“ hěn yǒu kě néng 。 yě hěn hé lǐ 。” lǐ fán chén yín xǔ jiǔ ， huǎn huǎn diǎn tóu 。
“很有可能。也很合理。”李凡沉吟许久，缓缓点头。
"Very likely, and quite reasonable," Li Fan mused for a long while before slowly nodding.
zhè ge jié lùn ， zhè yě jiě shì le lǐ fán cháng jiǔ yǐ lái de yí gè yí huò 。
这个结论，这也解释了李凡长久以来的一个疑惑。
This conclusion also explained one of Li Fan's longstanding puzzles.
xiān xū chū xiàn zhī shí ， wèi shén me méi yǒu zhí jiē bǎ xuán huáng jiè tūn shì ？
仙墟出现之时，为什么没有直接把玄黄界吞噬？
Why hadn't the Xuanhuang Realm been directly devoured when the Immortal Void appeared? Instead, why did the cultivators within have enough time to continuously capture surrounding realms and small worlds, resisting it?
fǎn ér qí zhōng de xiū shì yǒu zú gòu de shí jiān ， bù duàn bǔ huò zhōu wéi dòng tiān 、 xiǎo shì jiè ， yǔ qí duì kàng ？
反而其中的修士有足够的时间，不断捕获周围洞天、小世界，与其对抗？
Considering the terrifying suction power of the Immortal Void now, if only the initial Xuanhuang Realm had existed, it should have been impossible to resist.
cóng rú jīn xiān xū nà kǒng bù de xī lì lái kàn ， rú guǒ zhǐ shì zuì chū de xuán huáng jiè ， yīng gāi jué nán zǔ dǎng 。
从如今仙墟那恐怖的吸力来看，如果只是最初的玄黄界，应该绝难阻挡。
Moreover, capturing these small worlds was not a one-day task. Countless celestial realms were involved, likely the result of the Ten Sects of Immortals and the Great Xuan Empire's relentless efforts over thousands of years.
ér qiě bǔ zhuō xiǎo shì jiè yě jué fēi yī rì zhī gōng ， shù zhī bù jìn de de zhōu tiān shì jiè ， pà bú shì xuán tiān jiào yǐ jí xiān dào shí zōng shù qiān nián lái shǐ zhōng bù xiè de chéng guǒ 。
而且捕捉小世界也绝非一日之功，数之不尽的的周天世界，怕不是玄天教以及仙道十宗数千年来始终不懈的成果。
All this indicated that the Immortal Void's suction power had gradually increased over time.
zhè xiē wú yī bù shuō míng ， xiān xū de xī lì ， shì yǔ rì jù zēng 、 bù duàn zēng qiáng de 。
这些无一不说明，仙墟的吸力，是与日俱增、不断增强的。
As for why it kept getting stronger...
zhì yú wèi shén me xī lì yuè lái yuè qiáng ……
至于为什么吸力越来越强……
It was very likely due to the Xuanhuang Realm moving closer to the Immortal Void.
hěn yǒu kě néng ， shì yīn wèi xuán huáng jiè jù lí xiān xū yuè lái yuè jìn de yuán yīn 。
很有可能，是因为玄黄界距离仙墟越来越近的原因。
Instantly, a scene appeared in Li Fan’s mind: countless cultivator worlds floating like ships on an endless sea of void.
lǐ fán de nǎo hǎi zhōng ， shùn jiān chū xiàn zhè yàng yī fú huà miàn 。
李凡的脑海中，瞬间出现这样一幅画面。
One day, a black hole named "Immortal Void" suddenly appeared above this sea of voids. Its powerful suction continuously devoured everything around it, forming a vortex.
wú jìn de xū kōng zhī hǎi shàng ， rú tóng yī sōu sōu chuán zhī bān ， piāo fú zhe zhū duō xiū xiān shì jiè 。
无尽的虚空之海上，如同一艘艘船只般，漂浮着诸多修仙世界。
Affected by the Immortal Void, the cultivator realms in the sea of void were unknowingly pulled closer to it. At first, due to minimal changes, people in these realms remained unaware.
hū yǒu yī rì ， zài xū kōng zhī hǎi de shàng fāng ， chū xiàn le yí gè míng wèi 【 xiān xū 】 de hēi dòng 。
忽有一日，在虚空之海的上方，出现了一个名为【仙墟】的黑洞。
But as their descent toward the Immortal Void accelerated, they finally noticed something was wrong.
