“ yī zhǒng jué jiā de yǐn cáng fāng shì 。 wéi yǒu zài kè yì qù xún zhǎo zhè jǐ yàng wù pǐn 、 zhī xiǎo qí zhōng kě néng yǐn cáng mì mì de rén yǎn zhōng ， tā men de yì cháng cái huì xiǎn xiàn 。” ér zài páng rén yǎn zhōng ……”
“一种绝佳的隐藏方式。唯有在刻意去寻找这几样物品、知晓其中可能隐藏秘密的人眼中，它们的异常才会显现。”而在旁人眼中……”
“A vast void, indeed. This must be the reason why Master Piaopiao couldn't continue his exploration.” Li Fan said with a sigh.
“ zhǐ bù guò shì xún cháng wù jiàn bà le 。” zài chǎng zhòng rén ， quán dōu yǐn yǐn míng bái guò lái 。
“只不过是寻常物件罢了。”在场众人，全都隐隐明白过来。
He thought to himself: "This must be the reason behind those eighteen markers left by Master Piaopiao! The scope of his exploration was far beyond just 18 realms. But he only left these... There must be some secret that can’t be openly spoken about, and thus had to use such a method for concealment."
“ ruò bú shì lǐ xiōng jī yuán qiǎo hé zhī xià ， kān pò le nà yōng ǒu shēn shàng de mì mì ， kǒng pà jiù suàn zài guò qiān nián 、 wǒ men xiān zhōu yě wèi bì néng fā xiàn tā men de qī qiāo zhī chù 。” lù yǔ zhī gǎn tàn dào 。
“若不是李兄机缘巧合之下，勘破了那佣偶身上的秘密，恐怕就算再过千年、我们仙舟也未必能发现它们的蹊跷之处。”陆宇之感叹道。
"Leisurely Realm, Xuan Shang Realm, Light Sea Realm, Beigeg Realm, Spirit Hill Realm..." Li Fan thought back to the information passed down by Master Piaopiao of the Medicine King Sect. He was once the young master of that sect.
“ xiàn zài de wèn tí shì ， kōng zhī dào tā men yǒu gǔ guài ； què zhǎo bú dào pò jiě ào mì de fāng fǎ 。”
“现在的问题是，空知道它们有古怪；却找不到破解奥秘的方法。”
Back then, he didn't pay much attention to it. One reason being the arrival of a great calamity and the destruction of all realms; another because even if these realms hadn’t been destroyed, their spatial positions had surely shifted due to the existence of the Immortal Ruins.
“ hēi hēi ， bié jí ma 。 wǒ men lián zhēn xiān zhuàn zì dōu néng cān tòu ， hái nài hé bù liǎo zhè jǐ yàng wán yì ？ nán bù chéng ， nà sūn piāo miǎo bǐ zhēn xiān hái qiáng ？” xiān zhōu yī zhòng zhǎng lǎo duì zì jǐ hěn yǒu xìn xīn 。
“嘿嘿，别急嘛。我们连真仙篆字都能参透，还奈何不了这几样玩意？难不成，那孙缥缈比真仙还强？”仙舟一众长老对自己很有信心。
Therefore, the markers passed down by Master Piaopiao no longer held any meaning.
ér tā men de tiān fù ， dí què bù róng xiǎo qù 。 lián xù wéi guān le qī tiān hòu ， hái zhēn yǒu rén fā xiàn le sūn piāo miǎo yí wù de yì cháng zhī chù 。
而他们的天赋，的确不容小觑。连续围观了七天后，还真有人发现了孙缥缈遗物的异常之处。
"Could it be that Master Piaopiao foresaw this situation and left behind the Medicine King Cauldron as a backup?" A bold hypothesis flashed through Li Fan's mind. There was no concrete evidence; it was just his fleeting conjecture.
“ zhū wèi zhù yì kàn zhè xiǎo dǐng 。” shuō huà de ， nǎi shì píng shí chén mò guǎ yán 、 zhǐ zhuān zhù yú zì jǐ yán jiū de duàn xiān lóu mò yīn fēng 。
“诸位注意看这小鼎。”说话的，乃是平时沉默寡言、只专注于自己研究的断仙楼莫因风。
The discussion among the Immortal Ruins' elders continued.
