máo dìng 9 nián de shí hòu ， lǐ fán céng jīng jiē dào guò yí gè gōng xūn rèn wù 。
锚定9年的时候，李凡曾经接到过一个功勋任务。
In the 9th year, Li Fan had once received a merit mission.
xié zhù cóng yún hǎi yǎn wǔ táng qīng chú wàn lài dǎo shàng hóng máo yì shòu 。
协助丛云海演武堂清除万籁岛上红毛异兽。
He was tasked to assist the Performance Hall of Cunyun Sea in eliminating the red-haired beasts on Wanlai Island.
nà zhǒng yì shòu yǐ shēng yīn wèi shí ， fán yǎn jí kuài 。
那种异兽以声音为食，繁衍极快。
These beasts fed on sound and reproduced rapidly. They could also merge into groups, forming monsters far stronger than their individual capabilities combined.
hái néng qún tǐ hù xiāng róng hé ， xíng chéng yuǎn chāo gè tǐ píng jūn shí lì de guài wù 。
还能群体互相融合，形成远超个体平均实力的怪物。
After a fierce battle, the performance squad successfully eradicated a certain number of red-haired beasts and completed the mission smoothly.
jīng guò yī cháng áo zhàn ， yǎn wǔ xiǎo duì chéng gōng jiǎo miè le yí dìng shù liàng de hóng máo yì shòu ， shùn lì wán chéng le rèn wù 。
经过一场鏖战，演武小队成功剿灭了一定数量的红毛异兽，顺利完成了任务。
Li Fan was surprised when he asked Jiang Zhengji why they didn't completely exterminate all the beasts on Wanlai Island.
lǐ fán chà yì de xún wèn jiāng zhèng jì ， wèi hé bù chè dǐ jiāng wàn lài dǎo shàng de yì shòu miè jué 。
李凡诧异的询问江正寂，为何不彻底将万籁岛上的异兽灭绝。
Jiang Zhengji told him that there was an ongoing task at the Performance Hall headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, which required them to collect a certain number of sound-absorbing treasures from various regions each year.
jiāng zhèng jì gào sù tā ， wàn xiān méng yǎn wǔ táng zǒng bù yǒu gè rèn wù ， měi nián xū yào gè dì sōu jí shàng jiǎo yí dìng shù liàng de néng gòu xī shōu shēng yīn de yì bǎo 。
江正寂告诉他，万仙盟演武堂总部有个任务，每年需要各地搜集上缴一定数量的能够吸收声音的异宝。
The numbers needed were increasing annually.
bìng qiě xū yào de shù liàng yuè lái yuè duō 。
并且需要的数量越来越多。
At the time, Li Fan only found this mission somewhat peculiar. Now it seemed like it might be aimed at dealing with the Abyss of Roaring?
lǐ fán dāng shí zhǐ shì jué de zhè ge rèn wù pǒ wèi guài yì 。
李凡当时只是觉得这个任务颇为怪异。
Sure enough, as soon as Li Fan had that thought in his mind, Huangfu Song said with a touch of sentiment: "The demonic sounds coming from the bottom of the Abyss of Roaring are extremely terrifying. The Alliance has tried various methods but none have worked."
xiàn zài kàn lái ， sì hū jiù shì wèi le duì fù zhè chì zhā shēn yuān ？
现在看来，似乎就是为了对付这叱吒深渊？
"Silencing spells and soundproof materials were utterly ineffective."
guǒ bù qí rán ， lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng gāng bèng chū zhè ge xiǎng fǎ ， biàn tīng huáng fǔ sōng pǒ yǒu xiē gǎn kǎi de shuō dào ：“ chì zhā shēn yuān dǐ bù chuán lái de mó yīn jí wéi kě bù ， méng nèi cháng shì le gè zhǒng fāng fǎ ， dōu wú fǎ zǔ dǎng 。”
果不其然，李凡脑海中刚蹦出这个想法，便听皇甫松颇有些感慨的说道：“叱吒深渊底部传来的魔音极为可怖，盟内尝试了各种方法，都无法阻挡。”
"It was only later when a cultivator used a stone clam that could absorb and emit sounds, revealing that this type of treasure is highly effective."
