shén mì shēn yǐng fǎng fú zhēn de zhuā zhù le shén me ， zhèng jié lì kòng zhì zhe 。
神秘身影仿佛真的抓住了什么，正竭力控制着。
The mysterious figure seemed to have truly captured something, struggling desperately to control it.
zhěng gè shān hǎi de shì xiàn ， zhè chà nà jiān dōu jù jiāo zài tā de shǒu zhōng 。
整个山海的视线，这刹那间都聚焦在他的手中。
In the entire mountain and sea, all eyes were suddenly focused on his hands.
shān hǎi zhī zhōng ， yǒu dà fēng chuī fú ， dài lái wú xiàn hǎi dǐ de mù guāng 。
山海之中，有大风吹拂，带来无限海底的目光。
A great wind swept through the mountain and sea, bringing countless underwater gazes.
shān hǎi zhī wài ， àn liú xiōng yǒng ， shì yǒu wú shù dào yì niàn zài bǐ cǐ jiāo liú 。
山海之外，暗流汹涌，似有无数道意念在彼此交流。
Beyond the mountain and sea, turbulent currents surged as if countless minds were communicating with each other.
shǒu zhōng zhì bǎo ， fǎng fú huì suí shí zhèng tuō yì bān 。 shēn yǐng jù liè zhèn chàn ， jī hū kòng zhì bú zhù zì shēn 。 yǐng xiàng kuài sù shǎn dòng ， ruò yǐn ruò xiàn 。
手中至宝，仿佛会随时挣脱一般。身影剧烈震颤，几乎控制不住自身。影像快速闪动，若隐若现。
The precious item in his hand seemed about to break free at any moment. The figure trembled violently, barely able to control itself. The image flickered rapidly, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
lián dài zhe shēn chù de yuán chū kě néng xìng ， dōu sì hū jí jí kě wēi 。 shāo yǒu bù shèn ， jiù huì zàng sòng yú zhè liǎng gǔ lì liàng de duì kàng zhōng 。
连带着身处的原初可能性，都似乎岌岌可危。稍有不慎，就会葬送于这两股力量的对抗中。
Even the original possibilities of existence associated with it seemed precarious. A slight misstep could result in its destruction by these two opposing forces.
xuán huáng jiè zhōng ， tài yáng sān dù shēng qǐ ér hòu là xià 。
玄黄界中，太阳三度升起而后落下。
In the Xuanhuang Realm, the sun rose three times before setting.
zhè chǎng jué lì ， zhōng yú fēn chū le shèng fù 。
这场角力，终于分出了胜负。
This struggle finally had a winner.
shén mì shēn yǐng shǒu zhōng zhī wù ， zài yě méi yǒu le zhēng zhá dòng jìng 。 sì hū bèi chè dǐ xiáng fú 。
神秘身影手中之物，再也没有了挣扎动静。似乎被彻底降服。
The mysterious figure's item no longer struggled; it appeared to be completely subdued.
tā xīn qíng jī dàng ， fàng shēng ér xiào 。
他心情激荡，放声而笑。
His emotions surged as he laughed aloud.
rán ér liǎn shàng xiào róng zài sōng kāi shǒu de shùn jiān ， chè dǐ níng gù le 。
然而脸上笑容在松开手的瞬间，彻底凝固了。
But his smile froze on his face the moment he released his grip.
míng míng gāng gāng yǐ jīng shèng quàn zài wò ， rán xiàn zài shǒu zhōng ， què kōng wú yī wù ！
明明刚刚已经胜券在握，然现在手中，却空无一物！
Clearly, he had just won, but now his hands were empty!
jí biàn cóng ruò gān nián hòu de shān hǎi jì yì yǐng xiàng zhōng ， lǐ fán yě néng kàn chū zhè dào shén mì shēn yǐng de jí dù zhèn nù 。
即便从若干年后的山海记忆影像中，李凡也能看出这道神秘身影的极度震怒。
Even from Li Fan’s memory of the mountain and sea years later, he could see the extreme anger in that mysterious figure.
rán bù zhī shì gù jì shén me ， jìng méi yǒu qiān lián 、 shùn shǒu jiāng xuán huáng jiè huǐ qù 。
然不知是顾忌什么，竟没有牵连、顺手将玄黄界毁去。
Yet, for some reason, it didn't destroy or even casually obliterate the Xuanhuang Realm. Instead, it continued to search within the realm, hoping to find something.
