Starting Cultivation During a Trip-Chapter 56: Zhang Fan’s Rampage, Separation Fire Blazing
One tumultuous rise of consciousness, the Great Night Unlit suffered divine retribution.
This is the most dreaded tribulation for a cultivator. If the primordial spirit enters the Great Night Unlit, it is akin to a drowning person, having strength but nowhere to use it, breath with no outlet, as surging waves swallow everything. Even a cultivation as profound as Golden Core Transformation would falter in an instant, doomed to tribulation and slaughter, like a world of darkness with no dawn in sight.
"Great Night Unlit... How is it possible... What... who exactly are you?"
Cao Wushang’s primordial spirit suddenly shuddered, his trembling voice echoing softly, yet only he could hear it.
At this moment, he could no longer maintain his previous calm demeanor, only shock and fear in his eyes.
The Great Night Unlit, he had never heard of it, nor had he ever imagined that a cultivator’s inner scenery could present such an aspect.
One must understand, this is a tribulation that cultivators cannot surpass. If they enter the Great Night Unlit, the primordial spirit must return to silence. How can skills remain constant, how can longevity endure!?
But Zhang Fan...
The Great Night Unlit, how can his primordial spirit still return to cultivation!?
Buzz...
At this moment, Cao Wushang had no time to think deeply about these matters, as his primordial spirit shook, ready to retreat from Zhang Fan’s profound passage.
In an instant, the surrounding darkness surged like tidewaters, continually pulling at Cao Wushang’s primordial spirit.
At this moment, Cao Wushang’s primordial spirit was like a drowning person, constantly struggling, expending his strength to no avail.
"Grand Sect Law, Divine Flame Extinguished!"
Suddenly, Cao Wushang’s primordial spirit ignited like a flame, fierce radiance seemingly ready to illuminate the darkness, forcibly carving out a path.
The sense of powerlessness and suffocation, the feeling of impending fall, seemed to dissipate somewhat in the glow of this brilliance.
Cao Wushang’s primordial spirit rose sharply, ready to escape this darkness without any lingering.
Rumble...
At this moment, the surrounding darkness abruptly converged, the once fiery light suddenly extinguished, and in the remaining light, the outline of a hand emerged from the darkness, accompanied by the clashing sound of heavy chains, gripping Cao Wushang’s primordial spirit.
"You... who exactly are you..."
Cao Wushang’s eyes widened, looking into the murky darkness, his face only showing primal fear.
Clatter...
There was no response, as Cao Wushang was dragged into the depths of the darkness by an indistinct force. Following that, a strange chewing sound echoed eerily, a great sound with subtle silence, leaving no trace.
The night deepened.
In the quiet alley, Cao Wushang lay in a pile of rubble, breathing weakly, on the verge of breaking.
"Ah ah ah..."
Zhang Fan slowly stood up, clutching his head, feeling as if it were about to split, as if something wanted to burst from his forehead.
He lowered his head, emitting a painful low growl, the air around him starting to distort, becoming searing hot.
Buzz...
With a sudden gust of wind, Zhang Fan stepped out, transforming into an afterimage and disappearing from the spot.
...
Jade Capital City, East Suburb.
University City, Yangshan Park.
"Brother Dong, your talisman really works! Did we really see a ghost just now!?"
On the long mountain road, a group of university students each holding a flashlight, walked closely together, surrounding a tall, slim male who was apparently the leader of this group.
"Normal people’s primordial spirit returns to silence, consciousness agitation, they wouldn’t ordinarily see these things."
"But since you drank my talisman water, you can see ordinary filthy things."
Shen Xiangdong felt the awe and admiration in the eyes of those around him, involuntarily smiling.
Though he was only a sophomore, he was quite prominent at school. Many seniors and juniors revered him like a god, simply because he had "real skills," demonstrating just a few times, naturally establishing his prestige.
This night, he agreed to show everyone so-called "supernatural forces," especially since the University City, particularly East University, harbored many terrifying legends.
Just then, they had witnessed with their own eyes the "woman in a wedding dress" under the crooked-neck tree in Yangshan Park...
