suǒ wèi qiáng nǔ zhī mò ， shì bù néng chuān lǔ gǎo 。
所谓强弩之末，势不能穿鲁缟。
The last gasp of a strong crossbow bolt cannot pierce even Lu Gao silk.
cháng shēng jìng de yā lì xià ， lǐ fán zhè yī jiàn kǒng pà lián pǔ tōng fán rén dōu shāng bú dào 。
长生境的压力下，李凡这一剑恐怕连普通凡人都伤不到。
Under the pressure of the Longevity Realm, Li Fan's sword strike might not even harm an ordinary mortal man.
gèng bié tí duì bái xiān shēng zào chéng shāng hài le 。
更别提对白先生造成伤害了。
Let alone cause damage to Bai Master.
bù guò ， nǎ pà lián yì diǎn bái yìn dōu méi liú xià 。
不过，哪怕连一点白印都没留下。
However, even if it left no trace of white marks,
dàn zhè yī jiàn ， zhōng jiū shì cì zài le bái xiān shēng shēn shàng 。
但这一剑，终究是刺在了白先生身上。
this sword strike ultimately landed on Bai Master.
yīn wèi lǐ fán wú shì zì jǐ xìng mìng 。
因为李凡无视自己性命。
Because Li Fan disregarded his own life.
yīn wèi bái xiān shēng de xī cái yǔ lián mǐn 。
因为白先生的惜才与怜悯。
Because of Bai Master’s appreciation and pity for talent.
zhèng suǒ wèi ， jūn zǐ kě yǐ qī zhī yǐ fāng ！
正所谓，君子可以欺之以方！
As the saying goes: a gentleman can be deceived by fairness!
zhè yī jiàn ， jiù shì lǐ fán zài yǔn xiān jìng dì èr mù zhè xiē nián lǐ ， sī suǒ chū lái de dá àn 。
这一剑，就是李凡在陨仙境第二幕这些年里，思索出来的答案。
This sword strike was the answer that Li Fan had pondered over during these years in the Second Act of the Annihilation Realm.
dì yí mù ， kǎo yàn de shì rén 。
第一幕，考验的是仁。
The first act tested benevolence.
dì èr mù ， kǎo yàn de shì zhì 。
第二幕，考验的是智。
The second, wisdom.
ér zhè dì sān mù ， kǎo yàn de yīng gāi jiù shì wǔ ！
而这第三幕，考验的应该就是武！
And this third act should test martial prowess!
bái xiān shēng zhàng jiàn zhèn yā tiān jiàn zōng ， ruò shì néng jiāng qí jī bài 、 huò zhě shuō zài duì jué zhōng huò dé tā de rèn kě ， hěn kě néng jiù huì tōng guò dì sān mù de kǎo yàn 。
白先生仗剑镇压天剑宗，若是能将其击败、或者说在对决中获得他的认可，很可能就会通过第三幕的考验。
Bai Master used his sword to suppress the Heaven Sword Sect. If he could defeat it or gain its recognition through combat, he might pass the third act's test.
ér lǐ fán ， rú jīn què shì yǐ jīng zuò dào le 。
而李凡，如今却是已经做到了。
Li Fan had already done so now.
“ chéng ràng 。”
“承让。”
"Thank you for sparing me."
suī rán rán shāo shēng mìng de guò chéng bèi bái xiān shēng nì zhuǎn le ， dàn shǐ chū nà 【 mìng zhī jiàn 】， yī jiù shǐ de lǐ fán yuán qì dà shāng 。
虽然燃烧生命的过程被白先生逆转了，但使出那【命之剑】，依旧使得李凡元气大伤。
Although the process of burning life was reversed by Bai Master, using the "Life Sword" still left Li Fan severely drained.
cǐ kè tā miàn sè cǎn bái ， fǎng fú suí shí huì duàn qì bān 。
此刻他面色惨白，仿佛随时会断气般。
His complexion was pale, as if he would faint at any moment.
bù tíng dì ké sòu ， cháo zhe bái xiān shēng gǒng le gǒng shǒu 。
不停地咳嗽，朝着白先生拱了拱手。
He coughed incessantly and bowed to Bai Master.
bái xiān shēng kàn zhe lǐ fán ， shén qíng yǒu xiē fù zá 。
白先生看着李凡，神情有些复杂。
Bai Master looked at Li Fan with a complex expression.
