lǐ fán bèi kùn yú liàn qì zhōng qī yǐ jīng hǎo jǐ nián le ， yì zhí bù dé cùn jìn 。
李凡被困于炼气中期已经好几年了，一直不得寸进。
Li Fan had been trapped in the Qi Refining中期 for several years, making no progress.
jiāng liǎng mén gōng fǎ quán dōu xiū liàn zhì liàn qì zhōng qī hòu ， yě hái shì zhǎo bú dào zì shēn jī yuán suǒ zài 。
将两门功法全都修炼至炼气中期后，也还是找不到自身机缘所在。
After refining both mystical techniques to the Qi Refining中期 stage, he still couldn't find his own opportunities.
cǐ kè lǐ fán kàn zhe cāng hǎi zhū ， què tū rán gǎn shòu dào le míng míng zhōng tū pò de qì jī 。
此刻李凡看着沧海珠，却突然感受到了冥冥中突破的契机。
At this moment, Li Fan looked at the Pearl of the Vast Sea and suddenly felt a breakthrough opportunity.
nà jiù shì rú zhī qián yì bān ， yǐ zì shēn yì shí jiē chù gǎn wù cāng hǎi zhū 。
那就是如之前一般，以自身意识接触感悟沧海珠。
Just like before, he would use his consciousness to sense the Pearl of the Vast Sea.
lǐ fán zì rán qīng chǔ nà shì hé děng de xiōng xiǎn ， jī běn kě yǐ shuō shì hé sòng sǐ wú yì 。
李凡自然清楚那是何等的凶险，基本可以说是和送死无异。
Li Fan naturally knew how dangerous that was; it was basically equivalent to signing his death warrant.
《 xiū xíng zá jì 》 zhōng yǒu guò xǔ duō xiū shì gǎn yìng zì shēn jī yuán de jì zǎi 。
《修行杂记》中有过许多修士感应自身机缘的记载。
The Miscellaneous Records on Cultivation had many accounts of cultivators sensing their own opportunities.
suī rán yě yǒu yí dìng de fēng xiǎn ， dàn yě jué duì shì yǔ jī huì bìng cún de 。
虽然也有一定的风险，但也绝对是与机会并存的。
Although there were risks involved, they were definitely coexistent with opportunities.
wèi hé zhī qián méi yǒu gǎn yìng ， xiàn zài què tū rán mào chū lái le ？
为何之前没有感应，现在却突然冒出来了？
Why hadn't he sensed anything before but suddenly now?
lǐ fán dùn shí xiǎng míng bái le 。
李凡顿时想明白了。
Li Fan immediately understood. It was the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Spell.
《 xuán huáng liàn xīn zhòu 》。
《玄黄炼心咒》。
Perhaps activating the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Spell could help Li Fan resist the Pearl of the Vast Sea's assimilation.
yě xǔ yùn zhuàn 《 xuán huáng liàn xīn zhòu 》， néng gòu bāng zhù lǐ fán dǐ yù zhù cāng hǎi yì zhì de tóng huà 。
也许运转《玄黄炼心咒》，能够帮助李凡抵御住沧海意志的同化。
With his decision made, Li Fan held the Pearl of the Vast Sea in both hands and placed it slightly below his dantian.
dāng xià yǒu le jué dìng 。
当下有了决定。
He sat cross-legged and simultaneously activated The Thousand Mechanisms and Jade Circle and the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Spell.
lǐ fán shuāng shǒu pěng zhù cāng hǎi zhū ， wēi chuí yú dān tián 。
李凡双手捧住沧海珠，微垂于丹田。
Initially, he found it somewhat uncomfortable to use two techniques at once. However, since the Refining Heart Spell didn't involve spirit energy flow but only mental refinement, there was no conflict between the two techniques.
pán tuǐ ér zuò ，《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》 hé 《 xuán huáng liàn xīn zhòu 》 tóng shí yùn zhuàn 。
盘腿而坐，《千机玉寰金章》和《玄黄炼心咒》同时运转。
After several hundred attempts, Li Fan finally mastered running both techniques simultaneously.
yī xīn èr yòng ， lǐ fán chū shí hái yǒu xiē bù tài xí guàn 。
一心二用，李凡初时还有些不太习惯。
His mind became hazy as if he had transformed back into a vast sea, observing the world's changes.