“ zhī qián xiān zhōu shù cì de kān cè 、 jiàn dìng ， dōu rèn wéi qí shì shàng pǐn de liàn dān fǎ bǎo 。 shèn zhì hái fù dài dòng tiān kōng jiān ， néng gòu zì xíng yǎn shēng líng qì 、 péi yù líng zhí zuò wù 。 dàn ……” mò yīn fēng shuō zhe ， yí gè 【 xiǎn 】 zì fú pāi chū ， jiāng yào wáng dǐng lǒng zhào 。
“之前仙舟数次的勘测、鉴定，都认为其是上品的炼丹法宝。甚至还附带洞天空间，能够自行衍生灵气、培育灵植作物。但……”莫因风说着，一个【显】字符拍出，将药王鼎笼罩。
"The power contained within the Medicine King Cauldron is very mysterious. Perhaps, by relying on this connection, one can maintain their direction in the vast void. Even if exploration fails, at least they could return safely without losing their lives."
wǎn ruò xiàn rù mí lí de guāng wù zhī zhōng ， yī dào dào yǒu xíng xiàn tiáo 、 yǒu cū yǒu xì ， zì yào wáng dǐng zhōu zāo wù qì zhōng yǒng xiàn 。
宛若陷入迷离的光雾之中，一道道有形线条、有粗有细，自药王鼎周遭雾气中涌现。
"Remember, the vast void is a literal void. According to limited records, not only does it lack light and spiritual energy, but even the stage for divine sense transmission doesn't exist. It's completely empty..." The conjecture of the Immortal Ruins' elders gained some support.
huà pò kōng jiān ， cháo zhe bù tóng de fāng xiàng fēi qù 。 shùn xī jiān jiù xiāo shī zài zhòng rén de guān chá zhōng 。
划破空间，朝着不同的方向飞去。瞬息间就消失在众人的观察中。
Exploring the vast void was one of the highest ideals and pursuits for cultivators at that time. Master Piaopiao could have done so.
“ zhè shì …… zhè yào wáng dǐng bìng fēi gū pǐn ？ hái gēn xīng hǎi zhōng cún zài yǒu zhe lián xì ？！” xiān zhōu qí yú zhǎng lǎo jiàn zhuàng ， wú bù liǎn sè wēi biàn 。
“这是……这药王鼎并非孤品？还跟星海中存在有着联系？！”仙舟其余长老见状，无不脸色微变。
"Regardless of his purpose, if we can figure out what maintains this connection in the small cauldron, it would be beneficial to us." With a clear goal, the research progressed much more smoothly.
lǐ fán yě shì mī qǐ le yǎn jīng 。 yīn wèi zài chǎng zhòng rén ， wéi yǒu tā kàn chū ， yào wáng dǐng wù qì xiàn tiáo ， qí zhōng yǒu yī tiáo qù wǎng de 、 zhèng shì xuán huáng jiè suǒ zài fāng xiàng 。
李凡也是眯起了眼睛。因为在场众人，唯有他看出，药王鼎雾气线条，其中有一条去往的、正是玄黄界所在方向。
After unanimous agreement among the elders and Li Fan, they decided to completely melt the Medicine King Cauldron and extract the mysterious power within. As an openly known treasure for alchemy, the Medicine King Cauldron's durability was beyond doubt. After all, its predecessor had carried the entire sect across the void.
ér lìng wài de ……
而另外的……
However, for the Immortal Ruins, which already possessed the power of True Sage characters, the Medicine King Sect’s strength was insignificant.
“ jué dà duō shù shì wǎng cán jiè cháng chéng zhōng qù le 。 bù guò hái yǒu liǎng 、 sān gè ， shì zhì àn xīng hǎi zhōng mǒu chù ！”【 xiǎn 】 zì fú de gōng xiào zhī yī ， jiù shì xiǎn lù wàn shì wàn wù jiān bǐ cǐ de lián xì 。
“绝大多数是往残界长城中去了。不过还有两、三个，是至暗星海中某处！”【显】字符的功效之一，就是显露万事万物间彼此的联系。
With a deafening sound, the ancient bronze cauldron shattered into countless pieces under the碾压 of无形巨力. It continued to be ground down into finer particles until it no longer existed.
yào wáng dǐng yǐn cáng le wàn nián de mì mì ， yě zài xiǎn zì fú de zhào yào xià ， zhōng yú bào lù 。
药王鼎隐藏了万年的秘密，也在显字符的照耀下，终于暴露。
However, as the dissolving process progressed, their expressions grew increasingly serious. They discovered that the materials used in constructing the Medicine King Cauldron did not disappear with increased external force; they simply became more condensed.
“ rú guǒ wǒ méi yǒu cāi cuò de huà ， dāng nián sūn piāo miǎo yī gòng zhù zào le xǔ duō zūn yào wáng dǐng 。 zhè xiē yào wáng dǐng hùn ruò yī tǐ 、 bǐ cǐ jiān cún zài shén mì de lián xì 。 nǎ pà xiāng gé dà bàn gè xīng hǎi de jù lí ， yī jiù néng gǎn yìng dào bǐ cǐ de cún zài 。” zhōng dào gōng níng wàng zhe kōng zhōng ， sì hū yī jiù néng kàn jiàn nà xiē yǐ jīng xiāo sàn de xiàn tiáo 。
“如果我没有猜错的话，当年孙缥缈一共铸造了许多尊药王鼎。这些药王鼎混若一体、彼此间存在神秘的联系。哪怕相隔大半个星海的距离，依旧能感应到彼此的存在。”钟道恭凝望着空中，似乎依旧能看见那些已经消散的线条。
"Previously, we analyzed that this Medicine King Cauldron was forged from rare minerals and various celestial treasures of different realms."
