zuì chū de èr dào xiāng róng ， shì zuì wèi jiān nán de 。
最初的二道相融，是最为艰难的。
The eternal emperor rat's actions, though without a single hesitation, deeply imprinted on Li Fan and Cheng Dao.
shuò shǔ xiān yuán běn xiū xíng de ， nǎi shì 【 huáng fǎ 】 dà dào 。 huī xià chén fú yuè duō ， yuè zhōng xīn 。 nà me tā cóng zhōng dé dào de fǎn kuì jiù yuè qiáng dà 。
硕鼠仙原本修行的，乃是【皇法】大道。麾下臣服越多，越忠心。那么他从中得到的反馈就越强大。
"An eternal emperor rat! You are the biggest rat in the celestial realm!"
liǎng yì zài yōu yōu suì yuè de jī lěi ， shǐ de tā de 【 huáng fǎ 】 dà dào jī hū dá dào le lǐ lùn shàng de jí zhì 。 pǔ tiān zhī xià ， mò bù chén fú 。
两亿载悠悠岁月的积累，使得他的【皇法】大道几乎达到了理论上的极致。普天之下，莫不臣服。
"Your Majesty, please spare me!"
zhèng shì yīn wèi kào zhe zhì qiáng 【 huáng fǎ 】 dà dào ， shuò shǔ cái dé yǐ píng jué duì niǎn yā zhī shì 、 jiāng dì èr dà dào rú tóng chén zi bān ， róng hé xī shōu yú zì jǐ shēn biān 。
正是因为靠着至强【皇法】大道，硕鼠才得以凭绝对碾压之势、将第二大道如同臣子般，融合吸收于自己身边。
"Even if you devour me, I will become a vengeful spirit to wait for your downfall!"
kě yī ， biàn kě zài 。 kě zài ， jí kě sān 。
可一，便可再。可再，即可三。
...
yǐ xiān dì de míng yì ， mì mì zhào jiàn qún xiān 。 ér hòu jiāng tā men àn zhōng yī yī tūn shì 。
以仙帝的名义，秘密召见群仙。而后将他们暗中一一吞噬。
At first, he still listened to those voices. But as the number of devoured sages increased, the rat's heart gradually became indifferent. Eventually, he completely ignored them.
yī kāi shǐ ， jǐn shèn de shuò shǔ xiān hái huì xuǎn zé nà xiē shí lì yì bān 、 shēng míng bù xiǎn de zhēn xiān xià shǒu 。 dàn hòu lái ， suí zhe wàn dào róng hé ， shuò shǔ xiān jiù kāi shǐ biàn dé yǒu xiē sì wú jì dàn le 。
一开始，谨慎的硕鼠仙还会选择那些实力一般、声名不显的真仙下手。但后来，随着万道融合，硕鼠仙就开始变得有些肆无忌惮了。
Before the celestial realm was utterly destroyed and devoured by the Great Void Devouring Dao, the distorted dao transformed into a figure, and the immortal coffin descended into the sky.
bù guò ， bù dé bù shuō ， shuò shǔ xiān dí què duì de qǐ tā de 【 yǒng shì xiān dì 】 de chēng hào 。
不过，不得不说，硕鼠仙的确对得起他的【永世仙帝】的称号。
The eternal emperor rat carried the surviving sages into it.
jí biàn duì dào de tān lán zhú jiàn yān mò le tā de xīn shén ， shuò shǔ xiān yě méi yǒu wàng jì zì shēn chū zhōng 。 yī rén huà sān shèng ， wǎn dà shà yú jiāng qīng 。
即便对道的贪婪逐渐淹没了他的心神，硕鼠仙也没有忘记自身初衷。一人化三圣，挽大厦于将倾。
Following this, an extremely long period of time passed. Long enough for Li Fan's memory to become somewhat hazy.
dào yān zhī jié xià chuí chuí wēi yǐ de shì jiè ， zài tā de zhì lǐ xià jìng yòu yìng shēng shēng yán xù le yì zài guāng yīn 。 sì hū zhēn kàn dào le ， yǒng yuǎn cún xù xià qù de xī wàng 。
道湮之劫下垂垂危矣的世界，在他的治理下竟又硬生生延续了亿载光阴。似乎真看到了，永远存续下去的希望。
Inside the coffin was absolute darkness. Outside the coffin was the world destroyed by the Great Void Devouring Dao.
dàn suǒ yǒu de gù shì ， dōu bì jiāng yíng lái zhōng diǎn 。
但所有的故事，都必将迎来终点。
Li Fan could clearly feel how the Great Void Devouring Dao eroded the immortal coffin during this process.
