jiù zài zhè shí ， yì zhí fǎng fú yǐ jīng fàng qì zhēng zhá 、 mò mò děng sǐ de chì yán ， hū de áng qǐ le tóu lú 。
就在这时，一直仿佛已经放弃挣扎、默默等死的赤炎，忽的昂起了头颅。
At that moment, the once seemingly resigned and silently awaiting his fate Chi Yan suddenly lifted his head.
mó hú tiào dòng de liǎn shàng ， shì shì fàn qǐ yī sī cháo fěng de xiào róng 。
模湖跳动的脸上，似是泛起一丝嘲讽的笑容。
His face, which had been moving vaguely, seemed to have a hint of mocking laughter.
ér hòu ， tā de shēn qū zài shùn jiān ， yóu hēi hóng xiāng jiàn 、 biàn dé qī hēi yī piàn ！
而后，他的身躯在瞬间，由黑红相间、变得漆黑一片！
Then, in an instant, his body turned entirely pitch black from its previous mix of red and black!
jiù xiàng mò zhī dī rù chí shuǐ ， zhōu wéi de kōng jiān ， yě zài qǐng kè jiān bèi rǎn chéng yī tuán qī hēi ！
就像墨汁滴入池水，周围的空间，也在顷刻间被染成一团漆黑！
It was like ink droplets falling into water; the surrounding space instantly became a dark mass!
lǐ fán xīn shén jù zhèn 。
李凡心神剧震。
Li Fan's heart trembled violently.
shèn zhì yuán běn wàng zhe chì yán ， xīn zhōng yǒu tān liàn de xìng cún xiū shì men ， cǐ shí xīn zhōng ， quán bèi bèi kǒng jù suǒ lǒng zhào 。
甚至原本望着赤炎，心中有贪恋的幸存修士们，此时心中，全被被恐惧所笼罩。
Even the surviving cultivators who had been looking at Chi Yan with lingering greed were now completely overwhelmed by fear.
yīn wèi tā men xīn zhōng suǒ gǎn yìng dào de tiān dì zhī pò chì yán ， jìng rán zài qiǎo rán jiān ， biàn wèi le tiān dì zhī pò ：【 mò shā 】！
因为他们心中所感应到的天地之魄赤炎，竟然在悄然间，变为了天地之魄：【墨杀】！
Because the Heavenly Soul Chi Yan they could sense had quietly transformed into the Heavenly Soul: [Ink Slayer]!
「 zhè shì zěn me huí shì ？！」
「这是怎么回事？！」
"What is going on?!"
bù jǐn jǐn shì tā men xīn zhōng jīng huáng shī cuò ， jiù lián lǐ fán yě shì cuò è bù yǐ 。
不仅仅是他们心中惊惶失措，就连李凡也是错愕不已。
Not only was this shocking to them, but Li Fan himself was equally stunned.
「 tiān dì zhī pò ， kě yǐ hù xiāng zhuǎn huàn ？ bìng bù yòng chì yán shēn sǐ ， mò shā zài shùn jiān jiù néng qǔ ér dài zhī 、 jiàng lín shì jiān ？」
「天地之魄，可以互相转换？并不用赤炎身死，墨杀在瞬间就能取而代之、降临世间？」
"Can Heavenly Souls transform between each other? Can Ink Slayer take over without waiting for Chi Yan's death?"
lǐ fán xīn tiào jiā sù ， sī niàn jí zhuǎn 。 jīn tiān suǒ jiàn de chǎng jǐng ， fǎng fú wèi tā dǎ kāi le yī shàn xīn de dà mén 。
李凡心跳加速，思念急转。今天所见的场景，仿佛为他打开了一扇新的大门。
Li Fan's heart raced as he pondered. The scene before him seemed to have opened a new door for him.
