“ wǒ dǎo zhì diào yú chí de yì dòng ？ dào yǒu wèi miǎn yǒu diǎn tài gāo kàn wǒ le 。”
“我导致钓鱼池的异动？道友未免有点太高看我了。”
"I caused the anomaly in the fishing pool? Fellow Daoist, you must be looking rather highly of me."
jīn sè shēn yǐng xiān shì zì cháo le yī fān ， suí hòu kāi shǐ le zì wǒ jiè shào ：“ wǒ běn míng bǎi huā dào rén ， nǎi shì wàn shèng jiè tiān lián zōng zōng zhǔ ……”
金色身影先是自嘲了一番，随后开始了自我介绍：“我本名百花道人，乃是万盛界天莲宗宗主……”
The golden figure first self-deprecatingly laughed before introducing himself: "My real name is Hundred Flowers Dao Ren. I am the sect master of the Heavenly Lotus Sect in the Ten Thousand Prosperous Realm..."
“ bù guò nà yǐ jīng shì jǐ qiān nián qián de shì qíng le 。”
“不过那已经是几千年前的事情了。”
"But that was thousands of years ago."
bǎi huā dào rén yǔ qì zhōng yǒu xiē àn rán ：“ dāng nián 【 méi 】 zì jué tū rán bào fā ， xí juǎn zhū jiè 。 wàn shèng jiè suī jié lì dǐ dǎng ， què yī jiù wú fǎ zǔ zhǐ qí màn yán 。 wǒ děng wú nài zhī xià ， zhǐ dé qì jiè ér táo 。 yuán běn hái xiǎng zhǎo yī chù ān quán zhī suǒ bì nàn ， bù xiǎng ……”
百花道人语气中有些黯然：“当年【没】字决突然爆发，席卷诸界。万盛界虽竭力抵挡，却依旧无法阻止其蔓延。我等无奈之下，只得弃界而逃。原本还想找一处安全之所避难，不想……”
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren's voice carried a hint of melancholy: "Back then, the [Non] Technique suddenly erupted and swept across all realms. Although Ten Thousand Prosperous Realm did its best to resist, it still couldn't stop the spread. We had no choice but to abandon our realm and flee. Originally, we wanted to find a safe place to take refuge, but..."
“ fán suǒ guò zhī chù ， jiē shì mò shì jǐng xiàng 。”
“凡所过之处，皆是末世景象。”
"All places we passed through were scenes of an apocalyptic world."
bǎi huā dào rén jīn guāng shēn yǐng wēi wēi shǎn dòng ， rú bèi qīng fēng chuī guò ， zhāng xiǎn zhe tā nèi xīn de jí bù píng jìng 。 jí biàn zhè me zhǎng shí jiān guò qù ， měi měi huí xiǎng qǐ dāng nián qíng jǐng ， yě shì xīn zhōng bō lán dǒu shēng 。
百花道人金光身影微微闪动，如被轻风吹过，彰显着她内心的极不平静。即便这么长时间过去，每每回想起当年情景，也是心中波澜陡生。
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren's golden figure flickered slightly, as if lightly blown by a breeze, revealing her inner turmoil. Even after such a long time, every time she recalled the events from back then, it stirred up waves in her heart.
“ měi yī jiè zāo yù de jié nàn bìng bù xiāng tóng ， wǒ men wàn shèng jiè zhōu wéi xīng yù ， nà huī sè méi bān rú xiōng yǒng dà hǎi 、 tūn mò shì jiān yī qiè 。 ér yǒu de shì jiè ， niǔ qū zào wù xiǎn xiàn 、 zài bù duàn zì xiāng cán shā zhōng chè dǐ huǐ miè ， yóu rú xuè sè liàn yù 。”
“每一界遭遇的劫难并不相同，我们万盛界周围星域，那灰色霉斑如汹涌大海、吞没世间一切。而有的世界，扭曲造物显现、在不断自相残杀中彻底毁灭，犹如血色炼狱。”
"The calamities each realm faced were different. In our Ten Thousand Prosperous Realm's surrounding star fields, gray mold spots spread like surging seas, swallowing everything in their path. And some worlds saw twisted creations manifesting and self-destructed through endless mutual destruction, resembling a blood-colored inferno."
