At this moment, only Ye Fan himself truly understood why he had withstood the Sacred Physique’s offensive. It had been entirely the instinctive response of the Desolate Holy Physique. While being suppressed, a peculiar energy had seeped out from within his Wheel-Sea, forcibly blocking the Rising Moon Over the Sea phenomenon — and even he did not understand what kind of anomalous power it was.
Of course, the most fundamental reason was that the other party had suppressed his own cultivation, placing the two on the same level. After all, Ji Haoyue was at the peak of his power. Had he deployed his full strength, Ye Fan’s physique — however special — would have died without question.
At the same level of the Wheel-Sea, the final result had been an even match. Ye Fan felt a chill in his heart. The Eastern Desolation Sacred Physique was truly fearsome — it had caused his own Holy Physique to treat it as a great enemy and resist on pure instinct.
What he did not know was that Ji Haoyue was even more stunned than he was, and that his heart had not yet calmed even now.
From the very first moment Ji Haoyue laid eyes on Ye Fan, the Eastern Desolation Sacred Physique had produced a peculiar reaction — as though encountering a predestined rival — causing nine regal divine halos to manifest above his head and drawing out his most primordial instincts, filling him with intense resistance.
Hua Yunfei, dressed in blue robes that swayed gently like flowing water, rose to his full height — ethereal as an immortal — carrying an air of exceptional, fluid vitality. He raised his cup and said: “All of you here are heroes among humanity. In time, your names will surely resound across your respective lands. As fellow inhabitants of the Eastern Desolation’s Southern Region, let us hope we never become enemies.”
In truth, what was called the Eastern Desolation’s Southern Region was boundlessly vast. Strictly speaking, the territory in which they now stood was but a single corner of that Southern Region.
Everyone raised their cups together. Setting aside the disciples of Pinnacle Peak, the dozen or so who had arrived later were all extraordinary individuals — the elite disciples of their respective sects, as close to the most outstanding as it came. All understood perfectly that never becoming enemies was impossible. Coexisting in this territory, the various sects would inevitably clash as they expanded — and these talented disciples would, sooner or later, come into conflict.
But the atmosphere at this moment was harmonious. Cups were raised frequently, conversation flowed with ease, and many shared their experiences and discoveries from their cultivation journeys — even touching upon a number of hidden matters.
“That mad elder, in those years, his divine might covered the world. He overpowered all rivals, none could stand against him. In those days, even my Yao Guang’s Sacred Master was utterly defeated at his hands, unable to contend with him. Six thousand years have passed — seas have become mulberry fields — and the Sacred Master of that era has long since died of old age, returning to dust. To think the mad elder of Tian Xuan still lives — it is truly beyond all comprehension.”
The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang raised her flawless, jade-white hand to lift her cup and took a small, delicate sip. She possessed a captivating charm all her own — her graceful head tilted slightly upward, her swan-like neck appearing smooth and elegant — and a faintly beguiling smile played on her lips as she sighed these words.
Ji Haoyue gave a nod and said: “The power of time is the most merciless force of all. Even the most earth-shaking of figures cannot withstand it — all must, in the end, return to dust.” At this, he let out a long sigh and continued: “In those years, my Ji Family had three great figures — each of remarkable and dazzling talent. They joined forces to battle the mad elder and were still no match for him. Three figures of supreme genius, whose lifespans could be called immeasurable — yet even they sat in meditation and passed away four thousand years ago. Reflecting on those days, one cannot help but feel a deep sadness. So many heroes, each one bright as jade and resplendent. So many powerful figures who shook the world beneath the heavens — yet all of them, in the end, were bound by life and death, sinking into the dust of history.”
For the two of them to speak this way did not diminish the Yao Guang Sacred Ground or the Ji Family in any respect. Rather, it spoke to the profound depth of their foundations — even having failed to overcome the mad elder in those days was no cause for shame.
In truth, the great powers that had been passed down since ancient times had, in that distant past, all given rise to undefeatable existences that stood at the absolute pinnacle. They had no need to single such things out to boast.
“That mad elder is unfathomably deep. I wonder whether anyone in the current Eastern Desolation could match him…” Hua Yunfei spoke with a contemplative air. “He personally carved Dao patterns into my Tai Xuan’s walls, intending to traverse the void. Those patterns were of profound and abstruse complexity — the distance they pointed to must be immeasurably far. One truly cannot know where he intended to go.”
The conversation then turned to the Desolate Ancient Sacred Ground. The Ji Family, the Yao Guang Sacred Ground, and the Jiang Family had joined forces and still had not succeeded — their entire force wiped out. All present could not help but sigh in lamentation.
