zhòng rén tīng yè fēi péng jiǎng wán ， jiē shì zé zé chēng qí 。
众人听叶飞鹏讲完，皆是啧啧称奇。
The crowd was amazed after listening to Ye Feipeng's tale. They kept glancing at the deep brown wings on his back, a hint of envy in their eyes.
bù shí dǎ liàng zhe tā bèi hòu nà duì shēn hè sè de yǔ yì ， yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī yàn xiàn zhī sè 。
不时打量着他背后那对深褐色的羽翼，眼中闪过一丝艳羡之色。
A thousand miles away, Li Fan watched this scene unfold with a strange expression on his face.
ér yuǎn zài qiān lǐ zhī wài ， jiāng zhè yī qiè jǐn guān yǎn dǐ de lǐ fán ， liǎn shàng yě shì fú xiàn chū mò míng de shén qíng 。
而远在千里之外，将这一切尽观眼底的李凡，脸上也是浮现出莫名的神情。
"Kunpeng Essence Blood?"
“ kūn péng jīng xuè ？”
“鲲鹏精血？”
"Just one drop of essence blood, passed down through the bloodline despite millennia having passed. It can still bring such dramatic changes to one's body."
“ jǐn jǐn shì yī dī jīng xuè ， tōng guò xuè mài chuán chéng ， jí shǐ yǐ jīng guò qù le shù qiān nián shí guāng ， yī rán néng shǐ rén de shēn qū ， fā shēng rú cǐ tiān fān dì fù de biàn huà 。”
“仅仅是一滴精血，通过血脉传承，即使已经过去了数千年时光，依然能使人的身躯，发生如此天翻地覆的变化。”
Li Fan, who had already mastered the Art of Creation Furnace, knew very well what kind of power this was.
【 zào huà hōng lú gōng 】 yǐ jīng xiǎo chéng de lǐ fán ， shí fēn qīng chǔ zhè shì zěn yàng yī zhǒng wěi lì 。
【造化烘炉功】已经小成的李凡，十分清楚这是怎样一种伟力。
"How powerful would a Kunpeng at its peak be?"
“ quán shèng shí qī de kūn péng jiū jìng qiáng dà dào hé zhòng dì bù ？”
“全盛时期的鲲鹏究竟强大到何种地步？”
"Let alone all those other fierce beasts that are as renowned or even more so than the Kunpeng."
“ gèng bú yòng shuō ， hái yǒu xǔ xǔ duō duō hé kūn péng qí míng ， shèn zhì bǐ tā hái yào xiōng hàn de yāo shòu 。”
“更不用说，还有许许多多和鲲鹏齐名，甚至比它还要凶悍的妖兽。”
"Now we can't see any of them anymore."
“ xiàn rú jīn ， què yī tóu yě kàn bú dào le 。”
“现如今，却一头也看不到了。”
"And what happened back then..."
“ yě dāng chū dào dǐ fā shēng le hé shì ……”
“也当初到底发生了何事……”
Li Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.
lǐ fán bù yóu dì yī zhèn gǎn kǎi 。
李凡不由地一阵感慨。
"How does beast essence blood strengthen the body? Is there any difference between it and my Art of Creation Furnace, which taps into hidden power within the human body?"
“ yě bù zhī yāo shòu jīng xuè shì rú hé duì ròu shēn jìn xíng qiáng huà de 。 hé wǒ 【 zào huà hōng lú gōng 】 diào dòng rén tǐ mì cáng zhī lì ， yòu yǒu shén me bù tóng ？”
“也不知妖兽精血是如何对肉身进行强化的。和我【造化烘炉功】调动人体密藏之力，又有什么不同？”
"Learning from others' strengths can be beneficial. Perhaps I could draw some inspiration."
“ tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yù ， huò xǔ yǒu jī huì kě yǐ jiè jiàn yī èr 。”
“他山之石可以攻玉，或许有机会可以借鉴一二。”
Recalling Ye Feipeng's astonishing speed and strength just now, Li Fan pondered silently.
huí xiǎng zhe gāng gāng yè fēi péng nà lìng rén jīng tàn de sù dù hé lì liàng ， lǐ fán yòu bù jīn àn zì sī cǔn 。
回想着刚刚叶飞鹏那令人惊叹的速度和力量，李凡又不禁暗自思忖。
"It seems Little Fat hasn't given up on seizing the Essence of Heaven and Earth. I wonder who will succeed—Zhang Ziliang or him. Although Zhang Ziliang is far more advanced than Ye Feipeng, I feel that Little Fat has a better chance. Why exactly..."
“ xiàn zài kàn lái ， xiǎo pàng zi sì hū yě méi yǒu fàng qì zhēng duó tiān dì zhī pò de dǎ suàn 。 jiù shì bù zhī ， tā hé zhāng zhì liáng jiū jìng shuí néng chéng gōng 。 suī shuō zhāng zhì liáng mù qián de xiū wèi yuǎn dà yú yè fēi péng ， dàn wǒ xīn zhōng què yǐn yǐn jué de xiǎo pàng zi de jī huì gèng dà yī diǎn ， yě bù zhī shì wèi hé ……”
“现在看来，小胖子似乎也没有放弃争夺天地之魄的打算。就是不知，他和张志良究竟谁能成功。虽说张志良目前的修为远大于叶飞鹏，但我心中却隐隐觉得小胖子的机会更大一点，也不知是为何……”
"Let's see what kind of fortune he brings when he cultivates his core."
“ qiě kàn tā jié dān shí ， hái yǒu shén me zào huà ba 。”
“且看他结丹时，还有什么造化吧。”
His thoughts settled as Li Fan examined the glowing white block in his hand.
mù guāng shǎn dòng zhōng ， lǐ fán sī xù huǎn huǎn píng fù 。
目光闪动中，李凡思绪缓缓平复。
This was the array crown given to him by Zhang Ziliang earlier. In half a year, Li Fan had fully mastered the initial twenty arrays and successfully constructed a "miniature array crown" based on these after numerous failures. While it couldn't match Zhang Ziliang's hundred-array叠加 array crown in power, this marked a good beginning.
yòu bǎ wán qǐ shǒu zhōng de bái sè fā guāng fāng kuài qǐ lái 。
又把玩起手中的白色发光方块起来。
His Array Dao level was now officially advanced. The achievement was hard-won, and Li Fan felt elated. He had devoted more time to studying arrays recently.
cǐ wù zhèng shì zhī qián zhāng zhì liáng zèng yǔ de zhèn miǎn 。
此物正是之前张志良赠与的阵冕。
...
zhè bàn nián de bù duàn mō suǒ zhōng ， lǐ fán yǐ jīng wán quán zhǎng wò le zuì chū de èr shí gè zhèn fǎ 。
这半年的不断摸索中，李凡已经完全掌握了最初的二十个阵法。
The sea of knowledge is boundless. When fully immersed in thought, time passes quickly.
bìng qiě zài shī bài le shù shí cì zhī hòu ， chéng gōng yǐ zhè èr shí gè zhèn fǎ wèi jī chǔ ， zì jǐ gòu jiàn chū le yí gè “ wēi xíng zhèn miǎn ”。
并且在失败了数十次之后，成功以这二十个阵法为基础，自己构建出了一个“微型阵冕”。
It was already the 25th year when Li Fan suddenly felt a disturbance.
làng fèi le zhū duō bǎo guì de cái liào ， wēi néng yě wán quán bù néng gēn zhāng zhì liáng de bǎi zhèn dié jiā zhèn miǎn xiāng tí bìng lùn 。
浪费了诸多宝贵的材料，威能也完全不能跟张志良的百阵叠加阵冕相提并论。
After sensing it, he realized that the restriction on entering the Realm of Fallen Stars had vanished, and he could explore again.
dàn zhè bì jìng shì yí gè hǎo de kāi duān 。
但这毕竟是一个好的开端。
"Where will this entry take me?"
yì wèi zhe lǐ fán de zhèn dào shuǐ píng ， yǐ jīng zhèng shì dēng táng rù shì le 。
意味着李凡的阵道水平，已经正式登堂入室了。
Li Fan's heart raced as he paused all activities. He focused his mind and set up the ritual.