“ gēn jù dāng nián sūn piāo miǎo zài xiān zhōu xíng dòng shí liú xià de yán xíng jì lù lái kàn ， cǐ rén céng zài xīng hǎi jiān chuān suō yóu lì 、 zú jì zhī yuǎn ， nǎ pà gēn xiān zhōu xiāng bǐ ， yě yǒu guò zhī ér wú bù jí 。 zhè yào wáng dǐng duàn zào bù yì ， tā jiāng qí gù yì fēn sàn yú xīng hǎi gè chù …… mù dì zhī yī ， huò xǔ jiù shì jiè zhù tā men de fāng wèi ， máo dìng zì jǐ de wèi zhì 。” mò yīn fēng bù jǐn bù màn dì shuō dào 。
“根据当年孙缥缈在仙舟行动时留下的言行记录来看，此人曾在星海间穿梭游历、足迹之远，哪怕跟仙舟相比，也有过之而无不及。这药王鼎锻造不易，他将其故意分散于星海各处……目的之一，或许就是借助它们的方位，锚定自己的位置。”莫因风不紧不慢地说道。
"Now it seems to be a deception!"
“ kǒng pà yuǎn bù zhǐ zhè me jiǎn dān 。 bì jìng dāng shí hái méi yǒu bào fā miè shì zāi jié ， xīng hǎi zhōng gè xiū xiān jiè de wèi zhì dōu xiāng duì gù dìng 。 zhǐ shì wèi le bù mí lù de huà ， yǒu tài duō gèng róng yì de fāng fǎ ， nǎ lǐ yòu xū yào zhè me de dà fèi zhōu zhāng ！”
“恐怕远不止这么简单。毕竟当时还没有爆发灭世灾劫，星海中各修仙界的位置都相对固定。只是为了不迷路的话，有太多更容易的方法，哪里又需要这么的大费周章！”
"This material..." The Immortal Ruins' elders closely watched the final changes in the field. Even their divine sense could barely detect them due to their microscopic size.
“ bù cuò 。 rú guǒ wǒ jì de bù cuò de huà ， nà shí hòu gè jiè de dào biāo xìn xī ， yě suàn bù dé shén me jué mì 。 sūn piāo miǎo tā jì rán dōu yǐ jīng néng héng dù xīng hǎi ， nòng dào zhǔn què de dào biāo ， yě bú shì shén me nán shì 。” zhòng rén yì lùn fēn fēn ， mò yīn fēng zhǐ shì mò mò tīng zhe 。
“不错。如果我记得不错的话，那时候各界的道标信息，也算不得什么绝密。孙缥缈他既然都已经能横渡星海，弄到准确的道标，也不是什么难事。”众人议论纷纷，莫因风只是默默听着。
Condensed to an extreme, but not purely spherical. It was slightly flat with convex surfaces on both sides, resembling a chess piece!
zhí dào zhū wèi zhǎng lǎo ān jìng xià lái ， tā cái qīng ké le yī shēng ， yǔ qì yǒu xiē piāo hū ：“ rú guǒ jǐn jǐn shì wèi le tàn suǒ yǐ zhī de xīng hǎi ， zì rán bù yòng zhè me má fán 。 dàn rú guǒ shì wèi le qián wǎng dà kōng dòng zhī wài ne ？” cǐ yán yī chū ， yī qún rén shén qíng dùn shí gè yì 。
直到诸位长老安静下来，他才轻咳了一声，语气有些飘忽：“如果仅仅是为了探索已知的星海，自然不用这么麻烦。但如果是为了前往大空洞之外呢？”此言一出，一群人神情顿时各异。
"Such a large Medicine King Cauldron transformed from this material?" The elders were all speechless.
“ dà kōng dòng ？” zhè shì gè lǐ fán zhī qián cóng wèi tīng guò de cí huì 。 liǎn shàng de yí huò bú shì jiǎ zhuāng ， lǐ fán kàn xiàng yī liǎn ruò yǒu suǒ sī de zhōng dào gōng ， xiǎng yào xún qiú dá àn 。
“大空洞？”这是个李凡之前从未听过的词汇。脸上的疑惑不是假装，李凡看向一脸若有所思的钟道恭，想要寻求答案。
Li Fan looked at the gray chess piece and his thoughts seemed to return to that world where he used the enhanced Medicine King Cauldron to rush towards the Immortal Ruins.
zhōng dào gōng zài chén sī le yī huì hòu ， xú xú jiě shì dào ：“ dāng nián xuán shāng xiān zhōu ， zú jì biàn bù yǐ tàn míng xīng yù 、 jiù lián xīng hǎi biān chuí de mán huāng zhī dì ， yě dōu yǒu wǒ men de xíng zǒu shāng rén zhù zhā 。”
钟道恭在沉思了一会后，徐徐解释道：“当年玄商仙舟，足迹遍布已探明星域、就连星海边陲的蛮荒之地，也都有我们的行走商人驻扎。”
"At that time, I was shocked by the True Sage's destruction of the entire realm. Now thinking about it, there were some unreasonable aspects."
