“ cháng shēng tiān zūn ， yòu bú shì yǒng shēng tiān zūn 。 dāng rán huì yǔn luò 。”
“长生天尊，又不是永生天尊。当然会陨落。”
"Longevity Heaven Venerable, not Eternal Heaven Venerable. Of course, he would fall."
jì hóng dào yáo yáo tóu ， qīng xiào dào 。
纪宏道摇摇头，轻笑道。
Ji Hongdao shook his head and smiled lightly.
“ gèng hé kuàng ， zhè wèi qīng shí duàn zhǎng de zhǔ rén ， hái shì yǐ gǔ fǎ chéng jiù tiān zūn guǒ wèi de gǔ tiān zūn 。”
“更何况，这位青石断掌的主人，还是以古法成就天尊果位的古天尊。”
"Moreover, the owner of this Broken Palm, a Qing Shi, is an Ancient Heaven Venerable who achieved his position through ancient methods."
“ gǔ fǎ chéng jiù cháng shēng tiān zūn ， kě bù xiàng rú jīn xū yào nì tiān dì zhī lǐ zhè bān kē kè 。”
“古法成就长生天尊，可不像如今需要逆天地之理这般苛刻。”
"Achieving Longevity Heaven Venerable status with ancient methods isn't as stringent as it is now, defying heaven's laws."
“ shí lì zì rán yào ruò le bù zhǐ yī chóu 。”
“实力自然要弱了不止一筹。”
"The power naturally would be weaker by quite a bit."
“ bèi rén shā sǐ ， zāo yù zāi jié ér wáng ， dōu shì yǒu kě néng de ma 。”
“被人杀死，遭遇灾劫而亡，都是有可能的嘛。”
"Being killed or perishing from calamities are all possible."
méi yǒu liú gěi zài chǎng xiū shì tài duō de zhèn jīng shí jiān ， jì hóng dào fǎng fú zhǐ shì shuō le jiàn wēi bù zú dào de shì ， jiē xià lái zhuǎn ér fēn fù dào ：“ cǐ cì rèn wù jǐn jí ， méi yǒu tài duō xiū xī de shí jiān 。 jīn tiān huáng fǔ 、 shàng guān xiān dài dà jiā shú xī xià zài yǒng héng xiān lěi nèi de zhù yì shì xiàng 。”
没有留给在场修士太多的震惊时间，纪宏道仿佛只是说了件微不足道的事，接下来转而吩咐道：“此次任务紧急，没有太多休息的时间。今天皇甫、上官先带大家熟悉下在永恒仙垒内的注意事项。”
Ji Hongdao didn't give the cultivators much time to be shocked. It seemed like he was just mentioning something trivial.
“ míng tiān jiù kāi shǐ zhèng shì shī gōng 。”
“明天就开始正式施工。”
"Since this mission is urgent, there won't be too much rest. Today, Huangfu and Shangguan will lead everyone to familiarize themselves with the precautions within the Eternal Immortal Barrier."
“ yī jiē duàn rèn wù ， zài chì zhā shēn yuān wài ， jiàn zào tiān xuán suǒ líng dà zhèn 。”
“一阶段任务，在叱吒深渊外，建造天玄锁灵大阵。”
"We'll start construction tomorrow."
“ děng wǒ men jiāng nà chù xīn fā xiàn de mí yù qiān yí wán bì hòu ， zài gǎn guò qù jiàn zào dì èr zuò suǒ líng zhèn 。”
“等我们将那处新发现的迷域迁移完毕后，再赶过去建造第二座锁灵阵。”
"The first phase task is to build the Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array outside the Chachazha Abyss."
“ liǎng chù dì fāng jiàn hǎo ， wǒ men jiù kě yǐ fǎn huí le 。”
“两处地方建好，我们就可以返回了。”
"After we finish moving that newly discovered迷宫, we can head over to construct the second Lock Spirit Array."
“ duì le ……”
“对了……”
"Once both places are built, we can return."
jì hóng dào dùn le dùn ， cóng huái zhōng tāo chū yī méi tiān xuán xiǎo jìng ， zài zhòng rén tóu dǐng zhào chū yī dào guāng bǎng 。
纪宏道顿了顿，从怀中掏出一枚天玄小镜，在众人头顶照出一道光榜。
"By the way..."