“ wèi shén me ？” tā wèn dào 。
“为什么？”他问道。
"Why?" he asked.
lǐ fán dàn dàn dì shuō dào ：“ wǒ gēn nǐ bù yí yàng 。 nǐ zǒng shì kǎo lǜ de tài duō 。 ér wǒ ， wèi dá mù dì ， bù zé shǒu duàn ！ nǎ pà wèi cǐ fàng qì zì jǐ de xìng mìng ！”
李凡淡淡地说道：“我跟你不一样。你总是考虑的太多。而我，为达目的，不择手段！哪怕为此放弃自己的性命！”
Li Fan said calmly, "I am different from you. You always overthink things. I, on the other hand, will do whatever it takes to achieve my goal! Even if that means sacrificing my own life!"
zhōu wéi tiān jiàn zōng de chǎng jǐng ， yǐ jīng zhú jiàn dàn huà 。
周围天剑宗的场景，已经逐渐淡化。
The scene of the Heaven Sword Sect gradually faded away.
zhǐ shèng xià bái xiān shēng shēn yǐng yī jiù qīng xī 。
只剩下白先生身影依旧清晰。
Only Bai Master's figure remained clear.
lǐ fán jì xù shuō dào ：“ suǒ yǐ nǐ néng zuò dào de shì qíng ， wǒ wèi bì néng zuò dào 。”
李凡继续说道：“所以你能做到的事情，我未必能做到。”
Li Fan continued, "So, what you can do, I may not be able to."
“ dàn nǐ zuò bú dào de shì qíng ， wǒ què yǒu kě néng zuò dào 。”
“但你做不到的事情，我却有可能做到。”
"But there are things you cannot do, which I might still manage."
rú tóng rào kǒu lìng yì bān ， dàn bái xiān shēng què shì yǐ jīng míng bái le lǐ fán de yì si 。
如同绕口令一般，但白先生却是已经明白了李凡的意思。
It sounded like a tongue twister, but Bai Master understood Li Fan’s meaning.
“ yǒu shí hòu ， xiǎng yào huó xià qù 。 jiù dé hěn yì diǎn 。”
“有时候，想要活下去。就得狠一点。”
"Sometimes, to survive, one must be ruthless."
zài shuō wán zhè jù huà hòu ， lǐ fán de shēn qū ， yě màn màn biàn dé tòu míng 。
在说完这句话后，李凡的身躯，也慢慢变得透明。
After saying this, Li Fan's body slowly became transparent and eventually vanished.
zuì zhōng yě shì chè dǐ xiāo shī 。
最终也是彻底消失。
Only Bai Master remained in the current space-time.
zhǐ yǒu bái xiān shēng yī jiù cún zài yú zhè piàn shí kōng zhōng 。
只有白先生依旧存在于这片时空中。
He furrowed his brows as if facing an extremely difficult decision.
tā méi tóu jǐn suǒ ， sì hū yù dào le shén me jí nán jué zé zhī shí 。
他眉头紧锁，似乎遇到了什么极难抉择之时。
After some time, he suddenly smiled.
bù zhī guò le duō jiǔ ， tā hū de zhǎn méi yī xiào 。
不知过了多久，他忽的展眉一笑。
"That's right. I always have too many concerns."
“ shì le 。 wǒ zǒng shì yǒu tài duō gù lǜ le 。”
“是了。我总是有太多顾虑了。”
"Perhaps, like him, one might finally seize a chance for survival..."
