lǐ fán zhī suǒ yǐ xuǎn zé zhāng hào bō zuò wéi “ chóng shēng zhě ” qù tiǎo dòng wàn xiān méng yǔ chì yán yī zhàn ， zì rán shì yīn wèi cǐ rén běn jiù mìng shù bù fán 。
李凡之所以选择张浩波作为“重生者”去挑动万仙盟与赤炎一战，自然是因为此人本就命数不凡。
Li Fan chose Zhang Haobo as the "reborn" to stir up a conflict between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and Scarlet Flame, naturally because this person's fate was already extraordinary.
shàng yī shì ， tā shēn wèi fán rén ， què néng yǐn yǐn chá jué dào fén hǎi wēi jī ， zài jié nàn lái lín zhī qián yuǎn dùn 。
上一世，他身为凡人，却能隐隐察觉到焚海危机，在劫难来临之前远遁。
In his previous life, he had been an ordinary mortal but could vaguely sense the peril of the Burning Sea before the calamity struck. Not only that; in some distant continent, there seemed to be other opportunities for him as well. In just twenty-some years, he transformed from a mere mortal into a Foundation Establishment powerhouse.
bù jǐn rú cǐ ， zài yáo yuǎn dà lù yě sì hū lìng yǒu jì yù 。
不仅如此，在遥远大陆也似乎另有际遇。
In this life, with Li Fan providing mystical techniques, it was believed that he could grow faster and thus qualify to participate in the major events involving Scarlet Flame and the Burning Sea.
duǎn duǎn èr shí jǐ nián shí guāng ， biàn néng cóng fán rén yī yuè ér chéng zhù jī qiáng zhě 。
短短二十几年时光，便能从凡人一跃而成筑基强者。
The seed had been planted; now it would slowly grow into a towering tree. Of course, during its growth, some pruning would be necessary.
jīn shì ， yǒu lǐ fán tí gōng de gōng fǎ ， xiāng xìn tā néng yǐ gèng kuài de sù dù chéng zhǎng qǐ lái 。
今世，有李凡提供的功法，相信他能以更快的速度成长起来。
Li Fan watched as Zhang Haobo's demeanor changed dramatically before he fell asleep deeply. He then ascended into the air, preparing to return to Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
zhè yàng ， cái yǒu zī gé qù cān yù tuī dòng chì yán fén hǎi de dà shì jiàn 。
这样，才有资格去参与推动赤炎焚海的大事件。
Under the night sky, most residents of Lustrous Isle were already fast asleep, and the island was shrouded in darkness. Only one residence remained brightly lit, with white mourning banners hanging outside.
zhǒng zi rú jīn yǐ jīng zhòng xià ， jiù jìng dài tā màn màn chéng zhǎng wèi le yī kē cān tiān dà shù le 。
种子如今已经种下，就静待它慢慢成长为了一颗参天大树了。
Li Fan had visited this place before; it belonged to Mr. Zhao, who used to oversee finances on Lustrous Isle. Li Fan's consciousness swept over the area.
dāng rán ， zài qí shēng zhǎng guò chéng zhōng ， miǎn bù liǎo yào duì qí yī fān xiū xiū jiǎn jiǎn 。
当然，在其生长过程中，免不了要对其一番修修剪剪。
His body suddenly halted mid-air as he gazed at Mr. Zhao kneeling in front of a spirit tablet. Li Fan stared at the words on the tablet, lost in thought.
lǐ fán kàn zhe xīn shén jù biàn hòu yòu chén chén shuì qù de zhāng hào bō ， téng kōng ér qǐ ， zhǔn bèi fǎn huí wàn xiān dǎo 。
李凡看着心神剧变后又沉沉睡去的张浩波，腾空而起，准备返回万仙岛。
"Former Immortal Master He Zhenghao's memorial tablet."
yè mù zhī xià ， liú lí dǎo jū mín dà duō dōu yǐ xiàn rù chén shuì ， dǎo shàng yī piàn hēi àn 。
夜幕之下，琉璃岛居民大多都已陷入沉睡，岛上一片黑暗。
He Zhenghao...
wéi yǒu yī chù zhù zhái ， réng rán dēng huǒ tōng míng ， zhǐ shì yuàn luò lǐ guà mǎn le bái sè de sàng fān 。
唯有一处住宅，仍然灯火通明，只是院落里挂满了白色的丧幡。
Dead?
