“ qián bèi shuō de shén me huà ， wǒ nǎ lǐ bú duì jìn le ？”
“前辈说的什么话，我哪里不对劲了？”
"Senior, what did you say? Where am I going wrong?"
“ fàng yǎn zhěng gè xuán huáng jiè ， yuàn yì péi nǐ xià shàng yī qiān pán qí de ， chú wǒ zhī wài 、 yīng gāi méi yǒu le ba ？”
“放眼整个玄黄界，愿意陪你下上一千盘棋的，除我之外、应该没有了吧？”
"Look around the entire Xuanhuang Realm—apart from me, who else would be willing to play a thousand games with you?"
shèng tāi wēi xiào zhe ， yī biān lào zi 、 yī biān fǎn wèn dào 。
圣胎微笑着，一边落子、一边反问道。
The Saint Embryo smiled as he placed his piece. "How about that, my young friend? There's no one else in this world who'd accompany you for a thousand games."
zhè dì yī shǒu ， què shì zhí jiē xià zài le 【 tiān yuán 】 de wèi zhì 。
这第一手，却是直接下在了【天元】的位置。
The untidy old man's expression changed as he looked at the Saint Embryo. His demeanor became incredibly serious.
lā tā lǎo zhě miàn sè yī biàn ， kàn le yǎn shèng tāi ， shén qíng biàn dé wú bǐ rèn zhēn qǐ lái 。
邋遢老者面色一变，看了眼圣胎，神情变得无比认真起来。
"You brat! You have only Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, yet your calculating abilities are terrifyingly strong. And you didn't even try to hide it; you sat right next to me!"
“ nǐ zhè xiǎo zi ， míng míng zhǐ yǒu yuán yīng xiū wèi 。 yǎn suàn néng lì què qiáng de xià rén 。 ér qiě yǎn shì dōu bù yǎn shì ， jìng zhí zuò zài le wǒ de shēn biān 。”
“你这小子，明明只有元婴修为。衍算能力却强的吓人。而且掩饰都不掩饰，径直坐在了我的身边。”
"Clearly, you came prepared!"
“ gēn běn jiù shì yǒu bèi ér lái ！”
“根本就是有备而来！”
"I was actually happy for a while. After all these years, I could finally get some hands-on experience again. But halfway through, I realized I had fallen into your trap!"
“ yuán běn wǒ hái yǒu xiē gāo xìng ， zhè me xiē nián ， zhōng yú kě yǐ guò guò shǒu yǐn le 。 xià dào yí bàn wǒ cái míng bái guò lái ， shì wǒ luò rù nǐ de jú zhōng le ！”
“原本我还有些高兴，这么些年，终于可以过过手瘾了。下到一半我才明白过来，是我落入你的局中了！”
The old man sighed slightly.
lǎo zhě wēi wēi gǎn tàn dào 。
老者微微感叹道。
The Saint Embryo merely smiled without answering.
shèng tāi zé shì xiào ér bù dá 。
圣胎则是笑而不答。
His name was Thousand Seeker Dao Ren, an elderly cultivator who had once suffered injuries that dropped his cultivation level. He carried a Veneration of Law Jade Token, though few knew about it at this time. To the eyes of others, he was just a madman among ordinary cultivators.
lā tā lǎo zhě míng wèi 【 qiān xún dào rén 】。 nǎi shì yī wèi yīn shāng diē luò xiū wèi de lǎo pái hé dào 。
邋遢老者名为【千寻道人】。乃是一位因伤跌落修为的老牌合道。
A decade later, a commoner named Xiao Shengke met Thousand Seeker Dao Ren by chance. After spending a thousand days begging with him, Xiao received the Veneration of Law Jade Token. With his mortal body, he faced the Law Engraving Jade and obtained cultivation techniques, thus stepping onto the path to immortality.
bù zhī céng jīng wèi xiān méng lì xià shén me gōng xūn ， shēn shàng jū rán xié yǒu yī méi 【 jìn fǎ yù pái 】。
不知曾经为仙盟立下什么功勋，身上居然携有一枚【觐法玉牌】。
This story was often retold by later generations.
dāng rán ， zài zhè ge shí jiān diǎn ， shì shàng hái xiǎn yǒu rén zhī xiǎo cǐ shì 。
当然，在这个时间点，世上还鲜有人知晓此事。
The Saint Embryo sought out Thousand Seeker Dao Ren for his Veneration of Law Jade Token. However, a thousand days of begging was too long, so he deliberately provoked him into playing chess with him.
