Pure Yang!

Chapter 522 The Strongest Zhang Fan! The World Turns Dark (53k Long Chapter)

Beyond the pass, the Blackwater Hills.

The night is deep, and the bright moon hangs high in the sky.

An abandoned Taoist temple, abandoned for countless years, stands alone in the sheltered part of the hills. Its walls are crumbling, its roof tiles are broken, and the remaining frame looks like the skeleton of a giant beast under the moonlight, exuding an aura of desolation and decay.

call……

The experts of the Dao Alliance were scattered around the Daoist temple, standing guard vigilantly. The campfire flickered in the cold wind, reflecting their solemn and tired faces.

"For so many days, that damned sect leader has disappeared without a trace. Where could he possibly be hiding?"

"Hmph, who cares where he's hiding? Once we find him, we'll kick his corpse twice."

"..."

Around the campfire, a few people gathered together, discussing in hushed tones.

As the team following the powerful Abbot, they were the most confident and the least afraid.

At this moment, inside the main hall of the Taoist temple, a portable camping lamp hangs on a crooked beam, emitting a dim, yellowish light that barely dispels the darkness in a small area.

Before the dilapidated altar, Fan Lingzhou sat cross-legged in meditation, his eyes slightly closed as if leaving a sliver of light to penetrate. A mysterious and indescribable aura emanated from his body, like the fragrance of elixir or the aroma of medicine, swirling and fluctuating.

hum...

At this moment, Fan Lingzhou's mind stirred slightly, producing strange fluctuations, as if complex nerve currents were intertwined, as if countless thoughts were running through his mind.

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

Logically speaking, at his level, his mind and spirit should have been perfectly integrated, and his thoughts should have been as still as water. It would be extremely rare for him to experience such intense and uncontrollable fluctuations in his thoughts.

However, this moment felt like a premonition and a premonition from the unseen world.

An indescribable force pulled his consciousness into a hazy realm.

Fan Lingzhou felt as if he were having a dream, or as if he had truly returned to the past.

Countless lights and shadows flickered, boiled, and perished like bubbles...

That year, he was twelve years old.

On the square of Baihe Temple in Shangjing, the mottled bluestone hides the vicissitudes of the thousand-year-old temple.

Suddenly, a clear and resounding cry, like an invisible sword, arose abruptly, piercing the sky and shaking people's hearts.

hum...

Before the strange sound had even faded, figures staggered and fell to the ground as if struck by an invisible force.

Only in the center, the twelve-year-old Fan Lingzhou still stood straight. His gaze swept over the fallen figures, most of whom were about his age, some even a few years older than him.

At this moment, the faces of these people were filled with pain, confusion, and undisguised shock, all staring at the boy who stood upright.

All the onlookers, whether they were fellow disciples or the Taoist priests on duty, were trembling with fear.

Two years ago, this boy, who struggled to reach the capital from a famine-stricken area with his bloodied and bruised legs, collapsed in front of the White Crane Temple. He had neither the foundation for cultivation nor a solid background. He was only allowed to enter the temple by the mercy of the elders...

Such a weak existence...

In just two short years...

Not only did he awaken his primordial spirit, but he also mastered the secret Taoist technique of the White Crane Temple, the "Cry of the Crane." Moreover, judging from its power, he was far from a beginner and had already achieved considerable skill.

Their exceptional talent and rapid progress are simply astonishing.

The boy stood upright in the square, his youthful face still showing signs of malnutrition, looking at the fallen figures around him, feeling the gazes cast upon him from all directions, filled with deep awe, envy, and even disbelief...

A long-suppressed arrogance, like a bamboo shoot breaking through the soil, rose uncontrollably from his chest.

Born into poverty!

Absolutely no foundation!

He was well aware of his own worth, and that's why, from the day he stepped into Baihe Temple, the effort and hardship he put in far exceeded that of ordinary people by ten or even a hundred times!
While others rest, he practices his skills; while others sleep, he seeks enlightenment.

He devoted all his time and energy to it, daring not to slack off in the slightest.

Fortunately, such efforts finally paid off.

Thinking of this, his aura became even more vigorous, and his previously somewhat timid gaze became lofty and sharp, as if he no longer cared about these peers who he once had to look up to.

call……

Just then, the boy caught a glimpse of a figure coming into view at the edge of the square.

It was a tall, thin man in a gray Zhongshan suit, with an outstanding demeanor, who was talking in hushed tones with an old Taoist priest from Baihe Temple.

"Huh? Is it him?"

The boy was overjoyed and recognized him instantly.

Two years ago, he was struggling to survive on the edge of the village's fields. It was this tall, thin man who not only gave him a meal and pulled him back from the brink of death, but also pointed him to a way to survive in the north.

