àn zhào cháng lǐ lái jiǎng ， ruò zhǐ jǐn jǐn shì dān chún de yí gǔ ， lǐ fán bìng bù yīng gāi cóng qí shàng gǎn yīng dào rèn hé shēng líng de qì xī 。
按照常理来讲，若只仅仅是单纯的遗骨，李凡并不应该从其上感应到任何生灵的气息。
According to common sense, Li Fan should not have sensed any signs of life from mere bones.
dàn yǎn qián zhè liǎng gēn gǔ tou ……
但眼前这两根骨头……
But these two bones...
què ràng lǐ fán zhòu rán xīn zhōng yī jǐn ， hǎo sì bèi mǒu gè cún zài mù guāng zhù shì 。
却让李凡骤然心中一紧，好似被某个存在目光注视。
Suddenly made Li Fan's heart tighten as if he was being stared at by some existence. The stone statues, which were bone-like figures, seemed almost ready to come alive, emitting a strange aura.
gǔ tou huà shēn de shí xiàng ， yě fǎng fú suí shí huì huó guò lái yī yàng ， sī sī guǐ yì de qì xī cóng zhōng liú lù 。
骨头化身的石像，也仿佛随时会活过来一样，丝丝诡异的气息从中流露。
Li Fan made an immediate decision and ended the probe with the Boundless Mirror without saying another word.
lǐ fán dāng jī lì duàn ， èr huà bù shuō zhí jiē jié shù liǎo wú liàng jìng de kuī tàn 。
李凡当机立断，二话不说直接结束了无量镜的窥探。
The scene before him changed instantly.
yǎn qián jǐng xiàng shū rán yī biàn 。
眼前景象倏然一变。
The bones vanished, leaving behind only those two ordinary-looking stone statues.
gǔ tou xiāo shī ， yìng rù yǎn lián de yī jiù shì nà liǎng zūn kàn shì pǔ tōng de shí xiàng 。
骨头消失，映入眼帘的依旧是那两尊看似普通的石像。
Li Fan's sense of crisis slowly dissipated.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng de wēi jī gǎn zhè cái màn màn dàn qù 。
李凡心中的危机感这才慢慢淡去。
"Senior..." Sun Luoya was still shaken from what he had just witnessed. He seemed at a loss for words.
“ qián bèi ……” sūn lù yáo bèi gāng gāng nà yí mù xià dào le ， yǒu xiē bù zhī suǒ cuò 。
“前辈……”孙路遥被刚刚那一幕吓到了，有些不知所措。
"Tell your brother to keep his distance from the two stone statues," Li Fan instructed calmly on the surface, but in reality, he was already in turmoil within.
“ ràng nǐ xiōng zhǎng lí nà liǎng zūn shí xiàng yuǎn diǎn 。” lǐ fán biǎo miàn dàn rán fēn fù ， shí zé xīn zhōng zǎo yǐ jīng xiān qǐ tāo tiān jù làng 。
“让你兄长离那两尊石像远点。”李凡表面淡然吩咐，实则心中早已经掀起滔天巨浪。
Could these bones really belong to the Great Mage?
nà liǎng gēn gǔ tou ， jiū jìng shì bú shì dà fǎ shī de ？
那两根骨头，究竟是不是大法师的？
From their appearance, they were almost certainly those of the Heavenly Capital Great Mage.
cóng qí wài zài xíng xiàng lái kàn ， shí yǒu bā jiǔ yīng gāi jiù shǔ yú tiān dōu dà fǎ shī 。
从其外在形象来看，十有八九应该就属于天都大法师。
But why would a semi-immortal like him have two bones at the Initial Dao Sect?
dàn wèi shén me bàn xiān zhī qū de tā ， huì yǒu liǎng gēn gǔ tou zài yī shǐ zōng ？
但为什么半仙之躯的他，会有两根骨头在一始宗？
"Is it possible that his injuries were so severe that even a cultivator couldn't reclaim them?"