zài zhòng rén yǎn zhōng ， zhè wèi qiān xún dào rén yě jǐn jǐn shì yǒu xiē fēng diān de xún cháng xiū shì bà le 。
在众人眼中，这位千寻道人也仅仅是有些疯癫的寻常修士罢了。
Thousand Seeker Dao Ren's name and cultivation technique were closely related; everything needed to be done in a thousand parts, and someone had to accompany him. He was actually practicing while playing chess with the Saint Embryo.
zhǐ yǒu zài shí duō nián hòu ， yī wèi míng jiào xiāo shēng kè de fán rén ， ǒu yù qiān xún dào rén 。
只有在十多年后，一位名叫萧声客的凡人，偶遇千寻道人。
The only restriction was that he couldn't openly mention this process. After completing his Thousand Seeker practice, his appearance and aura would change as if he were another person.
zài péi qiān xún dào rén wán chéng le yī qiān tiān de gòng tóng qǐ tǎo shēng huó zhī hòu ， huò zèng le jìn fǎ yù pái 。
在陪千寻道人完成了一千天的共同乞讨生活之后，获赠了觐法玉牌。
Thus, it all depended on fate.
yǐ fán rén zhī qū ， miàn jiàn yǎn fǎ jué 。
以凡人之躯，面见衍法珏。
But Li Fan, the Saint Embryo, had already learned of this beforehand.
dé dào le hé dào gōng fǎ ， cóng cǐ píng bù xiān tú 。
得到了合道功法，从此平步仙途。
With the last piece placed, Li Fan lost by a single move and ultimately conceded to Thousand Seeker Dao Ren. "You little brat, at least you let me win one game."
cǐ shì yě jīng cháng bèi hòu rén jīn jīn lè dào 。
此事也经常被后人津津乐道。
Thousand Seeker Dao Ren angrily cursed but wasn't truly happy about winning. He overturned the chessboard again, and this time, the black and white pieces dissipated into thin air.
shèng tāi zhǎo dào qiān xún dào rén ， zì rán yě shì wèi le tā de hé dào jìn fǎ yù pái 。
圣胎找到千寻道人，自然也是为了他的合道觐法玉牌。
An aura of movement emanated from the old man's body. "Congratulations, senior! You're not far from reuniting with your dao!" Li Fan said with a smile.
bù guò yī qiān tiān de qǐ tǎo ， tài jiǔ le 。 yú shì tā gù yì yòng yán yǔ jī de duì fāng gēn zì jǐ xià qí 。
不过一千天的乞讨，太久了。于是他故意用言语激的对方跟自己下棋。
"What do you want?" Thousand Seeker Dao Ren didn't waste any time. "The Veneration of Law Jade Token."
qiān xún dào rén ， tā de míng zì jiù gēn tā de gōng fǎ xī xī xiāng guān 。
千寻道人，他的名字就跟他的功法息息相关。
"Get lost!" He threw the token at Li Fan and vanished without waiting for an answer.
fán shì xū yǐ qiān chéng ， hái xū yǒu rén xiāng bàn 。
凡事需以千成，还需有人相伴。
Li Fan, despite losing nine hundred and ninety-nine games in a row, feeling 'narrowly beaten' each time, wasn't too upset. The old man's restraint was already commendable.
tā zài gēn shèng tāi xià qí ， shí zé yě shì zài xiū liàn 。
他在跟圣胎下棋，实则也是在修炼。
"With the Law Engraving Jade Token to assist with calculations, few can defeat me in chess."
wéi yī de xiàn zhì jiù shì tā wú fǎ zhǔ dòng xiàng bié rén tí qǐ zhè qí zhōng yuán wěi ， ér dāng tā wán chéng yī duàn 【 qiān xún 】 xiū liàn zhī hòu ， róng mào 、 qì xī jiù huì biàn dé wǎn ruò lìng wài yī rén 。
唯一的限制就是他无法主动向别人提起这其中原委，而当他完成一段【千寻】修炼之后，容貌、气息就会变得宛若另外一人。
The Saint Embryo shook his head slightly and arrived at an unoccupied place. He used the Veneration of Law Jade Token directly.
suǒ yǐ yī qiè zhǐ néng kàn yuán fēn 。
所以一切只能看缘分。
Before this, he had already settled his identity within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. The process was smooth without any unexpected incidents.
dàn shèng tāi lǐ fán què shì dé yǐ tí qián zhī xiǎo cǐ shì 。
但圣胎李凡却是得以提前知晓此事。
A door appeared as a cultivator led him in. However, after a dizzy spell, he found himself back at the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance...
dāng zuì hòu yī méi zi là xià ， shèng tāi lǐ fán qí chà yī zhe ， zuì zhōng shū gěi le qiān xún dào rén 。
当最后一枚子落下，圣胎李凡棋差一着，最终输给了千寻道人。
"Um?"
