A group of over ten people entered the hall, their rainbow-colored auras retracting. Among them, both men and women were present, all over forty years old, each displaying distinct qualities—some were as quiet as an orchid, some sharp as sword lights, and others steady as a rock, with each person possessing their own unique aura.
Among them, a middle-aged man with a solid, imposing presence spoke with a forceful voice, laughing heartily: "In the land of Yan, though it is said to have six 'Caves of Heaven,' your 'Lingxu Cave of Heaven' is somewhat overrated. It's more appropriate to call it a 'blessed land.'"
"What do you mean, Liu Wanshan?" Several elders from Lingxu Cave of Heaven looked displeased, stepping forward to shield Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others, particularly protecting Ye Fan and Pang Bo.
The man, Liu Wanshan, stood like a mountain, exuding an oppressive aura. He spoke directly, still laughing: "Since there are so many talented disciples here, we naturally want to take a few and guide them on the path of cultivation."
Beside him, an old woman with graying hair nodded in agreement: "Indeed, the six caves and blessed lands of Yan are always connected, and now that we've found so many talented seedlings, it's only right to take a few."
One of the elders from Lingxu Cave frowned and said, "Senior Sister Li Ying, you shouldn't say it like that. Three years ago, when your 'Golden Cloud Cave' found several disciples with outstanding talents, you didn't give any of them to us at Lingxu Cave."
"Those disciples were mediocre, not worth alarming you," the elderly woman, Li Ying, responded with a smile.
At this moment, an elderly man with white hair and a celestial demeanor stepped forward. He spoke slowly and with a calm voice: "I think these dozen or so people are not yet worthy of being called 'immortal seedlings.' How about this: we, the several Caves of Heaven, will select a few and leave more for your Lingxu Cave."
Several elders from Lingxu Cave instantly lost their composure, seemingly wary of this elder with an otherworldly air, and one of them said, "Senior Brother Ma Yun, is your 'Jade Cauldron Cave' still lacking in potential disciples? I've heard that you've already found two true immortal seedlings."
Ma Yun, the elderly man with white hair, smiled but did not respond, continually eyeing Ye Fan and Pang Bo, occasionally nodding. This made the elders from Lingxu Cave nervous—while they could give up some of their disciples, Ye Fan and Pang Bo were essential for them to keep.
"Let's do it this way," Ma Yun, with his white beard and hair, spoke after a long silence. He pointed at Ye Fan and Pang Bo and said, "I, representing Jade Cauldron Cave, will select one of them. Either one of them is fine."
"No way!" Several elders from Lingxu Cave refused almost simultaneously.
At the same time, the others from the five other Caves of Heaven began choosing their disciples, each one refusing to yield. Soon, the atmosphere became tense, and the situation escalated into a standoff. It seemed a battle was inevitable.
The middle-aged man, Liu Wanshan, who was as solid as a mountain, stepped forward and said, "It seems we have no choice but to compete in a contest."
"Exactly as it should be," Li Ying, the elderly woman from Golden Cloud Cave, agreed.
"To avoid hurting our relationships, let's keep it light," said the elderly Ma Yun from Jade Cauldron Cave, offering his consent.
The elders of Lingxu Cave had grim expressions; Ye Fan and the others were their discoveries, but now, others were trying to take them. The situation had become tricky, and it was unclear how they would make their choices. In the end, it became a stand-off, with tensions running high.
The various rainbow-colored lights shot up into the sky, lighting up the night. The competition between the Caves of Heaven had begun. Ye Fan and the others moved outside the hall, looking up at the sky. However, the powerful figures quickly flew far out of sight, making it impossible to see what was happening.
All they could see were flashes of light, divine rainbows crossing the sky, with occasional thunder booming, and fierce winds stirring the sand and stones.
Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others felt awestruck. The peaceful demeanor of the elders had now turned into an intense battle, with an overwhelming force. It was something they could only dream of achieving.
Soon, the divine rainbows began to disappear into the distance, and the intense battle moved further away.
Half an hour later, a single rainbow appeared in the sky, rapidly descending.
The first to land was a young girl named Wei Wei. She was graceful, with delicate brows, her eyes like water, red lips and jade teeth—radiating a serene and ethereal beauty. In the moonlight, she appeared like a fairy descending from the moon, her beauty almost otherworldly.
Following her were the other elders from Lingxu Cave, who appeared disheveled, with traces of blood on their clothes, yet they wore victorious smiles.
The others who had been part of the battle also showed signs of injury, and their expressions were much less cheerful. The imposing Liu Wanshan had bloodstains on his shoulder, and the elderly Ma Yun, whose white beard was now severed, looked quite disheartened. The old woman, Li Ying, had broken her cane in the battle.
"It's surprising," Ma Yun said with a sigh, "that Wei Wei has surpassed us at such a young age. Lingxu Cave has truly produced a prodigy!"
Ye Fan and the others were shocked. This young girl, Wei Wei, appeared delicate and graceful, yet she had defeated these seasoned elders. It was truly astonishing.