zhè dǒu rán yì biàn zhī xià ， shǒu dāng qí chōng de ， jiù shì shě shēn pīn sǐ yī jī de hóng xī le 。
这陡然异变之下，首当其冲的，就是舍身拼死一击的鸿曦了。
The sudden change hit Hongsun the hardest—originally resolute and determined, now filled with fear and despair.
tā yóu yuán lái de jiān yì jué jué 、 biàn dé jīng kǒng jué wàng 。
他由原来的坚毅决绝、变得惊恐绝望。
But there was no turning back once an arrow is shot. He had already collided into Ink Slayer's dark domain without hesitation.
dàn shì kāi gōng méi yǒu huí tóu jiàn ， tā cǐ shí yǐ jīng wú fǎ yì zhì de ， zhuàng jī dào le mò shā zhōu zāo qī hēi yī piàn de lǐng yù zhī zhōng 。
但是开弓没有回头箭，他此时已经无法抑制的，撞击到了墨杀周遭漆黑一片的领域之中。
There was no thunderous clash or brilliant light effects; just like ice melting in water, his entire body vanished silently.
méi yǒu jīng tiān dòng dì de pèng zhuàng shēng ， méi yǒu xuàn lì duō cǎi de guāng xiào 。
没有惊天动地的碰撞声，没有绚丽多彩的光效。
Ink Slayer tilted his head slightly, a strange smile playing on his lips.
zhǐ shì bīng xuě rù shuǐ ， zhěng gè shēn qū fǎng fú shùn jiān róng jiě bān ， qiāo wú shēng xī de xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
只是冰雪入水，整个身躯仿佛瞬间溶解般，悄无声息的消失不见。
Above him, an anomaly appeared in the sky.
mò shā tóu lú wēi wāi ， zuǐ jiǎo sì hū fú xiàn chū guǐ yì xiào róng 。
墨杀头颅微歪，嘴角似乎浮现出诡异笑容。
"Divine Soul Hongsun, a Commoner Cultivator for 763 years. He achieved his Dao Foundation through the Five Mountains and mastered five techniques: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth to form his Golden Core."
tóu dǐng tiān kōng ， yì xiàng dǒu shēng 。
头顶天空，异象陡生。
"He consumed the Hundred Ridge Heavenly Realm to achieve his Primordial Core and extracted from the Great Huashan Thousand Peaks to refine his spirit."
「 huà shén xiū shì hóng xī ， fán xiū dào qī bǎi liù shí sān zài ， yǐ 【 wǔ xíng shān 】 chéng jiù dào jī ， yǐ jīn 、 mù 、 shuǐ 、 huǒ 、 tǔ wǔ fǎ chéng jiù jīn dān 。」
「化神修士鸿曦，凡修道七百六十三载，以【五行山】成就道基，以金、木、水、火、土五法成就金丹。」
"Fortunately, he met his end with Heaven's Punishment!"
「 tūn 【 bǎi lǐng dòng tiān 】 yǐ chéng yuán yīng ， chōu 【 tài huá jiāng shēng qiān shān 】 yǐ huà qí shén 。」
「吞【百岭洞天】以成元婴，抽【太华将生千山】以化其神。」
The continuous collapse of the mountain range in the sky symbolized the fall of Hongsun, the Divine Sovereign of the Cloud Sea Region.
「 xìng de tiān zhū ， dào xiāo hái tiān ！」
「幸得天诛，道消还天！」
"Considering the current situation,
tiān mù zhī shàng ， lián mián shān mài de bēng jiě ， xiàng zhēng zhe cóng yún hǎi dì qū de kuí shǒu 、 huà shén xiū shì hóng xī xiān jūn ， jiù zhè me yǔn luò le 。
天幕之上，连绵山脉的崩解，象征着从云海地区的魁首、化神修士鸿曦仙君，就这么陨落了。
Tianyang sensed danger as soon as Ink Slayer appeared.
