Chapter 339: Chapter 339
As Lei Jun’s Destined Star Avatar shattered An Zhiyu’s Immortal Soul, the other apparitions also returned to his body.
He rolled his shoulders, cracked his knuckles, then turned to look to the side.
The thirty-six long banners left behind by the other side had already snapped apart under the wear and tear from the immense magnetic force. Not a single one remained intact.
Thankfully, the ritual setup here had achieved the expected results against the formation in the distant Chicha Ridge.
All seventy-two Two-Element Celestial Talismans activated in unison, the mana consumption so massive that Lei Jun couldn’t help but exhale deeply.
With a wave of his hand, he completely destroyed the remnants of the ritual tools and the long banners, while simultaneously channeling the power of the Heavenly Book’s dark side to cleanse the area.
No real valuable loot. Was the Fourth-Grade Opportunity mentioned in the omen a missed lead? Lei Jun frowned in thought.
Oh well. It was always a gamble to begin with.
As he mulled it over, the Grand Celestial Mirror high in the sky rotated, presenting a distant view for him.
The newcomer was someone Lei Jun was only vaguely familiar with—no direct encounters, just some knowledge from intel during the Bashu War, and a brief glimpse earlier when observing Chicha Ridge through the mirror.
It was Ding Chuan, one of the top experts under Ji Yao in the Shushan Sect of Huangquan, at the peak of the Eighth Heaven.
His Life-bound Artifact, the Dragonbone Killing Sword, was especially striking.
Right now, Ding Chuan was performing a Spirit-Infused Sword technique, his sword streaking through the air like a soaring dragon—formidable and aloof.
But the cold stillness and deadly aura it emanated made it look downright terrifying.
His destination was clearly Duanjiang Valley.
Apparently, after sensing an anomaly in the ritual here, Shushan had dispatched one of their top cultivators immediately.
As Ding Chuan neared the valley, he felt a heavy magnetic force blanketing the area.
The valley was in ruins. The ritual setup destroyed. Not a trace remained of An Zhiyu, Li Yuanyuan, or the rest of the Shushan cultivators.
Just as he entered the valley to investigate, he suddenly sensed something was off.
As a master of the Daoist Artifact Refining Sect, his spirit awareness was sharp—he detected a hidden force trying to seal off Duanjiang Valley entirely.
Even though he was concerned about the Great Nether Reversal Nine-Palace Immortal Formation and the rituals here, Ding Chuan remained alert and withdrew just in time.
Above the valley, invisible stormwinds erupted into view, accompanied by swaying straw-like strands that unfurled like a wrathful dragon.
Though his Spirit-Infused Sword technique allowed for swift movement, Ding Chuan was still momentarily hindered by this strange phenomenon.
The Dragonbone Killing Sword materialized from the void.
His cultivation was fierce, and the sword’s power ruthless. With a single slash, the flying straw strands danced violently in midair.
Aside from battles with Ninth Heaven experts, this was the strongest strike the Supreme Purity Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle had ever taken since it reappeared in the world.
Focused on a single point, it even surpassed the True Martial Demon-Slaying Hammer back in Shangnan.
But despite the sword’s power, the Treasure Mantle still held him back—causing the eight-segmented, bone-like flying sword to stall midair.
In that moment of pause, the dark starry sky behind him surged and swallowed the Dragonbone Killing Sword, still bonded with his soul.
A Talismanic Branch cultivator’s Divine Court Manifestation?
All Ding Chuan could see was pitch black.
In the distance, scattered starlight twinkled.
Nearby, a patch of bright yellow light glowed.
From it, he sensed a magnetic force that made him uncomfortable.
Thankfully, the force was still weak and didn’t hinder his sword’s movement.
And then, in the distance, stood a tall young Daoist in a violet robe.
Ding Chuan, still merged with his sword, was originally planning to soar through the Sea of the Heavens and forcefully tear open this Divine Court cosmos.
But his attention was caught by the seven flying swords floating above Lei Jun’s head.
They were arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, glimmering faintly.