“ chòu xiǎo zi ， zǒng suàn hái zhī dào ràng wǒ yī pán 。”
“臭小子，总算还知道让我一盘。”
Looking around, it wasn't the headquarters' scene.
qiān xún dào rén nù mà yī shēng ， suī rán yíng le ， què zěn me yě kāi xīn bù qǐ lái 。
千寻道人怒骂一声，虽然赢了，却怎么也开心不起来。
Several figures stood in a blurry light sphere, and intermittent voices could be heard from within. "How much confidence do you have for this journey?"
zài dù xiān fān qí pán ， zhè cì nà xiē hēi bái qí zi què shì zì xíng xiāo sàn yú kōng qì zhī zhōng 。
再度掀翻棋盘，这次那些黑白棋子却是自行消散于空气之中。
"Just do your best and leave the rest to fate."
ér lǎo zhě shēn shàng ， què shì chuán lái yī gǔ yǒng dòng de qì xī 。
而老者身上，却是传来一股涌动的气息。
"That doesn't sound like something you'd say."
“ gōng xǐ qián bèi ， lí chóng xīn hé dào bù yuǎn yǐ ！” shèng tāi lǐ fán xiào zhe dào 。
“恭喜前辈，离重新合道不远矣！”圣胎李凡笑着道。
"The gap is too great; I can only fight with everything I've got."
“ nǐ xiǎng yào xiē shén me ？” qiān xún dào rén yě bù fèi huà ， zhí jiē kāi kǒu wèn dào 。
“你想要些什么？”千寻道人也不废话，直接开口问道。
"Alright, go ahead. Who knows if it's a blessing or a curse."
“ jìn fǎ yù pái 。”
“觐法玉牌。”
...
“ gǔn ba ！” qiān xún dào rén zhí jiē jiāng yù pái rēng le guò qù 。
“滚吧！”千寻道人直接将玉牌扔了过去。
One of the voices sounded familiar to Li Fan, but not exactly matching any individual.
bù děng lǐ fán dá huà ， tā de shēn yǐng jiù xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
不等李凡答话，他的身影就消失不见。
He knew this was an illusion caused by the Influence of Law Engraving Jade Token upon his first entry into the alliance headquarters.
shèng tāi jiāng yù pái shōu qǐ ， bìng bù zài yì 。 rèn shuí yī lián shū le jiǔ bǎi jiǔ shí jiǔ pán ， ér qiě hái dōu shì zài sì hū zhǐ shì qí chà yī zhe de qíng kuàng xià “ xī bài ”， xīn zhōng dōu kěn dìng yǒu diǎn pí qì 。
圣胎将玉牌收起，并不在意。任谁一连输了九百九十九盘，而且还都是在似乎只是棋差一着的情况下“惜败”，心中都肯定有点脾气。
But for some reason, this time felt different from previous encounters with his main and clone selves. "Is one of these figures the Law Engraver?"
méi yǒu chū shǒu jiào xùn ， yǐ jīng suàn shì qiān xún dào rén sù zhì gāo le 。
没有出手教训，已经算是千寻道人素质高了。
"What does that represent?"
“ yǒu huà dào shí tuī yǎn ， shì shàng néng zài qí zhī yī dào shàng yíng wǒ de ， dàng zhēn shì shǎo zhī yòu shǎo 。”
“有化道石推衍，世上能在棋之一道上赢我的，当真是少之又少。”
Before Li Fan could think further, he felt a tremor in the ground as images shattered layer by layer.
shèng tāi wēi wēi yáo tóu ， lái dào yī chù piān pì wú rén zhī suǒ 。
圣胎微微摇头，来到一处偏僻无人之所。
He exited the illusion and appeared inside the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters.
zhí jiē shǐ yòng le jìn fǎ yù pái 。
直接使用了觐法玉牌。
The leading cultivator was accustomed to this and briefly explained before continuing on with Li Fan towards the Law Engraving Jade.
zài cǐ zhī qián ， tā yǐ jīng gǎo dìng le zì jǐ zài wàn xiān méng nèi de shēn fèn 。
在此之前，他已经搞定了自己在万仙盟内的身份。
It was like old times, identical to his previous experiences.
suǒ yǐ zhěng gè guò chéng ， bìng méi yǒu yù dào shén me yì wài 。
所以整个过程，并没有遇到什么意外。
Entering the Guardian Hall, a notification caught Li Fan off guard. "Law Engraving Jade Token application: Fan Li."
yī jiù shì xiū shì qián lái jiē yǐn ， yī dào mén fēi píng kōng chū xiàn 。
依旧是修士前来接引，一道门扉凭空出现。
"Code 005. Access Level: Foundation Establishment Realm."
rán ér ， yī zhèn xuàn yūn zhī hòu ， tā zài dù lái dào le wàn xiān méng zǒng bù ……
然而，一阵眩晕之后，他再度来到了万仙盟总部……
"Pleasantly wait here; expected waiting time: 3623 days and six hours."
