“ wèi rù shān hǎi ， biàn yǒu rú cǐ shí lì 。 jià rì shí rì ， děng nǐ zhèng shì jìn rù shān hǎi jiān lì liàn yī fān ， dí què wèi lái kě qī 。 bù guò ……”
“未入山海，便有如此实力。假日时日，等你正式进入山海间历练一番，的确未来可期。不过……”
"Even before stepping into the Sea of Mountains and Seas, you already possess such formidable strength. After your formal entry into this realm for training, it's indeed promising for your future. However..."
xié sū bái huà fēng yī zhuǎn ， shēng yīn jiàn lěng ：“ tā rén zhù lì ， huò kě wèi chuán 、 wèi jiǎng 。 dàn xiǎng yào zhēn zhèng chāo tuō ， zuì zhōng hái shì yào kào nǐ zì jǐ ！”
邪苏白话锋一转，声音渐冷：“他人助力，或可为船、为桨。但想要真正超脱，最终还是要靠你自己！”
Yexu Bai shifted his tone abruptly, his voice growing colder: "Others' assistance might be like a boat or oars, but to truly transcend, it ultimately depends on yourself!"
“ yǒu shén me dú shǔ zì jǐ de dōng xī me ？”
“有什么独属自己的东西么？”
"What unique possession do you have?"
bīng lěng de dī yǔ zài lǐ fán ěr biān huí xiǎng ， wǎn ruò mó yīn 。 xié sū bái de yǎn zhōng ， yě tóng shí fàn chū yī mǒ qí yì de guāng zé 。
冰冷的低语在李凡耳边回响，宛若魔音。邪苏白的眼中，也同时泛出一抹奇异的光泽。
The cold whisper echoed in Li Fan's ears, akin to an evil melody. A strange light flashed in Yexu Bai's eyes.
lǐ fán xīn shén ， bù yóu zì zhǔ de bèi qí xī yǐn 。
李凡心神，不由自主的被其吸引。
Li Fan involuntarily found himself drawn into their gaze.
sì mù xiāng duì ， yī zhèn huǎng hū jiān ， lǐ fán jìng hū de lái dào le yī chù mò shēng de shí kōng 。
四目相对，一阵恍惚间，李凡竟忽的来到了一处陌生的时空。
Suddenly, they were standing in a strange space, surrounded by nothingness. Only Li Fan and Yexu Bai stood facing each other.
zhōu zāo kōng jiān ， jìn shì xū wú yī piàn 。 zhǐ yǒu lǐ fán yǔ xié sū bái ， xiāng duì ér lì 。
周遭空间，尽是虚无一片。只有李凡与邪苏白，相对而立。
"How would you fight if all that was outside no longer existed?"
“ dāng méi yǒu le wài miàn de nà yī qiè ， nǐ yòu gāi rú hé duì dí ne ？”
“当没有了外面的那一切，你又该如何对敌呢？”
Yexu Bai's sinister voice reverberated around him.
sū bái xié mèi de shēng yīn huán rào 。
苏白邪魅的声音环绕。
He had deliberately avoided showing his true strength within the Xuanhuang Realm, but here he wouldn't hold back. He pulled Li Fan into this mental space to confront him directly.
hè rán shì tā jiù suàn kàn chū le xuán huáng xiān jiè nèi zhū duō dǐ yùn chuán chéng ， yě bù yuàn zài lǐ fán miàn qián diū le miàn zi 。 zài xuán huáng xiān jiè zhōng dòng qǐ shǒu lái ， nán miǎn huì zào chéng sǔn shāng 。 yú shì gān cuì zhí jiē jiāng lǐ fán lā rù zhè piàn xīn líng kōng jiān zhōng duì zhì 。
赫然是他就算看出了玄黄仙界内诸多底蕴传承，也不愿在李凡面前丢了面子。在玄黄仙界中动起手来，难免会造成损伤。于是干脆直接将李凡拉入这片心灵空间中对峙。
"Boy, pay attention. Here, I won't hold back."
