Chapter 203: Chapter 203

The old man narrowly dodged an attack from a practitioner of the Reincarnation Abyss, using the chaos to slip into a deep valley.

He carefully hid his presence, planning to continue his journey and leave the area later.

The old man looked back one last time at the distant horizon, where a fierce battle between four upper-tier cultivators was reaching its peak.

"Tu Dong, this bastard, is good at ruining things..." the old man secretly cursed in his heart.

To get help for his escape, this fool had recklessly exposed the secret stronghold of the Shengkang family, implicating so many people.

Blood River is indeed a double-edged sword.

As long as they can stir up a storm of bloodshed, they don’t mind collaborating with anyone.

But their bloodlust, madness, and selfishness run deep within them.

If it weren’t for the lack of better options, the old man wouldn’t want to align his Shengkang family with such an evil sect like Blood River.

And now, the risk had arrived.

"Reincarnation Abyss, Gepo Mountain—these two southern barbarians and their evil paths are equally detestable... but the most hateful are the traitors from Hedong!" The old man seethed with anger.

After the downfall of the Sui Empire, the various warlords vied for power. Eventually, the Zhang clan from Hedong, rising from the Guanlong region, founded the Tang Dynasty.

Thus, the remaining officials from the old empire, still unwilling to let go, habitually referred to the Tang imperial family as the "Hedong traitors."

The old man’s heart burned with resentment, but for now, he could only hide his presence and find a way to escape as quickly as possible.

A sudden pain struck the back of his head!

Stars exploded before his eyes, and his body staggered forward.

Someone had attacked him!

Despite his old age, the old man still had the courage of blood, and his first reaction wasn’t to flee or defend.

He forcibly steadied his body, and the ground beneath his feet collapsed as he turned and struck out with a palm toward the assailant!

A martial arts secret skill, the "Push Mountain Palm."

It was a move that could shake mountains and rivers, a destructive power often attributed to cultivators of the upper realms.

However, even for a martial artist in physical cultivation, their strength is condensed, and when unleashed, it can be shocking.

In his prime, the old man, at the height of his cultivation in the Sixth Heaven, could shake the earth with his Push Mountain Palm.

Now, though aged and weak, he still managed to unleash a forceful palm strike.

But before he could see the face of his assailant, the figure before him shone with a dazzling light, like a celestial being descending.

The tall figure reached out, grabbed his palm, and the power behind it was immediately neutralized.

"I should have controlled the strength better if I just wanted to knock him out... but martial artists have harder skulls than most," Lei Jun, who had taken the form of a celestial being, sighed.

The old man was shocked. He tried to pull his hand back, but Lei Jun had firmly grasped his arm in his fingers.

Looking at the glowing talisman light around Lei Jun, the old man could tell he was a practitioner from the Daoist Talisman sect.

But even a Talismanist, even with a Five Ding Mountain-cleaving Talisman, could catch his Push Mountain Palm ?

What the old man didn’t know was that over the years, Lei Jun’s body had grown extremely powerful due to the enhancement of spiritual beasts like the Bear King’s Gallbladder and other spirit items. His physical strength far surpassed that of ordinary Talisman sect practitioners.

And the old man was far from his peak, so even though the Push Mountain Palm was a powerful technique, Lei Jun could easily overpower him with his physical strength alone, without the need for a celestial talisman.

Suddenly, the old man’s wrist loosened, and Lei Jun released his grip.

But the old man’s vision blurred, and Lei Jun had already disappeared from sight.

The old man’s head struck again.

His eyes widened, and his body wavered, but he reluctantly turned his eyes and began to fall limp.

Before his body could hit the ground, Lei Jun waved the Earth-Reserving Flag, swept the unconscious old man away, and swiftly departed the area.

He didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he took some time to find a solitary Shengkang practitioner, knocked them out, and bundled them up in a sack.

Only then did he swiftly leave, continuing to distance himself from the ongoing battle in the mountain stronghold. Lei Jun found a relatively safe place, released the two captives, and separated them for interrogation.

The interrogation didn’t go smoothly, but after a while, Lei Jun finally obtained the information he sought.

The most important of all was the whereabouts of his master, Yuan Mobai.

Yuan Mobai had gone missing, and it seemed to be related to Tu Dong and the others, but it was unclear whether he was safe or not.

Because Tu Dong and the others also had no way of dealing with Yuan Mobai and his group. They had only used a secret realm to trap them temporarily.

To be precise, there were three people.

Yuan Mobai, Xiao Xueting, and the Shushan elder, He Dongxing.

The latter two had come to investigate the Blood River sect and the Shengkang family’s foundations.

