jí mù yuǎn tiào ， hǎi tiān yī xiàn ， tiān shuǐ nán fēn 。
极目远眺，海天一线，天水难分。
Looking far into the distance, the horizon merged with the sky, making it hard to distinguish between heaven and water.
wǎn rú léi tíng bān de lóng yín shēng ， sì hū zhèng shì cóng tiān qióng shàng de yún céng zhōng chuán lái 。
宛如雷霆般的龙吟声，似乎正是从天穹上的云层中传来。
A dragon’s roar echoed like a thunderbolt, seemingly coming from the clouds in the heavens above.
yún cǎi de fèng xì jiān ， yī xī néng kàn jiàn zhè tóu qīng lóng lù chū de zhǐ lín bàn zhǎo 。
云彩的缝隙间，依稀能看见这头青龙露出的只鳞半爪。
Through the gaps in the clouds, only faint glimpses of the azure dragon could be seen—just scales and claws exposed here and there.
lóng shēn lián mián bù jué ， fǎng fú yì zhí yán shēn dào tiān biān 。
龙身连绵不绝，仿佛一直延伸到天边。
The dragon’s body stretched endlessly, as if it reached all the way to the horizon. The tail that occasionally peeked out was so large that it seemed like a mountain.
ér nà bù jīn yì jiān lù chū de lóng wěi ， luò zài èr rén yǎn zhōng ， yě jìng shì rú tóng shān yuè bān dà xiǎo 。
而那不禁意间露出的龙尾，落在二人眼中，也竟是如同山岳般大小。
Xu Ke stood dumbfounded, looking up at the sky with his head tilted back, his body slightly swaying: "How can this dragon be so big?"
xǔ kè mù dèng kǒu dāi ， yǎng tóu kàn zhe ， shēn tǐ dōu yǒu diǎn huǎng ：“ zhè tiáo lóng zěn me zhè me dà ？”
许克目瞪口呆，仰头看着，身体都有点晃：“这条龙怎么这么大？”
"Back in the sect, I’ve seen a blue dragon before. But compared to this one..."
“ wǒ zài zōng mén nèi yě céng jiàn guò qīng lóng 。 bù guò gēn yǎn qián zhè tiáo xiāng bǐ ……”
“我在宗门内也曾见过青龙。不过跟眼前这条相比……”
"It’s not even worth calling it a dragon! It’s more like a little mud carp!"
“ nà dōu bù néng chēng zhī wèi lóng le 。 jiào xiǎo ní qiū hái chà bu duō ！”
“那都不能称之为龙了。叫小泥鳅还差不多！”
Xu Ke wasn’t stupid and knew that Nanying was a place where monsters roamed freely. He whispered to Li Fan.
xǔ kè yě bù shǎ ， zhī dào zhè nán míng shì yāo shòu de dì pán ， qiāo qiāo xiǎo shēng gēn lǐ fán shuō dào 。
许克也不傻，知道这南冥是妖兽的地盘，悄悄小声跟李凡说道。
"Divine dragons are hard to see, but their heads can be seen." Li Fan didn't respond; instead, he focused on the blue dragon in the sky, examining its memories from the Xuan bird’s lineage.
“ shén lóng jiàn shǒu bù jiàn wěi ……” lǐ fán méi yǒu dā lǐ tā 。
“神龙见首不见尾……”李凡没有搭理他。
This blue dragon had existed for almost as long as the Three Moles of Longevity. Unlike the Three Moles who acted as oracles and led their kind, this Blue Divine Dragon never interfered with the internal affairs of the monster clans.
ér shì dīng zhe tiān qióng zhōng de nà tóu qīng lóng ， chá kàn zhe yuán yú xuán niǎo xuè mài zhōng de jì yì 。
而是盯着天穹中的那头青龙，查看着源于玄鸟血脉中的记忆。
It mostly served as a protector, rarely making an appearance in the world until times of great peril when it would intervene to help.
zhè tiáo qīng lóng cún zài de suì yuè ， jī hū kě yǐ hé cháng shēng shòu dì sān mò xiāng tí bìng lùn le 。
这条青龙存在的岁月，几乎可以和长生寿帝三貘相提并论了。
"Blue divine dragons usually hide themselves among waves and clouds. I wonder why it’s letting out such a loud roar today."
