xuē mù cóng chǔ wù jiè zhōng tāo chū yī fù huà juàn ， dì gěi lǐ fán 。
薛幕从储物戒中掏出一副画卷，递给李凡。
Xue Mu took out a scroll from his storage ring and handed it to Li Fan.
“ zhè shì wǒ gēn jù jì yì zhōng de jǐng xiàng ， suí bǐ zuò de yī fù huà juàn 。”
“这是我根据记忆中的景象，随笔做的一副画卷。”
"This is a painting I made based on my memory of the scene. Although I've revised it hundreds of times, it still falls short of capturing its true essence."
“ suī rán yǐ jīng shān gǎi guò shù bǎi cì ， què réng rán nán dé qí wàn fēn zhī yī de shén yùn 。”
“虽然已经删改过数百次，却仍然难得其万分之一的神韵。”
"Even so, every time I calm down and redraw it, I feel like my soul is purified and cleansed, gaining much from this process."
“ jí biàn rú cǐ ， měi měi dāng wǒ jìng xīn zhòng xīn huì zhì tā shí ， yě dōu shì shēn xīn zāo shòu jìng huà xǐ dí bān ， shòu yì fěi qiǎn 。”
“即便如此，每每当我静心重新绘制它时，也都是身心遭受净化洗涤般，受益匪浅。”
Xue Mu spoke seriously.
“ zhī qián hái méi yǒu chá jué ， dàn shì gāng gāng gēn dào yǒu nǐ zhè me yī shuō ， wǒ cái xiǎng dào 。”
“之前还没有察觉，但是刚刚跟道友你这么一说，我才想到。”
"Ordinary man transforming into a divine being..."
“ zhè duàn shí jiān wǒ jìn bù fēi kuài ， huò xǔ jiù shì yīn wèi huì shí cháng huí gù dāng shí guān yǐng qíng jǐng de yuán gù 。”
“这段时间我进步飞快，或许就是因为会时常回顾当时观影情景的缘故。”
Li Fan took the scroll with curiosity, unfolding it.
xuē mù liǎn sè jí wéi zhèng zhòng de shuō dào 。
薛幕脸色极为郑重的说道。
Suddenly, the scene before his eyes seemed to change dramatically. A thin figure stood in white robes, looking up at the sky. The figure was so small, yet it seemed to stand tall against the vast expanse of the heavens.
“ fán rén huà shén ……”
“凡人化神……”
Clouds swirled and transformed into various shapes, piling on top of each other. Strong winds danced, swirling the clouds like snowflakes. The white robe fluttered as the thin figure stood firm against the oppressive sky.
lǐ fán dài zhe hào qí ， jiē guò huà juàn ， jiāng qí zhǎn kāi 。
李凡带着好奇，接过画卷，将其展开。
Despite the pressure from the heavens, he did not show any fear; instead, his aura grew stronger with every moment.
chà nà jiān ， yǎn qián fǎng fú yǒu fēng yún biàn huàn 。
刹那间，眼前仿佛有风云变幻。
He took a step forward, and the clouds recoiled in disarray. He moved again, and the clouds dissipated, leaving the sky clear and blue.
yī dào shòu ruò de bèi yǐng ， shēn zhe bái sè yī shān ， tái tóu wàng tiān 。
一道瘦弱的背影，身着白色衣衫，抬头望天。
Then, strange phenomena began to appear between heaven and earth. Golden light flashed, accompanied by peculiar flowers falling from the skies. Happy calls of auspicious beasts echoed as they flew down from afar. Flowers bloomed on the ground, making it seem like spring had suddenly arrived. The thin figure seemed to laugh lightly.
shēn yǐng shì rú cǐ miǎo xiǎo ， rán ér què fǎng fú hé zhěng piàn tiān dì xiāng duì ér lì 。
身影是如此渺小，然而却仿佛和整片天地相对而立。
He then took a step forward again, vanishing into the sky and blending with the vast expanse before disappearing completely.
