lǐ fán hé yīn shàng rén chóng xīn huí dào le jiàn zhù shēn chù ， zài yī chù xiē xī de dì fāng zuò xià hòu ， lǐ fán dào míng liǎo lái yì 。
李凡和殷上人重新回到了建筑深处，在一处歇息的地方坐下后，李凡道明了来意。
Li Fan and Senior Yin returned to a deeper part of the building. After sitting down at a resting place, Li Fan explained his purpose.
“ ó ？ nǐ shì yào wèn rú hé tū pò dào zhù jī qī ？” yīn shàng rén dùn shí xīng fèn qǐ lái ， tuò mò héng fēi 。“ dào yǒu kě suàn shì wèn duì rén le ！ wǒ gǎn shuō ， méi rén bǐ wǒ gèng dǒng zhù jī ！”
“哦？你是要问如何突破到筑基期？”殷上人顿时兴奋起来，唾沫横飞。“道友可算是问对人了！我敢说，没人比我更懂筑基！”
"Ah? Are you asking about how to break through to Foundation Establishment Realm?" Senior Yin immediately became excited, spitting out saliva. "My friend, you've come to the right person! I dare say no one knows more about Foundation Establishment than me!"
“ yuàn wén qí xiáng ！” lǐ fán yě bù fǎn bó ， xiào hē hē dì wèn dào 。
“愿闻其详！”李凡也不反驳，笑呵呵地问道。
"Willing to hear your details!" Li Fan did not refute and asked with a smile.
rén shǒu gǒu zhè shí hòu xiàng rén yī yàng ， zhí lì zǒu le guò lái 。
人手狗这时候像人一样，直立走了过来。
The dog-person at hand walked over like a human being, standing upright. It placed two cups on the table with its front limbs. The contents of the cups were black and swirling, but no one knew what they contained.
qián zhī liǎng zhǐ shǒu duān zhe liǎng gè bēi zi ， fàng zài le zhuō shàng 。
前肢两只手端着两个杯子，放在了桌上。
Then, the dog-person lay down again, circling Senior Yin to seek praise.
bēi zi lǐ wū hēi fān gǔn ， yě bù zhī dào lǐ miàn zhuāng de shì shén me wán yì 。
杯子里乌黑翻滚，也不知道里面装的是什么玩意。
"Drink this tea! This is something good; it's a spirit cluster I've cultivated. If it reproduces in your body, it can speed up the circulation of spirit energy and enhance its explosive power. There are many benefits," Senior Yin said as he tasted it like a delicacy.
rén shǒu gǒu suí hòu yòu pā le xià lái ， rào zhe yīn shàng rén bù tíng dǎ zhuàn yāo gōng 。
人手狗随后又趴了下来，绕着殷上人不停打转邀功。
Li Fan scanned with his divine sense and found that the cups were filled with countless tiny microorganisms, each one fierce and unique in appearance.
“ dào yǒu qǐng hē chá ！ zhè kě shì hǎo dōng xī a ， shì wǒ péi yǎng de líng qì jūn qún 。 zài tǐ nèi fán yǎn gòng shēng de huà ， kě yǐ jiā kuài líng qì yùn zhuàn sù dù 、 zēng qiáng líng qì bào fā wēi lì ， hǎo chù duō duō 。” yīn shàng rén měi wèi bān cháng le yī kǒu ， duì lǐ fán shuō dào 。
“道友请喝茶！这可是好东西啊，是我培养的灵气菌群。在体内繁衍共生的话，可以加快灵气运转速度、增强灵气爆发威力，好处多多。”殷上人美味般尝了一口，对李凡说道。
Thus, Li Fan remained silent.
lǐ fán shén shí yī sǎo ， fā xiàn zhè bēi zi lǐ fān téng zhe de ， hè rán shì wú shù xì xiǎo de wēi xíng shēng wù ， zhāng yá wǔ zhǎo 、 xiàng mào bié zhì 。
李凡神识一扫，发现这杯子里翻腾着的，赫然是无数细小的微型生物，张牙舞爪、相貌别致。
Seeing that Li Fan was not drinking, Senior Yin felt a bit disappointed. He did not insist but began to address the main topic: "Foundation Establishment means laying down the foundation for cultivation. Do you know what this foundation is?"
