liǔ sān wén yán ， dùn shí miàn lù gān gà zhī sè ：“ é ， cǐ shì pà shì yǒu diǎn kùn nán ……”
柳三闻言，顿时面露尴尬之色：“额，此事怕是有点困难……”
Liu San's face turned awkward upon hearing this. "Er, I think there might be some difficulty with that..."
“ ń ？” lǐ fán wēi wēi yī lèng 。
“嗯？”李凡微微一愣。
"Eh?" Li Fan was slightly taken aback.
liǔ sān zhèng yù dá huà ， què bèi fāng zài jì qiǎng xiān ：“ hē hē ， zōng zhǔ nǐ shì bú shì bì guān bì hú tú le ， zán men yào wáng zōng xiàn zài nǎ lǐ hái yǒu liàn qì qī de dì zǐ ya 。 nǎ pà zī zhì zuì chà de ， yě zǎo jiù zhù jī chéng gōng le 。”
柳三正欲答话，却被方再济抢先：“呵呵，宗主你是不是闭关闭胡涂了，咱们药王宗现在哪里还有炼气期的弟子呀。哪怕资质最差的，也早就筑基成功了。”
Before Liu San could reply, Fang Zaiji抢先 said: "Haha, Master Sect, are you perhaps closing your eyes and getting confused? Our Medicine King Sect no longer has any Disciple of Qi Cultivation. Even the worst-qualified ones have already succeeded in Foundation Establishment."
lǐ fán mā sā jiě lí dié de dòng zuò wēi wēi yī dùn 。
李凡摩挲解离碟的动作微微一顿。
Li Fan paused as he rubbed the Surface Disintegration Plate.
“ nà jiù zhǐ néng láo fán fāng xiān shēng wài chū yī tàng ， tiāo xuǎn xiē hǎo miáo zi lái le 。” lǐ fán zuò huǎng rán zhuàng ， ér hòu yǒu xiē wú nài dì shuō dào 。
“那就只能劳烦方先生外出一趟，挑选些好苗子来了。”李凡做恍然状，而后有些无奈地说道。
"Then we can only trouble Mr. Fang to go out for a trip, to select some promising talents." Li Fan acted as if he had just realized something and said with a sigh.
“ zuì hǎo suí shēn xié dài zhōng mò yuán pán ， zhù yì ān quán 。 fǒu zé ruò shì bèi wàn xiān méng de xiū shì fā xiàn ， pà shì shào bù liǎo yī cháng sī shā 。” tā hái shí fēn hǎo xīn de tí xǐng dào 。
“最好随身携带终末圆盘，注意安全。否则若是被万仙盟的修士发现，怕是少不了一场厮杀。”他还十分好心的提醒道。
"It would be best to carry the Endless Disk with you and pay attention to safety. Otherwise, if the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance discovers you, there might be a fight," he added in a very considerate manner.
“ é 。” fāng zài jì liǎn dùn shí kuǎ le xià lái ，“ zōng zhǔ ……”
“额。”方再济脸顿时垮了下来，“宗主……”
"Eh." Fang Zaiji's face fell immediately. "Master Sect..."
“ fāng xiān shēng huán shì kuài qù kuài huí ba 。 bì jìng shì guān pò jiě tiān xuán bǎo jiàn de xī wàng ， jiāo gěi qí tā rén ， wǒ shí zài yǒu diǎn bù fàng xīn 。” lǐ fán chén kěn dào 。
“方先生还是快去快回吧。毕竟事关破解天玄宝鉴的希望，交给其他人，我实在有点不放心。”李凡陈恳道。
"Mr. Fang, please go quickly and return. After all, it concerns the hope of deciphering the Heavenly Mysteries Treasure Mirror. I can't entrust this to anyone else." Li Fan pleaded sincerely.
fāng zài jì jiàn shí zài tuī tuō bù dé ， zhǐ dé dèng le yǎn yī páng kàn rè nào de liǔ sān ， jìng zhí fēi zǒu le 。
方再济见实在推脱不得，只得瞪了眼一旁看热闹的柳三，径直飞走了。
Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Fang Zaiji glared at Liu San, who was watching from the sidelines, before flying away directly.
“ wǒ yě yào chū qù kàn kàn 。” zhè shí ， yì zhí mò bù zuò shēng de jiāng yù shān hū de kāi kǒu dào 。
“我也要出去看看。”这时，一直默不作声的姜玉珊忽的开口道。
"I also want to go out and take a look," Qiang Yushan suddenly said at this moment.
liǔ sān dùn shí è rán 。
柳三顿时愕然。
Liu San was taken aback.
