A dozen people entered the hall, their rainbow lights fading. These individuals, male and female, were all over forty years old. Some were as calm as orchids, some sharp as sword edges, others as steady as stone, each carried a distinct aura.
Among them, a middle-aged man had a calm and imposing presence. His voice was powerful as he laughed and said, "Although it's said that there are six 'Grotto-Heavens' within the State of Yan, your 'Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven' doesn't quite live up to the name. Calling it a 'Blessed Land' is more fitting."
"What do you mean by that, Liu Wanshan?" The elders of Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven looked displeased. They all stepped forward, shielding Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others, especially guarding Ye Fan and Pang Bo closely.
The man called Liu Wanshan stood firm like a mountain, exuding pressure. He spoke very bluntly, laughing: "Since there are more than a dozen good seedlings for cultivation, of course we want to take a few and guide them on the path of cultivation."
Beside him, an elderly woman with white hair nodded and said, "That's right. The six Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands within the State of Yan have always shared roots. Now that we've found so many promising talents, naturally we'd like to take a few."
One elder from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven frowned and said, "Senior Sister Li Ying, you can't say that. Three years ago, your 'Golden Cloud Grotto-Heaven' found several disciples with excellent potential, but you didn't give Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven even one."
"Those people had average aptitude, not worthy of being called immortal seedlings, naturally, we didn't trouble you," the white-haired elder replied with a smile.
Just then, an old man with flowing white hair stepped forward. He had an otherworldly, immortal-like appearance. Speaking slowly and calmly, he said, "I don't think these dozen or so are true immortal seedlings. How about this: each of our Grotto-Heavens takes only a few and leaves more for Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven."
The elders from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven immediately grew restless. They seemed wary of this immortal-looking old man, and one said, "Senior Brother Ma Yun, doesn't your 'Jade Cauldron Grotto-Heaven' already have enough talented disciples? I've heard you recently discovered two true immortal seedlings."
The old man called Ma Yun smiled without speaking. He kept glancing at Ye Fan and Pang Bo, nodding from time to time. This made the Desolate Spirit elders nervous, they could let others go, but these two were absolutely essential to keep.
"How about this: I'll represent Jade Cauldron Grotto-Heaven and choose only one," Ma Yun said, pointing at Ye Fan and Pang Bo. "Either one of them will do."
"No!" The elders from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven rejected him almost simultaneously.
At the same time, the other Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands also began choosing people, none willing to give in, leading to a heated argument. Ye Fan listened carefully and gathered useful information: "Grotto-Heaven" ranked above "Blessed Land" and was more suitable for cultivation. In fact, a Blessed Land might naturally emerge from a Grotto-Heaven.
At this point, Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven clearly couldn't keep everyone. With representatives from all five other Grotto-Heavens present, they had to reluctantly let some go. But deciding who to keep and who to give up was extremely difficult. The situation became so tense it was nearly explosive, none of the six sides were willing to back down.
That mountain-like, calm and powerful middle-aged man Liu Wanshan stepped forward and said, "Looks like we'll have to settle this with a duel."
"As it should be," Li Ying of Golden Cloud Grotto-Heaven nodded in agreement.
"To avoid injuring our bonds, we'll stop at a point," Ma Yun of Jade Cauldron Grotto-Heaven also expressed support.
The elders from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven looked very displeased. They had found Ye Fan and the others, yet the other Grotto-Heavens wanted to interfere. It was hard to say how many they'd even get to keep.
More than ten rainbow streaks shot into the sky, glowing brilliantly in the night. The duel among the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands had begun. Ye Fan and the others went outside the hall and looked up, but unfortunately, the participants had flown out of the town and were now too far away to be seen clearly.
They could only see flashes of light in the distant sky, rainbows crisscrossing, occasionally erupting with thunderous sounds, strong winds, and flying debris.
Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others were dazzled. These elders had seemed peaceful earlier, yet now they soared through the skies with such power. It was deeply awe-inspiring.
Not long after, all the divine rainbows in the distant sky vanished. No one knew how far the battle had gone.
Only half an hour later did divine rainbows appear on the horizon, cutting through the sky and returning instantly.
The first to descend was the girl named Weiwei. She was graceful and otherworldly, with delicate brows, eyes like water, rosy lips, and pearl-white teeth. Under the soft moonlight, she looked like a fairy descending from the moon palace, stunning beyond words.
Next came the other elders of Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven. Although they appeared rather battered, some even with blood stains, they all wore victorious smiles.
The others arrived next, all carrying various wounds. Compared to the Desolate Spirit elders, their expressions weren't so pleasant. The powerful Liu Wanshan still had blood on his shoulder; the immortal-looking Ma Yun had his flowing white beard cut off; and Li Ying's cane had been snapped in two.
"I didn't expect it… Weiwei has already surpassed us at her age. Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven has birthed a peerless genius!" Ma Yun sighed with emotion.