Based on what he knew, these looked like the Life-bound Swords once described by An Zhiyu and Li Yuanyuan—when Shushan first failed in their counterattack on Huangquan and their Ten-Thousand Soul Banner was damaged. The swords had belonged to a sword cultivator from the Tang Empire’s Shushan Sect.
Chen Donglou… That should be the name…
So what’s going on now?
Ding Chuan’s spirit reappeared in the air, staring coldly at Lei Jun without a word.
But the Dragonbone Killing Sword suddenly quivered and slashed toward Lei Jun.
From above Lei Jun’s head, the first of the Seven-Star Swords—the Tianshu Sword—shot forward to meet it head-on.
The two fierce flying swords clashed in midair.
Sparks scattered off the Dragonbone Killing Sword, but it remained solid and unscathed.
Instead, the Tianshu Sword was knocked back.
“Talisman-powered sword control? Clever, but awkward. When it comes to flying swords, no one matches Shushan’s legacy!”
Ding Chuan let out a sharp cry, and the Dragonbone Killing Sword spun back to his side.
Then, his spirit fully merged into the sword. Its sword energy and intent exploded.
Within Lei Jun’s Divine Court Manifestation, gray mist swirled and a massive dragon formed entirely of bones emerged, letting out a silent yet soul-shaking roar.
Though silent, the roar sent tremors into the hearts of all who heard it.
Ding Chuan had poured his entire cultivation into this sword.
It wasn’t just a sharp weapon—it was also terrifyingly tough and its aura directly assaulted the opponent’s spirit, injuring them without form.
Even cultivators at the Eighth Heaven would need intense focus and spiritual centering to resist it.
And even then, they might find their souls wavering and their mana disrupted.
As Ding Chuan’s sword merged with his soul, the Dragonbone Killing Sword suddenly flickered.
It vanished from its spot.
And reappeared right in front of Lei Jun.
At that moment, the second of the Seven-Star Swords—the Tianxuan Sword—shot out.
Tip to tip, the two swords clashed again.
Ding Chuan didn’t dodge. He met it head-on.
The Tianxuan Sword was knocked back, but the force it carried was clearly stronger than the first.
Ding Chuan actually felt reassured. His sword kept charging forward, unafraid of meeting the third, fourth…
His sword style was known for being solid and overpowering. Today, he would crush this so-called Talismanic Branch cultivator who dared challenge Shushan’s flying swords!
Lei Jun’s third sword was even more explosive and fierce.
Ding Chuan and his sword still withstood it.
Then came the fourth.
The Dragonbone Killing Sword pressed on, but quivered. Its momentum slowed.
Ding Chuan’s heart suddenly sank.
The opponent’s sword force… felt endless—each strike stronger than the last.
But that wasn’t what worried him most.
As prideful as he was, he had remained on guard in case Lei Jun’s “flying swords” were a distraction, hiding some other Talismanic Branch technique.
So his spirit stayed sharp, monitoring the area constantly.
Now, he noticed something strange about this Divine Court cosmos.
The distant starlight seemed denser.
But more importantly, the nearby patch of bright yellow light was rapidly expanding!
It kept growing, with stronger and stronger magnetic force.
And that magnetic force… was directly affecting Lei Jun’s flying swords.
Ding Chuan had already sensed something odd in those earlier clashes.
…No wonder each sword strike was stronger than the last!
But there was no time left.
The fifth sword slammed into the Dragonbone Killing Sword, halting it on the spot.
The sixth struck—its tip shattering the first segment of Ding Chuan’s sword.
His precious Life-bound Artifact began to fall apart.
By then, even if he wanted to retreat and try something new, it was too late.
The seventh sword roared forth, smashing through the rest of the Dragonbone Killing Sword—splitting all seven segments, piercing straight through the thickest bone, and shooting off into the distance.
Ding Chuan’s fractured spirit was shaken apart, severed from his weapon.
His entire life’s cultivation had been poured into that sword. Now that it was destroyed, his soul took irreparable damage, barely able to hold a human shape.
The sword’s signature soul-crushing aura seemed completely ineffective on Lei Jun.
Lei Jun met his gaze, calm and expressionless.
The first sword, Tianshu, which had been knocked back earlier, now reoriented midair and flashed toward Ding Chuan again.
This strike was even faster, even fiercer than the rest.
