“ zì cóng wǒ lái dào bǐ àn ， gēn zhū shèng jiē chù hòu ， hái zhēn yì zhí yǐn ér bù fā 。 rán zhè shí què tū rán mào zhe bèi zhū shèng fā xiàn de fēng xiǎn tí xǐng ……”
“自从我来到彼岸，跟诸圣接触后，还真一直隐而不发。然这时却突然冒着被诸圣发现的风险提醒……”
"Failure is part of the journey," thought Li Fan, his heart heavy with regret. "Just because I failed to reconstruct the memory shadow, it doesn't mean this should have happened." Bai Xiao coughed slightly and said, "It's just a failure in rebuilding the memory shadow. Why has it escalated so much?" Lian Shan stood up and took a step forward, as if countless versions of himself were walking towards the Sea of Mountains and Rivers from the璇玑环. Each version of him was like a dam, blocking the leaks in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers.
“ shuō míng ， ruò shì zhēn àn zhào wǒ xiǎng fǎ xíng dòng 。 fǎn dào shì hěn kě néng chǔ jìng gèng jiā wēi xiǎn 。”
“说明，若是真按照我想法行动。反倒是很可能处境更加危险。”
After some time, the continuous tremors gradually subsided. Lian Shan turned to Li Fan and said: "The failure is mine as well. I thought that with the assistance of Xuan Pin, we could succeed."
gēn hái zhēn xiàng chù yǐ jiǔ ， nǎ pà duì fāng bìng méi yǒu míng yán 、 zhǐ shì sī sī wēi ruò bō dòng ， lǐ fán yě shì shùn jiān jiù míng bái le duì fāng yòng yì 。
跟还真相处已久，哪怕对方并没有明言、只是丝丝微弱波动，李凡也是瞬间就明白了对方用意。
The other saints remained silent, their eyes fixed on Li Fan. He knelt down and continued his self-blame: "It's my fault! Everything was going smoothly until this final step. But I never expected..."
“ zài hái zhēn tí xǐng zhī qián ， wǒ yù ……”
“在还真提醒之前，我欲……”
Lian Shan interrupted him with a wave of his hand and said, "Let it go." Then he sat back down and said softly, "I also thought that Xuan Pin could succeed."
“ jǐn kě néng de ， mó fǎng chū èr zhě xiāng zhēng de bō dòng ， yǐ cǐ dá dào mēng piàn xū yǐng shān hǎi de mù dì 。”
“尽可能的，模仿出二者相争的波动，以此达到蒙骗虚影山海的目的。”
The other saints remained silent, their eyes fixed on Li Fan. The atmosphere in the room gradually thawed as Tai Yi圣者 stepped forward to console them: "Victory or defeat is common in military affairs. Our last attempt at restoring the Sea of Mountains and Rivers was not smooth sailing either. Let's take a break and try again. There's no need to be so discouraged."
zǐ xì sī cǔn yī fān hòu ， lǐ fán jiàn jiàn míng bái guò lái 。
仔细思忖一番后，李凡渐渐明白过来。
After his words, the atmosphere in the room gradually thawed. Tai Wei圣帝 then appeared and brought nine medicinal pills: "That's all for now. The next batch will require another thousand years of preparation." With that, he left.
míng méng zào wù ， shān hǎi wú èr 。 tā gēn mìng shū xiāng zhēng suǒ yǐn fā bō dòng ， cóng lǐ lùn shàng jiǎng ， běn jiù shì bù kě fù zhì de 。 jí biàn shān hǎi běn shēn ， yě wú fǎ zhēn zhèng huán yuán dāng shí chǎng jǐng 。
溟濛造物，山海无二。它跟命枢相争所引发波动，从理论上讲，本就是不可复制的。即便山海本身，也无法真正还原当时场景。
There were sixteen saints present, but only nine medicinal pills. Lian Shan, Shou Qiu, and Tai Yi said in unison, "We don't need them."
“ wéi yǒu zhēn jiǎ zhī biàn ， huò xǔ cái néng zuò dào wán měi fù kè 。 wǒ shēn xiàn qí zhōng ， jié jìn xiǎng yào fù xiàn bǐ shí qíng jǐng ， jìng běn néng xiǎng yào diào yòng zhēn jiǎ zhī biàn 。”
“唯有真假之变，或许才能做到完美复刻。我深陷其中，竭尽想要复现彼时情景，竟本能想要调用真假之变。”
Li Fan quickly responded, "Please take the pills first, fellow daoists."