nà zhù zhái lǐ fán dào yě céng qù guò ， nǎi shì xī rì liú lí dǎo zhǔ guǎn cái wù de zhào guǎn shì de zhù suǒ 。
那住宅李凡倒也曾去过，乃是昔日琉璃岛主管财物的赵管事的住所。
Li Fan was not particularly shocked but felt extremely puzzled. It was said that one could never step into the same river twice.
yú shì lǐ fán shén shí shùn biàn sǎo guò 。
于是李凡神识顺便扫过。
But with "Truly Real," Li Fan could repeatedly step into the same river countless times. His minor actions might cause ripples, but they couldn't change the flow of the river.
shēn xíng měng rán dùn zhù ， xuán yú bàn kōng ， lǐ fán de yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī chà yì 。
身形猛然顿住，悬于半空，李凡的眼中闪过一丝诧异。
He Zhenghao's death came as a surprise to Li Fan.
tā jiàng luò dào zhào guǎn shì yuàn zhōng ， zǒu jìn líng táng zhī nèi 。
他降落到赵管事院中，走进灵堂之内。
"How did Daoist He die?" Li Fan asked.
zhào guǎn shì shēn chuān sāng fú ， guì zuò zài líng pái qián 。
赵管事身穿丧服，跪坐在灵牌前。
Mr. Zhao was startled but quickly replied with respect: "It is said that Immortal Master He met his demise when he encountered a trap while exploring a cave."
lǐ fán kàn zhe líng pái shàng de zì ， zhēng zhēng chū shén 。
李凡看着灵牌上的字，怔怔出神。
"It has been fifty-six days since then."
“ gù xiān shī hé zhèng hào zhī líng wèi ”。
“故仙师何正浩之灵位”。
Li Fan recalled the message from He Zhenghao at the time...
hé zhèng hào ……
何正浩……
"Recently, several friends discovered an ancient cave and invited me to explore it. They claimed that this cave was sealed before the great calamity struck, containing many treasures. It might even have some mystical techniques."
lǐ fán xīn zhōng duō zhèn jīng dǎo shì tán bù shàng ， zhǐ shì wú bǐ de yí huò 。
李凡心中多震惊倒是谈不上，只是无比的疑惑。
He Zhenghao wanted to explore the cave and asked Li Fan to temporarily guard Lustrous Isle.
dōu shuō rén bù néng liǎng cì tà jìn tóng yī tiáo hé liú 。
都说人不能两次踏进同一条河流。
Li Fan declined because he was plotting the "Cloud Water Scroll." He didn't think much of it at the time, assuming He Zhenghao would return safely. After all, they had met in his previous life only a decade later, when he was still alive.
dàn píng jiè zhe “ hái zhēn ”， lǐ fán què kě yǐ wú shù cì de fǎn fù tà zú tóng yī hé liú 。
但凭借着“还真”，李凡却可以无数次的反复踏足同一河流。
He never expected that He Zhenghao would die directly.
zì jǐ yī xiē xì wēi de dòng zuò ， huò xǔ huì jiàn qǐ hé liú zhōng de shuǐ huā ， dàn què wú fǎ gǎi biàn hé liú de zǒu shì 。
自己一些细微的动作，或许会溅起河流中的水花，但却无法改变河流的走势。
"So, in the previous life, He Zhenghao did not participate in this cave exploration."
hé zhèng hào zhī sǐ ， què shì chū hū lǐ fán de yì liào zhī wài 。
何正浩之死，却是出乎李凡的意料之外。
"Due to... his accumulated contributions were wiped out at once. To get an infant's soul transformation technique, he took a gamble."
“ hé dào yǒu shì rú hé sǐ de ？” lǐ fán bù jīn wèn dào 。
“何道友是如何死的？”李凡不禁问道。
"And why did he lose everything? Because the island producing Spirit Fog Grass was destroyed by that monstrous Leviathan Whale, making him think there would be huge profits."
zhào guǎn shì dǒu rán yī jīng ， dàn mǎ shàng huí guò shēn lái ， gōng jìng dì huí dá ：“ jù shuō ， hé xiān shī nǎi shì tàn suǒ yī chù dòng fǔ shí ， zāo yù jī guān ， bù xìng yù nàn 。”
赵管事陡然一惊，但马上回过身来，恭敬地回答：“据说，何仙师乃是探索一处洞府时，遭遇机关，不幸遇难。”
"In the previous life, this incident didn't happen."
