「 dà cháo xiōng xiōng ， miè shì kě qī ， wú rén kě táo 。」
「大潮汹汹，灭世可期，无人可逃。」
The tide surged, and the end of the world was imminent; no one could escape.
「 zuì duō yě bù guò shì xiān sǐ hái shì hòu sǐ de qū bié 。 cóng mǒu zhǒng yì yì shàng lái jiǎng ， wǒ men gēn wǎng xī hèng sǐ de zhēn xiān men ， jié jú dōu méi shén me liǎng yàng 。」 lǐ fán jiè zhù mǎ tiān dé de shēn qū ， fā shēng yī zhèn jié jié guài xiào 。
「最多也不过是先死还是后死的区别。从某种意义上来讲，我们跟往昔横死的真仙们，结局都没什么两样。」李凡借助马天得的身躯，发生一阵桀桀怪笑。
"Whether we die first or later is just a matter of time," Li Fan said, using Ma Tiande's body to emit a harsh cackle. He also began to take shape more clearly in front of Qian Ruochang’s eyes, his form now distinct and shadowy, black and white.
gèng shì tóng shí yòng gǔ guài zhì jí de yǎn shén ， dǎ liàng zhe qián ruò cháng gēn wú xiān 。
更是同时用古怪至极的眼神，打量着钱若常跟无仙。
"Senior, please calm down! A lowly immortal body is useless for resisting the collapse of the Dao."
bǎ tā men èr wèi kàn de mò míng xīn xū 。
把他们二位看的莫名心虚。
"That network you've been weaving, capturing us true immortals... it's all just a trap," Qian Ruochang quickly changed his tone. "That Primordial Star Sea has captured several nameless ones but didn't use them to resist the calamity; instead, they wove this network and hunted us..."
「 gū cóng nǐ men de jì yì zhōng ， kàn dào le cán kù de fēn zhēng yǔ shā lù 。」
「孤从你们的记忆中，看到了残酷的纷争与杀戮。」
The hidden emperor indeed loosened his grip after hearing these words, though he remained cold. He rebuked, "No wonder you've all been losing ground for so long. Even now, you don’t know what the true purpose of the network is."
「 běn yǐ wéi ， dào yān zhī jié fā zhǎn dào zhè zhòng dì bù ， xià miàn de rén zài zěn me yàng yě gāi qí xīn xié lì le 。 què méi xiǎng dào ……」
「本以为，道湮之劫发展到这种地步，下面的人再怎么样也该齐心协力了。却没想到……」
Ma Tiande glanced at Qian Ruochang.
「 hē hē hē ！」
「呵呵呵！」
Qian Ruochang felt his body outside the web suddenly sway as if caught in a storm. The myriad paths of the Dao that had formed his body seemed to be breaking apart. Fortunately, this tempest didn’t last long, and with the hidden emperor’s gaze shifting away, he almost collapsed but managed to stay alive.
mǎ tiān dé lěng mò zhì jí de kàn xiàng wú xiān 。
马天得冷漠至极的看向无仙。
"Let this fool explain," Ma Tiande said coldly.
jí biàn zhǐ shì fán rén shēn qū de yǎn shén ， què yī jiù ràng zhè wèi zhēn xiān xīn zhōng mò míng yī tiào 。
即便只是凡人身躯的眼神，却依旧让这位真仙心中莫名一跳。
Qian Ruochang hesitated but met the emperor's cold gaze again, recalling his earlier helplessness. He decided to speak: "Hunting true immortals is for strengthening the network, not just hunting them. Don’t overestimate yourself!"
nà zhǒng miǎo shì tiān dì wàn wù 、 nǎi zhì yì wàn zhēn xiān de shén sè ， jué bú shì yǎn jiù néng yǎn chū lái de ！
那种藐视天地万物、乃至亿万真仙的神色，绝不是演就能演出来的！
"In the past, when the immortal realm collapsed, countless true immortals fled to the lower world in search of survival. Among them were those who wished to be pillars and resist the calamity, as well as those who sought self-preservation."
