"Have we really arrived at the Big Dipper?"
Outside was a bright world, vibrant with life and completely different from the barren, deathly Mars.
"We've escaped the darkness and the fear. This place looks like a paradise!"
"Oh, I can smell freedom. It's so sweet!"
"There's no Five-Colored Altar here anymore. This should be the final stop, right? Is this really the source of Mythology?"
Walking out of the ancient coffin and seeing everyone cheering in delight, Qin Sheng found it hard to keep a straight face.
Across all of Beidou, these were probably the only people who could remain this cheerful inside the Desolate Forbidden Land.
After all, they had been brought in by the Forbidden Zone's favored son, Ye Fan.
Qin Sheng turned and looked behind the Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin. There was a pitch-black abyss there, with no bottom in sight.
When I gazed into the abyss, was the person in the abyss gazing back at me too?
Just thinking about it was terrifying.
Qin Sheng moved closer to Ye Fan, and his sense of security immediately rose.
"What's that?!"
There was an incomparably weathered stone tablet in the distance, bearing the three words "Desolate Ancient Forbidden."
"Desolate Ancient Forbidden?"
"It's missing one word at the end."
"Imprisoned? Prohibited?"
"It should be the Desolate Forbidden Land," Qin Sheng said.
Ye Fan was startled. "A forbidden land? Then this place is probably very dangerous. We need to leave quickly."
Glancing at him, Qin Sheng patted Ye Fan's shoulder.
"It's fine. Relax. Just treat it like you're home."
Ye Fan did not know whether to laugh or cry. "You're still joking at a time like this?"
"If this really were my home, then I'd let you live here forever."
"Don't," Qin Sheng hurriedly stopped Ye Fan from continuing.
Damn it. Other than the Ruthless Emperor and the Completed Sacred Physique, the only ones who could stay here forever were Desolate Slaves.
Well played, Ye Hei. Were you trying to make me serve your "little sister" like a beast of burden?
Having arrived in a vibrant (?), utterly safe (?) place, everyone scattered to explore while also taking care of their bodily needs.
"You'd rather suffer than lose face. I told you to take care of it on Mars," Pang Bo said smugly.
"Years from now, when humanity discovers the traces I left on Mars, that'll be a great discovery too."
This guy had no shame at all.
Qin Sheng pulled Ye Fan along to look for the Divine Elixir, and the latter called Pang Bo over as well.
"Yezi, Pang Bo, I think we've arrived at the Big Dipper Ancient Star," Qin Sheng said.
"I once saw a few records about it. It's a vast and boundless Life Ancient Star, home to countless living beings."
"Can we go back?" That was what Ye Fan cared about most.
"If we can cultivate to a level comparable to the ancient Sages, there may be hope."
In truth, it was a long shot. After becoming a Saint, one of Emperor Wushi's fangirls had entered the universe to search for his traces, yet she had never reached Beidou in her entire life. In the end, she died sitting in the dark starry sky, filled with regret.
The universe was boundless, and the starry sky was dark. Without sufficient strength and a star map, one would only become lost.
"Ancient Sages? Immortal, how far are you from that level?" Pang Bo asked curiously.
"The spiritual essence of Heaven and Earth on Earth has dried up, making cultivation difficult. That's why I didn't tell you about this before."
Qin Sheng shook his head. "I only barely crossed the threshold after putting in tremendous effort. As for Sages... I'm about as far from them as Earth is from Beidou."
"But you don't need to worry. Yezi, your physique is special, and Pang Bo, you have a special bloodline too. Your future achievements will be limitless."
"Physique? Bloodline?"
Qin Sheng explained, "After I began cultivating, I learned some things. Yezi, a Mortal like you having such abnormally great strength was definitely strange, so I examined you and confirmed that you possess a special physique."
Ye Fan asked, "What physique do I have?"
"It should be the Ancient Desolate Saint Body," Qin Sheng answered.
"Peerless throughout the ages, an unmatched Sacred Physique. Looking across the entire universe, the Sacred Physique is among the very best. As long as you grow strong enough, you can become invincible under heaven and earth."