“ dàn qí shí ， yǒu wén míng de xīng hǎi bìng fēi wú qióng wú jìn 。 zài mán huāng zhī dì gèng wài wéi ， jiù shì kàn bú dào jìn tóu 、 chún cuì yī piàn xū wú de dà kōng dòng 。”
“但其实，有文明的星海并非无穷无尽。在蛮荒之地更外围，就是看不到尽头、纯粹一片虚无的大空洞。”
"In the eyes of a True Sage, cultivators are like ants. Let alone the Holy Embryo at my current level."
“ shuí yě bù zhī dào dà kōng dòng de fàn wéi yǒu duō dà 。 yě cóng lái méi yǒu shuí néng zǒu chū dà kōng dòng 。 rèn hé shì tú chuān yuè dà kōng dòng de xiū shì ， tā men de xià chǎng dōu zhǐ yǒu yí gè ， nà jiù shì chè dǐ mí shī ！” zhōng dào gōng de shén qíng yǒu xiē yán sù 。
“谁也不知道大空洞的范围有多大。也从来没有谁能走出大空洞。任何试图穿越大空洞的修士，他们的下场都只有一个，那就是彻底迷失！”钟道恭的神情有些严肃。
"A True Sage in seclusion, how could they be disturbed?"
“ bù guò bǐ shí de kě tàn míng xīng hǎi ， bǐ qǐ xiàn zài de zhì àn xīng hǎi ， shēng jī fán mào tài duō 。 yǒu zhe chōng zú de shēng cún kōng jiān ， jué dà duō shù de xiū xiān jiè shèn zhì hái wú fǎ dào dá mǎng huāng biān chuí ， suǒ yǐ duì yú dà kōng dòng de cún zài ， zài yì de xiū shì qí shí bìng bù duō 。”
“不过彼时的可探明星海，比起现在的至暗星海，生机繁茂太多。有着充足的生存空间，绝大多数的修仙界甚至还无法到达莽荒边陲，所以对于大空洞的存在，在意的修士其实并不多。”
"Just as I never let ants interrupt my seclusion. They would be torn apart by my protective measures before they even got close."
“ bù guò wǒ bèi xiū shì ， tiān xìng yào zhèng tuō shēn shàng yī qiè shù fù 。 suǒ yǐ yě shǐ zhōng cún zài zhe nà me jí shǎo shù yī pī xiū shì ， xiǎng yào tū pò dà kōng dòng 、 tàn jiū kōng dòng zhī wài de mì mì 。 zhè sūn piāo miǎo ， xiǎn rán jiù shì qí zhōng zhī yī 。 yí hàn de shì ， méi yǒu shuí néng gòu chéng gōng 。 tā yě yī yàng 。”
“不过我辈修士，天性要挣脱身上一切束缚。所以也始终存在着那么极少数一批修士，想要突破大空洞、探究空洞之外的秘密。这孙缥缈，显然就是其中之一。遗憾的是，没有谁能够成功。他也一样。”
"But that True Sage of the Immortal Ruins was truly interrupted!"
“ dà kōng dòng ， gāo qiáng 。 kàn lái wǒ men xiū shì de zāo yù ， cóng gǔ zhì jīn dōu méi yǒu biàn guò a 。” lǐ fán yǔ qì yōu yōu dào 。
“大空洞，高墙。看来我们修士的遭遇，从古至今都没有变过啊。”李凡语气幽幽道。
"Recall from the previous life when I used a divine array to destroy the Xuan Yang realm, He only sent a fragmentary image to check." Li Fan's eyes narrowed as he seemed to return to that scene. In the pitch-black void, a vast wilderness suddenly appeared.
tā xīn zhōng tóng shí àn dào ：“ dà kōng dòng ， zhè mò fēi jiù shì sūn piāo miǎo méi néng jì xù tàn suǒ de yuán yīn ？ nà zhè me kàn lái ， dāng chū tā liú xià de nà shí bā méi dào biāo ， jiù yǒu xiē gǔ guài le 。 tā tàn suǒ xīng yù zhī guǎng ， qí zhōng jué duì bù zhǐ bāo hán shí bā gè xiū xiān jiè 。 què piān piān zhǐ liú xià zhè xiē ……”
他心中同时暗道：“大空洞，这莫非就是孙缥缈没能继续探索的原因？那这么看来，当初他留下的那十八枚道标，就有些古怪了。他探索星域之广，其中绝对不止包含十八个修仙界。却偏偏只留下这些……”
On this wilderness, countless ruins were scattered. The True Sage was nothing more than a layer of skin hanging on bones, resembling a skeleton.