dāng chū tiān luó xiān dì xún shì zhū yù de shí hòu ， tā yě céng yǒu xìng yuǎn yuǎn cān jiàn 。
当初天罗仙帝巡视诸域的时候，他也曾有幸远远参见。
"Then there were those who lost all hope and tried to escape for survival. It was these that proposed the Three Ways of Safety: the Worldly Cosmological Coffin, theretrograde Shenzhou, and ultimate transcendence..."
tiān luó xiān dì suī rán xiào róng mǎn miàn ， dàn nèi lǐ hé xīn ， yī jiù hái shì gāo gāo zài shàng 、 ào nì zhòng shēng 。
天罗仙帝虽然笑容满面，但内里核心，依旧还是高高在上、傲睨众生。
"They left us with a mess while they escaped cleanly!"
zhèng gēn yǎn qián zhè wèi shén mì mò cè de qián bèi bù jīng yì jiān suǒ xiǎn lù chū de yí zhì ！
正跟眼前这位神秘莫测的前辈不经意间所显露出的一致！
Qian Ruochang’s tone carried a hint of resentment.
「 guān kàn jì yì ， gū ……」
「观看记忆，孤……」
"Those who fled were not all nameless. If they had followed the normal path to transcendence, they would have left behind remnants, shadows, treasures, etc., which could serve as support. But they didn’t do that."
zài lián xiǎng dào duì fāng huà lǐ bù jīng yì chū xiàn de cí huì ， wú xiān xīn zhōng dùn shí yǒng qǐ gè dà dǎn de cāi cè 。
再联想到对方话里不经意出现的词汇，无仙心中顿时涌起个大胆的猜测。
"It wasn’t just because they couldn't; it was because they chose not to!"
「 xiān jiè zhū wèi zhí zhèng xiān dì ， bìng fēi quán dōu shì zhí dào shēn yǔn dōu zài dì wèi 。」
「仙界诸位执政仙帝，并非全都是直到身陨都在帝位。」
"This place is merely a remnant of their abandoned starry expanse!"
「 màn cháng de lì shǐ zhōng ， hái shì yǒu nà me liǎng sān wèi 、 tí qián shēn tuì de 。 tuì xià jiān shàng yī qiè zhòng dàn ， zì cǐ xiāo yáo shì jiān 。 chēng hū tā men wèi xiān jiè yǐn dì 。」
「漫长的历史中，还是有那么两三位、提前身退的。褪下肩上一切重担，自此逍遥世间。称呼祂们为仙界隐帝。」
Qian Ruochang said this coldly to Wu Xian.
「 nán dào ……」
「难道……」
Wu Xian wanted to argue but found himself speechless. He, too, had been abandoned by the true immortals.
wú xiān nǎo hǎi zhōng sī niàn jí zhuǎn de shí hòu 。
无仙脑海中思念急转的时候。
"We, these discarded ones, naturally choose self-rescue," Qian Ruochang said proudly. "Even if it’s just a temporary survival, it’s better than nothing."
mǎ tiān dé zài dù kāi kǒu ：「 wàn líng zhī diān de zhēn xiān ， rú jīn què lún luò dào bèi rén dāng liè wù quān shòu de dì bù 。」
马天得再度开口：「万灵之巅的真仙，如今却沦落到被人当猎物圈狩的地步。」
Li Fan interjected with a comment: "The network is still too weak to withstand the tide of time."
「 zhēn shì diū gū de liǎn miàn 。」
「真是丢孤的脸面。」
This wasn’t an empty claim; seeing the 'Mountain' that defended against the Infinite Sea's hundred millennia in Ma Tiande’s memory, Li Fan knew the network was indeed fragile.
