Chapter 150

White clouds float and hide rays of light, descending cranes return the truth and hide the Daoist merit. But hearing the wind and the crane's cry rise, the mysterious black suddenly appears and the heavens are panicked.

Above Yujing City, white clouds float and rays of light are hidden; this is the sign of the incense of truth rising and participating in the high merit.

Especially when the 【Descending Crane】 phenomenon appears, many experts hidden in Yujing City are alarmed.

Daoist practice: being able to enter the 【Gao Gong】 rank is already one in ten thousand, let alone attracting the 【Bai He Descending from Heaven】 phenomenon. This is immortal affinity, possessing a transcendent posture, and the future is bound to be limitless.

"Only when a high-merit practitioner produces this incense can a crane descend... I heard that only those who are promoted to high merit before the age of thirty have a chance to attract the 【Descending Crane】 phenomenon."

"The great hermit hides in the city; there are such experts in Yujing City. Today, high merit should be promoted."

"This is a breakthrough, having crossed the barrier of 【Descending the True Life-Fate】. It is truly good fortune... It seems there is another person breaking through, but it looks like they failed."

The 【Descending Crane】 phenomenon is rare since ancient times, let alone in this day and age, so it naturally attracts attention.

Conversely, the other patch of white clouds had dim rays of light, and dissipation was right before their eyes.

But at this moment, a loud cry rose, like thunder, shaking in all directions. From the gloomily dissipating floating clouds, two sharp and ferocious claws reached out, huge and incomparable, each comparable to the circling white cranes, and accompanied by black feathers falling.

"What is that?"

In the courtyard, He Ningyan looked at the sky, her soul-aspect observing. Originally, seeing the floating clouds dissipate, she was sighing in her heart that the path of high merit is extremely dangerous. Only with Ma Buting's natural talent could he have hope of promotion and attract the 【Descending Crane】 phenomenon. As for this person attempting the barrier at the same time, they could only be buried in the constant sands of countless failures, unknown and unrecognized by outsiders.

This is the despair of reality and the cruelty of practicing the Dao.

But...

Rumble...

Within the dissipating floating clouds, who knows what terrifying figure was hidden? Those two sharp giant claws seemed to be just the tip of the iceberg. Breaking through the air, they reached into the white clouds beside them, shaking the rays of light and causing the firmament to tremble.

The next moment, only a mournful cry was heard. The two white cranes originally circling the sky were grabbed by the giant claws, one in each, and were crushed alive.

"A black crane!?"

"What on earth is this thing!?"

He Ningyan's face lost its color. She could not believe it. Born into the 【Three Sovereigns Sect】, learned and knowledgeable, and having read the Daoist scriptures, she had never seen such a phenomenon.

Black feathers fell, giant claws grabbed the cranes; although it was only an external soul-aspect phenomenon, it gave her a chill.

It was a fear that came from instinct, as if branded in the innate soul-aspect from birth, trembling and terrifying, not daring to look directly.

At this moment, she even forgot to protect the Dharma.

"I knew it... sure enough, an accident happened."

On the rooftop, Bai Buran's gaze narrowed into a line, looking at the phenomenon in the sky, his face looking extremely ugly.

Ever since Zhang Fan came to his company, no matter what happened, there was always an accident.

This time, burning the incense of truth and breaking through to high merit, sure enough, an accident happened as expected.

However, the external scene before his eyes was beyond Bai Buran's understanding.

Even though he was born on True Wushan and his cultivation was profound and peerless, he did not know what this phenomenon before him represented.

Roar...

At this moment, a terrifying screeching sound came from the dissipating floating clouds, mysterious and profound, breaking the Yin and Yang, hiding the incense of truth. Immediately after, the two struggling white cranes were suddenly crushed to pieces under those two giant claws.

"This... this... crushed? This... how is this supposed to be?"

