dī diào de jiāng zì shēn qì xī huán yuán dào zhù jī qī ， huán yǔ bié yuàn zhōng ， lǐ fán de tū pò bìng méi yǒu yǐn qǐ duō shǎo rén de zhù yì 。
低调的将自身气息还原到筑基期，寰宇别院中，李凡的突破并没有引起多少人的注意。
Li Fan quietly restored his aura to the Foundation Establishment stage in the Huanyu Courtyard. His breakthrough did not draw much attention from others, except for Ji Hongdiao's surprised glance during a lecture.
chú le jì hóng dào zài shòu kè shí ， céng chà yì de piē le lǐ fán yī yǎn wài 。
除了纪宏道在授课时，曾诧异的撇了李凡一眼外。
Almost no one knew that Li Fan had already entered the Golden Core realm.
jī hū méi yǒu rén zhī dào ， lǐ fán yǐ jīng bù rù jīn dān jìng jiè le 。
几乎没有人知道，李凡已经步入金丹境界了。
However, even if these students found out, they likely wouldn't give it much thought. After all, the Golden Core realm was too common among them. They placed more value on阵法造诣 (array formation proficiency) than cultivation levels.
bù guò ， xiǎng bì jiù suàn zhè xiē xué yuán men zhī dào le ， yě bú huì duō xiǎng 。
不过，想必就算这些学员们知道了，也不会多想。
The closed training for the【Heavens玄 Locking Spirit Array】was nearing its end. Since witnessing the sealing of the Heaven Mirror, many students seemed to have gained some insight and their grades had improved dramatically.
bì jìng ， jīn dān jìng zài zhè qún rén zhōng ， shí zài shì tài xún cháng bù guò le 。
毕竟，金丹境在这群人中，实在是太寻常不过了。
In the final test—array core affinity testing—they managed to come from behind.
gēn xiū wèi xiāng bǐ ， tā men gèng kàn zhòng de ， shì zhèn fǎ zào yì 。
跟修为相比，他们更看重的，是阵法造诣。
On one hand, Li Fan was distracted by the events in Cunyun Sea and his own condensation of the Golden Core; on the other, he lacked any profound understanding due to his mediocre array formation talent.
【 tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn 】 de fēng bì péi xùn ， yǐ jīng jiē jìn wěi shēng 。
【天玄锁灵阵】的封闭培训，已经接近尾声。
These factors combined meant that his performance barely moved at all. The saying "no progress means regression" applied well to his ranking.
zì cóng shàng cì qīn yǎn jiàn dào tiān xuán jìng miàn de fēng zhuāng zhī hòu ， bù shǎo xué yuán sì hū lǐng wù dào le shén me ， chéng jì tū fēi měng jìn 。
自从上次亲眼见到天玄镜面的封装之后，不少学员似乎领悟到了什么，成绩突飞勐进。
Fortunately, he had performed exceptionally in previous projects like array structure and soul contract recognition tests. His overall ranking remained above average.
zài zuì hòu de cè shì xiàng mù ， zhèn shū qīn hé dù cè yàn zhōng ， hòu lái jū shàng 。
在最后的测试项目，阵枢亲和度测验中，后来居上。
Ji Hongdiao announced that the final test would be held in a month and a half—practical application of the【Heavens玄 Locking Spirit Array】. Only array formation materials would be provided, with no assistance from others; it was to be done alone. The results would be assessed based on the actual construction of the array.
ér lǐ fán yì fāng miàn yīn wèi xīn xì cóng yún hǎi dà shì jiàn hé zì shēn jié dān ， shāo wēi yǒu diǎn fēn shén ； lìng yì fāng miàn zé shì yīn wèi zì jǐ zhèn dào tiān fù shí zài xī sōng píng cháng ， què shí méi yǒu shén me gǎn wù 。
而李凡一方面因为心系丛云海大事件和自身结丹，稍微有点分神；另一方面则是因为自己阵道天赋实在稀松平常，确实没有什么感悟。
Those who performed well would receive rewards, though Ji Hongdiao kept the specifics a secret, promising that they were extremely valuable and even he wanted to participate.
