After walking more than a hundred steps into the Lingxu Cave Heaven, the ancient scriptures that had been echoing in Ye Fan's mind gradually ceased. The stone stairs at the entrance, which had dozens of steps, were left behind. That place was extraordinary, but Ye Fan did not stop, nor was he allowed to linger.
Ahead, the mountain peaks were beautiful, filled with rich spiritual energy. From a distance, a waterfall over a thousand meters long cascaded down from a towering mountain. The white stream resembled a hanging Milky Way, and the roaring sound was like the thunder of a thousand galloping horses, grand and magnificent.
"No wonder this is called a cave heaven. The scenery is extraordinary, like a pure land isolated from the world."
A winding path led through the lush mountain, paved with pebbles, passing under the waterfall, and spiraling into the heart of the beautiful immortal mountain. On both sides of the path, ancient trees stood tall, their branches twisting like dragon horns. One could see many temples hidden among the trees, blending harmoniously with the surroundings.
Along the sides of the path were artificially cultivated medicinal fields. Inside, ginseng as thick as a child's arm, and Lingzhi mushrooms hanging with nine leaves could be seen. There were also many unknown herbs, gleaming with a faint light and emitting a fragrant aroma, filling the air with refreshing medicinal scent.
Most people they encountered along the way would bow respectfully to the elderly ones, and their attitude towards Wei Wei was especially friendly. It was easy to see her important position in Lingxu Cave Heaven.
Wei Wei returned each bow without any arrogance. In this peaceful land, she truly appeared like an immortal, pure and otherworldly. She eventually disappeared, like a soft breeze, fading into the picturesque depths of the cave heaven.
Ye Fan and Pang Bo were taken to the foot of a small mountain. There were three or five thatched cottages, two or three bamboo groves, and a medicinal field in front of the house, with a few ancient trees clustered together.
Although there were no jade palaces or magnificent halls, the place exuded tranquility and simplicity, peaceful like a paradise, making one feel as if their soul had been cleansed, far removed from the troubles of the mortal world.
"You two can stay here for now," said one of the elderly men, giving them a few instructions before leaving. Another student had also been taken into Lingxu Cave Heaven, but they were sent to a different place.
Near noon, a young boy of about twelve or thirteen brought them a food box. The meal was simple and light: lotus root slices, Huangjing, Fuling, and Tianma, mostly medicinal herbs.
"This food... is it even edible? There's not even any minced meat. These past two days, we've only eaten wild fruit or drunk spring water. Now we're still eating this stuff. Our mouths are so bland that we might as well be drinking mountain spring water," Pang Bo complained.
Although the food was devoid of oil and seasoning, Ye Fan and Pang Bo still ate it all, not leaving even a single leaf behind.
"Can you send over a roasted chicken or something?" Pang Bo asked, still dissatisfied.
Seeing the two of them like this, the boy was stunned and said, "There... There isn't any. The cave heaven doesn't provide that. If you're still hungry, I can bring more food."
"How could there be no meat? Didn't they raise a lot of immortal cranes and white deer? There are many unknown rare birds and beasts. We could just roast a couple of those. Those immortal cranes look fat enough," Pang Bo said eagerly.
The boy immediately panicked and ran off, as if he had encountered a ghost, avoiding them at all costs.
"Looks like cultivating in an immortal sect isn't something to celebrate after all. Life is so austere here. We can't even get meat. How are we going to survive?" Pang Bo kept complaining.
Ye Fan was also feeling hunger and really wanted to grab a roasted chicken, tear apart a roast leg, and drink some fine wine, savoring the meal.
In the following days, the elderly ones did not appear. However, the boy who brought food gradually became familiar with them. Through continued conversations, Ye Fan and Pang Bo slowly got used to this archaic Chinese language. The boy envied them a lot. It was said that new disciples who entered the sect generally didn't have their own dwelling and could only cultivate until they were capable of opening their own cave abode.
"A few thatched cottages, and this counts as our own cave abode?" Pang Bo asked in disbelief.
Ye Fan and Pang Bo had put on the clothes that the boy brought. Aside from their still-short hair, they looked no different from the people of Lingxu Cave Heaven.
"Don't say it like that. Everything around this little mountain belongs to you. If you both become capable, you can naturally open your own cave abode," said the boy.