A flicker of thunderlight danced along its edge.
It pierced through Ding Chuan’s shattered soul.
Yang thunderfire erupted from the wound, spreading out and reducing his remnant soul to ashes.
The seven flying swords circled back and reformed the Big Dipper array above Lei Jun’s head.
Lei Jun raised a hand, and a deep red stream of light flew toward him.
The Shushan cultivators hadn’t come here intending to establish a stronghold.
Whether it was the Twin Swords of Purple and Green or the Ding Clan of Bashu, they were mostly aiming to score a big hit and pull out.
The rest—unless things went unexpectedly well—would be left for another day.
So An Zhiyu, Li Yuanyuan, and the rest only brought what was needed for the ritual. Their valuables were left back in Fengdu City of Huangquan.
But Ding Chuan was a slight exception.
After killing him and cleaning up the remnants of his soul, Lei Jun found something special and decided to keep it.
Small, delicate, dark red in color, with a soft glow.
It exuded a strange blend of energies.
Like the liveliness of Heaven and Earth’s spiritual energy tangled with the ferocity and evil of demonic qi.
It radiated a primal essence, as if born from a savage world.
A sudden insight struck Lei Jun's mind, as if by divine inspiration.
The quality of the item was quite high, but compared to Human cultivators, it felt more suited for non-human beings.
Ding Chuan possessed this treasure likely to nurture his life-bound artifact—the Dragonbone Slayer Sword.
Come to think of it, according to what was known so far, Inner Shushan had developed a Daoist concept of the Five Paths of Reincarnation. One of them was the Path of Beasts.
This Crimson Spirit Wild Bone might also have applications in that direction.
Looks like the Fourth-Grade Opportunity here in Broken River Valley was tied to this Crimson Spirit Wild Bone... Lei Jun thought to himself.
To him, it wasn’t a bad item, just not of great personal value.
But to certain special groups, it could be a true treasure.
Still, since it carried mixed demonic energy and malevolent aura, it would need to be carefully considered before use.
While Lei Jun was pondering this, the Manifestation of his Divine Court—the Xuanyuan Cosmos—gradually dissipated.
He put away the Crimson Spirit Wild Bone for now, planning to study it later when he had more time.
The power from the dark side of the Heavenly Book had become second nature. It automatically cleaned up all traces of activity in his Divine Court’s manifestation, and also dispersed the large amount of primal magnetic energy gathered in the area.
Earlier, the seventy-two Two-Element Celestial Talismans had stirred up vast amounts of Earth’s magnetic energy, shaking even the distant Grand Nether Reverse-Nine-Palace Immortal Formation. Because of that, Lei Jun had burned through a tremendous amount of mana.
That was why, when he had manifested the Xuanyuan Cosmos earlier, the supposedly vast Magnetic Sea of the Primordial Pole was more like a small puddle than a true sea.
Naturally, the Magnetic Flying Sword lacked power as well.
But this actually misled Ding Chuan.
Ding Chuan’s Dragonbone Slayer Sword was indeed fearsome in offensive power—no doubt about it.
The sword itself was incredibly tough, even sturdier than many artifacts meant for defense, which was absolutely true.
And with killing intent condensed into it, the sword could shake an enemy’s spirit before it even left the scabbard, affecting their reaction and evasion—often deciding the outcome before the first move.
But when it came to fighting Lei Jun, none of that was Ding Chuan’s real advantage.
What should have helped him most was his speed and agility—his ability to shift through the void as a peak Eighth-Heaven sword cultivator of the Artifact Refining Sect.
Instead, he charged head-on into a straight-up sword fight with Lei Jun...
And once Lei Jun’s mana and magnetic force recovered quickly, the outcome was already sealed.
The battle ended even faster and easier than Lei Jun had expected.
He gave a slight shake of his head, donned the Supreme Purity Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle, and left the valley.
Over at Golden Bridge Peak, Little Senior Sister Tang Xiaotang had also successfully rescued the civilians, killed Inner Shushan Elder Kang An Daoist, and was now pursuing the Bone Ark toward Chicha Ridge.
Lei Jun headed in the same direction.
