“ xuán huáng jiè ……”
“玄黄界……”
"Xuanhuang World..."
“ kě dàng zhēn shì wēi jī sì fú 。 dāng nián wǒ men zhū jiè xìng cún zhě jiù céng gēn xuán huáng jiè fā shēng guò chōng tū ， rú jīn wǒ gū shēn yī rén 、 gù dì zhòng lín ， dāng rán gèng yào jǐn shèn yī xiē 。” bǎi huā dào rén jiě shì dào 。
“可当真是危机四伏。当年我们诸界幸存者就曾跟玄黄界发生过冲突，如今我孤身一人、故地重临，当然更要谨慎一些。”百花道人解释道。
"Indeed, it's fraught with danger. Back then, the survivors from our various worlds had conflicts with Xuanhuang World. Now that I'm alone and returning to this place, I naturally need to be more cautious," explained the Hundred Flowers Daoist.
“ ó ？ dāng nián fā shēng guò chōng tū ？ cǐ huà zěn jiǎng ？ jié nàn jiàng lín ， wǒ bèi xiū shì bú shì yīng gāi tóng xīn xié lì ， gòng dù nán guān ma ？” lǐ fán lüè yī sī suǒ ， biàn zhī dào le chōng tū kě néng de yuán yīn 。
“哦？当年发生过冲突？此话怎讲？劫难降临，我辈修士不是应该同心协力，共度难关吗？”李凡略一思索，便知道了冲突可能的原因。
"Oh? There was a conflict back then? How do you mean?" Li Fan pondered for a moment and understood the possible reasons for the conflict.
zhè me yī qún wú jiā kě guī zhī rén ， ǒu yù xuán huáng jiè zhè yī fù ráo xiū xiān jiè ， kěn dìng huì yǒu zhǒng zhǒng tān liàn zī shēng 。 dāng shí yīng gāi hái shì xuán tiān wáng shàng zài shí ， jué duì huì bǎ zhè xiē xīn huái guǐ tāi zhī rén lán zài mén wài 。
这么一群无家可归之人，偶遇玄黄界这一富饶修仙界，肯定会有种种贪恋滋生。当时应该还是玄天王尚在时，绝对会把这些心怀鬼胎之人拦在门外。
With so many homeless people, encountering Xuanhuang World, which is rich in cultivation resources, would inevitably lead to various greed. At that time, when Xuantian Wang was still alive, he definitely would have kept these suspicious individuals out.
bù guò lǐ fán míng zhī gù wèn 。
不过李凡明知故问。
However, Li Fan intentionally asked this question.
bǎi huā dào rén gěi chū de dá àn yě yǔ lǐ fán de tuī cè jī běn yí zhì ：“ nà wèi bàn xiān ， hái zhēn shì bà dào de hěn 。 zhí jiē jù jué le wǒ men lián hé qǐ lái 、 gòng tóng yìng duì jié nàn de tí yì 。 bìng qiě dāng chǎng jiù yào jiāng wǒ men qū zhú 。”
百花道人给出的答案也与李凡的推测基本一致：“那位半仙，还真是霸道的很。直接拒绝了我们联合起来、共同应对劫难的提议。并且当场就要将我们驱逐。”
The Hundred Flowers Daoist's response largely matched his speculation: "That half-immortal really was domineering. He directly rejected our proposal to unite and face the calamity together. And he wanted to expel us on the spot."
“ hē hē ， zì rán rě dé wǒ men dāng zhōng yǒu xiē rén bù lè yì le 。 yú shì hù xiāng jiān jiù qiē cuō le yī fān ……”
“呵呵，自然惹得我们当中有些人不乐意了。于是互相间就切磋了一番……”
"Haha, naturally, some of us were unhappy about that. So we sparred with each other..."
bǎi huā dào rén shēn yǐng jīn guāng shǎn dòng ， xiǎn rán tā kǒu zhōng de qiē cuō ， bìng bù jǐn jǐn zhǐ shì yǒu hǎo bǐ shì nà me jiǎn dān 。
百花道人身影金光闪动，显然她口中的切磋，并不仅仅只是友好比试那么简单。
The Hundred Flowers Daoist's figure flashed with golden light, indicating that her sparring was not just a friendly competition.
