yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， dà dào zōng zōng mén dà diàn nèi ， lǐ qíng kàn zhe qián fāng shùn jiān yóu shí zhuǎn xū 、 kuài yào xiāo shī bú jiàn de 【 cháng shēng zhī guǒ 】， miàn sè jù biàn 。
与此同时，大道宗宗门大殿内，李晴看着前方瞬间由实转虚、快要消失不见的【长生之果】，面色巨变。
Simultaneously, in the Grand Dao Sect's main hall, Li Qing watched as the Longevity Fruit, which had suddenly turned ethereal and was about to vanish, his face changing dramatically.
xià yì shí de shēn shǒu qù shōu ， xiǎng yào jiāng qí zhuā zhù 、 wǎn liú 。
下意识的伸手去收，想要将其抓住、挽留。
Without thinking, he reached out to grab it. Over these past ten years, he had continuously used the terrifying abilities of the Inverting Canon to corrupt the female cultivators of the Grand Dao Sect for himself. He also secretly selected talented disciples to train them. By the end, the number of female elders in the sect made up eight-tenths of all positions. The internal disciples were predominantly female, with their numbers and quality far surpassing that of male disciples.
zhè shí nián lǐ ， tā lì yòng 【 nì lún jīng 】 de kě bù néng lì ， bù duàn fǔ shí dà dào zōng nǚ xiū wèi zì jǐ suǒ yòng 。
这十年里，他利用【逆伦经】的可怖能力，不断腐蚀大道宗女修为自己所用。
Although the sect had long since noticed something amiss, the situation was now too established. If they were to completely eliminate Li Qing's lineage, it would not just be a matter of damaging the sect; it could lead to its downfall due to internal strife. After several discussions, both sides reached an agreement: past misdeeds by Li Qing would be overlooked, and he would no longer face excessive interference. However, they insisted that male cultivators maintain a certain proportion in the sect and ensure the purity of new female disciples.
bìng qiě hái tiāo xuǎn zī zhì jué jiā de nǚ dì zi ， àn zhōng péi yǎng 。
并且还挑选资质绝佳的女弟子，暗中培养。
As part of this compromise, a portion of Longevity Fruits would be given to Li Qing's lineage. These fruits grew on the Jiefu Trees, managed by ten sects, with one fruit representing one long-lived individual. Today was the final moment for Li Qing to finally reap his reward and receive some of these fruits.
zuì zhōng dà dào zōng zhǎng lǎo xí wèi ， nǚ xiū shù liàng zhàn jù le shí fēn zhī bā 。
最终大道宗长老席位，女修数量占据了十分之八。
But at this critical juncture, it vanished right before his eyes!
mén nèi dì zi yě shì yīn shèng yáng shuāi 。 nǚ dì zi wú lùn shì shù liàng 、 hái shì zhì liàng ， dōu niǎn yā le nán dì zǐ 。
门内弟子也是阴盛阳衰。女弟子无论是数量、还是质量，都碾压了男弟子。
This left Li Qing, who had meticulously planned everything over the past decade, in a state of shock.
suī rán mén nèi cháng shēng ， zhōng jiū shì chá jué dào le bù tuǒ zhī chù 。
虽然门内长生，终究是察觉到了不妥之处。
"No!"
dàn dà shì yǐ chéng ， rú guǒ zhēn yào jiāng lǐ qíng yī mài chǎn chú ， dà dào zōng kě néng jiù bú shì shāng jīn dòng gǔ zhè me jiǎn dān le 。
但大势已成，如果真要将李晴一脉铲除，大道宗可能就不是伤筋动骨这么简单了。
Li Qing could no longer maintain composure as he roared in anger. "Help me! Quickly!"
