Pure Yang!

Chapter 492 Orphanage Director Chang Laoqi! The Zhang Family's Intrigue is Too Deep.
Sanqi Orphanage.

That was an indelible memory from Zhang Fan's childhood, where he glimpsed the path to the Divine Demon Holy Embryo and made friends with Luo Sen, Ji Suan, Chen Ji, Ge Shuangxiu, and Zhou Yi.

Zhang Fan's impression of that place was that it was strange and mysterious.

He never knew what secrets the orphanage held or why it existed, until he saw Zhang Tiansheng's notes.

That orphanage was originally established by the Coffin Carrying Society to study the Nine Laws and comprehend the mysteries of immortal matter.

“The director of the Sanqi Orphanage is one of the original members of the Coffin Carrying Society, Chang Qitian, also known as Chang Laoqi,” An Wuyang said calmly.

"You even know this!?" Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow, looking at An Wuyang with an unusual expression.

Chang Laoqi is a very special person among the nine original members of the Coffin Carrying Society.

This person's origins are mysterious, and he seems to belong to no particular sect or faction.

In Zhang Tiansheng's notes, he was described as "the law is not within the Xuanmen, and the Dao is not within the Huangting", yet he was able to become the master of the most important test site of the Coffin Carrying Ceremony, suppressing this key property, which shows his status and power.

According to Zhang Tiansheng's estimation, Chang Laoqi's strength among the nine people is enough to rank him among the top three.

"Many years ago, Chu Chaoran traveled the world and adopted many orphans. Xia Weisheng was one of them, and he brought him back to Zhenwu Mountain. An Wuyang was also an orphan, but he was sent to Zhongnan Mountain at the time..."

Suddenly, a phrase Meng Qiwu had once told him came to Zhang Fan's mind.

He suddenly looked up at An Wuyang, a strange light appearing deep in his eyes.

"Have you not……"

“That’s right!” An Wuyang saw through Zhang Fan’s thoughts and nodded softly, “Back then, I was taken out of that orphanage by the Transcendental Master.”

"really."

Zhang Fan's heart skipped a beat, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

An Wuyang actually came from the Sanqi Orphanage, a place even the transcendent immortal had visited!?

“I was only five years old that year. After being taken out by the Immortal Chaoran, I stayed at Zhenwu Mountain for half a year before being sent to Zhongnan Mountain,” An Wuyang said softly.

Zhang Fan remained silent. Judging by age, An Wuyang seemed to be five or six years older than him.

In other words, An Wuyang should have been born when he left the Sanqi Orphanage.

"You're getting more and more buffs." Zhang Fan glanced at him sideways, a meaningful look on his face.

The Rat, one of the thirteen zodiac animals, is a descendant of the Zhongnan Mountains and now comes from the Sanqi Orphanage.

This added another layer of mystery to An Wuyang.

Most importantly, being associated with the Sanqi Orphanage means that An Wuyang is also related to the Nine Laws, or at least possesses some characteristic of one of the Nine Laws, just like Rosen.

Thinking of this, Zhang Fan became even more curious.

"you……"

“I’ve searched for that orphanage over the years, but to no avail,” An Wuyang said, interrupting Zhang Fan’s train of thought.

"Of course, that orphanage is arguably one of the most important assets of the Coffin Carrying Society. How could you possibly find it?"

As he spoke, Zhang Fan added, "Even if you mobilize the power of the Wuwei Sect."

"The segment of the 'life-root' you obtained is not complete; otherwise, it wouldn't be so wondrous."

An Wuyang looked at the potted plant on the table that had undergone a mutation. The density of its roots, stems and vines was becoming increasingly compact, and it seemed to be still in the process of transformation.

Zhang Fan remained silent. He naturally knew that this life-root had been incomplete from the very beginning. It seemed that the cultivator who practiced the "Jia Sheng Gui Si" technique had made a mistake. After his death, this incomplete life-root was repeatedly harvested and used by others.

“When I was at the Sanqi Orphanage, I saw them use their life force to accelerate the maturation of their inner cores,” An Wuyang suddenly said.

Zhang Fan's gaze was fixed on a single line.

Taoist internal alchemy is the product of the culmination of life cultivation, the essence transformed from highly condensed life energy.

The lifeblood, the key to life and death, can infinitely amplify the upper limit of life.

Just like this potted plant in front of me, after a night of catalysis, its roots, stems and vines have become comparable to metal.

"I was young then and didn't know the full story. I only saw that the root-like thing was highly integrated with that person, and then golden light shot into the sky, and a round, bright light rose up..." An Wuyang exclaimed.

A hint of fascination shone in his eyes. He had glimpsed the secrets of Taoist life cultivation, a realm that so many people dreamed of, and thus gained insight into the mysterious workings of creation.

When that inner core was formed, what "those people" saw was not merely the completion of their life cultivation, but the mystery of life and death.

