# Chapter 656: The Sacred Body Has Arrived
A divine source stone inscribed with a million runes had crippled two Great Powers. Outside West Dam City, the land was devastated and desolate, the earth gouged dozens of zhang deep.
Only some bloodstains remained on the battlefield; everything else had vanished. The people of the Wang Clan stood on this ruined ground, long silent. This was already three days later—by the time they arrived, it was far too late.
"Such a divine presence..." Someone sipped tea while listening attentively. These were talents from the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion, passing through this area.
A few days later, Ye Fan arrived outside the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion. At the agreed-upon location, he met Pang Bo in a mountainous region.
"Damn it, that coffin wood is too hard to eat!" Those were Pang Bo's first words upon meeting.
Ye Fan was speechless. This brother of his had always been like this—there was nothing more to say. He spoke: "Didn't you catch a snake in the Qinling Mountains?"
"The trunk of the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree is an immortal treasure; that snake isn't worth using for that. I planned to keep it for you to use when charging into the Immortal Platform realm." Pang Bo said. With a flash of light, a purple haze flew out—a small snake no more than a foot long, translucent and crystalline, lying in his palm, exuding a fragrant aroma.
A living being born from the mother plant of the Dream Divine Marrow!
This was a priceless immortal treasure that would make even a Living Fossil's eyes red with envy. Back then in the Qinling Mountains, countless people had fought desperately. There had been over a dozen such living beings in total, and Pang Bo had obtained one.
"Alas, the mother plant of the Dream Divine Marrow still escaped in the end. No one caught it. That was a heaven-defying treasure comparable to a mature Immortal Elixir."
"You should be content. If you actually obtained something like that, it would bring great disaster. I have three fragments of an immortal pill here, enough for breaking through. Keep that purple snake well." Ye Fan's palm shimmered with light as three small fragments appeared, each a different color, their fragrance intoxicating.
One piece was gold, one green, and the other purple, shimmering with dreamlike radiance. These were just three out of over a hundred fragments.
"What a pity. If it were a complete immortal pill, it could help someone attain the Dao in the future. But it shattered like this." Pang Bo felt regret.
"If a perfect Immortal Elixir were obtained by a single person, it would certainly incur heaven's jealousy. Getting one percent of it is already heavenly fortune." Ye Fan showed no regret.
"True. Such an immortal pill is too heaven-defying. Probably no one could bear to consume it now." Pang Bo agreed.
"Every ancient Great Emperor had an Immortal Elixir. Only they could possess such heaven-defying things, planted beside them." Ye Fan said.
"No matter. In the future, we'll each plant one too. I don't believe they've truly gone extinct." Pang Bo was filled with longing. A heaven-defying Immortality Pill could extend one's lifespan by an entire era, seizing the creations of heaven and earth.
The two talked for a long time, then left the mountain range.
"You killed Wang Teng's uncle and younger brother. It will probably drive him mad. You must be careful." Pang Bo said.
"I'm not too worried about myself. I'm afraid he'll strike at you, Li Heishui, and the others." Ye Fan frowned. "Maybe we should leave the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion for now?"
"Don't worry. Old Blind Man and Red Dragon Daoist have come several times. They've already declared that anyone who dares kill their descendants will have all their offspring wiped out with an Extreme Imperial Weapon. On the surface, we're just friends with you, not from the same clan or heritage. Even if Wang Teng is furious, he won't offend so many major powers at once."
"Still, be careful. Don't stray far from the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion. Don't go alone to isolated places." Ye Fan cautioned.
"Are you going to see Li Heishui and Ji Ziyue?"
"It's not appropriate for me to enter. Besides, the Wang Clan is searching for me everywhere." Ye Fan had some concerns.
"No matter. The Extraordinary Scholars Mansion strictly forbids fighting. No one can cause trouble there. Young friend, if you wish to enter the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion, the gates can be opened for you now." An old voice suddenly came.
Ye Fan and Pang Bo were startled. Their divine senses were very powerful, yet neither had detected the newcomer's approach.
"Who?" Pang Bo asked warily, looking toward a distant mountain peak where the ripples had come from.
Ye Fan said nothing, activating his Source Heaven Divine Eye to gaze in that direction.
This was a vein of immortal mountains. On ordinary days, clouds and mists rose, purple qi billowed, and from afar one could see tens of thousands of great dragons coiling—a divine land connecting to heaven.
