A roll of the Sutra of Salvation can reveal the affairs of past life.
The original name of the Sect Master of the Yin Corpse Sect was Qiu Xiansheng, who was the first Martial Champion Scholar during the reign of Emperor Tianzhi of the Dayong Dynasty.
Qiu Xiansheng possessed divine power from a young age. People said his bones were like a dragon's, and his muscles like a tiger's. Had he been born in a time of chaos, he would surely have led troops with the ferocity of a dragon and tiger, his name resounding through the ages.
However, Qiu Xiansheng was born just as the Dayong Dynasty was being established.
Born at the wrong time, that's his misfortune.
At that time, the Eight Banner Marshals heard of Qiu Xiansheng's abilities and repeatedly recommended him to Emperor Tianzhi, hoping to bring Qiu Xiansheng into the Nan Cuo battlefield to help guard the frontier.
Emperor Tianzhi had long heard that no one could match Qiu Xiansheng's martial potential, and it was thought that he might one day reach the Celestial Person realm in martial arts.
For this reason, Emperor Tianzhi frequently tested Qiu Xiansheng and found that he harbored grand ambitions and was exceptionally intelligent.
If made a general, his leadership abilities would be unparalleled. But with Dayong now unifying the world, except for minor issues in Nan Cuo, peace reigned, and the empire did not need a second Eight Banner Marshals nor someone who might exceed Emperor Tianzhi's control.
Emperor Tianzhi considered his aging, while Qiu Xiansheng was still young and robust. If he truly handed him over to the Eight Banner Marshals for cultivation, future generations might find him hard to control...
With many concerns, Emperor Tianzhi suppressed his ambitions, assigning him trivial tasks, keeping Qiu Xiansheng busy day and night, with no time to practice martial arts.
Qiu Xiansheng was no commoner. He sensed the Emperor's intentions and knew his path had been cut off.
In time, Qiu Xiansheng gradually became disheartened.
One night, he finally made up his mind, setting fire to the official quarters used for public work, then leaving the Capital City unencumbered, abandoning home and family to seek out immortality.
At this time, Qiu Xiansheng was already granted a noble match by Emperor Tianzhi, with one son and one daughter, yet he resolutely abandoned his wife.
In Qiu Xiansheng's eyes, since he couldn't achieve a grand career and be the general admired by thousands, he might as well cut ties with the mortal world and pursue immortality!
It was Qiu Xiansheng's destiny to have this immortal chance. Three years into his search, he encountered a Daoist in Weizhou Prefecture City named Zhuang Tongsheng.
At that time, Weizhou was experiencing drought. Zhuang Tongsheng passed by and informed the prefect to find nine brave children of the dragon sign to assist him.
He found several lizards and placed them in a jar, then twisted a rope precisely fifty-two yards long for use.
Afterward, Zhuang Tongsheng climbed the altar and chanted incantations. Not long after, thick clouds gathered from the east, layering endlessly.
Zhuang Tongsheng quickly tied one child to the end of the rope, giving them several pills to calm the mind and increase strength, and instructed the child to hold tight to the altar jar, no matter what, never to let go.
Zhuang Tongsheng then used a duster to lift the child's body, throwing them into the clouds.
The child remained fixed above the dark clouds, as if anchored in the sky.
Seeing this, Zhuang Tongsheng immediately called to the remaining eight children below the altar: "Pull the rope quickly! Slow, and there will be no rain!"
The eight children pulled with all their might, the rope now akin to an angler catching a massive hundred-pound turtle, immensely difficult!
At this moment, the swirling clouds in the sky resembled struggling fish, while the eight children were like anglers reeling in their catch, pulling north if the clouds went north, pulling south if they went west.
Shortly, the sounds of wind, thunder, and rain came together. Hearing adults shout that it was raining, the children exerted themselves even more, and soon, torrential rain poured down, and the jar placed before Zhuang Daoist on the altar was already over a foot deep with water.
Within the clouds, restrained by the rope, came the faint roaring of a true dragon, followed by several bolts of lightning striking directly at Zhuang Tongsheng performing spells on the altar.
Zhuang Tongsheng remained undisturbed, using a feather fan to deflect left and right, about four or five times. As the jar filled to about one and a half feet, Zhuang Tongsheng ordered the eight children to release the rope.
At the same time, the Daoist looked up to the sky, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply:
"This humble Daoist thanks the Dragon Lord on behalf of the people here, and in the future, the people will also offer incense in gratitude for the Dragon Lord's help today."
The thunder in the sky gradually subsided, and the clouds above let out a reluctant, somewhat resentful howl as they rolled away eastward.
When the winds had calmed and the rains ceased, the crowd asked where the child used as bait in the clouds had gone, fearing they had ended up in the Dragon Lord's mouth.
The crowd was in an uproar, but just then, the sound of a child calling came from the roof not far away:
"I'm here! Such a big dragon! Such a big dragon in the sky!"
It turned out that before leaving, the Cloud Dragon Lord didn't forget to send a wisp of wind to safely carry the child down to the ground.
This incident was witnessed by Qiu Xiansheng, who was seeking immortality.
Seeing this Daoist capable of controlling wind and rain, taming dragons and tigers, wasn't he an Immortal?
Qiu Xiansheng was convinced this was his immortal chance, so he stepped forward and kowtowed, hoping Zhuang Tongsheng would accept him as a disciple.
However, Zhuang Tongsheng was indifferent, while the prefect, unhappy, sent Government Official to drive Qiu Xiansheng away.
The latter was undisturbed and simply waited outside the Prefecture City's Government Office.
When Zhuang Tongsheng finished the thank-you banquet and prepared to leave, Qiu Xiansheng followed him without a word, regardless of day or night, weather or clear skies, silently trailing behind.
Whenever Zhuang Tongsheng took a break to meditate, he would kneel at a distance, waiting. When Zhuang Tongsheng moved, he would follow like an infatuated fool, persistently trailing along.
Finally, upon returning to Lotus Mountain, Zhuang Tongsheng sighed deeply: "Your heart is tied, and your mortal desires have not been extinguished. How can you achieve True Skill?"
"How can the Immortal judge that this disciple's mortal heart hasn't vanished? To seek the Way of Immortality, I've given up my official position and left my wife and children. Doesn't that show sincerity?"