liǎng zhě yuán yīn xiāng dié jiā ， dǎo zhì tā chéng jì jī hū jiù shì zài yuán dì tà bù tà 。
两者原因相叠加，导致他成绩几乎就是在原地踏步踏。
The students' spirits lifted as they hurried back to their courtyards to prepare for this final test. Li Fan was about to leave when Ji Hongdiao called him back.
suǒ wèi bù jìn zé tuì ， lǐ fán de chéng jì pái míng ， yě yǒu le dà fú dù de xià huá 。
所谓不进则退，李凡的成绩排名，也有了大幅度的下滑。
"Although we will soon face the final test, I should temporarily keep this a secret."
hǎo zài zhī qián de zhèn fǎ jié gòu 、 hún qì biàn shí xiàng mù ， tā de chéng jì dōu shì míng liè qián máo 。
好在之前的阵法结构、魂契辨识项目，他的成绩都是名列前茅。
"But this matter is too significant; you have the right to know," Ji Hongdiao added.
zōng hé xià lái ， yě méi yǒu diào dào hěn hòu de wèi zhì 。
综合下来，也没有掉到很后的位置。
Li Fan immediately understood what Ji Hongdiao meant. He feigned confusion and respectfully said, "Senior, please speak freely. I can handle it."
pái míng yī rán shì zhōng děng piān shàng 。
排名依然是中等偏上。
Ji Hongdiao nodded slightly: "Since that's the case, listen carefully."
zhè tiān ， jì hóng dào xuān bù le jiāng zài yí gè bàn yuè hòu ， jìn xíng zuì hòu de kǎo yàn 。
这天，纪宏道宣布了将在一个半月后，进行最后的考验。
"Your hometown, Cunyun Sea."
tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn de bù zhèn shí cāo 。
天玄锁灵阵的布阵实操。
"It’s gone..."
zhǐ tí gōng zú gòu de zhèn fǎ cái liào ， méi yǒu rèn hé qí tā rén jìn xíng fǔ zhù ， yí gè rén dān dú bù zhèn 。
只提供足够的阵法材料，没有任何其他人进行辅助，一个人单独布阵。
Li Fan responded calmly but puzzled: "Gone? What does that mean?"
zuì hòu gēn jù zhèn fǎ de shí jì jiàn zào qíng kuàng ， zuò chū píng gū 。
最后根据阵法的实际建造情况，做出评估。
Ji Hongdiao's eyes darkened: "Gone means exactly what it says. The entire Cunyun Sea has vanished."
bìng àn zhào chéng jì hǎo huài jìn xíng pái míng 。
并按照成绩好坏进行排名。
Li Fan laughed bitterly: "Senior, don't joke around. How can such a vast area simply vanish?"
jì yōu zhě ， zì rán yǒu jiǎng shǎng 。
绩优者，自然有奖赏。
His words were cut short as he suddenly fell silent. He stared at Ji Hongdiao, who didn’t seem to be joking.
bù guò jù tǐ jiǎng pǐn shì shén me ， jì hóng dào què mài le gè guān zi 。
不过具体奖品是什么，纪宏道却卖了个关子。
Stricken with shock, his body trembled. Li Fan, disregarding the disparity in their cultivation levels, lunged forward and grabbed Ji Hongdiao's arm.
zhǐ shuō jí wéi zhēn guì ， lián tā dōu xīn dòng bù yǐ ， xiǎng qīn zì xià chǎng cān jiā bǐ shì 。
只说极为珍贵，连他都心动不已，想亲自下场参加比试。
"Is it really true? How is that possible?"
zhòng xué yuán wén yán ， xīn zhōng bù miǎn zhèn fèn 。
众学员闻言，心中不免振奋。
"What happened exactly?"
jí qiè de huí guī gè zì bié yuàn ， wèi zuì hòu de kǎo yàn zuò chōng zú de zhǔn bèi 。
急切的回归各自别院，为最后的考验做充足的准备。
...
lǐ fán yě zhèng yù lí qù ， què bèi jì hóng dào hǎn zhù 。
李凡也正欲离去，却被纪宏道喊住。
Ji Hongdiao sighed deeply as he looked at Li Fan’s suddenly deranged expression: "Alright." He pointed to send Li Fan back to his courtyard. "Go cool down for a while. You can search the Heaven Mirror for more details."