【 jiàn yú dà huán jìng rú cǐ ，
【鉴于大环境如此，
Though he vowed never to be weaker than others, this didn't mean he would die for nothing.
zài mò shā xiàn shēn de chà nà ， tiān yáng jiù yǐ jīng gǎn jué dào le wēi jī 。
在墨杀现身的刹那，天阳就已经感觉到了危机。
The Earth Fire Return Array no longer held back; it exploded in a destructive burst, sacrificing itself.
suī rán tā fā shì yī shēng yào bù ruò yú rén ， dàn zhè bìng bù yì wèi zhe tiān yáng huì bái bái sòng sǐ 。
虽然他发誓一生要不弱于人，但这并不意味着天阳会白白送死。
As the molten lava raged, Tianyang attempted to sever his palm to escape.
dì huǒ guī yuán zhèn bù zài liú yǒu yú dì ， yǐ zhèn fǎ sǔn huài wèi dài jià ， chè dǐ bào liè kāi lái 。
地火归元阵不再留有余地，以阵法损坏为代价，彻底爆裂开来。
His giant hand still trapped Ink Slayer as he quietly slipped away.
dì huǒ róng yán sì nüè jiān ， tiān yáng shì tú duàn zhǎng táo shēng 。
地火熔岩肆虐间，天阳试图断掌逃生。
But his movements were too slow compared to Ink Slayer's.
jù zhǎng réng rán kùn zhù mò shā de tóng shí ， zì jǐ què shì yǐ jīng qiǎo rán dùn zǒu 。
巨掌仍然困住墨杀的同时，自己却是已经悄然遁走。
Before the red-hot lava could reach him, it was already tainted and turned into dark particles.
dàn tā de dòng zuò suī kuài ， què kuài bù guò mò shā 。
但他的动作虽快，却快不过墨杀。
Like a drop of ink falling into space, quickly spreading everywhere.
chì hóng de róng yán ， hái wèi kào jìn mò shā ， jiù bèi zhān rǎn 、 gǎi biàn chéng qī hēi de xì xiǎo wēi lì 。
赤红的熔岩，还未靠近墨杀，就被沾染、改变成漆黑的细小微粒。
Tianyang hadn't even managed to flee far before being caught by the expanding black area.
jiù xiàng tiān dì jiān dī xià le yī dī mò zhī ， xùn sù xuàn rǎn kāi lái 。
就像天地间滴下了一滴墨汁，迅速渲染开来。
Unlike Hongsun's silent dissolution,
tiān yáng hái méi lái de jí dùn zǒu duō yuǎn ， jiù bèi bù duàn kuò zhāng de yuán xíng mò hēi qū yù gǎn shàng 。
天阳还没来的及遁走多远，就被不断扩张的圆形墨黑区域赶上。
Frequent flashes of fire and creaking sounds came from the darkness.
gēn hóng xī qiāo wú shēng xī de róng jiě bù tóng 。
跟鸿曦悄无声息的溶解不同。
Even as large areas continued to expand, Tianyang could still be seen struggling at the center.
bù duàn yǒu huǒ guāng 、 gē zhī de shēng xiǎng zì yī piàn qī hēi zhōng chuán lái 。
不断有火光、咯吱的声响自一片漆黑中传来。
But this only seemed to increase his suffering.
nǎ pà dà piàn de qī hēi qū yù yǐ jīng zài cháo zhōu wéi kuò zhāng ， réng rán kě yǐ cóng zhōng xīn chù kàn dào tiān yáng bù duàn zhēng zhá de jì xiàng 。
哪怕大片的漆黑区域已经再朝周围扩张，仍然可以从中心处看到天阳不断挣扎的迹象。
Soon, all movement ceased in the darkness.
dàn zhè shì shì zhǐ shì ràng tā gèng shòu duō diǎn de tòng kǔ bà le 。
但这似是只是让他更受多点的痛苦罢了。
Li Fan's eyelids fluttered violently.
