Blade - Unbound

Chapter 77: The Thundercloud Divine Drum

This kind of situation had never happened before.

The Great Luo Dharma Body was Li Yan’s greatest secret. Aside from absorbing heavenly treasures to repair itself, this was the first time something external had affected it. Moreover, the source was the mysterious Underworld itself. Li Yan felt as though some ghostly deity had pried open his hidden secrets.

How could he not panic?

Luo Mingzi shook his head. “I don’t know either. Although the gods of the Underworld are innate righteous deities worshipped throughout the land, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect does not meddle in their affairs. One of our core commandments is to avoid interfering with the Underworld. At most, we perform rites to deliver wandering souls.

“The only thing I do know is this. Those branded with a Summoning Writ are chosen by the Underworld to become living yin emissaries, agents who walk between the mortal realm and the Underworld.

“But you can’t cross into the Underworld. Many spirits hide deep underground in cracks and crevices. If you cannot traverse the nether and cannot apprehend souls, then how are you supposed to carry out the commands of the Underworld?”

He sighed. “I originally thought your aptitude was quite decent. I even considered reporting you to my superiors so you could join the Enforcement Hall as an outer disciple. But now, that won’t work.”

Li Yan still felt lingering fear as he thought back to Wu Laosi’s miserable death. He couldn’t help but ask, “If someone fails to complete their assigned task, will they die?”

Luo Mingzi shook his head. “I don’t know. Matters involving the Underworld are extremely obscure. Living yin emissaries usually act in secrecy, unknown to outsiders. Let’s do this instead. After I return, I’ll ask my master whether he knows anything. As for you, your most urgent task is to discover the origin of this Summoning Writ.”

Li Yan frowned. “This junior doesn’t quite understand.”

Luo Mingzi sighed, “The Underworld’s workings are mysterious and unpredictable. Some worship the Great Emperor of the Northern Fengdu Underworld, beneath whom serve the Five Ghost Emperors. Others worship the Ten Lords of Hell, who rotate as the Lord of Mount Tai.

“In our sect’s records, all are classified as innate righteous gods. Only by determining where this Summoning Writ came from can you decide your next course of action. Also, one more thing. It would be best if you found a senior living yin emissary to seek help.”

Li Yan nodded seriously. “Thank you for the guidance, Senior. I’ll remember it.”

But he quickly asked, “But there’s another matter. Senior, do you know about the Mountain Tai Sui at the mass grave?”

“It’s come to my attention.” Luo Mingzi said coldly, “The Mountain God is a righteous deity. Since we already know of the matter, how can the Taixuan Orthodox Sect allow those people to do as they please? It’s the reason I’m in such a hurry to return.

“In a few days, several of my senior brothers will return. Senior Uncle Qing Yangzi will preside over a grand sacrificial altar ritual to help the Mountain God reclaim his rightful position and dispel the yin mist surrounding the mass grave.

“The imperial court will also act, driving away the beggar strongholds west of the city and all those jianghu dwellers gathered there. You must not let greed tempt you into involving yourself. However, if you wish to broaden your horizons, you may go to the foot of the mountain to observe the ceremony.”

Li Yan quickly cupped his hands in gratitude. “Thank you, Senior.”

A ritual of that level would certainly gather many experts of the mystic path. Even witnessing it as an outsider would greatly benefit his future cultivation path.

Luo Mingzi nodded and sighed. “No need to thank me. Cultivation in the mystic path is difficult, but it is only one aspect. It is more important to remain righteous. I’ve seen far too many fellow cultivators stray onto crooked paths since entering the Enforcement Hall. They become obsessed with petty short-term gains, lose sight of their original hearts, and ultimately perish with their Dao heart destroyed. I can see traces of killing intent hidden between your brows. You must walk this road carefully.”

He then cupped his hands and departed gracefully. Li Yan respectfully returned the salute. Previously, he had held certain assumptions about the Taixuan Orthodox Sect. He thought them lofty and aloof, and as the state religion, surely filled with people corrupted by greed and ambition.

As it turned out, it seemed that at least Luo Mingzi, whom he had met personally, was truly a Daoist worthy of admiration. Sinking into thought, Li Yan looked once more at the Summoning Writ imprint on his hand and felt a headache looming. A living yin emissary sounded impressive. Even the Taixuan Orthodox Sect treated them with courtesy.

Yet judging from Wu Laosi’s behavior, it was clearly not a pleasant position.

Wait...

