Chapter 413: Primordial Spirit Text Sacrifices the Golden Bell

"I didn't expect the entrance to the Jin Ling cave heaven to be right here in the Three Mao Temple on Zhong Shan!"

In the afternoon afterglow, Qian Chen strolled along the mountain path of Zhong Shan...

Compared to the early autumn three years ago, the scenery here had not changed much.

It was still midsummer, and the grass and trees on the mountain were lush and green. The surrounding spiritual energy was dense, and the mountain breeze blew against his face, kicking up waves of pine sounds. Several places had clear and quiet bird calls, and the mountain path wound through them. Hidden amidst the green mountains, the small palace temple built on a narrow strip of land between the mountains was the destination of Qian Chen's trip.

"Three years ago, I came here once under the identity of Li Er. Coming again this time, I have changed my identity. This place is property of Ning Ning Shimei Si, and it is also the location of the Azure Dragon spiritual vein within the Feng Shui situation of Jiankang. There are a few disciples of Juqu Mountain cultivating here; they should all be disciples of True Person Tao and Ning Ning Shimei Si's senior brothers!"

He looked up at the plaque of the Three Mao Temple and was speechless: "If I had known the entrance to the Jin Ling cave heaven was here, why would I have gone to the Copper Sparrow Tower banquet? This is my own territory!"

The Daoist in the temple saw Qian Chen from afar, stood up while leaning on a broom, and nodded slightly: "Friend Li Taibai, have you come for the Jin Ling cave heaven? It is still more than ten days until the cave heaven opens, and the Daoist temple is small and does not receive outside guests!"

Qian Chen nodded slightly and showed a small seal that True Person Tao had given him. The seal was made of bamboo, only the size of a thumb, with a Three Mountains talisman engraved on the face, and the knob was a small black tortoise, which could be hung from the waist.

The gatekeeping Daoist looked at the seal carefully, hurriedly formed a seal with both hands, and said respectfully: "Please enter, Friend. Master has already arranged a guest room for you!"

Calling it a guest room, it was actually just an east wing room in the side hall. It could be seen that it had just been tidied up, but the bedding and utensils were quite clean, so Qian Chen stayed there for the time being.

The Three Mao Temple had a total of three main halls: the main hall dedicated to the Three Pure Ones, and two side halls. One of the side halls was the Zhang Tian Shi Hall dedicated to the four Heavenly Masters of the Heavenly Court, and the other was the Xie Xie Zushi Hall dedicated to the past ancestors of Juqu Mountain. Qian Chen did not pay respects to the Three Pure Ones and ancestors upon entering like a true Dao Sect disciple, which made the guest-receiving Daoist somewhat suspicious. Previously, his master had mentioned that for the opening of the Jin Ling cave heaven this time, a reliable figure had been invited to take action.

He didn't expect it to be the famous Li Taibai of today!

Originally, he thought this Li Taibai was another true disciple of the Dao Sect hiding his background and walking the world, but looking at his demeanor now, he was completely like a loose cultivator. He didn't know what his background was that he could trouble the Zhang Tian Shi to clean up after him.

Could he really be a descendant of the ancient Taibai Sword Sect?

Qian Chen had no luggage; a cultivator's belongings were all carried in a Qiankun bag. Although his Qiankun bag had all kinds of utensils, the identity of Li Taibai had nothing, so there was nothing to settle. He strolled out and saw the guest-receiving Daoist walking out of the kitchen and going to the Xie Xie Zushi Hall in the corner...

Qian Chen stepped forward and saw through the lattice window an older Daoist with a square face sitting sideways in front of the ancestor portrait, meditating facing a golden bell. He heard the guest-receiving Daoist report: "Yan Yan Shixiong Wang, the guest Master ordered has arrived. You must give me more rice!"

"He arrived so early? Doesn't that mean he'll be eating for more than ten days?" The older Daoist frowned: "Did he bring his own rice?"

The guest-receiving Daoist bit the bullet and said: "Yan Yan Shixiong, this is not the way to treat guests. Who lets guests bring their own rice?"