“ jìng yīn de fǎ shù ， gé yīn de cái liào ， dōu sī háo méi yǒu zuò yòng 。”
“静音的法术，隔音的材料，都丝毫没有作用。”
"Perhaps because these treasures lack consciousness or complex thoughts, the demonic sounds lethal to cultivators are much less impactful on them."
“ hái shì hòu lái ， yǒu wèi xiū shì shǐ chū le yī zhǒng néng gòu tūn tǔ shēng yīn de shí há fǎ bǎo ， cái fā xiàn zhè zhǒng lèi xíng de yì bǎo yǒu qí xiào 。”
“还是后来，有位修士使出了一种能够吞吐声音的石蛤法宝，才发现这种类型的异宝有奇效。”
"Indeed, one thing counters another!"
“ huò xǔ shì yīn wèi zhè xiē yì bǎo méi yǒu shén zhì 、 huò zhě méi yǒu fù zá sī xù de yuán gù ， duì xiū shì yǒu zhe zhì mìng zuò yòng de mó yīn ， zài tā men shēn shàng de zuò yòng xiào guǒ dà dà jiàng dī 。”
“或许是因为这些异宝没有神智、或者没有复杂思绪的缘故，对修士有着致命作用的魔音，在它们身上的作用效果大大降低。”
"The Alliance has gathered many such treasures, successfully defending against the Abyss of Roaring. To ensure safety, they have moved the Eternal Immortal Barrier back to its original position and used it to suppress the Abyss."
“ zhēn shì yī wù xiáng yī wù ！”
“真是一物降一物！”
"So is this mission about something happening with the Eternal Immortal Barrier?" Li Fan asked.
“ méng nèi sōu jí le xǔ duō cǐ zhǒng yì bǎo ， zǒng suàn shǒu zhù le chì zhā shēn yuān de fáng xiàn 。 bìng qiě wèi le ān quán qǐ jiàn ， chóng xīn jiāng yǒng héng xiān lěi ， qiān yí dào le zuì chū de wèi zhì ， zhèn yā zhe chì zhā shēn yuān 。”
“盟内搜集了许多此种异宝，总算守住了叱吒深渊的防线。并且为了安全起见，重新将永恒仙垒，迁移到了最初的位置，镇压着叱吒深渊。”
Huangfu Song shook his head: "The Eternal Immortal Barrier has a great master in charge and many treasures accumulated. The defenses are almost unshakable."
“ nà wǒ men cǐ cì qián wǎng nà lǐ ， shì bú shì yǒng héng xiān lěi chū le shén me biàn gù ？” lǐ fán wèn dào 。
“那我们此次前往那里，是不是永恒仙垒出了什么变故？”李凡问道。
"Actually, the recent change happened outside the Abyss of Roaring..."
huáng fǔ sōng yáo le yáo tóu ：“ yǒng héng xiān lěi yǒu nà wèi dà rén zuò zhèn ， hái yǒu zhū duō yì bǎo jī lěi ， fáng xiàn jī hū wú kě hàn dòng 。”
皇甫松摇了摇头：“永恒仙垒有那位大人坐镇，还有诸多异宝积累，防线几乎无可撼动。”
Before Huangfu Song could continue, he suddenly shifted his gaze out the window and instructed: "Prepare yourselves; we're about to depart."
