yǒng jì xū jiè sì hū chá jué dào le zhè duàn zì pò miè zhōng chóng xiàn de shān hǎi 。
永寂虚界似乎察觉到了这段自破灭中重现的山海。
The Vast Void seemed to sense the rebirth of this mountain and sea from the brink of annihilation.
àn liú zhòu rán yǒng dòng ， chuī de zhū shèng zhǎng liàn dòng dàng bù zhǐ 。
暗流骤然涌动，吹的诸圣长链动荡不止。
A sudden surge of currents stirred, causing the chains of the Ancients to tremble violently.
shān hǎi zhī yǐng ， míng miè bù dìng 。 fǎng ruò fēng zhōng cán zhú ， suí shí dōu yǒu kě néng zài dù xī miè 。
山海之影，明灭不定。仿若风中残烛，随时都有可能再度熄灭。
The shadow of the mountain and sea flickered uncertainly. It was like a candle in the wind, always on the verge of extinction.
zhū shèng shēn qū yì lì ， dī bà yì bān hù yòu zhe xīn shēng shān hǎi xū yǐng 。
诸圣身躯屹立，堤坝一般护佑着新生山海虚影。
The bodies of the Ancients stood firm, acting as barriers protecting the newborn shadow of the mountain and sea.
zhè bān jiāng chí zhōng ， gè zì yì niàn yǐ rán fēn zhì shān hǎi xū yǐng gè chù 。
这般僵持中，各自意念已然分至山海虚影各处。
In this stalemate, their minds had already spread out to various parts of the mountain and sea's shadow.
zhè duàn bèi xū jiè tūn mò de shān hǎi ， lián mián yán xù wǔ wàn bā qiān liù bǎi yú nián 。
这段被虚界吞没的山海，连绵延续五万八千六百余年。
This stretch of the mountain and sea devoured by the Vast Void had persisted for over 58,600 years.
lǐ fán yīn wèi běn zūn réng zài bǐ àn zhī zhōng ， gù ér fēn huà yì niàn zhǐ zài kào jìn xiàn shí shān hǎi de xū yǐng mò duān yóu zǒu 。
李凡因为本尊仍在彼岸之中，故而分化意念只在靠近现实山海的虚影末端游走。
Li Fan, since his main self was still on the other side, only his consciousness wandered near the end of the shadow closest to reality.
“ zòng shǐ yǒu zhū shèng zhǎng liàn bì yòu ， dàn bì jìng yī rán shēn chù xū jiè zhī zhōng ， gēn zhēn shí shān hǎi qíng xíng dà bù xiāng tóng 。”
“纵使有诸圣长链庇佑，但毕竟依然身处虚界之中，跟真实山海情形大不相同。”
"Even with the protection of the Ancients' chains, I'm still in the Vast Void. The situation is vastly different from that of a true mountain and sea."
“ zhēn shí shān hǎi ， yǒu wú shù kě néng xìng bìng liú 。 ér zài duàn xū yǐng zhī zhōng ， jué dà duō shù de kě néng xìng ， què hái méi yǒu huī fù 。 shàng qiě zhǐ yǒu liáo liáo shù dào ， kě yǐ chēng zhī wèi shān hǎi mài luò de kě néng xìng cún zài 。”
“真实山海，有无数可能性并流。而在段虚影之中，绝大多数的可能性，却还没有恢复。尚且只有寥寥数道，可以称之为山海脉络的可能性存在。”
"The true mountain and sea have countless possibilities coexisting. But within this segment's shadow, most of these possibilities haven't been restored yet. Only a few can be considered as traces of the mountain and sea’s essence."
zòng shǐ rú tóng shēn chù jìng huā shuǐ yuè zhōng ， zhōu zāo yī qiè dōu shì nà me mó hú 、 nán yǐ jù tǐ fēn biàn 。 dàn lǐ fán yī jiù yī yǎn jiù kàn chū le qí zhōng yī tiáo zhǔ mài luò 。
纵使如同身处镜花水月中，周遭一切都是那么模糊、难以具体分辨。但李凡依旧一眼就看出了其中一条主脉络。
Even if it felt like being in a mirage, everything around him was blurry and hard to discern. Yet Li Fan could still identify one main thread.