Wu Laosi had worshipped the Great Emperor of the Northern Fengdu Underworld. Could that be the deity that had forcibly conscripted him?

Just as Li Yan was lost in thought, Shopkeeper Wan walked over with a smile. “Little Brother Li, the man’s been saved already. What are you worrying about now? Right, also, your war drum has been completed. Why not come take a look?”

Li Yan’s eyes immediately lit up. “Oh? It’s done?”

They made their way to the rear courtyard, where Li Yan found a war drum resting atop a wooden stand. Just as Shopkeeper Wan had said, the drum had been reduced in size.

The original Qin-Han War Drum was enormous, wide enough to span an adult’s outstretched arms. They were used as marching drums, battle drums, and victory drums, accompanied by cymbals, gongs, suona horns, horse bells, blades, spears, banners, and more.

When hundreds of drums sounded together, the rhythm itself was magnificent. However, the drum before him was only as wide as a washbasin, appearing rather compact.

Even so, Li Yan dared not underestimate it. The body of the drum had been polished with tung oil, making the Thunderstruck Jujube Wood shine like amber glass. Forked lightning scars covered its surface, resembling countless bolts of lightning descending from the heavens.

The drumskin was crafted from high-quality rhinoceros hide, dark in color, with dense copper studs embedded in cloud-like patterns. Together with the lightning carvings beneath them, they formed an image of thunder descending from storm clouds.

Li Yan activated his divine ability. The blazing lightning fire astral qi emanating from the drum far surpassed the aura of the plaque hanging on his old residence.

Joy filled Li Yan’s heart as he exclaimed, “What a drum!”

Shopkeeper Wan stroked his beard proudly. “If Little Brother Li wants other spiritual artifacts refined, I may not have the skill. But when it comes to drum crafting, my Listening Pavilion has never acknowledged defeat anywhere in the Guanzhong Plains.”

He was speaking the truth. Otherwise, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect would never have entrusted work to him.

Since Li Yan seemed eager to test it immediately, Shopkeeper Wan quickly stopped him. “Don’t rush. The drum hasn’t been consecrated yet. Help me move it into the ancestral hall first.”

Li Yan quickly carried the drum into the hall and placed it before the altar table. Shopkeeper Wan changed into a ceremonial black robe with a red sash around his waist. With solemn expression, he arranged offerings one by one before covering the drum with red cloth.

Afterward, he rang a bell in his left hand while murmuring incantations.

Li Yan did not enter the room. Instead, he watched quietly from the courtyard. He knew that all spiritual artifacts, from giant divine statues to straw effigies, paper horses, talismans, and even the yarrow grass used for concealment arts, required one final step: consecration.

It was like painting the pupils into a dragon’s eyes. Only after consecration could a true spiritual formation take shape. Artisans of the mystic path specialized in such arts. The fact that Shopkeeper Wan did not avoid him while performing it was itself a form of guidance.

Ringing the bell and chanting continuously, Shopkeeper Wan circled the altar nine times. Then, he lit forty nine incense sticks and bowed to the statue of the patriarch in the middle of the hall. Next he stepped into the courtyard and bowed toward the Six Household Gods. Finally, he kowtowed to Heaven and Earth before returning to the hall.

Shopkeeper Wan called out, “I respectfully invite the Patriarch to descend upon the altar!”

He inserted the incense and removed the red cloth covering the drum. Taking up a red brush dipped in cinnabar and rooster blood, he traced symbols in the air while forming seals and chanting, “Heaven and Earth possess eight sounds. Earth gives the xu; gourd gives the sheng. Hide gives the drum; bamboo gives the pipe. Silk gives the strings; stone gives the chime. Metal gives the bell; wood gives the zhu. Heaven and Earth open in harmony. On this auspicious day and fortunate hour, I act under the decree of the Patriarch...

“I open your drum body! May the universe be contained within!

“I open your drum studs! May the stars stabilize the world!

“I open your drumskin! May thunder shake Heaven and Earth!”

As the chanting continued, Shopkeeper Wan tapped different parts of the drum with the brush.

Li Yan’s divine ability allowed him to perceive the deeper changes. The altar within the hall had already formed a complete spiritual configuration. Divine astral qi acted as the core while the power of incense circulated around it, combining with the Six Household Gods into a vast formation.

The war drum, meanwhile, gradually condensed and stabilized its qi under each cinnabar mark before settling once more. Once the consecration ended, the war drum looked ordinary again.

