lǐ fán bù zhī dào zhuì rù zhè xiē kōng dòng hòu huì yǒu shén me hòu guǒ 。
李凡不知道坠入这些空洞后会有什么后果。
Li Fan had no idea what consequences would arise from falling into these voids.
yě méi yǒu bàn fǎ biàn bié zhè xiē kōng dòng de cún zài 。
也没有办法辨别这些空洞的存在。
There was no way to discern their existence either.
zhǐ dé cǎi qǔ sǐ bàn fǎ ， jì xù ràng shèng xià de shí zhì kuǐ lěi tàn lù ， zì jǐ bì kāi nà xiē mò míng xiāo shī kuǐ lěi jìn guò de lù xiàn 。
只得采取死办法，继续让剩下的石制傀儡探路，自己避开那些莫名消失傀儡进过的路线。
He could only adopt a desperate approach, continuing to let the remaining stone puppets scout ahead while avoiding the routes taken by those puppets that had inexplicably vanished.
suí zhe shí zhì kuǐ lěi shù liàng de bù duàn jiǎn shǎo ， lǐ fán de xīn yě màn màn chén le xià qù 。
随着石制傀儡数量的不断减少，李凡的心也慢慢沉了下去。
As the number of stone puppets continued to decrease, Li Fan's heart sank.
àn zhào zhè ge sǔn hào de sù dù ， zhè yī shì kǒng pà shì jué duì dào dá bù liǎo xīng hǎi shēn chù le 。
按照这个损耗的速度，这一世恐怕是绝对到达不了星海深处了。
At this rate of loss, he was likely never to reach the depths of Star Sea in this lifetime.
dàn lǐ fán suǒ dān yōu de shì qíng ， què bìng méi yǒu fā shēng 。
但李凡所担忧的事情，却并没有发生。
But what Li Fan feared did not come to pass.
dāng kuǐ lěi zhǐ shèng xià zuì hòu sān shí sān zūn de shí hòu ， yòu shì zài xū kōng zhōng fēi dùn le hěn zhǎng yī duàn shí jiān ， dōu méi yǒu zài chū xiàn kuǐ lěi zhòu rán xiāo shī de zhuàng kuàng 。
当傀儡只剩下最后三十三尊的时候，又是在虚空中飞遁了很长一段时间，都没有再出现傀儡骤然消失的状况。
When only thirty-three puppets remained, they flew through the void for a long time without any sudden disappearances.
“ kàn lái ， zhè xiē kōng dòng ， bìng bú shì zài zhì àn xīng hǎi zhōng guǎng fàn cún zài de 。 ér shì mì jí jù jí yú mǒu yī piān qū yù 。”
“看来，这些空洞，并不是在至暗星海中广泛存在的。而是密集聚集于某一篇区域。”
"It seems these voids are not widely present in the darkest star sea. They seem to cluster densely in certain areas."
“ xuán huáng jiè wài me ？” shèng tāi lǐ fán ruò yǒu suǒ sī 。
“玄黄界外么？”圣胎李凡若有所思。
"Could it be outside the Xuanhuang Realm?" pondered the Saint Embryo Li Fan.
sān shí sān zūn kuǐ lěi zài qián ， lǐ fán suǒ huà jiàn guāng zài hòu 。
三十三尊傀儡在前，李凡所化剑光在后。
The thirty-three puppets led the way, while Li Fan's sword light followed behind.
sù dù bù duàn biàn kuài ， cháo zhe wèi zhī de qī hēi qián fāng xíng jìng 。
速度不断变快，朝着未知的漆黑前方行径。
Their speed increased as they ventured into the unknown darkness.
“ bǐ wǒ yù xiǎng de hái yào shùn lì yī xiē 。”
“比我预想的还要顺利一些。”
"It seems more favorable than I anticipated."
“ xiàn zài yǐ jīng lí xuán huáng jiè yǐ jīng yǒu xiāng dāng zhǎng de yī duàn jù lí le ， dàn shì wǒ zhè jù xuán huáng jiè jiàn dào huà shēn ， bìng méi yǒu gǎn dào lì liàng yǒu suǒ shuāi jiǎn 。”
“现在已经离玄黄界已经有相当长的一段距离了，但是我这具玄黄界剑道化身，并没有感到力量有所衰减。”
"We are already quite a distance from the Xuanhuang Realm. But my Xuanhuang Sword Dao avatar has not felt any decline in power."