“ suī rán bù jiǔ hòu jí jiāng yíng lái zuì zhōng cè yàn ， lǐ xìng kǎo lǜ ， zhè jiàn shì wǒ yīng dāng zàn shí yǐn mán 。”
“虽然不久后即将迎来最终测验，理性考虑，这件事我应当暂时隐瞒。”
"Relevant information should still be available."
“ dàn shì cǐ shì shí zài tài guò zhòng dà ， wǒ rèn wéi ， nǐ yǒu zhī qíng de quán lì 。”
“但是此事实在太过重大，我认为，你有知情的权利。”
Li Fan returned to his small courtyard, maintaining his shocked demeanor as he searched through the Heaven Mirror.
lǐ fán shà shí jiān jiù míng bái jì hóng dào suǒ shuō de shì hé shì le 。
李凡霎时间就明白纪宏道所说的是何事了。
"It seems that the Heavenly Saber's final battle wasn't against Mo Shi. Cunyun Sea has become an abyss of nothingness."
bù guò xì què shì bì xū yào yǎn de 。
不过戏却是必须要演的。
"The Cloud Water Heavenly Palace is also nowhere to be found."
wēi wēi yī lèng ， zhuāng zuò yī fù bù míng suǒ yǐ de yàng zi ， lǐ fán gōng jǐn dì shuō dào ：“ qián bèi dàn shuō wú fáng ， wǒ chéng shòu de zhù 。”
微微一愣，装作一副不明所以的样子，李凡恭谨地说道：“前辈但说无妨，我承受的住。”
This result was expected. Perhaps the Heavenly Saber’s essence was a peerless existence, but she was merely a fragment now, without even her hilt.
jì hóng dào wēi wēi diǎn tóu ：“ jì rán rú cǐ ， nǐ qiě tīng hǎo 。”
纪宏道微微点头：“既然如此，你且听好。”
Moreover... such a significant event had so little discussion. It seemed that the Heavens Sage was at work again.
“ nǐ de jiā xiāng ， cóng yún hǎi 。”
“你的家乡，丛云海。”
---
“ méi le ……”
“没了……”
Such a major incident couldn’t be hidden for long. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance didn't choose to suppress or block the news; instead, they handled it coldly.
lǐ fán de yìng duì yě hěn dào wèi 。
李凡的应对也很到位。
Initially, discussions were intense. Mo Shi's apocalyptic images, recorded by Jiao Xiuyuan, shocked many cultivators and sparked greed. Beyond sympathy for the unfortunate Cunyun Sea cultivators, and why Mo Shi resorted to such brutal methods, the most discussed topic was the feasibility of combining with Mo Shi.
méi yǒu shén me tè bié de fǎn yìng ， ér shì mǎn liǎn máng rán ：“ méi le ？ zhè shì shén me yì si ？”
没有什么特别的反应，而是满脸茫然：“没了？这是什么意思？”
Over time, fewer people engaged in these two topics. Only the intensity faction persisted: "What kind of power must one exhibit to combine with Mo Shi? In my view, even in this vast world, no cultivator has that right."
jì hóng dào yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī àn rán ：“ méi le ， jiù shì zì miàn shàng de yì si 。”
纪宏道眼中闪过一丝暗然：“没了，就是字面上的意思。”
"Let me suggest Jingle Junzi. Legend says he reached the peak of Transformational Realm decades ago, his strength unfathomable. Once, he faced the temptation of Earth and Sky Essence, but refused to combine with it because it was too weak!"
“ zhěng piàn cóng yún hǎi ， xiāo shī le 。”
“整片丛云海，消失了。”
"Jingle Junzi is strong, yet still falls short compared to Mo Shi."
lǐ fán shěn rán yī xiào ：“ qián bèi mò kāi wán xiào ， cóng yún hǎi hé děng guǎng kuò 。 zhè me dà yī piàn qū yù ， zěn me kě néng shuō xiāo shī jiù ……”
李凡哂然一笑：“前辈莫开玩笑，丛云海何等广阔。这么大一片区域，怎么可能说消失就……”
"That black particle annihilates everything; resisting it would be extremely difficult. I think if Zhong Shentong advanced to Transformational Realm, the endless seven-color divine light might counter it."