“ rú guǒ jǐn jǐn shì zhè xiē de huà ， wǒ men zhǐ yào pǎo de zú gòu yuǎn ， huò xǔ hái néng zhǎo dào yī xiàn shēng jī 。 dàn shì ……”
“如果仅仅是这些的话，我们只要跑的足够远，或许还能找到一线生机。但是……”
"If it had just been these calamities, we might have found a chance of survival by running far enough. But..."
“ xiān xū zhī nèi ， yǒu 【 zhēn xiān 】。” lǐ fán zài cǐ shí yǔ qì yōu yōu dào 。
“仙墟之内，有【真仙】。”李凡在此时语气幽幽道。
"There are [True Immortals] within the Immortal Desolation," Li Fan said with a somber tone.
bǎi huā dào rén kàn le lǐ fán yī yǎn ， wēi wēi diǎn tóu 。
百花道人看了李凡一眼，微微点头。
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren glanced at Li Fan and nodded slightly.
“ chén lún xīng yù zhī wài ， yǒu wú xíng bì zhàng ， zǔ lán wǒ děng lí qù 。 ér zài chén lún xīng yù nèi ， yǒu zhēn xiān jiè 【 jī 】 zì jué wù dào 、 wú shì cāng shēng sǐ huó ……”
“沉沦星域之外，有无形壁障，阻拦我等离去。而在沉沦星域内，有真仙借【饥】字诀悟道、无视苍生死活……”
"Beyond the Sinking Star Fields, there is an无形 barrier blocking our path to leave. Within the Sinking Star Fields, True Immortals use the [Hunger] Technique to悟道, disregarding the lives of countless beings..."
“ ń ？ děng děng 。 nǐ gāng cái shuō ， yǒu zhēn xiān jiè 【 jī 】 zì jué wù dào ？ zhè shì shén me yì si ？” lǐ fán mù guāng yī shǎn ， chū shēng wèn dào 。
“嗯？等等。你刚才说，有真仙借【饥】字诀悟道？这是什么意思？”李凡目光一闪，出声问道。
"Eh? Hold on. You said that a True Immortal used the [Hunger] Technique to悟道? What does that mean?" Li Fan's eyes flashed as he asked.
“ zhēn xiān ， bú shì bèi jī zì jué zhèn yā me ？” lǐ fán tí chū le zì jǐ xīn zhōng de yí wèn 。
“真仙，不是被饥字诀镇压么？”李凡提出了自己心中的疑问。
"True Immortals are not suppressed by the Hunger Technique," Li Fan voiced his doubts.
bǎi huā dào rén xiān shì lèng le xià ， suí hòu huǎng rán ：“ kàn lái ， xuán huáng jiè dào yǒu duì zhēn xiān suǒ zhī bù duō 、 yīn ér chǎn shēng le xiē xǔ wù jiě 。”
百花道人先是愣了下，随后恍然：“看来，玄黄界道友对真仙所知不多、因而产生了些许误解。”
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren was momentarily stunned before she understood: "It seems Fellow Daoist from Xuanhuang Realm knows little about True Immortals, leading to some misunderstandings."
“ gēn jù dāng nián wǒ men gè gè xiū xiān jiè xìng cún xiū shì de yán jiū ， zào chéng wǒ men zhè piàn xīng yù zāi huò de ，【 jī 】、【 luàn 】、【 méi 】 děng děng xiān jiā zhuàn zì ， yīng gāi tóng shì chū zì yī wèi zhēn xiān de shǒu bǐ 。”
“根据当年我们各个修仙界幸存修士的研究，造成我们这片星域灾祸的，【饥】、【乱】、【没】等等仙家篆字，应该同是出自一位真仙的手笔。”
"According to our research back then, the calamities that befell our star fields were caused by characters like [Hunger], [Disorder], and [Non]—all created by a single True Immortal's hand."
“ zhè wèi zhēn xiān ， yǒu jiāng shì jiān fǎ zé jù xiàng wèi zì de wú shàng wēi néng 。 liáo liáo jǐ bǐ ， jiù kě qīng yì huǐ miè yī yù 、 wú shù xiū xiān shì jiè 。”
“这位真仙，有将世间法则具象为字的无上威能。寥寥几笔，就可轻易毁灭一域、无数修仙世界。”
"This True Immortal has the supreme ability to manifest world laws as characters. A few strokes can easily destroy an entire realm or countless cultivation worlds."