“ zhè dǎo shì yǒu diǎn yì si le 。”
“这倒是有点意思了。”
"This is interesting."
àn zhào cháng lǐ lái jiǎng ， méi yǒu le shì jiè lì liàng de zhī chēng ， yóu lí zài shì jiè zhī wài de zhǒng zhǒng fǎ zé ， shì bì huì yǒu yí dìng chéng dù de ruò huà 。
按照常理来讲，没有了世界力量的支撑，游离在世界之外的种种法则，势必会有一定程度的弱化。
According to common sense, without the support of world energy, various laws existing outside the world should weaken to some extent.
dàn xiàn zài zhè zhǒng xuē jiǎn què bìng méi yǒu chū xiàn 。
但现在这种削减却并没有出现。
But this reduction did not occur here.
shèn zhì ……
甚至……
In fact...
yuán xiān zài xuán huáng jiè yǐ jīng dá dào jí xiàn ， zài zěn me lǐng wù dōu wú fǎ gèng jìn yí bù de jiàn dào ， cǐ kè zài xū kōng zhōng dài le yī zhèn ， píng jǐng jìng rán jiù zhí jiē sōng dòng le 。
原先在玄黄界已经达到极限，再怎么领悟都无法更进一步的剑道，此刻在虚空中待了一阵，瓶颈竟然就直接松动了。
The Sword Dao that had reached its limit within the Xuanhuang Realm and could no longer advance further suddenly loosened after a period in the void.
nǎ pà zhè jù shèng tāi de tiān fù bìng bú shì rú hé chū zhòng ， yě jué de zhǒng zhǒng sī xù 、 gǎn wù bù shòu kòng zhì de fēn zhì tà lái 。
哪怕这具圣胎的天赋并不是如何出众，也觉得种种思绪、感悟不受控制的纷至沓来。
Even though his Saint Embryo's talent was not outstanding, he felt various thoughts and insights flooding uncontrollably into his mind.
fǎng fú zhí jiē tuì biàn chéng wéi le shén me jué shì tiān cái yī yàng 。
仿佛直接蜕变成为了什么绝世天才一样。
It was as if he had directly transformed into an unparalleled genius.
shèng tāi lǐ fán xīn zhōng dōu yǒng xiàn chū le ， shén me dōu bù guǎn 、 jí zhōng yī qiè jīng lì qù wù dào de chōng dòng 。
圣胎李凡心中都涌现出了，什么都不管、集中一切精力去悟道的冲动。
The thought of focusing all his energy on enlightenment without any distractions surged through Li Fan's mind.
què bèi lǐ fán yùn zhuàn xiān xīn zhòu ， qiáng xíng yā xià 。
却被李凡运转仙心咒，强行压下。
But he suppressed it with the Immortal Heart Spell.
zhè fǎn cháng de xiàn xiàng ， bù jīn ràng lǐ fán fú xiǎng lián piān 。
这反常的现象，不禁让李凡浮想联翩。
This unusual phenomenon made Li Fan speculate.
“ zhěng gè zhì àn xīng hǎi ， shí zé shì gòng yòng yī tào fǎ zé tǐ xì ？”
“整个至暗星海，实则是共用一套法则体系？”
"Is the entire darkest star sea actually using a shared set of laws?"
“ xuán huáng jiè jiàn dào ， shì zhěng gè xīng hǎi gòng tóng jiàn dào de qí zhōng yī bù fèn 。”
“玄黄界剑道，是整个星海共同剑道的其中一部分。”
"The Xuanhuang Sword Dao is part of the collective sword dao of the entire star sea."
“ zài shì jiè zhī wài 、 xū kōng zhī zhōng ， dé jiàn gèng guǎng kuò tiān dì 。 shàng xiàn bèi wú xíng chēng kāi ……”
“在世界之外、虚空之中，得见更广阔天地。上限被无形撑开……”
"In the void, one can see a broader world. The limits are being stretched..."
“ guǒ rán shì wēi xiǎn yǔ jī yù bìng cún zhī dì 。”
“果然是危险与机遇并存之地。”
"It truly is a place where danger and opportunity coexist."