However, Li Yan knew that the Thundercloud Divine Drum had now truly become a spiritual artifact. With spirit invocation, it could unleash thunderous blasts capable of suppressing evil spirits.

“Hahaha!” Seeing Li Yan’s impatient gaze, Shopkeeper Wan laughed and stroked his beard. “Little Brother Li, test the drum!”

Li Yan did not stand on ceremony. Carrying the drum outside, he placed it upon the courtyard stand, lowered into a horse stance, and puffed out his chest and abdomen.

His palm struck the drum at the same moment he exhaled, “Hong!”

Though the Thundercloud Divine Drum was not large, the sound it produced roared like thunder. The entire courtyard compound heard it clearly. The craftsmen working nearby were all drum-making experts. The instant they heard the sound, they knew an exceptional drum had been born. Unable to remain seated, they all dropped their work and rushed into the rear courtyard to watch.

Meanwhile, delight filled Li Yan’s eyes. As the drum vibrated, the muscles within his chest resonated with it like being struck by lightning, sending tingling currents throughout his body. The effect far surpassed the previous drum he used.

However... he had not unleashed the true Thundercloud Resonance. Li Yan hesitated and glanced at Shopkeeper Wan.

Shopkeeper Wan laughed confidently. “Go ahead. If it breaks, I’ll smash my signboard personally!”

Li Yan relaxed. “Senior jokes.”

He inhaled deeply before striking the drum again. This time, however, he imbued yin attributed hidden force into his strike.

BOOM!

The crowd around them instantly grimaced and clutched their ears. Li Yan himself trembled violently, as though he had been electrocuted. Only after several deep breaths did he recover, joy unconsciously spreading across his face.

That... That was the real Thundercloud Resonance! The vibrations stimulated the muscles in his body, wrapping force into a complete cycle and concentrating all power together.

Not only could it increase one’s cultivation, It could also train hidden force.Soft and hard, yin and yang. The power of vibrations was coiling all around him.

Hidden force could transform endlessly. If one could employ those different forces and perfectly integrate them into combat techniques, then one had reached the peak of the Dark Jin Realm.

With the Thundercloud Divine Drum assisting him, all of it would become possible!

Shopkeeper Wan nodded slightly in satisfaction before loudly ordering, “Men! Carry the drum stand outside the gate!”

The workers quickly stepped forward and moved the drum and stood beyond the courtyard.

Only then did Shopkeeper Wan explain solemnly, “This divine drum is a spiritual artifact. When activated through spirit invocation, it can suppress and expel evil. There is an altar within the courtyard. To avoid disrespect and clashes between astral qi, the drum can only be hit outside.”

Li Yan nodded.

***

Combining spirit invocation with hidden force, he struck the drum once more after it had been placed outside. This time, although the sound resembled the earlier strike, lightning attributed astral qi spread rapidly outward alongside the drumbeat.

Rustle!

Birds burst into flight from distant trees, while the dogs throughout the village whimpered with tails tucked between their legs. As for the others, they only felt a thunderclap exploding within their minds. They needed a long moment before recovering their senses.

Li Yan’s eyes shone with wild delight. Even the souls of living people could be shaken by this artifact. As for weaker wandering ghosts and spirits, they would likely flee the moment they heard it. If they were too close, their soul might be blasted into nothingness on the spot.

Unfortunately, immense power also meant immense consumption. After only a single use, Li Yan already felt a trace of exhaustion.

Shopkeeper Wan leaned closer and pointed toward a small bronze beast ornament upon the drum body.

“Your Demon Suppressing Coin tassel can be hung here. It will greatly increase the power. But with your current cultivation, you likely won’t be able to activate it. And as a trump card, it’s best not displayed publicly.”

Li Yan’s delight was impossible to hide as he cupped his hands once more in thanks. “Yes. Thank you for the guidance, Senior.”

At that moment, a rider came galloping down the dirt road from the village entrance. The young man dressed in martial attire reined his horse in before the courtyard, and executed a graceful dismount before cupping his hands respectfully.

“Liu San of the Zhang Family Martial Arts Hall greets Young Hero Li!”

Isn’t the Zhang Family Martial Arts Hall currently locked in conflict with the Zhou Family? Why seek me out now?

Li Yan frowned slightly. “Has something happened?”

Liu San answered solemnly, “My master requests your presence. Zhou Pan intends to retire from Jianghu.”

“Retire?” A dark look instantly appeared in Li Yan’s eyes. “The grudge remains unsettled. If he wishes to leave, he can keep dreaming!”