bàn gè yuè hòu ， yí gè jiǎn lòu de hǎi shuǐ dàn huà fǎ zhèn jiàn chéng 。
半个月后，一个简陋的海水淡化法阵建成。
Half a month later, a rudimentary seawater purification array was constructed.
chóng xīn yōng yǒu le chōng zú de yǐn yòng shuǐ hé zhí wù ， tài ān dǎo xìng cún de jū mín fēn fēn kē tóu ， guì xiè xiān shī de huó mìng zhī ēn 。
重新拥有了充足的饮用水和植物，泰安岛幸存的居民纷纷磕头，跪谢仙师的活命之恩。
The residents of Tai'an Island, who had regained sufficient drinking water and plants, knelt down in gratitude to the Immortal Master for saving their lives.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng què méi yǒu nà me gāo xìng ， fǎn ér yǒu xiē yōu xīn chōng chōng 。
李凡心中却没有那么高兴，反而有些忧心忡忡。
However, Li Fan did not share their joy. Instead, he felt somewhat anxious.
qīn shǒu jiàn zào le yí gè fǎ zhèn zhī hòu ， lǐ fán suàn shì miǎn qiǎng tà shàng le zhèn fǎ zhī dào 。
亲手建造了一个法阵之后，李凡算是勉强踏上了阵法之道。
Having personally built an array, Li Fan could now barely claim to have stepped into the path of阵法.
zhè shí tā cái fā xiàn ， tài ān dǎo de hù dǎo dà zhèn ， zhèng zài yǐ yī zhǒng jí wéi bú zhèng cháng de sù dù sǔn huài 。
这时他才发现，泰安岛的护岛大阵，正在以一种极为不正常的速度损坏。
At this moment, he discovered that Tai'an Island's protective array was deteriorating at an extremely abnormal rate.
yì bān lái jiǎng ， hù dǎo dà zhèn wǎng wǎng néng chí xù yùn xíng shàng bǎi nián 。
一般来讲，护岛大阵往往能持续运行上百年。
Generally, a protective array could operate for over a century.
dàn ruò shì àn zhào mù qián zhè zhǒng sǔn huài de sù dù ， zài guò gè liǎng sān nián ， dà zhèn jiù huì chè dǐ shī qù xiào yòng 。
但若是按照目前这种损坏的速度，再过个两三年，大阵就会彻底失去效用。
But if it continued to deteriorate at its current pace, it would lose all effectiveness in just two or three years.
jīng guò zǐ xì de chá tàn ， zài jié hé 《 zhèn fǎ xù lùn 》 zhōng miáo shù ， lǐ fán zhǎo dào le dà zhèn shòu sǔn de yuán yīn 。
经过仔细的查探，再结合《阵法绪论》中描述，李凡找到了大阵受损的原因。
After careful investigation and cross-referencing with the descriptions in《阵法绪论》, Li Fan found the reason behind the array's damage.
tiān dì jiān de líng qì biàn dé jí wéi bào zào 、 chì liè 。
天地间的灵气变得极为暴躁、炽烈。
The primordial energy between heaven and earth had become extremely volatile and intense.
zhè zhǒng chì liè de líng qì rú tóng dàn shēng le zì jǐ yì zhì ， bèi hù dǎo dà zhèn xī shōu hòu ， kāi shǐ màn màn qīn shí fǎ zhèn zhōng de guān jiàn jié diǎn 。
这种炽烈的灵气如同诞生了自己意志，被护岛大阵吸收后，开始慢慢侵蚀法阵中的关键节点。
This intense primordial energy seemed to have developed its own will. After being absorbed by the protective array, it began slowly eroding the key nodes within the array.
hù dǎo dà zhèn xiàn zài jiù hǎo xiàng yī tái guān jiàn líng jiàn dōu zài màn màn shàng xiù de jī qì ， měi yùn xíng yī cì ， tā de shòu mìng jiù yào jiǎn shǎo yī fēn 。
护岛大阵现在就好像一台关键零件都在慢慢上锈的机器，每运行一次，它的寿命就要减少一分。
Now, Tai'an Island's protective array was like a machine with all its critical components gradually rusting; each operation reduced its lifespan by one fraction.
yuán yīn zhǎo dào le ， lǐ fán què méi yǒu shén me hǎo bàn fǎ lái wǎn jiù 。
原因找到了，李凡却没有什么好办法来挽救。
Finding the cause, Li Fan had no good solution to address it.