“ zhì jīn yǐ yǒu wǔ shí liù tiān le 。”
“至今已有五十六天了。”
"What caused the monster attack?"
lǐ fán bù jīn huí yì qǐ dāng shí hé zhèng hào de chuán xùn 。
李凡不禁回忆起当时何正浩的传讯。
...
……
……
A scene flashed in Li Fan's mind. He had found many unprocessed Lustrous Fish in the whale's stomach.
“ zhèng hǎo yǒu jǐ wèi yǒu rén zuì jìn fā xiàn le yí gè shàng gǔ dòng fǔ ， yāo qǐng wǒ qù yī tóng tàn suǒ 。 jù tā men shuō ， zhè dòng fǔ yīng gāi zài dà jié jiàng lín zhī qián jiù yǐ jīng fēng bì ， lǐ miàn bì rán yǒu bù shǎo qí zhēn yì bǎo ， shèn zhì yǒu zhe bù shǎo gōng fǎ cún zài yě bú shì bù kě néng 。”
“正好有几位友人最近发现了一个上古洞府，邀请我去一同探索。据他们说，这洞府应该在大劫降临之前就已经封闭，里面必然有不少奇珍异宝，甚至有着不少功法存在也不是不可能。”
Lustrous Fish were the main ingredient for refining Lustrous Pills; taking them could produce effects similar to awakening one's spirit.
……
……
"Lustrous can awaken the spirit..."
hé zhèng hào xiǎng yào tàn suǒ dòng fǔ ， yù qǐng lǐ fán dài lǐ zhèn shǒu liú lí dǎo 。
何正浩想要探索洞府，欲请李凡代理镇守琉璃岛。
This monstrous Leviathan Whale, having consumed a large amount of Lustrous Fish, gradually developed intelligence.
lǐ fán yīn wèi yào tú móu 《 yún shuǐ tú lù 》， méi yǒu yīng yǔn 。 dāng shí tā yě méi yǒu jiāng cǐ shì fàng zài xīn shàng ， yǐ wéi hé zhèng hào kěn dìng huì ān quán huí lái 。
李凡因为要图谋《云水图箓》，没有应允。当时他也没有将此事放在心上，以为何正浩肯定会安全回来。
By chance, it encountered an island where Spirit Fog Grass was cultivated. This Spirit Fog Grass must have some benefits for it; thus, the whale launched a sudden attack and devoured most of the Spirit Fog Grass on the island.
bì jìng shàng yī shì lǐ fán yù dào hé zhèng hào ， hái shì zài shí jǐ nián hòu 。 nà shí hòu tā hái huó de hǎo hǎo de ne 。
毕竟上一世李凡遇到何正浩，还是在十几年后。那时候他还活的好好的呢。
And why could it consume so many Lustrous Fish?
què méi xiǎng dào ， tā jū rán zhí jiē shēn yǔn le 。
却没想到，他居然直接身陨了。
Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
“ zhè me shuō ， shàng yī shì ， hé zhèng hào shì méi yǒu cān jiā zhè cì dòng fǔ tàn suǒ de 。”
“这么说，上一世，何正浩是没有参加这次洞府探索的。”
In his previous life, when he turned into the vast sea, he had seen the remains of a large Lustrous Fish. A huge Lustrous Treasure Pearl shone under the sun in its body.
“ zhī suǒ yǐ chǎn shēng le biàn dòng ， zé shì yīn wèi ……”
“之所以产生了变动，则是因为……”
So, this time around, as he passed by, he killed the leader of the Lustrous Fish.
“ tā jī zǎn bàn shēng de gòng xiàn dù yí cì xìng péi guāng le 。 wèi le gēn huàn yuán yīng fǎ ， tā zhǔn bèi bó yī bó 。”
“他积攒半生的贡献度一次性赔光了。为了跟换元婴法，他准备搏一搏。”
Without their leader, the Lustrous Fish were like headless dragons, unable to resist and were devoured by the Leviathan Whale...