In this place, crimson cliffs and sheer precipices had not a single weed. Orchids and irises emitted radiance, and ancient medicinal herbs of great age could often be seen.
However, the mountain peak ahead was unusual. There were no spiritual medicines, only some thorns and wormwood. At the summit, a stone moved, and dust fell rustling down.
"That's a person!" Pang Bo exclaimed in shock.
A person was buried in yellow earth. His body was covered in weeds, and there was even a bird's nest on his head. When he moved slightly, dust fell in cascades.
How long must he have sat cross-legged for this to happen?!
Both were greatly shocked. This person had been sitting here in secluded meditation, motionless, for at least several decades. Such great perseverance was truly remarkable.
"Don't worry. I mean no harm." This was an old man. He carefully set down the bird's nest from his head, then stood up. Wormwood and dirt fell away from him.
He was a very ordinary old man, nothing remarkable about him. If thrown into a crowd, he would be forgotten—no special features at all.
"I am one of the vice-headmasters of the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion. Though I sit here in meditation, I am not unaware of what happens outside..." He invited Ye Fan to enter the mansion.
"I want to know—is there truly an ancient path leading to the outer domains in the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion?" Ye Fan asked. This was the answer he most wanted to know.
"That's right. There is a Stellar Ancient Path leading to the ancient outer domains." Lin Daochen answered.
"There really is such an ancient path?!" Ye Fan and Pang Bo exchanged glances, their hearts shaken. They had suddenly grasped the hope of returning home.
"In ten thousand years, there have only been three slots to go to the outer domains. None but the strongest of the younger generation can go. As the Sacred Body, you can compete for it in the future." Lin Daochen smiled.
"Which ancient star is out there? What lies at the other end?" Pang Bo couldn't help asking.
"For me to tell you this much is already breaking the rules. This is a great secret. If you want to know, you must suppress your generation and qualify among the top three."
"Little Leaf, you should consider entering the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion. Even though you'll probably run into that bastard Wang Teng, he wouldn't dare make a move inside." Pang Bo said.
"Young man, don't you want to know the cultivation experiences of the nine Great Accomplishment Saint Bodies from the ancient wasteland era? Don't you want to know what peerless sacred techniques they cultivated? Don't you want to inherit their legacies?" Lin Daochen said with a hint of a smile.
Ye Fan's heart stirred, but then he cursed inwardly. Damn it, how had this old man suddenly turned into such a sly fox? Though he still looked simple and honest, it made one feel uneasy.
He shook his head forcefully. "I'm not going!"
"Young man, your guard is too high. What do you think I want from you? If I wanted to rob you, I could have caught you off guard and slapped you both to death just now."
Ye Fan rubbed his chin. "How about letting me take a look around first? Say, see that Stellar Ancient Path, browse through the cultivation methods of the nine Great Accomplishment Saint Bodies from the ancient wasteland era?"
Lin Daochen laughed despite himself. "Your demands are too excessive. But I can let you walk around and see the sights."
The Extraordinary Scholars Mansion was located at the center of this immortal vein. Purple qi rose, exuding an air of nobility. The deeper Ye Fan studied the Source Heaven Scroll, the more he felt this place was indescribably mysterious.
"This should be terrain that could only form in the immortal realm. I wonder what would be unearthed if it were dug up?"
Before the ancient mountain gate, crimson cliffs and strange rocks lined the thousand-zhang walls. Tens of thousands of years old ganoderma lucidum shimmered with flowing light, and ten-thousand-year-old medicinal herbs wafted fragrance on the wind.
Lin Daochen was startled. "Boy, I know you've studied Source Arts. Don't get any ideas about this place. If you dare dig around here, watch out for someone pulling out your tendons and bones."
Ye Fan rubbed his chin sheepishly. "Just talking casually."
Shortly after entering the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion, Lin Daochen was called away by someone. This Miss Qi was the most brilliant pearl of the Southern Ridge. She was very powerful in cultivation, had countless flower-protecting knights, and even more so, had a monstrous brother who knew many people. "She's come looking for trouble with you." Pang Bo muttered.
As soon as Ye Fan entered the Extraordinary Scholars Mansion, he was surrounded. Qi Huoshui raised her snow-white, beautiful chin. "You dare come here..."
"Miss Qi, my coming here has nothing to do with you. Don't be so enthusiastic, alright?" Ye Fan said.
The Qi Commandery Princess had brought forty or fifty people, plus a crowd of onlookers. The area was packed tight.