Pure Yang!

Chapter 485 Taoist Calamity! A Suspected Old Friend Arrives
The next day, at Yinxu in Chang'an.

Zhang Fan left Meng Qiwu behind and came as promised, entering this underground world once again through the dilapidated Taoist temple from last time.

"Why does it feel different from last time?"

Looking at the bluestone path under his feet, Zhang Fan felt that the color was even lighter than last time. The shops on both sides were also different. There were two stone bridges made of white bones over the endless dark river, which looked like the skeletons of some kind of large fish.

“The structure of Yinxu is very special; even slight tremors can cause the forks and underground rivers to change course.” An Wuyang followed from behind.

Today, he was dressed quite athletically, looking like a fair-skinned physical education student, no longer the Taoist priest in his robes he used to be.

“The same entrance may lead you to a different street than the one you entered last time,” An Wuyang said calmly.

"It's like a maze," Zhang Fan remarked thoughtfully.

“Yinxu was formed by a natural disaster and is located on the dragon vein of Chang’an. It is no less than the Mountain and Sea Secret Realm,” An Wuyang said solemnly.

The mysterious realms of mountains and seas, inhabited by demons and monsters, and the blessed lands and grottoes of Taoist cultivators, are all wondrous realms created by the workings of heaven and earth. Since they are naturally formed, they are bound to have both wondrous creations and perilous tribulations, just like the yin and yang of life and death.

"That is why, even if one's spirit leaves the body and wanders beyond the physical world, it is still difficult to see the whole picture of this labyrinth."

"I heard from the elders in the sect that the location of Yinxu is exactly the stomach of Chang'an's dragon vein."

"Stomach!?" Zhang Fan's heart skipped a beat, and then he suddenly realized.

No wonder it can devour everything on the ground and wriggles every now and then.

If it is a dragon vein stomach, the creation of heaven and earth must contain unpredictable dangers. Ordinary experts really cannot casually use their primordial spirit to spy on it.

"In this maze-like place, can you really find that life-giving organ?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask.

On his second visit to Yinxu, he could feel the extraordinary nature of this place even more.

Finding treasures here is like finding a needle in a haystack; the difficulty is unimaginable.

"I have a way of doing things, just follow me."

As he spoke, An Wuyang turned around and darted into a dark fork in the road.

It doesn't lead to ancient city ruins, but to the heart of this underground world.

Seeing this, Zhang Fan took a step forward and followed.

The unpredictable underground world is a maze of branching passages, dark and narrow, with moss on the slippery rock walls gleaming with an eerie light, illuminating this world that seems like an abyss.

Occasionally, in open spaces, underground rivers intertwine and flow back and forth, with several branching paths around, leading to unknown destinations.

In such a place, setting aside the hidden dangers, even with ample supplies, an ordinary person would likely develop rheumatism, arthritis, and various other ailments after staying there for half a month.

Zhang Fan and An Wuyang are both highly skilled martial artists.

Zhang Fan, in particular, had mastered the art of life cultivation. His lungs vibrated with each breath, which could dispel the biting, damp cold air. His bright eyes shone, and even in the darkest of times, he could see clearly.

Even in more adverse environments, they can face them with equanimity.

Rumble…

After running for a while, a roaring sound suddenly came from ahead, like the howl of a wild beast.

Stepping out of the narrow stone path, the view suddenly opened up before me. Gusts of gray wind came from nowhere, falling from above and crashing against the ground, sending sand and stones flying and filling the open space in front of me. At first glance, it looked as big as five or six football fields.

"This is the Heavenly Brain Wind!?" An Wuyang's eyes darkened, and his expression changed drastically.

In Taoist medical theory, wind is the first of the "six evils" and the chief of all diseases. It comes and goes quickly and changes rapidly.

In ancient times, when a person fell ill and experienced symptoms such as facial paralysis, hemiplegia, etc., it was called a stroke.

In modern medicine, this is cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, or a problem with the brain.

The Heavenly Brain Wind is a similar evil wind that enters from the crown of the head and specifically destroys the primordial spirit. Even a great master with ninefold spiritual light that is perfectly integrated can not avoid being affected by this evil wind.

If one cannot withstand it, the spiritual light will shatter, the primordial spirit will be calamized, and one's cultivation will be destroyed in an instant.

In the past, Taoists regarded this as one of the "wind disasters".

Some great masters of alchemy, highly skilled cultivators, and those with profound abilities will seek out this wind, capture it, refine it into precious elixirs, and hide it in the mountains. With the guidance of the sun and moon, and over many years, it can become a treasure for corpse liberation.

"Let's take a detour."

"This wind is dangerous; even a Great Master would find it difficult to survive." An Wuyang's expression was solemn as he looked at the chaotic wind disaster, a deep sense of apprehension rising in his profound eyes.

For cultivators, this wind is a calamity, and this place is a dead end.

He had once met a senior uncle in the sect who had mistakenly entered an ancient cave in the mountains many years ago and suffered this misfortune. As a result, his primordial spirit was completely destroyed and his cultivation was lost. Now he was a mess, living deep in the sect, with a crooked mouth and eyes. He needed someone to help him take care of his daily life and had truly become a useless person.

