gēn dāng chū dì yī cì yù jiàn jī zì jué shí de qíng kuàng rú chū yī zhé 。
跟当初第一次遇见饥字诀时的情况如出一辙。
The situation was exactly the same as when he first encountered the Starvation Technique.
zhè hù jiè dà zhèn zhōng yāng de zhēn xiān zhuàn zì chū xiàn zài lǐ fán shí hǎi zhōng de shùn jiān ， tā biàn míng bái le qí dài biǎo de hán yì 。
这护界大阵中央的真仙篆字出现在李凡识海中的瞬间，他便明白了其代表的含义。
As soon as the True Immortal Script character '归' appeared in Li Fan's识海, he instantly understood its meaning.
bù xiàng shì jī 、 luàn děng zǔ zhòu ， fǎn dào xiàng shì yī zhǒng chì lìng ！
不像是讥、乱等诅咒，反倒像是一种敕令！
Unlike curses like Ji or Luan, it seemed more like an order!
“ wán zhěng de zhēn xiān zhuàn zì ……”
“完整的真仙篆字……”
"Complete True Immortal Script..."
lǐ fán xīn shén zhèn dòng de tóng shí ， què shì yǐ jīng qiǎo rán jiāng zhè 【 guī 】 zì mú yàng láo láo jì zhù 。
李凡心神震动的同时，却是已经悄然将这【归】字模样牢牢记住。
Li Fan's mind trembled as he silently memorized the shape of this '归' character.
“ guī ？ guī xiàng hé chù ？ hái shì huí guī qí zuì chū zhī tài ？”
“归？归向何处？还是回归其最初之态？”
"Return? To where? Or revert to its original state?"
lǐ fán yǎn jīng mī qǐ ， xì xì pǐn wèi zhe zhè xuán qí zhī lì 。
李凡眼睛眯起，细细品味着这玄奇之力。
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, carefully savoring the mysterious power.
ér wú liàng jìng líng nà biān ， yě shì yǐ jīng wán chéng le chú le hù jiè dà zhèn zhōng shū hé xīn yǐ wài qū yù de tàn chá 。
而无量镜灵那边，也是已经完成了除了护界大阵中枢核心以外区域的探查。
On the other side, the Spirit Mirror had already completed its scan of areas outside the central core of the protective array.
“ qián bèi ， nà lǐ ……” sūn lù yáo zhēng zhēng dǎ liàng zhe nà chù xū wú zhī suǒ 。
“前辈，那里……”孙路遥怔怔打量着那处虚无之所。
"Senior, there..." Sun Lu Yao stared at that ethereal place in bewilderment.
wú xíng lián jiē chà nà shēng chéng ， fǎng fú jiāng nà 【 guī 】 zì gēn wú liàng jìng qiān lián zài yì qǐ 。
无形连接刹那生成，仿佛将那【归】字跟无量镜牵连在一起。
An invisible connection instantly formed, seemingly linking the '归' character to the Spirit Mirror.
lǐ fán kě yǐ qīng xī de gǎn shòu dào ， sūn lù yáo xīn zhōng dǒu rán shēng chū de kǒng jù 、 mí máng 。
李凡可以清晰的感受到，孙路遥心中陡然生出的恐惧、迷茫。
Li Fan could clearly feel the sudden fear and confusion in Sun Lu Yao's heart. Even the physical body of the Spirit Mirror began to tremble slightly without any warning. The increasingly violent shaking made it seem as if Sun Lu Yao might be "thrown out" of the mirror!
shèn zhì xiān qì wú liàng jìng běn tǐ ， dōu háo wú yù zhào de wēi wēi zhèn chàn qǐ lái 。 nà yù yǎn yù liè de huàng dòng zhī zhōng ， zuò wéi qì líng de sūn lù yáo ， jìng rán yǒu bèi cóng wú liàng jìng zhōng “ shuǎi chū ” de qū shì ！
甚至仙器无量镜本体，都毫无预兆的微微震颤起来。那愈演愈烈的晃动之中，作为器灵的孙路遥，竟然有被从无量镜中“甩出”的趋势！
"Senior, save me!" Sun Lu Yao instinctively cried.
