Chapter 145: The Spirit Void Paradise

After listening, Lin An felt no particular ripple in his heart.

The Shrouding the Heavens plane, much like the Douluo plane, possessed its own unique characteristics, yet it did not restrict Lin An's other abilities. Whether it was the "Flames of Other Origins", soul skills, or battle qi, he was able to use them all.

Lin An had never deluded himself into thinking that his physique would allow him to cultivate the specific power system of every single world across the myriad realms.

"How bizarre. This is the first time in history I have ever encountered such a thing. Even those born with the major Sacred Physiques, or those of the most mediocre stock, would never completely lack a Sea of Bitterness within their bodies," someone said while shaking their head. Without a Sea of Bitterness, it was tantamount to having no possibility of cultivation; such a person would find it difficult to ever step onto the path of cultivation in this lifetime.

In an instant, of the four celestial sprouts that everyone had been fighting over, only Liu Yiyi and Pang Bo remained. As for Ye Fan and Jiang Yu—one possessed the Ancient Sacred Physique, while the other lacked even a Sea of Bitterness—naturally, no one showed any interest in them.

Only Pang Bo argued with reason, determined that no matter what, he would keep Ye Fan by his side.

As for Lin An, apart from Liu Yiyi, not a single person was willing to speak up for him.

"Hmph, let's see how arrogant you can remain now. Sooner or later, I will return the humiliation you brought upon me in the Ancient Forbidden Land a thousand, ten thousand times over," Liu Zhiyun sneered, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold smile. Although they could not compare to Liu Yiyi and Pang Bo, they had at least activated their Seas of Bitterness. Their future cultivation would undoubtedly yield twice the results with half the effort. The abilities Lin An had displayed might be considered rare among mortals, but having witnessed the formidable methods of Weiwei and the many masters from the various grotto-heavens present, Lin An's performance in the Ancient Forbidden Land was now utterly negligible in their eyes.

The others said nothing, considering this mere personal animosity, especially between two ordinary mortals who essentially had no hope of cultivation anyway.

"You are destined to walk different paths. You must not harbor any distracting thoughts in your hearts; the slightest carelessness will have a profound impact on your future cultivation journey," an elder remarked.

"I spared your pathetic life in the Ancient Forbidden Land, and now that you have someone backing you up, you think you can act all haughty and arrogant? Trash like you, even if you stepped onto the path of cultivation, would be nothing more than cannon fodder. You probably won't even know how you died when your time comes," Lin An retorted with a curl of his lip, full of mockery.

"Even so, the two of us are already people of two different worlds. From now on, I shall high and mighty, while you..." Liu Zhiyun smiled, leaving the sentence unfinished, yet everyone present understood the unspoken meaning.

"Indeed, no matter the time, we are destined to belong to two different worlds."

"If I were to kill you right now, do you believe no one could stop me?" A hint of chill laced Lin An's tone.

He had originally thought that even if such cannon fodder characters had their fates altered and survived the Ancient Forbidden Land, they wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble upon coming out. But now, Lin An felt that letting him go and not killing him outright back then was the single biggest mistake he had made since arriving in the Shrouding the Heavens plane.

Bouncing around in front of him now like an annoying fly, the fellow was utterly loathsome.

"With so many immortal seniors present, this is no place for you to run wild." Having been favored by one of the major grotto-heavens, Liu Zhiyun was incomparably arrogant at this moment. Even the person who had chosen him frowned slightly, feeling that he was far too unsteadied; such a temperament would surely cause him to suffer losses in the future.

"So, that is why you believe you can act without restraint?" Lin An stepped forward, an inexplicable aura surging from his body. Liu Zhiyun seemed to recall the formidable power Jiang Yu had displayed in the Ancient Forbidden Land; an immense pressure instantly weighed upon his heart like a giant boulder, forcing him to take an involuntary step backward.

Even though the Sea of Bitterness within his body had been activated, the current Liu Zhiyun was still no different from an ordinary mortal.

"What a pity. He has good potential, but lacks the affinity for cultivation. Otherwise, he might have been able to carve out a place for himself among the experts of the various grotto-heavens in the future." Many shook their heads with a sense of regret. Though Lin An could not cultivate, with their breadth of vision, they could tell that he had previously practiced mortal martial arts. Alas, it could ultimately never compare to the true Dao of cultivation.

Seemingly holding onto the thought that a gentleman takes his revenge ten years later, Liu Zhiyun refrained from saying anything further. At the same time, reflecting on his own behavior just moments ago, he silently rebuked himself for being careless. Leaving a bad impression in front of the immortal masters would bode ill for him.

The others paid it no mind; to them, the conflict between Lin An and Liu Zhiyun was nothing more than petty squabbling.

In the end, due to Pang Bo's insistence, the Lingxu Grotto-Heaven agreed to take Lin An and Ye Fan back with them as well.

"Thank you for standing up for me back in the Ancient Forbidden Land." Before parting ways, Liu Yiyi stepped forward to express her gratitude to Lin An.

"Only through one's own strength can one be fearless of everything. Now that you have such a wonderful opportunity, do not waste it in vain."

Speaking of which, Liu Yiyi had also consumed a divine fruit, yet her ultimate treatment was completely different from Ye Fan and Pang Bo's. In Lin An's view, it was truly a pity.

"I know. Since I have already arrived in a new world, I will bid farewell to my old self," Liu Yiyi replied.

Lin An nodded. Liu Yiyi then said her goodbyes to her fellow classmates one by one, and under the guidance of the elderly woman, transformed into a streak of rainbow light, vanishing from everyone's sight.

Soon, the others were led away one by one. Before leaving, quite a few people spoke to Ye Fan about the supposed benefits of remaining an ordinary person.

While there were those who offered genuine comfort, the vast majority couldn't help but revel in his misfortune, largely because Ye Fan had acted somewhat overbearing while in the Ancient Forbidden Land.

Ye Fan, possessing the halo of a protagonist, could clearly distinguish who genuinely cared for him. As for those passive-aggressive remarks, he simply chose to ignore them outright.

Before long, streaks of rainbow light shot up into the sky, and the crowd present rapidly thinned out until only the people from the Lingxu Grotto-Heaven remained.

"I wonder what plans this young friend has?" an elder from the Lingxu Grotto-Heaven asked.

"Please allow me to follow Ye Fan and the others into the Lingxu Grotto-Heaven, Immortal Master," Lin An requested.

"Very well!"

Seemingly anticipating Lin An's intent, the group of elders all nodded.

As for Ye Fan and Pang Bo, they harbored no objections regarding Lin An. Besides, back in the Ancient Forbidden Land, Lin An had essentially stood up for them, even if they hadn't strictly needed it.

The people of the Lingxu Grotto-Heaven set off the following day, riding upon divine rainbows with the speed of lightning. The mountains and rivers of the earth retreated swiftly beneath them.

Ultimately, the party stopped before a misty, ethereal celestial mountain. It was a place of supreme serenity, lush with verdant trees and dotted with pavilions and towers. Gushing springs and flying waterfalls intertwined with soaring cranes, creating a scene of natural vitality—truly an exceptional blessed land.