For Ye Fan, this was genuinely good news. If he could gather spiritual medicines there, or hunt rare birds and exotic beasts, he could effectively address the pressing matter at hand. That tiny golden Sea of Bitterness of his was like a lake on the verge of drying up — it desperately needed a vast influx of vital energy to replenish it, only then could it be continuously expanded, allowing the golden ocean to reappear.
“This time Elder Wu Qingfeng is personally leading the group — no need to worry about that worthless Elder Han pulling any tricks.”
The matter was settled. Both Ye Fan and Pang Bo would participate in this training excursion.
Two days later, Wu Qingfeng and another elder led over a hundred disciples out of the Spirit Void Cave Heaven and toward the neighboring ancient ruin.
Ancient trees soared to the heavens there, presenting a scene of primordial wilderness. Still quite far away, they could already hear the deafening roars of savage beasts, and faintly drifting over were waves of fierce and murderous energy. One could also see strange fierce birds wheeling through the sky, their bodies all several meters in length — enormous beyond measure.
“Let me remind you once more — be extremely careful. Never underestimate this training excursion, for it concerns your very lives…” Elder Wu Qingfeng spoke at length about matters requiring caution, and finally gave an illustrative warning: “In the past, some disciples, in order to gather rare spiritual herbs, would frequently venture into the depths of the ruin regardless of danger. At that point, if they encountered a savage beast, death would be certain. For the deeper one goes, the more terrifying the fierce birds and savage beasts become. Many are exotic creatures left over from the Desolate Ancient era — even the elders of the Spirit Void Cave Heaven are unable to deal with them. Therefore, under no circumstances must you venture recklessly into the depths!”
With two elders leading over a hundred disciples, they quickly arrived at this ruin. Spiritual energy permeated the air here, no less than within the Spirit Void Cave Heaven itself. The moment they arrived, someone already spotted medicinal herbs.
“Don’t pick anything with too short a medicinal age…” the Li-surnamed elder reminded.
The enormous trees here were extremely tall — several people joining hands could not wrap their arms around them. The old vines were all as thick as a person’s thigh. Calling it a ruin was a misnomer — it was more like a stretch of primordial mountain forest.
“A giant serpent!”
The moment they entered the forest, someone cried out in alarm, having discovered a massive patterned serpent as thick as a wooden barrel.
Pff!
That giant serpent, covered from head to tail in colorful spots, opened its mouth and spewed a cloud of mist, instantly enveloping the disciple who had cried out. A piercing shriek of agony rang out immediately.
The other disciples were all thoroughly unnerved, retreating swiftly. The mist dispersed, leaving behind a gleaming white skeleton on the ground, along with pools of yellow liquid. The plants and grass around it all withered accordingly.
Elder Wu Qingfeng quickly came forward, and immediately frowned and said, “How is it that we’ve already encountered a Poison Dragon the moment we reach the outer edge of the ruin? Something doesn’t seem right.”
At this point Elder Li also walked over and said, “This large serpent is called a Poison Dragon — its entire body is lethally venomous. You must be careful not to come into contact with the toxic mist it spews, otherwise you will die from the poison immediately.” Elder Li finished speaking, then added a reminder: “Its gallbladder is excellent material for refining pills — disciples with the ability can go and collect it.”
Having just arrived at the outer edge of the ruin and already witnessing such a venomous serpent, no one could imagine what other terrifying fierce beasts lurked within. The on-the-spot death of a disciple sent a chill through everyone’s hearts, and all became immediately more cautious and careful.
“I’ll take the snake gallbladder!” A young girl of about sixteen or seventeen stepped out from the crowd and pressed forward. The light in her Sea of Bitterness flared green, rapidly spreading to her arm and shooting out along her fingertips. The green radiance was like a blade — with a sharp shhk, it sliced through the Poison Dragon, severing it in two.
The young girl carefully extracted a snake gallbladder the size of a fist, and on the spot exchanged it with Elder Li for a bottle of Hundred Herb Fluid. The other disciples were immediately greatly encouraged. Nearly all of them had the strength to cut down a Poison Dragon — as long as they were fearless and could unleash their full ability, all of them could make gains in this ruin.
“Do not be afraid, and do not be careless. In the time ahead, there may still be bloodshed and death — but this is something you must go through. Flowers in a greenhouse must one day face the harsh reality of the outside world, otherwise they will never truly grow.”
Though the two elders said this, they still frowned. Having a disciple die the moment they arrived at the outer edge was truly not a good omen.
Just then, the other disciples began to take action. Before long, someone dug up a ten-year-old “Dragon Tongue Grass,” and at the same moment another disciple discovered a “Green Dragon Vine.”
Suddenly, from deep within the ruin came an extremely piercing bird cry — like the sound of metal striking stone, it pierced the sky. Those who heard it felt their eardrums ache and ring. In that instant, everyone was startled and stopped in their tracks, turning to look in the direction the sound had come from. They caught sight of a golden flash of lightning slicing through the sky, rapidly diving toward a mountain peak.