“ qián bèi ， jiù wǒ ！” sūn lù yáo xià yì shí de hū hǎn dào 。
“前辈，救我！”孙路遥下意识的呼喊道。
Li Fan immediately noticed the changes in the Spirit Mirror.
lǐ fán zì rán shì dì yī shí jiān jiù chá jué dào le wú liàng jìng de biàn huà 。
李凡自然是第一时间就察觉到了无量镜的变化。
Without directly confronting the power of '归', merely being affected by its overflow and lock, the '无量、鸿蒙见方' array that Li Fan had painstakingly repaired within the mirror began to show signs of collapse.
méi yǒu zhèng miàn yíng shàng 【 guī 】 zì jué de lì liàng ， jǐn jǐn shì bèi yì chū de nà bù fèn bō jí 、 suǒ dìng ， jìng zhōng lǐ fán fèi le hǎo dà lì qì cái jiāng qí xiū fù de 【 wú liàng 、 hóng méng jiàn fāng 】 dà zhèn ， jiù yǒu màn màn bēng kuì de jì xiàng 。
没有正面迎上【归】字诀的力量，仅仅是被溢出的那部分波及、锁定，镜中李凡费了好大力气才将其修复的【无量、鸿蒙见方】大阵，就有慢慢崩溃的迹象。
Moreover, the Spirit Mirror itself started to disintegrate gradually.
bù jǐn rú cǐ ， xiān qì wú liàng jìng běn shēn ， dōu kāi shǐ zhú jiàn “ wǎ jiě ”。
不仅如此，仙器无量镜本身，都开始逐渐“瓦解”。
In Li Fan's perception, the entire mirror seemed like a piece of paper set on fire. The disappearance of its fundamental structure caused it to gradually become ethereal.
zài lǐ fán de gǎn zhī zhōng ， zhěng gè wú liàng jìng jiù xiàng bèi diǎn rán de zhǐ zhāng yì bān ， běn zhì gòu chéng de xiāo shī dǎo zhì tā wú kě bì miǎn de zhèng zài xū huà 。
在李凡的感知中，整个无量镜就像被点燃的纸张一般，本质构成的消失导致它无可避免的正在虚化。
The parts that were 'burned'—those affected by the '归' character—disappeared like wisps of smoke, unknown where they went.
ér nà xiē bèi diǎn rán de bù fèn 、 yě jí shì shòu dào 【 guī 】 zì jué zuò yòng de chéng fèn ， rú tóng yī lǚ qīng yān 、 bù zhī piāo xiàng hé chù 。
而那些被点燃的部分、也即是受到【归】字诀作用的成分，如同一缕青烟、不知飘向何处。
Li Fan felt his heart sink as he tried to stop the disintegration of the Spirit Mirror. But even Li Fan himself couldn't resist the True Immortal Script's power. A mere fragment of his consciousness was powerless against it.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī chén ， xiǎng yào shì tú zǔ zhǐ wú liàng jìng de xiāo jiě 。 dàn zhēn xiān zhuàn zì zhī lì ， jí biàn shì tā běn zūn yě bù néng yǔ zhī kàng héng 。 gèng bié tí tā zhè yī dào fēn shén le 。
李凡心中一沉，想要试图阻止无量镜的消解。但真仙篆字之力，即便是他本尊也不能与之抗衡。更别提他这一道分神了。
With a hint of regret, he watched the Spirit Mirror shrink further under Sun Lu Yao's continuous cries.
dài zhe diǎn yí hàn ， kàn zhe zài sūn lù yáo de bù duàn cǎn háo zhī xià ， wú liàng jìng yuè biàn yuè xiǎo 。
带着点遗憾，看着在孙路遥的不断惨嚎之下，无量镜越变越小。
Just when Li Fan thought that this helpful仙器 would completely vanish,
jiù dāng lǐ fán yǐ wéi ， zhè duì tā zhù lì pǒ duō de xiān qì jí jiāng chè dǐ xiāo wáng zhī jì 。
就当李凡以为，这对他助力颇多的仙器即将彻底消亡之际。
something unexpected happened.
chū hū yì liào zhī wài de qíng kuàng fā shēng le 。
出乎意料之外的情况发生了。
The '青烟' that had been called by the '归' character and vanished somewhere returned!