“ zài zhè dāi de tài jiǔ ， yǒu diǎn biē mèn le 。” jiāng yù shān dàn dàn dì shuō dào ，“ rú jīn wài miàn sì hū hěn rè nào ， shù qiān nián lái yǐn cáng de wú shù xiǎo shì jiè rú jīn zhōng yú yào xiǎn chū quán mào ， wǒ shí fēn gǎn xìng qù 。 huò xǔ hái néng yù dào dāng chū de shú rén yě shuō bù dìng 。”
“在这呆的太久，有点憋闷了。”姜玉珊淡淡地说道，“如今外面似乎很热闹，数千年来隐藏的无数小世界如今终于要显出全貌，我十分感兴趣。或许还能遇到当初的熟人也说不定。”
"Staying here for too long feels stifling." Qiang Yushan said calmly. "Now that it seems so lively outside, with countless small worlds hidden for thousands of years finally revealing their full forms, I am very interested. Perhaps I might even run into some old acquaintances."
lǐ fán chén yín piàn kè ， yě diǎn tóu tóng yì 。
李凡沉吟片刻，也点头同意。
Li Fan pondered for a moment and agreed.
jiāng yī piàn zhōng mò yuán pán yǔ tōng xùn líng fú jiāo gěi duì fāng ， tóng shí zhǔ tuō dào ：“ hái shì ān quán dì yī 。 zán men yào wáng zōng xiǎng yào chóng xīn jué qǐ ， kě lí bù kāi jiāng zhǎng lǎo nín de zhù lì 。”
将一片终末圆盘与通讯灵符交给对方，同时嘱托道：“还是安全第一。咱们药王宗想要重新崛起，可离不开姜长老您的助力。”
He handed over an Endless Disk and a communication spirit token to the other, instructing: "Safety first. Our Medicine King Sect needs your assistance to rise again."
“ fàng xīn 。” jiāng yù shān lěng bīng bīng dì huí yìng dào ， ér hòu pò kōng lí qù 。
“放心。”姜玉珊冷冰冰地回应道，而后破空离去。
"Rest assured." Qiang Yushan responded coldly before breaking through the air.
“ shǎo zhǔ ， wǒ yě ……” liǔ sān jí máng shuō dào 。
“少主，我也……”柳三急忙说道。
"Youth Master, I also..." Liu San hurriedly said.
“ liǔ lǎo nǐ jiù dāi zài yào wáng gǔ zhōng ba 。 bù jiǔ hòu yǒu jiàn yào jǐn shì ， hái xū yào nǐ gēn wǒ fēn shēn yì qǐ pǎo yī tàng 。” lǐ fán bǎi le bǎi shǒu ， guǒ duàn jù jué le liǔ sān de yāo qiú 。
“柳老你就呆在药王谷中吧。不久后有件要紧事，还需要你跟我分身一起跑一趟。”李凡摆了摆手，果断拒绝了柳三的要求。
"Old Liu, just stay in the Medicine King Valley. There's an important matter soon that will require you and me to run together," Li Fan waved his hand decisively, refusing Liu San's request.
liǔ sān miàn lù kǔ sè ， wú fǎ wéi nì lǐ fán 。 zhǐ dé qù zhǎo gǔ lǐ yào wáng zōng dì zǐ fā xiè qù le 。
柳三面露苦色，无法违逆李凡。只得去找谷里药王宗弟子发泄去了。
Liu San looked pained but couldn't defy Li Fan. He went to vent among the disciples of the Medicine King Sect in the valley.
lǐ fán jì xù xīn shén chén jìn zài wèi yǎng jiě lí dié zhōng 。
李凡继续心神沉浸在喂养解离碟中。
Li Fan continued to immerse himself in feeding the Surface Disintegration Plate.
