zì hēi àn zhōng liàng qǐ ， piàn kè hòu shì fàng chū cì mù wú bǐ de guāng huá 。 suǒ guò zhī chù ， cuī kū lā xiǔ ， qǐng kè jiān quán dōu huī fēi yān miè 。
自黑暗中亮起，片刻后释放出刺目无比的光华。所过之处，摧枯拉朽，顷刻间全都灰飞烟灭。
From the darkness, a light emerged and then released an incomparably blinding radiance. Wherever it passed, everything was destroyed in an instant.
“ yǒng héng ！”
“永恒！”
"Timeless!"
qīn yǎn kàn zhe shāng xiān zhōu yì wàn shēng líng zài zì jǐ miàn qián xiāo shī ， shèng shāng zhī zhǔ què méi yǒu sī háo de huāng luàn 。 zhǐ shì shén qíng dàn rán de hū hǎn zhe 。
亲眼看着商仙舟亿万生灵在自己面前消失，圣商之主却没有丝毫的慌乱。只是神情淡然的呼喊着。
The Saint Merchant's Lord watched with his own eyes as countless lives aboard the Merchant Immortal Vessel vanished before him, yet he showed no signs of panic. Instead, he called out calmly.
yī xī 。 liǎng xī 。 sān xī 。
一息。两息。三息。
One breath. Two breaths. Three breaths.
dāng bào fā guāng máng zhú jiàn àn dàn píng xī hòu ， shèng shāng zhī zhǔ suǒ qī dài de 、 shāng xiān zhōu huī fù rú chū de chǎng jǐng ， què yī rán méi yǒu fā shēng 。
当爆发光芒逐渐黯淡平息后，圣商之主所期待的、商仙舟恢复如初的场景，却依然没有发生。
When the burst of light gradually dimmed and faded, the scene the Saint Merchant's Lord had hoped for—where the Merchant Immortal Vessel returned to its original state—still did not occur.
shèng shāng zhī zhǔ de liǎn shàng ， kāi shǐ lù chū hú yí de shén qíng 。
圣商之主的脸上，开始露出狐疑的神情。
A look of suspicion began to appear on his face. However, he didn't immediately think that the Timeless Path had failed.
bù guò tā dì yī shí jiān ， yě méi yǒu wǎng yǒng héng dà dào shī xiào de fāng xiàng qù xiǎng 。
不过他第一时间，也没有往永恒大道失效的方向去想。
Instead, he called out again, "Timeless."
ér shì yòu hū hǎn le yī biàn 【 yǒng héng 】。
而是又呼喊了一遍【永恒】。
The response was still the silent void before him.
huí yìng tā de ， yī jiù shì yǎn qián yǐ rán sǐ jì yī piàn de xū kōng 。
回应他的，依旧是眼前已然死寂一片的虚空。
The Saint Merchant's Lord's heart began to panic. He repeated his call over and over, even holding up the Taiyi Mat near the Timeless Immortal Corpse.
shèng shāng zhī zhǔ xīn zhōng kāi shǐ huāng luàn qǐ lái 。
圣商之主心中开始慌乱起来。
His body trembled as he pointed at where the Merchant Immortal Vessel had once been.
tā yī biàn yòu yī biàn chóng fù hū hǎn zhe ， shèn zhì shǒu chí tài yì pú tuán ， qīn zhì yǒng héng xiān hái páng 。
他一遍又一遍重复呼喊着，甚至手持太易蒲团，亲至永恒仙骸旁。
The Timeless Immortal Corpse naturally made no response.
shēn qū chàn dǒu ， zhǐ zhe xià fāng yuán běn shāng xiān zhōu suǒ zài de dì fāng 。
身躯颤抖，指着下方原本商仙舟所在的地方。
The Saint Merchant's Lord realized what was happening but found it impossible to accept. His rationality began to fade, and he even started attacking the Timeless Immortal Corpse.
yǒng héng xiān hái ， zì rán bú huì zuò chū rèn hé huí yìng 。
永恒仙骸，自然不会做出任何回应。
"Rascal, rascal, rascal..."
shèng shāng zhī zhǔ yǐ jīng yì shí dào fā shēng le shén me ， dàn tā dǒu rán jiān ， què shì gēn běn nán yǐ jiē shòu 。 lǐ zhì zhú jiàn sàng shī ， tā shèn zhì kāi shǐ gōng jī qǐ le yǒng héng xiān hái 。
圣商之主已经意识到发生了什么，但他陡然间，却是根本难以接受。理智逐渐丧失，他甚至开始攻击起了永恒仙骸。
"Restore me!"
“ hùn zhàng 、 hùn zhàng 、 hùn zhàng ……”
“混账、混账、混账……”
Endless blue symbols poured out of him like a hurricane, sweeping towards the corpse with overwhelming force.
