Chapter 3: The Great Ambition 

As far as Zhang Xiao Fan was concerned, he had never seen any dark clouds, be it black or white ones, so close to the surface until tonight. He had also never heard thunder so deafening that it seared his eardrums. Or lighting that was so blindingly bright that it was almost impossible for him to look at it.

It felt as if the sky was crumbling down on him.

Flabbergasted, he stood there watching the black-robed man and the old monk in the straw temple staring at each other with hostility and bracing themselves for a fight.

A sudden sharp clap of thunder erupted and he felt both his ears rang painfully. Concurrently, he saw a brilliant fork of lightning flashed across the sky. It bolted down to earth and merged with the sword of the black-robed man.

The man's black robes immediately lifted and started fluttering violently all around him. His eyes bulged so intensely from their sockets they seemed like they were about to fall out from them. The Straw Temple was thoroughly illuminated by the great bolt of lightning, making the place seem like daytime.

The brilliant sparks that was shooting out from the tip of the sword was a mesmerizing sight at night. It was so captivating that Zhang Xiao Fan sharply inhaled and held his breath. Meanwhile, a maniacal enthusiasm surfaced on Pu Zhi's eyes.

"Is that the power of the Taoist Arts?"

"HAAARR!" The black-robed man cried out as he swung the sword in his left hand with all his might. There was a sharp clap of thunder, and a bolt of lightning erupted from the sword and fired toward Pu Zhi. That bolt of lightning wrenched all the gravel, trees and grass out from the ground as it cut through the air, much like a hurricane. All that was left behind was a blackened, charred trough.

Pu Zhi took three steps back before disengaging from his Buddhist Lion's Roar posture. With a solemn face, he placed both of his palms upright together and a dim, golden light started to glow around his entire body.

He softly whispered, "My Merciful Buddha."

"PAA!" The remaining seven jade beads in front of him shattered. The jade fragments reassembled to form a gigantic Buddhist Maji about a meter away from him. The golden light that was radiating from the Buddhist Maji was so dazzling that it was impossible to look directly at it.

The next moment, the bolt of lighting and the Buddhist Maji collided.

Zhang Xiao Fan suddenly felt a violent jolt in his heart. It was so intense, he felt as if all the blood coursing through the veins in his body abruptly reversed its direction. His limbs began to wobble like jelly. He found himself suffocated as if the wind had stopped and the thunder has ceased. It was as if the rest of the world had came to a halt.

And then, he was thrown backward. He had no time to feel scared. All he saw was this gorgeous, bright, shimmering golden light that even the sun could not compare with. The shock wave from the collision radiated sideways all around, completely wrecking the straw temple before wafting debris and fragments of the straw temple's remains into the air.

He felt his heart go numb. All he really wanted to do now was to curl himself into a fetal position. However, he was unable to. All he could do was to let his body be thrown backward into the unknown.

A deep-seated fear, a fear of death, suddenly resonated in his heart and he broke out in cold sweat, slightly shivering all over.

What to do next when standing at death's door?

He lost consciousness.

※※※

Pu Zhi gradually staggered out with Zhang Xiao Fan and Ling Jing Yu tucked under his arm on each side. He found a fairly sanitary place and gently placed them down. Instantly, he felt excruciating soreness and pain enveloping his entire body. It seized him so strongly, he felt as if his entire body was going to come apart. He could bear it no longer and he collapsed into a sitting position.

He examined his chest area. He could see a black Life Force hovering around his chest through his burnt cassock. Only a tiny portion of his cardiac organ has yet to be invaded.

He gave a bitter laugh to himself. Raising a trembling hand, he searched around his cassock. After a long while, he slowly took out a red colored pill. It was an ordinary-looking pill about the size of a thumb.

Puzhi sighed deeply and mumbled to himself. "So at last, the witch doctor's prediction was right after all. Ultimately, I have to eat his Three Steps to Hell pill."

He hesitated for a moment before nodding his head and popped the pill into his mouth.

Slowly, he raised his head to gaze at the mountains far away.

The veiled mountains in Qing Yun Summits looked very mysterious in the rain.

"Taoist powers are truly impressive and magical for being able to manipulate the force of nature. If we can exchange knowledge and techniques or our approaches, and combine our strengths while making up for each other's weaknesses, I am confident that we will be able to solve the mystery of attaining Immortality. It's such a shame that Reverend Dao Xuan's powers are way beyond mine. He is no better than my three seniors. Such sectarian minds are incapable of putting their pride and status aside. Haiii."

He heaved a long, deep sigh before returning his gaze to the children. Their faces were drenched from the increasingly heavy rain. The straw temple was blasted into smithereens, and there was no shelter nearby to place them.

He suddenly felt a pang of worry for these two children. Earlier, he was forced to use a skill based on the Buddhist Sanctuary's Brahman Hannah Sutra along with the Legendary Buddhist Item, The Serene Jade Rosary to defend himself. Its anti-demonic powers could not only enable him to survive the villain's powerful Celestial Cleaving Thunder Strike, it was also capable enough to make him flee in fear. However, taking a hit from another Taoist skill while he was badly wounded wiped out all his chances of surviving the fight. Currently, he was using the Three Steps to Hell pill to live, effectively extending his life for three more days.

