Chapter 441: All Dharmas Bloom Like Flowers! The Spiritual Platform Reveals Divine Light!

In a single step, proximity becomes infinite distance.

That is the difference between cloud and mud.

That is heaven and earth apart.

“Wait!”

Zhang Wu’s face changed instantly; he cried out in shock.

He knew well the terror of the naturally born and earth-nourished [Niwán].

If an ordinary human’s [Niwán] is a single room, the Yuan Shen shines like universal light—once the realm is established, the empty chamber glows white.

But a naturally born and earth-nourished [Niwán] is like primordial void, like an endless abyss.

No matter how strong the Yuan Shen’s radiance, once it sinks into this void, it vanishes like a stone dropped into the ocean, like silt sinking into a deep pit—ultimately dissolving into boundless chaos, leaving not a single glimmer, fading utterly from sight.

Precisely because of this, naturally born spiritual embryos are regarded as the most terrifying phenomena in the mortal world.

Naturally born and earth-nourished, they steal the creative power of heaven and earth, endure countless calamities; whenever they descend into the world, they are deemed immortal and indestructible.

The [Niwán] hangs empty in the void, yet no Yuan Shen is trapped within.

All Daoist methods and techniques are nearly useless against them.

Such an aberrant existence has almost no weaknesses—especially methods targeting the Yuan Shen, which are utterly futile.

Boom… boom…

Indeed, the moment Zhang Fan took one step, the “pinecones” on the strange stone tree stirred with a mysterious ripple, and the surrounding light seemed to vanish.

The place where the “pinecone” rested became a primordial night, silent and dark, eerily like a deep abyss.

Hum…

Almost simultaneously, Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen, as if returning from where it came, flowed directly into the strange “pinecone.”

Suddenly, the radiance around the “pinecone” grew even dimmer.

In the sky, wind and clouds surged violently; thunder rumbled deep from the highest heavens, as if the Lord of Heaven was enraged.

“When strange omens arise in the mortal world, heaven and earth must shift!” Zhang Wu’s face turned pale.

The instant Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen entered the strange “pinecone,” it triggered an extraordinarily profound effect—subtly, imperceptibly, a minute change stirred in the unseen.

“His Yuan Shen… its radiance is fading.” Zhuang Yumian’s face turned ashen.

She could feel Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen’s aura continuously weakening—even such a powerful Yuan Shen, upon entering the “pinecone,” would be annihilated.

“That is a naturally born and earth-nourished [Niwán],” Zhang Wu said gravely.

Just moments ago, merely approaching it with his Yuan Shen had sent him into madness, nearly driving him to demonic ruin.

And yet Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen plunged directly into the “pinecone.”

“The gestation of a naturally born spiritual embryo begins with the [Niwán],” Zhang Wu gritted his teeth.

The gestation of a naturally born spiritual embryo is exceedingly difficult—from its initial form to its birth into the world, countless calamities must be endured.

Like the naturally born spiritual embryo on [Chanbao Mountain]: had it not been discovered early by experts from [Longhu Mountain], who spent centuries laying plans to use corpse liberation to steal a body and ascend, it would surely have perished long ago.

Even so, that naturally born spiritual embryo had not yet fully formed; it still had at least a hundred years before it could be born.

Such an existence is rare in ancient and modern times; save for the Pure Yang Ultimate Realm, none could stand against it—even Dao Masters would pale before a naturally born spiritual embryo.

Precisely because of this, even this embryonic “Niwán” was beyond the reach of ordinary Yuan Shen.

Boom… boom…

Suddenly, Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen blazed violently.

The light of his Yuan Shen pierced through endless night—so brilliant it blurred Zhuang Yumian’s and Zhang Wu’s Yuan Shen, as if they might dissolve into that radiance at any moment.

“His Yuan Shen is this terrifying!?” Zhuang Yumian’s spirit trembled; she felt her spiritual platform at the third eye about to split open.

Her Yuan Shen quivered, struggled—as if it would abandon her and merge into that boundless light.

In all her cultivation, she had never seen a human Yuan Shen shine so brightly.

“Unthinkable—how did he cultivate this?” A voice within Zhuang Yumian whispered in wonder.

She considered herself gifted, having mastered every Daoist method passed down by [Mount Luyin], studied the accumulated wisdom of past sages—not quite the pinnacle of her sect’s teachings, but surely blessed by her ancestors, having achieved three-tenths of true fire.

Yet the radiance Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen displayed utterly shattered Zhuang Yumian’s understanding.

Could a human Yuan Shen truly be cultivated to this level!?

Thought gives rise to light; the Law illuminates heaven and earth.

This phenomenon bore the shadow of the great alchemists of old.

Boom… boom…

Suddenly, a strange ripple surged—the interior of the “pinecone” seemed to churn like primordial void, inhaling and exhaling, completely extinguishing Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen radiance.