“ huò xǔ ， xiàng tā zhè yàng 。 cái néng zuì zhōng bó dé yī xiàn shēng jī ……”
“或许，像他这样。才能最终搏得一线生机……”
Bai Master’s figure gradually faded with his voice.
bái xiān shēng de shēn yǐng ， bàn suí zhe tā de shēng yīn ， zhú jiàn chén jì 。
白先生的身影，伴随着他的声音，逐渐沉寂。
---
……
……
In the darkness, Li Fan waited for what felt like a long time.
hēi àn zhī zhōng ， lǐ fán bù zhī dào děng dài le duō jiǔ 。
黑暗之中，李凡不知道等待了多久。
A familiar dizziness came over him as the scene before his eyes suddenly brightened.
yī gǔ shú xī de tiān xuán dì zhuàn chuán lái ， yǎn qián huà miàn shà shí chóng xīn biàn dé guāng míng 。
一股熟悉的天旋地转传来，眼前画面霎时重新变得光明。
He looked around but did not return to the real world.
huán shì sì zhōu ， què méi yǒu fǎn huí xiàn shí shì jiè 。
环视四周，却没有返回现实世界。
Instead, he found himself in a new environment.
ér shì lái dào le yī chù xīn de huán jìng 。
而是来到了一处新的环境。
"My guess was right."
“ wǒ de cāi xiǎng guǒ rán méi cuò 。”
“我的猜想果然没错。”
"Although it's not very honorable, I managed to defeat Bai Master and passed the test of martial prowess."
“ suī rán yǒu xiē bù guāng cǎi ， dàn zhōng jiū shì zhàn shèng le bái xiān shēng ， tōng guò le wǔ de kǎo yàn 。”
“虽然有些不光彩，但终究是战胜了白先生，通过了武的考验。”
"I only care about the result, not the process."
“ bù wèn guò chéng ， zhǐ zhèng jié guǒ 。”
“不问过程，只证结果。”
Li Fan felt somewhat elated.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng yǒu xiē xīn xǐ 。
李凡心中有些欣喜。
"Now let me see what this fourth act will be."
“ xiàn zài ràng wǒ kàn kàn ， zhè dì sì mù de kǎo yàn yòu huì shì shén me 。”
“现在让我看看，这第四幕的考验又会是什么。”
With this thought, countless pieces of information surged into his mind.
suí zhe zhè ge niàn tou ， shà shí jiān yǒu wú shù xìn xī zì lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng yǒng chū 。
随着这个念头，霎时间有无数信息自李凡脑海中涌出。
His expression froze.
tā de shén qíng dùn shí jiāng zhù 。
他的神情顿时僵住。
"Why?"
“ zěn me huì ？”
“怎么会？”
Even with Li Fan's composure, he was still momentarily dazed.
yǐ lǐ fán de chéng fǔ ， cǐ kè réng jiù yǒu xiē shī shén 。
以李凡的城府，此刻仍旧有些失神。
He quickly cast the Water Mirror Spell and looked at himself in the mirror.
lián máng shī zhǎn shuǐ jìng shù ， ér hòu kàn xiàng jìng zhōng de zì jǐ 。
连忙施展水镜术，而后看向镜中的自己。
A flawless, breathtakingly beautiful face greeted him, making one feel refreshed and respect it naturally.
wán měi wú xiá de jué shì róng yán ， shǐ rén rú mù chūn fēng 、 jìng ài zì shēng 。
完美无瑕的绝世容颜，使人如沐春风、敬爱自生。
This face was all too familiar to Li Fan.
zhè zhāng liǎn ， lǐ fán tài shú xī bù guò le 。
这张脸，李凡太熟悉不过了。
It had been just a short time ago that they had sparred with each other.
shèn zhì bù jiǔ zhī qián hái gāng gāng gēn tā bǐ shì guò 。
甚至不久之前还刚刚跟他比试过。
Indeed, it was Bai Master!
zhèng shì bái xiān shēng ！
正是白先生！
"So, I actually possess Bai Master's body for this fourth act?"
