wēi jī guān tóu ， ōu shàng tiān zài dù bào fā 。
危机关头，欧尚天再度爆发。
At a critical moment, Ou Shangtian unleashed another burst of power.
yī tuán cuǐ càn de huáng sè guāng máng ， jiāng fāng yuán shù wàn mǐ fàn wéi lǒng zhào 。
一团璀璨的黄色光芒，将方圆数万米范围笼罩。
A dazzling yellow light enveloped an area of several miles in all directions.
bèi bō jí de xiū shì ， zhuàng tài quán dōu huí dào bāo wéi ōu shàng tiān de shí jiān zhī qián 。
被波及的修士，状态全都回到包围欧尚天的时间之前。
The cultivators affected by the wave returned to their state before being surrounded by Ou Shangtian. By the time they realized what was happening, both Ou Shangtian and his father had vanished without a trace.
děng tā men fǎn yìng guò lái de shí hòu ， ōu shàng tiān fù zi liǎ yǐ jīng xiāo shī wú zōng 。
等他们反应过来的时候，欧尚天父子俩已经消失无踪。
Furious, they continued the chase but found that only Ou Shangtian remained in flight. After a prolonged struggle, Ou Shangtian was finally captured by an unlucky fellow named Xie Xiantao.
qì jí bài huài de tā men jì xù zhuī jī ， què fā xiàn táo wáng de zhǐ shèng xià le ōu shàng tiān yī rén 。
气急败坏的他们继续追击，却发现逃亡的只剩下了欧尚天一人。
In response to the other cultivators' intense gazes, Xie Xiantao made a wise decision: he turned Ou Shangtian over to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance in exchange for a reward. In fact, during his escape, Ou Shangtian had killed at least a hundred alliance members in self-defense. Although forced into it, this still violated the alliance's laws, making him a major criminal.
yòu fù yú wán kàng le bàn tiān ， zuì zhōng yóu yī wèi míng wèi xiè xiān tāo de xìng yùn ér ， jiāng qí bǔ zhuō 。
又负隅顽抗了半天，最终由一位名为谢先涛的幸运儿，将其捕捉。
Officially, there was no action taken against him, but that didn't mean they weren't keeping an eye on the situation. Sure enough, shortly after Xie Xiantao publicly announced his choice, a team of black-robed cultivators arrived to take both Xie and the critically injured Ou Shangtian away.
miàn duì bié de xiū shì de hǔ shì dān dān ， xiè xiān tāo dāng jī lì duàn ， zuò chū le míng zhì zhī jǔ 。
面对别的修士的虎视眈眈，谢先涛当机立断，做出了明智之举。
The grand manhunt came to an end with much fanfare. Meanwhile, the other protagonist, Ou Shangtian's father, Daozi Ou, was completely forgotten—except by Li Fan.
nà jiù shì bǎ ōu shàng tiān shàng jiāo wàn xiān méng ， huàn qǔ shǎng jīn 。
那就是把欧尚天上交万仙盟，换取赏金。
In a dark forest in Luo Yanzhou,
shì shí shàng ， zài táo pǎo guò chéng zhōng ， ōu shàng tiān jī shā le bù xià bǎi míng xiān méng xiū shì 。
事实上，在逃跑过程中，欧尚天击杀了不下百名仙盟修士。
Daozi Ou lay hidden beneath layers of dead leaves, grievously injured. He thought about his son, who had risked everything to protect him, and felt an excruciating pain.
suī shuō shì bèi pò zì wèi ， dàn bì jìng chù fàn le xiān méng lǜ fǎ 。
虽说是被迫自卫，但毕竟触犯了仙盟律法。
"Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance..."
