Chapter 41: Opening the Sea of Suffering

Chapter 41: Opening the Sea of Suffering

For nearly two months, Elder Wu Qingfeng dedicated himself to earnestly teaching Pang Bo and Ye Fan, guiding them onto the path of cultivation. Pang Bo's cultivation progressed smoothly; he sensed his Wheel of Life and could already guide the flow of vital energy. His next step was to open the Sea of Suffering, preparing to release the wellspring of divine power in the future.

Ye Fan, however, still couldn't sense his Wheel of Life; it remained tranquil and silent. Yet, after each day of cultivation, he felt refreshed, comfortable, and full of boundless energy. Over these days, his strength grew steadily, his speed significantly increased, and his body seemed to possess an inexhaustible supply of vitality, energy, and spirit.

Time flew by quickly; two months passed in a flash, and Elder Wu Qingfeng was about to depart, no longer teaching them individually.

“The path of cultivation is perilous; only with a firm will and perseverance can one achieve anything.” After saying this, the elder drifted away.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo bowed deeply to Elder Wu Qingfeng's departing figure. This was not a perfunctory gesture but a bow from the heart.

In front of the small mountain stood a few thatched huts and a couple of bamboo groves, peaceful and natural. With simple meals each day, Ye Fan and Pang Bo gradually adapted to this life.

They were to go to the Spirit Void Cliff for cultivation the next day. Originally, Ye Fan had been hesitant; since he hadn't joined the Spirit Void Cavern-Heaven, it felt inappropriate to continue learning techniques with Pang Bo. However, Elder Wu Qingfeng had given him a jade token. With this token, even a non-disciple of Spirit Void could practice cultivation there.

A bright moon hung in the sky, casting down its pure radiance. The moonlight was as soft as rippling water, and the woodlands near the small mountain were hazy, as if draped in a thin veil.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo both gazed up at the starry sky, silent for a long time. They were searching for the star in their hearts, but under the night sky, myriad stars twinkled, yet everything felt so alien. They could no longer see their familiar starry sky.

Having arrived at the other side of the starry sky, the past was truly too distant to ever be found again.

“Who knows what year it is in the heavenly palace today...”

“People have sorrow and joy, separation and reunion; the moon waxes and wanes, is full and crescent... May we all live long, and share the beauty of the moon, though a thousand miles apart.”

The two lay on the grass, gazing at the stars, holding coarse tea cups. But the tea wasn't drunk; it almost entirely spilled onto their faces.

“We can never go back...”

Afterward, they were silent for a long time, lying quietly there, watching the stars, speaking no more.

It was a long time before the silence was broken.

“We must live well...”

Ye Fan and Pang Bo were both optimistic. Their brief moment of loss was a farewell to the past; from then on, they would calmly face the future. They quickly cast these thoughts aside and shifted their conversation to matters of cultivation. Although they had only cultivated for two months, it was a "new beginning" for both of them—an unprecedented experience. The path of immortality was ethereal, the future unpredictable. Since they had already embarked on this road, they could only walk it with unwavering determination.

The Spirit Void Cavern-Heaven was one of the six blessed lands in the Yan region. Although it couldn't compare to the ancient and renowned great sects, it still boasted nearly a thousand cultivators, with several hundred young disciples.

As the morning sun rose, golden light scattered across the cliffs, glittering brightly.

Spirit Void Cliff was a sheer precipice, composed of a dozen low stone cliffs. They were not connected and maintained a certain distance from each other. Each cliff face was not very high, only about seventy to eighty meters.

In the early morning, many young disciples gathered here. As their cultivation levels varied, their choices naturally differed, with each going to a different stone cliff to listen to the profound techniques suitable for their current level of cultivation. Ye Fan and Pang Bo also arrived early. Being new initiates, they had only one option and went straight to the last stone cliff. Quite a few people had already gathered there, both men and women, totaling forty to fifty individuals. The youngest few appeared to be only seven or eight, with tender faces full of childlike innocence, while the oldest were over thirty, their faces showing signs of weariness.

Whoosh!

With a flash of light, a divine rainbow streaked through the air and descended upon the stone cliff. As the light faded, an elder with white hair and beard sat cross-legged there. He casually swept his gaze downwards, pausing slightly on Pang Bo and Ye Fan, and then began to impart the teachings. At the same time, divine rainbows also descended on the other cliff faces; these were all elders of the Spirit Void Cavern-Heaven. Each cliff was separated by a certain distance, so they wouldn't interfere with each other.

