“ ruò shì méi yǒu wài lái zhě dǎ pò zhè zhǒng xún huán ， kě néng yào děng dào huáng sè dà hé zhōng yùn yù hún tǐ de lì liàng wán quán xiāo sàn ， zhè zhǒng xiàn xiàng cái huì chè dǐ tíng zhǐ 。”
“若是没有外来者打破这种循环，可能要等到黄色大河中孕育魂体的力量完全消散，这种现象才会彻底停止。”
"If no outsider disrupts this cycle, it might take until the soul energy in the Yellow River dissipates completely for such phenomena to cease."
“ bù guò ， wǒ guān cǐ chù qì xī réng rán shí fēn nóng liè 。 ruò shì wǒ méi yǒu qī cǎi shén guāng hù tǐ ， kǒng pà zài qí zhōng yě dài bù liǎo duō jiǔ 。”
“不过，我观此处气息仍然十分浓烈。若是我没有七彩神光护体，恐怕在其中也待不了多久。”
"But I sense the aura here is still quite intense. If not for my Seven-Colored Divine Light protecting me, I probably wouldn't last long in there."
“ zhè zhǒng chéng dù de lì liàng ……”
“这种程度的力量……”
"How much power..."
“ jué bù zhì yú zhǐ néng jiān chí le èr sān shí nián ba ？”
“绝不至于只能坚持了二三十年吧？”
"Could it really only sustain two or three decades?"
lǐ fán xīn tóu chǎn shēng yī sī yí huò 。
李凡心头产生一丝疑惑。
Li Fan's mind was filled with doubt.
“ shì shén me ， dǎ pò le yīn hún jiè de píng jìng 。 jiāng huáng quán zhōng de wàn yì hún tǐ gěi fàng le chū lái ？”
“是什么，打破了阴魂界的平静。将黄泉中的万亿魂体给放了出来？”
"What could have broken the peace of the Soul Realm and released trillions of souls from the Yellow Springs?"
“ chú fēi 、 shì gēn wǒ yī yàng ， wù rù cǐ dì de xiū shì 。”
“除非、是跟我一样，误入此地的修士。”
"Unless... they are like me—mistaken travelers who stumbled upon this place."
“ yì huò zhě ……”
“亦或者……”
"And perhaps..."
lǐ fán de nǎo hǎi zhōng ， shùn jiān fú xiàn chū bù jiǔ qián bèi zì jǐ zhèn yā de nà ge lú gǔ 。
李凡的脑海中，瞬间浮现出不久前被自己镇压的那个颅骨。
Instantly, Li Fan recalled the skull he had subdued not long ago.
“ nà ge rén ， yǒu méi yǒu kě néng hái méi sǐ ？”
“那个人，有没有可能还没死？”
"Is it possible that person is still alive?"
yí gè niàn tou hū de yǒng xiàn 。
一个念头忽的涌现。
A thought suddenly surfaced.
bìng fēi shì lǐ fán bèi cǐ chù guǐ yì chǎng jǐng xià dào de wú jī zhī tán 。
并非是李凡被此处诡异场景吓到的无稽之谈。
This wasn't a baseless conjecture due to his fear of the strange scene. The Soul Realm was so remote; even at his current speed, it would take over a month to reach here. The likelihood of accidentally entering such a place without a clear goal was slim.
ér shì zhè yīn hún jiè ， piān yuǎn zhì jí 。 yǐ tā rú jīn de sù dù ， yě yào lián xù fēi xíng yí gè duō yuè de shí jiān 。
而是这阴魂界，偏远至极。以他如今的速度，也要连续飞行一个多月的时间。
Examining the skull, though only its head remained, the black and golden patterns on the cranium were still visible despite the gray mold.
chú le huái yǒu què dìng de mù biāo ， wù rù cǐ dì de kě néng xìng ， shí zài bù dà 。
除了怀有确定的目标，误入此地的可能性，实在不大。
"Black and gold patterns endure on the surface; gray mold thrives within the skull."