“ ń ？”
“嗯？”
Li Fan initially thought he had misheard but repeated it, only to spring up in surprise.
huán gù sì zhōu ， què bú shì wàn xiān méng zǒng bù de jǐng xiàng 。
环顾四周，却不是万仙盟总部的景象。
"Why would I have to wait so long?"
yī chù mó hú de guāng tuán zhōng ， jǐ dào rén yǐng chù lì 。
一处模糊的光团中，几道人影矗立。
He voiced his confusion, wondering aloud. "If you don't want to wait, leave on your own."
duàn duàn xù xù de duì huà shēng cóng qí zhōng chuán lái 。
断断续续的对话声从其中传来。
"Warning: Leaving means giving up the right to use the Veneration of Law Jade Token."
“ cǐ qù ， nǐ yǒu jǐ fēn bǎ wò ？”
“此去，你有几分把握？”
After a long time, a voice replied from the void. "I'm code 005 and need to wait almost ten years. What's the logic behind this?"
“ jìn rén shì ， tīng tiān mìng ér yǐ 。”
“尽人事，听天命而已。”
"Am I supposed to have never used the Law Engraving Jade? How long does it take to derive a cultivation technique? Someone must be misusing the public tool for personal gain!"
“ zhè kě bù xiàng nǐ huì shuō de huà 。”
“这可不像你会说的话。”
The Saint Embryo Li Fan wasn't intimidated; instead, he loudly argued. "What? The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's foundation, a celestial wonder—the Law Engraving Jade has malfunctioned?"
“ shí lì tài guò xuán shū ， wéi yǒu shě mìng yī bó ér yǐ 。”
“实力太过悬殊，唯有舍命一搏而已。”
"What are you up to in the Guardian Hall! This is such a serious matter, and not only do you not try to solve it but also deliberately conceal it?!"
“ bà le ， nǐ qiě qù ba 。 yě bù zhī ， shì fú shì huò 。”
“罢了，你且去吧。也不知，是福是祸。”
"There must be a traitor among you!"
……
……
"I won't rest until I expose this matter publicly!"
qí zhōng yī dào rén yǐng de shēng yīn ， shèng tāi lǐ fán tīng zhe sì hū jué de yǒu xiē shú xī 。
其中一道人影的声音，圣胎李凡听着似乎觉得有些熟悉。
...
dàn yòu gēn rèn hé yī rén bù wán quán xiāng tóng 。
但又跟任何一人不完全相同。
Amidst Li Fan's loud protests, a figure slowly materialized before him. It looked at the Saint Embryo with no expression, as if looking at a corpse.
tā zhī dào zhè shì dì yī cì jìn rù xiān méng zǒng bù 、 shòu dào chuán fǎ tiān zūn yǐng xiǎng ér chǎn shēng de huàn jué 。
他知道这是第一次进入仙盟总部、受到传法天尊影响而产生的幻觉。
Li Fan instantly became serious: "Let me take a look; maybe I can find a solution."
dàn zhè cì què bù zhī wèi hé ， gēn zhī qián běn zūn yǔ fēn shēn 、 suǒ jiàn ， dōu bù xiāng tóng 。
但这次却不知为何，跟之前本尊与分身、所见，都不相同。
The figure was stunned by his words.
"Senior, what did you say? Where am I going wrong?"
"Look around the entire Xuanhuang Realm—apart from me, who else would be willing to play a thousand games with you?"
The Saint Embryo smiled as he placed his piece. "How about that, my young friend? There's no one else in this world who'd accompany you for a thousand games."
The untidy old man's expression changed as he looked at the Saint Embryo. His demeanor became incredibly serious.
"You brat! You have only Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, yet your calculating abilities are terrifyingly strong. And you didn't even try to hide it; you sat right next to me!"
"Clearly, you came prepared!"
"I was actually happy for a while. After all these years, I could finally get some hands-on experience again. But halfway through, I realized I had fallen into your trap!"
The old man sighed slightly.
The Saint Embryo merely smiled without answering.
His name was Thousand Seeker Dao Ren, an elderly cultivator who had once suffered injuries that dropped his cultivation level. He carried a Veneration of Law Jade Token, though few knew about it at this time. To the eyes of others, he was just a madman among ordinary cultivators.