tiān kōng zhōng ， yún cǎi bù duàn fān juǎn ， huàn huà chéng bù tóng de mú yàng 。
天空中，云彩不断翻卷，幻化成不同的模样。
Xue Mu was deeply engrossed in his painting. He said bashfully, "My skills are limited, but I hope you find this worthy of your attention."
chóng chóng dié dié ， jī yā ér lái 。
重重叠叠，积压而来。
"The actual scene is far more impressive than what I've painted here."
dà fēng qǐ wǔ ， juǎn qǐ yún céng ruò xuě 。
大风起舞，卷起云层若雪。
"But it's just a copy of the transformation wall. I wonder how magnificent that moment must have been when an ordinary man transformed into a divine being."
bái sè yī shang fān fēi ， miàn duì tiān kōng yā dǐng zhī shì ， shòu ruò shēn yǐng kuī rán bù dòng 。
白色衣裳翻飞，面对天空压顶之势，瘦弱身影岿然不动。
Xue Mu sighed.
miàn duì tiān dì de yā pò ， tā bù jǐn méi yǒu wèi jù ， fǎn ér shēn shàng qì shì yǔ shí jù zēng 。
面对天地的压迫，他不仅没有畏惧，反而身上气势与时俱增。
"Xue Daoist's painting skills are quite remarkable, making one feel as if they were there," Li Fan replied politely, his eyes still fixed on the figure in white within the scroll.
huǎng rán jiān ， tā xiàng qián zǒu le yī bù 。
恍然间，他向前走了一步。
He couldn't help but wonder. Although it was just a copy of the transformation wall, the feeling emanating from this figure made Li Fan feel somewhat familiar.
yú shì bái yún dào juǎn ， kuì bù chéng jūn 。
于是白云倒卷，溃不成军。
"Mr. Bai?"
tā zài dù xiàng qián 。
他再度向前。
Li Fan had met Mr. Bai several times during his stay in the Mortal Realm, but always as fleeting glimpses. Now that he saw this painting, he recognized it instantly due to its resemblance to the real thing.
yún xiāo fēng sàn ， tiān qīng rú xǐ 。
云消风散，天青如洗。
At Mr. Bai's level, appearance was less important than essence. Once you've seen him, it would be hard to mistake him for anyone else. And Li Fan's intuition had never failed him.
suí hòu tiān dì jiān yì xiàng dǒu shēng 。
随后天地间异像陡生。
He could almost be certain that the Mortal Realm Transformation Wall recorded the scene of Mr. Bai transforming into a divine being and ascending to heaven in one step.
wú shù dào jīn guāng zhà xiàn ， bàn suí zhe bù duàn piāo luò de qí yì huā duǒ 。
无数道金光乍现，伴随着不断飘落的奇异花朵。
Li Fan suddenly recalled how Xu Ke had boasted about Mr. Bai's formidable power, claiming he was just an ordinary man not long ago.
zhǒng zhǒng jí xiáng yì shòu zì tiān biān fēi lái ， fā chū huān kuài de míng jiào 。
种种吉祥异兽自天边飞来，发出欢快的鸣叫。
"Based on what Mr. Bai said himself, it seems he didn't lie."
dà dì shàng ， bǎi huā shèng kāi ， fǎng fú zhǎ yǎn jiān ， chūn tiān hū zhì 。
大地上，百花盛开，仿佛眨眼间，春天忽至。
"But a sudden enlightenment transformed him from an ordinary man into a divine being overnight."
nà dào shòu xuē de shēn yǐng ， sì hū fā chū yī zhèn qīng xiào 。
那道瘦削的身影，似乎发出一阵轻笑。
...
zhī hòu tā bēi fù shuāng shǒu ， zài wǎng qián zǒu le yī bù 。
之后他背负双手，再往前走了一步。
Although Li Fan had heard of the legend of mortal men transforming into divine beings, this still seemed too extraordinary to believe when applied to someone he knew personally.
