“ nán guài dōu shuō wú shāng bù jiān ， jī wàng xiān nà ge lǎo dōng xī ， guǒ rán méi ān hǎo xīn 。”
“难怪都说无商不奸，姬望仙那个老东西，果然没安好心。”
"Isn't it no wonder that they say there's no business without deceit? That old thing Ji Wangan, he truly didn't have good intentions."
tīng wán lǐ fán de jiǎng shù zhī hòu ， huò yǔ zhú àn mà le yī jù 。
听完李凡的讲述之后，霍宇竹暗骂了一句。
After Li Fan finished his narration, Huo Yuzhu cursed under her breath.
ér hòu miàn sè shāo huǎn ， kàn xiàng lǐ fán ：“ wǒ dǎo shì cuò guài nǐ le 。”
而后面色稍缓，看向李凡：“我倒是错怪你了。”
Then she softened her expression and looked at Li Fan: "I've actually misunderstood you."
lǐ fán bù yǐ wéi yì ：“ wǒ mò míng shòu dào kòng zhì zhī shì ， zhǎng mén kě yǒu méi mù ？”
李凡不以为意：“我莫名受到控制之事，掌门可有眉目？”
Li Fan shrugged it off: "Has the Patriarch made any progress on figuring out why I was mysteriously controlled?"
bì jìng shì xiān dào shí zōng zhī yī de kuí shǒu ， nǎ pà zhǐ shì míng yì shàng de ， yě yī jiù jiàn shí fēi fán 。
毕竟是仙道十宗之一的魁首，哪怕只是名义上的，也依旧见识非凡。
After all, he was a leader of one of the Ten Great Daoist Sects. Even if just nominally, his experience was still unparalleled.
huò yǔ zhú chén yín piàn kè zhī hòu ， huí dá dào ：“ wǒ céng jīng tīng shuō ， zhěng gè jī jiā 、 nǎi shì zhěng gè tiān xià shāng huì ， dōu shì jī wàng xiān wèi le xiū xíng ér chuàng zào chū lái de 。”
霍宇竹沉吟片刻之后，回答道：“我曾经听说，整个姬家、乃是整个天下商会，都是姬望仙为了修行而创造出来的。”
Huo Yuzhu pondered for a moment before replying: "I heard that the entire Ji family and even the entire Chamber of Commerce were created by Ji Wangan for cultivation purposes."
“ jī wàng xiān cǐ rén ， suī rán méi yǒu tū pò dào cháng shēng jìng jiè 。 dàn hé tā tóng bèi de xiū shì ， jī běn quán dōu yǐ jīng sǐ guāng le 。 jí biàn réng yǒu xiē huó zhe de ， yòu nǎ ge bú shì lǎo tài lóng zhōng ？ shuí yòu néng xiàng tā nà yàng ， yǒng bǎo qīng chūn ， kàn shàng qù gēn gè nián qīng xiǎo huǒ zi yī yàng ？”
“姬望仙此人，虽然没有突破到长生境界。但和他同辈的修士，基本全都已经死光了。即便仍有些活着的，又哪个不是老态龙钟？谁又能像他那样，永保青春，看上去跟个年轻小伙子一样？”
"Ji Wangan is someone who hasn't transcended to the Immortal Realm. But most of his peers have already died off, either from old age or other causes. Even if a few are still alive, they're all elderly and decrepit. Who can remain youthful like him forever?"
“ zhè bì dìng gēn tā xiū xíng de gōng fǎ yǒu guān 。 suī rán chú le tā běn rén zhī wài ， méi yǒu rén zhī dào tā xiū xíng de jiū jìng shì shén me gōng fǎ 。 dàn jī hū kě yǐ kěn dìng ， gēn xuè mài 、 yù niàn yǒu guān 。”
“这必定跟他修行的功法有关。虽然除了他本人之外，没有人知道他修行的究竟是什么功法。但几乎可以肯定，跟血脉、欲念有关。”
"This must be related to the cultivation technique he practices. While no one knows what it is except for Ji Wangan himself, it's almost certain that his bloodline and desires play a role."
“ kǒng pà bù zhǐ shì nǐ ， zhěng gè jī jiā xiū shì ， huò xǔ dōu chù zài jī wàng xiān de kòng zhì zhī xià 。” huò yǔ zhú yǔ qì yīn sēn dào 。
“恐怕不止是你，整个姬家修士，或许都处在姬望仙的控制之下。”霍宇竹语气阴森道。
"Probably not just you, but the entire Ji family might be under Ji Wangan's control," Huo Yuzhu said with a sinister tone.