"Since we lost, there's nothing more to say. Lingxu Cave, you may choose two disciples," Liu Wanshan said, his face no longer showing any pride. It was not just the defeat that embarrassed him, but the fact that they couldn't even choose their disciples first.
Without hesitation, the elders of Lingxu Cave selected Ye Fan and Pang Bo, their faces practically blooming with smiles. Next, Ma Yun from Jade Cauldron Cave chose Liu Yi Yi, and after that, Li Ying from Golden Cloud Cave chose Zhang Zi Ling.
Just then, however, the elders of Lingxu Cave, after inspecting Ye Fan closely, suddenly turned pale, and their smiles vanished.
"What's going on?!" they exclaimed in shock.
Others quickly noticed, turning their attention toward Ye Fan. It was clear something had changed, and everyone was eager to know what had happened.
"What's the matter? Didn't you want to choose your disciples first?" someone asked.
"It's not that," the elders of Lingxu Cave replied, gesturing toward Ye Fan with a look of regret on their faces.
The crowd gathered, realizing that something was wrong with Ye Fan's body. Everyone immediately began to inspect him.
Ma Yun was the first to speak. After closely observing Ye Fan, he said, "Just by looking, it's clear his qi and blood are exceptionally strong, almost like a dragon or an elephant. This must be a rare immortal seedling. So why does it seem there's something wrong?"
The elderly Li Ying was uncertain and muttered, "How could such a physique exist?"
Liu Wanshan, after checking for a long time, revealed an incredulous expression. "The Life Wheel is silent, and the ocean of suffering is as strong as divine iron, firm as a rock, indestructible—there's no way to open it…"
"What is happening?" Everyone looked confused. This physique was so strange it defied common sense.
At this moment, Ma Yun seemed to remember something. He murmured, "Could it be… the one described in the ancient legends?"
He started examining Ye Fan's body again, his fingers glowing with a soft, divine light as he meticulously checked.
After a long while, Ma Yun stopped and stood in a daze, his face full of shock. "This is… the legendary body type…"
"The legendary body type?" Everyone was stunned and looked at him.
"An ancient and unparalleled, world-shaking body!" Ma Yun said, almost stuttering as he pronounced the eight heavy words.
"What?!" Everyone gasped in disbelief.
The elders of Lingxu Cave quickly pulled Ye Fan behind them, forming a protective barrier around him, as if fearing others would try to take him or harm him.
Liu Wanshan, unable to believe what he had just heard, said, "Yan is a land two thousand miles long from north to south, and three thousand miles from east to west. Compared to the vast Eastern Wasteland, it's just a speck of dust. In this land, perhaps no one, even after countless ages, has ever appeared with a body like this. After all, in the Eastern Wasteland, even such a body type has rarely emerged throughout history."
Li Ying, the elderly woman from Golden Cloud Cave, shook her head. "It's not impossible. I've heard rumors that there is likely someone in the Eastern Wasteland who possesses such a physique. And there are whispers that it may not be just one person. However, they are still growing and have not yet revealed themselves to the world. I believe they are either hidden in some holy land or concealed in the ancient families that have inherited from the primal ages."
At this moment, the gaze of all the elders turned toward Ye Fan, and their eyes burned with desire, as if they wanted to grab him and take him as their disciple. Even Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others couldn't help but look at Ye Fan with a mix of curiosity and astonishment.
But just as the situation reached its peak, Ma Yun coughed lightly and said, "I think… you all misunderstood."
"Hmm?"
"What do you mean?" Everyone looked at him in confusion.
"He indeed has the body of a world-shaking immortal, but there's a time limit," Ma Yun said slowly.
"A time limit?" Everyone was baffled.
Ma Yun explained: "You all must have heard of some ancient legends, right? In those days, there was a world-shaking body type, unparalleled in history. Nine such figures appeared, each one invincible in the world, shaking the heavens. If such a body walked the path of cultivation, it would be beyond anyone's imagination, said to be the greatest immortal body in history."
"Yes, of course we've heard of it. You don't mean…" At this point, everyone's attention turned to Ye Fan, but now, there was no awe or passion in their eyes—only disappointment.
"Yes, he possesses such a body type. But sadly, after the ancient era, for some unknown reason, this body type has gradually faded into obscurity and is no longer suited for cultivation. No one since the primal era has ever reached success with it."
"In fact, many immortal sects have been spreading rumors that in the Eastern Wasteland, someone with such a body type has emerged. Just now, I thought we would witness a stunning figure, but instead, we have…"
"Ancient and world-shaking bodies, in contrast to today's unparalleled bodies… sigh!" The elders from Lingxu Cave all sighed deeply and looked disappointed, no longer paying attention to Ye Fan.
Other members from the Caves of Heaven also looked at him with complex expressions, unsure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
At this moment, no one was looking at Ye Fan anymore. The excitement from before had vanished, and their gazes now reflected nothing but indifference and regret.