zhè yī zǒu ， jiù dào le tiān shàng 。
这一走，就到了天上。
"What kind of talent could transform one so quickly?"
hé cāng máng tiān mù róng wéi yī tǐ ， xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
和苍茫天幕融为一体，消失不见。
Recalling his many lifetimes spent striving for cultivation, but only reaching mid-stage Golden Core, Li Fan felt a bit lost. Even in an era where enlightenment was highly valued, it still exceeded his comprehension.
xuē mù jiān lǐ fán kàn de chū shén ， yǒu xiē xiū nǎn dì shuō dào ：“ jì yì yǒu xiàn ， zhuō zuò ràng dào yǒu jiàn xiào le 。”
薛幕间李凡看的出神，有些羞赧地说道：“技艺有限，拙作让道友见笑了。”
"Really..."
“ shí jì suǒ jiàn ， bǐ wǒ suǒ huà ， hái yào qiáng shàng wàn bèi 。”
“实际所见，比我所画，还要强上万倍。”
"The gap between people is just too great."
“ dàn yě zhǐ bù guò shì nà huà shén bì de liú yǐng ér yǐ 。 zhēn bù zhī ， zhè wèi fán rén huà shén zhī shí de chǎng miàn ， jiū jìng shì hé děng hào dà 。”
“但也只不过是那化神壁的留影而已。真不知，这位凡人化神之时的场面，究竟是何等浩大。”
But Li Fan's resilience kicked in, and after a moment of confusion, he regained his composure.
xuē mù gǎn kǎi de shuō dào 。
薛幕感慨的说道。
He shook his head and sighed before deciding to visit the Mortal Realm Transformation Wall himself to see Mr. Bai's transformation firsthand.
“ xuē dào yǒu de huà gōng bù sú ， ràng rén shēn lín qí jìng a 。” lǐ fán kè qì de huí fù dào ， yǎn shén què shì shǐ zhōng méi yǒu lí kāi shǒu zhōng de huà juàn ， jǐn jǐn dīng zhe huà zhōng nà jù bái sè shēn yǐng 。
“薛道友的画功不俗，让人身临其境啊。”李凡客气的回复道，眼神却是始终没有离开手中的画卷，紧紧盯着画中那具白色身影。
His anticipation for their next trip to the Mortal Realm grew stronger.
xīn zhōng yǒu xiē bù gǎn què xìn 。
心中有些不敢确信。
Taking a deep breath, Li Fan put away the scroll and handed it back to Xue Mu.
suī rán zhǐ shì mó páng jì lù yǐng bì de huà zuò ， lí zhēn shí de chǎng jǐng huò xǔ yǐ jīng qiān chā wàn bié 。 dàn shì cóng tā shēn shàng chuán lái de gǎn jué ， què ràng lǐ fán yǐn yǐn jué de yǒu xiē shú xī 。
虽然只是模彷记录影壁的画作，离真实的场景或许已经千差万别。但是从他身上传来的感觉，却让李凡隐隐觉得有些熟悉。
"Thank you, Daoist friend. I've gained much from viewing your masterpiece today," he said sincerely.
“ bái xiān shēng ？”
“白先生？”
Xue Mu looked flustered: "It's an honor, no need for gratitude. It was your reminder that led me here. In fact, I should be thanking you."
lǐ fán zài yǔn xiān jìng zhōng ， céng jīng shù cì hé zhè wèi shén mì de qiáng zhě yǒu guò shù miàn zhī yuán 。
李凡在陨仙境中，曾经数次和这位神秘的强者有过数面之缘。
"You two are really making me jealous. I wonder if it's a performance or not," a阴阳怪气的 voice suddenly interrupted their exchange.
dàn shǐ zhōng dōu shì cā jiān ér guò ， zhǐ néng dé jiàn qí mó hú de shēn yǐng 。
但始终都是擦肩而过，只能得见其模湖的身影。
Looking up, Li Fan saw the fat man Huafu Song from the Universe Separate Villa.