chéng guǒ lái zhī bù yì ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng zì shì zhèn fèn 。
成果来之不易，李凡心中自是振奋。
"Honorable Guardian Xuanhuang!"
shǐ de zhè duàn shí jiān ， yòu duō fēn le jǐ sī jīng lì ， zài zhèn dào yán jiū shàng 。
使得这段时间，又多分了几丝精力，在阵道研究上。
The ritual complete, Li Fan's consciousness blurred, and he found himself back in the Realm of Fallen Stars.
zhī hǎi wú yá 。
知海无涯。
"Junior Brother? Junior Brother?"
xīn shén chén jìn 、 dǐ zhì yán sī de shí hòu ， shí jiān zǒng shì guò dé tè bié kuài 。
心神沉浸、砥志研思的时候，时间总是过得特别快。
The familiar voice rang out again.
bù zhī bù jué jiān ， yǐ jīng lái dào le máo dìng 25 nián 。
不知不觉间，已经来到了锚定25年。
Li Fan was startled as he stared at Zhang Qianmo, who waved his hand before him.
zhè yī rì ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng hū jué yī zhèn jì dòng 。
这一日，李凡心中忽觉一阵悸动。
"What happened?"
shāo zuò gǎn yìng ， zhī dào shì jìn rù 【 yǔn xiān jìng 】 de xiàn zhì yǐ jīng xiāo shī ， néng gòu zài cì jìn rù qí zhōng ， jìn xíng tàn suǒ le 。
稍作感应，知道是进入【陨仙境】的限制已经消失，能够再次进入其中，进行探索了。
"Why am I still here?"
“ bù zhī dào zhè cì jìn rù ， huì chū xiàn zài shén me dì fāng ？”
“不知道这次进入，会出现在什么地方？”
"I had already defeated him and resolved his执念. Even gained a secret technique."
xīn zhōng yǒu xiē jī dòng ， huái zhe qī dài ， lǐ fán zàn tíng le suǒ yǒu jìn chéng 。
心中有些激动，怀着期待，李凡暂停了所有进程。
"Where did things go wrong?"
bǐng qì níng shén ， bù zhì xià le yí shì 。
屏气凝神，布置下了仪式。
A flood of questions surged through Li Fan's mind.
“ fú shēng xuán huáng tiān zūn ！”
“福生玄黄天尊！”
This area around Ningyuan City should be similar to Tianyang's Eternal Remembrance. Li Fan couldn't leave until he resolved the执念 that maintained this temporal region.
yí shì wán chéng ， yì shí yī zhèn mó hú ， lǐ fán zài cì lái dào yǔn xiān jìng zhōng 。
仪式完成，意识一阵模糊，李凡再次来到陨仙境中。
But now...
……
……
He suppressed his disappointment and quickly analyzed the situation.
“ shī dì ？ shī dì ？”
“师弟？师弟？”
There were only a few possibilities for why things had turned out this way.
shú xī de shēng yīn zài cì xiǎng qǐ 。
熟悉的声音再次响起。
One, his understanding of this temporal area was entirely wrong. He would be trapped here forever due to some unknown reason. No matter what he tried, he couldn't escape.
lǐ fán sǒng rán yī jīng ， zhēng zhēng dì kàn zhe yòu chū xiàn yǎn qián ， huī zhuó shǒu de zhāng qiān mò 。
李凡悚然一惊，怔怔地看着又出现眼前，挥着手的章阡陌。
Two, his understanding wasn't incorrect, but he hadn't fully resolved Zhang Qianmo's执念. Whether he died or survived with the Scarlet Flame, it wasn't truly what he wanted.
“ zěn me huí shì ？”
“怎么回事？”
There was a third possibility...
“ wèi shén me wǒ hái shì shēn zài cǐ chù ？”
“为什么我还是身在此处？”
Li Fan narrowed his eyes and looked around. The执念 maintaining this temporal area didn't belong to Senior Brother Zhang.
