zhè yǐ jīng shì lǐ fán lián xù hē xià dù de dì liù bēi líng chá le 。
这已经是李凡连续喝下肚的第六杯灵茶了。
Li Fan had already downed his sixth cup of Spirit Tea, named "Warm Sun Spring Day," which cost 800 contributions.
chá míng 【 xù yáng chūn rì 】， bā bǎi gòng xiàn dù yī bēi 。
茶名【煦阳春日】，八百贡献度一杯。
The tea was said to be grown in a primordial environment with no rainfall for years. It was planted facing the sun and only sprouted once every three years, making its production rare. After drinking it, a warm current would flow through one's body, giving the sensation of basking in sunlight, with effects lasting several days.
jù shuō gāi chá shù xū zài cháng nián wú yǔ de dòng tiān huán jìng zhōng péi yǎng ， yíng rì ér zhǒng 。
据说该茶树需在常年无雨的洞天环境中培养，迎日而种。
However, despite its popularity, this tea failed to dispel the chill in Li Fan’s heart.
sān nián yī fā yá ， chǎn liàng xī shǎo 。
三年一发芽，产量稀少。
This was the third time he had directly faced true great cultivators since entering the Xuanhuang Realm. The first encounter involved his doppelganger being uncovered by Heavenly Medicine, who then invaded his private space within the Sky Xuan Mirror. The second was when he was meditating in Tianyu Province and a fisherman appeared due to the heavenly煞气in the Great Five Elements Annihilation Sword. This time, however, it was even more shocking and unexpected, as well as more perilous.
hē xià qù hòu ， nuǎn liú zì huì zài tǐ nèi yǒng xiàn 。 shǐ rén gǎn jué rú tóng mù yù zài yáng guāng zhōng bān ， xiào guǒ shù rì bù jué 。
喝下去后，暖流自会在体内涌现。使人感觉如同沐浴在阳光中般，效果数日不绝。
The old fisherman himself was deranged, showing no malice towards Li Fan but instead offering him an opportunity.
rán ér jiù shì zhè zhǒng guǎng shòu huān yíng de hǎo chá ， què réng rán méi néng qū zhú chū lǐ fán xīn zhōng de hán yì 。
然而就是这种广受欢迎的好茶，却仍然没能驱逐出李凡心中的寒意。
During his encounter with Heavenly Medicine, Li Fan had sought out the task for its contribution reward, disregarding the need to be cautious in front of a great cultivator. Despite this, he remained conscious and protected by True Real Technique, making it more or less safe. This time...
zhè shì lǐ fán zì tà rù xuán huáng jiè lún huí yǐ lái ， dì sān cì běn zūn zhí jiē miàn duì zhēn zhèng de dà néng le 。
这是李凡自踏入玄黄界轮回以来，第三次本尊直接面对真正的大能了。
The Rotten Wood Daoist appeared so suddenly that there was no way to guard against him.
dì yī cì shì fēn shēn bèi tiān yī shí pò ， duì fāng shùn zhe gǎn yìng ， zhí jiē chuǎng rù tā de tiān xuán jìng sī rén kōng jiān 。
第一次是分身被天医识破，对方顺着感应，直接闯入他的天玄镜私人空间。
His methods were terrifying; Li Fan still felt a shiver down his spine when recalling them.
dì èr cì shì tā zài tiān yǔ zhōu bì guān gǎn wù 【 dà wǔ xíng jì miè jiàn 】， yú fù lǎo rén bèi qí zhōng yùn hán zhe de tiān shā qì xī suǒ xī yǐn ， lěng bù dīng de chū xiàn 。
第二次是他在天禹州闭关感悟【大五行寂灭剑】，渔父老人被其中蕴含着的天煞气息所吸引，冷不丁的出现。
"Unlike Heavenly Medicine's ability to discern one’s thoughts, the Rotten Wood Daoist—or rather, 'Ruo Mu'—can directly distort and change a cultivator's thoughts and perceptions."
