“ kěn shí nǐ de néng lì ？”
“啃食你的能力？”
"Feeding on your abilities?"
lǐ fán wén yán ， bù yóu yī jīng 。
李凡闻言，不由一惊。
Li Fan was taken aback when he heard this.
tiān yáng shuō de néng lì ， zì rán shì yuán yú tiān dì zhī pò 【 mò shí 】 de kōng jiān zhī lì 。
天阳说的能力，自然是源于天地之魄【墨石】的空间之力。
Tianyang's ability naturally originated from the spatial power of the Heavenly Pillar Essence [Inkstone], derived from the essence of heaven and earth. It had been transformed by the Xuanhuang Law, and once absorbed by a cultivator through the new method, it could not be stripped away even in today’s Xuanhuang Realm.
nǎi xuán huáng fǎ zé suǒ huà ， yí dàn bèi xiū shì tōng guò xīn fǎ xī shōu zhī hòu 。
乃玄黄法则所化，一旦被修士通过新法吸收之后。
But here, in this strange remote small world, how could it possibly be being fed upon?
jí biàn shì rú jīn de xuán huáng jiè ， dōu méi yǒu néng gòu jiāng qí bō lí de bàn fǎ 。
即便是如今的玄黄界，都没有能够将其剥离的办法。
"Senior Brother, don't worry. For me, those unknown existences are like ants crawling on my body; they might cause some discomfort or itchiness, but they can't threaten my life."
ér zài zhè guǐ yì de piān yuǎn xiǎo shì jiè ， jū rán huì bèi kěn shí ？
而在这诡异的偏远小世界，居然会被啃食？
Tianyang transmitted a brief image to convey his meaning.
“ shī xiōng bù yòng dān xīn 。 duì wǒ lái shuō ， nà xiē bù zhī míng de cún zài ， jiù xiàng shì yī zhī zhǐ mǎ yǐ ， zài wǒ shēn shàng pá lái pá qù bān 。”
“师兄不用担心。对我来说，那些不知名的存在，就像是一只只蚂蚁，在我身上爬来爬去般。”
However, Li Fan did not take it lightly.
“ huò xǔ huì téng 、 yǎng 。 dàn què wēi xié bù liǎo wǒ de xìng mìng 。”
“或许会疼、痒。但却威胁不了我的性命。”
Clearly, this Soul Yin World was different from the one the 115th Era Immortal Alliance Expedition Team had detected when they arrived. With caution, Li Fan and Tianyang began exploring within this small world.
tiān yáng chuán guò lái yī duàn huà miàn ， jiǎn lüè biǎo dá zhe zì jǐ de yì si 。
天阳传过来一段画面，简略表达着自己的意思。
This small world wasn't particularly vast; its area was even smaller than that of the Spirit Wood Realm.
lǐ fán què bìng méi yǒu diào yǐ qīng xīn 。
李凡却并没有掉以轻心。
But strangely, Li Fan did not find any of the spirit bodies described by the expedition team. The vast land was dark and gloomy with no visible terrain. It was entirely composed of gray soil.
cǐ chù hún yīn jiè ， xiǎn rán yǔ 115 shì xiān méng tàn xiǎn duì dào dá de shí hòu suǒ tàn cè dào de qíng xíng bìng bù xiāng tóng 。
此处魂阴界，显然与115世仙盟探险队到达的时候所探测到的情形并不相同。
There were no plants or animals, not to mention a single intact stone.
dǎ qǐ jǐng tì ， lǐ fán yǔ tiān yáng zài zhè hún yīn jiè nèi tàn suǒ qǐ lái 。
打起警惕，李凡与天阳在这魂阴界内探索起来。
After scanning the Soul Yin World with his divine sense, Li Fan found nothing else except himself and Tianyang as outsiders.
zhè xiǎo shì jiè bìng bù suàn liáo kuò ， shèn zhì miàn jī dōu méi yǒu líng mù jiè dà 。
这小世界并不算辽阔，甚至面积都没有灵木界大。
Li Fan's expression turned serious as he took some of the gray soil from the ground and examined it closely. It seemed like ordinary dirt, but the momentary contact left behind a burnt-like mark on his hand. He knew this was no ordinary substance.