ér shì réng bù sǐ xīn de ， yī biàn yòu yī biàn yú xuán huáng jiè zhōng sōu xún zhe 。
而是仍不死心的，一遍又一遍于玄黄界中搜寻着。
But eventually, it returned empty-handed.
dàn zhōng jiū wú suǒ huò ， xìng xìng ér guī 。
但终究无所获，悻悻而归。
...
……
……
That incident had happened so quietly that no one in the Xuanhuang Realm could notice. Even the烂柯道场 did not record it.
dāng nián zhè jiàn shì fā shēng de qiāo wú shēng xī ， xuán huáng jiè zhōng wú rén kě yǐ chá jué 。 shèn zhì lián làn kē dào chǎng de dōu méi yǒu jiāng qí jì lù xià lái 。
当年这件事发生的悄无声息，玄黄界中无人可以察觉。甚至连烂柯道场的都没有将其记录下来。
Only this mountain and sea itself recorded the memory due to the struggle between the mysterious figure and the unknown existence.
wéi yǒu zhè piàn shān hǎi běn shēn ， yīn wèi shén mì shēn yǐng gēn nà wèi zhī cún zài de jué lì ， ér jiāng qí guāng yǐng jì yì 。
唯有这片山海本身，因为神秘身影跟那未知存在的角力，而将其光影记忆。
If the mountain and sea were in its normal state, such memories would be hidden among the endless mountains and seas, never coming to light. Even sages might not notice them.
tǎng ruò shān hǎi chù zài zhèng cháng cún zài zhuàng tài xià ， zhè duàn jì yì yǐn yú wú jìn lián mián shān hǎi zhī zhōng ， bù xiǎn yú shì 。 jí biàn shèng zhě yě nán yǐ chá jué 。
倘若山海处在正常存在状态下，这段记忆隐于无尽连绵山海之中，不显于世。即便圣者也难以察觉。
But now, with the mountain and sea transitioning from a virtual to a real state, only important scenes became visible. Li Fan witnessed it all.
wéi yǒu xiàn zài ， shān hǎi chù zài yóu xū huà shí de zhōng jiān zhuàng tài 。 yì bān de jì yì guāng yǐng jiē bèi yǐn méi ， wéi yǒu nà xiē zhòng yào chǎng jǐng xiǎn xiàn 。 yú shì bèi lǐ fán mù dǔ 。
唯有现在，山海处在由虚化实的中间状态。一般的记忆光影皆被隐没，唯有那些重要场景显现。于是被李凡目睹。
"Who is that person?"
“ nà rén shì shuí ？”
“那人是谁？”
"What was he trying to catch in his trap?"
“ suǒ shè jú bǔ liè de ， yòu shì hé wù ？”
“所设局捕猎的，又是何物？”
Li Fan's mind replayed the scene over and over, suddenly filled with a strange sense of foreboding.
lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng ， bù duàn huí fàng zhe gāng gāng suǒ jiàn chǎng jǐng ， xīn zhōng hū de shēng chū yī gǔ qí miào de yù gǎn 。
李凡脑海中，不断回放着刚刚所见场景，心中忽的生出一股奇妙的预感。
Perhaps what that mysterious figure had been trying to capture...
nà dào shén mì shēn yǐng suǒ wàng xiǎng bǔ liè de ……
那道神秘身影所妄想捕猎的……
Was perhaps Truly Real!
huò xǔ zhèng shì hái zhēn ！
或许正是还真！
"To secretly rewrite everything just to weave a net to attract Truly Real."
