Suddenly, a stir rippled through the crowd as their attention turned to the campfire.
忽然人群一阵骚动看向篝火旁。
Several leaders hurriedly crouched and crawled over, only to breathe a sigh of relief.
几个首领慌张地蹲着爬行过去，随后松了口气。
It turned out that the shaman, who had been sitting on the ground, had nearly toppled over but swiftly straightened their spine and propped themselves up.
原来是巫席地而坐的身体差点倒下，却又马上挺起脊柱撑了起来。
A middle-aged man beside the shaman steadied them, then burst into tears. Once the strongest person here, he had remained steadfastly by this elder’s side for over a decade.
巫身旁一个中年男人扶着他稳定身子后，突然流下眼泪。他原本是这里最强壮的人，却足步不离地守护了这个老人十数年。
Now, the youth who had been the tribe’s mightiest was also entering middle-aged.
现在这个曾是聚落最强的年轻小伙也成了个中年人。
He was well aware that the elderly person beside him had long endured both physical and mental pain, yet the shaman always relied on a formidable will to sustain this frail, weathered body.
他自然是清楚身旁这老人，已经忍受了许久的来自身心的痛苦，可巫总是凭借强大的意志，延续着这具风烛残年的身躯。
No one knew why they could hold on for so long.
没人知道他为何能坚持这么久。
It seemed that the last glimmer of life essence deep within their bones could always be squeezed out just a little bit more.
它骨子里的最后一丝生命精华似乎永远都还能再榨出来一点。
……
……
The witch turned his withered, loose-skinned head, lifting his hand with effort. The middle-aged savage immediately bent down and lowered his head, allowing the old man to pat his head lightly.
巫转过皮肤松动的干瘪头颅，手掌吃力抬起，中年野人立即弯腰低下头，任由老人拍了拍自己的头颅。
The surrounding wild men, their ferocity diminished, cast envious glances.
周围少了许多野性的野人们露出羡慕目光。
……
……
Crackle~
噼啪~
A towering flame of two to three meters blazed with majestic vigor.
高达两三米的火焰雄壮威武。
Throughout the endless ages, the snow-white demon that had claimed countless lives would detour around it, lest it be vanquished—such was the divine power of the shaman.
无尽岁月以来夺去不知多少生命的雪白魔鬼见之也要绕行，否则就会被消灭，这就是巫的神力。
Whenever the flame showed the slightest sign of weakening, someone would add timber into it, following the shaman’s teachings.
每当火势稍有减小之意，便会有人向里面添入木材，这是巫的教导。
Beneath the warm ashes beside it lay buried many tuber-like fruits, a gift from the shaman.
在它旁边的温暖灰烬下，则掩埋着许多类似地瓜的果实，这是巫的赐予。
For decades, they had sustained tens of thousands of people in this region. Countless tribal leaders had traversed mountains and rivers, risking death at the jaws of tigers to lead their people here, just to fill their bellies with such sustenance.
数十年来，它们养活了这片区域成千上万的人。无数首领跋山涉水，冒着葬生虎口之险带领族人而来，就是为了吃上口这样填腹的东西。
The benevolent shaman never stinted in sharing it with all who came here.
仁慈的巫从不吝啬的将之分与来此的众人。
Thus, a tribe formed in this place.
因此这里形成了部族。
The old man sat by the bonfire with his eyelids half-drooped, like a ascetic lost in deep meditation.
老人半耷拉着眼皮，坐于篝火前，宛如名入定的苦修。
I know not how long passed, but he seemed to hear a phantom sound.
不知多久，他似乎听到了声幻音。
“Xiao Wu?”
“小武？”
……
……
Suddenly, the surrounding crowd erupted in a clamor of “Ooh-oh” and “Hoo-ah,” startling the Great Shaman—who had thought he was again hearing things.
周围哗地响起无数野人“唔喔”、“呼哦”的声音，惊醒以为自己又幻听的大巫。
The old man, now utterly dulled, strained to open his blurry, clouded eyes to look—the vague figure of a person, clad in very thin but brightly colored clothing, appeared in the distance.
已经迟钝无比的老人努力张开昏花的浊眼瞧去——那道身穿非常轻薄，但颜色鲜艳的人影模糊出现在远方。
He could no longer make out the figure. Yet the moment this person appeared, the image that he had missed for countless years and thought of billions upon billions of times instantly overlapped with it.
他已看不清那道身影。可当此人出现的瞬间，思念无数年，想过亿万遍的记忆中的影像便瞬间与之重叠。
“Ah!”
