Pure Yang!

Chapter 512 Lu Zu's Incense Offerings! Master and Disciple

The long night ended under the blue sea and sky, and suddenly the Daoist teachings of Lü Zu were revealed.

Looking up, the temple gate was right in front of him, and Zhang Fan's expression was somewhat dazed.

He never imagined that while he was on the run, he would find the temple of Chunyang Lüzu in this remote place.

In fact, his supernatural powers and abilities are largely due to Lü Zu, and the book he reads most often is the "Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi" passed down by Lü Zu.

Although some people in later generations said that this book was not written by Lü Zu, but was just a work falsely attributed to him.

Regardless of whether it is true or false, the heart to spread the teachings and the sincerity to save the world are just like the teachings of Lu Zu, whose virtue and achievements are vast and have no distinction between insiders and outsiders, or between you and me.

"Brother, let's go inside."

Just then, Lü Xianyang's voice rang out, pulling Zhang Fan back to reality.

Pushing open the temple door, which seemed as if it would shatter at the slightest touch, a scent wafted out, a mixture of rotten wood, damp earth, and faint incense smoke.

"It has indeed been abandoned for a long time." Zhang Fan looked around and couldn't help but sigh.

Compared to the outside, the inside of the temple is even more dilapidated.

The roof tiles were missing, revealing several large holes. The cold moonlight shone down like a searchlight, illuminating the mess on the ground. Spiderwebs, like gray funeral banners, hung between the beams and pillars.

The clay sculpture and painted decorations of the Lü Zu statue enshrined in the center have long since faded and peeled off, revealing the dark yellow clay body inside. One of its arms has also been broken off and is nowhere to be found. Only the vaguely discernible carefree sitting posture and the remaining compassionate face still barely maintain a trace of its former solemnity.

"Brother, the place is a bit run-down, but it's enough to keep out the wind and rain." Lu Xianyang scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

Zhang Fan didn't speak. He just stood quietly in this desolation and silence, his gaze sweeping over the crumbling pillars, over the dust-covered offering table, and finally landing on the broken statue of Lu Zu.

An indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.

In this world, the Dharma-ending Age has arrived, all scriptures are about to be buried, people's hearts are restless, and material desires run rampant.

People flock to the temples dedicated to the God of Wealth, where incense burns brightly, but they are not worshipping the gods; they are worshipping their own insatiable desires.

As for someone like Lü Zu, who once slew demons with a flying sword and was also the Pure Yang Patriarch who spread scriptures and taught all living beings, how many people still remember his world-saving achievements and his kindness in spreading the Dharma in this turbulent world of sensual pleasures? How many people still hold him in awe?

"As time goes by and the Dharma declines, what path will I pass on? One day, let alone immortals, there will probably be no more cultivation in this world." Zhang Fan sighed, a sense of sorrow and lament rising within him.

With this in mind, Zhang Fan walked to the dilapidated statue of Lu Zu. There were no incense or candles, no offerings, but he simply bowed deeply three times to the statue according to ancient rites.

I seek nothing but that legacy that transcends time and space, and that Daoist heart that has illuminated the ages.

"Xiao Lü, let's tidy up this place," Zhang Fan suddenly said.

"Uh...okay!"

Lu Xianyang nodded, assuming that Zhang Fan disliked the place for being dilapidated, so he didn't say anything more and followed Zhang Fan to tidy up.

After a flurry of activity, the two were unable to restore the temple to its former glory. However, by gathering the scattered bricks and stones, brushing away the thick dust from the offering table, and cleaning up the weeds and cobwebs in the corners, they managed to remove some long-standing problems and reveal a rare level of cleanliness.

At least, the dust on the surface of the statue of Lu Zu was wiped away, and under the moonlight, the broken clay figure seemed to have gained a more serene air.

"It looks much better this way."

Zhang Fan let out a long breath, lit the three incense sticks that Lü Xianyang had given him, and respectfully offered them before the statue of Lü Zu, then bowed again.

Seeing this, Lü Xianyang followed suit and bowed after Zhang Fan.

"Xiao Lü, it's getting late, you should get some rest," Zhang Fan said solemnly.

His injuries had not yet fully healed, so he could no longer work without sleep as he used to.

"Okay, big brother, come with me."

Lu Xianyang led Zhang Fan to a room, which was arguably the cleanest and tidiest room in the dilapidated temple.

Although it couldn't compare to a hotel, and was even far inferior to Zhang Fan's home in Hongfu Garden, it was still much better for Zhang Fan, who had been sleeping in caves and mountains all the way.

"A rare moment of peace and quiet."

Zhang Fan let out a breath and collapsed onto the dilapidated bed.

Suddenly, at the moment he fell, a thought struck me!
It was not an external sound, nor a powerful enemy spying, but a warm and vast feeling originating from the depths of one's spiritual awareness!

Good fortune comes from the mind, misfortune arises from divine awareness.

Zhang Fan immediately stood up and focused his spiritual energy on the situation.

Suddenly, he saw the statue of Lu Zu deep in the main hall, which he had just worshipped.

