86: Three-legged Qinghuo Copper Furnace
Leaving the Long Manor, Long Ye and Qin Jiang boarded a carriage and headed towards the Bronze Bell Sect.
Along the way, as they passed a wide street, Long Ye lifted the curtain of the carriage. “Fourth Brother, look, this is Ningan’s most bustling Eastern Market. Its area is larger than the other three markets combined.
All the storefronts here belong to our Long family. The annual tax revenue is roughly seventy to eighty thousand taels.
Big Brother told me to inform you that from now on, half of the tax revenue from here will be yours.”
Qin Jiang was stunned to hear this. “For me?”
Long Ye nodded. “Of course, you’ll need some expenses for your daily affairs, won’t you? Even if you don’t use it, just consider it pocket money.”
Hiss~
Even with Qin Jiang’s fearless heart, he couldn’t help but be somewhat shocked.
One must know that he had only managed to collect fifty thousand taels from all of Luoshan City, and now he was being given nearly forty thousand taels directly.
It was truly a very generous amount.
The carriage continued to move, not at a fast pace, so many people noticed the young man sitting in the same carriage as the Long family’s Third Master.
Some even immediately drew him on paper to avoid not recognizing him in the future.
After traveling for a long time, the carriage stopped.
Getting out of the carriage, Qin Jiang looked ahead. Two massive yellow bronze pillars stood before the mountain gate, behind which towering mountains were shrouded in mist, their peaks invisible.
This was precisely the mountain on which Ningan County was built, named Bronze Mountain.
Thin wisps of cloud and mist drifted through the mountains, obscuring the view inside.
This was quite unusual. His eyesight was excellent, and such thin mist should not have been able to block his vision at all.
It seemed there must be something like a Formation present.
He had only learned about the existence of Formations from Long Yuesheng previously. Back when Black Mountain City was besieged by strange mist, it was because of the ancient Formation patterns carved within Black Mountain City that the strange mist was held back.
“Let’s go, let’s go inside and take a look,” Long Ye said with a smile.
Passing through the bronze pillars, the surrounding view suddenly became clear, and the blurry sensation disappeared.
“Look, that’s the main peak of the Bronze Bell Sect. The peak is where the Sect Leader resides. The two large side peaks next to it are where the two great Origin Artifacts of the Sect are located, namely Bronze Bell Peak and Azure Fire Peak. We’re going to Azure Fire Peak shortly.”
Long Ye pointed to the three distant peaks and said.
Qin Jiang followed the direction of his finger and saw six layers of clouds overlapping above the central main peak, like a crown.
To its left and right, the left peak emitted a golden light, while the right peak faintly showed Azure Fire burning.
“Besides these three major peaks, there are also some smaller peaks, which are mostly headed by the Elders and Protectors of the Sect,” Long Ye said.
Then he pointed to one of them. “Look, that’s my Wild King Peak.”
Qin Jiang looked over and saw that among the many peaks, one was extremely conspicuous.
After all, this was the only bare mountain among so many, and there were few people on it.
Other peaks faintly showed some human activity, but this one felt very desolate.
“How is it? I’m telling you, on Wild King Peak, I’ve cultivated a queen bee of the Great Demon level, and the royal jelly it produces is delicious… uh, a very rare resource!” Long Ye said with a serious expression.
After speaking, he waved his hand. “Never mind. When there’s an opportunity, I’ll take you inside to see it. Let’s go, to the main peak.”
The two walked for a moment and arrived at the foot of the main peak.
Qin Jiang looked around and saw large areas of houses, roughly divided into inner and outer circles.
“The outer area here is where the Outer Sect Disciples reside. They are basically Disciples who Cultivate ordinary True Martial Arts.
If one can master advanced True Martial Arts, they can become an Inner Sect Disciple and move to the inner area.
There is a Qi Gathering Formation set up by the Sect Leader here. The closer you are to the inner area, the faster your Cultivation speed.” Long Ye said.
Qin Jiang slightly raised his hand, as if to grasp something, but couldn’t. “What is this? It’s a very peculiar feeling.”
Long Ye looked at Qin Jiang with some surprise upon hearing this, but then, thinking of Qin Jiang’s abnormally strong power, he relaxed.
“Origin Qi. You haven’t absorbed Secret Martial Origin Power yet, so to be able to sense its existence is already very impressive.
Normally, one only senses the existence of Origin Qi after absorbing Secret Martial Origin Power.
It must be that the Qi Gathering Formation here has increased the concentration of Origin Qi, which is why you can sense it.” He said.
Qin Jiang nodded slightly. Indeed, before coming here, he hadn’t had this feeling.