“ xiǎo zi ， kàn hǎo le 。 zài zhè lǐ ， wǒ kě bù huì shǒu xià liú qíng le 。”
“小子，看好了。在这里，我可不会手下留情了。”
Before Yexu Bai's words were fully spoken, his figure split into two, then four, and multiplied further until countless shadowy figures filled the void around them.
huà yīn wèi luò ， qián fāng sū bái shēn yǐng ， biàn yī huà èr 、 huà fēn sì 、 sì biàn bā ……
话音未落，前方苏白身影，便一化二、化分四、四变八……
Each Yexu Bai had a different expression: some with sorrowful gazes, others smiling, or calm eyes.
zhǐ qǐng kè jiān ， jiù xiǎn huà chū jìn hū wú qióng wú liàng xū yǐng ， jiāng cǐ chù kōng dàng dàng xū kōng jǐn jiē tián mǎn 。
只顷刻间，就显化出近乎无穷无量虚影，将此处空荡荡虚空尽皆填满。
Around each of them, various scenes from different possibilities emerged. Some showed an Xuanhuang Immortal Realm still existing where Yexu Bai was an Immortal Sovereign. Others depicted him as just a commoner but revered by the people.
měi yī wèi sū bái de shén qíng ， dōu bù jìn xiāng tóng 。 huò bēi tiān mǐn rén ， huò miàn dài wēi xiào ， huò shuāng mù píng jìng 。
每一位苏白的神情，都不尽相同。或悲天悯人，或面带微笑，或双目平静。
But all these Yexu Bais were undoubtedly kind-hearted individuals.
zài tā men shēn biān ， yíng rào xiǎn xiàn chū ， zhū duō lái zì bù tóng kě néng xìng de jǐng xiàng 。
在他们身边，萦绕显现出，诸多来自不同可能性的景象。
Only the black-robed Yexu Bai stood out among them, unique and central like a star surrounded by others.
yǒu de xiān jiè réng zài ， sū bái nǎi shì xiān yù xiān xiāng 。 yǒu de sū bái bù guò yī jiù zhǐ shì yī jiè fán rén ， dàn què xīn huái zhòng shēng 、 dé wàn mín jìng yǎng 。 dàn suǒ yǒu zhè xiē xiǎn lù de sū bái ， wú yí dōu shì xīn dì shàn liáng zhī bèi 。
有的仙界仍在，苏白乃是仙域仙相。有的苏白不过依旧只是一介凡人，但却心怀众生、得万民敬仰。但所有这些显露的苏白，无疑都是心地善良之辈。
The various scenes from different possibilities slowly merged under Yexu Bai's will, forming a vast sea of images.
wéi yǒu yī xí hēi yī de xié sū bái ， zài wú shù xū yǐng huán rào zhōng ， xiǎn de dú shù yī zhì 。 rú zhòng xīng pěng yuè ， ào lì zhōng yāng 。
唯有一袭黑衣的邪苏白，在无数虚影环绕中，显得独树一帜。如众星捧月，傲立中央。
Like rivers converging into an ocean or stones accumulating to form a mountain.
wú shù gè sū bái shēn biān ， xiǎn huà chū de bù tóng kě néng xìng jǐng xiàng ， zài zhōng yāng xié sū bái de yì zhì xià ， màn màn huì hé 、 lián jiē 。
无数个苏白身边，显化出的不同可能性景象，在中央邪苏白的意志下，慢慢汇合、连接。
In moments, Li Fan felt as if he was encircled by the Sea of Mountains and Seas!
rú bǎi chuān huì ér chéng hǎi ， rú tǔ shí duī jī huà shān 。
如百川汇而成海，如土石堆积化山。
The might of mountains and seas were indistinguishable from what he had seen before!
bù guò piàn kè ， lǐ fán jiù hǎo sì bèi shān hǎi suǒ huán rào ！
不过片刻，李凡就好似被山海所环绕！
"Or rather, it's not much different from the images I can see. If he could consume all possible versions of himself to achieve unity, even 'almost' would be unnecessary."
shān zhī shì ， hǎi zhī wēi 。 gēn lǐ fán céng qīn jiàn wú xiàn hǎi yǔ shàng fāng shān ， jǐ wú qū bié ！
山之势，海之威。跟李凡曾亲见无限海与上方山，几无区别！
"With one person manifesting the image of a mountain and sea, this is truly transcendent..."
