Pure Yang!

Chapter 429 The Great Prosperity of the Central Ancestor for Three Hundred Years! The Boss of Tongluo Mountain
Tongluo Mountain, with a crescent moon hanging in the sky, looks just like a fox's squinting eyes.

The bright moonlight spilled onto the cool, clear mountains.

The clouds have dispersed, and the wind is blowing fiercely.

Zhang Fan and Xu Jinian walked through the mountains where there was no path.

"Brother, can you take a break?"

Xu Jinian stopped in his tracks, supporting himself on his knees, panting heavily, large beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

Zhang Fan had reached a high level of cultivation, his physical body had transcended the mortal realm, and his true yang energy was boiling. Walking through these rugged mountains was as easy as walking on flat ground.

However, Xu Jinian was different. He had always relied on his own exploration to move forward, and he had never been able to comprehend anything about sexual cultivation. As for the path of life cultivation, it could not be mastered without the transmission of a master. To put it bluntly, he was just a mortal.

"Although you haven't received the true teachings, your foundation is quite good," Zhang Fan said with a gentle smile as he turned around.

"It's incredible that I could cultivate to this level by figuring it out myself."

Originally, half an hour ago, Zhang Fan thought that Xu Jinian was about to give up, but who knew that he would hold on until now. Especially in the mountains, where the mountains are high and the roads are dangerous and miasma is rampant, such a desperate situation can stimulate Xu Jinian's potential.

"It can't be considered entirely self-taught," Xu Jinian said, shaking his head.

"I also collected a lot of information online, including a lot about ancient Taoist alchemy practices, which was very helpful to me."

"Especially before, I followed someone on [Little Yellow Book]. He had many ingenious ideas, and I would occasionally send him private messages to ask for his advice. He would also guide me and give me a lot of help," Xu Jinian said solemnly.
"A pornographic book?" Zhang Fan was taken aback.

"what is his name?"

“A thousand-year-old demon,” Xu Jinian uttered a name.

"..."

"A while ago, he suddenly deleted his account, and I don't know why," Xu Jinian sighed.

"Maybe there are just too many little black guys."

"..."

"These days, trolls are the biggest demons on the internet," Xu Jinian sighed.

"You've even gotten yourself into some thoughts while browsing the internet," Zhang Fan rolled his eyes and said, "Are you rested enough? If you are, get up and get going."

"No, brother, why are you getting so worked up? Let's rest a bit more," Xu Jinian pleaded.

"What rest? How long have you been resting? How old are you? You're already exhausted?" Zhang Fan glanced at him sideways, grabbed Xu Jinian, and started rushing on as fast as he could.

"Brother, I really can't go on, I'm so weak," Xu Jinian said, shaking his head.

This mountain road... ugh, there's no road at all!
Roar……

Just then, a low growl came from behind. Zhang Fan turned around and saw the giant worm standing in the distance, staring straight at them.

"How come it's still here?" Xu Jinian was stunned.

"It has been following us all the way."

Zhang Fan looked at the large worm with a meaningful expression.

"Why is it following us?" Xu Jinian asked, puzzled.

"Brother, I've heard that Tiger Gun Wine is a great tonic..."

Roar……

In the distance, the striped tiger seemed to have heard Xu Jinian's words. It trembled and roared through the forest, stirring up a gust of wind that swept across the surrounding vegetation, making the surrounding plants tremble with fear.

Xu Jinian shrank back, his words abruptly cut off.

Zhang Fan smiled and waved to the large worm in the distance.

boom……

The striped tiger was indeed intelligent and responsive. With one step, it traversed the cliffs and walls as if walking on flat ground, and arrived in front of Zhang Fan.

"You're quite clever," Zhang Fan said with a smile, patting the worm's head. The worm tilted its head back slightly, like a domesticated kitten, exposing its belly.

"The more I look at this thing, the more it looks like... a dog!?" Xu Jinian muttered.

"Brother, it's clinging to you, wanting your guidance."

Zhang Fan remained silent, only nodding.

In ancient times, great masters of alchemy would go deep into the mountains to cultivate. If they encountered spirits or monsters, they would have the opportunity to receive guidance from these Taoist masters, which was far better than struggling and groping in the mountains, wasting time in a daze, without ever finding the right method.

