tiān xuán jìng zhōng 。
天玄镜中。
In the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
lǐ fán dāi dāi zuò zhe ， shén qíng huǎng hū 。
李凡呆呆坐着，神情恍忽。
Li Fan sat motionlessly, his expression dazed. Even though he had known all along that only by resolving one's aspirations could items and knowledge obtained in the Realm of Falling Stars be brought back to this world, Li Fan still found himself struggling with the reality when he returned to the real world and couldn't recall a single word of Mr. Bai’s "Transforming Creation Furnace Technique."
jí biàn zǎo yǐ jīng zhī dào ， yǔn xiān jìng zhōng huò dé de wù pǐn hé zhī shí ， zhǐ yǒu jiě jué sù yuàn cái néng dài huí 。
即便早已经知道，陨仙境中获得的物品和知识，只有解决夙愿才能带回。
"Mr. Bai... Transforming Creation Furnace Technique..."
dàn zhè cì dāng tā fǎn huí xiàn shí shì jiè ， duì yú bái xiān shēng suǒ shòu 《 zào huà hōng lú gōng 》 zhēn de yī zì yī jù dōu xiǎng bù qǐ lái de shí hòu 。
但这次当他返回现实世界，对于白先生所授《造化烘炉功》真的一字一句都想不起来的时候。
"I can try again without limit, and surely I will bring it back one day," Li Fan said after taking a deep breath, finally managing to suppress his negative emotions.
lǐ fán hái shì yǒu xiē xīn tài nán bēng 。
李凡还是有些心态难绷。
Based on his experience in the "Ningyuan Longevity Fruit" mission, he knew that to take items out, he had to resolve the aspirations of their owners. What could Mr. Bai's aspiration be?
céng jīng cāng hǎi nán wéi shuǐ 。
曾经沧海难为水。
For Li Fan at this moment, Mr. Bai was still too mysterious. He would have to try again and again over time.
zhèng shì yóu yú qīn shēn tǐ yàn guò nà zhǒng wú shàng dào fǎ de xuán qí zhī chù ， lǐ fán cái gèng shì duì zì jǐ suǒ chuàng de bié jiǎo gōng fǎ nán yǐ jiē shòu 。
正是由于亲身体验过那种无上道法的玄奇之处，李凡才更是对自己所创的蹩脚功法难以接受。
After a slight sense of his surroundings, he realized that it would be another six months before he could enter the Realm of Falling Stars again. This was slightly longer than usual, so Li Fan sighed and noted it in his mind.
chā jù tài dà ， yóu rú tiān shàng xīng chén hé dì shàng cǎo mù 。
差距太大，犹如天上星辰和地上草木。
At this moment, Li Fan checked his communication spirit token and found a message from Chen Ying. It stated that he had already arrived at his departure destination and was well-prepared.
qiáng liè de fǎn chà zhī xià ， ràng lǐ fán wèi miǎn yǒu diǎn xīn tài shī héng 。
强烈的反差之下，让李凡未免有点心态失衡。
If he could survive this ordeal, he would surely repay Li Fan handsomely.
yóu qí shì céng jīng zuò yōng zhe de bǎo shān ， zhuǎn yǎn jiān jiù yān xiāo yún sàn ， zài yě bú jiàn 。
尤其是曾经坐拥着的宝山，转眼间就烟消云散，再也不见。
Li Fan chuckled. If that were the case, it might be worth publicizing as an exemplary deed.
ráo shì xīn zhì yì yú cháng rén de lǐ fán ， yě biàn dé yǒu diǎn chàng rán ruò shī 。
饶是心志异于常人的李凡，也变得有点怅然若失。
"However, the Great Battle of Heavenly Profound State will only occur in 16 years. For now, the key focus should still be on the Spirit Fog Grass incident."
“ bái xiān shēng 、 zào huà hōng lú gōng ……”
“白先生、造化烘炉功……”
"If not for the clear announcement from the Heavenly Profound Mirror, the Five Elders' Association might not have gone to such lengths over an unknown caverneous realm."