ōu shàng tiān zǎo yǐ jīng shì xiān méng chóng fàn le 。
欧尚天早已经是仙盟重犯了。
His eyes were bloodshot as he relived the faces of those involved in the chase that kept flashing through his mind with hatred. But now, he remained motionless, fearing discovery. He silently tended to his wounds.
cǐ qián guān fāng yì zhí méi yǒu xià chǎng ， què yě bìng bù dài biǎo zhe méi yǒu guān zhù cǐ shì 。
此前官方一直没有下场，却也并不代表着没有关注此事。
"Ah..."
guǒ rán ， dāng xiè xiān tāo gōng kāi biǎo shì zì jǐ de xuǎn zé hòu 。
果然，当谢先涛公开表示自己的选择后。
Just then, a sigh echoed around him. Daozi Ou was startled and tried to flee but it was too late. Three familiar figures appeared beside him.
bù guò piàn kè ， jiù yǒu yī duì hēi yī xiū shì lái dào xiàn chǎng 。 jiāng tā gēn yǎn yǎn yī xī de ōu shàng tiān dài zǒu 。
不过片刻，就有一队黑衣修士来到现场。将他跟奄奄一息的欧尚天带走。
"You!" Seeing the culprit Li Fan, Daozi Ou's eyes bulged with fury.
fèi fèi yáng yáng de tiān xià dà zhuī bǔ shì jiàn ， yě xuān bù gào yú duàn luò 。
沸沸扬扬的天下大追捕事件，也宣布告于段落。
He was about to go berserk and commit suicide alongside Li Fan when Lin Ling and Tianyang restrained him. Weakened by his injuries and most of his combat abilities lost, he soon succumbed fully.
ér shì jiàn de lìng wài yí gè zhǔ rén wēng ， ōu shàng tiān zhī fù ， ōu dào zi 。
而事件的另外一个主人翁，欧尚天之父，欧道子。
"Strange, why are you looking at me like that?"
què shì yǐ jīng wú rén zài yì le 。
却是已经无人在意了。
"I only wanted your help in designing buildings. You and your son fled without meeting face-to-face, and you plotted to kill me. If it weren't for my good fortune, I would have met my end right there."
chú le lǐ fán 。
除了李凡。
"I haven't finished settling accounts with you yet."
luó yān zhōu ， yī chù yīn àn de cóng lín zhōng 。
罗烟州，一处阴暗的丛林中。
"Besides, the ones who chased and captured your son were all from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. What does that have to do with me?"
ōu dào zi yǐn shēn cáng zài céng céng duī dié de kū yè zhī xià ， shēn shòu zhòng shāng 。
欧道子隐身藏在层层堆叠的枯叶之下，身受重伤。
Li Fan spoke innocently.
dàn shì xiǎng dào ér zi wèi le bǎo hù zì jǐ ， bù xī tòu zhī zì shēn néng lì 、 yǐn kāi dí rén 。
但是想到儿子为了保护自己，不惜透支自身能力、引开敌人。
"How unreasonable!" Seeing Li Fan making unfounded claims in broad daylight, Daozi Ou was furious. Veins bulged on his forehead as he prepared to fight to the death.
tā jiù xīn rú dāo gē tòng kǔ wàn fēn 。
他就心如刀割痛苦万分。
"You have the wrong idea," Li Fan shook his head slightly.
“ wàn xiān méng ……”
“万仙盟……”
He took out a transparent fruit and wore a kind smile.
ōu dào zi yǎn jīng tōng hóng ， nǎo hǎi zhōng cān yù zhuī bǔ de nà xiē miàn páng ， bù duàn shǎn guò 。
欧道子眼睛通红，脑海中参与追捕的那些面庞，不断闪过。
"Here, open your mouth and eat this. You'll understand."
xīn zhōng mǎn shì yuàn hèn 。
心中满是怨恨。
Daozi Ou's heart filled with an ominous feeling: "What is this?"
dàn cǐ kè què yī dòng bù gǎn dòng ， shēng pà bèi rén fā xiàn 。
但此刻却一动不敢动，生怕被人发现。
Li Fan didn't answer but handed the true诱果 to Lin Ling, forcing Daozi Ou to swallow it. As the fruit entered his stomach, his struggles weakened. His gaze toward Li Fan changed.
mò mò xiū yǎng zhe shāng shì 。
默默休养着伤势。
"Isn't it what you want to do—rescue your son?"