However, in the vision shown by the Grand Celestial Mirror, the giant formation that had enveloped the mountains was rapidly shrinking.
Lei Jun had disturbed the Grand Nether Reverse-Nine-Palace Immortal Formation through the rites at Broken River Valley.
But the current rate of contraction was clearly abnormal.
The other side was actively withdrawing it.
At that moment, on Chicha Ridge, the formation suddenly compressed inward.
Inside the array, Inner Shushan Sect Master Ji Yao raised the Ten-Thousand-Souls Banner from the ground.
Simultaneously, he formed a hand seal and pointed downward.
The abyss of Yin energy, which had temporarily been sealed to set up the formation, reopened.
The previously sealed Gate to the Yellow Springs was now unsealed again.
“Continuing any further is pointless. We're returning to the Yellow Springs,” Ji Yao declared decisively.
Supreme Elder Li Linxue of Inner Shushan fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
He asked again, “What about Junior Brother Ding and the ones over at Broken River Valley? And Wang Zong, Zhang Mingshi, those few...?”
Ji Yao replied, “Wang Zong and Zhang Mingshi disobeyed orders and acted on their own. They’ll face the consequences themselves.
As for Junior Nephew An, Junior Nephew Li, and Junior Brother Ding…”
He let out a long breath. “Still no word from them. Most likely... they didn’t make it. Send them a message—don’t worry about this side anymore. Scatter and regroup later in the Yellow Springs.”
Li Linxue said, “That’s the only choice.”
Ji Yao waved the Ten-Thousand-Souls Banner.
The previously shrinking formation suddenly erupted—massive volumes of Forgetting River water and extreme Yin energy surged outward, blocking Tang Xiaotang, the Vajra Division’s commander, Zhang Dongyuan, Zhang Taigang, and the others.
Ji Yao and Li Linxue stepped into the gate of the Yellow Springs.
Tang Xiaotang, unflinching, struck with the Tianshi Sword empowered by the Tianshi Seal—interweaving purple and gold sword light surged like dragon and thunder, tearing through the gray-white ahead.
But as she charged into the formation, massive torrents of Forgetting River water suddenly blasted upward from within the gate.
With the violent surge, the Void Portal twisted and then shattered.
Chicha Ridge was completely wiped off the map, erased from the Nanzhao Mountains. The quake even triggered landslides across nearby ranges.
“Inner Shushan’s demonic sect... did they voluntarily seal the portal from the Yellow Springs?” Zhang Taigang and Zhang Dongyuan looked at each other in disbelief.
In the distance, Lei Jun—who was just arriving—paused in his tracks.
Inner Shushan really had multiple backup plans... Lei Jun thought.
If not, Tang Xiaotang probably would’ve chased them straight into the Yellow Springs.
Though a certain Tianshi didn’t get to fully vent her rage, she was generally satisfied.
She’d killed Inner Shushan Elder Kang An, shattered the Bone Ark, even wounded Sect Master Ji Yao, and broke through the siege of the Grand Nether Reverse-Nine-Palace Immortal Formation.
She loved nothing more than turning the tide.
The only slight frustration was that by injuring Ji Yao and disrupting the formation, she gave Vajra Division commander Jialuotu the chance to escape.
Still, the fall of another Ninth-Heaven expert from the Sumeru Vajra Division—Master Ren Zhu—was some consolation.
Elders Zhang Taigang and Zhang Dongyuan from Shushan, along with some cultivators from the Tang imperial clan, recalled how Tang Xiaotang had once fiercely attacked the Sumeru Vajra Division’s Master Sangjie. They hurried to separate the two sides before another battle broke out.
Remembering the many common folk still back at Golden Bridge Peak, Tang Xiaotang restrained herself and turned away, choosing not to look back. Better to focus on the aftermath and resettlement.
The great battle was finally drawing to a close, transitioning into the clean-up stage.
Lei Jun began receiving news—some Inner Shushan cultivators who’d scattered to Qianzhou and Xiaoxiang after fleeing the main group had caused some trouble.
Fortunately, Xiao Xueting acted quickly and decisively, killing an Eighth-Heaven Elder and two Seventh-Heaven elders from Inner Shushan, quelling the spread of this evil wind.