“ kǒng pà tiān yī 、 chuán fǎ dòng bù dòng jiù wǎng zhì àn xīng hǎi pǎo ， yě yǒu zhè me yī céng yīn sù zài lǐ miàn 。”
“恐怕天医、传法动不动就往至暗星海跑，也有这么一层因素在里面。”
"Possibly this is why the Immortal Healer and the Law Transmitter often venture into the darkest star sea."
xiǎng qǐ tiān yī yǔ chuán fǎ ， lǐ fán de xīn zhōng bù yóu gèng tiān jǐ fēn níng zhòng 。
想起天医与传法，李凡的心中不由更添几分凝重。
Thinking about the Immortal Healer and the Law Transmitter, Li Fan felt even more serious.
tā cái dài le zhè me yī huì ， jiù yǒu rú cǐ bù sú shōu huò 。
他才待了这么一会，就有如此不俗收获。
He had such an unremarkable stay but achieved such remarkable results.
hěn nán xiǎng xiàng ， zài xīng hǎi zhōng shēng huó le shù qiān nián de zhè liǎng wèi ， jiū jìng yǐ jīng dá dào le hé děng jìng jiè 。
很难想象，在星海中生活了数千年的这两位，究竟已经达到了何等境界。
It was hard to imagine how advanced these two must have become after living in the Star Sea for thousands of years.
tiān yī de jiàn yì guǒ rán shì jīn yù liáng yán 。
天医的建议果然是金玉良言。
The advice from the Immortal Healer truly was invaluable.
lián tā yě shí fēn shèn zhòng de xū kōng zhōng de “ jí bìng ”， hái shì jiàng lín dào le shèng tāi lǐ fán shēn shàng 。
连他也十分慎重的虚空中的“疾病”，还是降临到了圣胎李凡身上。
Even though he was very cautious about the "disease" in the void, it still fell upon the Saint Embryo Li Fan.
méi yǒu sī háo qián zhào 。
没有丝毫前兆。
Without any warning, a sudden feeling of weakness overcame him as he was immersed in his impending breakthrough in Sword Dao comprehension.
zhèng dāng lǐ fán chén jìn zài zì jǐ jí jiāng tū pò jiàn dào lǐng wù de xīn xǐ zhōng de shí hòu ， yī gǔ mò míng de xū ruò gǎn zhòu rán yǒng shàng xīn tóu 。
正当李凡沉浸在自己即将突破剑道领悟的欣喜中的时候，一股莫名的虚弱感骤然涌上心头。
Upon introspection, a black spot appeared within his soul.
nèi shì zhī xià ， guǒ rán shén hún zhī zhōng chū xiàn le yí gè hēi diǎn 。
内视之下，果然神魂之中出现了一个黑点。
This black spot invaded his soul as if directly occupying it.
nà hēi diǎn qīn shí shén hún ， jiù xiàng shì bǎ yuán běn shén hún gěi zhí jiē zhàn jù le yī yàng 。
那黑点侵蚀神魂，就像是把原本神魂给直接占据了一样。
Despite all the protective soul treasures he had ingested, they could not stop its invasion.
rèn píng lǐ fán zhī qián tūn xià de zhū duō bì yòu shén hún de bǎo wù ， dōu wú fǎ zǔ zhǐ tā de rù qīn 。
任凭李凡之前吞下的诸多庇佑神魂的宝物，都无法阻止它的入侵。
And even his prepared methods to nourish his soul were ineffective.
bìng qiě zhǔn bèi de zī yǎng shén hún de shǒu duàn yě méi yǒu xiào guǒ 。
并且准备的滋养神魂的手段也没有效果。
"The upper limit of my soul's strength has decreased, rather than the soul itself being damaged."
“ shén hún qiáng dù shàng xiàn jiǎn shǎo le ， ér bú shì shén hún běn shēn shòu sǔn 。”
“神魂强度上限减少了，而不是神魂本身受损。”
Li Fan was somewhat serious.
shèng tāi lǐ fán yǒu xiē níng zhòng 。
圣胎李凡有些凝重。
Fortunately, this black spot did not spread too quickly, giving him time to take appropriate measures.
hǎo zài zhè hēi diǎn kuò sàn de sù dù bìng bú shì tài kuài ， lǐ fán hái lái de jí cǎi qǔ xiāng yìng de yìng duì cuò shī 。
好在这黑点扩散的速度并不是太快，李凡还来的及采取相应的应对措施。
A sword shadow appeared within his soul, cutting off the portion occupied by the black spot!
shén hún zhōng ， chū xiàn yī dào jiàn yǐng 。
神魂中，出现一道剑影。
With the division of his soul, Li Fan's sword body split into two halves.
jiàn guāng shǎn liàng ， zhí jiē jiāng bèi hēi diǎn zhàn jù de nà kuài shén hún gěi qiē gē xià lái ！
剑光闪亮，直接将被黑点占据的那块神魂给切割下来！
The uninfected part accelerated and escaped its original location, while the infected half stopped moving.