“ āi ……”
“哎……”
"While companion artifacts are usually hard to transfer, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has many tricks up its sleeve. Your son might suffer," Li Fan whispered.
jiù zài zhè shí ， yī dào tàn xī shēng hū de chuán lái 。
就在这时，一道叹息声忽的传来。
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance!" Daozi Ou's eyes turned bloodshot with rage.
ōu dào zi sǒng rán yī jīng ， xiǎng yào táo pǎo ， què yǐ jīng wǎn le 。
欧道子悚然一惊，想要逃跑，却已经晚了。
"Though the alliance lacks righteousness, it is powerful. To destroy it and save your son will take time."
sān dào shú xī de shēn yǐng ， bù zhī hé shí ， yǐ jīng chū xiàn zài tā de shēn biān 。
三道熟悉的身影，不知何时，已经出现在他的身边。
"Our Interstellar Federation was created for this very purpose!"
“ shì nǐ ！” kàn zhe shēn wèi zuì kuí kuí shǒu de lǐ fán ， ōu dào zi yá zì yù liè 。
“是你！”看着身为罪魁魁首的李凡，欧道子睚眦欲裂。
...
dāng chǎng jiù yào bào zǒu ， gēn lǐ fán tóng guī yú jìn 。
当场就要暴走，跟李凡同归于尽。
Under the influence of the true诱果, Daozi Ou's resolve was quickly rewritten. He joined the Interstellar Federation, making its destruction his goal.
dàn què bèi lín líng gēn tiān yáng lián shǒu yā zhì 。
但却被林灵跟天阳联手压制。
For Li Fan, a like-minded ally, he now regarded as an equal.
běn jiù shí lì ruò shàng yī chóu ， rú jīn gèng shì shāng shì jí zhòng 、 shī qù le dà bù fèn zhàn lì 。
本就实力弱上一筹，如今更是伤势极重、失去了大部分战力。
Through Daozi Ou, Li Fan learned about the secrets of Ou Shangtian's companion artifacts.
mò guò duō jiǔ tā jiù chè dǐ bèi kòng zhì zhù 。
没过多久他就彻底被控制住。
"My son has two companion artifacts."
“ qí guài ， nǐ ná zhè zhǒng yǎn shén kàn wǒ gàn shén me ？”
“奇怪，你拿这种眼神看我干什么？”
"One I knew from childhood: the [Ten Thousand Deaths Ledger], which can predict one’s future death."
“ wǒ yuán běn zhǐ xiǎng qǐng nǐ bāng máng shè jì jiàn zhù ， shì nǐ men fù zǐ liǎ miàn hái méi jiàn zhe ， jiù cōng máng táo pǎo 。 gèng shì yòng jì ， móu wǒ xìng mìng 。 rú guǒ bú shì wǒ mìng dà ， kǒng pà dāng chǎng jiù yào jiāo dài le 。”
“我原本只想请你帮忙设计建筑，是伱们父子俩面还没见着，就匆忙逃跑。更是用计，谋我性命。如果不是我命大，恐怕当场就要交代了。”
"The other, the [Kun乾 Bone Hand] that can reverse time, awakened when he encountered a mountain collapse two years ago. At the time, he was just at the beginning of his cultivation period and suddenly faced this natural disaster. His life hung by a thread.
“ wǒ hái méi gēn nǐ men suàn zhàng ne 。”
“我还没跟你们算账呢。”
"During the critical moment, his potential surged, activating the hidden ability of the [Kun乾 Bone Hand]."