qiáng dà de xī lì ， bù duàn tūn shì zhe zhōu wéi de yī qiè ， xíng chéng le yī chù xuán wō 。
强大的吸力，不断吞噬着周围的一切，形成了一处漩涡。
Then, like drowning people desperately clutching onto anything for survival, the cultivators from the Xuanhuang Realm began using "ropes" to tether fixed points—cavernous worlds and small realms far in the void sea. They hoped this would delay their inevitable fall.
shòu dào xiān xū de yǐng xiǎng ， xū kōng zhī hǎi de xiū xiān jiè wú fǎ kòng zhì de ， bèi 【 xiān xū 】 bù duàn lā chě zhe jiē jìn 。
受到仙墟的影响，虚空之海的修仙界无法控制的，被【仙墟】不断拉扯着接近。
Indeed, some cultivators might have tried to escape alone by jumping ship, seeking new ones.
qǐ chū ， yóu yú biàn huà jí xiǎo de yuán yīn ， gè gè xiū xiān jiè zhōng de rén men hái wú suǒ chá jué 。
起初，由于变化极小的原因，各个修仙界中的人们还无所察觉。
But if everyone did that, the Xuanhuang Realm would surely sink faster.
zhí dào zhuì xiàng 【 xiān xū 】 de sù dù yuè lái kuài ， tā men cái fā xiàn le bú duì 。
直到坠向【仙墟】的速度越来快，他们才发现了不对。
Thus, its leaders—the Great Xuan Sect and the Ten Sects of Immortals—along with the current Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and Five Elders Association, all kept their true situation secret to prevent such a scenario.
yú shì wǎn rú nì shuǐ zhī rén huì pīn mìng zhuā zhù yī qiè néng zhuā zhù de qiú shēng běn néng bān ， xuán huáng jiè zhōng de xiū shì ， kāi shǐ yòng yī gēn gēn “ shéng suǒ ”， shuān zhù wèi yú xū kōng zhī hǎi yuǎn fāng de 、 nà xiē wèi zhì hái xiāng duì gù dìng de “ jiāo shí ”， jí zhū dòng tiān 、 xiǎo shì jiè ， shì tú yán huǎn zì shēn zhuì wáng de mìng yùn 。
于是宛如溺水之人会拼命抓住一切能抓住的求生本能般，玄黄界中的修士，开始用一根根“绳索”，拴住位于虚空之海远方的、那些位置还相对固定的“礁石”，即诸洞天、小世界，试图延缓自身坠亡的命运。
They thought they could slowly pull the Xuanhuang Realm out of the vortex using these ropes.
chéng rán ， zài zhè ge guò chéng zhōng ， bù fá huì yǒu xiē xiū shì ， xiǎng yào dú zì tiào chuán táo shēng ， qù xún zhǎo xīn de “ chuán bó ”。
诚然，在这个过程中，不乏会有些修士，想要独自跳船逃生，去寻找新的“船舶”。
But reality proved otherwise.
dàn ruò rén rén rú cǐ ， pà bú shì xuán huáng jiè zhǐ huì chén mò de gèng kuài 。
但若人人如此，怕不是玄黄界只会沉没的更快。
"The weight of cultivators might be related to these 'ropes.' Originally, worlds directly connected to cavernous realms. But after cultivators seized the heavens and earth, they became part of the connection."
yú shì xuán huáng jiè de zhǎng duò shǒu men ， xuán tiān jiào yě hǎo ， xiān dào shí zōng yě bà 。 shèn zhì xiàn zài de wàn xiān méng 、 wǔ lǎo huì ， wèi le bì miǎn zhè zhǒng qíng xíng fā shēng ， dōu duì xuán huáng jiè rú jīn de zhēn shí chù jìng ， quán dōu bù yuē ér tóng de xuǎn zé mì ér bù xuān 。
于是玄黄界的掌舵手们，玄天教也好，仙道十宗也罢。甚至现在的万仙盟、五老会，为了避免这种情形发生，都对玄黄界如今的真实处境，全都不约而同的选择秘而不宣。
"Should one suddenly die, it's like a few threads in a rope suddenly disappearing."
tā men yuán běn yǐ wéi ， kào zhe zhè yī gēn gēn shéng suǒ de lā chě ， néng huǎn huǎn jiāng xuán huáng jiè cóng xuán wō zhōng zhèng tuō chū qù 。
他们原本以为，靠着这一根根绳索的拉扯，能缓缓将玄黄界从漩涡中挣脱出去。
"While cultivators return to heaven after death, and their realms re-enter the world, restoring these ropes would still take some time."
dàn shì shí zhèng míng ， tā men cuò le 。
但事实证明，他们错了。
"With normal deaths, there’s no issue. But if the rate exceeds a certain threshold..."
