Chapter 421

The Long Hu Zhang family, the Immortal Family; the most mysterious thing is the method of 【Deification】, which some have once called the 【Tenth Method】, independent of the nine supreme inner elixir methods.

According to the rules, any disciple of the Zhang family who reaches the age of sixteen can participate in the 【Great Deification Rite】 to obtain the recognition of the ancestors, and then they can be deified and have a statue erected, establishing their name and title; from then on, immortals and mortals are different and never the same again.

After the great tribulation of the Daoist sects, the Zhang family divided into North and South, and the rules were changed: as long as one is twelve years old, one can participate in the 【Great Deification Rite】. If one fails, there is one more chance to make up for it at sixteen.

Looking at the history of the North and South branches of the Zhang family, only one person, Zhang Sheng 【Zhang Zhang Jiuzhen】, broke this rule. When he was born, his soul-aspect was not yet silent, so he received the favor of the ancestors; he didn't even participate in the 【Great Deification Rite】 and succeeded in deification, taking the title Zhang Jiuzhen.

He received the fortune of the Southern Zhang and was an immortal seed born to cultivate the Dao.

"You should know that if you want to be deified, you must participate in the 【Great Deification Rite】. That is the secret of Mount Long Hu that is never passed on. To perform this great rite, one must open the 【Ten Thousand Laws Wanfa Wanfa Zongtan】," Zhang Fan said in a deep voice.

The Ten Thousand Laws Wanfa Wanfa Zongtan is one of the four great ancestral altars of the Daoist sects.

To open this dharma altar, one also needs one of the three treasures of the Zhang family of Mount Long Hu, the 【Heavenly Capital Treasure Seal of the Yang Spirit】. From this, one can see the high standard and extreme difficulty of the 【Great Deification Rite】.

"Of course I know. After the North-South division, the Ten Thousand Laws Wanfa Wanfa Zongtan remained with the Northern Zhang, and the three treasures fell to the Southern Zhang," Zhang Wuming said in a solemn voice.

"But you also know that although the Ten Thousand Laws Wanfa Wanfa Zongtan is called the core of the lineage's inheritance, it cannot be opened without the 【Yang Spirit Seal】."

"So that's why the Northern Zhang was dissatisfied?" Zhang Fan said coldly.

This is like a wealthy man leaving the treasure vault to one son, but giving the key to the treasure vault to the other son.

The son guarding the treasure vault would naturally harbor resentment and become increasingly dissatisfied.

With the expansion of desire and ambition, fighting within the same house is only a matter of time.

Zhang Wuming remained silent. The three treasures of Mount Long Hu:

The Three-Five Sword!

The Yang Spirit Seal!

The Supreme Talisman!

These almost represent the authority of the sect leader and the orthodoxy of the sect.

After the destruction of the Southern Zhang, the Yang Spirit Seal ultimately fell into the hands of the Northern Zhang.

As for the Three-Five Sword and the Supreme Talisman, their whereabouts are unknown.

"When I was very young, my father took me to the North once," Zhang Fan suddenly said.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wuming's brow twitched violently, and he looked up at Zhang Fan.

"I was still young then..." Zhang Fan said in a deep voice.

"That long journey must have been very important. I forgot what accident happened, which caused my memory to be somewhat chaotic."

Logically speaking, after the success of the soul-aspect fusion, Zhang Fan should be able to remember everything from the past, but only a few memories are extremely blurry, and this trip to the North is among them.

"You went to the North for the sake of deification?" Zhang Wuming asked persistently.

"When the Southern Zhang was destroyed, the opinions in the North were not very unified," Zhang Fan said in a deep voice.

At that time, the Southern Zhang lineage was using the strength of the entire clan to try to create an expert who had refined the Three-Corpse Illumination, hoping to unify the world and completely resolve the thousands of years of grievances and disputes between the Daoist sects and the Wu Wei.

The pro-war faction of the Northern Zhang naturally did not want to see such a possibility become reality; they were the orthodoxy of the Daoist ancestors.

The pro-peace faction, however, believed that they were originally from the same root, and this move was a great good that would change the pattern of the world from then on, ending disputes and benefiting thousands of generations.

This debate ultimately ended with the intervention of the White Crane Temple, with the pro-war faction winning.

"Many people in the Northern Zhang sympathized with the Southern Zhang," Zhang Wuming whispered.

"I know."

"Those people were later purged to varying degrees," Zhang Wuming said with his head lowered.

His parents were part of the pro-peace faction within the Northern Zhang lineage back then, and later...