ér huí dào tiān liáng chéng de fēn shēn xǔ bái ， zé shì liǎo jiě le zuì jìn yī duàn shí jiān ， xiān méng zhēng fá wàn jiè de jìn zhǎn 。
而回到天凉城的分身许白，则是了解了最近一段时间，仙盟征伐万界的进展。
Meanwhile, Xubai, who had returned to Cold City, learned about the recent progress of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's campaign against the worlds.
cǐ qián yì zhí shùn fēng shùn shuǐ ， jiù zài tā gāng fǎn huí xuán huáng jiè hòu bù jiǔ ， kuáng rè de xiū shì men zhōng yú shòu dào le dì yī cì kuì bài 。
此前一直顺风顺水，就在他刚返回玄黄界后不久，狂热的修士们终于受到了第一次溃败。
Previously, everything was going smoothly. Just after his return from the Xuanhuang Realm, the fervent cultivators finally suffered their first defeat.
shǒu pī jìn rù xiǎo shì jiè de shàng bǎi míng xiū shì ， sān wèi huà shén lǐng duì ， wǔ shí míng yuán yīng zhōng jiān 。
首批进入小世界的上百名修士，三位化神领队，五十名元婴中坚。
The first batch of over a hundred cultivators who entered the small world included three Core Formation leaders and fifty Foundation Establishment core members.
zhè děng bù sú de zhàn lì ， jìng rán jìn hū quán jūn fù mò 。
这等不俗的战力，竟然近乎全军覆没。
Such formidable combat power nearly resulted in total annihilation.
ér wéi yī de xìng cún zhě ， nǎi shì yī wèi jiào zuò lù zhī xián de zhù jī xiū shì 。
而唯一的幸存者，乃是一位叫做陆之弦的筑基修士。
The sole survivor was a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Lu Zixian. Originally, he had joined this expedition merely due to his relationship with one of the Core Formation leaders, hoping to earn some merits.
cǐ rén zài duì wǔ mò wěi ， yuán běn zhǐ shì kào zhe gēn huà shén lǐng duì de guān xì ， cái dé yǐ jiā rù cǐ cì zhēng tǎo duì wǔ zhōng 。
此人在队伍末尾，原本只是靠着跟化神领队的关系，才得以加入此次征讨队伍中。
When the situation turned dire, Lu Zixian fled without hesitation.
yuán běn xiǎng zhe hùn diǎn gōng xūn ， shuí céng liào dào zhàn kuàng jí zhuǎn ér xià 。 lù zhī xián jiàn shì bù miào ， guǒ duàn dùn zǒu 。
原本想着混点功勋，谁曾料到战况急转而下。陆之弦见势不妙，果断遁走。
Perhaps because of his lowly strength, the enemy did not pursue him relentlessly.
ér huò xǔ zhèng shì yīn wèi tā shí lì guò yú dī wēi de yuán gù ， dí rén cái méi yǒu duì tā gǎn jìn shā jué 。
而或许正是因为他实力过于低微的缘故，敌人才没有对他赶尽杀绝。
This devastating defeat naturally caused a stir and attracted official investigations from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
rú cǐ dà bài ， zì rán yǐn qǐ le hōng dòng 。 gèng zhāo lái le wàn xiān méng guān fāng de diào chá 。
如此大败，自然引起了轰动。更招来了万仙盟官方的调查。
With the footage recorded by the Heavenly Mysteries Treasure Mirror, Lu Zixian's suspicion as an agent was quickly cleared, and he was released without guilt.
yǒu zhe tiān xuán bǎo jiàn jì lù de yǐng xiàng ， lù zhī xián shì jiàn dié de xián yí hěn kuài bèi xǐ qīng 。 wú zuì shì fàng 。
有着天玄宝鉴记录的影像，陆之弦是间谍的嫌疑很快被洗清。无罪释放。
The release of this footage sparked public outrage.
ér suí zhe yǐng xiàng de gōng bù ， gèng shì yǐn dé yú lùn huá rán 。
而随着影像的公布，更是引得舆论哗然。
For the final destruction of this expeditionary force, only one person was involved.
yīn wèi zuì zhōng miè shā zhè zhī zhēng fá duì wǔ de ， jìng rán zhǐ yǒu yī rén 。
因为最终灭杀这支征伐队伍的，竟然只有一人。
A white-haired old man with wrinkles all over his face, seemingly very elderly, who appeared ready to die at any moment.
bái fà bái méi ， mǎn liǎn zhòu wén 。 kàn shàng qù sì hū yǐ jīng shí fēn cāng lǎo ， suí shí dū huì shòu jǐn ér sǐ de yàng zi 。
白发白眉，满脸皱纹。看上去似乎已经十分苍老，随时都会寿尽而死的样子。
But his actions were anything but hesitant; they were ruthless and vicious. His hair seemed alive, rising up to injure people. It looked like silver dragons, instantly piercing through the bodies of Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators.