hù dǎo dà zhèn tài fù zá le ， yī wàn duō gè guān jiàn jié diǎn ， měi gè jié diǎn wǎng wǎng dōu shì yóu shù shí gè wēi xíng fǎ zhèn fù hé ér chéng 。
护岛大阵太复杂了，一万多个关键节点，每个节点往往都是由数十个微型法阵复合而成。
The protective array was too complex, with over ten thousand key nodes, each often composed of dozens of miniature arrays.
jù shuō dāng chū jiàn zào zhī shí ， shì yóu wàn xiān méng duō míng yuán yīng jìng de zhèn fǎ dà shī lián shǒu jiàn zào de 。
据说当初建造之时，是由万仙盟多名元婴境的阵法大师联手建造的。
It was said that the array was built by multiple Foundation Establishment Realm array masters from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
cǐ kè chū le wèn tí ， nǎ lǐ shì lǐ fán zhè yī zhèn dào gāng gāng rù mén de xiū shì néng jiě jué de 。
此刻出了问题，哪里是李凡这一阵道刚刚入门的修士能解决的。
Given its current state, this problem could not be solved by a mere cultivator like Li Fan who had just entered the path of阵法.
kuàng qiě wèn tí de zuì zhǔ yào yuán yīn hái shì zài dà zhèn xī shōu de líng qì shàng 。
况且问题的最主要原因还是在大阵吸收的灵气上。
Moreover, the main issue lay with the primordial energy being absorbed by the array. Even if he temporarily fixed the array, as long as the nature of the external volatile primordial energy remained unchanged, it would only be a temporary fix.
jiù suàn zàn shí xiū hǎo le fǎ zhèn ， zhǐ yào wài jiè nà kuáng bào de líng qì xìng zhì bù biàn ， yě zhǐ néng suàn shì yǐn zhèn zhǐ kě 。
就算暂时修好了法阵，只要外界那狂暴的灵气性质不变，也只能算是饮鸩止渴。
"Staying on Tai'an Island is only waiting to die; I must find a way out."
“ liú zài zhè tài ān dǎo zhǐ néng shì děng sǐ ， bì xū xiǎng bàn fǎ lí kāi zhè lǐ 。”
“留在这泰安岛只能是等死，必须想办法离开这里。”
"But who knows what changes have occurred in the outside world? The violent primordial energy wreaks havoc everywhere. Going out now will surely lead to death."
“ kě shì wài jiè bù zhī fā shēng le hé zhǒng biàn gù ， kuáng bào líng qì sì nüè ， mào rán chū qù yě shì sǐ lù yī tiáo 。”
“可是外界不知发生了何种变故，狂暴灵气肆虐，贸然出去也是死路一条。”
Trapped between a rock and a hard place, it seemed he was stuck in a dead end.
jìn tuì wéi gǔ ， yī shí jiān mào sì xiàn rù le sǐ jú zhī zhōng 。
进退维谷，一时间貌似陷入了死局之中。
"This is the Heaven's act of killing..." Li Fan tightly stared at the sky beyond the protective array, feeling like an insect trapped in a spider web, unable to move or struggle for its life.
“ zhè jiù shì tiān fā shā jī me ……” lǐ fán jǐn jǐn dīng zhe hù dǎo dà zhèn wài de tiān kōng ， zhǐ gǎn jué zì jǐ shì luò rù zhū wǎng zhōng de fēi chóng ， dòng tán bù dé 、 chuí sǐ zhēng zhá 。
“这就是天发杀机么……”李凡紧紧盯着护岛大阵外的天空，只感觉自己是落入蛛网中的飞虫，动弹不得、垂死挣扎。
However, Li Fan did not directly choose【还真】.
dàn lǐ fán yě méi yǒu zhí jiē xuǎn zé 【 hái zhēn 】。
但李凡也没有直接选择【还真】。
Choosing【还真】would waste years of energy replenishment time. Without understanding what had happened, he was likely to face death again next time.