ér shì jí yǒu kě néng zhí jiē wáng yú nèi dòu 。
而是极有可能直接亡于内斗。
Despite his rage and frustration, he couldn't stop the Longevity Fruits from dissipating.
cóng dà jú chū fā ， jīng guò shuāng fāng jǐ cì shāng yì ， zuì zhōng dá chéng tuǒ xié 。
从大局出发，经过双方几次商议，最终达成妥协。
Turning around instinctively, Li Qing spoke to his partner in the main hall.
lǐ qíng yǐ wǎng de hú zuò fēi wéi kě yǐ jì wǎng bù jiù ， tóng shí jīn hòu yě bú huì guò fèn gān shè 。 dàn bì xū bǎo zhèng dà dào zōng nán xiū shì zǒng tǐ wéi chí zài yí dìng bǐ lì ， yǐ jí gāng rù mén de nǚ dì zi de chún jié xìng 。
李晴以往的胡作非为可以既往不咎，同时今后也不会过分干涉。但必须保证大道宗男修士总体维持在一定比例，以及刚入门的女弟子的纯洁性。
But this sudden movement left him feeling uneasy. The ten female cultivators present, including his Senior Instructor Huo Jingtong, were all staring at him with expressions that were both familiar and strange—completely different from their previous tender looks.
zuò wéi tiáo jiàn ， jiāng huì fēn chū yī bù fèn cháng shēng zhī guǒ jǐ yǔ lǐ qíng yī mài 。
作为条件，将会分出一部分长生之果给予李晴一脉。
It was as if they had all been replaced by new souls in an instant.
cháng shēng zhī guǒ ， jié yú ruò mù zhī shàng 。
长生之果，结于若木之上。
As the Grand Dao Sect's tremors intensified, Li Qing felt that every cultivator's gaze converged on him.
shí zōng gòng guǎn ， yī guǒ kě zhèng yī cháng shēng 。
十宗共管，一果可证一长生。
"What is happening?"
jīn tiān jiù shì lǐ qíng zhōng yú shōu huò ， fēn de cháng shēng zhī guǒ de zuì zhōng shí kè 。
今天就是李晴终于收获，分得长生之果的最终时刻。
Despite his boldness, Li Qing swallowed hard and took a step back. The main hall fell into silence.
ér zài zhè ge jiē gǔ yǎn shàng ， tā què piān piān zài lǐ qíng miàn qián xiāo shī bú jiàn le ！
而在这个节骨眼上，它却偏偏在李晴面前消失不见了！
Suddenly, a figure appeared before him—Zhao Ruoxi, who had been closed off for ten years.
zhè ràng dān jīng jié lǜ 、 wèi cǐ xīn kǔ móu huà le zhěng shí nián de lǐ qíng rú hé néng jiē shòu ！
这让殚精竭虑、为此辛苦谋划了整十年的李晴如何能接受！
Looking at this familiar yet strange beauty, Li Qing felt a mix of surprise and unease. He was now at the peak of his Dao Connection, just one step away from the Longevity Realm.
“ bù ！”
“不！”
But in front of his former Senior Sister Zhao, his inner senses were frantically warning him.
lǐ qíng zài yě wú fǎ bǎo chí cóng róng ， fā chū yī shēng nù hǒu 。
李晴再也无法保持从容，发出一声怒吼。
"What's going on?"
“ nǐ men hái bù kuài bāng wǒ ！”
“你们还不快帮我！”
Feeling dizzy, Li Qing realized he had forgotten something crucial. The events of these past ten years flashed through his mind before fading into a hazy dreamlike state.
jǐn guǎn tā rú hé wú néng kuáng nù ， què yě wú fǎ zǔ zhǐ cháng shēng zhī guǒ de xiāo sàn 。
尽管他如何无能狂怒，却也无法阻止长生之果的消散。
"Very good."
lǐ qíng xià yì shí de huí tóu ， duì dà diàn zhōng zì jǐ de bàn lǚ shuō dào 。
李晴下意识的回头，对大殿中自己的伴侣说道。
Zhao Senior Sister stared at Li Qing and began with praise. "I originally thought I would just give you a small punishment for your impertinent words, but in this situation, you've managed to achieve such an extent in just ten years."
rán hòu jiù shì zhè me yī piē ， ràng lǐ qíng hū de yǒu xiē máo gǔ sǒng rán 。
然后就是这么一撇，让李晴忽的有些毛骨悚然。
"You are the first among those who have entered my realm over these many years."
yīn wèi zhè dà diàn zhōng ， bāo kuò shī zūn huò jīng tóng zài nèi de shí duō míng hé dào nǚ xiū ， tā men cǐ kè quán dōu qí qí kàn zhe zì jǐ 。
因为这大殿中，包括师尊霍晶彤在内的十多名合道女修，她们此刻全都齐齐看着自己。
"It's quite a novel experience."
