Pure Yang!

Chapter 430 The End of Dharma Arrives! I'll give you a little bit.
The cave was dimly lit, and the sound of dripping water could be heard.

The massive, hill-like serpentine boulder has distinct scales, and its coiled body occupies most of the cave, winding and stretching into who knows where.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that the snake's head was still wrapped with heavy chains, which were already covered with green moss.

"The Demon Lord... the Demon Lord of Tongluo Mountain? You're not dead?" Zhang Fan exclaimed in astonishment.

About a hundred years ago, the Three Corpses Taoist entered this place. He was pursued by the Dragon Tiger Mountain and attacked by the demons of the Copper Gong Mountain. At that time, although he had not yet reached the level of the world's number one master, he was still a top-notch master. With his Three Corpses illuminating his destiny and his magic applied to all things, he killed so many that the sky darkened and all the demons withered away.

Since then, Tongluo Mountain has been deserted for a century and has never recovered its vitality.

"The Three Corpses Taoist...he has suppressed me for nearly a hundred years..."

The deep, hoarse voice echoed in the seemingly endless cavern.

"Kid, is he still alive?"

“He’s dead,” Zhang Fan said solemnly.

"died!?"

The deep, hoarse voice froze for a moment, then rang out again after a brief silence.

"He's dead... His cultivation had reached the level of the world's greatest masters; there were only a handful of people who could surpass him. How did he die? Was it his destiny?"

That deep, hoarse voice sounded extremely calm, yet how many complex emotions were hidden within that calm?

“It seems that you have been suppressed for too long, senior…” Zhang Fan shook his head and murmured.

When the demon king of Tonglu Mountain was sealed away, the great calamity of the Taoist sect had not yet occurred. He could be considered to have benefited from the misfortune and escaped a calamity.

"The Three Corpses Taoist is not only a great master, but the number one in the world!"

"Number one in the world?"

"Number one in the world!"

Rumble…

Suddenly, the chains that had been sealed for many years began to vibrate faintly. At this moment, even the demon king of Tongluo Mountain, who had been suppressed for nearly a hundred years, was moved.

That man ultimately ascended to the throne of the world's number one, stepping over the bones of all the heroes under heaven.

The taboos of Taoism, the master of the non-action sect, standing at the highest peak to see eternity, cultivating the three corpses to illuminate one's nature and destiny.

"The best in the world... even the best in the world has its life-or-death fate!" A deep, hoarse voice echoed, carrying a hint of loneliness, as if a dear friend had passed away.

"How did he die?"

"He died atop Mount Dongyue, at the hands of Master Chu," Zhang Fan murmured.

"Master Chu? Where in this world is there a Master Chu? If one is called a Master, one must be at the Pure Yang Limitless Realm. Who is he? Who exactly is he?"

The rattling of the chains seemed even more shocking and unacceptable to the demon king of Tongluo Mountain, who had been suppressed for nearly a century.

“Chu Chaoran!” Zhang Fan uttered a name.

"Him? That brat from Zhenwu Mountain? He's attained the Pure Yang Limitless Dao?" A deep, hoarse voice conveyed an inexplicable sense of astonishment.

Back when the demon king of Tongluo Mountain was still around, Chu Chaoran was just a fledgling, unknown kid who couldn't even catch the eye of such a powerful ruler.

But time has passed, and in the hundred years of human life, so many things have happened.

In the past, he was an insignificant follower of the Taoist school, but he has now comprehended the Pure Yang Limitless and become the number one in the world today.

“Master Chu is now the number one expert in the world, and half of the Daoist sect,” Zhang Fan said in a deep voice.

"Half the country? Pure Yang Wuji is already a dead end in the human world, how could it be half the country? Could it be Longhu Mountain..."

“Longhu Mountain is gone,” Zhang Fan suddenly said.

"Gone?"

The mottled, ancient chains trembled once more. After being suppressed for a century, the news that the demon king of Tongluo Mountain heard was more and more shocking and unacceptable than the last.

It is truly a case of light-years passing within the cave, while a hundred years have passed in the world.

"We've suffered a great calamity," Zhang Fan murmured. This was a matter that couldn't be explained in just a few words.

"Eighty years ago, I sensed a major shift in the destiny of the Xijiang region. It seems this catastrophe has actually managed to affect even Longhu Mountain..."

The demon king of Tongluo Mountain remained silent, and this silence was even longer than before.

After all, who could have imagined that the Zhang family of Longhu Mountain, known as a family of immortals and undefeated for a thousand years, would suffer such a calamity?

Supernatural powers cannot defy fate. Indeed, there is no eternally invincible being in this world. As long as one remains in this mortal realm, great calamities will befall them.

Even knowing this, the former master of Tongluo Mountain could not calm down for a long time after learning that Longhu Mountain had been sealed off.

Yesterday the flowers were in full bloom, today they seem about to fall...

"A hundred years have passed in this mortal world!"

A deep, hoarse voice echoed softly, reverberating in the cool, clear cave, blending into the gentle dripping of water.

"senior……"

Just then, Zhang Fan spoke, pulling the former leader of the Tongluo Mountain back to reality.

