Chapter 290: Chapter 290

The green flames began to surround the flickering dark blue flame of the Earth Soul Flame Heart. Initially, the two energies were clearly separated, quietly burning.

As Lei Jun’s spiritual power began to refine the Earth Soul Flame Heart, its color started to converge with the surrounding green Nine Abyss True Fire.

During this process, Lei Jun also gradually began to refine the strands of Nine Abyss True Fire, and in his inner universe, small points of blue flames began to form.

At first, the light flames flickered unsteadily, like a lamp, even occasionally extinguishing.

But as time went on, the blue flames gradually stabilized within Lei Jun's inner universe, and their scale began to increase.

The rising blue flames slowly formed the outline of a talisman, gradually taking shape.

Upon seeing this, Lei Jun secretly nodded.

This Earth Soul Flame Heart was indeed a rare and precious treasure, highly beneficial for refining fire-based talismans of the Tian Shi Mansion. It was comparable to the Star Shards of the Chén Tai Star for refining the Human Book of Destiny talisman.

He focused on his cultivation, and the fire-based talisman quickly began to take form.

Since he had publicly inherited the final volume of the righteous teachings, the news was no longer kept secret. The Tian Shi Mansion officially declared it as a joyous occasion and spread the word to fellow practitioners throughout the world.

Inside the mansion, people noticed Lei Jun’s growing prestige, while others outside, such as the Shu Mountain Sect’s Ji Chuan and the Pure Yang Palace’s Long Tao, had also received word and made their way to Longhu Mountain to open their own seclusion caves.

The moment they sensed activity at the Tian Shi Mansion’s main altar, they immediately noticed the changes.

At first, they thought it was a sudden attack on the Tian Shi Mansion, but after observing, they realized it was not the case.

Confused, Ji Chuan and Long Tao began to investigate and eventually learned the truth.

After the shock wore off, they contacted their respective sects and came to visit Lei Jun to congratulate him.

"You're too kind," Lei Jun said, his demeanor as calm and composed as ever.

Long Tao, the elder from Pure Yang Palace, looked at Lei Jun, deeply moved.

The surge of spiritual energy from heaven and earth seemed to be bringing in a new era.

Under such a huge shift, even a holy land like Pure Yang Palace was walking on thin ice.

One wrong step, and it could be toppled.

The state of the human Dao kingdom reflected this danger.

After experiencing numerous tribulations, Pure Yang Palace’s situation had shifted from its previous grandeur into a period of decline.

On the other hand, the Tian Shi Mansion, which had been in a similar state not long ago, now seemed to be on the cusp of revival, with talents emerging from every corner.

It was a period of great transformation, with endless potential.

Fate was indeed hard to predict.

Of the three great Taoist holy lands, the Talisman Sect had the oldest and most established history, alongside the Tian Shi Mansion.

The human Dao kingdom’s restoration of the Heavenly Court's authority would trace back to the origins of the Talisman Sect. Now, it even encompassed the Dan Ding Sect and the Artifact Sect.

Long Tao couldn’t help but wonder if the Tian Shi Mansion and the Talisman Sect had entered a period of prosperity in this era.

A few years ago, Pure Yang Palace seemed to be on the rise as the first Taoist holy land.

But with the Tian Shi Mansion’s younger generation stepping forward, many began to feel that Pure Yang Palace might be overtaken by the Tian Shi Mansion in the coming years, even if it did not face further tribulations.

In terms of age, Pure Yang Palace had no shortage of talented youth.

But comparisons could be brutal.

Yue Xiling of Pure Yang Palace had already achieved the Eightfold Heaven transformation in the Dan Ding Sect.

However, the gap between him and Xu Yuan Zhen from the Tian Shi Mansion was far more significant.

Jiang Yu, a natural talent, possessed the Pure Yin Immortal Body, and though she was younger than Tang Xiao Tang, she always lagged slightly behind her in terms of progress at the same age.