“啊！”
The old man cried out sharply, and managed to stand up tremblingly on his own!
老人尖叫了声，竟能独自颤抖地站立起来！
Countless savages stood up, glaring hostilely at Yang Zicang in the distance.
无数野人站起身，充满敌视地看向远方的杨子藏。
“Hah!”
“喝啊！”
Xiao Wu swung his withered yet vigorous palm!
小武挥动干枯但苍劲的手掌！
At this moment, the old man seemed to return to his youth; his eyes burst with sharp light, and his whole body exuded an air of solemnity and majesty.
这一刻的老人宛若重回年轻时代，他双目爆起精芒，浑身散发肃穆威严之气。
Thousands upon thousands of people prostrated themselves with a rustle, not daring to move.
数千上万人哗地伏身不敢动弹。
Seeing this scene, Yang Zicang couldn’t help but feel a tremor inside.
瞧见这幕的杨子藏心中也不由得抖了下。
He looked ahead. The old man under the cave’s rock wall took a long staff handed by an attendant nearby, planted it on the ground, and prepared to take a step.
他看向前方，岩洞下的老人接过身旁侍者递来的长棍，驻在地上，准备迈动步伐。
“Stop, stop, stop.”
“停停停。”
Yang Zicang raised his hand.
杨子藏扬了扬手。
These syllables fell into the old man’s ears. He suddenly seemed to realize something and let out a “Haah!” as if he had solved the world’s most difficult puzzle, and a strong sense of joy welled up from within him, like a man attaining enlightenment.
这几个音节落在老人耳中，他忽地反应过来什么，哈呀一声，恍若解开了世间最难的题目，得道般自内心涌现出强烈喜悦之情。
So, that syllable that year had meant this.
原来当年那个音节，是这个意思。
The syllable uttered before stopping the falling stone—that was telling me not to move~
那个阻止石头落下前，发出的音节，是让我不要动的意思~
Yang Zicang walked forward through the crowd that had made a path. The young man stood before the bonfire, looking up at the towering flames, feeling genuine happiness in his heart.
杨子藏从自动让出径道的人群中往前走去。来到篝火前的青年仰望着这冲天红焰，内心由衷的高兴。
“Woooh, oh!”
“呜哦，噢！”
The aged A Wu handed over a grayish, yet still steaming object coated with wood ash.
苍老的阿武递上个灰乎乎却还散发着热气的东西，上面裹着木灰。
Yang Zicang, who had been warming his palms by the fire, took this “ancient sweet potato” with a smile and sniffed it.
伸出手掌烤了烤火的杨子藏笑着接过这“古地瓜”嗅了嗅。
“How wonderful.”
“真好啊。”
He pinched off a tiny bit and took a taste.
他用手捏下了一丁点儿尝了口。
“Mmm! Delicious—my little Xiao Wu has become a master chef.” He gave a thumbs-up. A Wu burst into hearty laughter.
“唔！好吃，我家小武已经是大厨了。”他伸出大拇指。阿武哈哈笑了起来。
None of the thousands of savages surrounding them had ever seen the shaman wear such a genuinely joyful smile.
周围上千野人从未见到巫有过如此发自内心的开心笑容。
Yang Zicang sighed: “Ah, time truly is the most…”
杨子藏叹息：“唉，岁月最是…”
A Wu, as if his last wish had been fulfilled, suddenly felt his vitality wane feebly, breaking into consecutive coughs.
阿武似乎了却了最后的心愿般，体内的精力霎时变得虚弱无比，连声咳嗽。
“Rest well now.” Yang Zicang lifted the old man in his arms and walked to a leather mat. The surrounding savages automatically stepped aside.
“你快好好休息。”杨子藏将老人抱起走到皮垫上，周围野人自动让开。
A few young clansmen who had met Yang Zicang years ago had long come over and prostrated themselves on the ground, which made the thousands of savages present realize that this man was no ordinary figure.
几名当年见过杨子藏的小族人早已过来趴在了地上，这更是让周围数千野人明白此人的身份不一般。
Yang Zicang wanted to help each of them up, but the old man firmly grasped his wrist. A Wu weakly pulled out two small black stones from his pocket, opening his palm to offer them to this person who, decades on, had not aged a single bit.
杨子藏想要一一去扶起，却被老人死死拉住手腕。他虚弱地从身上摸出两个小黑石，张开手掌递给身旁这个数十年竟然没有老去一分的人。
A Wu no longer pondered why this was the case—anything that happened to this man was simply normal.
