Chapter 216: Chapter 216
The omen’s implications reminded Lei Jun of the moment when he first obtained a page of the Heavenly Book.
At that time, the newly acquired page was pure gain—free of risks or lingering consequences.
However, when the Heavenly Book later made contact with the True-One Altar derived from the Tianshi Seal, it led Lei Jun into the book’s starry void, entangling him in subsequent karmic ties.
Similarly, when he previously obtained that shadow of the Heavenly Book, there were no apparent consequences. But now, as this opportunity unfolded further, there might be hidden mysteries within—it all depended on whether he dared to take that next step.
Yet, while a single page of the Heavenly Book typically corresponded to a Third-Grade Opportunity, this time it seemed to be a Second-Grade Opportunity. This discrepancy made Lei Jun silently more vigilant.
A flood of thoughts rushed through his mind, but he didn’t hesitate for long. Instead, he first reminded Yuan Mobai, “Master, are we heading straight into Zhu’an Grotto? Given the internal chaos at Gepo Mountain, I doubt the disturbances will be minor. Yuan Shanjì has been scheming in the shadows, and he wouldn’t risk word leaking out, lest Sang Lu leads a force to settle accounts with him. He must have something planned.”
Yuan Mobai smiled and nodded. “I have considered this as well. We won’t take reckless risks—we will adapt as the situation unfolds.”
Seeing his master already on guard, Lei Jun felt more at ease.
After Yuan Mobai nodded a farewell to his disciple, he departed.
As he and his master had predicted earlier, there would be no good meetings nor pleasant banquets awaiting them at Zhu’an Grotto.
Before even reaching his expected destination—Qianxin Mountain—a tempest had already erupted behind him in the direction of Zhu’an Grotto.
First came a surge of wind and thunder, dark clouds rolling across the sky.
Lei Jun turned back to see the storm shifting colors, faintly revealing divine figures—Wind Gods, Thunder Gods, and Cloud Gods—dancing in unison, their movements majestic and boundless. The very heavens trembled at their call.
A grand, ancient melody filled the air—elegant yet vast and overwhelming, shaking one’s soul.
It was none other than the pinnacle of the Divine Dance Lineage from the Witch Sect: a Ghost-God Ritual Dance, Nine Songs: Lord of the Clouds.
But soon after, another majestic melody rose, and along with it, a billowing mist of black and white clouds ascended from the heart of Zhu’an Grotto.
Within the swirling black-and-white fog, an ethereal gateway seemed to materialize. From that portal, a solemn and authoritative divine figure emerged—a being that seemed to preside over life and death, standing at the boundary between the living and the deceased.
Though Lei Jun had never witnessed such a spectacle before, his vast knowledge from the Tianshi Mansion’s ancient texts made it easy for him to recognize it.
It was another sacred art of the Divine Dance Lineage, directly inherited from Gepo Mountain:
The Ghost-God Dance, the Witch Spirit Ritual Array, Nine Songs: Great Arbiter of Fate!
Among the most renowned ritual formations passed down by Gepo Mountain, the lower-tier ones, known throughout the world, included Nine Songs: Nation’s Lament and Nine Songs: Soul Rites, which were used for honoring the spirits of the dead.
Higher up, the Middle-Heaven cultivators practiced Nine Songs: River Lord, Nine Songs: Mountain Phantom, Nine Songs: Lady Xiang, and Nine Songs: Lord Xiang, used to venerate earth-bound deities.
Even further above, only Upper-Heaven Grand Witches could master the sacred formations used to honor the celestial gods:
Nine Songs: Lesser Arbiter of Fate.
Nine Songs: Great Arbiter of Fate.
Nine Songs: Eastern Lord.
Nine Songs: Lord of the Clouds.
And the most powerful Ghost-God Formation of Gepo Mountain, unseen for many years—
Nine Songs: Eastern Emperor Taiyi.
According to Gepo Mountain’s ancient lore, Lord of the Clouds represented the divine forces of wind, clouds, thunder, and lightning, while the Great Arbiter of Fate governed life, death, and destiny.
Now, as the Nine Songs: Great Arbiter of Fate unfolded above Zhu’an Grotto, it was as if the very gateway between life and death had opened. A chilling aura of solemnity and finality spread into the realm of the living—not evil, but filled with authority, coldness, and an unfathomable mystery.
The competing ritual formations of Lord of the Clouds and Great Arbiter of Fate clashed in the sky above Zhu’an Grotto, neither yielding, as if two opposing worlds were colliding and pressing against each other, distorting the very void itself.
At a glance, Lei Jun understood why the Light Sphere had predicted a Lower-Moderate Omen for directly entering Zhu’an Grotto.
The Upper-Heaven masters of the Divine Dance Lineage were unleashing their Ghost-God Ritual Formations. Each formation held profound mysteries, yet all disturbed the void.
