" yóu yú shén hún de tè shū xìng zhì , zhèn shū zhuāng zhì suī rán néng dà guī mó liàng chǎn ."
"由于神魂的特殊性质,阵枢装置虽然能大规模量产."
Due to the unique nature of soul essence, although the Array Core device can produce them on a large scale:
" dàn měi yí gè zhèn shū zài [ tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn ] zhōng de jī huó , dōu xū yào zhèn fǎ shī qīn zì yǐn dǎo . bìng qiě , wèi le què bǎo zhèn fǎ de zhǔn què xìng , měi guò yī duàn shí jiān , dōu xū yào zhèn fǎ shī duì qí jìn xíng tiáo shì \ jiào zhǔn ."
"但每一个阵枢在[天玄锁灵阵]中的激活,都需要阵法师亲自引导.并且,为了确保阵法的准确性,每过一段时间,都需要阵法师对其进行调试\校准."
"But each Array Core's activation within the [Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation] requires an array master to personally guide it," Ji Hong said, suddenly producing a small golden ball. "This is the Soul Gathering Pearl, crafted from Yin Spirit Jade. As its name suggests, it has the power to gather and imprison soul essence."
" ér zhè , yě shì nǐ men lái cǐ jí xùn de yuán yīn ."
"而这,也是你们来此集训的原因."
"Did you notice the gold light inside?"
jì hóng dào shǒu zhōng tū rán chū xiàn yí gè jīn sè xiǎo qiú , zhèng shì zhī qián hé yī wù yì qǐ fēn fā gěi zhòng rén nà ge wù pǐn .
纪宏道手中突然出现一个金色小球,正是之前和衣物一起分发给众人那个物品.
"That's the trace of the Soul Contract from the Five Elders Alliance cultivators we captured!" Ji Hong's words caused a stir among the present cultivators.
" cǐ nǎi jù hún zhū , yòng yīn líng yù dǎ zào . gù míng sī yì , yǒu zhe shōu jù \ qiú jìn shén hún de gōng xiào ."
"此乃聚魂珠,用阴灵玉打造.顾名思义,有着收聚\囚禁神魂的功效."
Through the recent extraction experiment, everyone knew that the golden light in the souls of the Five Elders Alliance cultivators was a mark of the [Soul Contract].
" kàn dào lǐ miàn de jīn guāng méi yǒu ?"
"看到里面的金光没有?"
But each soul contained only a tiny fraction of this golden light.
" nà xiē dōu shì bèi wǒ men zhuā zhù de wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì de shén hún !" jì hóng dào cǐ yán yī chū , zài chǎng de xiū shì men fēn fēn sè biàn .
"那些都是被我们抓住的五老会修士的神魂!"纪宏道此言一出,在场的修士们纷纷色变.
How many souls would be needed to produce such substantial, almost tangible gold light? Thousands? Tens of thousands? The more they thought about it, the more unsettling it became.
tōng guò gāng cái chōu qǔ shén hún de xiàn chǎng shì yàn , zhòng rén zhī xiǎo le wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì zhōng shén hún zhōng de jīn guāng , shì [ hún qì ] de hén jì .
通过刚才抽取神魂的现场试验,众人知晓了五老会修士中神魂中的金光,是[魂契]的痕迹.
Some array masters had been deeply engrossed in studying formations since their cultivation days and rarely encountered the harsh realities of the world of cultivators.
dàn měi gè xiū shì shén hún zhōng , jīn guāng zhàn bǐ zhǐ yǒu nà me yī sī ér yǐ .
但每个修士神魂中,金光占比只有那么一丝而已.
Now, their faces paled with unease as they felt a surge of panic.
xiǎng yào níng jù chū rú cǐ duō \ wǎn rú shí zhì dì jīn guāng , nà jiū jìng xū yào duō shǎo shén hún ? shàng qiān ? hái shì shàng wàn ? yuè xiǎng yuè jué de yǒu xiē hài rán .
想要凝聚出如此多\宛如实质的金光,那究竟需要多少神魂?上千?还是上万?越想越觉得有些骇然.