Pang Bo was shocked. "Yezi is that outrageous?"
"Of course. If all the special physiques in the universe were ranked, the Sacred Physique would count as a quasi-super-first-rate physique. There are only one or two types that can surpass it."
The Chaotic Body and the Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo were super-first-rate, while the Sacred Physique and Hegemonic Body could stand shoulder to shoulder with ancient Great Emperors once completed.
Though they were inferior to the Chaotic Body and Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo, they were still beyond comparison with other physiques.
If physiques such as the Sun Physique and Taiyin Physique were considered first-rate, then calling the Sacred Physique and Hegemonic Body quasi-super-first-rate was entirely accurate.
"However, while the Sacred Physique is powerful, it is also extremely difficult to cultivate and requires terrifying amounts of resources," Qin Sheng added.
"If you had remained on Earth, you would never have become a cultivator in this lifetime. I only succeeded because of a special opportunity. Trying to make cultivation widespread is difficult, difficult, difficult."
"Coming to Beidou is a good thing for you too."
"Immortal, then what bloodline do I have?" Pang Bo asked eagerly.
"The Demon God Bloodline, and it has somewhat reverted to its ancestral state," Qin Sheng said.
"Your ancestors were not human. They were great demons."
"Haha." Ye Fan laughed out loud, while Pang Bo stared blankly.
"Immortal, you aren't insulting me, are you?"
"What are you talking about? Look at how built you are, like a bull. Even Ye Fan can't compare to you. Can that be human?"
Pang Bo was depressed, but he still asked, "How does this Demon God Bloodline compare to Yezi's Sacred Physique?"
Qin Sheng replied earnestly, "Young man, don't compare yourself too much to others. Keep your feet on the ground."
The two immediately understood. It definitely could not compare.
Of course it could not. The source of Pang Bo's bloodline was, at most, a Quasi-Emperor.
Over the long years of the Shrouding Universe, how many Quasi-Emperors had there been?
Pang Bo's bloodline had merely reverted to its ancestry; he was not the Demon God's biological son. He was a hundred thousand miles behind Ye Fan's Innate Sacred Physique.
"Qin Immortal, what physique do you have?" Pang Bo asked curiously.
Qin Sheng shook his head. "I can't compare with you two. I have no bloodline and am only a Mortal Body. In truth, it cannot even be described with the word 'physique.'"
"What is a Mortal Body? It is the body of the countless masses, with nothing special about it. Pick anyone off the street, and they would be the same."
Sighing, Qin Sheng continued.
"I'm stronger than you right now, but that is only because I had a head start. The future belongs to you."
As they talked, the three arrived at the location of the Divine Elixir.
Several ancient vines intertwined around an open space. A Divine Spring flowed through it, and a small tree thrived beside it. Its delicate red fruits gave off an enticing fragrance.
The Nine-Mystery Immortal Elixir, divided into nine parts!
Qin Sheng was overjoyed. This was an enormous opportunity!
Just as the three prepared to make a move on the Nine Wonderful Immortal Medicine, two pairs of eyes beneath the Desolate Forbidden Land were watching them.
"The Sacred Physique has appeared in this world again," the red-haired Completed Sacred Physique sighed.
"That little fellow knows quite a lot. The foundation of the Primordial Ancient Star truly is impressive."
Ruthless said nothing. She merely watched Ye Fan, a brief moment of confusion appearing in her eyes.
Was he her brother, or merely a similar flower?
Her gaze moved away. Ruthless swept her eyes over Pang Bo and Qin Sheng, lingering slightly on the latter.
As someone who had already embarked on the Red Dust Immortal Path, Ruthless saw some things.
Qin Sheng cultivated a secret technique of the Devouring Dao, but it was exceedingly crude. It could only devour magical power, did not involve Origin, and had an extremely low efficiency.
It bore a slight resemblance to the devouring method Ruthless had created at the beginning, which was why she gave him another glance.
But that was all. The next moment, she withdrew her gaze, closed her eyes, and contemplated the mysteries of the Dao.