"Burning incense to sacrifice to heaven and summoning the True Ones leads to the phenomenon of white cranes coming in groups... I have practiced the Dao for thirty-seven winters and summers, and I have never heard that the 【Descending Crane】 phenomenon could be..."

"Cranes come from the sky, showing immortal affinity... what on earth is that thing that could grab and crush the white cranes!?"

Inconceivable gazes were cast toward the sky one after another, accompanied by disbelief.

Bai Buran's face was extremely ugly. He felt more and more gazes being attracted by the bizarre external phenomenon in the sky.

"Look!"

At this moment, in the sky, the two white cranes crushed by the giant claws actually turned into two masses of purple Qi under the eyes of everyone...

Immediately after, within the dissipating floating clouds, the bizarre figure shook its wings, causing black feathers to fall.

The next moment, the two masses of wriggling purple Qi seemed to be swallowed, rushing into the dissipating floating clouds and being devoured by the mysterious and bizarre figure.

"That thing is... it ate the white cranes!?"

Between heaven and earth, there was dead silence. Everyone's eyes were staring in horror at the sky, at the bizarre figure. At this moment, all cognition and experience seemed to have lost their effectiveness.

No one knew what this external scene represented! Rumble...

At this moment, the dissipating floating clouds suddenly vanished, and the bizarre figure hidden within also disappeared.

"Huh!? There's nothing? Wasn't someone just attempting high merit!?"

The white clouds dissipated, and the soul-aspect was nowhere to be seen. It was Bai Buran who had acted in time, using a clever hand to steal heaven and summon Zhang Fan's soul-aspect back into his body, causing the bizarre external scene in the sky to dissipate.

"No one? How could there be no one?"

He Ningyan's expression was solemn. She had originally thought that someone was like Ma Buting, attempting the 【Gao Gong】 rank.

But now it seemed that the firmament was empty, leaving no trace behind.

If that were the case, where did the phenomenon just now come from?

"Could it be the demonic tribulation of my junior brother? What kind of heinous things did he do to make the heavens unhappy?" He Ningyan's heart was in chaos, and for a moment, her thoughts were scattered.

In the Daoist books, it is indeed recorded that the Dao has no high or low, nor good or evil, but if one goes against one's own heart, a heart demon will surely be born, and there will be many tribulations in the future.

It is like a person who is educated in good and evil from birth. Such concepts are deeply rooted. Even if he becomes a heinous demon in the future, these concepts will affect his consciousness, judging good and evil, forming thoughts, breeding emotions, planting the seeds of heart demons, and becoming the root of future tribulations.

Whoosh...

Just as He Ningyan was letting her imagination run wild, the 【Incense of Truth-Descent】 on the Dharma altar had burned out.

Ma Buting's soul-aspect returned to his body, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out.

"Senior Sister..."

Ma Buting's face was pale, his eyes bloodshot, and he was angry to the extreme.

His opportunity, his good fortune... was actually snatched away right before his eyes by that bizarre phenomenon, while he could only hide in the white clouds like a quail, shivering.

"Fortunately, you have already crossed that hurdle."

He Ningyan walked up, took a look, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Ma Buting's soul-aspect, under the protection of the 【Incense of Truth-Descent】, had absorbed the white clouds and rays of light, and after baptism and sublimation, he was indeed at the 【Gao Gong】 rank.

The only pity was that if he could have merged with the two white crane phenomena, his soul-aspect would have been more powerful, and his future achievements would have been greater.

"Forget it, a peck and a drink are all predestined. Don't take it to heart."

He Ningyan looked at Ma Buting with deep meaning.

"Senior Sister, why are you looking at me like that?" Ma Buting asked in confusion.

"I mean, everything is predestined. What you need to do now is forget about this matter, so as not to disturb your consciousness and leave behind heart demons, which would be detrimental to your future practice," He Ningyan said indifferently.

"I know." Ma Buting clenched his hands.

He understood the logic, but such great good fortune, perhaps only once in a lifetime, had actually been snatched away from under his nose.