「 liú xià shì shàng ， hái yǒu hé yòng 。 bù rú chāi le ， yǐ dǐ dào yān 。 zhèng hǎo cǐ fāng xīng yù de zhī zhù ， sì hū yǒu xiē sōng dòng le 。」
「留下世上，还有何用。不如拆了，以抵道湮。正好此方星域的支柱，似乎有些松动了。」
If the network extended closer to the high wall, Li Fan could tear a large hole with Ma Tiande’s shadow. Even if he dismantled some of the nameless true immortals at the core and used them as pillars within the wall, it wouldn’t be impossible.
huà yīn wèi luò ， lái zì shǒu qiū xiān xū yǐng de lì liàng ， zài dù jiàng lín 。
话音未落，来自守丘仙虚影的力量，再度降临。
The idea intrigued him. With another nameless true immortal as a pillar, he could use more of Ma Tiande's shadow to resist the collapse.
wú xiān miàn sè shùn jiān biàn dé cǎn bái 。
无仙面色瞬间变得惨白。
Qian Ruochang didn't dare refute Li Fan’s criticism.
tā zhǐ gǎn jué dào ， yī shuāng wú xíng de dà shǒu hěn hěn zhuā zhù le zì jǐ suǒ xiū dào tú 。
他只感觉到，一双无形的大手狠狠抓住了自己所修道途。
"Even if we can't withstand the tide for eternity, this network provides temporary survival," Qian Ruochang said solemnly. "Better than nothing."
bìng qiě tóng shí hái zài yòng lì sī chě 。
并且同时还在用力撕扯。
Li Fan was not angry but seemed appreciative: "If the immortal realm still existed, I could have lent you some true immortals to fill out your network."
yuán běn xiū xíng 【 dú 】 zhī dào ， yǐ rán gēn tiān dì jiān qí tā dào tú wán chéng le jué dà chéng dù de fēn lí 。 dàn xiàn zài ， zhè shuāng wú xíng jù shǒu de zuò yòng xià ， zì jǐ jìng yǒu chóng xīn bèi sāi huí qù de qū shì ！
原本修行【独】之道，已然跟天地间其他道途完成了绝大程度的分离。但现在，这双无形巨手的作用下，自己竟有重新被塞回去的趋势！
"Your method is crude, but it makes good use of resources."
duì yú tā lái shuō ， tiān dì dà dào hǎo sì yī piàn zhū wǎng 。 yòng le sān wàn nián de guāng yīn ， hǎo bù róng yì cái màn màn zhǎn duàn lián xì 、 tuō shēn ér chū 。 xiàn zài què yào qǐng kè jiān huí dào ！
对于他来说，天地大道好似一片蛛网。用了三万年的光阴，好不容易才慢慢斩断联系、脱身而出。现在却要顷刻间回到！
He had just discovered Wu Xian’s thoughts on his hidden emperor identity. He continued to play along.
zòng shǐ duì dú zhī dào de lǐng wù hái zài ， dàn shì xiǎng yào yú chóng chóng dào wǎng jiū gé zhōng zài dù tuō kùn ， yě zuì shǎo xū yào qiān nián de chóng xīn shū lǐ 。
纵使对独之道的领悟还在，但是想要于重重道网纠葛中再度脱困，也最少需要千年的重新梳理。
The simple words belittled the true immortals as mere ants. This made Qian Ruochang and Wu Xian even more fearful.
gèng ràng wú xiān jīng jù de ， shì mǎ tiān dé nà jù 「 bù rú chāi le ， yǐ dǐ dào yān 」。
更让无仙惊惧的，是马天得那句「不如拆了，以抵道湮」。
If this were just empty talk, it wouldn’t have caused such fear. But combined with Ma Tiande’s ability to manipulate them at will...
tā suī rán shàng méi yǒu zhèng dé wú míng zhī jìng ， dàn què yīn wèi suǒ xiū dào tú de tè shū ， wǎn ruò gū yì zhī dào zhù 。 cóng lǐ lùn shàng lái jiǎng ， dí què néng bèi chōng dāng dǐ yù dào yān de jī shí 。
他虽然尚没有证得无名之境，但却因为所修道途的特殊，宛若孤屹之道柱。从理论上来讲，的确能被充当抵御道湮的基石。
It proved that the senior wasn't exaggerating.