dàn liàn xīn zhòu bìng bù shè jí líng qì de yùn zhuàn ， zhǐ shì xīn shén de cuì liàn ， suǒ yǐ liǎng mén gōng fǎ yě bìng méi yǒu xiāng chōng tū de dì fāng 。
但炼心咒并不涉及灵气的运转，只是心神的淬炼，所以两门功法也并没有相冲突的地方。
The sun rose and set, stars shifted, clouds drifted, and rain dispersed.
zài jīng guò le jǐ bǎi cì de cháng shì zhī hòu ， lǐ fán zhōng yú màn màn zhǎng wò le liǎng mén gōng fǎ tóng shí yùn xíng de fāng fǎ 。
在经过了几百次的尝试之后，李凡终于慢慢掌握了两门功法同时运行的方法。
Everything accelerated thousands of times over in his vision.
xīn shén yī zhèn huǎng hū ， fǎng fú yòu chóng xīn biàn chéng le yī piàn cāng hǎi ， kàn zhe shì jiān biàn huàn 。
心神一阵恍惚，仿佛又重新变成了一片沧海，看着世间变换。
Just one thought seemed to have passed for hundreds of years.
rì shēng yuè luò ， dǒu zhuǎn xīng yí ， yún piāo yǔ sàn 。
日升月落，斗转星移，云飘雨散。
Ancient, old, and沧桑的气息 gradually permeated Li Fan’s consciousness.
zhè yī qiè jiā sù le chéng qiān shàng wàn bèi ， zài lǐ fán yǎn qián kuài sù shǎn guò 。
这一切加速了成千上万倍，在李凡眼前快速闪过。
He began to view the world from an oceanic perspective.
zhǐ yí gè niàn tou ， jiù hǎo sì guò qù le shàng bǎi nián zhī jiǔ 。
只一个念头，就好似过去了上百年之久。
He started to forget that he was a person.
jiǔ yuǎn 、 gǔ lǎo 、 cāng sāng de qì xī zhú jiàn zhān rǎn lǐ fán de yì shí 。
久远、古老、沧桑的气息逐渐沾染李凡的意识。
At this moment, a cool sensation suddenly emerged.
tā kāi shǐ xí guàn yǐ hǎi yáng de shì jiǎo qù kàn dài shì jiè 。
他开始习惯以海洋的视角去看待世界。
Like clear mountain spring water slowly erasing the time-stained marks, Li Fan's awareness gradually returned.
tā kāi shǐ zhú jiàn wàng jì zì jǐ shì yí gè rén 。
他开始逐渐忘记自己是一个人。
"Sure enough, it works."
jiù zài zhè shí ， yī gǔ qīng liáng de qì xī hū rán yǒng chū 。
就在这时，一股清凉的气息忽然涌出。
Confirming his hypothesis, Li Fan remained neither sad nor happy.
hǎo sì shān zhōng qīng quán ， màn màn dì jiāng shí guāng de bān bó kè hén chōng shuā 。
好似山中清泉，慢慢地将时光的斑驳刻痕冲刷。
Although the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Spell could somewhat reduce the Pearl of the Vast Sea’s assimilation, compared to the sea’s will, he was still too insignificant now and inevitably affected.
lǐ fán yě zhú jiàn huī fù le zì jǐ de yì shí 。
李凡也逐渐恢复了自己的意识。
The consumption of lifespan continued at many times that of normal cultivation. Emotions like joy, anger, and sorrow were infinitely diluted.
“ guǒ rán yǒu yòng 。”
“果然有用。”
However, there were benefits as well.
zhèng shí le zì jǐ de cāi xiǎng ， lǐ fán què shì wú bēi wú xǐ 。
证实了自己的猜想，李凡却是无悲无喜。
At this moment, he could already mobilize a fraction of the Pearl of the Vast Sea's power.
suī rán xuán huáng liàn xīn zhòu néng gòu yí dìng chéng dù shàng de jiǎn xiǎo cāng hǎi yì zhì duì tā de tóng huà ， dàn hé cāng hǎi yì zhì xiāng bǐ ， xiàn zài de tā bì jìng hái tài guò miǎo xiǎo le 。
虽然玄黄炼心咒能够一定程度上的减小沧海意志对他的同化，但和沧海意志相比，现在的他毕竟还太过渺小了。
His divine sense was greatly enhanced, covering all of Tai'an Island with just a slight movement.
