Chapter 387: Chapter 387

Lei Jun returned from the distant depths of the Eastern Sea with Tang Xiaotang.

Due to the massive battle between them, the surrounding seas and atmospheric patterns had been severely affected, their impact radiating outward in all directions.

Above Lei Jun’s head, high in the sky, the Grand Celestial Mirror spun slowly.

In the distant distance, the mirror’s glow seemed to briefly catch sight of a massive black shadow rising and falling across the ocean surface.

The shadow vanished almost immediately.

It was too far to sense any spiritual or magical aura, but judging from the environmental context, it was most likely a top-tier great demon active in the Eastern Sea.

The tempestuous waves triggered by the battle between Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang had disturbed even the powerful beings nearby.

Sensing the ferocity of divine techniques unleashed in this region, even the ferocious demon clans grew wary and retreated deep into the sea without delay.

Chu Kun had remained near the coast to observe the battle. At the same time, he helped calm the coastal tides stirred by their conflict.

Tang Xiaotang’s emotions, like always, came and went quickly.

As they neared the mountain range where Mount Longhu lay, the National Preceptor suddenly glanced north and asked Lei Jun, “You’ve met Her Majesty before, haven’t you?”

Lei Jun replied, “Yes. After returning from Cangzhou, I met her once in Zhongzhou.”

Tang Xiaotang asked, “What do you think of her?”

Though the question came abruptly and lacked context, Lei Jun remained composed—he understood her real meaning:

“With spiritual energy now surging across the world, Her Majesty is a scholar of both Heaven and Earth.

Even without the blessing of the national fortune and dragon vein, her own talent and learning alone give her a strong chance of taking that final step.”

The Imperial Dao Technique has a relatively short history. It arose later than the oldest Daoist talismanic arts, Confucian recitations, or the Witch Sect’s divine dances.

Back when the Heavenly Court still existed, the barrier between mortals and immortals was absolute.

Mortal emperors could never ascend.

But after the Heavenly Court sank and mortal realms were plunged into chaos, sects and spiritual veins merged, giving birth to the Imperial Dao Technique—a synthesis of several legacies.

The mortal emperor gradually became the ruler of all lands, reaching heights once reserved for immortals.

Even so, the Imperial Dao Technique was always tied to the land, people, and national fate.

It remained rooted in the mortal world.

If a mortal emperor ascended, the mountains and rivers would stay behind, and the technique would revert to another sect.

However, with the power of mass offerings and national rituals, the difficulty of ascension for an emperor was much lower than for other cultivation paths.

Yet such a method brought instability.

After all, to offer the lives of millions to empower a single person… it inevitably earned the label of tyranny.

And the glory of such times didn’t last long.

As spiritual energy dwindled across the ages, no one ascended anymore, not even emperors.

But now, with spiritual energy rising again, treasures and prodigies reappearing, the dawn of immortality once more shone before mortals.

In the Tang realm, the most anticipated figure on this path was undoubtedly Empress Zhang Wantong—the strongest cultivator alive.

Though she had relinquished the Imperial Dao, she already stood at the peak of the Ninth Heaven.

Her natural talent meant she no longer needed the final push from the Imperial Dao to reach even greater heights.

“In fact, her recent injuries may be the more significant factor holding her back,” Lei Jun said. “Still, if she were to break through in the next few years, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Tang Xiaotang didn’t object.

She seemed distracted, her gaze unfocused—as if considering something else.

Lei Jun asked, “Is Little Senior Sister thinking of that Mount Sumeru within Sumeru?”

“Mhm… something feels off…” Tang Xiaotang murmured, a bit dazed.

Lei Jun said calmly, “All we need to do is focus and refine ourselves.”

Tang Xiaotang snapped back and smiled. “Now that’s what I like to hear.”

Upon returning to Mount Longhu and greeting Yuan Mobai, Shangguan Ning, and others, Tang Xiaotang accompanied Lei Jun into the Shangqing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven.

