Chapter 237: Obtaining the Great Wilderness Sutra, The Stele Spirit Appears!
[Ding! You touched the Great Desolation Stele and obtained: 3 Desolation Orbs!]
Just Desolation Orbs?
Hearing the system's reward, Lin Fan was slightly disappointed.
"One more time," he muttered, raising his palm and placing it once again on the stele—this time directly on one of the black spots on its surface.
Immediately, a wave of extreme cold and eerie energy surged from the black mark, causing Lin Fan to tremble involuntarily.
[Ding! You touched the Great Desolation Stele and obtained: the Great Wilderness Sutra!]
Finally!
When the words "Great Wilderness Sutra" rang in his mind, Lin Fan's heart surged with joy. He quickly withdrew his hand.
He tried once more, but no new rewards came.
"Lin Fan, Lin Dong."
Wudao's voice rang out as he noticed the two standing still.
The two exchanged glances, then silently returned to the green rock and sat down cross-legged.
Though Lin Fan had already obtained the Great Wilderness Sutra, he didn't intend to leave abruptly—it would seem too suspicious.
Once all six disciples were seated, Chen Zhen gave a slight nod and waved his sleeve. Immediately, a surge of vast Desolate Force surged from his body, turning into a beam that crashed down onto the stele's massive surface.
Buzz...
As the Desolate Force struck the monument, the stele trembled slightly. Dim yellow light shot from its surface, engulfing all six disciples.
At that moment, Lin Fan's body suddenly jolted.
An irresistible suction force erupted from the stele's surface.
His consciousness blurred, and his vision was swallowed by darkness...
All around, every gaze was focused on the six silhouettes engulfed in light.
It seemed that the Great Wilderness Sutra's true trial had begun.
The sky above was gray and seamless, as if still unformed—the primordial world before heaven and earth had separated.
Beneath it, endless barren land stretched out, colored a lifeless gray-yellow.
Sparse withered grass poked through the cracked earth, but no vitality could be seen.
"This place really isn't meant for people..." Lin Fan muttered, frowning as he surveyed his surroundings.
He stood like a speck of dust within a vast, desolate world. The bleakness made it feel like he could be buried and forgotten by time at any moment.
"Forget it, might as well cultivate here."
He sat cross-legged and began practicing the Desolate Art.
This place was perfectly suited for it.
As for the Great Wilderness Sutra, he had no intention of cultivating it here. If the stele's spirit took notice, things could get troublesome.
After all, in previous cases, disciples only gained access to the Sutra through the stele spirit's guidance.
He soon realized this space was sealed from the outside world, but cultivating the Desolate Art here slowed his energy loss.
In fact, this realm was constantly absorbing his energy.
So Lin Fan, unaffected by hunger, thirst, or fatigue, simply continued refining Desolate Force day and night.
"Devour the world."
With a thought, a massive black vortex appeared behind him, radiating terrifying devouring power.
The Desolate Energy here seemed endless, and without interference from the stele spirit, Lin Fan absorbed as much as he liked.
Within a day, he restored his third stage of the Desolate Art and recondensed the Desolate Seed.
Since he had reached this level before, it was more a restoration than a breakthrough.
Still, in this world, the seed seemed to hold even more power than before.
Lin Fan continued refining the art, both to pass time and to conserve energy.
Unlike the others, he didn't need to seek the stele spirit's approval.
Time flew by.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, a full month passed.
By now, Lin Fan had cultivated the Desolate Art to its tenth and highest stage.
Combining it with the Great Wilderness Sutra, he even pushed its interpretation to the twelfth level.
Meanwhile, outside in the real world, Jiang Hao—one of the Desolate Hall's core disciples—became the first to fail.
Within the next two weeks, Fang Yun, Song Zhou, and Pang Tong all failed one after another.
Inside the desolate realm, Lin Fan opened his eyes and whispered, "It's time to leave."
With that, he released all his energy.
Without support, his body began to disintegrate into glowing motes.
"Goodbye, Great Desolation Stele."
As his body faded, Lin Fan murmured farewell with dry lips.
But then—something unexpected happened.
The motes of light froze.
Crackle…
Lines of energy spread through the air. Lin Fan's vanishing body suddenly began to regenerate—rapidly.
Power surged back into him as his body fully reformed.
"Hm?"
Startled, Lin Fan looked around.
Elsewhere in the realm, the same thing was happening to Lin Dong.
Crack! Crack!
The desolate realm began to fracture. Darkness swallowed Lin Fan.
…
Outside world.
Dao Sect's mountains were buzzing with excitement.
The source of the commotion? Only two figures still sat before the Great Desolation Stele.
When Lin Fan's pillar of light began shrinking visibly, many watchers were left stunned.
"Did he fail?" Ying Huanhuan blinked, but there was no joy in her expression.
Chen Zhen, Wudao, Ying Xuanzhi—all their eyes showed a hint of disappointment.
But then—
The light surrounding Lin Fan suddenly intensified again!
"What's going on?" Ying Huanhuan murmured in confusion.
"This... they might not have failed after all," Ying Xiaoxiao said, her brows furrowing as suspicion crept in.
Chen Zhen and the other hall masters froze—then their eyes lit up with joy.
Buzz! Buzz!
The Great Desolation Stele began to tremble violently. Waves of energy gathered on its surface and condensed into two solid beams of radiant light, enveloping both Lin Fan and Lin Dong.
Soon, the stele's surface became mirror-like—and within it, a massive, shadowy figure appeared, faint but clearly visible.
Chen Zhen, Wudao, and the others gasped, their pupils contracting.
Even their breathing quickened.
"Is that… the Stele Spirit?"
Wudao's voice was hoarse with disbelief.
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on January 2, 2026.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1