bèi zǔ zhǐ le yì wàn zài guāng yīn hòu ， dào yān zhī jié sì hū chè dǐ shī qù le jì xù jiāng chí de nài xīn 。 diào bīng qiǎn jiàng ， jí zhōng gōng shì 。
被阻止了亿万载光阴后，道湮之劫似乎彻底失去了继续僵持的耐心。调兵遣将，集中攻势。
He silently prayed that before the immortal coffin was completely corrupted, he would reach the other side.
hū yǒu yī rì ， shuò shǔ xiān hài rán fā xiàn ， xiān jiè miàn duì de dào yān zhī jié yā lì ， jìng wú gù bèi zēng 。
忽有一日，硕鼠仙骇然发现，仙界面对的道湮之劫压力，竟无故倍增。
But perhaps his three billion years as a celestial realm ruler had exhausted his fate. After an indeterminate amount of time passed, not even a safe place could be found.
yì zài de ān wěn píng jìng rì zi ， shǐ de qún xiān zǎo jiù shī qù le duì yú wēi jī de mǐn ruì pàn duàn néng lì 。 děng dào tā men fǎn yìng guò lái ， yù yǐ xiān bǔ tiān de shí hòu 。 yī qiè dōu yǐ jīng tài chí le 。
亿载的安稳平静日子，使得群仙早就失去了对于危机的敏锐判断能力。等到他们反应过来，欲以仙补天的时候。一切都已经太迟了。
The immortal coffin drifted along with the waves of the Great Void Devouring Dao.
shuò shǔ xiān ， zhǐ néng yǎn zhēng zhēng kàn zhe kě bù de dào yān dà cháo ， yǐ wēi bù kě dǎng zhī shì 、 shùn xī zhī jiān jiù jiāng xiān jiè tūn mò dà bàn 。
硕鼠仙，只能眼睁睁看着可怖的道湮大潮，以威不可挡之势、瞬息之间就将仙界吞没大半。
It seemed there was no hope.
yǔn luò zhēn xiān ， bù kě shèng shǔ 。 ér xìng cún zhě zhě yě shì bèi chè dǐ xià pò le dǎn ， zài shēng bù qǐ duì kàng zāi jié de yǒng qì 。
陨落真仙，不可胜数。而幸存者者也是被彻底吓破了胆，再升不起对抗灾劫的勇气。
And Li Fan underestimated the difficulty of maintaining the integration of myriad dao paths.
zuò wéi xiān jiè de shí jì tǒng zhì zhě ， qīn yǎn kàn zhe zì jǐ de jiāng tǔ zài jí duǎn shí jiān nèi qīng fù 。 zhè zhǒng cuò bài gǎn wú yí shì jí wéi qiáng liè de 。 bù guò bǐ shí ， zhè xiē suǒ wèi de “ qíng xù ”， qí shí dōu yǐ jīng bù zài zhòng yào le 。
作为仙界的实际统治者，亲眼看着自己的疆土在极短时间内倾覆。这种挫败感无疑是极为强烈的。不过彼时，这些所谓的“情绪”，其实都已经不再重要了。
Perhaps in normal celestial realms, it could be sustained. But within this immortal coffin surrounded by the Great Void Devouring Dao, maintaining balance became increasingly difficult.
huó xià qù ， cái shì wéi yī zhēn zhèng yǒu yì yì de shì 。
活下去，才是唯一真正有意义的事。
His heart did not want to devour the sages.
dàn shuò shǔ xiān ， yě jiù shì 【 yǒng shì xiān dì 】 què jué wàng de fā xiàn ， zāi jié dāng tóu zhī xià ， tā men yǐ jīng táo wú kě táo le 。
但硕鼠仙，也就是【永世仙帝】却绝望的发现，灾劫当头之下，他们已经逃无可逃了。
But he had to watch helplessly as his body absorbed former subordinates.
qún xiān huì jí yú shēn páng ， qǐ qiú huó mìng zhī fāng 。
群仙汇集于身旁，乞求活命之方。
He seemed truly to have become a rat cursed by millions of souls.
dàn shuò shǔ xiān kàn zhe yǐ jīng qiān chuāng bǎi kǒng de xiān jiè ， běn rén dōu yǐ jīng xiàn rù le jué wàng zhī zhōng 。
但硕鼠仙看着已经千疮百孔的仙界，本人都已经陷入了绝望之中。
The last bit of light in his heart gradually extinguished. The eternal emperor fell into endless darkness...
bù guò bì jìng shì zhǔ zǎi xiān jiè zú zú sān yì zài de cún zài 。 shuò shǔ xiān bìng bú huì jiù zhè me qīng yì fàng qì 。
不过毕竟是主宰仙界足足三亿载的存在。硕鼠仙并不会就这么轻易放弃。
After an indeterminate number of years, when the immortal coffin was completely rotten and could no longer resist the Great Void Devouring Dao,
jué jìng zhī zhōng ， tā xīn zhōng yǒng xiàn chū le yí gè fēng kuáng de xiǎng fǎ 。
绝境之中，他心中涌现出了一个疯狂的想法。
a loud rumbling sound echoed as Li Fan suddenly found himself in another starry sky.