“ xiū shì de ‘ zhòng liàng ’， kǒng pà jiù gēn zhè xiē ‘ shéng suǒ ’ yǒu guān 。 yuán běn shì shì jiè zhí jiē hé dòng tiān shì jiè xiāng lián jiē ， dàn xiū shì lüè tiān duó dì hòu ， zì shēn jiù chéng wéi le niǔ dài de yī bù fèn 。”
“修士的‘重量’，恐怕就跟这些‘绳索’有关。原本是世界直接和洞天世界相连接，但修士掠天夺地后，自身就成为了纽带的一部分。”
Li Fan recalled his previous life when Ji Hongdao used the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array in Tianshen State to instantly kill all cultivators and commit mutual suicide as a deterrent.
“ ruò shì zhòu rán sǐ wáng ， jiù xiāng dāng yú yī gēn shéng suǒ zhōng de jǐ gǔ xì xiàn ， tū rán xiāo shī le 。”
“若是骤然死亡，就相当于一根绳索中的几股细线，突然消失了。”
The loss of so many lives caused the entire Xuanhuang Realm to tremble slightly.
“ suī shuō xiū shì sǐ hòu hái dào yú tiān ， dòng tiān chóng fǎn tiān dì 。 dàn tiān dì zì dòng xiū fù shéng suǒ shàng qiě xū yào yī duàn shí jiān 。”
“虽说修士死后还道于天，洞天重返天地。但天地自动修复绳索尚且需要一段时间。”
"Those connected cavernous realms are crucial for the Xuanhuang Realm's survival. The 'ropes' aren't easily cut."
“ xiū shì yǔn luò de sù dù zhèng cháng de huà ， shàng qiě wú ài 。 yí dàn chāo chū mǒu gè yù zhí ……”
“修士陨落的速度正常的话，尚且无碍。一旦超出某个阈值……”
"If they were, some cultivators would have escaped through the Immortal Desolation Passageway and severed their connection with the Xuanhuang Realm."
lǐ fán huí xiǎng qǐ shàng yī shì ， jì hóng dào zài tiān líng zhōu zhí miàn zhào shī jiě shí ， yòng 【 tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn 】 zài shùn jiān jī shā yī zhōu xiū shì ， yǐ tóng guī yú jìn zuò wéi wēi shè 。
李凡回想起上一世，纪宏道在天灵州直面赵师姐时，用【天玄锁灵阵】在瞬间击杀一州修士，以同归于尽作为威慑。
"It’s not that they didn’t want to; it was just impossible."
zài nán shī qù le zhòng duō xiū shì xìng mìng de chà nà ， shèn zhì zhěng gè xuán huáng jiè dōu wēi wēi zhèn chàn le qǐ lái 。
在难失去了众多修士性命的刹那，甚至整个玄黄界都微微震颤了起来。
"The Empire's small worlds using ten thousand rift whales to carve paths in the void are more like extending these 'ropes.'"
“ nà xiē fù shǔ dòng tiān xiǎo shì jiè ， shì guān xuán huáng jiè shēng sǐ cún wáng 。 suǒ wèi de ‘ shéng suǒ ’， pà bú shì nà me róng yì qiē duàn de 。”
“那些附属洞天小世界，事关玄黄界生死存亡。所谓的‘绳索’，怕不是那么容易切断的。”
"Once the length is sufficient, when the Xuanhuang Realm falls into the Immortal Void and disintegrates, if the other end of the rope suddenly disappears, they might actually escape."
“ fǒu zé dìng rán huì yǒu xiū shì ， shùn zhe xiān jué tōng dào táo wǎng xiǎo shì jiè zhōng ， suí hòu jiāng qí gēn xuán huáng jiè de lián xì zhǎn duàn 。”
“否则定然会有修士，顺着仙绝通道逃往小世界中，随后将其跟玄黄界的联系斩断。”
"The problem is that this process takes too long. The Xuanhuang Realm may not last that long."