ér zhè yī cì de jiē chù ， gēn qián liǎng cì xiāng bǐ ， gèng jiā de lìng rén cuò è 、 cù bù jí fáng 。
而这一次的接触，跟前两次相比，更加的令人错愕、猝不及防。
"But the cultivator themselves wouldn’t feel any abnormalities..."
yě gèng jiā xiōng xiǎn 。
也更加凶险。
"No wonder he said that those who had their Golden Core taken were 'voluntary.'"
zhì shǎo yú fù lǎo rén běn shēn fēng fēng diān diān 、 shén zhì bù qīng ， duì yú lǐ fán méi yǒu shén me è yì 。 fǎn dào hái sòng le tā yī cháng jī yuán 。
至少渔父老人本身疯疯癫癫、神志不清，对于李凡没有什么恶意。反倒还送了他一场机缘。
Li Fan recalled his own reactions, feeling another chill.
tiān yī nà cì ， shì lǐ fán tān tú shí wàn gòng xiàn dù de rèn wù bào chóu 、 zhǔ dòng qù shàng mén zhāo rě de 。 suī rán nà shí hái bù dǒng de zài dà néng miàn qián xū shōu liǎn xīn shén de dào lǐ ， yǐ zhì yú bèi duì fāng chá jué chū duān ní 。 dàn zuì qǐ mǎ lǐ fán de běn wǒ yì shí shì qīng xǐng de ， zài jiā shàng hái zhēn hù tǐ ， shí zé yǒu jīng wú xiǎn 。
天医那次，是李凡贪图十万贡献度的任务报酬、主动去上门招惹的。虽然那时还不懂得在大能面前需收敛心神的道理，以致于被对方察觉出端倪。但最起码李凡的本我意识是清醒的，再加上还真护体，实则有惊无险。
He took another cup of "Warm Sun Spring Day" to calm himself.
wéi dú zhè cì ……
唯独这次……
"The plight of one’s kind is a natural law."
xiǔ mù dào rén lái de tū wù zhì jí 、 fáng bù shèng fáng 。
朽木道人来的突兀至极、防不胜防。
"But after seeing the scene called 'Fry Mortal Lives' with Ruo Mu, I didn’t feel any danger or sorrow. Instead, it seemed perfectly reasonable."
qí shǒu duàn yě shì lìng rén jīng jù ， xiàn zài huí xiǎng qǐ lái 、 lǐ fán réng rán huì gǎn dào yóu zhōng de hòu pà 。
其手段也是令人惊惧，现在回想起来、李凡仍然会感到由衷的后怕。
"I even wanted to take its place..."
“ gēn tiān yī nà shí pò rén xīn de shǒu duàn bù tóng ， xiǔ mù dào rén ， huò zhě shuō 【 ruò mù 】， néng gòu zhí jiē niǔ qū 、 gǎi biàn xiū shì de sī xiǎng yǐ jí rèn zhī 。”
“跟天医那识破人心的手段不同，朽木道人，或者说【若木】，能够直接扭曲、改变修士的思想以及认知。”
Li Fan's eyes narrowed as he replayed scenes from before encountering "Ruo Mu" in his mind.
“ dàn xiū shì běn shēn ， què bú huì gǎn shòu dào fǎn cháng ……”
“但修士本身，却不会感受到反常……”
The influence of Ruo Mu had since dissipated.
“ nán guài xiǔ mù dào rén xiān qián shuō ， bèi zhāi qǔ jīn dān de xiū shì dōu shì 【 zì yuàn 】 de 。”
“难怪朽木道人先前说，被摘取金丹的修士都是【自愿】的。”
Even though Li Fan viewed all life as tools, seeing cultivators hanging like fruit still triggered a sense of unease. This was the normal reaction.
lǐ fán huí yì zhe zì jǐ dāng shí de sī xù 、 fǎn yìng ， xīn zhōng yòu shì yǒng qǐ yī zhèn hán yì 。
李凡回忆着自己当时的思绪、反应，心中又是涌起一阵寒意。
"At Ruo Mu’s place, my beliefs were twisted and seemingly guided to become extremely extreme."
zài dù hē le bēi 【 xù yáng chūn rì 】 yā yā jīng 。
再度喝了杯【煦阳春日】压压惊。
"Almost delusional."
“ wù shāng qí lèi ， nǎi zì rán zhī lǐ 。”
“物伤其类，乃自然之理。”
Li Fan acknowledged that he might indeed harbor similar thoughts deep down.
“ dàn wǒ gēn zhe tā ， jiàn dào nà chù míng wèi 【 jiān rén shòu 】 de chǎng jǐng hòu ， fēi dàn méi yǒu gǎn dào wēi xiǎn 、 bēi tòng ， fǎn dào shì jué de shí fēn hé lǐ 。”
“但我跟着他，见到那处名为【煎人寿】的场景后，非但没有感到危险、悲痛，反倒是觉得十分合理。”
But humans are complex beings who can be contradictory at times.