“What is that?!”
Everyone was astonished. The golden lightning was too fast — it was impossible to make out clearly. All they could see was a burst of blazing golden light streaking past.
Elder Wu Qingfeng’s expression turned grave. “That is a Lightning Bird — swift and fearsome as lightning itself, born with the power of thunder and electricity. Even if I encountered it, I could only go around it.”
Howl…!
Suddenly a roar shook the heavens. On the very mountain peak toward which the Lightning Bird had dived, an enormous ape covered from head to toe in scales leapt into the air, soaring well over a hundred meters into the sky, lunging to attack the Lightning Bird.
“It’s a Scale Ape!” On the other side, Elder Li’s expression changed. “That must be the king among the Scale Apes — otherwise it would not be this powerful, to actually dare launch an attack on a Lightning Bird.”
Elder Wu Qingfeng furrowed his brow and said, “It seems the ruin is not peaceful today. This training excursion will likely have its share of complications — we must not venture too deep.”
The ear-splitting bird cries and beast roars echoed from deep within the ruin, as though rending the heavens, carrying far into the distance. The faces of the disciples present went pale one after another. Just moments ago, watching someone effortlessly slay a Poison Dragon had given many of them a surge of confidence — but now they finally understood that the ruin was far more terrifying than they had imagined. The deepest reaches harbored many supreme existences that were completely beyond anything they could provoke.
“Let’s change our entry point into the ruin…” Elder Wu Qingfeng consistently felt that this particular area was unsettled today. The primordial ruin was vast enough in any case, so he led everyone toward a different area.
After walking more than a dozen li, the group arrived at a forest of scattered rocks. Passing through it, they entered the ruin once more.
“One more reminder — even if you want to go deeper, you must not exceed ten li. Going beyond that will certainly put your life in danger. You must know your limits!”
Once they arrived, the group began to spread out — in groups of three and five, each pairing up and going their own way, all wanting to make some gain. Hundred Herb Fluid was an enormous temptation for disciples in the process of opening their Sea of Bitterness.
Han Feiyu had also joined this training excursion. When he looked toward Ye Fan and Pang Bo, a cold glint flickered in his eyes. But when Ye Fan and Pang Bo turned to look back, he immediately averted his gaze, looking elsewhere.
“Han Feiyu — you were nearly killed by these two?”
Traveling alongside Han Feiyu were a few young men and women, all around eighteen or nineteen years of age — each brimming with vitality, their every movement exuding flowing divine radiance. Han Feiyu kept close to their side, but it was plain he was merely one member of the group, far from the central figure. He could only stand on the sidelines.
“One of them is a Celestial Seedling, but he only just entered — hasn’t learned much at all. The other is even more of a waste — can’t cultivate at all. That you were beaten by such idiots, you’ve truly brought shame on Elder Han.”
The one man and one woman who spoke first were both around seventeen or eighteen years of age. Though younger than a few of the others, they stood encircled like the moon surrounded by stars.
Pang Bo heard this and fury rose within him. These two were far too brazen — they had openly mocked Ye Fan as a废 body to his face. He immediately raged: “What kind of way is that to talk? Do you even know how to speak like a human being?”
The young woman of about seventeen or eighteen laughed coldly. A beauty mark sat at the corner of her mouth — she was quite beautiful, but at this moment gave off a feeling of bone-chilling coldness. She said icily, “Quite the temper. Don’t think that just because you’re a Celestial Seedling you can look down on everyone else, regarding no one as worthy of your notice. Know this — no one can predict the future. Even Celestial Seedlings can wither and die before their time!”
“Who exactly is looking down on whom? Have we provoked you? You opened your mouth and immediately hurled cold insults, calling people废 bodies — if we count as those who look down on everyone, then wouldn’t you qualify as someone with no eyes in her head at all?” Pang Bo fired back without yielding in the slightest.
“If it weren’t for the elders’ orders forbidding disciples from fighting here, I would truly love to properly teach you how to conduct yourself as a disciplined disciple.” The young woman with the beauty mark shot a cold glare, swept a glance at Ye Fan, then fixed her gaze on Pang Bo and said, “Although you are a Celestial Seedling, you cannot bring just anyone here. This ruin is an important ground of the Spirit Void Cave Heaven — how can it be permitted for all manner of dubious people to come and go as they please?”
The young man of about seventeen or eighteen standing alongside her also mocked, “Not everyone is fit to cultivate. People need to know their own limits.” At this point, his gaze turned cold as he looked toward Ye Fan and said, “Do me a favor and leave as soon as possible. This is the training ground for the disciples of our Spirit Void Cave Heaven — outsiders are not allowed to set foot here.”
“Shut your mouths!” Pang Bo was furious. Insulting Ye Fan was the same as insulting him — he very much wanted to charge forward.