“ bù kuì shì shòu guò xiān líng zhī qì xǐ lǐ de bàn xiān ， jí biàn jìn shēng bù wán quán ， shí lì yě zú yǐ niǎn yā xún cháng xiū shì le 。 wǒ men zì zhī bù dí ， zhǐ dé tuì zǒu 。 ér nà wèi bàn xiān yě dàng zhēn yǒu jǐ fēn xiān rén fēng fàn ， bù jì qián xián 、 wǒ men lín xíng qián hái bèi zèng yǔ le bù shǎo wù zī ……” bǎi huā dào rén gǎn kǎi dào 。
“不愧是受过仙灵之气洗礼的半仙，即便晋升不完全，实力也足以碾压寻常修士了。我们自知不敌，只得退走。而那位半仙也当真有几分仙人风范，不计前嫌、我们临行前还被赠与了不少物资……”百花道人感慨道。
"Truly worthy of having been blessed by immortal energy; even though his ascension is incomplete, his strength can碾压 ordinary cultivators. We knew we couldn't match him and had to retreat. That half-immortal truly did have some divine demeanor; he didn't hold grudges and gave us a lot of supplies before we left..." the Hundred Flowers Daoist sighed.
“ kàn lái xuán tiān wáng cǐ rén suī rán xīn xì xuán huáng cāng shēng ， dàn què bú shì nà zhǒng yú shàn zhī rén 。 duì yú wài lái zhě ， yóu qí shì jié nàn sì nüè bèi jǐng xià de wài lái zhě ， hái shì yǒu hěn qiáng jiè xīn de 。 bù guò ， bì jìng hái shì guò yú rén cí le diǎn 。 ruò huàn zuò shì wǒ de huà ， bì rán yào bǎ zhè qún rén quán dōu tú lù dài jìn ， zī yuán lüè duó yī kōng 。 mò shì zhī zhōng ， měi duō yī fèn zī yuán 、 jiù duō yī fèn huó xià qù de xī wàng 。 fàng hǔ guī shān ， rì hòu gèng yǒu kě néng zāo yù huò huàn ……” chà nà zhī jiān ， lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng shǎn guò zhū duō niàn tou 。
“看来玄天王此人虽然心系玄黄苍生，但却不是那种愚善之人。对于外来者，尤其是劫难肆虐背景下的外来者，还是有很强戒心的。不过，毕竟还是过于仁慈了点。若换做是我的话，必然要把这群人全都屠戮殆尽，资源掠夺一空。末世之中，每多一份资源、就多一份活下去的希望。放虎归山，日后更有可能遭遇祸患……”刹那之间，李凡脑海中闪过诸多念头。
"It seems that Xuantian Wang, although caring for the people of Xuanhuang, is not an ignorant good person. He has strong reservations about outsiders, especially those in times of calamity. However, he's still too merciful. If it were me, I would have exterminated them all and plundered their resources. In a world on the brink, every resource means more hope for survival. Releasing tigers back into the wild only increases the risk of future troubles..." Li Fan thought rapidly.
jiāng dàn dàn de shā yì yǐn cáng de hěn hǎo ， què yī jiù méi yǒu táo guò bǎi huā dào rén liú lí shēn de gǎn yìng 。
将淡淡的杀意隐藏的很好，却依旧没有逃过百花道人琉璃身的感应。
Though he hid his faint murderous intent well, it still escaped the Hundred Flowers Daoist's perception through her lustrous body.
bǎi huā dào rén shuō huà wēi wēi dùn zhù ， bù zhī dào duì fāng de shā yì yòu mò míng qí miào cóng hé ér lái 。
百花道人说话微微顿住，不知道对方的杀意又莫名其妙从何而来。
The Hundred Flowers Daoist paused in her speech, unsure where this new murderous intent had come from.