“ zhè dì sì mù ， wǒ jū rán zhí jiē fù shēn zài le bái xiān shēng shēn shàng ？”
“这第四幕，我居然直接附身在了白先生身上？”
Li Fan was stunned.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng zhèn dòng bù yǐ 。
李凡心中震动不已。
He felt both excited and wary.
yòu yǒu jīng xǐ ， yòu yǒu jǐng tì 。
又有惊喜，又有警惕。
Excited because by using Bai Master’s body, he could experience the Xuanhuang Supreme Deity first-hand. No matter which aspect of cultivation, he would surely benefit greatly from it.
xǐ de shì ， jiè yóu bái xiān shēng zhī qū ， qiǎng xiān tǐ yàn yī bǎ xuán huáng tiān zūn 。 jīn hòu wú lùn zài xiū xíng de nǎ ge fāng miàn ， dōu bì dìng huì shòu yì fěi qiǎn 。
喜的是，借由白先生之躯，抢先体验一把玄黄天尊。今后无论在修行的哪个方面，都必定会受益匪浅。
Wary because Bai Master’s rebirth through his body might happen again.
jǐng tì de shì ， cǐ qián bái xiān shēng jiè tǐ zhòng shēng zhī shì ， huì zài dù shàng yǎn 。
警惕的是，此前白先生借体重生之事，会再度上演。
After a moment, Li Fan steadied himself and began sorting through the information in his mind.
piàn kè zhī hòu ， lǐ fán dìng le dìng xīn shén ， kāi shǐ shū lǐ qǐ nǎo hǎi zhōng de xìn xī 。
片刻之后，李凡定了定心神，开始梳理起脑海中的信息。
Unfortunately, due to just being a test,
kě xī de shì ， yóu yú zhǐ shì kǎo yàn de guān xì 。
可惜的是，由于只是考验的关系。
Bai Master's memories were incomplete.
nǎo hǎi zhōng bái xiān shēng de jì yì bìng bù wán zhěng 。
脑海中白先生的记忆并不完整。
Only fragmented pieces of memory and the "main task" for this test remained.
zhǐ yǒu duàn duàn xù xù de suì piàn ， yǐ jí zhè cì kǎo yàn shè jí de “ zhǔ xiàn rèn wù ”。
只有断断续续的碎片，以及这次考验涉及的“主线任务”。
"Now that I have passed the Heavenly Dao’s recognition, I am officially the Xuanhuang Supreme Deity."
“ cǐ kè ， yǐ jīng tōng guò le tiān dào de rèn kě ， zhèng shì chéng wéi le xuán huáng dà tiān zūn 。”
“此刻，已经通过了天道的认可，正式成为了玄黄大天尊。”
"What is my goal?"
“ rèn wù mù biāo shì ……”
“任务目标是……”
"To find the scattered immortal artifacts in the Xuanhuang Realm and escape from it?"
“ zhǎo dào xuán huáng jiè gè chù yí liú de xiān qì ， táo lí xuán huáng jiè ？”
“找到玄黄界各处遗留的仙器，逃离玄黄界？”
Li Fan's expression turned bizarre.
lǐ fán de shén qíng dùn shí biàn dé gǔ guài wú bǐ 。
李凡的神情顿时变得古怪无比。
This was completely different from what he knew about Bai Master's behavior. He had to confirm it several times.
gēn guò wǎng suǒ zhī bái xiān shēng de xíng wéi wán quán xiāng bèi ， yǐ zhì yú lǐ fán zài sān què rèn 。
跟过往所知白先生的行为完全相悖，以致于李凡再三确认。
"Um? No, this isn't a test of the Annihilation Realm. It’s..."
“ ń ？ bú duì 。”
“嗯？不对。”
"The mission at this time point!"
“ zhè bú shì yǔn xiān jìng de kǎo yàn 。 ér shì ……”
“这不是陨仙境的考验。而是……”
After some time, Li Fan finally understood.