That senior uncle was once at the seventh level of the Great Master realm.

“No need, just follow behind me,” Zhang Fan whispered.

As soon as he finished speaking, he took a step forward and swept past An Wuyang.

"Don't rush..." An Wuyang's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, and he tried to stop him, but it was too late.

Almost at the same moment, Zhang Fan stepped into the raging storm.

Suddenly, he opened his mouth and let out a piercing long howl. His chest burst open, and the [Heavenly Brain Wind] falling from the sky was sucked into Zhang Fan's mouth as if it were pouring in.

"This is……"

This scene was so shocking that An Wuyang's pupils suddenly contracted, and a deep shock appeared on his previously calm face.

With flesh and blood, they traversed the abyss through the long night, swallowing the calamity without flinching.

In a daze, he saw a faint spiritual light emerging from Zhang Fan's body, originating from the dragon's spine, flowing through the entire body, and golden light floating in his dantian, giving rise to immortality, as if seizing the wonders of the dragon and tiger, and as if comprehending the secrets of life and death.

"Qi transforms into dragon and tiger, life cultivation reaches its peak!?" An Wuyang's eyes trembled, and he exclaimed in astonishment.

Gods and demons hang upside down, devouring the nine netherworlds; dragons and tigers refine the essence of yin and yang.

The crimson light shattered the Yama's palace, and the heroic spirit overturned the Meng Po Pavilion.

The scoundrels and tyranny swam past him, their names removed from the Book of Life and Death.

The elixir of mystery leads to the path to heaven, and I realize that my fate is not determined by heaven.

Such an achievement is rarely seen in history; he escaped death from a bottomless abyss and broke through the wind calamity with the completion of the Dragon and Tiger Elixir.

"The Supreme Realm of Fasting... He's reached the Supreme Realm of Fasting?"

An Wuyang murmured softly, her heart already churning with turbulent emotions.

It had only been a short time since they parted ways at Zhenwu Mountain; he and Zhang Fan had only been apart for two or three months.

In such a short time, he completed the transformation from heaven to man, perfected his life cultivation, refined an inner elixir, and stepped into the realm that all alchemists dream of!
At this moment, An Wuyang's expression gradually became serious, and the way he looked at Zhang Fan was different.

Such a person, possessing extraordinary abilities and facing numerous tribulations, already possesses extraordinary powers and cultivation levels; it would be impossible for them to advance so rapidly.

Rumble…

Suddenly, a soft sound arose, pulling An Wuyang back to reality.

Zhang Fan's body trembled violently, his essence and blood flowed like a river, his pores opened, and his vigorous essence surged out, boiling wildly, actually shaking away the surrounding gale and creating a windless zone with a radius of five meters.

"Follow me," Zhang Fan called out as he turned around.

An Wuyang composed himself, took a step, and stepped into the windless zone that was five meters in diameter.

"Walk."

Zhang Fan's body roared at a strange frequency, and a terrifying aura surged like waves, shaking back the raging wind that was falling from the sky.

The two walked one after the other in the open space where the wind and sand were boiling.

Following behind Zhang Fan, An Wuyang could naturally sense the terror and mystery of that body with its perfected life cultivation.

That sense of oppression was even more terrifying than the typhoon.

"You've actually reached the level of a head of the fast. There are too few head of the fast before the age of thirty."

Finally, An Wuyang couldn't help but speak up.

"This world is too vast. Besides the present, there is the past, and besides the past, there is the future... Compared with the countless beings who are revered as Dao Ancestors, my achievements are really nothing."

Zhang Fan's voice came from ahead.

Reaching the pinnacle of spiritual attainment is not the end. Throughout history, countless others have surpassed it. Those who open champagne halfway through are not worthy of seeing the finish line.

An Wuyang remained silent.

At such an age, with such achievements, yet still possessing such a broad mind and vision, like a secluded valley, like the vastness of heaven and earth, with a sincere and single-minded heart, and a clear understanding of the distinction between self and things.

Such demeanor, it seems, already hints at the aura of a patriarch.

"Of course, compared to ordinary geniuses, he is indeed very impressive."

Just then, Zhang Fan's voice rang out again.

"..."

An Wuyang fell silent again.

"Do you think that my current level of cultivation might keep many people awake at night?" Zhang Fan suddenly asked.

An Wuyang's heart stirred slightly as she watched Zhang Fan's retreating figure.

“The higher one’s realm in this world, the greater the tribulations one faces. This applies to oneself as well as to others,” Zhang Fan continued.

The wind was still howling around us, but it couldn't get any closer.

At this moment, An Wuyang's mind was completely captivated by Zhang Fan's words.

"For many people, this is my doom," Zhang Fan sighed.

At this point, Zhang Fan suddenly stopped, turned slightly to the side, looked at An Wuyang, and smiled meaningfully.

"Tell me, if I suddenly withdraw my power now, wouldn't that be your downfall?"

Upon hearing this, An Wuyang's expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously looked around.

Right now, they are right in the very center of the wind belt. At this distance, if the [Heavenly Brain Wind] were to sweep across, he would be caught in a dilemma, and he would probably end up like his uncle before he even had a chance to escape.

