cóng yīn yīn dǎo lí kāi hòu ， sū zhǎng yù shén sè zhèn fèn ， xǔ jiǔ cái píng fù xià yǒu xiē jī dòng de xīn qíng 。
从殷殷岛离开后，苏长玉神色振奋，许久才平复下有些激动的心情。
After leaving Yin Yin Island, Su Changyu's expression was invigorated. It took him a long time to calm down from his excited state.
“ méi xiǎng dào zhè cì chū mén ， jìng rán yǒu rú cǐ qí yù 。”
“没想到这次出门，竟然有如此奇遇。”
"Who would have thought that this trip out would bring such an extraordinary encounter."
suī rán xiàn zài lí zhù jī hái yǒu yī duàn jù lí ， dàn bù tóng yǐ wǎng de shì ， xiàn zài de tā xīn zhōng chōng mǎn le xiǎng yào xiū xíng de dòng lì ， hèn bù dé jǐn kuài liàn qì yuán mǎn ， zǎo rì zhù jī 。
虽然现在离筑基还有一段距离，但不同以往的是，现在的他心中充满了想要修行的动力，恨不得尽快炼气圆满，早日筑基。
Although he still had quite some distance to go before reaching Foundation Establishment, the difference now was that he was filled with the motivation to cultivate and wished to quickly perfect his qi cultivation so as to reach Foundation Establishment sooner.
“【 yǐ wǒ zhù jī 】 zhī hòu ， wǒ de xiū xíng sù dù yīng gāi jiù néng gǎn shàng xiāo héng 、 xiǎo mèi tā men le ba 。” sū zhǎng yù àn zì xiǎng dào 。
“【以我筑基】之后，我的修行速度应该就能赶上萧恒、小妹他们了吧。”苏长玉暗自想道。
"Once I attain Foundation Establishment, my cultivation speed should be able to catch up with Xiao Heng and Little Sister," Su Changyu thought to himself.
méi yǒu zài zài bié chù dān gē ， biàn bié le xià fāng wèi ， jìng zhí cháo zhe huāng dǎo fēi qù 。
没有再在别处耽搁，辨别了下方位，径直朝着荒岛飞去。
Without lingering elsewhere, he determined the direction and flew straight towards the desolate island.
tiān xuán jìng zhōng 。
天玄镜中。
In the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror,
lǐ fán huí xiǎng zhe gāng gāng tōng guò sū zhǎng yù kàn dào de yí mù mù chǎng jǐng ， méi tóu wēi zhòu 。
李凡回想着刚刚通过苏长玉看到的一幕幕场景，眉头微皱。
Li Fan recalled the scenes he had just witnessed through Su Changyu. His brows furrowed slightly.
“ méi xiǎng dào ， sū zhǎng yù yě mò míng pǎo dào le yīn shàng rén nà lǐ ， jiē chù dào le 【 yǐ wǒ zhù jī 】 de xiāng guān mì xīn 。 kàn lái ， wǒ zhī qián gǎn wù dào de tiān dì míng míng zhōng de zhǐ yǐn guǒ rán què yǒu qí shì 。”
“没想到，苏长玉也莫名跑到了殷上人那里，接触到了【以我筑基】的相关秘辛。看来，我之前感悟到的天地冥冥中的指引果然确有其事。”
"I never expected that Su Changyu would also mysteriously end up at Master Yin's place, coming into contact with the secrets related to [Foundation Establishment Through Self]. It seems my previous sense of divine guidance was indeed real."
duì yú cǐ shì sū zhǎng yù jiū jìng néng bù néng chéng gōng 【 yǐ wǒ zhù jī 】， lǐ fán hái shì bǐ jiào qī dài de 。
对于此世苏长玉究竟能不能成功【以我筑基】，李凡还是比较期待的。
Li Fan was still quite hopeful about whether this world's Su Changyu could successfully attain Foundation Establishment through self.
bù guò ， lǐ fán xiàn zài gèng guān xīn de shì yīn shàng rén de zhuàng kuàng 。
不过，李凡现在更关心的是殷上人的状况。
However, what Li Fan cared more about now was Master Yin's condition.