Further down, Long Tao knew that Pure Yang Palace had another up-and-coming talent, who was currently in seclusion, trying to breakthrough and reach the Sevenfold Heaven realm.

This was after many talented individuals had perished due to successive tribulations.

The younger generation of Pure Yang Palace was still quite outstanding.

But they couldn’t compete with the talents of the Tian Shi Mansion, such as Lei Jun and Zhang Jing Zhen.

And now, Lei Jun had reached the Eightfold Heaven realm.

This was a reminder that comparison and competition in life were inevitable, but some simply had better luck, accumulating their power for future achievements.

Currently, the threats from the human Dao kingdom made everyone nervous.

Pure Yang Palace still had to face the watchful eyes of the Western Buddhist Sect.

The three Taoist holy lands were connected by fate and needed to work together to face these challenges, though the future remained uncertain… Long Tao sighed in his heart.

Ji Chuan, unlike Long Tao, wasn’t as philosophical. Instead, he was caught up in the excitement of Lei Jun’s rapid rise.

He couldn’t help but recall their first meeting.

At that time, neither Ji Chuan, his master He Dongxing, nor his father Ji Dongquan had expected Lei Jun to rise so quickly in such a short time.

Not only had Ji Chuan fallen far behind, but even the Sevenfold Heaven experts, He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan, had now been surpassed by this junior from Longhu Mountain.

And all of this had happened in just over twenty years.

To ordinary mortals, twenty years was a long time, but to cultivators who had reached a certain level, twenty years was merely a step in their journey.

For Lei Jun, this step had taken him far beyond the expectations of many.

“Truth be told, I didn’t expect you to reach this step so quickly,” Ji Chuan said with a wry smile. “I didn’t even have time to prepare a proper gift for you.”

Ji Chuan, who was familiar with Lei Jun, said with ease, “I’ve already contacted Shu Mountain, and they’ll send a suitable gift later. Please allow us to prepare it carefully.”

Long Tao nodded, “My sect has already made arrangements, and the gift will be sent soon.”

As Taoist masters, the difference between Eightfold Heaven and Sevenfold Heaven cultivators was immense.

When Yue Xiling of Pure Yang Palace and Zhang Tai Gang of Shu Mountain reached Eightfold Heaven, the Tian Shi Mansion had already prepared gifts as a gesture of respect.

So, Lei Jun did not decline but accepted graciously, “Thank you both, and thank you to all the fellow practitioners of Shu Mountain and Pure Yang Palace as well.”

After a brief conversation, the visitors departed.

Lei Jun continued his usual life and cultivation.

Soon after, the Imperial Court of the Tang Dynasty moved faster than Shu Mountain and Pure Yang Palace, sending gifts of rare treasures to Longhu Mountain.

Lei Jun calmly received them, thanking the intermediaries, Shangguan Ning and Zhang Jing Zhen.

However, a more unexpected "gift" soon arrived for Lei Jun.

It came from the Dark Side of the Heavenly Book, from Luo Hou, and from the Yellow Sky Dao’s Kang Ming.

Or perhaps it came from the human Dao kingdom's "Wen Zhao Qian."

Lei Jun stared at the characters revealed by the Heavenly Book, lost in thought:

Kang Ming’s message was limited, only mentioning that some high-ranking officials of the human Dao kingdom had referred to the existence of an Emperor Lord.

However, the exact details were unknown.

The title alone was enough to provoke curiosity.

Lei Jun looked up at the sky, pondered for a moment, and then sent the message to his master Yuan Mo Bai and senior sister Xu Yuan Zhen.

He then left the mountain temporarily to arrange the reward for Kang Ming.

Earlier, the Yuan Tian Mother Crystal that Chu Kun had given him…

With this treasure, Kang Ming could attempt to break through the Dan Ding Sect’s cultivation and achieve the Upper Three Heavens realm, before slowly attempting to advance in the Talisman Sect’s Yellow Sky Sect.

Having delivered the treasure, Lei Jun didn’t linger, returning to the mountain to let Kang Ming handle it on his own.

Kang Ming, receiving the treasure, fell into deep thought.