Inside the temple, the Vajra Division Head, Jialuotu, sat cross-legged, manifesting his Vajra Form.
On his Vajra Form were several clear wounds, more than just one.
From within the wounds seeped wisps of grey mist and black energy, clinging like an incurable rot.
Bathed in Buddhist radiance, the murderous intent and death aura were gradually drawn out and dissipated, condensed into a bundle and gathered above the Vajra Division Head’s crown.
There, Buddhist power took the form of a phantom Reincarnation Wheel, absorbing and purifying the lingering death aura and killing intent.
Across from him stood another middle-aged man, dignified with a sacred presence—an eminent monk from the Western Region, none other than Master Jiasheng, the first to arrive when Sumeru returned to the mortal realm.
The Vajra Division Head’s healing session had reached a temporary pause. He let out a soft sigh.
"This time... I was careless. It cost Renzhu his place in Elysium."
Master Jiasheng said, “Please, Master, don’t blame yourself. If not for your decisive intervention, the outcome of the Bashu battle would’ve been far worse.
The Shushan heretics within Huangquan used strange and unpredictable methods. It was hard to anticipate.”
Jialuotu shook his head gently. “And yet, wasn’t the Tianshi of the Tianshi Mansion, Tang Tianshi, untouched by this calamity?”
Jiasheng let out a quiet sigh in response.
Jialuotu remained calm. “What’s the situation at the Luo Abyss Portal over the sea?”
Jiasheng answered, “It has been sealed... but I still feel uneasy. There may be lingering danger.”
Jialuotu nodded slightly. “Keep a close watch.”
“Yes.” Jiasheng added, “The Tang Imperial Court is in the process of finalizing rewards related to this incident.”
The Tang Imperial Court had been generous in its recognition of the Western Region Buddhist Sect this time.
Master Renzhu and Master Zongcuo had fallen.
Jialuotu himself had entered the fray and sustained injuries.
Sumeru’s Vajra Division had spared no effort in support of the Great Tang.
Naturally, the Tang Court did not hold back in their rewards.
Had everything ended before the pursuit into Nanzhao, the top credit for the Bashu battle might have gone to the Western Region Buddhists.
While not as spectacular as the elimination of Huang Xuanpu during the assault on the Mortal Daoist Nation, it could have at least countered the momentum of the Daoist Sect.
Especially since in the Bashu battle, Jialuotu had assisted the Daoist Holy Land, the Shushan Sect—effectively making Tang Xiaotang of the Tianshi Mansion a mere supporting figure.
The Mortal Daoist Nation had fallen at the hands of the Tianshi Mansion.
In the battles of Bashu and Nanzhao, Tang Tianshi had turned the tide with unmatched brilliance.
These two victories elevated the Tianshi Mansion’s reputation to its peak.
Jialuotu’s own intervention had ended up serving as a backdrop to Tang Tianshi’s glory.
One gain, one loss—the contrast couldn’t be more striking.
For the Vajra Division of Sumeru, this was less a matter of merit... and more just bitter toil.
Jialuotu smiled and shook his head. “Enough. Things have come to this point—there’s no use dwelling. My injuries have stabilized. Next, I’ll head to Luoyang, the Imperial Capital, to meet the Tang Emperor.”
“According to your prior memorial, His Majesty has issued a decree, summoning Master to an audience after the war,” Jiasheng replied.
He hesitated, wanting to say more.
Jialuotu looked at him calmly.
Jiasheng lowered his voice, “There’s word in the Court... that His Majesty intends to appoint a Grand Master to Protect the Nation.”
A National Preceptor of the Great Tang.
Upon hearing this, Jialuotu turned his gaze toward the east—toward Luoyang, the imperial capital.
Then, his gaze shifted southeast—toward the direction of Mount Longhu, where the Tianshi Mansion lay in Xunzhou, Jiangnan.
Jiasheng stood silently behind him.
The two top masters of Sumeru’s Vajra Division remained wordless.
At this time, Tang Xiaotang and Lei Jun, one in the light, one in the shadows, made their way back to Mount Longhu.
Tang Xiaotang had already enjoyed her fill of appearing divine in front of the rescued common folk.