“ huò zhě shuō ， gēn wǒ suǒ néng jiàn dào de shān hǎi jǐng xiàng 、 ér fēi zhēn zhèng de shān hǎi ， jī hū méi yǒu qū bié 。”
“或者说，跟我所能见到的山海景象、而非真正的山海，几乎没有区别。”
In front of him, Li Fan remained calm despite Yexu Bai's grand display.
“ ruò shì tā néng jiāng suǒ yǒu kě néng xìng shàng de zì jǐ quán dōu tūn shì ， dá dào zhū wǒ guī yī zhī jìng ， pà shì jiù lián jī hū èr zì yě dōu yào qù chú le 。”
“若是他能将所有可能性上的自己全都吞噬，达到诸我归一之境，怕是就连几乎二字也都要去除了。”
Firstly, it was just within his mental space. The outcome wouldn't affect reality; his attempt to intimidate still had some effect.
“ yǐ yī rén zhī lì ， xiǎn huà shān hǎi zhī xiàng 。 zhè biàn shì zhēn zhèng de chāo tuō jìng jiè me ……”
“以一人之力，显化山海之象。这便是真正的超脱境界么……”
Secondly...
shān hǎi dāng qián ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī jiù wú bǐ píng jìng 。
山海当前，李凡心中依旧无比平静。
Li Fan had already faced Yexu Bai before.
xié sū bái zhè zhèn zhàng suī rán dà ， tā què sī háo bù jù 。
邪苏白这阵仗虽然大，他却丝毫不惧。
Though the process was convoluted, he ultimately ended by instantly killing Yexu Bai in the Xuanhuang Realm's eternal essence.
yī shì yīn wèi ， cǐ chù bù guò shì xīn líng kōng jiān zhōng 。 shuāng fāng xīn zhì de jiāo fēng ， wú lùn shèng bài shēng sǐ 、 dōu bú huì zhēn zhèng yǐng xiǎng dào xiàn shí 。 zì jǐ lā dà qí zuò hǔ pí de xíng wéi ， duō shǎo hái shì qǐ le xiē zhèn shè zuò yòng 。
一是因为，此处不过是心灵空间中。双方心志的交锋，无论胜败生死、都不会真正影响到现实。自己拉大旗作虎皮的行为，多少还是起了些震慑作用。
"Even if the power of the techniques Yexu Bai uses here is stronger than when I encountered his eternal essence, there’s no fundamental difference."
èr lái ma ……
二来嘛……
The sound of mountains roaring and seas crashing approached like a storm. It seemed Yexu Bai intended to slowly increase pressure to break Li Fan's will.
lǐ fán zǎo jiù gēn xié sū bái jiāo fēng guò 。
李凡早就跟邪苏白交锋过。
But Li Fan remained unafraid as he laughed freely in the midst of the mountainous winds: "Senior, have you heard of [Words spoken shall be followed by actions]?"
suī rán guò chéng yǒu xiē qū zhé ， dàn zuì zhōng jié guǒ ， què shì yǐ tā shùn shā xié sū bái shōu chǎng 。
虽然过程有些曲折，但最终结果，却是以他瞬杀邪苏白收场。
"My meager strength comes mostly from my divine techniques!"
zhèng shì zài xuán huáng jiè sū bái suǒ liú yǒng héng yí niàn zhī zhōng 。
正是在玄黄界苏白所留永恒遗念之中。
His smile faded. With each word, Li Fan said sternly: "A storm is coming? Then let's have [Clearing the Storm and Stopping the Wind]!"
