Chapter 262: Chapter 262

Meng Shaojie seemed momentarily lost in thought.

Xiao Chunhui shook his head slightly.

If the Late Emperor were still alive, and if the current Empress had not switched to cultivating the Heavenly Sovereign Dao, then the young man before him would have been her chosen successor.

Perhaps, this was simply the way of fate.

Historical studies had yet to branch off entirely from classical studies. Those who dared to forge a new path should, in theory, receive the blessings of Heaven and Earth, but such rewards were never easy to attain.

You hope for him to awaken on his own, to carve his own path, just as you did back then. That way, his soul will be further tempered, allowing him to build a solid foundation for future breakthroughs. But sometimes, expecting perfection from someone can be too much—it may not be the best approach, nor suitable for everyone.

From this perspective, when it came to truly teaching students, you were probably not a very good teacher…

Xiao Chunhui silently critiqued the reigning Empress in his mind.

That was why he had told her long ago—he’s already more than ready. Overdoing it would be counterproductive.

But the Empress herself didn’t seem to mind.

Xiao Chunhui recalled when he had previously sought the Empress’s approval regarding an ancient Talismanic Sect artifact and had briefly mentioned Meng Shaojie in passing.

She had been completely indifferent:

"All things follow their destined path—there is no harm in it. If Meng Shaojie has such an opportunity, then perhaps the minor regrets he has now may be remedied by future fortunes. Who can say?"

Meng Shaojie gradually returned to his senses.

"Sir, what should I do next?" he asked.

Xiao Chunhui replied, "The foundation of historical studies—you’ve already learned it during your time at the Imperial Academy.

Here are some notes for reference, but this is an entirely new path. To find what suits you best, you must explore it yourself.

You may freely access the Academy’s library. However, I must admit that I am not deeply versed in this field and cannot offer much guidance."

By the Empress’s previous arrangements, Xiao Chunhui did not mention that the notes came from Zhang Wantong herself.

Meng Shaojie expressed his gratitude before Xiao Chunhui continued, "As for the Pale Cosmos, as I mentioned earlier, you will have to decide for yourself. If you have any safety concerns, you may come to me anytime."

"Yes, sir. Thank you in advance," Meng Shaojie replied.

After a slight hesitation, he spoke again, "Sir… I would like to go to the Eastern Palace and bid farewell to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Xiao Chunhui said, "That will depend on His Highness’s wishes. However, now that you have clarified your path and are committed to serious study, I doubt he would refuse you."

Contrary to common speculation, Meng Shaojie was not placed in the Eastern Palace as a representative of the commoner-born scholars of the Academy.

He had been personally chosen by the Crown Prince Zhang Hui as his study companion.

Before the founding of the Imperial Academy, the two had met by chance in their youth and quickly became close friends.

It was only later that Meng Shaojie realized the friend he had been conversing with so easily was none other than the Heir to the Eastern Palace.

Through his connection with Zhang Hui, Meng Shaojie came under the Empress’s notice.

"His Highness is currently acting as Regent under the Empress’s decree, managing all state affairs. He bears a heavy burden, yet I am of no help to him. I would rather not occupy a position without contributing anything meaningful," Meng Shaojie said.

"Of course, if His Highness wishes to see me or instructs me in matters of doctrine, I will still come whenever summoned."

Though his time in the Eastern Palace had not been particularly comfortable, his personal friendship with Zhang Hui had only deepened over time.

After discussing a few more details regarding the delivery of the artifact to its mysterious recipient, Meng Shaojie excused himself and left the Imperial Academy, heading toward the Eastern Palace.

At this time, Crown Prince Zhang Hui should have already returned from the Secretariat’s Political Affairs Hall.

Sure enough, as soon as he entered the Eastern Palace, Zhang Hui pulled him aside.

"Come, Qingyan, take a look at my new painting. I worked on it over the past few days, but my brushstrokes were inconsistent, and I lost the true essence of the piece. Originally, I was just using it as practice and relaxation, but today, inspiration struck. Now that it’s complete, I feel like it has a fresh and distinct character."

At this moment, Zhang Hui did not seem like the mature and reserved Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. Instead, he exuded the unrestrained elegance of a scholar.

Meng Shaojie accompanied Zhang Hui to admire his new painting.

"These past few days have been so exhausting that I can barely eat or sleep. I can’t even begin to imagine how the Late Emperor and my Imperial Aunt managed to handle these endless state affairs so efficiently."