Three feet above, a cloud of mist surged, and golden flames surged, flickered, rose and fell, and changed...

That strange cloud was invisible to the naked eye and difficult to perceive with divine sense.

However, at this very moment, within this seemingly desolate and forgotten dilapidated temple, within the broken statue of the deity, and within the void of this small space, an unimaginably vast and incredibly pure power was completely manifested before Zhang Fan.

"Incense and spiritual power!?" Zhang Fan's eyes suddenly lit up.

This intense spiritual power of incense is not a recent creation, but rather the result of countless years of accumulation, left behind by generations of devout believers who sincerely worshipped and prostrated themselves here.

They did not dissipate, nor were they absorbed by the clamor of the God of Wealth Temple. Rather, like sleeping amber, they were sealed within this dilapidated temple, merging with the remaining divine intent of Lu Zu, waiting...

Waiting for a certain opportunity, or for a destined person.

At this moment, perhaps it was because of Zhang Fan's sudden surge of compassion, or perhaps it was because he and Lü Xianyang had cleaned the temple again, awakening this dormant power.

“Lu Zu…”

Faced with this unexpected opportunity, Zhang Fan was not overjoyed, but instead became dazed.

Rumble…

In an instant, the intense incense spiritual power that had been dormant for countless years suddenly burst forth like a sealed river bursting its banks, or as if it had sensed the faint pull of the Pure Yang lineage's energy, and surged towards Zhang Fan in a vast and inexplicable manner.

The light was warm and peaceful, as if it contained endless, purest thoughts. Like a blessing from Lu Zu, it gently enveloped Zhang Fan's exhausted and wounded body and soul in an instant.

Zhang Fan sat cross-legged, feeling the vast, yet incredibly gentle power flowing into his body, nourishing his parched dantian, soothing his cracked inner core, and warming his nearly exhausted primordial spirit...

This real and intense feeling finally brought him back to his senses.

In this desperate situation, in this forgotten corner of the world, he actually found such a tremendous amount of "nourishment"!
A dilapidated temple, ruined statues, yet they contain a world within!
Hope always seems to emerge from the most desperate situations.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhang Fan's eyes suddenly lit up, and he blurted out three "good"s in a row.

The moment the vast, pure, and ancient incense spiritual power enveloped him, he dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately focused all his mind, abandoned all distracting thoughts, and activated the Divine Demon Holy Embryo.

"Everyone possesses the elixir of immortality, but foolish and deluded individuals squander it in vain. At the end of the road, when heaven and earth unite, in the wondrous realm of golden light, gods and demons mingle!"

Three feet above one's head, the primordial spirit dwells, the black and white energies mingling like water and fire, the intense incense and spiritual power seemingly dissolving into the space between day and night, and under the oppressive force of gods and demons standing side by side, it gradually transforms into the purest and most mysterious wisp of golden light...

In the void, countless subtle Daoist sounds seemed to resound. Within that warm, milky-white torrent of incense-infused spiritual energy, tiny, yet dazzling, golden substances imbued with ineffable Daoist charm were slowly refined and extracted!
This golden substance was of such high quality that it far surpassed any spiritual treasures of heaven and earth that Zhang Fan had ever seen before.

It seems to be naturally in harmony with the mysterious and wondrous functions of the primordial spirit, and is the essence of the innate, the essence of all things, and the convergence of the thoughts of all living beings.

Rumble…

As the first wisp of golden substance merged into Zhang Fan's dantian, his cracked and dull inner core suddenly emitted a faint yet deeply resonant sound that reached the very depths of his soul!

Like withered trees blossoming in spring, like rain after a long drought!
Wherever the golden substance passed, the dense cracks on the inner core began to heal and repair themselves at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the dull core regained a faint but incomparably pure and tenacious golden luster.

The once nearly stagnant and lifeless elixir began to flow again, slowly but full of new vitality.

At the same time, deep within the spiritual platform, the listless and shrunken primordial spirit, nourished by the golden substance, was also infused with supreme divine essence, and its light gradually brightened.

The black and white energies surged again and began to circulate slowly again. Although it was far from restoring the magnificent scene of gods and demons standing side by side in the past, the weakness and depletion that originated from the source was being reversed at a rapid pace.

"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!" Zhang Fan was overjoyed.

He felt his power returning, and in a way that surpassed anything he had ever felt before.

He is like a riverbed that has been widened, now with a new source flowing in, the river is like a dragon, even more powerful than before.

Rumble…

More and more golden substances were extracted and flowed into his body.

In Zhang Fan's perception, he seemed to be sinking into a boundless, warm, and peaceful golden ocean.

All directions, past and present, seem to have vanished, except for this pure and vast golden energy, which envelops him, cleanses him, and reshapes him!
He felt as if he had returned to the womb of heaven and earth, enjoying the most primal nourishment and healing.

Outside the dilapidated temple, the night remained deep.

Inside the temple, however, a miracle that defies the laws of nature is unfolding.

……

In the latter half of the night, the moon was setting in the west.