hái shì bù kě bì miǎn de shòu dào le yǐng xiǎng 。
还是不可避免的受到了影响。
Without stopping, Li Fan’s consciousness spread out like ripples, rapidly extending outward.
shòu yuán de xiāo hào yī rán shì zhèng cháng xiū liàn de xǔ duō bèi ， xǐ nù āi lè zhī lèi rén de qíng xù yě bèi wú xiàn dàn huà 。
寿元的消耗依然是正常修炼的许多倍，喜怒哀乐之类人的情绪也被无限淡化。
One island after another, lifeless islands appeared in his mind.
hǎo chù zì rán yě shì yǒu de 。
好处自然也是有的。
Through his divine sense, he saw an active volcano on one of the islands, which had been extinguished due to the Flame Disaster.
cǐ kè de tā yǐ jīng néng diào dòng le yī sī cāng hǎi zhū de lì liàng 。
此刻的他已经能调动了一丝沧海珠的力量。
He saw a giant fish bone lying among human corpses near Lustrous Isle. The center of the bone contained a large lustrous gemstone, shining under the sunlight.
shén shí dé dào le qiān bǎi bèi de jiā qiáng ， qīng qīng yī dòng ， hěn qīng yì de jiù fù gài le zhěng zuò tài ān dǎo 。
神识得到了千百倍的加强，轻轻一动，很轻易的就覆盖了整座泰安岛。
In the various hidden corners of Cunyun Sea, there still lingered several cultivators who he had long believed were extinct.
méi yǒu tíng zhǐ ， lǐ fán de yì shí rú tóng yī quān quān bō wén ， jí sù cháo wài yán shēn 。
没有停止，李凡的意识如同一圈圈波纹，急速朝外延伸。
He saw many secrets that would only be revealed in such an apocalyptic age scattered throughout Cunyun Sea.
yī zuò zuò shēng jī miè jué de dǎo yǔ cì dì chū xiàn zài lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng 。
一座座生机灭绝的岛屿次第出现在李凡脑海中。
...
tōng guò shén shí ， tā kàn dào le mǒu yī chù dǎo yǔ zhī xià ， yuán běn yǐ jīng xī miè de huǒ shān shòu dào yán zāi de yǐng xiǎng ， zhèng sǐ huī fù rán 。
通过神识，他看到了某一处岛屿之下，原本已经熄灭的火山受到炎灾的影响，正死灰复燃。
But these were all irrelevant to him now.
tā kàn dào le liú lí dǎo bù yuǎn chù ， yí gè jù xíng yú gǔ tǎng zài zhòng duō rén lèi de shī hái zhī zhōng 。 yú gǔ zhōng yāng ， yī kē jù dà de liú lí bǎo zhū ， zài yáng guāng xià shǎn shǎn fā guāng 。
他看到了琉璃岛不远处，一个巨型鱼骨躺在众多人类的尸骸之中。鱼骨中央，一颗巨大的琉璃宝珠，在阳光下闪闪发光。
His heart was devoid of any greed.
tā kàn dào le zài cóng yún hǎi de gè gè yǐn mì jiǎo luò lǐ ， hái cán cún zhe jǐ wèi yuán běn tā yǐ jīng sǐ jué le de xiū xiān zhě 。
他看到了在丛云海的各个隐秘角落里，还残存着几位原本他已经死绝了的修仙者。
Quickly retracting his divine sense, Li Fan mobilized the Pearl of the Vast Sea to attract the remaining water vapor from the vast sea and gather it above Tai'an Island.
tā kàn dào le cóng yún hǎi zhōng xǔ xǔ duō duō píng rì lǐ yǐn cáng zhe ， zhè yǒu zhè bān mò shì cái huì dé yì xiǎn xiàn de mì mì 。
他看到了丛云海中许许多多平日里隐藏着，这有这般末世才会得意显现的秘密。
Thus, the survivors on Tai'an Island saw dark clouds forming in the sky.
bù guò ， zhè xiē dōu yǔ tā wú guān le 。
不过，这些都与他无关了。
With the heavy rain, people wept with joy. They hugged each other and rolled around in the rain.
tā de xīn zhōng tān niàn quán wú 。
他的心中贪念全无。
The rain lasted for half an hour.
shén shí kuài sù shōu huí ， diào dòng cāng hǎi zhū ， xī yǐn zhe cóng yún hǎi tiān dì jiān cán cún de shuǐ qì ， huì jù dào tài ān dǎo shàng fāng 。
神识快速收回，调动沧海珠，吸引着丛云海天地间残存的水汽，汇聚到泰安岛上方。
Above Tai'an Island, a faint cloud still lingered, not completely dissipated.
yú shì ， tài ān dǎo shàng xìng cún de rén lèi ， kàn dào le tiān kōng zhōng jiàn jiàn xíng chéng de wū yún 。
于是，泰安岛上幸存的人类，看到了天空中渐渐形成的乌云。
This was Li Fan's manipulation; every two weeks, he would draw water vapor from the Pearl of the Vast Sea to bring rain to Tai'an Island, ensuring the survival of its inhabitants.
