“ huò zhě shuō ， tiān shā jiàn de yī bù fèn 。”
“或者说，天煞剑的一部分。”
"Or perhaps, a part of the Heavenly Defiler Sword."
lǐ fán yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī dào jīng guāng 。
李凡眼中闪过一道精光。
Li Fan's eyes flashed with sharp light.
tiān dì zhī pò yǐ shēn wèi lóng ， kùn zhù shā qì chōng tiān de cán jiàn 。
天地之魄以身为笼，困住煞气冲天的残剑。
The essence of heaven and earth used his body as a cage to confine the sword fragment that was filled with煞气 (evil qi).
lóng yuè yóu jiǎng shù de chǎng jǐng ， ràng lǐ fán zài shùn jiān jiù xiǎng dào le cóng yún hǎi shàng kōng ， qīng fēng kùn jiàn zhī shì 。
龙跃游讲述的场景，让李凡在瞬间就想到了丛云海上空，青风困剑之事。
The scene Dragon Leaping described instantly made Li Fan think of the incident where Qingfeng confined the broken sword in Cunyun Sea.
dàn hé dāng chū lǐ fán jiàn dào de bù tóng ， lóng jiǔ yuān hé dào zhī jī yuán ， shì zài tiān líng zhōu 。
但和当初李凡见到的不同，龙九渊合道之机缘，是在天灵州。
But unlike what he had seen before, Dragon Jiuyuan's opportunity for union with Dao came from Heaven Spirit Province.
tiān dì zhī pò yě shì hēi zhǎo ， ér fēi qīng fēng 。
天地之魄也是黑沼，而非青风。
And it wasn't Qingfeng but Black Swamp that was used as a cage.
zhǔ jué què dōu jīng rén de yí zhì ， shì shā qì chōng tiān de cán jiàn 。
主角却都惊人的一致，是煞气冲天的残剑。
The main characters were surprisingly consistent; they all seemed to be parts of the Heavenly Defiler Sword filled with煞气 (evil qi).
lǐ fán jī hū kě yǐ kěn dìng ， wú lùn shì cóng yún hǎi ， hái shì tiān líng zhōu de ， yīng gāi dōu shì shǔ yú wán zhěng tiān shā jiàn de yī bù fèn 。
李凡几乎可以肯定，无论是丛云海，还是天灵州的，应该都是属于完整天煞剑的一部分。
Li Fan almost confirmed that both Cunyun Sea and Heaven Spirit Province should belong to different fragments of the complete Heavenly Defiler Sword.
“ tiān shā jiàn zuò wéi yú fù lǎo rén de bīng qì ， sì fēn wǔ liè ， sàn luò gè chù 。”
“天煞剑作为渔父老人的兵器，四分五裂，散落各处。”
"The Heavenly Defiler Sword, as the weapon of Old Fisherman, was shattered into four pieces and scattered everywhere."
“ dàn jí biàn shì zhè xiē bù wán zhěng de cán jiàn ， yě néng tiān dì zhī pò xiāng kàng héng 。”
“但即便是这些不完整的残剑，也能天地之魄相抗衡。”
"But even these incomplete sword fragments could still resist the essence of heaven and earth."
“ shèn zhì ， hòu lái tiān shā jiàn bǐng hái néng pò kāi qīng fēng de jìn gù 。 yún shuǐ tiān gōng nà biān ， guī shé tài yī zhèn yā de yě shì jí wéi xīn kǔ ， bèi pò xiàn rù chén shuì zhī zhōng 。”
“甚至，后来天煞剑柄还能破开青风的禁锢。云水天宫那边，龟蛇太一镇压的也是极为辛苦，被迫陷入沉睡之中。”
"Even later, the handle of the Heavenly Defiler Sword broke through Qingfeng's restrictions. On the side of Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, Taiyi压制 (restrained) them with great effort, forcing him to fall into a deep sleep."
