In the brightly lit hall, several elders' eyes were sharp as lightning, constantly scanning and observing Ye Fan and the others with astonishment.
"Why do you dress so strangely?"
"Why do you have such short hair?"
"And you're all mere mortals—how did you accidentally enter the Ancient Forbidden Land?"
"Why does your language sound so strange? Where are you from?"
"With your strength, how were you able to approach the Ancient Abyss and even pick the legendary Sacred Fruit..."
The elders were meticulous and persistent, continuously asking questions, trying to thoroughly understand their origins.
Coming from the other side of the stars, hundreds of light-years away, it would take hundreds of thousands of years of travel to reach this end. How could they speak of such things? Ye Fan and the others remained silent in response.
"Why aren't you speaking?" One of the elders' gazes suddenly became incredibly sharp.
"Even if we tell you the truth, will you believe it?" Ye Fan looked at the people in the hall, calmly and steadily speaking, "Our homeland is very far from here. We only climbed an ancient mountain and arrived at the other side of the world. We don't know where we are and can't look back to see where we've come from."
The elders exchanged glances with each other, and one of them nodded, saying, "I understand. Surely, a formidable person set up this 'force' on that ancient mountain, capable of blocking the sun and shifting the stars. To have such power is truly... terrifying!"
Since the elders no longer pressed the issue, Ye Fan and the others refrained from mentioning the Nine Dragons Coffin, or how they had crossed the desolate cosmos to the other side of the stars.
At this point, the copper lamp, alms bowl, ancient bell, and other items in Ye Fan's hands caught the attention of the elders.
"This is…"
One of the elders' expression froze as he took the copper lamp from Ye Fan's hands, inspecting it carefully. After a long while, he sighed and said, "A very refined technique. I suspect the wick has already birthed a 'deity,' but unfortunately, it's now ruined. There are no traces of energy left inside."
Then, he examined the alms bowl, ancient bell, and copper plaque, his face filled with shock and regret. He sighed repeatedly, "These were once valuable items, but now they're all ruined! The 'dao patterns' inside have all been destroyed. It's impossible to study the technique behind them."
"Where did you get these?" The elders looked at them with pity and regret, sighing.
At this moment, Ye Fan didn't respond. His previous words had been carefully crafted, so even if Zhou Yi and the others later revealed the truth, there was no contradiction. But this time, it was different.
Someone followed his line of thinking and answered that these divine relics had been obtained from the ancient mountain with the "force" on it, and they hadn't been discarded even when they accidentally entered the Ancient Forbidden Land.
Clearly, not only did Ye Fan avoid speaking about the other side of the stars, but everyone also understood the importance of keeping such matters secret.
"I see. I'm becoming more and more interested in the ancient mountain you speak of. I would love to explore it," one of the elders said with a smile, squinting his eyes, not sure if he was skeptical or genuinely interested in investigating.
"Where exactly is your homeland? Do you have a general idea of the area?" Another elder asked.
Now, everyone was more or less following Ye Fan's lead in fabricating their story. A female student said they came from the western regions.
"The western regions? So, you come from the vast Western Desert..." One of the elders furrowed his brow and muttered, "From the Western Desert to the Eastern Wilderness, the distance is endless. Even if I flew on a rainbow, it would take me over thirty years. How could anyone possess the ability to set up such a mighty 'force' on that ancient mountain? Unbelievable!"
"So, we have arrived in the Eastern Wilderness," Zhou Yi seized the opportunity to ask, "How vast is the Eastern Wilderness?"
"The Eastern Wilderness is immeasurable. Even mortals can live for dozens of lifetimes and still not cover it all."
"So vast?!" Ye Fan and the others showed expressions of disbelief.
"In this world, the country that rules over the region of the Ancient Forbidden Land is called 'Yan,' stretching two thousand miles north to south and three thousand miles east to west. This is a mere speck of dust in the Eastern Wilderness, with countless such countries," the elder continued.