ér qiě ……
而且……
Zhao Senior Sister's expression remained neutral as she spoke. Li Qing then realized that all the other female cultivators present had identical expressions.
gēn guò qù de hán qíng mò mò wán quán bù yí yàng 。 rú cǐ de mò shēng ， guǐ yì 。
跟过去的含情脉脉完全不一样。如此的陌生，诡异。
"Uh..."
jiù xiàng yī shùn jiān ， tā men quán dōu bèi huàn le líng hún yī yàng 。
就像一瞬间，她们全都被换了灵魂一样。
Li Qing suddenly felt intense pain in his head, pressing his hand against it. The scene around him began to blur and eventually crumbled into fragments of light.
suí zhe dà dào zōng zhèn dòng de yù fā jù liè ， lǐ qíng gǎn shòu dào ， quán zōng shàng xià 、 suǒ yǒu de xiū shì ， cǐ kè shì xiàn quán dōu huì jù dào le zì jǐ shēn shàng 。
随着大道宗震动的愈发剧烈，李晴感受到，全宗上下、所有的修士，此刻视线全都汇聚到了自己身上。
In the midst of this chaos, he noticed that everyone's faces had transformed into Zhao Senior Sister's likeness!
ráo shì lǐ qíng dǎn dà bāo tiān ， cǐ kè yě bù jīn yàn le kǒu tuò mò 、 dào tuì yí bù 。
饶是李晴胆大包天，此刻也不禁咽了口唾沫、倒退一步。
The scene darkened abruptly.
dà diàn nèi ， sǐ jì wú shēng 。
大殿内，死寂无声。
When Li Qing regained consciousness, he felt a flood of suppressed memories rushing back.
qiāo wú shēng xī jiān ， yī dào shēn yǐng hū de chū xiàn zài lǐ qíng miàn qián 。
悄无声息间，一道身影忽的出现在李晴面前。
"Zhao Senior Sister's illusion is indeed powerful..."
zhèng shì bì guān shí nián 、 hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn de zhào ruò xī ！
正是闭关十年、好久不见的赵若曦！
"Even with preparation, I was still ensnared and unable to extricate myself."
kàn zhuó yǎn qián zhè wèi jì shú xī 、 yòu mò shēng de jiā rén ， lǐ qíng xīn zhōng què shì jīng yí bù dìng 。
看着眼前这位既熟悉、又陌生的佳人，李晴心中却是惊疑不定。
Li Qing frowned as his divine sense scanned his lower body. "Thankfully, it was just a dream."
cǐ shí tā yǐ jīng shì hé dào diān fēng ， jù lí cháng shēng jìng yě bù guò shì yī bù zhī yáo 。
此时他已经是合道巅峰，距离长生境也不过是一步之遥。
Recalling the seductive scenes from Zhao Senior Sister’s realm and realizing that these were actually manifestations of One Mind Supreme Lord, Li Qing felt momentarily stunned.
dàn zài zhè wèi xī rì de zhào shī jiě miàn qián ， xīn zhōng líng jué què shì fēng kuáng shì jǐng 。
但在这位昔日的赵师姐面前，心中灵觉却是疯狂示警。
But he quickly regained his composure, focusing on the shocking Inverting Canon.
“ zěn me huí shì ？”
“怎么回事？”
No matter how hard he tried to recall the technique, the memories remained elusive like mirages in a desert.
nǎo dài yī zhèn xuàn yūn ， lǐ qíng zhǐ jué de zì jǐ fǎng fú wàng jì le mǒu xiē shí fēn zhòng yào de shì qíng 。
脑袋一阵眩晕，李晴只觉得自己仿佛忘记了某些十分重要的事情。
Li Qing was filled with regret. "Such a divine art cannot be passed down. I wonder if this technique truly exists or is just a fabrication of One Mind Supreme Lord's illusion?"
zhè shí nián jiān de jīng lì ， shà shí yī qí zài nǎo hǎi zhōng shǎn guò 。
这十年间的经历，霎时一齐在脑海中闪过。
His mind raced as he regained his composure and looked around. The scenery was familiar, identical to the Grand Dao Sect in Zhao Senior Sister’s realm.
xuán jí yòu wǎn ruò cháo shuǐ tuì qù bān ， biàn dé yǒu xiē mó hú bù qīng 。
旋即又宛若潮水退去般，变得有些模糊不清。
Standing at the entrance of the sect, Li Qing hesitated before stepping onto the familiar path up the mountain.
wǎn ruò zuò mèng 。
宛若做梦。
"Didn't you just do a good job? Why are you so timid now?"