nà xiē bèi 【 guī 】 zì jué zhào qù 、 bù zhī qián wǎng hé chù de “ qīng yān ”， jìng rán yòu fǎn le huí lái ！
那些被【归】字诀召去、不知前往何处的“青烟”，竟然又返了回来！
It was as if time had reversed on the Spirit Mirror. The tiny remaining part of the mirror suddenly filled up again before Li Fan's eyes!
rú tóng zài wú liàng jìng shàng fā shēng le shí jiān dào zhuǎn zhī shù ， zhǐ shèng xià mǔ zhǐ dà xiǎo de wú liàng jìng hè rán yòu zài lǐ fán yǎn qián ， chóng xīn biàn dé chōng yíng qǐ lái ！
如同在无量镜上发生了时间倒转之术，只剩下拇指大小的无量镜赫然又在李凡眼前，重新变得充盈起来！
Sun Lu Yao, who was still wailing in agony, his voice growing weaker until he could only stare dumbfounded at the restored Spirit Mirror.
zhèng zài āi háo zhe 、 yǐ wéi zì jǐ dà xiàn jiāng zhì de sūn lù yáo ， shēng yīn yuè lái yuè ruò 。 zuì zhōng mù dèng kǒu dāi de kàn zhe huī fù rú cháng de wú liàng jìng ， bù míng suǒ yǐ 。
正在哀嚎着、以为自己大限将至的孙路遥，声音越来越弱。最终目瞪口呆的看着恢复如常的无量镜，不明所以。
Li Fan was momentarily stunned by this scene, watching the '无量、鸿蒙见方' array reassemble from nothingness.
lǐ fán yě shì yī shí jiān yǒu xiē dāi zhù ， kàn zhe cóng xū wú zhōng zì fā zài dù wán chéng gòu jiàn de hóng méng jiàn fāng dà zhèn 。
李凡也是一时间有些呆住，看着从虚无中自发再度完成构建的鸿蒙见方大阵。
What had just happened seemed like a dream.
gāng gāng fā shēng zhī shì ， wǎn ruò yī cháng huàn mèng 。
刚刚发生之事，宛若一场幻梦。
After a moment of hesitation, Li Fan realized what was happening and looked back at the '归' character.
wēi wēi lèng shén zhī hòu ， lǐ fán xǐng wù guò lái ， zài kàn xiàng nà 【 guī 】 zì jué 。
微微愣神之后，李凡醒悟过来，再看向那【归】字诀。
It appeared that having received an order once, the Spirit Mirror could now ignore the '归' character's existence. And the '归' character chose to ignore the mirror as well, lying quietly in the array's ethereal core.
sì hū shì yǐ jīng shòu le yī cì chì lìng de yuán gù ， chóng xiàn zhī hòu de wú liàng jìng jìng rán néng zuò dào wú shì guī zì jué de cún zài 。
似乎是已经受了一次敕令的缘故，重现之后的无量镜竟然能做到无视归字诀的存在。
No conflict.
ér guī zì jué yě xuǎn zé duì wú liàng jìng hū shì 。 jì xù ān jìng de tǎng zài dà zhèn xū wú hé xīn zhī zhōng 。
而归字诀也选择对无量镜忽视。继续安静的躺在大阵虚无核心之中。
"What is this situation? No place to return?"
liǎng xiāng wú shì 。
两相无事。
This scene before him left Li Fan puzzled. However, based on the meaning of the word '归' and the changes in the Spirit Mirror, he could make some guesses.
“ zhè shì shén me qíng kuàng ？ guī wú kě guī ？”
“这是什么情况？归无可归？”
"The protective arrays of the lower realms were created by the Immortal Realm and are subject to its control. The Spirit Mirror is a仙器, also bound by the Immortal Realm."
yǎn qián fā shēng de zhè yí mù chǎng jǐng shí zài ràng lǐ fán yǒu xiē mō bù zháo tóu nǎo 。 bù guò cóng guī zì běn shēn de hán yì ， yǐ jí wú liàng jìng qián hòu biàn huà ， dǎo shì néng chuǎi cè yī èr 。
眼前发生的这一幕场景实在让李凡有些摸不着头脑。不过从归字本身的含义，以及无量镜前后变化，倒是能揣测一二。
"If we consider them as divine troops, then this '归' character has the authority to command them. Whether it's due to the unique power of the '归' character or a general situation in the Immortal Realm, remains to be seen."