“ shì shí shàng ， zhè cì de biàn gù ， fā shēng zài chì zhā shēn yuān zhī wài ……”
“事实上，这次的变故，发生在叱吒深渊之外……”
"Xue Xiaoshi, finish your tea. Crossing through the white fog consumes a lot of lifespan. This is free compensation for you. You'll miss it if you don't take it now."
huáng fǔ sōng zhèng yù zài jiǎng ， shén sè què wēi wēi yī dòng 。
皇甫松正欲再讲，神色却微微一动。
Saying this, he adjusted himself on his round seat.
cháo zhe chuāng wài kàn le yī yǎn ， tā fēn fù dào ：“ zuò hǎo zhǔn bèi ， yào chū fā le 。”
朝着窗外看了一眼，他吩咐道：“做好准备，要出发了。”
Seeing him do so, Li Fan also straightened up in his position.
“ xuē xiǎo zi bǎ chá hē le ， chuān yuè bái wù kě shì yào xiāo hào bù shǎo shòu yuán de 。 zhè shì miǎn fèi gěi nǐ men de bǔ cháng ， cuò guò jiù méi yǒu le 。”
“薛小子把茶喝了，穿越白雾可是要消耗不少寿元的。这是免费给你们的补偿，错过就没有了。”
Instantly, it felt like they had entered another space, separated from the ship's cabin.
shuō bà ， tā nuó le nuó pì gǔ ， zhèng jīn wēi zuò zài le shēn xià de yí gè yuán zuò zhī shàng 。
说罢，他挪了挪屁股，正襟危坐在了身下的一个圆座之上。
Xue Mudu just finished drinking the spirit tea when the flying boat suddenly jolted violently. He stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.
lǐ fán jiàn zhuàng ， yě shì mó shì yàng ， zuò zhèng le wèi zhì 。
李凡见状，也似模似样，坐正了位置。
However, this sudden acceleration did not affect Li Fan or Huangfu Song at all.
wēi wēi gǎn yìng ， chà nà jiān sì hū kuà rù lìng wài yí gè kōng jiān ， hé chuán cāng fēn lí kāi lái 。
微微感应，刹那间似乎跨入另外一个空间，和船舱分离开来。
Both of them sized up Xue Mudu with smiles on their faces.
xuē mù zhè shí gāng jiāng líng chá hē xià ， suí zhe fēi zhōu měng dì jù liè zhèn dòng ， tā shēn xíng yí gè liàng qiàng ， chà diǎn diē dǎo zài dì 。
薛幕这时刚将灵茶喝下，随着飞舟勐地剧烈震动，他身形一个踉跄，差点跌倒在地。
The flying boat seemed to be accelerating continuously. Xue Mudu struggled a bit before settling into his round seat.
ér zhè fēi zhōu de tū rán jiā sù duì lǐ fán hé huáng fǔ sōng què shì yì diǎn yǐng xiǎng yě méi yǒu 。
而这飞舟的突然加速对李凡和皇甫松却是一点影响也没有。
Only after Xue Mudu was seated did Huangfu Song resume his expression and continue the conversation: "Recently, we discovered that another domain is forming near this maze not far from where the Abyss of Roaring lies."
liǎng rén tóng shí dǎ liàng zhe xuē mù ， liǎn shàng mǎn shì xiào róng 。
两人同时打量着薛幕，脸上满是笑容。
"It's already difficult to deal with the Abyss of Roaring. If these two domains merge, who knows what might happen."
fēi zhōu sì hū zhèng zài bù duàn jiā sù ， xuē mù pǒ fèi le yī fān gōng fu ， zhè cái yǒu xiē láng bèi de xué zhe zuò dào yuán zuò shàng 。
飞舟似乎正在不断加速，薛幕颇费了一番功夫，这才有些狼狈的学着坐到圆座上。
"So the Alliance ordered us to move this newly formed domain to a more open area."
děng xuē mù zuò dìng zhī hòu ， huáng fǔ sōng zhè cái shōu liǎn xiào róng ， jiē zhe gāng gāng de huà tí ：“ bù jiǔ qián ， méng nèi fā xiàn ， chì zhā shēn yuān zhī wài ， jù lí cǐ chù mí yù bù yuǎn chù 。 jū rán yòu yǒu lìng wài de mí yù jí jiāng dàn shēng de jì xiàng 。”
等薛幕坐定之后，皇甫松这才收敛笑容，接着刚刚的话题：“不久前，盟内发现，叱吒深渊之外，距离此处迷域不远处。居然又有另外的迷域即将诞生的迹象。”
"Meanwhile, we will construct the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array around both domains for future surveillance and observation."