jí zhòng xiān zhī lì ， zhí dǐ chāo tuō bǐ àn 。
集众仙之力，直抵超脱彼岸。
Although this starry sky was also full of the devastation left by the Great Void Devouring Dao's ravages, it was at least temporarily safe...
shuò shǔ xiān shēn chù de kě néng xìng zhōng ， yě liú chuán zhe guān yú bǐ àn 、 qí tā kě néng xìng de chuán shuō 。 dàn què xiǎn wéi rén zhī ， nǎi shì jué mì zhōng jué mì 。 jiù lián shuò shǔ xiān běn rén ， yě hái shì nián qīng de shí hòu ， cóng sān shèng kǒu zhōng ǒu rán jiān tīng wén 。 gèng bié tí dàn shēng zhēn zhèng de chāo tuō qiáng zhě le 。
硕鼠仙身处的可能性中，也流传着关于彼岸、其他可能性的传说。但却鲜为人知，乃是绝密中绝密。就连硕鼠仙本人，也还是年轻的时候，从三圣口中偶然间听闻。更别提诞生真正的超脱强者了。
Li Fan and Cheng Dao looked at the scene before them for a long time without speaking.
wú rén kě jiè jiàn ， shuò shǔ xiān zhǐ néng quán kào zì jǐ mō suǒ 。
无人可借鉴，硕鼠仙只能全靠自己摸索。
"If I were to do it, I wouldn't have done any better than this eternal emperor rat."
dàn zuì guān jiàn de shì ， liú gěi tā shí jiān ， zhe shí bù duō le 。
但最关键的是，留给他时间，着实不多了。
"Though we've already given our utmost effort, the tide is hard to turn," Li Fan sighed.
biàn xún xiān jiè shèng yú zhī dì ， shuò shǔ xiān zhōng yú zhǎo dào le yī mén kān kān néng gòu héng dù kě néng xìng de fǎ mén 。
遍寻仙界剩余之地，硕鼠仙终于找到了一门堪堪能够横渡可能性的法门。
Cheng Dao commented: "His situation was pitiful, his actions forgivable. If not for his aggressive stance, he might not have had to take my life."
xiān guān héng dù ！
仙棺横渡！
Li Fan looked ashamed: "I acted rashly. I never expected that this terrifying rat would have such a past."
zhǐ kě xī de shì ， xìng cún qún xiān zhōng 、 sì hū zhǐ yǒu tā jù bèi zú gòu de shí lì ， zài shì jiè suǒ huà xiān guān 、 piāo fú yú dào yān zhī cháo zhōng xìng cún 。
只可惜的是，幸存群仙中、似乎只有他具备足够的实力，在世界所化仙棺、漂浮于道湮之潮中幸存。
Cheng Dao waved his hand: "Younger brother needn't blame yourself. Most eternal emperor rats are not benevolent. We shouldn't change our views because of the exception of one."
qí tā rén ， jiù suàn miǎn qiǎng néng jìn rù xiān guān ， kǒng pà jiān chí bù liǎo duō jiǔ 、 jiù huì chè dǐ pò miè 。 gèng bié tí zhí dǐ bǐ àn le 。
其他人，就算勉强能进入仙棺，恐怕坚持不了多久、就会彻底破灭。更别提直抵彼岸了。
"Brother's words are correct."
shuò shǔ xiān gù rán kě yǐ zì jǐ gū shēn yī rén táo dùn 。 dàn zuò wéi táng táng yǒng shì xiān dì ， tā jiù zhè me yǎn zhēng zhēng kàn zhe qún xià cǎn sǐ ？
硕鼠仙固然可以自己孤身一人逃遁。但作为堂堂永世仙帝，他就这么眼睁睁看着群下惨死？
Next, Cheng Dao recounted to Li Fan the dao path he had gleaned from devouring the immortal rat pill, even adding his insights on the dao.
shuò shǔ xiān xiǎn rán bìng fēi shì nà yàng zì sī de rén wù 。
硕鼠仙显然并非是那样自私的人物。
Theintuitionof this stone by the mountainside and mound guardian was truly extraordinary. Li Fan suspected that even if he swallowed a dao pill himself, the effect wouldn't be any better.
píng jiè zhe duō nián lái àn zhōng tūn shì qún xiān róng dào de fēng fù jīng yàn ， zuì hòu guān tóu ， shuò shǔ xiān jìng xiǎng chū le yī jué miào fǎ mén 。 yǐ 【 huáng fǎ 】 yù dào ， wéi chí zhū dào píng héng 。
凭借着多年来暗中吞噬群仙融道的丰富经验，最后关头，硕鼠仙竟想出了一绝妙法门。以【皇法】御道，维持诸道平衡。
While listening to the teachings of the dao, Li Fan secretly observed Cheng Dao.