“ ér zhī suǒ yǐ jiā dàng shū le gè jīng guāng ， zé shì yīn wèi ， shēng chǎn líng wù cǎo de dǎo yǔ bèi nà tóu yì shòu lóng jīng cuī huǐ ， ràng tā yǐ wéi yǒu dà zhuàn yī bǐ de jī huì 。”
“而之所以家当输了个精光，则是因为，生产灵雾草的岛屿被那头异兽龙鲸摧毁，让他以为有大赚一笔的机会。”
...
“ shàng yī shì ， zhè jiàn shì yīng gāi méi yǒu fā shēng 。”
“上一世，这件事应该没有发生。”
In a flash, Li Fan understood the entire sequence of events.
“ ér yòu shì shén me yuán yīn ， dǎo zhì le yì shòu xí jī shì jiàn de fā shēng ？”
“而又是什么原因，导致了异兽袭击事件的发生？”
So, was it his unintentional actions that led to He Zhenghao's death?
……
……
Not just him; how many others had lost everything in the Spirit Fog Grass hype and ended up dead or destroyed due to their losses?
yī fú huà miàn hū rán zài lǐ fán nǎo zhōng shǎn guò 。
一幅画面忽然在李凡脑中闪过。
The reason for all these subsequent events was simply because Li Fan killed a giant Lustrous Fish.
tā zài lóng jīng de wèi zhōng ， céng jīng fā xiàn le xǔ duō shàng wèi bèi xiāo huà wán quán de liú lí zhū 。
他在龙鲸的胃中，曾经发现了许多尚未被消化完全的琉璃珠。
The death of the leader caused the Lustrous Fish to be unable to defend against other predators. This led the Leviathan Whale, after consuming many Lustrous Pearls, to gain intelligence.
liú lí zhū shì liàn zhì liú lí dān de zhǔ cái liào 。 liú lí dān fú yòng hòu ， néng chǎn shēng lèi sì yú qǐ líng de xiào guǒ 。
琉璃珠是炼制琉璃丹的主材料。琉璃丹服用后，能产生类似于启灵的效果。
With this newfound intelligence, by chance, it destroyed an entire island's Spirit Fog Grass.
“ liú lí kě qǐ líng ……”
“琉璃可启灵……”
The destruction of the Spirit Fog Grass was secretly exacerbated, causing countless people to lose everything.
zhè tóu yì shòu lóng jīng ， yīn wèi tūn shì le dà liàng de liú lí zhū ， suǒ yǐ jiàn jiàn chǎn shēng le líng zhì 。
这头异兽龙鲸，因为吞噬了大量的琉璃珠，所以渐渐产生了灵智。
In the end, several Foundation Establishment cultivators died prematurely.
jī yuán qiǎo hé zhī xià ， tā yù jiàn le zhòng zhí líng wù cǎo de dǎo yǔ 。
机缘巧合之下，它遇见了种植灵雾草的岛屿。
Each event was like a chain of events, initially light but tightening with each link until the fatal one formed, making escape impossible!
zhè líng wù cǎo yīng gāi duì tā yǒu mǒu zhǒng yì chù ， suǒ yǐ lóng jīng hàn rán fā dòng le tū xí ， tūn shí le dǎo shàng dà bù fèn líng wù cǎo 。
这灵雾草应该对它有某种益处，所以龙鲸悍然发动了突袭，吞食了岛上大部分灵雾草。
"Even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, killing is so simple. This is how the true use of heaven's killing mechanism should be."
ér zhī suǒ yǐ tā néng tūn dé dà liàng liú lí zhū ， shì yīn wèi ……
而之所以它能吞得大量琉璃珠，是因为……
"The formless killing mechanism still seems crude."
lǐ fán mī qǐ le yǎn jīng 。
李凡眯起了眼睛。
Li Fan's heart raced with thoughts.
shàng yī shì ， tā shēn huà cāng hǎi shí ， céng jīng kàn jiàn guò yī jù páng dà de liú lí yú de shī gǔ 。
上一世，他身化沧海时，曾经看见过一具庞大的琉璃鱼的尸骨。
Lin Fan, immersed in various secrets within the Heaven and Profound Mirror, suddenly changed his expression.