“ suì piàn shàng qiě rú cǐ ， wán zhěng de tiān shā jiàn jiū jìng yǒu duō qiáng ？”
“碎片尚且如此，完整的天煞剑究竟有多强？”
"The fragments were already so formidable; how powerful would the complete Heavenly Defiler Sword be?"
lǐ fán xīn zhōng zhèn dòng 。
李凡心中震动。
Li Fan was shaken.
rú jīn tā suǒ zhī dào de ， jiù yǐ jīng yǒu sān chù suì piàn le 。 zài qí yú dì fāng ， huì bú huì hái yǒu gèng duō ？
如今他所知道的，就已经有三处碎片了。在其余地方，会不会还有更多？
He now knew about three pieces. Could there be more in other places?
zhè tiān shā jiàn yòu dào dǐ yǒu shén me mì mì ， ràng tiān dì zhī pò quán dōu fēn fēn xiàn shēn zhèn yā ？
这天煞剑又到底有什么秘密，让天地之魄全都纷纷现身镇压？
What secret did this Heavenly Defiler Sword hold that made the essence of heaven and earth appear one after another to suppress it?
ér tiān shā jiàn zhī zhǔ ， yú fù lǎo rén yòu huì shì shén me xiū wèi ？
而天煞剑之主，渔父老人又会是什么修为？
And what cultivation realm was Old Fisherman, the Heavenly Healer, and the Master?
“ yú fù ， tiān yī ， fū zǐ ……”
“渔父，天医，夫子……”
"Fisher, Heavenly Healer, Master..."
lǐ fán shuāng yǎn wēi mī 。
李凡双眼微眯。
Li Fan's eyes narrowed.
zhè sān rén míng xiǎn shì jiù shí ， dàn tā men shēn shàng de wǎng shì ， què jí duān shén mì 。 fǎng fú shǐ zhōng lǒng zhào le yī céng nóng wù bān ， ràng rén wú fǎ dòng xī 。
这三人明显是旧识，但他们身上的往事，却极端神秘。仿佛始终笼罩了一层浓雾般，让人无法洞悉。
Clearly, these three were old acquaintances. But their pasts were extremely mysterious, as if always shrouded in thick fog, making them hard to fathom.
bìng qiě ， lǐ fán yǐn yǐn yǒu zhǒng gǎn jué 。
并且，李凡隐隐有种感觉。
Moreover, Li Fan had a vague feeling that what they kept secret was crucial to him!
tā men zhī jiān de mì mì ， duì zì jǐ hěn zhòng yào ！
他们之间的秘密，对自己很重要！
"Enemies meeting each other make one's eyes red with anger. I hope we can glimpse something when the three of us clash again in this life."
“ chóu rén xiāng jiàn ， fèn wài yǎn hóng 。 xī wàng zhè yī shì bù jiǔ hòu ， sān rén dà zhàn zhī shí ， néng gòu kuī tàn yī èr 。”
“仇人相见，分外眼红。希望这一世不久后，三人大战之时，能够窥探一二。”
While locking onto Zhou Kebao's formless killing mechanism and continuing to monitor Dragon Leaping's situation, Li Fan also set out once more towards his original destination.
lǐ fán yī biān tōng guò suǒ dìng zhōu kè bǎo de wú xiāng shā jī ， jì xù jiān shì lóng yuè yóu nà biān de qíng kuàng 。
李凡一边通过锁定周克宝的无相杀机，继续监视龙跃游那边的情况。
According to what Dragon Leaping said next, when he saw the Heavenly Defiler Sword fragment and Black Swamp at an impasse, Jiuyuan was greatly shocked.
yī biān zé shì zài dù dòng shēn ， cháo zhe yuán běn jì huà de mù dì dì fēi dùn 。
一边则是再度动身，朝着原本计划的目的地飞遁。
But he did not succumb to the temptation of this easy opportunity for union with Dao. He remained rational.
gēn jù lóng yuè yóu jiē xià lái de jiǎng shù ， dāng lóng jiǔ yuān jiàn dào tiān shā cán jiàn hé hēi zhǎo jiāng chí bù xià de shí hòu ， tā xīn zhōng yě shì shí fēn zhèn jīng 。
根据龙跃游接下来的讲述，当龙九渊见到天煞残剑和黑沼僵持不下的时候，他心中也是十分震惊。
Jiuyuan knew that the confrontation between the sword fragment and Black Swamp had reached a certain balance.
bù guò tā méi yǒu bèi yǎn qián tuò shǒu kě dé de hé dào jī huì suǒ yòu huò ， sàng shī lǐ zhì 。
不过他没有被眼前唾手可得的合道机会所诱惑，丧失理智。
If he rashly attacked and broke this balance, it would likely backfire, possibly facing an attack from both the sword fragment and Black Swamp.
lóng jiǔ yuān qīng chǔ ， cán jiàn hé hēi zhǎo zhī jiān de duì zhì ， yǐ jīng yǐn yǐn dá chéng mǒu zhǒng píng héng 。
龙九渊清楚，残剑和黑沼之间的对峙，已经隐隐达成某种平衡。
After all, interfering in the struggle for union with Dao was akin to a provocation.
