“ bù tóng de shí jiān xiàn shàng ， liǎng fāng dōu céng jīng wèi le chū dài chuán fǎ zhě yí gǔ ér dà dòng gān gē 。 kàn lái ， chú le xiàng zhēng yì yì ， zhè xiē yí gǔ yīng gāi hái yǒu bié de yòng chǔ 。”
“不同的时间线上，两方都曾经为了初代传法者遗骨而大动干戈。看来，除了象征意义，这些遗骨应该还有别的用处。”
"In different timelines, both sides once fought fiercely over the remains of the first transmigrant. It seems these remains have more uses than just symbolic."
chà nà jiān ， lǐ fán jiù dòng le yào qù wàn xiān dǎo shàng sōu guā yī fān de niàn tou 。
刹那间，李凡就动了要去万仙岛上搜刮一番的念头。
Li Fan's mind immediately turned to raiding the Ten Thousand Immortal Island for any useful items.
bù guò hěn kuài jiù bèi tā qiáng xíng yā xià 。
不过很快就被他强行压下。
But he quickly suppressed that thought.
suī rán kàn shàng qù ， cóng yún hǎi wàn xiān dǎo zhǐ shì piān yuǎn zhī dì zhōu chéng 。 zuì gāo yě zhǐ yǒu huà shén jìng xiū shì zhù zhā ， rú jīn de lǐ fán kě yǐ suí shǒu zhèn yā 。
虽然看上去，丛云海万仙岛只是偏远之地州城。最高也只有化神境修士驻扎，如今的李凡可以随手镇压。
Although the Lányú Sea and the Ten Thousand Immortals Island seemed like remote places, with only Spirit Transformation Realm cultivators stationed there—now within his reach—the island held more than just the remains of the first transmigrant. It also concealed the **Piercing Obscure Tunnel**, a mysterious source of the Xuanhuang World.
dàn chú le mái cáng yǒu chū dài chuán fǎ zhě yí gǔ zhī wài ， wàn xiān dǎo gèng zhèn yā zhe xià fāng de 【 tōng yōu suì kǒu 】， yí shì zhè ge xuán huáng jiè guǐ yì de yuán tóu 。
但除了埋藏有初代传法者遗骨之外，万仙岛更镇压着下方的【通幽隧口】，疑是这个玄黄界诡异的源头。
The public supervisor at the Celestial Oracle Hall, Gong Sun Qixuan, was far from as simple as he appeared.
tiān jī táng zhōng nà wèi fù zé jiān dū guǐ yì de gōng sūn qǐ xuán ， yě jué bù xiàng biǎo miàn shàng kàn shàng qù nà me jiǎn dān 。
天机堂中那位负责监督诡异的公孙启玄，也绝不像表面上看上去那么简单。
"Actually, it's not impossible to dig here in plain sight," Li Fan mused. "As long as we stir things up again."
xiǎng yào zài wàn xiān méng yǎn pí zi dǐ xià dòng tǔ wā jué ……
想要在万仙盟眼皮子底下动土挖掘……
"What's a bit strange is why they chose those remains instead of just digging on the Ten Thousand Immortal Island," he wondered aloud. "Why would they need the ones taken by the Five Elders?"
“ qí shí yě bú shì yě bù xíng 。 zhǐ yào bǎ shuǐ zài dù jiǎo hún de huà 。”
“其实也不是也不行。只要把水再度搅浑的话。”
Li Fan's thoughts flickered with some doubt.
“ hái yǒu yì diǎn yǒu xiē qí guài ， rú guǒ fēi yào yí gǔ ， zhí jiē qù wàn xiān dǎo wā jiù shì le 。 wèi shén me fēi yào wǔ lǎo huì qiǎng zǒu de nà yī pī ？”
“还有一点有些奇怪，如果非要遗骨，直接去万仙岛挖就是了。为什么非要五老会抢走的那一批？”
"It seems I should get in touch with Mo Ru Bin soon," he decided.
lǐ fán xīn zhōng shǎn guò xiē xǔ yí huò 。
李凡心中闪过些许疑惑。
The scene shifted to the Five Elders' gathering, where Li Qing was present as a clone.
