Chapter 35: Such a World

Chapter 35: Such a World

In the brightly lit hall, several elders, their gazes sharp as lightning, continuously scanned Ye Fan and his companions, examining them with astonishment."Why are your clothes so strange?""Why do you have such short hair?""You are all mortals; how did you mistakenly enter the Barren Ancient Forbidden Land?""Why is your language so unusual? Where are you from?""With your strength, how could you approach the Barren Ancient Abyss and even pick the legendary Sacred Fruit...?"

The elders questioned them meticulously and persistently, intent on thoroughly understanding their origins.

How could they explain that they came from the other side of the starry sky, tens or hundreds of light-years away—a journey that would take millions of years of flight to reach? Ye Fan and the others remained silent.

"Why aren't you speaking?" an elder's gaze immediately turned incredibly sharp.

"Even if we told you the truth, would you believe us?" Ye Fan looked at the people in the hall and spoke calmly and steadily. "Our homeland is very far from here. We simply climbed an ancient mountain and found ourselves on the other side of the world, unaware of our location and unable to look back."

The elders exchanged glances, and then one of them nodded. "That's understandable," he said. "Undoubtedly, an unparalleled powerful figure must have set up a 'force' on that ancient mountain, capable of instantly eclipsing the sun and moon and shifting the stars. Such a method is truly—terrifying!"

Since the elders had stopped pressing, Ye Fan and his group did not mention the nine dragon-pulled coffins, nor did they speak of traversing a desolate universe to reach the other side of the starry sky.

At this moment, the bronze lamp, alms bowl, ancient bell, and other items in Ye Fan's group's hands caught the elders' attention.

"This is..." One elder's expression became solemn as he took the bronze lamp from Ye Fan. He examined it carefully and thoroughly, and after a long time, he sighed deeply. "A remarkably sophisticated technique," he said. "I suspect the wick had already given birth to a 'spirit,' but unfortunately, it's now ruined. There are no internal patterns left to follow."

Next, he carefully examined the alms bowl, ancient bell, and bronze plaque, his face filled with shock and regret. He sighed repeatedly, "These were originally good items, but how did they all get ruined?! All the valuable 'Dao patterns' inside have been destroyed, making it impossible to even discern the technique used."

"How did you obtain these items?" The elders seemed distressed, their faces full of regret, sighing continuously.

At this moment, Ye Fan did not respond. His previous words were airtight; even if Zhou Yi and others revealed the truth afterward, his statements would not contradict the facts. This time, however, was different.

However, someone followed his line of thinking and replied, stating that these divine relics were acquired on the ancient mountain where the "force" was set up, and they had kept them even after inexplicably entering the Barren Ancient Forbidden Land.

It was clear that not only Ye Fan but also the others understood the gravity of the situation and that they couldn't carelessly speak about matters concerning the other side of the starry sky.

"So that's it. I'm becoming increasingly interested in the ancient mountain you mentioned and would very much like to go there and investigate," an elder said, his eyes narrowing with a smile, though it was unclear if he was suspicious or genuinely curious.

"Where was your original dwelling place? Can you give us a general area?" another elder asked.

At this point, almost everyone was following Ye Fan's line of thought, collectively fabricating a story. A female student stated that they were from the western region.

"The western region? So you came from the boundless Western Desert..." One of the elders frowned and murmured to himself, "Crossing from the Western Desert to the Eastern Barren is an endless distance. Even if I were to fly on a rainbow, it would probably take over thirty years. Who could possess such world-shattering talent to have set up such a powerful 'force' on that ancient mountain? Unimaginable!"

"So, we've arrived in the Eastern Barren," Zhou Yi asked, seizing the opportunity. "How large is the Eastern Barren?"

"The Eastern Barren is boundless. Even if a mortal lived for dozens of lifetimes, they would struggle to traverse it all."

"That vast?!" Ye Fan and the others showed expressions of disbelief.

"In the mortal world, the nation that governs the region of the Barren Ancient Forbidden Land is called 'Yan.' It stretches two thousand li from north to south and three thousand li from east to west. Yet, such a territory is merely a drop in the ocean in the Eastern Barren, and there are countless nations like it."

