tiān jī táng wèi yú wàn xiān dǎo zhōng yāng de hé xīn qū yù zhōng ， chuán xùn ràng tā qián wǎng qū yù de rù kǒu chù ， zì huì yǒu rén lái jiē yǐn tā 。
天机堂位于万仙岛中央的核心区域中，传讯让他前往区域的入口处，自会有人来接引他。
The Celestial Oracle Hall was located in the central core area of Ten Thousand Immortals Island. A message had been sent to him, instructing him to go to the entrance of this region where someone would guide him.
lǐ fán duì zhè qǐ shén mì sǐ wáng shì jiàn yě yǒu diǎn hào qí ， yú shì yě bù dān gē ， jìng zhí qián wǎng zhōng yāng hé xīn qū yù 。
李凡对这起神秘死亡事件也有点好奇，于是也不耽搁，径直前往中央核心区域。
Li Fan was curious about this mysterious death incident and decided not to delay, heading straight for the central core area.
hěn kuài ， wàn xiān dǎo zhōng yāng de jǐ zuò qì shì huī hóng de jiàn zhù jiù jìn zài yǎn qián le 。
很快，万仙岛中央的几座气势恢宏的建筑就近在眼前了。
Soon, several magnificent buildings stood before his eyes in the center of Ten Thousand Immortals Island. A striking seven-color protective barrier and a surrounding moat separated the core area from the central cave residential zone.
yī dào xǐng mù dì qī cǎi hù zhào yǐ jí yī tiáo wéi rào de hù chéng hé ， jiāng hé xīn qū yù yǔ zhōng yāng dòng fǔ zhù zhái qū huà fēn kāi lái 。
一道醒目的七彩护罩以及一条围绕的护城河，将核心区域与中央洞府住宅区划分开来。
Standing on a small bridge, Li Fan paused, waiting for someone to guide him.
lǐ fán zhàn zài xiǎo qiáo shàng ， zhù zú bù qián ， děng dài jiē yīng 。
李凡站在小桥上，驻足不前，等待接应。
He keenly sensed that as soon as he stepped onto this bridge, the colorful floating lights above had locked onto him.
tā mǐn ruì dì chá jué dào ， zì cóng tā zǒu shàng zhè zuò xiǎo qiáo hòu ， tóu dǐng qī cǎi de fú guāng biàn suǒ dìng le tā 。
他敏锐地察觉到，自从他走上这座小桥后，头顶七彩的浮光便锁定了他。
Li Fan, being bold, looked up closely at these colorful lights. It seemed part of Ten Thousand Immortals Island's protective array but was independent and more powerful.
lǐ fán yě shì dǎn dà ， tái tóu zǐ xì guān chá zhe zhè qī cǎi guāng máng 。
李凡也是胆大，抬头仔细观察着这七彩光芒。
"Who knows what kind of formation it is," Li Fan thought to himself.
sì hū shì shǔ yú wàn xiān dǎo hù dǎo dà zhèn de yī bù fèn ， dàn yòu dú lì chū lái ， wēi lì hái yào qiáng héng jǐ fēn 。
似乎是属于万仙岛护岛大阵的一部分，但又独立出来，威力还要强横几分。
Not long after, a base cultivator wearing black and yellow robes hurried over.
“ yě bù zhī shì shén me zhèn fǎ 。” lǐ fán xīn zhōng àn zì sī cǔn 。
“也不知是什么阵法。”李凡心中暗自思忖。
He glanced at Li Fan, confirmed his identity, then instructed him to follow closely without straying. He then walked into the interior.
bù duō shí ， yī wèi chuān zhe hēi huáng xiāng jiàn cháng páo de zhù jī xiū shì ， cōng cōng gǎn lái 。
不多时，一位穿着黑黄相间长袍的筑基修士，匆匆赶来。
The threat from the seven-color floating lights dissipated as Li Fan followed behind calmly. As they walked, he took in his surroundings.