shī gǔ zhōng ， yī méi jù dà de liú lí bǎo zhū zài yáng guāng xià shǎn yào 。
尸骨中，一枚巨大的琉璃宝珠在阳光下闪耀。
He activated auxiliary cultivation mode,启灵加持 (awakening spirit support), and began to understand.
yú shì ， zhè yī shì ， tā zài lù guò shí ， shùn shǒu bǎ nà liú lí yú de shǒu lǐng gěi zǎi le 。
于是，这一世，他在路过时，顺手把那琉璃鱼的首领给宰了。
"Killing doesn't necessarily require physical action. With Truly Real foresight, I can set up a plan like killing He Zhenghao, crossing time and space."
liú lí yú qún méi le shǒu lǐng ， rú qún lóng wú shǒu 。
琉璃鱼群没了首领，如群龙无首。
"A few thousand miles away, years ago, take someone's life."
zhǐ néng háo wú dǐ kàng de bèi lóng jīng tūn shí 。
只能毫无抵抗的被龙鲸吞食。
One could not see the true face of Mount Lu from within it. If it weren't for He Zhenghao's unexpected death, Li Fan might have taken much longer to comprehend this.
……
……
"Daoist He, you died well!"
diàn guāng huǒ shí zhī jiān ， gǎo qīng liǎo shì qíng lái lóng qù mài de lǐ fán ， chè dǐ lèng zhù le 。
电光火石之间，搞清了事情来龙去脉的李凡，彻底愣住了。
Thinking this, Li Fan sincerely lit a stick of incense on He Zhenghao's memorial tablet.
zhè me shuō ， shì zì jǐ dāng chū wú yì jiān de yí gè jǔ dòng ， dǎo zhì le hé zhèng hào de sǐ wáng ？
这么说，是自己当初无意间的一个举动，导致了何正浩的死亡？
"You can go now; in the next life, I won't let you down."
shèn zhì ， bù jǐn jǐn shì hé zhèng hào yī rén 。
甚至，不仅仅是何正浩一人。
Li Fan said quietly. After standing for a moment until the incense burned nearly out, he turned to leave.
líng wù cǎo chǎo zuò yī shì zhōng ， yòu yǒu duō shǎo rén tóng yàng péi de qīng jiā dàng chǎn 。
灵雾草炒作一事中，又有多少人同样赔的倾家荡产。
Just then, Mr. Zhao suddenly called out.
zhī hòu yòu bù dé bù tǐng ér zǒu xiǎn ， luò de gè shēn sǐ dào xiāo de xià chǎng ？
之后又不得不铤而走险，落得个身死道消的下场？
"Immortal Master, please wait!"
Li Fan chose Zhang Haobo as the "reborn" to stir up a conflict between the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and Scarlet Flame, naturally because this person's fate was already extraordinary.
In his previous life, he had been an ordinary mortal but could vaguely sense the peril of the Burning Sea before the calamity struck. Not only that; in some distant continent, there seemed to be other opportunities for him as well. In just twenty-some years, he transformed from a mere mortal into a Foundation Establishment powerhouse.
In this life, with Li Fan providing mystical techniques, it was believed that he could grow faster and thus qualify to participate in the major events involving Scarlet Flame and the Burning Sea.
The seed had been planted; now it would slowly grow into a towering tree. Of course, during its growth, some pruning would be necessary.
Li Fan watched as Zhang Haobo's demeanor changed dramatically before he fell asleep deeply. He then ascended into the air, preparing to return to Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
Under the night sky, most residents of Lustrous Isle were already fast asleep, and the island was shrouded in darkness. Only one residence remained brightly lit, with white mourning banners hanging outside.
Li Fan had visited this place before; it belonged to Mr. Zhao, who used to oversee finances on Lustrous Isle. Li Fan's consciousness swept over the area.
His body suddenly halted mid-air as he gazed at Mr. Zhao kneeling in front of a spirit tablet. Li Fan stared at the words on the tablet, lost in thought.
"Former Immortal Master He Zhenghao's memorial tablet."
He Zhenghao...
Dead?
Li Fan was not particularly shocked but felt extremely puzzled. It was said that one could never step into the same river twice.
But with "Truly Real," Li Fan could repeatedly step into the same river countless times. His minor actions might cause ripples, but they couldn't change the flow of the river.