“ zòng shǐ xié sū bái zài cǐ chù suǒ shī zhǎn zhāo shì de wēi néng ， bǐ qǐ dāng chū yǒng héng yí niàn suǒ liú ， yào qiáng le bù zhǐ yí gè céng cì 。 dàn zài wǒ miàn qián ， dōu méi yǒu běn zhì dì qū bié 。”
“纵使邪苏白在此处所施展招式的威能，比起当初永恒遗念所留，要强了不止一个层次。但在我面前，都没有本质的区别。”
The clear voice echoed throughout Yexu Bai’s manifestation of the Sea of Mountains.
shān hū hǎi xiào zhī shēng ， rú kuáng fēng jù làng ， cùn cùn bī jìn 。 shì shì xié sū bái gù yì wèi zhī ， yù yǐ cǐ huǎn màn zēng jiā zhī yā lì ， jī kuì lǐ fán de yì zhì 。
山呼海啸之声，如狂风巨浪，寸寸逼近。似是邪苏白故意为之，欲以此缓慢增加之压力，击溃李凡的意志。
It was as if a giant hand pressed down on the sea. The harsh howling sounds were forcefully silenced, becoming inaudible.
dàn lǐ fán què yí rán bù jù ， yú shān hǎi fēng yǔ zhōng zòng qíng kuáng xiào ：“ qián bèi kě wén ，【 yán chū fǎ suí 】 hū ？”
但李凡却怡然不惧，于山海风雨中纵情狂笑：“前辈可闻，【言出法随】乎？”
Though there were still some waves and winds, they no longer posed much concern.
“ wǎn bèi bù cái ， yī shēn shí lì ， dà bàn jiē shì lái zì shén tōng ！”
“晚辈不才，一身实力，大半皆是来自神通！”
All the Yexu Bais present could not hide their shock.
xiào róng dùn liǎn ， lǐ fán yī zì yī dùn ， lì shēng dào ：“ fēng yǔ yù lái ？ nà biàn 【 yǔ shū fēng tíng 】！”
笑容顿敛，李凡一字一顿，厉声道：“风雨欲来？那便【雨疏风停】！”
Before they could react, Li Fan spoke again: "The beauty of the Sea of Mountains and Seas is indeed distracting. Please disperse."
shēng yīn qīng lǎng ， chuán biàn xié sū bái xiǎn huà shān hǎi 。
声音清朗，传遍邪苏白显化山海。
In the mental space, the continuous mountains and seas fell into a momentary stillness.
fǎng fú yǒu yī zhī wú xíng dà shǒu ， zài shān hǎi jiān qīng qīng àn xià 。 yuán běn qī lì hū xiào zhī shēng ， dùn shí bèi qiáng xíng yā xià ， biàn dé wēi bù kě wén 。
仿佛有一只无形大手，在山海间轻轻按下。原本凄厉呼啸之声，顿时被强行压下，变得微不可闻。
Then...
shān hǎi jiān ， suī réng yǒu shǎo xǔ fēng làng ， què yǐ bù zú wèi lǜ le 。
山海间，虽仍有少许风浪，却已不足为虑了。
Mountains crumbled, seas dried up. All the Yexu Bais who had manifested the scenes followed suit!
jiàn cǐ qíng jǐng ， suǒ yǒu sū bái de liǎn shàng ， quán dōu shǎn guò zhǐ bú zhù de cuò è 。
见此情景，所有苏白的脸上，全都闪过止不住的错愕。
With a bang, the mental space shattered instantly, returning Li Fan and Yexu Bai to reality.
hái lái bù jí yǒu suǒ fǎn yìng ， biàn yòu tīng lǐ fán shuō dào ：“ shān hǎi zhī jìng suī měi ， què yǒu xiē ài yǎn 。 hái qǐng sàn qù ba ！”
还来不及有所反应，便又听李凡说道：“山海之境虽美，却有些碍眼。还请散去吧！”
Yexu Bai’s face remained calm on the surface, but his mind was in turmoil.
xīn líng kōng jiān zhōng ， lián mián zhī shān hǎi ， xiàn rù le nà me yī kè de jìng zhǐ 。
心灵空间中，连绵之山海，陷入了那么一刻的静止。
"What just happened?"