As for the follow-up efforts of resettling the refugees and delivering disaster relief, that was now the responsibility of the Tang Court and the Bashu-based Shushan Sect.
The rounding up and eradication of the remaining Yellow Heaven Sect forces were being handled by Chu Kun and Shangguan Ning.
“At least this trip wasn’t a total waste.”
Overall, this Tianshi was in a very good mood.
She casually tossed something to Lei Jun that she’d acquired from Daoist Kang An.
“Nothing in here suits me, but there’s something you might be able to use.”
Lei Jun gave it a quick look and found what she meant.
A ball of fire, appearing illusory and deep blue in color.
Rather than warmth, it evoked a chilling sensation that reached straight to the soul.
This strange fire didn’t burn tangible matter, but could easily sear the soul and spirit.
“Coldflame Soul…” Lei Jun murmured thoughtfully.
To most people, this thing was practically useless.
Only a Shushan expert like Daoist Kang An could use such a bizarre spiritual item to refine Daoist tools or artifacts.
To regular cultivators, it would be more harmful than helpful.
But Lei Jun had a unique edge: he had once used the mist of the River of Forgetfulness to temper his soul.
Thanks to that rare experience, he now had a chance to use the Coldflame Soul for further tempering of his spiritual essence.
With it, his soul could grow so tough that even someone like Ding Chuan—another Eighth-Heaven cultivator—or even a Ninth-Heaven powerhouse like Li Yan, would struggle to shake him with soul-based attacks.
Still, the Coldflame Soul couldn’t be used raw.
It would need to be processed by a Daoist Grandmaster of the Talismanic Branch at the Great Ascension stage—someone who had reached at least the First Layer of the Ninth Heaven and cultivated Xuan Spirit Qi—using Dark Dust refined from the Nether to reforge it before Lei Jun could make use of it at his current Eighth-Heaven level.
“I’ll help you with that later,” Tang Xiaotang said casually.
“Thanks, Little Senior Sister. I won’t be polite about it,” Lei Jun replied with a grin.
This, most likely, was the Third-Grade Opportunity referenced in that Upper-Moderate Omen at Golden Bridge Peak.
Lei Jun then handed the Crimson Spirit Bone to his master, Yuan Mobai.
Yuan Mobai was mildly surprised and said after a pause, “It might actually be useful.”
Despite being a traditional Talismanic Branch cultivator with little deviation from standard cultivation paths, the Crimson Spirit Bone, though infused with violent demonic energy, could still be a significant opportunity if handled well.
“Baobao’s realm is too low. She can’t suppress this bone,” Lei Jun said.
Yuan Mobai nodded, “No rush. I’ll study it first and later invite Huajie to observe as well.”
Tang Xiaotang snorted, “Nothing here is of use to me. Places like Huangquan…”
Lei Jun said, “Don’t worry, Little Senior Sister. There’s plenty of time in the future.”
Tang Xiaotang remained in good spirits. “Those Shushan heretics were lucky. Otherwise, I’d have cut my way down into Huangquan myself.”
But then her brow furrowed again. “Those baldies from the West though…”
Yuan Mobai gently shook his head. “Their wrongdoing hasn’t been proven—at least not clearly. Please, Sect Leader, hold back for now and don’t act prematurely.”
Lei Jun looked at Tang Xiaotang. “We trust your judgment, Little Senior Sister. But this kind of thing is hard to convince others of. Just like those monks’ true motives—they’d never dare voice them.”
“As for the Four-Eyed Python Emperor, I believe the Imperial Court has its suspicions. But he’s never shown his face again. The Western Buddhists have hidden him well.”
To the general public of the Great Tang, how did the Sumeru Vajra Division appear?
Their origins and operations were a bit mysterious, but they had many experts.
They were proactive in spreading Buddhist doctrine and teachings, yet acted in a gentle, understanding manner.
Since revealing themselves to the world, they’d helped suppress the Guanzhong demon rebellion, fought evil in the Southern Wasteland, and confronted the Blood River Sect, the Mortal Daoist Nation, and other Great Demons.
