Pure Yang!

Chapter 510 The First Pass Under Heaven! The Incense-Selling Boy

A vast expanse of mountains and rivers, a desolate ancient road.

More than half a month has passed quietly with sunrise and sunset.

Zhang Fan's figure had long since left the bustling and noisy surroundings of Yujing, completely merging into the endless mountains, primeval forests, and uninhabited marshes of the Central Plains.

During this period, he deliberately chose to travel along paths rarely traveled by people.

Sometimes it involves climbing along winding paths trodden by wild animals, sometimes it involves trekking along dried-up ancient riverbeds, and sometimes it even requires relying on a faint sense of the water veins and earth's energy to find a glimmer of hope on seemingly impassable cliffs.

They drink from mountain springs when thirsty, eat wild fruits when hungry, sleep in caves at night, and are accompanied by stars and moon, and walk with wind and rain.

For more than half a month, I lived among wild animals, kept company with nature, and learned from heaven and earth.

His body remained heavy, the cracks in his inner core had not healed much, and the golden light was dim, like a stubborn rock dormant.

Although the primordial spirit is no longer like a candle flickering in the wind that could be extinguished at any moment, it has only recovered from "near death" to "extreme weakness," with its power restored to a negligible degree.

However, if someone familiar with his past were to see him now, they would be astonished.

His transformation was not an increase in strength, but a complete and thorough metamorphosis of his temperament from the inside out.

The youthful vigor and occasional carefree spirit of yesteryear have been completely worn away by the arduous journey and struggles on the brink of life and death. In their place is a calmness like an ancient well and a resilience like a rocky mountain.

hum...

On this day, Zhang Fan sat cross-legged on a large blue stone by the stream under the scorching sun. Three feet above his head, his primordial spirit resided, and a mysterious and unpredictable aura rippled. The faint black and white energies finally rose again.

After more than half a month of natural baptism, his skin had long been tinged with a faint bronze color by the mountain winds and scorching sun. His originally slightly thin figure was now slender due to exhaustion, but his muscle lines were as solid as cast iron, and every inch contained the endurance and explosive power accumulated from traversing mountains and rivers.

Most striking is his gaze, deep, calm, and undisturbed, as if reflecting the myriad mountains and rivers he had seen along the way, and having seen through the ever-changing clouds, the cycle of life and death.

This is a complete transformation.

He seemed to have retraced the path of the Great Spirit Sect King, enduring countless tribulations to learn from nature and taking heaven and earth as his teachers to shed his mortal dust.

Now, Zhang Fan truly possesses the aura of a great master and grandmaster.

"call……"

Suddenly, a gust of wind howled, startling me for no apparent reason.

Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow and looked intently. He saw a huge figure emerge from the forest, hidden behind rocks. Its fierce gaze was like a knife, locking onto him as if he were prey.

The clouds follow the dragon and the wind follows the tiger.

In the Water Margin, Wu Song fell asleep drunk on Jingyang Ridge. It was a strange wind that woke him up a bit, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead right in front of him.

At that moment, Zhang Fan followed the sound of the wind and indeed saw a large insect. However, his warning was far from ordinary; his focused eyes were filled with almost human emotions and brilliance.

"A spirit or monster!?" Zhang Fan's gaze darkened slightly, revealing a look of surprise.

In the Dharma-ending Age, the truly great demons are already legendary figures, few and far between even in the secret realms of mountains and seas. They remain hidden year-round and rarely venture into the mortal world.

In these remote and desolate mountains and forests, it is very difficult to see real demons and ghosts. However, there are still some mountain spirits and wild monsters that have obtained the opportunity to absorb the essence of the sun and moon and have been lucky enough to awaken their intelligence.

They are shallow in their cultivation and weak in their primordial spirit, yet their ferocity remains.

Clearly, the large, white-browed worm before them was a spirit whose primordial spirit had awakened.

It sensed the unique aura emanating from Zhang Fan, a scent unlike any other. Driven by its greedy nature, it unleashed a ferocious roar and pounced on Zhang Fan, its claws cleaving through the air and splitting rocks with its ferocious power.

These spirits are more intelligent and stronger than ordinary wild beasts. Once they consume human flesh and blood, their ferocity is unleashed, and their cultivation level will increase.

Humans are the most intelligent of all beings, comparable to the essence of the sun and moon.

This large worm, which has lived deep in the mountains for a long time, has obviously eaten people before, but it has indeed not had any meat for a long time.

"You delivered yourself to my door, so you can't blame me."

"Thank you for the gift of nature!"

Zhang Fan sat cross-legged without moving, a strange fluctuation at the center of his brow spreading out like thick ink before quietly disappearing.

hum...