"Even though that villain had received a serious injury, his Central Energy Valve had not been damaged. He will definitely track these two children down in the future and kill them after I'm gone. When that happens, not only these two children, the whole village will be in danger. Oh dear, oh dear ...uh, what am I to do?" He fretted anxiously.

He was at a loss. His Immortalism powers were formidable in its own right. However, in his dire state, he had lost most of his self-composure and was feeling very distressed and rattled. He was worried about the lives of these innocent villagers. To top it off, the villain seemed to be someone from the upper echelons of Taoist Gateway. Thus, he felt that going up the mountains for help will only worsen the situation.

However, his greatest heartache of all was a goal that he had wished to accomplish in his life. With the circumstances now, he lamented that he would not be able to finish it. As one of the Four Heavenly Abbots from the Buddhist Sanctuary, he had basted in the respect and adoration of many. But the most valuable thing to him was to crack the mystery of Immortality. Since fifty years ago, he already knew that no matter how much he hone his powers, he would only get stronger but not be immortal. The mystery of life and death remained unsolved.

He pondered hard about the issue for several decades before coming out with an outrageous idea that no one has ever contemplated before. Currently, the top three approaches to practice Immortalism are the Taoist, the Buddhist and the Occult. Occults have incurred a foul reputation for themselves. Their practices and skills are malicious and cruel with not a trace of empathy in it. Thus, he felt that it was not something that people should pick up. The Taoists, on the other hand, have a very deep understanding in magic and their strength are not much inferior to the Buddhists. Thus, he believed that if they were to collaborate and train together, eventually they will have a breakthrough in Immortalism.

To his bewilderment, his three usually receptive seniors were immediately against the idea, commenting that it was ridiculous. They urged him continuously to abandon the idea and forget about it. However, he remained adamant and wanted to give the idea a shot. Determined, he scaled the Qing Yun Summits and made multiple trips to the Taoist clan there. But each time he visited, he was tactfully declined by the Taoist Gateway Grandmaster.

At this point, a bitter smile broke out of his face. "I only have three more days to live, and yet here I am pondering over Immortality. I really had my head up in the clouds."

Just as he was about to relax, he gaze fell on the two children and worry swept over him once again. He could not think of a solution, so he looked around and found a lone pine tree. It was able to shield some rain from the kids, so it was better than none at all. Gathering himself together, he hoisted each child up under his arm and carried them arduously to the tree.

At last, he reached the tree and placed the children down. Pu Zhi, feeling exhausted, collapsed into a sitting position and leaned against the tree, panting heavily.

The World Favours No One!

The famous Taoist proverb that Pu Zhi recited carried a melancholic, exasperated inflection.

The twilight sky as dark as ink smothered the land. Copious dark clouds blanketed the sky and the freezing draft pierced through the horizon. The falling droplets drenched his face and a cold shiver resonated in his heart.

He gazed up at the sky before gradually returning to the children in front of him and muttered, "My two little good samaritans, I'm too useless and incapable to help much. Everything was because of me and yet you two became the victim. This terrible event has filled me with remorse and guilt! Haaiii~, you two will be safer if you were under their care as Taoist Gateway apprentices. But now... .."

Suddenly, his entire body quivered and he reiterated the phrase "Taoist Gateway apprentices...Taoist Gateway apprentices..." under his breath. He was lost in thought, mulling over the matter. He felt like he had latched on to something but he was about to lose his grip any second. Before long, cold beads of sweat started to form all over his body.

And then, that unexplainable, curious enthusiasm resurfaced on his eyes once again.

Suddenly, he looked up and laughed loudly and maniacally. His eerie laughter was filled with craziness.

"Wonderful, how wonderful! I could not live long now, but if I were to impart the Buddhist Arts to one of them and have him go to Taoist Gateway to learn the Taoist Arts, won't that be killing two birds with one stone? Not only am I able to save both their lives, they could help me fulfill my lifelong goal."

"Taoists and Buddhists have always been divided since ancient times with zero interrelations. Taoist Gateway will never have thought that such a young child born and raised under the Qing Yun Summits will know the Buddhist Arts. As long as someone practices these two form of arts, surely we could crack the mystery of Immortality. If that is the case, I can die peacefully with no regrets."

The moment he made up his mind, the adrenaline rush flushed his cheeks red and his eyes became bloodshot. He found himself looking at Ling Jing Yu and stretched out his hands. He stopped himself and thought, "This is a major issue. To this day, all these clans had been extremely sectarian and they are immensely adverse to people stealing their training methods. If someone were to suspect that he is a spy snooping on their secrets, he will surely be killed. With Ling Jing Yu's great potential, he will surely become a teacher's pet in Taoist Gateway. But, I am afraid that he would not be able to hide this secret at such a young age."

