“ hái zhēn ……”
“还真……”
"True Reality!" Pondering the various oddities of True Reality, Zhang Fan felt a sudden sense of relief. All those complex emotions he had faced before seemed to vanish instantly.
zhāng fán yuè shì gǎn wù ， xīn zhōng jiù yuè jué bú shì zī wèi 。
张凡越是感悟，心中就越觉不是滋味。
"All I need is for it to be in my hands, and I'll treat it as an ordinary treasure. If not..." He smiled lightly. "Then just consider it broken."
jì jīng tàn yú zhēn jiǎ dà dào de wú jìn xuán miào zhī zhōng ， yě yīn wèi qí bìng bú shì zhēn zhèng shǔ yú zì jǐ ér xīn zhōng wēi wēi fā suān 。
既惊叹于真假大道的无尽玄妙之中，也因为其并不是真正属于自己而心中微微发酸。
Although Zhang Fan had spent years contemplating the transformation between True Reality and False Reality, ultimately deciding to change his path, he didn't mean that all those efforts were meaningless.
rú jué shì měi rén zài qián ， què zhǐ néng kōng bǎo yǎn fú 。
如绝世美人在前，却只能空饱眼福。
He vaguely sensed a connection between the changes in True Reality and False Reality, and the various paths entangled with his own.
chàng rán ruò shī zhī jì ， zhāng fán xīn zhōng hū yòu yī dòng ：“ bù guò ， zhēn jiǎ dà dào jiū jìng shuí shǔ ， réng wèi kě zhī yě 。 jiù suàn nà mù hòu zhī rén shì wú děng wèi qí zi ， dàn yě bì jìng gěi le wǒ men ， jiē chù hái zhēn de jī huì 。”
怅然若失之际，张凡心中忽又一动：“不过，真假大道究竟谁属，仍未可知也。就算那幕后之人视吾等为棋子，但也毕竟给了我们，接触还真的机会。”
"Perhaps this is also true for all the other paths of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers," Zhang Fan thought as he closed himself off again. "As if they are the foundation of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers."
“ tiān xià méi yǒu wā bù dòng zhī qiáng jiǎo ……”
“天下没有挖不动之墙角……”
With time passing, the various paths that had once been independent began to merge together, with True Reality and False Reality acting like a catalyst.
zhāng fán hěn kuài jiù yòu zhèn fèn qǐ le jīng shén ， quán shēn xīn tóu rù duì zhēn jiǎ zhī biàn de gǎn wù zhōng 。
张凡很快就又振奋起了精神，全身心投入对真假之变的感悟中。
All these paths from the former deities of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers now converged onto Zhang Fan's body. The more he pondered on this, the longer it took him.
bàn bù tuō lí zhì gù de tā yǐ jīng yì shí dào ， chú le tōng guò bǐ cǐ shā lù zhí jiē lüè duó yǐ wài ， zì shēn lǐng wù tóng yàng néng gòu jiā qiáng duì zhēn jiǎ zhī biàn de gǎn wù 。
半步脱离桎梏的他已经意识到，除了通过彼此杀戮直接掠夺以外，自身领悟同样能够加强对真假之变的感悟。
In the end, Zhang Fan seemed to fall into a deep sleep, while the Sea of Mountains and Rivers began its final countdown. The Sea of Mountains and Rivers' fate was sealed by the strange currents that washed over his body.
shèn zhì ， bǐ qǐ cóng qí tā tiān mìng zi chù duó lái de ， zì jǐ lǐng wù chū lái huò xǔ gèng jiā “ kě kào ”。
甚至，比起从其他天命子处夺来的，自己领悟出来或许更加“可靠”。
"Did I sleep for so long?" Zhang Fan asked himself as he regained consciousness. He felt a sense of accomplishment but also a hint of disappointment at not experiencing the moment of enlightenment firsthand.
dài zhe zhè yàng de xìn niàn ， zhāng fán xiàn rù le cháng jiǔ de bì guān zhī zhōng 。
带着这样的信念，张凡陷入了长久的闭关之中。
"At least, I've completed this step."
rèn yóu wài jiè guǐ jué xīng fēng xuè yǔ ， tā zì kuī rán wù dào 。
任由外界诡谲腥风血雨，他自岿然悟道。
"Now, I have enough strength to no longer fear anyone in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers."