【 hái zhēn 】 huí qù yào làng fèi shí jǐ nián de chōng néng shí jiān bù shuō ， bù gǎo qīng chǔ jiū jìng fā shēng le shén me ， xià yī cì dào tóu lái dà gài lǜ hái shì nán táo yī sǐ 。
【还真】回去要浪费十几年的充能时间不说，不搞清楚究竟发生了什么，下一次到头来大概率还是难逃一死。
Even if he fled far away from the Cunyun Sea, could he be assured of safety?
jiù suàn yuǎn dùn táo lí cóng yún hǎi ， jiù néng bǎo zhèng bú huì yù dào xīn de wēi jī le me ？
就算远遁逃离丛云海，就能保证不会遇到新的危机了么？
After all, the world's Heavenly Dao harbored malice towards cultivators everywhere.
yào zhī dào ， zhè ge shì jiè de tiān dào duì xiū xiān zhě de è yì ， kě shì wú chǔ bù zài de 。
要知道，这个世界的天道对修仙者的恶意，可是无处不在的。
Li Fan did not believe that changing his location would help him avoid it.
lǐ fán bù rèn wéi zì jǐ huàn le gè dì fāng jiù néng bì miǎn 。
李凡不认为自己换了个地方就能避免。
Thus, unless absolutely necessary, he would not choose to give up this life.
suǒ yǐ bú dào wàn bù dé yǐ ， tā shì bú huì xuǎn zé zhí jiē fàng qì cǐ shì de 。
所以不到万不得已，他是不会选择直接放弃此世的。
For some time, Li Fan continued cultivating while searching for a way out.
jiē xià lái yī duàn shí jiān ， lǐ fán yī biān jì xù xiū xíng 、 yī biān xún zhǎo zháo pò jú de fāng fǎ 。
接下来一段时间，李凡一边继续修行、一边寻找着破局的方法。
However, the violent primordial energy outside did not subside but instead grew more tyrannical with each passing day.
kě shì wài jiè nà kuáng bào de líng qì bù jǐn méi yǒu píng xī de yì si ， fǎn ér suí zhe shí jiān de liú shì biàn dé yù fā bào nüè 。
可是外界那狂暴的灵气不仅没有平息的意思，反而随着时间的流逝变得愈发暴虐。
The protective array was now in grave danger and could collapse at any moment.
hù dǎo dà zhèn zài qí cuī cán xià ， biàn dé jí jí kě wēi 。
护岛大阵在其摧残下，变得岌岌可危。
"Is there no solution?" Li Fan felt somewhat helpless.
suí shí dū huì bēng tān 。
随时都会崩坍。
Ending this life without knowing what happened would be too bitter for him to accept, but it seemed he had no other choice.
“ méi bàn fǎ le me 。” lǐ fán xīn zhōng yǒu xiē wú nài 。
“没办法了么。”李凡心中有些无奈。
"【还真】!"
jiù zhè me bù míng bù bái de jié shù zhè yī shì ， tā shí zài yǒu xiē bù gān xīn 。
就这么不明不白的结束这一世，他实在有些不甘心。
Li Fan reluctantly looked one last time at Tai'an Island before activating【还真】, preparing to end his current existence.
dàn mào sì yě méi yǒu shén me qí tā xuǎn zé le 。
但貌似也没有什么其他选择了。
Just as he did so, he paused.
“ hái zhēn ！”
“还真！”
Because watching the ordinary people gradually recover their vitality, Li Fan suddenly realized that the violent primordial energy outside seemed not to target ordinary people.
lǐ fán yǒu xiē bù shě dì zuì hòu zài kàn le yǎn tài ān dǎo ， hū chū 【 hái zhēn 】， zhǔn bèi jié shù zhè yī shì 。
李凡有些不舍地最后再看了眼泰安岛，呼出【还真】，准备结束这一世。
According to descriptions from the island's residents, only the weather had become hotter outside the protective array; there were no other significant dangers.
jiù zài zhè shí ， tā tíng zhù le 。
就在这时，他停住了。
"Primordial energy between heaven and earth targets cultivators but should be harmless to ordinary people."
yīn wèi ， kàn zhe xià fāng zhú jiàn huī fù yuán qì de fán rén ， lǐ fán tū rán xiǎng dào ， wài jiè kuáng bào de líng qì sì hū shì bù zhēn duì fán rén de 。
因为，看着下方逐渐恢复元气的凡人，李凡突然想到，外界狂暴的灵气似乎是不针对凡人的。
If he could dispel his cultivation and temporarily return to an ordinary person, wouldn't that save him?
gēn jù dǎo shàng fán rén de miáo shù ， hù dǎo dà zhèn zhī wài zhǐ shì tiān qì yán rè le diǎn ， chú cǐ zhī wài bìng méi yǒu shén me tè bié de wēi xiǎn 。
根据岛上凡人的描述，护岛大阵之外只是天气炎热了点，除此之外并没有什么特别的危险。
Li Fan recalled《太上原始真经》.