ér fǎn guān nà lú gǔ ， suī rán zhǐ shèng xià tou lú 。
而反观那颅骨，虽然只剩下头颅。
"This might indicate that their powers are evenly matched, neither able to dominate the other."
dàn tóu gài gǔ shàng de hēi jīn sè tú àn ， què yī jiù néng zài huī sè méi bān de qīn shí xià cún zài 。
但头盖骨上的黑金色图案，却依旧能在灰色霉斑的侵蚀下存在。
Recalling the mysterious skull, Li Fan felt his guess had some merit.
“ hēi jīn sè tú àn yú zhèng miàn bù xiǔ ， huī sè méi bān yú tóu gǔ nèi bù zī shēng 。”
“黑金色图案于正面不朽，灰色霉斑于头骨内部滋生。”
"If completely consumed by the mold, it should turn to dust like many things in the Soul Realm."
“ huò xǔ shuō míng ， èr zhě de lì liàng shì jūn lì dí ， shuí yě nài hé bù liǎo shuí 。”
“或许说明，二者的力量势均力敌，谁也奈何不了谁。”
"Since the skull is still here, it means they haven't truly died."
huí xiǎng qǐ nà shén mì lú gǔ de yàng zi ， lǐ fán yuè fā jué dé zì jǐ de cāi cè yǒu yí dìng de kě néng wèi zhēn 。
回想起那神秘颅骨的样子，李凡越发觉得自己的猜测有一定的可能为真。
Secret techniques of the cultivation world were countless. Xuanhuang Realm practitioners could maintain their immortal bodies and live forever. If this mysterious head could revive using the black and golden patterns, that wouldn't be too hard to accept.
“ rú guǒ wán quán qīn shí ， yīng gāi huì xiàng hún yīn jiè nèi de zhū duō shì wù yì bān ， chè dǐ huà zuò huī huī 。”
“如果完全侵蚀，应该会像魂阴界内的诸多事物一般，彻底化作灰灰。”
"It's indeed very dangerous, but also an opportunity."
“ jì rán tóu gǔ hái zài ， yě jiù yì wèi zhe bìng wèi zhēn zhèng sǐ qù 。”
“既然头骨还在，也就意味着并未真正死去。”
"To learn what happened in other cultivation worlds."
xiū xiān jiè mì fǎ wú shù ， xuán huáng jiè xiū shì dōu néng zuò dào dòng tiān bù miè 、 yǒng shēng bù sǐ 。
修仙界秘法无数，玄黄界修士都能做到洞天不灭、永生不死。
Li Fan's eyes sparkled as he quickly thought of dozens of ways to utilize it.
zhè shén mì tóu lú rú guǒ néng jiè zhù hēi jīn sè tú àn fù shēng ， yě bú shì shén me nán yǐ jiē shòu de shì qíng 。
这神秘头颅如果能借助黑金色图案复生，也不是什么难以接受的事情。
But he didn't forget his main purpose here.
“ dí què shí fēn wēi xiǎn 。 dàn yě shì gè jī huì 。”
“的确十分危险。但也是个机会。”
"Little brother, this interdimensional whale can create space in the void. These spirit bodies love them so much; they must be beneficial for them. Do you want to try?"
“ néng gòu liǎo jiě dào qí tā xiū xiān jiè jiū jìng fā shēng le shén me 。”
“能够了解到其他修仙界究竟发生了什么。”
Tianyang shook his head hurriedly.
lǐ fán mù guāng shǎn dòng ， shùn jiān xiǎng hǎo le shù shí tiáo lì yòng tā de fāng fǎ 。
李凡目光闪动，瞬间想好了数十条利用它的方法。
"They aren't human souls. Just look similar."
bù guò ， tā què yě méi yǒu wàng jì lái cǐ de zhèng shì 。
不过，他却也没有忘记来此的正事。
"These spirit bodies are condensations of the Yellow Springs' power," Li Fan explained, noticing Tianyang's disdain.