“ gěi wǒ fù yuán a ！”
“给我复原啊！”
The Saint Merchant's Lord's furious attack caused the once silent starry void to tremble again. Like a stone dropped into calm water, waves of blue ripples echoed continuously.
wú jìn de lán sè fú hào zì tā shēn shàng yǒng chū ， rú kuáng fēng jù làng ， pāng pài cháo zhe xiān hái xí juǎn ér qù 。
无尽的蓝色符号自他身上涌出，如狂风巨浪，滂湃朝着仙骸席卷而去。
And that Timeless Immortal Corpse, which had existed aboard the Vessel for millions of years and become its foundation, actually shattered and vanished without a trace in this turmoil.
shèng shāng zhī zhǔ shèng nù xià de zhè yī jī ， shǐ de sǐ jì xīng kōng zài dù zhèn dàng qǐ lái 。 hǎo sì jù shí zhuì rù le píng jìng de shuǐ miàn ， yī dào dào lán sè lián yī ， bù duàn huí xiǎng 。
圣商之主盛怒下的这一击，使得死寂星空再度震荡起来。好似巨石坠入了平静的水面，一道道蓝色涟漪，不断回响。
The Saint Merchant's Lord stood rooted to the spot, utterly stunned.
ér nà yǐ jīng zài xiān zhōu nèi cún zài le shù bǎi wàn nián 、 zǎo yǐ jīng chéng wéi xiān zhōu lì shēn zhī běn de yǒng héng xiān hái ， jìng rán zài zhè dòng dàng zhōng ， zhí jiē rú pào yǐng bān ， qiǎo rán zhà liè 、 xiāo shī wú zōng 。
而那已经在仙舟内存在了数百万年、早已经成为仙舟立身之本的永恒仙骸，竟然在这动荡中，直接如泡影般，悄然炸裂、消失无踪。
The Timeless Path could not be so easily defeated. His strength was far from that level. So there was only one answer.
shèng shāng zhī zhǔ chè dǐ dāi lì dāng chǎng 。
圣商之主彻底呆立当场。
The corpse he had just destroyed was not truly "Timeless"!
yǒng héng dà dào ， gēn běn bù kě néng jiù zhè yàng qīng yì bèi zì jǐ jī kuì de 。 tā de shí lì hái yuǎn méi yǒu dá dào nà bān céng cì 。 suǒ yǐ dá àn zhǐ yǒu yí gè 。
永恒大道，根本不可能就这样轻易被自己击溃的。他的实力还远没有达到那般层次。所以答案只有一个。
The true Timeless Immortal Corpse had vanished at some point.
gāng gāng bèi tā cuī huǐ de nà jù hái gǔ ， gēn běn bú shì 【 yǒng héng 】！
刚刚被他摧毁的那具骸骨，根本不是【永恒】！
Almost instantly, the Saint Merchant's Lord recalled the mysterious disappearance of the Vessel's gatekeeper, Wu Xin, not long ago.
zhēn zhèng de yǒng héng xiān hái ， bù zhī hé shí ， xiāo shī bú jiàn le ！
真正的永恒仙骸，不知何时，消失不见了！
Timeless had been hidden aboard the Vessel for millions of years. If he were to grieve deeply and lose all hope, how could there be his current state?
jī hū shì shùn jiān ， shèng shāng zhī zhǔ jiù lián xiǎng dào le bù jiǔ zhī qián ， mò míng shī zōng de xiān zhōu shǒu mén rén ： wū xīn 。
几乎是瞬间，圣商之主就联想到了不久之前，莫名失踪的仙舟守门人：巫炘。
"Rascal Wu Xin, I will kill you! Kill you!"
yǒng héng cáng yú xiān zhōu zhōng bǎi wàn nián ， cóng lái méi yǒu chū xiàn guò chā cuò 。 rú jīn gēn wū xīn tóng shí bú jiàn ……
永恒藏于仙舟中百万年，从来没有出现过差错。如今跟巫炘同时不见……
"Kill, kill, kill!"
“ a a a a a a ！”
“啊啊啊啊啊啊！”
In just a few breaths, the once shrewd and far-sighted Saint Merchant's Lord fell into madness. All that remained in his mind was to kill Wu Xin for revenge.
shèng shāng zhī zhǔ shuāng mù yīn wèi jí dù de fèn nù biàn dé chì hóng wú bǐ 。 wú shù zhāng shú xī wú bǐ de miàn páng ， zài tā de nǎo hǎi zhōng kuài sù shǎn guò 。 yī xiǎng dào shì zì jǐ qīn shǒu huǐ diào le zhěng gè xiān zhōu ， yǐ jí qí nèi de yì wàn shēng líng 。 wú fǎ xíng róng de kuì jiù 、 zì zé gǎn ， jī hū yào jiāng tā de yì shí chè dǐ cuī kuǎ 。
圣商之主双目因为极度的愤怒变得赤红无比。无数张熟悉无比的面庞，在他的脑海中快速闪过。一想到是自己亲手毁掉了整个仙舟，以及其内的亿万生灵。无法形容的愧疚、自责感，几乎要将他的意识彻底摧垮。
But Wu Xin had already been suppressed by Li Fan within the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm.
