Chapter 212: Chapter 212

Lei Jun made his way directly toward Kongliu Mountain.

Considering the time he had spent in the Zhaojiang region, he wasn't sure if he could still make it in time for the Fourth-Grade Opportunity that his Upper-Moderate Omen had hinted at in Kongliu Mountain.

Based on the prior exchange between Shangguan Peng and that middle-aged officer, everyone except Shangguan Peng had already departed for Kongliu Mountain ahead of time.

Lei Jun wasn’t particularly concerned about it. He was simply trying his luck—if fortune favored him, great; if not, so be it. He would let fate take its course.

After all, he had no plans to stay in the Zhaojiang region just to watch how Shangguan Peng’s situation unfolded.

On the road, Lei Jun contacted his master, Yuan Mobai, once again.

The key point was to remind his master not to go to Silver Flute Rock, Zhaojiang, or similar locations. More importantly, he needed to beware of the excessive "concern" from the Shangguan clan, his so-called "allies"—this included, but was not limited to, Shangguan Peng himself.

Yuan Mobai had long known about Lei Jun’s research into the Tianshi Mansion’s Thousand-Mile Transmission Talismans.

He was also aware that Lei Jun’s comprehension had advanced from 'Illuminated' to 'Clear Tranquility'.

As for Shangguan Peng and the rest, Yuan Mobai didn’t seem all that surprised after hearing Lei Jun’s warning. He simply sighed and remarked:

"Passing down a scholarly lineage is different from passing down a martial one… But once a foundation is solidified, people naturally begin hoping for eternal prosperity."

Lei Jun silently nodded.

The Shangguan clan, as founding nobles of the Great Tang, were closely intertwined with the Tang Imperial Family. Whether it was courtly power struggles or the rise of new family factions, they were always at odds with traditional aristocratic clans like the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Families.

But in one fundamental aspect, they were exactly the same—

Both were bloodline-based lineages.

That was the root of their legitimacy, and so, despite their differences, they often approached certain issues in similar ways.

The Tang Imperial Family and the military nobility surrounding it supported Buddhist and Daoist holy lands as a way to counterbalance the influence of Confucian aristocrats like the Five Surnames and Seven Prominent Families.

That was their rationale for backing religious sects.

Conversely, asking them to actively shield and support Buddhism and Daoism in return? Some of the Shangguan nobles naturally found this unacceptable.

Moreover, in the eyes of people like Shangguan Peng, the Tianshi Mansion’s current weakened state was merely a result of internal strife on Mount Longhu.

Similarly, Bodhi Monastery had only suffered because Abbot Liaoyuan and his monks failed to act decisively, squandering the court’s previous support.

This type of perspective—whether right or wrong—was not the absolute mainstream among the military aristocracy, but it wasn’t a minority view either.

"From what I’ve observed of Her Majesty the Empress, her decisions can be unpredictable, but at present, there’s no immediate cause for concern. Right now, what we need to pay attention to is the thoughts of General Shangguan." Yuan Mobai spoke slowly.

Shangguan Peng didn’t dictate the Shangguan clan’s policies.

However, as a leading figure of the younger generation, his actions reflected the internal direction of the Shangguan clan.

And the General Shangguan Yuan Mobai referred to—was none other than Shangguan Yunbo, the current head of the Shangguan clan and Supreme Commander of the Divine Strategy Army.

During the Western Region Demon War, the previous commander of the Divine Strategy Army, who was also the former patriarch of the Shangguan clan, perished in battle. Shangguan Yunbo succeeded him as both Supreme Commander and Clan Head.

Under the joint leadership of the Empress and Shangguan Yunbo, the Divine Strategy Army gradually recovered its strength.

However, the Wu-Yue Rebellion and the Eastern Sea Demon Incursion erupted in quick succession, slowing down the army’s full restoration.

To this day, the Shangguan-led aristocracy had still not regained the influence they had before the Western Region Demon War.

It was during this period that the Empress began promoting common-born talents into high-ranking positions.

Among them, Shen Qubing stood out as the most exceptional.

While the Divine Strategy Army was regaining its strength, the aristocracy’s dominance over it had begun to erode.

How Shangguan Yunbo and his peers felt about this situation was difficult to predict.

"On the surface, we’re all still on the same boat. The issue is… the boat has started leaking, and there’s disagreement about who should go down to patch it up."

"Ultimately, unity and mutual assistance should prevail. Whatever they think, I can’t control—but this is what I choose to believe."

Yuan Mobai didn’t comment further. He merely advised:

"Be cautious with your words and actions. Stay vigilant."

Lei Jun: "Understood, Master."

Then, he brought up another matter:

"In Hongyun Cavern, I overheard something else—

The Future Maitreya of the White Lotus Sect… has also arrived in the Southern Wastelands."