“ kuàng qiě ， zhuī bǔ 、 shēng qín nǐ ér zi de ， kě quán dōu shì wàn xiān méng de rén 。 gēn wǒ yòu yǒu shén me guān xì ？”
“况且，追捕、生擒你儿子的，可全都是万仙盟的人。跟我又有什么关系？”
"The mountain collapsed and then reappeared, which is truly astonishing. That's why I kept it from you."
lǐ fán yī liǎn wú gū dào 。
李凡一脸无辜道。
"Just recently, he rushed to find me, urging me to leave as he foresaw a terrifying group coming after us..."
“ qǐ yǒu cǐ lǐ ！” jiàn lǐ fán guāng tiān huà rì zhī xià 、 hú shuō bā dào ， ōu dào zi yǐ rán shì nù dào jí diǎn 。
“岂有此理！”见李凡光天化日之下、胡说八道，欧道子已然是怒到极点。
As they arrived in the Spirit Wood Realm, Daozi Ou recounted the events.
é tóu shàng ， xuè guǎn bào qǐ ， bú zhù tiào dòng 。
额头上，血管暴起，不住跳动。
Li Fan remained calm: "Innumerable futures and countless possibilities—what he foresees may not be true."
sì hū yào gēn lǐ fán dāng chǎng pīn gè nǐ sǐ wǒ huó 。
似乎要跟李凡当场拼个你死我活。
"If I were to act decisively, just these two wouldn't be enough to stop me."
“ nǐ zhè guān niàn jiù bú duì 。” lǐ fán wēi wēi yáo tóu 。
“你这观念就不对。”李凡微微摇头。
Daozi Ou's eyes became hazy as he sighed deeply. "A misunderstanding has caused my son and I to never see each other again..."
qǔ chū yī méi jīng yíng tī tòu de guǒ shí ， lù chū yī fù hé shàn de xiào róng 。
取出一枚晶莹剔透的果实，露出一副和善的笑容。
"There will be a chance. Fellow Daoist, how do you think of this Spirit Wood Realm?" Li Fan changed the subject, pointing at the thriving miniature world under construction.
“ lái ， zhāng zuǐ 。 bǎ zhè ge chī le ， nǐ jiù huì xiǎng tōng le 。”
“来，张嘴。把这个吃了，你就会想通了。”
"Zzzip...," Daozi Ou observed for a moment before shaking his head with disdain.
ōu dào zi xīn zhōng dùn shí yǒng qǐ yī zhèn bù xiáng de yù gǎn ：“ zhè shì shén me dōng xī ？”
欧道子心中顿时涌起一阵不详的预感：“这是什么东西？”
"It's a good place, but the design and building plan are lacking..."
lǐ fán yě bù huí dá 。
李凡也不回答。
"Not fitting the Interstellar Federation's reputation."
jiāng zhēn shí yòu guǒ jiāo gěi lín líng ， qiáng xíng wèi ōu dào zi chī xià 。
将真实诱果交给林灵，强行喂欧道子吃下。
Li Fan showed no anger. Instead, he bowed and said: "Then I'll trouble you to make some improvements."
guǒ shí rù dù ōu dào zi de zhēng zhá màn màn ruò le xià lái 。
果实入肚欧道子的挣扎慢慢弱了下来。
Daozi Ou squinted and agreed. Deeply captivated by this path, he quickly immersed himself in his plans.
kàn xiàng lǐ fán de yǎn shén ， yě zhú jiàn qǐ le biàn huà 。
看向李凡的眼神，也逐渐起了变化。
"Fellow Daoist, go ahead. Whatever you need, just ask the leader of this world tree."
“ nán dào nǐ bù xiǎng jiù huí nǐ de ér zi ma ？”
“难道你不想救回你的儿子嘛？”
With Li Fan's approval, Daozi Ou temporarily forgot his sorrow and fully devoted himself to building the Spirit Wood Realm.
