néng gòu ràng mù jiàn tiān zhī qí zhuān mén chōu chū gù dìng de shí jiān ， lái yī duì yī chuán shòu 。
能够让木剑天之奇专门抽出固定的时间，来一对一传授。
Wood Sword Tianzhiqi had set aside a fixed time to teach one-on-one.
zhè bǐng qí mào bù yáng de hēi jiàn ， dìng rán yǒu qí fēi fán zhī chù 。
这柄其貌不扬的黑剑，定然有其非凡之处。
This unremarkable black sword must have its extraordinary qualities.
lǐ fán shén shí huǎn huǎn zài qí shēn shàng sǎo guò ， wú lùn tā zěn me kàn ， zhè dōu shì yī bǐng zài pǔ tōng bù guò de fán tiě 。
李凡神识缓缓在其身上扫过，无论他怎么看，这都是一柄再普通不过的凡铁。
Li Fan's divine consciousness slowly swept over it. No matter how he looked, this was just an ordinary piece of mundane iron—a tool that could be easily broken with his bare hands.
fǎng fú zì jǐ suí shǒu kě yǐ jiāng tā zhé duàn yì bān 。
仿佛自己随手可以将它折断一般。
But as the wooden sword lost its spirit and the other discarded swords looked around in confusion, the black sword itself began to undergo subtle changes.
dàn jiù zài mù jiàn shī qù líng xìng ， qí yú yí jiàn dōu máng rán sì gù de shí hòu 。
但就在木剑失去灵性，其余遗剑都茫然四顾的时候。
"It’s like slowly refining with fire, purifying the essence. It appears simple yet profound, just like the wooden sword, where all methods converge into one great path." Li Fan gradually discerned the subtleties.
hēi jiàn zì shēn què zhèng zài fā shēng zhe wēi miào de biàn huà 。
黑剑自身却正在发生着微妙的变化。
"Is this how Wood Sword Tianzhiqi intends to create another body for himself?" Li Fan suddenly thought.
“ jiù xiàng shì yòng huǒ màn màn cuì liàn ， qù wú cún jīng 。 kàn qǐ lái pǔ shí wú bǐ ， shí zé yīn wèi gēn mù jiàn yī yàng ， wàn fǎ guī yī 、 dà dào zhì jiǎn 。” màn màn de ， lǐ fán kàn chū le zhè qí zhōng de ào miào 。
“就像是用火慢慢淬炼，去芜存菁。看起来朴实无比，实则因为跟木剑一样，万法归一、大道至简。”慢慢的，李凡看出了这其中的奥妙。
"The other discarded swords might need a long time to fully transform. But due to the special attention from Wood Sword Tianzhiqi, this black sword is close to completing its transformation."
“ zhè shì mù jiàn tiān zhī qí ， dǎ suàn wèi zì jǐ chuàng zào de lìng wài yī jù shēn qū ？” lǐ fán xīn zhōng hū de yǒng xiàn chū zhè ge xiǎng fǎ 。
“这是木剑天之奇，打算为自己创造的另外一具身躯？”李凡心中忽的涌现出这个想法。
"This could be one of the reasons why Wood Sword agreed to leave with Suofeng." Li Fan mused.
“ qí tā yí jiàn ， kě néng hái xū yào hěn zhǎng yī duàn shí jiān ， cái néng tuì biàn chéng wéi wán quán de gài niàn cún zài 。 dàn zhè bǐng hēi jiàn ， yóu yú mù jiàn tiān zhī qí kāi xiǎo zào ， lí chè dǐ wán chéng zhuǎn huà yǐ jīng bù yuǎn le 。”
“其他遗剑，可能还需要很长一段时间，才能蜕变成为完全的概念存在。但这柄黑剑，由于木剑天之奇开小灶，离彻底完成转化已经不远了。”
Seeing the unfinished black sword, Li Fan temporarily abandoned his idea of taking it away.
“ huò xǔ ， zhè kě néng jiù shì mù jiàn kěn gēn shuò fēng lí qù de yuán yīn zhī yī 。” lǐ fán ruò yǒu suǒ sī dào 。
“或许，这可能就是木剑肯跟朔锋离去的原因之一。”李凡若有所思道。
"There’s still a decade or so..."
kàn zhe zhè shàng wèi chéng xíng de hēi jiàn ， lǐ fán zàn shí dǎ xiāo le jiāng qí qǔ zǒu de xiǎng fǎ 。
看着这尚未成型的黑剑，李凡暂时打消了将其取走的想法。
"Considering that as the fruit of Wood Sword Tianzhiqi. If I can take it, the Heavenly Sword Sect within the Spirit Wood Realm will be solidified."