“Here,” she said, forming a talisman flickering with golden radiance, electric serpents coursing across its surface.

Lei Jun solemnly accepted the talisman: a Divine Firmament Pure Yang Talisman. “Thank you for the transmission, Little Senior Sister.”

Tang Xiaotang looked curious. “That Yin Thunder Dragon of yours is pretty good. Can’t you use it? What exactly are you working on?”

Lei Jun raised a finger.

A white jade seal at his waist floated into the air, glowing as it activated the three-tiered altar within the purple world of the Shangqing Thunder Altar.

At the base of the altar, the Nine Abyss True Flame blazed green and intense.

Within the flames, countless specks of light floated up and down.

With a gesture, Lei Jun summoned the specks outward.

Before them appeared countless identical magical mirrors, floating in the air.

“My newly refined Celestial Net of the Star Sea,” Lei Jun explained as he lifted a hand again.

Beams of light radiated from the mirrors, linking them together.

The mass of mirrors rose high into the sky and spread apart, their beams still interlinked.

Soon, the ancient mirrors and their connecting rays formed a massive net, covering the purple heavens of the grotto-heaven.

Tang Xiaotang glanced up. “You’re combining this with your Celestial Ground-Through Talisman and the Two-Element Celestial Talisman, aren’t you?”

Lei Jun nodded. “For now, the range is still limited. But once it expands further, the links will thin out and weaken. To strengthen them, Yang thunder is too intense—Yin thunder is just right.”

Tang Xiaotang asked, “How does it perform with Mysterious Firmament Celestial Thunder?”

Lei Jun flicked a finger.

A strand of black lightning rose silently, extending along the faint golden lines.

At first, the beams between the mirrors only flickered slightly before stabilizing.

They grew more vivid and resilient.

But soon, black light began to seep through… followed by signs of decay and breakage.

Tang Xiaotang nodded slightly. “No wonder. Your Yin thunder is more like Black Yin Water Thunder—silent but violently destructive.”

Lei Jun said, “Pure Yin Thunder is a better fit for this technique.”

With his Two-Element Celestial Physique and outstanding comprehension, he had the potential to refine two life-bound divine techniques upon reaching the Ninth Heaven, provided they were polar opposites—mutually reinforcing and clashing.

Tang Xiaotang’s Pure Yang Celestial Thunder was undoubtedly powerful.

If things went smoothly, the Pure Yin Thunder born in response would be no less remarkable.

“Little Senior Sister, you still haven’t refined your sixth life-bound divine technique, have you?” Lei Jun asked casually, handing her the Voidbreaking Primordial Stone.

唐晓棠's explanation follows, as does more dialogue and reflections on the cultivation paths, divine techniques, rare physiques, and the uniqueness of the Primordial Dao Body—I will continue with the final portion in the next message.

(Continued translation — final portion)

Tang Xiaotang was born with the Pure Yang Celestial Physique, and after stepping into the Upper Three Heavens, with every realm she reached, she could cultivate not only one standard life-bound divine technique but also an additional one compatible with her physique and immense comprehension.

At the Seventh Heaven, besides the Yin Fire Tiger, she refined the Pure Yang Fire Tiger.

At the Eighth Heaven, besides the Fate Star Avatar, she refined the Pure Yang Thunder Dragon.

Upon reaching the Ninth Heaven, her situation grew special.

She neither chose the Tianshi Mansion’s legacy Nine Heavens Divine Thunder nor refined another self-created Pure Yang technique.

Instead, she charted a different course, shaping her one-of-a-kind gift—what had once been mere intuitive perception—into a defined and tangible form: the Heavenly Heart Insight Talisman.

The resulting Dharma Apparition she named Heaven-Perceiving Insight, also known as Eye of the Heart.

Tang Guoshi was quite satisfied with this.

But in Lei Jun’s opinion, it was probably because she often failed to catch fleeing enemies, grew frustrated, and decided to make up for that weakness.

Regardless, it worked—she succeeded in the initial stage.