huà shuō dào yí bàn ， lǐ fán dǒu rán xiàn rù sǐ jì 。
话说到一半，李凡陡然陷入死寂。
"Zhong Shentong? A Foundation Establishment cultivator? So old. Is he really that powerful? Without Junzi stepping in, I can crush him!"
tā lèng lèng dì dīng zhe jì hóng dào ， jiàn tā gēn běn bù xiàng kāi wán xiào de yàng zi 。
他愣愣地盯着纪宏道，见他根本不像开玩笑的样子。
"Oh? This senior has such a big mouth? Care to leave your name and address for me to challenge you personally?"
rú zāo léi pī ， shēn qū màn màn chàn dǒu 。
如遭雷噼，身躯慢慢颤抖。
...
yǎn jīng dèng dé rú tóng líng ， lǐ fán bù gù shuāng fāng xiū wèi shēn fèn chā jù ， měng dì shàng qián ， yī bǎ zhuā zhù jì hóng dào gē bó 。
眼睛瞪得如铜铃，李凡不顾双方修为身份差距，勐地上前，一把抓住纪宏道胳膊。
Li Fan read through the information with a tragic expression on his face.
“ shì zhēn de ？ zhè zěn me kě néng ？”
“是真的？这怎么可能？”
Inwardly, he thought: "Such an unfortunate event; it's perfectly reasonable that my final test results are slightly worse."
“ jiū jìng shì zěn me huí shì ？”
“究竟是怎么回事？”
For several days, Li Fan stayed indoors and declined all visitors, portraying a cultivator who had suddenly faced a significant change. Over time, his memories of Cunyun Sea gradually faded. His thoughts were blocked, rarely recalling the incident.
……
……
If not for the special area he created in his mind’s Dao Stone to record events every few days, he would have almost forgotten about Cunyun Sea's destruction. It had only been a little over a month.
“ āi 。” jì hóng dào kàn zhe lǐ fán nà shà shí jiān zhuàng ruò fēng diān de mú yàng ， cháng tàn yì kǒu qì 。
“哎。”纪宏道看着李凡那霎时间状若疯癫的模样，长叹一口气。
"The Heavens Sage's power is truly terrifying," Li Fan mused after experiencing this firsthand impact again.
yī zhǐ jiāng lǐ fán sòng huí bié yuàn ， tā shuō dào ：“ nǐ xiān huí qù lěng jìng xià ba 。 zhì yú jù tǐ fā shēng le shén me ， nǐ kě zì xíng zài tiān xuán jìng zhōng jìn xíng sōu suǒ 。”
一指将李凡送回别院，他说道：“你先回去冷静下吧。至于具体发生了什么，你可自行在天玄镜中进行搜索。”
Thus, everything returned to normal. A dozen more days later, the final test for the【Heavens玄 Locking Spirit Array】training arrived.
Li Fan quietly restored his aura to the Foundation Establishment stage in the Huanyu Courtyard. His breakthrough did not draw much attention from others, except for Ji Hongdiao's surprised glance during a lecture.
Almost no one knew that Li Fan had already entered the Golden Core realm.
However, even if these students found out, they likely wouldn't give it much thought. After all, the Golden Core realm was too common among them. They placed more value on阵法造诣 (array formation proficiency) than cultivation levels.
The closed training for the【Heavens玄 Locking Spirit Array】was nearing its end. Since witnessing the sealing of the Heaven Mirror, many students seemed to have gained some insight and their grades had improved dramatically.
In the final test—array core affinity testing—they managed to come from behind.
On one hand, Li Fan was distracted by the events in Cunyun Sea and his own condensation of the Golden Core; on the other, he lacked any profound understanding due to his mediocre array formation talent.
These factors combined meant that his performance barely moved at all. The saying "no progress means regression" applied well to his ranking.
Fortunately, he had performed exceptionally in previous projects like array structure and soul contract recognition tests. His overall ranking remained above average.
Ji Hongdiao announced that the final test would be held in a month and a half—practical application of the【Heavens玄 Locking Spirit Array】. Only array formation materials would be provided, with no assistance from others; it was to be done alone. The results would be assessed based on the actual construction of the array.