“ xià jiè gè zì hù jiè dà zhèn ， dōu yóu xiān jiè suǒ chuàng 、 yì shòu xiān jiè jié zhì 。 ér wú liàng jìng ， nǎi shì xiān qì ， yì yào shòu dào xiān jiè zhì yuē 。”
“下界各自护界大阵，都由仙界所创、亦受仙界节制。而无量镜，乃是仙器，亦要受到仙界制约。”
"Originally, when called by the '归' character, one should lay down their armor and return. But now, with the collapse of the Immortal Realm, the execution of this order has been affected."
“ ruò bǎ tā men kàn zuò xiān jiè jīng bīng jiàng shì 、 nà me zhè guī zì jué jiù xiāng dāng yú yǒu zhe néng gòu diào bīng qiǎn jiàng de quán néng 。 zhè shì guī zì jué běn shēn tè shū wěi lì 、 hái shì xiān jiè pǔ biàn qíng xíng ， shàng qiě bù dé ér zhī 。”
“若把它们看做仙界精兵将士、那么这归字诀就相当于有着能够调兵遣将的权能。这是归字诀本身特殊伟力、还是仙界普遍情形，尚且不得而知。”
"It seems that this '归' character is fundamentally different from the other True Immortal Script characters. It might even be a crucial part of the former Immortal Realm's power system."
“ yuán běn qíng kuàng xià ， fán shòu guī zì jué zhī zhào ， yīng dāng xiè jiǎ yǐ huí 。 dàn xiàn zài què shì ， xiān jiè pò miè 、 zhào lìng de zhí xíng yīn cǐ shòu dào le yǐng xiǎng 。”
“原本情况下，凡受归字诀之召，应当卸甲以回。但现在却是，仙界破灭、诏令的执行因此受到了影响。”
Li Fan pondered: "But there's an inevitable problem with such speculation."
“ kàn lái ， zhè guī zì jué gēn qí tā jǐ gè zhēn xiān zhuàn zì ， yǒu zhe běn zhì dì bù tóng 。 shèn zhì kě néng shì xī rì xiān jiè lì liàng tǐ xì yùn zhuàn jī shí de yī bù fèn 。”
“看来，这归字诀跟其他几个真仙篆字，有着本质的不同。甚至可能是昔日仙界力量体系运转基石的一部分。”
"If the '归' character is already in a partially ineffective state, where have these protective array cores gone?"
lǐ fán ruò yǒu suǒ sī ：“ bù guò rú cǐ cāi cè què yòu bù kě bì miǎn de yǒu gè wèn tí 。”
李凡若有所思：“不过如此猜测却又不可避免的有个问题。”
He stared at the '归' character lying quietly in the core area.
“ jì rán guī zì jué yǐ jīng chù zài bàn shī xiào de zhuàng tài ， nà me zhè xiē hù jiè dà zhèn zhōng shū hé xīn ， yòu qù wǎng le hé chù ？”
“既然归字诀已经处在半失效的状态，那么这些护界大阵中枢核心，又去往了何处？”
Several possibilities flashed through his mind. The '归' character was written by some existence and flown to various arrays. Upon reaching its destination, it found that the target had vanished, so it continued to circle here, waiting for the target's reappearance.
lǐ fán níng wàng zhe zài hé xīn qū yù zhōng jìng tǎng de guī zì jué 。
李凡凝望着在核心区域中静躺的归字诀。
Or, the '归' character successfully acted on the array core, causing the lower realm cores to vanish and return to the Immortal Realm. With the collapse of the Immortal Realm, these cores would reappear. But at this moment, an unknown existence intercepted them, taking the core away.
nǎo hǎi zhōng yǐ rán fú xiàn jǐ zhǒng kě néng 。
脑海中已然浮现几种可能。
...
guī zì jué bèi mǒu gè cún zài huī háo pō mò xiě chū ， fēi xiàng zhū jiè zhèn fǎ hé xīn 。 rán ér dào le jì dìng wèi zhì ， què fā xiàn mù biāo yǐ jīng xiāo shī bú jiàn 。 yú shì yì zhí pán xuán zài cǐ 、 děng dài mù biāo chū xiàn 。
归字诀被某个存在挥毫泼墨写出，飞向诸界阵法核心。然而到了既定位置，却发现目标已经消失不见。于是一直盘旋在此、等待目标出现。
"There are too few conditions now; we can't determine the truth."
