So far, only thirteen people remained from Ye Fan's group, everyone else had died.
Aside from Ye Fan, who had a unique physique, the remaining twelve were evenly distributed, each Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land could take two.
This was a passive kind of selection, but Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others did not object. As the elders from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven had said, this was an opportunity for them.
In the end, Ye Fan ended up in an awkward position. Once highly favored by all, now no one paid him any attention.
"If Ye Fan doesn't go, I won't go with you either," Pang Bo said firmly. Though he looked like he was only eleven or twelve, his tone was full of grit. "Worst case, I'll go with Ye Fan and make a life in the mortal world."
An elder from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven explained, "There are no mortals in the Grotto-Heavens. If he joins under these circumstances, it might not be good for him."
Ye Fan understood this clearly. After thinking it through, he realized all the possible issues that could arise. The Grotto-Heavens were full of cultivators, who would care about a mere mortal like him? Even with Pang Bo's protection, it wouldn't last. Many unforeseeable problems would arise in the future.
"Pang Bo, you should go with them. I won't join any Grotto-Heaven or Blessed Land. Maybe living an ordinary, peaceful life as a normal person is better."
"No way, I must take you with me," Pang Bo insisted stubbornly.
"Fine. We'll take Ye Fan too, he can come with us," the elders from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven said, not wanting Pang Bo to develop resentment.
"Wait," Ye Fan showed no joy and instead remained calm. "I said I wouldn't join any Grotto-Heaven or Blessed Land. But thank you for the offer."
"Ye Fan, this is a great opportunity..." Pang Bo tried to persuade him.
Ye Fan shook his head. "No need to talk me into it." He had thought it through carefully. Joining a sect could mean facing countless problems, and one of the Desolate Spirit elders had already hinted at this.
"If you don't go, then I won't either." Pang Bo was loyal and didn't want to leave Ye Fan behind.
Ye Fan smiled. "I'm counting on you now. You'd better cultivate well. Later, I'll need your help, like bringing me a swordswoman, a fairy, a goddess, or a saintess... just send a few, I won't be picky."
Pang Bo rolled his eyes hard. The other cultivators nearby gave him strange looks, and a few female cultivators even glared at him fiercely.
"Ye Fan, just come with me," Pang Bo said again.
"I do want to go with you, but just as a guest for a while, not to join officially. I wonder if the people from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven would allow that?" Ye Fan suddenly said. He wasn't willing to completely sever ties with the cultivation world. He wanted to go to Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven to observe, but not to be bound by any sect.
"As long as you're willing to come, that's enough." Pang Bo immediately brightened. As long as Ye Fan came along, he believed he'd find a way to make him stay. He turned to the elders from Desolate Spirit.
"Very well," the elders finally nodded.
Ye Fan and the others were about to part ways. The road ahead was unknown, and while there was confusion, there was also anticipation. In this final gathering, they all wished one another well and agreed to meet again in the future.
At this moment, Ye Fan stood out as different. His future held no clear path, and he was now essentially in a different world from the others. Even if they reunited someday, it was hard to imagine he'd still be among them. Everyone looked at him with complex expressions.
In the end, they bid each other farewell and went their separate ways.
"Ye Fan, this is for you..." Liu Yiyi handed him her string of prayer beads before leaving. Without giving him a chance to decline, she quickly walked away.
"Actually, living as an ordinary person may not be a bad thing. I wish you a happy life," Li Xiaoman approached, looked at him deeply after speaking, and then turned to leave.
"Ye Fan, I wish you all the best. I believe that with your ability, you'll still live a colorful life in the mortal world," said Lin Jia before departing.
Then Zhou Yi and Wang Ziwen also came to say goodbye.
"Honestly, being an ordinary person isn't necessarily a curse," Zhou Yi smiled faintly, gently patting Ye Fan's shoulder. "There's nothing to be discouraged about."
Ye Fan remained calm, smiling slightly. "Who can say what the future holds?"
...
Moments later, a dozen divine rainbows shot into the sky, breaking the silence of the night like brilliant shooting stars, gradually disappearing into the horizon, everyone went their separate ways.
After the others left, the elders from Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven said to Pang Bo and Ye Fan, "Actually, our Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands aren't very far apart. If you wish to meet again, it's quite easy."
Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven didn't set out until the next day. They traveled on divine rainbows, incredibly fast, with mountains and rivers on the ground blurring as they sped by.
Eventually, the group stopped before a misty celestial mountain. The atmosphere was peaceful, lush trees everywhere, pavilions and towers scattered throughout, flowing springs and waterfalls, immortal cranes soaring, it was a truly beautiful place.
"This is Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven?" Pang Bo couldn't help asking. But what he said next completely ruined the mood, he muttered, "Those immortal cranes look plump… can I catch one or two to roast?"
An elder nearby gave him an annoyed glare. "Those are sentient immortal cranes. Don't get any funny ideas. With your current skill, you couldn't even get close to them."
This wasn't actually Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven, it was just the outer gate. Inside, immortal mist drifted through the air, hazy and mysterious, with exotic flowers and rare herbs everywhere. When they reached a deeper part of the clouds, a large green stone slab stood ahead, with two ancient characters carved into it: Desolate Spirit.
Naturally, Pang Bo couldn't recognize these ancient characters. An elder beside him explained it, and only then did he realize they had finally arrived at Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven.
Legend says this place is a ruin left over from before the Desolate Era. After being cleaned up by later generations, it became a Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land. Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven has a long history, and if traced back far enough, it reaches into the Desolate Era.
In later times, people excavated and searched this ruin extensively, hoping to find divine artifacts, but in the end, they found nothing.
Cultivators from many generations who practiced here always felt the place wasn't so simple, but no major discoveries were ever made.
Passing the green stone slab and entering the immortal mist ahead, the scene suddenly changed dramatically, it was like stepping into an entirely different world.
"This is Desolate Spirit Grotto-Heaven!"
"It really feels like its own separate world!"
The elders were quite pleased with Ye Fan and Pang Bo's reactions.
The vegetation here seemed bathed in the essence of sun and moon, even the grass and trees were especially lush, as if carved from jade. Ancient trees towered overhead, medicinal herbs gave off fragrance, spiritual birds flew through the air, rare beasts roamed about, and divine springs gushed continuously.
At that moment, Ye Fan suddenly felt a wave of disorientation. In his mind, a scripture echoed, precisely the one he had received from the bronze coffin.