hé dì sān mò chōng dāng zú qún xiān zhī 、 yǐn lǐng yāo shòu yī zú qián xíng bù tóng ， zhè wèi qīng shén lóng ， cóng bù huì gān shè yāo shòu zú qún nèi bù shì wù 。
和帝三貘充当族群先知、引领妖兽一族前行不同，这位青神龙，从不会干涉妖兽族群内部事物。
"Looks like something big is happening here." "Coming here at just the right moment, you truly are destined for greatness."
tā gèng duō de shì chōng dāng yí gè “ bǎo hù shén ” de jué sè ， píng shí bù xiǎn yú shì 。
它更多的是充当一个“保护神”的角色，平时不显于世。
While Li Fan was musing, he gave Xu Ke another sharp claw.
zhǐ yǒu zài yāo shòu zú qún yù dào miè jué wēi jī de guān jiàn shí kè ， cái huì chū shǒu xiàng zhù 。
只有在妖兽族群遇到灭绝危机的关键时刻，才会出手相助。
Xu Ke felt confused and wanted to retaliate but was ruthlessly suppressed by Li Fan. Below him, the blue phoenix seemed to sigh in resignation as it continued flying southward with increasing speed.
“ qīng shén lóng yì bān yǐn jiè cáng xíng ， cáng yú bō tāo 、 yún wù zhī zhōng 。 bù zhī jīn tiān wèi hé què hū de fā chū rú cǐ lóng yín 。”
“青神龙一般隐介藏形，藏于波涛、云雾之中。不知今天为何却忽的发出如此龙吟。”
The Nanying Sea stretched endlessly before them, with nothing but endless azure waters visible beyond the sky above.
dà jiā qù kuài kě yǐ shì shì ba 。】
大家去快可以试试吧。】
After several days of unchanging scenery, not even a common monster could be seen. Instead, groups of strange fish would occasionally surface and chase after Xu Ke’s group, following their shadows on the water.
“ kàn lái zhè nán míng ， huò xǔ yǒu dà shì fā shēng le 。”
“看来这南冥，或许有大事发生了。”
These fish, however, were unintelligent and followed by instinct alone; they weren’t true monsters.
“ yī lái jiù qià hǎo pèng shàng ， zhēn bù kuì shì tiān mìng suǒ guī zhī rén 。”
“一来就恰好碰上，真不愧是天命所归之人。”
"Xiaohei, where is that so-called monster mountain?" Xu Ke propped his chin with his hands, looking listless.
lǐ fán yī biān àn zhōng sī suǒ ， yī biān yòu gěi le xǔ kè yī zhuǎ zi 。
李凡一边暗中思索，一边又给了许克一爪子。
"Senior Luyi didn’t give us clear directions. He just said to head south."
xǔ kè dùn jué yǒu xiē mò míng qí miào ， bù fú yù fā dòng fǎn jī 。
许克顿觉有些莫名其妙，不服欲发动反击。
"I really believed him. It’s such a headache."
què bèi lǐ fán wú qíng zhèn yā 。
却被李凡无情镇压。
Just as Li Fan was about to respond, he suddenly changed his expression and felt a sudden surge of killing intent accompanied by a strong scent of blood.
ér xǔ kè shēn xià de qīng luán niǎo ， sì hū fā chū yī shēng wú nài de tàn xī 。
而许克身下的青鸾鸟，似乎发出一声无奈的叹息。
Turning around, he spat out a black light that met the incoming attack head-on.
shēn xíng sù dù bù jiǎn ， jì xù cháo zhe nán fāng yī lù jí chí 。
身形速度不减，继续朝着南方一路疾驰。
"Eh?" The other side emitted a surprised sound.
nán míng zhī hǎi ， guǎng kuò wú biān 。
南冥之海，广阔无边。
"Boom!"
rù mù suǒ jí ， chú le tóu dǐng de tiān qióng zhī wài ， jiù shì wú jìn de qīng sè hǎi shuǐ 。
入目所及，除了头顶的天穹之外，就是无尽的青色海水。
The explosion caught the blue phoenix off guard. It let out an angry cry, spread its wings, and shielded Xu Ke with its body.
yī lián fēi xíng de shí jǐ tiān ， jǐng sè dōu méi yǒu sī háo biàn huà 。
一连飞行的十几天，景色都没有丝毫变化。
Li Fan flew up into the air, looking down at his attacker who had launched this sudden assault.
