Pure Yang!

Chapter 386 The Demon King of Qinling! The Golden Seal Imprisoning Demon of Thunder City

Xu Xuanguan, one of the nine elders of the Coffin Carrying Association, ranked sixth. He came from the Chunyang Xu family, studied Taoism in Maoshan, had a prominent status and a very high seniority, and was proficient in the methods of finding gold and digging tombs.

Zhang Fan had met him once before in Huizhou.

It was there that he saw the "Eight Princes Carrying a Coffin" painting and learned of the existence of the "Coffin Carrying Ceremony".

"Do you know Senior Xu?" Zhao Menglang asked, holding Zhang Fan's hand.

He had been searching for Xu Xuanguan for a long time, but such a person was elusive, appearing and disappearing like a dragon. Once he truly hid, there were very few people in the world who could find him.

"We've met once," Zhang Fan nodded.

"When?" Zhao Menglang pressed.

“Last year,” Zhang Fan said in a low voice.

Last year, he had an unforgettable experience in Huizhou Province.

He not only met Xu Laoliu, but also Mo Laowu, the leader of Qiyun Mountain.

There, he met Shenhou Yuan Lingguan and became acquainted with Zhang Wang.

The Qin family, a prominent local clan and a renowned lineage of Taoist practitioners, was wiped out by him, its family ruined and its former glory never to return.

"Last year?" Zhao Menglang's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

If Zhang Fan had seen Xu Xuanguan three or five years ago, the chances of finding him would have been very small. But since he saw him last year, there's a high probability he's still there.

"Where is Senior Xu?" Zhao Menglang blurted out.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Menglang quickly raised his hand to stop him.

"I was being presumptuous. How could I casually mention the place where you lived in seclusion, senior?"

Zhao Menglang was not only a member of the Taoist sect, but also had been in the business world for many years. He was shrewd and quick-witted, and knew exactly what was going on.

In his view, Zhang Fan's acquaintance with a senior master like Xu Xuanguan was both an opportunity and a blessing. If he were to casually reveal the senior's secluded cultivation location, he might turn a blessing into a disaster and ruin this opportunity.

Moreover, since Xu Xuanguan is living in seclusion, he doesn't want to be disturbed. If he could be found easily, it wouldn't show his sincerity.

“Brother, just tell me the general location. As for whether you can see the senior again, it depends on your sincerity and luck,” Zhao Menglang said solemnly.

“Huizhou Province, An'nan City!” Zhang Fan whispered.

"Annan City, good, I'll remember this favor." Zhao Menglang nodded emphatically and patted Zhang Fan on the shoulder.

"Brother, enough of this idle chatter. If you don't pick out a couple of treasures from here today, I won't stand for it."

"This……"

After a moment's thought, Zhang Fan had spent half a day browsing around, but apart from the ancient painting he couldn't bear to part with, he hadn't seen any other treasures that truly captivated him.

"Brother, do you have any fragments of magical artifacts here?" Zhang Fan suddenly asked, a thought flashing through his mind.

"Fragments of a magic weapon?" Zhao Menglang's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said softly, "You want to upgrade your magic weapon?"

All magical treasures require incense offerings and alchemical rituals. Only by treating them with sincerity can they gradually become spiritually connected and undergo gradual transformation through accumulated effort over time.

It generally takes one hundred years of offerings for a magical artifact to be upgraded to a Yellow Feather Magic Treasure.

Zhang Fan's [Majestic Spirit Suppressing Demon Golden Seal] is a Yellow Feather Magic Treasure, which has been enshrined for over two hundred years. It is still lacking the necessary conditions to be upgraded to a [Azure Feather Magic Treasure].

However, in the art of treasure refining, there is also a method of stealing the secrets of heaven and earth, which is to find other magical treasures as fertilizer, absorb the power of time and incense, or fuse with naturally occurring rare treasures, which can greatly shorten the time for advancement.

The Mighty Spirit Suppressing Demon Golden Seal was the first magic weapon Zhang Fan obtained, and it was a magic seal passed down from the Zhang family of Longhu Mountain. It had great potential, so he naturally wouldn't give it up.