As the two friends sat down for tea and chatted, Zhang Hui suddenly noticed something.

"Qingyan, do you have something on your mind?"

Since they were alone, Meng Shaojie felt relaxed and answered candidly, "I wouldn’t dare hide anything from Your Highness. I came today to request something of you."

He did not mention other matters, only that his recent studies had given him new insights, and he wished to dedicate himself to scholarly pursuits. Therefore, he was here to formally request leave from his position.

Crown Prince Zhang Hui was clearly reluctant to let him go.

After a moment of thought, however, he did not insist on keeping him. Instead, he asked, "If you focus on your studies, will you return to your hometown to seclude yourself?"

Meng Shaojie replied, "Of course not. I will remain in the capital. If Your Highness ever needs me, simply send for me."

Zhang Hui immediately brightened. "That’s good to hear!"

He sighed with emotion.

"It’s a pity—I can’t just drop everything like you. If I could, I would. Forget you, even I feel like I can’t breathe. I still prefer studying calligraphy and paintings."

Meng Shaojie responded, "It is my own inadequacy that I cannot assist Your Highness more."

Zhang Hui laughed. "What nonsense. Next time I have a new painting, just make sure you come right away when I call for you."

"My time is far too fragmented these days…"

After chatting for a while longer, Meng Shaojie finally took his leave.

Inside the painting studio, a figure emerged from the back hall.

It was Zhang Hui’s cousin, Ye Song.

"As a cover, he’s quite useful," Ye Song remarked.

Crown Prince Zhang Hui remained composed. "Yes. But since he is a cover, we mustn’t push too hard—otherwise, suspicion will arise. We’ve used him for several years already; it wasn’t for nothing."

Ye Song smiled. "Even without Meng Shaojie, there are still other scholars from the Imperial Academy in your study circle. His departure won’t affect the overall plan."

Zhang Hui nodded and casually tapped his fingers on the painting.

At that moment, the paper spontaneously ignited and burned to ashes.

Ye Song added, "Now that the Empress has gone to Guanzhong, there’s no need for Your Highness to continue feigning weakness."

Zhang Hui said calmly, "No rush. Let’s take it slow—one step at a time."

At nineteen, he had reached the Fourth Heaven Realm.

Now, at twenty-two, he had successfully overcome the Heavenly Chasm Tribulation between the Fifth and Sixth Heavens, reaching the Sixth Heaven Realm.

Even with the support of national fortune, these were two entirely different concepts.

At the moment, there was no specific target.

In a way, the characters (jade) and  (scepter) could be removed—it was essentially a blank slate.

The question was whether it had always been this way or if someone had deliberately altered it.

Although Meng Shaojie seemed to have considerable fortune and luck, Lei Jun still believed that this was something provided to him by someone else.

With the Empress having left the capital for Guanzhong, who could it be?

The Eastern Palace? Or the Academy?

The Academy seemed like the more likely source.

Which meant… Xiao Chunhui?

If that was the case, then the Empress had likely become aware of the dark side of the Heavenly Book as well.

Well, that was within expectations...

Lei Jun shook his head slightly and refocused his attention on the scepter in his hand, considering what role this artifact could play now or in the future.

The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had reopened, and Mount Sumeru had emerged.

What about Huangquan?

Pondering this, Lei Jun set off on his return journey.

To his surprise, there was also news from Luo Hou and Kang Ming.

It wasn't coordinated with Meng Shaojie, but the information provided pointed in another direction—yet it was just as unexpected.

The clue Kang Ming found concerned a disciple who had defected from Tianshi Mansion—Chen Yi.

According to him, Chen Yi seemed to possess a similar treasure, something linked to the early Talismanic Branch legacy.

However, Kang Ming had failed to capture Chen Yi or track down his whereabouts.

All signs suggested that Chen Yi was no longer working alone—he had connected with exiles from Pure Yang Palace who had also turned their backs on their sect.

The intelligence Kang Ming had gathered hinted that Chen Yi might have already met Zhou Peng, the leader of the Pure Yang Palace defectors.

"There were already suspicions that Chen Yi carried an early Talismanic Branch relic," Lei Jun mused. "Now, we have more evidence to support that theory."

"Chen Yi went to great lengths to become a direct disciple of the Tianshi, hoping to bypass the standard Initiation and Talisman Conferral processes to gain early access to the Upper Qing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven. It seems he really did have a prior opportunity related to this."