“ wǒ néng wú xiàn cháng shì 、 dìng rán yǒu yī tiān néng jiāng zhè mén zhēn gōng dài huí lái 。”
“我能无限尝试、定然有一天能将这门真功带回来。”
"Moreover, without Jiao Xiuyuan's encouragement, the Spirit Fog Grass incident would not have had such a far-reaching impact as in the past."
guò le xǔ jiǔ ， lǐ fán shēn xī yì kǒu qì ， cái huǎn huǎn jiāng xīn zhōng de fù miàn qíng xù yā xià 。
过了许久，李凡深吸一口气，才缓缓将心中的负面情绪压下。
After pondering for a moment, Li Fan decided to visit Jiao Xiuyuan first.
gēn jù zài 【 níng yuǎn qǔ shòu guǒ 】 zhōng de jīng yàn ， xiǎng yào jiāng wù pǐn dài chū ， bì xū yào wán chéng wù pǐn suǒ shǔ rén de zhí niàn 。
根据在【宁远取寿果】中的经验，想要将物品带出，必须要完成物品所属人的执念。
Without concealing his form, Li Fan, still appearing as a disciple of the Heavenly Profound Sect, arrived at the Thousand Mile Hall.
bái xiān shēng de zhí niàn yòu huì shì shén me ？
白先生的执念又会是什么？
Inside was as usual, cold and quiet.
duì yú mù qián de lǐ fán lái shuō ， bái xiān shēng huán tài guò shén mì 。 zhǐ néng yǐ hòu màn màn bù duàn qù cháng shì le 。
对于目前的李凡来说，白先生还太过神秘。只能以后慢慢不断去尝试了。
Jiao Xiuyuan lazily lay on a long bench, his eyes closed as if he were napping. Hearing footsteps, he suddenly stood up and changed his expression.
wēi wēi gǎn yìng yī fān ， xià yī cì jìn rù yǔn xiān jìng de shí jiān ， yào zài bàn nián yǐ hòu 。
微微感应一番，下一次进入陨仙境的时间，要在半年以后。
"Ah! A guest has come!"
bù xìng de bǐ xún cháng shí jiān xiàn zhì yào zhǎng nà me yī xiē ， lǐ fán wēi wēi tàn qì ， jiāng qí jì zài xīn zhōng 。
不幸的比寻常时间限制要长那么一些，李凡微微叹气，将其记在心中。
Jiao Xiuyuan looked at Li Fan, first taken aback, then warmly greeted him without saying anything about what he wanted to buy.
zhè shí ， lǐ fán chá kàn zì shēn tōng xùn líng fú ， cái fā xiàn chén yīng fā lái de xùn xī 。
这时，李凡查看自身通讯灵符，才发现陈英发来的讯息。
Li Fan didn't say what he was looking for either; instead, he narrowed his eyes and stared intently at Jiao Xiuyuan. They just stared at each other in silence.
biǎo shì tā yǐ jīng qián wǎng chū fā mù dì dì ， bìng qiě yǐ jīng zuò zú le chōng zú zhǔn bèi 。
表示他已经前往出发目的地，并且已经做足了充足准备。
After a moment, Li Fan broke the silence by拱了拱手: "Comrade, your puppet technique that transforms you into countless forms is truly remarkable!"
ruò shì cǐ fān néng gòu dà nàn bù sǐ ， huí lái dìng rán yào hǎo hǎo bào dá lǐ fán 。
若是此番能够大难不死，回来定然要好好报答李凡。
"Even in ancient times, it would be considered a rare divine power!"
lǐ fán shěn rán yī xiào ， xīn xiǎng ruò zhēn rú cǐ ， dǎo shì kě yǐ dàng zuò diǎn xíng shì jì 、 dà sì xuān yáng yī fān 。
李凡哂然一笑，心想若真如此，倒是可以当做典型事迹、大肆宣扬一番。
Jiao Xiuyuan was surprised to have his secret technique revealed so quickly. However, he masked it well and replied, "Peering at the heavens, probing cause and effect. The Heavenly Profound Sect of Ancient Times indeed lives up to its reputation!"
“ bù guò tiān líng zhōu dà zhàn yào máo dìng 16 nián cái fā shēng ， zài cǐ zhī qián yào guān zhù de zhòng diǎn ， hái shì líng wù cǎo shì jiàn shàng 。”
“不过天灵州大战要锚定16年才发生，在此之前要关注的重点，还是灵雾草事件上。”
"Respect! Respect!"