“ zhè ge shí jiān diǎn ， bái xiān shēng shēn shàng jiān fù de shǐ mìng ！”
“这个时间点，白先生身上肩负的使命！”
---
guò le huì ， lǐ fán fāng cái huǎng rán 。
过了会，李凡方才恍然。
Since becoming the Xuanhuang Supreme Deity, a faint prompt from the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm stirred in Bai Master's mind.
chéng wéi xuán huáng dà tiān zūn zhī hòu ， bái xiān shēng de xīn tóu yǐn yǐn fú xiàn chū xuán huáng jiè tiān dào yì shí de cuī cù 。
成为玄黄大天尊之后，白先生的心头隐隐浮现出玄黄界天道意识的催促。
Disaster was inevitable, and it would be better to abandon his world body and leave sooner rather than later.
jié nàn jiàng lín ， wú kě bì miǎn 。
劫难降临，无可避免。
"The Xuanhuang Realm is no longer a safe place. There are demons and devils causing chaos within, and the Immortal Wasteland is eyeing us from without."
bù rú shě qì shì jiè qū tǐ ， zǎo rì lí qù 。
不如舍弃世界躯体，早日离去。
"Let’s cross the Immortal Wall and create new heavens and earth in the outside world."
“ xuán huáng jiè yǐ fēi shàn dì ， nèi yǒu yāo xié zuò luàn 、 wài yǒu xiān xū hǔ shì dān dān 。”
“玄黄界已非善地，内有妖邪作乱、外有仙墟虎视眈眈。”
...
“ bù rú kuà guò xiān qiáng ， zài wài jiè zhòng kāi tiān dì 。”
“不如跨过仙墙，在外界重开天地。”
Li Fan frowned as he pieced together the fragmented memories.
……
……
"The Immortal Wall is hard to cross. Even for a Xuanhuang Supreme Deity, it's beyond their reach."
lǐ fán zhòu méi jiāng líng suì de jì yì xìn xī màn màn pīn còu qǐ lái 。
李凡皱眉将零碎的记忆信息慢慢拼凑起来。
"But before the path of immortality is cut off, occasionally, immortal artifacts are bestowed from above. Some are still sealed in sect treasuries, while others have been buried underground and forgotten by all."
“ xiān qiáng nán yuè 。 jí biàn shì xuán huáng dà tiān zūn ， yě lì yǒu bù dǎi 。”
“仙墙难越。即便是玄黄大天尊，也力有不逮。”
"However, none can escape the control of the Xuanhuang Realm’s Heavenly Dao."
“ bù guò xiān lù shàng wèi duàn jué zhī qián ， shàng jiè ǒu yǒu xiān qì cì xià 。 zhè xiē xiān qì ， cǐ shí yǒu xiē réng jiù fēng cún yú zōng mén bǎo kù zhī zhōng ， yǒu xiē zé shì yǐ jīng shēn mái dì xià 、 wú rén néng zhī 。”
“不过仙路尚未断绝之前，上界偶有仙器赐下。这些仙器，此时有些仍旧封存于宗门宝库之中，有些则是已经深埋地下、无人能知。”
"Just gather these immortal artifacts as sacrifices. Even if they're not completely destroyed, their power is enough to break through the Immortal Wall."
“ dàn què quán dōu táo bù guò xuán huáng jiè tiān dào yì shí de zhǎng kòng 。”
“但却全都逃不过玄黄界天道意识的掌控。”
Li Fan's expression suddenly changed, inconsistent with his body.
“ zhǐ xū jiāng zhè xiē xiān qì còu qí ， yǐ tā men wèi jì pǐn ， shèn zhì yòng bù zhe wán quán sǔn huài 、 jiù zú yǐ bào fā chū kuà yuè xiān qiáng de lì liàng 。”
“只需将这些仙器凑齐，以它们为祭品，甚至用不着完全损坏、就足以爆发出跨越仙墙的力量。”
"Impressive? At least ten immortal artifacts?"
lǐ fán de liǎn shàng shùn jiān fú xiàn chū yǔ qū tǐ qì zhì wán quán bù fú de shén qíng 。
李凡的脸上瞬间浮现出与躯体气质完全不符的神情。
According to the information transmitted by the Heavenly Dao of the Xuan Heaven Realm, each artifact had powers comparable to those of the Celestial Mirror.