How could he not hate, not resent, not think, not miss it!?

"Junior Brother..."

At this moment, He Ningyan suddenly spoke, pulling Ma Buting's thoughts back.

"Senior Sister, what is it?"

"Senior Sister has a word for you," He Ningyan said indifferently.

"Please enlighten me, Senior Sister."

"Good and evil will eventually be rewarded... I hope you take care of yourself."

As she spoke, He Ningyan turned and left.

"Senior Sister, what do you mean? No... Senior Sister, speak clearly, what do you mean by saying this to me?"

Ma Buting looked confused and chased after her to ask....

Eleven years ago.

Yujing City, by the Gilded River, fire filled the sky.

At that time, Zhang Fan walked out of the fire, black and white Qi flowing and dying around him. That feeling was sacred and supreme, and in an instant, it was like a demon approaching the abyss.

He felt the changes in himself, looking at the two figures colliding in the raging fire on the Gilded River.

That was his father and mother.

Rumble...

The terrifying fluctuations caused thunder to erupt in the fire, thunder and fire intertwined, clouds descended, causing the river water to boil and frightening the ghosts and gods.

"The Divine Demon Sacred Fetus is the most ferocious thing in the world. The day this method is practiced is the day the tribulation begins."

At this moment, a mysterious voice came from Zhang Fan's soul-aspect's inner landscape, accompanied by the sound of heavy chains colliding.

At this moment, his soul-aspect's inner landscape was no longer the same. The Divine Demon Sacred Fetus, how could it be child's play!? "Are they fighting over this?" Zhang Fan's brow furrowed, lost in thought.

It seems his mother mistakenly thought his father had passed the 【Divine Demon Sacred Fetus】 to him.

"Since it's the beginning of the tribulation, why did you teach me this Daoist method?"

In the soul-aspect's inner landscape, there was dead silence. Immediately after, the bizarre sound of chains colliding sounded again, accompanied by that mysterious and ethereal voice.

"I can teach you the method to escape the tribulation, but whether you succeed depends entirely on your own good fortune."

"The Divine Demon Sacred Fetus, one of the Nine Greats. If I can even practice this, what can't I do?"

"It's different. The method I teach you to escape the tribulation is very special."

The mysterious and ethereal voice came from Zhang Fan's soul-aspect's inner landscape again, revealing a mesmerizing magic.

"What is it?"

"Its name is..."

"Great Soul-Splitting Method!"

Clang... clang... clang...

The gloomy words fell, and only heavy chains were colliding and surging...

Whoosh...

On the rooftop, Zhang Fan suddenly opened his eyes, waking up from his dream.

He was covered in sweat. Looking at the vast sky and looking around, he was still on the rooftop of Taoyuan Square.

"Failed?"

Zhang Fan was stunned. He had actually failed in attempting the 【Gao Gong】 rank.

Descending truth is not truth, incense smoke is scattered...

The incense of truth is to summon the True Ones and baptize the soul-aspect.

But his soul-aspect had not been baptized and sublimated to the extreme, perhaps because he had practiced the 【Divine Demon Sacred Fetus】.

The Nine Great Inner Elixir Methods exceed common sense and are different from others. Reasonably speaking, anyone who practices the Nine Great Inner Elixir Methods has an extremely special soul-aspect. Perhaps the path of using ordinary methods and the 【Incense of Truth-Descent】 to be promoted to high merit does not work.

"If this is the case, the Nine Great Inner Elixir Methods form their own system, and 【Descending Truth and Returning Life-Fate】 should also have their own methods," Zhang Fan guessed.

If his speculation was correct, the way those who practice the Nine Great Inner Elixir Methods break through to 【Gao Gong】 should be different from ordinary people.

"It's not that there was no change at all."

Zhang Fan felt the changes in his soul-aspect. In the time it took to burn a stick of incense, his soul-aspect had grown a lot, as if he had eaten until he was full.

"The power has increased this much?" Zhang Fan was stunned.