Lei Jun had thought she might also refine a third Pure Yang life-bound divine technique, but she never made any move toward that.

It didn’t seem like she was waiting for the Primordial Dao Body, either.

That physique, once fully awakened as Primordial One Qi, would vastly enhance all her techniques.

“Thunder and fire are the most dominant yang elements. With those two, I’m pretty satisfied already,” Tang Xiaotang said cheerfully. “As for the whole Pure Yang Fate Star Avatar thing? No need. I’ve already come up with some new ideas building on both the Nine Suns Radiance and Fate Star. Just haven’t had time to flesh them out.”

Lei Jun raised a brow. “So you’re really waiting on the Primordial Dao Body?”

Tang Xiaotang waved her hands theatrically. “Of course! I’m going to make it a spectacle!”

Lei Jun chuckled, intrigued. “Then I wish you a sweeping success.”

Tang Xiaotang grinned, gripping the Voidbreaking Primordial Stone in her palm. “I’ll definitely pull it off.”

Lei Jun said, “Then I’ll offer my early congratulations to Little Senior Sister—soon to become the sole bearer of the Primordial Dao Body in the world.”

The odds were slim, but in a world that now contained multiple realms simultaneously, it was possible for two people to possess the Pure Yang Celestial Physique.

But Dao Bodies were different.

At this moment in time, there could only be one person with the Primordial Dao Body.

This rule also applied to the other four Innate Five Great Dao Bodies.

In short: at any given time, whether naturally born or cultivated later, the Dao Body of each type could only exist in one individual.

Similar constraints appeared in other traditions like Confucianism or Buddhism.

For example, in the Confucian school, above even the Divine Brush of Inspiration, was the unique bone-aptitude known as “Literary Star’s Illumination.”

Its five forms—illuminating the past and present, the universe, the world, the people, and the righteous heart—were also one of a kind, each able to exist in only one person per era.

In recorded history, it was rare for even one of these prodigies to appear in a given century.

And because these physiques were mostly innate, few could improve to that level later, making competition unlikely.

But in theory, if Tang Xiaotang successfully advances from the Pure Yang Celestial Physique to the Primordial Dao Body, it would eliminate the possibility of anyone else becoming a Primordial Dao Body in this generation.

No one else—even those with the Pure Yang, Pure Yin, or Grand Void Celestial Physiques—could ascend to it.

…Of course, if she fails, then it would mean someone else in the world already holds it.

After bidding farewell to Tang Xiaotang as she began her seclusion, Lei Jun exited the Shangqing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven and spoke to Junior Brother Chu Kun about it:

“Junior Brother, if you had chosen the Cosmic Celestial Physique instead of the Heavenly River Celestial Physique, you’d be competing with Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen for the Primordial Origin Dao Body.”

Back then, Lei Jun had assumed Xu Yuanzhen was heading for the Illuminated Radiance Celestial Physique, which—like the Cosmic Physique—pointed to the Primordial Origin Dao Body.

Meanwhile, Chu Kun’s current Heavenly River Celestial Physique, refined through opportunities like the Earth Surge Heaven-Star, now pointed upward toward the Grand Simplicity Dao Body.

As for Lei Jun himself, internal competition wasn’t out of the question either.

If Xin Beiyuan managed to evolve his Myriad Phenomena Sacred Physique into the Forest-Nether Celestial Physique, it would, like Lei Jun’s Two-Element Celestial Physique, aim toward the Taiji Dao Body.

But unlike Lei Jun, Xin would first have to achieve that breakthrough to the Forest-Nether level.

Lei Jun and the others wouldn’t hinder Xin Beiyuan—they all knew such things depended on fate and opportunity.

“Senior Brother, you’re making it sound easy,” Chu Kun sighed. “I was lucky enough to get the Heavenly River Celestial Physique. I’m already thanking the heavens for that.

Who has the luxury to be picky? Who even dares to dream of a Dao Body?

It’s not like these are vegetables in a field, ready to be picked whenever—

…okay, maybe for you and Senior Sister it is.”