“ nà me zhǎng mén kě zhī pò jiě zhī fǎ ？” lǐ fán zhòu méi wèn dào 。
“那么掌门可知破解之法？”李凡皱眉问道。
"So, does the Patriarch know any way to break free?" Li Fan frowned as he asked.
huò yǔ zhú méi yǒu mǎ shàng huí dá ， ér shì zài sī suǒ zhe shén me ， lái huí duó bù 。
霍宇竹没有马上回答，而是在思索着什么，来回踱步。
Huo Yuzhu didn't answer immediately. She was lost in thought and pacing back and forth.
lǐ fán yě bù cuī cù ， nài xīn děng dài 。
李凡也不催促，耐心等待。
Li Fan didn't rush her; he waited patiently.
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， huò yǔ zhú tíng zhù shēn xíng 。 yòu huī shǒu dǎ chū shù dào jìn zhì ， jiāng mì shì kōng jiān fēng suǒ 。
许久之后，霍宇竹停住身形。又挥手打出数道禁制，将密室空间封锁。
After a long while, Huo Yuzhu stopped walking and waved her hand to seal the room with several restrictions.
zhè cái qiǎo shēng dào ：“ wǒ men tiān jiàn zōng ， yǒu yī mén mì shù 。 xiào páng duàn jiàn zhī fǎ ， yǐ xiū shì shén hún 、 xuè ròu wèi yuán liào ， duàn zào 【 wú shàng jiàn tǐ 】。 ruò shì chéng gōng ， jiàn jí shì shēn 、 shēn jí shì jiàn 。 kě dá rén jiàn hé yī wú shàng jìng jiè 。”
这才悄声道：“我们天剑宗，有一门秘术。效彷锻剑之法，以修士神魂、血肉为原料，锻造【无上剑体】。若是成功，剑即是身、身即是剑。可达人剑合一无上境界。”
She then whispered: "Our Sword Sect has a secret technique that mimics forging techniques. Using the soul and flesh of cultivators as raw materials, it can forge an [Unmatched Sword Body]. If successful, the sword becomes one's body, and the body becomes the sword, reaching the realm where man and sword become one."
“ wú shàng jiàn tǐ pái chì qí tā yī qiè yì zhǒng néng liàng ， jī wàng xiān de kòng zhì zhī fǎ ， yě bì jiāng shī xiào 。”
“无上剑体排斥其他一切异种能量，姬望仙的控制之法，也必将失效。”
"The Unmatched Sword Body repels all other forms of energy, so Ji Wangan's control will surely fail."
“ bù guò ……”
“不过……”
"However..."
huò yǔ zhú dùn le dùn ：“ cǐ fǎ tài guò xiōng xiǎn ， wǒ men tiān jiàn zōng yǒu shǐ yǐ lái chéng gōng de xiū shì ， bù guò yī zhǎng zhī shù 。 jí biàn yǐ dà shī xiōng nà děng jīng cái jué yàn ， dāng chū yě shī bài le 。 ér qiě hái là xià le xiē xǔ yǐn huàn ……”
霍宇竹顿了顿：“此法太过凶险，我们天剑宗有史以来成功的修士，不过一掌之数。即便以大师兄那等惊才绝艳，当初也失败了。而且还落下了些许隐患……”
Huo Yuzhu paused: "This method is extremely dangerous. In our sect's history, only a handful have succeeded. Even with my senior brother's exceptional talent, he failed and left some hidden dangers behind..."
lǐ fán méi yǒu sī háo gù jì ， zhí jiē liǎo dàng de shuō dào ：“ wǒ yuàn yì yī shì 。”
李凡没有丝毫顾忌，直接了当的说道：“我愿意一试。”
Li Fan was straightforward: "I'm willing to try it."
huò yǔ zhú wēi wēi diǎn tóu ， mù lù zàn xǔ zhī sè ：“ ruò shì nǐ zhēn de néng liàn chéng wú shàng jiàn tǐ ， nà me xià yī rèn tiān jiàn zōng zhǎng mén jiù suàn jiāo gěi nǐ ， yòu yǒu hé fáng ？”
霍宇竹微微点头，目露赞许之色：“若是你真的能炼成无上剑体，那么下一任天剑宗掌门就算交给你，又有何妨？”
Huo Yuzhu nodded slightly, her eyes showing approval: "If you can truly forge the Unmatched Sword Body, then even if the next Patriarch of our Sword Sect is handed over to you, what's the harm?"