“ zhè me shuō ， wǒ men suǒ zāo shòu de yī qiè jié nàn ， jiē shì zhè wèi zhēn xiān suǒ wèi ？” lǐ fán mù guāng shǎn dòng ， chén shēng wèn dào 。
“这么说，我们所遭受的一切劫难，皆是这位真仙所为？”李凡目光闪动，沉声问道。
"So, all the calamities we've faced are caused by this True Immortal?" Li Fan's eyes flickered as he asked in a low voice.
bù liào bǎi huā dào rén wēi wēi yáo tóu fǒu rèn ：“ wǒ gāng gāng bú shì shuō le me ， ruò zhēn shì nà wèi zhēn xiān chū shǒu ， wǒ děng xīng yù zǎo jiù shùn jiān bèi huǐ qù le 。 jié nàn zhōng bào fā chū lái de ， jī 、 luàn zì jué ， suī rán tóng yàng dài lái wú biān miè shì zāi huò ， què yě bù pèi gēn zhēn xiān shǒu duàn xiāng tí bìng lùn 。”
不料百花道人微微摇头否认：“我刚刚不是说了么，若真是那位真仙出手，我等星域早就瞬间被毁去了。劫难中爆发出来的，饥、乱字诀，虽然同样带来无边灭世灾祸，却也不配跟真仙手段相提并论。”
But Hundred Flowers Dao Ren shook her head slightly: "I just said that if it was truly that True Immortal, our star fields would have been destroyed instantly. The [Hunger] and [Disorder] Techniques that emerged during the calamities, while causing boundless destruction, don't match the power of a True Immortal."
“ nà shì ……” lǐ fán wēi wēi yí zhèng ， ér hòu shùn jiān xiǎng dào le shén me 。
“那是……”李凡微微一怔，而后瞬间想到了什么。
"That must be...?"
“ fǎng bǐ ？”
“仿笔？”
Li Fan paused for a moment before realizing something.
“ bù cuò 。 dāng nián zhū jiè xìng cún xiū shì ， zài zōng hé le gè jiè suǒ liú chuán xià lái de guān yú zhēn xiān de jì zǎi zhī hòu ， dōu shì tǒng yī de chū le rú cǐ jié lùn 。 yǐn qǐ xià jiè jié nàn de xiān jiā zhuàn zì ， dōu shì chū zì tóng yī rén ， huò zhě shuō xiān ， zhī shǒu 。” bǎi huā dào rén huǎn huǎn shuō dào ， yǔ qì zhōng què méi yǒu chóu hèn ， ér shì chōng mǎn liǎo wú lì 。
“不错。当年诸界幸存修士，在综合了各界所流传下来的关于真仙的记载之后，都是统一得出了如此结论。引起下界劫难的仙家篆字，都是出自同一人，或者说仙，之手。”百花道人缓缓说道，语气中却没有仇恨，而是充满了无力。
"Imitation pen? It's not?"
lǐ fán wén yán ， bù miǎn yǒu xiē yí huò ：“ wǒ men xuán huáng yī jiè ， lì jīng zhǒng zhǒng jié nàn 。 duì yú zhēn xiān suǒ zhī shèn shǎo 。 bù guò wú yuán wú gù ， wèi hé nà wèi xiān ， yào chuàng xià rú cǐ wú biān shā niè ？”
李凡闻言，不免有些疑惑：“我们玄黄一界，历经种种劫难。对于真仙所知甚少。不过无缘无故，为何那位仙，要创下如此无边杀孽？”
"Correct. Back then, survivors from all realms concluded after synthesizing records about True Immortals that the calamities in our world were caused by characters created by one person or entity," Hundred Flowers Dao Ren said slowly, her tone devoid of hatred but filled with helplessness.
“ xiān rén ， bú huì zuò wú yì yì zhī shì 。 jiù xiàng xiān xū zhōng de nà wèi xiān rén ， kū zuò wàn zài ， jiāng 【 jī 】 zì zhī dào wù dào jí zhì 。 jiù shì wèi le gèng jìn yí bù ， chéng jiù 【 wú míng zhēn xiān 】 zhī jìng 。” bǎi huā dào rén wú xiàn xī xū dào 。
“仙人，不会做无意义之事。就像仙墟中的那位仙人，枯坐万载，将【饥】字之道悟到极致。就是为了更进一步，成就【无名真仙】之境。”百花道人无限唏嘘道。
Li Fan couldn't help feeling puzzled: "Our Xuanhuang Realm has endured numerous calamities. We know very little about True Immortals. But for no reason, why would that immortal create such boundless carnage?"
