Chapter 37: Lingxu Cave Heaven

Chapter 37: The Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven

By this point, only thirteen people remained in Ye Fan's group; everyone else had perished. Excluding Ye Fan, who possessed a unique constitution, the remaining twelve individuals were evenly distributed, with each Cave Heaven and Blessed Land able to take exactly two people.

This was a passive selection, yet Zhou Yi, Lin Jia, and the others did not object. As the elders from the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven had stated, this was an opportunity for them.

Ultimately, Ye Fan found himself in an awkward position. Initially favored by everyone, he was now ignored and unheeded.

"If you don't take Ye Fan, I won't go with you," Pang Bo declared firmly, despite appearing to be only eleven or twelve years old. "Worst case, Ye Fan and I will make our living in the mortal world."

An elder from the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven explained, "There are no mortals within the Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands. If he were to join in this manner, it might not be good for him."

Ye Fan understood clearly. After careful consideration, he thought of the various situations that could arise. The Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands were solely populated by cultivators. Who would care about a mere mortal like him? Even with Pang Bo's care, it wouldn't be a long-term solution, and many unforeseen troubles would surely emerge in the future.

"Pang Bo, you should go with them. I won't join any Cave Heaven or Blessed Land. Perhaps it's better to simply live a plain, ordinary life."

"No, I must take you with me," Pang Bo firmly retorted.

"Alright, we'll take Ye Fan with us too," the elders of the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven agreed, not wanting Pang Bo to harbor any resentment.

"Wait!" Ye Fan said, his expression calm, devoid of any joy. "As I stated, I will not join any Cave Heaven or Blessed Land. Thank you for your kindness."

"Ye Fan, this is an opportunity…" Pang Bo quickly urged.

Ye Fan shook his head. "You don't need to persuade me." He had carefully considered it and fully understood that joining a Cave Heaven or Blessed Land could lead to various troubles, as the elder from the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven had implied.

"If you don't go, I won't go with them either," Pang Bo declared loyally, unwilling to abandon Ye Fan and set off alone.

Ye Fan smiled. "From now on, I'm counting on you. You must cultivate well. In the future, I'll rely on you for support – like heroines, immortals, goddesses, saints… just send a few my way, I won't be picky."

Pang Bo rolled his eyes. The other cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands also looked at Ye Fan strangely, with several female cultivators glaring at him fiercely.

"Ye Fan, you should still come with me," Pang Bo urged again.

"I do want to go with you, but only to be a guest for a while, not to join. I wonder if the people of the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven would allow that," Ye Fan suddenly said. He was unwilling to be completely cut off from the path to immortality and wanted to use this opportunity to enter the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven to learn more, but without being bound by a particular sect.

"Good, as long as you're willing to go," Pang Bo instantly brightened. He believed that if Ye Fan just went, he could find a way to make him stay. He immediately looked toward the elders of the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven.

"Alright," the elders finally nodded.

Ye Fan and the others were about to part ways, with an unknown path ahead. Everyone felt both confusion and anticipation. During their final gathering, they all bade each other farewell, promising to reunite in the years to come.

At this moment, Ye Fan undoubtedly seemed distinct. With no hope for his future, he was effectively a person from a different world than the others. Even if someone proposed a reunion in future years, it was easy to imagine he wouldn't be present among them. Everyone who looked at him showed different expressions, a mix of various emotions.

Finally, they all wished each other well and departed.

"Ye Fan, this is for you…" Before leaving, Liu Yiyi handed the string of prayer beads in her hand to Ye Fan. Without waiting for him to refuse, she quickly departed.

"Actually, it's good to be an ordinary person too. May you have a happy life," Li Xiaoman said as she approached. After speaking, she gazed deeply at him, then turned and left.

"Ye Fan, I wish you all the best in the future. I believe with your abilities, your life in the mortal world will surely be vibrant and fulfilling," Lin Jia said before departing.

Afterward, Zhou Yi and Wang Ziwen also came to say goodbye.

"In fact, being an ordinary person isn't necessarily a misfortune," Zhou Yi said with a faint smile, gently patting Ye Fan's shoulder. "There's nothing to be dejected about."

Ye Fan remained unperturbed, smiling faintly. "Who can say what the future holds?"

***

Moments later, a dozen divine rainbows soared into the sky one after another, streaking across the tranquil night. Like brilliant shooting stars, they gradually vanished into the horizon, marking their departure.

Once the people from the other Cave Heavens had departed, the elders of the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven spoke to Pang Bo and Ye Fan. "Actually, our Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands are not far from each other. It would be easy for you to meet if you wished."

The people of the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven set off the next day. They traveled by divine rainbows, moving with astonishing speed, as mountains and rivers on the ground rapidly receded behind them.

Eventually, the group stopped before a range of ethereal immortal mountains. The place exuded peace, with lush trees, ornate pavilions, and towering buildings nestled among them. Flowing springs, cascading waterfalls, and graceful cranes flying about created a vibrant, natural scene — truly an excellent location.

"Is this the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven?" Pang Bo couldn't help but ask. However, his next words were quite jarring: he muttered to himself, "These immortal cranes are quite plump. Can we catch one or two to roast and eat…"

An elder beside him glared crossly. "Those are sentient immortal cranes. Don't get any ideas; with your current skills, you wouldn't even be able to get close to them."

This location was not the interior of the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven, merely its mountain gate. Inside, immortal mist wafted, creating a hazy, indistinct view, with exotic flowers and rare herbs growing everywhere. Upon reaching a point where the clouds obscured everything, a large bluestone stood ahead, bearing two ancient characters: 灵墟 (Spiritual Ruins)!

Pang Bo naturally didn't recognize these ancient characters. An elder next to him informed him, and only then did he realize they had truly arrived at the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven.

Legend has it that countless ages ago, this place was a ruin. After some minor clearing by later generations, it became a Cave Heaven and Blessed Land. The Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven boasts a long history; tracing it back, this ancient land extends to the Primordial Era.

Later generations conducted extensive excavations and clearings here, hoping to find divine artifacts within the ruins, but their efforts yielded nothing.

Throughout generations, the powerful cultivators who practiced in this Cave Heaven always felt that the place was not as simple as it seemed, yet they never made any significant discoveries.

Passing the large bluestone and stepping into the immortal mist ahead, the scene suddenly transformed. Inside was an incredibly magnificent world, as if they had instantly entered a different realm.

"Is this the Spiritual Ruins Cave Heaven?""It's completely like a world unto itself!"

The elders were pleased with Ye Fan and Pang Bo's reactions.

The vegetation here seemed to be exceptionally favored by the essence of the sun and moon; even ordinary plants were exceptionally green, as if carved from jade. Ancient trees soared to the heavens, medicinal herbs filled the air with their fragrance, spiritual birds soared, rare beasts roamed, and divine springs gurgled.

At this moment, Ye Fan felt a sudden daze. A passage of ancient scripture abruptly resounded in his mind, like the gentle tolling of a divine bell or the reverberation of a celestial melody. It was the ancient scripture of several hundred characters that he had obtained from the bronze ancient coffin.