A Seventh-Heaven Gepo Mountain cultivator might be manageable, but both Sang Lu and Yuan Shanjì were Eighth-Heaven experts.
If Lei Jun attempted to use his True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven for instantaneous evasion in such a volatile void, there was a significant chance that its existence would be exposed.
Since he was far from Zhu’an Grotto, there was no concern for now.
Lei Jun prioritized his journey and pressed onward to Qianxin Mountain.
Upon reaching the upstream region of Zhu’an River and entering the mountain range, everything remained undisturbed for now. He wasn’t in a rush and simply ascended to the mountain’s peak to wait.
Looking back toward Zhu’an Grotto, the spatial distortions had intensified—the two top experts of Gepo Mountain were now clashing at full force.
Sang Lu, as the reigning master of Gepo Mountain, proved her dominance. Not only did she maintain her Lord of the Clouds ritual, but she also initiated a new formation—another Nine Songs: Great Arbiter of Fate!
Yet, rather than simply overwhelming Yuan Shanjì with two formations, she instead disrupted and wrestled control of hisGreat Arbiter of Fate formation while still maintaining her relentless assault with Lord of the Clouds.
The resulting battle was a tempest of wind and rain, thunder booming across the heavens, forcing Yuan Shanjì into a steady retreat.
A sudden blood-red light shot into the sky from within Zhu’an Grotto, slicing through the storm clouds above.
Lei Jun’s eyes lit up at the sight.
The great distance between them, coupled with Sang Lu and the others being preoccupied, allowed Lei Jun to act more boldly.
Standing atop Qianxin Mountain, he activated his Heavenly Eye Mirror.
A massive eye seemed to flash into existence above the mountain’s peak, vanishing in an instant.
Meanwhile, in the ancient mirror floating before Lei Jun, an image formed:
A sinister-looking elder, appearing to be in his fifties or sixties, soared skyward, wielding a blade wreathed in blood-red energy. His aura was wild, domineering, and chilling even from afar.
It was a divine technique only Upper-HeavenBlood River Sect masters could cultivate—
Blood War: Mountains and Rivers!
Lei Jun instantly recognized him.
Comparing the elder’s face to portraits he had seen before, there was no doubt—this was Xiong Gang, an Eighth-Heaven elder of the Blood River Sect.
He was the one who had caused the death of Jiang Dongyu of Shushan Sect at Lunan Valley.
According to Shangguan Peng’s previous intelligence, Xiong Gang had later gone to Silver Flute Rock—and now, unexpectedly, he had appeared at Zhu’an Grotto, assisting Yuan Shanjì.
He was likely a hidden contingency plan—one of Yuan Shanjì’s aces in the hole.
So, Yuan Shanjì had indeed come prepared...
Lei Jun watched closely, nodding to himself.
This was likely a coordinated ambush against Sang Lu—using her own act of bringing forces to cleanse the sect as an opportunity to turn the tables on her.
Lei Jun's gaze flickered as he scanned the battlefield.
Even if most of Gepo Mountain’s experts had gone to support Yin Mountain Grotto against the Blood River Sect, and even if Sang Lu had come alone without a personal escort of top experts, was it really possible for just Yuan Shanjì and Xiong Gang to take her down?
By all logic, even if Sang Lu failed to cleanse the sect, she should still be able to retreat freely.
If this was an ambush orchestrated by Yuan Shanjì and the Sui Dynasty remnants, then where was their missing third Eighth-Heaven ally?
Inside Zhu’an Grotto, Yuan Shanjì and Xiong Gang were cursing under their breath.
Yuan Shanjì's face was grim, while Xiong Gang outright spat his frustrations.
"Where the hell is that bastard?!" Xiong Gang roared.
Though Yuan Shanjì had never been fully convinced of Sang Lu’s strength, even he knew that he and Xiong Gang alone were far from enough to take her down.
That was why they had coordinated with another Eighth-Heaven expert—one from the Reincarnation Abyss of the Curse Lineage—to strike alongside them.
But now, that person was nowhere to be found!
“Senior Brother, it looks like you’ve run out of tricks.”
Through the storm, a woman's voice rang out.
"It’s time to end this."
It was Sang Lu’s voice.
A young man, standing within the Lord of the Clouds formation, suddenly revealed himself.
The moment his voice fell, a burning sun rose in the sky—blazing golden light piercing through the storm clouds, shining upon the land with dazzling brilliance.
The radiance was overwhelming, grand and majestic, exuding both power and beauty.
—Nine Songs: Eastern Lord.
From his perch atop Qianxin Mountain, Lei Jun raised an eyebrow at the sight of the young man displayed in his mirror.
Just as Tianshi Mansion had its rising stars like Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, and Lei Jun himself, the other great factions had their own prodigies—names that were widely known across the world.