zhǐ yào yì zhí chù zài tūn shì 、 bàn tūn shì de zhuàng tài zhōng ， qún xiān jiù bù suàn zhēn zhèng bèi tā suǒ xī shōu 。 réng rán yōng yǒu zì shēn dú lì de dào tú 、 xiū wèi 、 jì yì 、 qíng gǎn děng děng 。
只要一直处在吞噬、半吞噬的状态中，群仙就不算真正被他所吸收。仍然拥有自身独立的道途、修为、记忆、情感等等。
It seemed there were no obvious changes after swallowing a single dao pill.
dài dào cáng shēn yú xiān guān zhōng ， chéng gōng piāo liú zhì bǐ àn 。 zài jiāng qún xiān shì fàng ér chū ， jiù kě shùn lì duǒ guò zhè yī jié shù 。
待到藏身于仙棺中，成功漂流至彼岸。再将群仙释放而出，就可顺利躲过这一劫数。
"However, we can't make conclusions now. We need to feed him more pills."
zài cháng shì xìng de tūn nà le shí duō míng zhēn xiān zhī hòu ， shuò shǔ xiān fā xiàn cǐ fāng fǎ kě xíng 。 wéi yī de bì duān ， jiù shì tā zì jǐ jì zhǔ dǎo le dào zhī tūn shì 、 yòu zài jié lì wéi chí zhe dào de jīng wèi fēn míng 。
在尝试性的吞纳了十多名真仙之后，硕鼠仙发现此方法可行。唯一的弊端，就是他自己既主导了道之吞噬、又在竭力维持着道的泾渭分明。
"Light my star sea..."
zhè jí wéi máo dùn de zuò fǎ ， huì ràng tā chǔ zài jiū jí de zhé mó zhī zhōng 。
这极为矛盾的做法，会让他处在究极的折磨之中。
After ninety-nine days, Cheng Dao completed his teachings.
bìng qiě bàn suí zhe suǒ tūn nà dào tú de shù liàng 、 wéi xì zhū dào píng héng shí jiān de bù duàn zēng jiā ， ér chéng bǐ lì shàng shēng 。
并且伴随着所吞纳道途的数量、维系诸道平衡时间的不断增加，而呈比例上升。
"Brother, do you feel that the possibility where the eternal emperor rat is from has weaker dao paths compared to ours?" Li Fan closed his eyes and pondered before suddenly frowning in doubt.
xīn zhōng yě céng fú xiàn guò nà me piàn kè de yóu yù ， dàn zài zhè chí yí zhōng ， yòu shì wú shù zhēn xiān cǎn sǐ 。
心中也曾浮现过那么片刻的犹豫，但在这迟疑中，又是无数真仙惨死。
"It's not a mistake on your part. It really is like this," Cheng Dao nodded.
shuò shǔ xiān suí jí xià dìng le jué xīn 。
硕鼠仙随即下定了决心。
"Why is that?"
xiān jiè yǐ jīng chù zài jí jí kě wēi de zhuàng tài xià ， suí shí dōu yǒu kě néng bào fā zuì hòu de dào yān dà cháo 。 gēn běn méi yǒu shí jiān qù gēn xìng cún zhēn xiān màn màn jiě shì le 。
仙界已经处在岌岌可危的状态下，随时都有可能爆发最后的道湮大潮。根本没有时间去跟幸存真仙慢慢解释了。
Cheng Dao narrowed his eyes, remained silent for a moment, then slowly said: "Perhaps because there has already appeared an unparalleled figure in that possibility."
jiù suàn jiě shì le ， tā men yě wèi bì huì xìn 。 bǐng chí zhe zhè zhǒng xìn niàn de shuò shǔ xiān ， kāi shǐ yì rán jué rán de dà sì tūn shì qún xiān 。
就算解释了，他们也未必会信。秉持着这种信念的硕鼠仙，开始毅然决然的大肆吞噬群仙。
"Hmm?"
miàn duì zhè wèi yǒng shì xiān dì tū rán de chī rén xíng wéi ， qún xiān hài rán 、 jīng jù 。
面对这位永世仙帝突然的吃人行为，群仙骇然、惊惧。
"This is just my guess; I haven't confirmed it with my master."
què yòu gēn běn fǎn kàng bù dé 。
却又根本反抗不得。
After making this statement, Cheng Dao continued: "Apart from the Three Sages, in some possibilities, the number of powerful beings that can be born seems to have a certain upper limit."
zhǐ dé zài jué wàng 、 huáng kǒng zhī zhōng ， pò kǒu dà mà 、 kǔ kǔ āi qiú 。
只得在绝望、惶恐之中，破口大骂、苦苦哀求。
"It's not just about numbers but also takes into account factors such as cultivation realms."
yǒng shì xiān dì suī xíng dòng méi yǒu bàn fēn yóu yù ， dàn qún xiān de yán xíng jǔ zhǐ 、 què shēn shēn lào yìn zài le tā de xīn zhōng 。
永世仙帝虽行动没有半分犹豫，但群仙的言行举止、却深深烙印在了他的心中。
"Of course, by 'powerful,' I mean those who can transcend their own possibility and become transcendent powerhouses."