Ye Fan himself had lived through it, yet he could not reveal a single detail. Were he to do so, Ji Haoyue and the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang would turn on him immediately without hesitation.
From the mention of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Zone, the conversation inevitably drifted to the Primordial Ancient Mine — located in the Eastern Desolation’s Northern Region. Being named after the Primordial era itself spoke to its ancient and untraceable history.
In the boundless ages of the past, the Primordial Ancient Mine had been the most famous “source” mine in the Eastern Desolation. Later, something ominous was excavated from within it, and it became one of the seven great Forbidden Zones of Life.
“Legend says that in the boundless ages of the past, some supreme ‘divine source’ stones were excavated, within which powerful living creatures were sealed. Some bore human form — they killed everyone present. It is truly incomprehensible.”
“It is said that the formation of ‘source’ requires an immeasurably long period of time. The most recent could not have begun condensing any earlier than the Ancient Era, and some may stretch back to the Primordial Era. It is truly beyond imagination…”
These young disciples gathered together and spoke of all manner of secret histories and hidden matters — and naturally, they spoke of questions relating to cultivation as well.
Before long, the conversation turned to the subject of a cultivator’s physical constitution. Several years prior, there had been a rumor spreading through the Eastern Desolation that a Sacred Physique was about to emerge — and not merely one.
Everyone present looked, almost without thinking, toward Ji Haoyue, asking whether he was aware of anyone else. And in the course of doing so, quite a few eyes drifted toward Ye Fan as well — many felt this young man was quite possibly possessed of such a physique.
“There should be two in total. To my knowledge, the other is from the Jiang Family in the Eastern Desolation’s Northern Region,” Ji Haoyue answered.
The Jiang Family — an ancient clan situated by the banks of the Jiang River, whose name resounded throughout the Eastern Desolation, ever standing without fall — was one of the most powerful forces across this boundlessly vast land.
Ye Fan’s thoughts immediately turned to little Tingting and Elder Jiang. He wondered how they had fared after going to the Jiang Family — whether they had settled in and grown accustomed to life there.
The Primordial Ancient Mine, the Jiang Family, the Jade Pool Sacred Ground — all were in the Eastern Desolation’s Northern Region. Ye Fan had long since decided to go there, yet had never managed to make the journey.
And now that he thought of it, there was also an enemy there to be wary of: Jiang Yichen, who had dispatched Ji Family cavalry to chase him across thousands of miles, all in order to seize the precious objects on his person — leaving him with nowhere to turn, neither sky nor earth open to him.
These thoughts caused Ye Fan’s expression to grow somewhat distant. He felt it was time to leave. Remaining at Tai Xuan any longer would truly be unwise.
“I wonder, Little Brother Ye, are you also of the Sacred Physique?” At this, a young woman in green robes spoke up. Every gaze turned toward him — many present wanted to know the answer to this question.
“If I were of the Sacred Physique, could I roam about as freely as I do? I would long since have been hidden away, just like Brother Ji — kept concealed until the Sacred Physique reached completion, unlikely to be allowed to show my face,” Ye Fan replied with an easy, natural expression.
“That’s fair enough,” someone nodded.
“Which makes it all the more astonishing, Little Brother Ye. If you are not of the Sacred Physique, how did you withstand Brother Haoyue’s supreme divine power with nothing but your physical body?” the young woman in green pressed again. She was a talented disciple of the Carefree Gate named Li Youyou.
The Carefree Gate stood at least sixty thousand li from here, separated by dozens of kingdoms — yet it was also a super-sect of this region, second only to the Sacred Grounds, standing on equal footing with Tai Xuan.
“It is a long story. It may be related to a strange fruit I consumed in my youth, which caused some inexplicable changes in my body. There are some hidden circumstances involved that are not suitable to share with outsiders,” Ye Fan said. He knew trouble had arrived, and he needed to leave quickly — he could not afford to delay.
Hua Yunfei smiled and said: “Allow me to play another piece — to enliven the spirits of our gathering.” He steered the conversation away, sparing Li Youyou from pressing further with her questions.
On the grassy meadow, everyone drank and talked with ease, each with their own sense of restraint, asking nothing more.
The melody of the qin swirled around them — like mountain streams and flowing rivers, like music from the cold lunar palace — drawing all into a state of pleasant intoxication.
It had to be said that Hua Yunfei’s skill had approached the level of Dao itself. Beneath his nimble fingers, the qin strings gave voice to every manner of wondrous sound, evoking a scenery as beautiful as poetry and painting before the mind’s eye.
Clear and bright, ringing and pure, like a clean spring from deep within the mountains. Soft and unhurried, like a thin stream flowing from the roots of a pine. Listening with focused attention, a sense of gentle joy arose on its own — the melody swelling and flowing, evenly and serenely, like wandering clouds and flowing water.
