“ zhè 【 wàn xiàng yīn yáng tú 】 de shǐ yòng fāng fǎ yě jiǎn dān 。 rú tóng yí miàn jìng zi ， néng jiāng shì wù de běn zhì ， xiǎn xiàn zài kòng bái huà juàn shàng 。 dāng rán ， wèi bì huì nà me zhí bái 。 huò xǔ hái yào lìng wài cān wù ……”
“这【万象阴阳图】的使用方法也简单。如同一面镜子，能将事物的本质，显现在空白画卷上。当然，未必会那么直白。或许还要另外参悟……”
The analysis of the "Wanxiang Map" had reached its limit. Elder Clock solemnly stated, and together with the other elders, they carefully stored away the Yin-Yang Wanxiang Map.
“ bù guò zài zěn me shuō ， yě bǐ zhí jiē yán jiū zhè huī sè qí zi yào róng yì bù shǎo 。” zhōng dào gōng zhè bān shuō zhe ， zuǐ chún zhāng hé ， jiāng kòng bái huà juàn xú xú zhǎn kāi 。
“不过再怎么说，也比直接研究这灰色棋子要容易不少。”钟道恭这般说着，嘴唇张合，将空白画卷徐徐展开。
They then looked at the gray chess piece floating in mid-air and fell into a strange silence.
rú tóng yī tiáo cháng lóng ， piāo fú zài zhòng rén tóu dǐng 。
如同一条长龙，漂浮在众人头顶。
"If my understanding is correct, this gray chess piece seems to be the world after all living beings have perished and everything has withered? That tall figure should be the true immortal from the higher realm," Li Fan was the first to speak.
“ qù ！” huī sè qí zi ， huǎn huǎn fēi xiàng wàn xiàng yīn yáng tú 。 kào jìn de mǒu gè chà nà ， xiāo shī zài le zhòng rén shì yě lǐ 。
“去！”灰色棋子，缓缓飞向万象阴阳图。靠近的某个刹那，消失在了众人视野里。
No one responded. After a long while, Elder See shook his head and expressed his opinion: "Although the analysis of the Wanxiang Map directly points to the essence of the matter, it won't be that simple."
ér kòng bái de huà juàn shàng ， xiàng bèi dī luò le zhǒng zhǒng yán liào shì dé ， guǐ jué lí qí de huà miàn kāi shǐ chū xiàn 。
而空白的画卷上，像被滴落了种种颜料似得，诡谲离奇的画面开始出现。
"The Medicine King Cauldron almost forms an independent world on its own. It can spontaneously generate primordial energy and cultivate medicinal plants…"
hǎo sì yī cháng yán liào nǐ hé de fēng bào ， bù tóng sè cǎi jiāo zhī 、 pèng zhuàng 、 lí hé 。
好似一场颜料拟合的风暴，不同色彩交织、碰撞、离合。
"Could this possibly be a world where life has completely vanished?" Elder Clock agreed: "That's right. I believe this concrete or actual world represented by the chess piece does not signify death, but rather that it has lost its role on the board and completed its mission."
“ néng gòu jiě xī xiān jiè zhī wù ， zhè wàn xiàng yīn yáng tú ， mò fēi yě shì lái zì xiān jiè ？” lǐ fán kàn zhe huà juàn shàng yǎn de bù tíng biàn huàn ， suí kǒu wèn dào 。
“能够解析仙界之物，这万象阴阳图，莫非也是来自仙界？”李凡看着画卷上演的不停变幻，随口问道。
As he spoke, black and white lines crisscrossed, and the black and white chess pieces fell one after another.
“ fēi yě ， fēi yě 。 zhè wàn xiàng tú ， dǎo shì bù zhé bù kòu de xià jiè zhī wù 。” jiàn dào shēng xiào le xiào ， jiě dá le lǐ fán de yí huò 。
“非也，非也。这万象图，倒是不折不扣的下界之物。”见道升笑了笑，解答了李凡的疑惑。
Then the black pieces surrounded and ate up a group of white ones. These eaten white pieces left the board and had no chance to return.
“ cǐ tú ， nǎi shì dāng nián xuán shāng xiān zhōu shōu zì yú yī wèi luò pò xiū shì 。”
“此图，乃是当年玄商仙舟收自于一位落魄修士。”
They transformed into gray and no longer participated in the competition between black and white.
“ cǐ xiū shì de zǔ xiān ， yuán běn shì xīng hǎi zhōng hè hè yǒu míng de 【 xīng dào zōng 】 dí chuán dì zǐ 。 yuǎn gǔ zhī shí ， xīng dào zōng de shì lì fù gài shù gè lín jìn de xiū xiān jiè 。 zōng mén miào fǎ ， jù shuō néng zhǎng kòng xīng hǎi zhī dào ， bǐ qǐ dào yǒu chuán shòu gěi wǒ men de tài jiǎ shén shù ， hái yào gāo chū yī chóu 。” lǐ fán méi máo yáng le yáng ：“ zhè yàng yí gè xuān hè dà pài ， yòu shì rú hé mò luò le ？”
“此修士的祖先，原本是星海中赫赫有名的【星道宗】嫡传弟子。远古之时，星道宗的势力覆盖数个邻近的修仙界。宗门妙法，据说能掌控星海之道，比起道友传授给我们的太甲神术，还要高出一筹。”李凡眉毛扬了扬：“这样一个煊赫大派，又是如何没落了？”
"Elder Clock's explanation seems more reasonable," the exchange among the elders on the immortal ship was straightforward, with no hidden agendas; they said what was on their minds.
