lán lín zhōu suī dì chǔ piān yuǎn ， dàn zì rán jǐng guān què pǒ wèi qí tè 。
兰林州虽地处偏远，但自然景观却颇为奇特。
Lanlin State, though located in a remote area, boasted unique natural landscapes.
yī zuò zuò shí zhù zhuàng shān fēng xuán yú bàn kōng ， rú qiān zhēn lín lì 。
一座座石柱状山峰悬于半空，如千针林立。
Mountain peaks resembling stone columns hung suspended in mid-air, like a forest of needles.
piāo fú zhī shān xià fāng de shēn gǔ ， shì wán quán yóu hēi sè huī jìn gòu chéng de kě bù jìn qū 。 jí biàn cǐ kè fēi xíng yú wàn zhàng gāo kōng zhī shàng ， lǐ fán réng néng gǎn shòu dào xià fāng bù shí chuán lái de ràng rén xīn jì bù yǐ de qì xī 。
漂浮之山下方的深谷，是完全由黑色灰烬构成的可怖禁区。即便此刻飞行于万丈高空之上，李凡仍能感受到下方不时传来的让人心悸不已的气息。
Below the floating mountains lay a deep valley entirely composed of black ash. Even from high above, Li Fan could still feel the heart-stopping aura emanating from below.
huáng fǔ sōng zhàn zài dù chén zhōu shàng ， dǎ liàng xià fāng jǐng sè ， yě bù yóu miàn sè wēi biàn ：“ zhēn shì qióng xiāng pì rǎng zhī dì 。”
皇甫松站在渡尘舟上，打量下方景色，也不由面色微变：“真是穷乡僻壤之地。”
Huafu Song stood on the Dust-Parting Boat, surveying the scenery beneath him and couldn't help but change his expression slightly: "Truly a desolate place."
“ gēn zhè ge guǐ dì fāng bǐ qǐ lái ， wǒ men xiān qián jiàn dào de wàn lǐ yán fén tān yě suàn bù dé xiǎn è le 。”
“跟这个鬼地方比起来，我们先前见到的万里炎焚滩也算不得险恶了。”
"Compared to this hellish place, even the万里炎焚滩 we saw earlier doesn’t seem so perilous."
lǐ fán wén yán ， yě cháo shēn gǔ dǐ bù wàng qù 。
李凡闻言，也朝深谷底部望去。
Li Fan also turned to look down at the valley.
qī hēi huī jìn gòu chéng de hǎi yáng zhōng ， xīng xīng diǎn diǎn réng néng kàn dào wèi xī miè de àn sè huǒ yàn 。
漆黑灰烬构成的海洋中，星星点点仍能看到未熄灭的暗色火焰。
In the ocean of black ash, faint flickers of unextinguished dark flames could still be seen.
bù shí yī zhèn wēi fēng fú guò ， jiāng huī jìn hǎi yáng zhōng de yī sī qī hēi juǎn qǐ ， bù duàn fān fēi 、 shàng téng ， zhuàng jī dào lǐ fán suǒ zài de dù chén zhōu shàng 。
不时一阵微风拂过，将灰烬海洋中的一丝漆黑卷起，不断翻飞、上腾，撞击到李凡所在的渡尘舟上。
A gentle breeze occasionally swept through, lifting a bit of the black ash from the sea. It danced and rose, colliding with Li Fan's Dust-Parting Boat.
qīng ruò wú wù de huī jìn ， zài hé dù chén zhōu fáng hù zhào pèng zhuàng de chà nà ， què yǐn qǐ le jù liè de huàng dòng 。
轻若无物的灰烬，在和渡尘舟防护罩碰撞的刹那，却引起了剧烈的晃动。
Though the ash was light as nothingness, it caused violent shaking when it collided with the protective shield of the boat.
fǎng fú shòu dào le jí dà de chōng jī shì de ， chì hóng guāng céng shàng chū xiàn le yí gè xiǎo dòng 。
仿佛受到了极大的冲击似的，赤红光层上出现了一个小洞。
The red light layer appeared to have been pierced by a small hole as if struck by a great impact.