“ bú shì bù xiǎng ， ér shì wú fǎ zuò dào 。”
“不是不想，而是无法做到。”
Li Fan then wondered why the Xuanhuang Realm didn't attach ropes to equally sized cultivator worlds far away.
“ ér dì guó xiǎo shì jiè tōng guò shí wàn liè jiè jīng ， zài xū kōng zhōng kāi pì dào lù de xíng wéi ， yǔ qí shuō shì gē duàn shéng suǒ ， gèng xiàng shì jiāng shéng suǒ jìn xíng yán cháng 。”
“而帝国小世界通过十万裂界鲸，在虚空中开辟道路的行为，与其说是割断绳索，更像是将绳索进行延长。”
"Logically, a complete world should be more effective than a small realm."
“ dāng yán zhǎn de cháng dù 、 jí tā men gēn xuán huáng jiè jiān de jù lí zú gòu zhī hòu ， děng dào xuán huáng jiè zhuì luò zài xiān xū zhī zhōng ， huà zuò jī fěn 。 shéng suǒ nà tóu qiān zhe de dōng xī zhòu rán xiāo shī ， shuō bù dìng tā men hái zhēn néng táo chū shēng tiān 。”
“当延展的长度、即它们跟玄黄界间的距离足够之后，等到玄黄界坠落在仙墟之中，化作齑粉。绳索那头牵着的东西骤然消失，说不定他们还真能逃出生天。”
"Perhaps they tried before but failed."
“ kě xī zhè ge guò chéng xū yào de shí jiān tài jiǔ le ， xuán huáng jiè wèi bì hái néng jiān chí nà me jiǔ 。”
“可惜这个过程需要的时间太久了，玄黄界未必还能坚持那么久。”
"Or..."
lǐ fán yòu hū rán xiǎng dào ， jì rán xuán huáng jiè néng gòu tōng guò shéng suǒ bǔ huò dòng tiān 、 xiǎo shì jiè ， wèi shén me què méi yǒu jiāng shéng zi xì zài yuǎn fāng gēn xuán huáng jiè tóng guī mó de qí tā xiū xiān shì jiè shàng ？
李凡又忽然想到，既然玄黄界能够通过绳索捕获洞天、小世界，为什么却没有将绳子系在远方跟玄黄界同规模的其他修仙世界上？
"They might have been unable to locate their positions."
】
】
Suddenly, Li Fan's mind flickered. Other realms on the sea of void certainly didn't want to be dragged down by those already within the Immortal Void’s influence.
àn lǐ lái shuō ， wán zhěng de shì jiè bǐ qǐ dòng tiān ， zuò yòng kěn dìng hǎo le bù zhǐ yī chóu 。
按理来说，完整的世界比起洞天，作用肯定好了不止一筹。
With an understanding of the current situation, to prevent being used as a lifeline, they might actively hide their own worlds.
“ huò xǔ céng jīng cháng shì guò ， dàn shī bài le 。”
“或许曾经尝试过，但失败了。”
While small realms and cavernous realms couldn’t do this, highly advanced cultivator realms could.
“ yòu huò xǔ ……”
“又或许……”
Or rather, any that failed would likely have been affected by the Immortal Void and fallen into it long ago.
“ gēn běn wú fǎ suǒ dìng duì fāng de wèi zhì 。”
“根本无法锁定对方的位置。”
Considering the impact of the Immortal Void on the sea of voids, all realms had shifted positions relatively.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng hū de yī dòng 。
李凡心中忽的一动。
The "way markers" used to determine locations were now useless.
tóng wèi xū kōng zhī hǎi shàng de chuán bó ， bié de xiū xiān jiè kěn dìng bù xiǎng bèi zhè xiē yǐ jīng xiàn rù xiān xū yǐng xiǎng fàn wéi nèi de lā xià shuǐ 。
同为虚空之海上的船舶，别的修仙界肯定不想被这些已经陷入仙墟影响范围内的拉下水。
Finding hidden realms would be incredibly difficult.