“ zhè què shì qiān gǔ mí tuán le 。 bié shuō xiàn zài ， nǎ pà zài dāng nián yě shì zhòng shuō fēn yún ， méi yǒu zhǔn què dá àn 。 yǒu rén shuō shì chù nù le shàng jiè zhēn xiān ， shàng jiè jiàng xià le xiān fá 。 yě yǒu rén shuō ， shì xīng dào zōng wàng tú liàn huà 、 zhǎng kòng xīng hǎi tiān dào ， zuì zhōng bèi xīng hǎi fǎn shì ……”
“这却是千古谜团了。别说现在，哪怕在当年也是众说纷纭，没有准确答案。有人说是触怒了上界真仙，上界降下了仙罚。也有人说，是星道宗妄图炼化、掌控星海天道，最终被星海反噬……”
Most of the elders agreed with Elder Clock's analysis of the Wanxiang Map image.
“ zǒng zhī ， bù zhī wèi hé ， xīng hǎi zōng nèi gāo céng yǐ jí zhōng liú dǐ zhù men ， fǎng fú yī yè zhī jiān quán dōu xiāo shī le bān 。 ér shèng xià de gǎo bù qīng zhuàng kuàng de xià céng dì zǐ men ， zài děng dài le shǎo xǔ 、 fā xiàn shì qíng sì hū chè dǐ méi yǒu wǎn huí yú dì hòu ， fēn fēn zuò niǎo shòu sàn 。 lín zǒu qián ， hái bù wàng jiàng mén nèi néng ná zǒu de wù jiàn qiǎng duó yī kōng 。”
“总之，不知为何，星海宗内高层以及中流砥柱们，仿佛一夜之间全都消失了般。而剩下的搞不清状况的下层弟子们，在等待了少许、发现事情似乎彻底没有挽回余地后，纷纷做鸟兽散。临走前，还不忘将门内能拿走的物件抢夺一空。”
"True immortals wielded the chess pieces and descended to the lower realm like chess pieces."
“ bù guò yí gè yuè gōng fu ， zhè xīng hǎi zhōng wēi míng zhèng shèng de dà zōng mén ， jiù zhè yàng wǎ jiě le 。” jiàn dào shēng yǒu xiē xī xū dào 。
“不过一个月功夫，这星海中威名正盛的大宗门，就这样瓦解了。”见道升有些唏嘘道。
"If this is true, then why did the person set up this chessboard? And is there a final winner?" A larger mystery emerged in everyone's hearts.
“ zhè wàn xiàng yīn yáng tú ， jiù shì dāng nián xīng dào zōng de yī jiàn bǎo wù 。 jù shuō xīng dào zōng tōng xīng diàn nèi ， xīng dào zōng xiū shì yòng lái lián tōng 、 gǎn wù xīng hǎi tiān dào de dì fāng ， guà mǎn le zhè yàng de wàn xiàng yīn yáng tú 。”
“这万象阴阳图，就是当年星道宗的一件宝物。据说星道宗通星殿内，星道宗修士用来联通、感悟星海天道的地方，挂满了这样的万象阴阳图。”
"For now, we don't need to delve too deeply into matters involving true immortals. Now that we know this gray chess piece was likely created by a true immortal, it can be considered half an immortal artifact even without the aid of immortal energy."
“ xīng hǎi tiān dào měi měi yǔ xiū shì chǎn shēng lián xì ， jiù rú wú xíng de mò bǐ ， zài huà juàn shàng liú xià hén jì 。 jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī ， zhè xiē huà juàn yě jiù jiāng xīng hǎi tiān dào lín mó jìn qí zhōng 。”…… tīng dào zhè lǐ ， lǐ fán bù yóu dǎ duàn ：“ jiù suàn shì xīng hǎi tiān dào de juān kè huà xiàng ， yòu zěn me huì néng xiǎn xiàn shàng jiè zhī wù ？” suī rán biǎo miàn zhuāng zuò bù zhī de rú cǐ zhī wèn ， dàn shí zé lǐ fán xīn zhōng yǐ jīng yǒu le dá àn 。
“星海天道每每与修士产生联系，就如无形的墨笔，在画卷上留下痕迹。久而久之，这些画卷也就将星海天道临摹进其中。”……听到这里，李凡不由打断：“就算是星海天道的镌刻画像，又怎么会能显现上界之物？”虽然表面装作不知的如此之问，但实则李凡心中已经有了答案。
"Imagine those gray chess pieces that lost their competitive qualifications; they are so extraordinary! It's hard to imagine what the black and white worlds still on the board would look like!" Lu Yuzhi said with great admiration.
zhōng dào gōng xiào le xiào ：“ xīng hǎi ， xià jiè ， nǎi shì wàn wù de jī shí 。”
钟道恭笑了笑：“星海，下界，乃是万物的基石。”
"Haha, don't forget that the Immortal Realm has already collapsed. Even the players might have fallen, let alone those on the chessboard. They probably followed the collapse of the Immortal Realm long ago," the elders of the immortal ship discussed heatedly.