“ hǎo jiào nǐ men zhī dào ， rú jīn tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn pǔ jí dà bǐ yǐ jīng zhèng shì kāi shǐ 。”
“好教你们知道，如今天玄锁灵阵普及大比已经正式开始。”
Ji Hongdao paused and took out a small mirror from his pocket. A light banner appeared above everyone's heads.
“ suī rán nǐ men dà bù fèn rén dōu bù zài cān sài zhī liè ， dàn wàn xiān méng què bú huì ràng nǐ men de xīn kǔ bái fèi 。”
“虽然你们大部分人都不在参赛之列，但万仙盟却不会让你们的辛苦白费。”
"To inform you all, the Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array General Competition has officially begun today."
“ hù wèi 、 yùn shū 、 xié zuò ， měi yī fēn nǔ lì ， yě huì bèi xiáng jìn jì lù ， zhuǎn huà wèi jī fēn 。 děng dào zuì hòu dà zhèn jiàn zào wán bì zhī shí ， zhè xiē jī fēn dōu kě yǐ yòng lái duì huàn méng nèi de gōng fǎ 、 bǎo wù 。”
“护卫、运输、协作，每一分努力，也会被详尽记录，转化为积分。等到最后大阵建造完毕之时，这些积分都可以用来兑换盟内的功法、宝物。”
"While most of you aren't in the competition, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance won't let your efforts go to waste."
“ bìng qiě ， měi yī zuò tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn de jiàn zào ， dū huì shì wèi yí gè shàng děng jiǎ gōng de gōng xūn rèn wù 。”
“并且，每一座天玄锁灵阵的建造，都会视为一个上等甲功的功勋任务。”
"Every effort for guarding, transporting, and collaborating will be meticulously recorded and converted into points. These points can be exchanged for techniques and treasures within the alliance when the array is completed."
“ dāng zhèn fǎ jiàn zào wán bì ， huì gēn jù gòng xiàn de duō shǎo ， jǐ yǔ xiāng yìng de gōng xūn jiǎng lì 。”
“当阵法建造完毕，会根据贡献的多少，给予相应的功勋奖励。”
"And building each Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array will count as a first-class military achievement task."
“ shí shí fā fàng ， bù tuō yán 。”
“实时发放，不拖延。”
"When the array is complete, rewards based on contributions will be given out promptly."
jì hóng dào huà yīn wèi luò ， zài chǎng de xiū shì yǐ jīng dōu shì yī zhèn huá rán 。
纪宏道话音未落，在场的修士已经都是一阵哗然。
The cultivators were already in an uproar upon Ji Hongdao's words.
xiǎn rán tā men yě shì gāng gāng zhī xiǎo zhè ge xiāo xī 。
显然他们也是刚刚知晓这个消息。
Clearly, they had just learned this news.
shàng děng jiǎ gōng ， píng rì dōu jī běn dōu shì wēi xiǎn dù 、 nán dù jí gāo de rèn wù 。
上等甲功，平日都基本都是危险度、难度极高的任务。
First-class military achievements are usually high-risk and high-difficulty tasks that ordinary cultivators have no hope of completing.
xún cháng xiū shì ， gēn běn méi yǒu wán chéng de xī wàng 。
寻常修士，根本没有完成的希望。
But now, by diligently building the Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array, one could obtain them.
ér rú jīn ， zhǐ yào jīng jīng yè yè jiàn zào tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn ， jiù néng huò dé 。
而如今，只要兢兢业业建造天玄锁灵阵，就能获得。
This was driving everyone crazy.
zhè rú hé bù ràng tā men fēng kuáng 。
这如何不让他们疯狂。
Ji Hongdao smiled slightly: "Fellow cultivators, do you want to gain techniques or boost your authority level?"
jì hóng dào wēi wēi yī xiào ：“ zhū wèi ， xiǎng yào huò dé gōng fǎ ， xiǎng yào tí shēng quán xiàn děng jí me ？”
纪宏道微微一笑：“诸位，想要获得功法，想要提升权限等级么？”
"This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
“ zhè cì ， kě zhēn shì gè qiān zǎi nán féng de jī huì 。”
“这次，可真是个千载难逢的机会。”
"Missing it might require paying several times more in the future."
“ cuò guò le ， kǒng pà jīn hòu xiǎng yào huò dé tóng děng de bào chóu ， xū yào fù chū de dài jià ， shù bèi bù zhǐ 。”
“错过了，恐怕今后想要获得同等的报酬，需要付出的代价，数倍不止。”
"So please strive."