ér cóng xiàn zài zì jǐ suǒ shòu zāo yù lái kàn ， yǎn qián zhè wèi 「 yǐn dì 」， sì hū bìng bú shì zài kāi wán xiào ！
而从现在自己所受遭遇来看，眼前这位「隐帝」，似乎并不是在开玩笑！
"I remember a hidden emperor who was like this—temperamental and cruel."
gǎn shòu zhe zì jǐ suí zhe huí guī tiān dì ér yuè lái yuè 「 zhòng 」 de shēn qū ， wú xiān zài wú fǎ bǎo chí chén wěn ， huáng kǒng dà jiào ：「 dì jūn ráo mìng ！ dì jūn ráo mìng a ！」
感受着自己随着回归天地而越来越「重」的身躯，无仙再无法保持沉稳，惶恐大叫：「帝君饶命！帝君饶命啊！」
"After he mysteriously retired, all the immortal realms celebrated," Li Fan continued. "I recall that before leaving, the Guardian of the Pile passed on the technique of 'Shadow Bearing Dao.' It's only suitable for nameless immortals, and not all can successfully leave behind a shadow to transmit the Dao. Your network is indeed more efficient than his method."
zhè yī shēng ， qián ruò cháng xiān shì biàn le liǎn sè 。 zhī qián de cāi cè quán dōu tuī fān ， duì miàn qián zhè wèi shén mì rén de shēn fèn gèng jiā cāi yí bù dìng 。
这一声，钱若常先是变了脸色。之前的猜测全都推翻，对面前这位神秘人的身份更加猜疑不定。
Qian Ruochang remained calm when Li Fan mentioned Ma Tiande.
「 gū zǎo jiù shì bù wèn chén shì le 。」
「孤早就是不问尘世了。」
Wu Xian felt a chill as he sensed the hidden emperor’s gaze returning to him.
「 zhè yī shēng dì jūn ， kě bù gǎn dāng 。」
「这一声帝君，可不敢当。」
"Perhaps we could combine these methods," the hidden emperor said. "Only nameless ones can bear the Dao because ordinary true immortals lack the understanding, and few share their insights among themselves. But now, there is this network. Interesting..."
「 xiān jiè pò miè ， zhí zhèng xiān dì yīng shì shǒu zé 。 dì jūn ……」
「仙界破灭，执政仙帝应是首责。帝君……」
"Do you know about 'Shadow Bearing Dao'?"
「 hēng ！」
「哼！」
Wu Xian trembled slightly and shook his head: "I’ve heard of it, but my abilities are too dull to inherit from the Guardian of the Pile."
wú xiān de huà ， hǎo sì gèng jiā chù nù le duì fāng 。
无仙的话，好似更加触怒了对方。
"Watch closely!"
zài qián ruò cháng de shì jiǎo xià ， zhè wèi zhēn xiān yuán běn wú fǎ kàn qīng 、 zhǐ shì mó hú yī dào xū yǐng 。 ér xiàn zài jìng yú zhèn zhèn niǔ qū zhī xià ， cóng shēn qū de gè gè bù wèi kāi shǐ ， biàn dé màn màn qīng xī qǐ lái 。
在钱若常的视角下，这位真仙原本无法看清、只是模糊一道虚影。而现在竟于阵阵扭曲之下，从身躯的各个部位开始，变得慢慢清晰起来。
Inside the high wall, Li Buren’s body suddenly appeared with countless cracks. The fragments of the immortal realm were being crushed by an incomprehensible pressure.
què bìng fēi shì zhèng cháng tiān dì wàn wù nà bān de sè zé 。 ér shì guǐ yì de hēi
却并非似正常天地万物那般的色泽。而是诡异的黑
Li Buren's face became more like Ma Tiande’s.
bái yīn yǐng zhuàng 。
白阴影状。
Despite the dire situation, Li Buren showed no fear, just as the Guardian of the Pile had faced the collapse of the Dao calmly.