“ dà dào tóu yǐng zuì zhōng xiǎn huà suǒ zài ， xiān jiè zòng shǐ gāo gāo zài shàng ， què yě bìng bú shì kōng zhōng lóu gé 。 zì xià ér shàng ， suī bù néng kuī qí zhēn yán ， què yě néng kuī dào zhī yǐng 。” lǐ fán wén yán ， hǎo sì dì yī cì jiē chù dào zhè lǐ lùn ， yī fù xīn shén jù zhèn de mú yàng 、 xiàn rù le shēn sī zhī zhōng 。
“大道投影最终显化所在，仙界纵使高高在上，却也并不是空中楼阁。自下而上，虽不能窥其真颜，却也能窥道之影。”李凡闻言，好似第一次接触到这理论，一副心神剧震的模样、陷入了深思之中。
After half a day of discussion, they reached an initial consensus: since it was essentially a world, they would treat it like one and refine it accordingly.
wàn xiàng yīn yáng tú de yǎn biàn réng rán zài jì xù 。 rú tóng yī wèi wú xíng zhēn xiān ， huī háo pō mò 、 bǐ zǒu lóng shé 。
万象阴阳图的演变仍然在继续。如同一位无形真仙，挥毫泼墨、笔走龙蛇。
The elders elected See Dao Sheng, Elder Clock, and four others to merge their minds and refine it together. However, Li Fan was not included among them.
zuì zhōng yán sè fēng bào gù dìng zài yī fù huà miàn shàng ， fēng píng làng jìng 。 lǐ fán kàn zhe tóu dǐng de tú huà ， tóng kǒng wēi suō 。
最终颜色风暴固定在一副画面上，风平浪静。李凡看着头顶的图画，瞳孔微缩。
To avoid upsetting Li Fan, the elders of the immortal ship explained in detail. Although he had already gained the trust of the elders, his time with the immortal ship was still short.
bìng fēi shì wú jù xì de xiě shí fēng gé ， ér shì pǒ wèi chōu xiàng 、 dà zhì chéng xiàn lún kuò de xiě yì huà zuò 。
并非事无巨细的写实风格，而是颇为抽象、大致呈现轮廓的写意画作。
The most important reason was that
gāo dà de shēn yǐng ， zhàn jù le huà miàn jìn hū yí bàn de fàn wéi ， jū gāo lín xià 。 kàn bù qīng miàn róng ， shēn chū cháng cháng de bì bǎng 。
高大的身影，占据了画面近乎一半的范围，居高临下。看不清面容，伸出长长的臂膀。
"Time is running out," if he were to participate now, it would take less than twenty years for him to pass away, and then they would have to refine it again.
shēn yǐng xià fāng ， sì hū bǎi fàng zhe yī fù qí pán 。 qí pán shàng chén liè zhe de ， bú shì huī sè qí zi 。 ér shì yí gè gè jiǒng rán xiāng yì de xiū xiān shì jiè 。
身影下方，似乎摆放着一副棋盘。棋盘上陈列着的，不是灰色棋子。而是一个个迥然相异的修仙世界。
Suddenly, Li Fan waved his hand and stared directly at the gray chess piece being refined by everyone.
nà xiē sì hū zhǐ shì duō zhǒng yán sè róu hé zài yì qǐ de sè tuán ， cháng shì kuī tàn zhī xià ， nǎo hǎi zhōng jìng rán fú xiàn wú shù bù tóng shēng líng de huà miàn 。
那些似乎只是多种颜色糅合在一起的色团，尝试窥探之下，脑海中竟然浮现无数不同生灵的画面。
"This item is a hidden move left behind by Sun Piapo. If there are any abnormalities during the refining process, it means that Sun Piapo still exists in this world," he thought to himself.
tā men zài shì jiè zhōng shēng 、 lǎo 、 bìng 、 sǐ ， xiū xíng 、 sī shā 。 shēng líng de gù shì ， gēn xiū xiān jiè běn shēn yì qǐ ， yǎn yì zào jiù le qí pán shàng de yī méi qí zi 。
他们在世界中生、老、病、死，修行、厮杀。生灵的故事，跟修仙界本身一起，演绎造就了棋盘上的一枚棋子。
However, his hopes were dashed. The refining process of the elders on the immortal ship was surprisingly smooth. Soon after being refined, the gray color on the chess piece seemed to fade a bit.
hōng …… zài zhòng rén miàn qián zhǎn shì le shù xī de shí jiān ， zhè wàn xiàng yīn yáng tú hū rán jiān jiù xiàng bèi dà fēng chuī guò shì de ， bù jǐn huà juàn běn shēn jù liè bǎi dòng 。
轰……在众人面前展示了数息的时间，这万象阴阳图忽然间就像被大风吹过似的，不仅画卷本身剧烈摆动。
But it never completely disappeared.
shèn zhì huà bù shàng de yán liào ， yě gēn zhe bèi bào fēng xí juǎn 。 huà miàn zhú jiàn wǎ jiě 。 huī sè qí zi yě màn màn cóng huà zhōng tuì le chū lái 。
甚至画布上的颜料，也跟着被暴风席卷。画面逐渐瓦解。灰色棋子也慢慢从画中退了出来。
"Has Sun Piapo really fallen?" Li Fan temporarily suppressed his doubts and asked about everyone's feelings.