“ wú míng zhēn xiān ？ guān yú cǐ wǒ dǎo shì yǒu suǒ ěr wén 。 wú fǎ zhī qí míng xìng ， yī qiè jì zǎi quán dōu xiāo shī ……”
“无名真仙？关于此我倒是有所耳闻。无法知其名姓，一切记载全都消失……”
"Immortals do not engage in meaningless actions. Just like the immortal within the Immortal Desolation, who sat for ten thousand years to fully understand the [Hunger] path, all to achieve the state of an unnamed True Immortal," Hundred Flowers Dao Ren lamented.
“ nán bù chéng ， xiān yì yǒu děng jí ？ bú shì suǒ yǒu xiān dōu shì rú cǐ ？” lǐ fán xū xīn qǐng jiào 。
“难不成，仙亦有等级？不是所有仙都是如此？”李凡虚心请教。
"Unnamed True Immortal? I've heard about this. We have no knowledge of their name or identity; all records are lost..."
“ bù cuò 。 xiān lù wèi jué zhī shí ， wǒ děng xiū shì yì kě fēi shēng chéng xiān 。 shōu dào xiān líng zhī qì xǐ lǐ ， tuì qù fán qū ， jiù kě zhèng shì chéng wéi xiān rén 。 shí lì chà nà tiān fān dì fù ， péng zhàng bǎi bèi bù zhǐ 。”
“不错。仙路未绝之时，我等修士亦可飞升成仙。收到仙灵之气洗礼，退去凡躯，就可正式成为仙人。实力刹那天翻地覆，膨胀百倍不止。”
"Could it be that immortals also have ranks? Not every immortal is like that?" Li Fan asked humbly.
“ dàn yǔ 【 wú míng zhēn xiān 】 xiāng bǐ ， yī jiù tiān chà dì bié 。 měi yī wèi xiān rén ， dōu shì jí zhì de qiú dào zhě 。 dāng néng gòu chè dǐ zhǎng wò shì jiān yī zhǒng dào tú zhī hòu ， biàn shì chāo tuō wàn wù de cún zài 。 guò wǎng yī qiè quán dōu bèi mǒ qù ， shì rén jiē wú fǎ zhī xiǎo qí míng xìng 。 zhǐ néng yǐ qí zhǎng wò de dào tú xiāng chèn 。”
“但与【无名真仙】相比，依旧天差地别。每一位仙人，都是极致的求道者。当能够彻底掌握世间一种道途之后，便是超脱万物的存在。过往一切全都被抹去，世人皆无法知晓其名姓。只能以其掌握的道途相称。”
"Yes, when the path to immortality was still open, we cultivators could ascend and become immortals after being baptized by divine essence. Shedding our mortal bodies, we would officially become immortals with power skyrocketing overnight."
“ nà wèi yǐ zì kè dào de wú míng zhēn xiān ， wǒ men zūn chēng qí wèi 【 míng dào xiān 】。”
“那位以字刻道的无名真仙，我们尊称其为【铭道仙】。”
"But compared to an unnamed True Immortal, it's a world apart. Each immortal is a seeker of the Dao in its ultimate form. Once they fully grasp one path, they transcend all existence. All past lives are erased, and no one knows their names; only by their paths can they be known."
……
……
"We respectfully call that immortal who carved the Dao with characters as [铭道仙]."
tīng zhe bǎi huā dào rén guān yú xiān zhī shàng de jìng jiè jiǎng shù ， lǐ fán bù jīn xīn chí shén wǎng 。
听着百花道人关于仙之上的境界讲述，李凡不禁心驰神往。
...
xuán huáng jiè guān yú xiān rén de zī liào zǎo yǐ xiāo shī zài lì shǐ cháng hé zhī zhōng ， shèn zhì lián chuán fǎ zhě yě zhī zhī shèn shǎo 。
玄黄界关于仙人的资料早已消失在历史长河之中，甚至连传法者也知之甚少。
Listening to Hundred Flowers Dao Ren's description of realms beyond immortals, Li Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder.
huò xǔ wéi yǒu xiān dào shí zōng yú niè de wǔ lǎo huì ， cái cán cún yǒu xiē xǔ zī liào 。
或许唯有仙道十宗余孽的五老会，才残存有些许资料。
Xuanhuang Realm's records about immortals had long vanished from history. Even transmitters of their teachings knew little.