ér suí zhe shén hún bèi fēn gē ， shèng tāi lǐ fán de jiàn tǐ ， yě shà shí jiān huà zuò liǎng bàn 。
而随着神魂被分割，圣胎李凡的剑体，也霎时间化作两半。
It sat in the void, focusing on understanding the mysterious black essence within the weakened soul.
méi yǒu bèi hēi diǎn qīn shí de nà yī bù fèn ， zhòu rán jiā sù ， táo lí yuán xiān suǒ zài 。
没有被黑点侵蚀的那一部分，骤然加速，逃离原先所在。
The pain of splitting one's soul was indescribable.
ér bèi gǎn rǎn de nà yí bàn ， zé shì tíng zhǐ le qián xíng 。
而被感染的那一半，则是停止了前行。
Even with the Immortal Heart Spell, Li Fan felt his vision dim and nearly fainted.
pán zuò yú xū kōng zhōng ， jí zhōng jīng shén gǎn wù xū ruò shén hún zhōng de nà mò míng hēi yì 。
盘坐于虚空中，集中精神感悟虚弱神魂中的那莫名黑意。
Feeling even more weak than being invaded by the black spot, he ignored the pain and weakness.
fēn liè shén hún zhī tòng ， nán yǐ yòng yán yǔ miáo shù 。
分裂神魂之痛，难以用言语描述。
He quickly absorbed the refined essence from the soul-nourishing treasures he had previously cultivated.
zòng shǐ yǒu xiān xīn zhòu jiā chí ， shèng tāi lǐ fán yě gǎn jué yǎn qián yī hēi ， chà diǎn zhí jiē yūn jué guò qù 。
纵使有仙心咒加持，圣胎李凡也感觉眼前一黑，差点直接晕厥过去。
Without the suppression of the black spot, his clean soul gradually regained strength.
bǐ bèi hēi diǎn qīn shí hái yào xū ruò de gǎn jué dùn shí yǒng shàng xīn tóu ， tā gù bù dé téng tòng yǔ xū ruò 。
比被黑点侵蚀还要虚弱的感觉顿时涌上心头，他顾不得疼痛与虚弱。
"This is what they call scraping the bone to heal."
lián máng jiāng xiān qián liàn huà de zī bǔ shén hún bǎo wù de jīng huá xī shōu 。
连忙将先前炼化的滋补神魂宝物的精华吸收。
Li Fan sighed.
méi yǒu le hēi diǎn de yì zhì zuò yòng ， shèng tāi lǐ fán gān jìng de shén hún chóng xīn màn màn biàn dé qiáng zhuàng qǐ lái 。
没有了黑点的抑制作用，圣胎李凡干净的神魂重新慢慢变得强壮起来。
Thanks to the new method's subtlety, his cultivation foundation remained intact while his body was not destroyed. Plus, with the Xuanhuang Sword Dao forming the basis of his practice, he could afford such radical splitting without going mad.
“ cǐ zhī wèi guā gǔ liáo shāng yě 。”
“此之谓刮骨疗伤也。”
"Unfortunately, without the Five Elements Great Caverns and the Limitlessincrease and decrease Technique, relying on external objects is not a long-term solution."
lǐ fán yǒu xiē xī xū dào 。
李凡有些唏嘘道。
"Each split makes me weaker than before."
yě jiù shì xīn fǎ guǐ jué ， xiū xíng gēn jī bù miè 、 shēn qū bù huǐ 。 zài jiā shàng tā yǐ xuán huáng jiàn dào zhù jiù yī shēn xiū xíng zhī jī 。
也就是新法诡谲，修行根基不灭、身躯不毁。再加上他以玄黄剑道筑就一身修行之基。
"..."
cái néng zhī chí tā zhè bān sì yì qiē gē zì jǐ shén hún ， ér bú shì dāng chǎng biàn dé chī dāi 。
才能支持他这般肆意切割自己神魂，而不是当场变得痴呆。
"I hope I can persist until reaching the depths of the Star Sea."