yú shì lǐ fán àn bīng bù dòng 。
于是李凡按兵不动。
Li Fan thought for a moment before answering, "The Dao base is the foundation of a cultivator's practice. After reaching the peak of Qi Refinement, one needs to build their own Dao base to continue cultivating. Otherwise, even if their cultivation can still increase, it would be like building a hundred-meter-high tower on sandy ground; it will collapse easily."
jiàn lǐ fán bù hē ， yīn shàng rén yǒu xiē yí hàn 。
见李凡不喝，殷上人有些遗憾。
When discussing academic matters, Senior Yin was quite serious. He nodded, "Correct. Before the Great Tribulation, there were Qi Refinement cultivators who took an alternative path and did not build Dao bases, focusing solely on refining their energy."
méi yǒu qiǎng qiú ， kāi shǐ le zhèng tí ， tā wèn dào ：“ suǒ wèi zhù jī ， zhù xiū dào zhī jī yě 。 nà me dào yǒu kě zhī ， zhè dào jī jiū jìng wèi hé wù ？”
没有强求，开始了正题，他问道：“所谓筑基，筑修道之基也。那么道友可知，这道基究竟为何物？”
"They claimed that Qi Refinement had no limits, and one could sever the Formation Realm after 300 layers of Qi Refinement. Unfortunately, this person only reached the 99th layer of Qi Refinement before being killed by a Golden Core cultivator who couldn't stand it."
lǐ fán sī suǒ le piàn kè ， huí dá dào ：“ dào jī ， nǎi xiū shì xiū xíng zhī gēn jī 。 xiū shì xiū dào liàn qì yuán mǎn hòu ， xū yào jiàn zhù zì shēn dào jī ， fāng cái néng jì xù xiū xíng 。 fǒu zé ， jí biàn xiū wèi hái néng jì xù zēng jiā ， yě rú bǎi zhàng gāo lóu jiàn yú shā tǔ zhī shàng 。 qīng qīng yī huǎng ， biàn yào hōng rán dǎo tā 。”
李凡思索了片刻，回答道：“道基，乃修士修行之根基。修士修到炼气圆满后，需要建筑自身道基，方才能继续修行。否则，即便修为还能继续增加，也如百丈高楼建于沙土之上。轻轻一晃，便要轰然倒塌。”
"Perhaps his Dao was indeed feasible, but first, Qi Refinement cultivators are weak and cannot bear such immense power. Second, even with more layers of Qi Refinement, they would only have brute strength. In true combat against Foundation Establishment or higher realm cultivators, they would be at a great disadvantage."
tǎo lùn xué shù qǐ lái ， yīn shàng rén dǎo shì pǒ wèi zhèng jǐn 。 tā diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ bù cuò ， dà jié zhī qián ， yǒu liàn qì xiū shì lìng pì xī jìng ， bù zhù dào jī ， zhǐ zhuān liàn qì 。”
讨论学术起来，殷上人倒是颇为正紧。他点点头：“不错，大劫之前，有炼气修士另辟蹊径，不筑道基，只专炼气。”
Senior Yin took another sip of tea before continuing, "Ancient cultivators followed nature's laws, observing the patterns of heaven and earth and understanding the Dao's flow."
“ hào chēng liàn qì wú jí xiàn ， sān qiān céng liàn qì kě zhǎn hé dào 。 kě xī ， cǐ rén zhǐ xiū liàn dào liàn qì jiǔ shí jiǔ céng ， biàn bèi yī jīn dān xiū shì kàn bù guò yǎn ， suí shǒu dǎ shā le 。”
“号称炼气无极限，三千层炼气可斩合道。可惜，此人只修炼到炼气九十九层，便被一金丹修士看不过眼，随手打杀了。”
"Then, combining their insights, they made crude imitations."