ér zì jǐ rú guǒ mào rán chū shǒu gōng jī 、 jiāng zhè zhǒng píng héng dǎ pò 。
而自己如果贸然出手攻击、将这种平衡打破。
Thus, Jiuyuan made his decision instantly. With his protective artifact damaged, he braved severe injuries and rushed out of the Black Swamp Sea.
kǒng pà zhǐ shì shì dé qí fǎn ， shuō bù dìng hái yào miàn duì cán jiàn hé hēi zhǎo de qún qǐ ér gōng zhī 。
恐怕只是适得其反，说不定还要面对残剑和黑沼的群起而攻之。
After a brief rest, Jiuyuan set up the Great Array of Heaven-severing Earth-cutting around him.
bì jìng huà shén chā shǒu hé dào zhī zhēng ， wú yì yú mǒu zhǒng tiǎo xìn 。
毕竟化神插手合道之争，无异于某种挑衅。
This array had only one purpose: to sever the connection between the essence of heaven and earth and their source.
yú shì lóng jiǔ yuān zài shùn jiān zuò le jué duàn ， hù shēn fǎ qì sǔn huǐ ， tā pīn zhe shēn shòu zhòng shāng ， chōng chū le hēi zhǎo zhī hǎi 。
于是龙九渊在瞬间做了决断，护身法器损毁，他拼着身受重伤，冲出了黑沼之海。
If isolated, the essence of heaven and earth would weaken gradually like water without a source or a tree without roots.
shāo zuò tiáo xī zhī hòu ， lóng jiǔ yuān zài zhōu wéi bù xià le 【 jué tiān gé dì dà zhèn 】。
稍作调息之后，龙九渊在周围布下了【绝天隔地大阵】。
Originally, Black Swamp and the Heavenly Defiler Sword fragment were evenly matched. With Black Swamp weakening, the Heavenly Defiler Sword had an opportunity!
cǐ zhèn zhǐ yǒu yí gè zuò yòng ， nà jiù shì duàn jué tiān dì zhī pò hé tiān dì běn shēn de lián xì 。
此阵只有一个作用，那就是断绝天地之魄和天地本身的联系。
Jiuyuan then hid nearby, waiting for changes to occur.
tiān dì zhī pò suī shì fǎ zé jù xiàn ， dàn rú guǒ yí dàn bèi gé jué ， jiù rú tóng wú yuán zhī shuǐ 、 wú běn zhī mù bān ， lì liàng jiù bèi zài bù duàn xiāo hào zhōng màn màn biàn ruò 。
天地之魄虽是法则具现，但如果一旦被隔绝，就如同无源之水、无本之木般，力量就被在不断消耗中慢慢变弱。
Sure enough, after several months, the Black Swamp in the deep mountains seemed to boil violently, surging wildly.
ér yuán běn hēi zhǎo hé tiān shā cán jiàn shì jūn lì dí ， tā biàn ruò le ， tiān shā jiàn jiù yǒu le jī huì ！
而原本黑沼和天煞残剑势均力敌，它变弱了，天煞剑就有了机会！
The anomaly lasted half a day before a sword shadow broke free from its prison and soared into the sky, vanishing.
lóng jiǔ yuān yú shì qián fú zài zhōu wéi ， jìng děng biàn huà 。
龙九渊于是潜伏在周围，静等变化。
The swamp sea melted like ice, rapidly contracting inward until all that remained was the humanoid form of Black Swamp.
guǒ rán ， shù gè yuè hòu ， shēn shān zhōng de hēi zhǎo hǎo sì fèi téng qǐ lái yì bān ， jù liè fān yǒng zhe 。
果然，数个月后，深山中的黑沼好似沸腾起来一般，剧烈翻涌着。
After determining the direction the Heavenly Defiler Sword had gone, Black Swamp intended to follow.
yì xiàng zú zú chí xù le xiǎo bàn tiān ， zuì zhōng ， yī dào jiàn yǐng tū pò hēi zhǎo qiú lóng ， chōng tiān ér qǐ ， xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
异象足足持续了小半天，最终，一道剑影突破黑沼囚笼，冲天而起，消失不见。
But at this moment...
