suī rán lǐ fán qí shí bù zhī dào ， duì fāng kǒu zhōng de 【 xuán tiān fēng líng zhèn 】 jiū jìng shì shén me 。
虽然李凡其实不知道，对方口中的【玄天封灵阵】究竟是什么。
Although Li Fan didn't actually know what the [Xuan Tian封灵阵] was that his opponent had mentioned, he could easily guess that it referred to the Xuan Net which had first shown its prowess on the battlefield of Heavenly Spirit State.
dàn què yě bù nán cāi chū ， tā kǒu zhōng suǒ zhǐ zhī wù ， yīng gāi jiù shì zài tiān líng zhōu zhàn chǎng shàng chū lù zhēng róng de xuán wǎng le 。
但却也不难猜出，他口中所指之物，应该就是在天灵州战场上初露峥嵘的玄网了。
Li Fan remained silent as he probed with a casual remark: "According to our predictions, even if the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has the [Xuan Tian封灵阵]'s assistance, the Five Elders Association shouldn't be suffering such a steady decline in their fortunes."
lǐ fán bù dòng shēng sè ， zhǐ shì chū yán shì tàn dào ：“ gēn jù wǒ men de yù cè ， jiù suàn wàn xiān méng yǒu 【 xuán tiān fēng líng zhèn 】 zhī zhù ， wǔ lǎo huì yě bù zhì yú jié jié bài tuì 、 tuí shì jìn xiǎn ba 。”
李凡不动声色，只是出言试探道：“根据我们的预测，就算万仙盟有【玄天封灵阵】之助，五老会也不至于节节败退、颓势尽显吧。”
The opponent sighed. "Indeed, we miscalculated this time. No one expected that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would so quickly recreate this ancient array."
duì fāng tàn le kǒu qì ：“ zhè cì què shí shì wǒ men shī suàn le 。 shuí yě méi yǒu liào dào ， wàn xiān méng jū rán rú cǐ zhī kuài de ， jiù fù xiàn chū le zhè yī shàng gǔ fǎ zhèn 。”
对方叹了口气：“这次确实是我们失算了。谁也没有料到，万仙盟居然如此之快的，就复现出了这一上古法阵。”
"And it seems more domineering than recorded."
“ bìng qiě ， sì hū bǐ jì zǎi zhōng de hái yào gèng jiā bà dào yì diǎn 。”
“并且，似乎比记载中的还要更加霸道一点。”
With a tone of helplessness, one of the Five Elders said, "Our countermeasures are not yet fully prepared. Thus, on the battlefield of Heavenly Spirit State, we found ourselves in a tight spot for a while."
wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì yǔ qì yǒu xiē wú nài ：“ wǒ men wǔ lǎo huì de fǎn zhì shǒu duàn ， shàng wèi wán quán zhǔn bèi wán bì 。 suǒ yǐ zài tiān líng zhōu zhàn chǎng shàng ， jú shì yī shí jiān yǒu xiē jiǒng pò 。”
五老会修士语气有些无奈：“我们五老会的反制手段，尚未完全准备完毕。所以在天灵州战场上，局势一时间有些窘迫。”
"So, we urgently need ways to weaken their array."
“ suǒ yǐ wǒ men jí xū xuē ruò duì fāng zhèn fǎ de shǒu duàn 。”
“所以我们急需削弱对方阵法的手段。”
Li Fan didn't respond but instead tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table as if deep in thought.
lǐ fán méi yǒu dá huà ， ér shì shǒu zhǐ shí fēn yǒu jié zòu dì qīng qiāo zhuō miàn ， shì shì zài rèn zhēn sī kǎo zhe 。
李凡没有答话，而是手指十分有节奏地轻敲桌面，似是在认真思考着。
"Even with our strength, obtaining the [Xuan Tian封灵阵]'s array diagram would require a great price. Some of our fellow daoists who have infiltrated the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance might even have to sacrifice their lives."
“ jí biàn yǐ wǒ men de shí lì ， xiǎng yào nòng dào 【 xuán tiān fēng líng zhèn 】 de zhèn tú ， yě fēi děi fù chū jí dà dài jià bù kě 。 shèn zhì mǒu xiē yǐ jīng dǎ rù wàn xiān méng nèi bù de dào yǒu ， dōu yào wèi cǐ fù chū shēng mìng 。”
“即便以我们的实力，想要弄到【玄天封灵阵】的阵图，也非得付出极大代价不可。甚至某些已经打入万仙盟内部的道友，都要为此付出生命。”
"And there's no guarantee of success..."