Since obtaining it, it has been offered incense day and night and refined with the [Divine Demon Holy Embryo].

Even after it was damaged in Huizhou Province not long ago, it cost a huge sum of money to ask Fang Changle to bring it back to Maoshan for restoration.

“Yes, I have a treasure that I want to put some effort into.” Zhang Fan nodded.

“Fragments of magical artifacts are not cheap; they are hard to come by,” Zhao Menglang said in a deep voice.

Magical treasures are the foundation of a sect or clan.

While each generation may not produce a disciple with exceptional talent to inherit the family's legacy, magical artifacts can be passed down continuously. Moreover, with the accumulation of time, these magical artifacts will become stronger and stronger, and may even advance to higher ranks.

A single Yellow Feather Magic Treasure is enough for a family like the Xiong family of Yinshan to worship for generations.

Therefore, generally speaking, even if a magical artifact is damaged, the sect or family will spend a huge amount of money to repair it, and it is extremely rare for it to be destroyed into pieces.

Therefore, fragments of magical artifacts are extremely scarce. Even if they exist, many sects or families are happy to buy them and refine them into the foundation for their own sects and clans to offer as magical artifacts, thus saving time for advancement.

"Brother, what type of magic weapon do you have? Did you bring it?" Zhao Menglang asked.

The fusion of similar magical artifacts is more efficient and less costly.

"I did not bring any Dharma seals."

Zhang Fan told a lie. In fact, the [Mighty Spirit Suppressing Demon Golden Seal] was in his possession, but it was of dubious origin and belonged to the Zhang family. He was afraid that Zhao Menglang would be able to see through it.

“I do have a few fragments of Dharma seals here.”

After a moment's thought, Zhao Menglang spoke. If it were an ordinary person, he wouldn't be willing to sell these fragments; he could keep them as a favor for later.

In fact, if Zhang Fan hadn't known Xu Xuanguan, Zhao Menglang would never have brought out these treasures.

"Just wait for me."

As he spoke, Zhao Menglang turned and went into the shop's storeroom. Immediately afterwards, he heard the sound of a safe opening. A moment later, he came out carrying several wooden boxes and placed them on the table.

"Brother, you've come to the right place today. You wouldn't normally see these good things."

Seeing this, Zhang Fan and the others gathered around, and Zhao Menglang opened the boxes one by one.

"So many?" Meng Qiwu glanced at them, his eyes lighting up.

There are a total of nine fragments of magic seal-type artifacts; it would be difficult to find even one in other shops.

"Half of what I've accumulated over the years was brought from the Qinling Mountains," Zhao Menglang said in a low voice.

Meng Qiwu's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but say, "Uncle Zhao really has connections everywhere, even managing to get in touch with the great demon of Qinling!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan and Li Yishan exchanged a glance, their expressions revealing a strange look.

This Zhao Menglang is indeed no ordinary businessman.

All the demons and monsters in the world are hidden in the mountains and seas.

Nowadays, there are not many demons and monsters left in the mortal world, but places like the Ailao Mountains, the Qinling Mountains, the Changbai Mountains, the Ten Thousand Mountains, and the land of monsters in Sichuan and Chongqing are full of secret realms where demons and monsters dwell and spirits cultivate.

The Qinling Mountains, stretching for three thousand miles, are one of the three great dragon veins of China. They are more special than other mountain and sea secret realms, and the number of demons and ghosts in them alone ranks among the top three among many secret realms.

If you want to find treasures in the Qinling Mountains, you must break through the barrier between heaven and earth.

"You're making fun of your uncle again, trying to make a living." Zhao Menglang squinted and smiled.

“This is no joke. I’ve heard from the elders in the sect that the Qinling Demon Lord dislikes humans very much,” Meng Qiwu said solemnly.

Among the various mysterious realms of mountains and seas, the one who can surpass all demons and ghosts and become the strongest is the Demon Lord.

Zhang Fan had previously encountered the demon king of the Ten Thousand Mountains, also known as the bald old man, "Elephant Lord".