“ wū xīn ， wǒ yào shā le nǐ ！ shā le nǐ ！”
“巫炘，我要杀了你！杀了你！”
No matter how hard he tried, the Saint Merchant's Lord could not find him.
“ shā shā shā shā ！”
“杀杀杀杀！”
Thus, he became increasingly enraged and destructive, determined to destroy everything around him.
jī hū shì zài jǐ gè hū xī nèi ， yuán běn kān chēng xióng cái dà lüè de shèng shāng zhī zhǔ ， jiù yǐ jīng xiàn rù le fēng diān zhuàng tài 。 nǎo zi lǐ jiù zhǐ shèng xià le yào jiāng wū xīn zhū shā 、 bào chóu xuè hèn zhè yí gè niàn tou 。
几乎是在几个呼吸内，原本堪称雄才大略的圣商之主，就已经陷入了疯癫状态。脑子里就只剩下了要将巫炘诛杀、报仇血恨这一个念头。
He left the starry void where the Vessel once was and headed towards the Cold Star Sea.
dàn wū xīn zǎo yǐ jīng bèi lǐ fán zhèn yā zài xuán huáng xiān jiè nèi 。
但巫炘早已经被李凡镇压在玄黄仙界内。
The massive destruction caused by the Vessel's destruction had caught the attention of the Cold Star Sea's cultivators. They met and began a strange battle.
rèn píng shèng shāng zhī zhǔ shǒu duàn jǐn chū ， dōu wú fǎ xún dào qí zōng jì 。
任凭圣商之主手段尽出，都无法寻到其踪迹。
The Saint Merchant's Lord, out of his mind, ignored all familial ties. After being caught off guard and suffering heavy losses, the Cold Star Sea cultivators were also enraged and united to kill this madman.
yú shì tā yù fā wú néng kuáng nù ， yù jiāng yī qiè yǎn qián zhī wù 、 dōu quán bù cuī huǐ 。
于是他愈发无能狂怒，欲将一切眼前之物、都全部摧毁。
"Thus, I say, do not take external things too seriously. My entire family was killed by Kao Hong Daoxuan in a single spell, but it was just a passing thought. If I had been overwhelmed with grief at that time, how could there be me today?" Li Fan, who had been watching from afar, commented nonchalantly.
hún hún è è ， lí kāi le yuán běn shāng xiān zhōu suǒ zài xīng kōng 。 cháo zhe shuò xīng hǎi de fāng xiàng qián xíng 。
浑浑噩噩，离开了原本商仙舟所在星空。朝着朔星海的方向前行。
Although the Saint Merchant's Lord was mad, his intelligence about various possibilities between mountains and seas still held great value. Li Fan couldn't let him go so easily.
ér cǐ qián shāng xiān zhōu bèi huǐ yǐn fā de jù dà zhèn dàng ， yě xī yǐn le shuò xīng hǎi nèi xiū shì de zhù yì 。
而此前商仙舟被毁引发的巨大震荡，也吸引了朔星海内修士的注意。
"Let them fight until they are both exhausted. Then I will deal with them."
liǎng fāng xiāng yù ， mò míng qí miào sǐ dòu qǐ lái 。
两方相遇，莫名奇妙死斗起来。
Neither the Saint Merchant's Lord nor the Cold Star Sea were easy to defeat or suppress.
shèng shāng zhī zhǔ lǐ zhì quán wú ， liù qīn bù rèn 。 shuò xīng hǎi xiū shì men zài bèi dǎ le gè cù bù jí fáng ， sǔn shī cǎn zhòng hòu 。 yě bèi jī qǐ le huǒ qì ， lián hé qǐ lái ， shì yào jiāng zhè fēng zi gěi zhū shā 。
圣商之主理智全无，六亲不认。朔星海修士们在被打了个猝不及防，损失惨重后。也被激起了火气，联合起来，誓要将这疯子给诛杀。
Li Fan temporarily withdrew his gaze, looking at the site where the Vessel once was.
“ suǒ yǐ wǒ shuō ， qiè bù yào jiāng shēn wài zhī wù kàn de tài zhòng 。 wǒ dāng nián quán jiā jiē sǐ zài kòu hóng dào xuán zi dòu fǎ zhī xià ， hái bú shì yī xiào ér guò 。 ruò shì wǒ bǐ shí yīn jí dù bēi shāng ér wàn niàn jù huī ， yòu qǐ yǒu wǒ zhī jīn rì ？” ér duǒ zài yuǎn fāng ， yuǎn guān hǎo xì de lǐ fán ， zé shì zhàn zhe shuō huà bù yāo téng de diǎn píng dào 。
“所以我说，切不要将身外之物看的太重。我当年全家皆死在寇洪道玄子斗法之下，还不是一笑而过。若是我彼时因极度悲伤而万念俱灰，又岂有我之今日？”而躲在远方，远观好戏的李凡，则是站着说话不腰疼的点评道。
After the intense explosion, the entire starry void had turned silent, as if nothing remained.