ér hòu ……
而后……
"Why did my manifestation of the Sea of Mountains and Seas simply vanish without resistance? Even in this mental space, it... " Yexu Bai gaped speechless.
shān qīng 、 hǎi jǐn 。
山倾、海尽。
He had once sought advice from Shouchou and the Three Sages.
lián dài zhe yǎn huà chū shān hǎi zhī xiàng de wú shù sū bái men ， fēn fēn yān xiāo yún sàn ！
连带着衍化出山海之象的无数苏白们，纷纷烟消云散！
Even before these saviors who could traverse the Eternal Void, he wouldn’t be so weak.
hōng ！
轰！
"But my defeat just now is a fact. Does that mean this boy’s theoretical limits are higher than those of Shouchou and the Three Sages?"
xīn líng kōng jiān shùn jiān pò suì ， lǐ fán yǐ jí xié sū bái ， shà shí dōu fǎn huí le xiàn shí zhī zhōng 。
心灵空间瞬间破碎，李凡以及邪苏白，霎时都返回了现实之中。
"Words spoken shall be followed by actions? There's actually such divine techniques in the Sea of Mountains and Seas? Even affecting the sea and mountains?"
xié sū bái liǎn shàng suī rán kàn shàng qù yī jiù píng jìng ， dàn nèi xīn què zǎo yǐ jīng xiān qǐ le tāo tiān jù làng 。
邪苏白脸上虽然看上去依旧平静，但内心却早已经掀起了滔天巨浪。
Yexu Bai was shocked by his own thoughts.
“ gāng gāng nà shì shén me ？”
“刚刚那是什么？”
Though it seemed impossible, considering what he had seen within the Xuanhuang Realm, everything made sense now.
“ wǒ zhī yǎn huà shān hǎi ， jìng rán gēn běn méi yǒu rèn hé dǐ kàng néng lì de ， jiù mò míng xiāo sàn le ？ jiù suàn shì zài xīn líng kōng jiān 、 yì zhì jiāo fēng ， yě ……” xié sū bái chēng mù shī yǔ 。
“我之衍化山海，竟然根本没有任何抵抗能力的，就莫名消散了？就算是在心灵空间、意志交锋，也……”邪苏白瞠目失语。
"No wonder those old fellows were so generous," Yexu Bai realized.
tā yě céng xiàng shǒu qiū 、 sān shèng qǐng jiào qiē cuō guò 。
他也曾向守丘、三圣请教切磋过。
While Yexu Bai's mind was agitated, Li Fan felt a heavy burden.
nǎ pà zài zhè xiē néng gòu héng dù yǒng jì xū jiè de shèng zhě miàn qián ， tā sū bái ， yě bú huì zhè bān bù jì 。
哪怕在这些能够横渡永寂虚界的圣者面前，他苏白，也不会这般不济。
"The gap between our strengths is too great. Even in this mental space, I used two steps of [True and False] to dispel his influence."
“ dàn gāng gāng de kuì bài ， què shì shì shí 。 zhè qǐ bù shì shuō ， zhè xiǎo zi lǐ lùn shàng suǒ néng dá dào de chéng jiù shàng xiàn ， hái yào zài shǒu qiū 、 sān shèng zhī shàng ？”
“但刚刚的溃败，却是事实。这岂不是说，这小子理论上所能达到的成就上限，还要在守丘、三圣之上？”
Li Fan didn't know anything about the divine technique called "Words spoken shall be followed by actions."
“【 yán chū fǎ suí 】？ shān hǎi jiān jìng rán cún zài rú cǐ shén tōng ？ shèn zhì néng yǐng xiǎng shān hǎi ？”
“【言出法随】？山海间竟然存在如此神通？甚至能影响山海？”
He had defeated Yexu Bai using the same method as before—[True and False]. Through understanding Yexu Bai's eternal essence, he initially used a slight fluctuation of [True and False].