suí hòu jī qǐ yī quān yòu yī quān bō wén ， cháo zhe sì zhōu kuò sàn 。
随后激起一圈又一圈波纹，朝着四周扩散。
Ripples spread outwards from this point in all directions.
ráo shì zhǐ yǒu xiē xǔ xīn shén zài cāo zòng shēn tǐ ， lǐ fán yě bèi yǎn qián zhè yí mù gěi jīng dào le 。
饶是只有些许心神在操纵身体，李凡也被眼前这一幕给惊到了。
Even with only a fraction of his consciousness controlling his body, Li Fan was startled by what he saw.
bù jīn wèn dào ：“ zhè hēi sè huī jìn shì shén me wán yì ？！”
不禁问道：“这黑色灰烬是什么玩意？！”
He asked curiously: "What is this black ash?"
huáng fǔ sōng xiān shì cāo zòng dù chén zhōu wǎng shàng fēi qǐ ， bì guò shēn gǔ yáng qǐ de huī jìn ， suí hòu cái jiě shì dào ：“ zhè shì 【 jìn jì liú huǒ 】 rán shāo hòu de cán liú wù 。 yī qiè shēng zhī qì xī dōu yǐ xiāo shī ， zhǐ shèng xià jì miè zhī lì cán ér bù sàn 。”
皇甫松先是操纵渡尘舟往上飞起，避过深谷扬起的灰烬，随后才解释道：“这是【烬寂流火】燃烧后的残留物。一切生之气息都已消失，只剩下寂灭之力残而不散。”
Huafu Song first steered the Dust-Parting Boat upwards to avoid the rising ash, then explained: "This is the residue from the烬寂流火. All signs of life have vanished; only the power of extinction remains."
“ xié mén de hěn ， jǐn liàng hái shì duǒ zhe tā wèi hǎo 。”
“邪门的很，尽量还是躲着它为好。”
"It's quite sinister. Try to stay away from it as much as possible."
huà yīn wèi luò ， dù chén zhōu biàn jiā kuài sù dù ， cháo zhe lán lín zhōu zhōng yāng qū yù jí chí ér qù 。
话音未落，渡尘舟便加快速度，朝着兰林州中央区域疾驰而去。
Before he could finish speaking, the Dust-Parting Boat sped up towards the central region of Lanlin State.
kàn zhe xià fāng fǎng fú méi yǒu jìn tóu de qī hēi jì miè shì jiè ， huáng fǔ sōng yǒu xiē gǎn kǎi dào ：“ xìng hǎo dāng chū yǐ shù wàn shān fēng wèi zhèn ， jiāng 【 jìn jì liú huǒ 】 kòng zhì zài zhè lán lín zhōu nèi 。 fǒu zé zhōu biān qū yù pà bú shì yào luò de tóng yī gè xià chǎng 。”
看着下方仿佛没有尽头的漆黑寂灭世界，皇甫松有些感慨道：“幸好当初以数万山峰为阵，将【烬寂流火】控制在这兰林州内。否则周边区域怕不是要落得同一个下场。”
Looking down at the endless black void below, Huafu Song couldn't help but感慨: "Thankfully, we managed to contain the烬寂流火 within this state using tens of thousands of mountains as a barrier. Otherwise, surrounding areas might have met the same fate."
“【 jìn jì liú huǒ 】？” hēi sè huī jìn mí màn de qì xī ， ràng xíng jiāng jiù mù de lǐ fán yù fā gǎn dào bù shì ， tā zhòu zhe méi àn zì sī suǒ 。
“【烬寂流火】？”黑色灰烬弥漫的气息，让行将就木的李凡愈发感到不适，他皱着眉暗自思索。
"烬寂流火?" The pervasive aura of black ash made Li Fan feel increasingly uncomfortable. He frowned and pondered.
zhè ge míng zì tā sì hū zài nǎ kàn dào guò 。
这个名字他似乎在哪看到过。
He seemed to recall seeing that name somewhere.
shí hǎi zhōng huà dào shí guāng máng shǎn shuò ， piàn kè zhī hòu ， céng jīng yuè dú guò de zhī yán piàn yǔ shà shí fú xiàn 。
识海中化道石光芒闪烁，片刻之后，曾经阅读过的只言片语霎时浮现。
The light in his Inner Sea flickered as the Dao Stone glowed. Moments later, fragments of text he had read flashed before him.