zhèng yīn wèi rú cǐ ， cǐ kè jiàn dào zhè lín mó de huà zuò shí ， fǎn ér jiāng qí yī yǎn rèn le chū lái 。
正因为如此，此刻见到这临摹的画作时，反而将其一眼认了出来。
He wasn't angry but was surprised to ask, "It’s you, Senior Huafu Song? I didn’t expect you to be alive?"
dào le bái xiān shēng de jìng jiè ， zài yì zài shén bù zài xíng 。
到了白先生的境界，在意在神不在形。
"I heard Ji Daoist say we no longer need to worry about Tai Tan's attack. I thought you had..."
zhǐ yào jiàn guò tā yí miàn ， jiù hěn nán jiāng qí rèn cuò 。
只要见过他一面，就很难将其认错。
"Senior Huafu, your connections are indeed deep; I admire you," Li Fan said solemnly.
gèng hé kuàng lǐ fán de zhí jué ， yí xiàng hěn zhǔn 。
更何况李凡的直觉，一向很准。
Huafu Song's face turned a dark red as he realized Li Fan was bringing up his slip of the tongue: "Boy, what did you say this time?"
jī hū kě yǐ què dìng ， tiān yùn zhōu 【 fán rén huà shén bì 】， jì lù de jiù shì dāng nián bái xiān shēng fán rén huà shén 、 yī bù dēng tiān de jǐng xiàng 。
几乎可以确定，天运州【凡人化神壁】，记录的就是当年白先生凡人化神、一步登天的景象。
Thought Guest
lǐ fán hū de yòu xiǎng qǐ ， xǔ kè zài jiàn dào bái xiān shēng dà fā shén wēi ， lián zhǎn xǔ duō yì shòu de shí hòu ， céng jīng xìn shì dàn dàn de shuō guò 。
李凡忽的又想起，许克在见到白先生大发神威，连斩许多异兽的时候，曾经信誓旦旦的说过。
"The attack on Tai Tan had nothing to do with me."
bái xiān shēng qián bù jiǔ ， hái zhǐ shì gè fán rén 。
白先生前不久，还只是个凡人。
Li Fan nodded vigorously, looking like he understood and would not leak any information.
shì bái xiān shēng qīn kǒu duì tā shuō de 。
是白先生亲口对他说的。
Huafu Song almost laughed in frustration. "You really have mastered acting skills. I wonder if you're pretending or genuinely foolish."
“ xiàn zài kàn lái ， bái xiān shēng huò xǔ méi yǒu shuō huǎng 。 hé xǔ kè fēn bié zhī qián ， tā dí què zhǐ shì fán rén 。”
“现在看来，白先生或许没有说谎。和许克分别之前，他的确只是凡人。”
Xue Mu looked confused, unsure what the two were hinting at.
“ bù guò yī zhāo dùn wù ， jiù chéng le huà shén xiū shì le 。”
“不过一朝顿悟，就成了化神修士了。”
Just then, Ji Hong Dao's voice rang out.
“……”
“……”
"Alright, Huafu Song. It’s time to stop being a grumpy old man and deal with your juniors properly."
suī rán zhī qián zǎo jiù tīng shuō guò 【 fán rén dùn huà shén 】 de shì qíng 。
虽然之前早就听说过【凡人顿化神】的事情。
"Quickly bring them over; we're about to depart."
dàn chuán shuō bì jìng shì chuán shuō 。
但传说毕竟是传说。
Ji Hong Dao still held some authority over Huafu Song. The latter didn't dare delay and snorted before grabbing Li Fan and Xue Mu by the arms.
ér dāng yì shì de zhǔ rén gōng ， biàn zuò zì jǐ xiāng shí de rén wù shí ， lǐ fán yī shí jiān jìng rán biàn dé yǒu xiē nán yǐ jiē shòu qǐ lái 。
而当轶事的主人公，变作自己相识的人物时，李凡一时间竟然变得有些难以接受起来。
With a flash of light, they appeared on a flying boat.