“ àn zhōng gǎi xiě yī qiè ， jiù shì wèi le biān zhī yī zhāng xī yǐn hái zhēn qián lái de wǎng 。”
“暗中改写一切，就是为了编织一张吸引还真前来的网。”
"But why would Truly Real come here?"
“ dàn jiū jìng ， hái zhēn yòu huì yīn hé lái cǐ ？”
“但究竟，还真又会因何来此？”
"And was Truly Real already present so long ago?"
“ ér qiě ， zhè me zǎo zhī qián ， hái zhēn jiù yǐ jīng chū xiàn le me ？”
“而且，这么早之前，还真就已经出现了么？”
A myriad of thoughts flashed through Li Fan's mind, and doubts arose suddenly.
shà shí jiān ， lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng wàn qiān niàn tou fú xiàn ， zhǒng zhǒng yí lǜ hū shēng 。
霎时间，李凡脑海中万千念头浮现，种种疑虑忽生。
He urgently wanted to contact Truly Real to get the truth.
pò qiè de xiǎng yào gēn lián xì hái zhēn ， yī wèn jiū jìng 。
迫切的想要跟联系还真，一问究竟。
Unfortunately, the main body was seated within the璇玑环, surrounded by numerous saintly shadows. Truly Real was immersed in it, unable to communicate.
zhǐ kě xī běn zūn zuò zhèn xuán jī huán zhōng ， shēn páng zhū shèng xū yǐng lín lì ， hái zhēn xiàn rù chén jìn 、 gōu tōng bù dé 。
只可惜本尊坐镇璇玑环中，身旁诸圣虚影林立，还真陷入沉浸、沟通不得。
"Be patient."
“ què shì bù jí 。”
“却是不急。”
"Regardless of where Truly Real came from or why, he is now under my control, which is key."
“ wú lùn hái zhēn cóng hé ér lái ， yīn hé ér lái 。 tā xiàn zài bèi wǒ zhǎng kòng ， zhè cái shì guān jiàn 。”
“无论还真从何而来，因何而来。祂现在被我掌控，这才是关键。”
"Besides, given his nature, even if I asked, he probably wouldn't tell me."
“ kuàng qiě ， yǐ tā de xìng zi ， jí biàn xún wèn 、 kǒng pà yě bú huì shuō 。”
“况且，以祂的性子，即便询问、恐怕也不会说。”
Li Fan shook his head inwardly.
lǐ fán àn zì yáo tóu 。
李凡暗自摇头。
"But that figure... the Beyond Saints likely recognize it..."
“ bù guò ， nà dào shēn yǐng ， bǐ àn zhū shèng 、 kǒng pà rèn shí ……”
“不过，那道身影，彼岸诸圣、恐怕认识……”
Considering that even when Truly Real had suddenly escaped and was extremely angry, this mysterious figure didn’t destroy or vent its anger, Li Fan guessed it was out of concern for other sages noticing its whereabouts.
xiǎng dào qí jí biàn zài hái zhēn wú gù zhèng tuō 、 fèn nù zhì jí de qíng kuàng xià ， dōu méi yǒu huǐ miè fā xiè 。 lǐ fán cāi cè tā yīng gāi shì gù jì qí tā shèng zhě chá jué zì shēn zōng jì 。
想到其即便在还真无故挣脱、愤怒至极的情况下，都没有毁灭发泄。李凡猜测他应该是顾忌其他圣者察觉自身踪迹。
After some thought, he directly asked,
sī cǔn yī fān hòu ， lǐ fán zhí jiē kāi kǒu xún wèn 。
思忖一番后，李凡直接开口询问。
"Let’s see."
“ zhū wèi ， qiě kàn 。”
“诸位，且看。”
"This mountain and sea memory is quite interesting."