阿武已经不去思索这是为什么。反正只要是发生在这个人身上的，都是正常的。
Yang Zicang shook his head, then gently bent the old man’s withered fingers around the fire stones, closing them into a fist.
杨子藏摇摇头，拿手将他干枯手指曲卷包裹火石，握成了拳头。
“Designate your own successor.”
“你自己指定个继承人吧。”
He pointed at the old man’s clenched fist, then gestured toward the crowd of savages squatting nearby.
他指了指老人的拳头，又拿手指向旁边蹲成一片的众野人。
A Wu nodded with a smile, his heart filled with boundless happiness.
阿武含笑点点头，内心充满无尽的幸福之意。
He had finally waited for that person, and his mind, suddenly sharpened a bit, thought:
他终于等到了那个人，他脑袋终于灵光了些的想到：
—He must have known I could hold on this long, so he came at the last moment, encouraging me to perservere and live on.
——他一定是知道自己可以坚持这么久，才在最后一刻前来，他在鼓励我坚持地活下去。
A Wu cast one last glance at the campfire; sparks fluttered and swirled upward into the sky.
阿武最后看了篝火一眼，火星飘飘荡荡卷往天上。
……
……
Above the wide horizontal cave loomed steep cliffs.
宽广的横洞上方是高耸的崖壁。
The snow stopped falling only to resume, the wind ceased only to pick up again.
雪止了又下，风停了又起。
Yang Zicang sat cross-legged atop the mountain peak, a dark red spiritual artifact weapon resting horizontally across his lap. Even the wind and snow had to detour around this lone figure.
杨子藏盘坐于山巅，暗红灵物战器横放腿上，风雪在这道身影旁也要绕路。
He awaited the steadily approaching comet ahead.
他等待着前方那稳步而来的彗星。
A light in the sky trailed with a gray-blue wake.
天际的光点带着灰蓝尾迹。
It moved with a steady pace, like a aloof monarch striding across the azure sky, advancing leisurely and calmly breaking through the deep blue firmament.
它步伐稳定，犹如孤高的君王，横贯碧宇，悠然前行，从容破开湛蓝苍穹。
Yang Zicang slowly opened his eyes.
杨子藏缓慢睁开眼眸。
He felt a dense and terrifying aura brewing at the foot of the mountain.
他感受到了山下有浓重的恐怖气息在蕴量之中。
“It’s here.”
“来了。”
He rose to his feet, pulled out a small knife-like spiritual artifact weapon from his bosom, and looked up at the sky.
他起身而立，自怀中掏出把如小刀般的灵物战器，看向天上。
The comet stepped overhead.
彗星从头顶踏步而来。
Suddenly, Yang Zicang seemed to see an illusion.
忽然，杨子藏像是看到了一片幻影。
…
…
{Long, long ago, someone once faced the same situation as you and made the same choice.}
{在很久很久以前，有人与你遇到了同样的境地，做出了同样的抉择。}
…
…
“This is?”
“这是？”
YangZicang stood as if in a dream, rooted to the spot. The mountaintop was no longer the one he had been on before, but an unfamiliar cliff of a similar kind that rose high with a strange familiarity.
杨子藏如梦似幻的站立在原地。此刻的山头已经不是之前所在的那处，而是陌生的，但有着几分相似的高耸悬崖。
[The synergy resonance between me and the Convergenceist Asner has exceeded 50%.]
[我和融脉者阿斯纳契合了超过50%的心力共鸣。]
In a daze, a towering figure stood before him with a giant sword strapped to his back.
恍惚间一道挺拔身影背着巨剑站在自己身前。
YangZicang seemed to see—
杨子藏仿佛看到——
On a barren land where civilizations withered like weeds, a man named Asner walked alone through settlements that still faintly resembled human habitations. He brought to the wanderers there, who had turned back into a primitive society, skills that could fill their bellies and warm their bodies.
在文明如蔓草枯萎的荒芜之地上，名为阿斯纳的男人独自行走在某些还拥有人类身影的聚集地，他为那里已经变得如原始社会般的流浪者们，带去了能让人温饱的技艺。
He also brought disaster.
也带来了灾难。
……
……
Now, like himself, he stood atop the peak, waiting for a powerful Nightmare to be born from the wandering camp below, where he had taught them to use fire.
此刻，他与自己一般，站立山巅，等待着下方教导用火的流浪营地中，诞生强大的恶魇。
Then, he drew his giant sword and leaped.
随后他拔下巨剑，纵身一跃。
“Is this…” YangZicang thought to himself, Is it implying that I should follow his lead?