guāng yīn rěn rǎn ， lǐ fán suǒ biàn sā shān hǎi de qí zi ， yú jì jìng wú shēng zhōng dà liàng zhú jiàn sǐ qù 。
光阴荏苒，李凡所遍撒山海的棋子，于寂静无声中大量逐渐死去。
However, his initial plan was interrupted by the realization that there were now almost no True Realities left. Instead, Zhang Fan decided to take on the role of speaking for them.
cóng zuì kāi shǐ biàn bù shān hǎi de xuān hè chǎng miàn ， dào rú jīn zhǐ shèng xià liáo liáo shù rén gǒu yán cán chuǎn 。 biàn huà zhī kuài ， shǔ shí yǒu xiē chū hū yì liào 。
从最开始遍布山海的煊赫场面，到如今只剩下寥寥数人苟延残喘。变化之快，属实有些出乎意料。
"Someone must speak up for you," he said as he walked deeper into the Sea of Mountains and Rivers. The attention of all the Sea of Mountains and Rivers' sages was focused on a single point.
jiū qí gēn běn ， hái shì yīn wèi yī shí yī dì zhī “ hái zhēn ”， gēn běn bù néng chēng zhī wèi 【 hái zhēn 】。
究其根本，还是因为一时一地之“还真”，根本不能称之为【还真】。
Zhang Fan's arrival went unnoticed by anyone, but his gaze followed their direction to see an enormous tree standing in mid-air. Countless figures were hanging from it like ripe fruits.
méi yǒu yī shùn zhī jiān zhòng zhì zhěng gè shān hǎi de fān pán xìng lì liàng ， shān hǎi jiān qiáng zhě wú shù 、 yǒu tài duō kě yǐ yìng duì “ hái zhēn ” de fāng fǎ 。
没有一瞬之间重置整个山海的翻盘性力量，山海间强者无数、有太多可以应对“还真”的方法。
Their True Reality and False Reality paths could be felt, confirming that they were all True Realities.
kàn shì zhǐ shì xiē xǔ shù zhí de chā jù ， què shì běn zhì dì qū bié 。
看似只是些许数值的差距，却是本质的区别。
Among them was Zhou Fan, the one who had caused him so much trouble with his "Common Knowledge" technique.
dāng zhāng fán cóng chén shuì zhōng qīng xǐng guò lái zhī hòu ， lì kè jiù rèn shí dào le zhè yì diǎn 。
当张凡从沉睡中清醒过来之后，立刻就认识到了这一点。
But this was a distant memory now. Zhang Fan's resentment had long since faded into indifference. He only felt deep sorrow for their plight as fellow True Realities.
tā wèi guò qù zì jǐ de kuáng wàng wú zhī ér gǎn dào hàn yán ：“ guǒ zhēn shì chū shēng niú dú bù pà hǔ 。 yǐ wéi yǒu hái zhēn zhī lì ， jiù shān hǎi dà kě qù dé 。 shì shí shàng zhǐ yào shèng zhě jìng jiè ， dà gài jiù néng pò chú hái zhēn bì yòu ， zhí jiē zhèn yā 。”
他为过去自己的狂妄无知而感到汗颜：“果真是初生牛犊不怕虎。以为有还真之利，就山海大可去得。事实上只要圣者境界，大概就能破除还真庇佑，直接镇压。”
Despite still having True Reality around them, it seemed they could still potentially start anew at any moment. But all the True Realities were trapped in powerful illusions.
“ ér shān hǎi shèng zhě ， yòu hé qí duō yě ！ ruò shì tā men lián shǒu ……”
“而山海圣者，又何其多也！若是他们联手……”
This was clearly a trap set by the Sea of Mountains and Rivers' sages to use their bodies to understand True Reality and False Reality.
xīn niàn yī dòng ， zhāng fán mò niàn “ zhēn zuò jiǎ shí jiǎ yì zhēn ” qī zì 。
心念一动，张凡默念“真作假时假亦真”七字。
But Zhang Fan knew that no one could truly comprehend or control them, except for the master of True Reality himself.
fǎng fú yǐ 【 hái zhēn 】 de shì jiǎo ， kàn biàn zhěng gè shān hǎi 。 jiāng shān hǎi jiān yóu lí de zhēn jiǎ dà dào jī běn kàn le gè dà gài 。
仿佛以【还真】的视角，看遍整个山海。将山海间游离的真假大道基本看了个大概。
"True Reality?!" He exclaimed as he saw the faint light returning to the Sea of Mountains and Rivers after being swallowed by the Void. It was as if the Sea of Mountains and Rivers had been reset.
