“ yǒu gèng dà kě néng ， zhè xiē shì wǒ běn rén de qīn shēn jīng lì 。”
“有更大可能，这些是我本人的亲身经历。”
"There is a greater possibility that these are my own personal experiences."
“ zhǐ bù guò wǒ diū shī le céng jīng de jì yì ， gù ér zhǐ yǐ suǒ wèi sì shì ér fēi zhí jué xiǎn xiàn 。”
“只不过我丢失了曾经的记忆，故而只以所谓似是而非直觉显现。”
"However, I lost some of my past memories, so what appears to me now is merely an illusion based on intuition."
zhè yī shùn jiān ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng ， bù yóu shēng chū le zì jǐ shì fǒu réng zài 【 hái zhēn 】 mó nǐ zhōng de huái yí 。
这一瞬间，李凡心中，不由生出了自己是否仍在【还真】模拟中的怀疑。
At this moment, Li Fan couldn't help but doubt whether he was still within the [Truly Real] simulation.
dàn yǐ zhèng shèng zhě zhī jìng ， lǐ fán xīn xìng zǎo yǐ jīng bù tóng yǐ wǎng 。
但已证圣者之境，李凡心性早已经不同以往。
But as a Saint-attained cultivator, Li Fan's nature had already changed from before.
duǎn zàn de zhèn dòng zhī hòu ， hěn kuài jiù píng jìng le xià lái 。
短暂的震动之后，很快就平静了下来。
After a brief tremor, his mind quickly calmed down.
“ zhè bān yí lǜ ， bìng wú yì yì 。”
“这般疑虑，并无意义。”
"This kind of doubt is meaningless."
“ zhēn yì jiǎ ， jiǎ yì zhēn 。 suǒ wèi zhēn shí shān hǎi ， yě bù guò shì hái zhēn yú bèi xīng tūn mò de jué duì xū wú zhōng chóng xīn yǎn huà ér lái 。 guān jiàn de shì ， wǒ de guò qù 。”
“真亦假，假亦真。所谓真实山海，也不过是还真于被星吞没的绝对虚无中重新衍化而来。关键的是，我的过去。”
"True is false, and false is true. The so-called real mountains and seas are merely re-derived from the absolute void where the stars have been swallowed. What matters most is my past."
“ rú guǒ wǒ de cāi cè shǔ shí ， nà me wǒ zì jǐ rèn wéi de dì yī shì 、 kǒng pà bìng fēi shì zhēn zhèng de dì yī shì 。”
“如果我的猜测属实，那么我自己认为的第一世、恐怕并非是真正的第一世。”
"If my guess is correct, then what I consider to be my first life might not actually be the true first life."
“ wǒ zhī hái zhēn 。 jiū jìng shén me shì hái zhēn ne ？”
“我之还真。究竟什么是还真呢？”
"What exactly is Truly Real?"
lǐ fán yú shān hǎi zhī mò ， céng jiàn zhū shèng shén tōng 。
李凡于山海之末，曾见诸圣神通。
At the end of the mountains and seas, Li Fan had seen the divine powers of all the sages.
jiǎ yì zhēn 、 bù dìng wèi lái tuī yǎn zhī shù 、 nì liú shí guāng cháng hé 、 tiān zé jì chéng 。
假亦真、不定未来推衍之术、逆流时光长河、天择继承。
False can be real; the art of indefinite future derivation; flowing back through time; natural inheritance.
yuán běn lǐ fán jiù yǐn yǐn yǒu suǒ huái yí 。
原本李凡就隐隐有所怀疑。
Originally, Li Fan already had a vague suspicion about this.
zài jiā shàng xiàn zài tū rán huī fù jì yì zhōng ， zì jǐ suǒ shuō nà jù “ ruò bù céng jiàn guò ， wǒ zhī 【 hái zhēn 】， yòu cóng hé ér lái ”
再加上现在突然恢复记忆中，自己所说那句“若不曾见过，我之【还真】，又从何而来”
And now that his memory was suddenly restored, he recalled saying: "If I hadn't seen it, where would my [Truly Real] come from?"
dá àn sì hū yǐ jīng hū zhī yù chū 。
答案似乎已经呼之欲出。
The answer seemed to be clear.
bù guò zhèng yīn rú cǐ ， lǐ fán cái gèng jué bù kě sī yì 。
不过正因如此，李凡才更觉不可思议。
But because of this, Li Fan found it even more unbelievable.