“ wàn xiàng tú de jiě gòu ， yǐ jīng dào jí xiàn le 。” zhōng dào gōng chén shēng dào ， lián hé yī zhòng zhǎng lǎo ， zhèng zhòng de shōu qǐ le yīn yáng wàn xiàng tú 。
“万象图的解构，已经到极限了。”钟道恭沉声道，联合一众长老，郑重的收起了阴阳万象图。
"Wonderful! The originally orderly world has been forged as if hammered by a heavy mallet. This technique is truly divine, truly divine!"
zhī hòu ， tā men kàn zhe zài kōng zhōng jìng jìng piāo fú de huī sè qí zi ， xiàn rù le guǐ yì de chén mò zhī zhōng 。
之后，他们看着在空中静静漂浮的灰色棋子，陷入了诡异的沉默之中。
"Not only did we forge the shape but also hundreds of possible futures. After refining it, we can manipulate it and transform between these forms at will..."
“ rú guǒ wǒ de lǐ jiě méi yǒu cuò de huà ， zhè huī sè qí zi ， sì hū shì shēng líng miè jué 、 wàn wù diāo bì hòu de xiū xiān jiè ？ nà míng gāo dà de shēn yǐng ， yīng gāi jiù shì shàng jiè zhēn xiān ？” hái shì lǐ fán ， shuài xiān kāi kǒu dào 。
“如果我的理解没有错的话，这灰色棋子，似乎是生灵灭绝、万物凋敝后的修仙界？那名高大的身影，应该就是上界真仙？”还是李凡，率先开口道。
"Um, this transformation requires a lot of energy; even primordial energy isn't enough."
méi yǒu rén huí yìng 。 guò le hǎo yī huì ， jiàn dào shēng zhǎng lǎo yáo yáo tóu ， fā biǎo le zì jǐ de guān diǎn ：“ suī shuō wàn xiàng tú de jiě xī zhí zhǐ shì qíng běn zhì 、 dàn què yě bú huì rú cǐ qiǎn xiǎn 。”
没有人回应。过了好一会，见道升长老摇摇头，发表了自己的观点：“虽说万象图的解析直指事情本质、但却也不会如此浅显。”
"I tried, but the power of true immortal inscriptions didn't work either," Nan Gong Lie's tone was filled with regret.
“ yào wáng dǐng zhōng ， jī hū zì chéng yī jiè 。 néng gòu zì fā shēng chéng líng qì 、 péi yǎng cǎo yào líng zhí ……”
“药王鼎中，几乎自成一界。能够自发生成灵气、培养草药灵植……”
The elders on the immortal ship were overjoyed as if they had just acquired a new treasure and began to study the gray chess piece.
“ yòu zěn me kě néng shì shēng jī jué miè de shì jiè néng gòu zuò dào ？” zhōng dào gōng fù hè dào ：“ bù cuò 。 wǒ yǐ wéi ， zhè jù xiàng huò zhě shuō shí jì shì qí zi de shì jiè ， bìng fēi shì dài biǎo zhe sǐ wáng 。 ér shì zhǐ zài qí pán shàng shī qù le zuò yòng ， yǐ jīng wán chéng shǐ mìng de qì zi 。” zhè me shuō zhe ， zòng héng xiàn tiáo jiāo cuò 、 hēi bái qí zi xiāng jì là xià 。
“又怎么可能是生机绝灭的世界能够做到？”钟道恭附和道：“不错。我以为，这具象或者说实际是棋子的世界，并非是代表着死亡。而是指在棋盘上失去了作用，已经完成使命的弃子。”这么说着，纵横线条交错、黑白棋子相继落下。
"Obtaining this item is significant for our immortal ship!"
rán hòu hēi zi bāo wéi ， jiāng yī piàn bái zi chī diào 。 zhè xiē bèi chī diào de bái zi ， lí kāi le qí pán 。 bìng zài méi yǒu jī huì chóng fǎn 。
然后黑子包围，将一片白子吃掉。这些被吃掉的白子，离开了棋盘。并再没有机会重返。
"We might be able to alleviate resource issues for a long time in the future!"
tuì biàn wèi huī sè ， bù zài cān yù hēi bái qí zi de jué zhú 。
蜕变为灰色，不再参与黑白棋子的角逐。
"Oh, such precious treasures have been hidden deep within our immortal ship's treasury. If not for Brother Li's reminder, we wouldn't know how much longer they would remain buried!" The elders of the immortal ship were filled with joy and regret as they transformed the gray chess piece into its current form.
“ zhōng zhǎng lǎo de jiě shì ， sì hū gèng yǒu dào lǐ xiē 。” xiān zhōu zhǎng lǎo zhī jiān de jiāo liú ， méi yǒu nà me duō de gōu xīn dòu jiǎo ， wǎng wǎng shì yǒu shá shuō shá 。
“钟长老的解释，似乎更有道理些。”仙舟长老之间的交流，没有那么多的勾心斗角，往往是有啥说啥。
It no longer served to cultivate medicinal plants but instead took on the most suitable shape for the current state of the immortal ship. Bang! Bang!
zhōng dào gōng duì wàn xiàng tú huà miàn de jiě gòu ， yǐn dé le jué dà duō shù zhǎng lǎo de zàn tóng 。
钟道恭对万象图画面的解构，引得了绝大多数长老的赞同。
Bang! It was like a series of imaginary hammers striking the gray chess piece, causing it to gradually expand in spatial structure and directly cover the outer shell of the immortal ship.
“ zhēn xiān zhí qí ， fēn fēn xià jiè rú zi 。”
“真仙执棋，纷纷下界如子。”
Under Li Fan's watchful eye, the immortal ship seemed to grow a layer of hard, gray keratin that covered its exterior.