As for what had happened even earlier, that was harder to say.

Lei Jun thought for a moment and decided not to rush back to Mount Longhu just yet. Instead, he sent a transmission to his junior brother, Chu Kun.

Chu Kun responded quickly: "Senior Brother?"

Lei Jun asked, "Do you still have a second batch of Immortal Spirit Seeds?"

"No, those things are purely based on luck. You can't just plant them and wait for them to ripen like crops," Chu Kun said with a wry smile.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Senior Brother, are you looking for a spiritual item that helps Sixth-Heaven cultivators advance?"

Lei Jun replied, "Preferably something beneficial to Talismanic Branch Daoists."

Chu Kun admitted, "I do have something—a Nine-Pattern Primordial Blossom. I have a few in reserve and can send one to you first. I’ll gradually replenish my stock later."

His own cultivation hadn't reached the Sixth Heaven yet, but just as he had prepared an Immortal Spirit Seed for himself in advance, he had also set aside other spiritual resources.

The Nine-Pattern Primordial Blossom was a recent acquisition. Though slightly inferior to the Immortal Spirit Seed, it had the advantage of blooming multiple times, albeit requiring time. At the moment, he had only one ready to use, which he wasn’t in immediate need of, so he was happy to hand it over to Lei Jun.

"Do you need it urgently?" Chu Kun didn't bother asking what Lei Jun needed it for and simply said, "Hold on, Senior Brother."

They arranged a meeting place, and Chu Kun left the mountain, bringing the spiritual flower to Lei Jun.

When they met, Chu Kun took out the Nine-Pattern Primordial Blossom.

Lei Jun examined it—the flower had nine petals, each adorned with faintly glowing Dao patterns that pulsed with a mystical aura.

"It may not guarantee success, but it at least increases the chances," Lei Jun said. "Let's hope the investment pays off."

Hearing this, Chu Kun was intrigued.

Lei Jun himself had already reached the Seventh Heaven, so he clearly didn’t need it.

His junior disciple, Zhuo Huajie, was still far from requiring such resources.

Among the Tianshi Mansion’s disciples, there were indeed some cultivators diligently striving for the Sixth Heaven.

For example, the Immortal Spirit Seed that Chu Kun had previously d to the Treasure Pavilion in exchange for merit was eventually claimed by Lin Shan using his accumulated merit points.

Similarly, Ke Sicheng had been focusing on making up for lost time after injuries had delayed his progress in earlier years.

However, Chu Kun had a gut feeling that his senior brother Lei Jun had something else in mind.

If it was for a Talismanic Branch cultivator outside of Tianshi Mansion…

"I've been operating undercover and have managed to establish contact with a disciple of the Yellow Heaven Sect. If things go smoothly, I may be able to use him to locate the Yellow Heaven Ancestral Altar," Lei Jun explained simply.

Chu Kun understood immediately. "That’s a solid opportunity. But the disciples of Yellow Heaven Sect have been through years of hardships. Most of them are highly cautious. Senior Brother, you should remain vigilant—don’t let them just take the bait without getting hooked."

Lei Jun smirked. "As long as they take the bait, that's enough."

The two bid farewell—Chu Kun returned to the mountain, while Lei Jun sent a message to Kang Ming and arranged a meeting place before heading out.

Unlike his previous transaction with Xiao Chunhui, this time, although Lei Jun didn't tamper with the Nine-Pattern Primordial Blossom, he didn’t leave immediately either.

Instead, he waited patiently.

He had no intention of harming Kang Ming, but he needed to track his movements.

Kang Ming, ever cautious, ran several tests and even sent a decoy to step into the trap first.

Due to his background, he had spent much of his cultivation journey evading government forces and Tianshi Mansion’s pursuit.

But while Kang Ming was adept at deception and evasion, Lei Jun’s cultivation was superior—and his abilities in both detection and concealment far surpassed Kang Ming’s.

Even more importantly, many of Lei Jun’s tracking methods fell outside Kang Ming’s established knowledge.

Thus, despite all his precautions, Lei Jun successfully pinpointed Kang Ming’s whereabouts.

Most crucially, he obtained a Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman personally crafted by Kang Ming.

From this point onward, Lei Jun no longer needed to track Kang Ming himself.

He returned directly to Mount Longhu’s ancestral grounds.