This time, they sealed the Luo Abyss Portal, eliminated remnants of the Mortal Daoist Nation, fought in Bashu where a Ninth-Heaven monk perished, and even the Vajra Division Head was injured.
On the whole—they had given it their all, but also suffered heavy losses.
There were some suspicious incidents, like the death of the Four-Eyed Python Emperor and the nearby presence of Master Renzhu during the Mount Longhu battle, but there was no solid proof of wrongdoing.
Even the controversy over the Tianshi Robe had been put to rest. They’d simply been scapegoated by the Mortal Daoist Nation.
“But from here on, they might start moving more aggressively,” Lei Jun said.
“This time, Jialuotu showing up personally only helped boost Little Senior Sister’s prestige. That might hurt their efforts to spread Buddhism in the Tang more than losing a Ninth-Heaven monk ever could.”
“He deserved it,” Tang Xiaotang snorted.
But her temper faded quickly, and curiosity took over.
“Do you think they really managed to convert that Four-Eyed Python Emperor?”
Lei Jun replied, “I talked about this with Senior Brother before. Just relying on the Hand Seal techniques wouldn’t cut it. They must’ve used some special spiritual items and tools, along with other unique conditions.
Even so, opportunities like that must be rare, or it would’ve become widespread by now. The Vajra Division of Sumeru likely handles this very cautiously.
As for ‘conversion’—it’s more like exploiting a loophole in the opponent’s ‘One Path Only’ body technique, forcibly swapping their cultivation path for an equivalent Buddhist one.
Not a true dual-inheritance of both traditions.”
Tang Xiaotang scowled, “Still sounds sketchy.”
Lei Jun: “One step at a time.”
Yuan Mobai, listening on the side, couldn’t help but smile.
A little while later, Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen finally returned to the mountain.
“How did it go on your side?” she asked Lei Jun.
Lei Jun pulled out a few talisman decrees. “Got these off two Mortal Daoist Nation cultivators from the Ming Dynasty.”
Xu Yuanzhen raised her hand, revealing a talisman she’d drawn. “I’ve compiled some findings too.”
Lei Jun said, “Let’s head to the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar. There are still a few things from Huang Xuanpu and Fu Dongsen there.”
“Alright,” said Xu Yuanzhen.
At the altar, Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen sat across from each other, organizing the many spiritual items they'd gathered from the Mortal Daoist Nation.
As they refined them, waves of radiant light flowed through the altar, producing numerous Daoist talismans. Eventually, they converged into a colossal talisman decree several meters tall.
However, its surface was still riddled with cracks and missing parts.
“We’ll need more time to study it,” Lei Jun said. “Huang Xuanpu was a slippery one—he’s probably got another hideout. If we find it, there might be more to uncover.”
Xu Yuanzhen replied, “It’s alright. We’ve solved the major issues. What’s left is just a matter of slow, careful work.”
Tang Xiaotang asked curiously, “Does it connect directly to Ming’s Mortal Realm?”
“More likely… to Penglai,” Xu Yuanzhen said.
Tang Xiaotang sighed dreamily. “I’ve heard about Penglai for so long. One day, I’ve got to see it myself.”
Xu Yuanzhen smirked, “Then figure it out on your own. You missed your chance before by half-assing it—no one else to blame.”
But this time, Tang Xiaotang just chuckled mysteriously. “Don’t worry, I’ll manage. In fact, let me tell you a secret—I’ve made progress with my path-tracking technique!”
Lei Jun’s interest was piqued. “Oh?”
Tang Xiaotang grinned. “I’ll be going into seclusion soon to dig deeper into it.”
She stood up, stretched, and smiled brightly at Lei Jun.
“All in all, this trip had a few regrets. But like Little Martial Uncle always says—go with the flow.”
The tall young woman smiled and said, “So, some things should happen naturally too.”
That very day, an announcement was made throughout the Tianshi Mansion on Mount Longhu:
After the coming New Year, the current Tianshi, Tang Xiaotang, will voluntarily step down as Sect Leader.
The new Sect Leader of the Tianshi Mansion will be the Presiding Master, Lei Jun.
The news spread across the land, and invitations were sent far and wide for guests to witness the ceremony on the fifteenth day of the first month.