zhèng shì tā shú xī de bù néng zài shú xī de xuán huáng jiè ， yuán chū ！
正是他熟悉的不能再熟悉的玄黄界，原初！
It was the Xuanhuang Realm he knew so well—Primordial!
bù zài yóu yù ， lǐ fán yì niàn dùn rù qí zhōng 。
不再犹豫，李凡意念遁入其中。
Without hesitation, his consciousness delved into it.
xū yǐng shì fàng chū wēi wēi guāng huá ， jiāng yì niàn róng rù 。
虚影释放出微微光华，将意念融入。
The shadow released a faint glow, integrating with his mind.
lǐ fán tóu rù yì shí ， yě hǎo shì biàn chéng le xū shí xiàng jiān de zhuàng tài 。
李凡投入意识，也好似变成了虚实相间的状态。
Li Fan's awareness transformed into a state of reality and illusion.
jí biàn bú shì zhēn zhèng shèng zhě ， dàn néng jià yù 【 xuán pìn 】 dà dào ， lǐ fán de yì niàn qiáng dù ， yě bìng bù ruò yú zhū shèng duō shǎo le 。
即便不是真正圣者，但能驾驭【玄牝】大道，李凡的意念强度，也并不弱于诸圣多少了。
Even without being an actual Ancient, Li Fan’s ability to wield the Dao of Xuanpin made his mental strength comparable to that of the Ancients.
yīn ér zhǐ shì duō huā fèi le yì diǎn shí jiān ， tā de yì shí biàn hěn kuài sū xǐng 。
因而只是多花费了一点时间，他的意识便很快苏醒。
Thus, after a bit more time, his consciousness quickly awakened.
wēi wēi yáo huàng nǎo dài ， jiāng bù zhēn shí gǎn sàn qù 。 cháng shì chè dǐ róng rù dāng qián kě néng xìng zhōng 。
微微摇晃脑袋，将不真实感散去。尝试彻底融入当前可能性中。
He shook his head slightly to dispel the unreality. Then he tried to fully immerse himself in the current possibility.
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， shēn tǐ gēn zhōu wéi shì jiè gé gé bù rù de guài yì gǎn jué fāng cái xiāo sàn 。
许久之后，身体跟周围世界格格不入的怪异感觉方才消散。
After much time, the strange sensation of being out of place gradually dissipated.
lǐ fán chá kàn qǐ zì shēn zhuàng kuàng lái 。
李凡查看起自身状况来。
Li Fan checked his condition.
“ yīn wèi zài zhè ge shí jiān diǎn ， hái méi yǒu ‘ wǒ ’ de cún zài ， gù ér zhǐ néng jì shēng zài tā rén de shēn qū shàng 。”
“因为在这个时间点，还没有‘我’的存在，故而只能寄生在他人的身躯上。”
"Since there was no 'me' at this point in time, I can only寄生 on another body."
“ xuán huáng jiè ， shén mù zōng ， lǐ bù fán 。 zhè míng zì ， yǒu diǎn yì si ……”
“玄黄界，神木宗，李不凡。这名字，有点意思……”
"In the Xuanhuang Realm, the Immortal Wood Sect, Li Bofan. That name is interesting..."
“ zhū zōng lín lì 、 xiān lù shàng wèi duàn jué de xiū xiān dà shì 。”
“诸宗林立、仙路尚未断绝的修仙大世。”
"A world where numerous sects stand side by side and the path to immortality has not yet been severed."
lǐ fán shì xiàn kàn xiàng tóu dǐng nà zhū zhē tiān bì rì ， shù yīn fù gài fāng yuán sān wàn yú lǐ de 【 shén mù 】。
李凡视线看向头顶那株遮天蔽日，树荫覆盖方圆三万余里的【神木】。
Li Fan's gaze fell upon the towering tree that overshadowed an area of over 30,000 li—The Immortal Wood.