“ ér qiě ， hái bù yí dìng néng bǎo zhèng chéng gōng ……”
“而且，还不一定能保证成功……”
After a long silence, Li Fan finally spoke, looking rather hesitant.
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， lǐ fán fāng cái kāi kǒu shuō dào ， kàn shàng qù shí fēn yóu yù 。
许久之后，李凡方才开口说道，看上去十分犹豫。
Seeing an opportunity, one of the Five Elders quickly pressed his advantage: "Friend Zhou, rest assured. As long as we get the array diagram, everything else can be negotiated!"
jiàn sì hū yǒu xì ， wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì lián máng chèn rè dǎ tiě ：“ zhōu dào yǒu fàng xīn ， zhǐ yào néng nòng lái zhèn tú ， wàn shì dōu hǎo shāng liáng ！”
见似乎有戏，五老会修士连忙趁热打铁：“周道友放心，只要能弄来阵图，万事都好商量！”
Li Fan remained noncommittal.
lǐ fán bù zhì kě fǒu 。
李凡不置可否。
After a moment's thought, he said solemnly, "This is significant; I cannot make a decision on my own. Let me come back here in three days for your response."
chén yín piàn kè ， tā chén shēng dào ：“ shì guān zhòng dà ， wǒ yě bù néng shàn zuò jué dìng 。 zhè yàng ba ， sān rì zhī hòu ， wǒ zài lái cǐ dì ， gěi nǐ dá fù 。”
沉吟片刻，他沉声道：“事关重大，我也不能擅作决定。这样吧，三日之后，我再来此地，给你答复。”
Although the Five Elders were anxious, they knew that Li Fan had a point and reluctantly nodded.
wǔ lǎo huì xiū shì suī rán xīn zhōng jiāo jí ， què yě zhī dào duì fāng shuō de hěn yǒu dào lǐ ， zhǐ dé wú nài diǎn tóu 。
五老会修士虽然心中焦急，却也知道对方说的很有道理，只得无奈点头。
"By the way, let's meet somewhere else next time. It's better to be cautious during these troubled times." He then informed Li Fan of another island's location.
“ duì le ， xià cì jiàn miàn ， huàn gè dì fāng 。 duō shì zhī qiū ， hái shì yào xiǎo xīn diǎn de hǎo 。” shuō zhe ， tā bǎ lìng wài yī chù dǎo yǔ de wèi zhì gào zhī le lǐ fán 。
“对了，下次见面，换个地方。多事之秋，还是要小心点的好。”说着，他把另外一处岛屿的位置告知了李凡。
Li Fan bowed and flew away, returning to Lustrous City.
lǐ fán gǒng gǒng shǒu ， fēi shēn dùn zǒu ， fǎn huí cóng yún xiān chéng 。
李凡拱拱手，飞身遁走，返回丛云仙城。
"Heavenly Xuan Lock Spirit, Xuan Tian封灵."
“ tiān xuán suǒ líng 、 xuán tiān fēng líng 。”
“天玄锁灵、玄天封灵。”
"From ancient times, Heavenly Xuan Mirror..."
“ shàng gǔ 、 tiān xuán jìng ……”
“上古、天玄镜……”
"Xuan Tian Sect?"
“ xuán tiān jiào me ？”
“玄天教么？”
In the secret chamber, Li Fan's eyes flickered as he fell into deep thought.
mì shì zhī zhōng ， lǐ fán mù guāng shǎn dòng ， xiàn rù le chén sī 。
密室之中，李凡目光闪动，陷入了沉思。
"That scene of countless cultivators falling from the sky seemed familiar..."
“ nà wàn qiān xiū shì ， zài qǐng kè jiān cóng tiān kōng zhuì luò dì miàn de huà miàn ， sì hū yǒu diǎn shú xī ……”
“那万千修士，在顷刻间从天空坠落地面的画面，似乎有点熟悉……”
"Ah, Nine Mountain State!"