bù tí nà zuò yāo shòu shān le ， jiù lián xún cháng yāo shòu de shēn yǐng ， dōu méi yǒu jiàn dào guò 。
不提那座妖兽山了，就连寻常妖兽的身影，都没有见到过。
It was a two-headed bird.
fǎn dào shì bù shí néng kàn dào hǎi zhōng chéng qún jié duì de guài yú ， zuān chū shuǐ miàn xī xī 。
反倒是不时能看到海中成群结队的怪鱼，钻出水面嘻嘻。
Its feathers were snow white, one head staring intently while the other seemed to be in a deep sleep. The latter’s eyes were closed, and it nodded slightly, appearing comical.
shèn zhì yǒu de hái zhuī zhú zhe xǔ kè yī xíng rén luò zài hǎi miàn shàng yīn yǐng ， yī lù gēn suí 。
甚至有的还追逐着许克一行人落在海面上阴影，一路跟随。
"Ah, so you’re from the Xuan birds’ family. How could I have not recognized you after all these years."
bù guò zhè xiē yú lèi ， shén zhì wèi kāi ， zhǐ kào běn néng ， xiǎn rán bú shì shén me yāo shòu 。
不过这些鱼类，神智未开，只靠本能，显然不是什么妖兽。
"It’s truly hideous." The two-headed bird mocked with a sharp voice.
“ xiǎo hēi ， nǐ shuō nà shén me yāo shān ， dào dǐ zài nǎ lǐ a ？” xǔ kè shuāng shǒu chēng zhe xià bā ， yī fù wú jīng dǎ cǎi de yàng zi 。
“小黑，你说那什么妖山，到底在哪里啊？”许克双手撑着下巴，一副无精打采的样子。
"Maman...?" Li Fan instantly recognized this two-headed bird.
“ lù yá shī xiōng yě bù shuō qīng chǔ yì diǎn ， zhǐ gào sù wǒ yī lù xiàng nán jiù dào le 。”
“陆涯师兄也不说清楚一点，只告诉我一路向南就到了。”
It was related to his own lineage through the Xuan birds, though its name wasn’t very appealing. Maman had the ability to see the causes and effects of events on its left head while its right head slept most of the time. It would wake up if it sensed impending disaster.
“ wǒ hái zhēn xìn le 。 zhēn shì shāng nǎo jīn 。”
“我还真信了。真是伤脑筋。”
However, Maman’s feathers were usually a mix of blue and red; this pure white was extremely rare.
lǐ fán zhèng yù dá huà ， què hū de shén sè yī biàn 。
李凡正欲答话，却忽的神色一变。
No wonder Maman thought Li Fan was ugly—his entire body was black, making him an extreme contrast to her.
zhǐ jué shēn hòu ， yī dào shā qì bàn suí zhe nóng liè de xuè xīng wèi tū rán xí lái 。
只觉身后，一道杀气伴随着浓烈的血腥味突然袭来。
Although Maman might be considered his elder in the monster clan hierarchy, Li Fan wasn’t going to give it a good time either.
dāng jí zhuǎn guò tóu qù ， zuǐ lǐ tǔ chū yī dào hēi guāng ， zhèng hé zhè dào shā qì duì shàng 。
当即转过头去，嘴里吐出一道黑光，正和这道杀气对上。
"Strange, I seem to hear ducks quacking somewhere."
“ yí ？” duì fāng chuán lái yī zhèn jīng yí shēng 。
“咦？”对方传来一阵惊疑声。
"Gag, so annoying!"
“ hōng ！”
“轰！”
Li Fan pretended not to see Maman and scanned around. He asked Xu Ke with some skepticism: "Did you also hear that?"
bào zhà shēng zhōng ， qīng luán niǎo zhōng yú fǎn yìng guò lái 。
爆炸声中，青鸾鸟终于反应过来。
Xu Ke was taken aback for a moment before clapping his hands and laughing uncontrollably: "Yes, I did too."
fā shēng yī shēng fèn nù de míng jiào ， zhǎn kāi yǔ yì ， jiāng xǔ kè hù zài shēn hòu 。
发生一声愤怒的鸣叫，展开羽翼，将许克护在身后。
"Say, this Nanying monster mountain is supposed to be the holy ground of monsters. How could an impolite duck like this get in? Truly bizarre!"