tā dǎ liàng le lǐ fán yī yǎn ， què rèn le shēn fèn 。
他打量了李凡一眼，确认了身份。
All the cultivators here wore black and yellow robes like their guide, their faces serious, moving hurriedly, seemingly very busy. Their cultivation levels ranged from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment.
suí hòu shén me yě méi yǒu duō shuō ， zhǐ shì zhǔ fù ràng lǐ fán jǐn gēn shēn hòu ， bú yào luàn pǎo 。
随后什么也没有多说，只是嘱咐让李凡紧跟身后，不要乱跑。
"This must be what's meant by an internal system," Li Fan thought.
jiē zhe biàn cháo lǐ zǒu le jìn qù 。
接着便朝里走了进去。
They passed through various halls—Council Hall, Medicine Hall, Talisman Hall, Martial Arts Hall—and finally arrived at the Celestial Oracle Hall in a corner.
qī cǎi fú guāng suǒ dìng de shā jī xiāo sàn ， lǐ fán yě bù jí bù màn dì gēn zài tā de hòu miàn 。
七彩浮光锁定的杀机消散，李凡也不急不慢地跟在他的后面。
This place was much quieter than others. Occasionally, he would encounter a few cultivators who couldn't be identified by their cultivation level, closing their eyes and flicking their fingers as if calculating something.
yī biān zǒu zhe ， yī biān dǎ liàng zhe zhōu wéi 。
一边走着，一边打量着周围。
The guide led Li Fan into a room before quietly retreating. The air inside was filled with fragrance. A cultivator turned around, looking up at an enormous map of the Cunyun Sea.
zhǐ jiàn zhè lǐ miàn de xiū shì ， quán dōu shì rú zhè wèi jiē yǐn rén zhè bān ， shēn chuān hēi huáng cháng páo 。
只见这里面的修士，全都是如这位接引人这般，身穿黑黄长袍。
Li Fan focused his gaze on this map, which was densely marked with countless symbols—green winds, red crosses, black dots—and these marks seemed to move and change continuously as if they were alive.
liǎn sè yán sù ， xíng sè cōng cōng ， sì hū jí wéi máng lù 。
脸色严肃，行色匆匆，似乎极为忙碌。
"What is this?" Li Fan thought, carefully examining the map. But after just a few glances, he felt dizzy and quickly looked away.
xiū wèi zé shì cóng liàn qì dào zhù jī yǐ shàng dōu yǒu 。
修为则是从炼气到筑基以上都有。
Standing in the room for a while, Li Fan noticed the cultivator turn around.
“ zhè jiù shì suǒ wèi de tǐ zhì nèi le ba 。” lǐ fán xīn zhōng xiǎng dào 。
“这就是所谓的体制内了吧。”李凡心中想到。
He was a young man with the appearance of a scholar, looking no more than twenty years old. He seemed pale and not very healthy, coughing several times before waving his hand to reveal dozens of tiny figures.
yì shì tīng 、 yào táng 、 fú táng 、 yǎn wǔ táng ……
议事厅、药堂、符堂、演武堂……
"Do you know these people?"
lù guò yī zuò zuò jiàn zhù ， zuì zhōng cái lái dào le jiǎo luò lǐ de tiān jī táng 。
路过一座座建筑，最终才来到了角落里的天机堂。
Li Fan focused on one figure. "Mao Fei, an advanced Qi Condensation cultivator. Cause of death: attacked by a sea monster while out."
zhè lǐ bǐ qǐ qí tā dì fāng ， dǎo shì lěng qīng le bù shǎo 。
这里比起其他地方，倒是冷清了不少。
He switched to another person. "Qiao Guangyu, a middle-stage Golden Core cultivator. Cause of death: went mad and self-destructed during the enlightenment of celestial principles."