bù jiǔ zhī hòu ， yī qiè yì dòng chè dǐ xiāo shī ， qī hēi zhōng guī yú píng jìng 。
不久之后，一切异动彻底消失，漆黑中归于平静。
He had used materials that supposedly couldn't be destroyed for strengthening Tianyang.
lǐ fán dùn shí yǎn pí zhí tiào 。
李凡顿时眼皮直跳。
Initially thinking he might survive two more strikes from Ink Slayer...
yào zhī dào tā yòng lái qiáng huà tiān yáng de cái liào ， kě shì bāo hán jù shuō wàn jié bù miè de 「 yǒng jié jīng jīn 」 zài nèi de 。
要知道他用来强化天阳的材料，可是包含据说万劫不灭的「永劫精金」在内的。
"Too much of a gap. Ink Slayer..."
yuán běn hái xiǎng zhe néng gòu ràng tiān yáng miǎn qiǎng zài mò shā shǒu xià guò liǎng zhāo ， jié guǒ ……
原本还想着能够让天阳勉强在墨杀手下过两招，结果……
"Is truly terrifying." Even after seeing the battle between Tianyi and others, Li Fan still felt a chill in his heart upon witnessing Ink Slayer's actions.
「 chā jù shí zài tài dà le 。 mò shā ……」
「差距实在太大了。墨杀……」
"And this Ink Slayer seems even more 'lifelike' than before?"
「 zhe shí kě bù kě wèi 。」 jí biàn jiàn guò tiān yī 、 fū zǐ děng rén duì zhàn ， cǐ kè zài dù mù dǔ mò shā chū shǒu ， lǐ fán réng rán gǎn dào xīn zhōng yǒu sī sī hán yì 。
「着实可怖可畏。」即便见过天医、夫子等人对战，此刻再度目睹墨杀出手，李凡仍然感到心中有丝丝寒意。
Uncertain if it was just his imagination, Li Fan stared at the expanding black spot. He suddenly had an inexplicable realization.
「 ér qiě ， zhè yī shì de mò shā ， sì hū bǐ qǐ zhī qián 。 gèng jiā 「 shēng dòng 」 le ？」
「而且，这一世的墨杀，似乎比起之前。更加「生动」了？」
The other cultivators within Cunyun City weren't as affected by the chill as Li Fan.
bù zhī dào shì bú shì lǐ fán de
不知道是不是李凡的
With the sudden change, two of the Divine Soul cultivators who seemed to have victory in sight had already fallen.
cuò jué ， tā dīng zhe tiān dì jiān nà tuán bù duàn kuò dà de hēi sè bān diǎn ， hū rán yǒu le zhè mò míng de lǐng wù 。
错觉，他盯着天地间那团不断扩大的黑色斑点，忽然有了这莫名的领悟。
This left everyone in despair.
ér cóng yún chéng nèi de qí yú xiū shì ， kě bú shì xiàng lǐ fán zhè yàng ， jǐn jǐn shì yǒu diǎn hán yì le 。
而丛云城内的其余修士，可不是像李凡这样，仅仅是有点寒意了。
Inside Cunyun City, many cultivators who were meditating through the Heavenly Mirror were suddenly thrown out.
jú miàn dǒu biàn ， qǐng kè zhī jiān ， yuán běn sì hū shèng quàn zài wò de liǎng wèi huà shén xiū shì ， jiù yǐ jīng quán dōu yǔn luò 。
局面陡变，顷刻之间，原本似乎胜券在握的两位化神修士，就已经全都陨落。
Confused and disoriented, they thought the Heavenly Mirror had withdrawn its power.
zhè ràng shèng xià de rén men ， quán dōu xiàn rù le jué wàng zhī zhōng 。
这让剩下的人们，全都陷入了绝望之中。
"Looks like we're abandoning Cunyun Sea."
