Pure Yang!

Chapter 507 A Dead End! Jiang Lai and the Celestial Master

The night is long, and black blades stretch across the sky.

That extreme blackness seemed capable of swallowing up all the light in the world.

Who could have imagined that the palm-sized black iron piece could unleash such terrifying power, emanating an aura that seemed to make the soul tremble and bring all things to silence, containing the pure meaning of "end".

With just one horizontal strike, all of Zhang Fan's power was drained away, his inner core became dull and lifeless, and his primordial spirit seemed to have stepped into an endless night.

Rumble…

Faced with the sudden black blade of light, the mockery on Fan Lingzhou's face froze instantly, replaced by an unprecedented terror stemming from his life instincts!
He wanted to retreat, wanted to activate the [Bitter Sea Void Boat] Dharma Form...

But it was all too late!
The small black blade seemed to transcend the boundaries of time and space. The instant his thought arose, it traversed the sky, ignoring all his cultivation and power. Like a hot knife cutting into butter, it silently pierced through his chest.

There was no splatter of blood, no sound of bones breaking; it was as if even these human remains were being wiped away at that moment.

The power of the black blade pierced through, leaving a brief yet eternal black trail in the long, dark night, as if the sky had been ripped open with an unhealable wound.

"you……"

Fan Lingzhou looked down in disbelief at the bowl-sized, smooth-edged, yet empty hole in his chest.

His heart, along with all the life and vitality of that area, has been completely annihilated.

Even the expression on the face of this great expert from the Dao Alliance had become numb.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but no sound came out. What he saw in his eyes was the black blade that stretched across the sky, raging and roaring.

……

Meanwhile, at Maoshan, Chunyang Hall.

In the stillness of the night, only the ever-burning lamps flickered inside the hall.

The thick smoke of incense swirled around the altar, where an ancient stone, three inches square, was enshrined. It looked ordinary, like a common brick or tile, but it was engraved with complex and mysterious talismans, like unfathomable celestial script or mysterious dragon patterns, containing the great power of yin and yang and revealing the profound principles of heaven and earth.

Heavenly Talisman and Precious Scroll!

This is the pure yang magic treasure that Maoshan has worshipped for generations.

Rumble…

At that very moment, the pure Yang magic treasure [Heavenly Talisman Treasure], which was enshrined on the central altar and carried the fortune of Maoshan for a thousand years, suddenly began to tremble violently without warning.

On the precious talisman, thousands of runes flowed autonomously, flickering and emitting an unprecedentedly brilliant radiance, illuminating the entire hall as if it were daytime. Auspicious energies descended, and rays of light rose, creating a variety of strange phenomena, as if they were frantically issuing warnings.

An inexplicable emotion emanated from the [Heavenly Talisman], almost like that of a human.

It is angry, it is warning, and even a hint of hostility is rising.

"That's the direction of Yujing."

Chen Zhuoqing stood before the altar, looking at the hazy night outside the main hall, his brows furrowed.

The leader of Maoshan Sect naturally sensed the unusual fluctuations just now, as if they had crossed the long, dark night and disturbed the silence of heaven and earth.

"Sect Leader, that fluctuation just now was extraordinary; even the Heavenly Talisman and Treasure Scroll were issuing warnings."

Just then, an old Taoist priest walked over from the side.

Mao Xiaoyun, the old Celestial Master, looked at the ancient talisman on the altar. Only after careful observation could he see that there was a faint crack in the center of it, like a hideous scar that would never heal.

"A formidable enemy of the Pure Yang realm!?"

Chen Zhuoqing's gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared intently at the center of the treasure talisman, lost in thought.

“Something terrible must have happened in Yujing,” Mao Xiaoyun said meaningfully.

"What do you think it is?" Chen Zhuoqing asked in return.

"What else could it be?" Mao Xiaoyun's aged face remained expressionless as he calmly said, "The Zhang family always manages to stir up waves in the tides of this era."

"Zhang Tiansheng's grandson is now the master of the Wuwei Sect."

"The Master of Wuwei Sect!?" Chen Zhuoqing sneered, "You actually believe such nonsense?"

"How can that little kid be worthy of such a title?"

"Whether it's true or not, that title alone is enough to take his life," Mao Xiaoyun sighed. "The legacy of the Southern Zhang clan..."

"It will eventually be destroyed!"

boom……

Just then, the door was suddenly kicked open, and Fang Changle barged in.

Several young Taoist priests tried to stop him, but to no avail.

Logically speaking, even as a descendant of Maoshan, one should not be allowed to freely enter or leave the Chunyang Hall.

"Xiao Fang, you're becoming more and more unruly," Mao Xiaoyun said coldly, glancing at him.