“ huò xǔ qí dào zhēn de kě xíng ， dàn yī shì liàn qì xiū shì shēn tǐ chán ruò ， wú fǎ chéng shòu rú cǐ jù fú de lì liàng 。 èr zé shì ， jiù suàn liàn qì zài duō céng ， yě zhǐ kōng yǒu yī shēn mán lì 。 zhēn de yǔ zhù jī jí yǐ shàng xiū wèi xiū shì zhēng dòu qǐ lái ， chī kuī tài duō ， shě běn zhú mò 。”
“或许其道真的可行，但一是炼气修士身体孱弱，无法承受如此巨幅的力量。二则是，就算炼气再多层，也只空有一身蛮力。真的与筑基及以上修为修士争斗起来，吃亏太多，舍本逐末。”
"After years of cultivation, one's understanding and contemplation of the Dao became the foundation for future practice."
yīn shàng rén hē le kǒu chá ， yòu jì xù shuō dào ：“ gǔ zhī xiū shì ， jiē shì shī fǎ zì rán 。 guān mó tiān dì yùn xíng guī lǜ ， cān wù dà dào liú zhuǎn fǎ zé 。”
殷上人喝了口茶，又继续说道：“古之修士，皆是师法自然。观摩天地运行规律，参悟大道流转法则。”
"Due to varying innate abilities and different levels of comprehension, the speed and fit with which cultivators build their Dao bases differ greatly."
“ rán hòu ， zōng hé zì shēn gǎn wù ， qù zuò zhuō liè de mó fǎng 。”
“然后，综合自身感悟，去做拙劣的模仿。”
"Some can instantly have a profound insight and immediately establish their Dao base. Most, however, spend decades in deep study without making any progress."
“ xiū shì jīng nián rì jiǔ ， xíng chéng de duì dà dào de gǎn wù 、 sī kǎo ， biàn chéng le rì hòu xiū xíng de gēn jī 。”
“修士经年日久，形成的对大道的感悟、思考，变成了日后修行的根基。”
"The difficulty of cultivation is evident."
“ yòu yīn zī zhì gè yǒu bù tóng ， wù xìng yǒu gāo yǒu dī ； xiū shì gǎn wù dà dào ， zhù jiù dào jī de sù dù 、 qì hé dù yě shì qiān chā wàn bié 。”
“又因资质各有不同，悟性有高有低；修士感悟大道，筑就道基的速度、契合度也是千差万别。”
Senior Yin sighed, "But that was back then."
“ yǒu de rén néng chà nà jiān xīn yǒu suǒ gǎn ， lì dì zhù jī 。 ér jué dà duō shù dōu shì hào shǒu qióng jīng jǐ shí zài ， bù néng cùn jìn 。”
“有的人能刹那间心有所感，立地筑基。而绝大多数都是皓首穷经几十载，不能寸进。”
"If we compare the laws of heaven and earth to a towering tree, previously, cultivators were tiny spirits within this tree, observing and contemplating from branch to leaf."
“ xiū dào zhī nán ， kě jiàn yī bān 。”
“修道之难，可见一斑。”
"It was too slow and difficult."
yīn shàng rén hū de tàn le yì kǒu qì ：“ dàn nà shì céng jīng le 。”
殷上人忽的叹了一口气：“但那是曾经了。”
"Since the transmission of Dao by Immortal Sages, we became greedy ants, no longer engaging in observation and imitation but directly consuming the branches and leaves for our growth."
“ rú guǒ bǎ tiān dì fǎ zé bǐ yù chéng yī kē cān tiān jù shù ， nà me cóng qián ， wǒ bèi xiū shì ， jiē shì shù jiān de wēi xiǎo jīng líng 。 fēi xíng yú yī zhī yī yè jiān ， guān mó cān wù 。”
“如果把天地法则比喻成一颗参天巨树，那么从前，我辈修士，皆是树间的微小精灵。飞行于一枝一叶间，观摩参悟。”
"This greatly accelerated cultivation. And these extraordinary objects are like the branches and leaves of this tree."
“ tài màn le ， yě tài nán le 。”
“太慢了，也太难了。”
"They represent the aggregation of heaven and earth's laws in a particular aspect. Cultivators can use such objects to skip their own process of understanding, directly forming their Dao base."
“ yú shì ， xiān zūn chuán dào hòu ， wǒ bèi xiū shì ， dōu huà chéng le tān lán de lóu yǐ ， bù zài gǎo shén me guān mó cān wù 、 xiào fǎng fù xiàn ， ér shì zhí jiē kěn shí jù shù de zhī yè ， huà wèi zì shēn chéng zhǎng de zī liáng 。”
“于是，仙尊传道后，我辈修士，都化成了贪婪的蝼蚁，不再搞什么观摩参悟、效仿复现，而是直接啃食巨树的枝叶，化为自身成长的资粮。”
Li Fan nodded, "I remember The Theory of Extraordinary Objects mentioned something similar."