“ xiū xiān jiè ， shí lì wèi zūn 。 rú guǒ wǒ néng xiàng sī tú shī xiōng nà bān ， zhè zhǎng mén bù dàng yě bà 。” lǐ fán dàn dàn dì shuō dào 。
“修仙界，实力为尊。如果我能像司徒师兄那般，这掌门不当也罢。”李凡澹澹地说道。
"In the cultivation world, strength rules. If I could become like my senior brother Shi Tu, it wouldn't matter," Li Fan said calmly.
huò yǔ zhú dùn shí yǎ rán 。
霍宇竹顿时哑然。
Huo Yuzhu was momentarily speechless.
mì shì zhī zhōng ， liǎng rén yòu jīng guò yī fān xiáng xì shāng tán zhī hòu ， zuì zhōng dá chéng le gòng shí 。
密室之中，两人又经过一番详细商谈之后，最终达成了共识。
After a detailed discussion in the secret room, they reached an agreement.
jiē xià lái ， yóu lǐ fán jì xù dà zhāng shēng shì ， xī yǐn quán zōng shàng xià mù guāng 。
接下来，由李凡继续大张声势，吸引全宗上下目光。
Next, Li Fan would continue to attract attention from the entire sect with his grand efforts.
ér huò yǔ zhú zé shì zài wú rén zhù yì zhī xià ， qīn fù wǔ xíng zōng 。
而霍宇竹则是在无人注意之下，亲赴五行宗。
Meanwhile, Huo Yuzhu would secretly visit the Five Elements Sect without drawing any attention.
huò yǔ zhú zuò wéi tiān jiàn zōng zhǎng mén ， shēn hòu bì rán yě yǒu zhe zì jǐ de zhī chí zhě 。 xiàng zhēn shí lì shǐ shàng de nà bān ， shuō fú wǔ xíng zōng zhǔ mài chū 【 tài yuán jīng jīn 】， yīng dāng wèn tí bù dà 。
霍宇竹作为天剑宗掌门，身后必然也有着自己的支持者。像真实历史上的那般，说服五行宗主卖出【太元精金】，应当问题不大。
As the leader of the Sword Sect, Huo Yuzhu had her own supporters. Convincing the Five Elements Sect leader to sell [Primordial Essence Gold] should be relatively easy, as in real history.
ér qiě yǐ jīng tí qián zhī dào le wǔ xíng zōng nèi kě néng huì yǒu tiān xià shāng huì de jiàn dié ， zhè cì huò yǔ zhú yě bì dìng huì gèng jiā xiǎo xīn jǐn shèn ， bù zhì yú zǒu lòu xiāo xī 。
而且已经提前知道了五行宗内可能会有天下商会的间谍，这次霍宇竹也必定会更加小心谨慎，不至于走漏消息。
Moreover, she was already aware that there might be Chamber of Commerce spies within the Five Elements Sect, so this time, she would be more cautious and not leak any information.
hé yù xiǎng zhōng de yī yàng ， qī rì zhī hòu ， huò yǔ zhú ān rán fǎn huí 。
和预想中的一样，七日之后，霍宇竹安然返回。
As expected, seven days later, Huo Yuzhu returned safely without communicating with Li Fan. She only used her eyes to convey everything in silence.
bìng méi yǒu gēn lǐ fán gōu tōng shén me ， zhǐ yǐ yǎn shén shì yì ， yī qiè dōu zài bù yán zhōng 。
并没有跟李凡沟通什么，只以眼神示意，一切都在不言中。
Time passed as they had a steady supply of [Primordial Essence Gold].
shí guāng liú shì ， yǒu zhe chōng zú de 【 tài yuán jīng jīn 】 gōng yìng 。
时光流逝，有着充足的【太元精金】供应。
The forging progress of the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon was much faster than anticipated. Now, Li Fan no longer needed to extract sword dao insights from the wooden sword left by Mr. Bai and then inject them into the sword core.
liè jiè shén bīng de duàn zào jìn dù ， bǐ yù jì zhōng de kuài le shù bèi 。 rú jīn lǐ fán yǐ jīng bú yào zài zì bái xiān shēng liú xià de mù jiàn zhōng tí qǔ jiàn dào gǎn wù ， ér hòu zài zhù rù jiàn tāi zhī zhōng le 。
裂界神兵的锻造进度，比预计中的快了数倍。如今李凡已经不要再自白先生留下的木剑中提取剑道感悟，而后再注入剑胎之中了。
He spent his days near the sword, greedily absorbing its secrets, which went unnoticed.
