shí jiān fǎng fú tíng zhǐ le liú shì 。
时间仿佛停止了流逝。
Time seemed to have stopped.
zài chǎng xiū shì tiān rén jiāo zhàn 。
在场修士天人交战。
The cultivators in the room were engaged in a mental battle.
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， hé zhèng hào dì yí gè zuò chū le jué zé 。
许久之后，何正浩第一个做出了抉择。
After some time, Zhenghao He was the first to make his decision.
tā chén shēng dào ：“ wǒ yuàn yì yī shì ！”
他沉声道：“我愿意一试！”
He said solemnly, "I am willing to give it a try!"
“ fǎn zhèng wǒ yě bù guò shì gè xiǎo xiǎo de dǎo yǔ zhèn shǒu 。 shě qì le yě méi shén me kě xī de ！”
“反正我也不过是个小小的岛屿镇守。舍弃了也没什么可惜的！”
"Anyway, I'm just a small island guardian. Giving up isn't something to regret!"
hé zhèng hào yǎn shén zhōng ， fú xiàn chū yī gǔ jiǔ wéi de yì cǎi ：“ rú jīn yǒu hù zhù huì bāng zhù ， wǒ tí qián dé dào le yuán yīng gōng fǎ 。”
何正浩眼神中，浮现出一股久违的异彩：“如今有互助会帮助，我提前得到了元婴功法。”
A flicker of long-missed excitement appeared in He Zhenghao's eyes: "With the Mutual Aid Association's help, I've already obtained an infant core technique."
“ jīn dān jìng zhǐ rì kě dài ， yuán yīng yě shì shǒu dào qín lái zhī shì 。”
“金丹境指日可待，元婴也是手到擒来之事。”
"The Golden Core realm is within reach, and obtaining the infant core is no big deal."
“ rú guǒ néng yǐ jīn dān jìng jiè ， kǎo rù xiān méng zhōng yāng zhōu yù ……”
“如果能以金丹境界，考入仙盟中央州域……”
"If I can enter the Central Region of the Immortal Alliance with my Golden Core realm..."
“ yǐ hòu qián chéng ， nà jiù gēn dāi zài cóng yún hǎi dà bù xiāng tóng le ！”
“以后前程，那就跟呆在丛云海大不相同了！”
"Then my future prospects will be vastly different from staying in Cunyun Sea!"
sì hū shì wèi le shuō fú zì jǐ ， yòu sì hū shì quàn shuō zài chǎng zhòng rén yì qǐ 。
似乎是为了说服自己，又似乎是劝说在场众人一起。
It seemed he was convincing himself as much as the others. His tone was firm yet persuasive.
hé zhèng hào de yǔ qì jiān dìng ， ér yòu chōng mǎn shān dòng yì wèi 。
何正浩的语气坚定，而又充满煽动意味。
With a leader, three more cultivators made the same choice.
yǒu le lǐng tóu yáng ， jiē xià lái yòu yǒu sān míng xiū shì zuò chū le tóng yàng de xuǎn zé 。
有了领头羊，接下来又有三名修士做出了同样的选择。
But that was it.
dàn yě jǐn xiàn yú cǐ le 。
但也仅限于此了。
Most people didn't abandon their comfortable positions and lacked the courage and confidence to challenge themselves again.
jué dà duō shù rén ， dōu méi yǒu fàng qì xiàn zài de ān yì zhí wèi ， zài dù tiǎo zhàn zì jǐ de yǒng qì yǔ xìn xīn 。
绝大多数人，都没有放弃现在的安逸职位，再度挑战自己的勇气与信心。
After all, even with leaked test questions...
bì jìng jí biàn yǒu zhe xiè lòu de zhēn tí ……
毕竟即便有着泄露的真题……
The content in Ji Shao Li's jade slip was too much.
dàn jì shào lí gěi chū de yù jiǎn zhōng de nèi róng ， yě shí zài tài duō le 。
但季绍离给出的玉简中的内容，也实在太多了。
Would they be able to remember everything?