Ye Fan held him back. He swept his gaze across the group, said nothing at all, merely took out a jade pendant, held it up before them, and then strode forward with large steps.
“That’s Elder Wu’s jade pendant…”
The faces of the group immediately turned very ugly. They had intended to drive Ye Fan away, but had not expected to expend all that breath for nothing.
Han Feiyu stepped forward and said, “Senior Sister Li Lin, Senior Brother Li Yun — please don’t provoke them for now. My great-uncle has told me not to stir up trouble with them at this time. If the old man finds out, he will certainly punish me.”
After walking several hundred meters away, Pang Bo said, “I remember now — I’ve seen them at the rear mountain of the Spirit Void Cave Heaven. I was quite far away at the time and didn’t pay much attention. Elder Wu Qingfeng mentioned them in passing at the time. That woman seems to be called something like Li Lin — also a Celestial Seedling. That young man seems to be called Li Yun. Though not a Celestial Seedling, his aptitude is quite special and not much inferior to one.”
Ye Fan glanced back and said, “It seems that although you won’t be in any real danger at the Spirit Void Cave Heaven, your days ahead won’t be very comfortable.”
Pang Bo was thoroughly unconcerned and said, “Pressure breeds motivation. My goal now is to trample every one of those wretches underfoot within three years. I finally understand why Elder Wu Qingfeng once sighed and said something about the quality of disciples being uneven in recent years…”
“The Spirit Void Cave Heaven seems not to be as tranquil as it appears on the surface — there is very likely a hostile relationship among the elders. You must be careful going forward.” Ye Fan warned.
“I know. Elder Wu Qingfeng said he would accept me as his last and final disciple. I think after you leave, I’ll probably go cultivate at the rear mountain. I won’t stir up trouble until I’ve achieved something.”
Ye Fan thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, “A pity — our strength is insufficient right now. Otherwise, we could have made a plan and helped you deal with all these troubles.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about me — they can’t do anything to me.” At this point, Pang Bo was still very angry and said, “Don’t take what they said to heart.”
Ye Fan smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I can’t even be bothered to say anything to them — naturally I won’t take it to heart.”
“Good. Right now, don’t concern yourself with anything. Just focus on your cultivation. Once your golden Sea of Bitterness is opened, let them see who is truly the废 body.”
Not long after, Li Lin, Li Yun, Han Feiyu, and the others caught up — though this time they were not coming for them, merely passing by.
“Let’s head into the depths of the ruin and leave the outer area to those废 bodies…” Li Lin wore a faint cold smile. The beauty mark at the corner of her mouth seemed somewhat jarring, giving one a sense of cold, sinister chill.
Ye Fan stood to one side, watching them go in silence. He still said nothing.
“That vile woman!” Pang Bo was seething with indignation, but could only endure for now — at present he had no strength to contend against them.
In the two days that followed, Ye Fan and Pang Bo found dozens of medicinal herbs. But when they brought them to the two elders for exchange, they only received two bottles of Hundred Herb Fluid. In fact, many others fared similarly — a great number could not even exchange for a single bottle. Moreover, three more disciples died during these two days.
“This won’t do. The outer areas do have some medicinal herbs, but their medicinal age is insufficient, and they’ve already been largely gathered by those who came before. As for the rare birds and exotic beasts — seeing so many people entering at once, they’ve probably hidden themselves far away. There’s simply no chance of hunting any.”
Two bottles of Hundred Herb Fluid was as good as nothing for Ye Fan — it could serve absolutely no purpose. After discussing the matter, both agreed that if they truly wanted to find spiritual medicines and hunt spiritual beasts, they would have to venture deep into the ruin as Li Lin’s group had done.
“It’s far too dangerous in there. The fierce birds and savage beasts are beyond what we can deal with. And if we happened to run into Li Lin and Li Yun’s group, even if they didn’t dare make an open move, they would likely cause trouble in the shadows…”
The two discussed it at length, and finally turned their gaze to the distance.
They wanted to move away from this area and head toward a different territory. Two days ago, the Lightning Bird that had cut through the sky — its entire body blazing with golden light — had left a deep impression on them. And that Scale Ape King, its body blanketed in scales, leaping over a hundred meters above a mountain peak — it had struck them both with profound awe. Now the Lightning Bird and the Scale Ape King floated to the surface of their minds once again.
Over these two days, that area deep in the ruin had been continuously filled with piercing bird cries and beast roars, making an enormous commotion — yet only today had it gradually fallen quiet. Why had these two terrifying exotic beasts been fighting? Both felt certain there must be some extraordinary reason.
At this moment, the depths of the ruin had gradually returned to calm. They felt that if they could slip their way into that territory, they might make an astonishing gain. The region’s deepest point might harbor a supreme beast king in the midst of a battle — or some other upheaval might have occurred, driving the vast majority of fierce birds and savage beasts out toward the fringes.
Both Ye Fan and Pang Bo were people of decisive action. Having made their decision, they set out immediately, making their way toward that area.