It is said that a couple in the University City, shortly before graduation, the male callously abandoned the relationship, finding a new love, and the female, distraught, hanged herself in her wedding dress under the tree where they often dated...
Since then, all sorts of rumors have circulated around here.
"That girl was really pitiful. I saw she was crying all the time just now..."
"Can’t she leave there? Maybe we should help bring that heartless man here."
"I always thought talisman water and such were fake."
Everyone chattered excitedly.
"Taoist talisman is not just casually taking a piece of paper and drawing a few strokes on it," Shen Xiangdong said faintly.
Talisman making is an art.
Even talisman paper alone has over a hundred classifications, the simplest "Yellow Paper Talisman" requires thirteen kinds of materials and more than twenty processes to make, and in the hands of Talismanic Sect Daoists, a single stroke can form a talisman, able to capture ghost gods.
Not to mention, there are also the talisman pen, talisman ink, etc., which are extremely meticulous to produce.
The Shen Family, for generations "made talisman and amulets," with even the Maoshan Shangqing Sect ordering large amounts of talisman paper, talisman pens, and talisman ink from them every year.
"The talisman paper I burned had glutinous rice paste, ginseng powder, pearl dust..." Shen Xiangdong said faintly.
The creation of a talisman paper is quite labor-intensive and costly; besides, when a Daoist paints a talisman, they must infuse True Yang.
Because of this, after these people drank the talisman water, even though a slight True Yang entered the body, even if they had not awakened the primordial spirit, they could temporarily observe things that are usually unseen.
"Brother Dong, does that mean we can see those supernatural forces from now on?"
At this moment, a sweet-looking girl in a short skirt spoke excitedly.
"That’s not the case..." Shen Xiangdong shook his head.
"Though you drank the talisman water, only a little True Yang entered the body, enough to see minor ghosts, but some things would still be unseen."
"What things can’t we see?" someone asked.
"For example... things even I am powerless against." Shen Xiangdong’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Ah? What if we really encounter it..." The sweet-looking girl showed a fearful expression.
"Don’t worry, such things usually can’t be encountered," Shen Xiangdong reassured.
With these words, the crowd felt slightly at ease.
Buzz...
At this moment, a strange sound came from not far away.
"What’s that sound?" Shen Xiangdong’s ears twitched, immediately alert.
"I don’t hear anything," the crowd looked at each other.
Shen Xiangdong raised his eyebrows, following the sound and moving forward, he saw a figure sitting cross-legged in the dense forest not far away, head lowered, muscles taut, emitting a painful low growl.
"What is this..."
Shen Xiangdong’s face changed suddenly, seeing fiery white light in the person’s eyes, sinister black aura boiling around, terrifying ripples stirring up turbulent wind, shaking the dense forest.
"Brother Dong, what are you looking at? The wind’s picking up, let’s go..."
At this moment, the crowd surrounded Shen Xiangdong, pulling him away.
"...Can’t you see it?"
Shen Xiangdong’s expression changed suddenly, immediately alert.
"Brother Dong, what are you talking about? Don’t frighten us, okay?"
Shen Xiangdong’s heart trembled violently, turning back again, the figure shrouded in sinister black aura rose slowly, the white light in his eyes growing fiercer. Each roar he emitted sent terrifying waves rippling from his body, pressing the surrounding trees to bow.
"What... what did this person consume for a great supplement? Could he not digest it?" Shen Xiangdong furrowed his brow, growing increasingly astonished.
Roar...
At this moment, that strange voice roared, the air around twisted and deformed rapidly, a flame shooting skyward, swiftly setting the dense forest ablaze...
"Oh my god, there’s a fire... a mountain forest fire, quickly call... "
The crowd saw the flame, retreating instantly. In their eyes, they saw no anomaly, no truth beneath the illusion...
To them, it was simply a summer forest fire.
But in Shen Xiangdong’s eyes, it was between black and white, that terrifying figure rippling the mysterious life force...
"Daoist True Flame!?"
"What on earth is that?" Shen Xiangdong’s face twitched, a voice seemed to roar within his heart. When he regained composure, the strange figure was already gone.