“ bù guò yòu jiū jìng yǒu shén me mì mì ， bù néng míng shuō 。 fēi yào yòng zhè zhǒng fāng shì yǐn mán ne ？” lǐ fán xīn zhōng shēng qǐ wú shù yí huò 。
“不过又究竟有什么秘密，不能明说。非要用这种方式隐瞒呢？”李凡心中升起无数疑惑。
Dozens of red chains deeply embedded in the ground trapped the True Sage on the wilderness. When he sensed Li Fan or the Medicine King Cauldron he controlled...
“ xiāo yáo 、 xuán shāng 、 guāng hǎi 、 běi gé 、 líng qiū ……” céng jīng dāng guò yào wáng zōng shǎo zhǔ ， lǐ fán zì rán yě shì zhī dào dāng nián yào wáng zōng zǔ shī sūn piāo miǎo chuán xià de xìn xī 。
“逍遥、玄商、光海、北葛、灵丘……”曾经当过药王宗少主，李凡自然也是知道当年药王宗祖师孙缥缈传下的信息。
The enlightenment True Sage suddenly opened his eyes!
bù guò nà shí hòu tā bìng bù zěn me zhòng shì 。 yī lái dà jié jiàng lín ， zhū jiè pò miè ； èr lái yīn wèi xiān xū de cún zài ， jiù suàn zhè xiē xiū xiān jiè méi yǒu pò miè 、 tā men de kōng jiān wèi zhì yě bì dìng dū fā shēng le piān yí 。
不过那时候他并不怎么重视。一来大劫降临，诸界破灭；二来因为仙墟的存在，就算这些修仙界没有破灭、它们的空间位置也必定都发生了偏移。
"Ah, so that's how it was. It wasn't just any external object that caused the True Sage to awaken."
sūn piāo miǎo suǒ chuán dào biāo zì rán yě jiù méi le yì yì 。
孙缥缈所传道标自然也就没了意义。
"It must be this mysterious material used in forging the Medicine King Cauldron..." Li Fan’s thoughts returned to the present as he stared intently at the gray chess piece.
“ rú guǒ ， sūn piāo miǎo dāng nián jiù yù cè dào le rú jīn zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng de fā shēng ， suǒ yǐ yòu tóng bù liú xià yào wáng dǐng fǔ zuǒ ne ？” yí gè dà dǎn de cāi cè bù jīn fú xiàn lǐ fán xīn tóu 。
“如果，孙缥缈当年就预测到了如今这种情况的发生，所以又同步留下药王鼎辅佐呢？”一个大胆的猜测不禁浮现李凡心头。
After returning to its original form, it seemed to strengthen its connection with its "companion" within the starry sea. No longer needing the [显] character, everyone could vaguely sense the direction of the connection.
bìng méi yǒu shén me shí zhì xìng de zhèng jù ， zhǐ bù guò shì lǐ fán líng guāng yī xiàn de cāi xiǎng 。 xiān zhōu zhǎng lǎo de yì lùn hái zài jì xù 。
并没有什么实质性的证据，只不过是李凡灵光一现的猜想。仙舟长老的议论还在继续。
However, it was intermittent and insufficient for guiding exploration.
“ zhè yào wáng dǐng yùn hán de lì liàng shí fēn shén mì 。 huò xǔ néng kào zhe cǐ zhǒng lián xì ， zài dà kōng dòng zhōng bǎo chí zhe fāng xiàng gǎn 。 zhè yàng de huà ， jí biàn tàn suǒ bù chéng gōng 、 zuì qǐ mǎ yě néng shùn lì fǎn huí 。 bù zhì yú bái bái diū shī xìng mìng 。”
“这药王鼎蕴含的力量十分神秘。或许能靠着此种联系，在大空洞中保持着方向感。这样的话，即便探索不成功、最起码也能顺利返回。不至于白白丢失性命。”
"It seems we need a special method in addition to the chess piece." Clock Daocong also understood the mystery.
“ yào zhī dào ， dà kōng dòng kě shì zì miàn yì yì shàng de dà kōng dòng 。 jù yǒu xiàn de zī liào jì zǎi ， bié shuō guāng xiàn 、 líng lì le ， jiù lián gōng shén shí chuán bō de wǔ tái dōu bù cún zài ， chè chè dǐ dǐ de xū wú zhī suǒ ……” mò yīn fēng de cāi cè ， yǐn dé le yī bù fèn xiān zhōu zhǎng lǎo de zàn tóng 。
“要知道，大空洞可是字面意义上的大空洞。据有限的资料记载，别说光线、灵力了，就连供神识传播的舞台都不存在，彻彻底底的虚无之所……”莫因风的猜测，引得了一部分仙舟长老的赞同。
"Interesting. I'm really curious now. What did Master Piaopiao painstakingly conceal?"
tàn suǒ dà kōng dòng ， shì bǐ shí xiū xiān zhě zuì chóng gāo de lǐ xiǎng 、 zhuī qiú zhī yī 。 sūn piāo miǎo wán quán yǒu kě néng zhè me zuò 。
探索大空洞，是彼时修仙者最崇高的理想、追求之一。孙缥缈完全有可能这么做。
"This gray chess piece, though mysterious in origin, isn't necessarily related to divine power," said one of the elders. "The Immortal Ruins have collected many divine artifacts and can discern their nature."