ér lǐ fán zé shì fēi zhì bàn kōng ， yáo yáo kàn zhe miàn qián zhè wèi fā dòng tū rán xí jī xiōng shǒu 。
而李凡则是飞至半空，遥遥看着面前这位发动突然袭击凶手。
The two-headed bird became furious at their mocking.
nà shì yī zhī shuāng tóu guài niǎo 。
那是一只双头怪鸟。
"You two little brats! Who are you calling a duck?"
quán shēn yǔ máo xuě bái ， yī zhī tóu lú dèng dà le yǎn jīng ， shì xiàn bù tíng zài xǔ kè yī xíng rén lái huí zhuǎn dòng 。
全身羽毛雪白，一只头颅瞪大了眼睛，视线不停在许克一行人来回转动。
"I’m Maman, a noble white variant that only appears once every thousand years!" It continued boasting but was ignored by Li Fan and Xu Ke, who shook their heads disapprovingly.
ér lìng wài yī zhī tóu lú zé sì hū zài chén shuì zhī zhōng ， liǎng yǎn jǐn bì ， tóu yì diǎn yì diǎn de ， kàn shàng qù shí fēn huá jī 。
而另外一只头颅则似乎在沉睡之中，两眼紧闭，头一点一点的，看上去十分滑稽。
Maman’s fury boiled over. Seeing how much it disliked them, it prepared to attack again.
“ yuán lái shì xuán niǎo jiā de ， zěn me zhè me duō nián bú jiàn ， biàn chéng zhè fù mú yàng le 。”
“原来是玄鸟家的，怎么这么多年不见，变成这副模样了。”
But then, it seemed to think better of it and decided to tolerate the situation for now.
“ zhēn shì chǒu de bù néng zhí shì a 。”
“真是丑的不能直视啊。”
"Xuan birds, I’ll remember you!"
shuāng tóu guài niǎo yòng jiān ruì de sǎng yīn cháo xiào dào 。
双头怪鸟用尖锐的嗓音嘲笑道。
It glared at Li Fan before flying off with a flapping of its wings.
“ mán mán ……” lǐ fán shà shí jiān yě rèn chū le zhè shuāng tóu niǎo de lái lì 。
“蛮蛮……”李凡霎时间也认出了这双头鸟的来历。
Li Fan and Xu Ke exchanged looks and quickly followed Maman. After some time, Maman noticed that they were still following her.
shuō qǐ lái ， tā hé tiān mìng xuán niǎo yī zú ， hái yǒu diǎn qīn qī guān xì 。
说起来，它和天命玄鸟一族，还有点亲戚关系。
"Why do you keep tailing me? Do you think I’m easy to bully?"
míng wèi mán mán ， suī rán míng zì bù zěn me hǎo tīng ， dàn shí zé lái tou bù xiǎo 。
名为蛮蛮，虽然名字不怎么好听，但实则来头不小。
Li Fan showed disdain: "Strange indeed. The world is vast; all creatures can roam freely."
zuǒ biān tóu lú jù shuō néng kàn jiàn shì jiān zhū shì yīn guǒ ， yòu biān tóu lú zé shì cháng nián chén shuì 。
左边头颅据说能看见世间诸事因果，右边头颅则是常年沉睡。
"Is it not allowed for other beasts to walk where my Maman birds have flown?"
yí dàn yù gǎn dào zāi è jiàng lín ， jiù huì mò míng jīng xǐng 。
一旦预感到灾厄降临，就会莫名惊醒。
"You’re being too overbearing, aren’t you?"
bù guò mán mán niǎo yì bān dōu shì qīng zhōng dài hóng ， shì zhè bān tōng tǐ xuě bái ， dǎo shì jí wéi shǎo jiàn 。
不过蛮蛮鸟一般都是青中带红，似这般通体雪白，倒是极为少见。
Before Maman could respond, a strange laugh echoed from the distance and approached swiftly.
yě nán guài tā jué de lǐ fán chǒu le ， wán quán shì gēn hún shēn qī hēi de lǐ fán jí duān duì lì de cún zài 。
也难怪它觉得李凡丑了，完全是跟浑身漆黑的李凡极端对立的存在。
"Hahaha!"