“ shén me yàng de tiān fù ， cái néng yī zhāo huà shén ？”
“什么样的天赋，才能一朝化神？”
Ji Hong Dao stood at the bow of the ship, waiting for them.
huí xiǎng qǐ zì jǐ duō nián lái lún huí bǎi shì de xīn kǔ móu huà ， rú jīn yě zhǐ bù guò shì jīn dān zhōng qī 。
回想起自己多年来轮回百世的辛苦谋划，如今也只不过是金丹中期。
After being set down, Li Fan and Xue Mu quickly bowed to Ji Hong Dao. He merely nodded in return, his eyes fixed forward as if watching something.
lǐ fán bù jīn yǒu xiē máng rán le 。
李凡不禁有些茫然了。
"Ji Daoist, what is this flying boat?"
jí biàn nà shì fā shēng zài jiǎng jiū tiān rén hé yī 、 dùn wù shàng xiàn jí gāo de shàng gǔ shí qī ， zhè yě yǒu diǎn chāo chū le lǐ fán de xiǎng xiàng 。
即便那是发生在讲究天人合一、顿悟上限极高的上古时期，这也有点超出了李凡的想象。
Li Fan asked boldly after a moment.
“ zhēn shì ……”
“真是……”
"The original plan was to bring you all together with the rest of the array mages from Tian Yu State's Strategy Array Hall and head to the Dragon Cave Heavens for array construction."
“ rén yǔ rén zhī jiān de chā jù ， wèi miǎn yě tài dà le 。”
“人与人之间的差距，未免也太大了。”
"But I suddenly received an assignment that required me to go to the Roaring Abyss."
bù guò lǐ fán bì jìng xīn zhì jiān rèn ， guò le piàn kè ， duǎn zàn de huǎng hū zhī hòu ， tā yě huǎn guò shén lái 。
不过李凡毕竟心智坚韧，过了片刻，短暂的恍忽之后，他也缓过神来。
"There’s been some trouble there, so I decided to take you along," Ji Hong Dao said casually.
Xue Mu took out a scroll from his storage ring and handed it to Li Fan.
"This is a painting I made based on my memory of the scene. Although I've revised it hundreds of times, it still falls short of capturing its true essence."
"Even so, every time I calm down and redraw it, I feel like my soul is purified and cleansed, gaining much from this process."
Xue Mu spoke seriously.
"Ordinary man transforming into a divine being..."
Li Fan took the scroll with curiosity, unfolding it.
Suddenly, the scene before his eyes seemed to change dramatically. A thin figure stood in white robes, looking up at the sky. The figure was so small, yet it seemed to stand tall against the vast expanse of the heavens.
Clouds swirled and transformed into various shapes, piling on top of each other. Strong winds danced, swirling the clouds like snowflakes. The white robe fluttered as the thin figure stood firm against the oppressive sky.
Despite the pressure from the heavens, he did not show any fear; instead, his aura grew stronger with every moment.
He took a step forward, and the clouds recoiled in disarray. He moved again, and the clouds dissipated, leaving the sky clear and blue.
Then, strange phenomena began to appear between heaven and earth. Golden light flashed, accompanied by peculiar flowers falling from the skies. Happy calls of auspicious beasts echoed as they flew down from afar. Flowers bloomed on the ground, making it seem like spring had suddenly arrived. The thin figure seemed to laugh lightly.
He then took a step forward again, vanishing into the sky and blending with the vast expanse before disappearing completely.
Xue Mu was deeply engrossed in his painting. He said bashfully, "My skills are limited, but I hope you find this worthy of your attention."
"The actual scene is far more impressive than what I've painted here."
"But it's just a copy of the transformation wall. I wonder how magnificent that moment must have been when an ordinary man transformed into a divine being."
Xue Mu sighed.
"Xue Daoist's painting skills are quite remarkable, making one feel as if they were there," Li Fan replied politely, his eyes still fixed on the figure in white within the scroll.