ní zhǎo zhī hǎi rú bīng xuě xiāo róng ， jí sù cháo zhe nèi bù shōu suō ， piàn kè zhī hòu ， quán dōu huì jù zài 【 hēi zhǎo 】 rén xíng shēn qū zhī shàng 。
泥沼之海如冰雪消融，急速朝着内部收缩，片刻之后，全都汇聚在【黑沼】人形身躯之上。
Jiuyuan moved!
shāo wēi biàn bié le tiān shā jiàn lí qù de wèi zhì ， hēi zhǎo zhèng yù zhuī zōng ér qù 。
稍微辨别了天煞剑离去的位置，黑沼正欲追踪而去。
With full force, he unleashed his attack without reservation. The outcome of the battle was already decided.
jiù zài zhè shí ……
就在这时……
Black Swamp perished.
lóng jiǔ yuān dòng le ！
龙九渊动了！
Jiuyuan achieved union with Dao successfully!
yī chū shǒu ， jiù shì quán lì bào fā ， háo wú bǎo liú 。
一出手，就是全力爆发，毫无保留。
"I remember that during the great battle in Heaven Spirit Province in my previous life, a union with Dao powerhouse fell. I wonder if this new union with Dao Immortal can escape this fate."
ér zhè yī zhàn de jié guǒ ， yě yǐ jīng zhù dìng 。
而这一战的结果，也已经注定。
Li Fan's destination came into view as his thoughts flashed by.
hēi zhǎo ， miè 。
黑沼，灭。
It seemed to be an uninhabited island.
lóng jiǔ yuān ， hé dào chéng gōng ！
龙九渊，合道成功！
The island was not the key; the person on it was Li Fan's target—Han Yi, who had been missing for a long time!
“ wǒ jì de ， shàng yī shì tiān líng zhōu dà zhàn zhōng ， sì hū jiù yǒu hé dào qiáng zhě yǔn luò 。 bù zhī dào zhè wèi xīn jìn de hé dào xiān zūn ， néng bù néng táo guò cǐ jié 。”
“我记得，上一世天灵州大战中，似乎就有合道强者陨落。不知道这位新晋的合道仙尊，能不能逃过此劫。”
Since that day when he narrowly escaped from Li Fan and dove into the underwater ruins, Han Yi hadn't appeared again.
xīn zhōng niàn tou yī shǎn ér shì ， lǐ fán de mù dì dì yě yǐ jīng zài wàng le 。
心中念头一闪而逝，李凡的目的地也已经在望了。
Until recently, Li Fan sensed his return to the cultivation world. Not in the original underwater cave but in a distant ruin.
kàn shì shì yí gè wú rén huāng dǎo 。
看似是一个无人荒岛。
He looked rather ragged, with clothes covered in bloodstains and tattered.
dǎo bú shì guān jiàn ， dǎo shàng de nà ge rén ， cái shì lǐ fán de mù biāo 。
岛不是关键，岛上的那个人，才是李凡的目标。
Han Yi himself seemed severely injured, forced to rest on a nearby island.
zhèng shì shī zōng xǔ jiǔ de hán yì ！
正是失踪许久的韩易！
After sensing this scene, Li Fan decided to track him down.
zì cóng dāng rì ， tā cóng lǐ fán shǒu zhōng xiǎn sǐ táo shēng 、 dùn rù hǎi dǐ yí jì hòu ， jiù zài yě méi yǒu chū xiàn guò 。
自从当日，他从李凡手中险死逃生、遁入海底遗迹后，就再也没有出现过。
Hiding his form, Li Fan observed Han Yi from afar.
zhí dào zuì jìn ， lǐ fán cái gǎn yìng dào tā chóng fǎn xiū xiān jiè 。
直到最近，李凡才感应到他重返修仙界。
It had been a long time since they last met. He was still at the peak of Qi refinement and hadn't succeeded in foundation establishment.
bú shì zài yuán lái nà chù hǎi dǐ shēn dòng zhōng fǎn huí ， ér shì zài qiān lǐ zhī wài de fèi xū zhōng ， chóng xīn zuān le chū lái 。
不是在原来那处海底深洞中返回，而是在千里之外的废墟中，重新钻了出来。
But he now possessed an aura that Li Fan hadn't noticed before.
kàn shàng qù pǒ wèi láng bèi ， yī fú zhàn mǎn le xuè jì 、 cán pò bù kān 。
看上去颇为狼狈，衣服占满了血迹、残破不堪。
Initially, Li Fan didn't notice it.
