xǔ bái kàn xiàng yī páng chén mò bù yǔ de liǔ sān ， zhè shí hū de zhuǎn ér wèn dào ：“ liǔ lǎo nǐ yě yī tóng qù me ？ nín jiàn duō shí guǎng ， zhèng hǎo bāng wǒ zhǎng zhǎng yǎn 。 kàn kàn guī shùn wàn xiān méng yī shì ， jiū jìng kào bù kào pǔ 。 zhè tài yǎn zōng ， yǒu méi yǒu lián hé wàn xiān méng ， qī piàn wǒ děng de kě néng 。”
许白看向一旁沉默不语的柳三，这时忽的转而问道：“柳老你也一同去么？您见多识广，正好帮我掌掌眼。看看归顺万仙盟一事，究竟靠不靠谱。这太衍宗，有没有联合万仙盟，欺骗我等的可能。”
Xu Bai looked at the silent Liu San beside him and suddenly asked, "Old Master Liu, will you be going with us? Your experience is vast; it would be helpful for me to have your eyes. Let's see if the submission of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is really as reliable as we think. Is there a possibility that Taiyin Sect might be deceiving us?"
xǔ bái chéng yì shí zú 。
许白诚意十足。
Xu Bai spoke sincerely.
dàn liǔ sān chén mò piàn kè ， què shì yáo tóu jù jué le ：“ shǎo zhǔ nǐ gēn lǎo fāng qù biàn hǎo 。 lùn yǎn jiè , tā jué bù shū yú wǒ 。 zhí cǐ duō shì zhī qiū ， cháng shēng gǔ zhōng zhū duō dì zǐ ， hái shì xū yào yǒu rén zhào liào de 。 suī shuō rù kǒu yǒu zhōng mò yuán pán zhē yǎn ， bù guò yě bù néng pái chú yǒu xiū shì pèng qiǎo wù rù de kě néng 。”
但柳三沉默片刻，却是摇头拒绝了：“少主你跟老方去便好。论眼界, 他绝不输于我。值此多事之秋，长生谷中诸多弟子，还是需要有人照料的。虽说入口有终末圆盘遮掩，不过也不能排除有修士碰巧误入的可能。”
But after a moment, Liu San shook his head and declined: "Young Master, you should go with Old Fang. He has an extensive view of the world; no one can match him in this regard. With so many disciples in the Longevity Valley, someone needs to look after them. Even though the entrance is concealed by the Endless Disk, we cannot rule out the possibility that a cultivator might accidentally stumble upon it."
“ lǎo liǔ nǐ zǒng suàn shuō le jù shí huà 。” duì yú liǔ sān de kěn dìng ， fāng zài jì xiǎn de yǒu diǎn gāo xìng 。
“老柳你总算说了句实话。”对于柳三的肯定，方再济显得有点高兴。
"Old Liu, you finally said something true," Fang Zaiji seemed pleased with Liu San's affirmation.
dàn hěn kuài tā jiù yǒu xiē hú yí dì dǎ liàng zhe duì fāng ：“ nǐ gāi bú huì shì ， xiǎng chèn zhe zhè ge nán dé de jī huì ， gēn yù shān dú chǔ ba ？”
但很快他就有些狐疑地打量着对方：“伱该不会是，想趁着这个难得的机会，跟玉珊独处吧？”
But soon he suspiciously sized up his companion: "You're not trying to take advantage of this rare opportunity to be alone with Yu Shan, are you?"
“ xiū dé hú yán ！” liǔ sān nǎo nù dào 。
“休得胡言！”柳三恼怒道。
"Do not speak nonsense!" Liu San snapped angrily.
dǎ nào yī fān hòu ， xǔ bái biàn yǔ fāng zài jì chū le cháng shēng gǔ ， zhí bēn tài yǎn zōng ér qù 。
打闹一番后，许白便与方再济出了长生谷，直奔太衍宗而去。
After some playful banter, Xu Bai and Fang Zaiji left the Longevity Valley and headed straight for Taiyin Sect.