In an instant, Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen became a speck of dust, swallowed by boundless void—above, no heaven; below, no earth; drifting aimlessly, dazed and confused.

This exile, like the mystery of the womb, returned to nothingness.

“Gone? Even his mighty Yuan Shen couldn’t touch this thing?” Zhuang Yumian’s heart jolted.

If it were her, her Yuan Shen would have been extinguished before even touching the “pinecone,” vanishing into stillness and oblivion.

“That is naturally born and earth-nourished—how could mortals dare touch it?” Zhang Wu said solemnly.

“In the past, the naturally born spiritual embryo of [Baihe Temple] once struck out—nearly killed the Three Corpses Daoist.”

“Baihe Temple… there truly is a living naturally born spiritual embryo in this world!?” Zhuang Yumian was stunned.

Even as a disciple of [Mount Luyin], she had never encountered such secrets.

“Correct,” Zhang Wu said gravely.

At that time, the Three Corpses Daoist had already reached great power, yet had not yet claimed the title of the world’s greatest; even he was driven to the brink of death by the Baihe Temple’s naturally born spiritual embryo, his Yuan Shen shattered.

One of his beloved companions died in its hands; even the then-master of [Yugong Palace] perished on the spot.

Such an existence—if it stays hidden, the mortal world enjoys eternal peace; if it emerges, none in the world can stand against it—it can sweep across all eight directions and ten lands.

“The Three Corpses Daoist cultivated the Three Corpses Illuminating Fate…” Zhang Wu said gravely.

Even then, before becoming the world’s greatest, his Three Corpses Illuminating Fate was already complete—fewer than a handful of people in the world could challenge him.

Yet even so, before the Baihe Temple’s naturally born spiritual embryo, he was defeated.

Because naturally born spiritual embryos have no innate Yuan Shen; most crucially, their [Niwán] is uniquely extraordinary—like boundless void, capable of extinguishing all Yuan Shen radiance.

This was one of the most brutal calamities in the Three Corpses Daoist’s life.

Later, when his powers reached their peak and he became invincible, his first act was to storm [Baihe Temple], nearly shattering that naturally born spiritual embryo, forcing it to flee like a stray dog, hiding in utter darkness, barely clinging to life.

Only sixty years ago, when the Three Corpses Daoist passed away atop [Mount Dongyue], did it dare to emerge again.

But then, Chu Chaoran attained the Pure Yang Ultimate Realm and personally came to challenge it.

Since then, no word has been heard of the Baihe Temple’s naturally born spiritual embryo.

“I told him not to rush, not to rush,” Zhang Wu gritted his teeth.

Even the Three Corpses Daoist once suffered great losses—even this embryonic [Niwán] is still a terror of the mortal world.

Boom… boom…

At that moment, from the boundless void, a phenomenon surged upward—twisting like a furious fire dragon, forming the blade of the Li Fire Sword.

“Lu Zu’s Daoic intent—the Fire Dragon Alchemy Sword!?”

Zhang Wu froze—why, at this moment, was Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen meditating on Daoist techniques?

Hum…

The boundless void trembled; the blade forged from the twisting fire dragon vanished instantly, Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen’s aura suppressed once more.

The next instant, beneath his Yuan Shen, a shadow rose majestically—a Dharma King’s throne, towering jade dais, nine lotuses clearly visible, the ground adorned with radiant jewels.

“Taiyi Method, Soul-Transcending Ritual!”

Zhang Wu’s face darkened; before he could recover, the boundless void extinguished the ritual once more.

Zhang Fan’s Yuan Shen entered stillness—then, a black wind surged, igniting a fierce, searing fire, renewing all, burning everything to ash.

“Black Wind, Great Fire!”

“What is he doing?” Zhang Wu frowned, baffled.

“I think I understand,” Zhuang Yumian suddenly said.

“What do you understand?”

“Can you fill an infinite valley?” Zhuang Yumian shifted the topic, posing an unrelated question.

Zhang Wu paused, then shook his head.

“Correct—you cannot. No one in this world can.”

“The void is infinite—that is the nature of the Dao,” Zhuang Yumian said solemnly.

“To fill the void, only ceaseless renewal can do—that too is the nature of the Dao.”

“Ceaseless renewal!?”

Zhang Wu’s eyes lit up; he looked at Zhang Fan, and a sudden clarity arose in his heart.

“Abandon all thoughts—no fear, no sorrow—only the Dao-heart endures…”

“One method dies, another is born.”

“That is acting without intention.”

“That is ceaseless renewal.”

Zhuang Yumian clenched her fists tightly, her eyes glowing brighter.

“Wu Wei!?” Zhang Wu whispered softly.

Boom… boom…

The Black Wind and Great Fire vanished instantly—but within the lingering phenomenon, something indescribable, ineffable, was imprinted upon the boundless void—like a spirit, like fate—unerasable, endlessly spreading.