“ qián bù jiǔ ， huāng shén zōng zhào huàn shí èr huāng shén qí xiàn shì ， tiān xià zōng mén zhèn dòng 。”
“前不久，荒神宗召唤十二荒神齐现世，天下宗门震动。”
"Not long ago, the Wasteland Deity Sect summoned twelve Wasteland Deities to appear in the world. The entire sect was shaken."
“ qí zhōng sān zūn huāng shén lián shǒu dǎ shàng mén lái ， xìng bèi shén mù gěi bī tuì 。”
“其中三尊荒神联手打上门来，幸被神木给逼退。”
"Three Wasteland Deities teamed up and attacked. Fortunately, they were driven back by the Immortal Wood."
“ bù guò shén mù yě yīn cǐ shòu shāng 。”
“不过神木也因此受伤。”
"But the Immortal Wood suffered injuries."
“ shén mù nǎi shì shén mù zōng yī qiè gēn jī suǒ zài ， shì guān mén pài xīng shuāi wèi lái 。”
“神木乃是神木宗一切根基所在，事关门派兴衰未来。”
"The Immortal Wood is the foundation of the Immortal Wood Sect. Its condition directly affects the fate of the sect."
“ mén nèi zhū zhǎng lǎo wèi le jiě jué shén mù shāng shì ， kě wèi cháng shì le yī qiè kě néng fāng fǎ 。 qí zhōng qū zhǎng chū ， qū zhǎng lǎo tīng wén lún huí zōng yǒu yī méi 【 yī yǎn wàn nián zhū 】， yǒu cuī huà guāng yīn shén xiào 。 yú shì shàng mén tǎo yào 。”
“门内诸长老为了解决神木伤势，可谓尝试了一切可能方法。其中曲长初，曲长老听闻轮回宗有一枚【一眼万年珠】，有催化光阴神效。于是上门讨要。”
"To resolve the Immortal Wood's injuries, the elders within tried every possible method. One such attempt was Curong Changchu, an elder who heard that the Cycle Rebirth Sect had a [Ten Thousand Years in One Glimpse Pearl], which could catalyze time. He went to request it."
“ què zhǐ dài huí lái yī fú huà 。”
“却只带回来一幅画。”
"However, he only brought back a painting."
“ suī zàn shí huǎn jiě shén mù shāng shì ， què zhōng jiū zhì biāo bù zhì běn ……”
“虽暂时缓解神木伤势，却终究治标不治本……”
"While temporarily alleviating the Immortal Wood's injuries, it was ultimately just treating the symptoms..."
lǐ fán jiāng “ lǐ bù fán ” nǎo hǎi zhōng jì yì zǐ xì yuè lǎn le biàn ， shén qíng dùn shí yǒu xiē wēi miào 。
李凡将“李不凡”脑海中记忆仔细阅览了遍，神情顿时有些微妙。
Li Fan carefully read through the memories of "Li Bofan." His expression turned slightly complex.
“ zhè duàn shí jiān jié diǎn ， wǒ céng kàn guò 。”
“这段时间节点，我曾看过。”
"I've seen this timeline segment before."
zài làn kē dào chǎng hé xīn shēn chù ， shòu dào sūn piāo miǎo suǒ liú tóng zhù xiān hè mì yǔ de zhǐ yǐn ， lǐ fán suǒ dìng bìng kuī jiàn le yī duàn bèi biǎo shì de shí guāng 。
在烂柯道场核心深处，受到孙缥缈所留铜铸仙鹤密语的指引，李凡锁定并窥见了一段被表示的时光。
Guided by the secret message from Sun Piapo in the core of the烂柯 Daoist Academy, Li Fan had pinpointed and observed a specific period of time.
“ tiān luó jì èr bǎi yī shí sān 。 qǐ shàng zhāng dà yuān xiàn 、 zuò è è féng ， zhōng zhù yōng chì fèn ruò 、 yān mào xuán yì ……”
“天罗纪二百一十三。起上章大渊献、作噩阏逢，终著雍赤奋若、阉茂玄黓……”
"213th Era of the Heavenly Net. Starting with Dàyuan Xian, Zuo Xi Yanfeng... ending with Zhuo Yun Chífènfúruò, Yānmào Xuányù..."