“ nán bù chéng ， yǎn qián zhè wèi gēn dāng nián de bàn xiān yǒu suǒ yuān yuán ？” bǎi huā dào dùn shí rén xīn zhōng yī jīng 。
“难不成，眼前这位跟当年的半仙有所渊源？”百花道顿时人心中一惊。
"Could it be that this person before us has some connection to the half-immortal back then?" The Hundred Flowers Daoist was suddenly alarmed.
sī cǔn zhī hòu ， bǎi huā dào rén zhǔ dòng zhuǎn yí le huà tí ， cóng dāng nián jiù shì yòu zhuǎn yí dào diào yú chí de shī zōng zhī shàng ：“ wǒ lái dào xuán huáng jiè hòu ， jiù yī jiù fù zhuó zài xiǎo liú lí shēn shàng 。 yī shì yīn wèi wǒ chá jué dào ， xuán huáng jiè sì hū bǐ dāng nián gèng jiā xiōng xiǎn le xǔ duō ， èr shì liú lí zhì guǒ duì wǒ xiū xíng dà yǒu bì yì ……”
思忖之后，百花道人主动转移了话题，从当年旧事又转移到钓鱼池的失踪之上：“我来到玄黄界后，就依旧附着在小琉璃身上。一是因为我察觉到，玄黄界似乎比当年更加凶险了许多，二是琉璃智果对我修行大有裨益……”
After considering, she changed the topic, shifting from their past conflicts to the disappearance of the fishing pool: "Since I arrived in Xuanhuang World, I've still been attached to Little Lustrous. One reason is that I sensed that Xuanhuang World has become even more perilous than before; another is that the wisdom fruit of Lustrous greatly benefits my cultivation..."
“ yuán běn rì zi guò de hái suàn píng jìng ， zhí dào dào yǒu yǐ jí nà wèi shí bǎn xiū shì de dào lái 。”
“原本日子过的还算平静，直到道友以及那位石板修士的到来。”
"Originally, we lived a relatively peaceful life until our friend and the stone slab cultivator arrived."
“ ruò jǐn jǐn shì cóng diào yú chí zhōng chuí diào bǎo wù yě jiù bà le ， ér tā ， què piān xiǎng zhe lǐng wù shén me diào zhī dào ……”
“若仅仅是从钓鱼池中垂钓宝物也就罢了，而他，却偏想着领悟什么钓之道……”
"It's one thing to fish for treasures from the pool, but he wanted to understand what fishingthe Way..."
shuō dào zhè lǐ ， bǎi huā dào rén piē le yǎn lǐ fán 。
说到这里，百花道人撇了眼李凡。
At this point, the Hundred Flowers Daoist glanced at Li Fan.
dāng chū shí bǎn zhī suǒ yǐ zuò chū zhè ge jué dìng ， gēn lǐ fán de cuān duō bù wú guān xì 。
当初石板之所以做出这个决定，跟李凡的撺掇不无关系。
The decision of the stone slab was partly due to his encouragement by Li Fan.
“ zhè jiàn zhì bǎo diào yú chí ， xiǎn rán shì chū zì yǐ jīng què lì zì shēn dào tú de yī zūn 【 wú míng zhēn xiān 】 shǒu bǐ 。 zì shēn dào tú ， yòu qǐ róng tā rén rǎn zhǐ ？”
“这件至宝钓鱼池，显然是出自已经确立自身道途的一尊【无名真仙】手笔。自身道途，又岂容他人染指？”
"Clearly, this supreme treasure fishing pool is the work of a true immortal who has established their path. How can others interfere with that?"