"At that time, the Southern Zhang still had many old friends in the North, and some people defied the world to extend a helping hand," Zhang Fan said in a solemn voice.

"You mean someone helped you and your father open the Ten Thousand Laws Wanfa Wanfa Zongtan and performed a Great Deification Rite?" Zhang Wuming said in shock.

Precisely because he was a disciple of the Northern Zhang, he knew how inconceivable, crazy, and risky this move was...

Neither the Ten Thousand Laws Wanfa Wanfa Zongtan nor the Yang Spirit Seal could be accessed by ordinary Northern Zhang disciples, let alone performing a Great Deification Rite.

"That Great Deification Rite was incomplete and had major flaws," Zhang Fan shook his head.

"That is still hard to imagine," Zhang Wuming's gaze darkened: "What kind of person could make your father trust them so much?"

Logically speaking, Zhang Lingzong had experienced the disaster of clan extermination and had been tempered by a hundred tribulations; his temperament and spiritual perception should not have allowed him to trust others so easily.

You have to know that taking his offspring to the Northern Zhang was simply walking into the tiger's den. If it were a trap to lure the enemy, then the incense of the Southern Zhang would truly have been completely cut off there.

"I don't know, I don't remember very clearly..."

Zhang Fan shook his head: "I only remember that when we came back, there was one more person."

"Who?"

"My brother!" Zhang Fan blurted out.

"Zhang Zhang Jiuzhen!?" Zhang Wuming's gaze trembled; being in the Northern Zhang, he naturally had heard the great name of this person.

"He was originally already dead..." Zhang Fan said in a daze.

He had blurry memories and had also heard his family mention it.

Back then, when he was born in the Qin Ling town, Zhang Sheng had already died; to save Li Li Linglong and him, who had not yet been born, he had blocked many powerful enemies, his soul-aspect shattered and turned into essence scattered between heaven and earth.

But on that trip to the North, when they returned, Zhang Sheng was alive and by their side.

Zhang Fan knew that something very important must have happened on that trip, but he couldn't remember it.

"So, did you succeed in deification or not?" Zhang Wuming brought the topic back and asked persistently.

"I suppose... not," Zhang Fan said uncertainly.

That Great Deification Rite was inherently imperfect and had major flaws; furthermore, he was still too young at the time and had not met the requirements.

"You didn't!?" Zhang Wuming whispered, a different kind of brilliance flashing in his deep eyes.

"That doesn't matter..."

"After this Elixir Origin Dharma Assembly ends and the foundation of the Fan Sect is established, I will give you a great gift," Zhang Wuming lowered his voice and said.

"A great gift!?" Zhang Fan was stunned and couldn't help but ask: "What great gift?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

"An extraordinary great gift; it is a fortune that has never existed before."

The corners of Zhang Wuming's mouth rose slightly, revealing a mysterious smile. The more he was like this, the more curious Zhang Fan became—curious to the point of feeling like his heart was being scratched.

"Tell me about it," Zhang Fan leaned over and said.

"No, if I tell you now, there will be no surprise."

"Don't be like that, I don't want a surprise, just satisfy my curiosity, okay?" Zhang Fan pleaded.

"Alright, it's getting late, hurry up and sleep."

Zhang Wuming slipped away like a loach.

"No... I'm cultivating the Holy Embryo of Gods and Demons, sleep my foot," Zhang Fan could not help but say.

"I'm not cultivating it, and I have to get up early tomorrow," Zhang Wuming said.

"Why get up early?"

"To accompany you into Copper Gong Mountain," Zhang Wuming waved his hand and turned to leave.

"Hey, let's chat a bit more."

"What kind of surprise is it, anyway?"

"I don't want it anymore, just tell me, can you?"

Zhang Fan shouted from behind, watching helplessly as Zhang Wuming went down the small building.

That night, Zhang Fan did not sleep at all.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

In front of the Xiaoxiang Villa, the roar of a car echoed in the mountains, breaking the silence of the early morning.

"Awesome, the Holy Embryo of Gods and Demons is worthy of being one of the nine methods; you didn't sleep all night and are still so vigorous."

Zhang Wuming looked at Zhang Fan walking out of the building and greeted him with a smile.

"An expert like you wouldn't die suddenly even if you worked overtime every day; you're a natural workhorse," Zhang Wuming joked.

"Tell me," Zhang Fan looked at Zhang Wuming with resentment.

"Tell you what?"

"What kind of surprise? What kind of fortune?"

"..."