“ suǒ yǐ ， hái qǐng nǔ lì ba 。”
“所以，还请努力吧。”
---
qún qíng jī fèn zhōng ， lǐ fán dǎ liàng zhe tiān kōng de guāng bǎng 。
群情激奋中，李凡打量着天空的光榜。
In the midst of their excitement, Li Fan observed the light banner above the sky.
huò xǔ shì dà bǐ gāng gāng kāi shǐ ， chā jù hái méi yǒu lā kāi de yuán gù 。
或许是大比刚刚开始，差距还没有拉开的缘故。
Perhaps because the competition had just started and no one was far ahead yet, the list kept changing. The competition was fierce indeed.
shàng miàn de míng dān měi shí měi kè dōu zài bù tíng biàn dòng ， zú yǐ kàn chū jìng zhēng zhī jī liè 。
上面的名单每时每刻都在不停变动，足以看出竞争之激烈。
There were a total of 783 names on the list. They were all familiar—trainees from the All-World Academy who participated in special training sessions.
bǎng dān shàng yī gòng yǒu qī bǎi bā shí sān wèi 。
榜单上一共有七百八十三位。
Apart from Li Fan and Xue Mu at zero points, there was also a Golden Core cultivator named Guo Ye Zhong who hadn't officially started building the array yet.
míng zì shí fēn shú xī ， dōu shì dāng chū zài huán yǔ bié yuàn zhōng cān yù tè xùn de xué yuán 。
名字十分熟悉，都是当初在寰宇别院中参与特训的学员。
"Alright, put away your excitement for now. Save your strength for tomorrow."
chú le lǐ fán hé xuē mù yǐ líng jī fēn diàn dǐ zhī wài ， hái yǒu yí gè míng jiào guō yè zhòng de jīn dān xiū shì ， bù zhī wèi hé yě shì hái méi zhèng shì cān yù zhèn fǎ jiàn zào 。
除了李凡和薛幕以零积分垫底之外，还有一个名叫郭叶仲的金丹修士，不知为何也是还没正式参与阵法建造。
After some time, seeing that the atmosphere had been well set, Ji Hongdao continued: "Once we disembark, you must carry this [Black Death Token] with you at all times—even within the Eternal Immortal Barrier. You must remember this."
“ hǎo le ， zàn qiě shōu qǐ nǐ men de xīng fèn jìn 。 bǎ lì qì liú zài míng tiān ba 。”
“好了，暂且收起你们的兴奋劲。把力气留在明天吧。”
"Starting from tomorrow, there will be cultivators stationed in the barrier to accompany you and prevent Abyssal Sounds of Despair."
guò le yī huì ， jiàn qì fēn hōng tuō de chà bu duō le ， jì hóng dào zhè cái jì xù shuō dào 。
过了一会，见气氛烘托的差不多了，纪宏道这才继续说道。
"Huangfu and Shangguan will brief you on specific details."
“ xià chuán zhī hòu ， wù bì jiāng zhè 【 hēi sǐ fú 】 suí shēn xié dài 。 nǎ pà zài zhè yǒng héng xiān lěi nèi ， yě yào rú cǐ 。 nǐ men qiè jì 。”
“下船之后，务必将这【黑死符】随身携带。哪怕在这永恒仙垒内，也要如此。你们切记。”
With a wave of his hand, hundreds of black tokens with lightning-like light appeared above the sky.
“ cóng míng rì qǐ ， yě huì yǒu zhù zhā xiān lěi de xiū shì hé nǐ men yì qǐ xíng dòng ， yǐ fáng shēn yuān mó yīn 。”
“从明日起，也会有驻扎仙垒的修士和你们一起行动，以防深渊魔音。”
Each one flew towards the cultivators present.
