Chapter 8: Tonggu Xian (Bronze Drum Immortal) and the Copper Drum Sect—A Legacy Split into Three, Unrivaled in the World.
This white deer, used for travel, was just an ordinary wild deer. Although faster than walking, it could only cover seventy to eighty li a day, far from the legendary Immortal mounts that could travel a thousand li daily.
Chen Qianliu rode the white deer, stopping and going along the way. When he passed through forests, he gathered some medicinal herbs. When he passed through mortal towns, he would also do some business, as Cultivators always have ways to earn money.
After seven or eight days, he had traveled four to five hundred li, accumulated more than ten taels of silver, gathered about a hundred Talismans, and even refined the rough wooden staff in his hand into a Magic Treasure barely usable for self-defense.
Every day, he would inscribe more than ten illusion Talismans into this rough wooden staff. Over time, it gained some spiritual power. With just a pointing gesture, it could induce various illusions in people. If he encountered a fierce beast in the mountains, a point and a shout would often send the beast fleeing in terror.
One day, Chen Qianliu suddenly felt a little tired, so he stopped traveling. He found a large tree, tied up the white deer, and stuck the rough wooden staff into the ground. This staff contained illusionary arts; anyone or any beast passing by would see a fierce tiger lying there, menacing and savage, and would not dare to approach. This was a simple and easy-to-use protective spell commonly used by Cultivators.
Chen Qianliu first Cultivated the Green Emperor Jia-Yi Skill for a while. He did not know how much time had passed when a deer's cry startled him awake. Opening his eyes, his heart was filled with joy, and he thought, "The Green Emperor Jia-Yi Skill is indeed extraordinary. At the same Geng Metal Jade Fluid Realm, it is eight hundred times stronger than the Six Harmonies Qi Refining Technique."
By now, it was extremely dark, clearly unsuitable for travel. He took dry rations and a gourd of clear water from the white deer, ate a little to fill his stomach, and planned to continue Cultivating after his Meridians had settled down.
The Green Emperor Jia-Yi Skill and Geng Metal Qi Refining Skill that Senior Martial Sister brought down the mountain back then were both incomplete fragments of the 《Hun Tian Five Elements True Skill》, the Copper Drum Sect's foundational Cultivation Technique from an ancient Great Sect.
The Copper Drum Sect's prestige back then was even above that of the Yu Xian Sect. It dominated thirty thousand li of mountains and rivers and was revered by twelve nations.
The founding Old Ancestor, Tonggu Xian (Bronze Drum Immortal), passed his Dao on to three friends. After his Ascension, his three Disciples, in their struggle for the position of sect leader and the claim of orthodox Dao, turned against each other. They split into three factions and fought for several centuries, remaining enemies to this day. As a result, this top-tier Great Sect, which once dominated the world, lasted only two generations.
The eldest Disciple, Qing Xuanzi, inherited the Green Emperor lineage's Cultivation Techniques and founded the Yu Xian Sect, which has been revered by the Great Qian Dynasty for generations.
The second Disciple, Daoist Bai, inherited the Xuan Metal Dao techniques. The Yuqing Huayu Tower he founded does not interact with the mortal world and is mysterious and unpredictable.
The third Disciple, Geng Qiong, was proficient in the Earth and Wood element Dao techniques. He occupied forty-seven islands overseas and styled himself the Lord of Lianshan Island.
The Xuan Metal Dao techniques were divided into two volumes, Geng and Xin. Their profound and abstruse aspects were no less than the Green Emperor Legacy. Back then, only Daoist Bai obtained the orthodox method, which became the exclusive secret Legacy of Yuqing Huayu Tower.
The Yu Xian Sect only had the Geng Metal lineage, not the Xin Metal lineage, nor did it have the subsequent Cultivation Techniques for this Qi Refining art. This is why it could not be listed among the true Legacies.
Senior Martial Sister brought this Cultivation Technique down the mountain, hoping that if an Opportunity arose to obtain the subsequent Cultivation Technique, it could be passed down to future generations, as this Dao technique was not a true Legacy of the Yu Xian Sect and was not restricted by sect rules.
The scattered Legacies of the Copper Drum Sect were not easy to collect. Moreover, the other two branches and the Yu Xian Sect were like fire and water. After many years, the couple only managed to inquire about two Opportunities. However, because Senior Martial Sister's Realm had fallen and Chen Qianliu's Realm was too low, even with the information, they could only sigh in despair, unable to cross thousands of mountains and rivers to find the subsequent Cultivation Technique.