“ yīng gāi hái yǒu gè shí jǐ nián shí jiān ……”
“应该还有个十几年时间……”
Although he was unclear about why Wood Sword Tianzhiqi acted this way, Li Fan could still make use of what he had.
“ zhè yě suàn shì mù jiàn tiān zhī qí jié xià de guǒ shí le 。 ruò shì néng bǎ tā qǔ zǒu ， líng mù jiè nèi tiān jiàn zōng ， yě suàn zuò shí le 。”
“这也算是木剑天之奇结下的果实了。若是能把它取走，灵木界内天剑宗，也算坐实了。”
Returning to his original place, he stayed in the sword tomb for a few more days. After failing to gain any new insights from the wooden sword, Li Fan reluctantly left, using secret techniques to hide the tomb and leave an imprint so he would be alerted if anyone else entered.
suī rán mù qián hái bù qīng chǔ ， mù jiàn tiān zhī qí wèi hé huì rú cǐ zuò de yuán yīn 。
虽然目前还不清楚，木剑天之奇为何会如此做的原因。
"Task completed at the Heavenly Sword Sect. Next is the Medicine King Sect."
dàn què bìng bù fáng ài lǐ fán wù jìn qí yòng 。
但却并不妨碍李凡物尽其用。
The location of the Medicine King Sect’s ruins wasn’t a secret—it was in a remote deep mountain within Six String State. Over the years, it had been thoroughly plundered by cultivators, leaving only some discarded broken copper and iron scattered on the ground.
huí guī yuán chù ， yòu zài zhè jiàn zhǒng dāi le jǐ tiān 。
回归原处，又在这剑冢呆了几天。
When Li Fan arrived, he found no living souls for miles around. The air was filled with an unpleasant odor that made him feel disgusted.
shí zài wú fǎ cóng mù jiàn shēn shàng gǎn wù chū xīn de dōng xī lái hòu ， lǐ fán zhè cái yī yī bù shě de lí kāi 。
实在无法从木剑身上感悟出新的东西来后，李凡这才依依不舍的离开。
"The Medicine King Sect truly did what I wanted—everyone in their sect is preparing to flee. They must have left this disgusting pestilence behind so others wouldn’t occupy their old grounds," Li Fan thought.
lín bié zhī jì ， lǐ fán hái bù wàng yòng mì fǎ jiāng cǐ chù jiàn zhǒng yǐn cáng qǐ lái 。
临别之际，李凡还不忘用秘法将此处剑冢隐藏起来。
This unique stench was from the Medicine King Sect, having merged with the earth and lingering for thousands of years without dissipating. Anyone would rather not live in such a foul place.
tóng shí liú xià yìn jì 。
同时留下印记。
Though unpleasant, the Medicine King’s strategy proved effective. Following Jiao Xiuyuan's instructions, Li Fan searched the ruins and dug up several small Medicine King cauldrons.
zhǐ yào yī yǒu qí tā rén chuǎng rù ， tā lì kè jiù huì xīn shēng gǎn yìng 。
只要一有其他人闯入，他立刻就会心生感应。
"Thirty-six? That’s unexpected."
“ tiān jiàn zōng shì le ， jiē xià lái shì yào wáng zōng le 。”
“天剑宗事了，接下来是药王宗了。”
Li Fan was puzzled. Although he had asked Jiao Xiuyuan to help dig up these cauldrons earlier, he claimed there were only a few dozen.
yào wáng zōng yí jì suǒ zài wèi zhì ， bìng bú shì shén me mì mì 。
药王宗遗迹所在位置，并不是什么秘密。
"Jiao Daoist Friend... Jiao Daoist Friend..."
wèi yú liù xián zhōu jìng nèi ， yī chù rén jì hǎn zhì de shēn shān zhōng 。
位于六弦州境内，一处人迹罕至的深山中。
Li Fan shook his head and noted the discrepancy. After thorough searching, he found no other valuable items in the Medicine King Sect’s ruins.
zhè xiē nián lái ， qí nèi zǎo yǐ jīng bèi xiū shì sōu guā le gè gān jìng 。
这些年来，其内早已经被修士搜刮了个干净。
He then headed towards Purple Heaven Sect...
zhǐ cún xiē méi rén yào de pò tóng làn tiě ， sàn luò yī dì 。
只存些没人要的破铜烂铁，散落一地。
Meanwhile,
dāng lǐ fán lái dào cǐ dì hòu ， fāng yuán bǎi lǐ fàn wéi nèi ， lèng shì méi yǒu zhǎo dào gè qí tā huó rén 。
当李凡来到此地后，方圆百里范围内，愣是没有找到个其他活人。
On Haixuan Island, Ji Shaoli suddenly felt uneasy.
kōng qì zhōng mí màn zhe dàn dàn de è chòu qì xī ， shǐ rén rěn bú zhù xīn zhōng shēng yàn wù 。
空气中弥漫着澹澹的恶臭气息，使人忍不住心中生厌恶。
"Strange, I’ve made adequate preparations. Even if a Great Dao cultivator were to arrive, I should be able to retreat calmly."