「 qián bèi xī nù ！ cū bǐ xiān shēn ， zòng shǐ jǐn sǐ ， yú dǐ dào yān yě shì wú yòng 。」
「前辈息怒！粗鄙仙身，纵使尽死，于抵道湮也是无用。」
He took one of the immortal realm chess pieces from the shadow space and used it to mend his broken body. At the same time, he poured all the teachings he had received into Wu Xian’s body.
「 nà shuò xīng hǎi ， zhuā le shù wèi wú míng ， què bù yù zāi jié 。 ér shì biān zhī dào wǎng ， liè shā wǒ děng ……」 wú xiān fǎn yìng yě shì hěn kuài ， zài zì jǐ suǒ shòu yā lì yuè lái yuè dà 、 hái néng chū shēng zhī qián ， lián máng gǎi kǒu 。
「那朔星海，抓了数位无名，却不御灾劫。而是编织道网，猎杀我等……」无仙反应也是很快，在自己所受压力越来越大、还能出声之前，连忙改口。
Though not directly from Ma Tiande's shadow, the Guardian of the Pile’s insights were vast and profound, still overwhelming for ordinary true immortals even after Li Fan diluted them.
tīng wén cǐ yán ， zhè wèi yǐn xiān dì dí què sōng le shǒu 。
听闻此言，这位隐仙帝的确松了手。
Moreover, Li Buren’s ability to accept these teachings was no weaker than a nameless immortal. Using the Guardian of the Pile’s shadow power further ensured that Wu Xian would believe any incompleteness in his understanding was due to his own limitations rather than flaws in the transmission.
dàn huà yǔ yī jiù lěng mò ， chì zé dào ：「 nán guài nǐ men jǐn là xià fēng ， dòu le zhè me jiǔ ， lián dào wǎng zhēn zhèng zhī yòng shì shén me dōu bù zhī dào 。」
但话语依旧冷漠，斥责道：「难怪你们尽落下风，斗了这么久，连道网真正之用是什么都不知道。」
Wu Xian's rapt and deeply impressed expression confirmed this.
mǎ tiān dé piē xiàng qián ruò cháng 。
马天得瞥向钱若常。
Free reading...
The tide surged, and the end of the world was imminent; no one could escape.
"Whether we die first or later is just a matter of time," Li Fan said, using Ma Tiande's body to emit a harsh cackle. He also began to take shape more clearly in front of Qian Ruochang’s eyes, his form now distinct and shadowy, black and white.
"Senior, please calm down! A lowly immortal body is useless for resisting the collapse of the Dao."
"That network you've been weaving, capturing us true immortals... it's all just a trap," Qian Ruochang quickly changed his tone. "That Primordial Star Sea has captured several nameless ones but didn't use them to resist the calamity; instead, they wove this network and hunted us..."
The hidden emperor indeed loosened his grip after hearing these words, though he remained cold. He rebuked, "No wonder you've all been losing ground for so long. Even now, you don’t know what the true purpose of the network is."
Ma Tiande glanced at Qian Ruochang.
Qian Ruochang felt his body outside the web suddenly sway as if caught in a storm. The myriad paths of the Dao that had formed his body seemed to be breaking apart. Fortunately, this tempest didn’t last long, and with the hidden emperor’s gaze shifting away, he almost collapsed but managed to stay alive.
"Let this fool explain," Ma Tiande said coldly.
Qian Ruochang hesitated but met the emperor's cold gaze again, recalling his earlier helplessness. He decided to speak: "Hunting true immortals is for strengthening the network, not just hunting them. Don’t overestimate yourself!"
"In the past, when the immortal realm collapsed, countless true immortals fled to the lower world in search of survival. Among them were those who wished to be pillars and resist the calamity, as well as those who sought self-preservation."
"Then there were those who lost all hope and tried to escape for survival. It was these that proposed the Three Ways of Safety: the Worldly Cosmological Coffin, theretrograde Shenzhou, and ultimate transcendence..."