“ kàn lái ， yào kuài diǎn gēn mò rú bīn jiē shàng tou le 。”
“看来，要快点跟墨儒斌接上头了。”
"Remains? The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance went to such lengths for these?" Li Qing echoed his master's doubts.
huà miàn huí dào wǔ lǎo huì ， fēn shēn lǐ qíng zhè biān 。
画面回到五老会，分身李晴这边。
"Yes." Qīng Zhāng reaffirmed. "There are fifty-six residual souls and one hundred three remains in the Soul Grinding Wheel."
“ yí gǔ ？ wàn xiān méng dà dòng gān gē ， jiù shì wèi le zhè ？” lǐ qíng fā chū le gēn běn zūn yī yàng de yí wèn 。
“遗骨？万仙盟大动干戈，就是为了这？”李晴发出了跟本尊一样的疑问。
"But after so many years of torment, they've become completely mad. They're no longer worth anything," she added, glancing at Li Qing.
“ shì de 。” qīng yāng zé shì zài dù kěn dìng dào 。
“是的。”青央则是再度肯定道。
Li Qing showed no emotion on her face. After pretending to think for a moment, she said, "Since you're being so straightforward, I'll be frank too. The Thirty-Three Transmigrants are all dead. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance won't summon the Heavenly Venerable's form in the short term."
“ niǎn hún pán zhōng ， gòng yǒu cán hún wǔ shí liù ， yí gǔ yì bǎi líng sān 。”
“碾魂盘中，共有残魂五十六，遗骨一百零三。”
"And last time, the transmigrants were selected through a grand alliance exam. Replenishing them might require some time. This could be your chance to strike back," Li Qing hinted subtly.
“ bù guò jīng guò zhè me duō nián de zhé mó ， tā men yǐ jīng biàn dé chè dǐ fēng kuáng ， yīng gāi méi yǒu rèn hé jià zhí le cái shì 。” qīng yāng yǒu yì wú yì kàn le lǐ qíng yī yǎn 。
“不过经过这么多年的折磨，它们已经变得彻底疯狂，应该没有任何价值了才是。”青央有意无意看了李晴一眼。
Qīng Zhāng seemed calm on the surface but her eyes betrayed her inner shock.
lǐ qíng liǎn shàng méi yǒu shén qíng bō dòng 。 jiǎ yì si kǎo le piàn kè ， ér hòu shuō dào ：“ jì rán nǐ men rú cǐ tòng kuài ， nà me yǒu xiē shì qíng wǒ yě zhí shuō le 。”
李晴脸上没有神情波动。假意思考了片刻，而后说道：“既然你们如此痛快，那么有些事情我也直说了。”
"Uncertain when the Five Heavenly Venerables will fully recover?" Li Qing asked, trying to gather more information.
“ sān shí sān xiān xuǎn zhě quán dōu sǐ le 。 wàn xiān méng yīng gāi duǎn shí jiān nèi ， zhào huàn bù chū tiān zūn fǎ xiàng le 。”
“三十三仙选者全都死了。万仙盟应该短时间内，召唤不出天尊法相了。”
Qīng Zhāng shook her head and remained silent.
“ ér qiě ， shàng yī cì de xiān xuǎn zhě ， shì tōng guò shēng shì hào dà de xiān méng dà kǎo céng céng tiāo xuǎn de 。 xiǎng yào chóng xīn bǔ quán xiān xuǎn zhě ， kǒng pà xū yào yī duàn zhēn kōng qī 。 zhè huò xǔ jiù shì nǐ men fǎn jī de jī huì 。” lǐ qíng bìng méi yǒu bǎ huà shuō de tài sǐ ， zhǐ shì qiāo mī mī tiǎo bō 。
“而且，上一次的仙选者，是通过声势浩大的仙盟大考层层挑选的。想要重新补全仙选者，恐怕需要一段真空期。这或许就是你们反击的机会。”李晴并没有把话说的太死，只是悄咪咪挑拨。
"Too bad. I was hoping to continue our relationship with the One Mindful Venerable," she sighed.
qīng yāng wén yán ， suī rán kàn shàng shí fēn píng jìng 。 dàn yǎn shén de biàn huà ， què shì bào lù le tā nèi xīn cǐ kè de zhèn dòng 。
青央闻言，虽然看上十分平静。但眼神的变化，却是暴露了她内心此刻的震动。
Qīng Zhāng's gaze sharpened on Li Qing.