"Since the small mountain is ours, would it be okay to kill a deer or roast a couple of immortal cranes? Nobody would mind, right?" Pang Bo asked mischievously.
Hearing this, the boy dared not respond. He felt that these two were extremely bold and their ideas were completely different from the average person.
"Don't worry, we won't do anything crazy. Now, tell us, what exactly is cultivation? How does it work?" Ye Fan asked, genuinely curious, as they had no idea and had only heard vague terms like "sea of suffering," "divine bridge," and "the other shore" a few times, but didn't understand what they meant.
The boy shook his head, unable to answer, as he had only recently joined Lingxu Cave Heaven and had not yet truly embarked on the path of cultivation.
"Looks like you two are quite impatient," said an elderly man with a head of white hair and a youthful face, appearing before the small mountain. His large sleeves fluttered, and he floated in the air, arriving at the front of the thatched cottage as if riding the wind. He nodded at the boy, signaling him to leave.
"Who... are you?" Ye Fan and Pang Bo both didn't recognize the elderly man, whose face was rosy and hair snowy, looking like an immortal from the outside world.
"I am an elder of Lingxu Cave Heaven, named Wu Qingfeng. All disciples within their first three years of entering the sect are taught by me," the elder explained.
"We are honored to meet you, Elder Wu."
"No need to be polite."
"Elder, could you please improve our food a bit? We haven't even begun our cultivation, and yet we might ascend to immortality before we get there. The food is too bland. Now, even seeing a grasshopper makes us salivate," Pang Bo complained again.
Elder Wu Qingfeng gave him a serious look and said, "The mortal world is full of greed. The first thing to do when entering a cave heaven is to sever attachments to wealth and fame, purify oneself, and calm the mind. If you can't even give up the desire for food, then facing the temptations on the cultivation path in the future will likely be impossible."
Hearing these words, Pang Bo couldn't find a retort. As for Ye Fan, since he hadn't joined any sect, he didn't dare voice any complaints.
Both Ye Fan and Pang Bo had many questions, but Ye Fan didn't feel it was appropriate to ask. Pang Bo, now a disciple of Lingxu Cave Heaven, had no such reservations. After inviting Elder Wu to sit on a wooden stool in front of the cottage, he began asking about cultivation. Neither of them knew anything about it.
"Do you see how clean the sky is?" Elder Wu asked suddenly.
"Yes, the sky is cloudless, the blue is clear as if washed. Naturally, it's clean," Ye Fan answered.
"Wrong, there is endless dust," Elder Wu said, raising his palm. "Even in this small space between my fingers, there is endless dust."
"Wh-what do you mean?" Pang Bo asked, confused.
Elder Wu smiled faintly, like an immortal of the world, and said, "Do you know what this endless dust is?"
"It's dust, obviously," Pang Bo replied.
"It is dust, but it is not just dust," Elder Wu said calmly.
"Is it dust? I understand that, but what else could it be?" Pang Bo asked.
"It is the world. It is an immense world," Elder Wu said casually, his tone calm as if he were speaking the simplest of truths.
"A vast world... Are you joking?" Pang Bo asked, confused.
"You will understand in the future. Every speck of dust, every blade of grass, every tree is a world in itself."
"Can you explain more directly? It feels like I'm listening to an ancient text. I understand the literal meaning, but I don't get the deeper meaning," Pang Bo said, feeling overwhelmed.
Elder Wu remained calm, smiling faintly, and said, "Today, we won't discuss these things. What I want to talk about is the sea of suffering. The countless methods of the world begin here, on the path to immortality."
"Please, Elder, could you explain in more detail?" Ye Fan and Pang Bo were eager to understand, knowing that early concepts were crucial to their cultivation.
"The myriad things in the world have their ages. Some endure for eternity, while others only live for a brief moment. In the blink of an eye, a life may be gone."
"Elder, you're speaking too cryptically. What exactly do you want to tell us?" Pang Bo asked, still unclear.
Elder Wu didn't mind the interruption. He pointed to a distant ancient tree and said, "Can you tell how old that tree is?"
"Of course. Just cut it down and count the rings to know," Pang Bo replied.
"Correct. Time leaves traces on everything. Trees have growth rings, and we too have our life cycles," Elder Wu said.
"Do humans have such things?" Ye Fan and Pang Bo found this hard to believe.
"What I am talking about with cultivation is beginning with the wheel of life in the human body..."