“ kě xī ， méi yǒu wǔ xíng dà dòng tiān yǐ jí wú jí yíng xū fǎ ， kào zhè xiē wài wù zhōng jiū bú shì cháng jiǔ zhī jì 。”
“可惜，没有五行大洞天以及无极盈虚法，靠这些外物终究不是长久之际。”
Li Fan closed his eyes, temporarily setting aside all distractions to heal his soul's injuries.
“ měi yī cì qiē gē ， wǒ dōu bǐ yuán xiān ruò shàng jǐ fēn 。”
“每一次切割，我都比原先弱上几分。”
Meanwhile, the other half that had been infected and left in the void faced its ultimate end.
“……”
“……”
It was a more despairing and terrifying fate than natural aging.
“ xī wàng néng jiān chí dào xīng hǎi shēn chù ba 。”
“希望能坚持到星海深处吧。”
Like a common person suffering from senile dementia, the portion of the soul still sensing the black spot gradually slowed down, becoming less alert. It even struggled to recall simple tasks.
lǐ fán bì mù ， zàn qiě bǐng chú yī qiè zá niàn ， xiū fù shén hún chuāng shāng 。
李凡闭目，暂且摒除一切杂念，修复神魂创伤。
Even when other consciousnesses synchronized with it transmitted information, they seemed blocked and incomprehensible.
ér yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， zhī qián bèi hēi diǎn suǒ gǎn rǎn 、 yí liú zài xū kōng zhōng de nà lìng wài yī bù fèn ， yǐ jīng chè dǐ yíng lái le sǐ wáng zhōng jié 。
而与此同时，之前被黑点所感染、遗留在虚空中的那另外一部分，已经彻底迎来了死亡终结。
Eventually, it completely fell into a state of thoughtless stagnation.
nà shì bǐ shuāi lǎo ér sǐ ， gèng jiā lìng rén jué wàng 、 kǒng bù de jié jú 。
那是比衰老而死，更加令人绝望、恐怖的结局。
Like his soul, it turned into an unfeeling void.
jiù xiàng fán rén huàn shàng le lǎo nián chī dāi yī yàng ， yuán xiān zhèng zài gǎn wù hēi diǎn de nà yí bàn ， sī xù yuè lái yuè màn 。
就像凡人患上了老年痴呆一样，原先正在感悟黑点的那一半，思绪越来越慢。
...
nǎo dài biàn dé yuè lái yuè bù líng guāng ， shèn zhì lián zì jǐ xiǎng yào zuò de shì qíng ， dōu yào huí xiǎng hěn jiǔ 。
脑袋变得越来越不灵光，甚至连自己想要做的事情，都要回想很久。
"It's like this darkest star sea."
nǎ pà shì qí tā shēn tǐ tóng bù de yì shí chuán lái ， yě hǎo shì bèi céng céng zǔ gé 、 gēn běn lǐ jiě bù liǎo 。
哪怕是其他身体同步的意识传来，也好似被层层阻隔、根本理解不了。
In the Xuanhuang Realm, within the Derivation Method Jade space,
zuì zhōng ， wán quán xiàn rù le sī wéi de jìng zhǐ zhī zhōng 。
最终，完全陷入了思维的静止之中。
Li Fan's true self felt the images transmitted by the Saint Embryo and was secretly alarmed.
gēn shén hún yī yàng ， chè dǐ huà zuò le yī piàn sǐ jì 。
跟神魂一样，彻底化作了一片死寂。
What troubled him were not theformless voids or black spot epidemic in the Star Sea.
……
……
It was the time difference between his true self and the Saint Embryo.
“ jiù xiàng shì zhè piàn zhì àn xīng hǎi 。”
“就像是这片至暗星海。”
The Saint Embryo had already traveled a considerable distance from the Xuanhuang Realm, using the power of the Star Sea to transform into a sword.
xuán huáng jiè ， yǎn fǎ jué kōng jiān 。
玄黄界，衍法珏空间。
Therefore, Li Fan discovered that the flow of time between the Xuanhuang Realm and the depths of the darkest star sea...
lǐ fán běn zūn gǎn shòu zhe shèng tāi chuán lái de yǐng xiàng xìn xī ， àn zì xīn lǐn 。
李凡本尊感受着圣胎传来的影像信息，暗自心凛。
Was out of sync.
ràng tā zhòu méi de ， bú shì xīng hǎi zhōng de wú xíng kōng dòng 、 hēi diǎn yì bìng 。
让他皱眉的，不是星海中的无形空洞、黑点疫病。
"It seems it is still affected by the Immortal Ruins."
