Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Chapter 244: Chapter 147: Black Crane Devouring White Feathers! Eighty Years Ago on Dragon Tiger Mountain (Part 2)

Within the Daoist Scripture, it is indeed recorded: the Dao itself has no hierarchy, nor does it possess good or evil; but if one goes against their true heart, a heart demon will surely arise, and tribulation will follow in days to come.

Just like a person, born and steeped in teachings of right and wrong, these principles etched deep within. Even if one becomes an unforgivable great demon in the future, such ideas will influence his consciousness, pronouncing judgment on good and evil, shaping his thoughts, breeding emotions, cultivating seeds of heart demon, and thus sowing the roots of future tribulations.

Hoo...

Just as He Ningyan was lost in thought, the Agarwood on the magic altar was already burned out.

Ma Buting’s primordial spirit returned to his body’s acupoints, and a mouthful of fresh blood burst forth.

”Senior sister...”

Ma Buting’s face was deathly pale, his eyes bloodshot, furious to the extreme.

His chance, his fortune... was snatched away right before his eyes by that freakish anomaly, yet he could only cower like a quail, trembling within that patch of white cloud.

”Fortunately, you’ve already crossed that threshold.”

He Ningyan stepped forward, briefly examining him, and finally allowed herself a small sigh of relief.

Under the protection of Agarwood, Ma Buting’s primordial spirit absorbed the white cloud’s radiance, underwent a baptism, reaching the apex of sublimation, and had indeed achieved the rank of High Skill.

The only regret: had he been able to merge both Bai He anomalies, his primordial spirit would grow stronger still, and future achievements far greater.

”Let it pass. What’s meant for you will come; don’t dwell on it.”

He Ningyan gave Ma Buting a meaningful look.

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

”I mean, everything is predestined. What you must do now is forget this matter, lest your consciousness be unsettled and leave behind a heart demon to hinder future cultivation.” He Ningyan said mildly.

”I understand.” Ma Buting’s hands gripped tight.

He understood the reasoning, but such profound fortune—perhaps only once in a lifetime—had just been seized from right under his nose.

How can he not hate, not resent, not dwell, not yearn!?

”Junior brother...”

At that moment, He Ningyan suddenly spoke, dragging Ma Buting back from his spiraling thoughts.

”Senior sister, what is it?”

”Senior sister has a word for you.” He Ningyan said blandly.

”Please advise, senior sister.”

”Good and evil must be repaid in the end... Take care of yourself.”

Saying this, He Ningyan turned and left.

”Senior sister, what do you mean? Hey—senior sister, make it clear, what does that mean?”

Ma Buting looked puzzled and called after her.

...

Eleven years ago.

Yujing City, beside the Gilded River, wildfires engulfed the sky.

At that moment, Zhang Fan walked out from the inferno, black and white Qi swirling around him, ever-shifting into birth and death—an aura both sanctified and supreme, and in a heartbeat, as if a demon had descended upon the abyss.

He felt the changes within himself, watching the figures clashing incessantly within the raging flames on Gilded River.

They were his dad and mom.

Rumble...

Terrifying fluctuations stirred the fire’s depths, lightning blazed amid the flames, thunder and fire intertwined, clouds hung heavy, sending the river boiling, frightening ghost gods into trembling.

”Divine Demon Holy Embryo—most ominous in all the world, the day you master this technique is the moment tribulation begins.”

At that instant, a mysterious voice echoed from within Zhang Fan’s primordial spirit’s inner scenery, accompanied by the clang of heavy chains colliding.

In this moment, his primordial spirit’s inner scenery was utterly changed; Divine Demon Holy Embryo is no child’s play!

”Are they fighting over this?” Zhang Fan furrowed his brow, absorbed in thought.

It seems his mother mistakenly believed his father had passed on the Divine Demon Holy Embryo to him.

”Since it’s the beginning of tribulation, why would you teach me this Daoist Skill?”

Within the primordial spirit’s inner scenery, dead silence fell, followed once more by the eerie sound of chains clashing, with that mysterious and ethereal voice.

”I can teach you a method to escape tribulation, but whether it succeeds depends on your destiny.”

”Divine Demon Holy Embryo, one of the nine greats—if even that I can cultivate, what can’t I accomplish?”

”Not the same. The method I teach you to escape is special.”

That mysterious, ethereal voice again resounded from Zhang Fan’s primordial spirit’s inner scenery—it had an intoxicating magnetism.

”What is it?”

”Its name is...”

”Divine Splitting Technique!”

Clang... Clang... Clang...

The strange words faded, only the sound of heavy chains colliding, resonating...

Hoo...

On the rooftop, Zhang Fan snapped his eyes open, abruptly awakened from his dream.

Sweat drenched his body. His eyes swept the vast sky, and as he looked around, he realized he was still on the Taoyuan Square rooftop.

”I failed?”

Zhang Fan stared, dazed—his attempt to break through to High Skill had actually failed.