dàn qí guài de shì ， lǐ fán bìng méi yǒu zhǎo dào xiān méng tàn xiǎn duì miáo shù zhōng de líng tǐ 。
但奇怪的是，李凡并没有找到仙盟探险队描述中的灵体。
"There is no pain; the corrosion happens silently," Li Fan observed with flashing eyes.
kuān guǎng de dà dì huì àn 、 yīn chén ， méi yǒu sī háo dì xíng qǐ fú 。
宽广的大地晦暗、阴沉，没有丝毫地形起伏。
A surge of vitality emerged from within him, attempting to heal the wound.
quán shì yóu huī sè de tǔ rǎng gòu chéng 。
全是由灰色的土壤构成。
To his surprise, these injected life forces seemed to nourish that desolate area! The black spots on his palm rapidly expanded and threatened to spread throughout his body.
bù shuō dòng zhí wù le ， jiù lián yī kuài wán zhěng de shí tou dōu méi yǒu 。
不说动植物了，就连一块完整的石头都没有。
Li Fan made a quick decision and cut off his hand.
shén shí zài hún yīn jiè sǎo le yī quān ， chú le lǐ fán 、 tiān yáng zhè liǎng gè wài lái rén ， jìng rán zài wú qí tā rèn hé cún zài 。
神识在魂阴界扫了一圈，除了李凡、天阳这两个外来人，竟然再无其他任何存在。
The next scene left Li Fan's pupils dilated in shock.
lǐ fán shén qíng níng zhòng ， jiāng dì shàng de huī sè tǔ rǎng qǔ le yī xiē zài shǒu zhōng ， zǐ xì guān chá 。
李凡神情凝重，将地上的灰色土壤取了一些在手中，仔细观察。
The flesh of the hand, when it landed on the gray soil, seemed to fade and grayize like ash from a burnt flame before merging with the soil.
sì hū jiù shì pǔ tōng de ní tǔ 。
似乎就是普通的泥土。
"This must be..."
dàn kàn zhe zì jǐ shǒu shàng ， jǐn jǐn shì jiē chù le qí piàn kè zhī hòu 、 jiù wǎn ruò shāo jiāo de hén jì ， lǐ fán zhī dào zhè jué duì bú shì shén me xún cháng zhī wù 。
但看着自己手上，仅仅是接触了其片刻之后、就宛若烧焦的痕迹，李凡知道这绝对不是什么寻常之物。
Looking at the entire world covered in gray soil, Li Fan was startled by its eerie nature. It surpassed his imagination.
“ méi yǒu tòng gǎn 。 fǔ shí de qiāo wú shēng xī 。” lǐ fán mù guāng shǎn dòng 。
“没有痛感。腐蚀的悄无声息。”李凡目光闪动。
Just as he considered leaving, Tianyang suddenly communicated.
yī gǔ shēng jī zì tǐ nèi yǒng xiàn ， shì tú qù huī fù shǒu zhōng de shāng shì 。
一股生机自体内涌现，试图去恢复手中的伤势。
"Senior Brother, the strength of the feeding varies in different places around here."
dàn ràng lǐ fán yǒu xiē yì wài de shì ， zhè xiē zhù rù de shēng jī ， jìng rán hǎo sì chéng wéi le nà jiāo kū dì dài de yǎng liào yì bān ！
但让李凡有些意外的是，这些注入的生机，竟然好似成为了那焦枯地带的养料一般！
"It might be possible to identify where it's strongest based on the intensity."
shǒu zhǎng de hēi bān xùn sù kuò dà ， yǎn kàn jiù yào yǒu màn yán dào quán shēn de qū shì 。
手掌的黑斑迅速扩大，眼看就要有蔓延到全身的趋势。
Li Fan hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
lǐ fán dāng jī lì duàn ， zhí jiē jiāng shǒu zhǎng qiè xià 。
李凡当机立断，直接将手掌切下。
With Li Fan's approval, Tianyang began sensing and quickly flew over the Soul Yin World. Soon, they pinpointed an area.