“ yìng duì chì zhā shēn yuān běn jiù bù yì ， ruò shì ràng zhè liǎng chù mí yù hé bìng ， zhēn bù zhī dào hái huì fā shēng shén me shì qíng 。”
“应对叱吒深渊本就不易，若是让这两处迷域合并，真不知道还会发生什么事情。”
"This is our mission now."
“ suǒ yǐ méng nèi xià le mìng lìng ， jiāng cǐ chù xīn chū xiàn de mí yù qiān yí dào lìng wài de kōng kuàng zhī chù 。”
“所以盟内下了命令，将此处新出现的迷域迁移到另外的空旷之处。”
Huangfu Song spoke calmly.
“ shùn biàn ， zài zhè liǎng chù mí yù wài ， jiàn zào tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn 。 yǐ biàn rì hòu de jiān shì guān chá 。”
“顺便，在这两处迷域外，建造天玄锁灵阵。以便日后的监视观察。”
These few sentences contained a lot of information.
“ zhè jiù shì wǒ men cǐ xíng de rèn wù le 。”
“这就是我们此行的任务了。”
"Can domains be moved?"
huáng fǔ sōng dàn dàn de shuō dào 。
皇甫松澹澹的说道。
"Will they merge?"
zhè jǐ jù huà de xìn xī liàng yǒu xiē dà 。
这几句话的信息量有些大。
Xue Mudu and Li Fan asked simultaneously.
“ mí yù hái néng qiān yí ？”
“迷域还能迁移？”
Huangfu Song glanced at them and explained: "A domain only changes the spatial structure when you enter a specific area."
“ mí yù hái huì hé bìng ？”
“迷域还会合并？”
"Everything outside is normal."
xuē mù hé lǐ fán tóng shí wèn dào 。
薛幕和李凡同时问道。
"This is the boundary of the domain. If one masters the way of space, it's possible to cut and move this entire region."
huáng fǔ sōng kàn le èr rén yī yǎn ， jiě shì dào ：“ mí yù zhǐ shì jìn rù tè dìng de qū yù zhī hòu ， kōng jiān jié gòu huì fā shēng biàn huà 。”
皇甫松看了二人一眼，解释道：“迷域只是进入特定的区域之后，空间结构会发生变化。”
"It may be troublesome but not impossible."
“ ér zài zhè qū yù zhī wài ， yī qiè dōu shì zhèng cháng de 。”
“而在这区域之外，一切都是正常的。”
"Of course, such matters are for us old-timers; we can't rely on you young ones."
“ zhè jiù shì mí yù de biān jiè 。 ruò shì zhǎng wò kōng jiān zhī dào ， zì rán néng zuò dào jiāng zhè yī zhěng piàn qū yù qiē gē 、 yí dòng 。”
“这就是迷域的边界。若是掌握空间之道，自然能做到将这一整片区域切割、移动。”
"Your task is simply to assist in constructing the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array and seal off the domain."
“ suī shuō yǒu diǎn má fán ， dàn yě bú shì shén me nán shì 。”
“虽说有点麻烦，但也不是什么难事。”
Li Fan nodded slightly.
“ dāng rán ， zhè zhǒng shì dōu shì wǒ men zhè xiē lǎo jiā huǒ chū mǎ ， bù néng zhǐ wàng nǐ men zhè xiē nián qīng rén 。”
“当然，这种事都是我们这些老家伙出马，不能指望你们这些年轻人。”
Xue Mudu was still confused: "Senior Huangfu, if domains can be moved, why not move that Abyss of Roaring? Why go through all this trouble to suppress it?"