“ suī rán bàn shēng qí wù ， tōng cháng qíng kuàng xià wú fǎ bèi zhuǎn yí 。 dàn wàn xiān méng shǒu duàn kě tài duō le ， zhǐ bù dìng nǐ de ér zi yào zāo shén me zuì 。” lǐ fán dī yǔ dào 。
“虽然伴生奇物，通常情况下无法被转移。但万仙盟手段可太多了，指不定你的儿子要遭什么罪。”李凡低语道。
"Although it took some time, we have achieved our initial goal."
“ wàn xiān méng ！” ōu dào zi de yǎn jīng shùn jiān bèi jī de mǎn shì xuè sè 。
“万仙盟！”欧道子的眼睛瞬间被激的满是血色。
"The Kun乾 Bone Hand and Ten Thousand Deaths Ledger..."
“ xiān méng wú dào ， què shì lì páng dà 。 xiǎng yào jiāng qí fù miè ， jiù chū nǐ de ér zi ， xū yào xú xú tú zhī 。”
“仙盟无道，却势力庞大。想要将其覆灭，救出你的儿子，需要徐徐图之。”
Li Fan frowned. According to Daozi Ou, Ou Shangtian had not yet fully mastered the Kun乾 Bone Hand's abilities. During his escape, he sensed that there was still a powerful hidden ability waiting to be discovered.
“ wǒ men wàn jiè lián hé huì ， zhèng shì wèi cǐ ér shēng ！”
“我们万界联合会，正是为此而生！”
With some time, it might indeed achieve partial time reversal. However, this was just Ou Shangtian's speculation, and its exact nature remained uncertain.
……
……
The crucial point was that the Kun乾 Bone Hand was undoubtedly the hand bone of an existence.
zài zhēn shí yòu guǒ de zuò yòng xià ， ōu dào zi de xīn zhì hěn kuài jiù bèi gǎi xiě 。
在真实诱果的作用下，欧道子的心志很快就被改写。
(End of chapter)
At a critical moment, Ou Shangtian unleashed another burst of power.
A dazzling yellow light enveloped an area of several miles in all directions.
The cultivators affected by the wave returned to their state before being surrounded by Ou Shangtian. By the time they realized what was happening, both Ou Shangtian and his father had vanished without a trace.
Furious, they continued the chase but found that only Ou Shangtian remained in flight. After a prolonged struggle, Ou Shangtian was finally captured by an unlucky fellow named Xie Xiantao.
In response to the other cultivators' intense gazes, Xie Xiantao made a wise decision: he turned Ou Shangtian over to the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance in exchange for a reward. In fact, during his escape, Ou Shangtian had killed at least a hundred alliance members in self-defense. Although forced into it, this still violated the alliance's laws, making him a major criminal.
Officially, there was no action taken against him, but that didn't mean they weren't keeping an eye on the situation. Sure enough, shortly after Xie Xiantao publicly announced his choice, a team of black-robed cultivators arrived to take both Xie and the critically injured Ou Shangtian away.
The grand manhunt came to an end with much fanfare. Meanwhile, the other protagonist, Ou Shangtian's father, Daozi Ou, was completely forgotten—except by Li Fan.
In a dark forest in Luo Yanzhou,
Daozi Ou lay hidden beneath layers of dead leaves, grievously injured. He thought about his son, who had risked everything to protect him, and felt an excruciating pain.
"Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance..."
His eyes were bloodshot as he relived the faces of those involved in the chase that kept flashing through his mind with hatred. But now, he remained motionless, fearing discovery. He silently tended to his wounds.
"Ah..."
Just then, a sigh echoed around him. Daozi Ou was startled and tried to flee but it was too late. Three familiar figures appeared beside him.
"You!" Seeing the culprit Li Fan, Daozi Ou's eyes bulged with fury.
He was about to go berserk and commit suicide alongside Li Fan when Lin Ling and Tianyang restrained him. Weakened by his injuries and most of his combat abilities lost, he soon succumbed fully.
"Strange, why are you looking at me like that?"