Those who performed well would receive rewards, though Ji Hongdiao kept the specifics a secret, promising that they were extremely valuable and even he wanted to participate.
The students' spirits lifted as they hurried back to their courtyards to prepare for this final test. Li Fan was about to leave when Ji Hongdiao called him back.
"Although we will soon face the final test, I should temporarily keep this a secret."
"But this matter is too significant; you have the right to know," Ji Hongdiao added.
Li Fan immediately understood what Ji Hongdiao meant. He feigned confusion and respectfully said, "Senior, please speak freely. I can handle it."
Ji Hongdiao nodded slightly: "Since that's the case, listen carefully."
"Your hometown, Cunyun Sea."
"It’s gone..."
Li Fan responded calmly but puzzled: "Gone? What does that mean?"
Ji Hongdiao's eyes darkened: "Gone means exactly what it says. The entire Cunyun Sea has vanished."
Li Fan laughed bitterly: "Senior, don't joke around. How can such a vast area simply vanish?"
His words were cut short as he suddenly fell silent. He stared at Ji Hongdiao, who didn’t seem to be joking.
Stricken with shock, his body trembled. Li Fan, disregarding the disparity in their cultivation levels, lunged forward and grabbed Ji Hongdiao's arm.
"Is it really true? How is that possible?"
"What happened exactly?"
...
Ji Hongdiao sighed deeply as he looked at Li Fan’s suddenly deranged expression: "Alright." He pointed to send Li Fan back to his courtyard. "Go cool down for a while. You can search the Heaven Mirror for more details."
"Relevant information should still be available."
Li Fan returned to his small courtyard, maintaining his shocked demeanor as he searched through the Heaven Mirror.
"It seems that the Heavenly Saber's final battle wasn't against Mo Shi. Cunyun Sea has become an abyss of nothingness."
"The Cloud Water Heavenly Palace is also nowhere to be found."
This result was expected. Perhaps the Heavenly Saber’s essence was a peerless existence, but she was merely a fragment now, without even her hilt.
Moreover... such a significant event had so little discussion. It seemed that the Heavens Sage was at work again.
---
Such a major incident couldn’t be hidden for long. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance didn't choose to suppress or block the news; instead, they handled it coldly.
Initially, discussions were intense. Mo Shi's apocalyptic images, recorded by Jiao Xiuyuan, shocked many cultivators and sparked greed. Beyond sympathy for the unfortunate Cunyun Sea cultivators, and why Mo Shi resorted to such brutal methods, the most discussed topic was the feasibility of combining with Mo Shi.
Over time, fewer people engaged in these two topics. Only the intensity faction persisted: "What kind of power must one exhibit to combine with Mo Shi? In my view, even in this vast world, no cultivator has that right."
"Let me suggest Jingle Junzi. Legend says he reached the peak of Transformational Realm decades ago, his strength unfathomable. Once, he faced the temptation of Earth and Sky Essence, but refused to combine with it because it was too weak!"
"Jingle Junzi is strong, yet still falls short compared to Mo Shi."
"That black particle annihilates everything; resisting it would be extremely difficult. I think if Zhong Shentong advanced to Transformational Realm, the endless seven-color divine light might counter it."
"Zhong Shentong? A Foundation Establishment cultivator? So old. Is he really that powerful? Without Junzi stepping in, I can crush him!"
"Oh? This senior has such a big mouth? Care to leave your name and address for me to challenge you personally?"
...
Li Fan read through the information with a tragic expression on his face.
Inwardly, he thought: "Such an unfortunate event; it's perfectly reasonable that my final test results are slightly worse."
For several days, Li Fan stayed indoors and declined all visitors, portraying a cultivator who had suddenly faced a significant change. Over time, his memories of Cunyun Sea gradually faded. His thoughts were blocked, rarely recalling the incident.
If not for the special area he created in his mind’s Dao Stone to record events every few days, he would have almost forgotten about Cunyun Sea's destruction. It had only been a little over a month.
"The Heavens Sage's power is truly terrifying," Li Fan mused after experiencing this firsthand impact again.
Thus, everything returned to normal. A dozen more days later, the final test for the【Heavens玄 Locking Spirit Array】training arrived.