Ji Hong's voice grew serious: "Afraid? Do you think we are too cruel?"
yǒu xiē zhèn dào jùn jié cóng xiū dào qǐ jiù yì zhí chén jìn zài duì zhèn fǎ de yán jiū zhōng , hěn shǎo jiē chù dào xiū xiān jiè rú cǐ cán kù de yí miàn .
有些阵道俊杰从修道起就一直沉浸在对阵法的研究中,很少接触到修仙界如此残酷的一面.
"Remember, just from one battle in Heavenly Spirit State alone, the number of deceased cultivators is hundreds or even thousands times greater than the souls currently in your Soul Gathering Pearls!"
cǐ kè bù jīn yǒu xiē miàn sè cǎn bái , xīn huāng bù yǐ .
此刻不禁有些面色惨白,心慌不已.
"And don't forget all the wars that have erupted over millennia," he continued. "Mercy to enemies is truly cruelty."
jì hóng dào chén shēng dào :" zěn me ? hài pà le ? jué de wǒ men guò yú cán rěn ?"
纪宏道沉声道:"怎么?害怕了?觉得我们过于残忍?"
Ji Hong looked deeply at the young cultivators before him and stopped there, not wanting to delve further into this topic.
" kě nǐ men yào zhī dào , guāng shì tiān líng zhōu yī zhàn , wàn xiān méng zhàn sǐ xiū shì de shù liàng , jiù bǎi bèi qiān bèi yú nǐ men shǒu lǐ jù hún zhū zhōng shén hún de shù liàng !"
"可你们要知道,光是天灵州一战,万仙盟战死修士的数量,就百倍千倍于你们手里聚魂珠中神魂的数量!"
Instead, he resumed his explanation of the golden Soul Gathering Pearl:
" gèng bié tí shù qiān nián lái , lù lù xù xù bào fā de gè zhǒng dà xiǎo zhàn zhēng le ."" duì dí rén de rén cí , cái shì zhēn zhèng de cán rěn ."
"更别提数千年来,陆陆续续爆发的各种大小战争了.""对敌人的仁慈,才是真正的残忍."
"You need to repeatedly observe and interact with these souls to discern the traces of the Soul Contract."
jì hóng dào shēn shēn dì kàn le yǎn qián zhū duō nián qīng de xiū shì , diǎn dào wéi zhǐ , bù zài jì xù shēn rù zhè ge huà tí .
纪宏道深深地看了眼前诸多年轻的修士,点到为止,不再继续深入这个话题.
"Ultimately, you must be able to distinguish them without external assistance."
zhuǎn ér jì xù jiè shào qǐ zhè jīn sè jù hún zhū lái .
转而继续介绍起这金色聚魂珠来.
"This way, when building the [Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation], you can properly adjust and calibrate the Array Core."
" nǐ men yào zuò de , jiù shì tōng guò bù duàn jìn jù lí guān chá \ jiē chù zhè xiē shén hún , tǐ wù chū hún qì de hén jì ."
"你们要做的,就是通过不断近距离观察\接触这些神魂,体悟出魂契的痕迹."
The process of gaining this insight would consume soul essence. He advised them to achieve it before their Soul Gathering Pearls were depleted.
" zuì zhōng dá dào , bù jiè zhù wài lì \ jiù néng biàn bié qí zhōng chā bié de dì bù ."
"最终达到,不借助外力\就能辨别其中差别的地步."
Otherwise...
" zhè yàng , nǐ men zài gòu jiàn [ tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn ] de shí hòu , cái yǒu néng lì duì zhèn shū jìn xíng tiáo shì \ jiào zhǔn ."
"这样,你们在构建[天玄锁灵阵]的时候,才有能力对阵枢进行调试\校准."
Ji Hong's voice turned cold: "We will consider you incapable of constructing the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation. You'll not only be expelled from this universe academy but also charged for your training losses."