shèng shāng zhī zhǔ suī rán fēng le ， dàn tā nǎo zi lǐ guān yú shān hǎi jiān zhū duō kě néng xìng de qíng bào hái shì yǒu jí dà jià zhí de 。 lǐ fán zì rán bù kě néng jiù zhè me qīng yì fàng guò tā 。
圣商之主虽然疯了，但他脑子里关于山海间诸多可能性的情报还是有极大价值的。李凡自然不可能就这么轻易放过他。
But Li Fan knew that the two Striped Cats, Bitter Orange and White Front, hadn't escaped. They were still hiding in this area.
“ qiě ràng tā men ， dòu shàng yī dòu 。 děng liǎng bài jù shāng ， wǒ zài yì qǐ shōu shí 。”
“且让他们，斗上一斗。等两败俱伤，我再一起收拾。”
"Come out," Li Fan said, his form manifesting to the empty starry void with a faint voice.
wú lùn shì shèng shāng zhī zhǔ ， yì huò zhě shì shuò xīng hǎi 。 dōu bú shì nà me róng yì bèi qīng yì jī kuì zhèn yā de 。
无论是圣商之主，亦或者是朔星海。都不是那么容易被轻易击溃镇压的。
The two Striped Cats showed no reaction.
lǐ fán zàn shí shōu huí shì xiàn ， kàn xiàng shāng xiān zhōu yuán zhǐ 。
李凡暂时收回视线，看向商仙舟原址。
Li Fan chuckled. They were playing hide-and-seek...
nà chǎng jù liè de bào zhà hòu ， zhěng piàn xīng kōng zhōng jiù jǐn jiē huà zuò sǐ jì 。 sì hū méi yǒu rèn hé dōng xī liú cún 。
那场剧烈的爆炸后，整片星空中就尽皆化作死寂。似乎没有任何东西留存。
With a wave of his hands, the entire starry void was cut and transformed into a square cage.
dàn lǐ fán zhī dào ， pí pá gēn bái qián liǎng zhǐ duó tiān māo ， méi yǒu táo zǒu 。
但李凡知道，枇杷跟白前两只夺天猫，没有逃走。
As the Ten Thousand Realms Dao Net quickly retracted, Li Fan returned to the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm with this cage and its cat treasures.
yī jiù cáng shēn zài zhè piàn qū yù zhōng 。
依旧藏身在这片区域中。
He left behind a divine consciousness to monitor the situation in the Cold Star Sea, ready to act at any time.
“ chū lái ba 。” lǐ fán xiǎn huà chū yǐn nì shēn xíng ， duì zhe wú rén xīng kōng ， dàn dàn dì shuō dào 。
“出来吧。”李凡显化出隐匿身形，对着无人星空，淡淡地说道。
Upon entering this place, the two hidden Striped Cats jumped out.
liǎng zhǐ duó tiān māo gēn běn méi yǒu rèn hé fǎn yìng 。
两只夺天猫根本没有任何反应。
"This hiding method..."
lǐ fán shěn rán yī xiào ， jū rán gēn tā wán duǒ māo māo de yóu xì ……
李凡哂然一笑，居然跟他玩躲猫猫的游戏……
Li Fan's gaze flickered. The Striped Cats' bodies seemed to completely dissolve into their surroundings, becoming part of the natural order, thus perfectly concealing themselves.
shuāng shǒu yī zhuā ， yǎn qián zhěng piàn xīng kōng ， dōu bèi qiē gē xià lái 、 huà zuò fāng xíng láo lóng 。
双手一抓，眼前整片星空，都被切割下来、化作方形牢笼。
Even though Li Fan knew they were hiding here, he couldn't identify them.
bàn suí zhe wàn xiāng dào wǎng de kuài sù huí suō ， lǐ fán dài zhe zhè zuò qiú lóng 、 yǐ jí lóng zi lǐ de māo bǎo ， fǎn huí le xuán huáng xiān jiè nèi 。
伴随着万相道网的快速回缩，李凡带着这座囚笼、以及笼子里的猫宝，返回了玄黄仙界内。
But this disguise didn't work in the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm. They revealed their flaws as soon as they entered.
zhǐ liú xià yī dào shén niàn ， jiān shì shuò xīng hǎi zhè biān de qíng kuàng 。 yǐ biàn suí shí chū shǒu 。
只留下一道神念，监视朔星海这边的情况。以便随时出手。
"Still, this doesn't mean they can't hide here. It just needs some time to adapt..."
ér sì hū shì gǎn shòu dào le xuán huáng xiān jiè gēn xún cháng xīng kōng jié rán bù tóng de huán jìng ， yī lái dào cǐ chù ， liǎng zhǐ cáng nì de duó tiān māo jiù tiào le chū lái 。
而似乎是感受到了玄黄仙界跟寻常星空截然不同的环境，一来到此处，两只藏匿的夺天猫就跳了出来。
Li Fan observed the two orange and black Striped Cats before him. He noticed that their bodies were undergoing a terrifying transformation in response to the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm's environment.