After a moment, his eyes grew resolute. He carefully stored the Yuan Tian Mother Crystal, preparing for the upcoming tribulation.

Fu Dongsen: "Indeed, at the very least, Lei Jun should be regarded as a practitioner at the second level of the Divine Court."

Although Lei Jun and other practitioners may both be at the Eighth Heaven realm, their abilities can vary significantly.

Though they all come from holy lands and prestigious sects, each sect's internal divisions at the Eighth Heaven level have four distinct tiers.

Generally speaking, there exists a clear dividing line between the four tiers of the Eighth Heaven, especially when measured by combat prowess.

For example, both Ye Han of Jinzhou and Gao Pu of Jinchengzhai, when facing Wei Ancheng of the Ninth Heaven, could only flee for their lives, and whether they could escape safely depended on luck.

However, the Holy Lord of Ge Po Mountain, Sang Lu, and the Holy Lord of the Reincarnation Abyss, Feng Gui, while at a disadvantage against Wei Ancheng, were not immediately in peril.

Apart from the differences in combat characteristics between the sects, their overall strength was also distinct from Ye Han and Gao Pu.

Because of differing sect traditions, the dividing line can shift.

For the Daoist Talisman Sect, this dividing line lies between the inner and outer aspects of the Divine Court.

Whether a practitioner has cultivated the outer aspect of the Divine Court and manifested the external universe greatly influences their performance in battle.

If the outer aspect of the Divine Court at the third level of the Eighth Heaven were not so unique, Fu Dongsen would even consider raising Lei Jun’s rank.

Summarizing past experience, Fu had previously thought he had given this young Tian Shi Fu elder enough consideration, only to realize that their perceived respect was, in fact, underestimating the opponent.

"Without the outer aspect of the Divine Court, one could regard him as a second-level practitioner in the Eighth Heaven, but even among second-level talisman practitioners in the Eighth Heaven, he is likely the strongest."

Fu Dongsen continued: "When Lei Jun was in the Seventh Heaven, he could simultaneously cultivate two major Dharma Icons. Now that he's at the Eighth Heaven, he's reached three."

The others nodded lightly in agreement.

Hong Jie then brought up another matter: "The Tian Shi robe might have fallen into the hands of monks from the Xumi Vajra Sect. The Tian Shi seal has been missing for years despite many searches."

Rong Guangchen spoke: "If that’s the case, we may have to act and revisit Longhu Mountain. Although the Tian Shi seal didn’t appear during the Li Wei battle, it did show up when Longhu Mountain was attacked previously. Since it can’t be found, we may need to follow the old method and try our luck again, especially with the Wan Fa Sect altar in play."

Fu Dongsen: "For safety’s sake, now is not the right time."

Rong Guangchen sighed lightly: "Indeed, we must wait..."

His expression grew slightly complex.

The others in the room understood the reason.

As time passed, they did not receive any other news, but they did hear that another Eighth Heaven cultivator had joined the ranks of the Tian Shi Fu.

Yet, the more they waited, the more they had to remain patient.

The people in the room had been famous for years, seasoned in life's storms, so they knew how to endure. But it was, without a doubt, a form of torment.

Elder Miaokong nodded slightly. "The Dao Sect has another outstanding figure."

Such youth, rapid improvement in cultivation, and clearly vast potential yet to be fully realized. A person has the chance to push further toward the Ninth Heaven Daoist Great Ascension realm.

Moreover, their combat strength is extraordinary. Unless something unexpected happens, they should be able to support the Celestial Master’s House for the next few hundred years.

Even if they don’t ascend to the position of Celestial Master, they will still be the absolute backbone of the Celestial Master’s House.

At this point, Elder Miaoyi suddenly sighed, "Our temple once had such a talent."

Elder Miaokong replied, "Fasheng..."

A few years ago, the Tianlong Temple had an incredibly talented young master named Fasheng, who had cultivated to the Eighth Heaven of the Buddhist vow path at a young age. Like Lei Jun today, he gained fame across the land and attracted attention throughout the Great Tang.