“ hōng lōng ！”
“轰隆！”
After completing this task, Li Fan quietly looked at the sky.
suí zhe dà yǔ là xià ， rén men xǐ jí ér qì 。
随着大雨落下，人们喜极而泣。
His lack of desire for the treasures hidden in Cunyun Sea wasn't because he had suddenly become exceptionally transcendent; it was because he found something more worth pursuing: an opportunity to connect with the will of heaven and earth.
xiāng hù yōng bào zhe zài yǔ lǐ dǎ gǔn 。
相互拥抱着在雨里打滚。
The ideal state of a technique according to The Thousand Mechanisms and Jade Circle was to sense and refine the energy of heaven and earth.
dà yǔ chí xù le bàn gè shí chén 。
大雨持续了半个时辰。
Heaven and earth's energy, as the manifestation of their will, was vast and boundless.
tài ān dǎo shàng fāng de yún cǎi réng rán hái cán cún zhe dàn dàn de yī sī ， méi yǒu wán quán xiāo shī 。
泰安岛上方的云彩仍然还残存着淡淡的一丝，没有完全消失。
Ordinary cultivators who touched it often lost their lifespan at an alarming rate.
zhè shì lǐ fán cāo zòng de ， měi gù dìng bàn gè yuè de shí jiān ， jiù huì zì fā de chōu qǔ cāng hǎi zhū zhōng de shuǐ qì ， gěi tài ān dǎo jiàng yī cì yǔ 。
这是李凡操纵的，每固定半个月的时间，就会自发的抽取沧海珠中的水汽，给泰安岛降一次雨。
Even becoming a puppet of the Dao were common outcomes.
cóng ér bǎo zhèng dǎo shàng fán rén de cún huó 。
从而保证岛上凡人的存活。
But now, Li Fan had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect with heaven and earth’s will while preserving his own consciousness.
zuò wán zhè yī qiè ， lǐ fán jìng jìng dì kàn zhe tiān kōng 。
做完这一切，李凡静静地看着天空。
Because he wasn't just an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator; part of his consciousness was already connected to the Pearl of the Vast Sea.
zhī suǒ yǐ duì cóng yún hǎi zhōng de zhū duō mì mì cáng bǎo tān yù quán wú ， bú shì yīn wèi tā lǐ fán hū rán biàn dé duō me chāo fán rù shèng ， ér shì yīn wèi tā zhǎo dào le gèng jiā zhí de zhuī xún de dōng xī 。
之所以对丛云海中的诸多秘密藏宝贪欲全无，不是因为他李凡忽然变得多么超凡入圣，而是因为他找到了更加值得追寻的东西。
Attempting to understand the heavens as a cultivator was self-destructive, but attempting to understand the heavens through the sea might offer a chance for survival.
yí gè yǔ tiān dì yì zhì jiē chù de jī huì 。
一个与天地意志接触的机会。
Li Fan's heart began to feel excited.
《 qiān jī yù huán jīn zhāng 》 lǐ lùn zhōng gōng fǎ zuì lǐ xiǎng de zhuàng tài ， biàn shì gǎn yìng 、 liàn huà tiān dì qì jī 。
《千机玉寰金章》理论中功法最理想的状态，便是感应、炼化天地气机。
This was truly hearing the Dao in the morning and dying contentedly at night!
tiān dì qì jī zuò wéi tiān dì yì zhì de wài zài biǎo xiàn ， hào dà wú pǐ 。
天地气机作为天地意志的外在表现，浩大无匹。
He transformed into the sea, quietly observing this world, sensing all kinds of energies flowing between heaven and earth, feeling the will of heaven and earth.