“ xiǎo shī dì ， zhè liè jiè jīng néng yú xū wú zhōng kāi pì kōng jiān 。 zhè xiē líng tǐ tā men rú cǐ xǐ ài ， dìng rán duì yú tā men dà yǒu bì yì 。 nǐ yào bù yào yě shì yī shì ？”
“小师弟，这裂界鲸能于虚无中开辟空间。这些灵体它们如此喜爱，定然对于它们大有裨益。你要不要也试一试？”
Tianyang felt better.
tiān yáng lián máng yáo tóu 。
天阳连忙摇头。
He absorbed an old soul that had been in the Yellow Springs for so long its original form was hard to discern.
“ bìng fēi shì rén lèi shēng hún 。 zhǐ bù guò shì zhǎng de xiàng bà le 。”
“并非是人类生魂。只不过是长的像罢了。”
Tianyang activated his spiritual energy and absorbed it. After a moment, he brightened up.
“ zhè xiē líng tǐ ， nǎi shì cǐ chù huáng quán lì liàng de níng jié 。” jiàn duì fāng yǒu xiē xián qì ， lǐ fán bù yóu wèi qí jiǎng jiě qǐ lái 。
“这些灵体，乃是此处黄泉力量的凝结。”见对方有些嫌弃，李凡不由为其讲解起来。
"Senior brother, I know why those whales like them," Tianyang said excitedly.
tiān yáng zhè cái hǎo shòu xiē 。
天阳这才好受些。
"This small world originated from this Yellow Spring, just like fruit on a tree."
shè guò yí gè ， bù zhī zài huáng quán shuǐ zhōng jìn pào le duō jiǔ 、 yǐ rán kàn bù qīng yuán běn yàng mào de chéng nián lǎo hún 。
摄过一个，不知在黄泉水中浸泡了多久、已然看不清原本样貌的成年老魂。
"The Yellow Springs have few法则 powers. The most common is the ability to create space."
tiān yáng yùn zhuàn líng lì ， jiāng qí xī shōu 。
天阳运转灵力，将其吸收。
"While only a small world, it's indeed useful for me."
piàn kè zhī hòu ， yǎn jīng yī liàng 。
片刻之后，眼睛一亮。
Tianyang spoke rapidly and absorbed another spirit body crystal.
“ shī xiōng ， wǒ zhī dào nà xiē dà jīng yú wèi shén me xǐ huān chī tā men le 。” tiān yáng yǒu xiē xīng fèn de shuō dào 。
“师兄，我知道那些大鲸鱼为什么喜欢吃它们了。”天阳有些兴奋的说道。
He frowned slightly.
“ zhè ge xiǎo shì jiè ， zuì chū jiù shì yóu zhè chù huáng quán yǎn huà 。 jiù xiàng shì shù shàng jié chū de guǒ shí bān 。”
“这个小世界，最初就是由这处黄泉衍化。就像是树上结出的果实般。”
"Unfortunately, it seems affected by that gray mold, becoming somewhat disordered."
“ huáng quán shuǐ zhōng ， hǎn yǒu zhū duō fǎ zé lì liàng 。 qí zhōng zuì duō de ， jiù shì chuàng zào kāi pì kōng jiān de quán néng 。”
“黄泉水中，罕有诸多法则力量。其中最多的，就是创造开辟空间的权能。”
"One is enough; more would be useless," Tianyang concluded.
“ suī rán zhǐ shì xiǎo shì jiè céng jí ， dàn yě dí què duì wǒ yǒu yòng 。”
“虽然只是小世界层级，但也的确对我有用。”
Li Fan nodded slightly. Scanning with his divine sense, he found an old spirit body crystal. After absorbing it, Li Fan's mind flashed with images.
tiān yáng yì kǒu qì shuō le xǔ duō ， chuán yīn jiān yòu qǔ lái yī méi líng tǐ jié jīng xī shōu 。
天阳一口气说了许多，传音间又取来一枚灵体结晶吸收。
The Yellow Springs flowed in a ring. At certain points, remnants of power were left behind over the years. These accumulated to form nine "worlds." Life began to emerge after many ages. Civilizations started appearing. Souls returned to the Yellow Springs upon death, flowing through rivers to other worlds for new lives.
zhè cì què wēi wēi zhòu méi 。
这次却微微皱眉。
For so long, life continued peacefully until one day...