“ rú guǒ méi yǒu tiān xuán jìng de míng què xuān gào ， wǔ lǎo huì wèi bì huì wèi le bù míng qíng kuàng de dòng tiān ér dà dòng gān gē 。”
“如果没有天玄镜的明确宣告，五老会未必会为了不明情况的洞天而大动干戈。”
The two exchanged glances and laughed heartily.
“ ér qiě ， ruò shì méi yǒu jiāo xiū yuǎn de tuī bō zhù lán ， líng wù cǎo shì jiàn yě bù kě néng xiàng qián shì nà bān bō jí shèn yuǎn 。”
“而且，若是没有焦修远的推波助澜，灵雾草事件也不可能向前世那般波及甚远。”
After exchanging pleasantries and introducing themselves formally, Jiao Xiuyuan asked tentatively, "Comrade, you wouldn’t have come just for a joke, right?"
lǐ fán zǐ xì sī cǔn piàn kè ， jué dìng xiān qù jiāo xiū yuǎn nà kàn kàn 。
李凡仔细思忖片刻，决定先去焦修远那看看。
"I wouldn't be such a leisurely person," Li Fan waved his hand. "I came here for the sake of 'wealth'."
méi yǒu zhē yǎn shēn xíng ， dǐng zhe 【 tiān jī zōng xiū shì 】 yàng mào ， lǐ fán lái dào le qiān lǐ táng wài 。
没有遮掩身形，顶着【天机宗修士】样貌，李凡来到了千里堂外。
Jiao Xiuyuan perked up: "Oh? What do you want?" He continued, "Array techniques and talismans, magical artifacts and elixirs are all available here; just let me know what you need..."
lǐ miàn shì yì rú jì wǎng de lěng qīng 。
里面是一如既往的冷清。
"Comrade, do I lack these things?" Li Fan asked with a sly smile.
jiāo xiū yuǎn lǎn yáng yáng de tǎng zài zhǎng yǐ shàng ， shuāng mù wēi bì ， shì shì zài xiǎo qì 。
焦修远懒洋洋的躺在长椅上，双目微闭，似是在小憩。
"What then do you want?" Jiao Xiuyuan's expression turned serious.
tīng dào jiǎo bù shēng ， tā dǒu rán zhàn qǐ ， huàn le fù biǎo qíng 。
听到脚步声，他陡然站起，换了副表情。
"This time, I'm not buying. I’m selling!" Li Fan shook his head and said in a solemn voice. "Whether it succeeds or not depends on whether Comrade Jiao recognizes the value of this item."
“ āi yō ， lái kè rén le ！”
“哎哟，来客人了！”
"Selling? Not everything here is accepted..." Just as Jiao Xiuyuan was speaking, he noticed the object in Li Fan's hand and stopped.
jiāo xiū yuǎn kàn zhe lǐ fán ， xiān shì lèng le lèng ， suí hòu bù dòng shēng sè de rè qíng zhāo hū dào 。
焦修远看着李凡，先是愣了愣，随后不动声色的热情招呼道。
A living eyeball stared at him fiercely.
lǐ fán yě shì bù shuō zì jǐ yào mǎi shén me ， ér shì yǎn jīng wēi mī ， dīng zhe jiāo xiū yuǎn 。
李凡也是不说自己要买什么，而是眼睛微眯，盯着焦修远。
The aura of killing permeated, making Jiao Xiuyuan instinctively want to retaliate. However, he realized that this eyeball had no offensive capabilities and restrained himself.
liǎng rén jiù zhè yàng dà yǎn dèng xiǎo yǎn duì shì 。
两人就这样大眼瞪小眼对视。
"What is this?" Jiao Xiuyuan squinted his eyes and asked curiously.
guò le piàn kè ， hái shì lǐ fán shuài xiān gǒng le gǒng shǒu ：“ dào yǒu zhè shǒu kuǐ lěi zhī dào 、 shēn huà wàn qiān ， què shì bù fán ！”
过了片刻，还是李凡率先拱了拱手：“道友这手傀儡之道、身化万千，却是不凡！”
Li Fan spoke with a sigh: "This was left behind by my senior brother in the past. He has passed on, so it's useless to me now. It only brings sorrow when I look at it. So I want to pass it on to someone else who is deserving. Unfortunately, the Heavenly Profound Mirror undervalued it and offered a low price. This is an insult to my senior brother."