ér zài cóng yún chéng zhōng ， gèng yǒu xǔ duō zài tiān xuán jìng zhōng bì guān de xiū shì men ， bèi hū de pāo le chū lái 。
而在丛云城中，更有许多在天玄镜中闭关的修士们，被忽的抛了出来。
"The inevitable is coming."
yī liǎn kùn huò ， méi yǒu gǎo qīng chǔ zhuàng kuàng 。
一脸困惑，没有搞清楚状况。
Li Fan looked at the surrounding cultivators crying and making a spectacle of themselves. He thought to himself.
「 tiān xuán jìng yě shōu huí le fù néng ， kàn lái shì pāo qì cóng yún hǎi le 。」
「天玄镜也收回了赋能，看来是抛弃丛云海了。」
After Tianyang's fall, the spread of Ink Slayer slowed down.
「 gāi lái de ， zǒng huì lái de 。」
「该来的，总会来的。」
Reverting to human form, Ink Slayer scanned the crowd in Cunyun City.
lǐ fán kàn zhe zhōu wéi kū diē hǎn niáng 、 chǒu tài bì lù de xiū shì men ， rú cǐ xiǎng dào 。
李凡看着周围哭爹喊娘、丑态毕露的修士们，如此想到。
All those who were under his gaze stiffened, unable to move, their hearts filled with extreme fear.
tiān yáng yǔn luò hòu ， mò jì kuò sàn de sù dù què zhú jiàn shū huǎn le xià lái 。
天阳陨落后，墨迹扩散的速度却逐渐舒缓了下来。
Then, perhaps out of a playful mindset,
chóng xiàn biàn huàn chéng rén xíng ， mò shā mù guāng sǎo guò cóng yún chéng zhōng zhòng rén 。
重现变幻成人形，墨杀目光扫过丛云城中众人。
Ink Slayer didn't immediately attack these cultivators but vanished amidst flickers.
suǒ yǒu bèi qí zhù shì de xiū shì ， quán dōu shēn qū jiāng zhí 、 wú fǎ dòng tán ， xīn zhōng gèng shì xiàn rù le jí dù kǒng jù zhī zhōng 。
所有被其注视的修士，全都身躯僵直、无法动弹，心中更是陷入了极度恐惧之中。
The cultivators' disbelief suggested that Ink Slayer had spared them.
rán hòu ， huò xǔ shì bào zhe māo zhuō lǎo shǔ de xì xuè xīn tài 。
然后，或许是抱着猫捉老鼠的戏谑心态。
Hope flared in their hearts.
mò shā bìng méi yǒu xuǎn zé mǎ shàng duì zhè xiē xiū shì men dòng shǒu ， ér shì zài shǎn dòng zhōng 、 shī qù le zōng jì 。
墨杀并没有选择马上对这些修士们动手，而是在闪动中、失去了踪迹。
But clearly, this was impossible.
xiū shì men mǎn liǎn de bù kě zhì xìn ， yǐ wéi shì mò shā fàng guò le tā men 。
修士们满脸的不可置信，以为是墨杀放过了他们。
Black rain began to fall from the sky.
xīn zhōng dùn shí rán qǐ xī wàng de huǒ guāng 。
心中顿时燃起希望的火光。
As it hit the ground, everything touched by it became ethereal.
dàn shì xiǎn rán ， zhè shì bù kě néng de 。
但是显然，这是不可能的。
Then, more blackness emerged from the void and devoured its surroundings.
tiān kōng zhōng ， xià qǐ le hēi sè de yǔ 。
天空中，下起了黑色的雨。
In plain view, Cunyun Sea was disappearing.
dāng hēi sè zhuì xiàng dì miàn de shí hòu ， suǒ yǒu zhān rǎn zhe de yī qiè ， quán dōu bèi xū huà 。
当黑色坠向地面的时候，所有沾染着的一切，全都被虚化。
Ironically, all the black rain avoided the city above.