“ bù zhī dào ， wǔ wèi tiān zūn shén me shí hòu cái néng wán quán huī fù lì liàng ？” lǐ qíng chèn jī dǎ tīng dào 。
“不知道，五位天尊什么时候才能完全恢复力量？”李晴趁机打听道。
Unperturbed by the lethal aura, Li Qing bowed: "My mission is complete; no need for further interference."
qīng yāng yáo yáo tóu ， bì kǒu bù tán 。
青央摇摇头，闭口不谈。
"I hope we can work together again in the future."
“ kě xī le ， běn xiǎng zhe hái néng gēn 【 yī xīn tiān zūn 】 zài xù qián yuán 。” lǐ qíng tàn le kǒu qì 。
“可惜了，本想着还能跟【一心天尊】再续前缘。”李晴叹了口气。
Li Qing prepared to leave. Qīng Zhāng did not stop her.
qīng yāng de mù guāng shà shí yī níng ， luò zài lǐ qíng shēn shàng 。
青央的目光霎时一凝，落在李晴身上。
They exchanged new contact methods before she transformed into a sword of light and flew away.
duì nà wǎn rú shí zhì dì shā qì bìng bù zài yì ， lǐ qíng gǒng le gǒng shǒu ：“ wǒ de shǐ mìng yǐ jīng wán chéng ， jiù bù duō dǎ rǎo le 。”
对那宛如实质的杀气并不在意，李晴拱了拱手：“我的使命已经完成，就不多打扰了。”
"Master, this person's behavior seems suspicious. Shouldn't we have stopped him?" A shadow suddenly appeared behind Qīng Zhāng, asking.
“ xī wàng rì hòu wǒ men hái yǒu hé zuò de jī huì 。”
“希望日后我们还有合作的机会。”
Qīng Zhāng shook her head. "Although he is formidable, I can still detain him."
lǐ qíng zhǔn bèi lí kāi ， qīng yāng yě bìng wèi zǔ lán 。
李晴准备离开，青央也并未阻拦。
She stared at the horizon until the sword of light disappeared. "He isn't our enemy for now; no need to worry about him."
lín xíng qián jiāo huàn le xīn de jiē tóu fāng shì ， lǐ qíng huà zuò yī dào jiàn guāng ， jìng zhí fēi dùn zǒu 。
临行前交换了新的接头方式，李晴化作一道剑光，径直飞遁走。
"How's the poison seed plan going?"
“ dà rén ， cǐ rén xíng jì kě yí ， jiù zhè me fàng tā zǒu le ？” yī dào hēi yǐng hū de cóng qīng yāng bèi hòu fú xiàn ， chū shēng wèn dào 。
“大人，此人形迹可疑，就这么放他走了？”一道黑影忽的从青央背后浮现，出声问道。
The shadow replied in a low voice: "We're still unable to contact them. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has taken our residents somewhere unknown."
“ suī rán cǐ rén shí lì bù sú ， dàn wǒ kěn dìng néng liú xià tā 。”
“虽然此人实力不俗，但我肯定能留下他。”
"Continue tracking," Qīng Zhāng said, her eyes flashing with coldness.
qīng yāng mù guāng dīng zhe tiān biān ， zhí dào nà mǒ jiàn guāng chè dǐ xiāo shī ， tā cái dàn dàn dì shuō dào ：“ tā mù qián hái bú shì wǒ men de dí rén ， bù bì guǎn tā 。”
青央目光盯着天边，直到那抹剑光彻底消失，她才淡淡地说道：“他目前还不是我们的敌人，不必管他。”
"They dared to reach out; they must be prepared for the consequences."