“ cāng wú zhōu ， sì shuǐ èr shí bā shān 。
“苍梧州，四水二十八山。
"In苍梧州, four rivers and twenty-eight mountains.
mǒu nián mǒu yuè ， yī yè zhī jiān xiāo shī wú zōng ， zhǐ shèng xià yī chù kàn bú jiàn dǐ de shēn yuān 。
某年某月，一夜之间消失无踪，只剩下一处看不见底的深渊。
One night, everything vanished without a trace, leaving only an unfathomable abyss.
dì zhī qí wù ， cāng wú shān shuǐ tú ， yóu cǐ chū yān 。”
地之奇物，苍梧山水图，由此出焉。”
A rare earth artifact, the 苍梧山水图, emerged from this."
“ cāng wú zhōu shān shuǐ xiāo shī hòu de dì jiǔ nián ， yǒu hēi sè shuǐ liú zhuàng huǒ yàn zì yuān dǐ yǒng chū 。”
“苍梧州山水消失后的第九年，有黑色水流状火焰自渊底涌出。”
"Nine years after the disappearance of the 苍梧州 landscapes, black flame-like water surged up from the bottom of the abyss."
“ xiōng yàn sì nüè ， wú fǎ pū miè 。 shí rén chēng zhī wèi 【 jìn jì liú huǒ 】。”
“凶焰肆虐，无法扑灭。时人称之为【烬寂流火】。”
"Fierce flames spread uncontrollably. People called it 焱寂流火."
lǐ fán yú shì wèn dào ：“ shì nà ge cóng nà cāng wú zhī yuān pǎo chū lái de hēi huǒ ？”
李凡于是问道：“是那个从那苍梧之渊跑出来的黑火？”
Li Fan asked: "Is that the black fire that escaped from the 苍梧渊?"
huáng fǔ sōng wēi wēi yí zhèng ， suí hòu mī qǐ yǎn ， sì hū zài huí yì shén me 。
皇甫松微微一怔，随后眯起眼，似乎在回忆什么。
Huafu Song was momentarily taken aback but then narrowed his eyes as if recalling something.
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， fāng cái diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ bù cuò 。 jìn jì liú huǒ zì cāng wú yuān chū xiàn hòu ， biàn cháo zhe zhōu wéi màn yán 。”
许久之后，方才点点头：“不错。烬寂流火自苍梧渊出现后，便朝着周围蔓延。”
After a long while, he nodded: "Indeed. Since its appearance in the 苍梧渊, 焱寂流火 has spread to surrounding areas."
“ yī lián hǎo jǐ gè zhōu dōu zāo le yāng 。 zhí dào zhè lán lín zhōu fù jìn ， cái bèi kòng zhì zhù 。”
“一连好几个州都遭了殃。直到这兰林州附近，才被控制住。”
"Several states were affected until it was contained near this Lanlin State."
lǐ fán dùn shí yǒu xiē hài rán 。
李凡顿时有些骇然。
Li Fan was startled.
cāng wú zhōu zài xuán huáng jiè xī nán jiǎo luò ， ér lán lín zhōu chà bu duō zài zhèng nán fāng 。
苍梧州在玄黄界西南角落，而兰林州差不多在正南方。
苍梧州 was located in the southwest corner of Xuanhuang World, while Lanlin State was almost due south. The range of the 焱寂流火 seemed quite extensive.
zhè jìn jì liú huǒ sì nüè de fàn wéi ， pà shì yǒu diǎn dà le 。
这烬寂流火肆虐的范围，怕是有点大了。
"Don't worry, since that incident, 焱寂流火 hasn’t appeared again."