ér tā běn rén sì hū yě shì shēn shòu zhòng shāng ， bù dé bù zhǎo le yī chù lín jìn dǎo yǔ xiū xī 。
而他本人似乎也是身受重伤，不得不找了一处临近岛屿休息。
But due to his heavy injuries, Han Yi fell into a coma. This aura naturally manifested, aiding Han Yi's recovery.
lǐ fán zài gǎn yìng dào zhè biān de qíng jǐng hòu ， guǒ duàn zhuī zōng ér lái 。
李凡在感应到这边的情景后，果断追踪而来。
His pale face gradually turned rosy. His weak breathing became steady and strong.
yǐn cáng le shēn xíng ， lǐ fán yuǎn yuǎn zhù shì zhe hán yì 。
隐藏了身形，李凡远远注视着韩易。
Li Fan's gaze flickered with curiosity.
xǔ jiǔ bú jiàn ， tā jū rán hái tíng liú zài liàn qì yuán mǎn ， méi yǒu zhù jī chéng gōng 。
许久不见，他居然还停留在炼气圆满，没有筑基成功。
After some thought, Li Fan revealed himself, first using the "Binding Insect" divine technique to control Han Yi.
dàn tā de shēn shàng ， què duō le yī zhǒng xiān qián méi yǒu de mò míng qì xī 。
但他的身上，却多了一种先前没有的莫名气息。
Then he activated the Cloud Water Illusion Technique, entering Han Yi's dreams.
yuán xiān lǐ fán hái méi yǒu chá jué 。
原先李凡还没有察觉。
Perhaps because he had just escaped a great peril, Han Yi's mental defenses were surprisingly weak.
dàn cǐ kè hán yì yīn shāng shì guò zhòng ， xiàn rù hūn mí 。 zhè dào qì xī biàn zì rán xiǎn xiàn ， bāng zhù hán yì xiū fù zì shēn 。
但此刻韩易因伤势过重，陷入昏迷。这道气息便自然显现，帮助韩易修复自身。
Soon, Li Fan broke through them.
tā de cāng bái liǎn sè ， jī hū yǐ ròu yǎn kě jiàn de sù dù biàn dé hóng rùn le qǐ lái 。 yuán běn wēi ruò de hū xī ， yě zhú jiàn biàn dé píng wěn yǒu lì 。
他的苍白脸色，几乎以肉眼可见的速度变得红润了起来。原本微弱的呼吸，也逐渐变得平稳有力。
In his dream, Li Fan learned about Han Yi's recent experiences.
lǐ fán de mù guāng zhōng ， shǎn guò yī sī qí sè 。
李凡的目光中，闪过一丝奇色。
That day, when Han Yi was suddenly sucked into an underwater vortex, he lost consciousness.
chén yín piàn kè hòu ， lǐ fán xiàn shēn ， xiān shì yòng “ fù chóng ” shén tōng kòng zhì zhù hán yì 。
沉吟片刻后，李凡现身，先是用“缚虫”神通控制住韩易。
When he woke up, he found himself naked and tightly bound.
suí hòu zài fā dòng “ yún shuǐ huàn mèng gōng ”， jìn rù le hán yì de mèng jìng zhī zhōng 。
随后再发动“云水幻梦功”，进入了韩易的梦境之中。
Surrounding him were a group of terrifying creatures with human bodies and animal faces.
huò xǔ shì yīn wèi gāng gāng cái cóng jié nàn zhōng táo tuō de yuán gù ， hán yì de xīn líng fáng xiàn chū hū yì liào zhī wài de cuì ruò 。
或许是因为刚刚才从劫难中逃脱的缘故，韩易的心灵防线出乎意料之外的脆弱。
They formed a circle, dancing wildly as if performing some mysterious ritual.
méi yòng duō jiǔ ， biàn bèi lǐ fán gōng pò 。
没用多久，便被李凡攻破。
At the center stood a blazing fire.
zài huàn mèng zhī zhōng ， lǐ fán yě dé yǐ zhī dào le hán yì zhè duàn shí jiān de zāo yù 。
在幻梦之中，李凡也得以知道了韩易这段时间的遭遇。
It seemed they intended to sacrifice Han Yi by sending him into the flames.
nà tiān ， hán yì bèi tū rán bào fā de hǎi dǐ xuán wō xī jìn qù hòu ， jiù shī qù le yì shí 。
那天，韩易被突然爆发的海底漩涡吸进去后，就失去了意识。
Han Yi was instantly terrified, trying to struggle free. But he found that there was no trace of qi around them.
děng tā sū xǐng zhī hòu ， fā xiàn zì jǐ chì shēn luǒ tǐ ， bèi kǔn de jié jiē shí shí 。
等他苏醒之后，发现自己赤身裸体，被捆的结结实实。
His dantian's energy had long since dried up.