dàn shì chū shǒu què shì yì diǎn yě bù hán hù ， hěn là wú bǐ 。
但是出手却是一点也不含糊，狠辣无比。
What was even more shocking was that after his hair pierced into the bodies of these cultivators, it seemed to draw life force from them.
xū fà yóu rú huó wù bān ， bào qǐ shāng rén 。 wǎn rú yī tiáo tiáo yín sè yóu lóng ， shùn jiān chuān tòu xiān méng xiū shì de shēn qū 。
须发犹如活物般，暴起伤人。宛如一条条银色游龙，瞬间穿透仙盟修士的身躯。
Countless cultivators suddenly aged rapidly, and some couldn't even make a sound before turning into skeletons.
gèng ràng rén gǎn dào hài rán de shì ， zhè lǎo zhě de xū fà zhā jìn xiān méng xiū shì tǐ nèi hòu ， sì hū hái néng jí qǔ shēng mìng lì liàng 。
更让人感到骇然的是，这老者的须发扎进仙盟修士体内后，似乎还能汲取生命力量。
The old man's face also became rosy due to this.
wú shù xiū shì zài chà nà jiān biàn dé chuí chuí lǎo yǐ ， shèn zhì yǒu de lián āi háo dōu fā bù chū shēng ， jiù huà zuò yī jù kū lóu 。
无数修士在刹那间变得垂垂老矣，甚至有的连哀嚎都发不出声，就化作一具骷髅。
This white-haired old man’s strength was at least in the Dao Integration Realm. And he seemed to have an advantage with small worlds; ordinary Core Formation cultivators could not resist him at all, only watching helplessly as they were drained of life force.
ér lǎo zhě de liǎn shàng ， yě shì yīn zhī hóng rùn le jǐ fēn 。
而老者的脸上，也是因之红润了几分。
This footage immediately sparked great anger among the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators.
zhè wèi bái fà lǎo zhě de shí lì ， zuì shǎo dōu shì zài hé dào jìng jiè 。 ér qiě sì hū yǒu zhe xiǎo shì jiè tè bié yōu shì ， xún cháng huà shén xiū shì zài tā miàn qián ， jìng rán shì yī dīng diǎn fǎn kàng zhī lì dōu méi yǒu 。 zhǐ néng yǎn zhēng zhēng kàn zhe zì jǐ bèi huó huó xī gàn 。
这位白发老者的实力，最少都是在合道境界。而且似乎有着小世界特别优势，寻常化神修士在他面前，竟然是一丁点反抗之力都没有。只能眼睁睁看着自己被活活吸干。
"Actually able to suck out a cultivator's lifespan? Such behavior is no different from evil spirits! Everyone should kill them!"
zhè duàn yǐng xiàng dùn shí yǐn qǐ le wàn xiān méng xiū shì de jí dà fèn kǎi 。
这段影像顿时引起了万仙盟修士的极大愤慨。
"Agreed. This fellow friend, I support you! Quickly cut off his head and behead him!"
“ jū rán néng shēng xī xiū shì shòu yuán ？ rú cǐ xíng jìng ， gēn xié mó hé yì ？ rén rén dé ér zhū zhī ！”
“居然能生吸修士寿元？如此行径，跟邪魔何异？人人得而诛之！”
"Sss, I didn't expect there to be such a ruthless person in the small worlds. I think it will take at least two or three Dao Integrators to deal with him."
“ shuō de hǎo ， zhè wèi dào yǒu wǒ zhī chí nǐ ！ kuài qù jiāng tā shǒu jí kǎn xià ！”
“说的好，这位道友我支持你！快去将他首级砍下！”
"A bunch of fools, haven't you noticed? Lu Zixian was intentionally let back so he could send news. He wanted to attract more cultivators to their deaths!"
“ sī ， méi xiǎng dào xiǎo shì jiè dāng zhōng ， hái yǒu rú cǐ hěn rén 。 wǒ kàn méi yǒu liǎng sān gè hé dào chū miàn ， bié xiǎng jiāng tā zhū shā 。”
“嘶，没想到小世界当中，还有如此狠人。我看没有两三个合道出面，别想将他诛杀。”
"Has some merit. But why didn't he just leave that small world and wreak havoc in the Xuanhuang Realm?"