dì shí èr shì ， máo dìng 13 nián lǐ fán chū jiàn yīn shàng rén shí ， tā tóu fà shàng qiě hái shì hēi bái xiāng jiàn 。
第十二世，锚定13年李凡初见殷上人时，他头发尚且还是黑白相间。
In the 12th incarnation, when Li Fan first met Master Yin at age 13, his hair was still a mix of black and white. Now, after only 12 years, he had turned completely grey.
rú jīn máo dìng 25 nián ， bù guò shí èr nián shí guāng ， tā què yǐ jīng mǎn tóu bái fà 。
如今锚定25年，不过十二年时光，他却已经满头白发。
Such rapid aging could hardly happen to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
zhè zhǒng chāo sù de lǎo huà ， jī hū bù kě néng fā shēng zài zhù jī xiū shì shēn shàng 。
这种超速的老化，几乎不可能发生在筑基修士身上。
This indicated that Master Yin's mental state had deteriorated greatly over the years.
shuō míng zhè xiē nián ， yīn shàng rén de xīn shén sǔn hào jí dà 。
说明这些年，殷上人的心神损耗极大。
More concerning to Li Fan was that all the test subjects on Yin Yin Island, as well as many of Master Yin’s cherished treasures, were destroyed in one fell swoop.
gèng ràng lǐ fán yǒu xiē zài yì de shì ， yīn yīn dǎo shàng nà xiē shì yàn tǐ 、 yǐ jí xǔ xǔ duō duō yuán běn yīn shàng rén shì ruò zhēn bǎo de cáng pǐn ， quán dōu bèi huǐ yú yí dàn 。
更让李凡有些在意的是，殷殷岛上那些试验体、以及许许多多原本殷上人视若珍宝的藏品，全都被毁于一旦。
And yet, Master Yin seemed completely indifferent.
ér yīn shàng rén què shì háo bù zài hū 。
而殷上人却是毫不在乎。
Or perhaps...
huò zhě shuō ……
或者说……
Those items should have been destroyed by him himself.
nà xiē dōng xī yīng gāi jiù shì tā běn rén qīn zì cuī huǐ de 。
那些东西应该就是他本人亲自摧毁的。
Considering the sudden appearance of flames and Master Yin's increasingly deranged demeanor,
zài lián xiǎng dào nà dǎo shàng tū rán mào chū de huǒ guāng ， yǐ jí yīn shàng rén yuè fā mó zhēng de shén qíng 。
再联想到那岛上突然冒出的火光，以及殷上人越发魔怔的神情。
"Is he trying to commit suicide?"
“ tā xiǎng yào zì shā ？”
“他想要自杀？”
Li Fan pondered this thought. To verify his guess, Li Fan left the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror and rushed towards Yin Yin Island.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng wēi dòng 。
李凡心中微动。
When he arrived at the destination, the once rectangular building had indeed turned into a pile of ruins.
wèi le yìn zhèng zì jǐ de cāi cè ， lǐ fán lí kāi tiān xuán jìng ， jí sù cháo zhe yīn yīn dǎo gǎn qù 。
为了印证自己的猜测，李凡离开天玄镜，急速朝着殷殷岛赶去。
The flames burned fiercely.
děng tā dào dá mù dì dì shí ， nà zuò fāng zhèng de jiàn zhù ， guǒ rán yǐ jīng huà zuò le yī piàn fèi xū 。
等他到达目的地时，那座方正的建筑，果然已经化作了一片废墟。
After searching thoroughly, Li Fan found nothing of value.
rán shāo de hěn chè dǐ 。
燃烧的很彻底。
Standing above the ruins, Li Fan frowned deeply.
lǐ fán sōu xún le yī fān ， shén me yǒu jià zhí de dōng xī dōu méi zhǎo dào 。
李凡搜寻了一番，什么有价值的东西都没找到。
"Why?"
jìng jìng chù lì zài fèi xū shàng kōng ， lǐ fán méi tóu jǐn suǒ 。
静静矗立在废墟上空，李凡眉头紧锁。
"Master Yin must have been researching the secrets of Immortal-Demon Mist for these years."
“ wèi shén me ？”
“为什么？”
"What did he discover that made him want to commit suicide?"