“ nǐ men de rèn wù ， jiù shì pèi hé jiàn zào tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn ， bǎ mí yù fēng suǒ qǐ lái jí kě 。”
“你们的任务，就是配合建造天玄锁灵阵，把迷域封锁起来即可。”
Huangfu Song smiled grimly. "Why not?"
lǐ fán wēi wēi diǎn tóu 。
李凡微微点头。
Xue Mudu fell silent, unable to respond.
xuē mù què shì réng rán yǒu xiē bù jiě ：“ huáng fǔ qián bèi ， ruò shì mí yù kě yǐ qiān yí ， nà wèi hé bù bǎ nà shén me chì zhā shēn yuān gěi bān zǒu ， fǎn ér yào huā fèi xǔ duō lì qì zhèn yā ne ？”
薛幕却是仍然有些不解：“皇甫前辈，若是迷域可以迁移，那为何不把那什么叱吒深渊给搬走，反而要花费许多力气镇压呢？”
He looked at Xue Mudu deeply and said slowly: "Who knows what terrifying things might emerge if we moved it? It's better to suppress it properly. At least, we're still within the phase of manageable responses."
huáng fǔ sōng sēn rán yī xiào ：“ shì a ， wèi shén me ne ？”
皇甫松森然一笑：“是啊，为什么呢？”
"Until the Heavenly Xuan Mirror..."
xuē mù dùn shí yǔ sè ， bù zhī gāi rú hé huí dá 。
薛幕顿时语塞，不知该如何回答。
Just as Huangfu Song's words abruptly stopped, a sudden chill ran through Li Fan.
tā shēn shēn kàn le xuē mù yī yǎn ， huǎn huǎn shuō dào ：“ shuí zhī dào bān le tā zhī hòu ， yòu huì mào chū shén me gèng kě pà de dōng xī ne ？ hái bù rú lǎo lǎo shí shí zhèn yā 。 zuì qǐ mǎ ， xiàn zài hái chù zài néng yìng duì de jiē duàn 。”
他深深看了薛幕一眼，缓缓说道：“谁知道搬了它之后，又会冒出什么更可怕的东西呢？还不如老老实实镇压。最起码，现在还处在能应对的阶段。”
He felt something crawling on his skin, and an emptiness filled his heart, as if something was quietly slipping away.
“ děng tiān xuán jìng ……”
“等天玄镜……”
Xue Mudu's face turned pale. Although Huangfu Song maintained his usual calm demeanor, the fleeting fear in his eyes did not escape Li Fan's notice.
jiù zài huáng fǔ sōng de huà yǔ dǒu rán tíng zhǐ de chà nà ， yī zhèn máo gǔ sǒng rán gǎn tū wù chū xiàn zài lǐ fán de xīn tóu 。
就在皇甫松的话语陡然停止的刹那，一阵毛骨悚然感突兀出现在李凡的心头。
Ingestion
shēn shàng liáng liáng de ， fǎng fú yǒu shén me zài yóu zǒu 。
身上凉凉的，仿佛有什么在游走。
Li Fan opened the True Panel and saw that his 49 years of physical age had suddenly become 50 within a short time.
xīn lǐ zé shì kōng dàng dàng de ， sì hū yǒu shén me dōng xī ， zài bù jīng yì jiān qiāo qiāo liú shī 。
心里则是空荡荡的，似乎有什么东西，在不经意间悄悄流失。
Fortunately, his psychological age remained unchanged, giving him no fear.
xuē mù de liǎn sè biàn dé cāng bái ， ér huáng fǔ sōng suī rán miàn sè rú cháng ， dàn shì tā yǎn zhōng nà yī shǎn ér shì de wèi jù ， què shì méi néng táo guò lǐ fán de yǎn jīng 。
薛幕的脸色变得苍白，而皇甫松虽然面色如常，但是他眼中那一闪而逝的畏惧，却是没能逃过李凡的眼睛。
But he couldn't show it; instead, he acted just as nervous. He asked: "Are we already inside the devouring white fog?"
