundation Establishment True King would then perish in the cave.
“ shù qiān nián guò qù ， kuǐ lěi rì yè bù tíng xī shōu dì huǒ chéng zhǎng 。 ér tiān yáng zhēn rén ， yě cóng dāng chū yí gè zhǐ bù jīn dān de xiū shì ， biàn chéng le néng hé huà shén xiān jūn yī zhàn de qiáng dà cún zài 。”
“数千年过去，傀儡日夜不停吸收地火成长。而天阳真人，也从当初一个止步金丹的修士，变成了能和化神仙君一战的强大存在。”
While powerful, Life-Death Chain required specific conditions: first, determining the "death" link.
“ suī rán ， tā rú jīn sì hū yǐ jīng méi le shén zhì 。 zhǐ néng píng běn néng xíng shì 。”
“虽然，他如今似乎已经没了神智。只能凭本能行事。”
In other words, knowing how the target would die was necessary for tracing back. And this method had to be effective.
“ dàn xiǎng bì tā yě bú huì hòu huǐ ba 。”
“但想必他也不会后悔吧。”
For instance, Li Fan set up a scenario where the Foundation Establishment True King lost control of his essence energy during flight and fell from the sky, dying instantly.
“ tiān yáng yī shēng ， bù ruò yú rén 。”
“天阳一生，不弱于人。”
While possible, achieving such an outcome required complex reverse inference beyond what Li Fan could handle at present. Thus, Life-Death Chain couldn't be activated.
"Against the laws of nature..."
Li Fan spoke slowly, only completing half of his sentence in his mind.
"To prove eternal life!"
Since stepping into the world of cultivation, Li Fan had seen divine transformation cultivators battle mountains and dao practitioners of the union realm burn seas with red flames. But none compared to this moment's revelation—seeing fragments of the Immortal Supreme Lord through seemingly unnatural phenomena was far more shocking.
This influence, subtle yet pervasive, that altered all cultivators in the world without them noticing, was incomparably stronger than mere destruction.
"I only didn't fall under its sway because I knew the red flames were a future calamity," Li Fan thought. "That's why I could notice the impact this Immortal Supreme Lord had on the world by comparing past and present."
After a long while, he managed to push away the fear of constantly living in the shadow of such a colossal entity.
In this cultivation realm, Golden Core cultivators were called True Monks, Foundation Establishment cultivators were True Kings, Spirit Formation cultivators were Immortal Sages, and Unity Realm cultivators were Supreme Lords. The ultimate power was known as the Immortal Supreme Lord.
Most Immortal Supremes in the world remained elusive, with few knowing their true names or exact numbers.
"Under this Immortal Supreme's influence, all cultivators gradually forget past calamities. It’s not just disasters; it seems any collective memory that brings pain is affected."
"It appears this cultivation realm truly is a blissful paradise..."
Li Fan analyzed and understood more deeply. The world was so harsh on cultivators, the conflict between heaven and immortals so intense. Yet, those he encountered—such as Cao Hong, Dao Xuanzi, He Zhenghao, and Wen Xing—all seemed to avoid bitterness and revenge. They mostly just sighed at the difficulty of the immortal path or even smiled all day long.
This might be the work of that Immortal Supreme Lord—to make it easier for cultivators to advance?
Or was there some other purpose?
Li Fan never hesitated to assume the worst about others.
...
Eternal life was Li Fan's ultimate pursuit. But he still had a long way to go.
Grounding himself, he should focus on solid cultivation. Recovering from the shock of the Immortal Supreme Lord, Li Fan began researching ancient body transformation techniques.
Not a secret, it wasn't hard to find relevant information.
Body Transformation wasn’t a sect dedicated to specialized techniques; instead, its disciples practiced a unique method: transforming their consciousness into external objects. They could control and synchronize with these objects completely. At the highest level, they could abandon their bodies entirely and become one with the object.
He found this information easily because...
The Ten Thousand Immortals Mirror contained numerous descriptions of True Monks using body transformation to engage in various bizarre sexual practices with different objects. The variety was impressive.
After reviewing it, Li Fan shook his head and closed the text.
"From what I can see, that Yang Tianzhen sealed a puppet under the sea's volcanic vents before his death and set up defenses. His soul then transferred into the puppet."
"Over thousands of years, the puppet absorbed the earth’s fire continuously, growing stronger. Meanwhile, Yang Tianzhen transformed from a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator to a formidable existence capable of battling divine transformation sages."
"While he seems to have lost his mind now, acting on instinct," Li Fan thought, "he probably won't regret it."
"Yang Tianzhen's life was no less than that of a mortal."
"He did live up to the saying."
After musing, Li Fan began his seclusion for cultivation. Reflecting on the divine transformation battle, he felt he was close to breaking through.
Indeed, five days later, Li Fan sensed his essence energy had reached its limit. Both *Thousand Mechanisms and Jade Circle* and *Steal Heaven and Replace Sun* techniques were now at their peak in the late stage of essence refinement.
However, what delighted him was that this breakthrough hinted at an opportunity. His journey would be filled with smooth sailing and good fortune.
Prepared, Li Fan set out immediately. Before he could leave, a profound insight suddenly entered his mind.
The Lin Fan clone, after much contemplation, had finally emerged from seclusion.
Double joy! Everything went smoothly.
This made Li Fan feel like the heavens were aligning in his favor.
Settling his emotions, Li Fan carefully pondered this new divine insight. All things were interconnected and interdependent, leading to life and death.
His understanding of Life-Death Chain was a refined version of formless killing intent. By setting a predetermined target as "death," he could trace back through countless connections to find the weakest and most critical link that would lead to their demise.
By cutting this thread of life, he could push his target toward death without anyone noticing.
Formless killing intent required locking onto an opponent's target, but if the opponent was too powerful, Li Fan might suffer backlash. There was also a risk of detection.
In contrast, Life-Death Chain only needed to know the existence of the target and could largely ignore level differences. With sufficient information, even a late-stage essence cultivator could sever an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator's life thread.
For example, if Li Fan wanted to kill a Foundation Establishment True King, he wouldn't need to act directly. He would activate Life-Death Chain to trace back the various connections between him and Tianyang Cave Mansion. From there, he'd find the most suitable path, subtly guiding the target to explore Tianyang Cave Mansion.
The Foundation Establishment True King would then perish in the cave.
While powerful, Life-Death Chain required specific conditions: first, determining the "death" link.
In other words, knowing how the target would die was necessary for tracing back. And this method had to be effective.
For instance, Li Fan set up a scenario where the Foundation Establishment True King lost control of his essence energy during flight and fell from the sky, dying instantly.
While possible, achieving such an outcome required complex reverse inference beyond what Li Fan could handle at present. Thus, Life-Death Chain couldn't be activated.