jīn rì néng zài jī yuán qiǎo hé zhī xià ， yù dào shàng gǔ xiān jié de xìng cún zhě ， zhī xiǎo zhēn xiān yǐn mì ， jué duì shì yī fèn bù xiǎo de jī yuán 。
今日能在机缘巧合之下，遇到上古仙劫的幸存者，知晓真仙隐秘，绝对是一份不小的机缘。
Perhaps only the Five Elders' remnants of the Ten Immortal Sects still retained some information.
dāng rán ， lǐ fán yě méi yǒu duì zhè bǎi huā dào rén quán pán xìn rèn 。
当然，李凡也没有对这百花道人全盘信任。
Today, encountering survivors of ancient immortal calamities and learning about True Immortals was undoubtedly a significant opportunity.
zhǐ shì xiān gū qiě tīng zhī 。
只是先姑且听之。
Of course, Li Fan did not fully trust Hundred Flowers Dao Ren either. He would first listen to her story.
bǎi huā dào rén jì xù shuō zhe ：“ míng dào xiān yǐ rán chāo tuō ， dàn shì kě néng céng jīng liú xià le jǐ fú míng dào zhēn jì 。”
百花道人继续说着：“铭道仙已然超脱，但是可能曾经留下了几幅铭道真迹。”
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren continued: "While the [铭道仙] has transcended, he might have left behind some true迹."
“ dāng nián xiān jiè bù zhī fā shēng hé zhǒng biàn gù ， xiān lù bēng tā ， xiān rén dōu sì sàn ér táo 。 zhè xiē zhēn jì ， huò xǔ jiù bèi qí zhōng yī wèi xiān rén dé dào 。”
“当年仙界不知发生何种变故，仙路崩塌，仙人都四散而逃。这些真迹，或许就被其中一位仙人得到。”
"Back then, something unknown happened in the immortal realm, causing the path of immortality to collapse and immortals scattering. These true迹 might have been obtained by one of them."
“ tā lín mó xiě xià jī 、 luàn 、 méi děng zì ， huò luàn shì jiān 。 zhè bì rán gēn tā suǒ xiū de dào tú yǒu guān 。”
“他临摹写下饥、乱、没等字，霍乱世间。这必然跟他所修的道途有关。”
"He copied down characters like Hunger, Disorder, and Non, wreaking havoc on the world. This must be related to his cultivation path."
“ luàn 、 méi huǐ miè wú shù xiū xiān jiè ， ér jī zì ， què bèi lìng yī wèi xiān rén dé dào 。 ér huò xǔ shì jī zì fú hé zhè wèi xiān rén de dào tú ， tā pán zuò zài xī rì xiān jiè tōng dào chù ， jiù dì lǐng wù qǐ lái 。”
“乱、没毁灭无数修仙界，而饥字，却被另一位仙人得到。而或许是饥字符合这位仙人的道途，他盘坐在昔日仙界通道处，就地领悟起来。”
"Disorder and Non destroyed countless realms, while Hunger was taken by another immortal. Perhaps the character fit his path, so he sat at a former immortal realm's passage and began to understand it."
“ xū zhī ， wàn zài guāng yīn ， duì wǒ men ér yán huò xǔ jí wéi màn cháng 。 dàn shì duì yú xiān rén lái shuō ， bù guò shì yī cì bì guān de shí jiān 。”
“须知，万载光阴，对我们而言或许极为漫长。但是对于仙人来说，不过是一次闭关的时间。”
"One must know that ten thousand years is an eternity for us but just a period of seclusion for immortals."
“ zhì yú tā lǐng wù jī zì guò chéng zhōng ， huì zào chéng shén me hòu guǒ ……”
“至于他领悟饥字过程中，会造成什么后果……”
"As for what consequences arose during his understanding of the Hunger character..."
“ wǒ děng xià jiè xiū shì ， zài qí yǎn zhōng jiē shì lóu yǐ 。 tā yòu zěn me huì zài yì ne ？”
“我等下界修士，在其眼中皆是蝼蚁。他又怎么会在意呢？”
"In our eyes, all below are ants. Why would he care?"
bǎi huā dào rén shuō dào cǐ chù ， huà yǔ zhōng cái yǒu jǐ fēn yuàn zēng 。
百花道人说到此处，话语中才有几分怨憎。
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren's words carried a hint of resentment as she spoke.
lǐ fán jiāng duì fāng de huà jìn shù xī shōu hòu ， huǎn huǎn sī kǎo 。
李凡将对方的话尽数吸收后，缓缓思考。
After absorbing her words, Li Fan slowly pondered: "These are just your guesses, right? What concrete evidence do you have?"
