Chapter 34: The Legend of the Wilderness

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Legend of Desolation

In mid-air, a beam of rainbow light, one meter wide and two meters long, stood vertically in the sky. It was brilliant and sparkling, possessing a tangible quality, like a piece of crystal clear and transparent quartz.

Inside, there was a young woman, eighteen or nineteen years old. Her complexion was like jade, her figure slender, her waist delicate, and her legs straight. Dressed in a light blue gown, which flowed naturally, she exuded an ethereal and unworldly aura.

Everyone was momentarily stunned. This beautiful young woman, looking like a fairy untouched by worldly defilement, possessed an otherworldly beauty. She resembled a white lotus flower with glistening dewdrops, or a fresh snow lotus on a snow-capped mountain, giving the impression of someone completely detached from the mortal world.

While the world was not short of exceptionally beautiful women, it was rare to find one with such an ethereal presence, as if she had transcended the mortal realm and merged with the pristine natural world.

The serene and captivating young woman calmly gazed down at the crowd. She spoke, her voice melodious, but it took a moment for everyone to understand her meaning. She was inquiring about their identities. Her words closely resembled ancient Chinese, with a soft cadence that required careful consideration to grasp their full import.

"We are a group of people in distress. Are you a fairy? Can you save us?" a female student cried out, her voice filled with sobs. At this moment, her body was withered, her skin wrinkled, and she looked ancient. Upon finally seeing a young woman who seemed like an immortal, she immediately burst into tears, pleading for help.

Lin Jia and Li Xiaoman also stepped forward, their faces filled with hope. They had once been extremely beautiful and proud women, but the current ordeal was more unbearable than death itself. Seeing such a clear and captivating young woman made them even more desperate to restore their appearance.

In mid-air, specks of light shimmered, as if a segment of the rainbow's essence had been extracted and condensed into a magnificent precious jade, encasing an elf-like woman within.

In fact, the crystal-like rainbow light was not solid; it only appeared to have a tangible quality. The young woman inside was completely unconstrained. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, gently fluttering, and her eyes were like water, misty and hazy, with traces of vapor. Her skin was snow-white and translucent, shimmering with a delicate glow, making her exceptionally ethereal and beautiful.

"Have you entered the Ancient Forbidden Land?"

Another soft and melodious sentence, and again, it took a moment for the crowd to decipher the meaning of the ancient Chinese.

"Yes, we just escaped from there," an aged female student cried helplessly, looking up at the sky with a pleading expression. For a woman, such a tragic event was the most severe blow, and she was now completely distraught, speaking without much thought.

Hearing this, the serene, jade-like face of the young woman in the rainbow light rippled with surprise, revealing a look of profound astonishment.

"To be able to walk out alive, it's truly not easy," she murmured softly. Then, her gaze swept repeatedly over Liu Yiyi, Zhang Ziling, Pang Bo, and Ye Fan. Finally, as if remembering something, she revealed a look of great shock and urgently asked, "Is this your actual age?"

"No, we are not this old. We don't know why we lost decades of our youth and vitality," a male student replied urgently, then looked at the young woman in mid-air with a mix of nervousness and hope.

However, the young woman did not look at him. As if she already knew they had lost their youth and vitality, she directed her question to Ye Fan and Pang Bo.

Ye Fan responded, "Originally, we were all in our twenties. We don't know why some of us aged, while others became younger, seemingly reversing the aging process."

"Really?" The young woman in mid-air looked shocked, staring intently at Ye Fan and Pang Bo. She urgently asked, "Did you eat a type of red fruit, one that was vibrant crimson and translucent throughout, almost dripping with color..."

Ye Fan was certain that the strange fruit they had eaten was exactly as the young woman described. There was no way to deny it, especially since Zhou Yi and others had also witnessed it. He nodded in confirmation.

The young woman in mid-air looked at Ye Fan and Pang Bo with a peculiar expression, as if examining precious treasures. Being gazed upon by such a pure and ethereal beauty, however, made both men feel a little unnerved and uncomfortable.

"Excuse me, can those who have aged still be saved?" Wang Ziwen found it hard to remain calm in this situation, desperately wanting to know if he could regain his youth.

"Do not despair," the young woman in mid-air continued, seeing the unusual expressions on their faces. "While your appearance may be difficult to restore, you have also gained much by losing your youth. Once you leave this place, many people will vie for your presence. Don't worry, being sought after is not a bad thing; on the contrary, it is an opportunity for you."

"I... I just want to restore my appearance," a female student whimpered, so aged that she had almost lost the will to live.

"Alright, I'll take you out of this ancient forest first." With a gentle wave of her hand, the mysterious young woman conjured a shower of rainbow light that enveloped everyone on the mountainside. Slowly, they ascended to stand beside her in the air.

This was truly a mysterious world. In everyone's conjecture, this had to be immortal magic.

"This place is extremely far from any human habitation. It would be almost impossible for you to walk out on foot. This primeval forest is home to many terrifying ferocious beasts; even I would have to choose to go around them if I encountered one."

Pang Bo showed a puzzled expression and asked, "Aren't you from that immortal palace ahead?"

"Immortal palace..." The young woman in mid-air looked confused. "Where is there any immortal palace?"