ér hòu yòu yǒu tóng yuán de mò sè zì xū wú zhōng yǒng xiàn ， cháo zhe zhōu wéi tūn shì 。
而后又有同源的墨色自虚无中涌现，朝着周围吞噬。
It seemed like a punishment for the cultivators inside to witness their home slowly being erased.
zhòng mù kuí kuí zhī xià ， cóng yún hǎi ， zhèng zài xiāo shī 。
众目睽睽之下，丛云海，正在消失。
Ink Slayer orchestrated everything.
dàn fěng cì de shì ， suǒ yǒu hēi sè de yǔ shuǐ ， quán dōu bì guò le kōng zhōng de cóng yún chéng 。
但讽刺的是，所有黑色的雨水，全都避过了空中的丛云城。
"This Ink Slayer has some twisted sense of humor."
jiù xiàng mǒu zhǒng chéng fá ， yào chéng nèi de xiū shì ， qīn yǎn kàn zhe cóng yún hǎi bèi màn màn mǒ qù yī yàng 。
就像某种惩罚，要城内的修士，亲眼看着丛云海被慢慢抹去一样。
Li Fan watched the increasingly dark space around him and thought so as his heart grew heavier.
mò shā zhǔ dǎo le zhè yī qiè de fā shēng 。
墨杀主导了这一切的发生。
This shocking scene drove the cultivators in Cunyun City into madness.
「 zhè ge mò shā ， yǒu diǎn è qù wèi a 。」
「这个墨杀，有点恶趣味啊。」
Some gave up, ending their lives. Others stared with red eyes at the black expanse outside, launching a final attack.
lǐ fán dīng zhe zhōu wéi yuè lái yuè hēi àn de kōng jiān ， xīn zhōng zì rán gǎn dào zhú jiàn chén zhòng de tóng shí ， rú cǐ xiǎng dào 。
李凡盯着周围越来越黑暗的空间，心中自然感到逐渐沉重的同时，如此想到。
Still others collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
rú cǐ hài rán de yí mù ， chè dǐ ràng cóng yún chéng nèi de xiū shì men xiàn rù le fēng diān 。
如此骇然的一幕，彻底让丛云城内的修士们陷入了疯癫。
Zhenghao He was one of them.
zì zhī zài wú huó mìng jī huì de tā men ， yǒu de zì bào zì qì ， zì jìn shēn wáng 。
自知再无活命机会的他们，有的自暴自弃，自尽身亡。
His body trembled as his daughter's warnings echoed in his mind.
yǒu de shuāng mù tōng hóng ， duì zhe cóng yún chéng wài de qī hēi qū yù ， fā dòng le sǐ wáng chōng fèn 。
有的双目通红，对着丛云城外的漆黑区域，发动了死亡充分。
"Fearful calamity, danger to life."
hái yǒu de ， zé shì tān zuò zài dì ， tòng kū shī shēng 。
还有的，则是瘫坐在地，痛哭失声。
"Just stay away from Cunyun Sea."
hé zhèng hào jiù shì rú cǐ 。
何正浩就是如此。
...
tā shēn qū bú zhù chàn dǒu ， nǚ ér dāng chū de quàn gào bù duàn zài nǎo hǎi zhōng huí xiǎng 。
他身躯不住颤抖，女儿当初的劝告不断在脑海中回响。
A mix of confusion and regret clouded Zhenghao He's face. His lover, Hengruo Water, and his daughter, Xingxing He, appeared before him.
「 kě pà jié nàn ， yǒu xìng mìng zhī yōu 。」
「可怕劫难，有性命之忧。」
"I'm such an idiot!"
「 zhǐ yào lí kāi cóng yún hǎi jiù hǎo 。」
「只要离开丛云海就好。」
The events of this lifetime flashed through his mind as he wept uncontrollably.
……
……
Suddenly, he stopped.
liǎn shàng shì máng rán hé huǐ hèn ， hé zhèng hào de yǎn qián ， yòu fú xiàn chū ài rén héng ruò shuǐ yǔ nǚ ér hé xīng xīng de miàn róng 。
脸上是茫然和悔恨，何正浩的眼前，又浮现出爱人衡若水与女儿何猩猩的面容。
He dashed towards Li Fan.