néng bù néng quán jì zhù hái shì yī shuō 。
能不能全记住还是一说。
Memorizing by rote was quite different from truly mastering something.
sǐ jì yìng bèi gēn zhēn zhèng shú liàn zhǎng wò ， hái shì yǒu hěn dà qū bié de 。
死记硬背跟真正熟练掌握，还是有很大区别的。
With the major exam starting soon, there wasn't enough time for thorough preparation.
rú jīn dà kǎo kāi shǐ zài jí ， shèng xià de shí jiān tài jǐn 。
如今大考开始在即，剩下的时间太紧。
In short, their chances of success were slim.
gēn běn bù gòu tā men chōng fèn zhǔn bèi de 。
根本不够他们充分准备的。
But four out of eleven were willing to take a chance.
shuō bái le ， jiù shì chéng gōng de gài lǜ bù gāo 。
说白了，就是成功的概率不高。
This exceeded Ji Shao Li's expectations.
bù guò shí yī míng zhōng ， yǒu sì wèi yuàn yì bó yī bó 。
不过十一名中，有四位愿意搏一搏。
He laughed and praised He Zhenghao and his companions, "Rest assured, you won’t regret your choice today."
zhè ge bǐ lì yǐ jīng yǒu xiē chāo chū jì shào lí de yì liào 。
这个比例已经有些超出季绍离的意料。
"You can prepare on the island before the major exam. I will provide some necessary assistance."
tā dà xiào zhe kàn zhe hé zhèng hào sì rén ， gǔ zhǎng ér zàn dào ：“ fàng xīn ， nǐ men jué bú huì hòu huǐ jīn rì zhī jué zé 。”
他大笑着看着何正浩四人，鼓掌而赞道：“放心，你们绝不会后悔今日之抉择。”
The four men were overjoyed.
“ dà kǎo lái lín zhī qián ， nǐ men jiù zài dǎo shàng zhǔn bèi ba 。 wǒ huì wèi nǐ men tí gōng xiē bì yào de bāng zhù 。”
“大考来临之前，你们就在岛上准备吧。我会为你们提供些必要的帮助。”
The others, seeing Ji Shao Li’s confident demeanor, felt a twinge of regret.
sì rén bù yóu dà xǐ 。
四人不由大喜。
Ji Shao Li then comforted everyone: "Cunyun Sea still needs our care. Deciding to stay and develop here isn’t wrong."
ér qí yú jǐ rén ， kàn dào jì shào lí zhè xiōng yǒu chéng zhú de mú yàng ， yòu bù yóu xīn zhōng shēng chū jǐ fēn huǐ yì 。
而其余几人，看到季绍离这胸有成竹的模样，又不由心中生出几分悔意。
Everyone was now at ease.
jì shào lí zé shì fǎn guò lái ān fǔ zhòng rén 。
季绍离则是反过来安抚众人。
---
“ cóng yún hǎi yě bì jìng xū yào zhòng rén zhào fú ， jué dìng liú zài cǐ dì fā zhǎn ， yě méi shén me bú duì 。”
“丛云海也毕竟需要众人照拂，决定留在此地发展，也没什么不对。”
In the Heavenly Spirit Province,
zhòng rén zhè cái xīn ān 。
众人这才心安。
Li Fan and his companions had returned to near the entrance of the Five Elements Great Cavern.