Pang Bo pointed to the tall mountain ahead and said, "Aren't there many continuous and magnificent palaces and countless towers there? You can even see many immortal cranes flying around."

"So the legends are true..." The young woman showed a surprised expression.

"What legends? Don't you see them?"

"No, I don't see anything," the young woman in the colorful rainbow light said thoughtfully. "The Ancient Forbidden Land, a Forbidden Domain of old, a life restricted zone. Throughout history, everyone who has mistakenly entered and managed to return alive has claimed to have seen an immortal palace. It appears to be right before their eyes, yet they can never reach it."

Sure enough, everyone suddenly understood. Their experience confirmed what the young woman said. Someone asked, "Is it merely a phantom image?"

"It is not an illusion. Only at specific times and through special means can one truly approach the immortal palace. However, such a great opportunity is generally beyond the grasp of ordinary people; it can be seen but never reached."

Zhou Yi, deeply concerned about his own situation, asked, "Of those who mistakenly entered the Ancient Forbidden Land, some have come out alive. What became of them eventually?"

The young woman, as pure and beautiful as a jade tree adorned with ice and snow, glanced at him and calmly replied, "Entering a life restricted zone means a hundred deaths for every one life. Even if one emerges alive, their hair will be as white as frosted grass, and their life will be nearing its end. However, their 'Sea of Bitterness' will also have been activated. If they embark on the path of cultivation, they can achieve twice the results with half the effort."

"Can we regain our youth?"

"It's difficult, but not absolutely impossible. As cultivation deepens, vitality will naturally grow stronger. After reaching a certain realm, it might be possible to change one's appearance." The young woman's words immediately ignited hope in many.

"What exactly is in the Ancient Forbidden Land? What power made us lose our youth?" Wang Ziwen couldn't help but ask. This question baffled many present, who felt both hateful and helpless.

"This question is quite ancient," the young woman replied, as she swiftly flew with the group, surrounded by shimmering light. Like a rainbow cutting across the sky, the soft radiance blocked the strong winds, allowing them to speak without hindrance. She continued, "Legend has it that beneath the abyss of the life restricted zone, there exists 'Desolation,' said to be either an ancient being or a terrifying power."

"Has no one ever attempted to explore it?" Ye Fan couldn't help but ask.

"Since ancient times, countless individuals have attempted to explore it, but without exception, nearly all were annihilated," the mysterious young woman said, looking back at the primeval forest behind them. "Every inch of that land has been stained with blood; once, corpses piled up like mountains, and all those who died were masters. In the past, a certain Immortal Sect and Holy Land, at the peak of their prosperity, deployed their entire strength, gathering tens of thousands of powerful cultivators to invade, hoping to open the Ancient Forbidden Land and obtain the legendary ethereal item. However, all tens of thousands perished there, and that Immortal Sect and Holy Land was almost erased from existence, with only three to five survivors escaping, nearly severing their lineage."

"That terrifying?!" Pang Bo gasped.

"That is a demonic land soaked in endless blood. It's lamentable that Immortal Sect and Holy Land, despite its unprecedented prosperity, not only saw tens of thousands of powerful cultivators vanish into thin air, but even several peak experts whose achievements rivaled creation itself became 'Desolation Slaves' beneath the Ancient Abyss, enslaved for eternity."

Upon hearing this, everyone involuntarily thought of the terrifying shadowy figure, brimming with savage flames, wielding a colossal iron chain hundreds of meters long. Most likely, that was one of the so-called "Desolation Slaves."

The colorful long rainbow moved with astonishing speed, like lightning, as the endless primeval forest below rapidly receded. Yet, despite this speed, it still took a full hour of flying to reach the edge of the barren forest.

By then, dusk had already fallen. In the distance, a small town glowed brightly with lights. As they neared it, seven or eight beams of rainbow light immediately shot into the sky, each of a different color, and within each beam stood a figure.

"Weiwei is back."

"Were there any discoveries around the Ancient Forbidden Land? Various Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands nearby have sent experts, seemingly searching for something. Did you encounter them?"

"Since our ancestors sensed something about the Ancient Forbidden Land, it's natural that the strong practitioners from those Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands would also have noticed."

Inside those rainbow beams were several elderly individuals, seemingly elders of the young woman named Weiwei.

"Who are these people...?"

"Could it be that they mistakenly entered the Ancient Forbidden Land and then came out alive?"

When they heard the young woman named Weiwei give an affirmative answer, the elderly individuals burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha... Excellent! Their 'Sea of Bitterness' has been activated. They are good prospects for cultivation!"

The group quickly descended into the small town and entered a brightly lit hall.

"How are they so young?" Upon seeing Ye Fan and Pang Bo, the elderly individuals immediately showed astonished expressions, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

"Could they have eaten the legendary fruit? This... this is impossible!" an old man exclaimed, finding it incredibly hard to believe. "Legend says that nine sacred mountains converge to form the Ancient Abyss. Each sacred mountain is said to have a divine spring and a unique sacred fruit, making a total of nine divine springs and nine sacred fruits. Obtaining just one can transform one completely! But how could a few mortals like them possibly approach that place?!"