Joining a Sect, Cultivating the "Dao Scripture"

Several elders of Spirit Void Cave Heaven were overjoyed upon hearing Lin Yu's words. They said:

"Though our Spirit Void Cave Heaven is merely a Cave Heaven and Blessed Land, we are affiliated with a renowned sacred land in Eastern Wasteland. If you prove exceptional enough in the future, with Astonishing Talent, you may even have a chance to be selected into that sacred land."

Yet their joy did not last long. Just as the elders of Spirit Void Cave Heaven were thrilled that Immortal Seeds had willingly joined them, more than a dozen Divine Rainbows suddenly descended outside the town like shooting stars and charged straight into the hall, accompanied by a burst of utterly arrogant laughter.

"I hear Spirit Void Cave Heaven has found quite a few Immortal Seeds. Can you really teach so many people? We've all known one another for years, so why not let our Six Great Cave Heavens share the burden?"

The Six Great Cave Heavens of Yan Kingdom were Spirit Void, Jade Cauldron, Purple Sun, Golden Radiance, Misty Cloud, and Evening Moon. Their strengths were more or less equal, and each was vaguely attached to a sacred land behind the scenes. Like little pawns watching the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, they secretly competed against one another on this land.

The elders of Spirit Void Cave Heaven instantly darkened. They cursed those shameless old fools inwardly. They usually hid their own Immortal Seeds away so carefully, yet now that Spirit Void Cave Heaven had struck it lucky, they had come to snatch them away without the slightest shame.

After that, everyone argued back and forth without reaching any agreement. In the end, the atmosphere became taut as drawn bows. The people from the six Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands refused to yield to one another, and a fight seemed ready to erupt at any moment.

Lin Yu understood that what came next would probably be the Shrouding World's beloved spectacle of "physical persuasion."

Sure enough, none of the Cave Heavens would submit to the others. More than a dozen brilliant rainbows shot into the sky, and everyone flew above the town, instantly beginning their contest. The dazzling display was overwhelming, leaving the onlookers dumbstruck as though they had been thrown into a fantastical dream.

A short while later, Weiwei was the first to descend gracefully, followed by several elders from Spirit Void Cave Heaven. Though specks of blood stained their bodies, their faces were filled with victorious smiles.

Although the elders from the other Cave Heavens looked utterly displeased, they could only reluctantly accept this arrangement.

Thus, Spirit Void Cave Heaven began making its selections. Their gazes first fell upon Lin Yu, Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the others.

Lin Yu and Pang Bo possessed vigorous blood and qi, like flood dragons and elephants. Divine light shone brilliantly in their eyes like dazzling stars, while the Sea of Bitterness within them surged endlessly with vitality. At the sight, the elders' faces immediately bloomed with smiles, as though they had seen the sect's future hope.

However, after the old men carefully examined Ye Fan's body, their formerly beaming faces immediately fell, their expressions filled with shock and disappointment.

"How could this be?!"

It was actually the Desolate Ancient Saint Body, a constitution they regarded as crippled. Ye Fan's Wheel of Life was utterly silent, while his Sea of Bitterness was as hard as divine iron, as steady as a boulder, and utterly immovable. It could not be opened at all. By all appearances, he could only remain an ordinary mortal for the rest of his life.

Though Ye Fan's heart churned as though rivers and seas had been overturned, with countless emotions surging within him, the experiences of the past few days had already made him mature rapidly and strengthened his resolve.

His expression remained as calm as still water, like a deep, secluded pool without a ripple. Even upon hearing that he possessed the Desolate Ancient Saint Body, he showed no sign of being moved.

In the end, Lin Yu and Pang Bo insisted that the elders take Ye Fan with them. After considering it, the elders saw no harm in it and accepted Ye Fan along with the others as an extra.

As everyone was about to part ways, the atmosphere inevitably became somewhat sorrowful. Soon afterward, several brilliant rainbows shot from the town into the sky as everyone set off for their respective sects.