“这是…”杨子藏想到，这是要自己学他的意思吗？
Below, over a thousand savages stared in bewilderment at the “fire” that had protected them for decades.
下方，上千的野人不知所措地看着前方那保护了他们数十年的“火”。
Now it seemed to have come alive.
此刻它仿佛活了过来。
Though its aura was spine-chilling and drove them to flee, the crowd struggled to suppress their fear and bowed their heads to it.
虽然散发的气息令人胆颤心惊，直想逃离，可众人还是努力按下心中的惧意向它埋下了头颅。
Had the departure of the Shaman caused the divine power to spin out of control?
是因为巫的离去，神力失控了吗？
Or had the Shaman fused with the fire and awakened within it?
还是说巫与火融为了一体，在里面醒了？
A myriad of thoughts raced through the savages’ minds. They could hardly grasp what had truly happened, but it must be connected to the Shaman.
众野人闪过各种念头，他们难以理解到底发生了什么，但肯定是跟巫有关。
Some turned their heads toward the top of the cliff, seeking help.
一些人求助般扭头望向崖顶。
But Yang Zicang did not move.
但杨子藏没有动。
……
……
The massive bonfire began to sprout fine threads of flame, and amidst the gathering of so many savages, a hazy eye was being born within it.
巨大篝火开始长出一根根火焰形成的细线，在如此多野人的聚集之下，里面一只朦胧眼眸在诞生着。
The newborn eye of fire swept its gaze around.
初生的火焰之眼四下一扫。
The first thing it caught sight of was a group of trapped beasts. With its intelligence still extremely low, its first thought was to replenish its closest source of food.
首先映入其眼眸的是一群被困住的野兽。智商还极低的它首先想到的便是补充最近的食物。
Whoosh whoosh!
唰唰！
Several flaming trails extended from the ground, curling toward the tigers and wolves that Yang Zicang had captured. Amidst cries of anguish, the beasts rapidly withered and dried out.
数道火焰轨迹自地面延伸，卷向这些被杨子藏捉来的虎狼。哀嚎声中，野兽们快速变得干枯。
Some savages screamed in terror and fled.
一些野人吓得大叫逃离。
But more of them remained where they stood, prompted by the shouts of several chiefs.
但更多的在几位首领的啊呀叫嚷下站在了原地。
Yang Zicang quietly watched all of this from above.
杨子藏在高处静静看着这一切。
He was waiting for the flames to attack these savages, so that he could teach them just how terrifying a nightmare could be.
他在等，等火焰攻击这些野人，如此才能教会他们恶魇是如何的恐怖。
Boom! Boom! Boom!
轰轰轰！
In a deafening roar, the bonfire suddenly expanded. The flames that had devoured the tigers and wolves grew into shifting heads of tigers and wolves.
震耳欲聋的轰鸣中篝火猛然扩张，吞掉虎狼的火焰长出狼与虎的变幻头颅。
Several “small fire tigers” abruptly shot out from the flames toward the surrounding crowd.
好些“小火虎”猛然自焰中射向周围人群。
The savages finally realized that this was not the Witch reviving. In an instant, they fell into chaos.
众野人终于晓得这并不是巫复苏了，顷刻间乱成一团。
And at that very moment—
也就在此刻。
Whiz-z-z-z!
簌簌簌簌！
Blazing streaks of energy struck down rapidly from the sky, pinning the creatures to the wide ground with an aura of destruction. The writhing phantom tigers and wolves could no longer move an inch.
劲芒自高空快速打下，带着毁灭气息将它们钉在宽广的地面上，蠕动的幻影虎狼再也无法挪动分毫。
“Roar~”
“吼~”
The ground scorched and burned fiercely as it rapidly gathered power.
地面焦灼剧烈燃烧，它快速聚集着力量。
“Thank you for telling me your origins.”
“感谢你告知我，你们的来历。”
A voice as majestic as a deity came from the high sky, followed by a roar!
高空传来神威般的沉静嗓音，随后一声怒吼！
“Now, die!”
“现在，去死吧！”
Yang Zicang’s lean figure, shrouded in golden light, shot down fiercely!
杨子藏那道干练身影带着金芒悍然射下！
[My heart resonance with the Fusion-Vein Walker, Asner, has exceeded 85%.]
[我和融脉者阿斯纳契合了超过85%的心力共鸣。]
As he descended, Yang Zicang felt as if another person’s silhouette overlapped him.
落下的瞬间，杨子藏感觉自己身上像是出现了另一个人的投影。
[I walk alongside the Fusion-Vein Walker, Asner.]
[我与融脉者阿斯纳同行。]