“ dú zhǒng jì huà jìn xíng de rú hé le ？”
“毒种计划进行的如何了？”
"Yes!" The shadow's tone was tinged with excitement.
hēi yǐng chén shēng dào ：“ hái lián xì bù shàng 。 wàn xiān méng bù zhī dào bǎ wǒ men de jū mín zhuā dào nǎ lǐ qù le 。”
黑影沉声道：“还联系不上。万仙盟不知道把我们的居民抓到哪里去了。”
---
“ jì xù zhuī zōng 。” qīng yāng yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī lěng máng 。
“继续追踪。”青央眼中闪过一丝冷芒。
Li Qing didn't know what happened after she left. But the faint malice from the shadow that circled around him was subtly felt by Li Fan, prompting his departure once he got the desired result.
“ tā men jì rán gǎn shēn chū shǒu ， jiù yào zuò hǎo bèi zhǎn de zhǔn bèi 。”
“他们既然敢伸出手，就要做好被斩的准备。”
On his way back, a shocking scene caught his attention: on the ruins almost flattened by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, a group of cultivators in flowing armor appeared. They hovered mid-air, projecting ghostly images of buildings onto the ground with their light beams. As the beams solidified and became more glaring, the illusory structures gradually transformed into real ones.
“ shì ！” hēi yǐng de yǔ qì zhōng liú lù chū yī sī xīng fèn 。
“是！”黑影的语气中流露出一丝兴奋。
With minimal effort, this team created a sizable city within half an hour.
……
……
"Mission complete; let's see what the reward is."
lǐ qíng bìng bù zhī dào tā zǒu hòu fā shēng de shì qíng 。
李晴并不知道他走后发生的事情。
"This is too stingy... I'll move on to the next one," they muttered as they flew away.
bù guò pán xuán zài tā shēn biān 、 shǔ yú hēi yǐng de nà ruò yǒu ruò wú de è yì ， tā què shì yǐn yǐn néng gǎn jué dào de 。
不过盘旋在他身边、属于黑影的那若有若无的恶意，他却是隐隐能感觉到的。
"It's interesting." Li Fan narrowed his eyes. Cultivators from the Carefree Paradise seemed to handle things and act differently from those in the outside world, with a much higher level of development than other regions under the Five Elders' control.
suǒ yǐ tā bìng wèi dòu liú 。 zài dé dào le xiǎng yào de jié guǒ hòu ， jiù lí kāi le wǔ lǎo huì de dì pán 。
所以他并未逗留。在得到了想要的结果后，就离开了五老会的地盘。
"Buildings can be reconstructed, but what about the people taken by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?"
bù guò fǎn huí tú zhōng ， dǎo shì piē jiàn le ràng tā pǒ wèi zhèn jīng de yí mù 。
不过返回途中，倒是瞥见了让他颇为震惊的一幕。
"Could they also appear out of thin air?" Li Fan became curious. After receiving his master's approval, he hid near the newly built city to investigate.
bèi wàn xiān méng jī hū yí wéi píng dì de dà piàn fèi xū shàng ， chū xiàn le yī duì shēn chuān liú guāng zhàn jiǎ de xiū shì 。
被万仙盟几乎夷为平地的大片废墟上，出现了一队身穿流光战甲的修士。
He didn't have to wait long. Six days later, another group in flowing armor arrived, escorting a massive warship above the city. As a huge light beam descended from the ship and enveloped the city, one by one, seemingly sleeping bodies floated down into various parts of the city.
piāo fú zài bàn kōng zhōng ， cóng tā men zhàn jiǎ de tóu bù ， xiàng dì miàn tóu shè chū yī zuò zuò jiàn zhù de xū yǐng 。
漂浮在半空中，从他们战甲的头部，向地面投射出一座座建筑的虚影。
Soon, the once empty city was bustling with people again. After the warship left, the residents gradually woke up, unaware of what had happened, as if they had been thawed out from a frozen state, immediately resuming their previous actions.
suí zhe guāng shù de bù duàn níng shí 、 yuè lái yuè cì yǎn ， nà xiē yuán běn xū huàn de jiàn zhù jìng rán yě màn màn yóu xū zhuǎn shí 。
随着光束的不断凝实、越来越刺眼，那些原本虚幻的建筑竟然也慢慢由虚转实。
The city soon buzzed with activity. Li Fan infiltrated and controlled one resident to investigate thoroughly. He discovered that these were indeed real people, not illusory beings.
yī duì xiū shì jī hū bù fèi chuī huī zhī lì ， jǐn yòng le bàn zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， jiù píng kōng chuàng zào le yī zuò guī mó bù xiǎo de chéng chí 。
一队修士几乎不费吹灰之力，仅用了半盏茶的功夫，就凭空创造了一座规模不小的城池。
"This method..."