“ rú cǐ yī lái ， xiū xíng dìng rán shì kuài shàng wú shù bèi le 。 ér tiān dì qí wù ， jiù qià sì zhè jù shù de zhī yè 。”
“如此一来，修行定然是快上无数倍了。而天地奇物，就恰似这巨树的枝叶。”
"The Theory of Extraordinary Objects..." Senior Yin sneered, seemingly showing disdain.
“ tā shì tiān dì jiān fǎ zé zài mǒu gè fāng miàn de jù hé 。 xiū shì yǐ qí wù wèi píng ， biàn kě yǐ shěng lüè zì shēn gǎn wù de guò chéng ， zhí jiē huà zuò zì jǐ de dào jī 。”
“它是天地间法则在某个方面的聚合。修士以奇物为凭，便可以省略自身感悟的过程，直接化作自己的道基。”
He continued, "If the false heaven and earth's extraordinary objects were meant to bypass the process of understanding..."
lǐ fán diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ wǒ jì de 《 qí wù lùn 》 zhōng ， yě céng zhè me shuō guò 。”
李凡点点头：“我记得《奇物论》中，也曾这么说过。”
"Then, I ask you. Now, there are cultivators with exceptional talent who do not need extraordinary objects to understand these laws. Their comprehension is so profound that they could directly establish their Dao base in ancient times. Is it still possible now?" Senior Yin's eyes glowed as he stared at Li Fan.
“《 qí wù lùn 》……” yīn shàng rén chī xiào yī shēng ， sì hū xīn yǒu bù xiè 。
“《奇物论》……”殷上人嗤笑一声，似乎心有不屑。
"Naturally not; establishing a Dao base requires the false heaven and earth..." Li Fan paused, suddenly thinking of something.
tā jì xù shuō dào ：“ rú guǒ shuō ， céng jīng de jiǎ tiān dì zhī qí ， shì wèi le shěng lüè gǎn wù tiān dì de guò chéng ……”
他继续说道：“如果说，曾经的假天地之奇，是为了省略感悟天地的过程……”
"Indeed, cultivation methods have been completely changed," Senior Yin said coldly.
“ nà me ， wǒ wèn nǐ 。 xiàn rú jīn ， yǒu xiū shì tiān zòng qí cái ， gēn běn bù xū yào tiān dì qí wù qù cān wù zhè xiē fǎ zé 。 tā duì tiān dì de gǎn wù qì hé jí shēn ， zài shàng gǔ zhī shí ， tā kě jìng zhí zhù jī 。 xiàn zài ， hái xíng me ？” yīn shàng rén mù guāng zhuó zhuó kàn zhe lǐ fán 。
“那么，我问你。现如今，有修士天纵奇才，根本不需要天地奇物去参悟这些法则。他对天地的感悟契合极深，在上古之时，他可径直筑基。现在，还行么？”殷上人目光灼灼看着李凡。
"In the past, cultivators followed nature by understanding the laws of heaven and earth."
“ zì rán bù xíng ， zhù jī xū yào jiǎ tiān dì zhī qí ……” lǐ fán shuō zhe ， hū rán xiǎng dào le shén me ， chén mò xià lái 。
“自然不行，筑基需要假天地之奇……”李凡说着，忽然想到了什么，沉默下来。
"But after the transmission of Dao by Immortal Sages, this natural order was reversed. Cultivators must defy the heavens and seize the land..."
“ bù cuò ， xiū xíng zhī fǎ zǎo yǐ chè dǐ bèi gǎi biàn 。” yīn shàng rén lěng shēng shuō dào 。
“不错，修行之法早已彻底被改变。”殷上人冷声说道。
Li Fan whispered, "Defying the laws of heaven and earth..."
“ guò wǎng ， xiū shì gǎn wù tiān dì fǎ zé ， shùn tiān ér xiū ， nǎi shì zì rán zhī lǐ 。”
“过往，修士感悟天地法则，顺天而修，乃是自然之理。”
"To achieve immortality!" Senior Yin continued.