Overjoyed, the boy disregarded the stares and dashed toward the tall, thin man as if swept away by a gust of wind.

"Um!?"

Just then, the tall, thin man and the old Taoist priest next to him noticed the figure approaching from afar.

"How dare you! With such an honored guest before you, how can you be so unruly?" The old Taoist priest's sharp shout immediately stopped the young man in his tracks.

Immediately afterwards, the old Taoist priest looked at the expert man beside him and said with a smile, "Second Master, the boy was ignorant and offended you."

"you you……"

The boy took a deep breath, looked at the tall, thin man, and wanted to call out, but for a moment he didn't know what to call him.

"What do you mean, 'you, you'?" The old Taoist frowned. "This is Master Zhang Er of the Southern Zhang lineage of Longhu Mountain."

"Longhu Mountain!? Master Zhang?" The young man's heart trembled.

Although he was still a novice in Taoism, he had vaguely heard of Zhang Er of Longhu Mountain, who was a truly remarkable figure in the Taoist community.

"So it was you." The tall, thin man known as "Second Master Zhang" was not angry. He looked at the boy and chuckled, "It's been two years. You've changed quite a bit. Your spirit and energy are different now."

"Does Second Master know him?" the old Taoist priest couldn't help but ask.

"There's some fate involved." The tall, thin man chuckled as he looked at the young man. "You really came to the North. Do you still remember the fortune-telling I gave you back then?"

"I remember!" The boy nodded emphatically.

In the past two years, he has not only practiced Taoist magic, but also learned to read.

"Rise when you encounter white, fall when you encounter black!" The boy nodded emphatically.

"It was precisely because I entered the White Crane Temple and practiced Taoist arts that I was able to soar to the heavens, which truly fulfilled the first four words."

"I will never forget your great kindness, Second Master."

As he spoke, the boy suddenly knelt down, about to perform a grand salute, but was lifted up by the tall, thin man.

"Everyone has their own destiny; this is your own fate, not the power of others."

As he spoke, the tall, thin man looked deeply at the boy and said, "If you encounter any calamities in the future, it is of your own making. Do not blame heaven and earth, nor others."

Upon hearing this, the boy seemed somewhat bewildered, a look of confusion even appearing in his eyes.

The tall, thin man smiled, then changed the subject, suddenly asking, "Having entered the White Crane Temple, do you have a name?"

"My master bestowed upon me the Taoist name, Shanshui!" the boy whispered.

"Shan Shui..."

"Only by transforming worldly desires into benevolent water can one attain immortality and universal salvation." The tall, thin man nodded and said, "This Taoist name does indeed correspond to the divination of your life: water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it..."

At this point, the tall, thin man paused slightly before saying, "We are destined to meet again today, so I will give you another name."

Upon hearing this, the boy immediately knelt down and said, "Please bestow a name upon me, Second Master."

The tall, thin man gazed at the young man before him, and suddenly remembered the eight-character prophecy.

The mighty rivers and seas rise with white waves, while the deep abyss hides dark waters.

Living in the mortal world, everyone is struggling to cross the river amidst the white waves and black waters...

"Black and white waves carry the boat of the Way, crossing the void to reach Yingzhou!" the tall, thin man murmured softly.

"From now on, your name will be Ling Zhou!"

Fan Lingzhou!
As this name shifts and revolves in the light and shadow of memory, that imprint resounds once more like a resounding bell…

Inside the dilapidated Taoist temple, Fan Lingzhou, who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation, slowly opened his eyes.

The sliver of light in his eyes receded, and the strange phenomenon of the medicinal fragrance surrounding him quietly dissipated.

"Fan Lingzhou..."

He murmured softly, as if tracing the figure of the boy in his dream, or as if gently calling out his own name.

Looking up, the large moon still hung high in the sky outside the window, its cool light filtering through the broken window frame.

All was silent except for the cold wind blowing tirelessly through the hills, as if telling tales of the long-forgotten past and the unknown future.

Fan Lingzhou frowned, feeling somewhat agitated for some reason.

Since he entered the realm of the abbot, he had never felt such emotions before. He slowly got up and walked out of the Taoist temple.

"Guanzhu..."

Just then, a middle-aged Taoist priest saw Fan Lingzhou come out and quickly went up to him.

"Why did you come out?"

"Nothing, just came out to check." Fan Lingzhou said in a deep voice, "Is there any movement?"

“There aren’t any nearby, but…” the middle-aged Taoist priest hesitated.

"Just what?" Fan Lingzhou asked in a deep voice.

"We've lost contact with the four squads closest to us."

"Can't get in touch? What does that mean?" Fan Lingzhou frowned.