……
……
The tremors in Lingling State caught the Immortal Alliance's attention.
tiān líng zhōu 。
天灵州。
They didn't disturb anyone during their journey.
lǐ fán yī xíng sān rén ， yǐ jīng huí dào wǔ xíng dà dòng tiān rù kǒu fù jìn 。
李凡一行三人，已经回到五行大洞天入口附近。
And the process of transferring the Five Elements Great Cavern passage entrance was done quietly.
qí lǐng zhōu de dì dòng ， xī yǐn le xiān méng de zhù yì lì 。
旗岭州的地动，吸引了仙盟的注意力。
After all, alchemy cultivators were already at the peak of normal activity.
yī lù shàng ， méi yǒu jīng dòng rèn hé rén 。
一路上，没有惊动任何人。
With Lin Ling and Tianyang working together, along with Li Fan’s expertise in阵法,
ér zhuǎn yí wǔ xíng dà dòng tiān tōng dào rù kǒu de guò chéng ， yě shì jìn xíng de qiāo wú shēng xī 。
而转移五行大洞天通道入口的过程，也是进行的悄无声息。
it was easy to avoid detection by the cultivators within Heavenly Spirit Province.
bì jìng hé dào xiū shì ， yǐ jīng shì píng rì lǐ huì zhèng cháng huó dòng xiū shì de xiū wèi dǐng fēng le 。
毕竟合道修士，已经是平日里会正常活动修士的修为顶峰了。
"Simply moving the passage entrance into the Spirit Wood Realm. Not actually changing the location of the Cavern."
lín líng 、 tiān yáng èr rén hé lì ， jiā shàng yǒu jīng tōng zhèn fǎ de lǐ fán 。
林灵、天阳二人合力，加上有精通阵法的李凡。
"There's still some danger."
xiǎng yào mán guò tiān líng zhōu nèi de xiū shì de chá jué ， shí zài zài róng yì bù guò 。
想要瞒过天灵州内的修士的察觉，实在再容易不过。
"If discovered, the Spirit Wood Realm might be exposed."
“ zhǐ shì zhuǎn yí tōng dào rù kǒu ， jiāng qí qiān yí dào líng mù jiè nèi 。 bú shì zhēn zhèng gǎi biàn dòng tiān suǒ chǔ fāng wèi 。”
“只是转移通道入口，将其迁移到灵木界内。不是真正改变洞天所处方位。”
"But once I truly consume the Five Elements Great Cavern, this隐患will disappear on its own."
“ yán gé lái shuō ， qí shí hái yǒu diǎn wēi xiǎn 。”
“严格来说，其实还有点危险。”
The spatial data for Heavenly Spirit Province had been recorded.
“ ruò shì bèi rén fā xiàn ， líng mù jiè fǎn dào huì yīn cǐ bào lù 。”
“若是被人发现，灵木界反倒会因此暴露。”
All that was needed now was one person to return to the Spirit Wood Realm and complete the passage对接.
“ bù guò ， zhǐ yào děng wǒ zhēn zhèng jiāng wǔ xíng dà dòng tiān tūn shì 。 cǐ zhǒng yǐn huàn jiù zì rán xiāo shī 。”
“不过，只要等我真正将五行大洞天吞噬。此种隐患就自然消失。”
It wouldn't take long for Lin Ling to make a trip.
tiān líng zhōu zhè biān de kōng jiān jì lù shù jù ， yǐ jīng jì lù wán bì 。
天灵州这边的空间记录数据，已经记录完毕。
However...
jiē xià lái ， zhǐ xū yào yī rén fǎn huí líng mù jiè 。
接下来，只需要一人返回灵木界。
Li Fan glanced at Lin Ling unintentionally.
zài líng mù jiè zhōng ， wán chéng tōng dào de duì jiē jí kě 。
在灵木界中，完成通道的对接即可。
She seemed somewhat distracted since entering Heavenly Spirit Province.
ràng lín líng pǎo yī tàng ， bù xū yào tài jiǔ 。
让林灵跑一趟，不需要太久。
"Lin Ling, what happened? Why do I feel your mind is in turmoil?"
zhǐ bù guò ……
只不过……
Li Fan asked telepathically.
lǐ fán bù jīng yì de piē le lín líng yī yǎn 。
李凡不经意的瞥了林灵一眼。
"Master..."
cóng tà rù tiān líng zhōu kāi shǐ ， tā sì hū jiù xiǎn de yǒu xiē xīn shén bù níng 、 shén qíng huǎng hū 。
从踏入天灵州开始，她似乎就显得有些心神不宁、神情恍惚。
Lin Ling's voice was alarmed. After hesitating for a moment, she explained: "There seems to be an unpleasant aura here."