“ dàn shì xiān zūn chuán fǎ zhī hòu ， zhè zì rán zhī lǐ ， fǎn le guò lái 。 xiū shì yào nì tiān ér xíng ， lüè tiān duó dì ……”
“但是仙尊传法之后，这自然之理，反了过来。修士要逆天而行，掠天夺地……”
"I do not know how cultivators achieved immortality before the Great Tribulation."
lǐ fán dī shēng shuō dào ：“ nì tiān dì zhī lǐ ……”
李凡低声说道：“逆天地之理……”
"But since cultivation methods were changed, achieving immortality now can only be done by defying the laws of heaven and earth."
“ yǐ zhèng cháng shēng ！” yīn shàng rén jiē zhe shuō dào 。
“以证长生！”殷上人接着说道。
"The original Sage who transmitted Dao was both the theorist and the first practitioner."
“ wǒ bù zhī dà jié zhī qián ， xiū shì xū yào rú hé cái néng dé zhèng cháng shēng 。”
“我不知大劫之前，修士需要如何才能得证长生。”
"He defied all principles of cultivation for ordinary cultivators, achieving immortality. Since then, he has lived as long as the heavens and earth, free and carefree."
“ dàn zì cóng xiū xíng zhī fǎ bèi gǎi biàn hòu ， rú jīn dé zhèng cháng shēng ， wéi yǒu nì tiān dì zhī lǐ yī tú ér yǐ 。”
“但自从修行之法被改变后，如今得证长生，唯有逆天地之理一途而已。”
"Since then, all cultivators must follow his 'law' to cultivate; how tyrannical!"
“ dāng chū de chuán fǎ xiān zūn ， shì lǐ lùn de tí chū zhě ， yě shì dì yī wèi jiàn xíng zhě 。”
“当初的传法仙尊，是理论的提出者，也是第一位践行者。”
Senior Yin's tone was intense, clearly disapproving of this Immortal Sage who transmitted Dao.
“ tā nì fǎn tiān xià xiū shì suǒ yǒu xiū xíng zhī lǐ ， dé zhèng cháng shēng guǒ wèi 。 zì cǐ yǔ tiān dì tóng shòu ， xiāo yáo zì zài 。”
“祂逆反天下修士所有修行之理，得证长生果位。自此与天地同寿，逍遥自在。”
"To walk one's own path and let ordinary people follow. What a tyrannical Sage who transmitted Dao..." Li Fan's heart was shaken.
“ ér cóng zhè zhī hòu ， tiān xià xiū shì ， xiǎng yào xiū xíng ， dōu zhǐ néng àn zhe tā de ‘ fǎ ’ lái xiū xíng 。 hé qí bà dào ！”
“而从这之后，天下修士，想要修行，都只能按着祂的‘法’来修行。何其霸道！”
This was the second Immortal Sage he had seen.
yīn shàng rén yǔ qì jī liè ， xiǎn rán duì zhè wèi chuán fǎ cháng shēng tiān zūn ， pǒ wèi bù mǎn 。
殷上人语气激烈，显然对这位传法长生天尊，颇为不满。
Then, he suddenly thought about the giant statue of the elderly man on Mount Wansheng.
“ zǒu zì jǐ de lù ， rán hòu ràng yún yún zhòng shēng cóng cǐ zhǐ néng zǒu zhè tiáo lù 。 hǎo yí gè chuán fǎ tiān zūn ……” lǐ fán xīn lǐ zhèn dòng bù yǐ 。
“走自己的路，然后让芸芸众生从此只能走这条路。好一个传法天尊……”李凡心里震动不已。
Standing alone, it looked down upon all beings.
zhè shì tā kuī jiàn de dì èr wèi cháng shēng tiān zūn le 。
这是他窥见的第二位长生天尊了。
"Could this Wansheng Alliance be created by the Sage who transmitted Dao? But if this Sage is still alive, why would he sit back and watch as Mount Wansheng was destroyed by Red Flame?" Li Fan's mind was filled with doubts.
jiē zhe ， tā yòu hū rán xiǎng dào le wàn xiān dǎo shàng de nà zūn gāo guān lǎo zhě de jù xíng diāo xiàng 。
接着，他又忽然想到了万仙岛上的那尊高冠老者的巨型雕像。
Senior Yin did not pay attention to Li Fan but continued, "The key question: since Foundation Establishment now requires extraordinary objects from the heavens and earth."
wēi wēi dú lì ， fǔ shì lái wǎng zhòng shēng 。
巍巍独立，俯视来往众生。
"What are these extraordinary objects?"