“ tiān dì shā jī zhǐ shì zhēn duì xiū xiān zhě ， ruò shì fán rén yīng gāi wú yàng 。”
“天地杀机只是针对修仙者，若是凡人应该无恙。”
With this technique, the loss of cultivation would not significantly impact his strength. As long as he found a safe place, he could quickly regain his original state in no time.
ruò shì zì jǐ huà qù yī shēn fǎ lì jìng jiè ， zàn shí chóng xīn biàn chéng fán rén ， bù jiù néng huó xià lái le me ？
若是自己化去一身法力境界，暂时重新变成凡人，不就能活下来了么？
"Is this what they call置之死地而后生?" Li Fan felt some relief upon finding a solution.
lǐ fán xiǎng dào le 《 tài shàng yuán shǐ zhēn jīng 》。
李凡想到了《太上原始真经》。
He then naturally considered more possibilities.
yǒu zhe zhè mén qí gōng zài ， huà gōng chóng xiū yě bú huì sǔn shī duō shǎo xiū wèi 。 zhǐ yào zhǎo dào yī chù ān quán de dì fāng ， yòng bù liǎo duō jiǔ jiù néng chóng xīn huí dào yuán lái de jìng jiè 。
有着这门奇功在，化功重修也不会损失多少修为。只要找到一处安全的地方，用不了多久就能重新回到原来的境界。
Currently, he was practicing two techniques: one from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance,《小衍水决》, and another from the Ancient Celestial Oracle Sect,《千机玉寰金章》.
“ zhè jiù shì suǒ wèi de zhì zhī sǐ dì ér hòu shēng ？” xiǎng dào le jiě jué zhī dào ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng bù miǎn yǒu xiē xīn xǐ 。
“这就是所谓的置之死地而后生？”想到了解决之道，李凡心中不免有些欣喜。
One was new, while the other was old.
suí hòu ， tā yòu zì rán ér rán de yǒu le gèng duō de kǎo liáng 。
随后，他又自然而然的有了更多的考量。
The new technique's practice involved seizing heaven and earth.
tā mù qián zhèng zài xiū xíng liǎng mén gōng fǎ 。
他目前正在修行两门功法。
This was why it had stirred up the Heavenly Dao's malice.
yī mén shì wàn xiān méng zhōng duì huàn de 《 xiǎo yǎn shuǐ jué 》， lìng yī mén shì shàng gǔ tiān jī zōng de 《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》。
一门是万仙盟中兑换的《小衍水决》，另一门是上古天机宗的《千机玉寰金章》。
Now that the Heavenly Dao had set numerous traps, its target was cultivators practicing the new technique.
yī mén shì xīn fǎ ， yī mén shì jiù fǎ 。
一门是新法，一门是旧法。
If he simply dispelled《小衍水决》while retaining the state of《千机玉寰金章》, would the Heavenly Dao's malice be reduced?
xīn fǎ de xiū xíng fāng shì nǎi shì lüè tiān duó dì 。
新法的修行方式乃是掠天夺地。
Li Fan was decisive. The protective array could collapse at any moment, so he immediately activated《太上原始真经》.
zhèng yīn rú cǐ ， cái huì yǐn qǐ tiān dì è yì 。
正因如此，才会引起天地恶意。
"Supreme Nameless, Returning to Primordial..."
rú jīn tiān dì bù xià chóng chóng shā jī ， mù biāo jiù shì xiū xíng xīn fǎ de xiū xiān zhě 。
如今天地布下重重杀机，目标就是修行新法的修仙者。
As the technique ran its course, the water attribute primordial energy gained from practicing《小衍水决》gradually dissipated like ice and snow, transforming into a pure energy that lingered in his dantian.
rú guǒ zì jǐ jǐn jǐn sàn qù 《 xiǎo yǎn shuǐ jué 》， ér bǎo liú 《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》 de jìng jiè ne ？
如果自己仅仅散去《小衍水决》，而保留《千机玉寰金章》的境界呢？
Within just a few hours, he completely dispelled《小衍水决》without any discomfort.
nà me tiān dì jiān de shā jī huì bú huì xiǎo yì diǎn ne ？
那么天地间的杀机会不会小一点呢？
"This《太上原始真经》is truly miraculous," Li Fan remarked as he flew to the edge of the protective array.
lǐ fán shì guǒ duàn zhī rén 。
李凡是果断之人。
"Sure enough, this method works!"
dà zhèn suí shí dōu yǒu kě néng bēng kuì ， yú shì tā dāng jī lì duàn ， tǐ nèi líng qì liú zhuǎn ， yùn xíng qǐ le 《 tài shàng yuán shǐ zhēn jīng 》。
大阵随时都有可能崩溃，于是他当机立断，体内灵气流转，运行起了《太上原始真经》。
Feeling the violent primordial energy outside weaken significantly, Li Fan felt relieved.