“ wǒ jiù yí gè bì guān de shí jiān ， shù liàng jìng diāo bì rú sī 。”
“我就一个闭关的时间，数量竟凋敝如斯。”
But the tree with countless True Realities still hung there, along with the sages. The Sea of Mountains and Rivers, which should have been destroyed, now showed signs of life again.
“ bú duì …… hái yǒu dà liàng ， zài mǒu yī chù jù jí ！” zhāng fán shén qíng yī biàn ， bù gǎn zhēn de qù kàn ， zhǐ shì mò mò gǎn yìng 。
“不对……还有大量，在某一处聚集！”张凡神情一变，不敢真的去看，只是默默感应。
"Why do this?" Zhang Fan wondered aloud.
xīn zhōng sǒng rán ér jīng de tóng shí ， yě shēng chū xiē xǔ bēi mǐn 。
心中悚然而惊的同时，也生出些许悲悯。
"Living is meaningful," a voice said as all the sages turned their gaze to him.
xī rì wú shù tiān mìng zi tóng zài ， hé děng rè nào chǎng miàn 。 tā hái xiǎng zhe jù jí zhòng rén yì qǐ ， qù jiāng nà mù hòu zhī rén gěi jiū chū lái 。
昔日无数天命子同在，何等热闹场面。他还想着聚集众人一起，去将那幕后之人给揪出来。
"Who are you?" Zhang Fan asked the young man in front of him with suspicion.
xiàn zài kàn lái ……
现在看来……
"I am Qiu Xinhui." The youth replied simply. "Are you here for revenge?"
“ zhēn jiǎ dà dào zài shēn ， dí què kān chēng zhì bǎo bì yòu 。 dàn huái bì qí zuì ， suǒ miàn lín fēng xiǎn yě duān de kě bù 。 zhū shèng hǔ shì dān dān ， yì bān tiān mìng zi ， zhēn méi yǒu tài hǎo de táo tuō fāng fǎ 。”
“真假大道在身，的确堪称至宝庇佑。但怀壁其罪，所面临风险也端的可怖。诸圣虎视眈眈，一般天命子，真没有太好的逃脱方法。”
Zhang Fan did not admit it but coldly snorted, "I'm here to relieve them."
niàn jí cǐ chù ， zhāng fán zài cǐ cì bì guān zhōng yǒng xiàn de niàn tou ， bù yóu gèng jiā qiáng liè le 。
念及此处，张凡在此次闭关中涌现的念头，不由更加强烈了。
Despite his current strength being enough to outshine the sages, Zhang Fan could sense a threat from this young man.
nà biàn shì ……
那便是……
So he decided to bide his time and observe instead of acting immediately.
tā yào shě qì zhēn jiǎ dà dào ， ér qù gǎn wù qí tā zhēn zhèng shǔ yú zì jǐ dào tú ！
他要舍弃真假大道，而去感悟其他真正属于自己道途！
Qiu Xinhui's words felt strangely familiar to him.
zhè ge jué dìng ， nǎ pà zài zhāng fán zì jǐ kàn lái ， dōu jí wéi bù kě sī yì 。
这个决定，哪怕在张凡自己看来，都极为不可思议。
"Relief..." He repeated with a smile.
tōng tiān dà dào ， jìn zài zhǐ chǐ 。 bù qù zhuā zhù xiū xíng ， fǎn ér shě běn zhú mò ， qù xiū xíng qí tā mò děng dào tú ？
通天大道，近在咫尺。不去抓住修行，反而舍本逐末，去修行其他末等道途？
"You think living is meaningful," Qiu Xinhui continued, "but do they really want it?"
shū wèi bù zhì 。
殊为不智。
Feeling that he might not be able to convince the other party, Zhang Fan narrowed his eyes. "It matters what I say!"
dàn zhāng fán zhī dào zì jǐ yǒu bì xū zhè me zuò de lǐ yóu 。
但张凡知道自己有必须这么做的理由。
"Why are you trying to stop me?"