A decade later, a commoner named Xiao Shengke met Thousand Seeker Dao Ren by chance. After spending a thousand days begging with him, Xiao received the Veneration of Law Jade Token. With his mortal body, he faced the Law Engraving Jade and obtained cultivation techniques, thus stepping onto the path to immortality.
This story was often retold by later generations.
The Saint Embryo sought out Thousand Seeker Dao Ren for his Veneration of Law Jade Token. However, a thousand days of begging was too long, so he deliberately provoked him into playing chess with him.
Thousand Seeker Dao Ren's name and cultivation technique were closely related; everything needed to be done in a thousand parts, and someone had to accompany him. He was actually practicing while playing chess with the Saint Embryo.
The only restriction was that he couldn't openly mention this process. After completing his Thousand Seeker practice, his appearance and aura would change as if he were another person.
Thus, it all depended on fate.
But Li Fan, the Saint Embryo, had already learned of this beforehand.
With the last piece placed, Li Fan lost by a single move and ultimately conceded to Thousand Seeker Dao Ren. "You little brat, at least you let me win one game."
Thousand Seeker Dao Ren angrily cursed but wasn't truly happy about winning. He overturned the chessboard again, and this time, the black and white pieces dissipated into thin air.
An aura of movement emanated from the old man's body. "Congratulations, senior! You're not far from reuniting with your dao!" Li Fan said with a smile.
"What do you want?" Thousand Seeker Dao Ren didn't waste any time. "The Veneration of Law Jade Token."
"Get lost!" He threw the token at Li Fan and vanished without waiting for an answer.
Li Fan, despite losing nine hundred and ninety-nine games in a row, feeling 'narrowly beaten' each time, wasn't too upset. The old man's restraint was already commendable.
"With the Law Engraving Jade Token to assist with calculations, few can defeat me in chess."
The Saint Embryo shook his head slightly and arrived at an unoccupied place. He used the Veneration of Law Jade Token directly.
Before this, he had already settled his identity within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. The process was smooth without any unexpected incidents.
A door appeared as a cultivator led him in. However, after a dizzy spell, he found himself back at the headquarters of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance...
"Um?"
Looking around, it wasn't the headquarters' scene.
Several figures stood in a blurry light sphere, and intermittent voices could be heard from within. "How much confidence do you have for this journey?"
"Just do your best and leave the rest to fate."
"That doesn't sound like something you'd say."
"The gap is too great; I can only fight with everything I've got."
"Alright, go ahead. Who knows if it's a blessing or a curse."
...
One of the voices sounded familiar to Li Fan, but not exactly matching any individual.
He knew this was an illusion caused by the Influence of Law Engraving Jade Token upon his first entry into the alliance headquarters.
But for some reason, this time felt different from previous encounters with his main and clone selves. "Is one of these figures the Law Engraver?"
"What does that represent?"
Before Li Fan could think further, he felt a tremor in the ground as images shattered layer by layer.
He exited the illusion and appeared inside the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance headquarters.
The leading cultivator was accustomed to this and briefly explained before continuing on with Li Fan towards the Law Engraving Jade.
It was like old times, identical to his previous experiences.
Entering the Guardian Hall, a notification caught Li Fan off guard. "Law Engraving Jade Token application: Fan Li."
"Code 005. Access Level: Foundation Establishment Realm."
"Pleasantly wait here; expected waiting time: 3623 days and six hours."
Li Fan initially thought he had misheard but repeated it, only to spring up in surprise.
"Why would I have to wait so long?"
He voiced his confusion, wondering aloud. "If you don't want to wait, leave on your own."
"Warning: Leaving means giving up the right to use the Veneration of Law Jade Token."
After a long time, a voice replied from the void. "I'm code 005 and need to wait almost ten years. What's the logic behind this?"
"Am I supposed to have never used the Law Engraving Jade? How long does it take to derive a cultivation technique? Someone must be misusing the public tool for personal gain!"
The Saint Embryo Li Fan wasn't intimidated; instead, he loudly argued. "What? The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's foundation, a celestial wonder—the Law Engraving Jade has malfunctioned?"
"What are you up to in the Guardian Hall! This is such a serious matter, and not only do you not try to solve it but also deliberately conceal it?!"
"There must be a traitor among you!"
"I won't rest until I expose this matter publicly!"
...
Amidst Li Fan's loud protests, a figure slowly materialized before him. It looked at the Saint Embryo with no expression, as if looking at a corpse.
Li Fan instantly became serious: "Let me take a look; maybe I can find a solution."
The figure was stunned by his words.