Lei Jun chuckled. “Still, it’s good to have a goal. It’s not wrong to aim high.”

Chu Kun gave a bitter laugh. “Then I’ll aim for immortality instead. At least most of that depends on effort, not just luck.”

After sharing a few laughs, the two went their separate ways.

As a High-Powered Elder of the Tianshi Mansion, Chu Kun would be withdrawing from daily affairs over the coming years to focus on completing the foundation for his ascension path, aiming to break through to the Divine Court Realm of the Eighth Heaven.

Lei Jun, on the other hand, began refining his own cultivation.

Thanks to his natural talent and direct transmission from Tang Xiaotang, he quickly grasped the powerful Divine Firmament Pure Yang Talisman, beginning to master its intricacies.

Within his grotto, golden lightning arced through the air, shifting freely between blazing dominance and serene clarity—balancing movement and stillness in harmony.

Though he had yet to form the Pure Yang Thunder Dragon—the Dharma Apparition of the Pure Yang Thunder Ancestor—the technique had already begun to take shape.

Lei Jun nodded slightly in satisfaction.

Compared to the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, the Pure Yang Celestial Thunder was more stable and refined, while the former was more explosive.

But now, that contrast was reversed.

The Pure Yang thunder had grown fiercer, while the Divine Thunder appeared more restrained.

This wasn’t solely due to Tang Xiaotang’s temperament.

Rather, it was because the Divine Thunder had been polished over generations within the Tianshi Mansion, refined to near perfection.

Tang Xiaotang, though a prodigy, had only recently begun improving the Pure Yang thunder.

Its power was overwhelming, but its foundation was still shallow.

That made it less stable than the Divine Thunder it should have surpassed.

Fortunately, Lei Jun had no trouble controlling it.

The biggest difference, in fact, lay in the mana consumption when controlling the Pure Yang Thunder Dragon versus the Yang Thunder Dragon.

Talismanic Daoists borrowed the power of Heaven and Earth, harmonizing with nature.

Thanks to generations of refinement by the Tianshi Mansion, Lei Jun’s use of the Yang Thunder Dragon allowed him to continually connect with the natural world, consuming relatively little mana.

However, the Pure Yang Thunder Dragon required him to withstand much more pressure with his own power.

Tang Xiaotang herself spent far less mana when using Pure Yang Thunderfire—not because the talisman she passed on to Lei Jun was flawed, but due to the innate advantage of her Pure Yang Celestial Physique.

The same applied to her use of the Yin Fire Tiger and the Destined Star Avatar.

When Lei Jun manifested apparitions such as the Nine Heavens Thunder Ancestor, Nine Abyss Flame Ancestor, and Doumu Star God, he could draw more power from nature and thus used less mana compared to manifesting the Mysterious Firmament Thunder Ancestor or the Heavenly Sun Flame Ancestor.

“The path of cultivation is a long one indeed!”

Lei Jun chuckled with great interest.

He refocused his mind and attention on the Divine Firmament Pure Yang Talisman before him.

This Pure-Gold Talisman floated to his left as he sat at the center of a Taiji Diagram.

On the opposite side of his body, under the circulation of his mana, something new gradually began to take shape from nothing.

It appeared faint—wisps of silver threads flickering mid-air.

Compared to Shen Qubing’s blinding white Tai Ting Celestial Thunder, the silver-white sparks flickering to Lei Jun’s right were darker and more tranquil.

Lei Jun closed his eyes and settled into deep meditation.

Capital of the realm.

At this moment, it was the meeting site for the Five Prominent Clans.

Within elegant pavilions and courtyards, two middle-aged men sat facing one another.

One was Fang Xi, head of the Fang Clan of Datong.

The other, Su Guang, was current patriarch of the Su Clan, one of the Five Prominent Clans.

While they conversed, a young man of about thirty appeared.

Both men stood as he approached:

“Brother Tonghe, you’ve come.”