" zhè zhǒng gǎn wù de guò chéng shì xū yào xiāo hào shén hún de , nǐ men zuì hǎo zài jù hún zhū zhōng de shén hún bèi xiāo hào wán bì qián , néng gòu zuò dào zhè diǎn ."
"这种感悟的过程是需要消耗神魂的,你们最好在聚魂珠中的神魂被消耗完毕前,能够做到这点."
This statement left a sour look on everyone's faces.
" fǒu zé ……"
"否则……"
Being dismissed without meeting expectations would not just be embarrassing; it could ruin their future prospects in the field of array techniques. The recommended talents felt immense pressure.
jì hóng dào de shēng yīn lěng le xià lái :" wǒ men jiāng huì rèn dìng nǐ men bù jù bèi jiàn zào tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn de néng lì . bù jǐn yào bǎ nǐ men qū chú chū zhè huán yǔ bié yuàn , hái yào xiàng nǐ men de jǔ jiàn rén , shōu qǔ péi xùn sǔn shī fèi yòng ."
纪宏道的声音冷了下来:"我们将会认定你们不具备建造天玄锁灵阵的能力.不仅要把你们驱除出这寰宇别院,还要向你们的举荐人,收取培训损失费用."
"However, don't worry. To ease your burden, we have already processed these Five Elders Alliance souls using special means."
cǐ yán yī chū , zhòng xiū shì de liǎn shàng quán dōu yǒu xiē nán kàn .
此言一出,众修士的脸上全都有些难看.
"The majority of memories within them have been thoroughly erased."
yào shì méi néng dá dào yāo qiú \ jiù zhè me bèi gǎn chū qù , bù guāng shì diū miàn zi de wèn tí le . kǒng pà hái huì qián tú jǐn huǐ , cóng cǐ yú zhèn dào wú yuán . zhè xiē bèi jǔ jiàn ér lái de jùn jié men , bù jīn yǒu xiē yā lì shān dà .
要是没能达到要求\就这么被赶出去,不光是丢面子的问题了.恐怕还会前途尽毁,从此于阵道无缘.这些被举荐而来的俊杰们,不禁有些压力山大.
"Pure soul bodies are easier to perceive without being overwhelmed by memories and emotions," Ji Hong added encouragingly. "As long as you're not a complete waste, you should be fine."
" bù guò , nǐ men fàng xīn . wèi le jiǎn qīng nǐ men de nán dù , zhè xiē wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì de shén hún , wǒ men yǐ jīng yòng tè shū de shǒu duàn jìn xíng chǔ lǐ guò le ."
"不过,你们放心.为了减轻你们的难度,这些五老会修士的神魂,我们已经用特殊的手段进行处理过了."
He then outlined their study plan for the coming period: during the day, they would learn to construct the [Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation] with Ji Hong; at night, they would return to their quarters to sense the Soul Contract marks.
" shén hún nèi de jué dà duō shù jì yì , yǐ jīng bèi qīng chú gān jìng ."
"神魂内的绝大多数记忆,已经被清除干净."
Every month, there would be an assessment of their progress. Thus began Li Fan's studies in this universe academy.
" chún jìng de hún tǐ , bù yòng miàn duì jì yì \ qíng gǎn de chōng jī , gǎn wù qǐ lái yào róng yì tài duō ."
"纯净的魂体,不用面对记忆\情感的冲击,感悟起来要容易太多."
The Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation was indeed a formation that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had high hopes for, hoping it could turn the tide.
" zhǐ yào bú shì chún cuì lái hùn zī lì de fèi chái , yīng dāng dōu méi shén mó wèn tí ." jì hóng dào zuì hòu huà fēng yī zhuǎn , yòu gǔ lì qǐ yī zhòng qīng nián jùn jié qǐ lái .
"只要不是纯粹来混资历的废柴,应当都没什麽问题."纪宏道最后话锋一转,又鼓励起一众青年俊杰起来.
It was incredibly complex and intricate. The outer structure alone contained 36 million array formations. Each basic formation was composed of numerous different sub-formations; even the simplest one involved over ten thousand distinct units.
zuì hòu , tā dìng xià le zhòng rén jīn hòu yī duàn shí jiān de xué xí jì huà .