“ zhè yīn shàng rén ， zhè xiē nián yīng dāng shì zài yán jiū xiān fán zhàng de mì mì 。”
“这殷上人，这些年应当是在研究仙凡瘴的秘密。”
He knew well that cultivators' desire for survival was far greater than ordinary people's by a thousandfold. It was rare to hear of a cultivator committing suicide.
“ tā jiū jìng fā xiàn le shén me ， cái huì shēng chū zì jìn de niàn tou ？”
“他究竟发现了什么，才会生出自尽的念头？”
"Was it truly a voluntary act, or out of necessity?"
yào zhī dào ， xiū shì qiú shēng yù niàn zhī qiáng ， yuǎn chāo fán rén qiān bǎi bèi 。
要知道，修士求生欲念之强，远超凡人千百倍。
Master Yin’s earlier manic statement flashed through his mind: "You're not curious? Why can a mere mortal's plague infect cultivators? If we could figure out the source of this anomaly, perhaps we could resolve Immortal-Demon Mist from its root! Then I would be remembered as a great existence in the entire world of cultivation!"
hěn shǎo tīng shuō guò yǒu xiū shì zì shā de shì jiàn fā shēng 。
很少听说过有修士自杀的事件发生。
Li Fan’s expression turned serious. "I used to think he was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator and couldn't possibly come up with anything. So I always ignored him."
“ shì zhēn de zì shā ， hái shì pò bù dé yǐ ？”
“是真的自杀，还是迫不得已？”
"I never expected that he actually made some progress."
yīn shàng rén dāng chū yǒu xiē diān kuáng de fā yán fú xiàn yǎn qián ：“ nǐ bù hǎo qí me ？ wèi shén me qū qū fán rén shēn shàng de wēn yì ， jìng rán kě yǐ gǎn rǎn xiū xiān zhě ？ rú guǒ néng gǎo qīng chǔ zhè zhǒng yì biàn de lái yuán ， huò xǔ jiù kě yǐ cóng yuán tóu shàng jiě jué xiān fán zhàng ！ dào shí hòu ， wǒ jiù shì zhěng gè xiū xiān jiè dōu yào míng jì de wěi dà cún zài ！”
殷上人当初有些癫狂的发言浮现眼前：“你不好奇么？为什么区区凡人身上的瘟疫，竟然可以感染修仙者？如果能搞清楚这种异变的来源，或许就可以从源头上解决仙凡瘴！到时候，我就是整个修仙界都要铭记的伟大存在！”
"Perhaps, in my next life, I can focus more on him."
lǐ fán shén sè biàn dé yǒu xiē níng zhòng ：“ yǐ qián yǐ wéi tā bù guò shì yī zhù jī xiū shì ， bù kě néng yán jiū chū shén me lái 。 suǒ yǐ yì zhí jiāng tā hū lüè 。”
李凡神色变得有些凝重：“以前以为他不过是一筑基修士，不可能研究出什么来。所以一直将他忽略。”
Li Fan thought to himself.
“ méi xiǎng dào ， tā hái zhēn de yǒu suǒ shōu huò 。”
“没想到，他还真的有所收获。”
As he surveyed the ruins of Yin Yin Island once again, Li Fan was about to leave when something caught his attention.
“ huò xǔ ， xià yī shì kě yǐ zhòng diǎn ‘ guān zhào ’ yī xià tā 。”
“或许，下一世可以重点‘关照’一下他。”
A gentle breeze blew across the ground, and a bright, pristine light suddenly appeared amidst the blackened earth.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng àn zì sī cǔn 。
李凡心中暗自思忖。
Li Fan flew closer and retrieved the glowing object. It seemed familiar—a white rib bone.
zài cì dǎ liàng le yǎn yīn yīn dǎo de fèi xū ， lǐ fán zhèng yù lí kāi ， hū de wēi wēi yí zhèng 。
再次打量了眼殷殷岛的废墟，李凡正欲离开，忽的微微一怔。
It looked like it belonged to the first cultivator who had contracted Immortal-Demon Mist—someone Master Yin held in high regard before his death.
hǎi fēng chuī guò ， mǎn dì jiāo hēi zhōng ， tū rán chū xiàn le yī dào jīng yíng bái xī de guāng máng 。
海风吹过，满地焦黑中，突然出现了一道晶莹白皙的光芒。
Even though Master Yin was reduced to ashes by the flames, this rib bone remained intact.