ǒu ěr néng yù dào yī liǎng gè kàn bù chū xiū wèi de xiū shì ， bì mù qiā zhǐ ， sì hū zài tuī suàn zhe diǎn shén me 。
偶尔能遇到一两个看不出修为的修士，闭目掐指，似乎在推算着点什么。
Li Fan's eyes widened as he switched again. "Ling Meng, an intermediate元婴 cultivator. Cause of death: accidentally perished in a relic cave while seeking fortune."
jiē yǐn xiū shì jiāng lǐ fán dài dào yī chù fáng jiān nèi ， biàn qiǎo rán tuì zǒu 。
接引修士将李凡带到一处房间内，便悄然退走。
...
wū nèi xiāng qì liáo rào ， yī wèi xiū shì bèi duì zhe tā ， zhèng yǎng tóu kàn zhe yī fù jù dà de cóng yún hǎi dì tú 。
屋内香气缭绕，一位修士背对着他，正仰头看着一副巨大的丛云海地图。
After examining all these figures, Li Fan felt a chill run down his spine.
lǐ fán dìng jīng wàng qù ， zhè dì tú shàng ， mì mì má má bù mǎn liǎo wú shù biāo jì 。
李凡定睛望去，这地图上，密密麻麻布满了无数标记。
He recognized all these people—those who had entered the thatched cottage together. He thought it was just a chance to advance one cultivation stage. But now he realized it was a deadly trap, with death looming in the near future.
yǒu qīng sè de fēng 、 hóng sè de chā 、 hēi sè de diǎn ……
有青色的风、红色的叉、黑色的点……
Master, you're really toxic.
ér qiě ， zhè xiē biāo jì quán dōu wǎn rú huó wù yì bān ， yī kè bù tíng dì zài dì tú shàng yóu dòng biàn huàn 。
而且，这些标记全都宛如活物一般，一刻不停地在地图上游动变幻。
And this method of death...
“ zhè shì ……” lǐ fán xīn zhōng wēi dòng ， yě zǐ xì duān xiáng qǐ zhè fù dì tú lái 。
“这是……”李凡心中微动，也仔细端详起这副地图来。
Li Fan knew it well—it was precisely "Heaven's Fateful Moment."
zhǐ shì méi xiǎng dào cái kàn le jǐ yǎn ， jìng rán jué de yī zhèn tóu yūn mù xuàn ， yú shì lián máng zhuǎn yí mù guāng ， bù gǎn zài kàn 。
只是没想到才看了几眼，竟然觉得一阵头晕目眩，于是连忙转移目光，不敢再看。
Why did accepting Master's opportunity bring such divine retribution?
jiù zhè yàng ， lǐ fán zài zhè fáng jiān nèi zhàn le hǎo yī huì ， nà bèi duì de xiū shì cái zhuǎn guò shēn lái 。
就这样，李凡在这房间内站了好一会，那背对的修士才转过身来。
Master, Heavenly Healer, Cloud Water Sky Palace...
shì gè shū shēng mú yàng de qīng nián nán zi ， kàn shàng qù cái èr shí jǐ suì 。
是个书生模样的青年男子，看上去才二十几岁。
A myriad of thoughts flashed through Li Fan’s mind. While pondering, he nodded and replied, "I indeed had a brief encounter with these people."
yī liǎn wěi mǐ ， bú shì hěn jiàn kāng de yàng zi 。
一脸萎靡，不是很健康的样子。
Li Fan recounted the scene where he had been pulled by a water buffalo and taught using bamboo scrolls.
tā ké sòu le jǐ shēng ， shǒu yī huī ， jǐ shí dào wēi suō rén yǐng dùn shí zhǎn xiàn zài lǐ fán miàn qián 。
他咳嗽了几声，手一挥，几十道微缩人影顿时展现在李凡面前。
The weak cultivator seemed to already know this, showing no surprise but instead observing him curiously. He asked, "With so many present at the opportunity, why didn't you enter?"