"Sigh! It's not that I'm stingy, Yan Yan Shixiong, but cultivators like him eat top-quality spiritual rice. Most of our hundred acres of land can only grow Huang Jing rice. The Purple-Veined Dragon Teeth that Ning Ning Shimei offers every time are mostly eaten by the dragon in the well behind. Only six acres of land grow Azure Jade Qianyuan Valley, which was originally enough for us brothers to cultivate. Unfortunately, three years ago, that person cast a spell to take away the true spirits of the Azure Dragon's seven mansions, causing the spiritual grain yield to drop. The previous savings have already been spent on the spiritual materials you use for drawing talismans. A few days ago, the Chaotiangong market suffered a disaster, and I heard that the price of talisman paper has risen sharply..."

The man muttered for a long time before carefully uncovering the lid of the rice jar and scooping out a bowl.

The guest-receiving Daoist begged bitterly: "Yan Yan Shixiong, give a little more! We can't lose Master's face!"

The Daoist was annoyed: "How big is his appetite... Fine, then add a little more!"

So he added another bowl's worth.

Qian Chen was very surprised. This disciple of True Person Tao was also a true disciple of the Dao Sect, and the Three Mountains disciples were all experts at drawing talismans. How did it sound like they couldn't even bear to give a bowl of rice, looking so embarrassed? Could it be that True Person Tao was a huge glutton, scraping his disciples until only a layer of oil skin was left? Making his own daughter extremely wealthy while his disciples could only be stingy? But if so, why didn't he see these people have any anger toward True Person Tao?

The guest-receiving Daoist poured the spiritual rice into a bag and couldn't help shaking his head and sighing.

At this moment, Qian Chen outside coughed. The mature Daoist in the hall didn't change his expression; perhaps he even intentionally said these words in front of him, wanting him to pay some food money. But the guest-receiving Daoist blushed, hurriedly hid the rice bag behind his back, and said: "So it is Friend Taibai. You've settled in? The temple is simple and has neglected you, please don't blame me, Friend!"

Qian Chen laughed: "You Daoists are true cultivators! How could I blame you?"

"If I had known you Daoists were so poor, I wouldn't have come to bother you!"

The guest-receiving cultivator was speechless...

Just at this moment, Qian Chen saw the mature cultivator in the hall take out dozens of Three Mountains talismans without changing his expression, stick them on the golden bell, and then use his magic power to sacrifice the talismans into the golden bell.

Those dozens of talisman texts transformed into dozens of spiritual texts engraved on the golden bell. Qian Chen was shocked. Looking at the golden bell again, it was densely packed with hundreds of thousands of spiritual texts, already approaching the limit of a magic tool nearing the completion of its seals, about to nurture a trace of spiritual consciousness and ascend to a magic treasure.

Now, Qian Chen finally understood why this mature Daoist was so stingy!

It turned out that True Person Tao was not a peerless glutton who didn't give his disciples a way to live, but that the disciples he sent to preside over the Three Mao Temple were sacrificing a magic treasure, which was why they had scraped the whole temple clean. It was also thanks to the good feelings between the brothers that they could endure it.

The mature cultivator didn't change his expression and said naturally: "In order to sacrifice this magic treasure, I asked Master for this lucrative position and brought several brothers I am close with to guard here. The brothers are kind and willing to suffer poverty with me here. All our wealth has been poured into this gold-devouring beast. Now, everyone is empty-handed. If you are willing to pay some room rent, that would naturally be excellent. If you are unwilling, for Master's sake, I won't say anything!"

"Qian Shidi Pan, for the opening of the cave heaven this time, it is said that Wang Longxiang is also coming. Do not argue with him. After my magic treasure is refined, you take this treasure and compete with him again!"

"Qian Shidi Pan?" Qian Chen remembered a rumor and turned to ask the guest-receiving Daoist: "Are you Pan Wenyuan?"

The guest-receiving Daoist nodded slightly and replied to his senior brother: "Yan Yan Shixiong Wang, it's just some minor verbal matters. Cultivators should have broad minds; there is no time to cultivate, why argue!"