“ mò fēi suǒ wèi hái zhēn ， biàn shì zhēn yì jiǎ 、 jiǎ yì zhēn ， yǐ jí zhū duō shèng zhě suǒ zhǎng dà dào de róu hé ？”
“莫非所谓还真，便是真亦假、假亦真，以及诸多圣者所掌大道的糅合？”
"Could it be that Truly Real is a combination of true and false, as well as the myriad great ways held by sages?"
“ nà me …… hái zhēn nèi shēn cáng de nà dào yì shí ， jiū jìng shì shuí ？”
“那么……还真内深藏的那道意识，究竟是谁？”
"So... who is the consciousness hidden within Truly Real?"
hái zhēn shì yǒu zì jǐ dú lì yì shí de 。
还真是有自己独立意识的。
Truly Real does have its own independent consciousness.
zhè diǎn wú yōng zhì yí 。
这点毋庸置疑。
This was beyond doubt.
wú lùn shì měi cì yù dào duì zì shēn yǒu yòng zhī wù de jī è tūn shì gǎn ， hái shì shí bù shí guān jiàn shí kè duì lǐ fán de zhǐ yǐn 。
无论是每次遇到对自身有用之物的饥饿吞噬感，还是时不时关键时刻对李凡的指引。
Whether it was the hunger for useful items or the occasional guidance during critical moments, all these things clearly proved this point.
dōu háo wú yí wèn de yìn zhèng le zhè yì diǎn 。
都毫无疑问的印证了这一点。
But if Truly Real were merely a collection of great ways and just a tool, it shouldn't possess any self-awareness.
nà me wèn tí lái le ， ruò hái zhēn dàng zhēn zhǐ shì dà dào jí hé 、 chún cuì de gōng jù ， nà me jiù bù yīng gāi yōng yǒu zì shēn yì shí 。
那么问题来了，若还真当真只是大道集合、纯粹的工具，那么就不应该拥有自身意识。
Could it be that the combined great ways within Truly Real gave birth to an independent consciousness?
nán bù chéng ， shì hái zhēn suǒ jù hé dà dào ， dàn shēng yǎn huà le dú lì yì niàn ？
难不成，是还真所聚合大道，诞生衍化了独立意念？
Or...
hái shì shuō ……
还是说……
Thinking back to the other Li Fan who suddenly appeared at the end of time when the mountains and seas were about to vanish, Li Fan's mind suddenly had a shocking idea.
lián xiǎng dào zài shí guāng zhī mò 、 shān hǎi yān miè zuì hòu guān tóu tū rán chū xiàn de lìng wài yí gè zì jǐ 。
联想到在时光之末、山海湮灭最后关头突然出现的另外一个自己。
Once it came, it flowed out like a flood, impossible to suppress.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng hū de yǒng xiàn yí gè shí pò tiān jīng de xiǎng fǎ 。
李凡心中忽的涌现一个石破天惊的想法。
It filled his heart, making him instinctively crave validation for this hypothesis.
yī jīng chū xiàn ， biàn rú jué dī jiāng shuǐ 、 xiōng xiōng ér chū ， zài nán yì zhì 。
一经出现，便如决堤江水、汹汹而出，再难抑制。
"Truly Real... is me?"
chōng chì lǐ fán nèi xīn ， shǐ de tā běn néng jí dù kě qiú ， xiǎng yào lì kè yàn zhèng zhè ge cāi cè de zhèng què yǔ fǒu 。
充斥李凡内心，使得他本能极度渴求，想要立刻验证这个猜测的正确与否。
"I am Truly Real..."
“ hái zhēn ， jiù shì wǒ ？”
“还真，就是我？”
With one thought, the mountains and seas changed, and all things vanished.