cǐ kè de tā zhěng rì dài zài 【 jiàn 】 páng ， tān lán de jí qǔ qí zhōng ào yì ， yě shì wú rén huì shuō 。
此刻的他整日待在【剑】旁，贪婪的汲取其中奥义，也是无人会说。
Just as Li Fan felt that the time for the Realm of Falling Stars was about to end,
jiù zài lǐ fán gǎn jué dào ， cǐ cì yǔn xiān jìng cún xù shí jiān jí jiāng jié shù de shí hòu 。
就在李凡感觉到，此次陨仙境存续时间即将结束的时候。
the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon, crafted with all the sect's resources, was finally completed.
qīng quán zōng zhī lì dǎ zào de liè jiè shén bīng ， zhōng yú duàn zào wán bì 。
倾全宗之力打造的裂界神兵，终于锻造完毕。
The Ji family seemed to have foreseen this and sent a team led by Ji Shiwen to congratulate them. In reality, they were there to reap the harvest.
jī jiā yě sì hū tōng guò mǒu zhǒng fāng shì tí qián zhī dào le cǐ shì ， pài chū jī shì wén wéi shǒu de yī duì xiū shì qián lái ， shuō shì qìng hè 。
姬家也似乎通过某种方式提前知道了此事，派出姬士文为首的一队修士前来，说是庆贺。
The massive Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon stood tall, its exterior resembling ordinary gray stone, seemingly unremarkable.
shí zé shì wèi le zhāi qǔ fēng shōu de guǒ shí 。
实则是为了摘取丰收的果实。
But Li Fan, who had spent days absorbing insights near the sword, could sense the terrifying power within it.
jù dà de liè jiè shén bīng chù lì ， wài biǎo rú pǔ tōng huī shí yì bān ， kàn shì píng píng wú qí 。
巨大的裂界神兵矗立，外表如普通灰石一般，看似平平无奇。
Shi Tu Yao gathered everyone from the Sword Sect on the back mountain: "With the divine weapon now complete, we all deserve credit."
dàn shì zhōng rì zài 【 jiàn 】 páng gǎn wù de lǐ fán ， què shì yǐn yǐn néng cóng qí zhōng gǎn shòu dào kǒng bù de lì liàng 。
但是终日在【剑】旁感悟的李凡，却是隐隐能从其中感受到恐怖的力量。
"I Shi Tu Yao will keep my promise. The one who contributed the most [Primordial Essence Gold] shall become the next Patriarch of our Sword Sect."
sī tú yáo zhào jí tiān jiàn zōng zhòng rén ， huì jù hòu shān 。
司徒遥召集天剑宗众人，汇聚后山。
Hearing this, Ji Shiwen's face lit up with joy.
“ shén bīng jì chéng ， dà jiā dōu gōng bù kě méi 。”
“神兵既成，大家都功不可没。”
But Shi Tu Yao's next words made him furious: "According to the elders' records, Huo Yuzhu has contributed a total of 86,912 catties [of Primordial Essence Gold], which is the most!"
“ wǒ sī tú yáo yě shuō dào zuò dào ， gòng xiàn zuì duō 【 tài yuán jīng jīn 】 zhě ， dāng wèi tiān jiàn zōng zhǎng mén 。”
“我司徒遥也说到做到，贡献最多【太元精金】者，当为天剑宗掌门。”
"So, he will still be the next Patriarch!"
jī shì wén wén yán ， dùn shí miàn lù xǐ sè 。
姬士文闻言，顿时面露喜色。
The room fell silent.
dàn jiē xià lái sī tú yáo de huà ， ràng tā yá zì yù liè 。
但接下来司徒遥的话，让他睚眦欲裂。
"Impossible! How can anyone have more than us Ji family?" Ji Shiwen's angry voice broke the silence.
“ gēn jù zhǎng lǎo huì tǒng jì ， huò yǔ zhú gòng jì shàng jiǎo bā wàn liù qiān jiǔ bǎi yī shí èr jīn 【 tài yuán jīng jīn 】， wèi zhòng rén zhī zuì ！”
“根据长老会统计，霍宇竹共计上缴八万六千九百一十二斤【太元精金】，为众人之最！”
"Hmm? Are you questioning me?" Shi Tu Yao narrowed his eyes and looked at Ji Shiwen from afar.
“ suǒ yǐ ， xià yī rèn tiān jiàn zōng zhǎng mén ， réng yóu tā jì xù dān rèn ！”
“所以，下一任天剑宗掌门，仍由他继续担任！”
Ji Shiwen was speechless, choking on his words.
chǎng zhōng shà shí yī piàn jì jìng 。
场中霎时一片寂静。
"Well, let you lose gracefully. Your Ji family has contributed a total of 86,911 catties [of Primordial Essence Gold]. Just one catty short..." Shi Tu Yao shook his head slightly, looking very regretful.