“Master, you felt it too, didn’t you? Yujing is over there…” Fang Changle said anxiously.

His primordial spirit had also detected that unusual fluctuation just now; although it was faint, it was real and undeniable.

Even from such a distance, he could sense it clearly, which meant that something terrible must have happened in Yujing. Thinking of this, he became restless and extremely anxious.

"Chang Le, your cultivation has improved quite a bit," Chen Zhuoqing said meaningfully.

"I want to go down the mountain!" Fang Changle said through clenched fists and gritted teeth.

"What use is it for you to come down the mountain now?" Chen Zhuoqing said indifferently.

“It’s better than just standing here and watching.” Fang Changle said in a deep voice, “Master, he is facing a great calamity now. If I cannot fulfill my duty to my friend, what use is my cultivation?”

"Xiao Fang, don't forget, you are a descendant of Maoshan. You should avoid that brat's current identity like the plague. There's no reason for you to go near him," Mao Xiaoyun said in a deep voice.

"If that's the case..."

"I would rather give up everything and leave Maoshan!" Fang Changle said each word with a firm and resolute tone, his eyes filled with an unprecedented determination.

"How dare you!" Mao Xiaoyun shouted sharply.

"Foolish child!!"

A soft sigh escaped his lips as Chen Zhuoqing slowly walked toward the gate. Moonlight shone on his gaunt face, obscuring his emotions.

"Master!" Fang Changle knelt down with a thud: "Disciple..."

Chen Zhuoqing waved his hand to interrupt him, glanced complicatedly in the direction of Yujing, then looked at the disciple kneeling on the ground, and finally just waved his sleeve: "Go."

"Sect Leader!" Mao Xiaoyun frowned.

Fang Changle suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with disbelief.

"remember……"

Chen Zhuoqing's voice rang out slowly: "The path you chose..."

"Step out of this door and you will bear the consequences yourself."

"Your disciple is unfilial!"

Fang Changle looked at Chen Zhuoqing, the master who had raised and taught him since childhood, and kowtowed heavily to the ground, making three loud kowtows, his forehead covered with dust and grass clippings.

Immediately afterwards, Fang Changle stood up, said no more, and turned to disappear into the vast night below the mountain.

...Yujing River Beach.

The intense aura of blood spread along the riverbank; the power of that black blade strike was terrifying and astonishing, and the cost of its execution was also beyond expectation.

Zhang Fan never expected that this black iron piece, after being fed with golden substance and opened in the Tomb of the Living Dead, would become so terrifying.

With just one strike, he felt his dantian being instantly emptied.

The once perfectly round and radiant inner core, which had undergone five transformations, had now lost all its luster, becoming as dull as a stubborn rock, with even fine cracks appearing on its surface.

The primordial spirit in the spiritual platform was extremely weak, with the black and white energies scattered and dissipated, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

An unprecedented feeling of weakness overwhelmed him like a tidal wave; his limbs and bones felt empty, and even standing seemed difficult.

This was an unprecedented and devastating loss for him since his debut, almost shaking his foundation and damaging his very essence.

"The Corpse-Slaying Sword... The Corpse-Slaying Sword..."

Zhang Fan gritted his teeth, finding it hard to imagine how terrifying the legendary Corpse-Slaying Sword, one of the Nine Weapons, must have been before it was robbed!

But right now, he can't worry about that.

In contrast, Fan Lingzhou, despite having his heart pierced, still managed to stay alive due to the tenacious vitality of his Abbot realm.

Despite his injuries, his life force was still intact, but his eyes no longer held that condescending mockery; instead, they were filled with incomprehensible anger and fear.

This master, a great expert at the level of abbot, and a favorite of Jiang Wansui, probably never imagined that he, who had dominated his entire life, would be defeated by a mere junior at the level of head of the sect and severely injured.

"Old man, you're still not dead after all this."

Zhang Fan's heart sank. The abbot's terror was unimaginable. He dared not gamble, and his current state left him with no energy to gamble. The commotion just now was too great. If he didn't take advantage of the last breath to escape, he probably wouldn't be able to leave Yujing City alive.

"I've noted this down."

Zhang Fan gritted his teeth, picked up the black iron piece that had fallen beside him, and, despite his serious injuries, turned and leaped into the surging river.

"Kid!"

Fan Lingzhou let out a low roar, and golden light surged in his dantian, dissolving like fine wine, temporarily filling the void in his chest.

Just as Zhang Fan had predicted, the vitality of the Guanzhu realm was outrageously strong.

After all, the inner elixir has undergone nine cycles and has become a golden elixir. Compared to the great success of life cultivation, their lives have already undergone an inhuman transformation, almost like those of celestial beings. Even if their hearts are shattered, it is not considered a fatal injury.