Spirit Void Cave Heaven was a scene of peace and harmony. Lush trees flourished everywhere, while pavilions and buildings dotted the landscape in an orderly fashion, like immortal palaces from a painting. Flowing springs, cascading waterfalls, and dancing cranes lent the land an air of liveliness and mystery.

The vegetation here seemed especially favored by the essence of the sun and moon. Ancient trees towered overhead, and fragrant medicinal herbs scented the air, refreshing all who breathed it in. Spiritual birds sang happily among the branches, rare beasts darted through the woods, and divine springs gurgled softly. It was truly a wonderful place in the mortal world.

Lin Yu, Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the others were settled on a small mountain. Several thatched cottages stood scattered there, perhaps three to five in all, surrounded by two or three groves of emerald bamboo. Before the houses lay a vibrant medicinal field.

Their daily meals mostly consisted of medicinal ingredients such as lotus root slices, Solomon's Seal, poria, and gastrodia. Simple yet filled with spiritual energy, these meals were meant to sever the temptation of wealth and splendor, purify body and mind, curb the desire for food, and better prepare everyone for the path of cultivation.

More than ten days later, an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face appeared before them, his wide sleeves fluttering elegantly. Smiling, he introduced himself:

"I am an elder of Spirit Void Cave Heaven, Wu Qingfeng. All disciples who have entered the sect within the past three years are taught by me."

Everyone hurriedly greeted him respectfully. Then the old man began carefully teaching them the basics of cultivation.

Lin Yu's expression was solemn, but he was inwardly thrilled. At last, the day had come for him to begin cultivating. Although Lin Yu had inherited the Divine Elephant's Prison Technique and understood something of the cultivation system of Shrouding World, he knew none of its finer details.

After all, if he did not study seriously while laying his foundation, then even if an Emperor Scripture were placed before him in the future, he would only be able to stare at it in helpless frustration, unable to comprehend its mysteries.

"One flower contains one world; between specks of dust lie endless worlds. Our bodies are the same." Wu Qingfeng spoke slowly, his voice steady and powerful, as though it possessed a magic that could pierce straight into the heart.

"Our bodies contain countless gates, as numerous as the dust between heaven and earth. If we can continuously open these gates, we may discover our true selves and step into the realm of cultivation."

Next, Wu Qingfeng explained in detail what the Sea of Bitterness was. He said:

"All things have a place where they begin, and the human body has such a place as well. It is the foundation of life's vitality and contains the essence and qi of the entire body. It is called the Life Source Wheel, and may also be called the Wheel of Life."

Elder Wu Qingfeng spoke in an even tone, like a gently flowing stream, patiently explaining the mysteries of cultivation.

"The Wheel of Life lies below the navel, at the point that most perfectly divides the upper and lower body. The Sea of Bitterness overlaps with the Wheel of Life, and the Sea of Bitterness submerges the Wheel of Life.

Cultivators are born within the Sea of Bitterness. Amid desolation, they nurture vigorous life, cultivate a Divine Meridian, forge the Divine Bridge, reach the Other Shore, and arrive at the end of the Sea of Bitterness." This was the cultivation method for the first Sea of Suffering Secret Realm.

Wu Qingfeng did not rush them afterward. Instead, he proactively imparted all manner of experience and insights regarding cultivation.

Only after four months, when they had fully absorbed all this knowledge, did Wu Qingfeng take out a foundational manual said to be the strongest in the world—the "Dao Scripture."

This scripture had been created by Dao De Tian Zun. Though the Six Great Cave Heavens possessed only a severely incomplete fragment of its Sea of Suffering volume, it was still enough to lay a solid foundation for everyone.

Then Elder Wu Qingfeng carefully explained the mysteries of the "Dao Scripture" while personally using divine power to guide the three along its profound circulation routes, hoping that they would sense the Wheel of Life, successfully open their Sea of Bitterness, and embark upon the true path of cultivation.