The Demon Lord's personality and style of doing things are all different.

Elephant is relatively gentle and low-key, and extremely friendly to humans. He is a man who lives in the world and holds many jobs, even distributing flyers for college entrance exam tutoring classes.

However, the Qinling Demon King was different. He loathed humans and even slaughtered them in the chaotic early years, using their primordial spirits as sustenance.

For this reason, ordinary cultivators who enter the Qinling Mountains and attempt to disturb the earth or retrieve treasures will inevitably encounter difficulties from the demons and ghosts of the Qinling Mountains.

Even a Celestial Master must follow the rules of the Qinling Mountains. "The Qinling Demon King... I've only seen him once," Zhao Menglang sighed.

Many years ago, he followed Xu Xuanguan into the Qinling Mountains, which stretch for three thousand miles. He was young then, and it was on that occasion that he met the legendary demon king of the Qinling Mountains.

That was a true king of demons, whose aura was awe-inspiring and terrifying, and he still finds it hard to forget.

It was on that occasion that he, relying on Xu Xuanguan, gained the tacit approval of the Qinling Demon King, which allowed him to come and go, retrieve treasures from the underground, and build this fortune over the years.

"The Qinling Tomb is a crime against the world, on par with the Beiman Tomb in Luoyang. I've long wanted to see it," Li Yishan suddenly exclaimed excitedly.

"Um!?"

Zhao Menglang raised his eyebrows slightly, gave Li Yishan a deep look, and then sniffed him.

"Young man, you smell quite earthy."

“I advise you not to have such thoughts. Xiao Meng is right. The Qinling Demon King is extremely hostile to humans. He has been hiding in the Qinling Mountains for sixty years and has not come out. Anyone who dares to break his rules will surely pay a heavy price,” Zhao Menglang warned.

"Having not set foot in the mortal world for sixty years, this demon king of the Qinling Mountains is truly capable of enduring loneliness," Zhang Fan couldn't help but say.

“It’s not that he doesn’t want to go out, it’s that he’s afraid to go out,” Meng Qiwu suddenly said.

"Don't you dare?"

"That's right, sixty years ago, he went to Mount Dongyue..."

"Sixty years ago, Mount Dongyue..."

At this time and in this place, it's easy for people to make connections.

"Indeed, that was the most watched battle in nearly a century, a clash between the world's number one martial arts master of the past and the world's number one martial arts master of today," Meng Qiwu said in a deep voice.

The battle between the Three Corpse Taoist and the Transcendental True Man attracted worldwide attention and naturally drew countless experts to watch.

That year, on that day, those who could ascend Mount Tai were all extraordinary figures standing atop the highest peaks, and the Demon King of Qinling was one of them.

"He was slapped hard across the face by the transcendent master from afar, and even the horns on his head were broken off. From then on, he retreated to the Qinling Mountains, which are three thousand miles away, and did not emerge from the world for sixty years."

"Truly, the Sixty Years of Demon-Slaying!" Zhang Fan exclaimed.

After the battle at the summit of Mount Dongyue, the demons and ghosts in the secret realms of mountains and seas have become much more low-key, and the Wuwei Sect has not shown its presence for sixty years.

This is the true value of a transcendent master.

“That old demon king has been holding back his anger for sixty years…” Meng Qiwu also looked at Li Yishan.

If a normal person could hold their breath for sixty years, they would probably be psychologically abnormal by now.

"I was just talking nonsense," Li Yishan said with a dry laugh.

"Let's look at the things," Zhao Menglang said.

The nine fragments of magic seal-type artifacts range in size from a thumb to a third of a fist.

Each fragment bears marks resembling tree rings; upon closer inspection, one can even detect a faint scent of incense and a subtle shimmering of spiritual light.

This is the remaining incense and spiritual energy on the fragments.

Upgrading a magical artifact involves absorbing the incense and spiritual energy from these fragments and incorporating it into the artifact itself, making it the essence of its age.

The absorption efficiency of similar magical artifacts is naturally the highest.

"I wonder which school of magic seals you possess, brother?" Zhao Menglang couldn't help but ask.

