Chapter 47: Difficulties

Chapter 47: The Hardship

A cultivator's Sea of Suffering, as its name suggests, is a desolate, lifeless place, devoid of any vital energy. However, at the very center of Ye Fan's Sea of Suffering, a golden speck of light shone brilliantly, like the first rays of dawn, full of vibrant vitality.

As Pang Bo had noted, this golden Sea of Suffering emitted faint fluctuations of divine power. Though very weak, it was clearly extraordinary. Compared to others' Seas of Suffering, it was truly miraculous, as splendid as the essence of a rainbow, completely unique.

"Could it be that you've already connected with the Wheel of Life?" Pang Bo speculated that Ye Fan might have opened a channel to the Wheel of Life beneath the Sea of Suffering, causing a divine spring to gush forth, thus creating this miraculous sight.

"No, I haven't opened a channel, nor is there any divine spring surging up," Ye Fan shook his head, refuting Pang Bo's guess. He was certain that this was indeed his Sea of Suffering, not a divine spring emanating from the Wheel of Life.

Pang Bo exclaimed repeatedly, "This is truly astonishing! The Desolate Saint Body is indeed extraordinary, completely different from ordinary people. Could it be that a golden Sea of Suffering is unique to those with this physique?"

"I've only just begun to open my Sea of Suffering; I still don't know if I can continue cultivating," Ye Fan said, not letting joy cloud his judgment.

He then began to examine his inner self, meticulously checking the state of his Sea of Suffering. The sesame-seed-sized golden Sea of Suffering was surrounded by dead silence, enveloped by endless darkness and emptiness. Yet, this could not completely extinguish its radiance; the speck of light hung like a brilliant full moon in the sky. This filled Ye Fan with endless hope, imagining that perhaps one day, he could open up a vast and boundless golden Sea of Suffering, completely dispelling the darkness and death qi, and bringing vibrant life to this desolate place.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo discussed the matter at length, agreeing that Ye Fan's physique was too unique, like a bottomless pit, requiring vast amounts of Hundred Grass Liquid to open his Sea of Suffering. Unlike ordinary people, he wasn't afraid of excessive medicinal power shattering his Sea of Suffering; his Sea of Suffering was simply an abyss that could not be filled.

Reaching this conclusion immediately put both of them in a difficult position. Other newly initiated disciples consumed one bottle of Hundred Grass Liquid every three months, totaling only four bottles a year. Yet, Ye Fan had already consumed a staggering fifty-nine bottles just to open his sesame-seed-sized Sea of Suffering—equivalent to what others would need over more than a decade. This was truly alarming!

According to Elder Wu Qingfeng, the path of cultivation becomes increasingly difficult the further one progresses, with each step in the later stages costing ten times the price of the earlier ones.

Ye Fan was momentarily stunned by this thought. This principle must also apply to the consumption of Hundred Grass Liquid. To think that he already needed dozens of bottles simultaneously at the very beginning, it was truly unimaginable what an astounding amount he would require once he achieved mastery.

"Don't worry, there will always be a way," Pang Bo said, his eyes suddenly lighting up as if he had remembered something. "We can tell Elder Wu Qingfeng that you can cultivate. If the Desolate Saint Body from before the ancient era can be successfully cultivated, it would absolutely shake Yan Land and even the entire Eastern Wilderness. It's simply unimaginable! I'm sure the elders of the Spiritual Void Holy Land will be astonished and will do everything in their power to provide you with what you need."

Ye Fan pondered for a moment with careful consideration, then finally shook his head. "We cannot tell them."

"Why not?" Pang Bo asked, puzzled.

"First, because the Spiritual Void Holy Land cannot deter the entire Eastern Wilderness. If the news leaks, I will surely die. Second, I suspect that while the golden Sea of Suffering is miraculous, I might not be able to continue cultivating. Most likely, it's still a crippled physique."

Pang Bo thought carefully and strongly agreed with the first reason; the secret absolutely could not be leaked, or it would likely lead to a fatal disaster.

"As for the second reason, I think you're overthinking it."

Ye Fan shook his head. "I finally understand why this physique occasionally appeared in the post-Desolate Ancient Era but was so difficult to cultivate successfully. This level of consumption alone is beyond what ordinary sects can bear. The initial stage might be manageable, but the path to immortality is long. Every step forward increases the consumption tenfold. Continuing this way, with consumption growing by a factor of ten each time, even reaching the middle stage, let alone the late stage, would require an unimaginable astronomical sum. Even the Sacred Lands and ancient aristocratic families, heirs to the Desolate Ancient Era, would find it incredibly strenuous. One could even say it would be more loss than gain, as such an expense would be enough to cultivate many other outstanding disciples."