“ kě xī ， sì hū shì shòu dào nà huī sè méi bān de yǐng xiǎng ， biàn dé yǒu xiē cuò luàn le 。”
“可惜，似乎是受到那灰色霉斑的影响，变得有些错乱了。”
A golden chain sliced through the sky from afar and enveloped the entire Yellow Spring world.
“ zhǐ fú yòng yí gè jiù gòu le ， duō le yě wú yì chù 。” tiān yáng xià jié lùn dào 。
“只服用一个就够了，多了也无益处。”天阳下结论道。
Under immense force, the world echoed continuously as mountains crumbled, resembling an apocalyptic scene. The chain showed no sign of loosening and emitted holy golden energy, severing its connection with space itself, pulling it somewhere.
lǐ fán wēi wēi diǎn tóu 。
李凡微微点头。
This was a grand force far beyond the Yellow Springs. There was no way to resist; dragged through the void for who knows how long, it finally stabilized.
shén shí sǎo guò ， zhǎo dào le yī méi yǒu xiē nián tóu de líng tǐ jié jīng 。
神识扫过，找到了一枚有些年头的灵体结晶。
In the end, the Yellow Spring world shattered under this extreme pull into nine pieces, one remaining as it arrived in this unfamiliar starry expanse.
jiāng qí xī shōu hòu ， lǐ fán de nǎo hǎi zhōng ， shùn xī fú xiàn chū yī xiē huà miàn 。
将其吸收后，李凡的脑海中，瞬息浮现出一些画面。
...
huáng quán zhī shuǐ ， huán xíng bēn liú 。
黄泉之水，环形奔流。
The images in his mind slowly faded. Li Fan's eyes glowed with an unusual light.
měi dào gù dìng de jǐ gè jié diǎn ， jiù huì cán yú xià jǐ fēn lì liàng 。
每到固定的几个节点，就会残余下几分力量。
He had known since ancient times that Xuanhuang Realm once possessed a miraculous array capable of capturing heavenly realms from afar and even opening spatial pathways for interdimensional warfare. Most of the countless heavens and small worlds here came about this way. But after the Xuantian Sect, when the Ten Immortal Sects took control, it seemed this array had been damaged.
jīng nián lěi yuè xià ， zhè xiē lì liàng yuè jī yuè duō 。
经年累月下，这些力量越积越多。
Its fame faded, seemingly lost in history's long river.
ér hòu kāi huā jié guǒ ， xíng chéng le yī quān jiǔ gè “ shì jiè ”。
而后开花结果，形成了一圈九个“世界”。
Now, he was fortunate to witness its power through the Soul Realm's lingering memory of the ancient array.
bù zhī guò le duō jiǔ ， yǒu shēng mìng zài zhè xiē shì jiè zhōng dàn shēng 。
不知过了多久，有生命在这些世界中诞生。
Li Fan was shaken.
wén míng kāi shǐ chū xiàn 。
文明开始出现。
"Crossing the void with a golden chain... what strength!"
shì jiè zhōng de shēng mìng zài sǐ wáng hòu ， jiāng chóng xīn huí dào huáng quán 。 jīng guò hé shuǐ bēn liú ， yòu jiāng qián wǎng qí tā de shì jiè jīng lì xīn de shēng mìng 。
世界中的生命在死亡后，将重新回到黄泉。经过河水奔流，又将前往其他的世界经历新的生命。
He could now be considered an expert in arrays. With the End-of-the-Age Separation Disc, there might not even be anyone in Xuanhuang Realm whose array techniques surpassed his. But still, he couldn't imagine how such a grand array was constructed.
píng jìng de rì zi yì zhí yán xù ， zhí dào zhè yī rì ……
平静的日子一直延续，直到这一日……
"Grabbing stars and moons, is this already true immortality power?"
yī dào jīn sè suǒ liàn ， huà pò tiān qióng ， zì yáo yáo xū kōng zhī wài ér lái 。
一道金色锁链，划破天穹，自遥遥虚空之外而来。
Li Fan thought to himself.
suǒ liàn màn yán ， shùn jiān jiāng zhěng gè huáng quán shì jiè dōu jǐn jǐn chán rào 、 suǒ zhù 。
锁链蔓延，瞬间将整个黄泉世界都紧紧缠绕、锁住。
From the fleeting glimpse of the golden chain in the Yellow Spring's remnants, it seemed similar to the one used to bind true immortal remains in the Immortal Ruins.