He couldn't help but wonder. Although it was just a copy of the transformation wall, the feeling emanating from this figure made Li Fan feel somewhat familiar.
"Mr. Bai?"
Li Fan had met Mr. Bai several times during his stay in the Mortal Realm, but always as fleeting glimpses. Now that he saw this painting, he recognized it instantly due to its resemblance to the real thing.
At Mr. Bai's level, appearance was less important than essence. Once you've seen him, it would be hard to mistake him for anyone else. And Li Fan's intuition had never failed him.
He could almost be certain that the Mortal Realm Transformation Wall recorded the scene of Mr. Bai transforming into a divine being and ascending to heaven in one step.
Li Fan suddenly recalled how Xu Ke had boasted about Mr. Bai's formidable power, claiming he was just an ordinary man not long ago.
"Based on what Mr. Bai said himself, it seems he didn't lie."
"But a sudden enlightenment transformed him from an ordinary man into a divine being overnight."
...
Although Li Fan had heard of the legend of mortal men transforming into divine beings, this still seemed too extraordinary to believe when applied to someone he knew personally.
"What kind of talent could transform one so quickly?"
Recalling his many lifetimes spent striving for cultivation, but only reaching mid-stage Golden Core, Li Fan felt a bit lost. Even in an era where enlightenment was highly valued, it still exceeded his comprehension.
"Really..."
"The gap between people is just too great."
But Li Fan's resilience kicked in, and after a moment of confusion, he regained his composure.
He shook his head and sighed before deciding to visit the Mortal Realm Transformation Wall himself to see Mr. Bai's transformation firsthand.
His anticipation for their next trip to the Mortal Realm grew stronger.
Taking a deep breath, Li Fan put away the scroll and handed it back to Xue Mu.
"Thank you, Daoist friend. I've gained much from viewing your masterpiece today," he said sincerely.
Xue Mu looked flustered: "It's an honor, no need for gratitude. It was your reminder that led me here. In fact, I should be thanking you."
"You two are really making me jealous. I wonder if it's a performance or not," a阴阳怪气的 voice suddenly interrupted their exchange.
Looking up, Li Fan saw the fat man Huafu Song from the Universe Separate Villa.
He wasn't angry but was surprised to ask, "It’s you, Senior Huafu Song? I didn’t expect you to be alive?"
"I heard Ji Daoist say we no longer need to worry about Tai Tan's attack. I thought you had..."
"Senior Huafu, your connections are indeed deep; I admire you," Li Fan said solemnly.
Huafu Song's face turned a dark red as he realized Li Fan was bringing up his slip of the tongue: "Boy, what did you say this time?"
Thought Guest
"The attack on Tai Tan had nothing to do with me."
Li Fan nodded vigorously, looking like he understood and would not leak any information.
Huafu Song almost laughed in frustration. "You really have mastered acting skills. I wonder if you're pretending or genuinely foolish."
Xue Mu looked confused, unsure what the two were hinting at.
Just then, Ji Hong Dao's voice rang out.
"Alright, Huafu Song. It’s time to stop being a grumpy old man and deal with your juniors properly."
"Quickly bring them over; we're about to depart."
Ji Hong Dao still held some authority over Huafu Song. The latter didn't dare delay and snorted before grabbing Li Fan and Xue Mu by the arms.
With a flash of light, they appeared on a flying boat.
Ji Hong Dao stood at the bow of the ship, waiting for them.
After being set down, Li Fan and Xue Mu quickly bowed to Ji Hong Dao. He merely nodded in return, his eyes fixed forward as if watching something.
"Ji Daoist, what is this flying boat?"
Li Fan asked boldly after a moment.
"The original plan was to bring you all together with the rest of the array mages from Tian Yu State's Strategy Array Hall and head to the Dragon Cave Heavens for array construction."
"But I suddenly received an assignment that required me to go to the Roaring Abyss."
"There’s been some trouble there, so I decided to take you along," Ji Hong Dao said casually.