lǐ fán fēi shēn kào jìn ， jiāng nà fā guāng wù tǐ qǔ chū 。
李凡飞身靠近，将那发光物体取出。
This was indeed something many people would vie for. There must be some value here.
yǒu xiē shú xī 。
有些熟悉。
Li Fan casually placed it into his storage ring and returned to Ten Thousand Immortals Island, asking the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror to appraise it.
yī gēn bái lèi gǔ 。
一根白肋骨。
The result was simply: "Cultivator's remains, worth 1 point of contribution."
sì hū jiù shì yīn shàng rén shēng qián zuì wèi zhòng shì de ， nà dì yī wèi gǎn rǎn xiān fán zhàng de xiū shì de lèi gǔ 。
似乎就是殷上人生前最为重视的，那第一位感染仙凡瘴的修士的肋骨。
"Looks like this only has value in certain circles," Li Fan shook his head and put the rib bone back into storage.
yīn shàng rén dōu zài zhè xióng xióng huǒ yàn zhōng huà wèi fēi huī ， zhè gēn lèi gǔ jū rán wán hǎo wú sǔn de bǎo liú le xià lái 。
殷上人都在这熊熊火焰中化为飞灰，这跟肋骨居然完好无损的保留了下来。
He then checked on the status of the other prodigies.
jù shuō zhè kě shì gè xǔ duō rén zhēng qiǎng de hǎo dōng xī ， guǒ rán yǒu diǎn mén dào 。
据说这可是个许多人争抢的好东西，果然有点门道。
"Xiao Heng is still at Cloud Water Heavenly Palace. He hasn't entered yet, but he's standing outside, looking up at the giant blue building in the sky. Who knows what he’s contemplating."
lǐ fán shùn shǒu jiù jiāng qí sāi jìn chǔ wù jiè zhōng 。
李凡顺手就将其塞进储物戒中。
"Su Little Sister and the others seem to be close to reaching the remains of Dao Yuan Sect."
fǎn huí wàn xiān dǎo ， qǐng tiān xuán jìng jiàn dìng yī fān 。
返回万仙岛，请天玄镜鉴定一番。
...
què zhǐ dé dào le “ xiū shì yí gǔ ， jià zhí 1 diǎn gòng xiàn dù ” jié guǒ 。
却只得到了“修士遗骨，价值1点贡献度”结果。
"It seems like harvest season is coming again."
“ kàn lái ， zhè zhǐ shì zài tè dìng rén qún zhōng cái yǒu jià zhí 。” lǐ fán yáo le yáo tóu ， chóng xīn bǎ zhè lèi gǔ shōu qǐ 。
“看来，这只是在特定人群中才有价值。”李凡摇了摇头，重新把这肋骨收起。
In his dantian, twobody snatch (transcendence bodies) had fully formed.
gǎn yìng le xià zhòng tiān jiāo de qíng kuàng 。
感应了下众天骄的情况。
The third transcendence body's shadow was gradually taking shape.
“ xiāo héng hái shì lái dào le yún shuǐ tiān gōng 。 zhǐ bù guò chí chí méi yǒu jìn qù ， fǎn ér chù lì zài wài ， yǎng tóu kàn zhe nà wèi lán sè xuán yú tiān jì de jù dà jiàn zhù 。 bù zhī dào zài gǎn wù zhe xiē shén me 。”
“萧恒还是来到了云水天宫。只不过迟迟没有进去，反而矗立在外，仰头看着那蔚蓝色悬于天际的巨大建筑。不知道在感悟着些什么。”
"The cultivation essence stored in these bodies can be seamlessly converted once I reach Golden Core Realm. If the transcendence bodies accumulate enough, perhaps I’ll break through again immediately upon entering the Golden Core Realm."
“ sū xiǎo mèi tā men sān rén hǎo xiàng lí cháo yuán zōng yí jì yǐ jīng bù yuǎn le 。”
“苏小妹他们三人好像离朝元宗遗迹已经不远了。”
Li Fan couldn't help but show a farmer’s joy.
……
……
"Speaking of He Zhenghao..."