“ nán bù chéng tā shòu shāng rú cǐ zhī zhòng ， yǐ zhì yú zì jǐ de gǔ tou bèi xiū xiān zhě qiǎng zǒu dōu wú lì duó huí ？”
“难不成他受伤如此之重，以致于自己的骨头被修仙者抢走都无力夺回？”
This thought flashed through Li Fan's mind. But quickly, he dismissed it with a large question mark.
zhè ge niàn tou zài lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng chà nà chū xiàn 。
这个念头在李凡脑海中刹那出现。
Was it possible?
dàn hěn kuài lǐ fán jiù zì jǐ dǎ le gè dà dà de wèn hào 。
但很快李凡就自己打了个大大的问号。
The power that could consume ten years of time and envelop the entire Source Dao State indicated that the Great Mage had not yet fallen. A semi-immortal's strength was formidable enough to resist even severe injuries, let alone an ancient immortal technique like this one from long ago.
kě néng me ？
可能么？
"Unless..."
nà lǒng zhào zhěng gè yuán dào zhōu 、 néng gòu tūn shì shí nián guāng yīn de lì liàng ， shuō míng dà fǎ shī yīng gāi shàng wèi yǔn luò 。
那笼罩整个源道州、能够吞噬十年光阴的力量，说明大法师应该尚未陨落。
"Boundless Mirror."
bàn xiān zhī wēi ， nǎ pà shòu zài zěn me zhòng de shāng ， yě bú shì fán sú zhī xià de xiū shì néng gòu duì fù de 。
半仙之威，哪怕受再怎么重的伤，也不是凡俗之下的修士能够对付的。
Li Fan looked at Sun Luoya, who was trembling with fear. This new Boundless Mirror spirit.
gèng bié shuō hái shì xī rì de gǔ fǎ cháng shēng 。
更别说还是昔日的古法长生。
When the Sun brothers had first found the broken Boundless Mirror, its divine artifact spirit had already vanished, allowing these two ordinary humans to take advantage of the situation.
“ chú fēi ……”
“除非……”
From the recent wind disaster that erupted from within the Boundless Mirror, it seemed that during their struggle against this calamity, the spirit had dissipated and the mirror itself was damaged.
“ wú liàng jìng 。”
“无量镜。”
"The Boundless Mirror is an ancient immortal artifact from the Xuanhuang era. It was bestowed upon the Boundless Sect by the Immortal Realm. Even if the Immortal Realm were to fall due to some unspeakable disaster, it should not have affected the Boundless Mirror. Yet, this wind disaster that shouldn't appear in the mundane realm actually occurred within the mirror..."
lǐ fán kàn xiàng le wèi wèi suō suō de sūn lù yáo ， zhè wèi xīn de wú liàng jìng líng 。
李凡看向了畏畏缩缩的孙路遥，这位新的无量镜灵。
Thinking of the events at the far end of the Star Sea where the Saint Embryo had infiltrated the Xuan Immortal Boat and brought the无形 disaster,厄 calamity into the darkest part of the star sea, Li Fan recalled the tragic deaths of several cultivators.
zài sūn jiā xiōng dì dāng chū jiǎn dào cán pò de wú liàng jìng de shí hòu ， qí zhōng xiān qì zhī líng jiù yǐ jīng bú jiàn le 、 zhè cái ràng liǎng wèi fán rén zhàn le kòng zi 。
在孙家兄弟当初捡到残破的无量镜的时候，其中仙器之灵就已经不见了、这才让两位凡人占了空子。
"Propagation..."
cóng qián bù jiǔ wú liàng jìng zhōng bào fā de nà chǎng mó miè fēng zāi lái kàn ， sì hū jiù shì yīn wèi zài gēn zhè zāi huò duì kàng de guò chéng zhōng ， qì líng xiāo sàn 、 wú liàng jìng shòu sǔn 。
从前不久无量镜中爆发的那场磨灭风灾来看，似乎就是因为在跟这灾祸对抗的过程中，器灵消散、无量镜受损。
"Beyond Xuanhuang..."