“ shí bǎn tā xiǎng lǐng wù diào zhī dào ， shì bì huì zāo dào fǎn jī 。 zhì yú shí bǎn 、 gēn zhè diào yú chí jiū jìng qù wǎng le hé chù ， kǒng pà bú shì nǐ wǒ néng tàn zhī de le 。” bǎi huā dào rén yáo le yáo tóu ， wēi wēi tàn xī 。
“石板他想领悟钓之道，势必会遭到反击。至于石板、跟这钓鱼池究竟去往了何处，恐怕不是你我能探知的了。”百花道人摇了摇头，微微叹息。
"He wants to understand fishingthe Way, which will inevitably lead to retaliation. As for where the stone slab and this fishing pool have gone, it's unlikely we could find out," the Hundred Flowers Daoist shook her head and sighed.
lǐ fán mò rán bù yǔ 。
李凡默然不语。
Li Fan remained silent.
bǎi huā dào rén de shuō fǎ ， méi yǒu shén me pò zhàn 。 mén xīn zì wèn ， ruò shì yǒu rén xiǎng tōng guò hái zhēn lǐng wù huà xū wèi shí 、 nì zhuǎn shí kōng zhī fǎ ， nà me lǐ fán yě shì shì bì yào gēn qí bù sǐ bù xiū de 。
百花道人的说法，没有什么破绽。扪心自问，若是有人想通过还真领悟化虚为实、逆转时空之法，那么李凡也是势必要跟其不死不休的。
The Hundred Flowers Daoist's explanation had no flaws. If someone wanted to truly understand how to turn the ethereal into tangible reality and reverse time, Li Fan would certainly fight them to the death.
dàn hěn kuài ， lǐ fán yòu xiǎng dào le shén me ， wēi wēi zhòu méi ：“ jì rán zhēn xiān dào tú bù róng tā rén rǎn zhǐ ， nà me nà wèi 【 míng dào xiān 】， yòu wèi hé huì liú xià shù fù zhēn xiān zhuàn zì ？ xiān xū xiān rén wù dào shù qiān zài ， yòu wèi hé méi yǒu yǐn qǐ míng dào xiān de zhù yì ？”
但很快，李凡又想到了什么，微微皱眉：“既然真仙道途不容他人染指，那么那位【铭道仙】，又为何会留下数副真仙篆字？仙墟仙人悟道数千载，又为何没有引起铭道仙的注意？”
However, he quickly thought of something and frowned slightly: "If others' paths cannot be touched, why did the [Marked Dao Immortal] leave several true immortal inscriptions? Why didn't the immortal in the Immortal Wilderness notice after thousands of years of enlightenment?"
bǎi huā dào rén chén yín piàn kè ， sì hū shì zài zǔ zhī yǔ yán ：“ dào yǒu kǒng pà wù huì le ， xiān xū xiān rén wù de dào ， gēn 【 míng dào xiān 】 dào tú ， yě néng gēn běn méi shén me guān xì 。”
百花道人沉吟片刻，似乎是在组织语言：“道友恐怕误会了，仙墟仙人悟的道，跟【铭道仙】道途，也能根本没什么关系。”
The Hundred Flowers Daoist pondered for a moment, organizing her words: "Friend, you might have misunderstood. The path of the immortal in the Immortal Wilderness and that of the [Marked Dao Immortal] could be entirely unrelated."
“ míng dào xiān dào tú ， kě míng dào wèi zì 。 ér xiān xū xiān rén jiè 【 jī 】 zì wù dào ……”
“铭道仙道途，可铭道为字。而仙墟仙人借【饥】字悟道……”
"The [Marked Dao Immortal]'s path involves marking as their word. And the immortal in the Immortal Wilderness used the character hungry to gain enlightenment..."
“ tā suǒ zhuī xún dào tú ， kě néng shì 【 jī 】 běn shēn ， yě yǒu kě néng shì gēn 【 jī 】 xiāng guān de 。 dàn jué bú huì shì 【 míng dào 】……”
“他所追寻道途，可能是【饥】本身，也有可能是跟【饥】相关的。但绝不会是【铭道】……”
"His path might pertain to hungry itself or something related, but it certainly can't be about Marking Dao..."