“ ruò dàng zhēn rú cǐ ， shuō bù dìng wǒ wěi zào chū lái de bō dòng 、 shèn zhì huì bǐ shān hǎi jì yì xū yǐng suǒ zhǎn xiàn de hái yào zhēn 。 yīn wèi nà míng méng zào wù ， jí yǒu kě néng jiù shì hái zhēn běn shēn 。”
“若当真如此，说不定我伪造出来的波动、甚至会比山海记忆虚影所展现的还要真。因为那溟濛造物，极有可能就是还真本身。”
The other saints then spoke up one after another: Shi Ji, Gui Ming, and others also took their turns.
xiǎng qīng chǔ zhè diǎn hòu ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng àn dào hǎo xiǎn 。
想清楚这点后，李凡心中暗道好险。
After swallowing the medicinal pills and resting for a while, the saints' energy stabilized. Lian Shan said, "We must find out where we failed and start from there." He turned to Li Fan and said, "Now let's talk about the Caoji and the Míngmáng creation."
shì shí shàng ， lǐ fán zhè ge lái zì shí guāng zhī mò de nì xíng zhě de shēn fèn ， běn jiù yǒu xiē xǔ pò zhàn 。 zhǐ bù guò yīn wèi dí què yǒu guàn zhù zhēn líng de shén tōng ， gù ér zhū shèng hái néng xuǎn zé shì ér bù jiàn 。 bù guò lǐ fán xiāng xìn ， ruò shì zì jǐ zài bào lù shēn huái míng méng zào wù ， huò xǔ jié guǒ jiù huì bù yí yàng le 。
事实上，李凡这个来自时光之末的逆行者的身份，本就有些许破绽。只不过因为的确有灌注真灵的神通，故而诸圣还能选择视而不见。不过李凡相信，若是自己再暴露身怀溟濛造物，或许结果就会不一样了。
The memory of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers in the璇玑环 began to appear again. It was vividly lifelike, even more real than what Li Fan had seen from afar.
“ zhǐ xū yǐ 【 xuán pìn 】 yīng yǒu shí lì ， jìn lì fù yuán jí kě 。 zhì yú jiū jìng néng bù néng zhēn piàn guò shān hǎi xū yǐng 、 shǐ de fù lián chéng gōng ……”
“只需以【玄牝】应有实力，尽力复原即可。至于究竟能不能真骗过山海虚影、使得复联成功……”
Lian Shan explained: "Caoji is responsible for the way of life's destiny." "The lives of all beings in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers are like strings, controlled by his every touch."
“ wǒ cǐ fān bù guò shì lái dǎ tàn zhū shèng xū shí ， xún zhǎo gèng jìn yí bù kě néng dào lù de 。 shān hǎi wú yàng yú wǒ hé jiā yān ？”
“我此番不过是来打探诸圣虚实，寻找更进一步可能道路的。山海无恙于我何加焉？”
"Strings can be woven into a net or spread out on a chessboard," he continued.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng àn zì lěng hēng 。
李凡心中暗自冷哼。
Li Fan was captivated as Lian Shan explained the principles behind Caoji. He felt that he had finally grasped some of the saint's way.
jì ér ， tā sī xù wēi wēi yī níng ， huí xiǎng qǐ zì jǐ xiān qián suǒ sī suǒ xiǎng 、 xīn zhōng wēi wēi yī chén 。
继而，他思绪微微一凝，回想起自己先前所思所想、心中微微一沉。
Lian Shan then said: "This is not my own innate talent, but rather... the influence from other saints in the璇玑环." "The mutual impact is stronger than when they were in their original states."
“ dào shuō qǐ lái ， dǎo shì yǒu xiē gǔ guài 。 zài zhè xuán jī huán lǐ zuò jiǔ le ， jìng rán màn màn biàn dé ， zì fā zhēn xīn 、 xiǎng yào zhěng jiù shān hǎi le ？”
“倒说起来，倒是有些古怪。在这璇玑环里坐久了，竟然慢慢变得，自发真心、想要拯救山海了？”
Li Fan felt a sense of guilt. He realized that his failure had caused this setback, even though he quickly regained his senses.