"This thing can even accelerate the maturation of inner cores?" Zhang Fan pondered.

The Nine Methods are related to the secrets of longevity and are the highest level of alchemy. The immortal substances left behind also have the ability to interfere with the creation of heaven and earth!
This part, however, is not in Zhang Tiansheng's record.

“Actually… the combination of life root and source dust is the most mysterious,” An Wuyang suddenly said.

“Yuan Chen!?” Zhang Fan’s heart skipped a beat.

He had seen this name in Zhang Tiansheng's notes.

“That is the immortal substance left behind by the cultivators of the Great Floating Land. The source of life is a handful of dust,” An Wuyang said with a light laugh.

There seemed to be a hint of mockery in that smile.

“Yuan Chen…”

Zhang Fan remained silent, then suddenly recalled the strange dust that appeared inside his body when Xu Xuanguan caused a ruckus at the Xu family that day.

"If the [Life Root] determines the growth potential of an organism, then the [Source Dust] determines the diversity of organisms."

After thinking for a moment, An Wuyang summarized the matter using language that aligns with modern people's concepts and ways of thinking.

The Life Root can infinitely amplify the potential of life, while the Source Dust can enable this potential to evolve in different ways.

"You mean..."

"For example, here!"

An Wuyang raised his right hand slightly, tapped his brow with his index finger, and looked at Li Zhangfan at the same time.

He had witnessed Zhang Fan's terrifying spiritual light from beneath the Yin Ruins.

This power was forged by him after consuming and refining the naturally occurring mud ball from Mount Tongluo.

The meaning of "peace and safety" is quite clear: through the source soil, adaptable individuals can also obtain such power, resulting in a transformation or evolution unlike that of ordinary people.

From this alone, Zhang Fan could roughly guess the wondrous uses of the legendary [Great Floating Land].

"If the life force alone is so terrifying and difficult to control, it must be even more difficult if combined with the source dust," Zhang Fan pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice.

Unbeknownst to them, they began to explore the mysteries of the Nine Methods and comprehend the enigma of immortal matter by drawing upon the experience and paths of their predecessors.

“You’re right,” An Wuyang nodded.

These two substances seem to be a perfect match, but in reality they are almost impossible to reconcile.

Imagine the life potential amplified through the life root; if it undergoes a transformation through the source soil, such an explosive change would be unbearable for almost any individual life form.

No single living being can control the eruption and changes of this power.

"Crack!"

Just then, a crisp cracking sound rang out.

Zhang Fan and An Wuyang looked over at the same time.

The roots and vines of the potted plant on the table suddenly split open, and drops of reddish-green liquid slowly fell, carrying a hint of heat.

Ultimately, this young plant could not withstand the nurturing of the life-giving root; its infinitely expanding vitality exhausted its lifespan.

If it were a spiritual practitioner, his path would end here.

"The risk is huge," Zhang Fan murmured.

"With such a vital organ, the risks would be even greater if it were combined with Yuan Chen."

"It's like how no one can cultivate both [Jia Sheng Gui Si] and [Da Fu Li Tu] at the same time," An Wuyang sighed.

The Nine Methods are supreme, involving the secrets of immortality. Throughout history, it is considered an immense blessing if even one person in a lifetime manages to master just one of these methods.

Even so, the cultivation process is fraught with difficulties.

Zhang Fan understands this deeply.

Immortal matter, too, harbors calamities and risks.

The root of life is that Jia (甲) is born and Gui (癸) dies.

Yuan Chen is the Great Floating Land.

“No one can cultivate two methods at the same time, but these two methods are both related to life and death, so there must be some kind of connection between them.” An Wuyang’s thoughts went deeper and deeper.

"The Great Fuli Land has always been in the hands of your Zhang family."

"Given the rich heritage and talent pool of Longhu Mountain, they should have already begun to understand its mysteries."

An Wuyang's words made Zhang Fan fall into deep thought; he had thought about this kind of question before.

Throughout history, many exceptionally talented individuals have begun to systematically comprehend the mysteries of the Nine Methods and the connections between them.

Perhaps even the research on Zhang Tiansheng, and even the Coffin Carrying Society, is based on the explorations of predecessors.

"Da Fuli Land... Zhang Family of Dragon and Tiger... practicing two methods together..."

Zhang Fan murmured to himself, when suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.

"Life and death are like rootless duckweed, but the wondrous land is a treasure trove of creation, where one is born and enters death, from death to life..."

"Zhang Taixu, do you think that just because you cultivate the [Jia Sheng Gui Si] and [Da Fu Li Tu], you can suppress me?"

"You also want to sit on this throne of being the best in the world?"

A vague memory surfaced in Zhang Fan's mind; it was the past he had witnessed when he explored the Three Corpse Yuan Dan.