“ rú guǒ zhēn shì rú cǐ ， bù xià zhè qí jú de mù dì yòu shì wèi hé ？ yòu jiū jìng yǒu méi yǒu zuì hòu de yíng jiā ne ？” suí zhī ， gèng dà de yí tuán chū xiàn zài zhòng rén xīn zhōng 。
“如果真是如此，布下这棋局的目的又是为何？又究竟有没有最后的赢家呢？”随之，更大的疑团出现在众人心中。
These layers not only provided protection but also continuously supplied primordial energy and resources to the interior of the ship.
“ zàn shí bù bì shēn jiū shè jí zhēn xiān céng miàn de shì 。 xiàn zài zhī dào ， zhè huī sè qí zi ， kǒng pà shì zhēn xiān chū shǒu ， jiāng shì jiè jì liàn 、 xíng chéng de qì wù 。 jiù suàn méi yǒu xiān líng zhī lì de jiā chí ， yě suàn de shàng bàn gè xiān qì le 。”
“暂时不必深究涉及真仙层面的事。现在知道，这灰色棋子，恐怕是真仙出手，将世界祭炼、形成的器物。就算没有仙灵之力的加持，也算的上半个仙器了。”
"We have added a protective layer from this world. Our ship's defensive capabilities are almost doubled, and stability has significantly improved."
“ hái shì yī zhěng tào de 。 shī qù jué zhú zī gé de huī sè qí zi ， dōu yǒu rú cǐ shén yì 。 zhēn nán xiǎng xiàng nà xiē zuì hòu réng zài qí pán shàng de hēi bái shuāng zi shì jiè ， yòu jiū jìng huì shì hé děng mú yàng ！” lù yǔ zhī pǒ wèi shén wǎng de shuō dào 。
“还是一整套的。失去角逐资格的灰色棋子，都有如此神异。真难想象那些最后仍在棋盘上的黑白双子世界，又究竟会是何等模样！”陆宇之颇为神往的说道。
"We no longer need to worry about a single true immortal inscription causing catastrophic damage!"
“ hē hē ， bié wàng le ， xiān jiè zǎo yǐ jīng pò miè 。 jiù lián qí shǒu shuō bù dìng dōu yǐ jīng yǔn luò ， gèng bié tí qí pán shàng de nà xiē le 。 kǒng pà zǎo yǐ jīng gēn suí xiān jiè yì qǐ xiāo shī le 。 fǎn dào shì zhè xiē xiān yī bù lí kāi qí jú de huī sè qí zi ， jī yuán qiǎo hé zhī xià 、 yǐ qì wù de xíng shì ， cái zuì zhōng dé yǐ liú cún xià lái 。”…… xiān zhōu zhǎng lǎo men ， yì lùn fēn fēn 。
“呵呵，别忘了，仙界早已经破灭。就连棋手说不定都已经陨落，更别提棋盘上的那些了。恐怕早已经跟随仙界一起消失了。反倒是这些先一步离开棋局的灰色棋子，机缘巧合之下、以器物的形式，才最终得以留存下来。”……仙舟长老们，议论纷纷。
"The gray chess piece accumulated ten thousand years of vitality, which we have now transferred entirely to the divine tree."
zuì zhōng jīng guò bàn rì de shāng tǎo ， dá chéng chū bù de tǒng yī yì jiàn 。 jì rán běn zhì shì shì jiè ， nà jiù yòng duì dài shì jiè de fāng fǎ qù liàn huà 。
最终经过半日的商讨，达成初步的统一意见。既然本质是世界，那就用对待世界的方法去炼化。
"The effects are evident! For at least a century, under normal circumstances, the divine tree won't require nourishment," the elders of the immortal ship were all overjoyed.
zhòng zhǎng lǎo tuī jǔ chū jiàn dào shēng 、 zhōng dào gōng děng wǔ rén ， fēn chū róng hé xīn shén ， qí qí liàn huà 。 wǔ rén zhōng ， què méi yǒu bāo kuò lǐ fán 。
众长老推举出见道升、钟道恭等五人，分出融合心神，齐齐炼化。五人中，却没有包括李凡。
At this moment, Li Fan suddenly said coldly: "Elders, given such significant gains, you shouldn't give up on your plans to cross the high wall, right?" The lively scene immediately turned cold.
wèi le bì miǎn yǐn qǐ lǐ fán de bù kuài ， xiān zhōu zhòng zhǎng lǎo hái tè yì jiě shì le yī fān 。 lǐ fán suī rán yǐ jīng qǔ dé le zhū wèi zhǎng lǎo de xìn rèn ， dàn bì jìng jiā rù xiān zhōu shí jiān hái duǎn 。
为了避免引起李凡的不快，仙舟众长老还特意解释了一番。李凡虽然已经取得了诸位长老的信任，但毕竟加入仙舟时间还短。
The elders instinctively avoided Li Fan's gaze. In the end, Elder Clock stepped forward to console him: "You don't need to worry."
zuì zhòng yào de yuán yīn ， hái shì tā
最重要的原因，还是他
"Crossing the high wall is a strategy we've long decided on and won't change due to resource abundance. You can rest assured about that."
