"Heh, the Ancient Desolate Holy Land is appointing a Holy Son. This must be the greatest event in our Eastern Wasteland in thousands of years, right?"
"Of course. Appointing a Holy Son is already a major event in itself, but more importantly, this Holy Son has the Chaos Body, something rarely seen even in countless millennia. How could it not cause a sensation?"
"I heard that Holy Son used to be an ordinary person without any cultivation, and an orphan at that. Now he really is a carp that's leaped through the dragon gate."
"There's no use envying something like that. His sacred body simply awakened a little late. He would have been discovered sooner or later, and his name would have shaken the Eastern Wasteland sooner or later."
"I really want to behold that legendary Holy Son's splendor. I wonder just how monstrous this Chaos Sacred Body is."
Across countless areas of the Ancient Desolate Holy Land, conversations like these took place wherever people gathered.
Most people's eyes brimmed with reverence and envy, though who knew what they felt inside.
The Ancient Desolate Holy Land, the Carefree Holy Land, and the Jade Lake Holy Land were already the Eastern Wasteland's three great cultivation holy lands, places countless people dreamed of entering to cultivate.
And now, Ye Xuan was actually going to be appointed the Ancient Desolate Holy Land's Holy Son. How could anyone not envy him?
An ordinary orphan who had originally been utterly unremarkable, without even a trace of cultivation, had risen overnight and was about to be appointed Holy Son of the Ancient Desolate Holy Land, one of the three great holy lands.
Such glory, coupled with such a legendary turn of fortune, stirred not only a sensation but even greater envy.
Inside a restaurant.
A young man with sharply chiseled features sat alone at a table.
A long saber hung at his waist, and a startling killing aura enveloped him.
Even though the restaurant was packed, no one dared come within three meters of him.
As he listened to the discussions, his brows suddenly drew together, and he slammed his palm heavily onto the table.
In an instant, the room fell silent, the conversations cutting off abruptly.
The young man swept a disdainful gaze over the people holding forth and said flatly, "So what if he has the Chaos Sacred Body? So what if he's appointed Holy Son?"
"He's merely a blade of grass. The Chaos Sacred Body is only something he was born with. If he doesn't work hard afterward, he can still die before reaching his potential."
"Don't put him on such a high pedestal. Can he bear it? The higher you raise him, the harder he'll fall!"
The room was deathly silent.
No one dared respond.
Most of the cultivators had already recognized him as an extraordinarily monstrous talent from the Carefree Holy Land.
Xiao Tian!
Xiao Tian, whose cultivation stood at the peak Wheel Sea Realm, had once slain a Golden Core Realm expert.
He had truly slain him, not merely managed to exchange a few blows.
Alone with his saber, he had hacked that Golden Core expert apart.
He was terrifyingly strong.
Although he had also suffered grievous injuries in that battle, such a feat had still shaken the entire Eastern Wasteland.
It was after that battle that the name Xiao Tian had swiftly become widely known, resounding throughout the Eastern Wasteland.
"Hmph! A bunch of ignorant fools who only know how to envy and flatter others while belittling yourselves. If you have so much time, you'd be better off finding opportunities to improve your own strength."
"People like you only deserve to be weaklings. You'll always be weaklings, and you deserve to spend your entire lives beneath others."
Seeing that none of them spoke, Xiao Tian snorted disdainfully, then rose and strode away with easy grace.
Similar scenes took place not only in this restaurant but in several others as well.
Many outstanding young Tianjiao of the Eastern Wasteland publicly expressed their disdain for Ye Xuan.
They all seemed to think little of this legendary Holy Son of the Ancient Desolate Holy Land, who had risen overnight and abruptly gained worldwide fame because of his Chaos Sacred Body.
Perhaps it was the pride of being monstrous talents themselves, or perhaps it was jealousy.
In any case, many Tianjiao expressed their disdain for Ye Xuan.
Most even declared that on the day the Ancient Desolate Holy Land appointed its Holy Son, Ye Xuan would be exposed for what he truly was.
Even when someone mentioned Ye Xuan's feat of slaying Yang Xiong, who was at the Essence Condensation seventh layer, while at peak Meridian Opening himself, they remained dismissive.
Some said it was merely a rumor, and who knew whether it was true? It was all an internal affair of the Ancient Desolate Holy Land anyway. Perhaps the holy land was deliberately building up Ye Xuan's reputation.
Others said that even if it was true, it proved nothing except that Yang Xiong was utterly useless.
In short, opinions varied wildly.
Before the Holy Son investiture ceremony had even begun, many Tianjiao had already expressed their disdain for Ye Xuan and publicly declared that, if possible, they would personally test that Holy Son.
As a result, countless people grew even more eager for the investiture ceremony three days later.
It seemed there would be quite a show.
Outside a residence in the Ancient Desolate Holy Land.
Many male disciples lingered outside, their eyes burning with eagerness, reluctant to leave.
There was no other reason than that the fairies of the Jade Lake Holy Land were staying in this residence.
Everyone in the Eastern Wasteland knew that the Jade Lake Holy Land had the most beautiful women. After all, it only accepted female disciples.
It was said that its Holy Maiden, Shen Yao, one of the Eastern Wasteland's three great beauties, possessed beauty that could shame flowers and hide the moon, sink fish and bring down geese. She was staying here as well.
Despite her youth, her cultivation had already entered the Golden Core Realm. She was terrifyingly strong.
She had countless suitors in the Eastern Wasteland.
At that moment, inside the residence.
"Senior Sister Yao, do you think the story about that Holy Son killing Yang Xiong is true? Has he really cultivated from nothing to peak Meridian Opening in less than three short months?"
An oval-faced woman in a yellow dress looked at the peerlessly magnificent woman before her, chattering questions with eyes full of curiosity.
More than a dozen women clustered around the oval-faced woman, their voices a chorus of birdsong.
Every one of them was a rare beauty, outstanding in both bearing and talent.
Their ability to accompany the Jade Lake Holy Land's elders here to witness the ceremony was proof enough of their talent.
As soon as the oval-faced woman finished speaking, they also began chattering:
"From no cultivation to peak Meridian Opening in less than three months? How is that possible?"
"Exactly. Even if the Chaos Sacred Body really defies the heavens, surely he couldn't cultivate that quickly?"
"That's right. Even if the Ancient Desolate Holy Land spent vast resources to forcibly raise his cultivation to peak Meridian Opening, would he have had time to practice martial techniques?"
"Pulling up seedlings to help them grow, leaving his spiritual essence unstable and destroying his own foundation. How could someone at peak Meridian Opening like that kill someone at the Essence Condensation seventh layer? I think the Ancient Desolate Holy Land is probably boasting."
"Hmph, even if they aren't boasting, that Yang Xiong was probably trash. Maybe his cultivation was piled up with resources too."
The beauties chattered, all expressing their disbelief.
The peerlessly magnificent woman before them, Holy Maiden Shen Lian, drew her willow-leaf brows together slightly and said flatly, "Won't we know whether it's true in three days? Why ask so many questions now?"
She had a face that even women envied, a figure with curves in all the right places, and an ethereal, noble bearing.
Never mind men-even women who saw her would probably go mad with envy and feel ashamed of their own inferiority.
Yet although her tone was calm, her heart was anything but.
That legendary Holy Son about to be appointed wore far too many halos. She was very curious about him too.
Atop a mountain in the Ancient Desolate Holy Land.
Ten young Tianjiao had gathered here.
These ten were the Ancient Desolate Holy Land's most monstrous talents, all true disciples.
They were also known as Holy Son candidates.
All ten had reached Golden Core. They had originally been out gaining experience, but now they had all been summoned back.