xiǎo shì jiè rù kǒu wèi yú tài huá zhōu ， yī lù shàng hái kě yǐ kàn dào bù shǎo wén fēng ér dòng 、 tóng yàng qù kàn rè nào de xiū shì 。
小世界入口位于太华州，一路上还可以看到不少闻风而动、同样去看热闹的修士。
The entrance to the small world was located in Taihua State. Along the way, they could see many cultivators who had come out of curiosity to witness this event.
bìng qiě shí fēn hǎn jiàn de ， yán tú dōu yǒu xiān méng tǐ zhì nèi xiū shì zhǐ yǐn fāng xiàng 。
并且十分罕见的，沿途都有仙盟体制内修士指引方向。
Remarkably, there were also Immortal Alliance cultivators guiding them along the way, clearly intending to use this as a prime example for widespread promotion.
xiǎn rán shì yào bǎ zhè cì tài yǎn zōng guī shùn dāng zuò diǎn xíng ， hǎo hǎo xuān chuán yī fān le 。
显然是要把这次太衍宗归顺当做典型，好好宣传一番了。
Taihua State was situated in the eastern region of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and not far from Cunyun Sea. A mountain range ran through it with thousands of peaks towering over the landscape. The nine most prominent peaks were known as Taihua's Nine Pulses. Originally, there had been ten, but Taixi Mountain suddenly collapsed and was lost to memory, leaving just nine.
tài huá zhōu ， wèi yú wàn xiān méng dōng bù dì qū ， jù lí cóng yún hǎi bù yuǎn 。
太华州，位于万仙盟东部地区，距离丛云海不远。
Xiao Zhenghao once considered studying in Taihua State but later went to Tianyun State due to Li Fan's intervention.
yī tiáo shān mài guàn chuān quán jìng , yǒu qiān fēng sǒng lì 。
一条山脉贯穿全境, 有千峰耸立。
Following the guidance, they arrived at Taixuan Mountain.
qí zhōng yǐ jiǔ zuò shān fēng zuì wèi gāo jùn ， bèi xiū shì chēng zhī wèi tài huá jiǔ mài 。
其中以九座山峰最为高峻，被修士称之为太华九脉。
"This entrance is quite well hidden; it's right in the middle of the mountain! It’s a natural formation. Without the Immortal Alliance opening this passage, we would have had to make more effort," Fang Zaiji was surprised.
qí shí , céng jīng shì tài huá shí mài 。
其实, 曾经是太华十脉。
Traversing through the winding inner channel within the mountain, they reached an already activated spatial portal.
bù guò qí zhōng zhī yī de tài xū shān tū rán bēng tā , jiù cǐ xiāo shī zài rén men de jì yì lǐ 。 cóng cǐ yě jiù biàn chéng le jiǔ mài 。
不过其中之一的太虚山突然崩塌, 就此消失在人们的记忆里。从此也就变成了九脉。
Several Taiyin Sect cultivators stood at the entrance, ostensibly welcoming them with a parade formation. However, their eyes kept scanning over the visitors as if searching for something specific.
céng jīng mǒu yī shì hé zhèng hào hái xiǎng zhe qù tài huá zhōu shēn zào , bù guò hòu lái zài lǐ fán de gān yù xià , qù le tiān yùn zhōu 。
曾经某一世何正浩还想着去太华州深造, 不过后来在李凡的干预下, 去了天运州。
"Those little rascals from back then are still alive, right?" Fang Zaiji thought to himself.
shùn zhe zhǐ yǐn ， èr rén lái dào tài xuán shān shàng 。
顺着指引，二人来到太玄山上。
Seeing Xu Bai's hesitant demeanor, he knew what was troubling him.