“ zhè duàn shān hǎi jì yì ， dǎo shì pǒ wèi yǒu qù 。”
“这段山海记忆，倒是颇为有趣。”
The saints' gazes were originally focused on their own mental projections.
zhū shèng mù guāng ， yuán běn dōu huì jù zài zì shēn yì niàn tóu rù chù 。
诸圣目光，原本都汇聚在自身意念投入处。
Now, they all turned to Li Fan.
cǐ kè lǐ fán chū yán ， jù shì tóu lái mù guāng 。
此刻李凡出言，俱是投来目光。
A strange atmosphere slowly spread among the saints.
màn màn de ， yī gǔ qí miào de fēn wéi ， zài zhū shèng jiān huǎn huǎn liú tǎng 。
慢慢的，一股奇妙的氛围，在诸圣间缓缓流淌。
"That makes sense. I thought he had gone back further in time. But it turns out he came here..." The Mountain Sage was the first to speak. Even his millennia-old shadow seemed to ripple.
“ yuán lái rú cǐ ， dāng chū tā wú gù bú jiàn ， wǒ hái dào tā shì wǎng gèng gǔ shí hòu qù le 。 què méi xiǎng dào ， jìng lái le zhè shí ……” lián shān shèng zhě dì yí gè kāi kǒu 。 wàn nián bù biàn de xū yǐng ， jìng dàng qǐ zhèn zhèn lián yī 。
“原来如此，当初他无故不见，我还道他是往更古时候去了。却没想到，竟来了这时……”连山圣者第一个开口。万年不变的虚影，竟荡起阵阵涟漪。
"What about that item in his hand..."
“ nà shǒu zhōng zhī wù ……”
“那手中之物……”
The Mountain and Sea Sages both looked at Taiyi.
lián shān 、 guī hǎi liǎng wèi ， qí qí kàn xiàng tài yì 。
连山、归海两位，齐齐看向太易。
Taiyi pondered for a long while, nodding and shaking his head slightly.
tài yì chén yín liáng jiǔ ， xiān shì diǎn tóu ， ér hòu yòu wēi wēi yáo tóu 。
太易沉吟良久，先是点头，而后又微微摇头。
"It looks like it... but we can't be sure."
“ kàn shàng qù hěn xiàng 。 dàn jiū jìng shì bú shì ……”
“看上去很像。但究竟是不是……”
"Let’s stop beating around the bush. What are you all talking about?"
“ dào yě bù hǎo shuō 。”
“倒也不好说。”
Before Li Fan could speak, Bai Xiao couldn’t wait to ask,
“ nǐ men jiū jìng zài shuō shén me ， jiù bú yào dǎ yǎ mí le 。” bù yòng lǐ fán kāi kǒu ， bǎi xiǎo jiù xiān pò bù jí dài de wèn dào 。
“你们究竟在说什么，就不要打哑谜了。”不用李凡开口，百晓就先迫不及待的问道。
"Saying the beginning of the mountain and sea, the primordial creation..."
jiàn bǎi xiǎo zhè fù hóu jí de mú yàng ， tài yì qīng xiào le shēng ：“ shuō de shì shān hǎi zhī xiān ， míng méng zào wù 。”
见百晓这副猴急的模样，太易轻笑了声：“说的是山海之先，溟濛造物。”
"Bai Xiao," Taiyi chuckled lightly.
“ míng méng zào wù ？” zhè sì zì dùn shí xī yǐn le xīn jìn zhū shèng de zhù yì 。
“溟濛造物？”这四字顿时吸引了新晋诸圣的注意。
"The primordial creation?" This phrase immediately caught the attention of the new saints.
tài yì yě bù zài mài guān zi ， xú xú dào lái ：“ shān hǎi yuán yú zuì chū zhī shén 。 rán dāng chū ， shì fǒu yǒu wù ， yǔ shén tóng zài ？”
太易也不再卖关子，徐徐道来：“山海源于最初之神。然当初，是否有物，与神同在？”
Taiyi didn't hold back any longer. He continued:
“ wèi zhì shān hǎi zhī chū ， shuí yě bù zhī dào zhè yì diǎn 。 bù guò ， wú děng cóng zhū bān jì xiàng ， què shì yǐn yǐn néng què rèn yī xiē 。”
“未至山海之初，谁也不知道这一点。不过，吾等从诸般迹象，却是隐隐能确认一些。”
"The mountain and sea originated from the first god. But at that time, was there anything besides gods?"