“ wú liàng jìng nǎi shì xuán huáng shàng gǔ xiān qì ， yóu xiān jiè shǎng cì gěi wú liàng zōng 。 jiù suàn xiān jiè yīn wèi bù kě yán shuō de jié nàn fù miè ， yě yīng gāi bō jí bú dào wú liàng jìng 。 dàn piān piān ， zhè běn bù gāi chū xiàn zài fán sú de mó miè fēng zāi ， zài wú liàng jìng zhōng shàng yǎn le ……”
“无量镜乃是玄黄上古仙器，由仙界赏赐给无量宗。就算仙界因为不可言说的劫难覆灭，也应该波及不到无量镜。但偏偏，这本不该出现在凡俗的磨灭风灾，在无量镜中上演了……”
In the history of the Xuanhuang realm, only the Great Mage from Heavenly Capital was known to have had contact with the Immortal Realm and come from outside it.
lǐ fán shà shí jiān ， xiǎng qǐ le zài xīng hǎi bǐ duān ， shèng tāi fēn shén qián rù xuán xiān zhōu hòu ， jiāng zhì àn xīng hǎi zhōng de wú xíng zāi è yě tóng bù dài rù qí zhōng 、 yǐn dé shù míng xiū shì cǎn sǐ de shì qíng 。
李凡霎时间，想起了在星海彼端，圣胎分神潜入玄仙舟后，将至暗星海中的无形灾厄也同步带入其中、引得数名修士惨死的事情。
"So it seems that both the Boundless Mirror and the Initial Dao Sect might have been affected by the Great Mage."
“ chuán bō ……”
“传播……”
Given the complex and mysterious events here, Li Fan could only make such a guess based on limited information.
“ xuán huáng zhī wài ……”
“玄黄之外……”
"But if our guesses are correct, perhaps we can resolve the issue with the Boundless Mirror," Li Fan said, his eyes flashing with determination.
xuán huáng jiè lì shǐ shàng ， yǒu kě néng gēn xiān jiè yǒu suǒ jiē chù 、 ér yòu lái zì xuán huáng jiè wài de ， mù qián yǐ zhī de jiù shì tiān dōu dà fǎ shī yī rén ér yǐ 。
玄黄界历史上，有可能跟仙界有所接触、而又来自玄黄界外的，目前已知的就是天都大法师一人而已。
Ji Hongdào and Sun Luoya had chosen to leave this secret room after learning of the risks. However, they disagreed on what to do next.
“ zhè me kàn lái ， wú liàng jìng shèn zhì yī shǐ zōng ， dōu yǒu kě néng shì bèi dà fǎ shī bō jí le 。”
“这么看来，无量镜甚至一始宗，都有可能是被大法师波及了。”
"The bones of the Great Mage from Heavenly Capital are no trivial matter. We should report this to the Immortal Alliance as soon as possible," Ji Hongdào said solemnly.
cǐ dì wǎng shì tài guò pū shuò mí lí ， mù qián néng zhǎng wò de xiàn suǒ yě shí zài tài shǎo ， lǐ fán yě zhǐ néng zuò chū rú cǐ cāi cè 。
此地往事太过扑朔迷离，目前能掌握的线索也实在太少，李凡也只能做出如此猜测。
Sun Luoya clearly opposed: "Brother Ji, you're being foolish! The Great Mage is said to be the teacher of the Ten Dao Sects. If word gets out to the Five Elders' Council, they will surely do anything to reclaim it. A great war might ensue, leading to countless deaths! Given our current state at the Immortal Alliance, can you guarantee that this won't leak?"
“ bù guò ， ruò shì cāi cè jié guǒ dà chà bù chà de huà ， nà me shuō bù dìng wú liàng jìng de má fán néng gòu jiě jué 。” lǐ fán mù guāng shǎn dòng 。
“不过，若是猜测结果大差不差的话，那么说不定无量镜的麻烦能够解决。”李凡目光闪动。
Ji Hongdào was speechless.
jì hóng dào gēn sūn lù yuǎn dé zhī le cǐ dì de fēng xiǎn zhī hòu ， hái shì bǐ jiào míng zhì de xuǎn zé zàn shí lí kāi le zhè jiān mì shì 。
纪宏道跟孙路远得知了此地的风险之后，还是比较明智的选择暂时离开了这间密室。
Sun Luoya continued: "Considering the attitude of those who only serve the Heavenly Sovereign..."
bù guò duì yú jiē xià lái zěn me zuò ， liǎng rén què shì qǐ le diǎn fēn qí 。
不过对于接下来怎么做，两人却是起了点分歧。
"Even if they are bones from a semi-immortal, they likely wouldn't show any reverence. In the Immortal Alliance, they would either be used for research or placed in the Museum of Wonders for public viewing."