“ rèn wù gǎo dìng ， ràng wǒ kàn kàn zhè cì de jiǎng lì 。”
“任务搞定，让我看看这次的奖励。”
Li Fan's expression turned serious. The war seemed like a loss for the Five Elders' Alliance but also not entirely lost. Excited by the potential future developments, he transformed into a sword of light and left.
“ zhè yě tài kōu le …… suàn le ， xià yī chù ba 。”
“这也太抠了……算了，下一处吧。”
---
zhè xiē xiū shì zuǐ lǐ dū nāng zhe ， lù xù fēi zǒu le 。
这些修士嘴里嘟囔着，陆续飞走了。
In the Light Yang State, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, Saint Embryo Li Fan was playing chess with an old man under a tree. The Saint Embryo played easily while the old man pondered each move for a long time before making them.
“ yǒu yì si 。” lǐ qíng yǎn jīng wēi wēi mī qǐ 。
“有意思。”李晴眼睛微微眯起。
Despite his efforts, the old man eventually lost the game.
lái zì wú yōu lè tǔ lǐ de xiū shì ， sì hū chǔ shì tài dù 、 yǐ jí xíng wéi fāng shì ， dōu gēn wài jiè xiū shì dà xiāng jìng tíng 。
来自无忧乐土里的修士，似乎处事态度、以及行为方式，都跟外界修士大相径庭。
"Stop! You're acting strange!"
ér qiě fā dá chéng dù ， sì hū yě yuǎn chāo wǔ lǎo huì de qí tā zhōu yù 。
而且发达程度，似乎也远超五老会的其他州域。
The old man grumbled and overturned the board.
“ jiàn zhù néng chóng jiàn ， nà xiē bèi wàn xiān méng lǔ zǒu de rén ne ？”
“建筑能重建，那些被万仙盟掳走的人呢？”
It was odd; the scattered black and white chess pieces seemed to be drawn back by an unseen force and returned to the board. The board rearranged itself and landed in front of the old man.
“ nán bù chéng yě néng píng kōng biàn chū lái ？”
“难不成也能凭空变出来？”
"Blast it..."
lǐ qíng lái le xìng qù ， dé dào běn zūn de shǒu kěn zhī hòu ， zài zhè zuò xīn jiàn de chéng chí fù jìn àn zhōng qián fú xià lái 。
李晴来了兴趣，得到本尊的首肯之后，在这座新建的城池附近暗中潜伏下来。
The old man cursed under his breath.
méi ràng lǐ qíng děng duō jiǔ 。
没让李晴等多久。
But for Li Fan, this was nothing new. It had been their nine hundred and ninety-ninth game together.
"In different timelines, both sides once fought fiercely over the remains of the first transmigrant. It seems these remains have more uses than just symbolic."
Li Fan's mind immediately turned to raiding the Ten Thousand Immortal Island for any useful items.
But he quickly suppressed that thought.
Although the Lányú Sea and the Ten Thousand Immortals Island seemed like remote places, with only Spirit Transformation Realm cultivators stationed there—now within his reach—the island held more than just the remains of the first transmigrant. It also concealed the **Piercing Obscure Tunnel**, a mysterious source of the Xuanhuang World.
The public supervisor at the Celestial Oracle Hall, Gong Sun Qixuan, was far from as simple as he appeared.
"Actually, it's not impossible to dig here in plain sight," Li Fan mused. "As long as we stir things up again."
"What's a bit strange is why they chose those remains instead of just digging on the Ten Thousand Immortal Island," he wondered aloud. "Why would they need the ones taken by the Five Elders?"
Li Fan's thoughts flickered with some doubt.
"It seems I should get in touch with Mo Ru Bin soon," he decided.
The scene shifted to the Five Elders' gathering, where Li Qing was present as a clone.
"Remains? The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance went to such lengths for these?" Li Qing echoed his master's doubts.
"Yes." Qīng Zhāng reaffirmed. "There are fifty-six residual souls and one hundred three remains in the Soul Grinding Wheel."