“ duì le ， jiǔ shān zhōu ！”
“对了，九山州！”
The nine mountain ranges within Nine Mountain State had a characteristic that made it impossible for cultivators to leap over them.
jiǔ shān zhōu jìng nèi héng gèn de jiǔ tiáo shān mài ， yě yǒu zhe xiū shì wú fǎ fēi yuè de tè xìng 。
九山州境内横亘的九条山脉，也有着修士无法飞跃的特性。
In his past life, when Li Fan traveled to Nine Mountain State to purchase items from the Ten Thousand Techniques Chamber of Commerce, he had seen several brave but misguided cultivators who died from falling.
shàng yī shì de shí hòu ， lǐ fán yuǎn fù jiǔ shān zhōu de wàn fǎ shāng huì cǎi gòu ， jiù céng jiàn dào guò shù míng bù xìn xié de xiū shì ， huó huó shuāi sǐ de cǎn zhuàng 。
上一世的时候，李凡远赴九山州的万法商会采购，就曾见到过数名不信邪的修士，活活摔死的惨状。
"Could there be some connection here?"
“ nán bù chéng ， zhè qí zhōng yě huì yǒu shén me guān lián bù chéng ？”
“难不成，这其中也会有什么关联不成？”
Li Fan recalled various pieces of information in his mind.
lǐ fán yú shì zài nǎo hǎi zhōng ， huí yì qǐ guò wǎng kàn guò de zhǒng zhǒng zī liào qǐ lái 。
李凡于是在脑海中，回忆起过往看过的种种资料起来。
Suddenly, a piece of seemingly insignificant information caught his attention.
hū de ， céng jīng bèi hū lüè de yī xiē xìn xī ， yǐn qǐ le lǐ fán de zhù yì 。
忽的，曾经被忽略的一些信息，引起了李凡的注意。
According to legend, the nine major mountains within Nine Mountain State were formed when the internal meridians of an ancient beast had turned into mountains after its death.
xiāng chuán ， jiǔ shān zhōu zhōng de jiǔ zuò dà shān ， nǎi shì shàng gǔ zhī shí ， yī tóu yì shòu sǐ hòu tǐ nèi jīng mài suǒ huà 。
相传，九山州中的九座大山，乃是上古之时，一头异兽死后体内经脉所化。
The names of these mountains were: Heavenly Long, Heavenly Short, Heavenly Void, Heavenly Urgent, Heavenly Knot, Heavenly Substitute, Heavenly Prison, Heavenly Movement, and Heavenly Fine.
jiǔ shān míng wèi ： tiān zhǎng 、 tiān duǎn 、 tiān xū 、 tiān cù 、 tiān jié 、 tiān dài 、 tiān láo 、 tiān dòng 、 tiān xì 。
九山名为：天长、天短、天虚、天促、天结、天代、天牢、天动、天细。
These mountains divided into real and imaginary parts, forming a subtle array. This caused the spatial instability in Nine Mountain State, making even teleportation arrays unusable.
jiǔ shān míng fēn shí hé ， yǐn yǐn jié chéng zhèn shì 。 dǎo zhì jiǔ shān zhōu kōng jiān bù wěn dìng ， lián chuán sòng fǎ zhèn dōu wú fǎ shǐ yòng 。
九山明分实和，隐隐结成阵势。导致九山州空间不稳定，连传送法阵都无法使用。
...
……
……
This information was something Li Fan had known before.
zhè xiē dōu shì lǐ fán zhī qián jiù yǐ jīng zhī xiǎo de xìn xī 。
这些都是李凡之前就已经知晓的信息。
Back then, he didn't have much of an actual concept of what a monster looked like.
nà shí ， lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng ， duì yāo shòu de xíng xiàng ， méi yǒu shén me shí jì gài niàn 。
那时，李凡脑海中，对妖兽的形象，没有什么实际概念。
He only found it fitting that after a beast's death, its meridians would turn into mountains, aligning with ancient legends without any special significance.
zhǐ jué de yāo shòu sǐ hòu 、 tǐ nèi jīng mài huà zuò dà shān zhè zhǒng shì ， shí fēn fú hé shàng gǔ chuán shuō qì zhì ， bìng méi yǒu shén me tè bié de dì fāng 。
只觉得妖兽死后、体内经脉化作大山这种事，十分符合上古传说气质，并没有什么特别的地方。
But after visiting the Demon Beast Holy Land Nanming Mountain in Fallen Meteor Realm and seeing many notorious monsters from ancient times, Li Fan realized something was amiss in this myth.