Then the qin’s voice grew ethereal and distant, as though drawing down the night sky. Moonlight fell in streams. The celestial palace flickered in and out of view. The Jade Pool appeared. Immortal maidens moved with grace — willowy and swaying, riding the wind and dancing upon water, whirling through the heavenly wind — their spirit moving and captivating, their graceful beauty flowing without end.
When the piece concluded, everyone discovered that every bud on every flower surrounding the grassy meadow had burst into full bloom. Fragrance drifted in waves — the qin’s melody had contained a wondrous power that caused a hundred flowers to bloom all at once.
Everyone broke into applause and exclamations of admiration.
The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang was not far from Ye Fan — like a divine lotus in full bloom, her skin crystalline and radiant, her smile enchanting and warm, as though a thin cloud were veiling a bright moon, or a gentle wind were caressing jade blossoms. She was of breathtaking and multifaceted beauty.
Her eyes were like still water. With a light smile, she transmitted her voice to him: “Little Brother Ye, there is no need to be on guard. If you have any difficulties, feel free to speak with me openly.”
Ye Fan’s heart stirred. “Would someone make things difficult for me?” he replied in kind.
“Perhaps. After all, your physique is most unusual — who can say, perhaps someone might want to invite you to be their ‘guest.'” The Holy Maiden’s teeth were like white jade, her lips full and dewy. She cast him a sidelong glance — deeply captivating.
“I only wish to cultivate in peace, without being disturbed,” Ye Fan replied with an unhurried, indifferent tone.
“No matter. If any problem arises, I will step forward to resolve it on your behalf. I believe no one would lightly make things difficult for you,” said the Holy Maiden, extending her hand in invitation. Her countenance was beautiful, her bearing like that of an immortal — like a luminous pearl radiating its light — utterly enchanting.
In an instant, Ye Fan understood. She was recruiting him.
At that very moment, Ji Ziyue’s large eyes flickered. She quietly transmitted her voice: “After this is settled, my brother wishes to invite you to our Ji Family.”
Ji Haoyue, comparatively, was rather more direct — stating plainly that he wished to invite Ye Fan to the Ji Family. He had too many questions. Without resolving the mystery of Ye Fan’s physique, his heart would know no peace.
Being noticed by two such transcendent great powers — any other person would have been overjoyed. But Ye Fan felt only a mounting headache. He absolutely could not enter the Sacred Ground or the ancient aristocratic family in this manner.
If he did, the green bronze fragment would certainly not be kept safe. More importantly, they clearly wished to probe his physique — and that could not be allowed to come to light. Were his Wheel-Sea to be examined, every secret would be laid bare.
Most importantly of all, Li Ruoyu had once cautioned him: the Desolate Holy Physique must not be exposed to the eyes of these great powers whose inheritance stretched back to ancient times.
At this point, the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang gave a light laugh and transmitted her voice: “Little Brother Ye, would you be willing to take a walk with me shortly? I have something I wish to say to you.”
Simultaneously, a gleam of divine radiance burst from Ji Haoyue’s eyes, and he personally transmitted his voice to Ye Fan: “I would like to invite you to be a guest at the Ji Family.”
At the same moment, several more divine sense transmissions arrived — all expressing goodwill toward Ye Fan and wishing to speak further with him.
Ye Fan knew things had taken a turn for the worse. He replied patiently to each in turn, offering deflections and buying time.
“Ji Haoyue, you are the Sacred Physique — what possessed you to probe me for no reason, and now look at the trouble you’ve stirred up,” Ye Fan muttered inwardly. He could not have known that Ji Haoyue’s Sacred Physique had been involuntarily provoked, leaving him no choice but to test Ye Fan.
“What I need right now is to muddy the waters — to pull everyone’s attention away from me. I must create a sensational focal point, then use the confusion to slip away,” Ye Fan reflected briefly, then abruptly raised his head and said aloud: “Everyone, perhaps you are not yet aware — there is a matter about to unfold that will shake the entire Eastern Desolation.”
“Such a thing exists?” The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang’s dark hair drifted lightly, her countenance like jade, her eyes glittering with vivid brilliance, radiantly beautiful.
“I believe all of you have heard of the Ancient Bronze Immortal Palace. It has now appeared once more…” Ye Fan spoke his words with the force of a thunderbolt.
The Ancient Bronze Immortal Palace — said to hold the opportunity of becoming an immortal, recorded in the historical texts of the Eastern Desolation — every one of its emergences had shaken the Eastern Desolation and stirred great waves. The most supreme masters of the age would rush toward it like moths to a flame.