“ zhè zhǒng cáng shēn fāng shì ……” lǐ fán mù guāng yī shǎn 。
“这种藏身方式……”李凡目光一闪。
This adaptability was something Li Fan had only seen in the newborn Black Ink Killer.
duó tiān māo shēn tǐ fǎng fú wán quán róng jiě ， gēn zhōu wéi huán jìng tóng huà 。 chéng wéi le tiān dì dà dào de yī bù fèn 。 yīn ér néng wán měi yǐn cáng 。
夺天猫身体仿佛完全溶解，跟周围环境同化。成为了天地大道的一部分。因而能完美隐藏。
"Bitter Orange's change is faster than White Front."
jí biàn lǐ fán zhī dào tā men jiù cáng zài zhè lǐ ， dàn què wú fǎ jiāng tā men fēn biàn chū lái 。
即便李凡知道祂们就藏在这里，但却无法将祂们分辨出来。
"This is what they call the Seven Original Striped Cats?"
dàn māo bǎo men de zhè zhǒng wěi zhuāng ， xiǎn rán bù shì yòng yú xuán huáng xiān jiè 。 gù ér yī jìn rù cǐ jiān ， jiù lù chū le pò zhàn 。
但猫宝们的这种伪装，显然不适用于玄黄仙界。故而一进入此间，就露出了破绽。
The two Striped Cats huddled together, wary of Li Fan. As their bodies began to merge with the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm, even Li Fan, as the Yellow-Ember Parent, found them increasingly pleasing.
“ bù guò ， zhè yě bù dài biǎo tā men wú fǎ zuò dào zài cǐ jiān yǐn cáng 。 zhǐ shì xū yào diǎn shì yìng shí jiān ……”
“不过，这也不代表祂们无法做到在此间隐藏。只是需要点适应时间……”
This invisible hostility between the heavens and earth towards foreign invaders dissipated.
lǐ fán dǎ liàng zhuó yǎn qián ， yī jú yī hēi bái liǎng zhǐ duó tiān māo 。 chá jué dào tā men de shēn tǐ ， zhèng zài yǐ mǒu zhǒng jí qí kě bù de sù dù ， gēn jù xuán huáng xiān jiè huán jìng 、 ér chǎn shēng xiāng yìng de biàn huà 。
李凡打量着眼前，一橘一黑白两只夺天猫。察觉到祂们的身体，正在以某种极其可怖的速度，根据玄黄仙界环境、而产生相应的变化。
The two Striped Cats easily transformed from outsiders into celestial favored ones.
zhè zhǒng shì yìng lì ， lǐ fán zhǐ zài xīn shēng mò shā de shēn shàng kàn dào guò 。
这种适应力，李凡只在新生墨杀的身上看到过。
Clearly, this was an effect of their own evolution.
“ pí pá de biàn huà sù dù ， hái shèng bái qián yī chóu 。”
“枇杷的变化速度，还胜白前一筹。”
"If Heavenly Medicine had such abilities back then, there would have been no need for reincarnation as a demon," Li Fan marveled. Only he, as the Yellow-Ember Parent, understood just how incredible these changes were.
“ zhè jiù shì suǒ wèi de duó tiān qī yuán xíng me 。”
“这就是所谓的夺天七原型么。”
Back in the Cold Star Sea, when they were still in the lower starry voids, the two Striped Cats' strength was only at the level of an unnamed True Immortal. But now...
liǎng zhǐ duó tiān māo ， yī wēi zài yì qǐ 。 jǐng tì de kàn zhe bù yuǎn chù de lǐ fán 。
两只夺天猫，依偎在一起。警惕的看着不远处的李凡。
It was like cultivators ascending to the immortal realm during daylight. The Striped Cats rapidly transformed, their aura surpassing ordinary unnamed immortals.
suí zhe tā men de shēn tǐ kāi shǐ màn màn róng rù xuán huáng xiān jiè ， lǐ fán zhè wèi xuán huáng fù mǔ ， dōu kāi shǐ jué de zhè liǎng zhǐ māo yù fā shùn yǎn qǐ lái 。 lǐ fán rú cǐ ， gèng huáng lùn xuán huáng tiān dào le 。
随着祂们的身体开始慢慢融入玄黄仙界，李凡这位玄黄父母，都开始觉得这两只猫愈发顺眼起来。李凡如此，更遑论玄黄天道了。
And this enhancement showed no signs of stopping; it seemed they were climbing towards transcendence!
tiān dì jiān suǒ níng jù de 、 zhēn duì wài lái rù qīn zhī wù de wú xíng dí yì ， jiù zhè yàng mò míng xiāo sàn 。
天地间所凝聚的、针对外来入侵之物的无形敌意，就这样莫名消散。
"It's not that they've progressed so quickly in such a short time. Rather, the Striped Cats' creation was set to this level from the start. Now they're just returning to their original form."