suī rán àn zhào yāo shòu zú qún zhōng de bèi fēn lái shuō ， duì fāng hěn yǒu kě néng shì lǐ fán de “ zhǎng bèi ”。
虽然按照妖兽族群中的辈分来说，对方很有可能是李凡的“长辈”。
"Not bad! That little kid has a point. I think your Maman bird clan has become too unruly after living such easy lives."
bù guò miàn duì zhè zhǐ bái sè mán mán niǎo de hū rán xí jī yǐ jí yán yǔ cháo fěng ， lǐ fán dāng rán yě bú huì gěi duì fāng hǎo liǎn sè kàn 。
不过面对这只白色蛮蛮鸟的忽然袭击以及言语嘲讽，李凡当然也不会给对方好脸色看。
Maman’s eyes glinted with malice as it prepared to attack. However, when it saw who was approaching, its anger faded.
“ qí guài ， zěn me sì hū tīng dào nǎ lǐ yǒu yā zi zài jiào ？”
“奇怪，怎么似乎听到哪里有鸭子在叫？”
The newcomer was a bird that resembled a dog and had a human face, accompanied by the sound of howling wind as it flew.
“ gā gā de ， zhēn shì nán tīng yòu chǎo sǐ le 。”
“嘎嘎的，真是难听又吵死了。”
It was none other than the famous "Great Wind" clan.
lǐ fán yī fù wán quán méi yǒu kàn dào mán mán niǎo de yàng zi ， zuǒ yòu dǎ liàng yī quān ， yǒu xiē yí huò ， hái dài zhe diǎn xián qì de duì zhe xià fāng de xǔ kè wèn dào 。
李凡一副完全没有看到蛮蛮鸟的样子，左右打量一圈，有些疑惑，还带着点嫌弃的对着下方的许克问道。
"Hahaha!"
xǔ kè xiān shì lèng le yī lèng ， suí hòu pāi le pāi shǒu zhǎng ， gē gē luàn xiào ：“ méi cuò ， wǒ yě tīng dào le 。”
许克先是愣了一愣，随后拍了拍手掌，咯咯乱笑：“没错，我也听到了。”
After landing, the Great Wind bird let out another hearty laugh. It then focused on Li Fan for a moment before settling its gaze on Xu Ke. A strange glint appeared in its eyes.
“ dōu shuō zhè nán míng yāo shān ， shì yāo shòu de shèng dì 。 zěn me huì ràng yī zhī méi yǒu lǐ shù de yā zi hùn le jìn lái ， zhēn shì guài shì 、 guài shì a ！”
“都说这南冥妖山，是妖兽的圣地。怎么会让一只没有礼数的鸭子混了进来，真是怪事、怪事啊！”
"Why are you, a human child, here in our monster territory?"
Looking far into the distance, the horizon merged with the sky, making it hard to distinguish between heaven and water.
A dragon’s roar echoed like a thunderbolt, seemingly coming from the clouds in the heavens above.
Through the gaps in the clouds, only faint glimpses of the azure dragon could be seen—just scales and claws exposed here and there.
The dragon’s body stretched endlessly, as if it reached all the way to the horizon. The tail that occasionally peeked out was so large that it seemed like a mountain.
Xu Ke stood dumbfounded, looking up at the sky with his head tilted back, his body slightly swaying: "How can this dragon be so big?"
"Back in the sect, I’ve seen a blue dragon before. But compared to this one..."
"It’s not even worth calling it a dragon! It’s more like a little mud carp!"
Xu Ke wasn’t stupid and knew that Nanying was a place where monsters roamed freely. He whispered to Li Fan.
"Divine dragons are hard to see, but their heads can be seen." Li Fan didn't respond; instead, he focused on the blue dragon in the sky, examining its memories from the Xuan bird’s lineage.
This blue dragon had existed for almost as long as the Three Moles of Longevity. Unlike the Three Moles who acted as oracles and led their kind, this Blue Divine Dragon never interfered with the internal affairs of the monster clans.
It mostly served as a protector, rarely making an appearance in the world until times of great peril when it would intervene to help.
"Blue divine dragons usually hide themselves among waves and clouds. I wonder why it’s letting out such a loud roar today."
"Looks like something big is happening here." "Coming here at just the right moment, you truly are destined for greatness."