“ zhè ……” xié sū bái bèi zì jǐ de xiǎng fǎ suǒ zhèn jīng dào le 。
“这……”邪苏白被自己的想法所震惊到了。
Li Fan was certain that Yexu Bai didn’t know about this technique.
suī rán yǒu xiē fěi yí suǒ sī ， dàn xì xì xiǎng lái ， zì jǐ zài zhè suǒ wèi xuán huáng xiān jiè zhōng suǒ jiàn zhǒng zhǒng ， yòu yǒu le hé lǐ de jiě shì 。
虽然有些匪夷所思，但细细想来，自己在这所谓玄黄仙界中所见种种，又有了合理的解释。
Even if Li Fan demonstrated it in front of him, Yexu Bai wouldn't recognize what divine technique it was.
“ nán guài nà xiē lǎo dōng xī ， huì zhè me kāng kǎi 。” xié sū bái yī xià zi xiǎng tōng le 。
“难怪那些老东西，会这么慷慨。”邪苏白一下子想通了。
The ability to instantly dissipate the manifestation of mountains and seas matched "Words spoken shall be followed by actions."
xié sū bái nèi xīn zhèn dòng bù yǐ de tóng shí ， lǐ fán xīn lǐ yě shì pǒ wèi níng zhòng 。
邪苏白内心震动不已的同时，李凡心里也是颇为凝重。
"Firstly, within the Xuanhuang Realm. Secondly, I have a sufficient understanding of Yexu Bai. That's why I dared to use [True and False]."
“ gēn tā de shí lì chā jù ， hái shì yǒu xiē tài dà 。 xiàn zài hái zhēn yě zài chén shuì ， nǎ pà shì zài xīn líng kōng jiān zhōng ， wǒ dòng yòng de 【 zhēn yì jiǎ 】， yě xiān hòu yòng le liǎng bù 、 cái jiāng qí xiāo chú 。”
“跟他的实力差距，还是有些太大。现在还真也在沉睡，哪怕是在心灵空间中，我动用的【真亦假】，也先后用了两步、才将其消除。”
"But in front of other transcendent beings, such carelessness is unacceptable."
lǐ fán zì rán shì bú huì shén me “ yán chū fǎ suí ” shén tōng de 。
李凡自然是不会什么“言出法随”神通的。
The two remained silent for a moment.
tā yòng lái jī bài xié sū bái de fāng shì ， gēn dāng chū zài yǒng héng yí niàn zhōng wán quán yī yàng 。 zhèng shì 【 zhēn yì jiǎ 】 zhī biàn 。
他用来击败邪苏白的方式，跟当初在永恒遗念中完全一样。正是【真亦假】之变。
Finally, it was Yexu Bai who broke the silence with a cold laugh: "Well done. You've barely passed the test."
tōng guò sū bái yǒng héng yí niàn 、 duì xié sū bái liǎo jiě ， yǐ jí gāng gāng zài xīn líng kōng jiān zhōng ， zuì chū shì fàng chū de xiē xǔ zhēn jiǎ zhī biàn bō dòng 。 lǐ fán què dìng xié sū bái ， bìng bù zhī xiǎo 【 zhēn jiǎ zhī biàn 】 de cún zài 。
通过苏白永恒遗念、对邪苏白了解，以及刚刚在心灵空间中，最初释放出的些许真假之变波动。李凡确定邪苏白，并不知晓【真假之变】的存在。
"You're now qualified to formally enter the Sea of Mountains and Seas."
duì yú zài qí rèn zhī zhī wài de dōng xī ， nǎ pà lǐ fán dāng zhe xié sū bái de miàn shǐ chū ， tā zì rán yě fēn biàn bù chū 、 shǐ de jiū jìng shì shén me shén tōng 。
对于在其认知之外的东西，哪怕李凡当着邪苏白的面使出，他自然也分辨不出、使得究竟是什么神通。
"Since that's the case, I'll leave this body here temporarily. When we meet in the Sea of Mountains and Seas proper, I’ll come back for it." Yexu Bai looked at Xuanhuang Yexu Bai who was with Transcendence, feeling uneasy.