liǎng zhǐ duó tiān māo jiù zhè me qīng yì de dá chéng le cóng wài lái zhě dào tiān juàn zhě de zhuǎn biàn 。
两只夺天猫就这么轻易的达成了从外来者到天眷者的转变。
"Being entrusted with important tasks by Supreme Sage Emperor Taiwei and deployed among other possibilities with transcendental power is no surprise. After all, the definition of transcendence is being able to cross mountains and seas freely."
zhè xiǎn rán māo bǎo men zì xíng yǎn huà suǒ dài lái de yǐng xiǎng 。
这显然猫宝们自行衍化所带来的影响。
"But it's only a matter of realm. The Striped Cats' crossing seems more like using some clever method. Compared to transcendental cultivators, their actual combat strength must be far inferior."
“ rú guǒ dāng nián tiān yī yǒu zhè děng shǒu duàn ， yě jiù yòng bù zhe shén me tiān mó zhuǎn shēng le 。” lǐ fán jiāng yī qiè xì wēi biàn huà kàn zài yǎn lǐ ， xīn zhōng yǒu xiē jīng tàn 。
“如果当年天医有这等手段，也就用不着什么天魔转生了。”李凡将一切细微变化看在眼里，心中有些惊叹。
The Striped Cats adapted to their environment and integrated into the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm.
zhǐ yǒu shēn wèi xuán huáng fù mǔ de tā ， fāng cái zhī xiǎo māo bǎo cǐ fān biàn huà shì rú hé de bù kě sī yì 。
只有身为玄黄父母的他，方才知晓猫宝此番变化是如何的不可思议。
Li Fan similarly perceived the two Striped Cats through the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm.
gāng gāng zài shuò xīng hǎi shí ， yīn wèi shēn chù xià jiè xīng kōng 。 liǎng zhǐ duó tiān māo de shí lì ， zhǐ shì kān kān wú míng zhēn xiān jí bié 。 dàn xiàn zài ……
刚刚在朔星海时，因为身处下界星空。两只夺天猫的实力，只是堪堪无名真仙级别。但现在……
Just as he had discerned the true nature of the Merchant Immortal Vessel's Timeless Corpse, Li Fan's perception of these cat treasures changed as his understanding deepened.
fǎng fú xiū shì bái rì fēi shēng ， lái dào xiān jiè 。 duó tiān māo xùn sù tuì biàn zhōng ， zhōu shēn suǒ liú lù de qì shì ， yǐ jīng chāo guò le xún cháng wú míng 。
仿佛修士白日飞升，来到仙界。夺天猫迅速蜕变中，周身所流露的气势，已经超过了寻常无名。
The cat fur disappeared, the skin dissolved, and the bones vanished. At their core were two plants!
ér qiě zhè zhǒng zēng qiáng de qū shì ， hái méi yǒu tíng zhǐ de jì xiàng 。 sì hū yào jì xù cháo zhe chāo tuō zhī jìng pān shēng ！
而且这种增强的趋势，还没有停止的迹象。似乎要继续朝着超脱之境攀升！
Or rather, herbs!
“ yǔ qí shuō ， shì tā men zài duǎn shí jiān nèi jiù jìn bù zhì cǐ 。 dào bù rú shuō ， duó tiān māo bèi chuàng zào chū lái zhī jì ， suǒ shè dìng de shàng xiàn jiù shì zhè ge shuǐ zhǔn 。 xiàn zài zhǐ shì huī fù dào yuán běn mú yàng bà le 。”
“与其说，是祂们在短时间内就进步至此。倒不如说，夺天猫被创造出来之际，所设定的上限就是这个水准。现在只是恢复到原本模样罢了。”
They corresponded to their names: Bitter Orange and White Front!
“ néng gòu bèi tài wēi shèng dì wěi yǐ zhòng rèn ， tóu fàng zhì qí tā kě néng xìng ， yǒu chāo tuō shí lì 、 yě bù zú wéi qí 。 bì jìng chāo tuō de dìng yì ， jiù shì néng gòu héng dù shān hǎi ， zì yóu qián wǎng qí tā kě néng xìng 。”
“能够被太微圣帝委以重任，投放至其他可能性，有超脱实力、也不足为奇。毕竟超脱的定义，就是能够横渡山海，自由前往其他可能性。”
Boom! The images of the herbs exploded, causing Li Fan's head to spin momentarily.