Ye Fan and the others were all astonished. Weiwei walked with elegance and gentleness, a soft and serene presence, but she had defeated these elders. It was unbelievable.
"Since we lost, there's nothing more to say. Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven may pick two first," Liu Wanshan said grimly. It wasn't just the shame of losing to a junior, it also meant they couldn't choose first.
The Desolate Spirit elders didn't hesitate and immediately chose Ye Fan and Pang Bo, their faces beaming with joy. Then, Ma Yun of Jade Cauldron Grotto-Heaven picked Liu Yiyi, and Li Ying of Golden Cloud Grotto-Heaven picked Zhang Ziling.
However, just then, the Desolate Spirit elders, after examining Ye Fan's body closely, suddenly looked grim. The smiles on their faces vanished.
"How can this be?!"
The others quickly noticed the change and looked over. Seeing the Desolate Spirit elders' displeased faces, they wondered what had happened.
"What's wrong? Is getting first pick not enough for you?"
"It's not that. Come and take a look," the Desolate Spirit elders replied regretfully, looking at Ye Fan.
Everyone immediately realized something must be wrong with Ye Fan's body. In a flash, they all gathered around.
Ma Yun of Jade Cauldron Grotto-Heaven stepped up first and said, "Just from observation, this boy's energy and blood are exceptionally strong, comparable to a flood dragon or mammoth. He should be a rare immortal seed. Is there a problem?"
Then the others also stepped forward to examine Ye Fan. Being touched all over made Ye Fan quite uncomfortable, but given the situation, he couldn't protest.
Li Ying of Golden Cloud Grotto-Heaven said in doubt, "How could this kind of physique exist?!"
Liu Wanshan probed for a long time, then showed an expression of disbelief: "His Life Wheel is silent, his Sea of Bitterness as solid as divine iron, immovable and unshakable, completely impossible to open..."
"What's going on?!" Everyone looked confused. This physique was too strange, it defied all known logic.
Just then, Ma Yun of Jade Cauldron Grotto-Heaven seemed to recall something. He muttered to himself, "Could it be... that legendary physique?" He began re-examining Ye Fan, his fingers glowing like jade, shining with divine light as he carefully measured Ye Fan's bones and spiritual essence.
After a long while, Ma Yun finally stopped, stunned. "To think this world truly still has the legendary physique..."
"What kind of physique?" Everyone looked intrigued.
"Deso, late, Ancient, Invincible, Supreme, Holy, Physique!" Ma Yun pronounced each word slowly and solemnly.
"What?!" Everyone was shocked, unable to believe their ears.
The Desolate Spirit elders reacted instantly. They pulled Ye Fan behind them and surrounded him tightly, as if afraid someone would try to steal or harm him.
Liu Wanshan was incredulous: "In the State of Yan, stretching 2,000 miles north-south and 3,000 miles east-west, still just a drop in the ocean compared to the vast Eastern Wilderness, even across countless ages, it's unlikely someone with such a body would appear here. Across the entire Eastern Wilderness, only a few have ever existed!"
Li Ying of Golden Cloud Grotto-Heaven shook her head and said, "It's not impossible. I've heard rumors that the Eastern Wilderness may already have such individuals today. Not just one, perhaps. But they remain hidden, either in Sacred Grounds or ancient families descended from the Desolate Era."
At this moment, everyone's gaze toward Ye Fan changed. Their eyes burned, as if they wanted to snatch him up immediately and take him as a disciple. Even Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others looked at him strangely.
But then, Ma Yun of Jade Cauldron Grotto-Heaven coughed and said, "I think... you've misunderstood. Maybe I wasn't clear."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean?"
Everyone stared at him in confusion.
"He does have the Invincible Sacred Physique, no mistake about that. But there's a catch, it's from before the Desolate Era."
"What does that mean?"
Ma Yun explained, "You've all heard the ancient legends, right? In the Desolate Era, there was a supreme physique, unmatched across time. Nine successive generations were born with it, each one invincible and world-shaking. This physique, if one could cultivate it, had limitless potential. It was known as the greatest sacred physique in history."
"Yes, of course we've heard... wait, you're not saying..." Everyone turned to look at Ye Fan again, but the awe and desire were gone, only disappointment remained.
"Yes, he has that body. But unfortunately, since the end of the Desolate Era, for unknown reasons, this physique has gradually become no different from the common folk. It is no longer suited for cultivation. No one has ever successfully cultivated with it again."
"In fact, many sects are now spreading rumors that the Eastern Wilderness has seen a new generation of peerless god physiques. Just now, I thought we were witnessing the rise of another shockingly gifted talent in the Yan territory. But it turns out..."
"An invincible sacred physique from before the Desolate Era... compared to today's invincible god physiques... sigh!" The elders from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven all sighed in disappointment and no longer paid any attention to Ye Fan.
The others from the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands had complicated expressions, unsure whether to feel lucky or let down.
At this point, no one looked at Ye Fan anymore. The shift from excitement to indifference was stark and obvious.