“ yī qún chǔn cái ， nǐ men hái méi kàn míng bái ma 。 nà lù zhī xián jiù shì tā gù yì fàng huí lái ， tōng fēng bào xìn de 。 jiù shì wèi le xī yǐn gèng duō de xiū shì qián qù sòng sǐ ！”
“一群蠢材，你们还没看明白嘛。那陆之弦就是他故意放回来，通风报信的。就是为了吸引更多的修士前去送死！”
"Because he's not as foolish as you."
“ yǒu diǎn dào lǐ 。 bù guò jì rán rú cǐ ， tā yòu wèi hé bù zhí jiē lí kāi nà chù xiǎo shì jiè ， lái xuán huáng jiè sì nüè ？”
“有点道理。不过既然如此，他又为何不直接离开那处小世界，来玄黄界肆虐？”
...
“ yīn wèi tā méi yǒu nǐ nà me chǔn 。”
“因为他没有你那么蠢。”
Despite the great discussion, Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators were not fools. Since such a monster existed in this small world, they would avoid it. There were countless undiscovered small worlds; why fight to the death? It was better to pick softer targets!
……
……
Thus, a dramatic scene unfolded.
suī rán yǐn fā le jí dà de tǎo lùn ， dàn xiān méng xiū shì men kě bù shǎ 。 jì rán nà chù xiǎo shì jiè zhōng ， cún zài zhe rú cǐ guài wù ， nà jiù rào dào biàn shì 。 rú jīn shàng wèi fā jué de xiǎo shì jiè shǔ bù shèng shǔ ， yòu hé bì gēn tā sǐ kē ？ shì zi dāng rán yào tiāo ruǎn de lái niē ！
虽然引发了极大的讨论，但仙盟修士们可不傻。既然那处小世界中，存在着如此怪物，那就绕道便是。如今尚未发掘的小世界数不胜数，又何必跟他死磕？柿子当然要挑软的来捏！
This small world was marked on the map with red skull symbols, but no one dared to explore it anymore.
yú shì xì jù xìng de yí mù fā shēng le 。
于是戏剧性的一幕发生了。
"Anyway, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance will definitely send someone to clean up eventually."
cǐ chù xiǎo shì jiè ， bèi xiū shì men zài dì tú shàng yǒu hóng sè kū lóu biāo jì chū lái 。 què wú yī rén zài yuàn jìn qù tàn suǒ 。
此处小世界，被修士们在地图上有红色骷髅标记出来。却无一人再愿进去探索。
The cultivators all held this mindset and chose to ignore it directly.
“ fǎn zhèng dào zuì hòu ， wàn xiān méng kěn dìng huì pài rén qián qù qīng sǎo de 。”
“反正到最后，万仙盟肯定会派人前去清扫的。”
The official of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance seemed to tacitly approve such behavior; they did not issue any bounties or warrants for this small world.
xiū shì men dōu bǐng chí zhe zhè bān niàn tou ， zhí jiē xuǎn zé jiāng qí wú shì 。
修士们都秉持着这般念头，直接选择将其无视。
"Interesting." Xubai investigated and found that there was a debate within the alliance regarding how to handle this small world.
ér wàn xiān méng guān fāng yě sì hū mò xǔ le cǐ zhǒng xíng wéi ， bìng wèi duì zhè ge xiǎo shì jiè fā chū shén me xuán shǎng tōng jī 。
而万仙盟官方也似乎默许了此种行为，并未对这个小世界发出什么悬赏通缉。
One faction believed that such pests should be swiftly exterminated to demonstrate the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's supreme might.
“ yǒu qù 。” xǔ bái dǎ tàn yī fān ， cái zhī dào sì hū xiān méng nèi bù duì zhè xiǎo shì jiè jiū jìng rú hé chǔ lǐ ， yě qǐ le zhēng zhí 。
“有趣。”许白打探一番，才知道似乎仙盟内部对这小世界究竟如何处理，也起了争执。
Another faction argued that in future campaigns, they would inevitably encounter opponents of similar strength. If they were to eliminate every evil, it could result in casualties.
yī pài rèn wéi ， cǐ zhǒng xiāo xiǎo ， yīng dāng xùn sù miè shā 。 rú cǐ fāng néng zhāng xiǎn wàn xiān méng wú shàng de wēi yán 。
一派认为，此种宵小，应当迅速灭杀。如此方能彰显万仙盟无上的威严。
Each Dao Integrator was a pillar of the alliance; losing one was a significant loss.
