Chapter 40

A rainbow streak descended from midair, glittering and radiant, within it a young woman of seventeen or eighteen, her face like jade, her figure exquisite, exuding an otherworldly grace.

Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the other students stared in awe; this woman was extraordinarily beautiful, like a fairy, radiating an ethereal beauty akin to snow lotuses blooming on a mountain peak, or lotus petals glistening with dew.

Fang Yu's expression remained calm; after all, he had seen the reincarnation of the Electric Mother Heavenly Lord—Fang Qingxue of the Fang family—and would not be stunned by the beauty of a mere woman from this world.

The woman gazed down at Fang Yu and the others and spoke a single sentence; her voice was melodious, yet it took the group a moment to understand her meaning.

Her speech resembled ancient Huaxia tongue, tinged with a Jiangnan accent, asking Fang Yu and the others where they came from.

"We are a group of stranded souls; please, Immortal, save us."

One female student burst into tears; her appearance was withered, her skin wrinkled, her body aged to frailty. Seeing a figure resembling a fairy, she felt as if she had found her last lifeline and immediately pleaded for help.

Li Xiaoman also stepped forward, her face filled with hope; she had once been beautiful, but now aged beyond recognition—this was worse than death, and she desperately longed to restore her appearance.

As for Fang Yu, he pondered whether he should return to the Eternal Life Realm now; he had already gained all he needed—the Buddha's magic treasure, the Emperor's divine medicine—and it seemed he could leave.

Yet Fang Yu ultimately did not return immediately; he assumed this woman would lead them elsewhere, and seeing more of this world's scenery was acceptable—not something to rush.

Above the Ten Thousand Worlds Map, Fang Yu sensed the flow of time between the two worlds; not much time had passed in the Eternal Life Realm.

There was no need to hurry.

Traveling to seek treasures requires time; as long as he returned to the Fang family before Fang Qingxue went back to Yuhua Sect, it would suffice.

"Have you entered the Ancient Ruins?"

Fang Yu had just decided not to return immediately when he heard a soft, melodious voice asking whether they had entered the Ancient Ruins.

Fang Yu did not answer; instead, an elderly female student wept out the reply.

"To have survived and walked out—it's unbelievable."

The woman's expression turned contemplative, then she swept her gaze over Fang Yu, Ye Fan, Pang Bo, Liu Liu Yiyi, Lin Jia, and others, her face filled with disbelief. "Your ages haven't changed—did you eat a red fruit, entirely crimson and glistening, translucent as crystal?"

"Yes."

Ye Fan and Pang Bo exchanged glances, then nodded.

As for Fang Yu, he remained silent.

"You actually had such luck—unimaginable."

The woman could not fathom how Fang Yu and the others had obtained the divine medicine of the Ancient Ruins, but since their appearances had not aged, they had clearly received a tremendous fortune.

"Don't worry—though your appearances won't recover right away, you've gained much; once you reach the outside world, many will fight over you."

The woman addressed the aged men and women. "This is a divine opportunity—you may well embark on the path of cultivation. Enough talk; I'll take you out of this Ancient Ruins forest first."

The mysterious girl lightly raised her hand, and a swath of rainbow light cascaded down, enveloping everyone on the mountain, lifting Fang Yu and the others into the air.

Fang Yu's expression shifted slightly; flying—this required cultivation to the Divine Ability Secret Realm in the Eternal Life Realm, or possession of a spirit-grade flying sword or spirit-grade garment.

He had acquired many treasures from Lei Yinsi, their power rivaling spirit-grade items, yet none of them granted him flight.

After all, the worlds differ; the crafting of magic treasures is not fully comparable.

Fang Yu's first flight was made possible by this girl's aid; during the flight, she continued speaking.

"This place is far from any inhabited land; you could never walk out on foot, and there are many terrifying beasts here—even I would avoid them."

All expressed their gratitude.

"What exactly is in the Ancient Ruins that stole our youth?"

Someone could not help asking; this was their torment, a question they hated yet could not answer.

"Many have asked this, but since ancient times, no one has ever given a clear answer."

The girl led them swiftly forward, her gentle light shielding them from the gale winds. "Legends say a chasm in this forbidden zone holds 'Huang'—perhaps a being from the Ancient Era, or perhaps a terrifying force."

"Has no one ever explored it?"

"Since ancient times, countless have ventured into the Ancient Ruins—but none have survived."

The girl spoke. "Once, a supreme Xian Sect reached its peak power and devoted all its strength to break open the Ancient Ruins, seeking something. Most perished there; only a few escaped, and the sect nearly lost its lineage."

"So terrifying."

Pang Bo gasped, feeling a chill of dread.

He had joked in the Ancient Ruins, saying the place forbade defecation.

"Indeed. That Xian Sect was once immensely powerful, yet still suffered heavy casualties—even the supreme masters with mastery over the Dao were enslaved, becoming Huang Slaves."

"Huang Slaves?"

Li Xiaoman heard the term and fell into thought.

"Slaves of Huang—that's what Huang Slaves are. Each is terrifying."

As the woman spoke, they flew on until reaching a distant village; as they neared, seven or eight rainbow beams shot skyward, each a different color, each containing a figure.

"It's Weiwei back!"

"The Ancient Ruins have changed recently—did Weiwei discover anything?"

"Hmm. So many ordinary people—could they possibly have walked out of the Ancient Ruins?"

Several elders looked curious.

When they heard Weiwei nod, they all burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha… Excellent! Their Bitter Sea has been activated—excellent cultivation material!"

"Now, my Lingxu Cave Heaven will prosper!"

"So many with activated Bitter Sea—this is a divine fortune…"

The elders all laughed heartily.

"Hmm? What's this? Your Bitter Sea is strangely unique—is it there, or isn't it?"

An elder's gaze fixed on Fang Yu.