“ cǐ huà zěn me jiǎng ？” bǎi xiǎo hào qí wèn dào 。
“此话怎么讲？”百晓好奇问道。
"Before the beginning of the mountain and sea, no one knew this. However, we can vaguely confirm it based on various signs."
“ zhèng shì shān hǎi dà dào de cún zài 。”
“正是山海大道的存在。”
"How so?" Bai Xiao asked curiously.
“ tǎng ruò dāng chū shén yǔn zhī shí ， dàng zhēn zhǐ yǒu shān hǎi cún zài 。 nà me shān hǎi qí xīn ， běn yīng guā fēn yī qiè shén lì 。 dàn ……”
“倘若当初神陨之时，当真只有山海存在。那么山海齐心，本应瓜分一切神力。但……”
"It's about the existence of the mountain and sea path."
“ shì shàng ， què yǒu yǔ shān hǎi tóng gé dà dào cún zài ， bìng wèi zhēn zhèng róng rù shān hǎi zhī zhōng 。”
“世上，却有与山海同格大道存在，并未真正融入山海之中。”
"If truly only the mountain and sea existed when the gods fell, then the mountain and sea should have evenly divided all divine power. But..."
“ rú 【 cháng shēng 】， rú 【 zhī mìng 】， rú 【 xuán pìn 】。”
“如【长生】，如【知命】，如【玄牝】。”
"There was a path at the same level as the mountain and sea that did not fully integrate with it.
tài yì shuō zhe ， mù guāng fēn bié zài shǒu qiū 、 guǐ mìng 、 lǐ fán shēn shàng sǎo guò 。
太易说着，目光分别在守丘、晷命、李凡身上扫过。
"Such as [Eternal Life], [Understanding Fate], or [Mysterious Origin]."
“ hǎo sì dāng chū shén yǔn zhī shí ， yǒu shén me gēn shān hǎi gòng tóng 、 fēn ér shí zhī 。 zhì shǐ shén lì yì sàn ， bìng wán quán guī yú shān hǎi 。”
“好似当初神陨之时，有什么跟山海共同、分而食之。致使神力逸散，并完全归于山海。”
Taiyi's gaze swept over Shouchou, Guiming, and Li Fan.
“ huò xǔ zhèng shì yīn wèi zhè zhǒng quē shī ， cái huì zuì zhōng dǎo zhì 【 xīng 】 de chū xiàn 。”
“或许正是因为这种缺失，才会最终导致【星】的出现。”
"It seems like when the gods fell, something shared the mountain and sea, dividing their power. This caused divine energy to scatter."
“ wú děng cāi cè nà gēn shān hǎi yī yàng de gǔ lǎo cún zài ， biàn shì suǒ wèi míng méng zào wù 。”
“吾等猜测那跟山海一样的古老存在，便是所谓溟濛造物。”
"Perhaps it was this deficiency that led to the appearance of [Star]."
bǎi xiǎo xiān wén yán ， pǒ wèi shī wàng de yáo yáo tóu ：“ yuán lái zhǐ chún cuì shì cāi cè 。 wǒ hái dào nǐ men dàng zhēn jiàn guò ne ！”
百晓仙闻言，颇为失望的摇摇头：“原来只纯粹是猜测。我还道你们当真见过呢！”
"We speculate that such an ancient existence similar to the mountain and sea is what we call the primordial creation."
lián shān gēn guī hǎi de shēng yīn ， yī tóng chuán lái ：“ wǒ dí què méi yǒu jiàn guò 。 bù guò tài yì tā zé bù rán 。”
连山跟归海的声音，一同传来：“我的确没有见过。不过太易他则不然。”
Bai Xiao shook his head disappointedly: "It turns out it’s just a guess. I thought you had actually seen it!"