“ bù guǎn tā de mù dì wèi hé ， rú guǒ néng gǎo qīng chǔ wéi chí zhè xiǎo dǐng lián xì de shén mì lì liàng ， duì wǒ men xiān zhōu ér yán yě jué duì shì jiàn hǎo shì 。” yǒu le míng què de mù biāo ， jiē xià lái de yán jiū jìn zhǎn jiù shùn lì le xǔ duō 。
“不管他的目的为何，如果能搞清楚维持这小鼎联系的神秘力量，对我们仙舟而言也绝对是件好事。”有了明确的目标，接下来的研究进展就顺利了许多。
Li Fan suddenly interjected with a different perspective: "Oh? What does Li Brother mean?"
jīng guò zhòng zhǎng lǎo 、 bāo kuò lǐ fán de yí zhì biǎo jué ， zhòng rén jué dìng jiāng yào wáng dǐng chè dǐ róng liàn ， jiāng dǐng zhōng yùn cáng de shén mì lì liàng gěi bī chū lái 。
经过众长老、包括李凡的一致表决，众人决定将药王鼎彻底熔炼，将鼎中蕴藏的神秘力量给逼出来。
In the Immortal Ruins, Li Fan was respected for his achievements. His conclusion wasn't taken lightly as everyone asked him to explain.
zuò wéi míng miàn shàng de liàn dān bǎo dǐng ， yào wáng dǐng de jiān gù chéng dù wú yōng zhì yí 。 bì jìng zhī qián tā de tóng wèi tǐ ， hái chéng dān guò dā zài zhe yào wáng zōng quán tǐ héng dù xū kōng de shǐ mìng 。
作为明面上的炼丹宝鼎，药王鼎的坚固程度毋庸置疑。毕竟之前它的同位体，还承担过搭载着药王宗全体横渡虚空的使命。
"Simple. Just look at its reaction to the [显] character." The elders were surprised when they heard this.
bù guò duì yú yǐ jīng zhǎng wò le zhēn xiān zhuàn zì lì liàng de xiān zhōu lái shuō ， yào wáng zōng de jiān gù ， gēn běn bù zhí yī tí 。
不过对于已经掌握了真仙篆字力量的仙舟来说，药王宗的坚固，根本不值一提。
Many of them clapped their hands in realization: "Exactly! While the [显] character can reveal connections between things, the Medicine King Cauldron... or rather, the gray chess piece, reacted far too sensitively to residual divine power."
pēng ！ pēng ！ wú xíng jù lì de niǎn yā xià ， gǔ tóng sè xiǎo dǐng chà nà suì liè wàn qiān ， ér hòu jì xù bèi yán mó shì dé 、 fēn jiě chéng gèng xì xiǎo de wēi lì 。
砰！砰！无形巨力的碾压下，古铜色小鼎刹那碎裂万千，而后继续被研磨似得、分解成更细小的微粒。
"Indeed!" To verify Li Fan's hypothesis, Lu Yuzhi took out a colorful stone.
zuì hòu ， zhè xiē kē lì kě dōu bù fù cún zài 。 xiān zhōu zhǎng lǎo men de shén qíng ， què suí zhe róng jiě jìn chéng de jìn xíng ， shén qíng ér biàn dé zhú jiàn yán sù le qǐ lái 。
最后，这些颗粒可都不复存在。仙舟长老们的神情，却随着溶解进程的进行，神情而变得逐渐严肃了起来。
"This stone is made from an jade crystal core. There are eighteen in total; the other seventeen are stored in my study." As he spoke, he activated the [显] character.
yīn wèi tā men fā xiàn ， gòu zào yào wáng dǐng de zhè xiē wù zhì ， bìng méi yǒu suí zhe shī jiā wài lì de zēng jiā ér xiāo shī 。
因为他们发现，构造药王鼎的这些物质，并没有随着施加外力的增加而消失。
The True Sage characters' power permeated the colorful stone as if divine energy slowly seeped through it. After much time, a guiding mist and fine lines emerged from within.
zhǐ bù guò gèng jiā níng liàn bà le 。
只不过更加凝练罢了。
It was clearly different from the Medicine King Cauldron's reaction.
“ zhī qián fēn xī ， zhè yào wáng dǐng shì yóu yī xiē xī yǒu kuàng shí 、 jiā gè xiū xiān jiè tiān cái dì bǎo liàn huà duàn zào ér chéng 。”
“之前分析，这药王鼎是由一些稀有矿石、加各修仙界天材地宝炼化锻造而成。”
"We thought it was due to the mysterious power within the cauldron before. Now we realize that it’s actually due to the material itself!"
“ xiàn zài kàn lái ， dōu shì jiǎ xiàng ！”
“现在看来，都是假象！”
"There is a difference between divine and mortal realms. Divine objects naturally have a higher sensitivity to divine energy." The elders sighed.