A hundred years ago, the Three Corpse Taoists wreaked havoc on Tongluo Mountain, and even the local demons could not escape. Since then, this secret realm of mountains and seas has withered and declined, demons and ghosts have become rare, and spirits have disappeared. It has long lost its former glory.

“A century has passed, prosperity and decline have turned to nothingness, and our meeting is a sign of great fortune.” Zhang Fan looked at the docile worm and said meaningfully.

"You'll come with me."

Roar……

As if it understood, the giant worm lay prostrate on all fours and kowtowed repeatedly to Zhang Fan.

"I'll give you a name." Zhang Fan thought for a moment.

"Large Mountain Lord, Small Axe."

"Little Axe!?" Xu Jinian was stunned for a moment, looking puzzled.

He could understand that tigers were called "mountain lords" in ancient times.

The phrase "singing and roaring in the forest, responding to the mountain lord" refers to the tiger.

"Why is it called Little Axe?" Xu Jinian couldn't help but ask.

"Little tiger," Zhang Fan replied, "Never heard of it?"

"..."

"Brother...you're so witty!" Xu Jinian forced an awkward smile.

"Let's go!"

Zhang Fan glanced at it, then pointed to the mountain king's back: "You ride it."

Roar……

As soon as he finished speaking, the mountain lord let out a roar and glared coldly at Xu Jinian, as if expressing his dissatisfaction.

If it were carrying Zhang Fan, it would naturally have no objections, but if it were carrying Xu Jinian, it wouldn't even want to glance at him.

“That’s it,” Zhang Fan said softly.

The mountain lord let out a heavy sigh, but stopped protesting and instead lowered his body.

"Then I won't be polite."

Xu Jinian grinned and leaped onto the mountain tiger's back.

Rumble…

Almost at the same moment, the mountain tiger leaped high into the air, becoming a blur in the moonlight, moving swiftly through the forest with speed and ferocity unlike any ordinary wild beast.

"go!"

Zhang Fan took a step forward and caught up with the Mountain Lord's figure. The wind howled in his ears like thunder.

"elder brother!"

Xu Jinian clung tightly to Shan Jun's neck, his head spinning from the jolting. Every time he opened his mouth, a gust of wind rushed in, squeezing his internal organs together, making him feel so uncomfortable he wanted to die.

Xu Jinian's leather scroll map was left behind many years ago. Tongluo Mountain has undergone many changes, and the landscape is vastly different from what is shown on the map. Zhang Fan tried to find the map but failed several times.

Fortunately, the mountain spirit had been cultivating in the mountains for many years and had traveled to many places, so he was quite familiar with the area. With his guidance, they finally gradually approached the source of the map.

"right here……"

The path twists and turns, and suddenly a bright light appears before your eyes. Deep in the mountains, a cave is hidden, resembling a half-overturned furnace, perched in the middle of a valley, covered by lush vegetation and shrouded in mist.

"A wondrous realm for cultivation," Zhang Fan murmured softly. Just by observing, he could tell that the atmosphere here was different. Stepping into it, all kinds of emotions dissipated, thoughts subsided, and the mind became clear and serene.

In such a place, ordinary people can easily enter a state of tranquility. With each breath, their primordial spirit may awaken, and they may embark on the profound path of cultivation, never to be the same again.

"A blessed land indeed! No wonder all the alchemists love to go to the mountains, and no wonder all the major schools of thought are vying for such blessed lands," Zhang Fan exclaimed.

With such a blessed place, the chances of producing talented individuals are much greater, and the awakening of the primordial spirit is much easier to overcome in terms of cultivation alone.

However, in such places, the crowd cannot be too mixed. If there are too many people, their thoughts will become entangled, their emotions will become intertwined, making it difficult to calm down, and it may even affect the local weather.

In layman's terms, a person's magnetic field is influenced by the environment and by other people. When a person is practicing spiritual cultivation alone, the influence of the environment is most pure. However, with more people around, there are more sources of influence, and the effect is naturally greatly reduced.

This is why, in ancient times, a mountain temple would not have too many disciples. Too many disciples would create a chaotic magnetic field, and even if it was a celestial abode or a blessed land of the mystical sect, the effectiveness of cultivation would be greatly reduced.