“ nǎ pà zài shàng gǔ shí qī ， yě suàn shàng yī mén nán dé de shén tōng le ！”
“哪怕在上古时期，也算上一门难得的神通了！”
"I used divination techniques to find someone qualified to take over this item, which led me here," Li Fan explained slowly.
méi xiǎng dào bèi chū jiàn zhī rén yī yǔ dào pò zì shēn gōng fǎ xuán jī ， jiāo xiū yuǎn xiǎn de yǒu xiē chī jīng 。
没想到被初见之人一语道破自身功法玄机，焦修远显得有些吃惊。
Li Fan was not lying. In the remains of the Hundred Stones Cavern, apart from the cultivation methods and ancient texts, he had another discovery: the eyeball in his hand.
bù guò tā yǎn shì de hěn hǎo ， lì mǎ huí yìng dào ：“ kuī tiān jī 、 tàn yīn guǒ 。 shàng gǔ tiān jī zōng ， guǒ rán míng bù xū chuán ！”
不过他掩饰的很好，立马回应道：“窥天机、探因果。上古天机宗，果然名不虚传！”
The Heavenly Profound Mirror identified it as a [Piercing Illusion Stone Eye], akin to a heavenly treasure that gathers rules.
“ pèi fú ！ pèi fú ！”
“佩服！佩服！”
It was said that after a cultivator absorbed and refined it, they could discern illusions and foresee the future.
“ jiǔ yǎng ！ jiǔ yǎng ！”
“久仰！久仰！”
Logically, such a precious item should command a high price. However, this [Piercing Illusion Stone Eye] had already been refined once by a cultivator, its purest natural law tainted with the aura of the cultivator's cause and effect. After thousands of years, the laws of nature had changed significantly from ancient times.
èr rén xiāng shì yī yǎn ， jù shì hā hā dà xiào 。
二人相视一眼，俱是哈哈大笑。
The dual impact of these factors greatly reduced the effectiveness of the Piercing Illusion Stone Eye’s divination abilities. Ten chances out of a hundred would be considered lucky.
hù xiāng gōng wéi yī fān 、 yòu zhèng shì zuò le zì wǒ jiè shào zhī hòu ， jiāo xiū yuǎn zhè cái shì tàn xìng wèn dào ：“ dào yǒu cǐ fān qián lái ， bú huì zhǐ shì ná wǒ xún kāi xīn de ba ？”
互相恭维一番、又正式做了自我介绍之后，焦修远这才试探性问道：“道友此番前来，不会只是拿我寻开心的吧？”
Thus, the Heavenly Profound Mirror only offered 60,000 points of contribution as its recovery price.
“ jiāo dào yǒu nǎ lǐ de huà ， wǒ xiàng shì zhè me xián de rén me ？” lǐ fán bǎi bǎi shǒu dào 。“ wǒ lái cǐ chù ， zì rán shì wèi le ‘ cái ’ zhī yī zì le 。”
“焦道友哪里的话，我像是这么闲的人么？”李凡摆摆手道。“我来此处，自然是为了‘财’之一字了。”
Although this item was useless to Li Fan who could foresee things ahead of time, he didn’t need those 60,000 points and kept it with him. Now, he intended to use it to connect with Jiao Xiuyuan.
jiāo xiū yuǎn dùn shí lái le jīng shén ：“ ó ？ bù zhī dào yǒu xiǎng yào xiē shén me ？ zhèn fǎ fú lù ， fǎ qì dān yào ， yīng yǒu jìn yǒu ， liàng dà cóng ……” tā shùn kǒu shuō zhe 。
焦修远顿时来了精神：“哦？不知道友想要些什么？阵法符箓，法器丹药，应有尽有，量大从……”他顺口说着。
"How about it, Comrade Jiao, do you recognize this object?" Li Fan asked deliberately.
“ dào yǒu kàn wǒ quē zhè xiē me ？” lǐ fán sì xiào fēi xiào de wèn dào 。
“道友看我缺这些么？”李凡似笑非笑的问道。
Jiao Xiuyuan stood there for a moment before scoffing: "How could I not know? It's just a Piercing Illusion Stone Eye."