“ shuò shǔ ！ nǐ jiù shì xiān jiè zuì dà de shuò shǔ ！”
“硕鼠！你就是仙界最大的硕鼠！”
Cheng Dao used his finger as a pen and drew a circle in front of Li Fan.
“ bì xià ráo mìng a ！”
“陛下饶命啊！”
"Just like a fixed-sized water pool. Each time a powerful being is born, it takes up part of the area in this water pool. When the water pool is fully occupied, even those with extraordinaryqualifications cannot reach transcendence."
“ jiù suàn tūn le wǒ ， wǒ yě yào huà zuò yuàn hún ， děng nǐ yǔn luò de nà yī tiān ！”
“就算吞了我，我也要化作怨魂，等你陨落的那一天！”
Li Fan stared at the continuously divided circle, showing a thoughtful expression: "Brother, that's why the Three Sages disappeared from the eternal emperor rat's world. Isn't it because their potential has been exhausted and no longer gives birth to transcendent powerhouses?"
……
……
Cheng Dao looked at Li Fan with a smile but did not answer.
zuì kāi shǐ ， tā hái huì qīng tīng xīn zhōng de nà xiē shēng yīn 。
最开始，他还会倾听心中的那些声音。
Seeing this, Li Fan knew the answer.
tūn shì qún xiān shù liàng de bù duàn zēng duō ， shuò shǔ xiān xīn zhōng yě běn néng de yù fā dàn mò qǐ lái 。 dào hòu miàn ， suǒ xìng jiù zhí jiē wán quán bù gù le 。
吞噬群仙数量的不断增多，硕鼠仙心中也本能的愈发淡漠起来。到后面，索性就直接完全不顾了。
He continued to observe the small circle in front of him, waving his hand to reorganize the hundreds of divided areas.
zài xiān jiè chè dǐ pò miè ， dào yān dà cháo jīng tūn wàn wù zhī qián de chà nà 。
在仙界彻底破灭，道湮大潮鲸吞万物之前的刹那。
"In that world, there are few powerful beings, let alone masters like my master."
dà dào niǔ qū huà wù ， xiān guān héng kōng jiàng shì 。
大道扭曲化物，仙棺横空降世。
"Then how strong was the powerful being who appeared before?"
shuò shǔ xiān dài zhe xìng cún zhēn xiān ， duǒ rù qí zhōng 。
硕鼠仙带着幸存真仙，躲入其中。
"Did he almost exhaust the potential of an entire possibility?"
jiē xià lái ， jiù shì yī duàn jí wéi màn cháng de suì yuè 。 màn cháng dào shuò shǔ xiān de jì yì dōu bèi mó de yǒu xiē mó hú 。
接下来，就是一段极为漫长的岁月。漫长到硕鼠仙的记忆都被磨的有些模糊。
Li Fan temporarily used "potential" to refer to the small circle in front of him.
guān nèi shì jué duì de hēi àn 。 xiān guān zhī wài zé shì miè shì dào yān dà cháo 。
棺内是绝对的黑暗。仙棺之外则是灭世道湮大潮。
"Is his strength actually above that of my master?" Li Fan couldn't help but exclaim.
shuò shǔ dì néng gòu shí fēn qīng xī de chá jué dào ， dào yān zài bù duàn xiāo mó xiān guān de zhè ge guò chéng 。
硕鼠帝能够十分清晰的察觉到，道湮在不断消磨仙棺的这个过程。
Cheng Dao remained calm: "When my master saved the celestial realm from the Great Void Devouring Dao, he still humbly acknowledged the respect and admiration of the emperors and sages."
tā zhǐ néng àn zì qǐ qiú ， zài xiān guān zǎo rì bèi fǔ huà zhī qián ， dá dào bǐ àn 。
他只能暗自乞求，在仙棺早日被腐化之前，达到彼岸。
"He never considered himself a powerhouse in the mountains and seas."
dàn huò xǔ shì chéng wéi yī fāng xiān jiè zhǔ zǎi sān yì nián hào jìn le tā de qì yùn 。 bù zhī duō jiǔ guò qù ， bié shuō bǐ àn le ， jiù lián ān quán de dì fāng dōu méi néng yù dào 。
但或许是成为一方仙界主宰三亿年耗尽了他的气运。不知多久过去，别说彼岸了，就连安全的地方都没能遇到。
"In his own words, he was merely the 'Guardian of the Mound's Virtuous Deity.'"