“ yīn wèi 【 hái zhēn 】， zhōng jiū bù shǔ yú wǒ a ！” zhāng fán zài dù cháng tàn yī shēng 。
“因为【还真】，终究不属于我啊！”张凡再度长叹一声。
Despite being surrounded by sages, Zhang Fan felt no fear but a hint of excitement.
cháng jiǔ de bì guān xiū xíng ， měi měi cháng shì xiǎng yào zhuā de gèng jǐn 。 dàn zhēn jiǎ dà dào gēn tā zhī jiān de jù lí bìng méi yǒu yīn cǐ ér biàn dé gèng jìn 。
长久的闭关修行，每每尝试想要抓的更紧。但真假大道跟他之间的距离并没有因此而变得更近。
His life had been rather dull until now. He was sanctioned by great beings like the Fishing Master when he first emerged from his cocoon and had to stay in the newbie village.
tóng yàng yě méi yǒu shū yuǎn 。
同样也没有疏远。
Afterward, though he experienced some battles, most of his time was spent hiding or meditating.
ér shì shǐ zhōng ruò jí ruò lí ， fǎng fú zǎo jiù shè dìng hǎo de nà yàng 。
而是始终若即若离，仿佛早就设定好的那样。
In reality, he hadn't even lived a century yet. His life was rather uneventful.
wú shù cì shī bài zhī hòu ， zhāng fán zuì zhōng jué dìng fàng qì le 。
无数次失败之后，张凡最终决定放弃了。
Now that he had finally achieved enlightenment and could challenge the sages of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers, how could he miss this opportunity?
“ zì zhī zhě míng ， zì zhī zhě zhì 。”
“自知者明，自知者智。”
This was why he came here first.
“ fàng qì yī zuò dà shān ， bìng bù yì wèi zhe jiù shī qù le shì shàng suǒ yǒu de shān mài 。 huò xǔ wǒ néng zhǎo dào zhēn zhèng shǔ yú wǒ de nà yī zuò ……” zhāng fán xīn zhōng nǔ lì de shuō fú zì jǐ 。
“放弃一座大山，并不意味着就失去了世上所有的山脉。或许我能找到真正属于我的那一座……”张凡心中努力的说服自己。
As Zhang Fan's gaze shifted to the sages' heads, he saw glinting blades appearing above them.
suī rán yǐ jīng zhèng shì jué dìng fàng qì lǐng wù zhēn jiǎ dà dào ， què bìng bù fáng ài zhāng fán jì xù jiāng 【 hái zhēn 】 shì zuò “ chèn shǒu gōng jù ” kàn dài 。
虽然已经正式决定放弃领悟真假大道，却并不妨碍张凡继续将【还真】视作“趁手工具”看待。
Suddenly, a pale dot entered his vision, causing all the blade lights to dim.
“ huò xǔ yī shí yī dì zhī hái zhēn wú fǎ chè dǐ niǔ zhuǎn jú miàn ， dàn zài shēng sǐ guān tóu fàng chū 、 zǒng guī huì yǒu xiē gān rǎo 。”
“或许一时一地之还真无法彻底扭转局面，但在生死关头放出、总归会有些干扰。”
Zhang Fan felt a hand on his shoulder and heard, "Let's talk properly. No need to hurt each other."
“ ér qiě zhū shèng jiē rèn wéi ， tiān mìng zi men zuì dà de shā shǒu jiǎn jiù shì hái zhēn 。 huò xǔ zhè biàn shì wǒ de jī huì ……”
“而且诸圣皆认为，天命子们最大的杀手锏就是还真。或许这便是我的机会……”
"Ultimately, our goal is the same," the voice continued.
zhāng fán mù guāng shǎn dòng ， hū xī jiān ， yī gēn mù zhì yú gān fú xiàn zài tā de shǒu zhōng 。
张凡目光闪动，呼吸间，一根木制鱼竿浮现在他的手中。
Though Qiu Xinhui did not explicitly state it, Zhang Fan knew that he was referring to the master behind all these True Realities.
"True Reality!" Pondering the various oddities of True Reality, Zhang Fan felt a sudden sense of relief. All those complex emotions he had faced before seemed to vanish instantly.
"All I need is for it to be in my hands, and I'll treat it as an ordinary treasure. If not..." He smiled lightly. "Then just consider it broken."