“ xiān qì ？ zuì qǐ mǎ bù xià shí jiàn xiān qì ？”
“仙器？最起码不下十件仙器？”
If he could gather all these artifacts and use them...
gēn jù xuán tiān tiān dào yì shí chuán lái de xìn xī ， zhè měi yī jiàn xiān qì ， dōu yǒu zhe bù ruò yú tiān xuán jìng de wēi néng 。
根据玄天天道意识传来的信息，这每一件仙器，都有着不弱于天玄镜的威能。
Li Fan’s mind raced with possibilities.
ruò shì néng jiāng qí quán dōu sōu jí wán bì ， bìng wèi wǒ suǒ yòng ……
若是能将其全都搜集完毕，并为我所用……
After so many lifetimes, besides the Celestial Mirror and the fishing pond, he hadn’t seen any other immortal artifacts.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng dùn shí fú xiàn lián piān 。
李凡心中顿时浮现联翩。
Now, it felt like being hit by a lottery jackpot, learning about more than ten immortal artifacts at once. How could this not make his heart race!
yào zhī dào ， lún huí zhè me duō shì yǐ lái ， chú le tiān xuán jìng gēn diào yú chí ， tā hái méi yǒu jiàn guò qí tā xiān qì de zōng yǐng ne 。
要知道，轮回这么多世以来，除了天玄镜跟钓鱼池，他还没有见过其他仙器的踪影呢。
"Wait, these immortal artifacts are all gone in real history?"
rú jīn wǎn ruò bèi dà lǐ bāo zá zhōng ， yī xià zi dé zhī le shí duō jiàn xiān qì de xìn xī ， yòu zěn me kě néng bù shǐ tā xīn shén jī dàng ！
如今宛若被大礼包砸中，一下子得知了十多件仙器的信息，又怎么可能不使他心神激荡！
Soon, Li Fan realized.
“ děng děng ， zhè xiē xiān qì zài zhēn shí lì shǐ shàng ， quán dōu bú jiàn le ？”
“等等，这些仙器在真实历史上，全都不见了？”
He recalled an ancient anecdote he had collected earlier.
bù guò hěn kuài ， lǐ fán biàn fǎn yìng guò lái 。
不过很快，李凡便反应过来。
During the great calamity, due to the rule of non-concurrent cultivation, sects were already in chaos.
tā dùn shí xiǎng qǐ le cǐ qián sōu jí dào de yī jiàn shàng gǔ yì shì 。
他顿时想起了此前搜集到的一件上古轶事。
The loss of immortal artifacts within the sects further accelerated their downfall.
dà jié jiàng lín zhī jì ， yīn wèi fǎ bù kě tóng xiū de yuán yīn ， gè zōng běn jiù hùn luàn bù yǐ 。
大劫降临之际，因为法不可同修的原因，各宗本就混乱不已。
"Could it be that all these mysteriously disappeared immortal artifacts were secretly taken by Bai Master?"
ér zōng mén nèi shōu cáng de xiān qì de wú gù diū shī ， zé gèng shì jiā jù le xiū xiān zōng mén de miè wáng 。
而宗门内收藏的仙器的无故丢失，则更是加剧了修仙宗门的灭亡。
Li Fan's expression was strange as he began searching through his mind for information about these artifacts.
“ gāi bú huì ， dāng shí zhè xiē mò míng shī zōng de xiān qì ， quán dōu shì bèi bái xiān shēng qiāo qiāo shōu zǒu le ba ？”
“该不会，当时这些莫名失踪的仙器，全都是被白先生悄悄收走了吧？”
These artifacts were passed down when the path to immortality had not yet been cut off, from above.
lǐ fán de shén qíng yǒu xiē qí yì 。
李凡的神情有些奇异。
At that time, the major sects of Xuanhuang Realm were not the Ten Sects of Immortal Daoism but long vanished in history.