Upon hearing this, Pang Bo almost jumped up. Such vast territory! The land of Yan was so enormous, but in the Eastern Wilderness, it was nothing at all, with countless other countries of similar size.
The Eastern Wilderness was truly boundless and unimaginable!
"How could it be so vast?!" Pang Bo's pupils contracted. He felt like these facts defied logic and were simply too unbelievable. But thinking of the existence of deities in this world, he could only shake his head.
The elders, seeing Pang Bo's stunned expression, all smiled warmly. The boy, who looked only eleven or twelve, would be a key "seed" for them to nurture. One of them continued, "Although Yan is just a small corner of the Eastern Wilderness, it's not insignificant. The Ancient Forbidden Land within it is one of the seven great life-restricted zones of the Eastern Wilderness."
The group fell silent for a long moment, taking in all the valuable information, their hearts filled with shock and awe, waves of emotions stirring within them.
"Earlier, you mentioned the Western Desert. How does it compare to the Eastern Wilderness?" Wang Ziwen, ever the attentive one, couldn't help but ask.
"The Western Desert and Eastern Wilderness are similar in size, both vast and boundless."
Upon hearing this confirmation, the group felt the waves of awe grow even stronger. What a colossal region!
But what stunned them even more followed: One of the elders continued, "The Eastern Wilderness, Western Desert, Southern Ridges, Northern Plains, and Central Province—of them all, the Central Province is the most vast, truly boundless. Even cultivators find it difficult to cross."
The group was completely stunned, their mouths dry, unable to say anything further.
The elders were very satisfied with their reactions and encouraged, "A mortal's life is truly tiny, like an ant. They can't even fathom what the world around them is like. But now, you all have the chance to look down upon this vast land. As long as you diligently practice, one day, you will stir the winds and stand at the summit of the clouds."
It took the group a long time to snap back to reality, some of them uncertain, saying, "We... practice cultivation?"
"Yes. Although you've lost your youth by entering the Ancient Forbidden Land, this world is balanced. For everything you lose, you gain something in return. The cultivation world is full of thorns and challenges, but you have already begun to open a path."
"Indeed. Your 'suffering sea' has been activated. Even if you pass through the 'suffering sea' and reach the 'Divine Bridge,' it's not impossible to find your 'deity,'" another elder added, offering encouragement.
The elders spoke words of motivation, trying to lead them onto the path of cultivation.
"We still don't know who you are..." Zhou Yi took the opportunity to ask.
"Within the Yan Kingdom, there are six blessed lands, and our place of cultivation is one of them. Of course, it is not here, but beyond the mortal realm," one of the elders replied with a smile.
"Yan is just a small corner of the Eastern Wilderness, but it has six blessed lands. How many cultivation sects exist in this world..." Pang Bo muttered under his breath.
Clearly, these elders regarded him and Ye Fan with special attention, but they didn't show any displeasure. Instead, they smiled warmly. "Don't aim too high, basics are crucial. Our blessed land inherits teachings from an ancient sacred place, and our foundational techniques are among the best in the world. Moreover, if you rise to greatness, we'll provide you with even greater opportunities for development."
"Yes!" another elder proudly added, "Though we're just a blessed land, we are affiliated with one of the renowned sacred places of the Eastern Wilderness. If you are outstanding enough, you might even be sent to that sacred place one day."
At this point, the elders affectionately looked toward the young girl, Wei Wei, beside them, saying, "Wei Wei is our blessed land's once-in-a-thousand-years prodigy. Soon, she will be selected to join the sacred place. It's hard to bear parting with her, but we don't wish to delay her cultivation."
Just then, loud laughter echoed from outside the hall. "Your 'blessed land' is no good. If you have such fine talent, send them to our 'Cave Heaven'! I heard you've found a dozen or so promising cultivation prospects?"
Several beams of rainbow light descended from the sky, and these figures entered the hall uninvited.