ér jiē xià lái fā shēng de yí mù ， ràng lǐ fán tóng kǒng měng suō 。
而接下来发生的一幕，让李凡瞳孔猛缩。
The "feeding force" there seemed exceptionally strong. Li Fan could sense faint, inexplicable ripples emanating from Tianyang as if he was engaged in a fierce battle with an equally powerful opponent.
zhǐ jiàn nà xuè ròu zhī qū de shǒu zhǎng ， luò zài huī sè tǔ rǎng shàng hòu 。
只见那血肉之躯的手掌，落在灰色土壤上后。
After a short while, Tianyang had to leave.
jiù xiàng shì bèi huǒ yàn rán hòu de yú jìn bān ， tuì shǎi 、 huī huà 。
就像是被火焰燃后的余烬般，褪色、灰化。
"It's like being devoured by countless ants. Can't you feel it?" Tianyang asked through their communication.
ér hòu gēn tǔ rǎng róng wéi yī tǐ 。
而后跟土壤融为一体。
Li Fan shook his head and only used the Seven-Colored Divine Light to fly towards that location.
“ zhè jiū jìng ……”
“这究竟……”
Indeed, he felt no abnormalities. But Li Fan had a vague premonition; if he were to use fire attribute spirit energy like before, the consequences might not just be turning into a frozen sculpture.
lǐ fán kàn zhe mǎn shì jiè de huī sè tǔ rǎng ， sǒng rán ér jīng 。
李凡看着满世界的灰色土壤，悚然而惊。
Thus, Li Fan suppressed all the spirit energy within his body and relied solely on his flesh and the Seven-Colored Divine Light.
cǐ dì de guǐ jué chéng dù ， yǒu xiē chāo hū le lǐ fán de xiǎng xiàng 。
此地的诡谲程度，有些超乎了李凡的想象。
Arriving above the target location, Li Fan carefully observed in hopes of finding useful clues.
zhèng dāng tā kǎo lǜ lí kāi de shí hòu ， tiān yáng hū de chuán yīn dào 。
正当他考虑离开的时候，天阳忽的传音道。
Indeed, he noticed something amiss. The entire Soul Yin World was absolutely flat, but that place...
“ shī xiōng ， zhè zhōu wéi kěn shí de qiáng ruò chéng dù ， sì hū měi gè dì fāng dōu bù xiāng tóng 。”
“师兄，这周围啃食的强弱程度，似乎每个地方都不相同。”
It seemed slightly raised, as if something were buried beneath the gray soil.
“ huò xǔ néng gòu tōng guò lì dù de dà xiǎo ， biàn bié chū yì cháng chū zài nǎ lǐ 。”
“或许能够通过力度的大小，辨别出异常出在哪里。”
This time, Li Fan had learned from his experience and used the Seven-Colored Divine Light to protect his right hand while digging through the soil.
lǐ fán yóu yù le piàn kè ， diǎn tóu tóng yì 。
李凡犹豫了片刻，点头同意。
After continuous excavation, he suddenly touched a hard object. His expression turned serious as he picked it up from the depths of the gray soil.
dé le lǐ fán shǒu kěn ， tiān yáng yī biān gǎn yìng zhe ， yī biān zài hún yīn jiè shàng kōng kuài sù fēi lüè 。
得了李凡首肯，天阳一边感应着，一边在魂阴界上空快速飞掠。
The accumulated gray dust on its surface vanished soon after leaving the ground. The hard object revealed itself.
hěn kuài ， jiù suǒ dìng yī chù dì diǎn 。
很快，就锁定一处地点。
"What is this?"
nà lǐ de “ kěn shí zhī lì ”， sì hū jí wéi qiáng shèng 。
那里的“啃食之力”，似乎极为强盛。
Li Fan was stunned.
lǐ fán dōu yǐn yǐn cóng tiān yáng shēn shàng ， gǎn shòu dào le sī sī mò míng de bō dòng 。
李凡都隐隐从天阳身上，感受到了丝丝莫名的波动。
In his hand was a human skull. But unlike ordinary humans, there seemed to be a third eye in the center of its forehead; an eye socket-sized hollow existed there. Moreover, natural golden-black patterns were etched on the skull.