But unfortunately... Elder Miaoyi shook his head repeatedly.

After a brief silence, Elder Miaokong suddenly spoke again. "Fasheng, it's not easy to talk about."

"Master?" Elder Miaoyi was startled.

Elder Miaokong paused and stared at the Bodhi tree in front of them for a long time before speaking again. "Many years ago, the Demon Monk Jitong of the Daqong Temple was not subdued by me... He was not defeated by my Great Might Heavenly Dragon."

Elder Miaoyi was startled and then his eyes lit up. "Master, are you saying..."

Elder Miaokong was referring to the time when the Tianlong Temple's disciple, Monk Fashan, went to the capital to join the Imperial Academy as a teacher, representing the Buddhist sect and the Tianlong Temple’s support of the Imperial Academy.

However, he was attacked by the Demon Monk Jitong from the Daqong Temple and died.

Elder Miaokong personally went out, and later news came that the Demon Monk Jitong had died.

Some witnesses claimed to have seen that Jitong had fallen under the power of the Great Might Heavenly Dragon from the Tianlong Temple.

Thus, the world believed that it was Elder Miaokong who took action. But now, Elder Miaokong himself denied this.

"I was elsewhere at the time. By the time I arrived, Jitong had already been dealt with. The traces at the scene show that it was indeed the Great Might Heavenly Dragon of our temple." Elder Miaokong said.

Elder Miaoyi pressed his palms together. "May the Buddha have mercy. Fashan and Fasheng had a close relationship. If it was him..."

Elder Miaokong replied, "But if it really was Fasheng, why has he been pretending to be dead for all these years and refuses to return to the temple? What has he been doing all this time?"

Elder Miaoyi fell silent.

Elder Miaokong gazed at the Bodhi tree, his eyes filled with the weight of years. "Lei Chongyun may have a detached personality, but every time he has come out of the mountain, it’s been to protect the Celestial Master’s House from danger..."

Elder Miaoyi forced a smile.

But there’s really no reason to argue.

Look at the talents of others.

After achieving the Divine Court, Lei Jun attracted attention from all around Longhu Mountain. He, however, remained indifferent to the attention.

At this moment, he was in his quiet room, concentrating on his cultivation.

Green flames now surrounded Lei Jun's body, beginning to burn fiercely.

The Nine Abyss True Fire swirled around, with flowing fire above Lei Jun’s head, gradually forming into a large talisman.

The talisman was ancient and continuously changed, containing countless mysteries.

From within the talisman, a tiger's roar began to emerge.

As Lei Jun’s cultivation grew more refined, a massive green-flamed tiger slowly emerged from the talisman, its presence astonishing.

This was the Nine Abyss Flame Ancestor’s law form.

Man and tiger stood face to face at this moment.

Lei Jun exhaled slowly.

He had just begun to manifest his fourth law form.

He was grateful for the Earth Soul Flame Heart, for without it, such progress would not have been so apparent in such a short time.

Next, he needed to face the Yang Fire Tiger... Lei Jun took another deep breath.

As his magical power flowed, it seemed as though the Two Elements manifestation was about to appear.

With the transformation of the Two Elements, the Yin and Yang were manifested.

The green flame tiger, while mighty, was now calm and stayed by Lei Jun’s side.

On the other side of his body, a warm, flowing air began to form.

The air was warm, and it exuded pure Yang energy.

It then intensified, becoming bright like light and fire.

Unlike the Yin Thunder Dragon, Lei Jun needed to spend more thought on the Yang Fire Tiger.

The Yin Thunder Dragon originated from the Xuanxiao Five Thunder Talisman. Lei Jun had started creating and experimenting with the Five Thunder Symbols when his cultivation was still in the lower realms.

As his cultivation progressed, he never stopped refining and improving the Five Thunder Symbols.

With his improvement, the Five Thunder Symbols evolved into the Yin Five Thunder True Law, and later into the Xuanxiao Five Thunder Talisman, eventually giving birth to the Yin Thunder Dragon.