“ zhè xiē rén ， nǐ rèn shí ma ？”
“这些人，你认识嘛？”
Li Fan repeated his previous explanation.
lǐ fán wàng qù ， shén niàn jí zhōng zài qí zhōng yī dào rén yǐng shàng 。
李凡望去，神念集中在其中一道人影上。
The weak cultivator remained noncommittal but did not argue with Li Fan. Instead, he smiled and said, "You must have had some good luck."
“ máo fēi ， liàn qì hòu qī xiū shì 。 sǐ wáng yuán yīn ： wài chū shí bèi hǎi dǐ yì shòu xí jī 。”
“毛飞，炼气后期修士。死亡原因：外出时被海底异兽袭击。”
Turning to look at the images of those who had suddenly perished, he sighed, “When heaven wants you dead, there's no escaping it.”
lǐ fán yòu huàn le yī rén chá kàn 。
李凡又换了一人查看。
After a long while, he addressed Li Fan again, "Go back for now. I know this has nothing to do with you, but as the sole survivor in the incident, you still need to go through the necessary procedures. That’s why I called you here."
“ qiáo guāng yù ， jīn dān zhōng qī xiū shì 。 sǐ wáng yuán yīn ： gǎn wù tiān dì zhī fǎ shí ， xīn shén cuò luàn ， zì bào ér wáng 。”
“乔光誉，金丹中期修士。死亡原因：感悟天地之法时，心神错乱，自爆而亡。”
Li Fan nodded and glanced at the map on the wall before quietly leaving.
lǐ fán yǎn pí yī tiào ， yòu huàn yī rén 。
李凡眼皮一跳，又换一人。
He could faintly hear a cultivator's weak sigh from within the room: "Another case added."
“ líng mèng ， yuán yīng zhōng qī xiū shì 。 sǐ wáng yuán yīn ： wài chū xún zhǎo jī yuán shí ， bù shèn yǔn luò zài yí jì dòng fǔ zhōng 。”
“凌孟，元婴中期修士。死亡原因：外出寻找机缘时，不慎陨落在遗迹洞府中。”
Li Fan paused for a moment, then continued walking.
……
……
Exiting the Celestial Oracle Hall, Li Fan's doubts grew. “Another case? What does that mean?”
jiāng zhè xiē yǐng xiàng yī yī kàn guò ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng dùn shí lǐn rán 。
将这些影像一一看过，李凡心中顿时凛然。
Was it referring to mysterious injuries or Heaven’s Fateful Moment?
zhè xiē rén ， tā zì rán dōu rèn shí 。
这些人，他自然都认识。
With the Longevity Heavenly Sovereign's subtle influence, how did he remember these events?
hè rán quán dōu shì dāng shí jìn rù máo cǎo wū zhōng de nà yī pī rén 。
赫然全都是当时进入茅草屋中的那一批人。
Li Fan recalled the countless marks on the map.
yuán yǐ wéi ， shì tí shēng yí gè xiǎo jìng jiè de dà jī yuán 。
原以为，是提升一个小境界的大机缘。
Perhaps, although unable to recall specific incidents, one could determine they had occurred by observing their effects.
méi xiǎng dào ， què shì yí gè zhì mìng de xiàn jǐng 。
没想到，却是一个致命的陷阱。
For example, a large number of Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators suddenly dying at once...
suǒ mìng bù zài dāng shí ， ér shì zài bù jiǔ de jiāng lái 。
索命不在当时，而是在不久的将来。
As Li Fan walked, his thoughts raced. But he was interrupted by a group of noisy young people in black and yellow robes.
fū zǐ ， yǒu dú a 。
夫子，有毒啊。
They seemed inexperienced, with only early-stage Qi Condensation cultivation levels, just starting their journey into cultivation. They looked up at the flowing seven-color light in the sky, pointing and discussing excitedly.