tūn shì
吞噬
He then looked out the window.
lǐ fán dǎ kāi hái zhēn miàn bǎn ， zhǐ jiàn zì jǐ 49 de shēng lǐ nián líng ， jìng rán zài duǎn duǎn shí jiān nèi ， jiù biàn chéng le 50。
李凡打开还真面板，只见自己49的生理年龄，竟然在短短时间内，就变成了50。
Sure enough, everything was shrouded in white, and nothing could be seen.
hái hǎo xīn lǐ nián qīng kuī rán bù dòng ， ràng tā wú suǒ wèi jù 。
还好心理年轻岿然不动，让他无所畏惧。
Huangfu Song nodded: "The location of the Abyss of Roaring isn't far from the edge of the white fog. We're almost there."
bù guò zhè què bù néng biǎo xiàn chū lái ， lǐ fán tóng yàng zhuāng zuò shí fēn jǐn zhāng de yàng zi ， wèn dào ：“ zhè shì yǐ jīng jìn rù shì yuán bái wù nèi bù le ？”
不过这却不能表现出来，李凡同样装作十分紧张的样子，问道：“这是已经进入噬元白雾内部了？”
"The closer you get to the domain, the stronger its ability to devour lifespan."
suí hòu cháo zhe chuāng wài wàng qù 。
随后朝着窗外望去。
"Inside this [Passing Dust Boat], it's still manageable. Without protection, if you venture into the domain alone, even a thousand years of lifespan wouldn't be enough."
guǒ rán bái máng máng yī piàn ， shén me yě kàn bú dào 。
果然白茫茫一片，什么也看不到。
"You must always carry the [Black Death Talisman] within the domain."
huáng fǔ sōng diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ chì zhā shēn yuān suǒ zài wèi zhì ， lí bái wù biān jiè bù suàn yuǎn 。 mǎ shàng jiù dào le 。”
皇甫松点点头：“叱吒深渊所在位置，离白雾边界不算远。马上就到了。”
"Otherwise, with your mere Golden Core cultivation, you might turn to skeletal remains in just one incense stick's time."
“ lí mí yù yuè jìn ， shì yuán bái wù tūn shì shòu yuán de néng lì yuè qiáng 。”
“离迷域越近，噬元白雾吞噬寿元的能力越强。”
Huangfu Song solemnly instructed. Then he remembered something and added: "Yes, this item will be distributed to all of you before we disembark."
“ zài zhè 【 dù chén zhōu 】 nèi hái hǎo 。 ruò shì méi yǒu fáng hù ， zhī shēn qián rù mí yù ， nǎ pà shì qiān nián shòu yuán dōu bù gòu yòng 。”
“在这【渡尘舟】内还好。若是没有防护，只身潜入迷域，哪怕是千年寿元都不够用。”
"It must also be collected upon departure."
“ nǐ men qiè jì ， zài zhè mí yù zhī nèi ， yí dìng yào suí shēn xié dài 【 hēi sǐ fú 】。”
“你们切记，在这迷域之内，一定要随身携带【黑死符】。”
He hadn't expected the mission location to be so perilous.
“ fǒu zé yǐ nǐ men qū qū jīn dān de xiū wèi ， kǒng pà zhǐ yī zhù xiāng de gōng fu ， jiù yào huà zuò sēn sēn bái gǔ 。”
“否则以你们区区金丹的修为，恐怕只一炷香的功夫，就要化作森森白骨。”
Xue Mudu, who was already not good at speaking, became even more silent now. Despite his attempt to appear calm, he couldn't hide his inner unease.
huáng fǔ sōng miàn sè zhèng zhòng de jiāo dài dào ， suí hòu yòu xiǎng qǐ shén me ， bǔ chōng dào ：“ ń ， zhè dōng xī děng huì xià chuán zhī qián ， huì wèi nǐ men tǒng yī fēn fā 。”
皇甫松面色郑重的交代道，随后又想起什么，补充道：“嗯，这东西等会下船之前，会为你们统一分发。”
Li Fan still showed a mix of fear and composure.