Unlike now, even famous Taoist mountains have mostly been turned into scenic areas, and there will never be another time when great masters of alchemy emerge one after another like in ancient times.

"Lingbao!?"

Zhang Fan looked up and saw two characters faintly carved above the cave entrance. Each stroke was winding and crooked, not like a man-made carving, but like a masterpiece of nature.

"It seems to contain the power of talismans." Zhang Fan seemed to understand something.

This place was where the ancestors of Gezao Mountain refined elixirs in the past. At its peak, Gezao Mountain ranked among the Three Mountains of Talismans and the ancestral temple of Lingbao, and could stand shoulder to shoulder with Longhu.

"It looks like it's been abandoned for a long time," Xu Jinian murmured.

“Gezao Mountain has been in decline for many years,” Zhang Fan murmured.

The conflict over the Three Mountains Talismans led to the gradual decline of the Lingbao Sect. Even their Lingbao Altar was no longer complete. It was only after the establishment of the kingdom that they slowly searched for and restored the relics of their predecessors.

"Let's go."

Zhang Fan raised his hand to indicate that such a cave dwelling, a relic of cultivation by predecessors, would certainly not have the so-called array formations, mossy steps, and grassy barriers found in novels.

"This place is really big."

As you enter the cave, you see specks of light on the surrounding walls, like fireflies, scattered and dimly lit, yet gathered together to dispel the darkness inside.

"This is a substance left over from ancient alchemy. When applied to walls, it can provide illumination," Xu Jinian said solemnly.

He had seen this kind of thing in the ancient books of Gezao Mountain. It was called "Dan Liuying". It could not only provide light, but also produce a strange fragrance at night, which could calm the mind and repel snakes, insects and rodents.

Modern Taoist alchemy practitioners rarely produce this substance anymore. It's not that the methods have been lost, but rather that many medicinal herbs are no longer potent enough.

Ancient medicinal herbs were hidden deep in the mountains and marshes, absorbing the essence of the mountains and rivers and the brilliance of the sun and moon. Only after aging for a sufficient number of years could they have miraculous effects.

However, nowadays, with the help of modern technology to accelerate growth and maturation, these medicinal materials cannot be compared with those of ancient times.

Roar……

The tiger let out a soft roar, its tail swept across, and its proud head turned to one side, seemingly quite disdainful of Xu Jinian's showing off.

Xu Jinian's gaze was cold; he merely glanced at Shan Jun's tiger spear and remained silent.

"Um!?"

Just then, Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow and saw a small stone carving on the wall to his right. It looked extremely rough, but the artistic conception was perfectly formed and lifelike.

The painting depicts a figure dressed in a Taoist robe, exuding a refined and elegant air. He rides a strange beast that appears to be a fierce tiger, and a high altar stands behind him.

Zhang Fan looked at it, his gaze shifting slightly until it landed on the two lines of small print beside it:
Lingbao is shrouded in dust and rarely seen by the heavens; I have been cultivating in the mountains for countless years.

Now, time has changed everything, and the Central Ancestor has prospered for three hundred years.

“The Zhongzu Dynasty prospered for three hundred years…” Zhang Fan murmured softly.

"Brother, what does this mean?" Xu Jinian couldn't help but ask.

"Don't understand?" Zhang Fan said casually.

"I don't understand it. All I see is a little person jumping around on it. It's making my head spin," Xu Jinian said, shaking his head.

"Did you see a little person jumping up there?"

Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment, then looked suspicious.

“Brother, can’t you see it? It’s right here on this character. Look, he’s jumped to that ancestor now,” Xu Jinian pointed out.

Zhang Fan frowned slightly and remained silent.

He looked at Xu Jinian, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Xiao Xu, remember the movements of that little man and the trajectory of his motion..."

"Okay, brother, I'll do as you say." Xu Jinian nodded, rubbed his eyes, and looked at the jumping little figure. His primordial spirit was greatly depleted, and he soon felt tired.

"Brother, what does this mean?" Xu Jinian couldn't help but ask.

"These writings must have been left by the founder of the Lingbao School. Such a being possessed profound cultivation and had long foreseen the decline of the Lingbao School..."