Listening to the cultivation methods while facing the morning glow, many below felt a novel sensation, as most were new disciples of the Spirit Void Cavern-Heaven.

The elder on the cliff remained impassive, his voice calm and devoid of emotion, yet he explained everything meticulously, pointing out every issue that new cultivators on the path of immortality needed to heed.

Half an hour later, the imparting of teachings concluded. The elder on the cliff looked down expressionlessly and said, “Those with questions may ask them. If there are none, this concludes today's session.” Several youths eagerly stepped forward, asking various questions. The elder on the cliff answered them one by one, and then, seeing that no one else had questions, he rode his divine rainbow and soared into the sky.

Their first time listening to the profound techniques here felt rather ordinary and unexciting. This was Ye Fan and Pang Bo's impression; they even found it somewhat dull. Over the past two months, under Elder Wu Qingfeng's tutelage, their foundations were already very solid, and they were well aware of all the important points to note.

“The initial chapters of the Daoist Scripture are enough to sustain our cultivation for two years. These minor profound techniques are rather dull; the elder has already guided us through them.”

“Don't be overly ambitious. Didn't the elder specifically instruct us that our foundation must be solid? Since he emphasized this and told us to come here to cultivate, there must be a reason.”

Over the next half a month, although they found it tedious, they persisted in coming every day. Eventually, they slowly discovered the benefits: the elder imparting the techniques on the cliff would occasionally share insights and experiences from his own cultivation process, which was incredibly important! Such cultivation experiences, for beginners, were like guiding lights. By comparing them with their own situations, it was easy to gain inspiration and thus accelerate their cultivation speed.

One morning, the elder imparting the techniques on the cliff suddenly opened his palm. Immediately, dozens of streaks of light shot down, landing in the hands of Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the others. Each person received a small, perfectly smooth jade bottle, which, upon opening, released a burst of fragrant aroma.

“This is the medicinal liquid to help you open your Sea of Suffering,” the elder imparting the techniques said, still concise and unwilling to waste a single word.

The Sea of Suffering integrates with the Wheel of Life. To release the vast amount of vital energy stored within the Wheel of Life, one must continuously open the Sea of Suffering.

The medicinal liquid in the small jade bottles was very precious; it was distributed only once every three months, with each person only able to receive four bottles per year.

Pang Bo's Sea of Suffering had been slowly changing. Over the past three months, it had expanded from the size of a jujube pit to that of a fingernail, with wisps of vital life energy swirling around it, making him appear much more spirited.

Even though Ye Fan also drank a small bottle of the medicinal liquid, there was still no change whatsoever. His Sea of Suffering remained utterly silent, unable to be opened, and he couldn't activate even a sesame-seed-sized area, with not a single trace of vital life energy flowing.

However, during these days, his strength and speed continued to grow. The energy within his body was practically boiling, and his qi and blood were exceptionally vigorous and surging, almost comparable to a flood dragon or an elephant.

“I'll just keep cultivating slowly like this. Even though I can't currently cultivate the Sea of Suffering or communicate with the Wheel of Life, my physique is growing stronger, which can't be a bad thing.”

“I think you're much more impressive than me. I cultivate the Sea of Suffering all day, but my strength hasn't increased, my speed hasn't improved, and I can't even use profound techniques. I really don't know what good this cultivation is,” Pang Bo complained.

The next day, he couldn't hold back and asked the elder imparting the techniques under the stone cliff, “Excuse me, Elder, do we have to keep cultivating like this? When will we be able to ride divine rainbows?”

The elder imparting the techniques glanced at him indifferently and said, “You must eat your food one bite at a time, and walk your path one step at a time. If you can't walk yet but want to run, you'll only stumble.”

Although the elder was reproaching him, he ultimately provided an answer, primarily to give hope to everyone below, and spoke about the subsequent stages of cultivation.

“Only when the Sea of Suffering is large enough can you proceed to the next stage of cultivation. That involves opening a passage within the Sea of Suffering that leads directly to the Wheel of Life at the bottom, forming a 'spring eye.' This will release the wellspring of divine power from the Wheel of Life. Only then can you be considered to have achieved something and be able to initially use profound techniques—the supernatural abilities you aspire to.”