"Rumors are circulating that you should have died at the hands of the Three Corpse Taoist, how come..."

Zhang Fan hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"So you're not dead, huh?"

Zhang Fan remained silent, only offering an awkward smile; his question was indeed somewhat presumptuous.

"Because he was moved with compassion."

“Compassion!?” Zhang Fan was taken aback.

Based on his understanding of the Three Corpse Taoist, such a ruthless and cunning man, with a mind as firm as a mountain and a will that transcends the clouds, was decisive in killing and had taken countless lives in his life. How could he possibly be moved by compassion or have any mercy?

“Young man, your understanding of compassion is merely a deluded mind and attachment; petty kindness and small acts of kindness are not worth mentioning.”

A deep, husky voice rang out, as if it could see through Zhang Fan's thoughts.

“Back then, that man said that the Dharma-ending Age has arrived, and it will be difficult for great cultivators to emerge in the world. If this continues, my path will be isolated and all the Dharmas will wither. Considering how difficult my cultivation was, and that I was destined to suffer this calamity to enter this realm, he simply trapped me here. If I can see the light of day again in the future, there will surely be a great destiny.”

The voice of the demon king of Tongluo Mountain drifted into the flowing water, carrying a hint of lingering charm.

"A man like him, with corpses lying for miles around him, having killed countless people and slain countless demons... yet he possessed such great compassion..."

"This magnanimity is like the way of Heaven, compassionate to all beings, embracing all things, yet ruthless in its killing. Whether good or bad, kind or evil, they are all merely a part of it..."

"Confused yet unified, yet with clear and distinct thoughts..."

"At that time, I knew he was about to succeed..."

"He is about to reach the level of the patriarchs and great masters of alchemy of past generations."

His deep, husky voice carried a hint of longing and anticipation.

Even though they were mortal enemies, that man still commanded respect and moved people deeply.

"The Dharma-ending Age..."

Zhang Fan murmured softly. He seemed to see that man standing on the highest peak, looking down on all living beings, only to see all things in quiescence, the incense in the temple withering away, his body filled with killing, yet his heart filled with compassion.

This contradiction, like yin and yang, like good and evil, is a fusion of opposites, and it appears in that man.

Only with such magnanimity and temperament could one achieve the highest position in the world.

“Indeed, he said, the end of the Dharma has arrived, just as Lu Zu said back then.” The demon chief of Tongluo Mountain sighed.

When Taoist practices are rampant, only one or two out of ten people will attain enlightenment.

Therefore, in ancient times, numerous masters of alchemy emerged. Not to mention the realm of pure yang and limitless essence, even among terrestrial immortals, there were always those who could attain it in the mortal world, every hundred years or so. Masters like Xu Zu, Lü Zu, Qiu Zu, and Ge Zu were all born in this way, attaining the Great Dao of immortality in the mortal world.

However, with the Dharma-ending Age approaching, even among hundreds of millions of practitioners, only one will attain enlightenment.

Now, Chunyang is the pinnacle of humanity, and in the vastness of heaven and earth, only Chu Chaoran remains.

"As Lu Zu once said, when iron birds take to the sky and iron horses gallop, it is the time when the end of the Dharma will come," the demon chief of Tongluo Mountain said in a deep voice.

"Before I was robbed, the world had already changed drastically. Western steamships were rolling in, and iron birds were soaring through the sky..."

"The world is becoming increasingly polluted, and people's hearts are restless, making it no longer suitable for spiritual practice."

“That man is right, the Dharma-ending Age that Lu Zu spoke of has arrived.”

The demon king of Tongluo Mountain spoke in a deep voice. After a hundred years, he seemed to have gradually come to understand the demeanor and vision of the Three Corpse Taoist back then.

“We were born in an era of declining Dharma, which is a tragedy for practitioners,” Zhang Fan said softly, bowing his head.

In this day and age, the state of pure Yang and limitless energy is a dead end for humanity.

As time goes by, in the years to come, perhaps the Celestial Master will become the highest realm in the mortal world.

In the future, the titles of "Abbot," "Head of the Fast," "Great Master," and even "High Priest" will become legends.

In the end, the primordial spirit of all beings is difficult to awaken, cultivation becomes a legend, people's spiritual awareness can no longer be opened, and they can only sink into this illusory world created by the coming together and separation of thoughts.

That will be the end of the Dharma, the time when the Dharma will perish.

Living beings are confused and ignorant, sinking into the sea of ​​suffering in the mortal world, and can never escape.

"The end times have come, the Dharma has perished and the Way has ended," Zhang Fan murmured softly.

Standing in this secluded cave, he seemed to be able to sense the state of mind of the Three Corpses Daoist; the number one master in the world seemed to still be here.

His demeanor is like a brand, etched into time and space, indelible.

“Senior…” Zhang Fan suddenly said.

"explain."

"Is there any way to get you out of this predicament?" Zhang Fan changed the subject and asked.

hum...

The demon king of Tongluo Mountain fell silent. After a long while, his deep, hoarse voice finally rose again.