“ xiǎo yǒu bù yòng dān xīn ， zì cóng nà cì zhī hòu ， zhè jìn jì liú huǒ dǎo shì zài yě méi yǒu chū xiàn guò le 。”
“小友不用担心，自从那次之后，这烬寂流火倒是再也没有出现过了。”
"The cause of this apocalyptic disaster remains a mystery."
“ zhè chǎng kān chēng miè shì de zāi nàn ， jiū jìng shì yīn hé ér qǐ ， mù qián hái shì yī zhuāng xuán àn 。”
“这场堪称灭世的灾难，究竟是因何而起，目前还是一桩悬案。”
"At first, we thought it might be the work of the Five Elders Association. However, after on-site investigation, they denied it."
“ qǐ chū méng nèi hái rèn wéi shì wǔ lǎo huì de shǒu bǐ 。 bù guò zài shí dì kǎo chá hòu ， què shì fǒu rèn le 。”
“起初盟内还认为是五老会的手笔。不过在实地考察后，却是否认了。”
"True power from heaven and earth, beyond the reach of any cultivator."
“ nà shì zhēn zhèng de tiān dì zhī wēi ， kǒng pà fēi shì xiū shì suǒ néng jí 。”
“那是真正的天地之威，恐怕非是修士所能及。”
Huafu Song shared his experiences with Li Fan as he flew towards their destination.
huáng fǔ sōng shuō xiào jiān hé lǐ fán fēn xiǎng zhe zì jǐ de jiàn wén 。
皇甫松说笑间和李凡分享着自己的见闻。
Within half a day, they reached their goal.
zhī hòu bù guò bàn rì ， biàn dá dào le cǐ xíng de mù dì dì 。
之后不过半日，便达到了此行的目的地。
"Before we inspect the Locking Spirit Array, let's visit the head of this Lanlin State first," Huafu Song said.
“ yàn shōu suǒ líng zhèn zhī qián ， nǐ wǒ xiān qù bài fǎng jū zhù zài cǐ de lán lín zhōu zhǔ shì rén 。”
“验收锁灵阵之前，你我先去拜访居住在此的兰林州主事人。”
"We should show respect to our former comrade from Tiyu State. He has been kind to me in the past."
“ zhè wèi qián bèi yuán běn shì wǒ men tiān yǔ zhōu xiū shì ， yǐ wǎng duì wǒ duō yǒu zhào gù 。 rú jīn dào cǐ chù ， yě bù néng shī le lǐ shù 。”
“这位前辈原本是我们天禹州修士，以往对我多有照顾。如今到此处，也不能失了礼数。”
Pointing at a mountain peak piercing through the clouds, Huafu Song continued.
zhǐ zhe qián fāng yī zuò chuān pò yún xiāo de zhēn jiān bān shān tǐ ， huáng fǔ sōng duì lǐ fán shuō dào 。
指着前方一座穿破云霄的针尖般山体，皇甫松对李凡说道。
Li Fan guessed who was being referred to: "You mean the former commander of the Tiyu State Garrison, Senior Guan Xingxiu?"
lǐ fán sī niàn yī zhuǎn ， biàn yǐ cāi dào huáng fǔ sōng kǒu zhōng de qián bèi shì shuí le 。
李凡思念一转，便已猜到皇甫松口中的前辈是谁了。
Huafu Song nodded with a smile and then stowed away the Dust-Parting Boat. He led everyone towards a small courtyard atop the mountain peak.
“ nǐ shì shuō ， xī rì tiān yǔ zhōu wèi shù yuàn zhǐ huī shǐ ， guān xíng xiū qián bèi ？”
“你是说，昔日天禹州卫戍院指挥使，关行修前辈？”
"Everyone is old friends; why be so formal? Come in! I won't greet you myself!" A voice echoed from afar.
huáng fǔ sōng xiào zhe diǎn diǎn tóu ， suí hòu shōu qǐ dù chén zhōu ， shuài lǐng zhòng rén fēi zhe qián wǎng shān fēng dǐng bù de yī chù xiǎo yuàn 。
皇甫松笑着点点头，随后收起渡尘舟，率领众人飞着前往山峰顶部的一处小院。
"Thank you, Senior Guan," Huafu Song smiled and replied.