“ zhè rù kǒu cáng dé yě shì pǒ wèi yǐn mì ， jū rán zài shān tǐ zhōng jiān ？ hún rán tiān chéng a ！ rú guǒ bú shì wàn xiān méng kāi pì le zhè tiáo tōng dào ， xiǎng jìn qù hái yào fèi fān gōng fu ne 。” fāng zài jì yǒu xiē jīng qí 。
“这入口藏得也是颇为隐秘，居然在山体中间？浑然天成啊！如果不是万仙盟开辟了这条通道，想进去还要费番功夫呢。”方再济有些惊奇。
With a light cough, Xu Bai stepped forward first. Seeing this, Fang Zaiji had no choice but to follow.
yán zhe shān tǐ nèi tōng dào ， wān yán zǒu dào jìn tóu 。
沿着山体内通道，蜿蜒走到尽头。
Several Taiyin Sect cultivators immediately surrounded Xu Bai upon his arrival.
kōng jiān tōng dào yǐ jīng bèi gù huà kāi qǐ 。
空间通道已经被固化开启。
"Esteemed friend, please stop! Do you have any interest in joining our Taiyin Sect?"
rù kǒu chù zhàn zhe jǐ wèi tài yǎn zōng de xiū shì ， biǎo miàn shàng shì zài liè duì huān yíng 。 bù guò kàn tā men yǎn shén bú zhù zài lái fǎng xiū shì shēn shàng sǎo guò , dào shì xiàng zài xún zhǎo zháo shén me 。
入口处站着几位太衍宗的修士，表面上是在列队欢迎。不过看他们眼神不住在来访修士身上扫过, 倒似像在寻找着什么。
"Not only will you be free from worries about your cultivation techniques, but you can also receive a mid-grade Dao Transformation Stone for free."
“ gāi bú huì ， dāng nián nà jǐ gè xiǎo tù zǎi zi hái méi sǐ ba ？” fāng zài jì xīn zhōng àn zì dí gū zhe 。
“该不会，当年那几个小兔崽子还没死吧？”方再济心中暗自嘀咕着。
The sect members were enthusiastic and drew the attention of other cultivators: "Taiyin Sect friend, why are you ignoring me? I want to join your sect!"
xǔ bái kàn tā tū rán biàn dé yǒu xiē yóu yù de shén qíng , jiù zhī dào tā xīn lǐ zài dān xīn xiē shén me 。
许白看他突然变得有些犹豫的神情, 就知道他心里在担心些什么。
"Only him is being surrounded because he looks good?"
qīng ké tí xǐng yī shēng ， shuài xiān xiàng qián zǒu qù 。
轻咳提醒一声，率先向前走去。
The other cultivators were dissatisfied, but the Taiyin Sect members ignored them. They focused solely on Xu Bai.
fāng zài jì jiàn zhuàng ， yě zhǐ dé jǐn jǐn gēn shàng 。
方再济见状，也只得仅仅跟上。
Xu Bai neither agreed nor outright rejected their offer. Instead, he inquired about the current relationship between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and Taiyin Sect.
tài yǎn zōng jǐ wèi xiū shì ， kàn jiàn yíng miàn zǒu lái de xǔ bái zhī hòu ， yǎn jīng dùn shí yī liàng 、 wéi le shàng lái 。
太衍宗几位修士，看见迎面走来的许白之后，眼睛顿时一亮、围了上来。
The sect members responded without reservation: "It's just a name under the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Each year, we send our Dao Formation Elders to the alliance headquarters for duty. In essence, nothing has changed."
“ zhè wèi dào yǒu ， qǐng liú bù ！”
“这位道友，请留步！”
"Within this Taixuan world, it is still us who call the shots; the alliance does not interfere."
“ bù zhī dào yǒu méi yǒu xìng qù ， jiā rù wǒ men tài yǎn zōng ？”
“不知道有没有兴趣，加入我们太衍宗？”
"You must understand that there are countless heavens and small worlds under the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's jurisdiction. One more or less doesn't matter."
“ rù zōng hòu ， bù dàn zì cǐ gōng fǎ wú yōu ， shèn zhì néng miǎn fèi huò dé yī kē zhōng pǐn huà dào shí 。”
“入宗后，不但自此功法无忧，甚至能免费获得一颗中品化道石。”
"But with the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Heavenly Dao Treasure Mirror and other items, our daily cultivation has become much easier."
qī zuǐ bā shé ， shí fēn rè qíng 。
七嘴八舌，十分热情。
Seeing Xu Bai seemed to be considering their offer, they became even more persistent in their persuasion.
yī shí jiān yǐn qǐ le bié de xiū shì de zhù yì 。
一时间引起了别的修士的注意。
They even offered to lead him on a tour of this [Taixuan] small world.