“ tiān dōu dà fǎ shī yí gǔ ， fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。 wǒ men hái shì zǎo rì jiāng cǐ shì shàng bào xiān méng ba 。” jì hóng dào yán sù de shuō dào 。
“天都大法师遗骨，非同小可。我们还是早日将此事上报仙盟吧。”纪宏道严肃的说道。
"Moreover, the Great Mage is said to be an ancient immortal. His fate isn't certain. If we desecrate his bones today, he might seek revenge later," Sun Luoya concluded, his face showing genuine concern.
sūn lù yuǎn què shì míng què de biǎo shì le fǎn duì ：“ jì xiōng hú tú a ！ dà fǎ shī xiāng chuán nǎi shì xiān dào shí zōng zhī shī 。 ruò shì xiāo xī chuán dào wǔ lǎo huì ， kǒng pà tā men shì bì bù xī yí qiè dài jià 、 dōu yào jiāng qí qiǎng huí qù 。 dà zhàn nán miǎn ， shēng líng tú tàn ！ yǐ wàn xiān méng rú jīn de zhuàng tài ， nǐ gǎn bǎo zhèng cǐ shì bú huì xiè lòu ？”
孙路远却是明确的表示了反对：“纪兄糊涂啊！大法师相传乃是仙道十宗之师。若是消息传到五老会，恐怕他们势必不惜一切代价、都要将其抢回去。大战难免，生灵涂炭！以万仙盟如今的状态，你敢保证此事不会泄露？”
Ji Hongdào sighed helplessly: "Then what do you suggest?"
jì hóng dào wú yán yǐ duì 。
纪宏道无言以对。
"Leave them untouched." Sun Luoya declared firmly.
sūn lù yuǎn yòu jiē zhe shuō dào ：“ yǐ chuán fǎ zhě yǎn zhōng zhǐ yǒu tiān zūn de chǔ shì tài dù ……”
孙路远又接着说道：“以传法者眼中只有天尊的处事态度……”
"Brother Ji, think about it. Even if they are semi-immortal bones, what benefit does that bring to us? The new techniques have already surpassed everything; even immortality is almost unattainable, let alone becoming an immortal."
“ jiù suàn shì bàn xiān zhī gǔ ， kǒng pà tā men yě bú huì yǒu shén me jìng wèi zhī xīn 。 dào xiān méng zhī zhōng ， jié jú chú le bèi yòng lái yán jiū 、 jiù shì bèi fàng zhì zài bó wù shén cáng guǎn zhōng ， gōng rén cān guān zhǐ diǎn le 。”
“就算是半仙之骨，恐怕他们也不会有什么敬畏之心。到仙盟之中，结局除了被用来研究、就是被放置在博物神藏馆中，供人参观指点了。”
"Taking the bones might only invite disaster with no real benefits. Why bother?"
“ kuàng qiě dà fǎ shī nǎi shì chuán shuō zhōng de bàn xiān ， tā běn rén yǒu méi yǒu yǔn luò hái bù hǎo shuō 。 jīn rì tǎng ruò xiè dú ， shuō bù dìng rì hòu jiù huì yíng lái tā de bào fù 。” sūn lù yuǎn yán jǐn yú cǐ ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì chéng kěn 。
“况且大法师乃是传说中的半仙，他本人有没有陨落还不好说。今日倘若亵渎，说不定日后就会迎来他的报复。”孙路远言尽于此，脸上满是诚恳。
...
jì hóng dào yǒu xiē wú nài ：“ nà nǐ shuō zěn me bàn ？”
纪宏道有些无奈：“那你说怎么办？”
In the end, Ji Hongdào was convinced.
“ yuán fēng bù dòng 。” sūn lù yuǎn zhì dì yǒu shēng dào 。
“原封不动。”孙路远掷地有声道。
The fundamental reason was simply that these were just two bones.
“ jì xiōng nǐ xiǎng yī xiǎng ， jiù suàn shì bàn xiān zhī gǔ ， duì yǒu wǒ men yòu yǒu hé bì yì ？ xīn fǎ zài qián ， cháng shēng dōu jī hū wú wàng ， gèng yòu tán hé chéng xiān ？”
“纪兄你想一想，就算是半仙之骨，对有我们又有何裨益？新法在前，长生都几乎无望，更又谈何成仙？”
They were still bones from a semi-immortal who had failed to ascend.