“ lín líng ， fā shēng le hé shì ？ wèi hé wǒ gǎn jué ， nǐ de xīn hěn luàn ？”
“林灵，发生了何事？为何我感觉，你的心很乱？”
"It’s similar to the ancient tree that Senior Ground Pulse warned us to avoid."
lǐ fán chuán yīn xún wèn dào 。
李凡传音询问道。
Li Fan's pupils suddenly narrowed.
“ zhǔ rén ……”
“主人……”
"Ao Mu?"
lín líng yǔ qì yǒu xiē jīng huáng ， yóu yù le piàn kè ， cái yì wǔ yì shí de jiāo dài ：“ zhè lǐ ， sì hū yǒu zhe bù hǎo de qì xī 。”
林灵语气有些惊惶，犹豫了片刻，才一五一十的交代：“这里，似乎有着不好的气息。”
The name instantly appeared in his mind.
“ gēn dì mài gǔ shù qián bèi zhī qián jiāo dài de ， xū yào jǐn liàng duǒ zhe de mǔ shù ……”
“跟地脉古树前辈之前交代的，需要尽量躲着的母树……”
115th era, he had coincidentally met Ao Mu's incarnation,朽木道人, in Heavenly Spirit Province.
“ yǒu xiē xiāng sì 。”
“有些相似。”
Now that Lin Ling could sense Ao Mu again, it was no surprise.
lǐ fán wén yán ， tóng kǒng zhòu rán yī suō 。
李凡闻言，瞳孔骤然一缩。
However, what alarmed Li Fan was:
“ ruò mù ？”
“若木？”
If Lin Ling could sense Ao Mu,
shà shí zhī jiān ， zhè ge míng zì jiù chū xiàn zài tā de nǎo hǎi zhōng 。
霎时之间，这个名字就出现在他的脑海中。
could Ao Mu perceive her existence?
115 shì de shí hòu ， tā yě zhèng shì zài zhè tiān líng zhōu ， qiǎo yù dào le ruò mù de huà shēn 。
115世的时候，他也正是在这天灵州，巧遇到了若木的化身。
A chill ran down his spine.
xiǔ mù dào rén 。
朽木道人。
Li Fan immediately ordered Tianyang to accompany Lin Ling and leave Heavenly Spirit Province quickly.
rú jīn lín líng zài cǐ zài dù gǎn yìng dào ruò mù de qì xī ， yě shì qíng lǐ zhī zhōng de shì qíng 。
如今林灵在此再度感应到若木的气息，也是情理之中的事情。
Once he safely returned Lin Ling, he would come back.
bù guò ， ràng lǐ fán yǒu xiē xīn jīng de shì 。
不过，让李凡有些心惊的是。
Tianyang promptly accepted the order.
jì rán lín líng néng gòu gǎn yìng dào ruò mù 。
既然林灵能够感应到若木。
As they left, Li Fan's fear gradually subsided.
nà me ruò mù ， shì fǒu néng gòu gǎn zhī dào lín líng de cún zài ？
那么若木，是否能够感知到林灵的存在？
"The sudden sense of danger wasn't a delusion."
yī gǔ máo gǔ sǒng rán de hán yì hū de zì xīn jiān shēng qǐ 。
一股毛骨悚然的寒意忽的自心间升起。
"Lin Ling must have fallen into Ao Mu’s sight."
lǐ fán dāng jí mìng lìng tiān yáng ， péi zhe lín líng yì qǐ ， xùn sù lí kāi tiān líng zhōu 。
李凡当即命令天阳，陪着林灵一起，迅速离开天灵州。
"But I wonder if it was just good luck for her or something else that He didn’t choose to act," Li Fan thought as he waited for Tianyang to return.
děng ān quán jiāng lín líng sòng huí hòu ， zài fǎn huí lái 。
等安全将林灵送回后，再返回来。
Without Lin Ling's ground pulse power, Tianyang's solo flight was much slower.
tiān yáng dāng jí lǐng mìng 。
天阳当即领命。
He had to avoid being detected by other cultivators, further slowing his speed.