He Zhenghao's death came as a surprise to Li Fan.
"How did Daoist He die?" Li Fan asked.
Mr. Zhao was startled but quickly replied with respect: "It is said that Immortal Master He met his demise when he encountered a trap while exploring a cave."
"It has been fifty-six days since then."
Li Fan recalled the message from He Zhenghao at the time...
"Recently, several friends discovered an ancient cave and invited me to explore it. They claimed that this cave was sealed before the great calamity struck, containing many treasures. It might even have some mystical techniques."
...
He Zhenghao wanted to explore the cave and asked Li Fan to temporarily guard Lustrous Isle.
Li Fan declined because he was plotting the "Cloud Water Scroll." He didn't think much of it at the time, assuming He Zhenghao would return safely. After all, they had met in his previous life only a decade later, when he was still alive.
He never expected that He Zhenghao would die directly.
"So, in the previous life, He Zhenghao did not participate in this cave exploration."
"Due to... his accumulated contributions were wiped out at once. To get an infant's soul transformation technique, he took a gamble."
"And why did he lose everything? Because the island producing Spirit Fog Grass was destroyed by that monstrous Leviathan Whale, making him think there would be huge profits."
"In the previous life, this incident didn't happen."
"What caused the monster attack?"
...
A scene flashed in Li Fan's mind. He had found many unprocessed Lustrous Fish in the whale's stomach.
Lustrous Fish were the main ingredient for refining Lustrous Pills; taking them could produce effects similar to awakening one's spirit.
"Lustrous can awaken the spirit..."
This monstrous Leviathan Whale, having consumed a large amount of Lustrous Fish, gradually developed intelligence.
By chance, it encountered an island where Spirit Fog Grass was cultivated. This Spirit Fog Grass must have some benefits for it; thus, the whale launched a sudden attack and devoured most of the Spirit Fog Grass on the island.
And why could it consume so many Lustrous Fish?
Li Fan narrowed his eyes.
In his previous life, when he turned into the vast sea, he had seen the remains of a large Lustrous Fish. A huge Lustrous Treasure Pearl shone under the sun in its body.
So, this time around, as he passed by, he killed the leader of the Lustrous Fish.
Without their leader, the Lustrous Fish were like headless dragons, unable to resist and were devoured by the Leviathan Whale...
...
In a flash, Li Fan understood the entire sequence of events.
So, was it his unintentional actions that led to He Zhenghao's death?
Not just him; how many others had lost everything in the Spirit Fog Grass hype and ended up dead or destroyed due to their losses?
The reason for all these subsequent events was simply because Li Fan killed a giant Lustrous Fish.
The death of the leader caused the Lustrous Fish to be unable to defend against other predators. This led the Leviathan Whale, after consuming many Lustrous Pearls, to gain intelligence.
With this newfound intelligence, by chance, it destroyed an entire island's Spirit Fog Grass.
The destruction of the Spirit Fog Grass was secretly exacerbated, causing countless people to lose everything.
In the end, several Foundation Establishment cultivators died prematurely.
Each event was like a chain of events, initially light but tightening with each link until the fatal one formed, making escape impossible!
"Even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, killing is so simple. This is how the true use of heaven's killing mechanism should be."
"The formless killing mechanism still seems crude."
Li Fan's heart raced with thoughts.
Lin Fan, immersed in various secrets within the Heaven and Profound Mirror, suddenly changed his expression.
He activated auxiliary cultivation mode,启灵加持 (awakening spirit support), and began to understand.
"Killing doesn't necessarily require physical action. With Truly Real foresight, I can set up a plan like killing He Zhenghao, crossing time and space."
"A few thousand miles away, years ago, take someone's life."
One could not see the true face of Mount Lu from within it. If it weren't for He Zhenghao's unexpected death, Li Fan might have taken much longer to comprehend this.
"Daoist He, you died well!"
Thinking this, Li Fan sincerely lit a stick of incense on He Zhenghao's memorial tablet.
"You can go now; in the next life, I won't let you down."
Li Fan said quietly. After standing for a moment until the incense burned nearly out, he turned to leave.
Just then, Mr. Zhao suddenly called out.
"Immortal Master, please wait!"