最后,他定下了众人今后一段时间的学习计划.
Mastering the entire structure of this Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation was no easy task for these prodigies from various states.
bái tiān , zhòng xiū shì gēn suí jì hóng dào , xué xí gòu jiàn [ tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn ]. wǎn shàng gè zì huí dào zhòng rén suǒ zài xiǎo yuàn , gǎn wù hún qì yìn jì .
白天,众修士跟随纪宏道,学习构建[天玄锁灵阵].晚上各自回到众人所在小院,感悟魂契印记.
But with the aid of the [Divine Path One] secret technique, Li Fan's progress was rapid. His understanding of the formation was among the best in his group.
měi guò yí gè yuè , jìn xíng yī cì kǎo hé . chá yàn zhòng rén de xué xí jìn dù . jiù zhè yàng , lǐ fán kāi shǐ le zài zhè huán yǔ bié yuàn zhōng de jìn xiū rì chéng .
每过一个月,进行一次考核.查验众人的学习进度.就这样,李凡开始了在这寰宇别院中的进修日程.
In stark contrast to his proficiency with the formation, however, was his ability to sense Soul Contracts.
zhè tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn bù kuì shì bèi wàn xiān méng jì yǔ hòu wàng , xī wàng néng gòu jiè cǐ yī zhuǎn xíng shì de zhèn fǎ .
这天玄锁灵阵不愧是被万仙盟寄予厚望,希望能够借此一转形势的阵法.
When about a quarter of the golden soul essence in the Soul Gathering Pearl had been consumed, Li Fan still showed no improvement from when he started.
xuán qí fù zá wú bǐ .
玄奇复杂无比.
But Li Fan remained unbothered. The threats of expulsion and financial penalties meant nothing to him.
guāng shì zhèn fǎ wài wéi jié gòu , jiù yǒu zú zú sān qiān liù bǎi wàn zhèn fǎ zhì shì .
光是阵法外围结构,就有足足三千六百万阵法至式.
By then, Zhang Zhiliang would likely have returned to heaven if there were any unexpected developments.
měi yī jī chǔ zhì shì , yòu yóu gè zhǒng bù tóng \ shù liàng zhòng duō de jī chǔ zhèn fǎ gòu chéng . nǎ pà shì zuì jiǎn dān de yī zhǒng , yě fù hé le shàng wàn gè bù tóng de zhèn fǎ dān yuán .
每一基础至式,又由各种不同\数量众多的基础阵法构成.哪怕是最简单的一种,也复合了上万个不同的阵法单元.
So Li Fan continued at his own pace, neither arrogant nor complacent. Time passed slowly as he drew another soul from the Soul Gathering Pearl for further contemplation.
yào jiāng tiān xuán suǒ líng de zhèn fǎ jié gòu quán dōu zhǎng wò , jiù suàn duì yú zhè xiē cóng gè gè zhōu tiāo xuǎn ér lái de tiān cái lái shuō , yě bìng bú shì yī jiàn yì shì .
要将天玄锁灵的阵法结构全都掌握,就算对于这些从各个州挑选而来的天才来说,也并不是一件易事.
Suddenly, two massive amounts of cultivation power surged within him, like a river flowing endlessly. In an instant, they filled half of the third body essence.
bù guò lǐ fán yǒu [ huà dào shén yī ] mì fǎ xiàng zhù .
不过李凡有[化道神一]秘法相助.
And the feedback kept increasing.
suǒ xué suǒ jiàn , nǎi zhì yú suǒ xíng suǒ xiǎng , yī qiè dōu fēn háo bù chā de bèi jì lù zài shí hǎi zhōng de lán sè huà dào shí zhōng .
所学所见,乃至于所行所想,一切都分毫不差的被记录在识海中的蓝色化道石中.
Li Fan felt elated: "Is it Ye Feipeng and Xiao Heng breaking through to Golden Core Realm?"
suí shí chá yuè , qián hòu yìn zhèng .
随时查阅,前后印证.