Speaking of which, the slight entanglement between Pan Wenyuan and Wang Longxiang had something to do with Qian Chen. Years ago, Wang Yan spoke rudely to Ning Ning Shimei Si, and it was True Person Tao who sent this person with a magic seal to beat Wang Yan until he vomited blood. Then Qian Chen went to challenge Wang Yan again, making him unable to show his face until today.

For this bit of verbal advantage, Wang Yan could be considered to have had bad luck. Later, Wang Longxiang was forced to step forward and went to challenge the Dao Academy and the eight clan sons of the Sima family, which also caused a huge stir.

The Daoist who held the magic seal and went over, which was Pan Wenyuan, was also defeated together. It was only when his senior brother Wang Zhiyuan stepped forward that Wang Longxiang retreated.

"Then you are Wang Zhiyuan?" Qian Chen looked at the mature Daoist again and asked.

"It is I!" The mature Daoist didn't change his expression.

"Haha..." Now Qian Chen knew why this person had a bad attitude toward him, because now the whole world knew that Li Taibai was Wang Longxiang's good friend, so how could he have a good face.

But strictly speaking, when helping Ning Ning Shimei Si, they were all on the same side.

If Qian Chen's Dharma eyes were not mistaken, Wang Zhiyuan was worthy of being True Person Tao's head disciple. His cultivation was only a line away from the Yang Spirit. As long as his natal magic treasure was refined, he would have the opportunity to enter the Yang Spirit. Wang Zhiyuan was also the strongest cultivator among the Yin Spirits Qian Chen had seen, and this person had refined a first-rank core early on. Now he must have cultivated a great divine ability. Strictly speaking, Wang Longxiang was really not this person's opponent. Even if Qian Chen were to fight seriously, if he didn't use his trump cards, it would be a fifty-fifty split.

As for exploiting his junior brothers...

This was a custom among true immortal sect cultivators. In sects with good sect styles, the friendship between fellow disciples was extraordinary, equal to that of biological brothers. Of course, there were degrees of closeness between brothers, but cultivators refining magic tools and treasures required huge resources. Loose cultivators mostly relied on generations of accumulation, while immortal sects had senior brothers helping.

Yan Shixiong brothers who were close would usually help with all their might when refining magic treasures, in order to refine a powerful magic treasure that would bring honor to the entire sect.

As long as they helped the senior brother refine a superior magic tool first, the senior brother would often repay them later when the junior brother refined his own magic tool—fighting to help, or even lending the magic tool when facing tribulations, went without saying.

If it weren't for such friendship, how could cultivators lend their life-like magic tools to others—because that magic tool also contained a part of this person!

Wang Zhiyuan looked at Li Taibai examining the golden bell in front of him and couldn't help but be slightly dissatisfied, saying: "Why, is Li Taibai also interested in my Juqu Mountain's refining method?"

"Using the Red Book Spiritual Text method to engrave magic tools, making their talisman and tool paths one, gives them the opportunity to ascend to magic treasures. This magic tool has internal spirituality, and its accumulation is sufficient, only a line away from being a magic treasure. If it weren't for your understanding of the Red Book Spiritual Texts being a line short, unable to connect those scattered spiritual texts with a single aura to form a Dao scripture article, this treasure should have already become a magic treasure... Pity, pity!" Qian Chen commented simply.

"Pity what?" Si Princess Qingcheng stepped into the room and laughed.

Si Princess Qingcheng looked at Qian Chen, her eyes blinking slyly: "You wouldn't have thought of it! I am also going to follow into the Jin Ling cave heaven this time..."

Qian Chen's face was strange: "The Zhang Tian Shi is actually willing to let you come over?"

"Father said the Jin Ling cave heaven is extremely ancient, and in its deepest part, there are even relics of the ancient Divine Dao, which are very likely related to the origin of the Dao Sect's Divine Dao... My foundation leans toward the Immortal Dao. If I have the fate, I might get great benefits."