「 wǒ zhēn shì hú tú a ！」
「我真是湖涂啊！」
"Secret Envoy! Please think of a solution quickly!"
cǐ shì jīng lì shùn jiān zǒu mǎ dēng de zài nǎo hǎi zhōng yǒng xiàn ， hé zhèng hào tì lèi jiāo jiā 。
此世经历瞬间走马灯的在脑海中涌现，何正浩涕泪交加。
"You must have one, right?"
dàn shì ， dǒu rán jiān ， tā què hū de zhǐ zhù 。
但是，陡然间，他却忽的止住。
Crawling and rolling, Zhenghao He clung to the last shred of hope as he asked.
měng dì cháo zhe lǐ fán de fāng xiàng wǎng lái 。
勐地朝着李凡的方向往来。
Li Fan didn't respond but silently flew into the sky.
「 mì shǐ dà rén ！ mì shǐ dà rén nín kuài xiǎng xiǎng bàn fǎ ！」
「秘使大人！秘使大人您快想想办法！」
He made a挑衅 pose towards the black domain outside Cunyun City.
「 nín yí dìng yǒu bàn fǎ de ， duì bú duì ？」
「您一定有办法的，对不对？」
The ink-colored sky seemed to suddenly freeze.
lián gǔn dài pá ， yī lù lái dào lǐ fán shēn biān ， hé zhèng hào bào zhe zuì hòu yī sī xī wàng wèn dào 。
连滚带爬，一路来到李凡身边，何正浩抱着最后一丝希望问道。
Then, a figure appeared near Li Fan.
lǐ fán méi yǒu huí dá ， zhǐ shì mò mò fēi shàng gāo kōng 。
李凡没有回答，只是默默飞上高空。
Curiously watching him.
At that moment, the once seemingly resigned and silently awaiting his fate Chi Yan suddenly lifted his head.
His face, which had been moving vaguely, seemed to have a hint of mocking laughter.
Then, in an instant, his body turned entirely pitch black from its previous mix of red and black!
It was like ink droplets falling into water; the surrounding space instantly became a dark mass!
Li Fan's heart trembled violently.
Even the surviving cultivators who had been looking at Chi Yan with lingering greed were now completely overwhelmed by fear.
Because the Heavenly Soul Chi Yan they could sense had quietly transformed into the Heavenly Soul: [Ink Slayer]!
"What is going on?!"
Not only was this shocking to them, but Li Fan himself was equally stunned.
"Can Heavenly Souls transform between each other? Can Ink Slayer take over without waiting for Chi Yan's death?"
Li Fan's heart raced as he pondered. The scene before him seemed to have opened a new door for him.
The sudden change hit Hongsun the hardest—originally resolute and determined, now filled with fear and despair.
But there was no turning back once an arrow is shot. He had already collided into Ink Slayer's dark domain without hesitation.
There was no thunderous clash or brilliant light effects; just like ice melting in water, his entire body vanished silently.
Ink Slayer tilted his head slightly, a strange smile playing on his lips.
Above him, an anomaly appeared in the sky.
"Divine Soul Hongsun, a Commoner Cultivator for 763 years. He achieved his Dao Foundation through the Five Mountains and mastered five techniques: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth to form his Golden Core."
"He consumed the Hundred Ridge Heavenly Realm to achieve his Primordial Core and extracted from the Great Huashan Thousand Peaks to refine his spirit."
"Fortunately, he met his end with Heaven's Punishment!"
The continuous collapse of the mountain range in the sky symbolized the fall of Hongsun, the Divine Sovereign of the Cloud Sea Region.
"Considering the current situation,
Tianyang sensed danger as soon as Ink Slayer appeared.
Though he vowed never to be weaker than others, this didn't mean he would die for nothing.