dàn zài yǔn xiān jìng zhōng ， qīn zì qù le yāo shòu shèng dì nán míng shān yī tàng ， jiàn dào le xǔ xǔ duō duō shàng gǔ zhī shí jiù xiōng míng hè hè de yāo shòu 。
但在陨仙境中，亲自去了妖兽圣地南冥山一趟，见到了许许多多上古之时就凶名赫赫的妖兽。
If true, the size of that beast would be enormous.
lǐ fán zhè cái ， chá jué chū zhè zé shén huà zhōng ， yǒu xiē bù tuǒ de dì fāng 。
李凡这才，察觉出这则神话中，有些不妥的地方。
It took him half a year to travel through Nine Mountain State. If its meridians could span such a vast area, what kind of existence had it been before?
wú tā 。
无他。
In comparison, creatures like Scarlet Nine-Headed Beast, Purple Headless Beast, and Green Spirit Dragon...
ruò shì shén huà wèi zhēn ， nà me zhè tóu yì shòu de tǐ xíng ， yě wèi miǎn tài dà le 。
若是神话为真，那么这头异兽的体型，也未免太大了。
They were probably insignificant compared to this one.
jiǔ shān yī zhōu zhī dì ， dāng chū lǐ fán wǎng fǎn zú zú yòng le dà bàn nián de shí jiān 。
九山一州之地，当初李凡往返足足用了大半年的时间。
While size might not directly correlate with strength, Li Fan wouldn't consider the beast that turned into nine mountains weak.
tǐ nèi jīng mài dōu néng lián mián yī zhōu zhī dì dà xiǎo ， zhè tóu yì shòu shēng qián ， jiū jìng yòu huì shì hé děng páng dà de cún zài ？
体内经脉都能连绵一州之地大小，这头异兽生前，究竟又会是何等庞大的存在？
"Perhaps, by investigating this unknown beast, we can trace back the origin of the [Xuan Tian封灵阵]."
xiāng bǐ zhī xià ， shén me chì jiǔ tóu 、 zǐ wú shǒu 、 qīng shén lóng ……
相比之下，什么赤九头、紫无首、青神龙……
Even from its name alone, Li Fan could almost be certain that this array was related to the ancient Xuan Tian Sect.
pà bù dōu shì lóu yǐ yì bān de cún zài 。
怕不都是蝼蚁一般的存在。
But one mustn't be too hasty. It might just be a coincidence.
suī rán tǐ xíng wèi bì hé shí lì chéng zhèng xiāng guān ， dàn yìng yào shuō zhè tóu shēn huà jiǔ shān de yì shòu ruò ……
虽然体型未必和实力成正相关，但硬要说这头身化九山的异兽弱……
Being cautious was not wrong.
lǐ fán kěn dìng shì bú huì zhè me rèn wéi de 。
李凡肯定是不会这么认为的。
So, Li Fan used "transformed into Nine Mountain State's beast" as his keyword and searched for relevant information in the Heavenly Xuan Mirror.
“ huò xǔ ， cóng zhè tóu wèi zhī de yì shòu shēn shàng ， jiù néng chá zhèng dào zhè suǒ wèi de 【 xuán tiān fēng líng zhèn 】 de lái yuán 。”
“或许，从这头未知的异兽身上，就能查证到这所谓的【玄天封灵阵】的来源。”
The time had passed too long to verify anything conclusively.
jí biàn cóng míng zì shàng ， lǐ fán jiù yǐ jīng jī hū kě yǐ què dìng ， zhè zhèn fǎ hé shàng gǔ xuán tiān jiào tuō bù liǎo gān xì 。
即便从名字上，李凡就已经几乎可以确定，这阵法和上古玄天教脱不了干系。
Opinions varied widely with no clear answers.
dàn shì wú jué duì ， yě yǒu kě néng ， zhǐ shì dān chún de qiǎo hé 。
但事无绝对，也有可能，只是单纯的巧合。
Li Fan went through them all but found nothing reliable.
yán jǐn yì diǎn ， dǎo shì méi yǒu cuò 。
严谨一点，倒是没有错。
Just when he was about to give up, a painting titled "Dream of Ancient Beast" caught his attention.
yú shì lǐ fán yǐ “ shēn huà jiǔ shān zhōu zhī yì shòu ” wèi guān jiàn cí ， zài tiān xuán jìng zhōng sōu suǒ qǐ lái xiāng guān xìn xī qǐ lái 。
于是李凡以“身化九山州之异兽”为关键词，在天玄镜中搜索起来相关信息起来。
This wasn't an artwork by today's standards; it was the casual sketchwork of a disciple from the Divine Brush Sect before its absorption by the Ink Pen Sect.