“ jù tǐ shì yí ， huáng fǔ hé shàng guān huì wèi nǐ men jiāo dài de 。”
“具体事宜，皇甫和上官会为你们交代的。”
Li Fan touched it, and the Black Death Token instantly transformed into a black line that settled on his left wrist.
shuō bà ， jì hóng dào yī huī shǒu ， zhǐ jiàn shàng bǎi méi biǎo miàn yǒu hēi sè guāng huá rú shǎn diàn bān yóu zǒu de hù fú ， chū xiàn zài tiān kōng shàng 。
说罢，纪宏道一挥手，只见上百枚表面有黑色光华如闪电般游走的护符，出现在天空上。
Without time to inspect it further, he was urged by Huangfu Song to leave the Dust-Parting Boat and settle temporarily in the Eternal Immortal Barrier.
suí hòu gè zì fēi zhì zài chǎng xiū shì miàn qián 。
随后各自飞至在场修士面前。
The barrier truly lived up to its name as a frontline defense against the Chachazha Abyss. It almost had everything needed for self-sufficiency.
lǐ fán yǐ shǒu chù zhī ， nà hēi sǐ fú shà shí jiān huà zuò yī dào hēi xiàn ， zài tā zuǒ shǒu wàn chù qián fú xià lái 。
李凡以手触之，那黑死符霎时间化作一道黑线，在他左手腕处潜伏下来。
Apart from not being able to teleport, there was even a Heaven Xuan Mirror here.
lái bù jí zǐ xì chá tàn ， jiù zài huáng fǔ sōng de cuī cù xià ， lí kāi le dù chén zhōu ， zài yǒng héng xiān lěi nèi zàn shí jū zhù le xià lái 。
来不及仔细查探，就在皇甫松的催促下，离开了渡尘舟，在永恒仙垒内暂时居住了下来。
However, their living quarters were just at the outermost edge of the barrier, roughly occupying only a finger's width based on the size of the broken palm seen earlier.
xiān lěi bù kuì shì dǐ yù chì zhā shēn yuān de qián xiàn ， jī hū néng gòu zì jǐ zì zú 。
仙垒不愧是抵御叱吒深渊的前线，几乎能够自给自足。
Deeper access was blocked by cultivators in green robes.
xún cháng zhōu chéng cháng jiàn de shè shī chǎng suǒ ， zhè lǐ yī yīng jù quán 。
寻常州城常见的设施场所，这里一应俱全。
---
chú le wú fǎ chuán sòng wài ， zhè lǐ shèn zhì yě yǒu yí miàn tiān xuán jìng cún zài 。
除了无法传送外，这里甚至也有一面天玄镜存在。
While the cultivators wandered around the barrier,
bù guò lǐ fán tā men jū zhù de dì fāng ， zhǐ shì xiān lěi de zuì wài wéi ， àn zhào xiān qián suǒ jiàn de duàn zhǎng dà xiǎo ， gū mō zhe zuì duō zhǐ zhàn jù yī jié shǒu zhǐ 。
不过李凡他们居住的地方，只是仙垒的最外围，按照先前所见的断掌大小，估摸着最多只占据一截手指。
on the Dust-Parting Boat,
zài xiǎng shēn rù ， yǒu zhe shēn chuān qīng sè yī shang de xiū shì bǎ shǒu ， què shì wú fǎ zuò dào le 。
再想深入，有着身穿青色衣裳的修士把守，却是无法做到了。
Ji Hongdao still stood at the bow, gazing at the scenery within the broken palm structure.
……
……
A twisted figure suddenly appeared behind him, like a ghost.
jiù zài xiū shì men zài xiān lěi nèi xián guàng de shí hòu 。
就在修士们在仙垒内闲逛的时候。
"Still resorting to bribery. Don't you want to try something new?" The figure spoke rudely and with disdain.
dù chén zhōu shàng 。
渡尘舟上。
Ji Hongdao didn't seem surprised by his appearance; he merely said calmly: "Old-fashioned but effective."
jì hóng dào yī rán zhàn lì chuán tóu ， yáo wàng zhe duàn zhǎng jiàn zhù nèi de jǐng sè 。
纪宏道依然站立船头，遥望着断掌建筑内的景色。
"Is that not true?"
yī dào wǎn ruò yōu líng bān niǔ qū de shēn yǐng ， hū de chū xiàn zài tā de shēn hòu 。
一道宛若幽灵般扭曲的身影，忽的出现在他的身后。
"Who among all cultivators can resist the temptation of great benefits?"