“ yào wáng zōng xíng shì guǒ rán shèn dé wǒ xīn ， zì jǐ quán zōng shàng xià dōu zhǔn bèi táo zǒu le 。 yě yào liú xià zhè děng ě xīn rén de zhàng qì ， shǐ zì jǐ zōng mén jiù dì bù zhì yú bèi bié rén zhàn lǐng 。” lǐ fán xīn zhōng àn dào 。
“药王宗行事果然甚得我心，自己全宗上下都准备逃走了。也要留下这等恶心人的瘴气，使自己宗门旧地不至于被别人占领。”李凡心中暗道。
"But where is this sense of danger coming from?"
zhè gǔ tè shū de chòu wèi ， zhèng shì dāng nián yào wáng zōng suǒ liú 。
这股特殊的臭味，正是当年药王宗所留。
Trusting his intuition, Ji Shaoli stood up and walked back and forth with increasing tension. The sense of impending doom didn’t diminish; it intensified.
yǔ cǐ chù dà dì jī hū róng wéi yī tǐ ， mí liú shù qiān nián ér bù sàn 。
与此处大地几乎融为一体，弥留数千年而不散。
His heart pounded as the crisis seemed imminent!
ruò shì bù jiāng qí qū sàn de huà ， rèn shuí yě bù xiǎng shēng huó zài zhè zhǒng mǎn shì è chòu de dì fāng 。
若是不将其驱散的话，任谁也不想生活在这种满是恶臭的地方。
Ji Shaoli knew something was wrong. He checked the island’s teleportation array but found that it had been sealed and couldn’t be activated!
yào wáng zōng zhè zhāo suī rán ě xīn le diǎn ， dàn xiào guǒ dí què yǒu xiào 。
药王宗这招虽然恶心了点，但效果的确有效。
"Were you trying to catch me in a trap?"
lǐ fán kàn zhe bǎo cún de hái suàn wán hǎo de yí jì jiàn zhù ， àn zhào jiāo xiū yuǎn suǒ shuō wèi zhì ， lái dào le fèi qì gōng fāng nèi 。
李凡看着保存的还算完好的遗迹建筑，按照焦修远所说位置，来到了废弃工坊内。
A cold glint flashed in Ji Shaoli's eyes as he tried to activate the instantaneous teleportation technique, which also failed.
rěn zhe chòu wèi ， fā dòng líng lì ， jiāng shēn mái dì xià de ruò gān xiǎo yào wáng dǐng wā le chū lái 。
忍着臭味，发动灵力，将深埋地下的若干小药王鼎挖了出来。
It seemed like something was sealing off all of Haixuan Island’s space!
“ jū rán yǒu sān shí liù dǐng ？”
“居然有三十六鼎？”
Despite his shock, Ji Shaoli remained calm. Holding a withered branch, he felt the underground energy flow beneath him, unimpeded by the seal.
lǐ fán shén sè mò míng 。
李凡神色莫名。
He sighed in relief.
zhī qián suī rán wěi tuō guò jiāo xiū yuǎn ， bāng máng wā jué xiǎo yào wáng dǐng 。
之前虽然委托过焦修远，帮忙挖掘小药王鼎。
After some time, Lin Ling had grown stronger and spent most days with the Daoist child, Ruli. Her spiritual connection to the ancient tree roots improved, allowing her to use them to traverse the earth’s veins.
dàn shì duì fāng xìn shì dàn dàn ， zhǐ yǒu èr shí jǐ zūn 。
但是对方信誓旦旦，只有二十几尊。
With an escape method, Ji Shaoli didn’t leave immediately but wanted to see who was targeting him.