While Li Fan was musing, he gave Xu Ke another sharp claw.
Xu Ke felt confused and wanted to retaliate but was ruthlessly suppressed by Li Fan. Below him, the blue phoenix seemed to sigh in resignation as it continued flying southward with increasing speed.
The Nanying Sea stretched endlessly before them, with nothing but endless azure waters visible beyond the sky above.
After several days of unchanging scenery, not even a common monster could be seen. Instead, groups of strange fish would occasionally surface and chase after Xu Ke’s group, following their shadows on the water.
These fish, however, were unintelligent and followed by instinct alone; they weren’t true monsters.
"Xiaohei, where is that so-called monster mountain?" Xu Ke propped his chin with his hands, looking listless.
"Senior Luyi didn’t give us clear directions. He just said to head south."
"I really believed him. It’s such a headache."
Just as Li Fan was about to respond, he suddenly changed his expression and felt a sudden surge of killing intent accompanied by a strong scent of blood.
Turning around, he spat out a black light that met the incoming attack head-on.
"Eh?" The other side emitted a surprised sound.
"Boom!"
The explosion caught the blue phoenix off guard. It let out an angry cry, spread its wings, and shielded Xu Ke with its body.
Li Fan flew up into the air, looking down at his attacker who had launched this sudden assault.
It was a two-headed bird.
Its feathers were snow white, one head staring intently while the other seemed to be in a deep sleep. The latter’s eyes were closed, and it nodded slightly, appearing comical.
"Ah, so you’re from the Xuan birds’ family. How could I have not recognized you after all these years."
"It’s truly hideous." The two-headed bird mocked with a sharp voice.
"Maman...?" Li Fan instantly recognized this two-headed bird.
It was related to his own lineage through the Xuan birds, though its name wasn’t very appealing. Maman had the ability to see the causes and effects of events on its left head while its right head slept most of the time. It would wake up if it sensed impending disaster.
However, Maman’s feathers were usually a mix of blue and red; this pure white was extremely rare.
No wonder Maman thought Li Fan was ugly—his entire body was black, making him an extreme contrast to her.
Although Maman might be considered his elder in the monster clan hierarchy, Li Fan wasn’t going to give it a good time either.
"Strange, I seem to hear ducks quacking somewhere."
"Gag, so annoying!"
Li Fan pretended not to see Maman and scanned around. He asked Xu Ke with some skepticism: "Did you also hear that?"
Xu Ke was taken aback for a moment before clapping his hands and laughing uncontrollably: "Yes, I did too."
"Say, this Nanying monster mountain is supposed to be the holy ground of monsters. How could an impolite duck like this get in? Truly bizarre!"
The two-headed bird became furious at their mocking.
"You two little brats! Who are you calling a duck?"
"I’m Maman, a noble white variant that only appears once every thousand years!" It continued boasting but was ignored by Li Fan and Xu Ke, who shook their heads disapprovingly.
Maman’s fury boiled over. Seeing how much it disliked them, it prepared to attack again.
But then, it seemed to think better of it and decided to tolerate the situation for now.
"Xuan birds, I’ll remember you!"
It glared at Li Fan before flying off with a flapping of its wings.
Li Fan and Xu Ke exchanged looks and quickly followed Maman. After some time, Maman noticed that they were still following her.
"Why do you keep tailing me? Do you think I’m easy to bully?"
Li Fan showed disdain: "Strange indeed. The world is vast; all creatures can roam freely."
"Is it not allowed for other beasts to walk where my Maman birds have flown?"
"You’re being too overbearing, aren’t you?"
Before Maman could respond, a strange laugh echoed from the distance and approached swiftly.
"Hahaha!"
"Not bad! That little kid has a point. I think your Maman bird clan has become too unruly after living such easy lives."
Maman’s eyes glinted with malice as it prepared to attack. However, when it saw who was approaching, its anger faded.
The newcomer was a bird that resembled a dog and had a human face, accompanied by the sound of howling wind as it flew.
It was none other than the famous "Great Wind" clan.
"Hahaha!"
After landing, the Great Wind bird let out another hearty laugh. It then focused on Li Fan for a moment before settling its gaze on Xu Ke. A strange glint appeared in its eyes.
"Why are you, a human child, here in our monster territory?"