At this moment, he realized that his greatest reliance was not the 【Fire Dragon Elixir Sword】, nor the 【Majestic Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal】, but his soul-aspect.

"You're awake!"

At this moment, Bai Buran's voice came from the side, pulling Zhang Fan's thoughts back.

"Boss, I..."

"You really are a... freak."

Bai Buran touched his chin and finally found a suitable adjective.

In his eyes, Zhang Fan was indeed a freak. No matter what he did, he could always make a scene.

This time, even he was left speechless.

Thinking back on that phenomenon, he felt a chill, his eyes filled with confusion.

"I failed," Zhang Fan sighed.

"Perhaps your accumulation is not enough. The good fortune in misfortune is that your soul-aspect is unharmed."

Bai Buran looked at Zhang Fan and breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, he had been worried just now. After all, failing to break through to 【Gao Gong】, for an ordinary person, with such a delicate soul-aspect, would surely lead to problems, either going crazy or becoming a fool.

Fortunately, looking at him now, Zhang Fan was still normal, neither crazy nor stupid.

"As long as you are alive, there is still a chance."

Bai Buran patted Zhang Fan on the shoulder and comforted him.

"Behave yourself for this period of time."

Many experts in Yujing City had seen the phenomenon just now. Heaven knows what kind of influence and trouble it would cause.

Although Bai Buran had used his clever hand to summon Zhang Fan's soul-aspect back in time, the 【Black Crane Swallowing White Feathers】 phenomenon was too eye-catching.

Sure enough, in the next few days, the topic was spreading like wildfire in the Daoist circles of Yujing City.

"Only seeing a feather and a claw, how can you conclude that it was a black crane?"

"I've searched through all the ancient Daoist books, and there has never been a black crane. I think it's mostly a demon. Didn't dragon Qi leak in Yujing City a few days ago? Maybe it raised a black dragon."

"I heard... this was the demonic tribulation caused by Ma Buting of the Jiangnan Province Daoist Alliance being promoted to high merit. Who knows what kind of heinous things he did behind the scenes."

"The 【Descending Crane】 phenomenon is a Daoist mystery. No matter what that thing is, it is ominous."

The turmoil in Yujing City had not yet stopped, and True Wushan had already received news.

Pure Micro Merit, before the Pure Yang Hall.

Pojie looked at the posts on the internet and couldn't help but feel a sense of gossip.

"Senior Brother, has a monster appeared in Yujing City?" Xia Weisheng sat on the corridor, shaking his slender legs, and couldn't help but turn his head.

In the Daoist school, the white crane is the messenger who guides one to ascension.

Ancient books record that the white crane rides the sky. If one performs the Nine Nether Yellow Register Luo Heaven Putian Dajiao, it will arrive immediately. If one is playful and joking, it will not be verified when summoned.

This means that when the Daoist school holds large-scale offerings, such as the Yellow Register Putian Dajiao or the Luo Heaven Putian Dajiao, they can perform the "Summoning Crane" method to attract the 【Descending Crane】 phenomenon, which can communicate with the heavens and make the spells more effective.

Therefore, one can see bronze stands and stone statues of cranes in Daoist temples.

But a black crane...

"Just look at what's on the internet for fun. Last year, they said someone threw a corpse in the bathhouse river at the foot of the mountain, but when they fished it out, it was a doll, and an inflatable one at that..." Pojie said indifferently.

"Senior Brother, that is..." Xia Weisheng asked curiously.

"Shh... Master is still inside practicing in seclusion, stop talking." Pojie made a gesture to be quiet.

Inside the Pure Yang Hall, a candle flame was burning, flickering with a fire the size of a fingertip.

"Black crane swallowing white feathers... eighty years ago, it was also seen on Mount Long Hu."

A gloomy voice echoed in the Pure Yang Hall, and the flickering firelight stretched the shadow of this living True Person of the present age, like a shadow pressing across the hall.

(End of chapter)