“ hěn hǎo 。”
“很好。”
Above him, a mocking voice echoed. Looking up, he saw a young male cultivator from the outer gate holding a broom and wearing Grand Dao Sect attire. He stood above Li Qing, looking down at him.
zhào shī jiě dīng zhe lǐ qíng ， kāi kǒu dì yī jù biàn shì chēng zàn 。
赵师姐盯着李晴，开口第一句便是称赞。
Li Qing knew this was one of One Mind Supreme Lord's many bodies and greeted respectfully.
“ yuán běn xiǎng zhe ， zhǐ shì gěi nǐ diǎn xiǎo xiǎo de chéng fá ， zuò wéi nǐ zhī qián chū yán bù xùn de dài jià 。”
“原本想着，只是给你点小小的惩罚，作为你之前出言不逊的代价。”
"Since you know your way around, just go up. I have to clean here; I won't accompany you," the young outer gate disciple said as he walked down the stone steps past Li Qing without lifting his head, continuing to sweep the path Li Qing had just passed over.
“ què méi liào dào ， zài zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng xià ， duǎn duǎn shí nián nèi nǐ jū rán néng zuò dào zhè zhòng dì bù 。”
“却没料到，在这种情况下，短短十年内伱居然能做到这种地步。”
Though they were the same person, each body seemed to maintain its own identity or specific role.
“ zhè me duō nián rù wǒ zhě zhōng ， nǐ shì dì yí gè 。”
“这么多年入我者中，你是第一个。”
"What is this called—role-playing?"
“ hěn xīn qí de tǐ yàn 。”
“很新奇的体验。”
Li Qing's eyes narrowed as he continued deeper into the Grand Dao Sect. Unlike the eerie silence and uniform faces at the end of his illusion, here, life was bustling with activity.
zhào shī jiě de liǎn shàng kàn bù chū xǐ nù ， dàn dàn dì shuō dào 。
赵师姐的脸上看不出喜怒，淡淡地说道。
As Li Qing encountered many cultivators along the way, they merely glanced at him before returning to their tasks. They conversed, argued, and even engaged in sparring matches. He even saw several couples passionately embracing each other.
zhè shí hòu lǐ qíng cái jīng jué ， dà diàn nèi qí tā nǚ xiū cǐ kè liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng ， gēn zhào shī jiě yī mú yī yàng ！
这时候李晴才惊觉，大殿内其他女修此刻脸上的表情，跟赵师姐一模一样！
The scene was lively, as if the Grand Dao Sect had never been extinguished. However, this only heightened Li Qing's vigilance towards One Mind Supreme Lord.
“ é ……”
“额……”
"It seems that over thousands of years, Zhao Senior Sister has also made progress."
lǐ qíng lú nèi hū de gǎn dào yī zhèn jù tòng ， rěn bú zhù yòng shǒu àn yā 。
李晴颅内忽的感到一阵剧痛，忍不住用手按压。
(End of chapter)
Simultaneously, in the Grand Dao Sect's main hall, Li Qing watched as the Longevity Fruit, which had suddenly turned ethereal and was about to vanish, his face changing dramatically.
Without thinking, he reached out to grab it. Over these past ten years, he had continuously used the terrifying abilities of the Inverting Canon to corrupt the female cultivators of the Grand Dao Sect for himself. He also secretly selected talented disciples to train them. By the end, the number of female elders in the sect made up eight-tenths of all positions. The internal disciples were predominantly female, with their numbers and quality far surpassing that of male disciples.
Although the sect had long since noticed something amiss, the situation was now too established. If they were to completely eliminate Li Qing's lineage, it would not just be a matter of damaging the sect; it could lead to its downfall due to internal strife. After several discussions, both sides reached an agreement: past misdeeds by Li Qing would be overlooked, and he would no longer face excessive interference. However, they insisted that male cultivators maintain a certain proportion in the sect and ensure the purity of new female disciples.
As part of this compromise, a portion of Longevity Fruits would be given to Li Qing's lineage. These fruits grew on the Jiefu Trees, managed by ten sects, with one fruit representing one long-lived individual. Today was the final moment for Li Qing to finally reap his reward and receive some of these fruits.