“ shèn zhì hèn bù dé yǐ shēn dài zhī ……”
“甚至恨不得以身代之……”
He couldn't take fleeting thoughts in his mind as his true worldview.
lǐ fán yǎn jīng mī qǐ ， nǎo hǎi zhōng huà dào shí bù duàn huí fàng zhe zài 【 ruò mù 】 zhī qián de huà miàn 。
李凡眼睛眯起，脑海中化道石不断回放着在【若木】之前的画面。
"This Ruo Mu is very suspicious."
cǐ shí 【 ruò mù 】 de yǐng xiǎng yǐ jīng xiāo shī 。
此时【若木】的影响已经消失。
"He seems to hate the cultivator community immensely."
zòng rán lǐ fán shì tiān xià shēng líng wèi gōng jù ， dāng kàn jiàn xiū shì men rú tóng guǒ shí bān bèi xuán yú zhī tóu ， réng rán huì běn néng de chǎn shēng zhèn zhèn de xīn jì 。
纵然李凡视天下生灵为工具，当看见修士们如同果实般被悬于枝头，仍然会本能的产生阵阵的心季。
Li Fan didn’t believe that Ruo Mu’s cultivation was merely about trading Golden Cores for contributions. Kidnapping cultivators and forcing them into "Fry Mortal Lives" was secondary. The primary goal seemed to be spreading the idea that cultivators could be treated like fruit.
zhè cái shì zhèng cháng yīng yǒu de biǎo xiàn 。
这才是正常应有的表现。
This heresy would certainly not be tolerated by the cultivator community, so the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance should have been monitoring and reining in Ruo Mu’s activities. Thus, she couldn’t act openly.
“ zài xiǔ mù dào rén chù ， wǒ de guān niàn ， bèi niǔ qū hòu yòu sì hū jīng guò mǒu zhǒng yǐn dǎo ， biàn dé shèn shì jí duān 。”
“在朽木道人处，我的观念，被扭曲后又似乎经过某种引导，变得甚是极端。”
"Revenge...?" Li Fan's eyes flickered.
“ kě yǐ shuō yǒu diǎn diān kuáng le 。”
“可以说有点癫狂了。”
Heaven created life; Ruo Mu cut its lifespan. Siphon life to grow fruit; consume it for eternal life.
lǐ fán bú huì fǒu rèn ， zì jǐ zài nèi xīn shēn chù ， huò xǔ dí què yǒu zhe nà me yī sī lèi sì de xiǎng fǎ 。
李凡不会否认，自己在内心深处，或许的确有着那么一丝类似的想法。
During the time he was controlled by Ruo Mu, many images flashed through his mind.
dàn rén běn jiù shì fù zá de jīng shén jù hé tǐ ， yǒu shí hòu shèn zhì huì zì wǒ máo dùn 。
但人本就是复杂的精神聚合体，有时候甚至会自我矛盾。
There stood a towering tree that starkly contrasted with the current withered one. It was lush and vibrant, with no cultivators hanging from it. At its top, several translucent, purple-gold fruits were hanging. The surface of these fruits bore intricate patterns—trees, mountains, and strange beasts. Each fruit had unique designs without repetition.
dāng rán bù néng jiāng nǎo hǎi zhōng ǒu rán shǎn guò de niàn tou ， shì zuò qí běn wǒ de shì jiè guān 。
当然不能将脑海中偶然闪过的念头，视作其本我的世界观。
Among the flashing scenes, Li Fan saw humans occasionally visiting. Initially, they seemed to have no cultivation, dressed as ordinary people. Only a few lucky ones managed to climb up and take the purple-gold fruits. But later, more humans appeared with increasing frequency, their strength growing stronger. Some could even climb the giant tree effortlessly. The number of fruits being taken increased accordingly.
“ zhè xiǔ mù dào rén ， hěn shì bú duì jìn 。”
“这朽木道人，很是不对劲。”
Thus, Ruo Mu, which had previously been passive, began to change. It spawned many spirits as a defense mechanism to block those who wanted to take the fruit.