yì bān xiū shì yǔ zhī jiē chù ， shāo yǒu bù shèn ， biàn huì rú lǐ fán zhī qián nà bān ， shòu yuán fēi sù xiāo shì 。
一般修士与之接触，稍有不慎，便会如李凡之前那般，寿元飞速消逝。
...
nǎi zhì sàng shī zì wǒ yì zhì ， chéng wéi tiān dào kuǐ lěi ， dōu shì zài zhèng cháng bù guò 。
乃至丧失自我意志，成为天道傀儡，都是再正常不过。
A year, two years...
dàn lǐ fán xiàn zài què yǒu zhè me yí gè qiān zǎi nán féng de jī huì ， néng gòu jiē chù tiān dì yì zhì de tóng shí ， hái néng bǎo liú zì jǐ de yì shí 。
但李凡现在却有这么一个千载难逢的机会，能够接触天地意志的同时，还能保留自己的意识。
Time no longer mattered to Li Fan.
yīn wèi tā xiàn zài ， bù jǐn jǐn shì yí gè pǔ tōng liàn qì qī xiū shì 。
因为他现在，不仅仅是一个普通炼气期修士。
The more he gazed at the sky, the deeper his insights became.
tā yì shí de yī bù fèn ， yǐ jīng hé cāng hǎi zhū lián jiē zài le yì qǐ 。
他意识的一部分，已经和沧海珠连接在了一起。
His previous notions were one by one overturned.
yǐ xiū shì qù chuǎi cè tiān dì ， shì zì xún sǐ lù de huà 。
以修士去揣测天地，是自寻死路的话。
He thought that the pervasive killing intent in Cunyun Sea had gradually dissipated.
nà me yǐ cāng hǎi qù chuǎi cè tiān dì ， zé wèi bì méi yǒu huó lù 。
那么以沧海去揣测天地，则未必没有活路。
But now he realized that heaven and earth's killing intent had never diminished; it still existed.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng yǐn yǐn biàn dé xīng fèn qǐ lái 。
李凡心中隐隐变得兴奋起来。
What Li Fan had previously sensed as violent killing intent wasn't actually part of the Dao itself.
zhè cái shì zhēn zhèng de cháo wén dào ， xī sǐ kě yǐ ！
这才是真正的朝闻道，夕死可以！
The killing intent of heaven and earth would not be perceived by ordinary cultivators.
tā huà shēn cāng hǎi ， jìng jìng guān chá zhe zhè piàn tiān dì ， gǎn shòu zhe tiān dì jiān liú zhuǎn de zhǒng zhǒng qì xī ， gǎn shòu zhe tiān dì de yì zhì 。
他化身沧海，静静观察着这片天地，感受着天地间流转的种种气息，感受着天地的意志。
It was not so fierce, angry, or full of emotions.
yī nián ， liǎng nián ……
一年，两年……
It was merely a pure will, a pure rule.
shí jiān de liú shì duì lǐ fán lái shuō yǐ jīng bù zài zhòng yào le 。
时间的流逝对李凡来说已经不再重要了。
Heaven did not show mercy; it treated all beings as sacrificial offerings.
yuè duō de níng shì zhe tiān kōng ， tā de gǎn wù yě jiù yuè duō 。
越多的凝视着天空，他的感悟也就越多。
It destroyed you, what does that matter to you?
zhī qián de zhǒng zhǒng guān niàn yě bèi tā yī yī tuī fān 。
之前的种种观念也被他一一推翻。
Under the Dao, all were ants.
tā yǐ wéi ， cóng yún hǎi zhōng biàn bù tiān dì de shā jī yǐ jīng zhú jiàn xiāo shì le 。
他以为，丛云海中遍布天地的杀机已经逐渐消逝了。
Cultivators, ordinary people, and the sea...
kě xiàn zài tā cái fā xiàn ， tiān dì de shā yì ， cóng lái méi yǒu jiǎn shǎo guò ， xiàn zài yī rán cún zài 。
可现在他才发现，天地的杀意，从来没有减少过，现在依然存在。
To its eyes, there was no difference.
lǐ fán xiān qián gǎn yìng dào de ， nà xiē kuáng bào de shā jī ， gēn běn jiù bú shì shǔ yú tiān dào běn shēn 。
李凡先前感应到的，那些狂暴的杀机，根本就不是属于天道本身。
Cultivators seized the heavens and earth, and the Dao generated killing intent in response.