Descent is not truth, incense swirling...

Agarwood is meant to invite descending true spirits to baptize the primordial spirit.

But his primordial spirit failed to undergo full baptism and sublimation, perhaps because he practiced the Divine Demon Holy Embryo.

Nine Great Inner Elixir Methods—a level apart from the norm. All those who cultivate the Nine Great Inner Elixirs have extraordinary primordial spirits. Maybe ordinary techniques, relying on Agarwood to gain High Skill, simply won’t work.

”If that’s the case, then the Nine Great Inner Elixir Methods form their own system; Returning to Life must have its own technique.” Zhang Fan guessed.

If his guess was right, cultivators of the Nine Great Inner Elixir Methods must have unique ways to break through to High Skill, totally different from others.

”Still, there has been a little change.”

Zhang Fan sensed his primordial spirit—after the time it takes incense to burn, it had grown much stronger, as if stuffed to bursting.

”I gained this much power?” Zhang Fan stared in astonishment.

Only now did he realize—his greatest advantage was not the Fire Dragon Pill Sword, nor the Mighty Spirit Demon-Suppressing Gold Seal, but his primordial spirit.

”You’re awake!”

Just then, Bai Buran’s voice sounded from beside him, snapping Zhang Fan out of his reverie.

”Boss, I...”

”You really are... an oddball.”

Bai Buran stroked his chin, finally finding the right word.

To him, Zhang Fan truly was a wonder—no matter what he did, there was always some commotion.

This time, even he was at a loss.

Recalling that anomaly, Bai Buran still felt a chill run down his spine, his eyes filled with doubt.

”I failed,” Zhang Fan sighed.

”Maybe your foundation isn’t enough yet. All the same, at least your primordial spirit is unharmed.”

Bai Buran looked at Zhang Fan, breathing a sigh of relief.

Truthfully, he’d been worried ever since—if most people fail at the High Skill breakthrough, with such subtle primordial spirit, trouble is sure to follow. At best, insanity; at worst, stupidity.

Luckily, seeing Zhang Fan now, he was still sane, not insane nor daft.

”As long as you’re alive, you still have a chance.”

Bai Buran patted Zhang Fan’s shoulder, comforting him.

”You’d better keep a low profile for a while.”

That anomaly just now had been seen by many experts in Yujing City—who knows what influence or trouble it will stir up.

Even though Bai Buran, with his Heaven-Stealing Skillful Hand, had managed to recover Zhang Fan’s primordial spirit in time, the Black Crane Devouring White Feathers anomaly was just too conspicuous.

Sure enough, in the following days, the Daoist Sect circles of Yujing City buzzed with gossip about it.

”We saw only a feather and a claw. How can you tell it’s a black Immortal Crane?”

”Ransacking the Daoist Canon, never has there been a mention of a black Immortal Crane. I bet it’s a demon. Yujing City’s Dragon Qi leaked out the other day—maybe it bred a Black Flood Dragon instead.”

”I heard... it was Jiangnan Province Daoist Alliance’s Ma Buting breaking through to High Skill, bringing on a demon tribulation. Who knows what nasty things he was up to behind the scenes.”

”Descending Crane anomaly—that’s a Daoist mystery. No matter what that thing was, it’s a bad omen.”

The furor in Yujing City hadn’t settled when Zhenwu Mountain had already caught wind.

Qingwei Skill—before the Pure Yang Hall.

Po Jie glanced at online posts, and couldn’t help but get curious about the gossip.

”Senior brother, did some freak appear in Yujing City?” Xia Weisheng lounged on the corridor, swinging long legs, tilting his head and asking.

Within the Daoist Sect, Bai He is the guide for Ascension.

Ancient texts record: Bai He rides the heavens. When performing the grand Nine Netherworld Yellow Register and Grand Sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, summon it and it arrives promptly. But in idle mischief, summon it and nothing happens.

Meaning, when the Daoist Sect holds great rituals—such as the Yellow Register Grand Ceremony or Grand Sacrifice—one may perform the Summon Crane method, inviting the Descending Crane anomaly, thus connecting to heaven and rendering the magic more efficacious.

So, Daoist Temples always have copper platform statues of Immortal Cranes.

But black Immortal Crane...

”Just read the gossip online for fun. Last year they said a corpse was dumped in the bathhouse river below the mountain, but when they fished it out it was a doll—an inflatable one...” Po Jie replied offhandedly.

”Senior brother, that was...” Xia Weisheng asked curiously.

”Shh... The master’s still purifying himself inside. Don’t talk.” Po Jie gestured for silence.

Within the Pure Yang Hall, a single candle burned, the flame flickering at fingertip size.

”Black Crane Devouring White Feathers... eighty years ago, it was seen on Dragon Tiger Mountain too.”

A faint voice echoed through the Pure Yang Hall, the fluttering candlelight casting the shadow of this Living Zhenren long and deep, like an expanse of darkness pressing down on the hall.