The golden halo that had permeated the temple, invisible to the naked eye, gradually dissipated, and the surging, mysterious fluctuations subsided.

Zhang Fan remained seated cross-legged in the room, motionless, as if in deep meditation.

Outwardly, he seemed unchanged. He still wore the same tattered clothes, and his face, weathered by time, looked slightly haggard. His aura was restrained, even carrying a hint of sickly weakness, as if all the astonishing phenomena just now were merely illusions.

However, his body had undergone a tremendous transformation.

Inside the dantian, although the inner core had not yet fully recovered to the brilliance of the fifth-stage peak, the spiderweb-like cracks on its surface had been mostly healed. The core was stable, and the golden light was contained within, like a pearl covered in dust that had been wiped clean of its surface dirt. Its divine light was restrained, concealing unimaginable terror.

The primordial energy flowed slowly, vast and boundless, exceptionally pure and condensed, carrying a trace of the indescribable, profound Daoist charm bestowed by golden matter.

Within the spiritual platform, the primordial spirit was no longer weak, and the black and white energies flowed steadily. Although the power had not yet recovered to its peak, the aura was even more magnificent and extraordinary.

Most importantly, the miraculous golden substance soothed most of the injuries to his flesh, bones, and even his internal organs.

For Zhang Fan, tonight was a fundamental restoration and sublimation, pulling him back from the brink of complete collapse.

At this moment, he is like an ancient sword that has been reforged and its edge tempered. Although the blade is still covered with the marks of battle and has not been sharpened, its inner resilience and potential are far beyond what they were yesterday.

"Great, it's almost fully recovered."

Zhang Fan slowly opened his eyes, his pupils sparkling with a different kind of brilliance, no longer as lifeless as before.

"Big brother, are you...are you alright?"

Just then, Lü Xianyang's voice came from outside the door.

"I just heard some noise, so I came to check," Lu Xianyang explained, standing outside the door.

"Come in," Zhang Fan whispered.

The door opened, and Lü Xianyang cautiously peeked in, his face showing concern and a hint of lingering surprise.

Although he couldn't see the specific spiritual energy of the incense or the extraction of the golden substance, the warm, peaceful, yet incredibly profound atmosphere inside the temple made him instinctively feel that it was extraordinary.

Zhang Fan slowly opened his eyes and looked at Lü Xianyang at the door.

At this moment, his mind was clear, and as he carefully examined the boy again, a thought stirred within him.

It must be said that Lü Xianyang is indeed exceptionally gifted, with a pure mind and a kind and simple nature. In this degenerate age, he maintains an almost innate clarity of mind, which is truly a gifted talent. He is a rough gem that has not yet been carved.

"I am in dire straits here, but it is because of you that I have such an incredible opportunity." Zhang Fan sighed inwardly, then waved to Lü Xianyang.

"Little Lü, do you want to cultivate?" Zhang Fan asked.

"Chanting scriptures and fortune telling?" Lu Xianyang asked subconsciously.

His grandfather also practiced this way during his lifetime.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan smiled and said, "True cultivation is the refinement of immortality."

"Refining immortality!?" Upon hearing this, Lü Xianyang instinctively caught the meaning of those three words, and his eyes lit up.

"My older brother taught me."

Zhang Fan nodded slightly, said no more, and immediately imparted the secret formula.

His knowledge was diverse, including Pure Yang Elixir Method, legendary and esoteric techniques such as Divine Demon Holy Embryo and Three Corpses Illuminating Fate, as well as Longhu Mountain, the Northern Emperor's Method, and so on.

For a time, Zhang Fan did not teach any profound methods, but instead used Lu Zu's Fire Dragon Elixir Method as a foundation to impart his various introductory insights and experiences.

This is a synthesis of various schools of thought, a culmination of Taoist teachings; its essence is unimaginable.

It should be understood that in ancient times, the level of "Zhai Shou" (斋首) was equivalent to that of a great master of alchemy, someone capable of founding a school of thought.

"If you want to live forever, you must first die. The primordial spirit will be born with a wonderful technique, and the fire dragon will become the elixir god!"

Suddenly, Lü Xianyang heard something wonderful and murmured softly.

At the spiritual altar, a mysterious light rose, and the primordial spirit suddenly arose, with the appearance of a fire dragon coiling around it. The world was vast, and even the statue of Lu Zu in the main hall trembled and resonated slightly, as if it were paying homage to the awakening of the supreme and noble primordial spirit.

In a daze, a profound and mysterious sound suddenly arose from the heavens and earth, and a faint fragrance of incense emanated from Lü Xianyang's body.

This strange phenomenon amazed Zhang Fan.

"You truly are a natural talent!" Zhang Fan couldn't help but exclaim.

He never expected that he would encounter such an astonishing figure on his desperate journey.

Lu Xianyang also sensed the change in himself. Instead of being surprised, he stood up, took two steps back, and with a solemn expression, knelt down with a thud and performed the three bows and nine kowtows to Zhang Fan.

"Master, please accept my three bows!!!"

(End of this chapter)