tā kāi shǐ zài dù chá tàn qǐ nǎo hǎi zhōng ， yǒu guān yú zhè xiē xiān qì de xìn xī 。
他开始再度查探起脑海中，有关于这些仙器的信息。
For example, the Cycle-Returning Sect and the Wasteland God Sect.
zhè xiē xiān qì ， dōu shì xiān lù wèi jué zhī shí ， shàng jiè chuán xià 。
这些仙器，都是仙路未绝之时，上界传下。
The immortal artifacts they held were eventually divided among the Ten Sects of Immortal Daoism.
bǐ shí xuán huáng jiè de dà zōng mén ， bìng bú shì hòu lái de xiān dào shí zōng ， ér shì zǎo yǐ jīng xiāo shī zài lì shǐ cháng hé zhī zhōng 。
彼时玄黄界的大宗门，并不是后来的仙道十宗，而是早已经消失在历史长河之中。
However, these artifacts had spirits and could only be used by direct descendants. Thus, most of them, even if seized by the Ten Sects, remained unusable.
bǐ rú lún huí zōng 、 huāng shén zōng děng děng 。
比如轮回宗、荒神宗等等。
Brothers, don't give me monthly votes this month; I've been slacking off on updates. I feel ashamed to accept it. Please support "The Ring of Fate" instead.
ér tā men suǒ chí yǒu de xiān qì ， yě bèi xiān dào shí zōng guā fēn 。
而他们所持有的仙器，也被仙道十宗瓜分。
(End of chapter)
The last gasp of a strong crossbow bolt cannot pierce even Lu Gao silk.
Under the pressure of the Longevity Realm, Li Fan's sword strike might not even harm an ordinary mortal man.
Let alone cause damage to Bai Master.
However, even if it left no trace of white marks,
this sword strike ultimately landed on Bai Master.
Because Li Fan disregarded his own life.
Because of Bai Master’s appreciation and pity for talent.
As the saying goes: a gentleman can be deceived by fairness!
This sword strike was the answer that Li Fan had pondered over during these years in the Second Act of the Annihilation Realm.
The first act tested benevolence.
The second, wisdom.
And this third act should test martial prowess!
Bai Master used his sword to suppress the Heaven Sword Sect. If he could defeat it or gain its recognition through combat, he might pass the third act's test.
Li Fan had already done so now.
"Thank you for sparing me."
Although the process of burning life was reversed by Bai Master, using the "Life Sword" still left Li Fan severely drained.
His complexion was pale, as if he would faint at any moment.
He coughed incessantly and bowed to Bai Master.
Bai Master looked at Li Fan with a complex expression.
"Why?" he asked.
Li Fan said calmly, "I am different from you. You always overthink things. I, on the other hand, will do whatever it takes to achieve my goal! Even if that means sacrificing my own life!"
The scene of the Heaven Sword Sect gradually faded away.
Only Bai Master's figure remained clear.
Li Fan continued, "So, what you can do, I may not be able to."
"But there are things you cannot do, which I might still manage."
It sounded like a tongue twister, but Bai Master understood Li Fan’s meaning.
"Sometimes, to survive, one must be ruthless."
After saying this, Li Fan's body slowly became transparent and eventually vanished.
Only Bai Master remained in the current space-time.
He furrowed his brows as if facing an extremely difficult decision.
After some time, he suddenly smiled.
"That's right. I always have too many concerns."
"Perhaps, like him, one might finally seize a chance for survival..."
Bai Master’s figure gradually faded with his voice.
---
In the darkness, Li Fan waited for what felt like a long time.
A familiar dizziness came over him as the scene before his eyes suddenly brightened.
He looked around but did not return to the real world.
Instead, he found himself in a new environment.
"My guess was right."
"Although it's not very honorable, I managed to defeat Bai Master and passed the test of martial prowess."
"I only care about the result, not the process."
Li Fan felt somewhat elated.
"Now let me see what this fourth act will be."
With this thought, countless pieces of information surged into his mind.
His expression froze.
"Why?"
Even with Li Fan's composure, he was still momentarily dazed.