“ zhèng shì wǒ xiàn zài shēn chù de zhè duàn shí jiān jié diǎn 。”
“正是我现在身处的这段时间节点。”
This was precisely the timeline segment he was currently in.
“ yě shì shān hǎi xū yǐng zhòng yào mài luò ， suǒ wèi níng jù shān hǎi jì yì suǒ zài 。”
“也是山海虚影重要脉络，所谓凝聚山海记忆所在。”
It was also a crucial part of the mountain and sea's shadow, where memories were condensed.
“ kàn lái ， sūn piāo miǎo de zhǐ yǐn ， bìng fēi wú dì fàng shǐ 。”
“看来，孙缥缈的指引，并非无的放矢。”
"Looks like Sun Piapo’s guidance wasn't in vain."
lǐ fán sī xù liú zhuǎn ， wēi wēi huó dòng le fān yǒu xiē jiāng yìng de shēn qū 。
李凡思绪流转，微微活动了番有些僵硬的身躯。
Li Fan's thoughts flowed as he gently moved his stiff body. He recalled what the Ancients on the other side had said.
tā huí xiǎng qǐ xiān qián bǐ àn zhū shèng de jiāo dài 。
他回想起先前彼岸诸圣的交代。
"To promote the transformation of this shadowy mountain and sea from virtual to real, the key is to let natural events unfold along their historical path."
“ cù jìn xū yǐng shān hǎi ， yóu xū huà shí 、 zì xíng shēng fà ， zuì guān jiàn de shì shùn qí zì rán 。 yě jiù shì ràng běn gāi fā shēng zhī shì ， yán zhe lì shǐ mài luò ， jì xù fā shēng 。”
“促进虚影山海，由虚化实、自行生发，最关键的是顺其自然。也就是让本该发生之事，沿着历史脉络，继续发生。”
"But since this mountain and sea only exists in a shadow form, there's still the Vast Void watching. We need to compress the time for critical events to occur."
“ dàn yòu yīn zhè duàn shān hǎi zhǐ shì yǐ xū yǐng xíng shì cún zài ， wài miàn hái yǒu xū jiè hǔ shì dān dān 。 gù ér yào yā suō guān jiàn mài luò shēng fà shí jiān 。”
“但又因这段山海只是以虚影形式存在，外面还有虚界虎视眈眈。故而要压缩关键脉络生发时间。”
"In short, we must accelerate the occurrence of these critical events without altering the original course of history."
“ jiǎn ér yán zhī ， jiù shì zài bù gǎi biàn lì shǐ yuán běn zǒu xiàng de jī chǔ shàng ， cù jìn yī xì liè guān jiàn shì jiàn de tí qián fā shēng 。”
“简而言之，就是在不改变历史原本走向的基础上，促进一系列关键事件的提前发生。”
"If it were possible with an Ancient’s power, it would be easy. But this shadowy mountain and sea is too fragile. Ancients are beings that can exist alongside the mountain and sea. If they sense external interference, they might react in a way that could backfire."
“ ruò shì néng xíng shèng zhě shǒu duàn ， zì rán qīng ér yì jǔ 。 dàn xū yǐng shān hǎi ， zhe shí tài guò cuì ruò 。 shèng zhě běn shēn jiù shì néng yǔ shān hǎi qí de cún zài 。 ruò shì ràng qí chá jué dào ， yǒu wài lì qīn rù ， kǒng pà huì shùn jiān jī qǐ pái chì 、 kǒng pà shì dé qí fǎn 。”
“若是能行圣者手段，自然轻而易举。但虚影山海，着实太过脆弱。圣者本身就是能与山海齐的存在。若是让齐察觉到，有外力侵入，恐怕会瞬间激起排斥、恐怕适得其反。”
"More importantly, once the mountain and sea recognize the difference between them and these true Ancients from outside, it will awaken to its state of 'annihilation.' The truth sustained by the Ancients would vanish like foam. Everything would revert to its original state."