ér zài tā de shēn páng ， què shì jù jí le yī qún rén shēn shòu miàn de kě pà shēng wù 。
而在他的身旁，却是聚集了一群人身兽面的可怕生物。
The ordinary Han Yi could only watch helplessly as the creatures carried him into the fire in celebration.
tā men wéi chéng yí gè quān ， shǒu wǔ zú dǎo ， sì hū zài jìn xíng mǒu zhǒng shén mì de yí shì 。
他们围成一个圈，手舞足蹈，似乎在进行某种神秘的仪式。
Just when Han Yi thought he would surely die, the sky suddenly darkened.
ér zài zhōng yāng ， zé shì xióng xióng rán shāo de liè huǒ 。
而在中央，则是熊熊燃烧的烈火。
A torrential rain came down, extinguishing the flames instantly.
kàn yàng zi ， shì yào bǎ hán yì dàng chéng mǒu zhǒng jì pǐn ， sòng rù dà huǒ zhī zhōng 。
看样子，是要把韩易当成某种祭品，送入大火之中。
Han Yi was overjoyed. The creatures were terrified and knelt before him.
hán yì dùn shí bèi xià dé liǎn sè shà bái ， xiǎng yào zhèng tuō 。
韩易顿时被吓得脸色煞白，想要挣脱。
The rain lasted half a day before stopping.
què jué wàng de fā xiàn ， cǐ chù zhōu wéi gēn běn méi yǒu sī háo líng qì 。
却绝望的发现，此处周围根本没有丝毫灵气。
The creatures begged for mercy in fear during this time.
ér zì jǐ dān tián nèi de líng lì ， yě shì bù zhī wèi hé zǎo yǐ gān hé 。
而自己丹田内的灵力，也是不知为何早已干涸。
After the rain stopped, they dispersed. As a sacrificial offering, Han Yi was naturally locked up again.
"Or perhaps, a part of the Heavenly Defiler Sword."
Li Fan's eyes flashed with sharp light.
The essence of heaven and earth used his body as a cage to confine the sword fragment that was filled with煞气 (evil qi).
The scene Dragon Leaping described instantly made Li Fan think of the incident where Qingfeng confined the broken sword in Cunyun Sea.
But unlike what he had seen before, Dragon Jiuyuan's opportunity for union with Dao came from Heaven Spirit Province.
And it wasn't Qingfeng but Black Swamp that was used as a cage.
However...
The main characters were surprisingly consistent; they all seemed to be parts of the Heavenly Defiler Sword filled with煞气 (evil qi).
Li Fan almost confirmed that both Cunyun Sea and Heaven Spirit Province should belong to different fragments of the complete Heavenly Defiler Sword.
"The Heavenly Defiler Sword, as the weapon of Old Fisherman, was shattered into four pieces and scattered everywhere."
"But even these incomplete sword fragments could still resist the essence of heaven and earth."
"Even later, the handle of the Heavenly Defiler Sword broke through Qingfeng's restrictions. On the side of Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, Taiyi压制 (restrained) them with great effort, forcing him to fall into a deep sleep."
"The fragments were already so formidable; how powerful would the complete Heavenly Defiler Sword be?"
Li Fan was shaken.
He now knew about three pieces. Could there be more in other places?
What secret did this Heavenly Defiler Sword hold that made the essence of heaven and earth appear one after another to suppress it?
And what cultivation realm was Old Fisherman, the Heavenly Healer, and the Master?
"Fisher, Heavenly Healer, Master..."
Li Fan's eyes narrowed.
Clearly, these three were old acquaintances. But their pasts were extremely mysterious, as if always shrouded in thick fog, making them hard to fathom.
Moreover, Li Fan had a vague feeling that what they kept secret was crucial to him!
"Enemies meeting each other make one's eyes red with anger. I hope we can glimpse something when the three of us clash again in this life."
While locking onto Zhou Kebao's formless killing mechanism and continuing to monitor Dragon Leaping's situation, Li Fan also set out once more towards his original destination.