“According to the rules, we exchanged information two hours ago, but now there is no response when we call again,” the middle-aged Taoist priest said in a deep voice.

This isn't a secret realm of mountains and seas, where normal communication methods wouldn't allow for such a loss of contact. Moreover, it's one thing to lose contact with one small team, but now all four teams are out of reach.

"Something's happened." Fan Lingzhou's gaze suddenly darkened, and he said sharply, "Which team is closest to us? Let's go check it out."

In a split second, this master of the Abbot realm made a decision.

"No need for that. You'll be going down to keep them company in a bit."

Just then, a loud voice echoed through the cold, quiet night.

Everyone looked up.

Fan Lingzhou's gaze was like lightning, fixed on the abyss.

Under the bright moonlight, a young man arrived alone. Who else could it be but Zhang Fan? As for Wang Tao, hiding in the distance, watching this scene unfold before him, his heart was already pounding with fear.

Not to mention him, even those experts from the Dao Alliance, and even Fan Lingzhou, all trembled, their brows twitched, and they even felt somewhat dazed when they saw Zhang Fan...

That so-called leader of the Wuwei Sect committed numerous serious crimes, killing countless masters...

And so, he swaggered out before everyone, appearing right in front of a powerful abbot.

"What...what's going on?"

"Has he...has he gone mad? Is this a case of turning himself in?"

In an instant, almost the same thought appeared in everyone's mind.

"Zhang Fan, you actually dare to show yourself?"

Fan Lingzhou was the first to recover. He looked at the young man in front of him with a complicated expression and a cold voice.

"Fan Lingzhou, when you killed my teacher and slaughtered my best friend, you should have known that we would meet again," Zhang Fan said coldly.

Jiao Tu Yan Jun Feng Ping An is his elder.

Sui Chunsheng was his close friend.

Zhang Fan could never forget the scene by the Yujing Riverbank, where two heads fell in front of him, bloody and with their eyes still open. It felt like just yesterday.

"Youthful impulsiveness leads to ruin!" Fan Lingzhou sneered. "Young man, I thought you were someone important, but I didn't expect that you would lose your life over a moment of impulsiveness for two ants."

"Nanzhang is full of people like you; it is destined to perish."

"Lots of nonsense!"

Zhang Fan spoke softly and coldly, his mind as firm as the heavens and his will unyielding.

Rumble…

In an instant, a terrifying aura soared into the sky, as if heaven and earth had merged into one, creating a vast and boundless expanse. This pressure caused everyone to turn pale and tremble with fear.

"Hmm!?" Fan Lingzhou raised an eyebrow, revealing a strange expression.

"I never imagined that after our parting in Yujing, you would not only survive but have also improved considerably. Unfortunately, your strength is still laughable and overestimating in front of me."

Fan Lingzhou was a dignified abbot, while Zhang Fan was merely a head monk with the sixth level of inner alchemy.

Such a disparity cannot be bridged even with unparalleled alchemical techniques or exquisite Taoist arts.

"Fan Lingzhou, tonight, either you or I need to die here." Zhang Fan grinned.

That smile was cruel and insane.

Rumble…

As soon as he finished speaking, an even more terrifying aura surged from Fan Lingzhou's body, shattering starlight, illuminating the moon, and seemingly converging all the splendor of the sky into one place...

In a daze, a mysterious phantom appeared between heaven and earth.

It was an ancient magic ship, existing between reality and illusion, born from existence and non-existence, its mystery and extraordinary nature forged by countless twisted runes and Dao patterns.

The primordial spirit and its manifestation are but an empty boat adrift in the sea of ​​suffering.

This time, Fan Lingzhou held nothing back. In just one exchange, he unleashed the [Bitter Sea Void Boat], its immense aura and power shaking the heavens and earth.

Everyone's thoughts froze, as if they were about to be swallowed up by the waves of heaven and earth.

Throughout history, it seems that only that Dharma ship could reach the other shore.

"The power of the Master has already reached the threshold of understanding the mysteries of heaven and man."

It seemed as if a voice was shouting in everyone's heart.

Faced with this surging power, their bodies, their spirits, and their flesh and blood seemed to vanish.

Rumble…

However, in the world, there was still an undying aura, like a burning lamp, clearly distinguishable between black and white.

"The Divine Demon Holy Embryo... It truly lives up to its name. Even under my primordial spirit dharma form, it did not immediately disintegrate." Fan Lingzhou looked at Zhang Fan, who was struggling to hold on, and couldn't help but admire him.

If it were an ordinary primordial spirit, even one at the sixth level of the inner core, it would probably have already shattered and annihilated under the pressure of the Bitter Sea Void Boat.

Only the divine and demonic embryo can endure forever.

Even so, the pressure Zhang Fan was under was still unimaginable.