“ yòu kuài dào fēng shōu de shí hòu le 。”
“又快到丰收的时候了。”
"Why haven’t I received any cultivation feedback lately?"
cǐ shí lǐ fán dān tián nèi ， liǎng jù jié shēn yǐ jīng chè dǐ chéng xíng 。
此时李凡丹田内，两具劫身已经彻底成型。
The absence of the formless killing mechanism made it impossible to sense his surroundings.
dì sān jú jié shēn xū yǐng zhèng zài zhú jiàn shēng chéng 。
第三局劫身虚影正在逐渐生成。
Thinking about it, Li Fan sent him a message asking for an update on his condition.
“ zhè xiē róng nà de xiū wèi ， zài wǒ tū pò dào jīn dān jìng hòu ， kě yǐ wú sǔn zhuǎn huà 。 ruò shì jié shēn jī zǎn zú gòu ， shuō bù dìng wǒ yī rù jīn dān ， jiù yào zài cì tū pò le 。”
“这些容纳的修为，在我突破到金丹境后，可以无损转化。若是劫身积攒足够，说不定我一入金丹，就要再次突破了。”
He received an automatic reply: "Currently undergoingclosed training (closed training) at the Garrison Academy; unable to respond, please forgive."
lǐ fán bù jīn lù chū lǎo nóng bān xǐ yuè de shén qíng 。
李凡不禁露出老农般喜悦的神情。
"So He Daoist has already entered the Garrison Academy?"
“ dǎo shì hé zhèng hào nà lǐ ……”
“倒是何正浩那里……”
Calculating the time, he realized that three years had passed since He Zhenghao took office.
“ zěn me zhè duàn shí jiān ， yì zhí méi yǒu xiū wèi fǎn kuì guò lái ？”
“怎么这段时间，一直没有修为反馈过来？”
"Indeed, Jingxuan’s work is reliable. I didn’t waste my contribution points."
jù lí tài yuǎn ， wú xiāng shā jī yǐ jīng wú fǎ gǎn yìng duì fāng huà miàn 。
距离太远，无相杀机已经无法感应对方画面。
"After the array training in Tianyu State ends, Congyunhai should be gone. I can go directly to Tianyun State and meet up with He Daoist."
lǐ fán xiǎng le xiǎng ， gěi tā fā le xùn xī ， xún wèn jìn kuàng 。
李凡想了想，给他发了讯息，询问近况。
...
què dé dào le zì dòng huí fù ：“ wèi shù yuàn fēng bì xùn liàn zhōng ， wú fǎ huí fù ， jiàn liàng 。”
却得到了自动回复：“卫戍院封闭训练中，无法回复，见谅。”
While Li Fan was making future plans, Su Little Sister and her companions arrived at the Thousand Mile Swamp and the remains of Dao Yuan Sect.
“ yuán lái hé dào yǒu yǐ jīng jìn rù wèi shù yuàn le ？”
“原来何道友已经进入卫戍院了？”
Finally reaching their destination, Su Little Sister was excitedly looking at the impressive building cluster nearby. She wished she could rush into the ruins right away.
suàn le suàn shí jiān ， jù lí hé zhèng hào zǒu mǎ shàng rèn ， chà bu duō yǐ jīng shì sān nián le 。
算了算时间，距离何正浩走马上任，差不多已经是三年了。
Zhang Haobo was puzzled: "Didn’t you say that the ruins attracted many cultivators to explore? Why is it so quiet on the way? Where are all the people?"
“ jīng xuán zuò shì guǒ rán kào pǔ ， gòng xiàn dù méi bái huā 。”
“京玄做事果然靠谱，贡献度没白花。”
Shuofeng also frowned: "It does seem a bit suspicious, but we don’t need to overthink it. We’ll know once we get closer."
“ tiān yǔ zhōu zhèn fǎ péi xùn jié shù hòu ， cóng yún hǎi yīng dāng shì méi le 。 dào shí hòu zhí jiē qù tiān yùn zhōu ， gēn hé dào yǒu huì hé 。”
“天禹州阵法培训结束后，丛云海应当是没了。到时候直接去天运州，跟何道友汇合。”
Upon reaching the entrance of Dao Yuan Sect’s ruins, it wasn't as bustling as rumored.