shí jiān yǐ jīng tài guò jiǔ yuǎn ， gēn běn bù kě kǎo zhèng 。
时间已经太过久远，根本不可考证。
After the Ink Pen Sect's conquest, the sect's items scattered far and wide.
zhòng shuō fēn yún ， méi yǒu què qiè de dá àn 。
众说纷纭，没有确切的答案。
A wandering cultivar stumbled upon this painting. He perished during the Great Tribulation, and his storage ring was looted clean.
lǐ fán yī yī jiāng qí kàn guò ， sì hū dōu méi zhǎo dào gè kào pǔ de 。
李凡一一将其看过，似乎都没找到个靠谱的。
Only those seemingly worthless items that took up space were left undisturbed.
zhèng dāng tā wú nài zhǔn bèi fàng qì de shí hòu ， yī fú míng wèi 《 mèng yù shàng gǔ yì shòu tú 》 de huà zuò ， yǐn qǐ le lǐ fán de zhù yì 。
正当他无奈准备放弃的时候，一幅名为《梦遇上古异兽图》的画作，引起了李凡的注意。
The useless storage ring was discarded like trash by the roadside.
zhè fù huà bìng fēi jīn rén suǒ zuò ， ér shì xī rì shén bǐ zōng yī wèi dì zǐ de suí bǐ 。
这副画并非今人所作，而是昔日神笔宗一位弟子的随笔。
Sealed for thousands of years, it was discovered by a passing cultivar.
shén bǐ zōng bèi diǎn huà mén tūn bìng zhī hòu ， zōng nèi wù pǐn liú sàn sì fāng 。
神笔宗被点画门吞并之后，宗内物品流散四方。
According to Master Tang Boting, he relied on the lingering resentment from a thousand years ago stored in his storage ring to learn about past events.
zhè fú huà zuò bèi yī míng sàn xiū ǒu rán jiān dé dào 。 sàn xiū yú tiān dì dà jié zhōng yǔn luò ， chǔ wù jiè zhōng xié dài de wù pǐn gèng shì bèi xǐ jié yī kōng 。
这幅画作被一名散修偶然间得到。散修于天地大劫中陨落，储物戒中携带的物品更是被洗劫一空。
Of course, these claims were likely fabricated by Tang Boting to boost the price of "Dream of Ancient Beast."
zhǐ liú xià le nà xiē kàn shàng qù méi yǒu sī háo jià zhí 、 dài zài shēn shàng dōu xián zhàn dì fāng de dōng xī ， ān jìng de tǎng zài yuán dì 。
只留下了那些看上去没有丝毫价值、带在身上都嫌占地方的东西，安静的躺在原地。
But regardless, this painting was indeed from thousands of years ago.
méi yǒu lì yòng jià zhí de chǔ wù jiè ， bèi qì ruò bì xǐ ， suí shǒu rēng zài lù biān 。
没有利用价值的储物戒，被弃若敝屣，随手扔在路边。
It depicted over a hundred different monsters, some of which Li Fan had seen in Fallen Meteor Realm.
chén fēng shù qiān nián ， yòu bèi lù guò de xiū shì fā xiàn 。
尘封数千年，又被路过的修士发现。
What attracted Li Fan was not just the obvious monsters but another hidden beast within the painting.
jù zhè wèi míng jiào táng bó wēn de xiū shì shuō ， zì jǐ zhèng shì kào zhe chǔ wù jiè zhōng yī lǚ qiān nián bù sàn de yuàn niàn ， cái liǎo jiě liǎo dàng nián wǎng shì 。
据这位名叫唐伯温的修士说，自己正是靠着储物戒中一缕千年不散的怨念，才了解了当年往事。
At the edge of the monster depiction, faintly visible were these hundreds of beasts standing on what seemed to be an enormous existence.
dāng rán ， zhè xiē shuō cí ， hěn kě néng shì táng bó wēn wèi le hōng tái 《 mèng yù shàng gǔ yì shòu tú 》 de jià gé ér biān zào de 。
当然，这些说辞，很可能是唐伯温为了哄抬《梦遇上古异兽图》的价格而编造的。
But due to its immense size, it couldn't be drawn. Instead, a hundred beasts on its back served as a substitute.