"You brat, what makes you think you can save me from this predicament?"

“Man proposes, God disposes. A hundred years have passed, and it is fate that I was able to stumble into this place. Perhaps it is all preordained, and there is no reason for it to happen,” Zhang Fan said softly.

“Young man, you’re quite the sharp-tongued one. It seems you’re not a disciple of the Daoist sect,” said the demon chief of Tongluo Mountain.

"Why do you say that, senior?"

"I was once a demon from Mount Tongluo, a number one among the mountain and sea monsters. If you were a Taoist disciple, you would avoid me like the plague. Why would you want to save me from my death?" The deep, hoarse voice sneered.

"Are you a disciple of the Wuwei School?"

"Junior Zhang Fan!"

“Zhang Fan…you’re surnamed Zhang?” The demon king of Tongluo Mountain was clearly taken aback.

“That’s right, the Zhang family of Longhu Mountain.” Zhang Fan nodded.

"So you're a descendant of the Zhang family of Longhu Mountain? No wonder... no wonder..."

"No wonder you have such good fortune to be able to enter this place, see me, and remain calm and focused. I was wondering which family trained you as a disciple." The demon king of Tongluo Mountain murmured.

From the moment Zhang Fan stepped into the cave, he observed that such a temperament would be one in a million, even in his time.

"Be especially wary of the people from Longhu Mountain. Those who offer unsolicited kindness are either up to no good or are thieves. What do you want from them?"

"Senior's insight is truly remarkable," Zhang Fan said with a smile.

"I am young and inexperienced, and have made many powerful enemies. Now I want to establish my own sect in Xijiang, and I lack a master like you to guard my sect," Zhang Fan said frankly.

Just as Zhang Wuming said, the mortal sect was newly established. Even if it unified the scattered cultivators in various parts of Xijiang, there were still behemoths like Sanqing Mountain, Gezao Mountain, and Magu Mountain ahead of it. If there were no masters of the Heavenly Master level to guard it, the foundation would be unstable. If the Heavenly Heart were to be angry, even the greatest achievements would vanish into thin air.

"You little brat, you want me to be your henchman?"

"Hahaha..." The deep, hoarse voice suddenly burst into laughter.

"I apologize for my rudeness, I know this has been unfair to me..."

"It's not abrupt, it's naive."

The deep, hoarse voice interrupted Zhang Fan: "Look up."

As he spoke, Zhang Fan looked up and saw a picture on the dome of the cave, resembling a winding mountain range or a dragon soaring into the distance.

"This is... the dragon vein formation of Tongluo Mountain?" Zhang Fan's expression changed slightly.

"good."

"This place is mysterious, with the appearance of a dragon vein above and the body of a snake demon below, which corresponds to the Taoist secret of dragons and snakes."

In Taoist internal alchemy practice, the dragon and snake are extremely important metaphors, like water and fire, or yin and yang.

When dragons and snakes intertwine, the elixir is formed, containing the great secrets of Taoist internal alchemy.

"The red dragon and the black snake each go east and west, the four symbols intersect in the earthly branches. If one obtains the profound mystery, transformations will occur, and the elixir will be refined to achieve the Primordial Chaos Technique."

A deep, hoarse voice echoed in Zhang Fan's ears.

"The layout here is extraordinary; it's the inner elixir of heaven and man in harmony, dragon and snake united!" Zhang Fan mused.

"Indeed, if you want to save me from this predicament, you must comprehend the mystery of this dragon and snake formation, and use the dragon vein of Tongluo Mountain to reverse yin and yang and break the calamity that befalls me."

"Leaving aside whether you can comprehend its mysteries, can your primordial spirit and physical body withstand the power of the Tongluo Mountain dragon vein?"

The deep, hoarse voice carried a hint of mockery.

Even if you can overcome two obstacles, there is still the most difficult one.

"Huh?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask.

Comprehending the secret of the dragon and snake's union and absorbing the power of the Tongluo Mountain dragon vein—these two steps alone are insurmountable hurdles. In addition, there is another obstacle.

Only by breaking through three barriers can we help this former demon king of Tongluo Mountain escape his predicament?

"Is the Three Corpses Taoist playing a trick on you?" Zhang Fan wondered to himself.

"What was the most difficult hurdle?" Zhang Fan pressed.

"Ugh……"

The demon king of Tongluo Mountain sighed: "This seal was personally set up by the Three Corpse Taoist. His cultivation method is extraordinary; it is one of the Nine Methods, the Three Corpse Illumination of Fate."

"Unless the primordial spirits are of the same origin, it will be difficult to break the seal," sighed the demon chief of Tongluo Mountain.

In other words, only masters who cultivate the "Three Corpses Illuminating Fate" technique have the opportunity to break its seal.

"What a pity, those who practice this method in this world are almost like roosters that lay eggs..."

"almost none."

The deep, hoarse voice carried a hint of bitterness.

"The Three Corpses Reflect Fate? I know a little bit," Zhang Fan suddenly said.

"You can!?"

A deep, hoarse voice suddenly rang out, filled with deep astonishment and disbelief.

(End of this chapter)