He instinctively wanted to activate the Formless Devastation to check on their situation, but the distance was too great. He couldn't discern what had happened to them. This left him feeling uncomfortable.
lǐ fán duì yú tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn fǎ de zhǎng wò shuǐ zhǔn , kě wèi shì tū fēi měng jìn . zài yī zhòng jùn jié zhōng , dōu shì míng liè qián máo .
李凡对于天玄锁灵阵法的掌握水准,可谓是突飞猛进.在一众俊杰中,都是名列前茅.
"Based on the cultivation power feedback, they must be at least Three-Method Golden Core," he thought. "Missing such a spectacular breakthrough is a bit disappointing."
yǔ zhī xíng chéng xiān míng duì bǐ de , jiù shì lǐ fán duì yú hún qì de gǎn yìng néng lì le .
与之形成鲜明对比的,就是李凡对于魂契的感应能力了.
"I need to upgrade my Formless Devastation."
dāng jù hún zhū zhōng de jīn sè chà bù duō bèi xiāo hào le sì fēn zhī yī de shí hòu , lǐ fán hái gēn zuì kāi shǐ yī yàng , jī hū yì diǎn jìn bù dōu méi yǒu .
当聚魂珠中的金色差不多被消耗了四分之一的时候,李凡还跟最开始一样,几乎一点进步都没有.
Calming his slight joy, Li Fan's soul essence smoothly entered the blank soul in his hand.
bù guò lǐ fán yě shì shùn qí zì rán , yì diǎn yā lì yě wú .
不过李凡也是顺其自然,一点压力也无.
It felt like entering an endless, boundless space. Li Fan searched for traces of the golden Soul Contract but found none—just as before.
shén mó qū zhú chū tiān yǔ zhōu \ xiàng jǔ jiàn rén tǎo yào fèi yòng zhī lèi de huà , kě wēi xié bú dào tā lǐ fán .
什麽驱逐出天禹州\向举荐人讨要费用之类的话,可威胁不到他李凡.
The Soul Contract was deeply hidden within the soul, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, nearly impossible to detect.
rú guǒ méi yǒu yì wài , nà shí hòu , zhāng zhì liáng kǒng pà yǐ jīng hái dào yú tiān le .
如果没有意外,那时候,张志良恐怕已经还道于天了.
Violently extracting and observing the soul would be akin to boiling the ocean to force the Soul Contract's presence. Such large-scale identification was impossible with this method.
suǒ yǐ lǐ fán réng rán shì yī kē píng cháng xīn , bù jiāo bù zào de yǐ zì jǐ de jìn dù màn màn gǎn wù . shí jiān jiù zhè yàng huǎn huǎn liú shì . zhè yī rì , lǐ fán zài cì cóng jù hún zhū zhōng chōu qǔ le yī dào shén hún , zhèng yào gǎn wù .
所以李凡仍然是一颗平常心,不骄不躁的以自己的进度慢慢感悟.时间就这样缓缓流逝.这一日,李凡再次从聚魂珠中抽取了一道神魂,正要感悟.
Only by entering the soul body closely could one perceive the existence of the Soul Contract through intuition.
Due to the unique nature of soul essence, although the Array Core device can produce them on a large scale:
"But each Array Core's activation within the [Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation] requires an array master to personally guide it," Ji Hong said, suddenly producing a small golden ball. "This is the Soul Gathering Pearl, crafted from Yin Spirit Jade. As its name suggests, it has the power to gather and imprison soul essence."
"Did you notice the gold light inside?"
"That's the trace of the Soul Contract from the Five Elders Alliance cultivators we captured!" Ji Hong's words caused a stir among the present cultivators.
Through the recent extraction experiment, everyone knew that the golden light in the souls of the Five Elders Alliance cultivators was a mark of the [Soul Contract].
But each soul contained only a tiny fraction of this golden light.
How many souls would be needed to produce such substantial, almost tangible gold light? Thousands? Tens of thousands? The more they thought about it, the more unsettling it became.
Some array masters had been deeply engrossed in studying formations since their cultivation days and rarely encountered the harsh realities of the world of cultivators.