“ tài shàng wú míng ， fù guī yuán shǐ ……”
“太上无名，复归元始……”
"Unfortunately,《千机玉寰金章》still follows the new technique's way of seizing heaven and earth. Although it may have reduced Heavenly Dao's malice due to its intent, it has not completely vanished."
suí zhe gōng fǎ yùn zhuàn ， xiū xíng 《 xiǎo yǎn shuǐ jué 》 dé lái de shuǐ shǔ xìng líng qì ， rú bīng xuě bān màn màn xiāo sàn ， zhuǎn huà wèi yī gǔ chún jìng de néng liàng ， zhù zú zài lǐ fán de dān tián zhōng 。
随着功法运转，修行《小衍水决》得来的水属性灵气，如冰雪般慢慢消散，转化为一股纯净的能量，驻足在李凡的丹田中。
Realizing he still faced danger, Li Fan made a hard decision to continue dispelling his cultivation.
bù guò xiǎo bàn tiān de gōng fu ，《 xiǎo yǎn shuǐ jué 》 yǐ jīng bèi wán quán sàn qù 。
不过小半天的功夫，《小衍水决》已经被完全散去。
Soon, another pure energy appeared in his dantian.
ér lǐ fán méi yǒu gǎn dào rèn hé bù shì 。
而李凡没有感到任何不适。
These two energies, though from different techniques, merged harmoniously without conflict.
“ zhè 《 tài shàng yuán shǐ zhēn jīng 》 guǒ rán shén qí 。” lǐ fán gǎn kǎi le shēng ， fēi shēn lái dào hù dǎo dà zhèn biān yuán 。
“这《太上原始真经》果然神奇。”李凡感慨了声，飞身来到护岛大阵边缘。
"According to《太上原始真经》, the pure energy gained from dispelling cultivation can sustain for over a century," Li Fan noted as he had reverted to an ordinary person.
“ guǒ rán ， zhè bàn fǎ yǒu xiào ！”
“果然，这办法有效！”
However, he was not overly concerned.
gǎn yìng zhe wài jiè mí màn de tiān dì shā jī zhòu rán jiǎn ruò ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī xǐ 。
感应着外界弥漫的天地杀机骤然减弱，李凡心中一喜。
"As long as I return to the Ten Thousand Immortals Island, I can quickly resume my practice."
“ kě xī de shì ，《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》 hái shì àn zhào jīn fǎ lüè tiān duó dì de fāng shì lái xiū xíng de 。 suī shuō kě néng yóu yú gōng fǎ lì yì de yuán yīn ， xiāng jiào yú zhī qián ， tiān dì de è yì xiǎo le bù shǎo ， dàn zǒng guī shì méi yǒu wán quán xiāo sàn 。”
“可惜的是，《千机玉寰金章》还是按照今法掠天夺地的方式来修行的。虽说可能由于功法立意的原因，相较于之前，天地的恶意小了不少，但总归是没有完全消散。”
Li Fan no longer hesitated. He piloted the Tai'an Boat and slowly flew out of the protective array.
chá jué dào zì jǐ xiàn zài chū qù hòu ， réng rán huì yǒu shēng mìng wēi xiǎn ， lǐ fán hěn xià xīn lái ， xuǎn zé jì xù sàn gōng 。
察觉到自己现在出去后，仍然会有生命危险，李凡狠下心来，选择继续散功。
The violent primordial energy raged, dyeing the distant sky orange-red.
hěn kuài ， dān tián nèi de chún jìng néng liàng yòu duō le yī gǔ 。
很快，丹田内的纯净能量又多了一股。
But Li Fan was now an ordinary person; this chaotic primordial energy merely passed by without attacking.