dāng qīng chǔ rú jīn xū kōng zhī hǎi shàng de xíng shì zhī hòu ， wèi le fáng zhǐ zì shēn bèi dàng zuò jiù mìng dào cǎo 。
当清楚如今虚空之海上的形势之后，为了防止自身被当做救命稻草。
This might explain why the Xuanhuang Realm suddenly lost contact with other cultivator realms.
tā men jí yǒu kě néng ， huì zuò chū jiāng zì shēn shì jiè jìn xíng zhǔ dòng yǐn cáng de xíng wéi 。
他们极有可能，会做出将自身世界进行主动隐藏的行为。
"The once bright sea of void instantly turned dark. Each world not only had to fear the Immortal Void's suction but also hide themselves, preventing detection by other realms."
dòng tiān 、 xiǎo shì jiè huò xǔ wú fǎ zuò dào 。
洞天、小世界或许无法做到。
"Such a scene is truly despair-inducing," Li Fan thought, though he showed no real fear on his face. A slight, eerie smile appeared.
dàn gāo dù fā dá de xiū xiān jiè ， yīng gāi kě yǐ 。
但高度发达的修仙界，应该可以。
With [Zhenhuan] existing, finding a path to survival among countless possibilities was not difficult.
huò zhě shuō ， fán shì zuò bú dào zhè diǎn de ， kǒng pà zǎo yǐ jīng bèi zhū duō zhèng zài zhuì wáng de shì jiè gěi bō jí 、 tóng yàng zhuì xiàng xiān xū le 。
或者说，凡是做不到这点的，恐怕早已经被诸多正在坠亡的世界给波及、同样坠向仙墟了。
Moreover, if the remains of True Immortals could still maintain their bodies in the Immortal Void, it meant falling into the void wasn’t necessarily a dead end.
zài jiā shàng yóu yú xiān xū de cún zài ， zhěng gè xū kōng zhī hǎi huò duō huò shǎo shòu dào le tā de yǐng xiǎng 。 suǒ yǒu de xiū xiān jiè de wèi zhì fā shēng le xiāng duì piān yí 。
再加上由于仙墟的存在，整个虚空之海或多或少受到了它的影响。所有的修仙界的位置发生了相对偏移。
Failure to survive merely indicated insufficient strength.
yuán běn què dìng fāng wèi de 【 dào biāo 】， tōng tōng bù guǎn yòng le 。
原本确定方位的【道标】，通通不管用了。
After a long silence, Li Fan looked up and saw through the transparent walls of the Medicine King Cauldron to the sky above.
xiǎng yào zài zhǎo dào yǐn cáng qǐ lái de qí tā xiū xiān shì jiè ， pà bú shì qiān nán wàn nán 。
想要再找到隐藏起来的其他修仙世界，怕不是千难万难。
"Whether my guess is correct can be easily verified."
zhè huò xǔ néng jiě shì ， wèi shén me dāng chū xuán huáng jiè ， tū rán gēn qí tā xiū xiān jiè quán dōu duàn le lián xì 。
这或许能解释，为什么当初玄黄界，突然跟其他修仙界全都断了联系。
"Just need to fly out of the Xuanhuang Realm again and face the Immortal Void directly."
“ yuán běn càn làn de xū kōng zhī hǎi ， zài shùn jiān biàn dé hēi àn xià lái 。 měi yí gè shì jiè ， chú le yào dān xīn xiān xū de tūn shì zhī wài ， hái yào yǐn cáng zì shēn 。 fáng zhǐ bèi qí tā xiū xiān jiè chá jué 。”
“原本灿烂的虚空之海，在瞬间变得黑暗下来。每一个世界，除了要担心仙墟的吞噬之外，还要隐藏自身。防止被其他修仙界察觉。”
"Thousands of years ago, Liu Ruchen used the Medicine King Cauldron to fly in the void for some time before being pulled by the Immortal Void."