“ gèng guān jiàn de shì ， yí dàn xū yǐng shān hǎi biàn bié chū ， zì shēn yǔ zhè xiē zì wài jiè ér lái 、 zhēn shí cún zài shèng zhě de qū bié ， jiù huì xǐng wù ， zì jǐ yǐ rán chù zài ‘ pò miè ’ zhī zhōng 。 zhū shèng wéi xì zhī zhēn ， yě jiù chà nà rú pào mò bān pò miè 。 yī qiè zhòng guī yuán diǎn 。”
“更关键的是，一旦虚影山海辨别出，自身与这些自外界而来、真实存在圣者的区别，就会醒悟，自己已然处在‘破灭’之中。诸圣维系之真，也就刹那如泡沫般破灭。一切重归原点。”
"We need to repeat this process, reconnecting with the previous segment’s chain of Ancients..."
“ xū yào zài dù xīn kǔ ， cóng shàng yī duàn shān hǎi gōu lián shèng zhě zhǎng liàn ， fù xíng cuī fā zhī jǔ ……”
“需要再度辛苦，从上一段山海勾连圣者长链，复行催发之举……”
These were the experiences summarized by the Ancients during their last attempt to reunite the mountain and sea.
zhè xiē dōu shì bǐ àn zhū shèng yú qián cì fù lián shān hǎi zhōng suǒ zǒng jié chū zhǒng zhǒng jīng yàn 。
这些都是彼岸诸圣于前次复联山海中所总结出种种经验。
Although the conditions seemed stringent, for the Ancients, it was merely a troublesome task.
suī kàn shàng qù tiáo jiàn pǒ wèi kē kè ， bù guò xíng shì zhū shèng ， zī zhì jiē guān jué shān hǎi 。 duì tā men ér yán ， yě jǐn jǐn shì yǒu xiē má fán bà le 。
虽看上去条件颇为苛刻，不过行事诸圣，资质皆冠绝山海。对他们而言，也仅仅是有些麻烦罢了。
"First, we need to determine what constitutes the key memory of this mountain and sea."
“ shǒu xiān xū yào nòng qīng chǔ ， shān hǎi guān jiàn jì yì ， jiū jìng suǒ wèi hé shì 。”
“首先需要弄清楚，山海关键记忆，究竟所谓何事。”
"It's simple."
“ què yě jiǎn dān 。”
“却也简单。”
Li Fan sat cross-legged and communicated with his main self on the other side.
lǐ fán pán zuò ， yì niàn gōu tōng qǐ le bǐ àn zhōng běn zūn 。
李凡盘坐，意念沟通起了彼岸中本尊。
His main self’s gaze focused on the shadowy mountain and sea, centered around Primordial.
běn zūn shì xiàn kàn xiàng bèi hēi àn lǒng zhào zhōng de shān hǎi xū yǐng ， jù jiāo zài yuán chū 、 xuán huáng suǒ zài 。
本尊视线看向被黑暗笼罩中的山海虚影，聚焦在原初、玄黄所在。
Observing the current situation after this time point.
guān chá dāng qián shí jiān diǎn zhī hòu qíng xíng 。
观察当前时间点之后情形。
The mountain and sea's shadow reappeared due to its reliance on certain events.
shān hǎi xū yǐng fù xiàn zhī yī cún 。
山海虚影复现之依存。
Even though somewhat blurry, it was distinct from other light patterns.
zòng shǐ yǒu xiē mó hú ， yě míng xiǎn yì yú qí tā guāng yǐng ， yī yǎn kě biàn 。
纵使有些模糊，也明显异于其他光影，一眼可辨。
"Someone secretly descended from the Celestial Realm into Xuanhuang. They entered a different realm from the Sea of Fishery."
“ yǒu shēn yǐng zì xiān jiè mì mì jiàng lín xuán huáng ， zì shān hǎi yú chǎng ， dùn rù tā fāng 。”
“有身影自仙界秘密降临玄黄，自山海渔场，遁入他方。”
"The Immortal Wood deteriorated, attracting the attention of Almond Wood, leading to an epic battle."
