More than a hundred steps into Lingxu Grotto Heaven, the scripture that had been resonating in Ye Fan’s heart at last fell silent. The dozens of ancient moss-covered stone steps at the entrance fell behind him — there was something unusual about that place, yet Ye Fan had not stopped, nor was there any opportunity for him to do so.

Ahead, the mountain peaks were elegant and beautiful, their spiritual energy almost palpable. Looking out into the distance, a great waterfall stretching a thousand meters tumbled down from a towering mountain peak, its white band of water hanging like an inverted river of stars, its thunderous roar like ten thousand horses charging forward — majestic and magnificent beyond words.

“Truly worthy of being called a Grotto Heaven and Blessed Land — the scenery is extraordinary, like an untouched paradise beyond the mortal world.”

Along a winding, secluded path paved with smooth river stones, passing beside the waterfall, a trail curved and meandered deeper into the beautiful immortal mountains. Along the way, ancient trees soared skyward, their gnarled branches like coiling dragons, and one could see numerous halls and pavilions nestled among the vegetation — perfectly harmonious with their natural surroundings.

On both sides of the ancient path, plots of medicinal herbs had been cultivated. Inside, ginseng as thick as a child’s arm grew in abundance, nine-leafed lingzhi mushrooms hung lushly, and countless other herbs of unknown names gleamed with a crystalline luster, inner radiance flickering faintly within them. The fragrance of medicinal herbs drifted through the air, refreshing and deeply pleasant.

Most of the people they encountered along the path bowed in greeting to the several elders. Their attitude toward Wei Wei was also very warm and friendly — one could well imagine what standing this once-in-an-age genius held within Lingxu Grotto Heaven.

Wei Wei returned each greeting in kind, showing not the slightest arrogance. In this tranquil and harmonious paradise, she was as ethereally beautiful as a true immortal — before long, she departed like a gentle breeze, graceful and unhurried, vanishing into the picturesque depths of the Grotto Heaven.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo were brought before a small hill. There stood three or five thatched cottages, two or three groves of bamboo, a medicinal plot in front of the dwelling, and several old trees close by.

Though there were no ornate towers or jade pavilions, everything here was simple and unassuming, yet full of tranquility and natural ease — as peaceful as a paradise beyond the mortal world, with a quality that cleansed the spirit, leaving behind the world below and washing away all its troubles and noise.

“You’ll stay here for now.” The several elders left a few instructions and parted. One other classmate had also been brought into Lingxu Grotto Heaven, though he was not housed with Ye Fan and the others but taken to a different place.

Around midday, a boy of twelve or thirteen came carrying a food box to deliver their meal. The food was simple and plain — lotus root slices, Siberian Solomon’s seal, poria mushroom, gastrodia orchid — mostly medicinal herbs.

“This food… is it even edible? There isn’t a scrap of meat to be found. These past two days it’s been nothing but wild fruit and spring water, and now we’re still eating the same sort of thing. Our mouths are so bland we could practically pour mountain spring water from them.”

Though the food had not a drop of oil or fat, Ye Fan and Pang Bo still finished every last bit of it — not even a leaf was left behind.

“Could you bring us a roasted chicken?”

Seeing the two of them like this, the boy who had delivered the food was left staring, mouth agape: “There… there isn’t any. The Grotto Heaven doesn’t provide such things. If you two haven’t had enough, I can bring more food.”

“How can there be no meat? I see plenty of sacred cranes and white deer being kept here, and any number of other rare birds and exotic beasts I can’t even name. Couldn’t you just roast up one or two of them? Those cranes look like they’ve been fed well enough to be quite plump.”

The boy delivering the food fled the scene as though he’d encountered a snake or a ghost, doing his utmost to put as much distance between himself and the two of them as possible.

“It seems that entering an immortal sect to cultivate is not necessarily something to be glad about. This life is far too austere — we can’t even have meat. How are we supposed to get by?” Pang Bo complained continually.

Ye Fan was also feeling extremely hungry. At this moment, he very much wanted to grab a roasted chicken, tear into a pork knuckle, lift a jug of fine wine, and eat and drink his fill to his heart’s content.

Over the next dozen or so days, the several elders did not make an appearance. However, the boy who delivered their meals gradually became acquainted with the two of them. Through many conversations, Ye Fan and Pang Bo slowly grew accustomed to this form of classical Chinese speech. The boy held a great deal of admiration for them — he explained that disciples newly arrived at the mountain gate generally did not have their own independent quarters, and that one could only establish a personal cave dwelling once one had achieved some progress in cultivation.

“Three or five thatched cottages — and this counts as having one’s own cave dwelling?”

Ye Fan and Pang Bo put on the clothing the boy brought them. Apart from their hair still being quite short, they now looked no different from anyone else in Lingxu Grotto Heaven.

“That’s not quite the right way to look at it. Everything on and around this small hill counts as belonging to the two of you. If you develop the ability, you can naturally carve out a cave dwelling here.”

“Since the hill is ours, I suppose if we killed a deer or roasted a couple of sacred cranes, no one would say anything?”

Hearing the two of them talk like this, the boy again didn’t dare say a word in response. He felt these two were truly audacious — their way of thinking was utterly unlike anyone else’s.

“Don’t be afraid, we won’t do anything reckless. Now — tell us, what exactly is this so-called cultivation all about?”