lìng yī pài rèn wéi ， zài yǐ hòu de zhēng fá shì jiè zhōng ， dìng rán hái huì yù dào yǔ zhè bái fà lǎo zhě chà bu duō shí lì de duì shǒu 。 rú guǒ měi cì dōu yào chú è wù jìn ， nà me nán miǎn huì yǒu shāng wáng 。
另一派认为，在以后的征伐世界中，定然还会遇到与这白发老者差不多实力的对手。如果每次都要除恶务尽，那么难免会有伤亡。
Even with the Afterlife Mansion, where resurrection and even retention of past memories and cultivation levels were possible, all Dao Integrators had reservations about this process. Few were willing to be the first to take such risks.
hé dào jí bié de xiū shì ， měi yí gè dōu shì xiān méng dòng liáng 。 shǎo yí gè dōu shì jù dà de sǔn shī 。
合道级别的修士，每一个都是仙盟栋梁。少一个都是巨大的损失。
Xubai spent some effort to gather more details on the matter.
jí biàn yǒu zhe wǎng shēng fǔ de cún zài ， sǐ hòu néng fù huó 。
即便有着往生府的存在，死后能复活。
It turned out that despite various methods for revival and retaining past memories and cultivation levels, there was a fatal flaw that all Dao Integrators couldn't ignore: once entering the Afterlife Mansion, they could no longer attain Immortal Realm.
dàn hé dào xiū shì men sì hū “ fù huó ” yī shì ， pǒ yǒu jì dàn 。 bìng méi yǒu duō shǎo yuàn yì shēn xiān shì zú 。
但合道修士们似乎“复活”一事，颇有忌惮。并没有多少愿意身先士卒。
The reason was unknown, but based on how the Dao Integrators behaved, it seemed to be true.
xǔ bái yòu fèi le yī fān gōng fu ， zhè cái dǎ tīng qīng chǔ qí zhōng yuán yóu 。
许白又废了一番功夫，这才打听清楚其中缘由。
After all, which Dao Integrator didn’t have the aspiration of attaining immortality?
yuán lái ， jí biàn yǒu zhǒng zhǒng fāng fǎ ， néng gòu fù huó 、 shèn zhì bǎo chí qián shì jì yì ， xiū wèi 。
原来，即便有种种方法，能够复活、甚至保持前世记忆，修为。
Revival was merely a last resort.
dàn què yǒu yí gè zhì mìng quē xiàn ， shǐ de suǒ yǒu de hé dào xiū shì dōu wú fǎ hū shì 。
但却有一个致命缺陷，使得所有的合道修士都无法忽视。
(End of Chapter)
Liu San's face turned awkward upon hearing this. "Er, I think there might be some difficulty with that..."
"Eh?" Li Fan was slightly taken aback.
Before Liu San could reply, Fang Zaiji抢先 said: "Haha, Master Sect, are you perhaps closing your eyes and getting confused? Our Medicine King Sect no longer has any Disciple of Qi Cultivation. Even the worst-qualified ones have already succeeded in Foundation Establishment."
Li Fan paused as he rubbed the Surface Disintegration Plate.
"Then we can only trouble Mr. Fang to go out for a trip, to select some promising talents." Li Fan acted as if he had just realized something and said with a sigh.
"It would be best to carry the Endless Disk with you and pay attention to safety. Otherwise, if the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance discovers you, there might be a fight," he added in a very considerate manner.
"Eh." Fang Zaiji's face fell immediately. "Master Sect..."
"Mr. Fang, please go quickly and return. After all, it concerns the hope of deciphering the Heavenly Mysteries Treasure Mirror. I can't entrust this to anyone else." Li Fan pleaded sincerely.
Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Fang Zaiji glared at Liu San, who was watching from the sidelines, before flying away directly.
"I also want to go out and take a look," Qiang Yushan suddenly said at this moment.
Liu San was taken aback.
"Staying here for too long feels stifling." Qiang Yushan said calmly. "Now that it seems so lively outside, with countless small worlds hidden for thousands of years finally revealing their full forms, I am very interested. Perhaps I might even run into some old acquaintances."
Li Fan pondered for a moment and agreed.
He handed over an Endless Disk and a communication spirit token to the other, instructing: "Safety first. Our Medicine King Sect needs your assistance to rise again."
"Rest assured." Qiang Yushan responded coldly before breaking through the air.