“ dàn yě zhǐ shì jìng jiè xiāng tóng 。 duó tiān māo de héng dù ， gèng xiàng shì yòng le mǒu zhǒng qǔ qiǎo de fāng fǎ 。 gēn chāo tuō xiū shì xiāng bǐ ， tā men de shí jì zhàn lì ， kěn dìng shì yuǎn yuǎn bù rú de 。”
“但也只是境界相同。夺天猫的横渡，更像是用了某种取巧的方法。跟超脱修士相比，祂们的实际战力，肯定是远远不如的。”
After a moment, he vaguely saw a figure standing still.
duó tiān māo zài shì yìng huán jìng 、 róng rù xuán huáng xiān jiè zhī nèi 。
夺天猫在适应环境、融入玄黄仙界之内。
Tall in stature, face indistinct. Holding Bitter Orange and White Front, or other herbs.
ér lǐ fán tóng yàng tōng guò xuán huáng xiān jiè ， qù gǎn zhī yǎn qián zhè liǎng zhǐ duó tiān māo 。
而李凡同样通过玄黄仙界，去感知眼前这两只夺天猫。
Examining closely.
jiù xiàng shì shí pò shāng xiān zhōu yǒng héng xiān hái zhēn miàn mù yī yàng 。 suí zhe duì māo bǎo běn zhì dì liǎo jiě shēn rù ， lǐ fán yǎn qián ， zhè yī jú yī hēi bái de māo bǎo xíng xiàng ， yě zài màn màn fā shēng zhe biàn huà 。
就像是识破商仙舟永恒仙骸真面目一样。随着对猫宝本质的了解深入，李凡眼前，这一橘一黑白的猫宝形象，也在慢慢发生着变化。
The herbs under his hands instantly transformed into their most potent forms.
māo máo tuì qù ， māo pí róng jiě ， māo gǔ xiāo mǐ 。
猫毛退去，猫皮溶解，猫骨消弭。
Before the figure, countless herbs spread out. Seven of them were particularly prominent.
qí nèi lǐ hé xīn ， hè rán shì liǎng zhū zhí wù ！
其内里核心，赫然是两株植物！
"The Seven Original Striped Cats are actually the Seven Wondrous Herbs..." Li Fan realized with a sudden understanding.
yì huò zhě shuō ， shì yào cái ！
亦或者说，是药材！
Since they were essentially herbs, the cat treasures' greatest effect naturally had to do with medicine.
zhèng duì yìng zhe tā men liǎ de míng zì 。
正对应着祂们俩的名字。
The ability to simulate life and item replication was merely the most basic function given to the cat treasures after their creation.
From the darkness, a light emerged and then released an incomparably blinding radiance. Wherever it passed, everything was destroyed in an instant.
"Timeless!"
The Saint Merchant's Lord watched with his own eyes as countless lives aboard the Merchant Immortal Vessel vanished before him, yet he showed no signs of panic. Instead, he called out calmly.
One breath. Two breaths. Three breaths.
When the burst of light gradually dimmed and faded, the scene the Saint Merchant's Lord had hoped for—where the Merchant Immortal Vessel returned to its original state—still did not occur.
A look of suspicion began to appear on his face. However, he didn't immediately think that the Timeless Path had failed.
Instead, he called out again, "Timeless."
The response was still the silent void before him.
The Saint Merchant's Lord's heart began to panic. He repeated his call over and over, even holding up the Taiyi Mat near the Timeless Immortal Corpse.
His body trembled as he pointed at where the Merchant Immortal Vessel had once been.
The Timeless Immortal Corpse naturally made no response.
The Saint Merchant's Lord realized what was happening but found it impossible to accept. His rationality began to fade, and he even started attacking the Timeless Immortal Corpse.
"Rascal, rascal, rascal..."
"Restore me!"
Endless blue symbols poured out of him like a hurricane, sweeping towards the corpse with overwhelming force.
The Saint Merchant's Lord's furious attack caused the once silent starry void to tremble again. Like a stone dropped into calm water, waves of blue ripples echoed continuously.
And that Timeless Immortal Corpse, which had existed aboard the Vessel for millions of years and become its foundation, actually shattered and vanished without a trace in this turmoil.
The Saint Merchant's Lord stood rooted to the spot, utterly stunned.
The Timeless Path could not be so easily defeated. His strength was far from that level. So there was only one answer.
The corpse he had just destroyed was not truly "Timeless"!
The true Timeless Immortal Corpse had vanished at some point.
Almost instantly, the Saint Merchant's Lord recalled the mysterious disappearance of the Vessel's gatekeeper, Wu Xin, not long ago.
Timeless had been hidden aboard the Vessel for millions of years. If he were to grieve deeply and lose all hope, how could there be his current state?
"Rascal Wu Xin, I will kill you! Kill you!"
"Kill, kill, kill!"
In just a few breaths, the once shrewd and far-sighted Saint Merchant's Lord fell into madness. All that remained in his mind was to kill Wu Xin for revenge.
But Wu Xin had already been suppressed by Li Fan within the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm.
No matter how hard he tried, the Saint Merchant's Lord could not find him.
Thus, he became increasingly enraged and destructive, determined to destroy everything around him.
He left the starry void where the Vessel once was and headed towards the Cold Star Sea.