"They left us with a mess while they escaped cleanly!"
Qian Ruochang’s tone carried a hint of resentment.
"Those who fled were not all nameless. If they had followed the normal path to transcendence, they would have left behind remnants, shadows, treasures, etc., which could serve as support. But they didn’t do that."
"It wasn’t just because they couldn't; it was because they chose not to!"
"This place is merely a remnant of their abandoned starry expanse!"
Qian Ruochang said this coldly to Wu Xian.
Wu Xian wanted to argue but found himself speechless. He, too, had been abandoned by the true immortals.
"We, these discarded ones, naturally choose self-rescue," Qian Ruochang said proudly. "Even if it’s just a temporary survival, it’s better than nothing."
Li Fan interjected with a comment: "The network is still too weak to withstand the tide of time."
This wasn’t an empty claim; seeing the 'Mountain' that defended against the Infinite Sea's hundred millennia in Ma Tiande’s memory, Li Fan knew the network was indeed fragile.
If the network extended closer to the high wall, Li Fan could tear a large hole with Ma Tiande’s shadow. Even if he dismantled some of the nameless true immortals at the core and used them as pillars within the wall, it wouldn’t be impossible.
The idea intrigued him. With another nameless true immortal as a pillar, he could use more of Ma Tiande's shadow to resist the collapse.
Qian Ruochang didn't dare refute Li Fan’s criticism.
"Even if we can't withstand the tide for eternity, this network provides temporary survival," Qian Ruochang said solemnly. "Better than nothing."
Li Fan was not angry but seemed appreciative: "If the immortal realm still existed, I could have lent you some true immortals to fill out your network."
"Your method is crude, but it makes good use of resources."
He had just discovered Wu Xian’s thoughts on his hidden emperor identity. He continued to play along.
The simple words belittled the true immortals as mere ants. This made Qian Ruochang and Wu Xian even more fearful.
If this were just empty talk, it wouldn’t have caused such fear. But combined with Ma Tiande’s ability to manipulate them at will...
It proved that the senior wasn't exaggerating.
"I remember a hidden emperor who was like this—temperamental and cruel."
"After he mysteriously retired, all the immortal realms celebrated," Li Fan continued. "I recall that before leaving, the Guardian of the Pile passed on the technique of 'Shadow Bearing Dao.' It's only suitable for nameless immortals, and not all can successfully leave behind a shadow to transmit the Dao. Your network is indeed more efficient than his method."
Qian Ruochang remained calm when Li Fan mentioned Ma Tiande.
Wu Xian felt a chill as he sensed the hidden emperor’s gaze returning to him.
"Perhaps we could combine these methods," the hidden emperor said. "Only nameless ones can bear the Dao because ordinary true immortals lack the understanding, and few share their insights among themselves. But now, there is this network. Interesting..."
"Do you know about 'Shadow Bearing Dao'?"
Wu Xian trembled slightly and shook his head: "I’ve heard of it, but my abilities are too dull to inherit from the Guardian of the Pile."
"Watch closely!"
Inside the high wall, Li Buren’s body suddenly appeared with countless cracks. The fragments of the immortal realm were being crushed by an incomprehensible pressure.
Li Buren's face became more like Ma Tiande’s.
Despite the dire situation, Li Buren showed no fear, just as the Guardian of the Pile had faced the collapse of the Dao calmly.
He took one of the immortal realm chess pieces from the shadow space and used it to mend his broken body. At the same time, he poured all the teachings he had received into Wu Xian’s body.
Though not directly from Ma Tiande's shadow, the Guardian of the Pile’s insights were vast and profound, still overwhelming for ordinary true immortals even after Li Fan diluted them.
Moreover, Li Buren’s ability to accept these teachings was no weaker than a nameless immortal. Using the Guardian of the Pile’s shadow power further ensured that Wu Xian would believe any incompleteness in his understanding was due to his own limitations rather than flaws in the transmission.
Wu Xian's rapt and deeply impressed expression confirmed this.
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