Qin Sheng, Ye Fan, and Pang Bo divided the fruits borne by the Nine-Mystery Immortal Elixir and ate them on the spot.
After the Nine-Mystery Immortal Elixir split into nine, each plant had a unique effect. Some targeted Divine Sense, some enhanced talent, and some involved Origin.
The fruits they had eaten now could help Ye Fan open the door to cultivation and awaken his Sea of Bitterness.
This was an extremely important step in Sacred Physique cultivation. Without such an opportunity, even if Ye Fan came to Beidou, it would have been difficult for him to step through the door of cultivation.
After Qin Sheng ate the fruit, his talent improved as well, and his fleshly body was continuously cleansed.
Vast life essence and even more fundamental substances spread through his body. One Gate of Potential after another opened, making his foundation ever deeper.
After finishing the fruit and digesting it somewhat, Qin Sheng was delighted, secretly thinking to himself.
I can advance to the Other Shore.
However, they were still inside the Desolate Forbidden Land, so this was not the time for a breakthrough. Qin Sheng temporarily did not attempt to advance.
"Awesome!" Pang Bo shouted strangely.
"I feel like I have endless energy now. Immortal, am I going to become a cultivator too?"
"You're still far from that."
Qin Sheng filled a container with some Divine Spring Water to take away, and Ye Fan and the others did the same.
Then Qin Sheng told the two, "The fruits we ate were extraordinary. They will be of tremendous help to your future cultivation."
"How should we cultivate?" Ye Fan asked.
"There should be cultivation sects on Beidou. We only need to make contact with them."
Qin Sheng said, "Later, I will leave on my own and no longer travel with you."
"Why? Wouldn't it be better for us to act together?" Ye Fan asked in confusion.
"You are still Mortals, but I am already a cultivator. I'm too conspicuous."
Qin Sheng planned to first find a place to enter seclusion and break through his realm. He no longer intended to go to Spirit Ruins Paradise.
As for the road ahead, Qin Sheng had his own plans and goals. His path was different from Ye Fan's.
Of course, Qin Sheng would only set out alone after leaving the Desolate Forbidden Land. As long as he remained inside the forbidden land, he would never leave Ye Fan's side.
After rejoining Ye Fan and Pang Bo's classmates, the group headed toward the edge of the forbidden land.
Just as they were about to leave the Desolate Forbidden Land, a sudden change occurred.
Everyone suffered immense pain, as though their bodies were being burned.
Then Qin Sheng and the other two who had eaten the Divine Elixir began shrinking, returning to their youth. The others, meanwhile, lost their youthful vigor and life force, becoming old men and women.
This was the power of the Desolate Forbidden Land, involving life, time, and devouring.
However, Ye Fan's classmates could be considered to have gained a blessing from disaster. After this ordeal, all of their Seas of Bitterness had been awakened, and becoming cultivators in the future was all but certain.
Once the changes ended, Qin Sheng examined himself internally and determined that he was now around fifteen years old, ten years younger than before.
Such a change was highly beneficial to Qin Sheng.
"How did Li Xiaoman and the others become old?" Pang Bo asked in shock.
"Why did we become like this instead?"
"Obviously, it's because the three of us ate those fruits and drank the spring water," Ye Fan concluded.
Pang Bo felt his body and laughed. "Good thing, good thing. Yezi, what do you think of an eighty-year-old Li Xiaoman?"
Ye Fan was at a loss for words.
An ex-girlfriend could be eighteen, or even eight hundred, but she absolutely could not be eighty...
Qin Sheng praised, "I wonder who planted those fruits. They really helped us out tremendously. Praise the fruits."
He simply could not make it too obvious. Otherwise, Qin Sheng would definitely have praised Ruthless to the heavens.
Thank you for the gift, "little sister." As long as Ruthless personally asks, I, Qin Sheng, am willing to brave fire and water for her!
There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two masters in one heart. In my heart, Ruthless is the only sun.
Loyal! Devoted!
Before you continue