“ dà xiàn jiāng zhì 。” rú guǒ xiàn zài ràng tā cān yù qí zhōng ， bú dào èr shí nián 、 tā shì qù hòu ， shì bì hái yào chóng xīn jì liàn 。
“大限将至。”如果现在让他参与其中，不到二十年、他逝去后，势必还要重新祭炼。
"But..."
děng děng 。…… lǐ fán bǎi le bǎi shǒu ， yī liǎn wú suǒ wèi de shén qíng 。 zhí zhí dīng zhe chǎng zhōng bèi zhòng rén liàn huà de nà méi huī sè qí zi 。
等等。……李凡摆了摆手，一脸无所谓的神情。直直盯着场中被众人炼化的那枚灰色棋子。
"We should prepare as much as possible. Based on the感应between these gray chess pieces, there are at least eleven more of them in the darkest star sea,"
“ cǐ wù nǎi shì sūn piāo miǎo liú xià de àn shǒu ， ruò shì liàn huà guò chéng zhōng chū xiàn yì cháng 、 jiù shuō míng sūn piāo miǎo réng rán cún huó yú shì jiān ……” lǐ fán xīn zhōng àn zì sī cǔn 。
“此物乃是孙缥缈留下的暗手，若是炼化过程中出现异常、就说明孙缥缈仍然存活于世间……”李凡心中暗自思忖。
"Even just one of them brought a world-shaking change to our immortal ship. If we gather all the chess pieces..." Elder Clock's eyes shone.
rán ér ràng tā shī wàng le 。 xiān zhōu zhòng zhǎng lǎo de liàn huà guò chéng ， chū qí de shùn lì 。 hěn kuài ， bèi liàn huà hòu de qí zi ， shēn shàng de huī sè fǎng fú dàn huà le yī xiē 。
然而让他失望了。仙舟众长老的炼化过程，出奇的顺利。很快，被炼化后的棋子，身上的灰色仿佛淡化了一些。
"What do you think? At that time, we might not need any additional aid; relying solely on external layers of protection, we could directly break through the high wall!"
bù guò zhōng jiū méi yǒu wán quán tùn qù huī sè 。
不过终究没有完全褪去灰色。
"Moreover, the direction indicated by the感应is clear. With our speed, even if we travel throughout the star sea, it won't take more than three years at most. Meanwhile, traveling will not affect our other preparations," Elder Clock provided a reasonable explanation.
“ sūn piāo miǎo zhēn de yǐ jīng yǔn luò le ？” xīn zhōng yí wèn yī shǎn ér guò ， lǐ fán zàn qiě jiāng qí yā xià ， xún wèn qǐ zhōng dào gōng děng rén de gǎn shòu qǐ lái 。
“孙缥缈真的已经陨落了？”心中疑问一闪而过，李凡暂且将其压下，询问起钟道恭等人的感受起来。
Li Fan pondered for a moment and nodded lightly, accepting his words. The previously unusual atmosphere gradually returned to normal.
“ miào zāi 。 yuán běn sēn rán yǒu xù de shì jiè tiān dào ， què fǎng fú bèi zhòng chuí chuí liàn ， chóng xīn duàn zào 。 zhè děng shǒu duàn ， shén hū qí jì 、 shén hū qí jì a ！”
“妙哉。原本森然有序的世界天道，却仿佛被重锤锤炼，重新锻造。这等手段，神乎其技、神乎其技啊！”
"Since that's the case, let's get moving without delay."
“ bù jǐn jǐn zhǐ shì duàn zào le yí gè xíng tài 。 shèn zhì yǐ jīng duàn zào le shù bǎi zhǒng wèi lái de kě néng 。 jiāng qí liàn huà hòu ， néng gòu cāo zòng tā ， suí yì zài zhè xiē xíng tài zhōng fā shēng zhuǎn biàn ……”
“不仅仅只是锻造了一个形态。甚至已经锻造了数百种未来的可能。将其炼化后，能够操纵它，随意在这些形态中发生转变……”
"I'm also very curious about what will happen after we gather all these gray chess pieces," Li Fan said indifferently.
“ é ， zhè zhǒng zhuǎn biàn ， yīng gāi hái yào dà liàng de néng liàng 。 líng qì dōu bù zú yǐ zhī chí 。”
“额，这种转变，应该还要大量的能量。灵气都不足以支持。”
The elders looked at each other before holding a simple discussion meeting. They first reached a consensus: "The Immortal Ship Xuan is definitely not something to be moved lightly."
“ wǒ shì le xià ， zhēn xiān zhuàn zì de lì liàng ， yě dōu bù xíng 。” nán gōng liè de yǔ qì zhōng ， chōng mǎn le yí hàn 。
“我试了下，真仙篆字的力量，也都不行。”南宫烈的语气中，充满了遗憾。
"Correct, with the current strength of the ship's hull, it can't yet face the pressure beneath the high wall directly."
wǎn ruò dào shǒu le yī jiàn xīn qí de bǎo bèi ， xiān zhōu zhǎng lǎo men xīn xǐ wàn fēn de ， duì huī sè qí zi jìn xíng le zuān yán 。
宛若到手了一件新奇的宝贝，仙舟长老们欣喜万分的，对灰色棋子进行了钻研。
"Gathering gray chess pieces doesn't mean we need everyone to move; instead, it would be more cumbersome. It's better for us to go alone,"
“ cǐ wù rù shǒu ， duì wǒ men xiān zhōu ér yán ， yì yì zhòng dà ！”
“此物入手，对我们仙舟而言，意义重大！”
"Relying on感应to command and guide directions while others scatter throughout the star sea to gather gray chess pieces."