“ sì hū duì xiū shì qún tǐ ， jí wéi zēng hèn 。”
“似乎对修士群体，极为憎恨。”
After this, there was relative peace on Ruo Mu for some time.
lǐ fán zì rán bú huì rèn wéi ， yǐ 【 ruò mù 】 nà zhǒng xiū wèi ， fàn mài jīn dān jǐn jǐn shì wèi le huò qǔ gòng xiàn dù 。
李凡自然不会认为，以【若木】那种修为，贩卖金丹仅仅是为了获取贡献度。
But it didn’t last long.
yòu guǎi xiū shì ， jìn rù 【 jiān rén shòu 】、 chéng wéi shēng chǎn xiàn shàng de yī yuán yě shì qí cì 。
诱拐修士，进入【煎人寿】、成为生产线上的一员也是其次。
When humans returned, their strength had drastically changed. They arrived in groups, wearing peculiar attire and capable of flying and manipulating energy. The spirits spawned by Ruo Mu were easily defeated. They took control of Ruo Mu and sent people to regularly harvest the fruits.
kǒng pà zuì zhǔ yào de mù dì ， jiù shì wèi le chuán bō tā nà “ xiū shì yě kě rú guǒ shí ” de sī xiǎng 。
恐怕最主要的目的，就是为了传播她那“修士也可如果实”的思想。
"Xuan Heavenly Sect?"
cǐ zhǒng yì duān ， dìng rán wèi xiū shì qún tǐ suǒ bù róng 。 wàn xiān méng yě yīng gāi huì zuò xiāng yìng de jiān chá 、 zhì yuē ， suǒ yǐ xiǔ mù dào rén yě bù néng dà zhāo qí gǔ 。
此种异端，定然为修士群体所不容。万仙盟也应该会做相应的监察、制约，所以朽木道人也不能大招旗鼓。
The clothing style of these humans was distinctive, similar to what Li Fan had seen on the remains of Xuan Heavenly’s Dharmaraja in Zhao Senior Sister's illusion.
“ fù chóu me ……” lǐ fán mù guāng shǎn shuò 。
“复仇么……”李凡目光闪烁。
Xuan Heavenly had ruled this place for a long time. When the scene changed again, it showed the Ten Dao Sects’ cultivators.
tiān dì dàn shēng líng ， ruò mù xuē qí shòu 。 jí mìng yǎn shòu guǒ ， fú zhī kě cháng shēng 。
天地诞生灵，若木削其寿。汲命衍寿果，服之可长生。
"Longevity Fruit Position?"
zài bèi ruò mù kòng zhì sī wéi de shí kè lǐ ， yǒu zhū duō huà miàn bù tíng fú xiàn zài lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng 。
在被若木控制思维的时刻里，有诸多画面不停浮现在李凡脑海中。
Li Fan glanced at the withered piece of wood on the table and pondered.
nà shì yī zhū ， hé rú jīn kū huáng de shù mù jié rán bù tóng de cān tiān dà shù 。
那是一株，和如今枯黄的树木截然不同的参天大树。
After much thought, he recalled that during the Ten Dao Sects' occupation of Ruo Mu, the production of purple-gold fruits gradually decreased. Each time they came to take the fruit, it seemed to be from different sects.
dǐng tiān lì dì ， cuì rán yù dī ， shēng jī bó bó 。
顶天立地，翠然欲滴，生机勃勃。
Much later...
méi yǒu xiū shì bèi xuán guà 。
没有修士被悬挂。
One day, dozens of powerful cultivators suddenly entered. They easily killed the guards but didn’t immediately snatch the fruits. Instead, they discussed something intensely in front of Ruo Mu.
dǐng duān de shù shāo shàng ， zhǐ shì jié chū shù méi jīng yíng tī tòu 、 zǐ jīn xiàng jiān de qí yì guǒ shí 。
顶端的树梢上，只是结出数枚晶莹剔透、紫金相间的奇异果实。
Finally, they agreed. The next scene made Li Fan’s eyes widen as he saw them set up a massive array that trapped Ruo Mu. Black chains, like needles, pierced the tree. Life energy was continuously extracted and gathered into a green ball in the air.
Li Fan had already downed his sixth cup of Spirit Tea, named "Warm Sun Spring Day," which cost 800 contributions.
The tea was said to be grown in a primordial environment with no rainfall for years. It was planted facing the sun and only sprouted once every three years, making its production rare. After drinking it, a warm current would flow through one's body, giving the sensation of basking in sunlight, with effects lasting several days.
However, despite its popularity, this tea failed to dispel the chill in Li Fan’s heart.
This was the third time he had directly faced true great cultivators since entering the Xuanhuang Realm. The first encounter involved his doppelganger being uncovered by Heavenly Medicine, who then invaded his private space within the Sky Xuan Mirror. The second was when he was meditating in Tianyu Province and a fisherman appeared due to the heavenly煞气in the Great Five Elements Annihilation Sword. This time, however, it was even more shocking and unexpected, as well as more perilous.
The old fisherman himself was deranged, showing no malice towards Li Fan but instead offering him an opportunity.