dàn bù guǎn rú hé ， zhè fú huà zuò dí què lái zì shù qiān nián qián 。
但不管如何，这幅画作的确来自数千年前。
"Great and formless, its name is Heaven."
shàng miàn miáo huì le shàng bǎi tóu xíng tài gè yì de yāo shòu ， qí zhōng bù fá lǐ fán céng jīng zài yǔn xiān jìng zhōng jiàn guò de 。
上面描绘了上百头形态各异的妖兽，其中不乏李凡曾经在陨仙境中见过的。
In a corner, there was another phrase left behind.
zhè fú huà xī yǐn lǐ fán de dì fāng zài yú ， chú le míng miàn shàng de zhè xiē yāo shòu zhī wài 。
这幅画吸引李凡的地方在于，除了明面上的这些妖兽之外。
This blank-style creation naturally attracted many cultivars' comments.
huà zhōng hái àn cáng le lìng yī tóu yì shòu 。
画中还暗藏了另一头异兽。
Some with extensive knowledge revealed the truth in one sentence: "Yes, it's that giant turtle which turned into Nine Mountain State after its death."
yì shòu tú de zuì biān yuán bù fèn ， yī xī kě yǐ kàn dào ， zhè shàng bǎi tóu yāo shòu ， sì hū dōu zhàn zài mǒu gè páng dà cún zài de shēn shàng 。
异兽图的最边缘部分，依稀可以看到，这上百头妖兽，似乎都站在某个庞大存在的身上。
The tone carried a heavy hint of mockery, but it wasn't unfounded. It indeed referred to the characters 王 (King) and 兀 (Turtle).
dàn zhèng yīn wèi qí tǐ xíng tài guò jù dà ， suǒ yǐ gēn běn wú fǎ huà chū 。
但正因为其体型太过巨大，所以根本无法画出。
Its name was [兲].
zhǐ néng yòng qí bèi shàng de zhè bǎi yú tóu yāo shòu ， dàng zuò chèn tuō 。
只能用其背上的这百余头妖兽，当做衬托。
Its name was Heaven.
“ dà zāi wú xíng ， qí míng yuē tiān 。”
“大哉无形，其名曰天。”
"兲 Beast..."
jiǎo luò zhōng ， hái liú xià le zhè me yī jù huà 。
角落中，还留下了这么一句话。
A glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
zhè zhǒng liú bái shì de chuàng zuò shǒu fǎ ， zì rán xī yǐn le xǔ duō xiū shì píng lùn 。
这种留白式的创作手法，自然吸引了许多修士评论。
(End of Chapter)
Although Li Fan didn't actually know what the [Xuan Tian封灵阵] was that his opponent had mentioned, he could easily guess that it referred to the Xuan Net which had first shown its prowess on the battlefield of Heavenly Spirit State.
Li Fan remained silent as he probed with a casual remark: "According to our predictions, even if the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has the [Xuan Tian封灵阵]'s assistance, the Five Elders Association shouldn't be suffering such a steady decline in their fortunes."
The opponent sighed. "Indeed, we miscalculated this time. No one expected that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance would so quickly recreate this ancient array."
"And it seems more domineering than recorded."
With a tone of helplessness, one of the Five Elders said, "Our countermeasures are not yet fully prepared. Thus, on the battlefield of Heavenly Spirit State, we found ourselves in a tight spot for a while."
"So, we urgently need ways to weaken their array."
Li Fan didn't respond but instead tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table as if deep in thought.
"Even with our strength, obtaining the [Xuan Tian封灵阵]'s array diagram would require a great price. Some of our fellow daoists who have infiltrated the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance might even have to sacrifice their lives."
"And there's no guarantee of success..."
After a long silence, Li Fan finally spoke, looking rather hesitant.
Seeing an opportunity, one of the Five Elders quickly pressed his advantage: "Friend Zhou, rest assured. As long as we get the array diagram, everything else can be negotiated!"
Li Fan remained noncommittal.
After a moment's thought, he said solemnly, "This is significant; I cannot make a decision on my own. Let me come back here in three days for your response."
Although the Five Elders were anxious, they knew that Li Fan had a point and reluctantly nodded.
"By the way, let's meet somewhere else next time. It's better to be cautious during these troubled times." He then informed Li Fan of another island's location.
Li Fan bowed and flew away, returning to Lustrous City.
"Heavenly Xuan Lock Spirit, Xuan Tian封灵."