“ zhēn shì gè xiǎng xiǎng dōu lìng rén gǎn dào jué wàng de chǎng jǐng a 。”
“真是个想想都令人感到绝望的场景啊。”
"Now that so much time has passed, once we leave the Xuanhuang Realm's protection, we'll immediately fall into the Immortal Void with no time to react."
lǐ fán suī rán zhè me xiǎng zhe ， dàn xiǎn rán xīn zhōng bìng méi yǒu shén me duō shǎo kǒng jù 。
李凡虽然这么想着，但显然心中并没有什么多少恐惧。
"Even as we get closer, one day, we might clearly see the remnants of the True Immortal and their silent presence in the sky."
shèn zhì tā de liǎn shàng ， hái wēi bù kě chá de lù chū le yī sī guǐ yì de xiào róng 。
甚至他的脸上，还微不可查的露出了一丝诡异的笑容。
Li Fan extended his left hand and summoned the core controlling the Medicine King Cauldron.
yǒu zhe 【 hái zhēn 】 cún zài ， tā yú bǎi qiān wàn cì de kě néng xìng zhōng ， xiǎng yào xún zhǎo dào yī tiáo shēng lù ， jué bú shì shén me nán shì 。
有着【还真】存在，他于百千万次的可能性中，想要寻找到一条生路，绝不是什么难事。
"In this life before Zhenhuan, I should be able to make use of it."
gèng hé kuàng ， jì rán zhēn xiān yí hái hái néng gòu zài xiān xū zhōng bǎo chí zhe wán zhěng de shēn qū 。
更何况，既然真仙遗骸还能够在仙墟中保持着完整的身躯。
"Let’s find out."
nà me shuō míng ， zhuì luò jìn xiān xū ， wèi bì zhǐ yǒu sǐ lù yī tiáo 。
那么说明，坠落进仙墟，未必只有死路一条。
His thoughts swirling for a long time, Li Fan finally put away the rhombus crystal.
bù néng shēng cún ， wú fēi zhǐ shì shí lì hái bù gòu qiáng dà ér yǐ 。
不能生存，无非只是实力还不够强大而已。
"Now that I have full control over the Medicine King True Cauldron, the Medicine King Sect's sleeping cultivators' fates are in my hands."
……
……
"So far, six Transcendents and twenty-three Immortals of Transformation still exist. Some lower realm cultivators as well."
chén mò xǔ jiǔ ， lǐ fán tái tóu ， shì xiàn chuān guò tòu míng de yào wáng dǐng bì ， zhí dá cāng qióng 。
沉默许久，李凡抬头，视线穿过透明的药王鼎壁，直达苍穹。
"The biggest收获除了这些修士外，还知道了那处隐藏的秘境。”
“ wǒ cāi xiǎng de jiū jìng duì bú duì ， qí shí hěn hǎo yàn zhèng 。”
“我猜想的究竟对不对，其实很好验证。”
“长生谷。”
“ zhǐ xū zài dù fēi chū xuán huáng jiè ， qīn zì miàn duì 【 xiān xū 】 jí kě 。”
“只需再度飞出玄黄界，亲自面对【仙墟】即可。”
“不知道数千年过去后，它还在不在。”
"Very likely, and quite reasonable," Li Fan mused for a long while before slowly nodding.
This conclusion also explained one of Li Fan's longstanding puzzles.
Why hadn't the Xuanhuang Realm been directly devoured when the Immortal Void appeared? Instead, why did the cultivators within have enough time to continuously capture surrounding realms and small worlds, resisting it?
Considering the terrifying suction power of the Immortal Void now, if only the initial Xuanhuang Realm had existed, it should have been impossible to resist.
Moreover, capturing these small worlds was not a one-day task. Countless celestial realms were involved, likely the result of the Ten Sects of Immortals and the Great Xuan Empire's relentless efforts over thousands of years.
All this indicated that the Immortal Void's suction power had gradually increased over time.
As for why it kept getting stronger...
It was very likely due to the Xuanhuang Realm moving closer to the Immortal Void.
Instantly, a scene appeared in Li Fan’s mind: countless cultivator worlds floating like ships on an endless sea of void.
One day, a black hole named "Immortal Void" suddenly appeared above this sea of voids. Its powerful suction continuously devoured everything around it, forming a vortex.
Affected by the Immortal Void, the cultivator realms in the sea of void were unknowingly pulled closer to it. At first, due to minimal changes, people in these realms remained unaware.
But as their descent toward the Immortal Void accelerated, they finally noticed something was wrong.
Then, like drowning people desperately clutching onto anything for survival, the cultivators from the Xuanhuang Realm began using "ropes" to tether fixed points—cavernous worlds and small realms far in the void sea. They hoped this would delay their inevitable fall.
Indeed, some cultivators might have tried to escape alone by jumping ship, seeking new ones.
But if everyone did that, the Xuanhuang Realm would surely sink faster.