Chen Qianliu was born with the Chun Wei Spiritual Meridian of the Jia Wood lineage, which was only suitable for the Green Emperor Jia-Yi Skill. He could not Cultivate the Geng Metal Qi Refining Skill. Furthermore, the Green Emperor Jia-Yi Skill he possessed was a Complete Manual, so he had no reason to learn the Geng Metal Qi Refining Skill.
More than two hours later, his Meridians settled down, and Chen Qianliu began to Cultivate again. As a person who had lived three lives, he always felt a sense of urgency and did not want to waste time.
In the wilderness, sudden gusts of fishy wind swept through. Seven or eight large snakes with black bodies and colorful patterns slithered past. Their heads were triangular, indicating at a glance that they must be highly venomous.
The rough wooden staff stuck in front of Chen Qianliu, with nearly a hundred illusion Talismans condensed into its magic power, had conjured an illusion of a fierce tiger, enough to intimidate wild beasts in the mountains. However, it could not scare away these snakes and insects. These seven or eight large snakes with black bodies and colorful patterns seemed to be driven by some force, lunging towards the nine-year-old child.
The rough wooden staff suddenly let out bursts of tiger roars. This was a mechanism Chen Qianliu had set up. If a person or animal was not fooled by the illusion and still approached, it would remind him to quickly interrupt his Cultivation.
Chen Qianliu opened his eyes and saw seven or eight highly venomous snakes swimming towards him, and he couldn't help but be startled.
It was late at night, but his Qi Refining had been successful, giving him excellent eyesight, and the moonlight was bright. These large snakes with black bodies and colorful patterns were very conspicuous, so he could see them clearly.
Chen Qianliu made a thunder Talisman gesture, pondered for a moment, then switched to a startling Talisman gesture. He pointed at the large snakes, and as the seven or eight highly venomous snakes were about to approach, they suddenly all flinched and scattered in all directions, swimming away extremely quickly, disappearing into the forest in an instant.
Chen Qianliu dared not Cultivate any further. He simply sat in meditation to recuperate until dawn, but the person driving the snakes did not appear.
Those large snakes were inherently fierce and always solitary; it was absolutely impossible for them to appear in groups, nor could they have seen through his protective illusion. Ten out of ten, someone was driving them from behind. Since the other party had not appeared, Chen Qianliu did not want to cause extra trouble. He mounted the white deer and continued on his way.
Chen Qianliu did not want to conflict with anyone, as his magic power was still weak at the moment. He urged his mount to speed up, and the white deer galloped for twenty or thirty li. He calculated that even if someone was spying on him, they wouldn't follow this far. Only then did he let the white deer slow its pace, identified the direction, and after another half-day's journey, he saw a village.
Having lived three lives, Chen Qianliu knew that human hearts were unpredictable, and his young age made him susceptible to ill intentions. Therefore, he would create some spiritual phenomena to prevent people from underestimating him.
A lone child was easily coveted.
However, a lone child riding a white deer would make people wary.
He rode the white deer into the village, and the villagers indeed found it strange. They didn't even dare to point and whisper, only murmuring to each other in private.
Chen Qianliu never rested in densely populated areas to avoid trouble. He only sought out a household to ask for some clear water. Seeing some cured meat hanging, he bought some. He paid a fair price, which pleased the family greatly, and they even gave him some flatbreads.
After eating and drinking his fill, he deliberately displayed some illusionary arts, sold seven or eight Talismans, and then left the village, Free and Easy and free.
Most of his journey was spent Cultivating. The two thousand li journey took over a month.
Chen Qianliu gazed ahead and thought, "I wonder if I'll have any Opportunities at the Suiyang Immortal Market, perhaps being noticed by some Senior expert who will take me as a Disciple and guide me in orthodox Cultivation?"
The Suiyang Immortal Market was far from Shuangyun Mountain and even further from the Yu Xian Sect's mountain gate. Chen Qianliu had never actually visited this Immortal Market in his previous life. He sold Talismans and bought goods at the Shuangyun Immortal Market near Shuangyun Mountain. However, Senior Martial Sister had visited four or five times, selling and buying things, and had mentioned the rules of this place to him.