“ zhè zhǒng wù zhì ……” xiān zhōu zhòng zhǎng lǎo men ， jǐn jǐn dīng zhuó lì chǎng zhōng de zuì zhōng biàn huà 。 ròu yǎn dōu kě bù jiàn de dà xiǎo ， shèn zhì ruò bú shì quán chéng jiān dū ， jiù lián shén shí dōu wú fǎ qīng yì chá jué 。
“这种物质……”仙舟众长老们，紧紧盯着力场中的最终变化。肉眼都可不见的大小，甚至若不是全程监督，就连神识都无法轻易察觉。
"Still, don't forget that this chess piece's indication suggests there are similar objects in the starry sea! Divine realm objects..." Everyone was intrigued.
nóng suō dào jí zhì ， què bìng bú shì chún cuì de yuán qiú zhuàng 。 ér shì lüè xiǎn biǎn píng 、 shuāng miàn tū qǐ ， hǎo sì yī lì qí zi mú yàng ！
浓缩到极致，却并不是纯粹的圆球状。而是略显扁平、双面凸起，好似一粒棋子模样！
Clock Daocong remained calm: "First, we need to understand the nature of this gray chess piece."
“ ruò dà de yào wáng dǐng ， jiù shì yóu cǐ wù biàn huà ér lái ？” yī zhòng zhǎng lǎo ， jiē shì chēng mù jié shé 。
“偌大的药王鼎，就是由此物变化而来？”一众长老，皆是瞠目结舌。
"Unexplained things can sometimes bring more harm than good." With the source confirmed, the Immortal Ruins had a set process for studying divine realm objects. They could test different True Sage characters without damaging the object.
lǐ fán yě kàn zhe nà huī sè de qí zi ， sī xù què shì fǎng fú huí dào le ， shèng tāi fēn shēn yù shǐ zhe jiā qiáng yào wáng dǐng 、 chōng xiàng xiān xū de nà yī shì 。
李凡也看着那灰色的棋子，思绪却是仿佛回到了，圣胎分身御使着加强药王鼎、冲向仙墟的那一世。
Li Fan was also introduced to one of the Immortal Ruins' treasures: an empty scroll.
“ dāng shí ， bèi zhēn xiān yī yǎn miè shì gěi zhèn hàn 、 bù jué qí yì 。 xiàn zài xiǎng lái ， què shì yǒu yī xiē bù hé lǐ zhī chù 。”
“当时，被真仙一眼灭世给震撼、不觉其异。现在想来，却是有一些不合理之处。”
"Why is it called [All-Encompassing Yin-Yang Diagram]? It's clearly blank," Li Fan asked curiously.
“ zhēn xiān yǎn zhōng ， xiū shì dōu rú lóu yǐ 。 gèng bié tí dāng shí zhǐ yǒu fán rén xiū wèi de shèng tāi le 。”
“真仙眼中，修士都如蝼蚁。更别提当时只有凡人修为的圣胎了。”
Clock Daocong said proudly, "Because it encompasses all phenomena in the world, hence its name."
“A vast void, indeed. This must be the reason why Master Piaopiao couldn't continue his exploration.” Li Fan said with a sigh.
He thought to himself: "This must be the reason behind those eighteen markers left by Master Piaopiao! The scope of his exploration was far beyond just 18 realms. But he only left these... There must be some secret that can’t be openly spoken about, and thus had to use such a method for concealment."
"Leisurely Realm, Xuan Shang Realm, Light Sea Realm, Beigeg Realm, Spirit Hill Realm..." Li Fan thought back to the information passed down by Master Piaopiao of the Medicine King Sect. He was once the young master of that sect.
Back then, he didn't pay much attention to it. One reason being the arrival of a great calamity and the destruction of all realms; another because even if these realms hadn’t been destroyed, their spatial positions had surely shifted due to the existence of the Immortal Ruins.
Therefore, the markers passed down by Master Piaopiao no longer held any meaning.
"Could it be that Master Piaopiao foresaw this situation and left behind the Medicine King Cauldron as a backup?" A bold hypothesis flashed through Li Fan's mind. There was no concrete evidence; it was just his fleeting conjecture.
The discussion among the Immortal Ruins' elders continued.
"The power contained within the Medicine King Cauldron is very mysterious. Perhaps, by relying on this connection, one can maintain their direction in the vast void. Even if exploration fails, at least they could return safely without losing their lives."
"Remember, the vast void is a literal void. According to limited records, not only does it lack light and spiritual energy, but even the stage for divine sense transmission doesn't exist. It's completely empty..." The conjecture of the Immortal Ruins' elders gained some support.
Exploring the vast void was one of the highest ideals and pursuits for cultivators at that time. Master Piaopiao could have done so.
"Regardless of his purpose, if we can figure out what maintains this connection in the small cauldron, it would be beneficial to us." With a clear goal, the research progressed much more smoothly.