“ bù kě néng ！ zěn me kě néng yǒu rén bǐ wǒ men jī jiā hái duō ……” jī shì wén fèn nù shēng yīn dǎ pò le píng jìng 。
“不可能！怎么可能有人比我们姬家还多……”姬士文愤怒声音打破了平静。
Ji Shiwen's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he pointed at Shi Tu Yao, trembling with rage: "You're too harsh! You're too harsh! How can your Sword Sect do this and not be laughed at by the world?"
“ ń ？ nǐ shì zài zhì yí wǒ ？” sī tú yáo yǎn jīng yī mī ， yáo yáo kàn zhe jī shì wén 。
“嗯？你是在质疑我？”司徒遥眼睛一眯，遥遥看着姬士文。
Shi Tu Yao's face turned cold: "Ji Boy, considering you've contributed so much Primordial Essence Gold, I won't hold it against you. But if you dare to speak nonsense again..."
jī shì wén huà dùn shí bèi kǎ zài bó zi zhōng 。
姬士文话顿时被卡在脖子中。
He snorted coldly, causing Ji Shiwen to shiver in fear and keep his thoughts to himself.
“ yě bà ， jiù ràng nǐ shū de xīn fú kǒu fú 。 nǐ men jī jiā ， yī gòng shàng jiǎo le bā wàn liù qiān jiǔ bǎi yī shí yī jīn 【 tài yuán jīng jīn 】。 jiù chà le zhè me yī jīn ……” sī tú yáo wēi wēi yáo tóu ， yī fù shí fēn kě xī de yàng zi 。
“也罢，就让你输的心服口服。你们姬家，一共上缴了八万六千九百一十一斤【太元精金】。就差了这么一斤……”司徒遥微微摇头，一副十分可惜的样子。
Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and looked at Li Fan with a sudden realization.
jī shì wén yǎn zhū dōu yào dèng chū yǎn kuàng ， tā shēn shǒu zhǐ zhe sī tú yáo ， qì de hún shēn duō suo 。
姬士文眼珠都要瞪出眼眶，他伸手指着司徒遥，气的浑身哆嗦。
Li Fan also appeared incredulous and lost, looking somewhat dazed.
“ qī rén tài shèn ， qī rén tài shèn ！ nǐ men tiān jiàn zōng rú cǐ zuò ， jiù bù pà tiān xià rén chǐ xiào ma ？”
“欺人太甚，欺人太甚！你们天剑宗如此做，就不怕天下人耻笑嘛？”
The decision for the next Patriarch ended so dramatically.
sī tú yáo miàn róng lěng le xià lái ：“ jī xiǎo zi ， kàn zài nǐ bì jìng shàng jiāo le zhè me duō tài yuán jīng jīn de fèn shàng ， qián miàn shuō de huà wǒ jiù bù gēn nǐ jì jiào le 。 rú guǒ zài gǎn hú yán luàn yǔ ……”
司徒遥面容冷了下来：“姬小子，看在你毕竟上交了这么多太元精金的份上，前面说的话我就不跟你计较了。如果再敢胡言乱语……”
After seeing off the guests, the Sword Sect officially began moving into the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon.
tā lěng hēng yī shēng ， jī shì wén dǎ le gè lěng zhàn ， zhǐ néng jiāng yī dǔ zi huà biē le huí qù 。
他冷哼一声，姬士文打了个冷颤，只能将一肚子话憋了回去。
They took everything they could carry away.
hū de ， tā fǎng fú xiǎng dào le shén me ， měng dì kàn xiàng lǐ fán 。
忽的，他仿佛想到了什么，勐地看向李凡。
Even the spirit fields outside the sect's walls were dug up to be moved as a whole.
què jiàn lǐ fán yě shì yī fù nán yǐ zhì xìn de yàng zi 、 shī hún luò pò ， yī shí yě biàn dé yǒu xiē máng rán 。
却见李凡也是一副难以置信的样子、失魂落魄，一时也变得有些茫然。
Inside the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon, it claimed its own realm.
zhǎng mén de jué dìng rén xuǎn ， jiù zài zhè me chōng mǎn xì jù xìng qíng kuàng xià jié shù le 。
掌门的决定人选，就在这么充满戏剧性情况下结束了。
So there was no need to worry about space issues.