“ bù zhī wǒ zhè me shuō ， dào yǒu néng fǒu míng bái ？” bǎi huā dào rén kàn xiàng lǐ fán 。
“不知我这么说，道友能否明白？”百花道人看向李凡。
"Do you understand if I say this?" The Hundred Flowers Daoist looked at Li Fan.
lǐ fán chén yín piàn kè ， wēi wēi diǎn tóu 。
李凡沉吟片刻，微微点头。
Li Fan pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.
dào bú shì tā yú bèn dào zhè me jiǎn dān de yì diǎn dōu xiǎng bù qīng chǔ ， ér shì xīn zhōng hū de yǒu gè xiǎng fǎ mào chū 、 yào zài gēn bǎi huā dào rén què rèn fān 。
倒不是他愚笨到这么简单的一点都想不清楚，而是心中忽的有个想法冒出、要再跟百花道人确认番。
He wasn't dumb; he just had an idea that needed confirmation from the Hundred Flowers Daoist.
“ wǒ céng jiàn dào ， xiān xū xiān rén shēn shàng yǒu suǒ liàn suǒ fù ， yuán běn yǐ wéi shì wài rén suǒ shī zhèn yā 。”
“我曾见到，仙墟仙人身上有锁链锁缚，原本以为是外人所施镇压。”
"I once saw chains binding the immortal in the Immortal Wilderness. I thought they were imposed by outsiders."
“ xiàn zài xiǎng lái ， gèng yǒu kě néng shì xiān rén zì fù 。 mù dì ma ， kě néng shì wèi le fáng zhǐ zì jǐ yīn wù dào 【 jī 】 zì ér shī kòng 。 bú duì ， xiān rén mò shì fán jiān shēng mìng ， bù tài kě néng dān chún shì wèi le yāng jí wú gū 。 gèng yǒu kě néng shì hái shì dān xīn shī kòng huì yǐng xiǎng zì shēn dào tú ……”
“现在想来，更有可能是仙人自缚。目的嘛，可能是为了防止自己因悟道【饥】字而失控。不对，仙人漠视凡间生命，不太可能单纯是为了殃及无辜。更有可能是还是担心失控会影响自身道途……”
"Now, I think it's more likely self-imposed. The purpose might be to prevent losing control due to enlightenment on hungry. No, the immortal disregards mortal life; he wouldn't simply harm innocents. It could be that he fears losing control would affect his path..."
“ yuán lái rú cǐ ， tā suǒ xiū dào tú ， huò xǔ kě néng gēn 【 duì kàng jī è běn néng 】 yǒu guān 。”
“原来如此，他所修道途，或许可能跟【对抗饥饿本能】有关。”
"So, his path might involve combating the instinct for hunger."
yóu jǐ jí rén ， lǐ fán hái shì yǒu yī tào de ， chà nà zhī jiān tuī yǎn le xǔ duō 。
由己及人，李凡还是有一套的，刹那之间推衍了许多。
By analogy, Li Fan deduced much in an instant.
jiàn lǐ fán xiàn rù le sī suǒ ， bǎi huā dào rén yě bǎo chí le chén mò 。
见李凡陷入了思索，百花道人也保持了沉默。
Seeing Li Fan lost in thought, the Hundred Flowers Daoist also remained silent.
liáng jiǔ zhī hòu ， lǐ fán zài dù fā huà ：“ suī rán dào yǒu jiě shì le xǔ duō ， dàn bì jìng méi yǒu qiè shí zhèng jù 。 fēi wǒ zú lèi ， bù kě bù fáng 。 wèi le xuán huáng cāng shēng jì ， kǒng pà hái shì yào wěi qū dào yǒu le ……”
良久之后，李凡再度发话：“虽然道友解释了许多，但毕竟没有切实证据。非我族类，不可不妨。为了玄黄苍生计，恐怕还是要委屈道友了……”
After a long while, Li Fan spoke again: "Although you've explained many things, there's no concrete evidence. Non-kin should not be trusted. For the sake of Xuanhuang and its people, I'm afraid we still need to inconvenience you..."