Although it was still in its early stages and had room for refinement, the path had already been established and was consistent.

Now, as Lei Jun worked on the Yang Fire Tiger, in some ways, it was like starting anew.

He had extraordinary comprehension, but of course, his standards were high.

With the Yin Fire Tiger and the Two Elements Immortal Body, he had a foundation for the Yang Fire Tiger.

But to create it purely from nothing required more time and effort.

Fortunately, Lei Jun had long anticipated this.

As his magical power gathered, alongside the Yin Fire Tiger, his Fate Star Spirit appeared beside him.

The Fate Star Spirit, in its position opposite the Yin Fire Tiger, was gradually changing under Lei Jun’s control.

The stars’ power began to change, and the dust of the stars seemed to ignite.

The starlight grew brighter and hotter.

At this moment, Lei Jun took out the Celestial Ash Star Remains that his Senior Brother Wang Guiyuan had previously given him.

He fused the intense star power of the remains with his Fate Star Spirit and began refining it.

The massive Doumu Star God law form became brighter, and the stars grew even hotter.

The talismans intertwined and fused, then burned together.

Faintly, the true stars seemed to descend from the heavens to the human world.

The intensity of the heat was beyond what martial artists from the Upper Three Heavens could achieve.

As the air distorted, Lei Jun seemed to be able to observe the surface and edges of a massive sun, with flames licking at its surface.

This was the fire Lei Jun had prepared for himself to refine and understand, in response to the Yin Nine Abyss True Fire.

The Celestial Star True Fire.

A fire as tough and pure as a burning star.

With the help of Wang Guiyuan’s Celestial Ash Star Remains, the fire originated from Lei Jun’s Fate Star Spirit.

Guided by the Two Elements Immortal Body and the Nine Abyss True Fire, another form of pure Yang fire began to take shape.

Though refining it wasn’t as smooth as the Yin Fire Tiger, Lei Jun was not in a hurry. He focused his mind, continuing to refine and improve.

At the place where the Two Elements aligned with the Nine Abyss True Fire, the strands of Celestial Star True Fire finally began to manifest.

The fire took on a golden-red color, similar to Tang Xiaotang’s pure golden flames but distinct in its own way.

Next, the golden-red flames and green flames began to revolve around Lei Jun’s body.

"Well, the hardest part is over. Now I can slowly explore the rest," Lei Jun nodded in satisfaction after some time.

At that moment, his mind stirred slightly, and he dismissed the Yin and Yang True Fire around him. "Hug me? Come in."

His disciple, Zhuo Baojie, pushed the door open, and a fluffy, round head poked through. "Master?"

Lei Jun: "Are you encountering any obstacles in your cultivation?"

Zhuo Baojie hesitated slightly but was eager to try. "There are a few obstacles, but not entirely. During my cultivation, I’ve realized something and wanted to ask Master for guidance."

Lei Jun smiled when he heard this. "Oh? Have you discovered a new technique on your own?"

Zhuo Baojie nodded. "I want to use this technique as my personal third skill."

Lei Jun smiled even more. "Good, let me take a look."

"Yes, Master!" Zhuo Baojie immediately came forward and showed Lei Jun a talisman.

Lei Jun glanced at it and immediately understood its basic idea.

He flicked his finger lightly, sending a strand of magic power into Zhuo Baojie’s talisman. A small vortex appeared on it, trying to absorb Lei Jun’s magic power.

Lei Jun let his magic power flow freely, allowing the vortex to absorb it before pulling back calmly.

Zhuo Baojie, feeling no defeat, knew well what his master was capable of.

"Not bad, not bad." Lei Jun smiled. "Is this technique based on your own talents?"

Zhuo Baojie nodded. "Yes."

Lei Jun smiled. "It’s already quite good, but there’s still room for improvement."

His disciple had inherited his methods in this aspect.

Just then, a message from Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen came:

"I’m preparing to leave the mountain and head toward the East Sea."