Different seals have different functions, materials, lineages, and attributes, so the effects of fusion will naturally vary greatly.

The Mighty Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal is made from the Mighty Spirit, the Demon-Suppressing power, and refined from Mysterious Gold.

Of the nine fragments before me, two are made of wood, three of jade, and the remaining four are made of metal.

Of these four metal fragments, two belong to the [Mysterious Yin] type, which directly contradicts the powerful and fierce magic seal in Zhang Fan's hand.

“These two fragments should fit together,” Zhang Fan couldn’t help but say.

One of the fragments, reddish like copper, emitted a surge of scorching heat when gently touched.

“This is a fragment of the [Blazing Sun Seal], which is also a Yellow Feather magic weapon. It originally belonged to a small family in the Qin Chuan region, but they disappeared eighty years ago. The magic weapon was broken, and I managed to get it from a wandering Taoist priest,” Zhao Menglang said softly.

These fragments of magical artifacts can all be traced back to their origins. This one didn't cost much, since the wandering Taoist hadn't even awakened his primordial spirit and couldn't possibly recognize its value.

Zhao Menglang only spent thirty yuan to acquire it.

"Brother, how much is this?" Zhang Fan asked.

“Brother, saying that shows you don’t consider your brother one of your own,” Zhao Menglang said unhappily.

"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't pay less than 800,000. But you're the brother, so I'll give it to you."

"How could I accept this? I can't accept a reward without having done anything right!"

Zhang Fan clutched the fragment of the [Blazing Sun Seal] tightly, trying his best to refuse.

“Brother, if you keep refusing, no matter how much money you offer, I won’t sell it to you,” Zhao Menglang said in a deep voice.

"OK then."

Zhang Fan hesitated for a moment, but could only agree, as he hadn't originally intended to give any money.

"This fragment..."

Zhang Fan's gaze shifted slightly, landing on the silver-white fragment beside him. The patterns on its surface were clearly visible, obviously an imprint.

"It's a pity that the incense and spiritual energy on it have almost completely dissipated."

"Brother, you have a good eye. This thing was dug out of the ground; it's been there for ages," Zhao Menglang exclaimed.

Fragments of magical artifacts are already destroyed. Over time, the incense and spiritual energy will dissipate, just like a person's body gradually decays after death and returns to the world.

"It's not bad to have even a fragment of the [Blazing Sun Seal]."

Zhang Fan knew that fragments of magical artifacts were already rare, and those that could match his [Mighty Spirit Suppressing Demon Golden Seal] were even rarer. It was already difficult to find even one fragment. However, it was clear that a single fragment was not enough to upgrade the [Mighty Spirit Suppressing Demon Golden Seal] to the Azure Feather Magical Artifact level.

"Boss, what's in this box? Why isn't it open?"

Just then, Li Yishan suddenly spoke up, noticing that one side of the box Zhao Menglang had brought out was still unopened.

"This……"

Zhao Menglang hesitated for a moment, then picked up the simple, antique brocade box.

“This is not just a fragment, but a broken seal…” Zhao Menglang said solemnly.

"Remnant Seal!?"

Li Yishan showed curiosity, the so-called incomplete seal was a damaged magic seal, which could still be repaired.

"This fragment of the seal has quite a history; it was once the Dharma seal of the Zhang family of Longhu Mountain." Zhao Menglang's change of tone made everyone's eyes light up.

Of all the Buddhist seals in the world, those from Longhu Mountain are the finest, with thirty-six large seals and seventy-two small seals, all of which are inscribed in golden books and are all top-tier treasures.

Even Zhang Fan's [Powerful Spirit Suppressing Demon Golden Seal] is recorded, ranking ninety-eighth in the Dragon Tiger Dharma Seal Golden Book.

"Uncle Zhao, you actually have the magic seal of Longhu Mountain in your hand. Which one is it?" Meng Qiwu looked at the box in Zhao Menglang's hand. She knew that this was a real treasure.

Zhao Menglang hesitated for a moment before uttering a name.

"Thunder City Demon-Imprisoning Golden Seal!"

(End of this chapter)