“ jiāng qí qǔ zǒu ， shuō bù dìng huì yǐn lái rì hòu tāo tiān huò huàn ， hái méi yǒu qiè shí de hǎo chù 。 hé kǔ lái zāi ？”
“将其取走，说不定会引来日后滔天祸患，还没有切实的好处。何苦来哉？”
Sun Luoya was right; for them, such bones would be of little use as combined Dao cultivators.
……
……
Of course, if they were genuine immortal remains, their approach would have been different.
zuì zhōng jì hóng dào hái shì bèi shuō fú le 。
最终纪宏道还是被说服了。
"Although we won't take the bones now, we can't let others do so. Brother Ji, with your mastery of array techniques, why not set up an array to completely seal this site? Add the original protective arrays here to ensure everything is secure," Sun Luoya suggested.
jiū qí gēn běn yuán yīn ， hái shì yīn wèi zhè yě jǐn jǐn shì liǎng gēn gǔ tou bà le 。
究其根本原因，还是因为这也仅仅是两根骨头罢了。
This was a statement of his position.
ér shì hái zhǐ shì méi yǒu fēi shēng chéng gōng de bàn xiān zhī gǔ 。
而是还只是没有飞升成功的半仙之骨。
Sun Luoya knew almost nothing about arrays; as long as Ji Hongdào set up the arrays, he couldn't secretly come back and take the bones alone.
sūn lù yuǎn shuō de méi cuò ， duì yú tā men zhè yàng de hé dào xiū shì ér yán ， yòng chǔ bù dà 。
孙路远说的没错，对于他们这样的合道修士而言，用处不大。
Ji Hongdào didn't hesitate and immediately began setting up the array.
dāng rán ， ruò shì zhēn zhèng de xiān rén yí gǔ 、 nà xuǎn zé kěn dìng huì bù tóng le 。
当然，若是真正的仙人遗骨、那选择肯定会不同了。
After the site was once again sealed, on their way back, Sun Luoya said softly: "If either of us can achieve immortality, we might as well bring out these bones for research. Perhaps it could lead to further progress."
“ suī rán wǒ men zàn shí bù qǔ ， què yě bù néng ràng bié rén ná zǒu 。 jì xiōng nǐ zhèn dào xiū wèi gōng cān zào huà ， bù rú yòng zhèn fǎ jiāng cǐ chù yí jì wán quán fēng suǒ 。 zài jiā shàng zhè lǐ yuán xiān fáng hù zhèn fǎ ， què bǎo wàn wú yī shī 。” sūn lù yuǎn yòu jiàn yì dào 。
“虽然我们暂时不取，却也不能让别人拿走。纪兄你阵道修为功参造化，不如用阵法将此处遗迹完全封锁。再加上这里原先防护阵法，确保万无一失。”孙路远又建议道。
Ji Hongdào shook his head with a bitter smile; he didn't take it seriously.
zhè shì zài biǎo míng zì jǐ de lì chǎng tài dù 。
这是在表明自己的立场态度。
If they had any ambitions before combining their Dao paths and aiming for immortality, now that they were at the combined Dao realm, they had long given up on such thoughts.
sūn lù yuǎn duì zhèn fǎ jī hū yī qiào bù tōng ， zhǐ yào jì hóng dào zài cǐ chù bù xià zhèn fǎ ， tā jiù bù kě néng yí gè rén tōu tōu lái cǐ chù jiāng yí gǔ ná zǒu 。
孙路远对阵法几乎一窍不通，只要纪宏道在此处布下阵法，他就不可能一个人偷偷来此处将遗骨拿走。
Each step of the combined Dao path was like climbing to heaven. The more they knew, the more hopeless they felt.
jì hóng dào yě bù jiǎo qíng ， dāng xià jiù bù qǐ zhèn fǎ lái 。
纪宏道也不矫情，当下就布起阵法来。
The two fell into silence.