“ tài yǎn zōng dào yǒu ， nǐ kàn kàn wǒ ne ？！”
“太衍宗道友，你看看我呢？！”
Across thousands of miles of fertile land, countless ordinary people lived. In the clouds far away, there was an aerial city floating above them, with many cultivators seen moving about within it.
“ wǒ xiǎng yào jiā rù tài yǎn zōng ！”
“我想要加入太衍宗！”
"The density of qi in this small world is already beyond that of ordinary regions in Xuanhuang World."
“ píng shén me zhǐ wéi zhe tā yí gè rén ？ jiù yīn wèi tā zhǎng de hǎo kàn ？”
“凭什么只围着他一个人？就因为他长的好看？”
"Back then, you actually found such a good place to take refuge..." Fang Zaiji said enviously.
xiū shì men yǒu xiē bù mǎn ， tài yǎn zōng nà jǐ rén què shì gēn běn bù jiā yán sè 。
修士们有些不满，太衍宗那几人却是根本不加颜色。
The Taiyin Sect members were momentarily stunned.
zhǐ dīng zhe xǔ bái yī rén 。
只盯着许白一人。
Realizing what "back then" referred to—the time when the Great Tribulation of Incompatible Practices had descended— they explained: "Of course, we are skilled in divination. We found a glimmer of hope amidst the impending doom."
xǔ bái méi yǒu dā yìng ， yě méi yǒu yī kǒu huí jué 。
许白没有答应，也没有一口回绝。
Although these young disciples' ages suggested that they might not fully understand their past, for the sake of persuading Xu Bai to join, they boasted: "According to our Dao Transformation Mother, you must meet certain facial features. Those who match will either become the backbone of our sect or a pillar that can revive Taiyin Sect, or an unparalleled leader capable of leading us out of crisis..."
ér shì shì tàn wèn qǐ le wàn xiān méng rú jīn gēn tài yǎn zōng de guān xì 。
而是试探问起了万仙盟如今跟太衍宗的关系。
"In short, it is beneficial and harmless; we are absolutely sure not to make any mistakes."
tài yǎn zōng xiū shì men yě shì zhī wú bù dá ：“ jiù shì guà gè wàn xiān méng de míng zì ， rán hòu měi nián dōu yào pài hé dào zhǎng lǎo qù xiān méng zǒng bù zuò zhèn bei 。 zǒng de lái shuō ， gēn zhī qián méi shén me liǎng yàng 。”
太衍宗修士们也是知无不答：“就是挂个万仙盟的名字，然后每年都要派合道长老去仙盟总部坐镇呗。总的来说，跟之前没什么两样。”
They spoke with great confidence, clearly trusting in the Dao Transformation Mother's divinations.
“ zhè tài xuán jiè nèi ， hái shì wǒ men tài yǎn zōng shuō le suàn 。 xiān méng bìng bú huì gān yù 。”
“这太玄界内，还是我们太衍宗说了算。仙盟并不会干预。”
"Oh? This Dao Transformation Mother is so magical that I wonder if I can see her personally?" Xu Bai asked as he followed their lead.
“ nǐ xiǎng xiǎng ， wàn xiān méng zhì xià dòng tiān 、 xiǎo shì jiè hé qí duō 。 duō yí gè shǎo yí gè gēn běn wú suǒ wèi 。”
“你想想，万仙盟治下洞天、小世界何其多。多一个少一个根本无所谓。”
"Once you join our Taiyin Sect, you will have a chance to meet the Dao Transformation Mother. Furthermore, there might be an opportunity for a simulation!" The middle-aged cultivator assured with a chest-thumping gesture.