"My nature is immortal, and I will display my supernatural powers everywhere in the world!"

Just then, Zhang Fan let out a loud shout.

Suddenly, his body trembled violently, the surrounding space seemed to rumble, the clouds dispersed like mist, and the moonlight vanished like a white veil.

The wind and clouds ceased, and all light and shadow seemed to freeze at this moment.

Immediately afterwards, flickering flames burst forth from Zhang Fan's eyes, mouth, and nose, shining brightly like red water chestnuts entwined, and raging like real fire descending upon the mortal world.

"This is……"

At this moment, everyone's expression changed. They saw Zhang Fan's figure seemingly merge into the terrifying flames, becoming a part of the fierce power of heaven and earth.

The brilliance of the flame gives rise to samadhi, soaring into the sky and sweeping across the Milky Way.

"A secret passed down only by Taoism!"

"The supreme divine power of the Xuanmen!"

"Samadhi Fire!?"

Fan Lingzhou's expression changed slightly, and a hint of emotion finally welled up in his deep eyes.

Rumble…

The Samadhi True Fire soared into the sky, but the terrifying fluctuations seemed to have not yet stopped boiling. Zhang Fan's blurry figure reappeared, and his brow trembled violently. Faintly, it seemed that a "hole" was slowly opening.

Rumble…

The next moment, a divine light shot into the sky, actually entangled with the Samadhi True Fire.

"Divine light shines from the spiritual platform!"

The divine light pierced through the air, like a sword beam sweeping across the sky, surrounded by the inextinguishable Samadhi True Fire.

The terrifying weather startled heaven and earth and shook the mountains and rivers.

The moon paled in comparison.

The starlight dimmed in its presence.

The vast universe seemed to have lost its brilliance at this moment.

Only that divine light soared into the sky.

Only the true fire never dies.

"This...this is his strongest form!?"

In the distance, Wang Tao seemed to hold his breath as he watched as the black and white light of true fire filled the sky.

Divine and Demonic Embryo!

Samadhi is really hot!

Divine light shines from the spiritual platform!

The Daoist arts and supernatural powers are perfectly integrated; this is Zhang Fan's strongest form.

Facing a powerful expert at the Abbot level, he only had this one chance to make a move, so naturally he wouldn't hold back at all.

"You're still too young."

Fan Lingzhou's voice rang out softly, tinged with a hint of mockery.

Rumble…

Suddenly, the mysterious [Bitter Sea Void Boat] moved, and the primordial spirit seemed to cross the void and collide with the divine light wrapped in Samadhi True Fire.

bang bang bang...

A violent sound erupted, burst forth, and cascaded down...

The world was bathed in light.

The Bitter Sea Void Boat seemed to have struck a huge reef in the raging ocean, its sweeping figure suddenly stopped, true fire spread throughout the heavens and earth, and divine light enveloped the mountains and rivers.

The terrifying destructive power annihilated everything, as if it were about to drag that primordial spirit into the abyss of nothingness.

Faced with such power, all things in heaven and earth, and all living beings, seem destined to be reduced to ashes.

"too frightening!"

Everyone stared wide-eyed as they saw the figure of the Bitter Sea Void Boat become blurred, as if it were about to be annihilated by that terrifying power.

“People of the Zhang family, you have no idea how powerful the Abbot’s realm is. Once the Dharma form is formed, he has already seen nature and the world.”

Fan Lingzhou's voice rang out again.

Rumble…

The boat on the sea of ​​suffering remained blurry, but its form moved again, as if it had broken through the raging waves and crushed the reefs of the ocean.

The divine light vanished.

The fire is about to go out.

That primordial spirit dharma form seemed indestructible.

Even a slight difference in spiritual attainment can lead to boundless superiority, let alone a difference of such vast realms!
"Oops!"

In the distance, Wang Tao's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly felt like he was sinking to the bottom.

To attempt to challenge the Abbot's realm with only the sixth stage of internal alchemy is truly like an ant trying to shake a tree—an impossible miracle.

Rumble…

The light in the mind has faded.

The divinely bestowed supernatural powers have dissipated.

Suddenly, in the instant the light went out and the fire died down, a dark light suddenly appeared.

That was Zhang Fan's true killing move, hidden within the spiritual light and concealed within the Samadhi True Fire.

When all phenomena cease, that point of darkness becomes like a long, dark night, swallowing up all light.

"This is……"

At that moment, Fan Lingzhou's expression suddenly changed.

That point of darkness magnified infinitely before his eyes, like an abyss, like a long night, the world was in chaos, only that pure blackness pierced through the sea of ​​suffering, through his primordial spirit, through his inner core, through his flesh and blood, and through his entire life.

(End of this chapter)