Now, their faces paled with unease as they felt a surge of panic.
Ji Hong's voice grew serious: "Afraid? Do you think we are too cruel?"
"Remember, just from one battle in Heavenly Spirit State alone, the number of deceased cultivators is hundreds or even thousands times greater than the souls currently in your Soul Gathering Pearls!"
"And don't forget all the wars that have erupted over millennia," he continued. "Mercy to enemies is truly cruelty."
Ji Hong looked deeply at the young cultivators before him and stopped there, not wanting to delve further into this topic.
Instead, he resumed his explanation of the golden Soul Gathering Pearl:
"You need to repeatedly observe and interact with these souls to discern the traces of the Soul Contract."
"Ultimately, you must be able to distinguish them without external assistance."
"This way, when building the [Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation], you can properly adjust and calibrate the Array Core."
The process of gaining this insight would consume soul essence. He advised them to achieve it before their Soul Gathering Pearls were depleted.
Otherwise...
Ji Hong's voice turned cold: "We will consider you incapable of constructing the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation. You'll not only be expelled from this universe academy but also charged for your training losses."
This statement left a sour look on everyone's faces.
Being dismissed without meeting expectations would not just be embarrassing; it could ruin their future prospects in the field of array techniques. The recommended talents felt immense pressure.
"However, don't worry. To ease your burden, we have already processed these Five Elders Alliance souls using special means."
"The majority of memories within them have been thoroughly erased."
"Pure soul bodies are easier to perceive without being overwhelmed by memories and emotions," Ji Hong added encouragingly. "As long as you're not a complete waste, you should be fine."
He then outlined their study plan for the coming period: during the day, they would learn to construct the [Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation] with Ji Hong; at night, they would return to their quarters to sense the Soul Contract marks.
Every month, there would be an assessment of their progress. Thus began Li Fan's studies in this universe academy.
The Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation was indeed a formation that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had high hopes for, hoping it could turn the tide.
It was incredibly complex and intricate. The outer structure alone contained 36 million array formations. Each basic formation was composed of numerous different sub-formations; even the simplest one involved over ten thousand distinct units.
Mastering the entire structure of this Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Formation was no easy task for these prodigies from various states.
But with the aid of the [Divine Path One] secret technique, Li Fan's progress was rapid. His understanding of the formation was among the best in his group.
In stark contrast to his proficiency with the formation, however, was his ability to sense Soul Contracts.
When about a quarter of the golden soul essence in the Soul Gathering Pearl had been consumed, Li Fan still showed no improvement from when he started.
But Li Fan remained unbothered. The threats of expulsion and financial penalties meant nothing to him.
By then, Zhang Zhiliang would likely have returned to heaven if there were any unexpected developments.
So Li Fan continued at his own pace, neither arrogant nor complacent. Time passed slowly as he drew another soul from the Soul Gathering Pearl for further contemplation.
Suddenly, two massive amounts of cultivation power surged within him, like a river flowing endlessly. In an instant, they filled half of the third body essence.
And the feedback kept increasing.
Li Fan felt elated: "Is it Ye Feipeng and Xiao Heng breaking through to Golden Core Realm?"
He instinctively wanted to activate the Formless Devastation to check on their situation, but the distance was too great. He couldn't discern what had happened to them. This left him feeling uncomfortable.
"Based on the cultivation power feedback, they must be at least Three-Method Golden Core," he thought. "Missing such a spectacular breakthrough is a bit disappointing."
"I need to upgrade my Formless Devastation."
Calming his slight joy, Li Fan's soul essence smoothly entered the blank soul in his hand.
It felt like entering an endless, boundless space. Li Fan searched for traces of the golden Soul Contract but found none—just as before.
The Soul Contract was deeply hidden within the soul, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, nearly impossible to detect.
Violently extracting and observing the soul would be akin to boiling the ocean to force the Soul Contract's presence. Such large-scale identification was impossible with this method.
Only by entering the soul body closely could one perceive the existence of the Soul Contract through intuition.