tài yì xū yǐng wēi wēi huàng dòng ， sì hū xiàn rù le huí yì zhī zhōng 。
太易虚影微微晃动，似乎陷入了回忆之中。
The voices of Lian Shan and Gui Hai echoed together:
“ xī zhě ， shān hǎi shǐ dàn 、 wàn dào chū yǎn 。 wǒ bù guò yě shì qí zhōng yǎn huà zhū duō xiān tiān shén yùn zhī yī 。 shì wǒ zhě ， hái yǒu tài chū 、 tài shǐ 、 tài sù 、 tài jí ， nǎi zhì wú jí děng děng 。”
“昔者，山海始诞、万道初衍。我不过也是其中衍化诸多先天神韵之一。似我者，还有太初、太始、太素、太极，乃至无极等等。”
"I didn’t see it, but Taiyi did."
“ rán zhī suǒ yǐ ， wéi wǒ néng chéng shèng zhě ……”
“然之所以，唯我能成圣者……”
Taiyi's shadow swayed slightly as he seemed to be recalling something.
“ shì yīn wèi ， yǒu cún zài ， diǎn huà yú wǒ 。”
“是因为，有存在，点化于我。”
"In the beginning, when the mountain and sea were born and myriad paths emerged, I was just one of many primordial divine resonances. Like me, there were Tai Chao, Tai Shi, Tai Su, Tai Ji, and even Wu Ji."
tài yì xū yǐng bìng wú yǐn mán ， tǎn ér yán zhī 。
太易虚影并无隐瞒，坦而言之。
"But why did only I become a sage..."
zuò wéi zhū shèng zhōng de zuì qiáng zhě zhī yī ， tài yì jìng rán yě shì shòu rén diǎn huà ， cái chéng jiù shèng zhě 。
作为诸圣中的最强者之一，太易竟然也是受人点化，才成就圣者。
"Because there existed something that enlightened me."
xīn jìn zhū shèng men ， zhòu rán tīng wén rú cǐ yǐn mì ， jiē shì jīng è bù yǐ 。
新晋诸圣们，骤然听闻如此隐秘，皆是惊愕不已。
Taiyi spoke openly without any concealment.
lǐ fán què shì xiǎng qǐ le ， céng jīng suǒ jiàn 【 shān hǎi chū pì piān 】。
李凡却是想起了，曾经所见【山海初辟篇】。
As one of the strongest saints, Taiyi had also been enlightened by someone to achieve sainthood.
nǎi shì tài yì suǒ shū 、 wú jí zhù shì ， chǎn shù zì shēn guān lián shān 、 guī hǎi jiàn zào xiān jiè yǒu gǎn 。
乃是太易所书、无极注释，阐述自身观连山、归海建造仙界有感。
The new saints were shocked at this revelation.
qí zhōng biàn yǐ yǐn yǐn tòu lòu ， tài yì tā huò shì xiān tiān shēng líng de shēn fèn 。
其中便已隐隐透漏，太易他或是先天生灵的身份。
Li Fan recalled seeing the [Mountain and Sea Initially Cleared] chapter before. It was written by Taiyi with Wu Ji's annotations, detailing his reflections on building a celestial realm after observing Lian Shan and Gui Hai.
zhū shèng zhèn dòng ， tài yì què shì yī jiù bō lán bù jīng ， jì xù shuō dào ：“ bǐ shí ， shān hǎi shàng wèi wán quán chéng xíng ， yī jiù zài yùn yù zhī zhōng 。”
诸圣震动，太易却是依旧波澜不惊，继续说道：“彼时，山海尚未完全成型，依旧在孕育之中。”
This hinted that Taiyi might have been an original divine being.
“ tài chū xiān jiè ， wàn wù jìng zhēng 。 shèn zhì yǒu yǐ dào wèi shí zhě 。”
“太初仙界，万物竞争。甚至有以道为食者。”
The saints were shaken, but Taiyi remained calm as he continued:
“ wǒ bù guò shì qí zhōng zhī yī 。”
“我不过是其中之一。”
"At the time, the mountain and sea had not fully formed; they were still in their embryonic stage."