He was Lin Tonghe, also called Lin Zheng—a Grand Scholar of Confucian Classical Studies, who had reached the Ninth Heaven Realm, mastering all Five Rites.

He was the foremost expert of the Lin Clan and currently the strongest cultivator in Datong.

“Brother Chun Guang,” Lin Zheng nodded with a smile, bowing to both men.

They invited him to sit.

Though leaders of the Xiao Clan and Han Clan had yet to arrive, Fang Xi opened the topic:

“Brother Tonghe, what are your thoughts?”

“That realm… the Tang Mortal Realm has razed noble houses and humiliated culture,” said Lin Zheng, tone frosty.

“However, their strength cannot be underestimated. Rash action would be unwise. We must proceed cautiously.

Until then, Datong must be sealed off, severing all exchange to prevent threats from our flank.”

Fang Xi and Su Guang nodded slowly.

“A wise and statesmanlike view—we are in full agreement.”

Lin Zheng looked to Fang Xi.

“Brother Chun Guang, are there further developments?”

“The Tianshi Mansion of Han Dynasty has caught wind of the matter,” Fang Xi said seriously.

“They seem deeply shaken.

The upheaval from the Talismanic Branch’s reformation back then was significant.

Now they regard the Tang Tianshi Mansion with intense wariness.

Yet at present, their more immediate enemies are Vast Void Temple and the Vajra Division, leaving them uneasy and on edge.”

“They’ve dispatched envoys to our clan in Jingxiang, but none of high rank.”

“The Vajra Division faces a similar situation,” said Lin Zheng.

“Those monks from the Western Region caused no small stir in Tang, suffering heavy losses,” Fang Xi noted.

“But if all Five Vajra Divisions exist within Mount Sumeru, then their power must be immense—though now they seem to act separately.”

“What of the Han Emperor and Crown Prince?” asked Su Guang.

“The Emperor is aloof,” said Fang Xi.

“But the Crown Prince is taking it seriously.

The Tang Empress is immensely powerful—possibly en route to becoming a Celestial Saint.”

Even if she wasn’t, nothing stopped them from claiming she was for Han’s political messaging—especially with the Tianshi Mansion’s three Great Ascension Realm cultivators.

“Still, I believe we should not allow outsiders into Datong,” Fang Xi added.

“There’s something else worth noting,” said Lin Zheng slowly.

“News from Han’s Southern Wasteland suggests a Void Gateway once opened briefly, seemingly connecting to the Tang Mortal Realm—though it quickly closed.”

“Is the source reliable?” asked the other two.

“It’s said someone from Vast Void Temple made contact via that gateway,” Lin said.

“That realm apparently also contains a Great Extinction Maitreya lineage.”

He looked pointedly at them.

“The cause may trace back to a treasure once carried by the late Master of Eastsun Mountain.”

“Eastsun Mountain… did he die in Tang, or was it coincidence?” mused Fang Xi.

“I’ll contact the Wang Clan of Langya to verify,” said Su Guang.

“My thanks, Brother Hong Gao,” said Lin Zheng.

If they could bypass Datong entirely and open a direct Void Gateway from Han to Tang, that would be ideal.

At the same time, they must cut off all short-term paths between Datong and the Tang Realm.

“If the Tang truly sends forces through an unsealable gateway, we must have a plan,” Lin added.

“When the other clan leaders arrive, I hope we can collaborate to defend against this humiliation and prepare accordingly.”

“We gladly follow your lead,” Fang Xi and Su Guang replied.

Just then, a servant announced the arrival of the Xiao and Han Clan leaders.

Tianshi Mansion, Mount Longhu

Within the Upper Qing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven, Tianshi Lei Jun sat cross-legged atop a massive Taiji Diagram, suspended above the peak of Biyou Immortal Mountain.

Purple lightning fell like rain across the sky, but upon hitting the diagram, it vanished like smoke—leaving clear skies behind.

Time passed silently.

Lei Jun had reached his sixty-ninth birthday.