ér nà hū xī jiān ， jiù jiāng yǎn huà shān hǎi jǐng xiàng qǐng kè xiāo sàn de néng lì ， yě dí què gēn 【 yán chū fǎ suí 】 sì zì xiāng fú hé 。
而那呼吸间，就将衍化山海景象顷刻消散的能力，也的确跟【言出法随】四字相符合。
With these words, his figure slowly faded as if he were leaving.
“ yī shì zài xuán huáng xiān jiè nèi 。 èr shì duì xié sū bái yǐ jīng yǒu le hái suàn chōng fèn de rèn zhī 。 suǒ yǐ wǒ cái dǎn gǎn shǐ chū zhēn jiǎ zhī biàn 。”
“一是在玄黄仙界内。二是对邪苏白已经有了还算充分的认知。所以我才胆敢使出真假之变。”
"Senior, please wait," Li Fan called out to him.
“ zài qí tā chāo tuō qiáng zhě miàn qián ， què shì bù néng zhè bān cǎo shuài 。”
“在其他超脱强者面前，却是不能这般草率。”
"Hmm?" Yexu Bai turned to Li Fan, his expression cold.
èr rén xīn sī gè yì ， jiāng chí le piàn kè 。
二人心思各异，僵持了片刻。
"I beg you to accept this."
zuì zhōng hái shì yóu sū bái ， lěng lěng xié xiào ， dǎ pò liǎo jú miàn 。
最终还是由苏白，冷冷邪笑，打破了局面。
Li Fan extended his hand and brought the Pillar of Heaven transformed from Ji Xian, offering it to Yexu Bai.
"Even before stepping into the Sea of Mountains and Seas, you already possess such formidable strength. After your formal entry into this realm for training, it's indeed promising for your future. However..."
Yexu Bai shifted his tone abruptly, his voice growing colder: "Others' assistance might be like a boat or oars, but to truly transcend, it ultimately depends on yourself!"
"..."
"What unique possession do you have?"
The cold whisper echoed in Li Fan's ears, akin to an evil melody. A strange light flashed in Yexu Bai's eyes.
Li Fan involuntarily found himself drawn into their gaze.
Suddenly, they were standing in a strange space, surrounded by nothingness. Only Li Fan and Yexu Bai stood facing each other.
"How would you fight if all that was outside no longer existed?"
Yexu Bai's sinister voice reverberated around him.
He had deliberately avoided showing his true strength within the Xuanhuang Realm, but here he wouldn't hold back. He pulled Li Fan into this mental space to confront him directly.
"Boy, pay attention. Here, I won't hold back."
Before Yexu Bai's words were fully spoken, his figure split into two, then four, and multiplied further until countless shadowy figures filled the void around them.
Each Yexu Bai had a different expression: some with sorrowful gazes, others smiling, or calm eyes.
Around each of them, various scenes from different possibilities emerged. Some showed an Xuanhuang Immortal Realm still existing where Yexu Bai was an Immortal Sovereign. Others depicted him as just a commoner but revered by the people.
But all these Yexu Bais were undoubtedly kind-hearted individuals.
Only the black-robed Yexu Bai stood out among them, unique and central like a star surrounded by others.
The various scenes from different possibilities slowly merged under Yexu Bai's will, forming a vast sea of images.
Like rivers converging into an ocean or stones accumulating to form a mountain.
In moments, Li Fan felt as if he was encircled by the Sea of Mountains and Seas!
The might of mountains and seas were indistinguishable from what he had seen before!
"Or rather, it's not much different from the images I can see. If he could consume all possible versions of himself to achieve unity, even 'almost' would be unnecessary."
"With one person manifesting the image of a mountain and sea, this is truly transcendent..."
In front of him, Li Fan remained calm despite Yexu Bai's grand display.
Firstly, it was just within his mental space. The outcome wouldn't affect reality; his attempt to intimidate still had some effect.
Secondly...
Li Fan had already faced Yexu Bai before.