dài dào zhè zuò yí jì zài dù bèi fēng suǒ ， liǎng rén fǎn huí de lù shàng ， sūn lù yuǎn yǔ qì yōu yōu dì shuō dào ：“ ruò shì zán men liǎng yǒu shuí néng dé zhèng cháng shēng ， dào shí hòu jiù jiāng zhè yí gǔ lái chū lái yán jiū yán jiū 。 shuō bù dìng hái néng gèng jìn yí bù 。”
待到这座遗迹再度被封锁，两人返回的路上，孙路远语气幽幽地说道：“若是咱们两有谁能得证长生，到时候就将这遗骨来出来研究研究。说不定还能更进一步。”
After a while, Sun Luoya sighed deeply: "I wonder what kind of extraordinary talent could defy reason."
jì hóng dào kǔ xiào zhe yáo le yáo tóu ， gēn běn méi fàng zài xīn shàng 。
纪宏道苦笑着摇了摇头，根本没放在心上。
"Over these years in our Immortal Alliance, besides the Heavenly Sovereign, there's only one person who has vanished without a trace."
rú guǒ shuō hé dào zhī qián ， tā men nián qīng de shí hòu hái céng yǒu guò xióng xīn zhuàng zhì 、 yǒu zhe zhèng dào zhǎng shēng de lǐ xiǎng de huà 。
如果说合道之前，他们年轻的时候还曾有过雄心壮志、有着证道长生的理想的话。
"If we had another, the situation of our alliance would be vastly different."
nà me xiàn zài yǐ jīng hé dào jìng jiè de tā men ， què shì zǎo yǐ jīng duàn le néng gòu cháng shēng de niàn xiǎng 。
那么现在已经合道境界的他们，却是早已经断了能够长生的念想。
"You think, why does the Five Elders' Council have five immortals? Could it be that they are truly more talented than us and accomplished what we couldn't?"
hé dào sì bù ， bù bù nán rú dēng tiān 。
合道四步，步步难如登天。
This was a question that plagued countless Immortal Alliance cultivators.
yuè shì liǎo jiě yuè duō ， xīn zhōng yuè shì jué wàng 。
越是了解越多，心中越是绝望。
Hearing Sun Luoya's sighs, Ji Hongdào seemed to recall something and hesitated.
liǎng rén xiāng jì mò rán bù yǔ 。
两人相继默然不语。
"Is there anything between the two of us that we can't share?" Sun Luoya joked.
According to common sense, Li Fan should not have sensed any signs of life from mere bones.
But these two bones...
Suddenly made Li Fan's heart tighten as if he was being stared at by some existence. The stone statues, which were bone-like figures, seemed almost ready to come alive, emitting a strange aura.
Li Fan made an immediate decision and ended the probe with the Boundless Mirror without saying another word.
The scene before him changed instantly.
The bones vanished, leaving behind only those two ordinary-looking stone statues.
Li Fan's sense of crisis slowly dissipated.
"Senior..." Sun Luoya was still shaken from what he had just witnessed. He seemed at a loss for words.
"Tell your brother to keep his distance from the two stone statues," Li Fan instructed calmly on the surface, but in reality, he was already in turmoil within.
Could these bones really belong to the Great Mage?
From their appearance, they were almost certainly those of the Heavenly Capital Great Mage.
But why would a semi-immortal like him have two bones at the Initial Dao Sect?
"Is it possible that his injuries were so severe that even a cultivator couldn't reclaim them?"
This thought flashed through Li Fan's mind. But quickly, he dismissed it with a large question mark.
Was it possible?
The power that could consume ten years of time and envelop the entire Source Dao State indicated that the Great Mage had not yet fallen. A semi-immortal's strength was formidable enough to resist even severe injuries, let alone an ancient immortal technique like this one from long ago.
"Unless..."
"Boundless Mirror."
Li Fan looked at Sun Luoya, who was trembling with fear. This new Boundless Mirror spirit.
When the Sun brothers had first found the broken Boundless Mirror, its divine artifact spirit had already vanished, allowing these two ordinary humans to take advantage of the situation.
From the recent wind disaster that erupted from within the Boundless Mirror, it seemed that during their struggle against this calamity, the spirit had dissipated and the mirror itself was damaged.
"The Boundless Mirror is an ancient immortal artifact from the Xuanhuang era. It was bestowed upon the Boundless Sect by the Immortal Realm. Even if the Immortal Realm were to fall due to some unspeakable disaster, it should not have affected the Boundless Mirror. Yet, this wind disaster that shouldn't appear in the mundane realm actually occurred within the mirror..."