"But after so many years of torment, they've become completely mad. They're no longer worth anything," she added, glancing at Li Qing.
Li Qing showed no emotion on her face. After pretending to think for a moment, she said, "Since you're being so straightforward, I'll be frank too. The Thirty-Three Transmigrants are all dead. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance won't summon the Heavenly Venerable's form in the short term."
"And last time, the transmigrants were selected through a grand alliance exam. Replenishing them might require some time. This could be your chance to strike back," Li Qing hinted subtly.
Qīng Zhāng seemed calm on the surface but her eyes betrayed her inner shock.
"Uncertain when the Five Heavenly Venerables will fully recover?" Li Qing asked, trying to gather more information.
Qīng Zhāng shook her head and remained silent.
"Too bad. I was hoping to continue our relationship with the One Mindful Venerable," she sighed.
Qīng Zhāng's gaze sharpened on Li Qing.
Unperturbed by the lethal aura, Li Qing bowed: "My mission is complete; no need for further interference."
"I hope we can work together again in the future."
Li Qing prepared to leave. Qīng Zhāng did not stop her.
They exchanged new contact methods before she transformed into a sword of light and flew away.
"Master, this person's behavior seems suspicious. Shouldn't we have stopped him?" A shadow suddenly appeared behind Qīng Zhāng, asking.
Qīng Zhāng shook her head. "Although he is formidable, I can still detain him."
She stared at the horizon until the sword of light disappeared. "He isn't our enemy for now; no need to worry about him."
"How's the poison seed plan going?"
The shadow replied in a low voice: "We're still unable to contact them. The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has taken our residents somewhere unknown."
"Continue tracking," Qīng Zhāng said, her eyes flashing with coldness.
"They dared to reach out; they must be prepared for the consequences."
"Yes!" The shadow's tone was tinged with excitement.
---
Li Qing didn't know what happened after she left. But the faint malice from the shadow that circled around him was subtly felt by Li Fan, prompting his departure once he got the desired result.
On his way back, a shocking scene caught his attention: on the ruins almost flattened by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, a group of cultivators in flowing armor appeared. They hovered mid-air, projecting ghostly images of buildings onto the ground with their light beams. As the beams solidified and became more glaring, the illusory structures gradually transformed into real ones.
With minimal effort, this team created a sizable city within half an hour.
"Mission complete; let's see what the reward is."
"This is too stingy... I'll move on to the next one," they muttered as they flew away.
"It's interesting." Li Fan narrowed his eyes. Cultivators from the Carefree Paradise seemed to handle things and act differently from those in the outside world, with a much higher level of development than other regions under the Five Elders' control.
"Buildings can be reconstructed, but what about the people taken by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?"
"Could they also appear out of thin air?" Li Fan became curious. After receiving his master's approval, he hid near the newly built city to investigate.
He didn't have to wait long. Six days later, another group in flowing armor arrived, escorting a massive warship above the city. As a huge light beam descended from the ship and enveloped the city, one by one, seemingly sleeping bodies floated down into various parts of the city.
Soon, the once empty city was bustling with people again. After the warship left, the residents gradually woke up, unaware of what had happened, as if they had been thawed out from a frozen state, immediately resuming their previous actions.
The city soon buzzed with activity. Li Fan infiltrated and controlled one resident to investigate thoroughly. He discovered that these were indeed real people, not illusory beings.
"This method..."
Li Fan's expression turned serious. The war seemed like a loss for the Five Elders' Alliance but also not entirely lost. Excited by the potential future developments, he transformed into a sword of light and left.
---
In the Light Yang State, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, Saint Embryo Li Fan was playing chess with an old man under a tree. The Saint Embryo played easily while the old man pondered each move for a long time before making them.
Despite his efforts, the old man eventually lost the game.
"Stop! You're acting strange!"
The old man grumbled and overturned the board.
It was odd; the scattered black and white chess pieces seemed to be drawn back by an unseen force and returned to the board. The board rearranged itself and landed in front of the old man.
"Blast it..."
The old man cursed under his breath.
But for Li Fan, this was nothing new. It had been their nine hundred and ninety-ninth game together.