ér qiě ， zhè zhǒng sǐ fǎ ……
而且，这种死法……
The leader, an older man with a long beard, said, "This is our core area for each outpost—Seven Color Immortal Fallen Formation. It's an improved version of ancient formations, incredibly powerful; even ordinary Spirit Transformation cultivators who accidentally fall into it will immediately lose their way."
lǐ fán què shì zài shú xī bù guò le 。
李凡却是再熟悉不过了。
"Wow, so powerful!"
bù zhèng shì tiān fā shā jī me ？
不正是天发杀机么？
"Master Palace Master, how long do we need to study before we can set up such a formation?"
zhǐ shì ， wèi shén me jiē shòu le fū zǐ de jī yuán ， huì yǐn lái tiān dì de shā yì ？
只是，为什么接受了夫子的机缘，会引来天地的杀意？
The Palace Master chuckled, "You guys are just learning to walk and already thinking about flying."
fū zǐ ， tiān yī ， yún shuǐ tiān gōng ……
夫子，天医，云水天宫……
"Yes, I'll think about it."
lǐ fán yī shùn jiān nǎo hǎi zhōng shǎn guò wú shù gè niàn tou 。
李凡一瞬间脑海中闪过无数个念头。
"In general, once you break through to Foundation Establishment, you can try setting up the island's protective array."
tā yī biān sī suǒ zhe ， què méi yǒu wàng jì yī biān diǎn tóu huí fù ：“ wǒ dí què yǔ zhè xiē rén céng yǒu guò yí miàn zhī yuán 。”
他一边思索着，却没有忘记一边点头回复：“我的确与这些人曾有过一面之缘。”
"At Golden Core stage, you can barely participate in maintaining the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation."
dāng xià ， lǐ fán bǎ dāng shí qīng niú lā chē 、 zhú jiǎn shòu kè de qíng jǐng jiǎng le chū lái 。
当下，李凡把当时青牛拉车、竹简授课的情景讲了出来。
"About this Seven Color Immortal Fallen Formation..."
nà wén ruò xiū shì sì hū zǎo jiù zhī dào zhè diǎn ， méi yǒu duō shǎo yì wài de shén sè 。
那文弱修士似乎早就知道这点，没有多少意外的神色。
The Palace Master smiled but did not answer.
The Celestial Oracle Hall was located in the central core area of Ten Thousand Immortals Island. A message had been sent to him, instructing him to go to the entrance of this region where someone would guide him.
Li Fan was curious about this mysterious death incident and decided not to delay, heading straight for the central core area.
Soon, several magnificent buildings stood before his eyes in the center of Ten Thousand Immortals Island. A striking seven-color protective barrier and a surrounding moat separated the core area from the central cave residential zone.
Standing on a small bridge, Li Fan paused, waiting for someone to guide him.
He keenly sensed that as soon as he stepped onto this bridge, the colorful floating lights above had locked onto him.
Li Fan, being bold, looked up closely at these colorful lights. It seemed part of Ten Thousand Immortals Island's protective array but was independent and more powerful.
"Who knows what kind of formation it is," Li Fan thought to himself.
Not long after, a base cultivator wearing black and yellow robes hurried over.
He glanced at Li Fan, confirmed his identity, then instructed him to follow closely without straying. He then walked into the interior.
The threat from the seven-color floating lights dissipated as Li Fan followed behind calmly. As they walked, he took in his surroundings.
All the cultivators here wore black and yellow robes like their guide, their faces serious, moving hurriedly, seemingly very busy. Their cultivation levels ranged from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment.
"This must be what's meant by an internal system," Li Fan thought.
They passed through various halls—Council Hall, Medicine Hall, Talisman Hall, Martial Arts Hall—and finally arrived at the Celestial Oracle Hall in a corner.
This place was much quieter than others. Occasionally, he would encounter a few cultivators who couldn't be identified by their cultivation level, closing their eyes and flicking their fingers as if calculating something.
The guide led Li Fan into a room before quietly retreating. The air inside was filled with fragrance. A cultivator turned around, looking up at an enormous map of the Cunyun Sea.