“ shén mù rì yì diāo bì ， yǐn dé ruò mù jì yú ， bào fā yī cháng jīng tiān dà zhàn 。”
“神木日益凋敝，引得若木觊觎，爆发一场惊天大战。”
"The Wasteland Deity Sect summoned more deities, but the Celestial Realm remained unresponsive."
“ huāng shén zōng zài qǐng huāng shén ， rán xiān jiè wú suǒ huí yìng 。”
“荒神宗再请荒神，然仙界无所回应。”
"..."
“……”
“……”
"No, these aren't key events."
“ bú duì ， zhè xiē ， yīng gāi dōu bú shì guān jiàn 。”
“不对，这些，应该都不是关键。”
Suddenly, Li Fan's mind stirred as his gaze pierced through the peripheral light patterns and landed on the core of the mountain and sea’s shadow.
hū de ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī dòng ， shì xiàn chuān guò zhè xiē wài wéi guāng jǐng ， dǐ dá shān hǎi xū yǐng zhēn zhèng nèi lǐ hé xīn 。
忽的，李凡心中一动，视线穿过这些外围光景，抵达山海虚影真正内里核心。
The image was hazy, but a figure could be seen suddenly "falling out" from the void.
yǐng xiàng méng lóng ， yī xī kě yǐ kàn dào yī dào shēn yǐng ， hū de láng bèi cóng xū kōng zhōng “ diē chū ”。
影像朦胧，依稀可以看到一道身影，忽的狼狈从虚空中“跌出”。
He looked around with a hint of joy.
tā huán shì zuǒ yòu ， shì yǒu xǐ sè 。
他环视左右，似有喜色。
Muttered a few words under his breath before casting a spell to conceal himself.
dī shēng dū nāng le jǐ jù ， suí hòu qiā zhǐ shī fǎ 、 zhē yǎn zì shēn 。
低声嘟囔了几句，随后掐指施法、遮掩自身。
In just a few moments, the mountain and sea's memory no longer revealed his specific appearance.
duǎn duǎn jǐ shùn zhī hòu ， shān hǎi jì yì zhōng ， yǐ jīng wú fǎ kàn qīng qí jù tǐ miàn mào 。
短短几瞬之后，山海记忆中，已经无法看清其具体面貌。
Yet it had already changed due to him.
rán shān hǎi què yǐ yīn qí ér biàn 。
然山海却已因其而变。
The Sea of Fishery, which had gradually closed off due to the lower realm figure’s entry, began to reopen slowly.
yuán běn yīn wèi xià jiè shēn yǐng dùn rù ， ér zhú jiàn fēng bì de shān hǎi yú chǎng ， huǎn huǎn zài dù kāi qǐ 。
原本因为下界身影遁入，而逐渐封闭的山海渔场，缓缓再度开启。
The battle between Immortal Wood and Almond Wood was evenly matched. However, as if an invisible wind swept through, the green leaves of the Immortal Wood suddenly withered. Thus, the Immortal Wood fell into a disadvantage.
shén mù gēn ruò mù zhàn zhēng ， běn shì shì jūn lì dí 。 rán ér fǎng ruò yī zhèn wú xíng zhī fēng chuī guò ， shén mù lǜ yè dǒu rán diāo líng 。 yú shì shén mù jiàn chù xià fēng 。
神木跟若木战争，本是势均力敌。然而仿若一阵无形之风吹过，神木绿叶陡然凋零。于是神木渐处下风。
The Daoian waves from beyond the boundary altered direction, lightly brushing against a corner of the Primordial Realm. Vast expanses of celestial territories were erased. The Xuanhuang Realm and many sects lost contact with the upper realms.
jiè wài dào yān làng cháo ， mò míng bèi yǐng xiǎng ， gǎi biàn le fāng xiàng 。 qīng qīng cā xiàng yuán chū xiān jiè yī jiǎo 。 dà piàn dà piàn de xiān yù suí zhī bèi mǒ qù 。 xuán huáng jiè ， zhū duō zōng mén yǔ shàng jiè shī qù lián xì 。
界外道湮浪潮，莫名被影响，改变了方向。轻轻擦向原初仙界一角。大片大片的仙域随之被抹去。玄黄界，诸多宗门与上界失去联系。
---
……
……
It seemed as if an invisible hand was manipulating the mountain and sea centered around the Xuanhuang Realm. Each change felt like threading an无形 thread.