jiù xiàng tiān yáng zhèng zài gēn yí gè qí gǔ xiāng dāng de duì shǒu ， zài jù liè jiāo zhàn yì bān 。
就像天阳正在跟一个旗鼓相当的对手，在剧烈交战一般。
Turning it over, Li Fan was startled to find that the interior of the skull appeared moldy with gray spots standing out starkly.
zhǐ dài le piàn kè ， tiān yáng biàn bù dé yǐ lí kāi 。
只待了片刻，天阳便不得已离开。
And these gray spots seemed to have their own consciousness.
“ jiù xiàng shì wàn yǐ shì shēn yī yàng 。 shī xiōng nǐ gǎn jué bú dào ma ？” tiān yáng chuán yīn wèn dào 。
“就像是万蚁噬身一样。师兄你感觉不到吗？”天阳传音问道。
After lying dormant for countless years, they immediately began wriggling when they sensed living beings nearby, as if exploring in all directions.
lǐ fán yáo yáo tóu ， zhǐ shì yù shǐ zhe qī cǎi shén guāng ， cháo zhe nà chù dì diǎn fēi qù 。
李凡摇摇头，只是御使着七彩神光，朝着那处地点飞去。
A sense of impending danger suddenly surged within Li Fan's heart.
dí què rèn hé yì yàng dōu méi yǒu gǎn dào 。
的确任何异样都没有感到。
He cast a series of Seven-Colored Divine Lights, forming a perfect seal that isolated his vital energy.
dàn lǐ fán xīn zhōng què yǐn yǐn yǒu suǒ yù gǎn ， rú guǒ zì jǐ zài xiàng zhī qián nà yàng ， shǐ chū huǒ shǔ xìng líng lì 。
但李凡心中却隐隐有所预感，如果自己再像之前那样，使出火属性灵力。
The gray spots calmed down.
kǒng pà hòu guǒ jué bù zhǐ shì ròu shēn dòng chéng diāo sù nà bān jiǎn dān le 。
恐怕后果绝不只是肉身冻成雕塑那般简单了。
Looking at the strange skull inside the colorful light ball, Li Fan frowned slightly.
gù ér ， lǐ fán jiāng zì shēn tǐ nèi líng qì quán dōu chén jì xià lái 。
故而，李凡将自身体内灵气全都沉寂下来。
"A three-eyed head; it resembles humans but is different. Clearly not from the Xuanhuang Realm."
zhǐ píng jiè ròu shēn yǐ jí qī cǎi shén guāng zhī lì xíng dòng 。
只凭借肉身以及七彩神光之力行动。
"The cause of the Soul Yin World's calamity seems to be those gray spots."
lái dào mù biāo dì diǎn shàng fāng zǐ xì guān chá ， lǐ fán shì tú xiǎng yào zhǎo dào yǒu yòng de xiàn suǒ 。
来到目标地点上方仔细观察，李凡试图想要找到有用的线索。
"Could it be that this outsider brought these terrifying gray spots here, turning this place into a desolate gray domain?"
hái zhēn ràng tā chá jué le bù tuǒ de dì fāng 。
还真让他察觉了不妥的地方。
"And this instigator was likely consumed by the gray spots, leaving no complete body behind."
qián piàn yǐ jīng chá tàn guò ， zhěng gè hún yīn jiè ， dōu shì jué duì píng tǎn de dì fāng 。
前片已经查探过，整个魂阴界，都是绝对平坦的地方。
"Only because of the black and golden inscriptions on the skull did it manage to survive."
dàn nà chù dì diǎn ……
但那处地点……
...
sì hū yǒu xiē lóng qǐ 。
似乎有些隆起。
A possible answer emerged in Li Fan's mind.
jiù xiàng shì zài huī sè tǔ rǎng xià ， yǎn mái zhe shén me dōng xī yī yàng 。
就像是在灰色土壤下，掩埋着什么东西一样。
"This is the most remote part of the Xuanhuang Realm; it might already be within the range that other cultivator realms can reach."