Wei Anchang was fighting the Blood River sect in the Southern Wasteland, and when three high-level cultivators from the Central Plains appeared together, Tu Dong, despite his eagerness for battle, was under tremendous pressure.

In the end, Tu Dong had to use a secret realm to trap Yuan Mobai and the other two.

What Lei Jun found most interesting was that this secret realm was related to the legendary Jiuli.

Other places might just be rumors or wild speculations.

But this secret realm was genuinely from the ancient Jiuli people.

Tu Dong’s Stone of the Witch was from there.

Originally, the Shengkang family had treated this secret realm as an important base, but it had been exposed recently and used to stall Yuan Mobai and the others.

The Shengkang family had already sacrificed the secret realm, and now the mountain stronghold had been burned down. It could be said to have suffered heavy losses.

Even the two captives didn’t know how long the secret realm could trap Yuan Mobai and the others, but after confirming the location, Lei Jun rushed there at once, just in case.

By the time he arrived, after crossing mountains and streams, a beautiful yet strange scene appeared before him.

Nine peaks, arranged as if embracing one another, formed a giant valley with clear blue waters at its center, looking picturesque. However, when Lei Jun looked closer, he found that the surrounding mountains cast no reflection in the water.

This was the Nine Mountain Lake, the entrance to the secret realm.

Considering the terrain, there were many high points. Lei Jun used the Spirit Sight Mirror and saw figures moving on more than one peak.

If these people had any form of communication, it would be difficult to deal with them one by one in secret.

"Let's try," Lei Jun muttered to himself.

He silently climbed a peak and listened to the conversations of the people there, confirming that Yuan Mobai and the others were still within the secret realm.

Then, Daoist Lei Jun returned to his old profession, silently capturing one little apprentice after another.

He took out several special flags he had personally refined—the Yuan Magnetic Dragon-binding Flags.

After setting up the magical tools, Lei Jun moved to the next peak.

He continued this process, until people on other peaks began to sense something was wrong, cautiously preparing and hurrying to investigate.

Then, on some peaks, faint electrical sounds began to rise, distorting the air.

Lei Jun didn’t pay attention to the people behind him. He hurried to the next peak with people still present.

With the Yuan Magnetic Dragon-binding Flags drawing the enemies' attention, Lei Jun had gained more time for himself.

As one after another nail was removed, the guards began to lose their composure and quickly decided to withdraw.

They were originally waiting for the upper-level cultivators to arrive and see if they could regain the secret realm, but now that they faced such a mysterious and powerful enemy, those remaining on three peaks had no choice but to retreat.

Lei Jun, though a bit disappointed, suddenly realized something as a hot breath emerged from the distance, like a small volcano erupting.

He was curious, climbed higher, and saw a figure moving rapidly, slashing through a group of Shengkang cultivators with fierce attacks.

The person moved quickly but didn't give off a ghostly feeling; instead, his movements had a distinct rhythm, like the speed of thunder and wind. Every action was clear to see, yet no one could keep up with his pace.

Lei Jun thought to himself that achieving such swiftness would indeed not be easy. Simply relying on the Thunder Talisman would not be enough. Even with his "Stepping the Big Dipper" technique, it would take a moment for the talisman formation to start operating.

The person before him truly embodied the characteristics of a martial arts practitioner.

In a limited range, with every step, it seemed as though he completely ignored the spatial distance. Armed with only his bare hands, he was more powerful than countless magical weapons.

When his fists clenched and his foot stepped forward, he became a human weapon.

Those who practiced Southern Wasteland sorcery and attacked him from a distance found that only solid, tangible attacks had an effect.

Any attacks aimed at his mind or soul had little to no impact, or were completely ineffective.

Martial cultivators, once they reach a certain level, refine their energy, spirit, and body within their flesh. Their spiritual will is repressed, not outwardly manifest, so they rarely possess abilities related to the soul.

There were two exceptions, however.

The first was the sensitivity to killing intent and murderous aura around them, which they could detect with extreme precision.

The second was the extreme resilience of their souls, comparable to the strength of Buddhist monks or martial monks. In similar realms, attacks on their minds were difficult to affect them, and they were not afraid of illusions or tricks.

The old senior Lei Jun had discussed the issue of martial ethics with earlier had been easily approached from behind because of his weakened state, while Lei Jun’s Snake Bone allowed him to move in without a sound.

Despite being the same cultivation level in the Sixth Heaven, the strength of the person before him was far superior to that of the previous old man.

Not to mention that the old man was already frail. Lei Jun suspected that even if the old man had been at his peak in his youth, he wouldn’t have been as powerful as the young man before him.