yì huò zhě 。 guī zì jué chéng gōng zuò yòng yú zhèn fǎ hé xīn ， xià jiè hé xīn xiāng jì xiāo mǐn miè ， fǎn guī xiān jiè 。 xiān jiè pò miè ， hé xīn yòu jiāng chóng xīn xiàn shì 。 jiù zài cǐ shí ， què bèi bù zhī míng cún zài jié hú 、 jiāng hé xīn lǔ zǒu 。
亦或者。归字诀成功作用于阵法核心，下界核心相继消泯灭，返归仙界。仙界破灭，核心又将重新现世。就在此时，却被不知名存在截胡、将核心掳走。
"If the '归' character's effect is limited to the original Immortal Realm power, even as a True Immortal Script, it might not be significant for me," Li Fan shook his head slightly.
……
……
"But if this '归' character can shake a仙器..."
“ mù qián tiáo jiàn tài shǎo 。 hái bù néng què dìng zhēn xiàng 。”
“目前条件太少。还不能确定真相。”
"Will it have any effect on the Heavenly Mystical Mirror?"
“ ruò guī zì jué zuò yòng fàn wéi zhǐ xiàn yú yuán běn xiān jiè lì liàng de huà ， suī shì zhēn xiān zhuàn zì ， duì wǒ zuò yòng yě shì yǒu xiàn 。” lǐ fán bù jīn wēi wēi yáo tóu 。
“若归字诀作用范围只限于原本仙界力量的话，虽是真仙篆字，对我作用也是有限。”李凡不禁微微摇头。
Even if it wouldn't cause substantial damage to the Heavenly Mystical Mirror, if it could temporarily disrupt its function at critical moments, it would be of great use.
“ bù guò ， zhè guī zì jué jì rán néng hàn dòng xiān qì ……”
“不过，这归字诀既然能撼动仙器……”
After all, the entire system of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, especially the defenses of the headquarters, relied heavily on the Heavenly Mystical Mirror. Once the mirror malfunctioned, even a seemingly impregnable alliance would become vulnerable.
“ bù zhī duì tiān xuán jìng yǒu méi yǒu yòng ？”
“不知对天玄镜有没有用？”
Possessing the source of the Heavenly Mystical Mirror himself might not be significant to Li Fan's main consciousness.
zòng rán bú huì duì tiān xuán jìng zào chéng shí zhì xìng de shāng hài ， dàn rú guǒ néng shǐ qí dàng jī yī duàn shí jiān ， zài guān jiàn shí kè 、 yě néng fā huī mò dà zuò yòng 。
纵然不会对天玄镜造成实质性的伤害，但如果能使其宕机一段时间，在关键时刻、也能发挥莫大作用。
But for Emperor Sheng Huang Li Ping, it was entirely different.
xū zhī ， rú jīn wàn xiān méng de tǐ xì 、 yóu qí shì xiān méng zǒng bù de fáng yù cuò shī ， dōu wú yī lì wài gēn tiān xuán jìng xī xī xiāng guān 。
须知，如今万仙盟的体系、尤其是仙盟总部的防御措施，都无一例外跟天玄镜息息相关。
A sudden shift in the battlefield could rival dozens of Great Daoists!
tiān xuán jìng yí dàn chū xiàn gù zhàng ， gù ruò jīn tāng de wàn xiān méng 、 shà shí jiān jiù jiāng pò zhàn bǎi chū 。
天玄镜一旦出现故障，固若金汤的万仙盟、霎时间就将破绽百出。
After transmitting the content of the '归' character through a faint sense, his fragment of consciousness in the Ash World began its next action.
lǐ fán běn zūn shēn huái tiān xuán jìng běn yuán ， huò xǔ duì tā yì yì bù dà 。
李凡本尊身怀天玄镜本源，或许对他意义不大。
The '归' character was an unexpected blessing. His purpose here was still to verify his previous hypothesis.
dàn zài shèng huáng lǐ píng nà biān ， zé shì wán quán bù tóng le 。
但在圣皇李平那边，则是完全不同了。
"From this, there should also be protective arrays in the Xuan Huang Realm."