“ wǒ ， jiù shì hái zhēn ？”
“我，就是还真？”
Over these years, the three sages who had always followed Li Fan—Mo Yongge, Cheng Sanren, and Si Shisan—had disappeared without a trace.
yī niàn qǐ ， shān hǎi biàn ， wàn wù xiāng xiāo 。
一念起，山海变，万物相消。
Guichou Gong, who sat with him in the璇玑 ringand shared his ideals, was also suddenly absent.
zhè xiē nián lái ， shǐ zhōng gēn suí zì jǐ de mò yǒng gē chéng shèng sān rén ， bú jiàn zōng jì 。
这些年来，始终跟随自己的墨永歌成圣三人，不见踪迹。
Even the sages on the other side of the sea seemed to vanish instantly.
gēn zì jǐ gòng zuò xuán jī huán 、 tóng xīn tóng dé de shǒu qiū gōng ， dào dé ， yě shū rán jiān yǐn qù 。
跟自己共坐璇玑环、同心同德的守丘公，道德，也倏然间隐去。
There was an indescribable force that completely isolated Li Fan from the outside world.
nǎi zhì ， bǐ àn zhū shèng ， zhěng zuò shān hǎi 。
乃至，彼岸诸圣，整座山海。
The only thing in this world besides Li Fan seemed to be nothing else.
dōu fǎng fú chà nà jiān xiāo shī zōng yǐng 。
都仿佛刹那间消失踪影。
Then, a figure emerged from the void.
shì yǒu yī gǔ nán yǐ yán shuō de mò cè lì liàng ， jiāng lǐ fán gēn wài jiè de wán wán quán quán 、 chè chè dǐ dǐ de gé jué kāi lái 。
似有一股难以言说的莫测力量，将李凡跟外界的完完全全、彻彻底底的隔绝开来。
Its appearance and looks were identical to Li Fan's.
shì jiān chú le lǐ fán zhī wài ， fǎng fú zài wú tā wù 。
世间除了李凡之外，仿佛再无他物。
But its demeanor and aura were vastly different!
suí hòu ， yī dào shēn yǐng ， cóng xū wú zhōng piāo chū 。
随后，一道身影，从虚无中飘出。
When Li Fan saw his other self across from him, his heart skipped a beat.
shēn xíng 、 róng mào ， jiē gēn lǐ fán rú chū yī zhé 。
身形、容貌，皆跟李凡如出一辙。
He felt both incredibly familiar and extremely unfamiliar.
zhǐ shì shén tài 、 qì zhì ， dà bù xiāng tóng ！
只是神态、气质，大不相同！
In an instant, he understood where this unfamiliarity came from.
lǐ fán zài kàn jiàn duì miàn lìng wài yí gè zì jǐ de shí hòu ， xīn zàng biàn měng dì yī tiào 。
李凡在看见对面另外一个自己的时候，心脏便猛地一跳。
The "Li Fan" on the opposite side stood quietly. Even without speaking, it gave him an instinctive sense of security.
jì gǎn dào wú bǐ de shú xī ， yòu jué de jí wéi mò shēng 。
既感到无比的熟悉，又觉得极为陌生。
It was as if everything could be entrusted to him.
zhǐ yī yǎn ， biàn zhī xiǎo zhè zhǒng mò shēng jiū jìng yīn hé ér qǐ 。
只一眼，便知晓这种陌生究竟因何而起。
And he would never let you down.
duì miàn de “ lǐ fán ”， jìng jìng zhàn zài nà lǐ ， jí biàn yī yán bù fā 。 yě ràng rén cóng nèi xīn shēn chù gǎn dào běn néng de ān xīn 。
对面的“李凡”，静静站在那里，即便一言不发。也让人从内心深处感到本能的安心。
He was sincere, pure, and noble.
fǎng fú yī qiè dōu kě yǐ jiāo tuō gěi duì fāng 。
仿佛一切都可以交托给对方。
As kind as Su Bai, as virtuous as Guichou Gong.
ér duì fāng yě jué bú huì gū fù 。
而对方也绝不会辜负。
Originally a savior of the mountains and seas, just like a true perfect person in this world.
zhēn chéng zhì jí ， chún cuì zhì jí ， gāo shàng zhì jí 。
真诚至极，纯粹至极，高尚至极。
...
shàn rú sū bái 、 dé shì shǒu qiū 。
善如苏白、德似守丘。
"You... are me?" Li Fan was utterly shocked.
běn shì shān hǎi jiù shì zhǔ ， qià sì shì shàng zhēn wán rén 。
本是山海救世主，恰似世上真完人。
The other "Li Fan" did not offer any explanation.
……
……
With Li Fan's words, it seemed as if ice had melted away.