zhè cì lǐ fán yǒu le jīng yàn ， qī cǎi shén guāng hù zhù yòu shǒu ， jiāng tǔ rǎng páo kāi 。
这次李凡有了经验，七彩神光护住右手，将土壤刨开。
"This three-eyed individual is a cultivator from this realm."
bù tíng xiàng xià wā jué ， hū de ， lǐ fán mō dào le yí gè yìng wù 。
不停向下挖掘，忽的，李凡摸到了一个硬物。
"Coming here, was he trying to escape?"
liǎn sè níng zhòng ， jiāng qí cóng huī sè tǔ rǎng shēn chù ná qǐ 。
脸色凝重，将其从灰色土壤深处拿起。
"But brought over these terrifying gray spots."
biǎo miàn chén jī de huī tǔ ， zài lí kāi dì miàn hòu bù jiǔ ， jiù zì xíng xiāo shī 。
表面沉积的灰土，在离开地面后不久，就自行消失。
Images flashed before Li Fan's eyes.
nà ge yìng wù yīn ér lù chū le zhēn róng 。
那个硬物因而露出了真容。
Li Fan discovered that the Seven-Colored Divine Light could not completely resist the power of the gray spots. Even just sealing them, his Seven-Colored Divine Light was being continuously consumed. Without the continuous input from the Five Elements Cave Heaven, the seal would have broken long ago.
“ zhè shì ？”
“这是？”
After pondering for a moment, Li Fan did not return the skull to its original place but tried to store it in his storage ring.
lǐ fán yǒu xiē lèng zhù 。
李凡有些愣住。
Surprisingly, he managed without any hindrance.
shǒu zhōng de dōng xī ， hè rán shì yí gè rén lèi de lú gǔ 。
手中的东西，赫然是一个人类的颅骨。
Through the storage ring, Li Fan found that the gray spots were still not at rest; they continued consuming the Seven-Colored Divine Light and even destabilized the spatial dimensions of the storage ring.
dàn gēn pǔ tōng rén bù yí yàng de shì ， zhè tóu gǔ de méi xīn chù ， sì hū yǒu zhe dì sān zhǐ yǎn móu 。 cún zài zhe yí gè yǎn kuàng bān dà xiǎo kōng dòng 。
但跟普通人不一样的是，这头骨的眉心处，似乎有着第三只眼眸。存在着一个眼眶般大小空洞。
(End of Chapter)
"Feeding on your abilities?"
Li Fan was taken aback when he heard this.
Tianyang's ability naturally originated from the spatial power of the Heavenly Pillar Essence [Inkstone], derived from the essence of heaven and earth. It had been transformed by the Xuanhuang Law, and once absorbed by a cultivator through the new method, it could not be stripped away even in today’s Xuanhuang Realm.
But here, in this strange remote small world, how could it possibly be being fed upon?
"Senior Brother, don't worry. For me, those unknown existences are like ants crawling on my body; they might cause some discomfort or itchiness, but they can't threaten my life."
Tianyang transmitted a brief image to convey his meaning.
However, Li Fan did not take it lightly.
Clearly, this Soul Yin World was different from the one the 115th Era Immortal Alliance Expedition Team had detected when they arrived. With caution, Li Fan and Tianyang began exploring within this small world.
This small world wasn't particularly vast; its area was even smaller than that of the Spirit Wood Realm.
But strangely, Li Fan did not find any of the spirit bodies described by the expedition team. The vast land was dark and gloomy with no visible terrain. It was entirely composed of gray soil.
There were no plants or animals, not to mention a single intact stone.
After scanning the Soul Yin World with his divine sense, Li Fan found nothing else except himself and Tianyang as outsiders.
Li Fan's expression turned serious as he took some of the gray soil from the ground and examined it closely. It seemed like ordinary dirt, but the momentary contact left behind a burnt-like mark on his hand. He knew this was no ordinary substance.
"There is no pain; the corrosion happens silently," Li Fan observed with flashing eyes.
A surge of vitality emerged from within him, attempting to heal the wound.
To his surprise, these injected life forces seemed to nourish that desolate area! The black spots on his palm rapidly expanded and threatened to spread throughout his body.