"From ancient times, Heavenly Xuan Mirror..."
"Xuan Tian Sect?"
In the secret chamber, Li Fan's eyes flickered as he fell into deep thought.
"That scene of countless cultivators falling from the sky seemed familiar..."
"Ah, Nine Mountain State!"
The nine mountain ranges within Nine Mountain State had a characteristic that made it impossible for cultivators to leap over them.
In his past life, when Li Fan traveled to Nine Mountain State to purchase items from the Ten Thousand Techniques Chamber of Commerce, he had seen several brave but misguided cultivators who died from falling.
"Could there be some connection here?"
Li Fan recalled various pieces of information in his mind.
Suddenly, a piece of seemingly insignificant information caught his attention.
According to legend, the nine major mountains within Nine Mountain State were formed when the internal meridians of an ancient beast had turned into mountains after its death.
The names of these mountains were: Heavenly Long, Heavenly Short, Heavenly Void, Heavenly Urgent, Heavenly Knot, Heavenly Substitute, Heavenly Prison, Heavenly Movement, and Heavenly Fine.
These mountains divided into real and imaginary parts, forming a subtle array. This caused the spatial instability in Nine Mountain State, making even teleportation arrays unusable.
...
This information was something Li Fan had known before.
Back then, he didn't have much of an actual concept of what a monster looked like.
He only found it fitting that after a beast's death, its meridians would turn into mountains, aligning with ancient legends without any special significance.
But after visiting the Demon Beast Holy Land Nanming Mountain in Fallen Meteor Realm and seeing many notorious monsters from ancient times, Li Fan realized something was amiss in this myth.
If true, the size of that beast would be enormous.
It took him half a year to travel through Nine Mountain State. If its meridians could span such a vast area, what kind of existence had it been before?
In comparison, creatures like Scarlet Nine-Headed Beast, Purple Headless Beast, and Green Spirit Dragon...
They were probably insignificant compared to this one.
While size might not directly correlate with strength, Li Fan wouldn't consider the beast that turned into nine mountains weak.
"Perhaps, by investigating this unknown beast, we can trace back the origin of the [Xuan Tian封灵阵]."
Even from its name alone, Li Fan could almost be certain that this array was related to the ancient Xuan Tian Sect.
But one mustn't be too hasty. It might just be a coincidence.
Being cautious was not wrong.
So, Li Fan used "transformed into Nine Mountain State's beast" as his keyword and searched for relevant information in the Heavenly Xuan Mirror.
The time had passed too long to verify anything conclusively.
Opinions varied widely with no clear answers.
Li Fan went through them all but found nothing reliable.
Just when he was about to give up, a painting titled "Dream of Ancient Beast" caught his attention.
This wasn't an artwork by today's standards; it was the casual sketchwork of a disciple from the Divine Brush Sect before its absorption by the Ink Pen Sect.
After the Ink Pen Sect's conquest, the sect's items scattered far and wide.
A wandering cultivar stumbled upon this painting. He perished during the Great Tribulation, and his storage ring was looted clean.
Only those seemingly worthless items that took up space were left undisturbed.
The useless storage ring was discarded like trash by the roadside.
Sealed for thousands of years, it was discovered by a passing cultivar.
According to Master Tang Boting, he relied on the lingering resentment from a thousand years ago stored in his storage ring to learn about past events.
Of course, these claims were likely fabricated by Tang Boting to boost the price of "Dream of Ancient Beast."
But regardless, this painting was indeed from thousands of years ago.
It depicted over a hundred different monsters, some of which Li Fan had seen in Fallen Meteor Realm.
What attracted Li Fan was not just the obvious monsters but another hidden beast within the painting.
At the edge of the monster depiction, faintly visible were these hundreds of beasts standing on what seemed to be an enormous existence.
But due to its immense size, it couldn't be drawn. Instead, a hundred beasts on its back served as a substitute.
"Great and formless, its name is Heaven."
In a corner, there was another phrase left behind.
This blank-style creation naturally attracted many cultivars' comments.
Some with extensive knowledge revealed the truth in one sentence: "Yes, it's that giant turtle which turned into Nine Mountain State after its death."
The tone carried a heavy hint of mockery, but it wasn't unfounded. It indeed referred to the characters 王 (King) and 兀 (Turtle).
Its name was [兲].
Its name was Heaven.
"兲 Beast..."
A glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
(End of Chapter)