……
……
Some cultivators hesitated and didn’t dare enter but couldn’t bear to leave either.
jiù zài lǐ fán duì jiāng lái àn zì pán suàn de shí hòu 。
就在李凡对将来暗自盘算的时候。
After inquiring, they learned why the usually crowded and lively ruins had suddenly turned into this state.
sū xiǎo mèi yī xíng sān rén ， yǐ jīng lái dào le qiān lǐ zhǎo zé 、 cháo yuán zōng yí jì chù 。
苏小妹一行三人，已经来到了千里沼泽、朝元宗遗迹处。
Seven days ago, a Golden Core cultivator who had come seeking an opportunity mysteriously disappeared. When he reappeared, everyone found that he had become like one of the ghostly figures appearing from time to time within the ruins.
zhōng yú dào dá le mù dì dì ， sū xiǎo mèi yǒu xiē jī dòng de wàng zhe bù yuǎn chù pǒ wèi zhuàng guān de jiàn zhù qún ， hèn bù dé xià yī miǎo jiù chōng jìn yí jì zhōng 。
终于到达了目的地，苏小妹有些激动的望着不远处颇为壮观的建筑群，恨不得下一秒就冲进遗迹中。
Moreover, they could hear and see him frantically wandering around Dao Yuan Sect in despair, trying to find a way back to his original form.
zhāng hào bō què yǒu xiē yí huò ：“ bú shì shuō yí jì xī yǐn le xǔ duō xiū shì qián lái tàn mì me ？ zěn me lù shàng zhè me lěng qīng ？ rén ne ？”
张浩波却有些疑惑：“不是说遗迹吸引了许多修士前来探秘么？怎么路上这么冷清？人呢？”
But this Golden Core cultivator seemed to have gone to another world. No matter what, he couldn’t intersect with reality or leave the bounds of Dao Yuan Sect’s ruins.
After leaving Yin Yin Island, Su Changyu's expression was invigorated. It took him a long time to calm down from his excited state.
"Who would have thought that this trip out would bring such an extraordinary encounter."
Although he still had quite some distance to go before reaching Foundation Establishment, the difference now was that he was filled with the motivation to cultivate and wished to quickly perfect his qi cultivation so as to reach Foundation Establishment sooner.
"Once I attain Foundation Establishment, my cultivation speed should be able to catch up with Xiao Heng and Little Sister," Su Changyu thought to himself.
Without lingering elsewhere, he determined the direction and flew straight towards the desolate island.
In the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror,
Li Fan recalled the scenes he had just witnessed through Su Changyu. His brows furrowed slightly.
"I never expected that Su Changyu would also mysteriously end up at Master Yin's place, coming into contact with the secrets related to [Foundation Establishment Through Self]. It seems my previous sense of divine guidance was indeed real."
Li Fan was still quite hopeful about whether this world's Su Changyu could successfully attain Foundation Establishment through self.
However, what Li Fan cared more about now was Master Yin's condition.
In the 12th incarnation, when Li Fan first met Master Yin at age 13, his hair was still a mix of black and white. Now, after only 12 years, he had turned completely grey.
Such rapid aging could hardly happen to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This indicated that Master Yin's mental state had deteriorated greatly over the years.
More concerning to Li Fan was that all the test subjects on Yin Yin Island, as well as many of Master Yin’s cherished treasures, were destroyed in one fell swoop.
And yet, Master Yin seemed completely indifferent.
Or perhaps...
Those items should have been destroyed by him himself.
Considering the sudden appearance of flames and Master Yin's increasingly deranged demeanor,
"Is he trying to commit suicide?"
Li Fan pondered this thought. To verify his guess, Li Fan left the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror and rushed towards Yin Yin Island.
When he arrived at the destination, the once rectangular building had indeed turned into a pile of ruins.
The flames burned fiercely.
After searching thoroughly, Li Fan found nothing of value.
Standing above the ruins, Li Fan frowned deeply.
"Why?"
"Master Yin must have been researching the secrets of Immortal-Demon Mist for these years."
"What did he discover that made him want to commit suicide?"
He knew well that cultivators' desire for survival was far greater than ordinary people's by a thousandfold. It was rare to hear of a cultivator committing suicide.