lǐ fán de fǎn yìng sì hū zài bǎi huā dào rén de yù liào zhī zhōng ， tā méi yǒu sī háo de jī dòng ， ér shì chén shēng dào ：“ ruò wǒ rú jīn yě shì xuán huáng jiè xiū shì ne ？”
李凡的反应似乎在百花道人的预料之中，她没有丝毫的激动，而是沉声道：“若我如今也是玄黄界修士呢？”
Li Fan's reaction was as expected by the Hundred Flowers Daoist; she showed no excitement but spoke in a solemn tone: "What if I were also a cultivator from Xuanhuang World now?"
lǐ fán dùn shí zhèng zhù ：“ dào yǒu zhè shì hé yì ？”
李凡顿时怔住：“道友这是何意？”
Li Fan was momentarily stunned. "What do you mean, friend?"
“ wǒ jiè liú lí shēn qū ， zhòng sù liú lí shēn 。 ér liú lí zé shì zài xuán huáng jiè nèi ， jiè zhù tiān dì zhī lì huà xíng ……”
“我借琉璃身躯，重塑琉璃身。而琉璃则是在玄黄界内，借助天地之力化形……”
"I'm using Lustrous' body to recreate my form and Lustrous is transforming within the Xuanhuang World with the help of natural forces..."
“ cóng mǒu zhǒng yì yì shàng lái jiǎng ， qí shí xiàn zài wǒ yě shì xuán huáng jiè tiān dì shēng yǎng le 。” bǎi huā dào rén wēi wēi xiào dào 。
“从某种意义上来讲，其实现在我也是玄黄界天地生养了。”百花道人微微笑道。
"In some sense, I am indeed born by the Xuanhuang World," the Hundred Flowers Daoist smiled.
“ rú ruò dào yǒu bù xìn ， kě gēn wǒ yī tóng fǎn huí xuán huáng jiè ， gǎn shòu tiān dì zhī yì biàn kě 。 wǒ zhè ge shí lì ， ruò shì wài lái zhě ， tiān dì dìng rán huì shēng chū běn néng de yàn wù 。 fán jiè zhōng xiū shì jiē kě yī yǎn kàn chū ， gēn běn wú fǎ zhē yǎn 。”
“如若道友不信，可跟我一同返回玄黄界，感受天地之意便可。我这个实力，若是外来者，天地定然会生出本能的厌恶。凡界中修士皆可一眼看出，根本无法遮掩。”
"If you don't believe me, we can return to Xuanhuang World together. You'll feel the world's intent. With my strength, if I were an outsider, the world would naturally develop a natural aversion. Mortal cultivators can easily spot it; there's no way to hide."
wèi le yàn zhèng duì fāng de shuō huà ， lǐ fán dài zhe bǎi huā dào rén lái dào le xuán huáng běn jiè nèi 。
为了验证对方的说话，李凡带着百花道人来到了玄黄本界内。
To verify her words, Li Fan brought the Hundred Flowers Daoist into Xuanhuang World.
chà nà zhuǎn huàn chéng tiān dì shì jiǎo 。
刹那转换成天地视角。
Instantly, he saw that the world had no ill intent towards the Hundred Flowers Daoist.
guǒ rán ， lǐ fán kàn chū duì yú bǎi huā dào rén ， tiān dì gēn běn méi yǒu è yì shēng chū 。
果然，李凡看出对于百花道人，天地根本没有恶意生出。
Even subtly, there seemed to be a hint of affection and attraction.
shèn zhì yǐn yǐn hái yǒu xiē qīn nì 、 zhāo lǎn de yì si zài lǐ miàn 。
甚至隐隐还有些亲昵、招揽的意思在里面。
Li Fan found this strange.
lǐ fán bù yóu xīn shēng gǔ guài 。
李凡不由心生古怪。
"What is your current cultivation level?" he asked.