ér hòu ……
而后……
"Do these have any connection?"
jù dà de lā lì zuò yòng xià ， huáng quán shì jiè bù duàn hōng míng 。
巨大的拉力作用下，黄泉世界不断轰鸣。
"The true immortal must be trapped at the Soul Realm's path to the divine realm. It can't be a coincidence."
shān hé bēng tā ， wǎn rú mò shì 。
山河崩塌，宛如末世。
"Before the Immortal Path was severed, there were still connections between the cultivation world and the divine realm."
dàn suǒ liàn sī háo méi yǒu fàng sōng de yì si 。
但锁链丝毫没有放松的意思。
"Since there could be divine artifacts aiding in array construction, it should exist too."
bìng qiě ， cóng qí shàng bù duàn yǒng xiàn chū shén shèng de jīn sè néng liàng 。
并且，从其上不断涌现出神圣的金色能量。
Li Fan's thoughts swirled.
ruì lì de qiè kāi huáng quán shì jiè yǔ kōng jiān běn shēn de lián xì ， sì hū yào jiāng tā lā wǎng shén me dì fāng 。
锐利的切开黄泉世界与空间本身的联系，似乎要将它拉往什么地方。
Seeing his senior brother motionless for so long, Tianyang wondered if something had happened. He asked through mental communication, startling Li Fan awake.
zhè shì yuǎn chāo huáng quán shì jiè de hóng wěi jù lì 。
这是远超黄泉世界的宏伟巨力。
"Little brother, did you see the scene of the golden chain breaking through?"
gēn běn méi yǒu fǎn kàng de yú dì ， zài xū kōng zhōng bèi bù duàn tuō xíng ， bù zhī xiàng qián yí dòng le duō jiǔ ， zhè cái kān kān wěn zhù 。
根本没有反抗的余地，在虚空中被不断拖行，不知向前移动了多久，这才堪堪稳住。
Li Fan asked.
zuì zhōng de jié guǒ shì ， huáng quán shì jiè zài zhè jí zhì de lā chě zhī zhōng ， sì fēn wǔ liè 。 jiǔ gè shì jiè zhǐ yú qí yī ， bàn suí zhe huáng quán yì qǐ ， lái dào le cǐ chù mò shēng de xīng kōng zhī zhōng 。
最终的结果是，黄泉世界在这极致的拉扯之中，四分五裂。九个世界只余其一，伴随着黄泉一起，来到了此处陌生的星空之中。
(End of Chapter)
"If no outsider disrupts this cycle, it might take until the soul energy in the Yellow River dissipates completely for such phenomena to cease."
"But I sense the aura here is still quite intense. If not for my Seven-Colored Divine Light protecting me, I probably wouldn't last long in there."
"How much power..."
"Could it really only sustain two or three decades?"
Li Fan's mind was filled with doubt.
"What could have broken the peace of the Soul Realm and released trillions of souls from the Yellow Springs?"
"Unless... they are like me—mistaken travelers who stumbled upon this place."
"And perhaps..."
Instantly, Li Fan recalled the skull he had subdued not long ago.
"Is it possible that person is still alive?"
A thought suddenly surfaced.
This wasn't a baseless conjecture due to his fear of the strange scene. The Soul Realm was so remote; even at his current speed, it would take over a month to reach here. The likelihood of accidentally entering such a place without a clear goal was slim.
Examining the skull, though only its head remained, the black and golden patterns on the cranium were still visible despite the gray mold.
"Black and gold patterns endure on the surface; gray mold thrives within the skull."
"This might indicate that their powers are evenly matched, neither able to dominate the other."
Recalling the mysterious skull, Li Fan felt his guess had some merit.
"If completely consumed by the mold, it should turn to dust like many things in the Soul Realm."