Lei Jun had deliberately revealed his presence in the Zhaojiang region to lure Shangguan Peng into action.

But whether it was himself or the clues related to the Tianshi Robe, they would likely attract more than just Shangguan Peng.

So Lei Jun remained on guard, expecting other major figures to take an interest.

Hongyun Cavern was territory controlled by Elder Tian Linlong—one of the Tianshi Mansion’s old rivals from Yin Mountain Sect.

And Zhao Sen, the Gu Master Lei Jun had recently dealt with, was Tian Linlong’s prized disciple.

Lei Jun’s disruption in Hongyun Cavern was bound to draw Tian Linlong’s attention.

But surprisingly, despite waiting for a while—even after Shangguan Peng had arrived—Tian Linlong had not shown up.

Instead, Lei Jun, while lurking in the area, picked up an interesting rumor—

The White Lotus Sect’s 'Future Maitreya' had recently arrived in the Southern Wastelands and had even reached the Zhaojiang region.

Such a high-level figure trespassing so brazenly had obviously caught Tian Linlong’s attention.

That was likely why Tian Linlong was too preoccupied to deal with Lei Jun.

The current leader of the White Lotus Sect was typically called the 'Present Maitreya,' the 'Maitreya Holy Lord,' or the 'White Lotus Holy Lord.'

Their successor was known as the 'Future Maitreya.'

This generation’s Future Maitreya was young yet immensely talented, already renowned throughout the Great Tang as a formidable enemy of Buddhism.

Six or seven years ago, the Future Maitreya had stepped into the mortal world and personally quelled the Huai Mountain Rebellion, a conflict ignited by internal White Lotus factions.

Even then, he had already displayed Upper Heaven Realm cultivation.

Now, he had suddenly come to the Southern Wastelands and Zhaojiang—a move that naturally alarmed Tian Linlong.

"The Future Maitreya…?" Yuan Mobai murmured, slightly surprised.

Lei Jun suspected that the mysterious Jupiter Luminary in the Heavenly Book’s Starry Sky might be this very Future Maitreya, but he wasn’t certain yet.

Nor did he know why the Future Maitreya had chosen to come here.

"Though our sect hasn’t directly clashed with the White Lotus Sect before… with the Southern Wastelands already in turmoil, their sudden intervention will only make things worse. We must stay on guard."

Lei Jun: "I will remember your teachings, Master."

With that, he ended the communication and continued on his way to Kongliu Mountain.

Battle at Kongliu Mountain

By the time Lei Jun arrived at Kongliu Mountain, the battle was already in full swing.

The Divine Strategy Army had only dispatched a small force to the Southern Wastelands, but those who came were all elite troops—each one a battle-hardened warrior.

Although their numbers were limited, their concentrated power was overwhelming. They had already begun shattering the defensive lines of the former Sui dynasty remnants.

Leading the charge was Shen Qubing, their vanguard and spearhead. Under his relentless assault, the Tang army had already pushed deep into Kongliu Mountain.

Lei Jun was in no hurry.

Instead, he calmly activated his Wind Thunder Talisman, summoning the Night Wind Manifestation. Then, he drew upon his Tuntian Serpent Bone’s power to silently infiltrate the mountain.

Avoiding the clash between the two forces, he decided to try his luck—

To see whether the Fourth-Grade Opportunity from his omen had already been claimed.

Finding a secluded location, he unfurled his Breath-Sealing Flag to hide himself before entering a state of focused meditation.

The Hidden Treasure: Heaven’s Eye Scorching Star

As his cultivation circulated, two wisps of black and white energy drifted out from him, roaming through the mountain ridges.

After an unknown amount of time—

Within his First Layer of the True-One Altar, the Nine Abyss Earthfire suddenly flickered slightly.

At the same time, Lei Jun felt a surge of warmth from his Spirit Sight Mirror.

His instincts stirred.

Retrieving the Spirit Sight Mirror, he dispelled the Breath-Sealing Flag’s concealment and carefully scanned the surrounding mountain.

Moments later, his gaze locked onto the rear mountain range.

There, he noticed a small group of people retreating.

The Remnants’ Desperate Retreat

The former Sui dynasty remnants were gradually losing ground as Shen Qubing and the Tang army pressed forward.

Unable to withstand the onslaught, they had begun retreating from Kongliu Mountain.

To cover their escape, the retreating remnants ignited special fire-attribute spirit materials, unleashing towering walls of flame that quickly spread across the entire rear mountain.

Lei Jun’s Spirit Sight Mirror suddenly grew even hotter.

He remained expressionless and moved silently toward the rear mountain.

Although the fire was fierce, it was not enough to stop him.