xiān guān suí bō zhú liú ， piāo fú yú dào yān làng cháo zhī zhōng 。
仙棺随波逐流，漂浮于道湮浪潮之中。
Upon hearing this, Li Fan immediately became solemn. He nodded in agreement: "My master is not only strong enough to be my teacher but also has an open-mindedness and demeanor that are admirable. Even if your strength surpasses him one day, I believe you will still respect him as a teacher."
sì hū yǒng yuǎn kàn bú dào xī wàng 。
似乎永远看不到希望。
"Of course!" Cheng Dao did not deny it.
ér shuò shǔ xiān yě dī gū le wéi xì wàn dào xiāng róng de kùn nán chéng dù 。
而硕鼠仙也低估了维系万道相融的困难程度。
"The mountains and seas truly have many powerhouses," Li Fan's gaze returned to the small circle in front of him, staring at the innermost circle that almost occupied the entire area. He was momentarily lost in thought.
huò xǔ zài zhèng cháng xiān jiè de huán jìng zhōng ， kě yǐ wéi xì 。 dàn zài dào yān dà cháo bāo wéi de xiān guān zhī nèi ， wéi chí píng héng yuè lái yuè kùn nán 。
或许在正常仙界的环境中，可以维系。但在道湮大潮包围的仙棺之内，维持平衡越来越困难。
"I wonder what the legendary other side is like with so many unimaginable powerful beings gathered together."
xīn zhōng gēn běn bù yuàn jiāng qún xiān tūn shì 。
心中根本不愿将群仙吞噬。
Cheng Dao smiled: "Younger brother needn't worry. With our natural talents, one day we will step into the other side."
dàn zhǐ néng yǎn zhēng zhēng dì ， kàn zhe zì jǐ shēn tǐ ， jiāng xī rì chén xià róng hé 。
但只能眼睁睁地，看着自己身体，将昔日臣下融合。
Li Fan laughed heartily: "Then I thank Brother for your good wishes here."
zì jǐ ， sì hū zhēn de chéng wéi le bèi yì wàn rén suǒ zhòu mà de “ shuò shǔ ”。
自己，似乎真的成为了被亿万人所咒骂的“硕鼠”。
"Let's not talk about the other side now. If you want to see visitors from other possibilities, we can do that now," Cheng Dao suddenly said after a moment of silence.
xīn zhōng jǐn cún de yì diǎn guāng zhú jiàn xī miè 。 yǒng shì xiān dì ， zhuì luò wú jìn de hēi àn zhī zhōng ……
心中仅存的一点光逐渐熄灭。永世仙帝，坠落无尽的黑暗之中……
"Brother means the Light My Star Sea?"
yòu bù zhī duō shǎo nián guò qù ， dāng xiān guān yǐ jīng chè dǐ fǔ xiǔ 。 zài wú dǐ yù dào yān zhī cháo néng lì zhī jì 。
又不知多少年过去，当仙棺已经彻底腐朽。再无抵御道湮之潮能力之际。
"Yes." Cheng Dao then presented Li Fan with a new scene.
yī zhèn jù dà de hōng míng shēng zhōng ， shuò shǔ xiān huǎng rú gé shì de fā xiàn ， zì jǐ zhōng yú lái dào le lìng wài de xīng kōng zhī zhōng 。
一阵巨大的轰鸣声中，硕鼠仙恍如隔世的发现，自己终于来到了另外的星空之中。
There were nine columns of heaven, circularly surrounding each other.
zhè piàn xīng kōng ， suī rán tóng yàng mǎn shì dào yān sì nüè hòu de cán pò qì xī 。
这片星空，虽然同样满是道湮肆虐后的残破气息。
At the center surrounded by these columns was absolute darkness. Li Fan could sense the familiar aura of the Great Void Devouring Dao.
dàn bì jìng zàn shí ān quán 。
但毕竟暂时安全。
Outside the nine columns, there were hundreds of pillar-like structures densely distributed from sparse to dense!
……
……
Although not every column might contain an unnamed being,
lǐ fán gēn chéng dào liǎng wèi shī xiōng dì ， kàn zhuó yǎn qián chéng xiàn huà miàn ， jiǔ jiǔ bù yǔ 。
李凡跟承道两位师兄弟，看着眼前呈现画面，久久不语。
the scale and grandeur of this structure could still be felt.
“ huàn zuò shì wǒ ， yě bú huì zuò de bǐ zhè wèi yǒng shì xiān dì gèng hǎo le 。”
“换做是我，也不会做的比这位永世仙帝更好了。”
Unlike Li Fan's method of using simple pillars to support a collapsing sky, these pillars were not uniform in size. They formed a staircase by strength, with the central nine columns at their weakest point, able to attract the Great Void Devouring Dao.