Though the process was convoluted, he ultimately ended by instantly killing Yexu Bai in the Xuanhuang Realm's eternal essence.
"Even if the power of the techniques Yexu Bai uses here is stronger than when I encountered his eternal essence, there’s no fundamental difference."
The sound of mountains roaring and seas crashing approached like a storm. It seemed Yexu Bai intended to slowly increase pressure to break Li Fan's will.
But Li Fan remained unafraid as he laughed freely in the midst of the mountainous winds: "Senior, have you heard of [Words spoken shall be followed by actions]?"
"My meager strength comes mostly from my divine techniques!"
His smile faded. With each word, Li Fan said sternly: "A storm is coming? Then let's have [Clearing the Storm and Stopping the Wind]!"
The clear voice echoed throughout Yexu Bai’s manifestation of the Sea of Mountains.
It was as if a giant hand pressed down on the sea. The harsh howling sounds were forcefully silenced, becoming inaudible.
Though there were still some waves and winds, they no longer posed much concern.
All the Yexu Bais present could not hide their shock.
Before they could react, Li Fan spoke again: "The beauty of the Sea of Mountains and Seas is indeed distracting. Please disperse."
In the mental space, the continuous mountains and seas fell into a momentary stillness.
Then...
Mountains crumbled, seas dried up. All the Yexu Bais who had manifested the scenes followed suit!
With a bang, the mental space shattered instantly, returning Li Fan and Yexu Bai to reality.
Yexu Bai’s face remained calm on the surface, but his mind was in turmoil.
"What just happened?"
"Why did my manifestation of the Sea of Mountains and Seas simply vanish without resistance? Even in this mental space, it... " Yexu Bai gaped speechless.
He had once sought advice from Shouchou and the Three Sages.
Even before these saviors who could traverse the Eternal Void, he wouldn’t be so weak.
"But my defeat just now is a fact. Does that mean this boy’s theoretical limits are higher than those of Shouchou and the Three Sages?"
"Words spoken shall be followed by actions? There's actually such divine techniques in the Sea of Mountains and Seas? Even affecting the sea and mountains?"
Yexu Bai was shocked by his own thoughts.
Though it seemed impossible, considering what he had seen within the Xuanhuang Realm, everything made sense now.
"No wonder those old fellows were so generous," Yexu Bai realized.
While Yexu Bai's mind was agitated, Li Fan felt a heavy burden.
"The gap between our strengths is too great. Even in this mental space, I used two steps of [True and False] to dispel his influence."
Li Fan didn't know anything about the divine technique called "Words spoken shall be followed by actions."
He had defeated Yexu Bai using the same method as before—[True and False]. Through understanding Yexu Bai's eternal essence, he initially used a slight fluctuation of [True and False].
Li Fan was certain that Yexu Bai didn’t know about this technique.
Even if Li Fan demonstrated it in front of him, Yexu Bai wouldn't recognize what divine technique it was.
The ability to instantly dissipate the manifestation of mountains and seas matched "Words spoken shall be followed by actions."
"Firstly, within the Xuanhuang Realm. Secondly, I have a sufficient understanding of Yexu Bai. That's why I dared to use [True and False]."
"But in front of other transcendent beings, such carelessness is unacceptable."
The two remained silent for a moment.
Finally, it was Yexu Bai who broke the silence with a cold laugh: "Well done. You've barely passed the test."
"You're now qualified to formally enter the Sea of Mountains and Seas."
"Since that's the case, I'll leave this body here temporarily. When we meet in the Sea of Mountains and Seas proper, I’ll come back for it." Yexu Bai looked at Xuanhuang Yexu Bai who was with Transcendence, feeling uneasy.
With these words, his figure slowly faded as if he were leaving.
"Senior, please wait," Li Fan called out to him.
"Hmm?" Yexu Bai turned to Li Fan, his expression cold.
"I beg you to accept this."
Li Fan extended his hand and brought the Pillar of Heaven transformed from Ji Xian, offering it to Yexu Bai.