At that time, the Three Corpse Taoist had gained great power and finally sat on the throne of the number one in the world. Perhaps it was on the eve of the great calamity of the Taoist sect that he returned to Longhu Mountain, to the place where he grew up, and met the last Celestial Master in the Great Luo Palace.

"Zhang Fan..."

Just then, An Wuyang's voice rang out again, pulling Zhang Fan back to reality.

“The Zhang family is a very complex place. Perhaps there were deeper reasons behind the North-South conflict back then, which you younger generations are unaware of.”

An Wuyang changed the subject.

Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow, feeling that the other person's tone had become extremely strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was strange about it.

“You know too much, far beyond what someone of your status should know,” Zhang Fan said in a deep voice.

He suddenly realized that this successor of Zhongnan Mountain, this Zishu of the Wuwei School, was even more unfathomable than he had imagined.

These secrets, these past events, are things that someone his age and status shouldn't know.

"It is said that among the thirteen zodiac animals, the Dragon is the strongest and the Rat is the most mysterious."

An Wuyang looked at the withered potted plant with a leisurely expression. Just a moment ago it was full of vitality and inexplicably powerful, but in the blink of an eye, it had turned into a puddle of mud.

"Zhang Fan, the secret I'm hiding will definitely surprise you."

Suddenly, An Wuyang's lips curled up slightly. This smile and tone were quite different from his usual composure.

"Surprised!?" Zhang Fan said calmly, "I don't have a penchant for prying into other people's secrets. Of course, if you're willing to tell me, I'll be all ears."

"No rush, you'll definitely be very interested in the secrets I have."

As he spoke, An Wuyang slowly stood up and picked up the potted plant that had withered and turned into mud.

"You wouldn't mind if I gave you this, would you!?"

"This is the hotel..."

"Thanks!"

Before Zhang Fan could finish speaking, An Wuyang patted him on the shoulder, picked up the potted plant, and left.

"Don't forget, we're setting off tomorrow."

thump...

With the sound of the door closing, An Wuyang left Zhang Fan's room, leaving him alone.

Zhang Fan's expression hardened slightly. He turned around, looked at the closed door, and seemed lost in thought.

"Rat..."

……

The next day, the weather was fine and sunny.

Zhongnan Mountain, Seeking Immortal Valley.

This is the main road into the Zhongnan Mountains. Just as you enter the valley, the mountains and valleys appear like stars scattered across the landscape.

This is Zhang Fan's second time entering the Zhongnan Mountains.

Today, Meng Qiwu was dressed in a very professional mountaineering outfit, looking just like an explorer.

"You're here early."

Zhang Fan arrived late and whispered to himself.

"You look great, you must have slept very well," Meng Qiwu said, looking at Zhang Fan.

"Hehe, after I ate breakfast, I went back to my room for a nap," Zhang Fan grinned.

I have to say, what smells the best in the world?
Of course, taking a nap after waking up is the best.

"Hmm!?" Upon hearing this, Meng Qiwu couldn't help but show a strange expression: "Isn't it said that people who cultivate the Divine Demon Holy Embryo hardly need to sleep?"

"Why are you taking a nap again?"

Normally, Zhang Fan can't even get a proper night's sleep, especially since he has merged with the Divine Realm. He is almost like Zhang Lingzong, and it is considered good if he can sleep for two or three hours a day.

However, ever since he nurtured that piece of his manhood in his dantian, he has actually been able to sleep soundly again, and even take naps. He has truly recovered.

"The penis can also help with sleep!?" Meng Qiwu was stunned for a moment, his expression becoming increasingly strange.

"The life root also affects the divine and demonic embryo. It seems there is indeed a connection between the nine methods." Zhang Fan, seeing the big picture from small details, gleaned a glimpse of truth from his sleep.

"..."

“If you want to stay in bed, then stay in bed, but don’t…” Meng Qiwu pouted, then shook his head and said, “Let’s go.”

"Wait, there's one more person."

"Huh!? Who else?" Meng Qiwu was taken aback.

This matter concerns the Tomb of the Living Dead, and there is even a person named Li Yishan involved, so it is extremely secretive. Logically speaking, there should only be the two of them as participants.

"coming."

Just then, Zhang Fan looked into the distance and suddenly said.

"Ok?"

Meng Qiwu was stunned for a moment, then turned around to look, and was immediately taken aback.

An almost impossible figure actually walked over from a distance.

"Are you safe and sound?!" Meng Qiwu asked in astonishment.

As the most important person planted by the quilt rat in Zhongnan Mountain, she has always been outstanding among her peers. Looking across the mountain, only this successor of Zhongnan Mountain can surpass her.

Therefore, although Meng Qiwu and An Wuyang had no conflict on the mountain, they were secretly rivals.

"How...how could he be here?" Meng Qiwu frowned slightly and couldn't help but ask.

(End of this chapter)