"Is this why the Desolate Saint Body couldn't be cultivated and became a crippled physique?" Pang Bo asked, a look of surprise on his face.

Ye Fan pondered for a moment. "This reason was only discovered during the initial stages of cultivation. I'm sure there's much more to it. Otherwise, those Sacred Lands and ancient aristocratic families wouldn't have given up so easily. It's highly probable there are even harsher and more difficult conditions or reasons."

"How could this be...?" Pang Bo was stunned for a moment, feeling that Ye Fan's path ahead was bleak and his cultivation journey seemed exceedingly difficult.

However, Ye Fan showed no signs of dejection. "If the Desolate Saint Body could be cultivated simply, it would lose its significance. The more difficult the path ahead, the more it proves its extraordinary nature. I will go against the current, climb cliffs, and cross abysses. I will go as far as I can, and perhaps I can even glimpse the peak."

In the following days, Ye Fan and Pang Bo cultivated even more diligently, striving to improve their respective cultivation levels.

During this period, Elder Wu Qingfeng summoned Pang Bo to the back mountain of the Spiritual Void Holy Land and officially designated him as an Immortal Seed, encouraging him to cultivate diligently so that a divine spring would soon gush forth from his Sea of Suffering. At that time, he would take Pang Bo as his personal disciple.

After being officially recognized as an Immortal Seed, Pang Bo could receive eight bottles of Hundred Grass Liquid each month, a significant improvement compared to the four bottles he previously received annually. Furthermore, as his cultivation level continued to rise, the supply would gradually increase to meet all his needs, so he wouldn't have to worry about a lack of Hundred Grass Liquid.

On the back mountain of the Spiritual Void Holy Land, Pang Bo earnestly consulted Elder Wu Qingfeng with many questions, primarily seeking to unravel the mystery of Ye Fan's golden Sea of Suffering.

Elder Wu Qingfeng shared many secrets about the Sea of Suffering, stating that in this world, truly brilliant and peerless individuals often experienced various unusual phenomena when opening their Sea of Suffering.

"What exactly are these unusual phenomena?"

Elder Wu Qingfeng described over ten different phenomena but did not mention a golden Sea of Suffering.

Finally, Pang Bo could no longer hold back and directly asked, "When opening the Sea of Suffering, is it possible for tsunamis to connect the sky, for ten thousand divine rainbows to appear, and for the Sea of Suffering to become a golden ocean?"

"Impossible!" Elder Wu Qingfeng shook his head, but then hesitated. "Perhaps the 'Divine Body' rumored to have reappeared in the Eastern Wilderness might possess such unparalleled phenomena, but it shouldn't have such immense grandeur."

Recently, there had been frequent rumors of rare Divine Bodies reappearing in the Eastern Wilderness, and not just one instance. It was said that they were all still growing and were hidden away within Sacred Lands or ancient aristocratic families. Even Elder Wu Qingfeng had heard these rumors multiple times.

"Almost all those world-rare geniuses have been taken in by the Sacred Lands and ancient aristocratic families..." Elder Wu Qingfeng seemed quite helpless.

After returning, Pang Bo recounted everything he had heard to Ye Fan, concluding, "It seems the golden Sea of Suffering is indeed miraculously extraordinary. Even the rumored Divine Bodies reappearing in the Eastern Wilderness might not have such a grand display when first opening their Sea of Suffering. I truly hope you can continue cultivating successfully; by then, you will certainly be able to contend with the geniuses nurtured by the Sacred Lands and ancient aristocratic families."

After listening, Ye Fan pondered for a long time, then looked at Pang Bo and said, "I think I should leave the Spiritual Void Holy Land."

"Why?" Pang Bo was surprised, wondering why he had suddenly made such a decision.

"I came to the Spiritual Void Holy Land to understand how to cultivate. Now, this place is no longer suitable for me to stay. I need to go elsewhere to seek opportunities."

"No, if you leave, I'm leaving too," Pang Bo firmly objected.

"You've been designated an Immortal Seed; the Spiritual Void Holy Land will fully cultivate you. There's no need for you to leave at all. But I'm different. With my physique, staying in the Spiritual Void Holy Land won't lead to any progress."