After Si Princess Qingcheng finished speaking, she unfolded an ancient silk painting. The rubbing on it was mottled, and one could only barely see a red dragon shape coiling around a divine peak (see the Mawangdui Han tomb mural).

Qian Chen looked at that legless red dragon. The dragon head seemed to have a human face, and its mouth held a point of light... At this moment, the shock in his heart was truly unspeakable.

"The God of Zhong Shan is named Zhuyin. When he opens his eyes, it is day; when he closes them, it is night; when he blows, it is winter; when he calls, it is summer. He does not drink, eat, or breathe. His breath is wind. His body is a thousand li long... Zhong Shan has a red dragon holding a candle! Why? Wasn't Taishang born after the ancient times? Didn't I travel through time after the ancient times? Why does the ancient Divine Dao have a mural of the Candle Dragon?"

Si Princess Qingcheng rarely saw Qian Chen's face so solemn, and for a moment she didn't dare to speak.

It was Wang Zhiyuan who broke the silence. He stared at his junior sister and Qian Chen, hesitating: "Ning Ning Shimei? You... know each other?"

"Yan Yan Shixiong is a close friend of mine, but Yan Yan Shixiong, don't tell anyone! Otherwise, it will cause trouble for Yan Yan Shixiong. We are entering the cave heaven together this time, so we must pretend not to know each other!" Si Princess Qingcheng instructed.

Wang Zhiyuan's eyes were hesitant, but he still laughed: "Since it is a good friend of Ning Ning Shimei, then of course it is one of our own. Come... Qian Shidi Pan, go and scoop some more rice."

Qian Chen suppressed the infinite doubts in his heart and heard Wang Zhiyuan say: "Friend Li also has attainments in spiritual texts?"

Qian Chen nodded slightly: "I have studied 'The Eight Hundred Words of Taishang Dao Interpretation' and 'The True Interpretation of Zhou Tian Spiritual Texts'!"

Wang Zhiyuan's eyes widened, and he rubbed his hands excitedly: "Then Friend, if you can find one or two ancient divine texts when entering the Jin Ling cave heaven this time, can you sell me one?" He hurriedly added: "For one ancient divine text, I am willing to exchange ten true talismans..."

Seeing Qian Chen pondering slightly, he increased the price: "And after my magic treasure is refined, I am willing to take action for you once!"

Qian Chen was not short of true talismans, and a magic treasure taking action once might be a huge help to others, but Qian Chen himself had such combat power, so it was quite chicken-rib-like.

"I have guarded the Three Mao Temple for so many years, and I have nothing left in terms of cultivation objects, but I have some research on the situation inside the Jin Ling cave heaven..." Wang Zhiyuan could only take out his final bargaining chip.

Originally, he would only tell these secrets to his junior sister, but at this time, in order to make Qian Chen move, he was willing to give them to Qian Chen in advance.

Years ago, he had entered the Jin Ling cave heaven once, which was how he refined this magic treasure embryo. If he could obtain an ancient divine text, the opportunity he had sought for so many years would allow him to refine the magic treasure, so that his junior brothers would no longer have to suffer.

He had clues related to ancient divine texts, but he had never had reliable manpower.

And for entering the Jin Ling cave heaven this time, the three Heavenly Masters of the Dao Academy said there were no spots...

With Qian Chen's previous insight, Wang Zhiyuan could see that it was definitely not as simple as just having some understanding of spiritual texts. The glance Qian Chen gave the golden bell earlier could cause his magic treasure to vibrate, which was enough to prove that this person's attainments in spiritual texts were perhaps even above those of his junior brothers, to be able to see the Dao scripture he had vaguely written.

If he had this person's help, perhaps there really was an opportunity to refine the magic treasure in advance.

He immediately stood up and bowed: "In the Jin Ling cave heaven, most of it is the legacy of my Xuan Sect. Although there are many spiritual medicines and materials, the clues related to the ancient Divine Dao are hidden extremely secretly. I have guarded this place and studied it painstakingly for nearly a hundred years before I gained something! This secret map records all the clues I know..."

Qian Chen gripped his hand tightly and said: "Deal!" ===== CHAPTER 414 =====