This was something both Ye Fan and Pang Bo were deeply curious about. Even now, they knew almost nothing, having only heard people mention the “sea of bitterness,” the “divine bridge,” and the “other shore” a few times, without understanding any of it.

The boy shook his head — he couldn’t really say. He too had only recently entered Lingxu Grotto Heaven and hadn’t yet truly set foot on the immortal path.

“It seems the two of you are already somewhat eager.” Just then, an elder with white hair yet a youthful complexion appeared before the small hill. His wide sleeves billowed around him, and his feet barely seemed to touch the ground — as though riding the wind itself, he arrived before the thatched cottage. He gave a small nod to the boy standing nearby: “You may go.”

“You are…” Neither Ye Fan nor Pang Bo recognized this elder with his ruddy complexion and snowy white hair. He looked just like a sage from beyond the mortal world.

“I am an elder of Lingxu Grotto Heaven. My name is Wu Qingfeng. Disciples within their first three years of entry are all taught by me.”

“Greetings, Elder.”

“No need for formalities.”

“Elder, could you perhaps improve our diet first? If this goes on much longer, before we’ve even had a chance to cultivate immortality, we’ll truly have ‘ascended’ from sheer starvation. The food is far too bland — at this point, we’d salivate at the sight of a grasshopper.” Pang Bo made his complaints in a stream.

Elder Wu Qingfeng’s expression turned solemn: “The mortal world is full of desires. When first entering a Grotto Heaven or Blessed Land, the very first thing one must do is sever all ties to luxury and wealth, quieting the body and stilling the mind. If one cannot even let go of the desire for food, then when facing the countless temptations one will encounter along the immortal cultivation path in the future, one would surely fail to pass through them.”

Hearing these words, Pang Bo found there was nothing more he could say. As for Ye Fan — since he had not formally joined the Grotto Heaven, it was even less appropriate for him to make demands here.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo had many questions in their hearts, but Ye Fan held back from speaking. Pang Bo, however, as a formal disciple of Lingxu Grotto Heaven, had no such reservations. He invited Elder Wu Qingfeng to sit on a wooden stump in front of the thatched cottage, and they began asking all kinds of questions — about cultivation, of which they understood essentially nothing.

“Do you consider this sky to be clean and pure?”

“Ten thousand li without a cloud, the blue heavens washed spotless — naturally it’s very clean.” Ye Fan wasn’t sure why the elder asked this, but seeing the old man look toward him, he answered.

“Wrong. Dust and particles are without end.” Elder Wu Qingfeng opened his palm and held it out: “Even within this small space between these fingers, there is limitless fine dust.”

“You… what do you mean?” Pang Bo asked, perplexed.

Elder Wu Qingfeng remained perfectly serene, like a sage from beyond the world, and continued: “What do you think this endless dust actually is?”

“What else could it be? It’s just dust, naturally.”

“It is dust, and yet it is also not dust.” The elder said calmly.

“That it’s dust, I understand — but if it’s not dust, then what is it?” Pang Bo asked.

“It is a world — a vast and boundless world.” Elder Wu Qingfeng spoke lightly and evenly, naturally and without the slightest trace of excitement.

“A vast and boundless world… surely you’re not joking?” Pang Bo looked uncertain and bewildered.

“In time you’ll understand. Each grain of dust, each blade of grass, each tree — all of them are a world.”

“Could you… speak a little more plainly? I feel as though I’m listening to scripture from the heavens. While the literal meaning is easy enough to grasp, whatever deeper significance is contained in it, I understand not the slightest bit.”

Elder Wu Qingfeng sat there, smiled faintly, and said: “Let’s not speak of those things today. What I want to say is this: in heaven and earth there is endless dust, and every single grain of that dust is a world. In the same way, our bodies are as such — one cannot see it, yet the body contains countless ‘doors,’ as many as the grains of dust scattered throughout heaven and earth. A body that seems so small in appearance actually holds an uncountable number of ‘doors.’ To ceaselessly open these doors, to discover one’s ‘true self’ — that is cultivation.”

Seeing that both of them wore expressions of astonishment, Elder Wu Qingfeng himself remained as still as an undisturbed well, and asked: “Now — do you understand what cultivation is?”

“It seems… we understand somewhat.”

“Good. Take your time and come to understand it more fully. Now, let me speak to you about what the sea of bitterness is. There are countless methods in this world, yet all of them open the immortal path from this same starting point.”

“Elder, this time please be thorough in your explanation.” Though they had not yet truly set out on the cultivation path, both Ye Fan and Pang Bo understood that the concepts established at the very beginning were of the utmost importance.

“All things in this world grow older with the passage of years. Some can endure forever, unchanged since ancient times. Others live and die within a single day, or even pass through an entire life within the blink of an eye.”

“Elder, you’re speaking so profoundly again — what exactly are you trying to tell us?”

The elder did not take offense at the interruption. He pointed to an ancient tree not far away: “Can you tell how many years that tree has lived?”

“Naturally — chop it down, count the rings, and you’d know.”

“Quite right. Time is merciless and always leaves its marks on all things. Trees have growth rings, and our bodies likewise possess the wheel of life.”

“We humans have such a thing as well?” Ye Fan and Pang Bo found this rather absurd.

“The cultivation I speak of begins with the wheel of life within the human body…”