“ zhè xiē ， dōu shì nǐ men de cāi cè ba ？ kě yǒu shén me shí zhì xìng de zhèng jù ？”
“这些，都是你们的猜测吧？可有什么实质性的证据？”
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren shook her head but was still very confident: "Back then, we survivors were the most powerful in our realms. Using remnants from various records, we deduced..."
bǎi huā dào rén yáo tóu ， dàn shì yī jiù shí fēn dǔ dìng ：“ dāng nián wǒ men nà qún xìng cún zhě ， néng cóng jié nàn zhōng cún huó xià lái ， dōu shì gè jiè shí lì zuì wèi dǐng fēng zhī rén le 。 jiè zhù gè jiè cán cún zī liào ， tuī cè chū de ……”
百花道人摇头，但是依旧十分笃定：“当年我们那群幸存者，能从劫难中存活下来，都是各界实力最为顶峰之人了。借助各界残存资料，推测出的……”
"Even if it's not absolute truth, it's close enough."
“ jí biàn bú shì jué duì de zhēn xiàng ， yě chà bù tài duō le 。”
“即便不是绝对的真相，也差不太多了。”
"Especially those who imitated immortal characters and understood the Hunger character; they are all at the realm of immortals. Although their power far surpasses ours, they haven't reached the incomprehensible level of an unnamed True Immortal," Hundred Flowers Dao Ren said with a hint of pride in her voice.
“ yóu qí shì nà lín mó zhēn xiān zhuàn zì 、 yǐ jí wù dào jī zì de ， dōu zhǐ shì xiān rén zhī jìng 。 suī rán shí lì jué duì niǎn yā wǒ men xiū xiān zhě ， dàn què méi dá dào wú míng zhēn xiān nà zhǒng bù kě chuǎi cè de dì bù 。” bǎi huā dào rén yǔ qì zhōng zì yǒu yī gǔ ào qì 。
“尤其是那临摹真仙篆字、以及悟道饥字的，都只是仙人之境。虽然实力绝对碾压我们修仙者，但却没达到无名真仙那种不可揣测的地步。”百花道人语气中自有一股傲气。
Li Fan recalled how, during his 115th incarnation, when he sensed the immortal within the Immortal Desolation, it suddenly opened its eyes and transmitted the Hunger character through a clone to Xuanhuang Realm, causing the world's destruction.
"I caused the anomaly in the fishing pool? Fellow Daoist, you must be looking rather highly of me."
The golden figure first self-deprecatingly laughed before introducing himself: "My real name is Hundred Flowers Dao Ren. I am the sect master of the Heavenly Lotus Sect in the Ten Thousand Prosperous Realm..."
"But that was thousands of years ago."
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren's voice carried a hint of melancholy: "Back then, the [Non] Technique suddenly erupted and swept across all realms. Although Ten Thousand Prosperous Realm did its best to resist, it still couldn't stop the spread. We had no choice but to abandon our realm and flee. Originally, we wanted to find a safe place to take refuge, but..."
"All places we passed through were scenes of an apocalyptic world."
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren's golden figure flickered slightly, as if lightly blown by a breeze, revealing her inner turmoil. Even after such a long time, every time she recalled the events from back then, it stirred up waves in her heart.
"The calamities each realm faced were different. In our Ten Thousand Prosperous Realm's surrounding star fields, gray mold spots spread like surging seas, swallowing everything in their path. And some worlds saw twisted creations manifesting and self-destructed through endless mutual destruction, resembling a blood-colored inferno."
"If it had just been these calamities, we might have found a chance of survival by running far enough. But..."
"There are [True Immortals] within the Immortal Desolation," Li Fan said with a somber tone.
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren glanced at Li Fan and nodded slightly.
"Beyond the Sinking Star Fields, there is an无形 barrier blocking our path to leave. Within the Sinking Star Fields, True Immortals use the [Hunger] Technique to悟道, disregarding the lives of countless beings..."
"Eh? Hold on. You said that a True Immortal used the [Hunger] Technique to悟道? What does that mean?" Li Fan's eyes flashed as he asked.