jiē xià lái ， sòng kè zhī hòu ， tiān jiàn zōng jiù zhèng shì kāi shǐ cháo zhe liè jiè shén bīng zhōng bān qiān 。
接下来，送客之后，天剑宗就正式开始朝着裂界神兵中搬迁。
Only Mr. Bai's wooden sword and the countless flying swords left by the fallen elders of the Sword Sect in the Sword Tomb remained untouched under Shi Tu Yao's command. He said that their sword intent was too strong and might conflict with the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon.
yī qiè néng dài zǒu de dōng xī ， tōng tōng dài zǒu 。
一切能带走的东西，通通带走。
The reason behind it, however, only he knew.
shèn zhì zōng mén wài de líng tián ， dōu jué dì sān chǐ ， zhěng tǐ qiān yí 。
甚至宗门外的灵田，都掘地三尺，整体迁移。
Soon, it was time to depart for the Boundary Realm.
liè jiè shén bīng zhōng ， zì chēng yī jiè 。
裂界神兵中，自称一界。
Disciples turned into streaks of light and flew into the divine weapon in batches.
suǒ yǐ dào yě bù yòng dān xīn zhuāng bù xià 。
所以倒也不用担心装不下。
But Shi Tu Yao looked at several rapidly approaching figures, a cold smile on his face: "I don't need you all to see me off. The mess in the Yellow-Black World is yours to clean up. We Sword Sect truly have no such capability."
wéi dú bái xiān shēng liú xià de nà bǐng mù jiàn ， yǐ jí tiān jiàn zōng yǔn luò qián bèi zài jiàn zhǒng zhōng liú xià de wú shù bǐng fēi jiàn ， zài sī tú yáo de mìng lìng xià ， méi rén gǎn dòng 。
唯独白先生留下的那柄木剑，以及天剑宗陨落前辈在剑冢中留下的无数柄飞剑，在司徒遥的命令下，没人敢动。
"By the way, I forgot to tell you something. That Ji Wangan boy isn't trustworthy; he's planted many nails into our Ten Great Daoist Sects."
yòng tā de shuō fǎ shì ， jiàn yì tài qiáng ， róng yì gēn liè jiè shén bīng xiāng chōng 。
用他的说法是，剑意太强，容易跟裂界神兵相冲。
Shi Tu Yao looked at a figure rapidly approaching and said: "Zhaoxuan!"
zhì yú jiū jìng wèi hé ， què shì zhǐ yǒu tā zì jǐ zhī dào le 。
至于究竟为何，却是只有他自己知道了。
Ji Wangan's voice echoed from afar.
hěn kuài ， jiù dào le liè jiè ér qù de nà tiān 。
很快，就到了裂界而去的那天。
As he spoke, Li Fan seemed uncontrollably flying towards Shi Tu Yao.
zhū wèi dì zǐ huà zuò dào dào jiàn guāng ， fēn pī fēi rù shén bīng zhī zhōng 。
诸位弟子化作道道剑光，分批飞入神兵之中。
An eerie, colorful aura emerged from his body.
ér sī tú yáo què shì kàn zhāo shù dào kuài sù jiē jìn de qì xī ， lù chū lěng jùn de xiào róng 。
而司徒遥却是看着数道快速接近的气息，露出冷峻的笑容。
Just as Li Fan was about to reach Shi Tu Yao, he suddenly stopped mid-air and turned to Ji Wangan with a mocking smile.
“ jiù bù fán gè wèi péng yǒu xiāng sòng le 。 xuán huáng jiè de làn tān zi ， hái shì jiāo gěi nǐ men shōu shí ba 。 wǒ men tiān jiàn zōng shí zài méi yǒu zhè ge néng lì a 。” tā lǎng shēng shuō dào 。
“就不烦各位朋友相送了。玄黄界的烂摊子，还是交给你们收拾吧。我们天剑宗实在没有这个能力啊。”他朗声说道。
Instantly, Ji Wangan understood everything. His face grew angrier.
“ duì le ， wàng jì gào sù nǐ men yī jiàn shì 。 jī wàng xiān nà xiǎo zi ， kě bù lǎo shí 。 wǎng wǒ men xiān dào shí zōng lǐ kě shì sāi le bù shǎo dīng zi ne 。”
“对了，忘记告诉你们一件事。姬望仙那小子，可不老实。往我们仙道十宗里可是塞了不少钉子呢。”
But Shi Tu Yao grabbed Li Fan and vanished into the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon: "Little Ji, thank you for giving us such a promising candidate!"
sī tú yáo kàn zhe bù yuǎn chù ， zhèng zài fēi sù jiē jìn de yī dào shēn yǐng shuō dào 。
司徒遥看着不远处，正在飞速接近的一道身影说道。
Ji Wangan's face was so dark it could drip water. He extended his left hand, and in an instant, countless copper coins seemed to gather on it.