tiān dì de shā jī ， gēn běn bú huì ràng fán rén xiū shì chá jué 。
天地的杀机，根本不会让凡人修士察觉。
However, the Dao wouldn't directly intervene because cultivators themselves were part of the Dao.
tā bú huì nà me bào liè ， nà me fèn nù ， nà me yùn hán xǔ duō qíng xù 。
它不会那么暴烈，那么愤怒，那么蕴含许多情绪。
Corresponding laws would arise to harmonize with heaven and earth's killing intent.
tā zhǐ shì yī zhǒng chún cuì de yì zhì ， chún cuì de guī zé 。
它只是一种纯粹的意志，纯粹的规则。
For example,仙法不能同修,
tā shì tiān dì bù rén ， yǐ wàn wù wèi chú gǒu 。
它是天地不仁，以万物为刍狗。
And...
tā shì huǐ miè nǐ ， yǔ nǐ hé gān 。
它是毁灭你，与你何干。
The scene Li Fan saw now.
tiān dào zhī xià ， jiē shì lóu yǐ 。
天道之下，皆是蝼蚁。
Above Cunyun Sea, a transparent red figure coldly looked down.
fán rén ， xiū shì ， cāng hǎi ……
凡人，修士，沧海……
In its hand was a small flame that flickered continuously, baking the sea.
zài tā yǎn zhōng dū méi yǒu qū bié 。
在祂眼中都没有区别。
Sensing Li Fan’s gaze, the red figure turned to face him.
xiū shì lüè tiān duó dì ， tiān dào zì shēng shā jī 。
修士掠天夺地，天道自生杀机。
Their eyes met.
rán ér tiān dào bìng bú huì zhí jiē dòng shǒu ， yīn wèi xiū shì běn shēn yě shǔ yú tiān dào de yī bù fèn 。
然而天道并不会直接动手，因为修士本身也属于天道的一部分。
Instantly, the seawater in the Pearl of the Vast Sea boiled.
zì yǒu xiāng yìng de fǎ zé yǎn huà ， yìng hè tiān dì shā jī 。
自有相应的法则衍化，应和天地杀机。
Fortunately, it only glanced at him before收回目光。
bǐ rú xiān fǎ bù néng tóng xiū ，
比如仙法不能同修，
Li Fan's consciousness was preserved.
yòu bǐ rú ……
又比如……
Because he saw that glance, Li Fan also understood its identity: The Essence of Heaven and Earth: Flame!
Li Fan had been trapped in the Qi Refining中期 for several years, making no progress.
After refining both mystical techniques to the Qi Refining中期 stage, he still couldn't find his own opportunities.
At this moment, Li Fan looked at the Pearl of the Vast Sea and suddenly felt a breakthrough opportunity.
Just like before, he would use his consciousness to sense the Pearl of the Vast Sea.
Li Fan naturally knew how dangerous that was; it was basically equivalent to signing his death warrant.
The Miscellaneous Records on Cultivation had many accounts of cultivators sensing their own opportunities.
Although there were risks involved, they were definitely coexistent with opportunities.
Why hadn't he sensed anything before but suddenly now?
Li Fan immediately understood. It was the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Spell.
Perhaps activating the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Spell could help Li Fan resist the Pearl of the Vast Sea's assimilation.
With his decision made, Li Fan held the Pearl of the Vast Sea in both hands and placed it slightly below his dantian.
He sat cross-legged and simultaneously activated The Thousand Mechanisms and Jade Circle and the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Spell.
Initially, he found it somewhat uncomfortable to use two techniques at once. However, since the Refining Heart Spell didn't involve spirit energy flow but only mental refinement, there was no conflict between the two techniques.
After several hundred attempts, Li Fan finally mastered running both techniques simultaneously.
His mind became hazy as if he had transformed back into a vast sea, observing the world's changes.
The sun rose and set, stars shifted, clouds drifted, and rain dispersed.
Everything accelerated thousands of times over in his vision.
Just one thought seemed to have passed for hundreds of years.
Ancient, old, and沧桑的气息 gradually permeated Li Fan’s consciousness.
He began to view the world from an oceanic perspective.
He started to forget that he was a person.
At this moment, a cool sensation suddenly emerged.
Like clear mountain spring water slowly erasing the time-stained marks, Li Fan's awareness gradually returned.
"Sure enough, it works."
Confirming his hypothesis, Li Fan remained neither sad nor happy.
Although the Xuanhuang Refining Heart Spell could somewhat reduce the Pearl of the Vast Sea’s assimilation, compared to the sea’s will, he was still too insignificant now and inevitably affected.