However, at this moment, Fan Lingzhou couldn't care less about anything else. He looked at the endless, rolling Yangtze River with eyes wide open in fury.

The waves surged, the night was deep, and Zhang Fan leaped into the river. Like a fish entering the water, he disappeared into the vast expanse of the river, leaving no trace.

"You actually managed to get away!" Fan Lingzhou gritted his teeth.

He never dreamed that he, a dignified abbot, would be able to capture a mere lowly ghost and let him escape. Even if his superiors didn't hold him accountable, he would be laughed at if word got out.

"As expected of the leader of the Wuwei Sect, he has such methods even before the great cause has been established. He is truly a formidable young man."

Just then, a chilling, emotionless voice, like the biting north wind of winter, suddenly resounded across the entire riverbank.

Wow…

The moment that icy voice rang out, the surging river suddenly boiled, waves swirling and clearly spreading to both sides.

Zhang Fan's expression changed drastically. He felt the space around him freeze, as if he had fallen into an invisible swamp. Then, the surging river around him seemed to be controlled by an invisible giant hand, suddenly boiling and surging back, firmly imprisoning him.

"The unity of heaven and man!?" Zhang Fan's expression changed drastically, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.

The human heart is the heart of heaven. Once you enter this realm, you can communicate with the universe through your own small world, and all things in nature will be like your own hands and feet.

This kind of power truly follows the natural way, completely surpassing the level of the Abbot.

"A Celestial Master!?"

Zhang Fan ultimately underestimated the Dao Alliance and the White Crane Temple.

He never dreamed that the other side would not only send a master of the abbot level, but also secretly send a celestial master, just to prevent any unforeseen variables.

Wow…

The surging river water, like a giant net, pulled Zhang Fan from the bottom of the river. An immense pressure surged from all directions, making his skin and flesh feel like they were about to burst open. His once-dim inner core showed cracks again, and his primordial spirit was weakened to the extreme.

"Back then, we didn't pay enough attention to the Great Spirit Sect King, which led to us raising a tiger that would eventually cause trouble. With such a lesson learned, how could we possibly make the same mistake again?!"

Just then, that cold voice rang out again.

Zhang Fan's face was covered in blood and grime. He struggled to look up and saw a figure approaching from behind his back under the night sky. His robes fluttered in the wind, and his aura blended with the entire world, as if he were the master of this riverbank.

"Vice Abbot." Fan Lingzhou breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the person who had arrived.

"Xiao Fan, you've been too careless. Even a lion would go all out to hunt a rabbit, let alone the master of the Wuwei Sect."

“Yuan…Yuan Tiandu!?” Zhang Fan looked at the newcomer with a stunned expression, hardly believing it.

Yuan Tiandu and Huo Fawang are the two deputy abbots of Baihe Temple. This is one of them.

"You...you didn't die in Qin Gu Town?"

"Oh!?" Yuan Tiandu's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a deep meaning.

"So you were there that night too."

"Perfect, if we catch you, we can also lure out that old bastard Zhang Tianyang."

"Speaking of which, your Nan Zhang lineage is reduced to only a handful of big cats and little cats, yet you still stir up trouble like this, which is really detrimental to unity," Yuan Tiandu said calmly.

"There's no other way but to wipe you all out. If you can be properly reformed, you can still contribute to the Taoist sect."

Yuan Tiandu's words were full of compassion and tolerance.

Zhang Fan lowered his eyes, feeling more desperate than ever before in his life, even more so than in the dead of night.

With his inner elixir depleted and his primordial spirit withered, he had no room to struggle anymore, not to mention that the person standing in front of him was a dignified Celestial Master.

"A calamity...a calamity..." Zhang Fan murmured softly.

That feeling of powerlessness, like the cold night, slowly swallowed him up.

“Our mission is accomplished, let’s go,” Yuan Tiandu said calmly.

Fortunately, he came along this time; otherwise, he would have been another one who slipped through the net.

This kid is even more dangerous than the Great Spirit Sect King back then. He already has such a presence at the Zhai Shou realm. If he is really allowed to grow up, he might just become another Three Corpse Daoist.

This is something that the Taoist sect would absolutely not allow.

"Put him down!"

Suddenly, a melodious and ethereal voice echoed through the dark night. Though not loud, it attracted everyone's attention.

"Um!?"

Yuan Tiandu looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young girl walking slowly under the bright moonlight. She had short hair that reached her shoulders and an ethereal air about her.

"Jiang Lai!?"

Zhang Fan stared wide-eyed at the newcomer and exclaimed in disbelief.

(End of this chapter)