“ nà nǐ xiǎng yào shén me ？” jiāo xiū yuǎn liǎn sè yī sù ， rèn zhēn le qǐ lái 。
“那你想要什么？”焦修远脸色一肃，认真了起来。
He pondered for a while and continued, "I must inform you that the Heavenly Profound Mirror offered such a low price because..."
“ cǐ fān qián lái ， wǒ fēi shì mǎi 。 ér shì mài ！” lǐ fán yáo yáo tóu ， chén shēng dào 。“ zhì yú néng bù néng chéng ， hái yào kàn jiāo dào yǒu shí bù shí huò le 。”
“此番前来，我非是买。而是卖！”李凡摇摇头，沉声道。“至于能不能成，还要看焦道友识不识货了。”
"This item is rare, but if Comrade wants to sell it at a good price, he will need to find someone suitable."
“ mài ？ wǒ zhè ， kě bú shì shén me dōng xī dōu shōu ……” jiāo xiū yuǎn zhèng shuō zhe ， kàn jiàn lǐ fán shǒu zhōng zhī wù ， què shì bù yóu dì zhǐ zhù 。
“卖？我这，可不是什么东西都收……”焦修远正说着，看见李凡手中之物，却是不由地止住。
Li Fan replied, "Of course I understand. This is why I came to seek your help."
zhǐ jiàn yī kē wǎn ruò huó wù de yǎn qiú ， zhèng è hěn hěn dì dèng zhe tā 。
只见一颗宛若活物的眼球，正恶狠狠地瞪着他。
He casually threw the [Piercing Illusion Stone Eye] over: "I believe you can find a new and worthy owner for it."
shā qì sì yì ， ràng tā xià yì shí de xiǎng yào dòng shǒu fǎn jī 。
杀气四溢，让他下意识的想要动手反击。
"Please do me this favor. Half of the proceeds from its sale will go to you. What do you say?"
hǎo zài tā chá jué le zhè méi yǎn qiú bìng méi yǒu shén me gōng jī xìng ， shēng shēng rěn zhù 。
好在他察觉了这枚眼球并没有什么攻击性，生生忍住。
Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes lit up: "This business is mine!"
In the Heavenly Profound Mirror.
Li Fan sat motionlessly, his expression dazed. Even though he had known all along that only by resolving one's aspirations could items and knowledge obtained in the Realm of Falling Stars be brought back to this world, Li Fan still found himself struggling with the reality when he returned to the real world and couldn't recall a single word of Mr. Bai’s "Transforming Creation Furnace Technique."
"Mr. Bai... Transforming Creation Furnace Technique..."
"I can try again without limit, and surely I will bring it back one day," Li Fan said after taking a deep breath, finally managing to suppress his negative emotions.
Based on his experience in the "Ningyuan Longevity Fruit" mission, he knew that to take items out, he had to resolve the aspirations of their owners. What could Mr. Bai's aspiration be?
For Li Fan at this moment, Mr. Bai was still too mysterious. He would have to try again and again over time.
After a slight sense of his surroundings, he realized that it would be another six months before he could enter the Realm of Falling Stars again. This was slightly longer than usual, so Li Fan sighed and noted it in his mind.
At this moment, Li Fan checked his communication spirit token and found a message from Chen Ying. It stated that he had already arrived at his departure destination and was well-prepared.
If he could survive this ordeal, he would surely repay Li Fan handsomely.
Li Fan chuckled. If that were the case, it might be worth publicizing as an exemplary deed.
"However, the Great Battle of Heavenly Profound State will only occur in 16 years. For now, the key focus should still be on the Spirit Fog Grass incident."
"If not for the clear announcement from the Heavenly Profound Mirror, the Five Elders' Association might not have gone to such lengths over an unknown caverneous realm."
"Moreover, without Jiao Xiuyuan's encouragement, the Spirit Fog Grass incident would not have had such a far-reaching impact as in the past."
After pondering for a moment, Li Fan decided to visit Jiao Xiuyuan first.
Without concealing his form, Li Fan, still appearing as a disciple of the Heavenly Profound Sect, arrived at the Thousand Mile Hall.
Inside was as usual, cold and quiet.