"I only wanted your help in designing buildings. You and your son fled without meeting face-to-face, and you plotted to kill me. If it weren't for my good fortune, I would have met my end right there."
"I haven't finished settling accounts with you yet."
"Besides, the ones who chased and captured your son were all from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. What does that have to do with me?"
Li Fan spoke innocently.
"How unreasonable!" Seeing Li Fan making unfounded claims in broad daylight, Daozi Ou was furious. Veins bulged on his forehead as he prepared to fight to the death.
"You have the wrong idea," Li Fan shook his head slightly.
He took out a transparent fruit and wore a kind smile.
"Here, open your mouth and eat this. You'll understand."
Daozi Ou's heart filled with an ominous feeling: "What is this?"
Li Fan didn't answer but handed the true诱果 to Lin Ling, forcing Daozi Ou to swallow it. As the fruit entered his stomach, his struggles weakened. His gaze toward Li Fan changed.
"Isn't it what you want to do—rescue your son?"
"While companion artifacts are usually hard to transfer, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has many tricks up its sleeve. Your son might suffer," Li Fan whispered.
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance!" Daozi Ou's eyes turned bloodshot with rage.
"Though the alliance lacks righteousness, it is powerful. To destroy it and save your son will take time."
"Our Interstellar Federation was created for this very purpose!"
...
Under the influence of the true诱果, Daozi Ou's resolve was quickly rewritten. He joined the Interstellar Federation, making its destruction his goal.
For Li Fan, a like-minded ally, he now regarded as an equal.
Through Daozi Ou, Li Fan learned about the secrets of Ou Shangtian's companion artifacts.
"My son has two companion artifacts."
"One I knew from childhood: the [Ten Thousand Deaths Ledger], which can predict one’s future death."
"The other, the [Kun乾 Bone Hand] that can reverse time, awakened when he encountered a mountain collapse two years ago. At the time, he was just at the beginning of his cultivation period and suddenly faced this natural disaster. His life hung by a thread.
"During the critical moment, his potential surged, activating the hidden ability of the [Kun乾 Bone Hand]."
"The mountain collapsed and then reappeared, which is truly astonishing. That's why I kept it from you."
"Just recently, he rushed to find me, urging me to leave as he foresaw a terrifying group coming after us..."
As they arrived in the Spirit Wood Realm, Daozi Ou recounted the events.
Li Fan remained calm: "Innumerable futures and countless possibilities—what he foresees may not be true."
"If I were to act decisively, just these two wouldn't be enough to stop me."
Daozi Ou's eyes became hazy as he sighed deeply. "A misunderstanding has caused my son and I to never see each other again..."
"There will be a chance. Fellow Daoist, how do you think of this Spirit Wood Realm?" Li Fan changed the subject, pointing at the thriving miniature world under construction.
"Zzzip...," Daozi Ou observed for a moment before shaking his head with disdain.
"It's a good place, but the design and building plan are lacking..."
"Not fitting the Interstellar Federation's reputation."
Li Fan showed no anger. Instead, he bowed and said: "Then I'll trouble you to make some improvements."
Daozi Ou squinted and agreed. Deeply captivated by this path, he quickly immersed himself in his plans.
"Fellow Daoist, go ahead. Whatever you need, just ask the leader of this world tree."
With Li Fan's approval, Daozi Ou temporarily forgot his sorrow and fully devoted himself to building the Spirit Wood Realm.
"Although it took some time, we have achieved our initial goal."
"The Kun乾 Bone Hand and Ten Thousand Deaths Ledger..."
Li Fan frowned. According to Daozi Ou, Ou Shangtian had not yet fully mastered the Kun乾 Bone Hand's abilities. During his escape, he sensed that there was still a powerful hidden ability waiting to be discovered.
With some time, it might indeed achieve partial time reversal. However, this was just Ou Shangtian's speculation, and its exact nature remained uncertain.
The crucial point was that the Kun乾 Bone Hand was undoubtedly the hand bone of an existence.
(End of chapter)