“ dōu shì shú rén ， hái gǎo de zhè me jiàn wài ？ jìn lái ba ， wǒ jiù bù qīn zì yíng jiē nǐ xiǎo zi le ！”
“都是熟人，还搞的这么见外？进来吧，我就不亲自迎接你小子了！”
He signaled the other cultivators to wait outside while he and Li Fan entered the courtyard.
yuǎn yuǎn dì ， yī dào shēng yīn biàn chuán rù zhòng rén ěr zhōng 。
远远地，一道声音便传入众人耳中。
The courtyard was simple, with only a solitary pine tree standing tall.
“ rú cǐ ， jiù xiè guò qián bèi le ！” huáng fǔ sōng liǎn shàng fú qǐ xiào róng ， lián shēng huí yìng dào 。
“如此，就谢过前辈了！”皇甫松脸上浮起笑容，连声回应道。
Under the pine, an elderly cultivator lay comfortably on a long bench, swaying slightly.
shì yì qí yú xiū shì zài mén kǒu shǒu hòu ， pàng zi zhǐ dài zhe lǐ fán ， zǒu jìn yuàn luò zhōng 。
示意其余修士在门口守候，胖子只带着李凡，走进院落中。
Holding a fan, he occasionally fanned himself.
yuàn zhōng pǒ wèi jiǎn lòu ， zhǐ yī zhū qīng sōng dú lì 。
院中颇为简陋，只一株青松独立。
"Long time no see; you still look great!" Huafu Song bowed in greeting.
sōng xià ， yī wèi zhōng nián xiū shì zhèng yōu xián de tǎng zài zhǎng yǐ shàng ， wēi wēi yáo huàng zhe 。
松下，一位中年修士正悠闲的躺在长椅上，微微摇晃着。
Li Fan followed suit: "I meet Senior Guan!"
shǒu chí pú shàn ， bù shí shān dòng liǎng xià 。
手持蒲扇，不时扇动两下。
Guan Xingxiu sized up Li Fan and said with a playful expression: "You're Li Fan, right? I've heard about your determination. It's much stronger than mine."
“ duō rì bú jiàn ， qián bèi fēng cǎi yī jiù ！” huáng fǔ sōng wān yāo xíng lǐ 。
“多日不见，前辈风采依旧！”皇甫松弯腰行礼。
Li Fan’s heart skipped a beat as he replied quietly: "Haha, you flatter me too much."
lǐ fán yě gēn zhe shuō dào ：“ jiàn guò guān qián bèi ！”
李凡也跟着说道：“见过关前辈！”
Huafu Song added: "Although you work hard, compared to Senior Guan, you still fall short. Who doesn’t know the Tiyu State cultivators..."
“ nǐ jiào lǐ fán shì ba ， wǒ tīng shuō guò nǐ de shì 。” guān xíng xiū dǎ liàng le yǎn lǐ fán ， miàn lù wán wèi zhī sè 。“ nǐ nà gǔ pīn jìn ， kě shì bǐ wǒ qiáng duō le 。”
“伱叫李凡是吧，我听说过你的事。”关行修打量了眼李凡，面露玩味之色。“你那股拼劲，可是比我强多了。”
Before he could finish, Guan Xingxiu interrupted.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī tiào ， mēn shēng huí fù dào ：“ hē hē ， qián bèi miù zàn le 。”
李凡心中一跳，闷声回复道：“呵呵，前辈谬赞了。”
"Boy, a hero doesn't boast about his past deeds. I'm in such a state now; why are you bringing up my old glory?" He glanced at Huafu Song with an unhappy expression.