Li Fan focused his gaze on this map, which was densely marked with countless symbols—green winds, red crosses, black dots—and these marks seemed to move and change continuously as if they were alive.
"What is this?" Li Fan thought, carefully examining the map. But after just a few glances, he felt dizzy and quickly looked away.
Standing in the room for a while, Li Fan noticed the cultivator turn around.
He was a young man with the appearance of a scholar, looking no more than twenty years old. He seemed pale and not very healthy, coughing several times before waving his hand to reveal dozens of tiny figures.
"Do you know these people?"
Li Fan focused on one figure. "Mao Fei, an advanced Qi Condensation cultivator. Cause of death: attacked by a sea monster while out."
He switched to another person. "Qiao Guangyu, a middle-stage Golden Core cultivator. Cause of death: went mad and self-destructed during the enlightenment of celestial principles."
Li Fan's eyes widened as he switched again. "Ling Meng, an intermediate元婴 cultivator. Cause of death: accidentally perished in a relic cave while seeking fortune."
...
After examining all these figures, Li Fan felt a chill run down his spine.
He recognized all these people—those who had entered the thatched cottage together. He thought it was just a chance to advance one cultivation stage. But now he realized it was a deadly trap, with death looming in the near future.
Master, you're really toxic.
And this method of death...
Li Fan knew it well—it was precisely "Heaven's Fateful Moment."
Why did accepting Master's opportunity bring such divine retribution?
Master, Heavenly Healer, Cloud Water Sky Palace...
A myriad of thoughts flashed through Li Fan’s mind. While pondering, he nodded and replied, "I indeed had a brief encounter with these people."
Li Fan recounted the scene where he had been pulled by a water buffalo and taught using bamboo scrolls.
The weak cultivator seemed to already know this, showing no surprise but instead observing him curiously. He asked, "With so many present at the opportunity, why didn't you enter?"
Li Fan repeated his previous explanation.
The weak cultivator remained noncommittal but did not argue with Li Fan. Instead, he smiled and said, "You must have had some good luck."
Turning to look at the images of those who had suddenly perished, he sighed, “When heaven wants you dead, there's no escaping it.”
After a long while, he addressed Li Fan again, "Go back for now. I know this has nothing to do with you, but as the sole survivor in the incident, you still need to go through the necessary procedures. That’s why I called you here."
Li Fan nodded and glanced at the map on the wall before quietly leaving.
He could faintly hear a cultivator's weak sigh from within the room: "Another case added."
Li Fan paused for a moment, then continued walking.
Exiting the Celestial Oracle Hall, Li Fan's doubts grew. “Another case? What does that mean?”
Was it referring to mysterious injuries or Heaven’s Fateful Moment?
With the Longevity Heavenly Sovereign's subtle influence, how did he remember these events?
Li Fan recalled the countless marks on the map.
Perhaps, although unable to recall specific incidents, one could determine they had occurred by observing their effects.
For example, a large number of Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators suddenly dying at once...
As Li Fan walked, his thoughts raced. But he was interrupted by a group of noisy young people in black and yellow robes.
They seemed inexperienced, with only early-stage Qi Condensation cultivation levels, just starting their journey into cultivation. They looked up at the flowing seven-color light in the sky, pointing and discussing excitedly.
The leader, an older man with a long beard, said, "This is our core area for each outpost—Seven Color Immortal Fallen Formation. It's an improved version of ancient formations, incredibly powerful; even ordinary Spirit Transformation cultivators who accidentally fall into it will immediately lose their way."
"Wow, so powerful!"
"Master Palace Master, how long do we need to study before we can set up such a formation?"
The Palace Master chuckled, "You guys are just learning to walk and already thinking about flying."
"Yes, I'll think about it."
"In general, once you break through to Foundation Establishment, you can try setting up the island's protective array."
"At Golden Core stage, you can barely participate in maintaining the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation."
"About this Seven Color Immortal Fallen Formation..."
The Palace Master smiled but did not answer.