“ dào yǒu rú jīn shì hé xiū wèi ？” tā wèn dào 。
“道友如今是何修为？”他问道。
"If I were in the Prosperous World, after my cultivation was complete and I transformed into Lustrous, I could accept heavenly tribulation and ascend," she replied.
“ é ， ruò shì zài wàn shèng jiè ， wǒ gōng fǎ dà chéng 、 shēn huà liú lí zhī hòu ， xià yī bù jiù kě jiē shòu tiān jié xǐ lǐ 、 fēi shēng dēng xiān le 。”
“额，若是在万盛界，我功法大成、身化琉璃之后，下一部就可接受天劫洗礼、飞升登仙了。”
"Although the path to immortality has been cut off, I can't become an immortal, but my strength has still increased over these years, especially after absorbing the wisdom fruit of Lustrous..."
“ suī rán xiān lù duàn jué ， wǒ wú fǎ dēng xiān 、 jìng jiè tíng zhì 。 dàn zhè me duō nián wǒ de shí lì yī jiù shì zài bù duàn zēng jiā de ， yóu qí shì zài xī shōu le liú lí zhì guǒ zhī hòu ……”
“虽然仙路断绝，我无法登仙、境界停滞。但这么多年我的实力依旧是在不断增加的，尤其是在吸收了琉璃智果之后……”
"If measured by Xuanhuang World's levels, it should be considered Longevity Realm."
“ rú guǒ yòng xuán huáng jiè de jìng jiè lái huà fēn ， yīng gāi suàn shì cháng shēng jìng ba 。”
“如果用玄黄界的境界来划分，应该算是长生境吧。”
(End of Chapter)
"Xuanhuang World..."
"Indeed, it's fraught with danger. Back then, the survivors from our various worlds had conflicts with Xuanhuang World. Now that I'm alone and returning to this place, I naturally need to be more cautious," explained the Hundred Flowers Daoist.
"Oh? There was a conflict back then? How do you mean?" Li Fan pondered for a moment and understood the possible reasons for the conflict.
With so many homeless people, encountering Xuanhuang World, which is rich in cultivation resources, would inevitably lead to various greed. At that time, when Xuantian Wang was still alive, he definitely would have kept these suspicious individuals out.
However, Li Fan intentionally asked this question.
The Hundred Flowers Daoist's response largely matched his speculation: "That half-immortal really was domineering. He directly rejected our proposal to unite and face the calamity together. And he wanted to expel us on the spot."
"Haha, naturally, some of us were unhappy about that. So we sparred with each other..."
The Hundred Flowers Daoist's figure flashed with golden light, indicating that her sparring was not just a friendly competition.
"Truly worthy of having been blessed by immortal energy; even though his ascension is incomplete, his strength can碾压 ordinary cultivators. We knew we couldn't match him and had to retreat. That half-immortal truly did have some divine demeanor; he didn't hold grudges and gave us a lot of supplies before we left..." the Hundred Flowers Daoist sighed.
"It seems that Xuantian Wang, although caring for the people of Xuanhuang, is not an ignorant good person. He has strong reservations about outsiders, especially those in times of calamity. However, he's still too merciful. If it were me, I would have exterminated them all and plundered their resources. In a world on the brink, every resource means more hope for survival. Releasing tigers back into the wild only increases the risk of future troubles..." Li Fan thought rapidly.
Though he hid his faint murderous intent well, it still escaped the Hundred Flowers Daoist's perception through her lustrous body.
The Hundred Flowers Daoist paused in her speech, unsure where this new murderous intent had come from.
"Could it be that this person before us has some connection to the half-immortal back then?" The Hundred Flowers Daoist was suddenly alarmed.
After considering, she changed the topic, shifting from their past conflicts to the disappearance of the fishing pool: "Since I arrived in Xuanhuang World, I've still been attached to Little Lustrous. One reason is that I sensed that Xuanhuang World has become even more perilous than before; another is that the wisdom fruit of Lustrous greatly benefits my cultivation..."