The massive destruction caused by the Vessel's destruction had caught the attention of the Cold Star Sea's cultivators. They met and began a strange battle.
The Saint Merchant's Lord, out of his mind, ignored all familial ties. After being caught off guard and suffering heavy losses, the Cold Star Sea cultivators were also enraged and united to kill this madman.
"Thus, I say, do not take external things too seriously. My entire family was killed by Kao Hong Daoxuan in a single spell, but it was just a passing thought. If I had been overwhelmed with grief at that time, how could there be me today?" Li Fan, who had been watching from afar, commented nonchalantly.
Although the Saint Merchant's Lord was mad, his intelligence about various possibilities between mountains and seas still held great value. Li Fan couldn't let him go so easily.
"Let them fight until they are both exhausted. Then I will deal with them."
Neither the Saint Merchant's Lord nor the Cold Star Sea were easy to defeat or suppress.
Li Fan temporarily withdrew his gaze, looking at the site where the Vessel once was.
After the intense explosion, the entire starry void had turned silent, as if nothing remained.
But Li Fan knew that the two Striped Cats, Bitter Orange and White Front, hadn't escaped. They were still hiding in this area.
"Come out," Li Fan said, his form manifesting to the empty starry void with a faint voice.
The two Striped Cats showed no reaction.
Li Fan chuckled. They were playing hide-and-seek...
With a wave of his hands, the entire starry void was cut and transformed into a square cage.
As the Ten Thousand Realms Dao Net quickly retracted, Li Fan returned to the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm with this cage and its cat treasures.
He left behind a divine consciousness to monitor the situation in the Cold Star Sea, ready to act at any time.
Upon entering this place, the two hidden Striped Cats jumped out.
"This hiding method..."
Li Fan's gaze flickered. The Striped Cats' bodies seemed to completely dissolve into their surroundings, becoming part of the natural order, thus perfectly concealing themselves.
Even though Li Fan knew they were hiding here, he couldn't identify them.
But this disguise didn't work in the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm. They revealed their flaws as soon as they entered.
"Still, this doesn't mean they can't hide here. It just needs some time to adapt..."
Li Fan observed the two orange and black Striped Cats before him. He noticed that their bodies were undergoing a terrifying transformation in response to the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm's environment.
This adaptability was something Li Fan had only seen in the newborn Black Ink Killer.
"Bitter Orange's change is faster than White Front."
"This is what they call the Seven Original Striped Cats?"
The two Striped Cats huddled together, wary of Li Fan. As their bodies began to merge with the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm, even Li Fan, as the Yellow-Ember Parent, found them increasingly pleasing.
This invisible hostility between the heavens and earth towards foreign invaders dissipated.
The two Striped Cats easily transformed from outsiders into celestial favored ones.
Clearly, this was an effect of their own evolution.
"If Heavenly Medicine had such abilities back then, there would have been no need for reincarnation as a demon," Li Fan marveled. Only he, as the Yellow-Ember Parent, understood just how incredible these changes were.
Back in the Cold Star Sea, when they were still in the lower starry voids, the two Striped Cats' strength was only at the level of an unnamed True Immortal. But now...
It was like cultivators ascending to the immortal realm during daylight. The Striped Cats rapidly transformed, their aura surpassing ordinary unnamed immortals.
And this enhancement showed no signs of stopping; it seemed they were climbing towards transcendence!
"It's not that they've progressed so quickly in such a short time. Rather, the Striped Cats' creation was set to this level from the start. Now they're just returning to their original form."
"Being entrusted with important tasks by Supreme Sage Emperor Taiwei and deployed among other possibilities with transcendental power is no surprise. After all, the definition of transcendence is being able to cross mountains and seas freely."
"But it's only a matter of realm. The Striped Cats' crossing seems more like using some clever method. Compared to transcendental cultivators, their actual combat strength must be far inferior."
The Striped Cats adapted to their environment and integrated into the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm.
Li Fan similarly perceived the two Striped Cats through the Yellow-Ember Immortal Realm.
Just as he had discerned the true nature of the Merchant Immortal Vessel's Timeless Corpse, Li Fan's perception of these cat treasures changed as his understanding deepened.
The cat fur disappeared, the skin dissolved, and the bones vanished. At their core were two plants!
Or rather, herbs!
They corresponded to their names: Bitter Orange and White Front!
Boom! The images of the herbs exploded, causing Li Fan's head to spin momentarily.
After a moment, he vaguely saw a figure standing still.
Tall in stature, face indistinct. Holding Bitter Orange and White Front, or other herbs.
Examining closely.
The herbs under his hands instantly transformed into their most potent forms.
Before the figure, countless herbs spread out. Seven of them were particularly prominent.
"The Seven Original Striped Cats are actually the Seven Wondrous Herbs..." Li Fan realized with a sudden understanding.
Since they were essentially herbs, the cat treasures' greatest effect naturally had to do with medicine.
The ability to simulate life and item replication was merely the most basic function given to the cat treasures after their creation.