“ dàn yǒu yī rì ， wǒ tiào wàng shān hǎi ， hū jiàn fēng yún yǒng dòng 、 yǒu yī dào liú guāng chuān suō ér guò ， luò rù tài chū xiān jiè zhī zhōng 。”
“但有一日，我眺望山海，忽见风云涌动、有一道流光穿梭而过，落入太初仙界之中。”
"The Tai Chao celestial realm was a competition for all. Even those who fed on paths existed."
“ xīn zhōng dùn shēng mò míng jī dòng ， sì hū zhǐ yào zhǎo dào nà lǚ liú guāng ， biàn huì yǒu tiān dà zào huà 。 rán sì hū zhè bān zhě ， bìng bù zài shǎo shù 。”
“心中顿生莫名激动，似乎只要找到那缕流光，便会有天大造化。然似乎这般者，并不在少数。”
"I was one of them."
“ gù ér jí biàn kǔ kǔ zhuī xún ， yě zuì zhōng nán yǐ xún huò 。”
“故而即便苦苦追寻，也最终难以寻获。”
"But one day, I looked at the mountain and sea and saw a surge of wind and clouds, with a streak of light passing through and entering the Tai Chao celestial realm."
“ zhèng yǐ fàng qì zhī jì ， mǒu rì ， nà liú guāng què zì jǐ chū xiàn zài wǒ miàn qián 。”
“正已放弃之际，某日，那流光却自己出现在我面前。”
"My heart suddenly felt an inexplicable excitement. It seemed that finding that streak of light would bring great fortune. But it appeared not to be unique."
"So even after relentless pursuit, I still couldn’t find it."
"Just as I was about to give up, one day, that streak of light appeared before me."
The mysterious figure seemed to have truly captured something, struggling desperately to control it.
In the entire mountain and sea, all eyes were suddenly focused on his hands.
A great wind swept through the mountain and sea, bringing countless underwater gazes.
Beyond the mountain and sea, turbulent currents surged as if countless minds were communicating with each other.
The precious item in his hand seemed about to break free at any moment. The figure trembled violently, barely able to control itself. The image flickered rapidly, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
Even the original possibilities of existence associated with it seemed precarious. A slight misstep could result in its destruction by these two opposing forces.
In the Xuanhuang Realm, the sun rose three times before setting.
This struggle finally had a winner.
The mysterious figure's item no longer struggled; it appeared to be completely subdued.
His emotions surged as he laughed aloud.
But his smile froze on his face the moment he released his grip.
Clearly, he had just won, but now his hands were empty!
Even from Li Fan’s memory of the mountain and sea years later, he could see the extreme anger in that mysterious figure.
Yet, for some reason, it didn't destroy or even casually obliterate the Xuanhuang Realm. Instead, it continued to search within the realm, hoping to find something.
But eventually, it returned empty-handed.
...
That incident had happened so quietly that no one in the Xuanhuang Realm could notice. Even the烂柯道场 did not record it.
Only this mountain and sea itself recorded the memory due to the struggle between the mysterious figure and the unknown existence.
If the mountain and sea were in its normal state, such memories would be hidden among the endless mountains and seas, never coming to light. Even sages might not notice them.
But now, with the mountain and sea transitioning from a virtual to a real state, only important scenes became visible. Li Fan witnessed it all.
"Who is that person?"
"What was he trying to catch in his trap?"
Li Fan's mind replayed the scene over and over, suddenly filled with a strange sense of foreboding.
Perhaps what that mysterious figure had been trying to capture...
Was perhaps Truly Real!
"To secretly rewrite everything just to weave a net to attract Truly Real."
"But why would Truly Real come here?"
"And was Truly Real already present so long ago?"
A myriad of thoughts flashed through Li Fan's mind, and doubts arose suddenly.
He urgently wanted to contact Truly Real to get the truth.
Unfortunately, the main body was seated within the璇玑环, surrounded by numerous saintly shadows. Truly Real was immersed in it, unable to communicate.