The consumption of lifespan continued at many times that of normal cultivation. Emotions like joy, anger, and sorrow were infinitely diluted.
However, there were benefits as well.
At this moment, he could already mobilize a fraction of the Pearl of the Vast Sea's power.
His divine sense was greatly enhanced, covering all of Tai'an Island with just a slight movement.
Without stopping, Li Fan’s consciousness spread out like ripples, rapidly extending outward.
One island after another, lifeless islands appeared in his mind.
Through his divine sense, he saw an active volcano on one of the islands, which had been extinguished due to the Flame Disaster.
He saw a giant fish bone lying among human corpses near Lustrous Isle. The center of the bone contained a large lustrous gemstone, shining under the sunlight.
In the various hidden corners of Cunyun Sea, there still lingered several cultivators who he had long believed were extinct.
He saw many secrets that would only be revealed in such an apocalyptic age scattered throughout Cunyun Sea.
...
But these were all irrelevant to him now.
His heart was devoid of any greed.
Quickly retracting his divine sense, Li Fan mobilized the Pearl of the Vast Sea to attract the remaining water vapor from the vast sea and gather it above Tai'an Island.
Thus, the survivors on Tai'an Island saw dark clouds forming in the sky.
"Thunder!"
With the heavy rain, people wept with joy. They hugged each other and rolled around in the rain.
The rain lasted for half an hour.
Above Tai'an Island, a faint cloud still lingered, not completely dissipated.
This was Li Fan's manipulation; every two weeks, he would draw water vapor from the Pearl of the Vast Sea to bring rain to Tai'an Island, ensuring the survival of its inhabitants.
After completing this task, Li Fan quietly looked at the sky.
His lack of desire for the treasures hidden in Cunyun Sea wasn't because he had suddenly become exceptionally transcendent; it was because he found something more worth pursuing: an opportunity to connect with the will of heaven and earth.
The ideal state of a technique according to The Thousand Mechanisms and Jade Circle was to sense and refine the energy of heaven and earth.
Heaven and earth's energy, as the manifestation of their will, was vast and boundless.
Ordinary cultivators who touched it often lost their lifespan at an alarming rate.
Even becoming a puppet of the Dao were common outcomes.
But now, Li Fan had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect with heaven and earth’s will while preserving his own consciousness.
Because he wasn't just an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator; part of his consciousness was already connected to the Pearl of the Vast Sea.
Attempting to understand the heavens as a cultivator was self-destructive, but attempting to understand the heavens through the sea might offer a chance for survival.
Li Fan's heart began to feel excited.
This was truly hearing the Dao in the morning and dying contentedly at night!
He transformed into the sea, quietly observing this world, sensing all kinds of energies flowing between heaven and earth, feeling the will of heaven and earth.
...
A year, two years...
Time no longer mattered to Li Fan.
The more he gazed at the sky, the deeper his insights became.
His previous notions were one by one overturned.
He thought that the pervasive killing intent in Cunyun Sea had gradually dissipated.
But now he realized that heaven and earth's killing intent had never diminished; it still existed.
What Li Fan had previously sensed as violent killing intent wasn't actually part of the Dao itself.
The killing intent of heaven and earth would not be perceived by ordinary cultivators.
It was not so fierce, angry, or full of emotions.
It was merely a pure will, a pure rule.
Heaven did not show mercy; it treated all beings as sacrificial offerings.
It destroyed you, what does that matter to you?
Under the Dao, all were ants.
Cultivators, ordinary people, and the sea...
To its eyes, there was no difference.
Cultivators seized the heavens and earth, and the Dao generated killing intent in response.
However, the Dao wouldn't directly intervene because cultivators themselves were part of the Dao.
Corresponding laws would arise to harmonize with heaven and earth's killing intent.
For example,仙法不能同修,
And...
The scene Li Fan saw now.
Above Cunyun Sea, a transparent red figure coldly looked down.
In its hand was a small flame that flickered continuously, baking the sea.
Sensing Li Fan’s gaze, the red figure turned to face him.
Their eyes met.
Instantly, the seawater in the Pearl of the Vast Sea boiled.
Fortunately, it only glanced at him before收回目光。
Li Fan's consciousness was preserved.
Because he saw that glance, Li Fan also understood its identity: The Essence of Heaven and Earth: Flame!