liǎng gǔ néng liàng běn shì bù tóng gōng fǎ suǒ huà ， cǐ kè què néng háo bù chōng tū de róng yú yī chù 。
两股能量本是不同功法所化，此刻却能毫不冲突的融于一处。
Relieved, he chose his direction and sped up the Tai'an Boat to head towards the Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
“ gēn jù 《 tài shàng yuán shǐ zhēn jīng 》 shàng miáo shù ， huà gōng suǒ de de zhè xiē chún jìng néng liàng ， kě yǐ zú zú zài dān tián zhōng wéi chí bǎi nián zuǒ yòu 。” lǐ fán cǐ shí de jìng jiè yǐ jīng biàn huí le fán rén 。
“根据《太上原始真经》上描述，化功所得的这些纯净能量，可以足足在丹田中维持百年左右。”李凡此时的境界已经变回了凡人。
On his journey, Li Fan passed through many islands.
dàn tā yě bú shì tè bié dān xīn 。
但他也不是特别担心。
All the ordinary people on these islands had perished, leaving no trace of life.
“ zhǐ yào fǎn huí wàn xiān dǎo ， hěn kuài jiù néng chóng xīn xiū liàn huí lái 。”
“只要返回万仙岛，很快就能重新修炼回来。”
Li Fan was secretly alarmed as he sped up.
dāng xià lǐ fán bù zài yóu yù ， jià shǐ zhe tài yǎn zhōu ， huǎn huǎn fēi chū le hù dǎo dà zhèn 。
当下李凡不再犹豫，驾驶着太衍舟，缓缓飞出了护岛大阵。
Three months later,
kuáng bào de chì rè líng qì sì nüè ， jiāng yuǎn chù tiān kōng dōu yūn rǎn wèi chéng hóng zhī sè 。
狂暴的炽热灵气肆虐，将远处天空都晕染为橙红之色。
Li Fan arrived at the location where the Ten Thousand Immortals Island used to be. He opened his map and cross-referenced it several times but still could not believe his eyes.
dàn lǐ fán yǐ jīng shì yī jiè fán rén ， zhè màn tiān bào dòng de líng qì zhǐ shì hū xiào ér guò ， bìng méi yǒu fā dòng xí jī 。
但李凡已经是一介凡人，这漫天暴动的灵气只是呼啸而过，并没有发动袭击。
The once vast Ten Thousand Immortals Island had completely vanished.
lǐ fán sōng le kǒu qì ， xuǎn dìng le fāng xiàng ， jiāng tài yǎn zhōu de sù dù jiā dào zuì dà ， cháo zhe wàn xiān dǎo fēi qù 。
李凡松了口气，选定了方向，将太衍舟的速度加到最大，朝着万仙岛飞去。
Only a massive black hole remained, empty and looming over the sea.
Half a month later, a rudimentary seawater purification array was constructed.
The residents of Tai'an Island, who had regained sufficient drinking water and plants, knelt down in gratitude to the Immortal Master for saving their lives.
However, Li Fan did not share their joy. Instead, he felt somewhat anxious.
Having personally built an array, Li Fan could now barely claim to have stepped into the path of阵法.
At this moment, he discovered that Tai'an Island's protective array was deteriorating at an extremely abnormal rate.
Generally, a protective array could operate for over a century.
But if it continued to deteriorate at its current pace, it would lose all effectiveness in just two or three years.
After careful investigation and cross-referencing with the descriptions in《阵法绪论》, Li Fan found the reason behind the array's damage.
The primordial energy between heaven and earth had become extremely volatile and intense.
This intense primordial energy seemed to have developed its own will. After being absorbed by the protective array, it began slowly eroding the key nodes within the array.
Now, Tai'an Island's protective array was like a machine with all its critical components gradually rusting; each operation reduced its lifespan by one fraction.
Finding the cause, Li Fan had no good solution to address it.
The protective array was too complex, with over ten thousand key nodes, each often composed of dozens of miniature arrays.
It was said that the array was built by multiple Foundation Establishment Realm array masters from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Given its current state, this problem could not be solved by a mere cultivator like Li Fan who had just entered the path of阵法.
Moreover, the main issue lay with the primordial energy being absorbed by the array. Even if he temporarily fixed the array, as long as the nature of the external volatile primordial energy remained unchanged, it would only be a temporary fix.
"Staying on Tai'an Island is only waiting to die; I must find a way out."
"But who knows what changes have occurred in the outside world? The violent primordial energy wreaks havoc everywhere. Going out now will surely lead to death."