Seated at the diagram’s center, golden and silver lightning flickered on either side of him.

On the gold side, a giant talisman of intricate, mysterious design had formed.

From it, interwoven golden lightning converged into the massive head of a dragon, which began to emerge.

On the silver side, lightning danced chaotically, forming a less stable but gradually rotating talisman.

Lei Jun remained calm and focused, unaware of the passage of time.

Winter passed. Summer returned.

At seventy, he marked a decade since becoming Tianshi of Mount Longhu.

Across the empire, tributes poured in.

But Mount Longhu held no grand celebration.

The coming Talisman Conferral Ceremony, held every six years on January 15, would see guests from far and wide—and would more than suffice.

This year, all three Southern Wasteland Holy Lands—Gepo Mountain, Reincarnation Abyss, and Yin Mountain—openly sent congratulations.

Mount Longhu’s prestige now exceeded earlier generations, and it fully deserved such honor.

After the ceremony, Wen Xi, current Holy Master of Gepo Mountain, privately offered a gift to Lei Jun—

A partially damaged golden seal, containing an eerie and complex power: part profound Daoist meaning, part violent malice.

“From an ancient Talismanic Daoist lineage,” Lei Jun nodded upon seeing it.

“A friend of mine found it by chance,” said Wen Xi. “He asked me to return it to its rightful domain.”

“Do you know where it was found?”

“Though it bears the ancient Daoist aura, the power and cultivation path reflect that of our sect’s outcast—Chen Yi. He must still be in Luoyuan.”

“I’ll keep an eye out,” said Wen Xi.

“Much appreciated. But no need to trouble yourself,” said Lei Jun. “My thanks.”

“Has Xing Feng, Sect Master of the Blood River Sect, completed his Divine Descent?”

“I’m not certain,” said Wen Xi. “But based on past signs, I believe he has a good chance of ascending to the Ninth Heaven Realm.”

Lei Jun was undisturbed by external events. He simply continued living and cultivating at his own pace.

In time, his newly-forged Silver Thunder grew stronger.

His Star River Net unfolded, lines of light linking across the mirror array.

With supreme precision, he imbued those threads with silver lightning, until they seemed to solidify into something tangible—like flowing water.

He nodded, satisfied.

Then he turned to his next task—refining his Great Celestial Mirror, infused with Starlight from Duyu and the Ten-Marked Jade of Miluo.

Streams of Buddhist Vital Qi swirled and condensed as celestial jade light fused into the mirror’s surface.

As he slowly refined it, another year passed, and Lei Jun turned seventy-one.

With the New Year, good news arrived—

His fellow disciple Chu Kun, who had been in closed cultivation for nearly a year, had successfully broken through.

The Tianshi Lineage of Mount Longhu gained another Eighth Heaven Elder.

Soon after came more news:

The former Crown Prince of Tang, now the Wandering Scholar Zhang Hui, had successfully crossed the Heavenly Chasm, reaching the Ninth Heaven Realm of Confucianism.

“Truly impressive,” said Chu Kun, amazed.

“He lost the aid of the Imperial Dao Techniques—he and Her Majesty were most affected—yet he still succeeded so quickly.”

“With the surge of Spiritual Energy,” said Lei Jun, “geniuses emerge constantly.

That’s what makes a Golden Age.”

Chu Kun nodded repeatedly.

After chatting for a bit, he asked,

“Senior Brother, I’ve been in seclusion a year, and it’s been over two years since the Battle of Luoyang.

Any new movements from Datong?”

“Nothing major,” said Lei Jun.

He paused, then added with a smile,

“Last autumn, I sent them a letter forged in the handwriting of the Fang Clan of Jingxiang, in the style of ‘letters as face.’”

“Oh? Your forgeries are that good now?” Chu Kun asked.

“Seems convincing enough.”

“What did you write?”

“I claimed our Tianshi Mansion had become arrogant and overbearing—finally crossing the Empress’s tolerance, setting us on a path of mutual hostility.”