"Be patient."
"Regardless of where Truly Real came from or why, he is now under my control, which is key."
"Besides, given his nature, even if I asked, he probably wouldn't tell me."
Li Fan shook his head inwardly.
"But that figure... the Beyond Saints likely recognize it..."
Considering that even when Truly Real had suddenly escaped and was extremely angry, this mysterious figure didn’t destroy or vent its anger, Li Fan guessed it was out of concern for other sages noticing its whereabouts.
After some thought, he directly asked,
"Let’s see."
"This mountain and sea memory is quite interesting."
The saints' gazes were originally focused on their own mental projections.
Now, they all turned to Li Fan.
A strange atmosphere slowly spread among the saints.
"That makes sense. I thought he had gone back further in time. But it turns out he came here..." The Mountain Sage was the first to speak. Even his millennia-old shadow seemed to ripple.
"What about that item in his hand..."
The Mountain and Sea Sages both looked at Taiyi.
Taiyi pondered for a long while, nodding and shaking his head slightly.
"It looks like it... but we can't be sure."
"Let’s stop beating around the bush. What are you all talking about?"
Before Li Fan could speak, Bai Xiao couldn’t wait to ask,
"Saying the beginning of the mountain and sea, the primordial creation..."
"Bai Xiao," Taiyi chuckled lightly.
"The primordial creation?" This phrase immediately caught the attention of the new saints.
Taiyi didn't hold back any longer. He continued:
"The mountain and sea originated from the first god. But at that time, was there anything besides gods?"
"Before the beginning of the mountain and sea, no one knew this. However, we can vaguely confirm it based on various signs."
"How so?" Bai Xiao asked curiously.
"It's about the existence of the mountain and sea path."
"If truly only the mountain and sea existed when the gods fell, then the mountain and sea should have evenly divided all divine power. But..."
"There was a path at the same level as the mountain and sea that did not fully integrate with it.
"Such as [Eternal Life], [Understanding Fate], or [Mysterious Origin]."
Taiyi's gaze swept over Shouchou, Guiming, and Li Fan.
"It seems like when the gods fell, something shared the mountain and sea, dividing their power. This caused divine energy to scatter."
"Perhaps it was this deficiency that led to the appearance of [Star]."
"We speculate that such an ancient existence similar to the mountain and sea is what we call the primordial creation."
Bai Xiao shook his head disappointedly: "It turns out it’s just a guess. I thought you had actually seen it!"
The voices of Lian Shan and Gui Hai echoed together:
"I didn’t see it, but Taiyi did."
Taiyi's shadow swayed slightly as he seemed to be recalling something.
"In the beginning, when the mountain and sea were born and myriad paths emerged, I was just one of many primordial divine resonances. Like me, there were Tai Chao, Tai Shi, Tai Su, Tai Ji, and even Wu Ji."
"But why did only I become a sage..."
"Because there existed something that enlightened me."
Taiyi spoke openly without any concealment.
As one of the strongest saints, Taiyi had also been enlightened by someone to achieve sainthood.
The new saints were shocked at this revelation.
Li Fan recalled seeing the [Mountain and Sea Initially Cleared] chapter before. It was written by Taiyi with Wu Ji's annotations, detailing his reflections on building a celestial realm after observing Lian Shan and Gui Hai.
This hinted that Taiyi might have been an original divine being.
The saints were shaken, but Taiyi remained calm as he continued:
"At the time, the mountain and sea had not fully formed; they were still in their embryonic stage."
"The Tai Chao celestial realm was a competition for all. Even those who fed on paths existed."
"I was one of them."
"But one day, I looked at the mountain and sea and saw a surge of wind and clouds, with a streak of light passing through and entering the Tai Chao celestial realm."
"My heart suddenly felt an inexplicable excitement. It seemed that finding that streak of light would bring great fortune. But it appeared not to be unique."
"So even after relentless pursuit, I still couldn’t find it."
"Just as I was about to give up, one day, that streak of light appeared before me."