“ fǎn dào shì yǒu le wàn xiān méng de tiān xuán bǎo jiàn 、 tiān xuán jìng děng shì wù ， wǒ men rì cháng xiū xíng fāng biàn le bù shǎo 。”
“反倒是有了万仙盟的天玄宝鉴、天玄镜等事物，我们日常修行方便了不少。”
"Simulation?" Xu Bai narrowed his eyes.
tā men jiàn xǔ bái sì hū yǒu diǎn yì dòng ， dāng xià gèng jiā nǔ lì de quàn shuō qǐ lái 。
他们见许白似乎有点意动，当下更加努力的劝说起来。
Even Fang Zaiji was instantly captivated by this idea.
shèn zhì zhǔ dòng dài lù ， dài lǐng tā cān guān qǐ le zhè 【 tài xuán 】 xiǎo shì jiè nèi de fēng guāng 。
甚至主动带路，带领他参观起了这【太玄】小世界内的风光。
"The Dao Transformation Mother contains another nearly real world of divination. If you gain its permission, it can use its power to create a virtual world for you."
qiān lǐ wò tǔ , yǒu wú shù fán rén qī xī qí jiān 。
千里沃土, 有无数凡人栖息其间。
"In this virtual world, you will experience everything that is about to happen to you."
yuǎn chù yún duān ， yǒu yī zuò xuán kōng chéng ， fú yú yún shàng 。
远处云端，有一座悬空城，浮于云上。
"Although we cannot guarantee absolute accuracy, being able to foresee events beforehand can help you avoid many detours," the middle-aged cultivator said with envy.
yǐn yuē kě yǐ kàn jiàn yǒu bù shǎo xiū shì zài chéng nèi chuān suō 。
隐约可以看见有不少修士在城内穿梭。
"Alas, I missed out on such an opportunity last time due to my failure in the test."
“ cǐ chù xiǎo shì jiè ， líng qì de nóng yù chéng dù ， yǐ jīng bù zài xuán huáng jiè pǔ tōng dì yù zhī xià le 。”
“此处小世界，灵气的浓郁程度，已经不在玄黄界普通地域之下了。”
"So your meaning is that this Dao Transformation Mother actually possesses its own consciousness?" Fang Zaiji asked, surprised.
“ nǐ men dāng nián jū rán néng zhǎo dào zhè děng hǎo dì fāng bì nàn ……” fāng zài jì yǒu xiē yǎn hóng de shuō dào 。
“你们当年居然能找到这等好地方避难……”方再济有些眼红的说道。
(End of Chapter)
Xu Bai looked at the silent Liu San beside him and suddenly asked, "Old Master Liu, will you be going with us? Your experience is vast; it would be helpful for me to have your eyes. Let's see if the submission of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is really as reliable as we think. Is there a possibility that Taiyin Sect might be deceiving us?"
Xu Bai spoke sincerely.
But after a moment, Liu San shook his head and declined: "Young Master, you should go with Old Fang. He has an extensive view of the world; no one can match him in this regard. With so many disciples in the Longevity Valley, someone needs to look after them. Even though the entrance is concealed by the Endless Disk, we cannot rule out the possibility that a cultivator might accidentally stumble upon it."
"Old Liu, you finally said something true," Fang Zaiji seemed pleased with Liu San's affirmation.
But soon he suspiciously sized up his companion: "You're not trying to take advantage of this rare opportunity to be alone with Yu Shan, are you?"
"Do not speak nonsense!" Liu San snapped angrily.
After some playful banter, Xu Bai and Fang Zaiji left the Longevity Valley and headed straight for Taiyin Sect.
The entrance to the small world was located in Taihua State. Along the way, they could see many cultivators who had come out of curiosity to witness this event.
Remarkably, there were also Immortal Alliance cultivators guiding them along the way, clearly intending to use this as a prime example for widespread promotion.
Taihua State was situated in the eastern region of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and not far from Cunyun Sea. A mountain range ran through it with thousands of peaks towering over the landscape. The nine most prominent peaks were known as Taihua's Nine Pulses. Originally, there had been ten, but Taixi Mountain suddenly collapsed and was lost to memory, leaving just nine.
Xiao Zhenghao once considered studying in Taihua State but later went to Tianyun State due to Li Fan's intervention.
Following the guidance, they arrived at Taixuan Mountain.