“ míng míng yǐ jīng jiāng tā jī bài ， jiě jué le tā de zhí niàn ， shèn zhì hái shōu huò le mì shù 。”
“明明已经将他击败，解决了他的执念，甚至还收获了秘术。”
Zhang Qianmo was just an excellent supporting character. The true protagonist was someone else!
“ nǎ lǐ chū wèn tí le ？”
“哪里出问题了？”
Which of these guesses was correct?
lǐ fán xīn zhōng shà shí jiān yǒng qǐ wú shù de yí huò 。
李凡心中霎时间涌起无数的疑惑。
Li Fan wasn't sure now.
zhè níng yuǎn chéng zhōu wéi de yī piàn shí kōng qū yù ， yīng gāi jiù shì gēn tiān yáng de 【 yǒng héng yí niàn 】 chà bu duō de cún zài 。
这宁远城周围的一片时空区域，应该就是跟天阳的【永恒遗念】差不多的存在。
Fortunately, he had enough time to eliminate the wrong options one by one and find the right answer.
lǐ fán bèi kùn yú cǐ ， bù huà jiě wéi chí shí kōng cún zài de zhí niàn ， jiù wú fǎ lí kāi zhè lǐ 。
李凡被困于此，不化解维持时空存在的执念，就无法离开这里。
Shedding his impatience, Li Fan gradually calmed down.
dàn xiàn zài ……
但现在……
Seeing Li Fan's changing expression, Zhang Qianmo finally asked, "Junior Brother, what's going on?"
jiāng xīn zhōng de shī wàng qiáng xíng yā xià ， lǐ fán sī niàn jí zhuǎn ， lěng jìng de fēn xī qǐ lái 。
将心中的失望强行压下，李凡思念急转，冷静的分析起来。
"Could it be that I'm having a nightmare in broad daylight?"
chū xiàn xiàn zài zhè zhǒng zhuàng kuàng ， wú fēi jiù nà me jǐ zhǒng kě néng 。
出现现在这种状况，无非就那么几种可能。
Li Fan smiled slightly. "Senior Brother, you're spot-on. I did have a disturbing dream and am still unsettled."
yī shì lǐ fán duì yú zhè piàn shí kōng qū yù de rèn zhī jiù shì chè dǐ cuò wù de 。
一是李凡对于这片时空区域的认知就是彻底错误的。
Zhang Qianmo was curious now. "Oh? What did you dream about?"
tā yīn wèi bù zhī míng de yuán yīn ， yǒng yuǎn de bèi kùn zài le zhè lǐ 。
他因为不知名的原因，永远的被困在了这里。
"I dreamed of Senior Brother being besieged by waves of monsters and beasts, outnumbered and exhausted to death." Li Fan shook his head and sighed. "Such bad luck. I wonder why I had this nightmare."
wú lùn yòng shén me fāng fǎ jìn xíng cháng shì ， shǐ zhōng dōu wú fǎ lí kāi 。
无论用什么方法进行尝试，始终都无法离开。
Zhang Qianmo's expression changed as he frowned slightly.
èr shì lǐ fán de rèn zhī méi yǒu cuò 。
二是李凡的认知没有错。
"Both of us cultivators have clear minds. We don't fall into nightmares like ordinary people due to random thoughts."
dàn hái méi yǒu zhèng shì jiě jué zhāng qiān mò de zhí niàn 。
但还没有正式解决章阡陌的执念。
"The sudden nightmare suggests that you might be sensing something, warning your mind."
hé chì xiá shuāng sù shuāng fēi yě hǎo ， qiú dé yī bài yě bà 。
和赤霞双宿双飞也好，求得一败也罢。
Zhang Qianmo stroked his chin thoughtfully.
dōu bú shì tā zhēn zhèng suǒ qiú 。
都不是他真正所求。
Li Fan was speechless. He hadn't expected Zhang Qianmo to connect so many dots just from a casual comment.
hái yǒu dì sān zhǒng kě néng ……
还有第三种可能……
But he had hit the nail on the head—the Ningyuan City did indeed have some small dangers ahead.