“ nán dào shuō ， zhè wàn xiān méng ， jiù shì chuán fǎ tiān zūn suǒ chuàng ？ kě jì rán zhè wèi chuán fǎ tiān zūn hái huó zhe ， yòu zěn me huì zài shù nián hòu zuò shì wàn xiān dǎo bèi chì yán huǐ miè ne ……” lǐ fán xīn zhōng yǒng qǐ yī zhèn yí huò 。
“难道说，这万仙盟，就是传法天尊所创？可既然这位传法天尊还活着，又怎么会在数年后坐视万仙岛被赤炎毁灭呢……”李凡心中涌起一阵疑惑。
"You've read The Theory of Extraordinary Objects; you know that after a cultivator's death, they are transformed into extraordinary objects by heaven and earth."
yīn shàng rén méi yǒu zài yì lǐ fán ， jiē zhe shuō dào ：“ guān jiàn de wèn tí lái le ， jì rán xiàn rú jīn zhù jī bì xū yào jiǎ tiān dì zhī qí 。”
殷上人没有在意李凡，接着说道：“关键的问题来了，既然现如今筑基必须要假天地之奇。”
"Does this mean that cultivators before their deaths can also be considered untransformed extraordinary objects?"
“ nà me tiān dì qí wù ， dào dǐ shì shén me ？”
“那么天地奇物，到底是什么？”
Senior Yin spoke faster, as if he wanted to pour out all the research that had been neglected over the years.
“ nǐ yě kàn guò 《 qí wù lùn 》， zhī dào xiū shì zài yǔn luò hòu ， huì bèi tiān dì zhuǎn huà wèi tiān dì qí wù 。”
“你也看过《奇物论》，知道修士在陨落后，会被天地转化为天地奇物。”
"The heavens and earth act like a furnace; well-refined products are formed extraordinary objects. Everything in the heavens and earth can be seen as potential extraordinary objects!"
“ nà yì bù yì wèi zhe ， xiū shì shēng qián ， yě kě yǐ kàn zuò ， shàng wèi bèi wán quán zhuǎn huà de tiān dì qí wù ？”
“那意不意味着，修士生前，也可以看做，尚未被完全转化的天地奇物？”
"Extraordinary objects represent the aggregation of rules; why not consider humans? The human body is so intricate, containing countless mysteries. Why can't it be considered an extraordinary object?"
yīn shàng rén yuè shuō yuè kuài ， sì hū yào bǎ zhè xiē nián wú rén zài yì de yán jiū yì kǒu qì tōng tōng shuō chū lái 。
殷上人越说越快，似乎要把这些年无人在意的研究一口气通通说出来。
"Do you know that some cultivators would refine ordinary people with special abilities into extraordinary objects to use them as their Dao base, thus appropriating those people's abilities?"
“ tiān dì rú róng lú ， bèi róng liàn hǎo de chéng pǐn ， jiù shì chéng xíng de tiān dì qí wù 。 ér tiān dì jiān suǒ yǒu de yī qiè ， dōu kě yǐ kàn zuò shì shàng wèi chéng xíng de qí wù ！”
“天地如熔炉，被熔炼好的成品，就是成形的天地奇物。而天地间所有的一切，都可以看作是尚未成型的奇物！”
"I am a person too; does this mean I am also an extraordinary object?"
“ qí wù shì guī zé de jù hé ， rén jiù bú shì me ！ rén tǐ rú cǐ jīng miào ， bāo hán zhe wú qióng ào mì 。 wèi shén me bù kě bǎ tā kàn zuò qí wù ？”
“奇物是规则的聚合，人就不是么！人体如此精妙，包含着无穷奥秘。为什么不可把他看作奇物？”
Seeing Senior Yin's increasingly absurd statements, Li Fan asked, "Is this your guess or..."