“ suī yǐ jié jìn quán lì ， nài hé dà shì nán wǎn 。” lǐ fán gǎn tàn dào 。
“虽已竭尽全力，奈何大势难挽。”李凡感叹道。
The surrounding hundred columns formed a solid defense, preventing the attracted Great Void Devouring Dao from spreading.
chéng dào yě píng jià dào ：“ qí qíng kě mǐn ， qí xíng kě shù 。 ruò fēi tā duō duō bī rén ， huò xǔ yě wèi bì yào qǔ tā xìng mìng 。”
承道也评价道：“其情可悯，其行可恕。若非他咄咄逼人，或许也未必要取他性命。”
Li Fan looked at the area surrounded by these nine columns, resembling a "water reservoir."
lǐ fán miàn lù cán kuì zhī sè ：“ shì wǒ mǎng zhuàng le 。 què méi xiǎng dào ， zhè wài biǎo kě bù de shuò shǔ ， nèi lǐ què yǒu zhè me yī duàn guò wǎng 。”
李凡面露惭愧之色：“是我莽撞了。却没想到，这外表可怖的硕鼠，内里却有这么一段过往。”
"Is this how the Light My Star Sea gathers beings from other possibilities?"
chéng dào bǎi le bǎi shǒu ：“ shī dì bù bì zì zé 。 jué dà duō shù de shuò shǔ xiān ， dōu fēi shàn lèi 。 bù kě yīn wèi yǒng shì xiān dì zhè yī lìng lèi ， ér gǎi biàn le guān niàn 。”
承道摆了摆手：“师弟不必自责。绝大多数的硕鼠仙，都非善类。不可因为永世仙帝这一另类，而改变了观念。”
"It should be. Indeed quite ingenious."
“ shī xiōng jiào xùn de shì 。”
“师兄教训的是。”
"Besides being clever, the Light My Star Sea's strength is undoubtedly formidable. I underestimated them earlier," Cheng Dao praised.
The eternal emperor rat's actions, though without a single hesitation, deeply imprinted on Li Fan and Cheng Dao.
"An eternal emperor rat! You are the biggest rat in the celestial realm!"
"Your Majesty, please spare me!"
"Even if you devour me, I will become a vengeful spirit to wait for your downfall!"
...
At first, he still listened to those voices. But as the number of devoured sages increased, the rat's heart gradually became indifferent. Eventually, he completely ignored them.
Before the celestial realm was utterly destroyed and devoured by the Great Void Devouring Dao, the distorted dao transformed into a figure, and the immortal coffin descended into the sky.
The eternal emperor rat carried the surviving sages into it.
Following this, an extremely long period of time passed. Long enough for Li Fan's memory to become somewhat hazy.
Inside the coffin was absolute darkness. Outside the coffin was the world destroyed by the Great Void Devouring Dao.
Li Fan could clearly feel how the Great Void Devouring Dao eroded the immortal coffin during this process.
He silently prayed that before the immortal coffin was completely corrupted, he would reach the other side.
But perhaps his three billion years as a celestial realm ruler had exhausted his fate. After an indeterminate amount of time passed, not even a safe place could be found.
The immortal coffin drifted along with the waves of the Great Void Devouring Dao.
It seemed there was no hope.
And Li Fan underestimated the difficulty of maintaining the integration of myriad dao paths.
Perhaps in normal celestial realms, it could be sustained. But within this immortal coffin surrounded by the Great Void Devouring Dao, maintaining balance became increasingly difficult.
His heart did not want to devour the sages.
But he had to watch helplessly as his body absorbed former subordinates.
He seemed truly to have become a rat cursed by millions of souls.
The last bit of light in his heart gradually extinguished. The eternal emperor fell into endless darkness...
After an indeterminate number of years, when the immortal coffin was completely rotten and could no longer resist the Great Void Devouring Dao,
a loud rumbling sound echoed as Li Fan suddenly found himself in another starry sky.
Although this starry sky was also full of the devastation left by the Great Void Devouring Dao's ravages, it was at least temporarily safe...
Li Fan and Cheng Dao looked at the scene before them for a long time without speaking.
"If I were to do it, I wouldn't have done any better than this eternal emperor rat."
"Though we've already given our utmost effort, the tide is hard to turn," Li Fan sighed.
Cheng Dao commented: "His situation was pitiful, his actions forgivable. If not for his aggressive stance, he might not have had to take my life."
Li Fan looked ashamed: "I acted rashly. I never expected that this terrifying rat would have such a past."
Cheng Dao waved his hand: "Younger brother needn't blame yourself. Most eternal emperor rats are not benevolent. We shouldn't change our views because of the exception of one."
