Chapter Thirteen: The Daoist of Many Treasures

When he heard the term "Treasure Rat," Tongtian immediately understood the source of his intense feeling. The Master of the Heaven-Cutting Sect had four great disciples: Treasure Immortal was foremost among them, followed by Golden Spirit Lady, Martial Mother of Wudang, and Turtle Spirit Lady. Within the sect, Treasure Immortal’s status was second only to the master himself.

During the Cataclysm of the Investiture of the Gods, disciples of the Heaven-Cutting Sect were repeatedly slain by the other three sects. Finally, in his fury, Tongtian ordered his senior disciple, Treasure Immortal, to set up the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array beneath the Boundary Monument Pass.

In the clash with Guangchengzi, the chief disciple of the Explanatory Sect, Treasure Immortal was struck by the sect's sacred treasure—the Heaven-Flipping Seal—yet suffered nothing more than a tumble.

The Heaven-Flipping Seal was in fact hewn from the body of the Mount Buzhou. During the great war between the Wu and Demon clans, the ancestral Wu Gonggong and Zhu Rong fought fiercely. Zhu Rong perished, and Gonggong, realizing his irreversible mistake, smashed his head in wrath against the celestial pillar of Mount Buzhou. The mountain collapsed, and then the Primeval Lord of Heaven, with supreme magic, forged the Heaven-Flipping Seal from its remains.

Within the seal was innate turbid qi, especially effective in suppressing a cultivator’s primordial soul and true energy. To be struck by it required the cleansing energy of the Three Pure Ones and the innate Five Directions Banner to heal completely.

Yet, without the protection of such treasures, Treasure Immortal was simply knocked down, unharmed—a testament to the immensity of his cultivation and magical power.

Tongtian still remembered that when the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array was arranged, the Grand Pure One split his own energy into three and struck Tongtian with his staff. Treasure Immortal, seeking vengeance for his master, charged alone at the Supreme Elder, only to be captured in the end. Yet such courage was beyond the reach of ordinary men.

Tongtian reflected: Treasure Immortal was both filial and capable—but was the little mouse on his shoulder truly Treasure Immortal?

The mouse, upon arrival, had acted as if it had found its mother, climbing onto Tongtian’s shoulder and refusing to leave, unless it spotted some spiritual treasure or rare item.

The little mouse would eat anything wonderful it found, yet its own magical power didn’t grow in the slightest. This irked Tongtian—he himself had yet to recover his cultivation, and here was this little mouse snatching all the food.

Let it eat, then—but there was no effect. Tongtian ended up reclaiming the mouse’s spoils for himself.

Before long, Pangu spoke to him: the more spiritual the creature, the slower its cultivation grows. Are not you Three Pure Ones like this? The ancestral lords of the three clans all reached the Great Golden Immortal realm, yet you three were only at late Profound Immortal. However, your paths would one day extend far beyond those ancestral lords.

Tongtian realized this was true—he himself was such, so what of this elfin little mouse? It was all the same.

Life in the mountains was both tranquil and bloody.

Whenever Tongtian saw a spirit creature that had gained consciousness, he would fight it; a hundred punches at the Human Immortal level would suffice to defeat them. As his strength and mastery of techniques grew, those at the Human Immortal level couldn’t withstand even a second punch.

The Treasure Mouse, meanwhile, would dart forward whenever it saw rare treasures, opening its jaws wide and swallowing everything into its small belly. Tongtian couldn’t help but mutter to himself upon seeing this: Aren’t you afraid of bursting?

After several battles, Tongtian realized he was at a great disadvantage without a close-combat weapon. He couldn’t just summon the Nine-Petal Purple Lotus every time an enemy attacked; that was a defensive treasure, not an offensive weapon. In future fights, he would need his own weapon.

Just as he was fretting over this, Pangu told him that there was a large deposit of innate Geng Metal ahead. Tongtian knew now the origin of his weapon.

Wherever there was treasure, a spirit beast would guard it. Here, it was a black bull. Upon seeing Tongtian, it pawed the earth with its hooves, warning him away, but its strength was insufficient—Tongtian felled it with a few punches.

The black bull had only just reached the stage of “Refining Qi into Spirit,” yet its body was so tough. Was it perhaps a primordial variant?

Tongtian asked Pangu.

“That black bull is condensed from the innate Geng Metal qi. This must be its birthplace,” Pangu replied, sending an incantation into the bull’s consciousness and then relaying to Tongtian.

No wonder the bull was so sturdy—it was made of “iron.” Tongtian gazed at the bull he had beaten to the ground, unable to rise, and mused to himself.

Back on Kunlun Mountain, he had enjoyed tinkering with things, but he truly didn’t know how to forge weapons. Fortunately, when in need, there was always Pangu. Was it not Pangu who had passed down the arts of alchemy and the forging of the Golden Cudgel to the Grand Pure One?

Tongtian found an open space and sat cross-legged. He summoned the Nine-Petal Purple Lotus and laid out all the materials required for forging. When the mouse saw the mountain of treasures, it squeaked with joy, while the black bull’s gaze toward Tongtian changed completely.

When to add innate Water Essence, when to increase the fire, when to add innate Geng Metal—Pangu explained each step at his side, and Tongtian finally understood that forging, too, was a profound art.

At last, Tongtian’s own sword was complete, filling him with delight.

He recalled the attire of future Taoist priests. Though his clothes were clean, they lacked that flowing elegance, so he forged his own collection: the carefree scarf, the lotus crown, ritual robes, cloud shoes—all crafted anew. Dressed in these, he became a youth of remarkable grace and bearing.

Tongtian rejoiced in his new attire, and even the little mouse was “blessed”—devouring dozens of spiritual items without the least harm.

The black bull, it seemed, had yielded. Throughout Tongtian’s forging, it stood guard at his side every day, watching over him. Its injuries healed, and it no longer looked at Tongtian with hostility. In its eyes, Tongtian saw respect.

He rose and addressed the black bull, “Will you serve as my steed?” With his strength, and his need for a mount, all that remained was to see if fate would allow it.

The black bull instantly slumped to the ground, lowing mournfully. Pangu, seeing Tongtian still hesitating, laughed and sent a message: “Hurry up, the bull agrees. It’s inviting you to climb onto its back.”

Tongtian chuckled to himself—he hadn’t expected to possess such kingly charisma.

He stored the remaining Geng Metal in the Nine-Petal Purple Lotus—nothing should be wasted.

Riding among the clouds, he saw the little mouse dashing here and there, nibbling at one spot, snacking at another, and Tongtian couldn’t help but laugh heartily.

But as they flew, something felt amiss. At that moment, Pangu spoke: “Demonic energy—something formidable is near. With your current strength, you are no match. Leave quickly, I will hold it off.”

As he spoke, the Nine-Petal Purple Lotus flew from Tongtian’s body, heading north.

Tongtian understood—an enemy was near. He called the Treasure Mouse back to his side, slapped the black bull’s head, and the bull sped thousands of miles away.

But just as they thought themselves safe, a streak of light struck the black bull’s hindquarters, sending it tumbling from the clouds to the earth in pain.

From the north, an old crone approached, the Nine-Petal Purple Lotus contending with her at her side. Upon seeing Tongtian, the old woman’s power surged; with a thrust of her needle, she forced back the lotus, cast a spell, and flew straight at Tongtian.

Tongtian had met the greatest foe since his rebirth—the Scorpion Queen, mother of the Nine-tailed Earth Scorpions.