“What exactly is this Secret Martial Origin Power?” he asked.
In the Azure Fire Bronze Furnace Skill manual, most of the content was about Cultivation, with very little other information.
Long Ye pondered for a moment upon hearing this. “The Cultivation of Secret Martial Arts already involves the fundamental powers of heaven and earth. This fundamental power is the basis of Secret Martial Cultivation, and we call it Secret Martial Origin Power.
However, I heard Big Brother say before that Secret Martial Origin Power is actually a derivative power of something called Origin Law. The true essence of Secret Martial Cultivation is actually to master Origin Law.
Compared to ordinary Origin Qi, you can think of Secret Martial Origin Power as a general leading an army, and the Origin Qi you are currently sensing as soldiers. Only under the general’s leadership can the army’s power be united.”
Qin Jiang nodded as if he understood.
‘Origin Law, is this the so-called Origin Diagram? Something even more fundamental than Secret Martial Origin Power.’
“Alright, don’t overthink it. The more you Cultivate, the more you will understand. Many things cannot be described in words until you reach that stage,” Long Ye said.
Qin Jiang nodded. That’s right, as long as he was on the path, he would eventually see the scenery at the end of the road.
The two passed through the buildings at the foot of the mountain and walked up the mountain, soon arriving at the mountainside.
It looked rather deserted here, with only a few dozen wooden houses built haphazardly.
“Each wooden house here represents a Secret Martial Artist, but they rarely stay here. They are basically out on missions. After all, resources are not supplied infinitely.” Long Ye said.
Qin Jiang looked at these wooden houses with some surprise. Forty-seven of them.
This meant that the Bronze Bell Sect alone had forty-seven Secret Martial Artists!
As expected of a Sect capable of controlling an entire County!
Long Ye pointed to one of the newer-looking wooden houses. “That one was newly built for you. However, it’s better for you to stay at the manor on weekdays. The conditions here aren’t great; there’s nothing much besides the concentrated Origin Qi.
Then you can take on missions from the mission board at the foot of the mountain, such as pursuing Secret Martial fugitives or killing demons and strange creatures, to hone your combat skills.
As for resource-related missions, you don’t need to take them. If you lack anything, just go to the Dragon Blood Pavilion at the manor and take it.
Whatever the Bronze Bell Sect has, we basically have, and for those things we don’t, the points from pursuit missions are enough to exchange for them.”
After speaking, he walked towards one of the larger wooden houses, took out a thin booklet, and wrote for a moment.
“Oh, by the way, where are you from? Black Mountain City?” he said.
Qin Jiang was taken aback, then thought carefully, but his early memories were already blurred. He only remembered that he and his sister were not native to Black Mountain City.
“Just write Black Mountain City.”
Long Ye nodded, put down the booklet after recording, and then took out a token from inside.
“This is your True Disciple token.” He said.
Qin Jiang took the token and glanced at the wooden house with some surprise. He clearly sensed someone inside.
“Can a True Disciple token be issued even before mastering the Azure Fire Bronze Furnace Skill?”
“It’s fine. I’m the Second Protector after all. I still have that much privilege.” Long Ye raised his chin and smiled.
“Alright, let’s go to Azure Fire Peak,” he continued.
Soon, the two arrived at the foot of Azure Fire Peak. Just standing there, they felt a wave of heat wash over them.
“You go up. I won’t go over there. After mastering the sixth level of the Azure Fire Bronze Furnace Skill, one cannot approach the Azure Fire Bronze Furnace, otherwise, it will trigger the Azure Fire within it.”
Long Ye’s eyes held a hint of apprehension. Back then, he didn’t believe in evil. After mastering the sixth level of the Azure Fire Bronze Furnace Skill, he secretly went up once, which triggered the Azure Fire in the Azure Fire Bronze Furnace and almost burned him to death!
If Big Brother hadn't happened to be in the Sect at that time, he might have really died!
Qin Jiang nodded and walked up the mountain. The Azure Fire pressure here was extremely heavy. Even with his power comparable to a Secret Martial Artist, he could only ascend step by step.
Not long after he left, Long Ye watched Qin Jiang’s figure gradually disappear into the mountain.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
‘Damn it! Fireproof Robe!’
The Fireproof Robe was specifically used to resist Azure Fire. Although the Azure Fire when absorbing Secret Martial Origin Power was far less intense than the Azure Fire that burned him that day, it was definitely not something a True Martial Artist could withstand!
Without hesitation, he turned and left. He couldn't go up now, he could only go back and ask Big Brother to come. Fortunately, there was still time!