ér shì běn zūn yǔ shèng tāi zhī jiān de shí jiān chà 。
而是本尊与圣胎之间的时间差。
"Even if not as terrifying as the momentous thousand-year change at the edge of the Immortal Ruins, its time flow is slower than other parts of the darkest star sea."
shèng tāi yǐ shēn huà jiàn ， jiè zhù xīng hǎi wěi lì ， yǐ jīng lí kāi xuán huáng jiè hěn zhǎng yī duàn jù lí 。
圣胎以身化剑，借助星海伟力，已经离开玄黄界很长一段距离。
"Now, it's about one to two times."
yīn cǐ ， lǐ fán dé yǐ fā xiàn le ， xuán huáng jiè gēn zhì àn xīng hǎi shēn chù zhī jiān ……
因此，李凡得以发现了，玄黄界跟至暗星海深处之间……
"And with the Saint Embryo continuing to move away, this ratio is expanding."
shí jiān liú sù de bù tóng bù 。
时间流速的不同步。
Li Fan thought more.
“ kàn lái hái shì shòu dào le xiān xū de yǐng xiǎng 。”
“看来还是受到了仙墟的影响。”
"The darkest star sea within the high walls has inevitably been affected by the Immortal Ruins. The extent varies."
“ jí biàn bù xiàng xiān xū biān yuán ， zhuǎn shùn qiān nián nà bān kǒng bù 。 dàn yě bǐ zhì àn xīng hǎi qí tā dì fāng de shí jiān liú sù yào màn 。”
“即便不像仙墟边缘，转瞬千年那般恐怖。但也比至暗星海其他地方的时间流速要慢。”
"Does that mean the time flow in and outside the high walls is not uniform?"
“ xiàn zài ， dà yuē shì yī bǐ èr de yàng zi 。”
“现在，大约是一比二的样子。”
"Is it possible that the Xuanhuang Realm has already passed through a disaster over ten thousand years ago, while outside..."
“ ér qiě ， suí zhe shèng tāi jì xù yuǎn lí ， zhè ge bǐ lì hái zài kuò dà 。”
“而且，随着圣胎继续远离，这个比例还在扩大。”
"The passage of time might be longer?"
lǐ fán bù jīn xiǎng dào le gèng duō 。
李凡不禁想到了更多。
Thinking about this, Li Fan closed his eyes, concealing any hint of light.
“ gāo qiáng zhī nèi de zhì àn xīng hǎi ， wú kě bì miǎn de quán dōu shòu dào le xiān xū de yǐng xiǎng 。 huò dà huò xiǎo bà le 。”
“高墙之内的至暗星海，无可避免的全都受到了仙墟的影响。或大或小罢了。”
(End of Chapter)
Li Fan had no idea what consequences would arise from falling into these voids.
There was no way to discern their existence either.
He could only adopt a desperate approach, continuing to let the remaining stone puppets scout ahead while avoiding the routes taken by those puppets that had inexplicably vanished.
As the number of stone puppets continued to decrease, Li Fan's heart sank.
At this rate of loss, he was likely never to reach the depths of Star Sea in this lifetime.
But what Li Fan feared did not come to pass.
When only thirty-three puppets remained, they flew through the void for a long time without any sudden disappearances.
"It seems these voids are not widely present in the darkest star sea. They seem to cluster densely in certain areas."
"Could it be outside the Xuanhuang Realm?" pondered the Saint Embryo Li Fan.
The thirty-three puppets led the way, while Li Fan's sword light followed behind.
Their speed increased as they ventured into the unknown darkness.
"It seems more favorable than I anticipated."
"We are already quite a distance from the Xuanhuang Realm. But my Xuanhuang Sword Dao avatar has not felt any decline in power."
"This is interesting."
According to common sense, without the support of world energy, various laws existing outside the world should weaken to some extent.
But this reduction did not occur here.
In fact...
The Sword Dao that had reached its limit within the Xuanhuang Realm and could no longer advance further suddenly loosened after a period in the void.
Even though his Saint Embryo's talent was not outstanding, he felt various thoughts and insights flooding uncontrollably into his mind.
It was as if he had directly transformed into an unparalleled genius.
The thought of focusing all his energy on enlightenment without any distractions surged through Li Fan's mind.
But he suppressed it with the Immortal Heart Spell.