huáng fǔ sōng cǐ shí yě jiē huà dào ：“ lǐ fán xiǎo yǒu suī rán pīn mìng ， dàn gēn qián bèi nín bǐ ， hái shì chà le yī chóu 。 tiān yǔ zhōu xiū shì ， shuí yòu bù zhī ……”
皇甫松此时也接话道：“李凡小友虽然拼命，但跟前辈您比，还是差了一筹。天禹州修士，谁又不知……”
Huafu Song was taken aback and stammered: "Senior Guan, you know me."
huà wèi shù wán ， biàn bèi guān xíng xiū dǎ duàn 。
话未数完，便被关行修打断。
"I wouldn’t dare oppose you even if I had the courage."
“ xiǎo zi ， hǎo hàn kě bù tí dāng nián yǒng 。 wǒ rú jīn luò pò zhì cǐ ， nǐ piān piān shàng mén lái xuān jiǎng wǒ dāng nián shì jì ， shì hé jū xīn a ？” guān xíng xiū shì xiàn zài huáng fǔ sōng shēn shàng yóu zǒu ， miàn lù bú yuè zhī sè 。
“小子，好汉可不提当年勇。我如今落魄至此，你偏偏上门来宣讲我当年事迹，是何居心啊？”关行修视线在皇甫松身上游走，面露不悦之色。
Guan Xingxiu snorted coldly but his face returned to normal.
huáng fǔ sōng méi xiǎng dào pāi mǎ pì pāi dào mǎ tuǐ shàng ， shàn shàn dào ：“ qián bèi ， nín shì zhī dào wǒ de 。”
皇甫松没想到拍马屁拍到马腿上，讪讪道：“前辈，您是知道我的。”
He said in a listless tone: "You're really not interesting."
“ jiè wǒ gè dǎn ， wǒ yě bù gǎn gēn nín zuò duì a 。”
“借我个胆，我也不敢跟您作对啊。”
"Alright, it's been a long time since we last met. You coming here is already good enough."
guān xíng xiū lěng hēng yī shēng ， miàn sè què shì huī fù le zhèng cháng 。
关行修冷哼一声，面色却是恢复了正常。
"I know what you want; go ahead with confidence."
yì xìng lán shān dào ：“ nǐ xiǎo zi shì zhēn méi yì si 。”
意兴阑珊道：“你小子是真没意思。”
"With me around, Lanlin State won't see any major changes."
“ xíng le ， wǒ zhì cǐ dì ， xǔ jiǔ bú jiàn gù rén 。 nǐ néng shàng mén lái bài jiàn ， yě suàn bù cuò le 。”
“行了，我至此地，许久不见故人。你能上门来拜见，也算不错了。”
Saying this, Guan Xingxiu gently waved his fan. A golden sword suddenly appeared and flew into Huafu Song's hand.
“ nǐ de yì si wǒ yǐ jīng zhī dào ， fàng xīn dà dǎn qù zuò 。”
“你的意思我已经知道，放心大胆去做。”
"Since I haven’t shown myself to everyone in a while, let’s see if anyone wants to test the sharpness of my sword," he said with delight.
“ yǒu wǒ zài ， lán lín zhōu zhè yī mǔ sān fēn dì ， hái fān bù liǎo tiān 。”
“有我在，兰林州这一亩三分地，还翻不了天。”
Huafu Song was overjoyed: "Thank you, Senior Guan!"
shuō bà ， guān xíng xiū qīng qīng yī shàn shǒu zhōng pú shàn ， yī bǐng jīn sè xiǎo jiàn hū de chū xiàn ， fēi rù huáng fǔ sōng shǒu zhōng 。
说罢，关行修轻轻一扇手中蒲扇，一柄金色小剑忽的出现，飞入皇甫松手中。
"By the way..." After putting away his golden flying sword, Huafu Song wanted to say something else but was stopped by Guan Xingxiu.