“ dào yǒu yòu kě zhī ， yǒu xiē xiū shì ， huì jiāng nà xiē shēn huái yì néng de fán rén ， liàn chéng tiān dì qí wù ， yòng lái zuò wéi zì jǐ de dào jī 。 cóng ér jiāng nà xiē fán rén de yì néng jù wéi jǐ yǒu 。”
“道友又可知，有些修士，会将那些身怀异能的凡人，炼成天地奇物，用来作为自己的道基。从而将那些凡人的异能据为己有。”
Senior Yin grinned, "It was once a guess, but now..."
“ wǒ yě shì rén ， nà me ， wǒ shì bú shì qí wù ne ？”
“我也是人，那么，我是不是奇物呢？”
"It has been confirmed."
lǐ fán jiàn yīn shàng rén yuè shuō yuè lí pǔ ， bù jīn chū shēng wèn dào ：“ zhè shì dào yǒu de cāi cè ， hái shì ……”
李凡见殷上人越说越离谱，不禁出声问道：“这是道友的猜测，还是……”
As he spoke, his entire body split down the middle.
yīn shàng rén liě zuǐ yī xiào ：“ céng jīng shì cāi cè ， dàn xiàn zài ……”
殷上人咧嘴一笑：“曾经是猜测，但现在……”
Another face of Senior Yin appeared from within his organs and blood.
“ yǐ jīng bèi wǒ zhèng shí le 。”
“已经被我证实了。”
"Ten years ago, I used myself as an extraordinary object to establish my Dao base!"
shuō zhe ， tā de zhěng jù shēn tǐ ， yán zhe zhōng xiàn ， zuǒ yòu liè kāi 。
说着，他的整具身体，沿着中线，左右裂开。
The two faces said in unison.
Li Fan and Senior Yin returned to a deeper part of the building. After sitting down at a resting place, Li Fan explained his purpose.
"Ah? Are you asking about how to break through to Foundation Establishment Realm?" Senior Yin immediately became excited, spitting out saliva. "My friend, you've come to the right person! I dare say no one knows more about Foundation Establishment than me!"
"Willing to hear your details!" Li Fan did not refute and asked with a smile.
The dog-person at hand walked over like a human being, standing upright. It placed two cups on the table with its front limbs. The contents of the cups were black and swirling, but no one knew what they contained.
Then, the dog-person lay down again, circling Senior Yin to seek praise.
"Drink this tea! This is something good; it's a spirit cluster I've cultivated. If it reproduces in your body, it can speed up the circulation of spirit energy and enhance its explosive power. There are many benefits," Senior Yin said as he tasted it like a delicacy.
Li Fan scanned with his divine sense and found that the cups were filled with countless tiny microorganisms, each one fierce and unique in appearance.
Thus, Li Fan remained silent.
Seeing that Li Fan was not drinking, Senior Yin felt a bit disappointed. He did not insist but began to address the main topic: "Foundation Establishment means laying down the foundation for cultivation. Do you know what this foundation is?"
Li Fan thought for a moment before answering, "The Dao base is the foundation of a cultivator's practice. After reaching the peak of Qi Refinement, one needs to build their own Dao base to continue cultivating. Otherwise, even if their cultivation can still increase, it would be like building a hundred-meter-high tower on sandy ground; it will collapse easily."
When discussing academic matters, Senior Yin was quite serious. He nodded, "Correct. Before the Great Tribulation, there were Qi Refinement cultivators who took an alternative path and did not build Dao bases, focusing solely on refining their energy."
"They claimed that Qi Refinement had no limits, and one could sever the Formation Realm after 300 layers of Qi Refinement. Unfortunately, this person only reached the 99th layer of Qi Refinement before being killed by a Golden Core cultivator who couldn't stand it."
"Perhaps his Dao was indeed feasible, but first, Qi Refinement cultivators are weak and cannot bear such immense power. Second, even with more layers of Qi Refinement, they would only have brute strength. In true combat against Foundation Establishment or higher realm cultivators, they would be at a great disadvantage."
Senior Yin took another sip of tea before continuing, "Ancient cultivators followed nature's laws, observing the patterns of heaven and earth and understanding the Dao's flow."
"Then, combining their insights, they made crude imitations."
"After years of cultivation, one's understanding and contemplation of the Dao became the foundation for future practice."
"Due to varying innate abilities and different levels of comprehension, the speed and fit with which cultivators build their Dao bases differ greatly."