“ huò xǔ wǒ men zài jīn hòu hěn zhǎng yī duàn shí jiān nèi ， zī yuán wèn tí dū huì bèi dà dà huǎn jiě le ！”
“或许我们在今后很长一段时间内，资源问题都会被大大缓解了！”
"This should increase efficiency."
“ āi yā ， rú cǐ zhòng bǎo ， jìng rán yì zhí shēn cáng zài wǒ men xiān zhōu bǎo kù zhōng 。 yào bú shì lǐ xiōng de tí xǐng ， wǒ men zhēn bù zhī dào hái yào jiāng qí mái mò duō jiǔ ！” xiān zhōu zhǎng lǎo men xīn xǐ 、 ào nǎo de qíng xù róu zá xià ， zuì zhōng yòu biàn huàn le huī sè qí zi de xíng tài 。
“哎呀，如此重宝，竟然一直深藏在我们仙舟宝库中。要不是李兄的提醒，我们真不知道还要将其埋没多久！”仙舟长老们欣喜、懊恼的情绪糅杂下，最终又变幻了灰色棋子的形态。
"At least three people per group to prevent any unexpected incidents,"
bù zài shì kě yǐ péi yù líng zhí de yào wáng dǐng 。 ér shì zuì shì hé dāng qián xiān zhōu de mú yàng 。 pēng ！ pēng ！
不再是可以培育灵植的药王鼎。而是最适合当前仙舟的模样。砰！砰！
"There are seven or eight of them, not far from where we currently are. They seem to be in the area of the remnants of the Great Wall. Let's complete that collection first," during their discussion, Li Fan also said: "I can contribute my share. With the aid of the遁术, even crossing the star sea would only take a day."
pēng ！ jiù xiàng yī bǐng bǐng xū wú zhòng chuí ， zài chuí dǎ zhe huī sè qí zi 。 zhè yuán běn xiǎo xiǎo de yī wù ， zài kōng jiān jié gòu shàng suí zhī xú xú zhǎn kāi 。
砰！就像一柄柄虚无重锤，在捶打着灰色棋子。这原本小小的一物，在空间结构上随之徐徐展开。
The elders on the immortal ship had no reason to reject Li Fan's proposal this time.
zhí jiē fù gài zài xiān zhōu wài ké 。 zài lǐ fán de zhù shì xià ， xiān zhōu hǎo sì zhǎng chū 、 fù gài le yī céng huī sè de jiān yìng jiǎo zhì 。
直接覆盖在仙舟外壳。在李凡的注视下，仙舟好似长出、覆盖了一层灰色的坚硬角质。
After reaching an initial consensus, the first task to retrieve gray chess pieces was assigned to Li Fan, Nan Gong Lie, Lu Yuzhi, and four other elders from the Daoist Academy of Enlightenment.
zhè xiē jiǎo zhì céng ， bù jǐn néng qǐ dào fáng hù zuò yòng 。 hái néng wèi xiān zhōu nèi ， yuán yuán bù duàn de tí gōng líng qì 、 zī yuán 。
这些角质层，不仅能起到防护作用。还能为仙舟内，源源不断的提供灵气、资源。
"First, we need to investigate. If any danger arises, our primary concern should be self-preservation," Elder Clock reminded them before their departure.
The analysis of the "Wanxiang Map" had reached its limit. Elder Clock solemnly stated, and together with the other elders, they carefully stored away the Yin-Yang Wanxiang Map.
They then looked at the gray chess piece floating in mid-air and fell into a strange silence.
"If my understanding is correct, this gray chess piece seems to be the world after all living beings have perished and everything has withered? That tall figure should be the true immortal from the higher realm," Li Fan was the first to speak.
No one responded. After a long while, Elder See shook his head and expressed his opinion: "Although the analysis of the Wanxiang Map directly points to the essence of the matter, it won't be that simple."
"The Medicine King Cauldron almost forms an independent world on its own. It can spontaneously generate primordial energy and cultivate medicinal plants…"
"Could this possibly be a world where life has completely vanished?" Elder Clock agreed: "That's right. I believe this concrete or actual world represented by the chess piece does not signify death, but rather that it has lost its role on the board and completed its mission."
As he spoke, black and white lines crisscrossed, and the black and white chess pieces fell one after another.
Then the black pieces surrounded and ate up a group of white ones. These eaten white pieces left the board and had no chance to return.
They transformed into gray and no longer participated in the competition between black and white.
"Elder Clock's explanation seems more reasonable," the exchange among the elders on the immortal ship was straightforward, with no hidden agendas; they said what was on their minds.
Most of the elders agreed with Elder Clock's analysis of the Wanxiang Map image.
"True immortals wielded the chess pieces and descended to the lower realm like chess pieces."
"If this is true, then why did the person set up this chessboard? And is there a final winner?" A larger mystery emerged in everyone's hearts.
"For now, we don't need to delve too deeply into matters involving true immortals. Now that we know this gray chess piece was likely created by a true immortal, it can be considered half an immortal artifact even without the aid of immortal energy."
"Imagine those gray chess pieces that lost their competitive qualifications; they are so extraordinary! It's hard to imagine what the black and white worlds still on the board would look like!" Lu Yuzhi said with great admiration.
"Haha, don't forget that the Immortal Realm has already collapsed. Even the players might have fallen, let alone those on the chessboard. They probably followed the collapse of the Immortal Realm long ago," the elders of the immortal ship discussed heatedly.