“ zhèng hǎo xǔ jiǔ wèi zài zhòng rén miàn qián lòu miàn ， wǒ dào yào kàn kàn ， shì fǒu zhēn de yǒu rén ， yào shì shì wú jiàn shì fǒu fēng lì 。”
“正好许久未在众人面前露面，我倒要看看，是否真的有人，要试试吾剑是否锋利。”
"I’ve considered your friend’s advice seriously. But as a Spirit Transformation cultivator now, I can’t be of much help."
huáng fǔ sōng dà xǐ ， lián máng dào ：“ duō xiè qián bèi ！”
皇甫松大喜，连忙道：“多谢前辈！”
"Moreover, my former leader is gone, and the position of Chief Commandant has been finalized."
“ duì le ……” shōu qǐ jīn sè fēi jiàn ， huáng fǔ sōng hái xiǎng shuō xiē shén me 。
“对了……”收起金色飞剑，皇甫松还想说些什么。
"I have no intention of competing for anything anymore."
què bèi guān xíng xiū zhì zhǐ 。
却被关行修制止。
"You go on then!"
“ jì dào yǒu de yì jiàn wǒ yǐ rèn zhēn kǎo lǜ guò 。 bù guò wǒ rú jīn zhǐ shì huà shén xiū shì ， qù le yě bāng bù shàng shén me máng 。”
“纪道友的意见我已认真考虑过。不过我如今只是化神修士，去了也帮不上什么忙。”
With that, Guan Xingxiu waved his fan. A gust of wind sent Li Fan and Huafu Song out of the courtyard.
“ zài jiā shàng xī rì de lǐng dǎo yǐ jīng shì qù ， zǒng zhǐ huī shǐ yī zhí chén āi luò dìng 。”
“再加上昔日的领导已经逝去，总指挥使一职尘埃落定。”
(End of Chapter)
Lanlin State, though located in a remote area, boasted unique natural landscapes.
Mountain peaks resembling stone columns hung suspended in mid-air, like a forest of needles.
Below the floating mountains lay a deep valley entirely composed of black ash. Even from high above, Li Fan could still feel the heart-stopping aura emanating from below.
Huafu Song stood on the Dust-Parting Boat, surveying the scenery beneath him and couldn't help but change his expression slightly: "Truly a desolate place."
"Compared to this hellish place, even the万里炎焚滩 we saw earlier doesn’t seem so perilous."
Li Fan also turned to look down at the valley.
In the ocean of black ash, faint flickers of unextinguished dark flames could still be seen.
A gentle breeze occasionally swept through, lifting a bit of the black ash from the sea. It danced and rose, colliding with Li Fan's Dust-Parting Boat.
Though the ash was light as nothingness, it caused violent shaking when it collided with the protective shield of the boat.
The red light layer appeared to have been pierced by a small hole as if struck by a great impact.
Ripples spread outwards from this point in all directions.
Even with only a fraction of his consciousness controlling his body, Li Fan was startled by what he saw.
He asked curiously: "What is this black ash?"
Huafu Song first steered the Dust-Parting Boat upwards to avoid the rising ash, then explained: "This is the residue from the烬寂流火. All signs of life have vanished; only the power of extinction remains."
"It's quite sinister. Try to stay away from it as much as possible."
Before he could finish speaking, the Dust-Parting Boat sped up towards the central region of Lanlin State.
Looking down at the endless black void below, Huafu Song couldn't help but感慨: "Thankfully, we managed to contain the烬寂流火 within this state using tens of thousands of mountains as a barrier. Otherwise, surrounding areas might have met the same fate."
"烬寂流火?" The pervasive aura of black ash made Li Fan feel increasingly uncomfortable. He frowned and pondered.
He seemed to recall seeing that name somewhere.
The light in his Inner Sea flickered as the Dao Stone glowed. Moments later, fragments of text he had read flashed before him.
"In苍梧州, four rivers and twenty-eight mountains.
One night, everything vanished without a trace, leaving only an unfathomable abyss.
A rare earth artifact, the 苍梧山水图, emerged from this."
...
"Nine years after the disappearance of the 苍梧州 landscapes, black flame-like water surged up from the bottom of the abyss."