shùn jiān niǔ zhuǎn zhàn chǎng xíng shì ， wěi lì néng dǐ de shàng shù shí míng hé dào ！
瞬间扭转战场形势，伟力能抵得上数十名合道！
"And these protective arrays are left by the Immortal Realm and only exist in the original Xuan Huang Realm." Li Fan set up a few array formations, sealing off the Ash World to prevent others from accidentally entering. He then returned with the Spirit Mirror to the Xuan Huang Realm.
běn zūn jiè zhù míng míng zhōng de wēi ruò gǎn yìng ， jiāng guī zì jué de nèi róng chuán gěi shèng huáng lǐ píng zhī hòu 。
本尊借助冥冥中的微弱感应，将归字诀的内容传给圣皇李平之后。
He arrived at the central four states of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
huī jìn xiǎo shì jiè de fēn shén ， yě kāi shǐ le xià yī bù de xíng dòng 。
灰烬小世界的分神，也开始了下一步的行动。
A miniature image of the Xuan Huang Realm appeared in his mind, showing only its original form.
guī zì jué nǎi shì yì wài zhī xǐ 。
归字诀乃是意外之喜。
Lines crisscrossed on the model—Li Fan's derivation of the protective array. Even with some errors, he could roughly locate its position.
tā lái cǐ chù de mù dì ， hái shì wèi le yàn zhèng zhī qián de cāi xiǎng 。
他来此处的目的，还是为了验证之前的猜想。
Using the Spirit Mirror's power, it would take a little time to find the hidden core area of the Xuan Huang Realm's protective array.
“ yóu cǐ jí bǐ ， xuán huáng jiè zhōng yīng gāi yě cún zài hù jiè dà zhèn 。”
“由此及彼，玄黄界中应该也存在护界大阵。”
The only concern was making too much noise and alerting the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
“ ér qiě ， hù jiè dà zhèn nǎi shì xiān jiè suǒ liú ， zhǐ cún zài yú yuán chū xuán huáng jiè zhōng 。” suí shǒu shè xià zhèn fǎ ， jiāng huī jìn xiǎo shì jiè fēng suǒ ， fáng zhǐ yǒu rén wù rù 、 jiē chù dào guī zì jué hòu 。 lǐ fán fēn shén dài zhe wú liàng jìng ， fǎn huí le xuán huáng jiè zhōng 。
“而且，护界大阵乃是仙界所留，只存在于原初玄黄界中。”随手设下阵法，将灰烬小世界封锁，防止有人误入、接触到归字诀后。李凡分神带着无量镜，返回了玄黄界中。
(End of Chapter)
The situation was exactly the same as when he first encountered the Starvation Technique.
As soon as the True Immortal Script character '归' appeared in Li Fan's识海, he instantly understood its meaning.
Return!
Unlike curses like Ji or Luan, it seemed more like an order!
"Complete True Immortal Script..."
Li Fan's mind trembled as he silently memorized the shape of this '归' character.
"Return? To where? Or revert to its original state?"
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, carefully savoring the mysterious power.
On the other side, the Spirit Mirror had already completed its scan of areas outside the central core of the protective array.
"Senior, there..." Sun Lu Yao stared at that ethereal place in bewilderment.
An invisible connection instantly formed, seemingly linking the '归' character to the Spirit Mirror.
Li Fan could clearly feel the sudden fear and confusion in Sun Lu Yao's heart. Even the physical body of the Spirit Mirror began to tremble slightly without any warning. The increasingly violent shaking made it seem as if Sun Lu Yao might be "thrown out" of the mirror!
"Senior, save me!" Sun Lu Yao instinctively cried.
Li Fan immediately noticed the changes in the Spirit Mirror.
Without directly confronting the power of '归', merely being affected by its overflow and lock, the '无量、鸿蒙见方' array that Li Fan had painstakingly repaired within the mirror began to show signs of collapse.
Moreover, the Spirit Mirror itself started to disintegrate gradually.
In Li Fan's perception, the entire mirror seemed like a piece of paper set on fire. The disappearance of its fundamental structure caused it to gradually become ethereal.
The parts that were 'burned'—those affected by the '归' character—disappeared like wisps of smoke, unknown where they went.
Li Fan felt his heart sink as he tried to stop the disintegration of the Spirit Mirror. But even Li Fan himself couldn't resist the True Immortal Script's power. A mere fragment of his consciousness was powerless against it.
