Chapter 442: Feasting on Life! Entering the Zhai Shou, Life Cultivation Complete

Under the black night sky, the great moon hung high.

In the spiritual platform’s inch-square space, divine light suddenly appeared.

On the stone tree, the strange “pinecone” slowly dissipated, its crystals crumbling into a clear qi that merged with Zhang Fan’s nascent soul and returned to his body.

At this moment, in the center of Zhang Fan’s forehead, within that inch-square spiritual platform, a fire seemed to burn—intense, roaring, its divine radiance piercing like azure void, faint yet present, its terrifying aura directly piercing through Ma Wangju’s body, tearing apart the flesh of that Zhai Shou cultivator.

This horrifying scene appeared before everyone’s eyes, like a mountain splitting and heaven cracking, shocking every gaze.

“What… what kind of power is that?”

Far away, Qu Zhe’s face turned pale; Shen Mingchan watched, heart pounding and flesh trembling.

Lin Haitang’s face turned ashen.

Where their eyes fell, the intense firelight at Zhang Fan’s forehead writhed, like a “hole”—mysterious, unfathomable, nurturing that terrifying divine radiance.

In Daoist cultivation, mountain and cave carry profound mystery.

The mountain is seen as the place closest to the Dao.

The cave symbolizes the mysterious gateway, holding the code connecting the human inner universe with heaven and earth.

Thus, ancient alchemical masters who awakened Pure Yang and forged immortality always entered deep mountains and blessed lands, hiding within secret cave heavens.

Hum…

At this moment, a “cave” seemed to open at Zhang Fan’s forehead—invisible, intangible, indescribable… hidden within the intense firelight, the nurtured divine radiance was peculiar: like flowing qi, like floating light, rippling outward in waves of terrifying force.

“Brat!”

Suddenly, Ma Wangju let out a furious roar, snapping every eye back to him.

At that moment, the Zhai Shou cultivator from West Spirit Mountain spat a torrent of blood, his lower abdomen a shredded, bloody ruin; through the piercing wound, one could even see the scene on the other side.

Amidst such grotesque wounds, a round, glowing orb appeared, its surface covered in cracks, surrounded by scattered light—tangible yet formless, as if about to shatter at any moment.

“That… that’s the Golden Core…”

“He… he hasn’t even entered Zhai Shou yet—how did he break a Daoist Golden Core!?”

Everyone was horrified, staring at the blood-soaked Ma Wangju, then at the transformed Zhang Fan—their hearts surged with tidal waves of shock.

What is a Golden Core?

It is the great elixir of immortality, the foundation of Pure Yang. Once formed, one roams freely through heaven and earth, life gradually reaching perfection, shedding the mortal form, free from calamity and disease, subtly acquiring the traits of an immortal.

To destroy the Golden Core is to destroy the root of one’s life.

“He’s changed again.” Zhuang Yumian’s expression turned grave; she looked up—the “pinecone” had vanished. She did not know what transformation Zhang Fan had undergone, but she was certain it was tied to his innate “Dao Fruit.”

A change, indescribable yet profoundly far-reaching, was quietly unfolding within Zhang Fan.

At this moment, all saw only the horror before them, unaware of the tremors to come.

“All of you will die.”

Suddenly, Zhang Fan spoke—he seemed to have regained clarity; the intense firelight at his forehead slowly faded, all strange phenomena vanished, yet his aura remained terrifying, his piercing gaze sweeping over everyone present.

“He’s gone completely mad.”

Amidst thick blood qi, Ma Wangju roared in fury, his eyes flashing like lightning, his body still radiating terrifying power.

“Brat, do you know what Zhai Shou means?”

“When life cultivation is complete, one is no longer subject to heaven!”

As he spoke, Ma Wangju’s body shuddered violently, bones and sinews ringing like thunder.

Spiritual light descended like true fire, burning through his entire body; within that true fire, the round orb began to heal—cracks vanished, scattered fragments reassembled.

“The mystery of the Golden Core is truly the secret of life and death.” Zhang Wu’s expression turned grave.

The Golden Core is the extreme condensation of life energy, the ultimate transcendence within the human furnace, a leap in the level of life.