In an instant, the strange fluctuation, like an invisible thorn, pierced the weak and chaotic core of the white-browed tiger's primordial spirit.

"Ow..."

The giant worm let out a shrill scream, its massive body, weighing hundreds of kilograms, convulsed violently in mid-air before crashing to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

The next moment, a tiger-shaped primordial spirit was forcibly extracted. Under the crushing force of that strange fluctuation, it transformed into wisps of weak yet pure light, which flowed into Zhang Fan's spiritual palace.

Replenishing the primordial spirit!

This may truly be the most wonderful method of heaven and earth, replenishing the primordial spirit and cultivating longevity; the experience is truly indescribable.

Although the worm's spirit was weak, it was better than nothing.

Like parched land receiving a few drops of sweet rain, Zhang Fan's primordial spirit, after absorbing this "nourishment," finally regained a faint vitality, and the black and white energies that had just risen expanded slightly.

“There’s a reason why the Wuwei Sect has grown so powerful. It’s a natural method, and it’s a natural resource…” Zhang Fan couldn’t help but sigh.

He had countless thoughts along the way, his mind restless.

But he couldn't really act like a demon, recklessly draining people's spiritual energy. Besides, he had traveled through remote, sparsely populated mountains and valleys, so even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to do it without resources.

However, during this long journey, he did indeed indulge in some "meat" a few times. There were corpse demons that lurked in ancient tombs and fed on earthly evil spirits, as well as bone demons that could transform into human form and tempt people's life essence... All of them became "resources" for Zhang Fan on his path to prolonging his life. He used the most direct and cruel method to replenish his pitiful primordial spirit essence.

That's why his primordial spirit recovered so quickly; compared to his inner core, the situation was much better.

On this day, after crossing a majestic and vast mountain range, the view suddenly opened up.

Looking into the distance, the grandeur of heaven and earth is revealed.

Ahead, the earth's contours seemed to have been cleaved open by an invisible giant axe, and a majestic pass stood guard between the mountains and the sea, a place of dragons coiled and tigers crouching, displaying a myriad of magnificent sights!
Shanhaiguan!
The First Pass Under Heaven!
"We've finally arrived!" Zhang Fan exclaimed as he looked at the world-famous pass before him.

To the north lies Jiaoshan Mountain, its undulating peaks resembling a giant dragon reaching out its claws to firmly grasp the earth; to the south lies the Bohai Sea, its vast expanse of water and the faint sound of waves like a black tortoise guarding the sea.

The fortress itself stands majestically on this narrow corridor between mountains and sea, like a giant key, firmly blocking the flow of energy between the Central Plains and the outer regions.

This is the grandeur of the First Pass Under Heaven.

Seeing nature, feeling the heavens and earth, and comprehending the principles—this is true cultivation; supernatural powers and magic are but minor paths.

As Zhang Fan traveled, he gradually came to understand this principle. In his perception, the feng shui layout here was simply breathtaking.

The long, continuous dragon energy from the heart of the Central Plains gathers here, flowing like a river into the sea with immense power. Meanwhile, the even more ancient, wild dragon energy from beyond the pass, carrying both coldness and vitality, is firmly blocked by this majestic pass. The two collide and merge fiercely here, forming a chaotic yet powerful energy field.

"The land of China is blessed with divine gifts; only such a world could nurture immortal beings like these," Zhang Fan sighed inwardly.

He stood atop the mountain, gazing at the majestic pass bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. His clothes were tattered, and his face was haggard, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

Once you pass this hurdle, you'll enter a completely different world.

……

The night was as dark as ink, staining Qinhuang City on the coast of the Bohai Sea.

Under the cover of darkness, Zhang Fan sneaked into this city, which is located near the First Pass Under Heaven.

He deliberately avoided the brightly lit, bustling city center and busy streets, wandering silently only on the outskirts of the city, near the mountains and fields.

The buildings here are low and old, and the dense trees on both sides of the road make it easier to hide one's tracks.

The air was filled with the salty, fishy smell of the sea breeze, which mingled with the faint, ominous aura of the dragon vein emanating from the distant pass, creating a unique atmosphere.

"There's a temple here!?"

Zhang Fan walked to a small earthen slope and saw a temple in the distance. Even in the darkness of night, he could still feel the strong incense smoke.

As you get closer, you can see the three gilded characters "Temple of the God of Wealth" on the plaque above the temple gate, gleaming under the streetlights.

Even though it was night, there were still a few worshippers in the square in front of the temple, carrying incense, candles, and offerings, queuing up.

This place is a well-known temple dedicated to the God of Wealth in Qinhuang City. It is said to be extremely efficacious. On the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, it is filled with worshippers. On the night before, as soon as it gets dark, a large number of people line up here to compete for the first incense offering the next day. Locals are already used to this.