“ zhào xuàn ！” jī wàng xiān de shēng yīn yuǎn yuǎn chuán lái 。
“兆炫！”姬望仙的声音远远传来。
But right after, a blinding light erupted from the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon.
suí zhe tā de huà ， lǐ fán hǎo sì bù shòu kòng zhì shì de ， měng dì cháo zhe sī tú yáo fēi lái 。
随着他的话，李凡好似不受控制似的，勐地朝着司徒遥飞来。
The image of the copper coins vanished instantly.
tóng shí shēn shàng yǒng xiàn chū guǐ yì de bān lán zhī sè 。
同时身上涌现出诡异的斑斓之色。
He could only watch helplessly as a sword streak tore through the heavens.
jiù zài lǐ fán jí jiāng fēi zhì sī tú yáo shēn biān de shí hòu ， tā què hū de zhǐ zhù shēn xíng 。
就在李凡即将飞至司徒遥身边的时候，他却忽的止住身形。
That destructive force that seemed capable of cutting through time and space forced him to retreat thousands of miles away to avoid it.
zhuǎn guò tóu qù ， cháo zhe jī wàng xiān lù chū gè cháo fěng de xiào róng 。
转过头去，朝着姬望仙露出个嘲讽的笑容。
When the light faded, both the Sword Sect and the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon had disappeared from his sight.
"Isn't it no wonder that they say there's no business without deceit? That old thing Ji Wangan, he truly didn't have good intentions."
After Li Fan finished his narration, Huo Yuzhu cursed under her breath.
Then she softened her expression and looked at Li Fan: "I've actually misunderstood you."
Li Fan shrugged it off: "Has the Patriarch made any progress on figuring out why I was mysteriously controlled?"
After all, he was a leader of one of the Ten Great Daoist Sects. Even if just nominally, his experience was still unparalleled.
Huo Yuzhu pondered for a moment before replying: "I heard that the entire Ji family and even the entire Chamber of Commerce were created by Ji Wangan for cultivation purposes."
"Ji Wangan is someone who hasn't transcended to the Immortal Realm. But most of his peers have already died off, either from old age or other causes. Even if a few are still alive, they're all elderly and decrepit. Who can remain youthful like him forever?"
"This must be related to the cultivation technique he practices. While no one knows what it is except for Ji Wangan himself, it's almost certain that his bloodline and desires play a role."
"Probably not just you, but the entire Ji family might be under Ji Wangan's control," Huo Yuzhu said with a sinister tone.
"So, does the Patriarch know any way to break free?" Li Fan frowned as he asked.
Huo Yuzhu didn't answer immediately. She was lost in thought and pacing back and forth.
Li Fan didn't rush her; he waited patiently.
After a long while, Huo Yuzhu stopped walking and waved her hand to seal the room with several restrictions.
She then whispered: "Our Sword Sect has a secret technique that mimics forging techniques. Using the soul and flesh of cultivators as raw materials, it can forge an [Unmatched Sword Body]. If successful, the sword becomes one's body, and the body becomes the sword, reaching the realm where man and sword become one."
"The Unmatched Sword Body repels all other forms of energy, so Ji Wangan's control will surely fail."
"However..."
Huo Yuzhu paused: "This method is extremely dangerous. In our sect's history, only a handful have succeeded. Even with my senior brother's exceptional talent, he failed and left some hidden dangers behind..."
Li Fan was straightforward: "I'm willing to try it."
Huo Yuzhu nodded slightly, her eyes showing approval: "If you can truly forge the Unmatched Sword Body, then even if the next Patriarch of our Sword Sect is handed over to you, what's the harm?"
"In the cultivation world, strength rules. If I could become like my senior brother Shi Tu, it wouldn't matter," Li Fan said calmly.
Huo Yuzhu was momentarily speechless.
After a detailed discussion in the secret room, they reached an agreement.
Next, Li Fan would continue to attract attention from the entire sect with his grand efforts.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuzhu would secretly visit the Five Elements Sect without drawing any attention.
As the leader of the Sword Sect, Huo Yuzhu had her own supporters. Convincing the Five Elements Sect leader to sell [Primordial Essence Gold] should be relatively easy, as in real history.
Moreover, she was already aware that there might be Chamber of Commerce spies within the Five Elements Sect, so this time, she would be more cautious and not leak any information.
As expected, seven days later, Huo Yuzhu returned safely without communicating with Li Fan. She only used her eyes to convey everything in silence.