“ hái shì xiē yǐ lì yòu rén de shǒu duàn ， jiù bù zhī dào wán xiē xīn huā yàng me ？” shēn yǐng chū yán bù xùn ， mǎn shì bù xiè 。
“还是些以利诱人的手段，就不知道玩些新花样么？”身影出言不逊，满是不屑。
"Even a 'high-minded' young lord like you, if there were no benefit, why would you willingly guard the Chachazha Abyss for decades without moving an inch?"
jì hóng dào sì hū duì tā de chū xiàn bù yì wài ， tóu yě bù huí ， zhǐ shì yōu rán shuō dào ：“ lǎo tào ， dàn shì yǒu xiào 。”
纪宏道似乎对他的出现不意外，头也不回，只是悠然说道：“老套，但是有效。”
The Young Lord sneered but didn't refute.
“ bú shì me ？”
“不是么？”
After a moment's silence, he said: "I can get something from the abyss. Let others try?"
“ tiān xià xiū shì ， shuí yòu néng zhēn de jù lì zhì yú yǎn qián ， ér yòu bù xīn dòng ？”
“天下修士，谁又能真的巨利置于眼前，而又不心动？”
"Guarding such perilous places, I won't mention my achievements."
“ nǎ pà ‘ qīng gāo ’ rú shǎo jūn nǐ ， rú guǒ bú shì yǒu lì kě tú ， nǐ yòu zěn me huì gān yuàn qīn zì zhèn shǒu chì zhā shēn yuān shù shí zài 、 kuī rán bù dòng ne ？”
“哪怕‘清高’如少君你，如果不是有利可图，你又怎么会甘愿亲自镇守叱吒深渊数十载、岿然不动呢？”
"Why do you need to build the Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array on my side now?"
shǎo jūn lěng hēng yī shēng ， méi yǒu fǎn bó 。
少君冷哼一声，没有反驳。
"You and I both know what it is."
chén mò le piàn kè ， tā chū shēng dào ：“ néng cóng shēn yuān yǒu suǒ de ， nà shì wǒ de běn shì 。 nǐ ràng qí tā rén lái shì shì ？”
沉默了片刻，他出声道：“能从深渊有所得，那是我的本事。你让其他人来试试？”
"We cultivators..."
“ zhèn shǒu zhè děng xiōng xiǎn zhī dì ， gōng láo wǒ jiù bù tí le 。”
“镇守这等凶险之地，功劳我就不提了。”
Ji Hongdao suddenly turned around, his face unusually serious as he stared at the Young Lord.
“ wèi hé rú jīn lián wǒ zhè biān ， yě yào jiàn zào 【 tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn 】？”
“为何如今连我这边，也要建造【天玄锁灵阵】？”
The Young Lord's words stopped immediately.
“ nǐ wǒ zài qīng chǔ bù guò ， nà shì gè shén me wán yì 。”
“你我再清楚不过，那是个什么玩意。”
"Locking spirits with the Heaven Xuan method is a trend."
“ wǒ bèi xiū shì ……”
“我辈修士……”
Ji Hongdao said each word distinctly: "Anyone who defies this will die."
jì hóng dào dǒu rán zhuǎn guò shēn lái ， miàn sè qián suǒ wèi yǒu de yán sù ， dīng zhe shǎo jūn 。
纪宏道陡然转过身来，面色前所未有的严肃，盯着少君。
"I advise you not to provoke the will of the [Transmitting Venerables]."
shǎo jūn de huà yě dùn shí zhǐ zhù 。
少君的话也顿时止住。
Seeing that the Young Lord still had an unhappy expression, Ji Hongdao sighed and advised: "The situation is urgent. It's already at a critical point."
“ tiān xuán suǒ líng ， nǎi shì dà shì suǒ qū 。”
“天玄锁灵，乃是大势所趋。”
"Heaven and earth have suddenly relaxed cultivation restrictions for unknown reasons, as if they're going to bury us all together."
jì hóng dào yī zì yī dùn dào ：“ shuí gǎn wéi nì ， dōu shì sǐ lù yī tiáo 。”
纪宏道一字一顿道：“谁敢违逆，都是死路一条。”
"After many attempts with the Five Elders, we couldn't find any trace of the Transmitting Venerable. They are now restless."
“ wǒ quàn shǎo jūn hái shì bú yào shì tú tiǎo xìn 【 chuán fǎ zhě 】 men de yì zhì 。”
“我劝少君还是不要试图挑衅【传法者】们的意志。”
"The Transmitters have even observed signs that the laws of heaven and earth are reversing."
jì hóng dào jiàn shǎo jūn réng rán miàn yǒu bù yù zhī sè ， tàn le kǒu qì ， quàn shuō dào ：“ rú jīn jú shì wēi jí ， yǐ rán dào le kè bù róng huǎn de dì bù 。”
纪宏道见少君仍然面有不豫之色，叹了口气，劝说道：“如今局势危急，已然到了刻不容缓的地步。”
"What does this mean? You should know well enough."