“ lí kāi zhī qián yě yào huí shōu 。”
“离开之前也要回收。”
Huangfu Song had finished his instructions, and the cabin fell into silence for a moment.
méi xiǎng dào zhè cì de rèn wù dì diǎn ， rú cǐ xiōng xiǎn 。
没想到这次的任务地点，如此凶险。
But this quiet didn't last long.
yuán běn jiù bù shàn yán cí de xuē mù ， cǐ kè gèng jiā chén mò le 。
原本就不善言辞的薛幕，此刻更加沉默了。
Soon, faint rustling sounds suddenly appeared in Li Fan's ears.
suī qiáng zuò zhèn dìng ， què yě yǎn shì bú zhù nèi xīn de huáng rán 。
虽强作镇定，却也掩饰不住内心的惶然。
"Medi... Heav..."
lǐ fán yě shì yī jiù biǎo xiàn chū hài pà zhōng càn zá zhe chén wěn de yàng zi 。
李凡也是依旧表现出害怕中掺杂着沉稳的样子。
Li Fan's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the two beside him.
huáng fǔ sōng gāi jiāo dài de shì qíng yǐ jīng shuō wán ， cǐ shí chuán cāng nèi yī shí jiān xiàn rù le chén mò zhī zhōng 。
皇甫松该交代的事情已经说完，此时船舱内一时间陷入了沉默之中。
"Haven't you heard anything?" he asked.
In the 9th year, Li Fan had once received a merit mission.
He was tasked to assist the Performance Hall of Cunyun Sea in eliminating the red-haired beasts on Wanlai Island.
These beasts fed on sound and reproduced rapidly. They could also merge into groups, forming monsters far stronger than their individual capabilities combined.
After a fierce battle, the performance squad successfully eradicated a certain number of red-haired beasts and completed the mission smoothly.
Li Fan was surprised when he asked Jiang Zhengji why they didn't completely exterminate all the beasts on Wanlai Island.
Jiang Zhengji told him that there was an ongoing task at the Performance Hall headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, which required them to collect a certain number of sound-absorbing treasures from various regions each year.
The numbers needed were increasing annually.
At the time, Li Fan only found this mission somewhat peculiar. Now it seemed like it might be aimed at dealing with the Abyss of Roaring?
Sure enough, as soon as Li Fan had that thought in his mind, Huangfu Song said with a touch of sentiment: "The demonic sounds coming from the bottom of the Abyss of Roaring are extremely terrifying. The Alliance has tried various methods but none have worked."
"Silencing spells and soundproof materials were utterly ineffective."
"It was only later when a cultivator used a stone clam that could absorb and emit sounds, revealing that this type of treasure is highly effective."
"Perhaps because these treasures lack consciousness or complex thoughts, the demonic sounds lethal to cultivators are much less impactful on them."
"Indeed, one thing counters another!"
"The Alliance has gathered many such treasures, successfully defending against the Abyss of Roaring. To ensure safety, they have moved the Eternal Immortal Barrier back to its original position and used it to suppress the Abyss."
"So is this mission about something happening with the Eternal Immortal Barrier?" Li Fan asked.
Huangfu Song shook his head: "The Eternal Immortal Barrier has a great master in charge and many treasures accumulated. The defenses are almost unshakable."
"Actually, the recent change happened outside the Abyss of Roaring..."
Before Huangfu Song could continue, he suddenly shifted his gaze out the window and instructed: "Prepare yourselves; we're about to depart."
"Xue Xiaoshi, finish your tea. Crossing through the white fog consumes a lot of lifespan. This is free compensation for you. You'll miss it if you don't take it now."
Saying this, he adjusted himself on his round seat.