Time passed as they had a steady supply of [Primordial Essence Gold].
The forging progress of the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon was much faster than anticipated. Now, Li Fan no longer needed to extract sword dao insights from the wooden sword left by Mr. Bai and then inject them into the sword core.
He spent his days near the sword, greedily absorbing its secrets, which went unnoticed.
Just as Li Fan felt that the time for the Realm of Falling Stars was about to end,
the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon, crafted with all the sect's resources, was finally completed.
The Ji family seemed to have foreseen this and sent a team led by Ji Shiwen to congratulate them. In reality, they were there to reap the harvest.
The massive Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon stood tall, its exterior resembling ordinary gray stone, seemingly unremarkable.
But Li Fan, who had spent days absorbing insights near the sword, could sense the terrifying power within it.
Shi Tu Yao gathered everyone from the Sword Sect on the back mountain: "With the divine weapon now complete, we all deserve credit."
"I Shi Tu Yao will keep my promise. The one who contributed the most [Primordial Essence Gold] shall become the next Patriarch of our Sword Sect."
Hearing this, Ji Shiwen's face lit up with joy.
But Shi Tu Yao's next words made him furious: "According to the elders' records, Huo Yuzhu has contributed a total of 86,912 catties [of Primordial Essence Gold], which is the most!"
"So, he will still be the next Patriarch!"
The room fell silent.
"Impossible! How can anyone have more than us Ji family?" Ji Shiwen's angry voice broke the silence.
"Hmm? Are you questioning me?" Shi Tu Yao narrowed his eyes and looked at Ji Shiwen from afar.
Ji Shiwen was speechless, choking on his words.
"Well, let you lose gracefully. Your Ji family has contributed a total of 86,911 catties [of Primordial Essence Gold]. Just one catty short..." Shi Tu Yao shook his head slightly, looking very regretful.
Ji Shiwen's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he pointed at Shi Tu Yao, trembling with rage: "You're too harsh! You're too harsh! How can your Sword Sect do this and not be laughed at by the world?"
Shi Tu Yao's face turned cold: "Ji Boy, considering you've contributed so much Primordial Essence Gold, I won't hold it against you. But if you dare to speak nonsense again..."
He snorted coldly, causing Ji Shiwen to shiver in fear and keep his thoughts to himself.
Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and looked at Li Fan with a sudden realization.
Li Fan also appeared incredulous and lost, looking somewhat dazed.
The decision for the next Patriarch ended so dramatically.
After seeing off the guests, the Sword Sect officially began moving into the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon.
They took everything they could carry away.
Even the spirit fields outside the sect's walls were dug up to be moved as a whole.
Inside the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon, it claimed its own realm.
So there was no need to worry about space issues.
Only Mr. Bai's wooden sword and the countless flying swords left by the fallen elders of the Sword Sect in the Sword Tomb remained untouched under Shi Tu Yao's command. He said that their sword intent was too strong and might conflict with the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon.
The reason behind it, however, only he knew.
Soon, it was time to depart for the Boundary Realm.
Disciples turned into streaks of light and flew into the divine weapon in batches.
But Shi Tu Yao looked at several rapidly approaching figures, a cold smile on his face: "I don't need you all to see me off. The mess in the Yellow-Black World is yours to clean up. We Sword Sect truly have no such capability."
"By the way, I forgot to tell you something. That Ji Wangan boy isn't trustworthy; he's planted many nails into our Ten Great Daoist Sects."
Shi Tu Yao looked at a figure rapidly approaching and said: "Zhaoxuan!"
Ji Wangan's voice echoed from afar.
As he spoke, Li Fan seemed uncontrollably flying towards Shi Tu Yao.
An eerie, colorful aura emerged from his body.
Just as Li Fan was about to reach Shi Tu Yao, he suddenly stopped mid-air and turned to Ji Wangan with a mocking smile.
Instantly, Ji Wangan understood everything. His face grew angrier.
But Shi Tu Yao grabbed Li Fan and vanished into the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon: "Little Ji, thank you for giving us such a promising candidate!"
Ji Wangan's face was so dark it could drip water. He extended his left hand, and in an instant, countless copper coins seemed to gather on it.
But right after, a blinding light erupted from the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon.
The image of the copper coins vanished instantly.
He could only watch helplessly as a sword streak tore through the heavens.
That destructive force that seemed capable of cutting through time and space forced him to retreat thousands of miles away to avoid it.
When the light faded, both the Sword Sect and the Boundary-Breaking Divine Weapon had disappeared from his sight.