The Earth Fire Return Array no longer held back; it exploded in a destructive burst, sacrificing itself.
As the molten lava raged, Tianyang attempted to sever his palm to escape.
His giant hand still trapped Ink Slayer as he quietly slipped away.
But his movements were too slow compared to Ink Slayer's.
Before the red-hot lava could reach him, it was already tainted and turned into dark particles.
Like a drop of ink falling into space, quickly spreading everywhere.
Tianyang hadn't even managed to flee far before being caught by the expanding black area.
Unlike Hongsun's silent dissolution,
Frequent flashes of fire and creaking sounds came from the darkness.
Even as large areas continued to expand, Tianyang could still be seen struggling at the center.
But this only seemed to increase his suffering.
Soon, all movement ceased in the darkness.
Li Fan's eyelids fluttered violently.
He had used materials that supposedly couldn't be destroyed for strengthening Tianyang.
Initially thinking he might survive two more strikes from Ink Slayer...
"Too much of a gap. Ink Slayer..."
"Is truly terrifying." Even after seeing the battle between Tianyi and others, Li Fan still felt a chill in his heart upon witnessing Ink Slayer's actions.
"And this Ink Slayer seems even more 'lifelike' than before?"
Uncertain if it was just his imagination, Li Fan stared at the expanding black spot. He suddenly had an inexplicable realization.
The other cultivators within Cunyun City weren't as affected by the chill as Li Fan.
With the sudden change, two of the Divine Soul cultivators who seemed to have victory in sight had already fallen.
This left everyone in despair.
Inside Cunyun City, many cultivators who were meditating through the Heavenly Mirror were suddenly thrown out.
Confused and disoriented, they thought the Heavenly Mirror had withdrawn its power.
"Looks like we're abandoning Cunyun Sea."
"The inevitable is coming."
Li Fan looked at the surrounding cultivators crying and making a spectacle of themselves. He thought to himself.
After Tianyang's fall, the spread of Ink Slayer slowed down.
Reverting to human form, Ink Slayer scanned the crowd in Cunyun City.
All those who were under his gaze stiffened, unable to move, their hearts filled with extreme fear.
Then, perhaps out of a playful mindset,
Ink Slayer didn't immediately attack these cultivators but vanished amidst flickers.
The cultivators' disbelief suggested that Ink Slayer had spared them.
Hope flared in their hearts.
But clearly, this was impossible.
Black rain began to fall from the sky.
As it hit the ground, everything touched by it became ethereal.
Then, more blackness emerged from the void and devoured its surroundings.
In plain view, Cunyun Sea was disappearing.
Ironically, all the black rain avoided the city above.
It seemed like a punishment for the cultivators inside to witness their home slowly being erased.
Ink Slayer orchestrated everything.
"This Ink Slayer has some twisted sense of humor."
Li Fan watched the increasingly dark space around him and thought so as his heart grew heavier.
This shocking scene drove the cultivators in Cunyun City into madness.
Some gave up, ending their lives. Others stared with red eyes at the black expanse outside, launching a final attack.
Still others collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Zhenghao He was one of them.
His body trembled as his daughter's warnings echoed in his mind.
"Fearful calamity, danger to life."
"Just stay away from Cunyun Sea."
...
A mix of confusion and regret clouded Zhenghao He's face. His lover, Hengruo Water, and his daughter, Xingxing He, appeared before him.
"I'm such an idiot!"
The events of this lifetime flashed through his mind as he wept uncontrollably.
Suddenly, he stopped.
He dashed towards Li Fan.
"Secret Envoy! Please think of a solution quickly!"
"You must have one, right?"
Crawling and rolling, Zhenghao He clung to the last shred of hope as he asked.
Li Fan didn't respond but silently flew into the sky.
He made a挑衅 pose towards the black domain outside Cunyun City.
The ink-colored sky seemed to suddenly freeze.
Then, a figure appeared near Li Fan.
Curiously watching him.