“ wǒ zì jǐ běn zūn suǒ shòu yǐng xiǎng ， yī shí jiān hái méi yǒu nà me míng xiǎn 。 bù guò tóu rù zhì xū yǐng shān hǎi de nà dào yì niàn ……”
“我自己本尊所受影响，一时间还没有那么明显。不过投入至虚影山海的那道意念……”
Lian Shan continued: "Now let's talk about Míngmáng creation." "Although I don't know its true form, the Sea of Mountains and Rivers has left behind memories, so we can partially recreate it."
“ suī rán xíng shì fēng gé ， yī rán gēn wǒ xiāng sì 。 bù guò qí mù dì ， què dàng zhēn shì wèi le fù lián shān hǎi 。 nǎi zhì bù yǔ yú lì 。”
“虽然行事风格，依然跟我相似。不过其目的，却当真是为了复联山海。乃至不予余力。”
Lian Shan pointed to the saints in the room. A light point appeared as if by magic.
“ zhè xiē lǎo dōng xī ， guǒ rán bú shì yì yǔ de 。 nán guài fēi yào xīn jìn zhū shèng rù zuò zhè xuán jī huán ， jìng néng qián yí mò huà ， niǔ zhuǎn shèng zhě sī xù 。”
“这些老东西，果然不是易与的。难怪非要新晋诸圣入座这璇玑环，竟能潜移默化，扭转圣者思绪。”
This was the remaining memory shadow of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers after Caoji's influence had been removed.
“ suī rán wǒ jīn zhāo qīng xǐng guò lái ， què yě nán yǐ bǎo zhèng ， shén me shí hòu huì zài shòu yǐng xiǎng 。 hái shì yào zài chè dǐ bèi gǎi biàn zhī qián ， hái zhēn guī qù ……”
“虽然我今朝清醒过来，却也难以保证，什么时候会再受影响。还是要在彻底被改变之前，还真归去……”
The other saints stared at the light point, deep in thought.
hái zhēn tí diǎn ， yóu rú tí hú guàn dǐng 。 shǐ de lǐ fán cóng xuán jī huán zhū shèng yǐng xiǎng zhōng zàn shí tuō lí chū lái 。
还真提点，犹如醍醐灌顶。使得李凡从璇玑环诸圣影响中暂时脱离出来。
Tai Yi圣者 said with a frown: "This Dao intent is quite unique. It resembles what I saw back then."
xū yǐng xuán huáng jiè zhōng de lǐ bù fán ， yě biàn dé zì rán méi yǒu nà me mài lì le 。
虚影玄黄界中的李不凡，也变得自然没有那么卖力了。
Ming De圣者 was shocked as he said, "I sense the presence of the [Dao of Virtue]!" "It seems to encompass all things in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers, like a mirror reflecting us."
“ cǐ fān zhǔn bèi ， yīng gāi zú gòu 。”
“此番准备，应该足够。”
Tai Hai圣者 continued: "It's like a mirror that can reflect the myriad things of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers."
“ ruò shì néng piàn guò xū yǐng shān hǎi ， zì rán gèng hǎo 。 ruò shì bù néng ……”
“若是能骗过虚影山海，自然更好。若是不能……”
The other saints shared their insights. Li Fan also spoke up: "Indeed, we can sense the presence of the [Xuan Pin] Dao in it."
“ wǒ yě jìn lì le 。”
“我也尽力了。”
Despite his calm exterior, he was internally troubled by what he had sensed. He quickly realized that Lian Shan was simulating the true form of Xuan Ren.
tā duān zuò ruò mù zhī shàng ， rú cǐ xiǎng dào 。
他端坐若木之上，如此想道。
Lian Shan continued to explain: "Tai Hai's words are profound. This Míngmáng creation, although its name is unknown, is like a mirror!"
shí guāng liú shì ， yuán běn shān hǎi jì yì lǐ ， mìng shū yǔ míng méng zào wù jué lì nà rì lái lín 。
时光流逝，原本山海记忆里，命枢与溟濛造物角力那日来临。
"We can use our understanding of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers to glimpse this mirror."
lǐ fán suī yǐ jīng jiāng xuán huáng jiè jìn hū yī qiè kě néng lì liàng dōu yǐ jīng zhǎng kòng ， què yī jiù wú fǎ wán měi huán yuán chū bǐ shí xuán qí bō dòng 。
李凡虽已经将玄黄界近乎一切可能力量都已经掌控，却依旧无法完美还原出彼时玄奇波动。
As he spoke, Tai Hai began to project an image of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers. The image was in sync with the light point.