Meanwhile, Kang Ming studied the Nine-Pattern Primordial Blossom in his hands, feeling somewhat emotional.

Within Yellow Heaven Sect, he was considered a rising star, reaching the Sixth Heaven at a young age.

Given the sect’s current state, age was not an important factor—anyone at the Sixth Heaven was already a core figure.

Aside from a handful of Upper Three Heaven cultivators, the rest were like him.

Kang Ming himself was already a branch leader within Yellow Heaven Sect, holding considerable authority and access to sect resources.

However, due to the sect’s dire situation, many resources were simply unavailable to him.

At the very least, something like the Nine-Pattern Primordial Blossom was beyond his reach.

In this regard, he still lagged behind figures like Chen Ziyang and Han Wuyou.

In fact, Chen Ziyang and Han Wuyou had already relinquished their branch leader positions to focus solely on cultivation.

Kang Ming had no intention of betraying Yellow Heaven Sect.

But precisely because of his loyalty, he knew that opportunities were rare. If he wanted to move up, he had to fight for it himself.

Taking a deep breath, Kang Ming carefully inscribed nine talismans, aligning them with the nine Dao patterns on the flower petals, and began his silent refinement.

Returning to Mount Longhu, Lei Jun found Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen had already returned.

"I failed to capture the Thousand-Leaf Butterfly King," Xu Yuanzhen admitted. "The situation unfolded too suddenly, and without sufficient preparation, I was a bit short of what was needed."

For a demon equivalent to a Ninth-Heaven human cultivator, who was both a master of stealth and had extraordinary speed, escape was always an option if it chose to flee rather than fight to the death.

"But," she added, "it wasn’t a complete loss…"

"Senior Sister, everything before was just a warm-up."

The tall woman’s eyebrows, hair, and irises all turned a golden hue as she spoke. "Now, how about a real spar?"

Xu Yuanzhen responded casually, "Today, I’m going to make you cry."

She unfolded her Great Ascension Dao Domain to serve as the battlefield—ensuring the fight wouldn't affect the outside world while also not using it to suppress Tang Xiaotang.

A vast expanse of pitch-black thunderclouds stretched out, forming a cosmic void suspended in the night sky—silent and still.

As a result, the majority of people inside and outside Mount Longhu remained completely unaware that this battle even took place.

The details of the fight were known only to the two combatants.

Not until the dark void—like the vast cosmos—finally dissipated did their figures reappear.

The current Tianshi had not, in fact, been beaten to tears.

Tang Xiaotang’s reaction surprised Lei Jun, Chu Kun, and the few others who were in the know.

She was neither particularly exhilarated nor visibly dejected.

For once, Tianshi Tang’s expression was difficult to read. She simply gazed at her senior sister, lost in thought.

"To be fair, you did better than I expected. Your trip to Guanzhong has pushed you even further beyond your limits," Xu Yuanzhen remarked with her usual composure. "But you’re still green. Keep training."

Tang Xiaotang snapped out of her thoughts, let out a huff, and finally returned to her usual self. "Don’t get too smug. I’ve already got a plan!"

Xu Yuanzhen remained calm. "That line sounds familiar."

Lei Jun chimed in with a deadpan commentary: "Little Senior Sister is full of confidence. Little Senior Sister is unstoppable. Little Senior Sister is lighting up lanterns in celebration. Little Senior Sister… loses."

Tang Xiaotang’s almond-shaped eyes widened in outrage. She was so furious she couldn’t even find words.

Off to the side, Yuan Mobai raised a hand, pointed at Lei Jun, and shook his head without saying a word.

Wang Guiyuan turned away, pretending he saw nothing.

Chu Kun lowered his gaze, staring at his feet, his expression carefully neutral.

"…Just you wait!" Tang Xiaotang puffed up her cheeks in frustration before turning on her heel. "I’m going into seclusion!"

Yuan Mobai sighed. "You should wait until after presiding over the next Talisman Conferral Ceremony before shutting yourself away."

Tang Xiaotang froze. "Oh, right. I got so mad at them that I forgot."

"The situation with Lin Yuwei and the Eastern Sea islands isn’t urgent. It can wait," Xu Yuanzhen remarked. "Right now, I’m more interested in what’s happening in the west."

Tang Xiaotang scoffed. "Those new monks popping up out of nowhere? I don’t trust them one bit!"