"Youth Master, I also..." Liu San hurriedly said.
"Old Liu, just stay in the Medicine King Valley. There's an important matter soon that will require you and me to run together," Li Fan waved his hand decisively, refusing Liu San's request.
Liu San looked pained but couldn't defy Li Fan. He went to vent among the disciples of the Medicine King Sect in the valley.
Li Fan continued to immerse himself in feeding the Surface Disintegration Plate.
Meanwhile, Xubai, who had returned to Cold City, learned about the recent progress of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's campaign against the worlds.
Previously, everything was going smoothly. Just after his return from the Xuanhuang Realm, the fervent cultivators finally suffered their first defeat.
The first batch of over a hundred cultivators who entered the small world included three Core Formation leaders and fifty Foundation Establishment core members.
Such formidable combat power nearly resulted in total annihilation.
The sole survivor was a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Lu Zixian. Originally, he had joined this expedition merely due to his relationship with one of the Core Formation leaders, hoping to earn some merits.
When the situation turned dire, Lu Zixian fled without hesitation.
Perhaps because of his lowly strength, the enemy did not pursue him relentlessly.
This devastating defeat naturally caused a stir and attracted official investigations from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
With the footage recorded by the Heavenly Mysteries Treasure Mirror, Lu Zixian's suspicion as an agent was quickly cleared, and he was released without guilt.
The release of this footage sparked public outrage.
For the final destruction of this expeditionary force, only one person was involved.
A white-haired old man with wrinkles all over his face, seemingly very elderly, who appeared ready to die at any moment.
But his actions were anything but hesitant; they were ruthless and vicious. His hair seemed alive, rising up to injure people. It looked like silver dragons, instantly piercing through the bodies of Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators.
What was even more shocking was that after his hair pierced into the bodies of these cultivators, it seemed to draw life force from them.
Countless cultivators suddenly aged rapidly, and some couldn't even make a sound before turning into skeletons.
The old man's face also became rosy due to this.
This white-haired old man’s strength was at least in the Dao Integration Realm. And he seemed to have an advantage with small worlds; ordinary Core Formation cultivators could not resist him at all, only watching helplessly as they were drained of life force.
This footage immediately sparked great anger among the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators.
"Actually able to suck out a cultivator's lifespan? Such behavior is no different from evil spirits! Everyone should kill them!"
"Agreed. This fellow friend, I support you! Quickly cut off his head and behead him!"
"Sss, I didn't expect there to be such a ruthless person in the small worlds. I think it will take at least two or three Dao Integrators to deal with him."
"A bunch of fools, haven't you noticed? Lu Zixian was intentionally let back so he could send news. He wanted to attract more cultivators to their deaths!"
"Has some merit. But why didn't he just leave that small world and wreak havoc in the Xuanhuang Realm?"
"Because he's not as foolish as you."
...
Despite the great discussion, Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators were not fools. Since such a monster existed in this small world, they would avoid it. There were countless undiscovered small worlds; why fight to the death? It was better to pick softer targets!
Thus, a dramatic scene unfolded.
This small world was marked on the map with red skull symbols, but no one dared to explore it anymore.
"Anyway, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance will definitely send someone to clean up eventually."
The cultivators all held this mindset and chose to ignore it directly.
The official of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance seemed to tacitly approve such behavior; they did not issue any bounties or warrants for this small world.
"Interesting." Xubai investigated and found that there was a debate within the alliance regarding how to handle this small world.
One faction believed that such pests should be swiftly exterminated to demonstrate the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's supreme might.
Another faction argued that in future campaigns, they would inevitably encounter opponents of similar strength. If they were to eliminate every evil, it could result in casualties.
Each Dao Integrator was a pillar of the alliance; losing one was a significant loss.
Even with the Afterlife Mansion, where resurrection and even retention of past memories and cultivation levels were possible, all Dao Integrators had reservations about this process. Few were willing to be the first to take such risks.
Xubai spent some effort to gather more details on the matter.
It turned out that despite various methods for revival and retaining past memories and cultivation levels, there was a fatal flaw that all Dao Integrators couldn't ignore: once entering the Afterlife Mansion, they could no longer attain Immortal Realm.
The reason was unknown, but based on how the Dao Integrators behaved, it seemed to be true.
After all, which Dao Integrator didn’t have the aspiration of attaining immortality?
Revival was merely a last resort.
(End of Chapter)