He paused at this and switched his train of thought as he turned to look at Zhang Xiao Fan. He thought about that personality he had exhibited in the morning, that unshakable determination not to give up even when death was imminent. He nodded his head and said, "Talent is lackluster, but it is okay. How much you can achieve depends on your fate."

After he said his piece, he reached out without hesitation to pet Zhang Xiao Fan's body. He used his last ounce of Buddhist energy to wake him up.

Zhang Xiao Fan roused slowly. His vision was hazy and his ears were ringing. After a long while, his senses stabilized and he was able to see clearly in front of him. Promptly, he got a shock and his lips parted.

He saw the old monk, who had injuries all over his body, sitting in front of him. The left side of his body had been burnt to a black, disfigured mess. His face was charcoal black, consumed with dark miasma. He looked like an animated corpse that was about to tumble down. Curiously, this old monk appeared to be very excited and his eyes shone brightly. In addition, he could also see his friend Ling Jing Yu laying unconscious on the other side.

"You.... what are you doing?" Zhang Xiao Fan asked after a long pause, flabbergasted.

Pu Zhi did not reply. He scrutinized him thoroughly and asked, "Little good Samaritan, why did a young child such as yourself come to such a remote place like this in this terrible weather?"

Zhang Xiao fan was taken aback. After a pause, he replied, "I saw you still standing at the temple in the evening. I think it is raining soon and you are going to be cold. So I come to the temple to give you some food."

The corner of Pu Zhi's mouth twitched and he placed both palms upright together in front of him. He said, "Mercy, mercy. Everything in this world is predestined. My merciful Buddha."

Zhang Xiao Fan replied, "Huh?"

Pu Zhi smiled and said, "This old folk here is saying that you and I are fated, little good Samaritan. Since that is the case, I have an Immortalism Method to impart to you. Is little good Samaritan willing to learn?"

Zhang Xiao Fan asked, "What is an Immortalism Method?"

Pu Zhi paused for a while to start to laugh. He extended a frail, spindly arm and rubbed the top of Zhang Xiao Fan's head and said, "Nothing much. I'm just going to teach you some breathing exercises. But you must promise me a few things once you have learned it. Is that alright with you?"

Zhang Xiao Fan, despite not knowing exactly what was going on, replied, "Okay."

Pu Zhi said, "You mustn't mention this to anyone else, including your closest relations. Can you do that?"

Zhang Xiao Fan nodded and said, "Okay! I won't say even if I die!"

Puzhi was stumped. His face was full of tenacity despite his young age. The rain drizzled like thin silk threads from the sky. Like little sharp glaciers, they drenched his tiny face, making it look a little haggard.

Pu Zhi suddenly inhaled sharply and closed his eyes, no longer looking at him. He continued. " Also, you must practice this method at least once daily. However, you mustn't do this in front of others, only during midnight when no one is around. Lastly, you are not to use this method unless it is a life-and-death situation. Otherwise, you will get yourself into very deep trouble."

Once he finished, he opened his eyes and stared hard at Zhang Xiao Fan. "Can you do this?"

Zhang Xiao Fan, his face filled with confusion, scratched the side of his head with one hand and hesitated for a while. Finally, he nodded his head firmly.

Pu Zhi simply smiled and began teaching him the chant.

The chant was not lengthy and was only a thousand words long. However it was very boring and dry. Zhang Xiao Fan, with his best efforts, spent about six hours to memorize them all.

When Pu Zhi saw that he had completely memorized it all, he sighed in relief, looking extremely tired. He looked at Zhang Xiao Fan, eyes filled with tenderness and affection, and said, " This old folk here has been spending his whole life pursuing immortality. Not once have I thought of taking in an apprentice. Now you and I have a teacher-student relationship. You should learn about my name too." The old monk deliberated for a while and said, " My name is Pu Zhi. I am a monk from the Buddhist Sanctuary. Uh, child, do you know about Buddhist Sanctuary?"

Zhang Xiao Fan contemplated for a while and shook his head.

Pu Zhi gave a stiff laugh and said, "What an innocent child." He recalled something and reached inside his clothes. He took out a deep purple orb. He studied it before passing it to Zhang Xiao Fan. "Keep this ball well. Do not let others see it. Once you have settled down, find a cliff and toss it down. Also, that name I just told you, you mustn't mention it to others."

Zhang Xiao Fan took the ball and replied, "Okay."

Pu Zhi ruffled the child's hair and said, "You and I share this fate. I wonder if we will run into each other again in our next lives. How about you kneel, bow down to me three times and call me Teacher?"

Zhang Xiao Fan glanced up at Pu Zhi and saw that his expression was unhumorous and no longer smiling. Immediately, he nodded his head and called out, "Teacher." He dropped on his knees and bowed three times, slapping his forehead hard on the ground. Just before he lifted up his head, he heard Pu Zhi laugh. His laughter was filled with sorrow and resolution.

Before Zhang Xiao Fan could raise his head to look at him, he felt a pat to his back. Immediately, he lost consciousness.