Lei Jun added, "From what I can see, the reigning Emperor is also more concerned about the west."

Wang Guiyuan nodded. "Best to let His Majesty deal with that headache."

Then, his tone turned serious. "But the way they’ve come—clearly hostile. If they’re targeting our sect, I believe we should take extra precautions."

Chu Kun asked, "Senior Brother, are you suggesting—?"

Lei Jun said, "The Vajra Division… I haven’t studied Buddhist scriptures much, but from the ancient texts I’ve read, that name stands out."

Wang Guiyuan nodded. **"The Vajra Monastery’s scriptures mention that within the Vajra Realm exist five divisions: the Lotus Division, the Vajra Division, the Buddha Division, the Treasure Division, and the Karma Division.

"For so many years, people treated this as legend. The Vajra Monastery itself has always remained secluded in the Western Region, shrouded in mystery. No one ever gave it much thought.

"But who knows what Mount Sumeru has become after all these years?"**

Chu Kun clicked his tongue. "According to Senior Sister Tang and Senior Sister Zhang, even just the monks who have come from the Vajra Division already surpass the strength of the Vajra Monastery. And we don’t even know if this is their full force! If all five divisions emerged at once… wait a minute, something doesn’t add up."

He furrowed his brows. "Sure, Mount Sumeru might be an excellent cultivation environment, full of rare spiritual treasures. But first of all, it can’t possibly have unlimited resources. Second, they don’t have that much population, do they?"

Even if the people there had an inherently higher cultivation standard, producing a vast number of top-tier experts still required a significant population base.

And to cultivate such an overwhelming number of elite practitioners, the amount of spiritual resources required would be astronomical.

Wang Guiyuan's expression turned solemn. "You have a point, but regardless, we should remain cautious."

Chu Kun let out a bitter laugh. "If Mount Sumeru really has that many high-level experts, and they all flood into the world at once, that’d be a whole different problem."

Or… was there something else going on over there?

"That’s why, once I’ve finished handling my current affairs, I’ll head west to investigate," Xu Yuanzhen stated.

She had little interest in formal ceremonies.

So, rather than waiting for the new year’s Talisman Conferral Ceremony, she left the mountain early—much to Tang Xiaotang’s envy.

Xu Yuanzhen didn’t head straight for Guanzhong or the Western Region.

She first traveled upriver to Wushan.

The mysterious figure who had ambushed Li Qingfeng and Li Hongyu had covered their tracks exceptionally well, closely tied to the Thousand-Leaf Butterfly King.

Unfortunately, they had failed to capture the Butterfly King, missing the chance to extract valuable information.

However, after refining those so-called "withered leaves," Xu Yuanzhen had made an unexpected discovery through reverse analysis.

When she, Tang Xiaotang, and Yuan Mobai had directly fought the mysterious figure, none of them had sensed any demonic aura or malevolent energy.

Which meant that before using the "withered leaves," the person must have refined them with their own mana and natural spiritual energy.

Thus, Xu Yuanzhen tracked the trail to Wushan, searching for the cave where that individual had conducted the refining process.

As winter deepened, the new year arrived.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Mount Longhu’s Tianshi Mansion hosted its once-every-six-years Talisman Conferral Ceremony.

This was Lei Jun’s first time participating as a High Priest Elder.

Of the current High Priests, Xu Yuanzhen was in Wushan, Zhang Jingzhen remained in Guanzhong, and Yao Yuan was still in seclusion at the back mountain.

Thus, only Lei Jun, Yuan Mobai, and Shangguan Ning were present.

The three main officiants of the ceremony were:

Last time, Tang Xiaotang had presided as the Initiation Master, so this time, she chose to serve as the Overseer Master instead.

The only other Eighth Heaven High Priest, Yuan Mobai, took on the Initiation Master role.

Their peer, Shangguan Ning, served as Recommendation Master.

Additionally, six Guardian Masters oversaw various ceremonial duties. Lei Jun was appointed Guardian of the Talisman, assisting the three main officiants.

Though the Tang Empire faced turbulent times, the Talisman Conferral Ceremony proceeded undisturbed.

Guests gathered in even greater numbers than usual—not just to congratulate Mount Longhu, but also to take the chance for face-to-face discussions.

Among the initiates, the most notable name was Wang Guiyuan, Yuan Mobai’s last disciple, dressed in the distinctive yellow Daoist robe.