With a hint of regret, he watched the Spirit Mirror shrink further under Sun Lu Yao's continuous cries.
Just when Li Fan thought that this helpful仙器 would completely vanish,
something unexpected happened.
The '青烟' that had been called by the '归' character and vanished somewhere returned!
It was as if time had reversed on the Spirit Mirror. The tiny remaining part of the mirror suddenly filled up again before Li Fan's eyes!
Sun Lu Yao, who was still wailing in agony, his voice growing weaker until he could only stare dumbfounded at the restored Spirit Mirror.
Li Fan was momentarily stunned by this scene, watching the '无量、鸿蒙见方' array reassemble from nothingness.
What had just happened seemed like a dream.
After a moment of hesitation, Li Fan realized what was happening and looked back at the '归' character.
It appeared that having received an order once, the Spirit Mirror could now ignore the '归' character's existence. And the '归' character chose to ignore the mirror as well, lying quietly in the array's ethereal core.
No conflict.
"What is this situation? No place to return?"
This scene before him left Li Fan puzzled. However, based on the meaning of the word '归' and the changes in the Spirit Mirror, he could make some guesses.
"The protective arrays of the lower realms were created by the Immortal Realm and are subject to its control. The Spirit Mirror is a仙器, also bound by the Immortal Realm."
"If we consider them as divine troops, then this '归' character has the authority to command them. Whether it's due to the unique power of the '归' character or a general situation in the Immortal Realm, remains to be seen."
"Originally, when called by the '归' character, one should lay down their armor and return. But now, with the collapse of the Immortal Realm, the execution of this order has been affected."
"It seems that this '归' character is fundamentally different from the other True Immortal Script characters. It might even be a crucial part of the former Immortal Realm's power system."
Li Fan pondered: "But there's an inevitable problem with such speculation."
"If the '归' character is already in a partially ineffective state, where have these protective array cores gone?"
He stared at the '归' character lying quietly in the core area.
Several possibilities flashed through his mind. The '归' character was written by some existence and flown to various arrays. Upon reaching its destination, it found that the target had vanished, so it continued to circle here, waiting for the target's reappearance.
Or, the '归' character successfully acted on the array core, causing the lower realm cores to vanish and return to the Immortal Realm. With the collapse of the Immortal Realm, these cores would reappear. But at this moment, an unknown existence intercepted them, taking the core away.
...
"There are too few conditions now; we can't determine the truth."
"If the '归' character's effect is limited to the original Immortal Realm power, even as a True Immortal Script, it might not be significant for me," Li Fan shook his head slightly.
"But if this '归' character can shake a仙器..."
"Will it have any effect on the Heavenly Mystical Mirror?"
Even if it wouldn't cause substantial damage to the Heavenly Mystical Mirror, if it could temporarily disrupt its function at critical moments, it would be of great use.
After all, the entire system of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, especially the defenses of the headquarters, relied heavily on the Heavenly Mystical Mirror. Once the mirror malfunctioned, even a seemingly impregnable alliance would become vulnerable.
Possessing the source of the Heavenly Mystical Mirror himself might not be significant to Li Fan's main consciousness.
But for Emperor Sheng Huang Li Ping, it was entirely different.
A sudden shift in the battlefield could rival dozens of Great Daoists!
After transmitting the content of the '归' character through a faint sense, his fragment of consciousness in the Ash World began its next action.
The '归' character was an unexpected blessing. His purpose here was still to verify his previous hypothesis.
"From this, there should also be protective arrays in the Xuan Huang Realm."
"And these protective arrays are left by the Immortal Realm and only exist in the original Xuan Huang Realm." Li Fan set up a few array formations, sealing off the Ash World to prevent others from accidentally entering. He then returned with the Spirit Mirror to the Xuan Huang Realm.
He arrived at the central four states of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
A miniature image of the Xuan Huang Realm appeared in his mind, showing only its original form.
Lines crisscrossed on the model—Li Fan's derivation of the protective array. Even with some errors, he could roughly locate its position.
Using the Spirit Mirror's power, it would take a little time to find the hidden core area of the Xuan Huang Realm's protective array.
The only concern was making too much noise and alerting the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
(End of Chapter)