Upon hearing these words, Pang Bo nearly jumped. How vast could this region be? Yan's territory was so expansive, yet in the Eastern Barren, it was considered insignificant. Nations with similar territories were countless.

The Eastern Barren was truly boundless, its immense size almost beyond imagination!

"How can it be that vast?!" Pang Bo's pupils contracted. He felt these facts severely defied common sense and were simply too incredible. However, considering that even deities existed in this world, he could only shake his head.

Seeing Pang Bo stunned, the elders all smiled. This boy, who appeared to be only eleven or twelve years old, would be their key "seed" for future cultivation. One of them continued, "Although the Yan Nation is merely a corner of the Eastern Barren, a drop in the ocean, it is not obscure. Its territory contains the Barren Ancient Forbidden Land, which is one of the seven great life forbidden zones in the boundless Eastern Barren."

For a long time, no one could speak. They had received much useful information, and their hearts were truly overwhelmed, surging with immense shock.

"You just mentioned the Western Desert; how does it compare to the Eastern Barren?" Wang Ziwen, being more meticulous, couldn't help but ask this question.

"In terms of sheer territorial size, the Western Desert and Eastern Barren are quite similar, both equally vast and boundless."

Upon hearing this answer, waves surged in their hearts; what an immense region that must be!

However, what shocked them even more was yet to come. An elder continued, "The Eastern Barren, Western Desert, Southern Ridge, Northern Plains, and Central State—among these, the Central State is the greatest, truly boundless, infinitely mysterious, and difficult even for cultivators to cross..."

Everyone was utterly petrified, their mouths dry, unable to utter another word.

The elders were very pleased and encouraged them, saying, "A mortal's life is ultimately too insignificant, like an ant, unable even to comprehend the true nature of the world they inhabit. But now, you all have the opportunity to overlook this vast land. As long as you are diligent in your cultivation, one day you will surely stir up the winds and clouds and stand at the very pinnacle."

It took a long time for everyone to regain their senses. Some hesitated, saying, "We... cultivate..."

"Indeed. Although you lost your youth by entering the Barren Ancient Forbidden Land, this world is balanced; what you lost, you have gained. Although the world of cultivation is fraught with thorns and difficult to navigate, you have already initially paved a small path."

"Indeed, your 'Sea of Bitterness' has been activated. In the future, it's not impossible for you to cross the 'Sea of Bitterness,' step onto the 'Divine Bridge,' and even find your own 'Deity.'"

The elders spoke one after another, encouraging them and aiming to guide them onto the path of cultivation.

"We still don't know who you are..." Zhou Yi said, seizing the moment.

"Within the Yan Nation, there are six Blessed Lands of Caves. Our cultivation ground is one of them, though it's not here in the mortal world," an elder replied with a smile.

"The Yan Nation is just a drop in the ocean in the Eastern Barren, and this small corner has six Blessed Lands of Caves. Just how many immortal cultivation sects are there in this world..." Pang Bo murmured softly.

It was clear that these elders regarded him and Ye Fan with special favor, showing no displeasure. Instead, they smiled kindly and said, "Don't aim too high; the foundation is most important. Our Blessed Land of Caves inherits its teachings from a certain Holy Land, and its fundamental principles are absolutely first-rate in this world. Moreover, if you rise to prominence in the future, we will provide you with even broader opportunities for development."

"Indeed!" another elder said proudly. "Although we are merely a Blessed Land of Caves, we are affiliated with a renowned Holy Land in the Eastern Barren. If in the future you prove to be exceptionally talented, you might even be selected to join that Holy Land."

At this point, the elders looked lovingly at the young girl Weiwei beside them and said, "Weiwei is an unparalleled genius who appears once every thousand years in our Blessed Land of Caves. She will soon be selected to enter the Holy Land. We are truly reluctant to part with her, but we do not wish to delay her cultivation."

Just then, a burst of laughter suddenly came from outside the hall. "Your 'Blessed Land' isn't good enough!" a voice boomed. "If you have such promising talent, you should send them to our 'Cave Heaven'! I hear you've discovered more than a dozen good cultivation prospects?"

Over a dozen streaks of rainbow light descended from the sky. These people, uninvited, walked directly into the hall.