According to what Dragon Leaping said next, when he saw the Heavenly Defiler Sword fragment and Black Swamp at an impasse, Jiuyuan was greatly shocked.
But he did not succumb to the temptation of this easy opportunity for union with Dao. He remained rational.
Jiuyuan knew that the confrontation between the sword fragment and Black Swamp had reached a certain balance.
If he rashly attacked and broke this balance, it would likely backfire, possibly facing an attack from both the sword fragment and Black Swamp.
After all, interfering in the struggle for union with Dao was akin to a provocation.
Thus, Jiuyuan made his decision instantly. With his protective artifact damaged, he braved severe injuries and rushed out of the Black Swamp Sea.
After a brief rest, Jiuyuan set up the Great Array of Heaven-severing Earth-cutting around him.
This array had only one purpose: to sever the connection between the essence of heaven and earth and their source.
If isolated, the essence of heaven and earth would weaken gradually like water without a source or a tree without roots.
Originally, Black Swamp and the Heavenly Defiler Sword fragment were evenly matched. With Black Swamp weakening, the Heavenly Defiler Sword had an opportunity!
Jiuyuan then hid nearby, waiting for changes to occur.
Sure enough, after several months, the Black Swamp in the deep mountains seemed to boil violently, surging wildly.
The anomaly lasted half a day before a sword shadow broke free from its prison and soared into the sky, vanishing.
The swamp sea melted like ice, rapidly contracting inward until all that remained was the humanoid form of Black Swamp.
After determining the direction the Heavenly Defiler Sword had gone, Black Swamp intended to follow.
But at this moment...
Jiuyuan moved!
With full force, he unleashed his attack without reservation. The outcome of the battle was already decided.
Black Swamp perished.
Jiuyuan achieved union with Dao successfully!
"I remember that during the great battle in Heaven Spirit Province in my previous life, a union with Dao powerhouse fell. I wonder if this new union with Dao Immortal can escape this fate."
Li Fan's destination came into view as his thoughts flashed by.
It seemed to be an uninhabited island.
The island was not the key; the person on it was Li Fan's target—Han Yi, who had been missing for a long time!
Since that day when he narrowly escaped from Li Fan and dove into the underwater ruins, Han Yi hadn't appeared again.
Until recently, Li Fan sensed his return to the cultivation world. Not in the original underwater cave but in a distant ruin.
He looked rather ragged, with clothes covered in bloodstains and tattered.
Han Yi himself seemed severely injured, forced to rest on a nearby island.
After sensing this scene, Li Fan decided to track him down.
Hiding his form, Li Fan observed Han Yi from afar.
It had been a long time since they last met. He was still at the peak of Qi refinement and hadn't succeeded in foundation establishment.
But he now possessed an aura that Li Fan hadn't noticed before.
Initially, Li Fan didn't notice it.
But due to his heavy injuries, Han Yi fell into a coma. This aura naturally manifested, aiding Han Yi's recovery.
His pale face gradually turned rosy. His weak breathing became steady and strong.
Li Fan's gaze flickered with curiosity.
After some thought, Li Fan revealed himself, first using the "Binding Insect" divine technique to control Han Yi.
Then he activated the Cloud Water Illusion Technique, entering Han Yi's dreams.
Perhaps because he had just escaped a great peril, Han Yi's mental defenses were surprisingly weak.
Soon, Li Fan broke through them.
In his dream, Li Fan learned about Han Yi's recent experiences.
That day, when Han Yi was suddenly sucked into an underwater vortex, he lost consciousness.
When he woke up, he found himself naked and tightly bound.
Surrounding him were a group of terrifying creatures with human bodies and animal faces.
They formed a circle, dancing wildly as if performing some mysterious ritual.
At the center stood a blazing fire.
It seemed they intended to sacrifice Han Yi by sending him into the flames.
Han Yi was instantly terrified, trying to struggle free. But he found that there was no trace of qi around them.
His dantian's energy had long since dried up.
The ordinary Han Yi could only watch helplessly as the creatures carried him into the fire in celebration.
Just when Han Yi thought he would surely die, the sky suddenly darkened.
A torrential rain came down, extinguishing the flames instantly.
Han Yi was overjoyed. The creatures were terrified and knelt before him.
The rain lasted half a day before stopping.
The creatures begged for mercy in fear during this time.
After the rain stopped, they dispersed. As a sacrificial offering, Han Yi was naturally locked up again.