ér suí zhe èr rén lí kāi ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng de jīng jù ， yě zhú jiàn píng xī xià lái 。
而随着二人离开，李凡心中的惊惧，也逐渐平息下来。
While waiting patiently, a flash of insight appeared in Li Fan’s mind.
“ gāng gāng fú xiàn de wēi jī gǎn ， bú shì cuò jué 。”
“刚刚浮现的危机感，不是错觉。”
"Ao Mu hates cultivators."
“ yīng gāi lín líng shì dí què luò rù ruò mù de shì xiàn zhōng le 。”
“应该林灵是的确落入若木的视线中了。”
"Sometimes, He tricks and captures them as tools for producing Golden Cores."
“ bù guò ， yě bù zhī shì lín líng yùn qì hǎo ， hái shì shén me yuán yīn 。 tā méi yǒu xuǎn zé dòng shǒu 。”
“不过，也不知是林灵运气好，还是什么原因。祂没有选择动手。”
"However, His incarnation,朽木道人, rarely appears. At least during the 115th era, when Xiao Meng Yu followed my advice to search for Him, He was nowhere to be found."
děng dào tiān yáng bào píng ān ， liǎng rén yǐ jīng ān quán fǎn huí líng mù jiè hòu 。
等到天阳报平安，两人已经安全返回灵木界后。
"Ao Mu appeared previously because of the major battle in Heavenly Spirit Province, where countless cultivators perished."
lǐ fán zhè cái chè dǐ sōng le kǒu qì 。
李凡这才彻底松了口气。
"Could His appearance this time have anything to do with too many cultivator deaths?"
zài tā de yǎn zhōng ， ruò mù de wēi xiǎn xìng ， shèn zhì hái zài tiān yī zhī shàng 。
在他的眼中，若木的危险性，甚至还在天医之上。
Li Fan’s eyes flickered.
bì jìng ， ruò mù gēn bái xiān shēng 。
毕竟，若木跟白先生。
With Ao Mu's power, He didn't need to personally appear to deceive cultivators. He could simply enjoy the process.
shì tā mù qián zāo yù de ， wéi èr néng gòu ràng tā lián hái zhēn dōu shī zhǎn bù chū de cún zài 。
是他目前遭遇的，唯二能够让他连还真都施展不出的存在。
Watching cultivators gradually lose themselves in His words until they willingly hung on branches for eternity as tools to nurture Golden Cores.
“ zhī qián néng gòu shēng huán ， shì jiǎo xìng 。”
“之前能够生还，是侥幸。”
Ao Mu's heart filled with hatred would undoubtedly feel immense joy.
“ rú guǒ zài yǒu xià cì ， jié guǒ hái zhēn bù hǎo shuō 。”
“如果再有下次，结果还真不好说。”
"Perhaps it’s like humans celebrating a happy event by having a drink."
“ zhè děng lǎo guài wù ， hái shì jǐn liàng bì zhe tā 。” lǐ fán yī biān děng dài tiān yáng fǎn huí ， yī biān àn zì sī cǔn dào 。
“这等老怪物，还是尽量避着祂。”李凡一边等待天阳返回，一边暗自思忖道。
Li Fan thought to himself.
méi yǒu le lín líng dì mài zhī lì de bāng zhù ， tiān yáng gū shēn fēi dùn ， yào màn le xǔ duō 。
没有了林灵地脉之力的帮助，天阳孤身飞遁，要慢了许多。
"Now that Ao Mu has returned, it might mean many more cultivators will die in large numbers."
