Chapter 57: Zhang Fan Goes Berserk, Li Fire Scorching

Once the consciousness-spirit becomes restless, the Great Night does not brighten and brings heavenly punishment.

This is the calamity that practitioners of the Dao fear most. If the soul-aspect enters the Great Night that does not brighten, it is like a drowning person, having strength but nowhere to use it, having Qi but nowhere to use it. The waves are surging, swallowing everything. Even with the cultivation of the Golden Elixir's miraculous transformation, one will fall into ruin overnight, suffer calamity and slaughter, like the darkness of heaven and earth, never to see the light of day again.

"The Great Night does not brighten... how is it possible... you... who exactly are you?"

Cao Wushang's soul-aspect was suddenly terrified, his trembling voice echoing, but only he could hear it.

At this moment, he no longer had his previous composure, his eyes filled only with shock and fear.

The Great Night does not brighten, he had never heard of it, and had never thought that a practitioner's inner scene would present the image of 【The Great Night does not brighten】.

You must know, this is a calamity that practitioners cannot cross. If they enter the Great Night that does not brighten, the soul-aspect must return to silence. How can the arts be constant, how can immortality be long-lasting!? But Zhang Fan...

The Great Night does not brighten, how can his soul-aspect still return and cultivate!?

Hum...

At this very moment, Cao Wushang couldn't even think about these things. His soul-aspect shook, and he wanted to exit Zhang Fan's Mysterious Pass.

In an instant, the darkness around surged like a tide, constantly pulling at Cao Wushang's soul-aspect.

At this moment, Cao Wushang's soul-aspect was like a drowning person, constantly struggling, consuming his own strength, but to no avail.

"Great Sect Law, Spirit Burns and Extinguishes!"

Suddenly, Cao Wushang's soul-aspect ignited violently like a flame, its scorching light seemingly intent on illuminating this darkness and carving out a path by sheer force.

That feeling of powerlessness and suffocation, of being about to sink, seemed to dissipate somewhat under the illumination of this brilliance.

Cao Wushang's soul-aspect violently sprang up, wanting to escape this darkness, not daring to stay for even half a moment.

Rumble...

Just at this moment, the darkness around gathered violently, and the originally scorching light suddenly dissipated. In the afterglow, a palm silhouette seemed to protrude from the darkness, accompanied by the sound of heavy chains colliding, grabbing Cao Wushang's soul-aspect.

"You... who exactly are..."

Cao Wushang's eyes widened, looking at the chaotic darkness, his face left with only primitive fear.

Clatter...

There was no response. Under that invisible force, Cao Wushang was dragged into the depths of the darkness. Immediately after, an eerie chewing sound echoed, the great sound was silent, leaving no trace.

The night was deep.

In the quiet alley, Cao Wushang lay in a pile of rubble, his breathing weak, as if broken and continuous.

"Ah ah ah..."

Zhang Fan slowly stood up, clutching his head, feeling as if his head were splitting...

He lowered his head, letting out a painful roar. The air around him began to distort, becoming scorching hot...

Hum...

A wild wind rose, and Zhang Fan took a step, turning into an afterimage and disappearing from where he stood...

Yujing City, eastern suburbs.

University Town, Yangshan Park.

"Brother Dong, your talisman is really useful. What we just saw... was it really a ghost!?"

On the long mountain road, a group of college students each held a flashlight, walking tightly together, surrounding a tall and thin male student. Obviously, he was the leader of this team.

"Ordinary people's soul-aspects return to silence, and their consciousness-spirits are restless, so they usually can't see these things... However, you drank my talisman water, so you can see ordinary dirty things."

Shen Xiangdong felt the awe and worship in everyone's eyes and couldn't help but smile.

Although he was only a sophomore, he was very popular in school, and even many seniors looked up to him as a god, just because he had "real skills" in his hands. Revealing them once or twice naturally established his prestige.

Tonight, he promised to take everyone to see the so-called "strange, force, chaos, and gods." After all, the University Town, especially Eastern University, had quite a few horror legends.

Just now, they had seen with their own eyes the "woman in a wedding dress" under the crooked-neck tree in Yangshan Park...

It was said that many years ago, a couple of college students were about to graduate when the boy started with affection but ended with abandonment, seeking a new love. The girl couldn't think straight and hanged herself under the tree where they often dated...