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， lǐ fán yǎn jīng wēi mī ， cháo zhe sì miàn bā fāng wàng qù 。
想到这里，李凡眼睛微眯，朝着四面八方望去。
Following Zhang Qianmo's suggestion, Li Fan said, "Could it be that this journey for the Longevity Fruit won't go smoothly?"
wéi chí zhè piàn shí kōng de ， gēn běn bú shì zhāng shī xiōng de zhí niàn 。
维持这片时空的，根本不是章师兄的执念。
Zhang Qianmo was momentarily stunned but didn't immediately refute him. After thinking, he said, "Junior Brother, your concerns are valid."
zhāng qiān mò ， bù guò shì yí gè chū cǎi de pèi jué bà le 。
章阡陌，不过是一个出彩的配角罢了。
"My master and uncle mentioned once that the cultivation world seems unstable recently."
zhēn zhèng de zhǔ jué 。
真正的主角。
"Let's secretly enter Ningyuan City first to investigate if there's anything unusual."
lìng yǒu qí rén ！
另有其人！
Li Fan agreed without hesitation.
nǎ yī zhǒng cāi cè shì duì de ？
哪一种猜测是对的？
The two concealed their presence as they flew towards Ningyuan City.
lǐ fán xiàn zài yě bù qīng chǔ 。
李凡现在也不清楚。
"Senior Brother, what is your greatest wish in life?"
hǎo zài tā yǒu zú gòu de shí jiān de ， qù yī yī jiāng cuò wù de xuǎn xiàng pái chú 。
好在他有足够的时间的，去一一将错误的选项排除。
During flight, Li Fan suddenly asked.
dào shí hòu ， jiù néng zhī dào zhèng què de dá àn le 。
到时候，就能知道正确的答案了。
"Hmm? Why do you ask this?" Zhang Qianmo was surprised.
jiāng jí gōng jìn lì de jiāo zào qíng xù niǎn suì ， lǐ fán màn màn chóng xīn biàn dé píng jìng xià lái 。
将急功近利的焦躁情绪碾碎，李凡慢慢重新变得平静下来。
"Well, well, don't take it to heart. In my dream, I saw Senior Brother's eyes fixed on me as if unresolved. The gaze was so real that even now, I can't forget it. My mind is still unsettled, hence the question."
zhè shí hòu ， kàn jiàn lǐ fán liǎn sè bù duàn biàn huà guò chéng de zhāng qiān mò ， zhōng yú chū shēng wèn dào ：“ shī dì ， nǐ zhè shì zěn me le ？”
这时候，看见李凡脸色不断变化过程的章阡陌，终于出声问道：“师弟，你这是怎么了？”
Li Fan explained calmly.
The crowd was amazed after listening to Ye Feipeng's tale. They kept glancing at the deep brown wings on his back, a hint of envy in their eyes.
A thousand miles away, Li Fan watched this scene unfold with a strange expression on his face.
"Kunpeng Essence Blood?"
"Just one drop of essence blood, passed down through the bloodline despite millennia having passed. It can still bring such dramatic changes to one's body."
Li Fan, who had already mastered the Art of Creation Furnace, knew very well what kind of power this was.
"How powerful would a Kunpeng at its peak be?"
"Let alone all those other fierce beasts that are as renowned or even more so than the Kunpeng."
"Now we can't see any of them anymore."
"And what happened back then..."
Li Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.
"How does beast essence blood strengthen the body? Is there any difference between it and my Art of Creation Furnace, which taps into hidden power within the human body?"
"Learning from others' strengths can be beneficial. Perhaps I could draw some inspiration."
Recalling Ye Feipeng's astonishing speed and strength just now, Li Fan pondered silently.
"It seems Little Fat hasn't given up on seizing the Essence of Heaven and Earth. I wonder who will succeed—Zhang Ziliang or him. Although Zhang Ziliang is far more advanced than Ye Feipeng, I feel that Little Fat has a better chance. Why exactly..."
"Let's see what kind of fortune he brings when he cultivates his core."
His thoughts settled as Li Fan examined the glowing white block in his hand.
This was the array crown given to him by Zhang Ziliang earlier. In half a year, Li Fan had fully mastered the initial twenty arrays and successfully constructed a "miniature array crown" based on these after numerous failures. While it couldn't match Zhang Ziliang's hundred-array叠加 array crown in power, this marked a good beginning.