Jiao Xiuyuan lazily lay on a long bench, his eyes closed as if he were napping. Hearing footsteps, he suddenly stood up and changed his expression.
"Ah! A guest has come!"
Jiao Xiuyuan looked at Li Fan, first taken aback, then warmly greeted him without saying anything about what he wanted to buy.
Li Fan didn't say what he was looking for either; instead, he narrowed his eyes and stared intently at Jiao Xiuyuan. They just stared at each other in silence.
After a moment, Li Fan broke the silence by拱了拱手: "Comrade, your puppet technique that transforms you into countless forms is truly remarkable!"
"Even in ancient times, it would be considered a rare divine power!"
Jiao Xiuyuan was surprised to have his secret technique revealed so quickly. However, he masked it well and replied, "Peering at the heavens, probing cause and effect. The Heavenly Profound Sect of Ancient Times indeed lives up to its reputation!"
"Respect! Respect!"
The two exchanged glances and laughed heartily.
After exchanging pleasantries and introducing themselves formally, Jiao Xiuyuan asked tentatively, "Comrade, you wouldn’t have come just for a joke, right?"
"I wouldn't be such a leisurely person," Li Fan waved his hand. "I came here for the sake of 'wealth'."
Jiao Xiuyuan perked up: "Oh? What do you want?" He continued, "Array techniques and talismans, magical artifacts and elixirs are all available here; just let me know what you need..."
"Comrade, do I lack these things?" Li Fan asked with a sly smile.
"What then do you want?" Jiao Xiuyuan's expression turned serious.
"This time, I'm not buying. I’m selling!" Li Fan shook his head and said in a solemn voice. "Whether it succeeds or not depends on whether Comrade Jiao recognizes the value of this item."
"Selling? Not everything here is accepted..." Just as Jiao Xiuyuan was speaking, he noticed the object in Li Fan's hand and stopped.
A living eyeball stared at him fiercely.
The aura of killing permeated, making Jiao Xiuyuan instinctively want to retaliate. However, he realized that this eyeball had no offensive capabilities and restrained himself.
"What is this?" Jiao Xiuyuan squinted his eyes and asked curiously.
Li Fan spoke with a sigh: "This was left behind by my senior brother in the past. He has passed on, so it's useless to me now. It only brings sorrow when I look at it. So I want to pass it on to someone else who is deserving. Unfortunately, the Heavenly Profound Mirror undervalued it and offered a low price. This is an insult to my senior brother."
"I used divination techniques to find someone qualified to take over this item, which led me here," Li Fan explained slowly.
Li Fan was not lying. In the remains of the Hundred Stones Cavern, apart from the cultivation methods and ancient texts, he had another discovery: the eyeball in his hand.
The Heavenly Profound Mirror identified it as a [Piercing Illusion Stone Eye], akin to a heavenly treasure that gathers rules.
It was said that after a cultivator absorbed and refined it, they could discern illusions and foresee the future.
Logically, such a precious item should command a high price. However, this [Piercing Illusion Stone Eye] had already been refined once by a cultivator, its purest natural law tainted with the aura of the cultivator's cause and effect. After thousands of years, the laws of nature had changed significantly from ancient times.
The dual impact of these factors greatly reduced the effectiveness of the Piercing Illusion Stone Eye’s divination abilities. Ten chances out of a hundred would be considered lucky.
Thus, the Heavenly Profound Mirror only offered 60,000 points of contribution as its recovery price.
Although this item was useless to Li Fan who could foresee things ahead of time, he didn’t need those 60,000 points and kept it with him. Now, he intended to use it to connect with Jiao Xiuyuan.
"How about it, Comrade Jiao, do you recognize this object?" Li Fan asked deliberately.
Jiao Xiuyuan stood there for a moment before scoffing: "How could I not know? It's just a Piercing Illusion Stone Eye."
He pondered for a while and continued, "I must inform you that the Heavenly Profound Mirror offered such a low price because..."
"This item is rare, but if Comrade wants to sell it at a good price, he will need to find someone suitable."
Li Fan replied, "Of course I understand. This is why I came to seek your help."
He casually threw the [Piercing Illusion Stone Eye] over: "I believe you can find a new and worthy owner for it."
"Please do me this favor. Half of the proceeds from its sale will go to you. What do you say?"
Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes lit up: "This business is mine!"