Seeing him do so, Li Fan also straightened up in his position.
Instantly, it felt like they had entered another space, separated from the ship's cabin.
Xue Mudu just finished drinking the spirit tea when the flying boat suddenly jolted violently. He stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.
However, this sudden acceleration did not affect Li Fan or Huangfu Song at all.
Both of them sized up Xue Mudu with smiles on their faces.
The flying boat seemed to be accelerating continuously. Xue Mudu struggled a bit before settling into his round seat.
Only after Xue Mudu was seated did Huangfu Song resume his expression and continue the conversation: "Recently, we discovered that another domain is forming near this maze not far from where the Abyss of Roaring lies."
"It's already difficult to deal with the Abyss of Roaring. If these two domains merge, who knows what might happen."
"So the Alliance ordered us to move this newly formed domain to a more open area."
"Meanwhile, we will construct the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array around both domains for future surveillance and observation."
"This is our mission now."
Huangfu Song spoke calmly.
These few sentences contained a lot of information.
"Can domains be moved?"
"Will they merge?"
Xue Mudu and Li Fan asked simultaneously.
Huangfu Song glanced at them and explained: "A domain only changes the spatial structure when you enter a specific area."
"Everything outside is normal."
"This is the boundary of the domain. If one masters the way of space, it's possible to cut and move this entire region."
"It may be troublesome but not impossible."
"Of course, such matters are for us old-timers; we can't rely on you young ones."
"Your task is simply to assist in constructing the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array and seal off the domain."
Li Fan nodded slightly.
Xue Mudu was still confused: "Senior Huangfu, if domains can be moved, why not move that Abyss of Roaring? Why go through all this trouble to suppress it?"
Huangfu Song smiled grimly. "Why not?"
Xue Mudu fell silent, unable to respond.
He looked at Xue Mudu deeply and said slowly: "Who knows what terrifying things might emerge if we moved it? It's better to suppress it properly. At least, we're still within the phase of manageable responses."
"Until the Heavenly Xuan Mirror..."
Just as Huangfu Song's words abruptly stopped, a sudden chill ran through Li Fan.
He felt something crawling on his skin, and an emptiness filled his heart, as if something was quietly slipping away.
Xue Mudu's face turned pale. Although Huangfu Song maintained his usual calm demeanor, the fleeting fear in his eyes did not escape Li Fan's notice.
Ingestion
Li Fan opened the True Panel and saw that his 49 years of physical age had suddenly become 50 within a short time.
Fortunately, his psychological age remained unchanged, giving him no fear.
But he couldn't show it; instead, he acted just as nervous. He asked: "Are we already inside the devouring white fog?"
He then looked out the window.
Sure enough, everything was shrouded in white, and nothing could be seen.
Huangfu Song nodded: "The location of the Abyss of Roaring isn't far from the edge of the white fog. We're almost there."
"The closer you get to the domain, the stronger its ability to devour lifespan."
"Inside this [Passing Dust Boat], it's still manageable. Without protection, if you venture into the domain alone, even a thousand years of lifespan wouldn't be enough."
"You must always carry the [Black Death Talisman] within the domain."
"Otherwise, with your mere Golden Core cultivation, you might turn to skeletal remains in just one incense stick's time."
Huangfu Song solemnly instructed. Then he remembered something and added: "Yes, this item will be distributed to all of you before we disembark."
"It must also be collected upon departure."
He hadn't expected the mission location to be so perilous.
Xue Mudu, who was already not good at speaking, became even more silent now. Despite his attempt to appear calm, he couldn't hide his inner unease.
Li Fan still showed a mix of fear and composure.
Huangfu Song had finished his instructions, and the cabin fell into silence for a moment.
But this quiet didn't last long.
Soon, faint rustling sounds suddenly appeared in Li Fan's ears.
"Medi... Heav..."
Li Fan's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the two beside him.
"Haven't you heard anything?" he asked.