Although Southern Wasteland was more closed-off and secretive, occasionally allowing unexpected talents to emerge, it also saw frequent cases of promising figures mysteriously vanishing or meeting early deaths.
In recent years, three Witch Sect geniuses had made names for themselves:
These three were not only renowned among the Five Branches of the Witch Sect but had also gained significant attention in the Tang Dynasty’s central lands. They were regarded as equals to the greatest prodigies of the era.
Notably, neither Reincarnation Abyss nor Golden Castle had produced any rising stars in recent times—a situation that perfectly reflected the chaotic and brutal nature of the Southern Wasteland.
The Reincarnation Abyss's most promising talent had mysteriously disappeared years ago—neither dead nor alive, with no trace left behind. This absence had fueled countless rumors and speculation.
Meanwhile, the Golden Castle’s brightest successor had been confirmed dead over a decade ago.
When Ghost King Zong Han unified and consolidated the Golden Castle, the process had been anything but peaceful.
Of course, it wasn’t that Zong Han lacked appreciation for talent.
But to him, anyone standing in his way was simply an enemy—whether talented or not.
Aside from these tragedies, Tian Cheng, the rising star of Yin Mountain Grotto, had recently suffered severe injuries in a battle against the Blood River Sect. She had barely managed to escape with her life.
All of this only highlighted how blood-soaked and ruthless life in the Southern Wasteland truly was.
In contrast, Li Tianqing of Gepo Mountain was thriving.
He had long been recognized as the most promising young talent of the Divine Dance Lineage, having reached Upper-Heaven status at an exceptionally young age. Though not personally mentored by Sang Lu, there were long-standing rumors that she was grooming him as her successor. His reputation as a true prodigy echoed throughout both the Southern Wasteland and the Tang Dynasty’s core territories.
And today, the proof of his brilliance was in full display.
His ritual, Nine Songs: Eastern Lord, was no mere technique—it was the manifestation of a true rising sun, filled with burning yang energy, clashing directly against the Blood River Sect’sXiong Gang.
"He’s broken through to the Eighth Heaven?"
Lei Jun murmured, watching the mirror’s reflection.
For Li Tianqing to stand on equal footing with Xiong Gang, he had clearly stepped into Eighth-Heaven territory.
And at such a young age… even if he wasn’t quite at Tang Xiaotang’s level, his progress was still terrifying.
With the world’s spiritual energy surging to new heights, young geniuses were rising faster than ever.
Yet, even taking that into account, the outside world had clearly underestimated Li Tianqing’s potential.
Watching the battle unfold over Zhu’an Grotto, Lei Jun’s mind churned with thoughts.
On Yuan Shanjì’s side, they were missing a key ally.
On Sang Lu’s side, she had a newly ascended Eighth-Heaven master at her side.
The balance of power was not only different from what Yuan Shanjì had expected—it had tilted even further against him.
With no other options left, Yuan Shanjì had to start considering his escape routes.
However, for Yang Tai, even though the situation was turning against them, a unique opportunity had presented itself.
Three Eighth-Heaven Grand Witches of Gepo Mountain were unleashing their Ghost-God Ritual Formations in full force, causing the space around them to warp and twist violently.
Yang Tai gave the order without hesitation.
His forces immediately began laying down ritual formations, further disrupting the flow of the land’s spiritual energy.
Not to establish a new kingdom’s fortune or forge a new dragon vein—but to perform another kind of ritual.
In an instant, the already chaotic battlefield underwent an even more shocking transformation.
The ground split apart, merging violently with the Zhu’an River, forming a massive cross-shaped rupture—earth and water colliding in violent upheaval.
A violent storm of qi surged into the sky, upending the mountains and rivers, making it feel as if the world itself was turning upside down.
Recognizing the situation, Yuan Shanjì and Xiong Gang, both preparing to retreat, did nothing to stop it. If anything, they encouraged the chaos.
The earth cracked apart further, deep fissures spreading across the land, while the now-divided Zhu’an River roared with floodwaters, creating an awe-inspiring scene of a river suspended in the sky.
Far away in Qianxin Mountain, Lei Jun felt the tremors ripple through the land, making the very mountain tremble beneath his feet.
Rather than feeling alarmed, he felt reassured.
His Upper-Moderate Omen was finally coming into play.
Just like in Qiluo Valley, the shifting land veins were triggering a new upheaval—one that he had been waiting for.
With a deafening crash, the main peak of Qianxin Mountain collapsed.
Deep within the valleys, a vast underground abyss yawned open—pitch black, consuming all light, like the maw of a great beast.
A powerful torrent of earth qi surged skyward in a blinding burst.
Lei Jun waited patiently for the chaotic winds to die down before leaping into the abyss.
The deeper he went, the more the land’s energy roared like an underground river.
As he descended, the True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven within him trembled—
His Heavenly Book and its shadow suddenly pulsed with power.