hái yào fáng zhǐ bèi yán tú de xiū shì fā xiàn ， yù fā jiǎn huǎn le fēi xíng de sù dù 。
还要防止被沿途的修士发现，愈发减缓了飞行的速度。
"Even if nothing happens now, He first sensed something."
lǐ fán nài xīn děng hòu de gōng fu ， nǎo hǎi zhōng yòu shì líng guāng yī shǎn 。
李凡耐心等候的功夫，脑海中又是灵光一闪。
While Li Fan was lost in his thoughts,
“ ruò mù hèn jí xiū shì 。”
“若木恨极修士。”
Tianyang finally arrived.
“ shí bù shí ， jiù huì hǒng piàn 、 zhuā zhù xiū shì ， zuò wéi shēng chǎn jīn dān de gōng jù 。”
“时不时，就会哄骗、抓住修士，作为生产金丹的工具。”
After some effort, he successfully changed the entrance of the Five Elements Great Cavern.
“ rán ér ， tā de huà shēn xiǔ mù dào rén ， què bìng bú huì shí cháng xiàn shì 。 zhì shǎo 115 shì de shí hòu ， xī mén yǔ dé dào wǒ de zhǐ diǎn 、 qù xún zhǎo ， què méi yǒu zhǎo dào tā de zōng jì 。”
“然而，祂的化身朽木道人，却并不会时常现世。至少115世的时候，西门羽得到我的指点、去寻找，却没有找到祂的踪迹。”
Only after the residual spatial fluctuations dissipated did Li Fan leave.
“ cǐ qián ruò mù xiàn shēn ， shì yīn wèi tiān líng zhōu dà zhàn bào fā 。 xiū shì yǔn luò wú shù 。”
“此前若木现身，是因为天灵州大战爆发。修士陨落无数。”
Before leaving, he used a secret technique to seal this anomaly.
“ zhè cì tā chū xiàn ， huì bú huì yòu gēn xiū shì sǐ de tài duō yǒu guān ？”
“这次祂出现，会不会又跟修士死的太多有关？”
Tomorrow, it would be time to pay off debts.
lǐ fán mù guāng shǎn dòng 。
李凡目光闪动。
(End of chapter)
Time seemed to have stopped.
The cultivators in the room were engaged in a mental battle.
After some time, Zhenghao He was the first to make his decision.
He said solemnly, "I am willing to give it a try!"
"Anyway, I'm just a small island guardian. Giving up isn't something to regret!"
A flicker of long-missed excitement appeared in He Zhenghao's eyes: "With the Mutual Aid Association's help, I've already obtained an infant core technique."
"The Golden Core realm is within reach, and obtaining the infant core is no big deal."
"If I can enter the Central Region of the Immortal Alliance with my Golden Core realm..."
"Then my future prospects will be vastly different from staying in Cunyun Sea!"
It seemed he was convincing himself as much as the others. His tone was firm yet persuasive.
With a leader, three more cultivators made the same choice.
But that was it.
Most people didn't abandon their comfortable positions and lacked the courage and confidence to challenge themselves again.
After all, even with leaked test questions...
The content in Ji Shao Li's jade slip was too much.
Would they be able to remember everything?
Memorizing by rote was quite different from truly mastering something.
With the major exam starting soon, there wasn't enough time for thorough preparation.
In short, their chances of success were slim.
But four out of eleven were willing to take a chance.
This exceeded Ji Shao Li's expectations.
He laughed and praised He Zhenghao and his companions, "Rest assured, you won’t regret your choice today."
"You can prepare on the island before the major exam. I will provide some necessary assistance."
The four men were overjoyed.
The others, seeing Ji Shao Li’s confident demeanor, felt a twinge of regret.
Ji Shao Li then comforted everyone: "Cunyun Sea still needs our care. Deciding to stay and develop here isn’t wrong."
Everyone was now at ease.