“ nǐ …… shì wǒ ？” lǐ fán chè dǐ zhèn jīng le 。
“你……是我？”李凡彻底震惊了。
Innumerable memories flashed before his eyes, like countless stars shining from the darkness, pouring in.
duì miàn de “ lǐ fán ” bìng méi yǒu zuò chū rèn hé jiě shì 。
对面的“李凡”并没有做出任何解释。
Not long ago, Li Fan experienced a thousand years of time from the beginning to the end of the mountains and seas through the perspective of three sages.
suí zhe lǐ fán kāi kǒu ， hǎo sì bīng xiāo xuě róng bān 。
随着李凡开口，好似冰消雪融般。
Though the journey was long, with his current strength, he could barely bear it.
nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng de wú shù jì yì zì hēi àn zhōng shǎn xiàn ， rú tóng màn tiān shǎn yào xīng guāng ， fēn zhì ér lái 。
难以想象的无数记忆自黑暗中闪现，如同漫天闪耀星光，纷至而来。
But now, he had to be destroyed by his own past memories.
zhī qián bù jiǔ ， lǐ fán céng yǐ sān shèng shì jiǎo ， tǐ yàn guò yóu shān hǎi zhī chū 、 zhì shān hǎi dāng jīn zhōng mò de yī qiān yì nián shí guāng 。
之前不久，李凡曾以三圣视角，体验过由山海之初、至山海当今中末的一千亿年时光。
Like an ant in the vast sea, once falling into it, one couldn't see its entirety.
shān hǎi qiān suì shí guāng ， qí lù suī màn cháng ， yǐ lǐ fán rú jīn shí lì ， què yě néng miǎn qiǎng chéng shòu 。
山海千岁时光，其路虽漫长，以李凡如今实力，却也能勉强承受。
He could only vaguely perceive his past from countless overlapping water droplets around him.
dàn lǐ fán rú jīn què yào bèi zì jǐ céng jīng de jì yì ， gěi shēng shēng yān miè 、 huǐ qù 。
但李凡如今却要被自己曾经的记忆，给生生湮灭、毁去。
A thousand years, half a lifetime of the mountains and seas—absolutely a long time.
rú lóu yǐ yǔ cāng hǎi ， zhuì rù qí zhōng shùn jiān ， biàn nán yǐ jiàn qí quán mào 。
如蝼蚁与沧海，坠入其中瞬间，便难以见其全貌。
But in Li Fan's memory, it was just a single drop formed by one cycle.
zhǐ néng cóng zhōu zāo wú shù chóng chóng dié dié shuǐ dī ， yǐn yuē kuī jiàn céng jīng guò wǎng 。
只能从周遭无数重重叠叠水滴，隐约窥见曾经过往。
How many trillions of drops were there in the vast sea?
yī qiān yì nián 、 shān hǎi dà bàn shēng ， jué duì xiāng dāng màn cháng yī duàn shí jiān le 。
一千亿年、山海大半生，绝对相当漫长一段时间了。
That was the path taken by past "Li Fan."
dàn cǐ kè zài lǐ fán de jì yì zhī hǎi lǐ ， bù guò shì yī cì lún huí suǒ níng jié ér chéng yī dī shuǐ zhū bà le 。
但此刻在李凡的记忆之海里，不过是一次轮回所凝结而成一滴水珠罢了。
Countless cycles, countless attempts.
cāng máng dà hǎi ， shuǐ dī shù liàng ， hé zhǐ wàn yì ？
苍茫大海，水滴数量，何止万亿？
All for saving the mountains and seas from the stars.
nà biàn shì guò qù “ lǐ fán ” céng jīng zǒu guò zhī lù 。
那便是过去“李凡”曾经走过之路。
As "Li Fan" said,
wú shù cì de lún huí ， wú shù cì de cháng shì 。
无数次的轮回，无数次的尝试。
"Can block the star for a moment, but not for an entire lifetime."
suǒ wèi zhǐ shì ， jiù shān hǎi yú xīng 。
所为只是，救山海于星。
The ultimate outcome of all these memories was always the same: a lone star descending to devour everything.
bù guò zhèng rú “ lǐ fán ” suǒ shuō 。
不过正如“李凡”所说。
The mountains and seas could never be saved.
“ kě zǔ xīng yī shí ， què bù kě zǔ xīng zhī yī shì 。”
“可阻星一时，却不可阻星之一世。”
...
suǒ yǒu zuì zhōng lún huí jì yì de zuì zhōng jié jú ， dōu shì gū xīng jiàng shì 、 tūn mò yī qiè 。
所有最终轮回记忆的最终结局，都是孤星降世、吞没一切。
Compared to the other Li Fan hidden within Truly Real, the current Li Fan was truly weak.
shān hǎi ， zhōng nán jiù 。
山海，终难救。
He could observe and accept one or ten cycles of memory.