“ jiāo dào yǒu a jiāo dào yǒu ……”
“焦道友啊焦道友……”
The fact that he could shut down Purple Heaven Sect's bidirectional teleportation array and that his extensive network of connections hadn't helped...
lǐ fán wēi wēi yáo tóu ， jiāng zhè bǐ zhàng jì xià 。
李凡微微摇头，将这笔账记下。
Clearly showed the enemy's strength. Only a local power like the Xiang family could accomplish such feats.
zhào lì yòu zǐ xì sōu xún yī fān 。
照例又仔细搜寻一番。
Ji Shaoli wasn’t worried about being exposed; he just needed to understand why he failed.
chú le zhè xiē jiù dǐng ， yào wáng zōng dí què zài wú qí tā rèn hé yǒu jià zhí de dōng xī 。
除了这些旧鼎，药王宗的确再无其他任何有价值的东西。
Sipping some spirit tea, Ji Shaoli waited patiently for his guests.
lǐ fán yú shì zhí bēn zǐ xiāo zōng ér qù 。
李凡于是直奔紫霄宗而去。
He had already sent away the island’s mutual aid members with an excuse and informed them of the specific locations of the two earth wonders—Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi. Whether they could find them alive was up to their luck.
……
……
Before long, a young man suddenly appeared beside Ji Shaoli.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí 。
与此同时。
What alarmed him most was that this youth appeared without any aura fluctuations, as if he had always been there.
hǎi xuān dǎo 。
海轩岛。
The reason that shocked him even more...
jì shào lí hū de gǎn dào yī zhèn xīn shén bù níng 。
季绍离忽的感到一阵心神不宁。
This youth was someone he had seen before!
“ qí guài ， wǒ míng míng yǐ jīng zuò le chōng zú zhǔn bèi 。 àn lǐ shuō ， jiù suàn hé dào xiū shì qīn zhì ， wǒ yě néng cóng róng tuì zǒu 。”
“奇怪，我明明已经做了充足准备。按理说，就算合道修士亲至，我也能从容退走。”
"Transmitter of Teachings?!"
“ zhè gǔ wēi jī gǎn ， què shì cóng hé ér lái ？”
“这股危机感，却是从何而来？”
Ji Shaoli exclaimed. It was the original Li Fan from when he searched for life fruits in the Vast Immortal Alliance at the Enduring Faraway Realm.
xiàng lái duì zì jǐ yù gǎn shí fēn xìn rèn de jì shào lí ， huò rán zhàn qǐ ， shén qíng wú bǐ nóng zhòng 。
向来对自己预感十分信任的季绍离，豁然站起，神情无比浓重。
"Hmm?"
fǎn fù duó bù ， wēi jī gǎn bù jǐn méi yǒu xiāo tuì 。
反复踱步，危机感不仅没有消退。
Surprised by Ji Shaoli’s immediate recognition, the youth also felt intrigued.
fǎn ér yù yǎn yù liè 。
反而愈演愈烈。
"Interesting."
xīn tóu měng tiào ， zhí ruò dà nán lín tóu ！
心头勐跳，直偌大难临头！
The youth's gaze intensified as he stared at Ji Shaoli. In the next moment, his clone felt his thoughts and body completely frozen. His prepared escape methods became ineffective!
jì shào lí xīn zhī bú duì 。
季绍离心知不对。
A hazy figure appeared on Ji Shaoli’s body as two streaks of seven-colored light suddenly emerged towards the youth but were stopped by his fingers.
chá kàn le yī fān dǎo shàng de chuán sòng zhèn ， fā xiàn qí guǒ rán yǐ jīng bèi fēng suǒ 、 wú fǎ fā dòng le ！
查看了一番岛上的传送阵，发现其果然已经被封锁、无法发动了！
"Is this...?" The youth observed the seven-colored light in his hand with a curious expression.
“ xiǎng yào wèng zhōng zhuō biē ？”
“想要瓮中捉鳖？”
He suppressed and stored it before looking back at Ji Shaoli.
Wood Sword Tianzhiqi had set aside a fixed time to teach one-on-one.
This unremarkable black sword must have its extraordinary qualities.
Li Fan's divine consciousness slowly swept over it. No matter how he looked, this was just an ordinary piece of mundane iron—a tool that could be easily broken with his bare hands.
But as the wooden sword lost its spirit and the other discarded swords looked around in confusion, the black sword itself began to undergo subtle changes.
"It’s like slowly refining with fire, purifying the essence. It appears simple yet profound, just like the wooden sword, where all methods converge into one great path." Li Fan gradually discerned the subtleties.
"Is this how Wood Sword Tianzhiqi intends to create another body for himself?" Li Fan suddenly thought.
"The other discarded swords might need a long time to fully transform. But due to the special attention from Wood Sword Tianzhiqi, this black sword is close to completing its transformation."
"This could be one of the reasons why Wood Sword agreed to leave with Suofeng." Li Fan mused.
Seeing the unfinished black sword, Li Fan temporarily abandoned his idea of taking it away.