Looking at the young martial artist, dressed in tight clothes, with his brows raised and his spirit soaring, Lei Jun thought for a moment.

Although he wasn’t wearing armor, his martial path suggested that he had been trained in the Tang Dynasty’s Divine Strategy Army.

Was this the person the Shangguan family feared—Shen Qubing?

Lei Jun had never seen his portrait, so for now, he could only speculate.

But if it was him, then his talent was truly extraordinary. At such a young age, he had already reached the Sixth Heaven. Even considering the recent revival of spiritual energy, which was beneficial for cultivators, his talent was still exceptional.

This young martial artist’s sudden appearance had objectively helped Lei Jun, but he didn’t reveal himself immediately. Instead, he observed quietly from the mountain.

The direction the young martial artist came from was perfect, blocking the retreat of the Shengkang cultivators.

Like an autumn wind sweeping away leaves, he slaughtered many, and no one could match his speed.

Only when he encountered a Sixth Heaven Confucian scholar did he spend a bit more time.

The few who managed to escape scattered in all directions. The young martial artist couldn’t chase them all, so he focused his attention on the Sixth Heaven leader.

After finishing the fight, he quickly crossed the mountains and arrived near Nine Mountain Lake.

Lei Jun remained unseen.

With the combined effects of the Thunder Talisman, Snake Bone, and Earth-Reserving Flag, no one under the level of the Upper Heavens could detect him.

Although the young martial artist had keen perception, he still couldn't sense Lei Jun's presence.

The young martial artist’s attention now turned to Nine Mountain Lake.

He circled the lake once, then crossed back and forth across the water several times.

But the lake didn’t respond.

Lei Jun watched coldly as the lake remained smooth, like a mirror, without reflecting anything, no matter how much the young martial artist stirred it.

It seemed as if the entire area had been frozen.

After making several passes around the lake, the young martial artist started to use his final method.

With a powerful step, he stomped on the surface of Nine Mountain Lake, as though trying to shatter the mirror-like water.

But the seemingly delicate surface of the lake was incredibly solid. Even after receiving the full force of a Sixth Heaven martial cultivator’s attack, capable of smashing mountains, it remained unmoved.

The young martial artist tried several more times, but it was all in vain.

He seemed puzzled, doubting the accuracy of the information he had received about the location.

The young man cupped his hands around his mouth, like holding a horn, and shouted at the smooth lake beneath him, "Are you down there?"

His voice echoed across the mountains and forests, shaking the surroundings. Lei Jun, who was nearby, couldn’t help but feel a little speechless.

The young man shouted several more times, but the lake remained undisturbed, with no response.

He seemed restless, pacing back and forth, then suddenly paused, as if remembering something.

...Then Lei Jun felt something stir within his soul, deep in the True-One Altar’s starry sky.

Lei Jun raised an eyebrow but didn’t rush. He waited, then, once the young martial artist regained his focus, Lei Jun immersed himself in the starry sky of the Heavenly Book.

Within the stars, he saw Fire Luminary leaving a message. It seemed like he had left a message for others as well:

"Does anyone know how to break the Nine Li secret realm’s seal?"

...It was really that simple.

Lei Jun couldn’t help but feel speechless again.

Other people had been hiding their identities, even going so far as to fabricate lies and engage in schemes for so long, only to have Fire Luminary spill everything so easily.

Lei Jun even felt a bit unreal about it.

Earlier, he had speculated that this person might appear simple but was actually cunning, but now...

Lei Jun shook his head as he came to his senses.

He didn’t mind being honest with others, but there was one issue in this world of the book: everyone had a page in the Heavenly Book, and that could lead to conflicts over it.

Lei Jun wasn’t the type to greedily hoard everything for himself.

He had no enmity with Fire Luminary, so he wouldn’t try to take his Heavenly Book or reveal his true identity to others.

However, it was necessary to be cautious, even if he didn’t wish harm on others.

Lei Jun didn’t respond to Fire Luminary in the starry sky.

Considering that the news of the lost secret realm might spread, and to prevent unnecessary complications, Lei Jun decided not to wait any longer. After circling around, he appeared outside the mountain.

Without the concealment of the Earth-Reserving Flag and Snake Bone, the young martial artist’s eyes narrowed, and he quickly sensed someone approaching.

This time, Lei Jun revealed himself openly. When he saw the young man, he feigned slight surprise but quickly composed himself.

"Are you a layman?" he asked.

"I’ve seen your portrait. You’re Lei Chongyun, the Elder of Mount Longhu, aren’t you?"

The young martial artist’s eyes lit up when he recognized Lei Jun, "My name is Shen Qubing, and I am a Left Rear General in the Divine Strategy Army of the Tang Dynasty."