"This entrance is quite well hidden; it's right in the middle of the mountain! It’s a natural formation. Without the Immortal Alliance opening this passage, we would have had to make more effort," Fang Zaiji was surprised.
Traversing through the winding inner channel within the mountain, they reached an already activated spatial portal.
Several Taiyin Sect cultivators stood at the entrance, ostensibly welcoming them with a parade formation. However, their eyes kept scanning over the visitors as if searching for something specific.
"Those little rascals from back then are still alive, right?" Fang Zaiji thought to himself.
Seeing Xu Bai's hesitant demeanor, he knew what was troubling him.
With a light cough, Xu Bai stepped forward first. Seeing this, Fang Zaiji had no choice but to follow.
Several Taiyin Sect cultivators immediately surrounded Xu Bai upon his arrival.
"Esteemed friend, please stop! Do you have any interest in joining our Taiyin Sect?"
"Not only will you be free from worries about your cultivation techniques, but you can also receive a mid-grade Dao Transformation Stone for free."
The sect members were enthusiastic and drew the attention of other cultivators: "Taiyin Sect friend, why are you ignoring me? I want to join your sect!"
"Only him is being surrounded because he looks good?"
The other cultivators were dissatisfied, but the Taiyin Sect members ignored them. They focused solely on Xu Bai.
Xu Bai neither agreed nor outright rejected their offer. Instead, he inquired about the current relationship between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and Taiyin Sect.
The sect members responded without reservation: "It's just a name under the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. Each year, we send our Dao Formation Elders to the alliance headquarters for duty. In essence, nothing has changed."
"Within this Taixuan world, it is still us who call the shots; the alliance does not interfere."
"You must understand that there are countless heavens and small worlds under the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's jurisdiction. One more or less doesn't matter."
"But with the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's Heavenly Dao Treasure Mirror and other items, our daily cultivation has become much easier."
Seeing Xu Bai seemed to be considering their offer, they became even more persistent in their persuasion.
They even offered to lead him on a tour of this [Taixuan] small world.
Across thousands of miles of fertile land, countless ordinary people lived. In the clouds far away, there was an aerial city floating above them, with many cultivators seen moving about within it.
"The density of qi in this small world is already beyond that of ordinary regions in Xuanhuang World."
"Back then, you actually found such a good place to take refuge..." Fang Zaiji said enviously.
The Taiyin Sect members were momentarily stunned.
Realizing what "back then" referred to—the time when the Great Tribulation of Incompatible Practices had descended— they explained: "Of course, we are skilled in divination. We found a glimmer of hope amidst the impending doom."
Although these young disciples' ages suggested that they might not fully understand their past, for the sake of persuading Xu Bai to join, they boasted: "According to our Dao Transformation Mother, you must meet certain facial features. Those who match will either become the backbone of our sect or a pillar that can revive Taiyin Sect, or an unparalleled leader capable of leading us out of crisis..."
"In short, it is beneficial and harmless; we are absolutely sure not to make any mistakes."
They spoke with great confidence, clearly trusting in the Dao Transformation Mother's divinations.
"Oh? This Dao Transformation Mother is so magical that I wonder if I can see her personally?" Xu Bai asked as he followed their lead.
"Once you join our Taiyin Sect, you will have a chance to meet the Dao Transformation Mother. Furthermore, there might be an opportunity for a simulation!" The middle-aged cultivator assured with a chest-thumping gesture.
"Simulation?" Xu Bai narrowed his eyes.
Even Fang Zaiji was instantly captivated by this idea.
"The Dao Transformation Mother contains another nearly real world of divination. If you gain its permission, it can use its power to create a virtual world for you."
"In this virtual world, you will experience everything that is about to happen to you."
"Although we cannot guarantee absolute accuracy, being able to foresee events beforehand can help you avoid many detours," the middle-aged cultivator said with envy.
"Alas, I missed out on such an opportunity last time due to my failure in the test."
"So your meaning is that this Dao Transformation Mother actually possesses its own consciousness?" Fang Zaiji asked, surprised.
(End of Chapter)