"Since the skull is still here, it means they haven't truly died."
Secret techniques of the cultivation world were countless. Xuanhuang Realm practitioners could maintain their immortal bodies and live forever. If this mysterious head could revive using the black and golden patterns, that wouldn't be too hard to accept.
"It's indeed very dangerous, but also an opportunity."
"To learn what happened in other cultivation worlds."
Li Fan's eyes sparkled as he quickly thought of dozens of ways to utilize it.
But he didn't forget his main purpose here.
"Little brother, this interdimensional whale can create space in the void. These spirit bodies love them so much; they must be beneficial for them. Do you want to try?"
Tianyang shook his head hurriedly.
"They aren't human souls. Just look similar."
"These spirit bodies are condensations of the Yellow Springs' power," Li Fan explained, noticing Tianyang's disdain.
Tianyang felt better.
He absorbed an old soul that had been in the Yellow Springs for so long its original form was hard to discern.
Tianyang activated his spiritual energy and absorbed it. After a moment, he brightened up.
"Senior brother, I know why those whales like them," Tianyang said excitedly.
"This small world originated from this Yellow Spring, just like fruit on a tree."
"The Yellow Springs have few法则 powers. The most common is the ability to create space."
"While only a small world, it's indeed useful for me."
Tianyang spoke rapidly and absorbed another spirit body crystal.
He frowned slightly.
"Unfortunately, it seems affected by that gray mold, becoming somewhat disordered."
"One is enough; more would be useless," Tianyang concluded.
Li Fan nodded slightly. Scanning with his divine sense, he found an old spirit body crystal. After absorbing it, Li Fan's mind flashed with images.
The Yellow Springs flowed in a ring. At certain points, remnants of power were left behind over the years. These accumulated to form nine "worlds." Life began to emerge after many ages. Civilizations started appearing. Souls returned to the Yellow Springs upon death, flowing through rivers to other worlds for new lives.
For so long, life continued peacefully until one day...
A golden chain sliced through the sky from afar and enveloped the entire Yellow Spring world.
Under immense force, the world echoed continuously as mountains crumbled, resembling an apocalyptic scene. The chain showed no sign of loosening and emitted holy golden energy, severing its connection with space itself, pulling it somewhere.
This was a grand force far beyond the Yellow Springs. There was no way to resist; dragged through the void for who knows how long, it finally stabilized.
In the end, the Yellow Spring world shattered under this extreme pull into nine pieces, one remaining as it arrived in this unfamiliar starry expanse.
...
The images in his mind slowly faded. Li Fan's eyes glowed with an unusual light.
He had known since ancient times that Xuanhuang Realm once possessed a miraculous array capable of capturing heavenly realms from afar and even opening spatial pathways for interdimensional warfare. Most of the countless heavens and small worlds here came about this way. But after the Xuantian Sect, when the Ten Immortal Sects took control, it seemed this array had been damaged.
Its fame faded, seemingly lost in history's long river.
Now, he was fortunate to witness its power through the Soul Realm's lingering memory of the ancient array.
Li Fan was shaken.
"Crossing the void with a golden chain... what strength!"
He could now be considered an expert in arrays. With the End-of-the-Age Separation Disc, there might not even be anyone in Xuanhuang Realm whose array techniques surpassed his. But still, he couldn't imagine how such a grand array was constructed.
"Grabbing stars and moons, is this already true immortality power?"
Li Fan thought to himself.
From the fleeting glimpse of the golden chain in the Yellow Spring's remnants, it seemed similar to the one used to bind true immortal remains in the Immortal Ruins.
"Do these have any connection?"
"The true immortal must be trapped at the Soul Realm's path to the divine realm. It can't be a coincidence."
"Before the Immortal Path was severed, there were still connections between the cultivation world and the divine realm."
"Since there could be divine artifacts aiding in array construction, it should exist too."
Li Fan's thoughts swirled.
Seeing his senior brother motionless for so long, Tianyang wondered if something had happened. He asked through mental communication, startling Li Fan awake.
"Little brother, did you see the scene of the golden chain breaking through?"
Li Fan asked.
(End of Chapter)