"There’s still a decade or so..."
"Considering that as the fruit of Wood Sword Tianzhiqi. If I can take it, the Heavenly Sword Sect within the Spirit Wood Realm will be solidified."
Although he was unclear about why Wood Sword Tianzhiqi acted this way, Li Fan could still make use of what he had.
Returning to his original place, he stayed in the sword tomb for a few more days. After failing to gain any new insights from the wooden sword, Li Fan reluctantly left, using secret techniques to hide the tomb and leave an imprint so he would be alerted if anyone else entered.
"Task completed at the Heavenly Sword Sect. Next is the Medicine King Sect."
The location of the Medicine King Sect’s ruins wasn’t a secret—it was in a remote deep mountain within Six String State. Over the years, it had been thoroughly plundered by cultivators, leaving only some discarded broken copper and iron scattered on the ground.
When Li Fan arrived, he found no living souls for miles around. The air was filled with an unpleasant odor that made him feel disgusted.
"The Medicine King Sect truly did what I wanted—everyone in their sect is preparing to flee. They must have left this disgusting pestilence behind so others wouldn’t occupy their old grounds," Li Fan thought.
This unique stench was from the Medicine King Sect, having merged with the earth and lingering for thousands of years without dissipating. Anyone would rather not live in such a foul place.
Though unpleasant, the Medicine King’s strategy proved effective. Following Jiao Xiuyuan's instructions, Li Fan searched the ruins and dug up several small Medicine King cauldrons.
"Thirty-six? That’s unexpected."
Li Fan was puzzled. Although he had asked Jiao Xiuyuan to help dig up these cauldrons earlier, he claimed there were only a few dozen.
"Jiao Daoist Friend... Jiao Daoist Friend..."
Li Fan shook his head and noted the discrepancy. After thorough searching, he found no other valuable items in the Medicine King Sect’s ruins.
He then headed towards Purple Heaven Sect...
Meanwhile,
On Haixuan Island, Ji Shaoli suddenly felt uneasy.
"Strange, I’ve made adequate preparations. Even if a Great Dao cultivator were to arrive, I should be able to retreat calmly."
"But where is this sense of danger coming from?"
Trusting his intuition, Ji Shaoli stood up and walked back and forth with increasing tension. The sense of impending doom didn’t diminish; it intensified.
His heart pounded as the crisis seemed imminent!
Ji Shaoli knew something was wrong. He checked the island’s teleportation array but found that it had been sealed and couldn’t be activated!
"Were you trying to catch me in a trap?"
A cold glint flashed in Ji Shaoli's eyes as he tried to activate the instantaneous teleportation technique, which also failed.
It seemed like something was sealing off all of Haixuan Island’s space!
Despite his shock, Ji Shaoli remained calm. Holding a withered branch, he felt the underground energy flow beneath him, unimpeded by the seal.
He sighed in relief.
After some time, Lin Ling had grown stronger and spent most days with the Daoist child, Ruli. Her spiritual connection to the ancient tree roots improved, allowing her to use them to traverse the earth’s veins.
With an escape method, Ji Shaoli didn’t leave immediately but wanted to see who was targeting him.
The fact that he could shut down Purple Heaven Sect's bidirectional teleportation array and that his extensive network of connections hadn't helped...
Clearly showed the enemy's strength. Only a local power like the Xiang family could accomplish such feats.
Ji Shaoli wasn’t worried about being exposed; he just needed to understand why he failed.
Sipping some spirit tea, Ji Shaoli waited patiently for his guests.
He had already sent away the island’s mutual aid members with an excuse and informed them of the specific locations of the two earth wonders—Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi. Whether they could find them alive was up to their luck.
Before long, a young man suddenly appeared beside Ji Shaoli.
What alarmed him most was that this youth appeared without any aura fluctuations, as if he had always been there.
The reason that shocked him even more...
This youth was someone he had seen before!
"Transmitter of Teachings?!"
Ji Shaoli exclaimed. It was the original Li Fan from when he searched for life fruits in the Vast Immortal Alliance at the Enduring Faraway Realm.
"Hmm?"
Surprised by Ji Shaoli’s immediate recognition, the youth also felt intrigued.
"Interesting."
The youth's gaze intensified as he stared at Ji Shaoli. In the next moment, his clone felt his thoughts and body completely frozen. His prepared escape methods became ineffective!
A hazy figure appeared on Ji Shaoli’s body as two streaks of seven-colored light suddenly emerged towards the youth but were stopped by his fingers.
"Is this...?" The youth observed the seven-colored light in his hand with a curious expression.
He suppressed and stored it before looking back at Ji Shaoli.