"Originally, we lived a relatively peaceful life until our friend and the stone slab cultivator arrived."
"It's one thing to fish for treasures from the pool, but he wanted to understand what fishingthe Way..."
At this point, the Hundred Flowers Daoist glanced at Li Fan.
The decision of the stone slab was partly due to his encouragement by Li Fan.
"Clearly, this supreme treasure fishing pool is the work of a true immortal who has established their path. How can others interfere with that?"
"He wants to understand fishingthe Way, which will inevitably lead to retaliation. As for where the stone slab and this fishing pool have gone, it's unlikely we could find out," the Hundred Flowers Daoist shook her head and sighed.
Li Fan remained silent.
The Hundred Flowers Daoist's explanation had no flaws. If someone wanted to truly understand how to turn the ethereal into tangible reality and reverse time, Li Fan would certainly fight them to the death.
However, he quickly thought of something and frowned slightly: "If others' paths cannot be touched, why did the [Marked Dao Immortal] leave several true immortal inscriptions? Why didn't the immortal in the Immortal Wilderness notice after thousands of years of enlightenment?"
The Hundred Flowers Daoist pondered for a moment, organizing her words: "Friend, you might have misunderstood. The path of the immortal in the Immortal Wilderness and that of the [Marked Dao Immortal] could be entirely unrelated."
"The [Marked Dao Immortal]'s path involves marking as their word. And the immortal in the Immortal Wilderness used the character hungry to gain enlightenment..."
"His path might pertain to hungry itself or something related, but it certainly can't be about Marking Dao..."
"Do you understand if I say this?" The Hundred Flowers Daoist looked at Li Fan.
Li Fan pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.
He wasn't dumb; he just had an idea that needed confirmation from the Hundred Flowers Daoist.
"I once saw chains binding the immortal in the Immortal Wilderness. I thought they were imposed by outsiders."
"Now, I think it's more likely self-imposed. The purpose might be to prevent losing control due to enlightenment on hungry. No, the immortal disregards mortal life; he wouldn't simply harm innocents. It could be that he fears losing control would affect his path..."
"So, his path might involve combating the instinct for hunger."
By analogy, Li Fan deduced much in an instant.
Seeing Li Fan lost in thought, the Hundred Flowers Daoist also remained silent.
After a long while, Li Fan spoke again: "Although you've explained many things, there's no concrete evidence. Non-kin should not be trusted. For the sake of Xuanhuang and its people, I'm afraid we still need to inconvenience you..."
Li Fan's reaction was as expected by the Hundred Flowers Daoist; she showed no excitement but spoke in a solemn tone: "What if I were also a cultivator from Xuanhuang World now?"
Li Fan was momentarily stunned. "What do you mean, friend?"
"I'm using Lustrous' body to recreate my form and Lustrous is transforming within the Xuanhuang World with the help of natural forces..."
"In some sense, I am indeed born by the Xuanhuang World," the Hundred Flowers Daoist smiled.
"If you don't believe me, we can return to Xuanhuang World together. You'll feel the world's intent. With my strength, if I were an outsider, the world would naturally develop a natural aversion. Mortal cultivators can easily spot it; there's no way to hide."
To verify her words, Li Fan brought the Hundred Flowers Daoist into Xuanhuang World.
Instantly, he saw that the world had no ill intent towards the Hundred Flowers Daoist.
Even subtly, there seemed to be a hint of affection and attraction.
Li Fan found this strange.
"What is your current cultivation level?" he asked.
"If I were in the Prosperous World, after my cultivation was complete and I transformed into Lustrous, I could accept heavenly tribulation and ascend," she replied.
"Although the path to immortality has been cut off, I can't become an immortal, but my strength has still increased over these years, especially after absorbing the wisdom fruit of Lustrous..."
"If measured by Xuanhuang World's levels, it should be considered Longevity Realm."
(End of Chapter)