"you……"

An Wuyang's eyes trembled as he stared intently at Zhang Fan, a chill running down his spine.

He never expected this...

"Haha, I was just kidding, why are you getting all worked up?"

Just then, Zhang Fan suddenly burst into laughter, and the tense atmosphere melted away like ice and snow.

However, An Wuyang's tense nerves did not relax, and he continued to stare intently at Zhang Fan.

“Old An, we’re on the same side now, how could I possibly harm you?” Zhang Fan said with a light laugh.

The next moment, the smile on his face slowly faded, and he said calmly, "Of course, it always has been."

As he spoke, Zhang Fan gave An Wuyang a meaningful look, then turned and continued walking.

The rest of the journey was silent and seemed extremely long.

An Wuyang followed behind Zhang Fan, her gaze never leaving his back for even a moment.

Ten minutes later, the two finally crossed the windless zone and leaped from the sandstorm-swirling open space into the opposite side of the path.

"We've finally made it."

Zhang Fan whispered and turned to look. He could clearly feel An Wuyang breathe a sigh of relief, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, slowly settled down.

“Cultivators need to understand the threshold of life and death, but that doesn’t mean they should just throw their lives away,” An Wuyang suddenly said.

"Why are you suddenly acting all old-fashioned? I didn't say anything," Zhang Fan chuckled.

An Wuyang remained calm, turned around, and looked at the land that had been ravaged by the storm.

“Just now, my mind was indeed agitated. In the face of life and death, this cultivation is a burden. How can I remain calm when my mind is preoccupied with my thoughts?” An Wuyang said softly.

He did not shy away from it; instead, he faced himself squarely.

The higher one's spiritual level, the greater one's achievements, and the more one cares about life and death.

That cultivation level and those achievements became an inseparable source of all thoughts and desires.

This is the karmic obstacle of a great spiritual practitioner.

“Cultivation is just a burden.” Zhang Fan pondered these words, lost in thought.

"But at least I've seen this dangerous place now."

An Wuyang slowly withdrew his gaze. He looked at Zhang Fan and felt a ray of blue light slowly brewing in his throat. Then, it flowed down and went straight into his dantian.

"You intercepted a wisp of Heavenly Brain Wind?" An Wuyang asked with a strange look on his face.

“This calamity is quite special, born of the creation of heaven and earth. I’ll keep a wisp of it to study it,” Zhang Fan said with a light laugh.

"This Yin Ruins is indeed special, it can actually give rise to such a place, even a Great Master would avoid it."

“Of course,” An Wuyang nodded.

"This place is fraught with danger; otherwise, why would the Great Spirit Sect King have sought refuge here? He was able to escape his enemies by taking advantage of the terrain here."

“I’ve heard that at the deepest part of Yinxu, there is a pool of blood, which is equivalent to the gastric juice in this ‘stomach’. That is the truly dangerous place, where even a Celestial Master would face life-or-death danger if he ventured there.”

An Wuyang's words instantly cheered Zhang Fan up.

The danger was so great that even a celestial master dared not cross it.

However, that place is inaccessible to most people; the mere fact that it is a place of typhoon disaster is enough to deter many from going there.

"We're almost at the center of Yinxu, right? What about your plan?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask.

"We can't go any further, can we?"

"This is about right." An Wuyang thought for a moment and took something out of his pocket.

It was a crystal container, shaped like a gourd, but only the size of a palm. Inside floated a crimson pearl, clear and transparent. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a drop of condensed crimson liquid.

"What is this?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask.

“This is a drop of precious blood. Its owner once enjoyed this piece of life-giving essence hidden in the Yin Ruins,” An Wuyang said in a deep voice.

"The two are drawn together by their respective energies; using this as a guide, there should be an opportunity to find it."

"you……"

Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow, as if he had guessed something, and suddenly looked at An Wuyang.

"You guessed right. This drop of precious blood was obtained from your father ten years ago at the foot of Longhu Mountain."

As soon as he finished speaking, An Wuyang interlaced his five fingers and crushed the crystal gourd.

The next moment, the drop of precious blood seemed to ignite, with crimson light soaring into the sky like billowing smoke, shaking the surrounding area.

……

At almost the same moment, elsewhere in Yinxu.

Amidst the shimmering fluorescent light, Wang Qiluo suddenly stopped, a strange expression appearing on her beautiful face.

"Auntie, what's wrong?!" Wang Zhaolin asked, following behind.

However, Wang Qiluo seemed not to hear. She looked to her side, her eyes trembling, and her expression gradually changed, revealing a hint of indescribable astonishment.

"How could it be him?"

……

Rumble…

Meanwhile, deep within the Yin Ruins.

From the dark, chaotic underground, a terrifying aura soared into the sky, and two crimson lights rose up, like two red lanterns, exuding ferocity and terror, illuminating the dim, foul-smelling black swamp.

"The Great Spirit King... This is the aura of the Great Spirit King... You've returned!?"

Suddenly, a furious roar erupted, like rolling thunder, carrying boundless killing intent.

(End of this chapter)