“ tiān dì bù zhī wèi hé tū rán fàng kāi xiū xíng xiàn zhì ， yǎn rán pò guàn zi pò shuāi ， yào lā wǒ men yì qǐ péi zàng de yàng zi 。”
“天地不知为何突然放开修行限制，俨然破罐子破摔，要拉我们一起陪葬的样子。”
"At this time, only the Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array can allow us to survive these difficult times with half the life force of the Xuanhuang Realm as collateral.
“ wǔ lǎo huì nà biān ， jīng guò xǔ duō cì shì tàn ， shǐ zhōng méi néng sōu xún dào chuán fǎ tiān zūn de zōng jì 。 yǐ jīng chǔn chǔn yù dòng 。”
“五老会那边，经过许多次试探，始终没能搜寻到传法天尊的踪迹。已经蠢蠢欲动。”
"Only then can we gradually find a way out."
“ chuán fǎ zhě men gèng shì guān cè dào le tiān dì zhī lǐ zhèng zài nì zhuǎn de hén jì 。”
“传法者们更是观测到了天地之理正在逆转的痕迹。”
The Young Lord clearly couldn't accept Ji Hongdao's explanation.
“ nà yì wèi zhe shén me ， xiāng xìn nǐ yě hěn qīng chǔ 。”
“那意味着什么，相信你也很清楚。”
He asked: "Using all beings as ants, how do you know you're not an ant?"
“ rú jīn zhī jì ， wéi yǒu 【 tiān xuán suǒ líng 】， yǐ xuán huáng jiè dà bàn shēng líng wèi zhì ， dù guò zhè duàn jiān nán shí guāng 。”
“如今之际，唯有【天玄锁灵】，以玄黄界大半生灵为质，渡过这段艰难时光。”
Ji Hongdao dismissed it: "We are naturally above the masses."
“ cái néng xú xú xún zhǎo pò jú zhī dào 。”
“才能徐徐寻找破局之道。”
The Young Lord sneered: "Maybe."
shǎo jūn xiǎn rán bù néng jiē shòu jì hóng dào de shuō cí 。
少君显然不能接受纪宏道的说辞。
"We'll see."
tā fǎn wèn dào ：“ yǐ zhòng shēng wèi lóu yǐ ， yān zhī nǐ yòu rú hé bú shì lóu yǐ ？”
他反问道：“以众生为蝼蚁，焉知你又如何不是蝼蚁？”
With a shake of his figure, he disappeared.
"Longevity Heaven Venerable, not Eternal Heaven Venerable. Of course, he would fall."
Ji Hongdao shook his head and smiled lightly.
"Moreover, the owner of this Broken Palm, a Qing Shi, is an Ancient Heaven Venerable who achieved his position through ancient methods."
"Achieving Longevity Heaven Venerable status with ancient methods isn't as stringent as it is now, defying heaven's laws."
"The power naturally would be weaker by quite a bit."
"Being killed or perishing from calamities are all possible."
Ji Hongdao didn't give the cultivators much time to be shocked. It seemed like he was just mentioning something trivial.
"Since this mission is urgent, there won't be too much rest. Today, Huangfu and Shangguan will lead everyone to familiarize themselves with the precautions within the Eternal Immortal Barrier."
"We'll start construction tomorrow."
"The first phase task is to build the Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array outside the Chachazha Abyss."
"After we finish moving that newly discovered迷宫, we can head over to construct the second Lock Spirit Array."
"Once both places are built, we can return."
"By the way..."
Ji Hongdao paused and took out a small mirror from his pocket. A light banner appeared above everyone's heads.
"To inform you all, the Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array General Competition has officially begun today."
"While most of you aren't in the competition, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance won't let your efforts go to waste."
"Every effort for guarding, transporting, and collaborating will be meticulously recorded and converted into points. These points can be exchanged for techniques and treasures within the alliance when the array is completed."
"And building each Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array will count as a first-class military achievement task."
"When the array is complete, rewards based on contributions will be given out promptly."