This unusual phenomenon made Li Fan speculate.
"Is the entire darkest star sea actually using a shared set of laws?"
"The Xuanhuang Sword Dao is part of the collective sword dao of the entire star sea."
"In the void, one can see a broader world. The limits are being stretched..."
"It truly is a place where danger and opportunity coexist."
"Possibly this is why the Immortal Healer and the Law Transmitter often venture into the darkest star sea."
Thinking about the Immortal Healer and the Law Transmitter, Li Fan felt even more serious.
He had such an unremarkable stay but achieved such remarkable results.
It was hard to imagine how advanced these two must have become after living in the Star Sea for thousands of years.
The advice from the Immortal Healer truly was invaluable.
Even though he was very cautious about the "disease" in the void, it still fell upon the Saint Embryo Li Fan.
Without any warning, a sudden feeling of weakness overcame him as he was immersed in his impending breakthrough in Sword Dao comprehension.
Upon introspection, a black spot appeared within his soul.
This black spot invaded his soul as if directly occupying it.
Despite all the protective soul treasures he had ingested, they could not stop its invasion.
And even his prepared methods to nourish his soul were ineffective.
"The upper limit of my soul's strength has decreased, rather than the soul itself being damaged."
Li Fan was somewhat serious.
Fortunately, this black spot did not spread too quickly, giving him time to take appropriate measures.
A sword shadow appeared within his soul, cutting off the portion occupied by the black spot!
With the division of his soul, Li Fan's sword body split into two halves.
The uninfected part accelerated and escaped its original location, while the infected half stopped moving.
It sat in the void, focusing on understanding the mysterious black essence within the weakened soul.
The pain of splitting one's soul was indescribable.
Even with the Immortal Heart Spell, Li Fan felt his vision dim and nearly fainted.
Feeling even more weak than being invaded by the black spot, he ignored the pain and weakness.
He quickly absorbed the refined essence from the soul-nourishing treasures he had previously cultivated.
Without the suppression of the black spot, his clean soul gradually regained strength.
"This is what they call scraping the bone to heal."
Li Fan sighed.
Thanks to the new method's subtlety, his cultivation foundation remained intact while his body was not destroyed. Plus, with the Xuanhuang Sword Dao forming the basis of his practice, he could afford such radical splitting without going mad.
"Unfortunately, without the Five Elements Great Caverns and the Limitlessincrease and decrease Technique, relying on external objects is not a long-term solution."
"Each split makes me weaker than before."
"..."
"I hope I can persist until reaching the depths of the Star Sea."
Li Fan closed his eyes, temporarily setting aside all distractions to heal his soul's injuries.
Meanwhile, the other half that had been infected and left in the void faced its ultimate end.
It was a more despairing and terrifying fate than natural aging.
Like a common person suffering from senile dementia, the portion of the soul still sensing the black spot gradually slowed down, becoming less alert. It even struggled to recall simple tasks.
Even when other consciousnesses synchronized with it transmitted information, they seemed blocked and incomprehensible.
Eventually, it completely fell into a state of thoughtless stagnation.
Like his soul, it turned into an unfeeling void.
...
"It's like this darkest star sea."
In the Xuanhuang Realm, within the Derivation Method Jade space,
Li Fan's true self felt the images transmitted by the Saint Embryo and was secretly alarmed.
What troubled him were not theformless voids or black spot epidemic in the Star Sea.
It was the time difference between his true self and the Saint Embryo.
The Saint Embryo had already traveled a considerable distance from the Xuanhuang Realm, using the power of the Star Sea to transform into a sword.
Therefore, Li Fan discovered that the flow of time between the Xuanhuang Realm and the depths of the darkest star sea...
Was out of sync.
"It seems it is still affected by the Immortal Ruins."
"Even if not as terrifying as the momentous thousand-year change at the edge of the Immortal Ruins, its time flow is slower than other parts of the darkest star sea."
"Now, it's about one to two times."
"And with the Saint Embryo continuing to move away, this ratio is expanding."
Li Fan thought more.
"The darkest star sea within the high walls has inevitably been affected by the Immortal Ruins. The extent varies."
"Does that mean the time flow in and outside the high walls is not uniform?"
"Is it possible that the Xuanhuang Realm has already passed through a disaster over ten thousand years ago, while outside..."
"The passage of time might be longer?"
Thinking about this, Li Fan closed his eyes, concealing any hint of light.
(End of Chapter)