"Was it truly a voluntary act, or out of necessity?"
Master Yin’s earlier manic statement flashed through his mind: "You're not curious? Why can a mere mortal's plague infect cultivators? If we could figure out the source of this anomaly, perhaps we could resolve Immortal-Demon Mist from its root! Then I would be remembered as a great existence in the entire world of cultivation!"
Li Fan’s expression turned serious. "I used to think he was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator and couldn't possibly come up with anything. So I always ignored him."
"I never expected that he actually made some progress."
"Perhaps, in my next life, I can focus more on him."
Li Fan thought to himself.
As he surveyed the ruins of Yin Yin Island once again, Li Fan was about to leave when something caught his attention.
A gentle breeze blew across the ground, and a bright, pristine light suddenly appeared amidst the blackened earth.
Li Fan flew closer and retrieved the glowing object. It seemed familiar—a white rib bone.
It looked like it belonged to the first cultivator who had contracted Immortal-Demon Mist—someone Master Yin held in high regard before his death.
Even though Master Yin was reduced to ashes by the flames, this rib bone remained intact.
This was indeed something many people would vie for. There must be some value here.
Li Fan casually placed it into his storage ring and returned to Ten Thousand Immortals Island, asking the Heavenly Mysteries Mirror to appraise it.
The result was simply: "Cultivator's remains, worth 1 point of contribution."
"Looks like this only has value in certain circles," Li Fan shook his head and put the rib bone back into storage.
He then checked on the status of the other prodigies.
"Xiao Heng is still at Cloud Water Heavenly Palace. He hasn't entered yet, but he's standing outside, looking up at the giant blue building in the sky. Who knows what he’s contemplating."
"Su Little Sister and the others seem to be close to reaching the remains of Dao Yuan Sect."
...
"It seems like harvest season is coming again."
In his dantian, twobody snatch (transcendence bodies) had fully formed.
The third transcendence body's shadow was gradually taking shape.
"The cultivation essence stored in these bodies can be seamlessly converted once I reach Golden Core Realm. If the transcendence bodies accumulate enough, perhaps I’ll break through again immediately upon entering the Golden Core Realm."
Li Fan couldn't help but show a farmer’s joy.
"Speaking of He Zhenghao..."
"Why haven’t I received any cultivation feedback lately?"
The absence of the formless killing mechanism made it impossible to sense his surroundings.
Thinking about it, Li Fan sent him a message asking for an update on his condition.
He received an automatic reply: "Currently undergoingclosed training (closed training) at the Garrison Academy; unable to respond, please forgive."
"So He Daoist has already entered the Garrison Academy?"
Calculating the time, he realized that three years had passed since He Zhenghao took office.
"Indeed, Jingxuan’s work is reliable. I didn’t waste my contribution points."
"After the array training in Tianyu State ends, Congyunhai should be gone. I can go directly to Tianyun State and meet up with He Daoist."
...
While Li Fan was making future plans, Su Little Sister and her companions arrived at the Thousand Mile Swamp and the remains of Dao Yuan Sect.
Finally reaching their destination, Su Little Sister was excitedly looking at the impressive building cluster nearby. She wished she could rush into the ruins right away.
Zhang Haobo was puzzled: "Didn’t you say that the ruins attracted many cultivators to explore? Why is it so quiet on the way? Where are all the people?"
Shuofeng also frowned: "It does seem a bit suspicious, but we don’t need to overthink it. We’ll know once we get closer."
Upon reaching the entrance of Dao Yuan Sect’s ruins, it wasn't as bustling as rumored.
Some cultivators hesitated and didn’t dare enter but couldn’t bear to leave either.
After inquiring, they learned why the usually crowded and lively ruins had suddenly turned into this state.
Seven days ago, a Golden Core cultivator who had come seeking an opportunity mysteriously disappeared. When he reappeared, everyone found that he had become like one of the ghostly figures appearing from time to time within the ruins.
Moreover, they could hear and see him frantically wandering around Dao Yuan Sect in despair, trying to find a way back to his original form.
But this Golden Core cultivator seemed to have gone to another world. No matter what, he couldn’t intersect with reality or leave the bounds of Dao Yuan Sect’s ruins.