"True Immortals are not suppressed by the Hunger Technique," Li Fan voiced his doubts.
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren was momentarily stunned before she understood: "It seems Fellow Daoist from Xuanhuang Realm knows little about True Immortals, leading to some misunderstandings."
"According to our research back then, the calamities that befell our star fields were caused by characters like [Hunger], [Disorder], and [Non]—all created by a single True Immortal's hand."
"This True Immortal has the supreme ability to manifest world laws as characters. A few strokes can easily destroy an entire realm or countless cultivation worlds."
"So, all the calamities we've faced are caused by this True Immortal?" Li Fan's eyes flickered as he asked in a low voice.
But Hundred Flowers Dao Ren shook her head slightly: "I just said that if it was truly that True Immortal, our star fields would have been destroyed instantly. The [Hunger] and [Disorder] Techniques that emerged during the calamities, while causing boundless destruction, don't match the power of a True Immortal."
"That must be...?"
Li Fan paused for a moment before realizing something.
"Imitation pen? It's not?"
"Correct. Back then, survivors from all realms concluded after synthesizing records about True Immortals that the calamities in our world were caused by characters created by one person or entity," Hundred Flowers Dao Ren said slowly, her tone devoid of hatred but filled with helplessness.
Li Fan couldn't help feeling puzzled: "Our Xuanhuang Realm has endured numerous calamities. We know very little about True Immortals. But for no reason, why would that immortal create such boundless carnage?"
"Immortals do not engage in meaningless actions. Just like the immortal within the Immortal Desolation, who sat for ten thousand years to fully understand the [Hunger] path, all to achieve the state of an unnamed True Immortal," Hundred Flowers Dao Ren lamented.
"Unnamed True Immortal? I've heard about this. We have no knowledge of their name or identity; all records are lost..."
"Could it be that immortals also have ranks? Not every immortal is like that?" Li Fan asked humbly.
"Yes, when the path to immortality was still open, we cultivators could ascend and become immortals after being baptized by divine essence. Shedding our mortal bodies, we would officially become immortals with power skyrocketing overnight."
"But compared to an unnamed True Immortal, it's a world apart. Each immortal is a seeker of the Dao in its ultimate form. Once they fully grasp one path, they transcend all existence. All past lives are erased, and no one knows their names; only by their paths can they be known."
"We respectfully call that immortal who carved the Dao with characters as [铭道仙]."
...
Listening to Hundred Flowers Dao Ren's description of realms beyond immortals, Li Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder.
Xuanhuang Realm's records about immortals had long vanished from history. Even transmitters of their teachings knew little.
Perhaps only the Five Elders' remnants of the Ten Immortal Sects still retained some information.
Today, encountering survivors of ancient immortal calamities and learning about True Immortals was undoubtedly a significant opportunity.
Of course, Li Fan did not fully trust Hundred Flowers Dao Ren either. He would first listen to her story.
...
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren continued: "While the [铭道仙] has transcended, he might have left behind some true迹."
"Back then, something unknown happened in the immortal realm, causing the path of immortality to collapse and immortals scattering. These true迹 might have been obtained by one of them."
"He copied down characters like Hunger, Disorder, and Non, wreaking havoc on the world. This must be related to his cultivation path."
"Disorder and Non destroyed countless realms, while Hunger was taken by another immortal. Perhaps the character fit his path, so he sat at a former immortal realm's passage and began to understand it."
"One must know that ten thousand years is an eternity for us but just a period of seclusion for immortals."
"As for what consequences arose during his understanding of the Hunger character..."
"In our eyes, all below are ants. Why would he care?"
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren's words carried a hint of resentment as she spoke.
After absorbing her words, Li Fan slowly pondered: "These are just your guesses, right? What concrete evidence do you have?"
Hundred Flowers Dao Ren shook her head but was still very confident: "Back then, we survivors were the most powerful in our realms. Using remnants from various records, we deduced..."
"Even if it's not absolute truth, it's close enough."
"Especially those who imitated immortal characters and understood the Hunger character; they are all at the realm of immortals. Although their power far surpasses ours, they haven't reached the incomprehensible level of an unnamed True Immortal," Hundred Flowers Dao Ren said with a hint of pride in her voice.
Li Fan recalled how, during his 115th incarnation, when he sensed the immortal within the Immortal Desolation, it suddenly opened its eyes and transmitted the Hunger character through a clone to Xuanhuang Realm, causing the world's destruction.