Although Zhang Fan had spent years contemplating the transformation between True Reality and False Reality, ultimately deciding to change his path, he didn't mean that all those efforts were meaningless.
He vaguely sensed a connection between the changes in True Reality and False Reality, and the various paths entangled with his own.
"Perhaps this is also true for all the other paths of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers," Zhang Fan thought as he closed himself off again. "As if they are the foundation of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers."
With time passing, the various paths that had once been independent began to merge together, with True Reality and False Reality acting like a catalyst.
All these paths from the former deities of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers now converged onto Zhang Fan's body. The more he pondered on this, the longer it took him.
In the end, Zhang Fan seemed to fall into a deep sleep, while the Sea of Mountains and Rivers began its final countdown. The Sea of Mountains and Rivers' fate was sealed by the strange currents that washed over his body.
"Did I sleep for so long?" Zhang Fan asked himself as he regained consciousness. He felt a sense of accomplishment but also a hint of disappointment at not experiencing the moment of enlightenment firsthand.
"At least, I've completed this step."
"Now, I have enough strength to no longer fear anyone in the Sea of Mountains and Rivers."
However, his initial plan was interrupted by the realization that there were now almost no True Realities left. Instead, Zhang Fan decided to take on the role of speaking for them.
"Someone must speak up for you," he said as he walked deeper into the Sea of Mountains and Rivers. The attention of all the Sea of Mountains and Rivers' sages was focused on a single point.
Zhang Fan's arrival went unnoticed by anyone, but his gaze followed their direction to see an enormous tree standing in mid-air. Countless figures were hanging from it like ripe fruits.
Their True Reality and False Reality paths could be felt, confirming that they were all True Realities.
Among them was Zhou Fan, the one who had caused him so much trouble with his "Common Knowledge" technique.
But this was a distant memory now. Zhang Fan's resentment had long since faded into indifference. He only felt deep sorrow for their plight as fellow True Realities.
Despite still having True Reality around them, it seemed they could still potentially start anew at any moment. But all the True Realities were trapped in powerful illusions.
This was clearly a trap set by the Sea of Mountains and Rivers' sages to use their bodies to understand True Reality and False Reality.
But Zhang Fan knew that no one could truly comprehend or control them, except for the master of True Reality himself.
"True Reality?!" He exclaimed as he saw the faint light returning to the Sea of Mountains and Rivers after being swallowed by the Void. It was as if the Sea of Mountains and Rivers had been reset.
But the tree with countless True Realities still hung there, along with the sages. The Sea of Mountains and Rivers, which should have been destroyed, now showed signs of life again.
"Why do this?" Zhang Fan wondered aloud.
"Living is meaningful," a voice said as all the sages turned their gaze to him.
"Who are you?" Zhang Fan asked the young man in front of him with suspicion.
"I am Qiu Xinhui." The youth replied simply. "Are you here for revenge?"
Zhang Fan did not admit it but coldly snorted, "I'm here to relieve them."
Despite his current strength being enough to outshine the sages, Zhang Fan could sense a threat from this young man.
So he decided to bide his time and observe instead of acting immediately.
Qiu Xinhui's words felt strangely familiar to him.
"Relief..." He repeated with a smile.
"You think living is meaningful," Qiu Xinhui continued, "but do they really want it?"
Feeling that he might not be able to convince the other party, Zhang Fan narrowed his eyes. "It matters what I say!"
"Why are you trying to stop me?"
Despite being surrounded by sages, Zhang Fan felt no fear but a hint of excitement.
His life had been rather dull until now. He was sanctioned by great beings like the Fishing Master when he first emerged from his cocoon and had to stay in the newbie village.
Afterward, though he experienced some battles, most of his time was spent hiding or meditating.
In reality, he hadn't even lived a century yet. His life was rather uneventful.
Now that he had finally achieved enlightenment and could challenge the sages of the Sea of Mountains and Rivers, how could he miss this opportunity?
This was why he came here first.
As Zhang Fan's gaze shifted to the sages' heads, he saw glinting blades appearing above them.
Suddenly, a pale dot entered his vision, causing all the blade lights to dim.
Zhang Fan felt a hand on his shoulder and heard, "Let's talk properly. No need to hurt each other."
"Ultimately, our goal is the same," the voice continued.
Though Qiu Xinhui did not explicitly state it, Zhang Fan knew that he was referring to the master behind all these True Realities.