After half a day of discussion, they reached an initial consensus: since it was essentially a world, they would treat it like one and refine it accordingly.
The elders elected See Dao Sheng, Elder Clock, and four others to merge their minds and refine it together. However, Li Fan was not included among them.
To avoid upsetting Li Fan, the elders of the immortal ship explained in detail. Although he had already gained the trust of the elders, his time with the immortal ship was still short.
The most important reason was that
"Time is running out," if he were to participate now, it would take less than twenty years for him to pass away, and then they would have to refine it again.
Suddenly, Li Fan waved his hand and stared directly at the gray chess piece being refined by everyone.
"This item is a hidden move left behind by Sun Piapo. If there are any abnormalities during the refining process, it means that Sun Piapo still exists in this world," he thought to himself.
However, his hopes were dashed. The refining process of the elders on the immortal ship was surprisingly smooth. Soon after being refined, the gray color on the chess piece seemed to fade a bit.
But it never completely disappeared.
"Has Sun Piapo really fallen?" Li Fan temporarily suppressed his doubts and asked about everyone's feelings.
"Wonderful! The originally orderly world has been forged as if hammered by a heavy mallet. This technique is truly divine, truly divine!"
"Not only did we forge the shape but also hundreds of possible futures. After refining it, we can manipulate it and transform between these forms at will..."
"Um, this transformation requires a lot of energy; even primordial energy isn't enough."
"I tried, but the power of true immortal inscriptions didn't work either," Nan Gong Lie's tone was filled with regret.
The elders on the immortal ship were overjoyed as if they had just acquired a new treasure and began to study the gray chess piece.
"Obtaining this item is significant for our immortal ship!"
"We might be able to alleviate resource issues for a long time in the future!"
"Oh, such precious treasures have been hidden deep within our immortal ship's treasury. If not for Brother Li's reminder, we wouldn't know how much longer they would remain buried!" The elders of the immortal ship were filled with joy and regret as they transformed the gray chess piece into its current form.
It no longer served to cultivate medicinal plants but instead took on the most suitable shape for the current state of the immortal ship. Bang! Bang!
Bang! It was like a series of imaginary hammers striking the gray chess piece, causing it to gradually expand in spatial structure and directly cover the outer shell of the immortal ship.
Under Li Fan's watchful eye, the immortal ship seemed to grow a layer of hard, gray keratin that covered its exterior.
These layers not only provided protection but also continuously supplied primordial energy and resources to the interior of the ship.
"We have added a protective layer from this world. Our ship's defensive capabilities are almost doubled, and stability has significantly improved."
"We no longer need to worry about a single true immortal inscription causing catastrophic damage!"
"The gray chess piece accumulated ten thousand years of vitality, which we have now transferred entirely to the divine tree."
"The effects are evident! For at least a century, under normal circumstances, the divine tree won't require nourishment," the elders of the immortal ship were all overjoyed.
At this moment, Li Fan suddenly said coldly: "Elders, given such significant gains, you shouldn't give up on your plans to cross the high wall, right?" The lively scene immediately turned cold.
The elders instinctively avoided Li Fan's gaze. In the end, Elder Clock stepped forward to console him: "You don't need to worry."
"Crossing the high wall is a strategy we've long decided on and won't change due to resource abundance. You can rest assured about that."
"But..."
"We should prepare as much as possible. Based on the感应between these gray chess pieces, there are at least eleven more of them in the darkest star sea,"
"Even just one of them brought a world-shaking change to our immortal ship. If we gather all the chess pieces..." Elder Clock's eyes shone.
"What do you think? At that time, we might not need any additional aid; relying solely on external layers of protection, we could directly break through the high wall!"
"Moreover, the direction indicated by the感应is clear. With our speed, even if we travel throughout the star sea, it won't take more than three years at most. Meanwhile, traveling will not affect our other preparations," Elder Clock provided a reasonable explanation.
Li Fan pondered for a moment and nodded lightly, accepting his words. The previously unusual atmosphere gradually returned to normal.
"Since that's the case, let's get moving without delay."
"I'm also very curious about what will happen after we gather all these gray chess pieces," Li Fan said indifferently.
The elders looked at each other before holding a simple discussion meeting. They first reached a consensus: "The Immortal Ship Xuan is definitely not something to be moved lightly."
"Correct, with the current strength of the ship's hull, it can't yet face the pressure beneath the high wall directly."
"Gathering gray chess pieces doesn't mean we need everyone to move; instead, it would be more cumbersome. It's better for us to go alone,"
"Relying on感应to command and guide directions while others scatter throughout the star sea to gather gray chess pieces."
"This should increase efficiency."
"At least three people per group to prevent any unexpected incidents,"
"There are seven or eight of them, not far from where we currently are. They seem to be in the area of the remnants of the Great Wall. Let's complete that collection first," during their discussion, Li Fan also said: "I can contribute my share. With the aid of the遁术, even crossing the star sea would only take a day."
The elders on the immortal ship had no reason to reject Li Fan's proposal this time.
After reaching an initial consensus, the first task to retrieve gray chess pieces was assigned to Li Fan, Nan Gong Lie, Lu Yuzhi, and four other elders from the Daoist Academy of Enlightenment.
"First, we need to investigate. If any danger arises, our primary concern should be self-preservation," Elder Clock reminded them before their departure.