A Heavenly Phenomenon Unveiled

As Lei Jun approached, he noticed something peculiar—

Amidst the roaring flames, the rising heat caused the sky above to distort…

And within that distortion, an enormous eye seemed to peer down from the heavens, watching over Kongliu Mountain.

And the source of this bizarre phenomenon…

Was deep within the raging inferno.

Lei Jun focused his senses, following his intuition and connection to the Spirit Sight Mirror—

Until he found a section of mountain rock that had already been melted into liquid.

The molten rock looked like boiling magma, burning with intense heat that was both terrifying and mesmerizing.

Yet, within that scorching radiance, Lei Jun sensed something…

Suddenly, a name surfaced in his mind—

[Heaven’s Eye Scorching Star]

Lei Jun’s mind raced, and a realization struck him—

The rock formations in the rear mountain were naturally unique.

Under normal circumstances, their hidden properties wouldn’t manifest.

But the remnants’ fire-attribute spirit materials had reacted perfectly with the special rock, triggering an accidental phenomenon—thus giving birth to the Heaven’s Eye Scorching Star.

If Lei Jun didn’t possess an Yin-Yang Sacred Physique, he wouldn’t have been able to sense this transformation so quickly.

If he didn’t have the Spirit Sight Mirror, he wouldn’t have been able to detect its presence at all.

Shen Qubing and the Tang army, for example, remained completely unaware of what had just been created right beneath their noses.

They were focused solely on breaching the flames and pursuing the fleeing remnants.

Lei Jun weighed the Spirit Sight Mirror in his hand.

He had some ideas on how to harness this treasure, but time was short—

So, he decided to secure it first and analyze it later.

With a wave of his Breath-Sealing Flag, vast layers of earthen yellow light spread out, enveloping the molten star-like material.

Though the scorching liquid burned through large portions of the light, the flag’s power was endless, and eventually, Lei Jun managed to extract a significant portion of the Heaven’s Eye Scorching Star.

The firestorm’s intensity waned.

A few Tang soldiers noticed something odd, but their attention remained fixed on the fleeing remnants.

By then, Lei Jun had already vanished.

A Captive of Interest

With the Heaven’s Eye Scorching Star safely in his possession, Lei Jun was satisfied.

Originally, he had planned to sit back and observe the battle from the shadows.

A certain retreating individual suddenly caught his attention.

This middle-aged man seemed dazed and sluggish, his soul forcibly suppressed.

But something was off.

The Tang army consisted of martial artists, whose souls were naturally integrated into their bodies, making them difficult to harm by spiritual means.

Unless the target was a pure Yin spirit, martial artists typically lacked the means to directly suppress someone’s soul.

Yet, this captive was no ghostly entity.

In fact, he was a Confucian Divine Archer, with a powerful physical foundation.

By all logic, he shouldn’t be in this condition.

The man’s state was strangely reminiscent of what had happened to Zhang Yuan, who had once been possessed by the Dark Shadow of the Heavenly Book.

Without hesitation, Lei Jun moved in.

Since his Breath-Sealing Flag was already in use, Lei Jun switched tactics.

He retrieved his Magnetic Dragon-Entwining Flag, gave it a subtle shake, and a wave of white energy shot forth, wrapping around the dazed archer.

Before anyone could react, the flag rolled up the man’s body and stored him away.

At that exact moment—

Kongliu Mountain trembled violently.

From deep underground, an eruption of geomantic energy burst forth—

A catastrophic earthquake was beginning.

The Earthquake and the Assassination Plot

Lei Jun jumped onto a higher peak and surveyed the chaos below.

The former Sui remnants had failed to properly dismantle their geomantic ritual, leaving behind several active sacrificial formations.

Tang soldiers tried to destroy them, but they didn’t understand the ritual’s structure—

Instead of stabilizing the mountain, they worsened the imbalance.

As a result, Kongliu Mountain split apart, causing deadly gales to rise, slashing through the battlefield like steel blades.

Shen Qubing, sensing the danger, shouted an order—

"Everyone, retreat to the left mountain!"

The Tang troops rushed up the slope, barely avoiding the razor-sharp winds.

Shen Qubing himself charged straight into the storm, meeting it head-on.

An explosion of wind and thunder followed, shaking the heavens.

When the dust settled—

Shen Qubing had survived.

However, he was heavily injured.

And that was when two Tang officers quietly exchanged glances.

"Shangguan Peng gave us orders…"

"We may never get a better chance than this."

One of them drew his blade.

But before he could act—

A large hand seized his throat from behind.

Lei Jun’s voice was calm yet cold—

"No witnesses, huh? Good. That works for me too."

With a twist, he snapped the officer’s neck.