Li Fan made a quick decision and cut off his hand.
The next scene left Li Fan's pupils dilated in shock.
The flesh of the hand, when it landed on the gray soil, seemed to fade and grayize like ash from a burnt flame before merging with the soil.
"This must be..."
Looking at the entire world covered in gray soil, Li Fan was startled by its eerie nature. It surpassed his imagination.
Just as he considered leaving, Tianyang suddenly communicated.
"Senior Brother, the strength of the feeding varies in different places around here."
"It might be possible to identify where it's strongest based on the intensity."
Li Fan hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
With Li Fan's approval, Tianyang began sensing and quickly flew over the Soul Yin World. Soon, they pinpointed an area.
The "feeding force" there seemed exceptionally strong. Li Fan could sense faint, inexplicable ripples emanating from Tianyang as if he was engaged in a fierce battle with an equally powerful opponent.
After a short while, Tianyang had to leave.
"It's like being devoured by countless ants. Can't you feel it?" Tianyang asked through their communication.
Li Fan shook his head and only used the Seven-Colored Divine Light to fly towards that location.
Indeed, he felt no abnormalities. But Li Fan had a vague premonition; if he were to use fire attribute spirit energy like before, the consequences might not just be turning into a frozen sculpture.
Thus, Li Fan suppressed all the spirit energy within his body and relied solely on his flesh and the Seven-Colored Divine Light.
Arriving above the target location, Li Fan carefully observed in hopes of finding useful clues.
Indeed, he noticed something amiss. The entire Soul Yin World was absolutely flat, but that place...
It seemed slightly raised, as if something were buried beneath the gray soil.
This time, Li Fan had learned from his experience and used the Seven-Colored Divine Light to protect his right hand while digging through the soil.
After continuous excavation, he suddenly touched a hard object. His expression turned serious as he picked it up from the depths of the gray soil.
The accumulated gray dust on its surface vanished soon after leaving the ground. The hard object revealed itself.
"What is this?"
Li Fan was stunned.
In his hand was a human skull. But unlike ordinary humans, there seemed to be a third eye in the center of its forehead; an eye socket-sized hollow existed there. Moreover, natural golden-black patterns were etched on the skull.
Turning it over, Li Fan was startled to find that the interior of the skull appeared moldy with gray spots standing out starkly.
And these gray spots seemed to have their own consciousness.
After lying dormant for countless years, they immediately began wriggling when they sensed living beings nearby, as if exploring in all directions.
A sense of impending danger suddenly surged within Li Fan's heart.
He cast a series of Seven-Colored Divine Lights, forming a perfect seal that isolated his vital energy.
The gray spots calmed down.
Looking at the strange skull inside the colorful light ball, Li Fan frowned slightly.
"A three-eyed head; it resembles humans but is different. Clearly not from the Xuanhuang Realm."
"The cause of the Soul Yin World's calamity seems to be those gray spots."
"Could it be that this outsider brought these terrifying gray spots here, turning this place into a desolate gray domain?"
"And this instigator was likely consumed by the gray spots, leaving no complete body behind."
"Only because of the black and golden inscriptions on the skull did it manage to survive."
...
A possible answer emerged in Li Fan's mind.
"This is the most remote part of the Xuanhuang Realm; it might already be within the range that other cultivator realms can reach."
"This three-eyed individual is a cultivator from this realm."
"Coming here, was he trying to escape?"
"But brought over these terrifying gray spots."
Images flashed before Li Fan's eyes.
Li Fan discovered that the Seven-Colored Divine Light could not completely resist the power of the gray spots. Even just sealing them, his Seven-Colored Divine Light was being continuously consumed. Without the continuous input from the Five Elements Cave Heaven, the seal would have broken long ago.
After pondering for a moment, Li Fan did not return the skull to its original place but tried to store it in his storage ring.
Surprisingly, he managed without any hindrance.
Through the storage ring, Li Fan found that the gray spots were still not at rest; they continued consuming the Seven-Colored Divine Light and even destabilized the spatial dimensions of the storage ring.
(End of Chapter)