……
……
But as time passed, he found it increasingly difficult to bear more than a hundred or a thousand cycles.
xiāng jiào yú yǐn cáng yú hái zhēn zhī zhōng de lìng wài zì jǐ ， xiàn rú jīn de lǐ fán zhe shí ruò de kě lián 。
相较于隐藏于还真之中的另外自己，现如今的李凡着实弱的可怜。
It felt like falling into an abyss; the pressure from all sides was unimaginable. It almost crushed his divine soul completely.
kě guān mó jiē shòu yī cì 、 shí cì lún huí jì yì 。
可观摩接受一次、十次轮回记忆。
"It's not yet time."
dàn màn màn de ， bǎi cì 、 qiān cì ， biàn yǐ jīng yǒu xiē chéng shòu bú zhù le 。
但慢慢的，百次、千次，便已经有些承受不住了。
"Let's go back."
wǎn ruò shēn zhuì hǎi yuān ， zhōu zāo chuán lái de yā lì nán yǐ xiǎng xiàng zhī jù dà 。 jī hū yào jiāng lǐ fán shén hún chè dǐ niǎn suì 。
宛若身坠海渊，周遭传来的压力难以想象之巨大。几乎要将李凡神魂彻底碾碎。
Just when Li Fan was about to be swallowed by the darkness, a voice appeared and saved him in time.
“ hái bú dào shí hòu 。”
“还不到时候。”
The darkness dissipated, and the vast memories of the past faded like bubbles before Li Fan's eyes.
“ qiě huí qù ba 。”
“且回去吧。”
They looked at each other.
lǐ fán jí jiāng bèi zhōu wéi hēi àn chè dǐ tūn mò zhī jì ， yī dào shēng yīn chū xiàn ， jí shí jiāng tā jiù xià 。
李凡即将被周围黑暗彻底吞没之际，一道声音出现，及时将他救下。
With the clues from his memory, Li Fan finally pieced together the truth.
hēi àn tuì sàn ， hào rú yān hǎi de guò qù jì yì ， yě rú pào mò bān ， zài lǐ fán miàn qián xiāo sàn wú zōng 。
黑暗退散，浩如烟海的过去记忆，也如泡沫般，在李凡面前消散无踪。
Past "Li Fan" had tried countless times to save the mountains and seas from the stars within the mountains and seas.
èr rén hù xiāng duì shì le yī yǎn 。
二人互相对视了一眼。
But just as with all the living beings struggling in the mountains and seas, it was all for naught.
jiā shàng xiān qián cóng jì yì zhōng suǒ kuī tàn dào de xiàn suǒ ， lǐ fán zhōng jiū shì pīn còu chū le zhēn xiàng 。
加上先前从记忆中所窥探到的线索，李凡终究是拼凑出了真相。
He had tried so many times but never managed to truly stop the star's descent.
guò qù de lǐ fán ， céng jīng wú shù cì cháng shì guò zài 【 xīng 】 shǒu zhōng zhěng jiù shān hǎi 。
过去的李凡，曾经无数次尝试过在【星】手中拯救山海。
Each failure brought no hope of success.
dàn zhèng rú shān hǎi nèi zhēng zhá de wú shù shēng líng bān ， yī qiè dōu shì tú láo de 。
但正如山海内挣扎的无数生灵般，一切都是徒劳的。
Yet he never gave up.
tā cháng shì le bù zhī dào duō shǎo cì ， què méi yǒu yī cì néng zhēn zhèng zǔ zhǐ xīng de jiàng lín 。
他尝试了不知道多少次，却没有一次能真正阻止星的降临。
In the end, he decided to make some changes.
yī cì cì de shī bài ， kàn bú dào chéng gōng de wèi lái 。
一次次的失败，看不到成功的未来。
These changes were what Li Fan was now.
tā què shǐ zhōng méi yǒu fàng qì 。
他却始终没有放弃。
Li Fan finally understood why "Truly Real" had always resisted contact with him from the beginning.