Since then, various rumors had spread here.

"That girl is so pitiful, I saw her crying the whole time just now..."

"Can she not leave that place? Why don't we help her find that heartless man from back then." "I always thought talisman water and all that were fake."

Everyone talked at once, appearing extremely excited.

"Daoist talismans are not just taking a piece of paper and drawing two strokes on it." Shen Xiangdong said indifferently.

Making talismans and creating registers is a skill.

Just for the talisman paper, there are over a hundred classifications. Even the simplest "Yellow Paper Talisman" requires thirteen types of materials and over twenty processes to make. In the hands of a Daoist priest of the Talisman Sect, one stroke forms a talisman, capable of capturing ghosts and gods.

Not to mention, there are talisman brushes, talisman ink, etc., which are also extremely cumbersome to make.

The Shen family, generation after generation, "makes talismans and creates registers." Even the Maoshan Shangqing Sect orders large quantities of talisman paper, talisman brushes, and talisman ink from them every year.

"The talisman paper I burned contains glutinous rice paste, ginseng powder, pearl powder..." Shen Xiangdong said indifferently.

Making a piece of talisman paper is quite labor-intensive and material-consuming. Besides that, when a Daoist priest draws a talisman, they also have to infuse True Yang...

Precisely because of this, after these people drank the talisman water, a little True Yang entered their bodies, and even if their soul-aspects hadn't awakened, they could temporarily observe things that were usually invisible.

"Brother Dong, does that mean... in the future, we can see all those strange, force, chaos, and god things?"

At this time, a sweet-looking girl in a short skirt asked excitedly.

"That's not it..." Shen Xiangdong shook his head.

"Although you drank the talisman water, it's just a little True Yang entering your bodies. It's okay to see little ghosts, but you still can't see some things."

"What things can we not see?" At this time, someone asked.

"For example... things that even I am helpless against." Shen Xiangdong's gaze tightened slightly.

"Ah? Then if we really run into them..." The sweet-looking girl revealed a look of fear.

"Don't be afraid, you generally won't run into that kind of thing." Shen Xiangdong comforted.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone felt a little more at ease.

Hum...

Just at this moment, a strange sound came from not far away.

"What sound?" Shen Xiangdong's ears moved, and he immediately became alert.

"There's no sound." Everyone looked at each other.

Shen Xiangdong's brows twitched, and he walked toward the sound. He saw a figure sitting cross-legged in the dense forest not far away. He lowered his head, his muscles bulging, making a painful low roar.

"This is..."

Shen Xiangdong's expression changed drastically. He saw that person's eyes flashing with scorching white light, while his whole body was boiling with grim black Qi. The terrifying fluctuation stirred up a wild wind, shaking the dense forest.

"Brother Dong, what are you looking at? It's windy, let's go..."

At this time, everyone crowded over, pulling Shen Xiangdong.

"You... you can't see it?"

Shen Xiangdong's expression changed drastically, and he immediately became alert.

"Brother Dong, what are you saying? Don't scare us, okay?"

Shen Xiangdong's heart trembled violently. He turned around again, and the figure entangled in grim black Qi slowly stood up. The white light in his eyes became increasingly scorching. Every time he let out a roar, a terrifying fluctuation rippled out from his body, pressing the surrounding trees to bend.

"This... did this person eat some great tonic? He can't digest it?" Shen Xiangdong saw the problem and felt increasingly astonished in his heart.

Roar...

Just at this moment, that strange sound roared, the air around his body quickly twisted and deformed, and a fire light shot into the sky, burning the dense forest in an instant...

"Oh my mom, it's on fire... Mountain forest fire, hurry up and call..."

Everyone saw the fire light and retreated instantly. In their eyes, they couldn't see any strange phenomena, couldn't see the truth beneath the false appearance...

In their eyes, this was just a mountain fire in midsummer.

But in Shen Xiangdong's eyes, that was the mysterious life rippling from the terrifying figure between black and white...

"Daoist True Fire!!?"

"What exactly is that thing?" Shen Xiangdong's face trembled, a voice seemingly roaring in his heart. When he came back to his senses, that strange figure had long since disappeared.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 58 =====