During his encounter with Heavenly Medicine, Li Fan had sought out the task for its contribution reward, disregarding the need to be cautious in front of a great cultivator. Despite this, he remained conscious and protected by True Real Technique, making it more or less safe. This time...
The Rotten Wood Daoist appeared so suddenly that there was no way to guard against him.
His methods were terrifying; Li Fan still felt a shiver down his spine when recalling them.
"Unlike Heavenly Medicine's ability to discern one’s thoughts, the Rotten Wood Daoist—or rather, 'Ruo Mu'—can directly distort and change a cultivator's thoughts and perceptions."
"But the cultivator themselves wouldn’t feel any abnormalities..."
"No wonder he said that those who had their Golden Core taken were 'voluntary.'"
Li Fan recalled his own reactions, feeling another chill.
He took another cup of "Warm Sun Spring Day" to calm himself.
"The plight of one’s kind is a natural law."
"But after seeing the scene called 'Fry Mortal Lives' with Ruo Mu, I didn’t feel any danger or sorrow. Instead, it seemed perfectly reasonable."
"I even wanted to take its place..."
Li Fan's eyes narrowed as he replayed scenes from before encountering "Ruo Mu" in his mind.
The influence of Ruo Mu had since dissipated.
Even though Li Fan viewed all life as tools, seeing cultivators hanging like fruit still triggered a sense of unease. This was the normal reaction.
"At Ruo Mu’s place, my beliefs were twisted and seemingly guided to become extremely extreme."
"Almost delusional."
Li Fan acknowledged that he might indeed harbor similar thoughts deep down.
But humans are complex beings who can be contradictory at times.
He couldn't take fleeting thoughts in his mind as his true worldview.
"This Ruo Mu is very suspicious."
"He seems to hate the cultivator community immensely."
Li Fan didn’t believe that Ruo Mu’s cultivation was merely about trading Golden Cores for contributions. Kidnapping cultivators and forcing them into "Fry Mortal Lives" was secondary. The primary goal seemed to be spreading the idea that cultivators could be treated like fruit.
This heresy would certainly not be tolerated by the cultivator community, so the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance should have been monitoring and reining in Ruo Mu’s activities. Thus, she couldn’t act openly.
"Revenge...?" Li Fan's eyes flickered.
Heaven created life; Ruo Mu cut its lifespan. Siphon life to grow fruit; consume it for eternal life.
During the time he was controlled by Ruo Mu, many images flashed through his mind.
There stood a towering tree that starkly contrasted with the current withered one. It was lush and vibrant, with no cultivators hanging from it. At its top, several translucent, purple-gold fruits were hanging. The surface of these fruits bore intricate patterns—trees, mountains, and strange beasts. Each fruit had unique designs without repetition.
Among the flashing scenes, Li Fan saw humans occasionally visiting. Initially, they seemed to have no cultivation, dressed as ordinary people. Only a few lucky ones managed to climb up and take the purple-gold fruits. But later, more humans appeared with increasing frequency, their strength growing stronger. Some could even climb the giant tree effortlessly. The number of fruits being taken increased accordingly.
Thus, Ruo Mu, which had previously been passive, began to change. It spawned many spirits as a defense mechanism to block those who wanted to take the fruit.
After this, there was relative peace on Ruo Mu for some time.
But it didn’t last long.
When humans returned, their strength had drastically changed. They arrived in groups, wearing peculiar attire and capable of flying and manipulating energy. The spirits spawned by Ruo Mu were easily defeated. They took control of Ruo Mu and sent people to regularly harvest the fruits.
"Xuan Heavenly Sect?"
The clothing style of these humans was distinctive, similar to what Li Fan had seen on the remains of Xuan Heavenly’s Dharmaraja in Zhao Senior Sister's illusion.
Xuan Heavenly had ruled this place for a long time. When the scene changed again, it showed the Ten Dao Sects’ cultivators.
"Longevity Fruit Position?"
Li Fan glanced at the withered piece of wood on the table and pondered.
After much thought, he recalled that during the Ten Dao Sects' occupation of Ruo Mu, the production of purple-gold fruits gradually decreased. Each time they came to take the fruit, it seemed to be from different sects.
Much later...
One day, dozens of powerful cultivators suddenly entered. They easily killed the guards but didn’t immediately snatch the fruits. Instead, they discussed something intensely in front of Ruo Mu.
Finally, they agreed. The next scene made Li Fan’s eyes widen as he saw them set up a massive array that trapped Ruo Mu. Black chains, like needles, pierced the tree. Life energy was continuously extracted and gathered into a green ball in the air.