gēn jì yì zhōng chū xiàn piān chā ， sī sī zhèn dàng ， kāi shǐ cóng shān hǎi mài luò shēn chù chuán lái 。
跟记忆中出现偏差，丝丝震荡，开始从山海脉络深处传来。
The infinite memory shadow of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers then slowly contracted into another light point, like two suns hanging before the saints.
suī rán yīn wèi qián liǎng chù jì yì diǎn de diàn dìng ， shǐ de xū yǐng jiào zhī yǐ wǎng gèng jiā níng shí ， méi yǒu qǐng kè bēng kuì 。
虽然因为前两处记忆点的奠定，使得虚影较之以往更加凝实，没有顷刻崩溃。
Although they did not know the true nature of Míngmáng creation, the other saints were well-versed in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers. They first looked at one image, then the other, connecting the dots.
dàn mò duān de bù wěn dìng ， yǐ jīng kāi shǐ zhú jiàn yǐng xiǎng dào xū jiè zhōng zhěng duàn shān hǎi xū yǐng 。
但末端的不稳定，已经开始逐渐影响到虚界中整段山海虚影。
The previously intangible existence now seemed familiar to them.
jī hū kě yǐ yù jiàn de ， jí jiāng xiàn rù jí jí kě wēi zhī jìng ， zhěng tǐ fù miè zài jí 。
几乎可以预见的，即将陷入岌岌可危之境，整体覆灭在即。
Lian Shan asked Li Fan: "How much confidence do you have in recreating it?"
“ bù hǎo ！” bǐ àn zhī zhōng ， lǐ fán běn zūn shī tài jīng jiào dào 。
“不好！”彼岸之中，李凡本尊失态惊叫道。
Li Fan squinted his eyes and did not answer immediately. After some time of contemplation, he showed another light point. Although it was different from the other two, it had about seven or eight similarities.
ér xū yǐng yì zhuàng ， zǎo yǐ jīng yǐn qǐ le qí yú zhū shèng zhù yì 。
而虚影异状，早已经引起了其余诸圣注意。
Lian Shan nodded and said, "After a thousand years of refinement, there should be no issues."
lián shān sān shèng suī yǒu yì xiāng zhù ， nài hé běn zūn què shēn chù xū jiè qián fāng ， biān cháng mò jí 。
连山三圣虽有意相助，奈何本尊却身处虚界前方，鞭长莫及。
"Let's wait for the Daoyan tide to subside."
ér kào jìn lǐ fán suǒ zài de xīn jìn zhū shèng ， duì yú rú hé mó nǐ chéng xiàn nà xuán qí bō dòng ， yě shì wú néng wéi lì 。
而靠近李凡所在的新晋诸圣，对于如何模拟呈现那玄奇波动，也是无能为力。
With those words, Lian Shan closed his eyes in silence. The room remained with only two light points as the other saints pondered them.
zòng shǐ lián shān xū yǐng zài dì yī shí jiān chuán yīn zhǐ diǎn ， yě yǒu xiē lái bù jí le 。
纵使连山虚影在第一时间传音指点，也有些来不及了。
The memory shadow of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers continued its invasion without stopping. The boundary between the two realms gradually shifted until another thousand years had passed, restoring a balance.
shān hǎi zhī bēng ， qǐ yú wēi mò 。
山海之崩，起于微末。
Although their injuries had healed, they did not act rashly. They waited for Tai Wei圣帝 to finish refining the medicinal pills. During this time, Li Fan searched for potential candidates but found none in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers.
yuán běn yǐ jīng zhù jiù shí fēn zhī jiǔ de xū yǐng ， kāi shǐ shùn jiān qīng tā 。
原本已经筑就十分之九的虚影，开始瞬间倾塌。
The number of saints remained unchanged within the璇玑环.
"Failure is part of the journey," thought Li Fan, his heart heavy with regret. "Just because I failed to reconstruct the memory shadow, it doesn't mean this should have happened." Bai Xiao coughed slightly and said, "It's just a failure in rebuilding the memory shadow. Why has it escalated so much?" Lian Shan stood up and took a step forward, as if countless versions of himself were walking towards the Sea of Mountains and Rivers from the璇玑环. Each version of him was like a dam, blocking the leaks in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers.
After some time, the continuous tremors gradually subsided. Lian Shan turned to Li Fan and said: "The failure is mine as well. I thought that with the assistance of Xuan Pin, we could succeed."