Thus, its leaders—the Great Xuan Sect and the Ten Sects of Immortals—along with the current Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and Five Elders Association, all kept their true situation secret to prevent such a scenario.
They thought they could slowly pull the Xuanhuang Realm out of the vortex using these ropes.
But reality proved otherwise.
"The weight of cultivators might be related to these 'ropes.' Originally, worlds directly connected to cavernous realms. But after cultivators seized the heavens and earth, they became part of the connection."
"Should one suddenly die, it's like a few threads in a rope suddenly disappearing."
"While cultivators return to heaven after death, and their realms re-enter the world, restoring these ropes would still take some time."
"With normal deaths, there’s no issue. But if the rate exceeds a certain threshold..."
Li Fan recalled his previous life when Ji Hongdao used the Heavenly Xuan Locking Spirit Array in Tianshen State to instantly kill all cultivators and commit mutual suicide as a deterrent.
The loss of so many lives caused the entire Xuanhuang Realm to tremble slightly.
"Those connected cavernous realms are crucial for the Xuanhuang Realm's survival. The 'ropes' aren't easily cut."
"If they were, some cultivators would have escaped through the Immortal Desolation Passageway and severed their connection with the Xuanhuang Realm."
"It’s not that they didn’t want to; it was just impossible."
"The Empire's small worlds using ten thousand rift whales to carve paths in the void are more like extending these 'ropes.'"
"Once the length is sufficient, when the Xuanhuang Realm falls into the Immortal Void and disintegrates, if the other end of the rope suddenly disappears, they might actually escape."
"The problem is that this process takes too long. The Xuanhuang Realm may not last that long."
Li Fan then wondered why the Xuanhuang Realm didn't attach ropes to equally sized cultivator worlds far away.
"Logically, a complete world should be more effective than a small realm."
"Perhaps they tried before but failed."
"Or..."
"They might have been unable to locate their positions."
Suddenly, Li Fan's mind flickered. Other realms on the sea of void certainly didn't want to be dragged down by those already within the Immortal Void’s influence.
With an understanding of the current situation, to prevent being used as a lifeline, they might actively hide their own worlds.
While small realms and cavernous realms couldn’t do this, highly advanced cultivator realms could.
Or rather, any that failed would likely have been affected by the Immortal Void and fallen into it long ago.
Considering the impact of the Immortal Void on the sea of voids, all realms had shifted positions relatively.
The "way markers" used to determine locations were now useless.
Finding hidden realms would be incredibly difficult.
This might explain why the Xuanhuang Realm suddenly lost contact with other cultivator realms.
"The once bright sea of void instantly turned dark. Each world not only had to fear the Immortal Void's suction but also hide themselves, preventing detection by other realms."
"Such a scene is truly despair-inducing," Li Fan thought, though he showed no real fear on his face. A slight, eerie smile appeared.
With [Zhenhuan] existing, finding a path to survival among countless possibilities was not difficult.
Moreover, if the remains of True Immortals could still maintain their bodies in the Immortal Void, it meant falling into the void wasn’t necessarily a dead end.
Failure to survive merely indicated insufficient strength.
After a long silence, Li Fan looked up and saw through the transparent walls of the Medicine King Cauldron to the sky above.
"Whether my guess is correct can be easily verified."
"Just need to fly out of the Xuanhuang Realm again and face the Immortal Void directly."
"Thousands of years ago, Liu Ruchen used the Medicine King Cauldron to fly in the void for some time before being pulled by the Immortal Void."
"Now that so much time has passed, once we leave the Xuanhuang Realm's protection, we'll immediately fall into the Immortal Void with no time to react."
"Even as we get closer, one day, we might clearly see the remnants of the True Immortal and their silent presence in the sky."
Li Fan extended his left hand and summoned the core controlling the Medicine King Cauldron.
"In this life before Zhenhuan, I should be able to make use of it."
"Let’s find out."
His thoughts swirling for a long time, Li Fan finally put away the rhombus crystal.
"Now that I have full control over the Medicine King True Cauldron, the Medicine King Sect's sleeping cultivators' fates are in my hands."
"So far, six Transcendents and twenty-three Immortals of Transformation still exist. Some lower realm cultivators as well."
"The biggest收获除了这些修士外，还知道了那处隐藏的秘境。”
“长生谷。”
“不知道数千年过去后，它还在不在。”