Thinking of the events at the far end of the Star Sea where the Saint Embryo had infiltrated the Xuan Immortal Boat and brought the无形 disaster,厄 calamity into the darkest part of the star sea, Li Fan recalled the tragic deaths of several cultivators.
"Propagation..."
"Beyond Xuanhuang..."
In the history of the Xuanhuang realm, only the Great Mage from Heavenly Capital was known to have had contact with the Immortal Realm and come from outside it.
"So it seems that both the Boundless Mirror and the Initial Dao Sect might have been affected by the Great Mage."
Given the complex and mysterious events here, Li Fan could only make such a guess based on limited information.
"But if our guesses are correct, perhaps we can resolve the issue with the Boundless Mirror," Li Fan said, his eyes flashing with determination.
Ji Hongdào and Sun Luoya had chosen to leave this secret room after learning of the risks. However, they disagreed on what to do next.
"The bones of the Great Mage from Heavenly Capital are no trivial matter. We should report this to the Immortal Alliance as soon as possible," Ji Hongdào said solemnly.
Sun Luoya clearly opposed: "Brother Ji, you're being foolish! The Great Mage is said to be the teacher of the Ten Dao Sects. If word gets out to the Five Elders' Council, they will surely do anything to reclaim it. A great war might ensue, leading to countless deaths! Given our current state at the Immortal Alliance, can you guarantee that this won't leak?"
Ji Hongdào was speechless.
Sun Luoya continued: "Considering the attitude of those who only serve the Heavenly Sovereign..."
"Even if they are bones from a semi-immortal, they likely wouldn't show any reverence. In the Immortal Alliance, they would either be used for research or placed in the Museum of Wonders for public viewing."
"Moreover, the Great Mage is said to be an ancient immortal. His fate isn't certain. If we desecrate his bones today, he might seek revenge later," Sun Luoya concluded, his face showing genuine concern.
Ji Hongdào sighed helplessly: "Then what do you suggest?"
"Leave them untouched." Sun Luoya declared firmly.
"Brother Ji, think about it. Even if they are semi-immortal bones, what benefit does that bring to us? The new techniques have already surpassed everything; even immortality is almost unattainable, let alone becoming an immortal."
"Taking the bones might only invite disaster with no real benefits. Why bother?"
...
In the end, Ji Hongdào was convinced.
The fundamental reason was simply that these were just two bones.
They were still bones from a semi-immortal who had failed to ascend.
Sun Luoya was right; for them, such bones would be of little use as combined Dao cultivators.
Of course, if they were genuine immortal remains, their approach would have been different.
"Although we won't take the bones now, we can't let others do so. Brother Ji, with your mastery of array techniques, why not set up an array to completely seal this site? Add the original protective arrays here to ensure everything is secure," Sun Luoya suggested.
This was a statement of his position.
Sun Luoya knew almost nothing about arrays; as long as Ji Hongdào set up the arrays, he couldn't secretly come back and take the bones alone.
Ji Hongdào didn't hesitate and immediately began setting up the array.
After the site was once again sealed, on their way back, Sun Luoya said softly: "If either of us can achieve immortality, we might as well bring out these bones for research. Perhaps it could lead to further progress."
Ji Hongdào shook his head with a bitter smile; he didn't take it seriously.
If they had any ambitions before combining their Dao paths and aiming for immortality, now that they were at the combined Dao realm, they had long given up on such thoughts.
Each step of the combined Dao path was like climbing to heaven. The more they knew, the more hopeless they felt.
The two fell into silence.
After a while, Sun Luoya sighed deeply: "I wonder what kind of extraordinary talent could defy reason."
"Over these years in our Immortal Alliance, besides the Heavenly Sovereign, there's only one person who has vanished without a trace."
"If we had another, the situation of our alliance would be vastly different."
"You think, why does the Five Elders' Council have five immortals? Could it be that they are truly more talented than us and accomplished what we couldn't?"
This was a question that plagued countless Immortal Alliance cultivators.
Hearing Sun Luoya's sighs, Ji Hongdào seemed to recall something and hesitated.
"Is there anything between the two of us that we can't share?" Sun Luoya joked.