But at this critical juncture, it vanished right before his eyes!
This left Li Qing, who had meticulously planned everything over the past decade, in a state of shock.
"No!"
Li Qing could no longer maintain composure as he roared in anger. "Help me! Quickly!"
Despite his rage and frustration, he couldn't stop the Longevity Fruits from dissipating.
Turning around instinctively, Li Qing spoke to his partner in the main hall.
But this sudden movement left him feeling uneasy. The ten female cultivators present, including his Senior Instructor Huo Jingtong, were all staring at him with expressions that were both familiar and strange—completely different from their previous tender looks.
It was as if they had all been replaced by new souls in an instant.
As the Grand Dao Sect's tremors intensified, Li Qing felt that every cultivator's gaze converged on him.
"What is happening?"
Despite his boldness, Li Qing swallowed hard and took a step back. The main hall fell into silence.
Suddenly, a figure appeared before him—Zhao Ruoxi, who had been closed off for ten years.
Looking at this familiar yet strange beauty, Li Qing felt a mix of surprise and unease. He was now at the peak of his Dao Connection, just one step away from the Longevity Realm.
But in front of his former Senior Sister Zhao, his inner senses were frantically warning him.
"What's going on?"
Feeling dizzy, Li Qing realized he had forgotten something crucial. The events of these past ten years flashed through his mind before fading into a hazy dreamlike state.
"Very good."
Zhao Senior Sister stared at Li Qing and began with praise. "I originally thought I would just give you a small punishment for your impertinent words, but in this situation, you've managed to achieve such an extent in just ten years."
"You are the first among those who have entered my realm over these many years."
"It's quite a novel experience."
Zhao Senior Sister's expression remained neutral as she spoke. Li Qing then realized that all the other female cultivators present had identical expressions.
"Uh..."
Li Qing suddenly felt intense pain in his head, pressing his hand against it. The scene around him began to blur and eventually crumbled into fragments of light.
In the midst of this chaos, he noticed that everyone's faces had transformed into Zhao Senior Sister's likeness!
Boom!
The scene darkened abruptly.
When Li Qing regained consciousness, he felt a flood of suppressed memories rushing back.
"Zhao Senior Sister's illusion is indeed powerful..."
"Even with preparation, I was still ensnared and unable to extricate myself."
Li Qing frowned as his divine sense scanned his lower body. "Thankfully, it was just a dream."
Recalling the seductive scenes from Zhao Senior Sister’s realm and realizing that these were actually manifestations of One Mind Supreme Lord, Li Qing felt momentarily stunned.
But he quickly regained his composure, focusing on the shocking Inverting Canon.
No matter how hard he tried to recall the technique, the memories remained elusive like mirages in a desert.
Li Qing was filled with regret. "Such a divine art cannot be passed down. I wonder if this technique truly exists or is just a fabrication of One Mind Supreme Lord's illusion?"
His mind raced as he regained his composure and looked around. The scenery was familiar, identical to the Grand Dao Sect in Zhao Senior Sister’s realm.
Standing at the entrance of the sect, Li Qing hesitated before stepping onto the familiar path up the mountain.
"Didn't you just do a good job? Why are you so timid now?"
Above him, a mocking voice echoed. Looking up, he saw a young male cultivator from the outer gate holding a broom and wearing Grand Dao Sect attire. He stood above Li Qing, looking down at him.
Li Qing knew this was one of One Mind Supreme Lord's many bodies and greeted respectfully.
"Since you know your way around, just go up. I have to clean here; I won't accompany you," the young outer gate disciple said as he walked down the stone steps past Li Qing without lifting his head, continuing to sweep the path Li Qing had just passed over.
Though they were the same person, each body seemed to maintain its own identity or specific role.
"What is this called—role-playing?"
Li Qing's eyes narrowed as he continued deeper into the Grand Dao Sect. Unlike the eerie silence and uniform faces at the end of his illusion, here, life was bustling with activity.
As Li Qing encountered many cultivators along the way, they merely glanced at him before returning to their tasks. They conversed, argued, and even engaged in sparring matches. He even saw several couples passionately embracing each other.
The scene was lively, as if the Grand Dao Sect had never been extinguished. However, this only heightened Li Qing's vigilance towards One Mind Supreme Lord.
"It seems that over thousands of years, Zhao Senior Sister has also made progress."
(End of chapter)