“However, this patriarch said that cultivation in the mountains is not measured in years… cultivation in the mountains is not measured in years…” Zhang Fan paused slightly and murmured softly.

"In later generations, there will be a patriarch who will restore the spirit of Gezao Mountain, and the incense will be passed on again. He will seize the fortune of heaven and earth and make Lingbao flourish for three hundred years."

As he spoke, Zhang Fan glanced at Xu Jinian, a hint of suspicion rising in his eyes. He then turned to look at Shan Jun.

"Roar……"

Just then, the mountain lord let out a roar, drawing Zhang Fan's attention.

Amidst the rampant growth of grass and vines, a dark bronze furnace was revealed, its surface covered with mottled green rust.

"Is this a furnace for alchemy?"

Zhang Fan looked surprised. He reached out and placed his hand on the cauldron. He could still feel some warmth. Looking up, he saw a huge hole in the dome, through which moonlight shone down and fell directly on the cauldron.

Zhang Fan stared intently, and in the blink of an eye, the moonlight seemed to seep into the furnace, and the next moment, new moonlight poured down.

It felt as if the stove could breathe.

"Tsk tsk..."

Zhang Fan looked up and couldn't help but marvel at the sight of the charred remains left by lightning strikes around the hole in the dome.

"I've heard that the external alchemy method of Gezao Mountain is incredibly profound, capable of sealing the power of heaven and earth within a furnace to refine elixirs and miraculous medicines," Zhang Fan murmured.

Lightning, moonlight, mountain wind, dew... these are all things that can be seen in nature. All things are spiritual and contain the essence of heaven and earth. The most exquisite method of alchemy is to gather all things and condense creation.

“Brother, you mean…” Xu Jinian’s eyes lit up. Wasn’t this the reason he came to Tongluo Mountain?

"It seems the map was true; the founder of Gezao Mountain did indeed refine elixirs here." Zhang Fan's eyes lit up.

"Brother, what about inside this furnace..."

"I don't know if there are any more elixirs in here. It looks like there are, but you can't just open these kinds of things carelessly," Zhang Fan said, shaking his head.

"You all stay here and watch the stove. I'll go in and see if I can find any clues."

"it is good."

Xu Jinian and Shan Jun nodded at the same time and stood guard on either side of the stove.

Zhang Fan turned around and went deeper into the cave. At first, the path was extremely narrow, only wide enough for one person. It was pitch black in front of him. He didn't know how long he walked, but suddenly the path ahead became bright and spacious.

Zhang Fan took a step into the air and landed on the ground, splashing up icy water.

"here it is……"

Zhang Fan looked around. There were still many [Danliu Fireflies] left on the walls. Under the dim yellow light, it could be vaguely seen that this place seemed to be a huge underground cave.

Before him lay jagged rocks, especially the massive lava in front of Zhang Fan. Though only ten steps away, it was as tall as three or four stories high, and at first glance, it resembled a giant snake's head.

"What a huge snake-head rock!" Zhang Fan couldn't help but exclaim.

Nature's artistry is truly remarkable, and many strange rocks resemble giant pythons or snakes; those that look like snake heads are called Snake Head Rocks.

Zhang Fan had seen many such things online, but he had never seen one so big and so realistic, with even scales on it.

Thinking of this, Zhang Fan walked in the dark river and couldn't help but move closer, reaching out to touch it.

"After all these years, I've finally seen a living person again."

Just then, a cold, hoarse voice echoed through the cave.

Zhang Fan's expression changed slightly, and he suddenly stopped.

"Who?"

Upon hearing this, he suddenly realized what was happening and stared intently at the enormous snake-head rock in front of him.

"Is he a disciple of the Daoist sect, or a member of the Wuwei sect?" The deep, hoarse voice rang out again.

"Who exactly are you?" Zhang Fan pressed.

“Me? I was once the master of this Tongluo Mountain.”

"Huh? You're the demon king of Tongluo Mountain?" Zhang Fan asked in surprise.

“That’s right, I used to be the boss of Tongluo Mountain!” The deep, hoarse voice was spoken with a southern Guangdong accent.

(End of this chapter)