"Incense..."

Zhang Fan stood in front of the door, licked his lips, and felt a pang of longing.

It's a pity this isn't an abandoned incense burner, otherwise he would definitely have gone in to do some kind of spiritual nourishment.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he forcibly suppressed it. Even if it were, let alone that it wasn't an unclaimed incense offering, the commotion would be too great and might alert the experts of the Dao Alliance.

"Never mind." Zhang Fan shook his head and turned to leave.

"Brother, please burn some incense!? May the God of Wealth protect us..."

Just then, a slightly immature voice rang out from the side, but stopped abruptly halfway through its sentence.

Zhang Fan looked up and saw a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old carrying a bamboo basket of incense sticks walking towards him. As the boy approached, he noticed Zhang Fan's tattered clothes and immediately swallowed back the sales pitch he was about to say.

Clearly, this person is not wealthy; they probably struggle to make ends meet, let alone afford incense.

Even so, the boy's gaze toward Zhang Fan showed no disdain, but rather some sympathy. He deftly pulled three thin incense sticks from the basket and stuffed them into Zhang Fan's hand.

"Big brother, take this and pray for good luck. It's free." The boy grinned, revealing two small tiger teeth.

Zhang Fan was slightly taken aback. He had traveled through mountains and rivers, isolated from the world, and had not experienced the warmth and coldness of human relationships for a long time.

You can sense that this boy is kind-hearted and genuine.

"Thank you."

Zhang Fan accepted the three light incense sticks without hesitation.

The boy nodded, slung his basket over his shoulder, and turned to leave.

"You little brat! Who gave you permission to sell incense here? Don't you know the rules? This is no place for you to operate!"

I hadn't walked far when a piercing shout came from behind me, accompanied by a few shouts.

Zhang Fan paused, turned around, and saw four or five shady-looking youths surrounding the incense-selling boy. The leader was a burly, fat boy with a face full of scars, who looked to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years old. He had a roguish air mixed with an unusual, chilling aura.

"Um!?"

Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow, but his gaze lingered on the fat man for a moment.

"Brother Biao... Brother Biao, I... I just sell a few sticks of incense to make a living..."

The boy selling incense clearly recognized the group; he turned pale with fright, his voice trembled, and he instinctively protected the basket containing the incense.

"Eating for free? Did you ask your boss, Biao?" The fat man sneered, a ruthless glint in his eyes that seemed out of character for his age.

"Hand over the money and get lost! If I ever see you again, I'll break your legs!"

"Brother Biao, I beg you..." the incense-selling boy pleaded.

"If you don't eat the toast, you will be punished with alcohol!"

The fat man's face darkened, and without further ado, he casually waved his right hand. An invisible gust of cold wind suddenly rose up, carrying a bone-chilling cold and a bewitching evil force that slammed into the chest of the incense-selling boy!
"Pfft!"

The incense-selling boy was struck as if by a heavy blow. He screamed and was thrown into the air, crashing heavily onto the cold, hard ground. The basket slipped from his hands, and the incense sticks shattered and scattered all over the ground.

He curled up, groaning in pain, and a trickle of blood even escaped from the corner of his mouth.

"A shaman!?"

Zhang Fan's gaze darkened slightly, and he immediately realized that the fat man was not just a petty thug; there was a faint, shadowy figure following behind him.

The phantom resembled a weasel with glossy fur and a cunning, fierce look in its eyes!
This was the "immortal" he worshipped, who had already gained some influence. His aura merged with that of the chubby boy, allowing him to cultivate through his physical form. His primordial spirit also bestowed upon him some extraordinary power.

The fat man looked at the scattered incense sticks, stepped forward, and stared at the incense-selling boy with greedy and cruel eyes.

"You're quite clever, kid. It just so happens that I'm a little hungry..."

The fat man stretched out his heavy palm, his five fingers curved like hooks, with faint black mist swirling around it.

He not only wanted to rob money, but also to seize its primordial spirit, using it to nourish the greedy "immortal" behind him.

The incense-selling boy felt the chilling, soul-stirring aura emanating from the incense seller. His eyes filled with despair and fear, and he didn't even have the strength to struggle.

Just as the chubby boy's five fingers were about to touch the incense-selling boy's skull—

"How dare these heretical demons who have only grasped the basics call themselves immortals? They are simply courting death."

Just then, a cold, indifferent snort suddenly rang out, like an ice bead falling onto a jade plate. Although it was not loud, it clearly entered the ears of everyone present, and like a heavy hammer, it slammed into the minds of the fat boy and the weasel spirit behind him.

(End of this chapter)