"Brother's words are correct."
Next, Cheng Dao recounted to Li Fan the dao path he had gleaned from devouring the immortal rat pill, even adding his insights on the dao.
Theintuitionof this stone by the mountainside and mound guardian was truly extraordinary. Li Fan suspected that even if he swallowed a dao pill himself, the effect wouldn't be any better.
While listening to the teachings of the dao, Li Fan secretly observed Cheng Dao.
It seemed there were no obvious changes after swallowing a single dao pill.
"However, we can't make conclusions now. We need to feed him more pills."
"Light my star sea..."
After ninety-nine days, Cheng Dao completed his teachings.
"Brother, do you feel that the possibility where the eternal emperor rat is from has weaker dao paths compared to ours?" Li Fan closed his eyes and pondered before suddenly frowning in doubt.
"It's not a mistake on your part. It really is like this," Cheng Dao nodded.
"Why is that?"
Cheng Dao narrowed his eyes, remained silent for a moment, then slowly said: "Perhaps because there has already appeared an unparalleled figure in that possibility."
"Hmm?"
"This is just my guess; I haven't confirmed it with my master."
After making this statement, Cheng Dao continued: "Apart from the Three Sages, in some possibilities, the number of powerful beings that can be born seems to have a certain upper limit."
"It's not just about numbers but also takes into account factors such as cultivation realms."
"Of course, by 'powerful,' I mean those who can transcend their own possibility and become transcendent powerhouses."
Cheng Dao used his finger as a pen and drew a circle in front of Li Fan.
"Just like a fixed-sized water pool. Each time a powerful being is born, it takes up part of the area in this water pool. When the water pool is fully occupied, even those with extraordinaryqualifications cannot reach transcendence."
Li Fan stared at the continuously divided circle, showing a thoughtful expression: "Brother, that's why the Three Sages disappeared from the eternal emperor rat's world. Isn't it because their potential has been exhausted and no longer gives birth to transcendent powerhouses?"
Cheng Dao looked at Li Fan with a smile but did not answer.
Seeing this, Li Fan knew the answer.
He continued to observe the small circle in front of him, waving his hand to reorganize the hundreds of divided areas.
"In that world, there are few powerful beings, let alone masters like my master."
"Then how strong was the powerful being who appeared before?"
"Did he almost exhaust the potential of an entire possibility?"
Li Fan temporarily used "potential" to refer to the small circle in front of him.
"Is his strength actually above that of my master?" Li Fan couldn't help but exclaim.
Cheng Dao remained calm: "When my master saved the celestial realm from the Great Void Devouring Dao, he still humbly acknowledged the respect and admiration of the emperors and sages."
"He never considered himself a powerhouse in the mountains and seas."
"In his own words, he was merely the 'Guardian of the Mound's Virtuous Deity.'"
Upon hearing this, Li Fan immediately became solemn. He nodded in agreement: "My master is not only strong enough to be my teacher but also has an open-mindedness and demeanor that are admirable. Even if your strength surpasses him one day, I believe you will still respect him as a teacher."
"Of course!" Cheng Dao did not deny it.
"The mountains and seas truly have many powerhouses," Li Fan's gaze returned to the small circle in front of him, staring at the innermost circle that almost occupied the entire area. He was momentarily lost in thought.
"I wonder what the legendary other side is like with so many unimaginable powerful beings gathered together."
Cheng Dao smiled: "Younger brother needn't worry. With our natural talents, one day we will step into the other side."
Li Fan laughed heartily: "Then I thank Brother for your good wishes here."
"Let's not talk about the other side now. If you want to see visitors from other possibilities, we can do that now," Cheng Dao suddenly said after a moment of silence.
"Brother means the Light My Star Sea?"
"Yes." Cheng Dao then presented Li Fan with a new scene.
There were nine columns of heaven, circularly surrounding each other.
At the center surrounded by these columns was absolute darkness. Li Fan could sense the familiar aura of the Great Void Devouring Dao.
Outside the nine columns, there were hundreds of pillar-like structures densely distributed from sparse to dense!
Although not every column might contain an unnamed being,
the scale and grandeur of this structure could still be felt.
Unlike Li Fan's method of using simple pillars to support a collapsing sky, these pillars were not uniform in size. They formed a staircase by strength, with the central nine columns at their weakest point, able to attract the Great Void Devouring Dao.
The surrounding hundred columns formed a solid defense, preventing the attracted Great Void Devouring Dao from spreading.
Li Fan looked at the area surrounded by these nine columns, resembling a "water reservoir."
"Is this how the Light My Star Sea gathers beings from other possibilities?"
"It should be. Indeed quite ingenious."
"Besides being clever, the Light My Star Sea's strength is undoubtedly formidable. I underestimated them earlier," Cheng Dao praised.