"Fierce flames spread uncontrollably. People called it 焱寂流火."
Li Fan asked: "Is that the black fire that escaped from the 苍梧渊?"
Huafu Song was momentarily taken aback but then narrowed his eyes as if recalling something.
After a long while, he nodded: "Indeed. Since its appearance in the 苍梧渊, 焱寂流火 has spread to surrounding areas."
"Several states were affected until it was contained near this Lanlin State."
Li Fan was startled.
苍梧州 was located in the southwest corner of Xuanhuang World, while Lanlin State was almost due south. The range of the 焱寂流火 seemed quite extensive.
"Don't worry, since that incident, 焱寂流火 hasn’t appeared again."
"The cause of this apocalyptic disaster remains a mystery."
"At first, we thought it might be the work of the Five Elders Association. However, after on-site investigation, they denied it."
"True power from heaven and earth, beyond the reach of any cultivator."
Huafu Song shared his experiences with Li Fan as he flew towards their destination.
Within half a day, they reached their goal.
"Before we inspect the Locking Spirit Array, let's visit the head of this Lanlin State first," Huafu Song said.
"We should show respect to our former comrade from Tiyu State. He has been kind to me in the past."
Pointing at a mountain peak piercing through the clouds, Huafu Song continued.
Li Fan guessed who was being referred to: "You mean the former commander of the Tiyu State Garrison, Senior Guan Xingxiu?"
Huafu Song nodded with a smile and then stowed away the Dust-Parting Boat. He led everyone towards a small courtyard atop the mountain peak.
"Everyone is old friends; why be so formal? Come in! I won't greet you myself!" A voice echoed from afar.
"Thank you, Senior Guan," Huafu Song smiled and replied.
He signaled the other cultivators to wait outside while he and Li Fan entered the courtyard.
The courtyard was simple, with only a solitary pine tree standing tall.
Under the pine, an elderly cultivator lay comfortably on a long bench, swaying slightly.
Holding a fan, he occasionally fanned himself.
"Long time no see; you still look great!" Huafu Song bowed in greeting.
Li Fan followed suit: "I meet Senior Guan!"
Guan Xingxiu sized up Li Fan and said with a playful expression: "You're Li Fan, right? I've heard about your determination. It's much stronger than mine."
Li Fan’s heart skipped a beat as he replied quietly: "Haha, you flatter me too much."
Huafu Song added: "Although you work hard, compared to Senior Guan, you still fall short. Who doesn’t know the Tiyu State cultivators..."
Before he could finish, Guan Xingxiu interrupted.
"Boy, a hero doesn't boast about his past deeds. I'm in such a state now; why are you bringing up my old glory?" He glanced at Huafu Song with an unhappy expression.
Huafu Song was taken aback and stammered: "Senior Guan, you know me."
"I wouldn’t dare oppose you even if I had the courage."
Guan Xingxiu snorted coldly but his face returned to normal.
He said in a listless tone: "You're really not interesting."
"Alright, it's been a long time since we last met. You coming here is already good enough."
"I know what you want; go ahead with confidence."
"With me around, Lanlin State won't see any major changes."
Saying this, Guan Xingxiu gently waved his fan. A golden sword suddenly appeared and flew into Huafu Song's hand.
"Since I haven’t shown myself to everyone in a while, let’s see if anyone wants to test the sharpness of my sword," he said with delight.
Huafu Song was overjoyed: "Thank you, Senior Guan!"
"By the way..." After putting away his golden flying sword, Huafu Song wanted to say something else but was stopped by Guan Xingxiu.
"I’ve considered your friend’s advice seriously. But as a Spirit Transformation cultivator now, I can’t be of much help."
"Moreover, my former leader is gone, and the position of Chief Commandant has been finalized."
"I have no intention of competing for anything anymore."
"You go on then!"
With that, Guan Xingxiu waved his fan. A gust of wind sent Li Fan and Huafu Song out of the courtyard.
(End of Chapter)