"Some can instantly have a profound insight and immediately establish their Dao base. Most, however, spend decades in deep study without making any progress."
"The difficulty of cultivation is evident."
Senior Yin sighed, "But that was back then."
"If we compare the laws of heaven and earth to a towering tree, previously, cultivators were tiny spirits within this tree, observing and contemplating from branch to leaf."
"It was too slow and difficult."
"Since the transmission of Dao by Immortal Sages, we became greedy ants, no longer engaging in observation and imitation but directly consuming the branches and leaves for our growth."
"This greatly accelerated cultivation. And these extraordinary objects are like the branches and leaves of this tree."
"They represent the aggregation of heaven and earth's laws in a particular aspect. Cultivators can use such objects to skip their own process of understanding, directly forming their Dao base."
Li Fan nodded, "I remember The Theory of Extraordinary Objects mentioned something similar."
"The Theory of Extraordinary Objects..." Senior Yin sneered, seemingly showing disdain.
He continued, "If the false heaven and earth's extraordinary objects were meant to bypass the process of understanding..."
"Then, I ask you. Now, there are cultivators with exceptional talent who do not need extraordinary objects to understand these laws. Their comprehension is so profound that they could directly establish their Dao base in ancient times. Is it still possible now?" Senior Yin's eyes glowed as he stared at Li Fan.
"Naturally not; establishing a Dao base requires the false heaven and earth..." Li Fan paused, suddenly thinking of something.
"Indeed, cultivation methods have been completely changed," Senior Yin said coldly.
"In the past, cultivators followed nature by understanding the laws of heaven and earth."
"But after the transmission of Dao by Immortal Sages, this natural order was reversed. Cultivators must defy the heavens and seize the land..."
Li Fan whispered, "Defying the laws of heaven and earth..."
"To achieve immortality!" Senior Yin continued.
"I do not know how cultivators achieved immortality before the Great Tribulation."
"But since cultivation methods were changed, achieving immortality now can only be done by defying the laws of heaven and earth."
"The original Sage who transmitted Dao was both the theorist and the first practitioner."
"He defied all principles of cultivation for ordinary cultivators, achieving immortality. Since then, he has lived as long as the heavens and earth, free and carefree."
"Since then, all cultivators must follow his 'law' to cultivate; how tyrannical!"
Senior Yin's tone was intense, clearly disapproving of this Immortal Sage who transmitted Dao.
"To walk one's own path and let ordinary people follow. What a tyrannical Sage who transmitted Dao..." Li Fan's heart was shaken.
This was the second Immortal Sage he had seen.
Then, he suddenly thought about the giant statue of the elderly man on Mount Wansheng.
Standing alone, it looked down upon all beings.
"Could this Wansheng Alliance be created by the Sage who transmitted Dao? But if this Sage is still alive, why would he sit back and watch as Mount Wansheng was destroyed by Red Flame?" Li Fan's mind was filled with doubts.
Senior Yin did not pay attention to Li Fan but continued, "The key question: since Foundation Establishment now requires extraordinary objects from the heavens and earth."
"What are these extraordinary objects?"
"You've read The Theory of Extraordinary Objects; you know that after a cultivator's death, they are transformed into extraordinary objects by heaven and earth."
"Does this mean that cultivators before their deaths can also be considered untransformed extraordinary objects?"
Senior Yin spoke faster, as if he wanted to pour out all the research that had been neglected over the years.
"The heavens and earth act like a furnace; well-refined products are formed extraordinary objects. Everything in the heavens and earth can be seen as potential extraordinary objects!"
"Extraordinary objects represent the aggregation of rules; why not consider humans? The human body is so intricate, containing countless mysteries. Why can't it be considered an extraordinary object?"
"Do you know that some cultivators would refine ordinary people with special abilities into extraordinary objects to use them as their Dao base, thus appropriating those people's abilities?"
"I am a person too; does this mean I am also an extraordinary object?"
Seeing Senior Yin's increasingly absurd statements, Li Fan asked, "Is this your guess or..."
Senior Yin grinned, "It was once a guess, but now..."
"It has been confirmed."
As he spoke, his entire body split down the middle.
Another face of Senior Yin appeared from within his organs and blood.
"Ten years ago, I used myself as an extraordinary object to establish my Dao base!"
The two faces said in unison.