The cultivators were already in an uproar upon Ji Hongdao's words.
Clearly, they had just learned this news.
First-class military achievements are usually high-risk and high-difficulty tasks that ordinary cultivators have no hope of completing.
But now, by diligently building the Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array, one could obtain them.
This was driving everyone crazy.
Ji Hongdao smiled slightly: "Fellow cultivators, do you want to gain techniques or boost your authority level?"
"This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"Missing it might require paying several times more in the future."
"So please strive."
---
In the midst of their excitement, Li Fan observed the light banner above the sky.
Perhaps because the competition had just started and no one was far ahead yet, the list kept changing. The competition was fierce indeed.
There were a total of 783 names on the list. They were all familiar—trainees from the All-World Academy who participated in special training sessions.
Apart from Li Fan and Xue Mu at zero points, there was also a Golden Core cultivator named Guo Ye Zhong who hadn't officially started building the array yet.
"Alright, put away your excitement for now. Save your strength for tomorrow."
After some time, seeing that the atmosphere had been well set, Ji Hongdao continued: "Once we disembark, you must carry this [Black Death Token] with you at all times—even within the Eternal Immortal Barrier. You must remember this."
"Starting from tomorrow, there will be cultivators stationed in the barrier to accompany you and prevent Abyssal Sounds of Despair."
"Huangfu and Shangguan will brief you on specific details."
With a wave of his hand, hundreds of black tokens with lightning-like light appeared above the sky.
Each one flew towards the cultivators present.
Li Fan touched it, and the Black Death Token instantly transformed into a black line that settled on his left wrist.
Without time to inspect it further, he was urged by Huangfu Song to leave the Dust-Parting Boat and settle temporarily in the Eternal Immortal Barrier.
The barrier truly lived up to its name as a frontline defense against the Chachazha Abyss. It almost had everything needed for self-sufficiency.
Apart from not being able to teleport, there was even a Heaven Xuan Mirror here.
However, their living quarters were just at the outermost edge of the barrier, roughly occupying only a finger's width based on the size of the broken palm seen earlier.
Deeper access was blocked by cultivators in green robes.
---
While the cultivators wandered around the barrier,
on the Dust-Parting Boat,
Ji Hongdao still stood at the bow, gazing at the scenery within the broken palm structure.
A twisted figure suddenly appeared behind him, like a ghost.
"Still resorting to bribery. Don't you want to try something new?" The figure spoke rudely and with disdain.
Ji Hongdao didn't seem surprised by his appearance; he merely said calmly: "Old-fashioned but effective."
"Is that not true?"
"Who among all cultivators can resist the temptation of great benefits?"
"Even a 'high-minded' young lord like you, if there were no benefit, why would you willingly guard the Chachazha Abyss for decades without moving an inch?"
The Young Lord sneered but didn't refute.
After a moment's silence, he said: "I can get something from the abyss. Let others try?"
"Guarding such perilous places, I won't mention my achievements."
"Why do you need to build the Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array on my side now?"
"You and I both know what it is."
"We cultivators..."
Ji Hongdao suddenly turned around, his face unusually serious as he stared at the Young Lord.
The Young Lord's words stopped immediately.
"Locking spirits with the Heaven Xuan method is a trend."
Ji Hongdao said each word distinctly: "Anyone who defies this will die."
"I advise you not to provoke the will of the [Transmitting Venerables]."
Seeing that the Young Lord still had an unhappy expression, Ji Hongdao sighed and advised: "The situation is urgent. It's already at a critical point."
"Heaven and earth have suddenly relaxed cultivation restrictions for unknown reasons, as if they're going to bury us all together."
"After many attempts with the Five Elders, we couldn't find any trace of the Transmitting Venerable. They are now restless."
"The Transmitters have even observed signs that the laws of heaven and earth are reversing."
"What does this mean? You should know well enough."
"At this time, only the Heaven Xuan Lock Spirit Array can allow us to survive these difficult times with half the life force of the Xuanhuang Realm as collateral.
"Only then can we gradually find a way out."
The Young Lord clearly couldn't accept Ji Hongdao's explanation.
He asked: "Using all beings as ants, how do you know you're not an ant?"
Ji Hongdao dismissed it: "We are naturally above the masses."
The Young Lord sneered: "Maybe."
"We'll see."
With a shake of his figure, he disappeared.