After unanimous agreement among the elders and Li Fan, they decided to completely melt the Medicine King Cauldron and extract the mysterious power within. As an openly known treasure for alchemy, the Medicine King Cauldron's durability was beyond doubt. After all, its predecessor had carried the entire sect across the void.
However, for the Immortal Ruins, which already possessed the power of True Sage characters, the Medicine King Sect’s strength was insignificant.
With a deafening sound, the ancient bronze cauldron shattered into countless pieces under the碾压 of无形巨力. It continued to be ground down into finer particles until it no longer existed.
However, as the dissolving process progressed, their expressions grew increasingly serious. They discovered that the materials used in constructing the Medicine King Cauldron did not disappear with increased external force; they simply became more condensed.
"Previously, we analyzed that this Medicine King Cauldron was forged from rare minerals and various celestial treasures of different realms."
"Now it seems to be a deception!"
"This material..." The Immortal Ruins' elders closely watched the final changes in the field. Even their divine sense could barely detect them due to their microscopic size.
Condensed to an extreme, but not purely spherical. It was slightly flat with convex surfaces on both sides, resembling a chess piece!
"Such a large Medicine King Cauldron transformed from this material?" The elders were all speechless.
Li Fan looked at the gray chess piece and his thoughts seemed to return to that world where he used the enhanced Medicine King Cauldron to rush towards the Immortal Ruins.
"At that time, I was shocked by the True Sage's destruction of the entire realm. Now thinking about it, there were some unreasonable aspects."
"In the eyes of a True Sage, cultivators are like ants. Let alone the Holy Embryo at my current level."
"A True Sage in seclusion, how could they be disturbed?"
"Just as I never let ants interrupt my seclusion. They would be torn apart by my protective measures before they even got close."
"But that True Sage of the Immortal Ruins was truly interrupted!"
"Recall from the previous life when I used a divine array to destroy the Xuan Yang realm, He only sent a fragmentary image to check." Li Fan's eyes narrowed as he seemed to return to that scene. In the pitch-black void, a vast wilderness suddenly appeared.
On this wilderness, countless ruins were scattered. The True Sage was nothing more than a layer of skin hanging on bones, resembling a skeleton.
Dozens of red chains deeply embedded in the ground trapped the True Sage on the wilderness. When he sensed Li Fan or the Medicine King Cauldron he controlled...
The enlightenment True Sage suddenly opened his eyes!
"Ah, so that's how it was. It wasn't just any external object that caused the True Sage to awaken."
"It must be this mysterious material used in forging the Medicine King Cauldron..." Li Fan’s thoughts returned to the present as he stared intently at the gray chess piece.
After returning to its original form, it seemed to strengthen its connection with its "companion" within the starry sea. No longer needing the [显] character, everyone could vaguely sense the direction of the connection.
However, it was intermittent and insufficient for guiding exploration.
"It seems we need a special method in addition to the chess piece." Clock Daocong also understood the mystery.
"Interesting. I'm really curious now. What did Master Piaopiao painstakingly conceal?"
"This gray chess piece, though mysterious in origin, isn't necessarily related to divine power," said one of the elders. "The Immortal Ruins have collected many divine artifacts and can discern their nature."
Li Fan suddenly interjected with a different perspective: "Oh? What does Li Brother mean?"
In the Immortal Ruins, Li Fan was respected for his achievements. His conclusion wasn't taken lightly as everyone asked him to explain.
"Simple. Just look at its reaction to the [显] character." The elders were surprised when they heard this.
Many of them clapped their hands in realization: "Exactly! While the [显] character can reveal connections between things, the Medicine King Cauldron... or rather, the gray chess piece, reacted far too sensitively to residual divine power."
"Indeed!" To verify Li Fan's hypothesis, Lu Yuzhi took out a colorful stone.
"This stone is made from an jade crystal core. There are eighteen in total; the other seventeen are stored in my study." As he spoke, he activated the [显] character.
The True Sage characters' power permeated the colorful stone as if divine energy slowly seeped through it. After much time, a guiding mist and fine lines emerged from within.
It was clearly different from the Medicine King Cauldron's reaction.
"We thought it was due to the mysterious power within the cauldron before. Now we realize that it’s actually due to the material itself!"
"There is a difference between divine and mortal realms. Divine objects naturally have a higher sensitivity to divine energy." The elders sighed.
"Still, don't forget that this chess piece's indication suggests there are similar objects in the starry sea! Divine realm objects..." Everyone was intrigued.
Clock Daocong remained calm: "First, we need to understand the nature of this gray chess piece."
"Unexplained things can sometimes bring more harm than good." With the source confirmed, the Immortal Ruins had a set process for studying divine realm objects. They could test different True Sage characters without damaging the object.
Li Fan was also introduced to one of the Immortal Ruins' treasures: an empty scroll.
"Why is it called [All-Encompassing Yin-Yang Diagram]? It's clearly blank," Li Fan asked curiously.
Clock Daocong said proudly, "Because it encompasses all phenomena in the world, hence its name."