His Array Dao level was now officially advanced. The achievement was hard-won, and Li Fan felt elated. He had devoted more time to studying arrays recently.
...
The sea of knowledge is boundless. When fully immersed in thought, time passes quickly.
It was already the 25th year when Li Fan suddenly felt a disturbance.
After sensing it, he realized that the restriction on entering the Realm of Fallen Stars had vanished, and he could explore again.
"Where will this entry take me?"
Li Fan's heart raced as he paused all activities. He focused his mind and set up the ritual.
"Honorable Guardian Xuanhuang!"
The ritual complete, Li Fan's consciousness blurred, and he found himself back in the Realm of Fallen Stars.
...
"Junior Brother? Junior Brother?"
The familiar voice rang out again.
Li Fan was startled as he stared at Zhang Qianmo, who waved his hand before him.
"What happened?"
"Why am I still here?"
"I had already defeated him and resolved his执念. Even gained a secret technique."
"Where did things go wrong?"
A flood of questions surged through Li Fan's mind.
This area around Ningyuan City should be similar to Tianyang's Eternal Remembrance. Li Fan couldn't leave until he resolved the执念 that maintained this temporal region.
But now...
He suppressed his disappointment and quickly analyzed the situation.
There were only a few possibilities for why things had turned out this way.
One, his understanding of this temporal area was entirely wrong. He would be trapped here forever due to some unknown reason. No matter what he tried, he couldn't escape.
Two, his understanding wasn't incorrect, but he hadn't fully resolved Zhang Qianmo's执念. Whether he died or survived with the Scarlet Flame, it wasn't truly what he wanted.
There was a third possibility...
Li Fan narrowed his eyes and looked around. The执念 maintaining this temporal area didn't belong to Senior Brother Zhang.
Zhang Qianmo was just an excellent supporting character. The true protagonist was someone else!
Which of these guesses was correct?
Li Fan wasn't sure now.
Fortunately, he had enough time to eliminate the wrong options one by one and find the right answer.
Shedding his impatience, Li Fan gradually calmed down.
Seeing Li Fan's changing expression, Zhang Qianmo finally asked, "Junior Brother, what's going on?"
"Could it be that I'm having a nightmare in broad daylight?"
Li Fan smiled slightly. "Senior Brother, you're spot-on. I did have a disturbing dream and am still unsettled."
Zhang Qianmo was curious now. "Oh? What did you dream about?"
"I dreamed of Senior Brother being besieged by waves of monsters and beasts, outnumbered and exhausted to death." Li Fan shook his head and sighed. "Such bad luck. I wonder why I had this nightmare."
Zhang Qianmo's expression changed as he frowned slightly.
"Both of us cultivators have clear minds. We don't fall into nightmares like ordinary people due to random thoughts."
"The sudden nightmare suggests that you might be sensing something, warning your mind."
Zhang Qianmo stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Li Fan was speechless. He hadn't expected Zhang Qianmo to connect so many dots just from a casual comment.
But he had hit the nail on the head—the Ningyuan City did indeed have some small dangers ahead.
Following Zhang Qianmo's suggestion, Li Fan said, "Could it be that this journey for the Longevity Fruit won't go smoothly?"
Zhang Qianmo was momentarily stunned but didn't immediately refute him. After thinking, he said, "Junior Brother, your concerns are valid."
"My master and uncle mentioned once that the cultivation world seems unstable recently."
"Let's secretly enter Ningyuan City first to investigate if there's anything unusual."
Li Fan agreed without hesitation.
The two concealed their presence as they flew towards Ningyuan City.
"Senior Brother, what is your greatest wish in life?"
During flight, Li Fan suddenly asked.
"Hmm? Why do you ask this?" Zhang Qianmo was surprised.
"Well, well, don't take it to heart. In my dream, I saw Senior Brother's eyes fixed on me as if unresolved. The gaze was so real that even now, I can't forget it. My mind is still unsettled, hence the question."
Li Fan explained calmly.