---
In the Heavenly Spirit Province,
Li Fan and his companions had returned to near the entrance of the Five Elements Great Cavern.
The tremors in Lingling State caught the Immortal Alliance's attention.
They didn't disturb anyone during their journey.
And the process of transferring the Five Elements Great Cavern passage entrance was done quietly.
After all, alchemy cultivators were already at the peak of normal activity.
With Lin Ling and Tianyang working together, along with Li Fan’s expertise in阵法,
it was easy to avoid detection by the cultivators within Heavenly Spirit Province.
"Simply moving the passage entrance into the Spirit Wood Realm. Not actually changing the location of the Cavern."
"There's still some danger."
"If discovered, the Spirit Wood Realm might be exposed."
"But once I truly consume the Five Elements Great Cavern, this隐患will disappear on its own."
The spatial data for Heavenly Spirit Province had been recorded.
All that was needed now was one person to return to the Spirit Wood Realm and complete the passage对接.
It wouldn't take long for Lin Ling to make a trip.
However...
Li Fan glanced at Lin Ling unintentionally.
She seemed somewhat distracted since entering Heavenly Spirit Province.
"Lin Ling, what happened? Why do I feel your mind is in turmoil?"
Li Fan asked telepathically.
"Master..."
Lin Ling's voice was alarmed. After hesitating for a moment, she explained: "There seems to be an unpleasant aura here."
"It’s similar to the ancient tree that Senior Ground Pulse warned us to avoid."
Li Fan's pupils suddenly narrowed.
"Ao Mu?"
The name instantly appeared in his mind.
115th era, he had coincidentally met Ao Mu's incarnation,朽木道人, in Heavenly Spirit Province.
Now that Lin Ling could sense Ao Mu again, it was no surprise.
However, what alarmed Li Fan was:
If Lin Ling could sense Ao Mu,
could Ao Mu perceive her existence?
A chill ran down his spine.
Li Fan immediately ordered Tianyang to accompany Lin Ling and leave Heavenly Spirit Province quickly.
Once he safely returned Lin Ling, he would come back.
Tianyang promptly accepted the order.
As they left, Li Fan's fear gradually subsided.
"The sudden sense of danger wasn't a delusion."
"Lin Ling must have fallen into Ao Mu’s sight."
"But I wonder if it was just good luck for her or something else that He didn’t choose to act," Li Fan thought as he waited for Tianyang to return.
Without Lin Ling's ground pulse power, Tianyang's solo flight was much slower.
He had to avoid being detected by other cultivators, further slowing his speed.
While waiting patiently, a flash of insight appeared in Li Fan’s mind.
"Ao Mu hates cultivators."
"Sometimes, He tricks and captures them as tools for producing Golden Cores."
"However, His incarnation,朽木道人, rarely appears. At least during the 115th era, when Xiao Meng Yu followed my advice to search for Him, He was nowhere to be found."
"Ao Mu appeared previously because of the major battle in Heavenly Spirit Province, where countless cultivators perished."
"Could His appearance this time have anything to do with too many cultivator deaths?"
Li Fan’s eyes flickered.
With Ao Mu's power, He didn't need to personally appear to deceive cultivators. He could simply enjoy the process.
Watching cultivators gradually lose themselves in His words until they willingly hung on branches for eternity as tools to nurture Golden Cores.
Ao Mu's heart filled with hatred would undoubtedly feel immense joy.
"Perhaps it’s like humans celebrating a happy event by having a drink."
Li Fan thought to himself.
"Now that Ao Mu has returned, it might mean many more cultivators will die in large numbers."
"Even if nothing happens now, He first sensed something."
While Li Fan was lost in his thoughts,
Tianyang finally arrived.
After some effort, he successfully changed the entrance of the Five Elements Great Cavern.
Only after the residual spatial fluctuations dissipated did Li Fan leave.
Before leaving, he used a secret technique to seal this anomaly.
Tomorrow, it would be time to pay off debts.
(End of chapter)