Such a high-density energy-based life system is unimaginable—even shattered bones can regenerate, damaged organs can heal, and even a severed head will not die immediately.

The vitality of such an existence is beyond comprehension.

“Only when I hold my own fate can I plant golden lotus in fire.” Ma Wangju’s expression was cold as he revealed the secret of the Golden Core.

Spiritual light, like true fire, burned through the body to refine the elixir—round, golden, radiant, as if a golden lotus bloomed, seizing the mystery of creation and completing the art.

That is the Dragon-Tiger phase.

That is the Kan-Li transformation.

That is the completion of life cultivation.

That is defying heaven and altering fate.

Indeed, as the Golden Core rotated, the wound on his lower abdomen healed at a visible speed.

Boom…

At this moment, Zhang Fan moved—he took one step forward, tiger’s roar and dragon’s cry echoing; his terrifying aura surged like a river reversed, advancing toward Ma Wangju.

“Stop him!” Lin Haitang cried out sharply.

She had seen Zhang Fan’s power at Jingtu Temple—here, only Ma Wangju could stand against him.

At this moment, Ma Wangju was repairing his Golden Core, reversing life and death; with just a moment’s time, he would fully recover.

Boom…

As soon as she spoke, a rush of wind roared toward them—[Light Illuminates the Dark Treasure Seal] hurtled through the air like a ball of white light.

Zhang Fan raised his hand and summoned [Black Gold Ancient Seal]; its dim glow swirled across the great seal, its terrifying aura descending like sudden night, instantly swallowing the white light whole.

Then the two talisman seals collided, sparks flying; cracks appeared across the [Light Illuminates the Dark Treasure Seal].

“My talisman seal!” Qu Zhe screamed in shock, face twisted in pain, his icy gaze fixed on the [Black Gold Ancient Seal].

At this moment, everyone could see—the black seal was no ordinary artifact; it had withstood the talisman seal of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

“You die first!”

Zhang Fan didn’t even look—he raised his right hand, fingers interlocking and drawing together; an irresistible force, like a vacuum’s pull, surged forth.

Qu Zhe screamed in terror—his nascent soul involuntarily tore free from his body and was snatched into Zhang Fan’s palm.

“Soul… soul capture!?”

Zhuang Yumian’s expression shifted violently; seeing it again, she was now certain—Zhang Fan was using Wuwei Sect’s [Soul Capture] technique, yet now it was far more brutal and invincible.

“You—” Qu Zhe cried in fear.

Boom…

Before he could finish, Zhang Fan clenched his fingers—terrible force crushed his nascent soul into shards of light that scattered wildly.

Such a nascent soul, he didn’t even deign to spare a glance.

“Dead… dead…”

Shen Mingchan watched, heart pounding and flesh trembling; Qu Zhe, nearly his equal in cultivation, a high disciple of Magu Mountain, had just died before his eyes—killed by that man as easily as slaughtering a chicken or dog.

Fear of Zhang Fan surged again; he couldn’t help but regret having intervened.

One misstep, clinging to luck, leads to eternal ruin.

Hum…

Yet at this moment, Zhang Fan paid him no mind—he stepped forward and stood before Ma Wangju.

Roar…

Almost simultaneously, Ma Wangju’s eyes snapped open; intense life energy surged like a river, no weaker than before.

The power of Zhai Shou was unmistakable now.

His leopard eyes flared wide, and he let out a long howl.

The sound was peculiar—it exceeded the natural frequency range of human voice, inaudible to the ear yet endlessly amplifying, violently striking both life and soul.

Pfft…

Zhuang Yumian, Shen Mingchan, even Zhang Wu—all turned pale; blood gushed from their eyes, ears, mouth, and nose; their nascent souls trembled, as if about to faint at any moment.

“Zhai Shou!” Zhang Wu gritted his teeth.

Such a cultivator’s body is no longer human—life is dense, power immense.

In blurred vision, Zhang Fan stood motionless—then his form grew indistinct; a strange wave spread across heaven and earth, like endless night, boundless and vast.

“Nascent soul!” Zhang Wu sensed it.

The nascent soul is the root and source of life and death, the foundation of cultivation.

When the nascent soul emerges, it is as if gods and demons descend, as if heaven and earth overturn.

Hum…