zuì hòu de zuì hòu ， tā jué dìng ， zuò chū yī xiē gǎi biàn 。
最后的最后，他决定，做出一些改变。
Apart from the vast difference in their sizes, any thought from the other side could easily swallow him whole.
zhè gǎi biàn ， biàn shì xiàn rú jīn lǐ fán yóu lái 。
这改变，便是现如今李凡由来。
But more importantly, it was to maintain his independence and not be influenced by the past.
lǐ fán zǒng suàn zhī dào ， wèi shén me cóng shǐ zhì zhōng ，“ hái zhēn ” dōu shí fēn kàng jù gēn zì jǐ xiāng jiē chù le 。
李凡总算知道，为什么从始至终，“还真”都十分抗拒跟自己相接触了。
After all, they were of the same origin. If there was close contact between them, the result would be like what Li Fan just experienced—falling into the abyss, being devoured by his own memories, and shattering his divine soul.
chú le shuāng fāng tǐ liàng shí zài chā jù tài duō ， duì fāng suí yì yí gè niàn tou dōu yǒu kě néng jiāng lǐ fán tūn mò zhī wài 。
除了双方体量实在差距太多，对方随意一个念头都有可能将李凡吞没之外。
"Save... the world..."
gèng zhòng yào de ， hái shì yīn wèi yào bǎo chí xiàn rú jīn lǐ fán de dú lì xìng 。
更重要的，还是因为要保持现如今李凡的独立性。
"First save yourself."
bù shòu guò qù yǐng xiǎng ， xíng zì jǐ běn néng suǒ xíng zhī shì 。
不受过去影响，行自己本能所行之事。
Only a voice lingered in Li Fan's heart.
bì jìng tóng yuán yī shēn ， ruò shì shuāng fāng chǎn shēng jìn jù lí jiē chù ， qí jié guǒ biàn shì lǐ fán gāng gāng nà yàng 。
毕竟同源一身，若是双方产生近距离接触，其结果便是李凡刚刚那样。
The barriers that concealed everything from the outside world suddenly vanished.
shùn xī zhī jiān ， zhuì rù hǎi yuān ， bèi zì jǐ guò wǎng jì yì suǒ tūn mò 。
瞬息之间，坠入海渊，被自己过往记忆所吞没。
It was as if he had surfaced from underwater. He instinctively took deep breaths.
shén hún jù suì 。
神魂俱碎。
Even though he knew the answer he had long sought, Li Fan didn't feel any sudden clarity.
“ jiù shì ……”
“救世……”
Instead, various emotions surged within him.
“ xiān jiù jǐ 。”
“先救己。”
"At least I can be relieved..."
zhǐ liú xià zuì hòu yī dào shēng yīn ， zài lǐ fán nèi xīn huí dàng 。
只留下最后一道声音，在李凡内心回荡。
"The past me probably truly died."
"There is a greater possibility that these are my own personal experiences."
"However, I lost some of my past memories, so what appears to me now is merely an illusion based on intuition."
At this moment, Li Fan couldn't help but doubt whether he was still within the [Truly Real] simulation.
But as a Saint-attained cultivator, Li Fan's nature had already changed from before.
After a brief tremor, his mind quickly calmed down.
"This kind of doubt is meaningless."
"True is false, and false is true. The so-called real mountains and seas are merely re-derived from the absolute void where the stars have been swallowed. What matters most is my past."
"If my guess is correct, then what I consider to be my first life might not actually be the true first life."
"What exactly is Truly Real?"
At the end of the mountains and seas, Li Fan had seen the divine powers of all the sages.
False can be real; the art of indefinite future derivation; flowing back through time; natural inheritance.
Originally, Li Fan already had a vague suspicion about this.
And now that his memory was suddenly restored, he recalled saying: "If I hadn't seen it, where would my [Truly Real] come from?"
The answer seemed to be clear.
But because of this, Li Fan found it even more unbelievable.
"Could it be that Truly Real is a combination of true and false, as well as the myriad great ways held by sages?"
"So... who is the consciousness hidden within Truly Real?"
Truly Real does have its own independent consciousness.
This was beyond doubt.
Whether it was the hunger for useful items or the occasional guidance during critical moments, all these things clearly proved this point.
But if Truly Real were merely a collection of great ways and just a tool, it shouldn't possess any self-awareness.
Could it be that the combined great ways within Truly Real gave birth to an independent consciousness?
Or...