fǎng ruò yǒu yī zhī wú xíng dà shǒu ， diào bō gǎi biàn zhe yǐ xuán huáng jiè wèi zhōng xīn de shān hǎi 。 měi yī cì de biàn dòng ， dōu hǎo sì tǔ chū gēn wú xíng sī xiàn 。
仿若有一只无形大手，调拨改变着以玄黄界为中心的山海。每一次的变动，都好似吐出根无形丝线。
A dense web began to form.
yī zhāng mì bù dà wǎng ， huǎn huǎn chéng xíng 。
一张密布大网，缓缓成型。
The mysterious figure nodded slightly, seated in the center of this web.
shén mì shēn yǐng wēi wēi diǎn tóu ， zuò zhèn wǎng zhōng 。
神秘身影微微点头，坐镇网中。
Seemingly waiting for something.
sì hū zài děng dài zhe shén me 。
似乎在等待着什么。
Who knows how long passed before the figure suddenly looked up.
bù zhī guò qù le duō jiǔ ， shēn yǐng měng dì tái tóu 。
不知过去了多久，身影猛地抬头。
Raising his hand high above him, he gestured towards the sky.
gāo jǔ qí shǒu ， duì zhe shàng fāng ， yáo yáo yī wò 。
高举其手，对着上方，遥遥一握。
In that instant, the mountain and sea seemed to twist!
The Vast Void seemed to sense the rebirth of this mountain and sea from the brink of annihilation.
A sudden surge of currents stirred, causing the chains of the Ancients to tremble violently.
The shadow of the mountain and sea flickered uncertainly. It was like a candle in the wind, always on the verge of extinction.
The bodies of the Ancients stood firm, acting as barriers protecting the newborn shadow of the mountain and sea.
In this stalemate, their minds had already spread out to various parts of the mountain and sea's shadow.
This stretch of the mountain and sea devoured by the Vast Void had persisted for over 58,600 years.
Li Fan, since his main self was still on the other side, only his consciousness wandered near the end of the shadow closest to reality.
"Even with the protection of the Ancients' chains, I'm still in the Vast Void. The situation is vastly different from that of a true mountain and sea."
"The true mountain and sea have countless possibilities coexisting. But within this segment's shadow, most of these possibilities haven't been restored yet. Only a few can be considered as traces of the mountain and sea’s essence."
Even if it felt like being in a mirage, everything around him was blurry and hard to discern. Yet Li Fan could still identify one main thread.
It was the Xuanhuang Realm he knew so well—Primordial!
Without hesitation, his consciousness delved into it.
The shadow released a faint glow, integrating with his mind.
Li Fan's awareness transformed into a state of reality and illusion.
---
Even without being an actual Ancient, Li Fan’s ability to wield the Dao of Xuanpin made his mental strength comparable to that of the Ancients.
Thus, after a bit more time, his consciousness quickly awakened.
He shook his head slightly to dispel the unreality. Then he tried to fully immerse himself in the current possibility.
After much time, the strange sensation of being out of place gradually dissipated.
Li Fan checked his condition.
"Since there was no 'me' at this point in time, I can only寄生 on another body."
"In the Xuanhuang Realm, the Immortal Wood Sect, Li Bofan. That name is interesting..."
"A world where numerous sects stand side by side and the path to immortality has not yet been severed."
Li Fan's gaze fell upon the towering tree that overshadowed an area of over 30,000 li—The Immortal Wood.
"Not long ago, the Wasteland Deity Sect summoned twelve Wasteland Deities to appear in the world. The entire sect was shaken."
"Three Wasteland Deities teamed up and attacked. Fortunately, they were driven back by the Immortal Wood."
"But the Immortal Wood suffered injuries."
"The Immortal Wood is the foundation of the Immortal Wood Sect. Its condition directly affects the fate of the sect."