Trapped between a rock and a hard place, it seemed he was stuck in a dead end.
"This is the Heaven's act of killing..." Li Fan tightly stared at the sky beyond the protective array, feeling like an insect trapped in a spider web, unable to move or struggle for its life.
However, Li Fan did not directly choose【还真】.
Choosing【还真】would waste years of energy replenishment time. Without understanding what had happened, he was likely to face death again next time.
Even if he fled far away from the Cunyun Sea, could he be assured of safety?
After all, the world's Heavenly Dao harbored malice towards cultivators everywhere.
Li Fan did not believe that changing his location would help him avoid it.
Thus, unless absolutely necessary, he would not choose to give up this life.
For some time, Li Fan continued cultivating while searching for a way out.
However, the violent primordial energy outside did not subside but instead grew more tyrannical with each passing day.
The protective array was now in grave danger and could collapse at any moment.
"Is there no solution?" Li Fan felt somewhat helpless.
Ending this life without knowing what happened would be too bitter for him to accept, but it seemed he had no other choice.
"【还真】!"
Li Fan reluctantly looked one last time at Tai'an Island before activating【还真】, preparing to end his current existence.
Just as he did so, he paused.
Because watching the ordinary people gradually recover their vitality, Li Fan suddenly realized that the violent primordial energy outside seemed not to target ordinary people.
According to descriptions from the island's residents, only the weather had become hotter outside the protective array; there were no other significant dangers.
"Primordial energy between heaven and earth targets cultivators but should be harmless to ordinary people."
If he could dispel his cultivation and temporarily return to an ordinary person, wouldn't that save him?
Li Fan recalled《太上原始真经》.
With this technique, the loss of cultivation would not significantly impact his strength. As long as he found a safe place, he could quickly regain his original state in no time.
"Is this what they call置之死地而后生?" Li Fan felt some relief upon finding a solution.
He then naturally considered more possibilities.
Currently, he was practicing two techniques: one from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance,《小衍水决》, and another from the Ancient Celestial Oracle Sect,《千机玉寰金章》.
One was new, while the other was old.
The new technique's practice involved seizing heaven and earth.
This was why it had stirred up the Heavenly Dao's malice.
Now that the Heavenly Dao had set numerous traps, its target was cultivators practicing the new technique.
If he simply dispelled《小衍水决》while retaining the state of《千机玉寰金章》, would the Heavenly Dao's malice be reduced?
Li Fan was decisive. The protective array could collapse at any moment, so he immediately activated《太上原始真经》.
"Supreme Nameless, Returning to Primordial..."
As the technique ran its course, the water attribute primordial energy gained from practicing《小衍水决》gradually dissipated like ice and snow, transforming into a pure energy that lingered in his dantian.
Within just a few hours, he completely dispelled《小衍水决》without any discomfort.
"This《太上原始真经》is truly miraculous," Li Fan remarked as he flew to the edge of the protective array.
"Sure enough, this method works!"
Feeling the violent primordial energy outside weaken significantly, Li Fan felt relieved.
"Unfortunately,《千机玉寰金章》still follows the new technique's way of seizing heaven and earth. Although it may have reduced Heavenly Dao's malice due to its intent, it has not completely vanished."
Realizing he still faced danger, Li Fan made a hard decision to continue dispelling his cultivation.
Soon, another pure energy appeared in his dantian.
These two energies, though from different techniques, merged harmoniously without conflict.
"According to《太上原始真经》, the pure energy gained from dispelling cultivation can sustain for over a century," Li Fan noted as he had reverted to an ordinary person.
However, he was not overly concerned.
"As long as I return to the Ten Thousand Immortals Island, I can quickly resume my practice."
Li Fan no longer hesitated. He piloted the Tai'an Boat and slowly flew out of the protective array.
The violent primordial energy raged, dyeing the distant sky orange-red.
But Li Fan was now an ordinary person; this chaotic primordial energy merely passed by without attacking.
Relieved, he chose his direction and sped up the Tai'an Boat to head towards the Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
On his journey, Li Fan passed through many islands.
All the ordinary people on these islands had perished, leaving no trace of life.
Li Fan was secretly alarmed as he sped up.
Three months later,
Li Fan arrived at the location where the Ten Thousand Immortals Island used to be. He opened his map and cross-referenced it several times but still could not believe his eyes.
The once vast Ten Thousand Immortals Island had completely vanished.
Only a massive black hole remained, empty and looming over the sea.