Thinking back to the other Li Fan who suddenly appeared at the end of time when the mountains and seas were about to vanish, Li Fan's mind suddenly had a shocking idea.
Once it came, it flowed out like a flood, impossible to suppress.
It filled his heart, making him instinctively crave validation for this hypothesis.
"Truly Real... is me?"
"I am Truly Real..."
With one thought, the mountains and seas changed, and all things vanished.
Over these years, the three sages who had always followed Li Fan—Mo Yongge, Cheng Sanren, and Si Shisan—had disappeared without a trace.
Guichou Gong, who sat with him in the璇玑 ringand shared his ideals, was also suddenly absent.
Even the sages on the other side of the sea seemed to vanish instantly.
There was an indescribable force that completely isolated Li Fan from the outside world.
The only thing in this world besides Li Fan seemed to be nothing else.
Then, a figure emerged from the void.
Its appearance and looks were identical to Li Fan's.
But its demeanor and aura were vastly different!
When Li Fan saw his other self across from him, his heart skipped a beat.
He felt both incredibly familiar and extremely unfamiliar.
In an instant, he understood where this unfamiliarity came from.
The "Li Fan" on the opposite side stood quietly. Even without speaking, it gave him an instinctive sense of security.
It was as if everything could be entrusted to him.
And he would never let you down.
He was sincere, pure, and noble.
As kind as Su Bai, as virtuous as Guichou Gong.
Originally a savior of the mountains and seas, just like a true perfect person in this world.
...
"You... are me?" Li Fan was utterly shocked.
The other "Li Fan" did not offer any explanation.
With Li Fan's words, it seemed as if ice had melted away.
Innumerable memories flashed before his eyes, like countless stars shining from the darkness, pouring in.
Not long ago, Li Fan experienced a thousand years of time from the beginning to the end of the mountains and seas through the perspective of three sages.
Though the journey was long, with his current strength, he could barely bear it.
But now, he had to be destroyed by his own past memories.
Like an ant in the vast sea, once falling into it, one couldn't see its entirety.
He could only vaguely perceive his past from countless overlapping water droplets around him.
A thousand years, half a lifetime of the mountains and seas—absolutely a long time.
But in Li Fan's memory, it was just a single drop formed by one cycle.
How many trillions of drops were there in the vast sea?
That was the path taken by past "Li Fan."
Countless cycles, countless attempts.
All for saving the mountains and seas from the stars.
As "Li Fan" said,
"Can block the star for a moment, but not for an entire lifetime."
The ultimate outcome of all these memories was always the same: a lone star descending to devour everything.
The mountains and seas could never be saved.
...
Compared to the other Li Fan hidden within Truly Real, the current Li Fan was truly weak.
He could observe and accept one or ten cycles of memory.
But as time passed, he found it increasingly difficult to bear more than a hundred or a thousand cycles.
It felt like falling into an abyss; the pressure from all sides was unimaginable. It almost crushed his divine soul completely.
"It's not yet time."
"Let's go back."
Just when Li Fan was about to be swallowed by the darkness, a voice appeared and saved him in time.
The darkness dissipated, and the vast memories of the past faded like bubbles before Li Fan's eyes.
They looked at each other.
With the clues from his memory, Li Fan finally pieced together the truth.
Past "Li Fan" had tried countless times to save the mountains and seas from the stars within the mountains and seas.
But just as with all the living beings struggling in the mountains and seas, it was all for naught.
He had tried so many times but never managed to truly stop the star's descent.
Each failure brought no hope of success.
Yet he never gave up.
In the end, he decided to make some changes.
These changes were what Li Fan was now.
Li Fan finally understood why "Truly Real" had always resisted contact with him from the beginning.
Apart from the vast difference in their sizes, any thought from the other side could easily swallow him whole.
But more importantly, it was to maintain his independence and not be influenced by the past.
After all, they were of the same origin. If there was close contact between them, the result would be like what Li Fan just experienced—falling into the abyss, being devoured by his own memories, and shattering his divine soul.
"Save... the world..."
"First save yourself."
Only a voice lingered in Li Fan's heart.
The barriers that concealed everything from the outside world suddenly vanished.
It was as if he had surfaced from underwater. He instinctively took deep breaths.
Even though he knew the answer he had long sought, Li Fan didn't feel any sudden clarity.
Instead, various emotions surged within him.
"At least I can be relieved..."
"The past me probably truly died."