"To resolve the Immortal Wood's injuries, the elders within tried every possible method. One such attempt was Curong Changchu, an elder who heard that the Cycle Rebirth Sect had a [Ten Thousand Years in One Glimpse Pearl], which could catalyze time. He went to request it."
"However, he only brought back a painting."
"While temporarily alleviating the Immortal Wood's injuries, it was ultimately just treating the symptoms..."
Li Fan carefully read through the memories of "Li Bofan." His expression turned slightly complex.
"I've seen this timeline segment before."
Guided by the secret message from Sun Piapo in the core of the烂柯 Daoist Academy, Li Fan had pinpointed and observed a specific period of time.
"213th Era of the Heavenly Net. Starting with Dàyuan Xian, Zuo Xi Yanfeng... ending with Zhuo Yun Chífènfúruò, Yānmào Xuányù..."
This was precisely the timeline segment he was currently in.
It was also a crucial part of the mountain and sea's shadow, where memories were condensed.
"Looks like Sun Piapo’s guidance wasn't in vain."
Li Fan's thoughts flowed as he gently moved his stiff body. He recalled what the Ancients on the other side had said.
"To promote the transformation of this shadowy mountain and sea from virtual to real, the key is to let natural events unfold along their historical path."
"But since this mountain and sea only exists in a shadow form, there's still the Vast Void watching. We need to compress the time for critical events to occur."
"In short, we must accelerate the occurrence of these critical events without altering the original course of history."
"If it were possible with an Ancient’s power, it would be easy. But this shadowy mountain and sea is too fragile. Ancients are beings that can exist alongside the mountain and sea. If they sense external interference, they might react in a way that could backfire."
"More importantly, once the mountain and sea recognize the difference between them and these true Ancients from outside, it will awaken to its state of 'annihilation.' The truth sustained by the Ancients would vanish like foam. Everything would revert to its original state."
"We need to repeat this process, reconnecting with the previous segment’s chain of Ancients..."
These were the experiences summarized by the Ancients during their last attempt to reunite the mountain and sea.
Although the conditions seemed stringent, for the Ancients, it was merely a troublesome task.
"First, we need to determine what constitutes the key memory of this mountain and sea."
"It's simple."
Li Fan sat cross-legged and communicated with his main self on the other side.
His main self’s gaze focused on the shadowy mountain and sea, centered around Primordial.
Observing the current situation after this time point.
The mountain and sea's shadow reappeared due to its reliance on certain events.
Even though somewhat blurry, it was distinct from other light patterns.
"Someone secretly descended from the Celestial Realm into Xuanhuang. They entered a different realm from the Sea of Fishery."
"The Immortal Wood deteriorated, attracting the attention of Almond Wood, leading to an epic battle."
"The Wasteland Deity Sect summoned more deities, but the Celestial Realm remained unresponsive."
"..."
"No, these aren't key events."
Suddenly, Li Fan's mind stirred as his gaze pierced through the peripheral light patterns and landed on the core of the mountain and sea’s shadow.
The image was hazy, but a figure could be seen suddenly "falling out" from the void.
He looked around with a hint of joy.
Muttered a few words under his breath before casting a spell to conceal himself.
In just a few moments, the mountain and sea's memory no longer revealed his specific appearance.
Yet it had already changed due to him.
The Sea of Fishery, which had gradually closed off due to the lower realm figure’s entry, began to reopen slowly.
The battle between Immortal Wood and Almond Wood was evenly matched. However, as if an invisible wind swept through, the green leaves of the Immortal Wood suddenly withered. Thus, the Immortal Wood fell into a disadvantage.
The Daoian waves from beyond the boundary altered direction, lightly brushing against a corner of the Primordial Realm. Vast expanses of celestial territories were erased. The Xuanhuang Realm and many sects lost contact with the upper realms.
---
It seemed as if an invisible hand was manipulating the mountain and sea centered around the Xuanhuang Realm. Each change felt like threading an无形 thread.
A dense web began to form.
The mysterious figure nodded slightly, seated in the center of this web.
Seemingly waiting for something.
Who knows how long passed before the figure suddenly looked up.
Raising his hand high above him, he gestured towards the sky.
In that instant, the mountain and sea seemed to twist!