He quickly cast the Water Mirror Spell and looked at himself in the mirror.
A flawless, breathtakingly beautiful face greeted him, making one feel refreshed and respect it naturally.
This face was all too familiar to Li Fan.
It had been just a short time ago that they had sparred with each other.
Indeed, it was Bai Master!
"So, I actually possess Bai Master's body for this fourth act?"
Li Fan was stunned.
He felt both excited and wary.
Excited because by using Bai Master’s body, he could experience the Xuanhuang Supreme Deity first-hand. No matter which aspect of cultivation, he would surely benefit greatly from it.
Wary because Bai Master’s rebirth through his body might happen again.
After a moment, Li Fan steadied himself and began sorting through the information in his mind.
Unfortunately, due to just being a test,
Bai Master's memories were incomplete.
Only fragmented pieces of memory and the "main task" for this test remained.
"Now that I have passed the Heavenly Dao’s recognition, I am officially the Xuanhuang Supreme Deity."
"What is my goal?"
"To find the scattered immortal artifacts in the Xuanhuang Realm and escape from it?"
Li Fan's expression turned bizarre.
This was completely different from what he knew about Bai Master's behavior. He had to confirm it several times.
"Um? No, this isn't a test of the Annihilation Realm. It’s..."
"The mission at this time point!"
After some time, Li Fan finally understood.
---
Since becoming the Xuanhuang Supreme Deity, a faint prompt from the Heavenly Dao of the Xuanhuang Realm stirred in Bai Master's mind.
Disaster was inevitable, and it would be better to abandon his world body and leave sooner rather than later.
"The Xuanhuang Realm is no longer a safe place. There are demons and devils causing chaos within, and the Immortal Wasteland is eyeing us from without."
"Let’s cross the Immortal Wall and create new heavens and earth in the outside world."
...
Li Fan frowned as he pieced together the fragmented memories.
"The Immortal Wall is hard to cross. Even for a Xuanhuang Supreme Deity, it's beyond their reach."
"But before the path of immortality is cut off, occasionally, immortal artifacts are bestowed from above. Some are still sealed in sect treasuries, while others have been buried underground and forgotten by all."
"However, none can escape the control of the Xuanhuang Realm’s Heavenly Dao."
"Just gather these immortal artifacts as sacrifices. Even if they're not completely destroyed, their power is enough to break through the Immortal Wall."
Li Fan's expression suddenly changed, inconsistent with his body.
"Impressive? At least ten immortal artifacts?"
According to the information transmitted by the Heavenly Dao of the Xuan Heaven Realm, each artifact had powers comparable to those of the Celestial Mirror.
If he could gather all these artifacts and use them...
Li Fan’s mind raced with possibilities.
After so many lifetimes, besides the Celestial Mirror and the fishing pond, he hadn’t seen any other immortal artifacts.
Now, it felt like being hit by a lottery jackpot, learning about more than ten immortal artifacts at once. How could this not make his heart race!
"Wait, these immortal artifacts are all gone in real history?"
Soon, Li Fan realized.
He recalled an ancient anecdote he had collected earlier.
During the great calamity, due to the rule of non-concurrent cultivation, sects were already in chaos.
The loss of immortal artifacts within the sects further accelerated their downfall.
"Could it be that all these mysteriously disappeared immortal artifacts were secretly taken by Bai Master?"
Li Fan's expression was strange as he began searching through his mind for information about these artifacts.
These artifacts were passed down when the path to immortality had not yet been cut off, from above.
At that time, the major sects of Xuanhuang Realm were not the Ten Sects of Immortal Daoism but long vanished in history.
For example, the Cycle-Returning Sect and the Wasteland God Sect.
The immortal artifacts they held were eventually divided among the Ten Sects of Immortal Daoism.
However, these artifacts had spirits and could only be used by direct descendants. Thus, most of them, even if seized by the Ten Sects, remained unusable.
Brothers, don't give me monthly votes this month; I've been slacking off on updates. I feel ashamed to accept it. Please support "The Ring of Fate" instead.
(End of chapter)