The other saints remained silent, their eyes fixed on Li Fan. He knelt down and continued his self-blame: "It's my fault! Everything was going smoothly until this final step. But I never expected..."
Lian Shan interrupted him with a wave of his hand and said, "Let it go." Then he sat back down and said softly, "I also thought that Xuan Pin could succeed."
The other saints remained silent, their eyes fixed on Li Fan. The atmosphere in the room gradually thawed as Tai Yi圣者 stepped forward to console them: "Victory or defeat is common in military affairs. Our last attempt at restoring the Sea of Mountains and Rivers was not smooth sailing either. Let's take a break and try again. There's no need to be so discouraged."
After his words, the atmosphere in the room gradually thawed. Tai Wei圣帝 then appeared and brought nine medicinal pills: "That's all for now. The next batch will require another thousand years of preparation." With that, he left.
There were sixteen saints present, but only nine medicinal pills. Lian Shan, Shou Qiu, and Tai Yi said in unison, "We don't need them."
Li Fan quickly responded, "Please take the pills first, fellow daoists."
The other saints then spoke up one after another: Shi Ji, Gui Ming, and others also took their turns.
After swallowing the medicinal pills and resting for a while, the saints' energy stabilized. Lian Shan said, "We must find out where we failed and start from there." He turned to Li Fan and said, "Now let's talk about the Caoji and the Míngmáng creation."
The memory of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers in the璇玑环 began to appear again. It was vividly lifelike, even more real than what Li Fan had seen from afar.
Lian Shan explained: "Caoji is responsible for the way of life's destiny." "The lives of all beings in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers are like strings, controlled by his every touch."
"Strings can be woven into a net or spread out on a chessboard," he continued.
Li Fan was captivated as Lian Shan explained the principles behind Caoji. He felt that he had finally grasped some of the saint's way.
Lian Shan then said: "This is not my own innate talent, but rather... the influence from other saints in the璇玑环." "The mutual impact is stronger than when they were in their original states."
Li Fan felt a sense of guilt. He realized that his failure had caused this setback, even though he quickly regained his senses.
Lian Shan continued: "Now let's talk about Míngmáng creation." "Although I don't know its true form, the Sea of Mountains and Rivers has left behind memories, so we can partially recreate it."
Lian Shan pointed to the saints in the room. A light point appeared as if by magic.
This was the remaining memory shadow of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers after Caoji's influence had been removed.
The other saints stared at the light point, deep in thought.
Tai Yi圣者 said with a frown: "This Dao intent is quite unique. It resembles what I saw back then."
Ming De圣者 was shocked as he said, "I sense the presence of the [Dao of Virtue]!" "It seems to encompass all things in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers, like a mirror reflecting us."
Tai Hai圣者 continued: "It's like a mirror that can reflect the myriad things of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers."
The other saints shared their insights. Li Fan also spoke up: "Indeed, we can sense the presence of the [Xuan Pin] Dao in it."
Despite his calm exterior, he was internally troubled by what he had sensed. He quickly realized that Lian Shan was simulating the true form of Xuan Ren.
Lian Shan continued to explain: "Tai Hai's words are profound. This Míngmáng creation, although its name is unknown, is like a mirror!"
"We can use our understanding of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers to glimpse this mirror."
As he spoke, Tai Hai began to project an image of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers. The image was in sync with the light point.
The infinite memory shadow of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers then slowly contracted into another light point, like two suns hanging before the saints.
Although they did not know the true nature of Míngmáng creation, the other saints were well-versed in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers. They first looked at one image, then the other, connecting the dots.
The previously intangible existence now seemed familiar to them.
Lian Shan asked Li Fan: "How much confidence do you have in recreating it?"
Li Fan squinted his eyes and did not answer immediately. After some time of contemplation, he showed another light point. Although it was different from the other two, it had about seven or eight similarities.
Lian Shan nodded and said, "After a thousand years of refinement, there should be no issues."
"Let's wait for the Daoyan tide to subside."
With those words, Lian Shan closed his eyes in silence. The room remained with only two light points as the other saints pondered them.
The memory shadow of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers continued its invasion without stopping. The boundary between the two realms gradually shifted until another thousand years had passed, restoring a balance.
Although their injuries had healed, they did not act rashly. They waited for Tai Wei圣帝 to finish refining the medicinal pills. During this time, Li Fan searched for potential candidates but found none in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers.
The number of saints remained unchanged within the璇玑环.