Chapter 388: Chapter 388

“If the people in Datong don't understand His Majesty well enough, they might see this as an opportunity—thinking in terms of imperial balancing tactics.”

Chu Kun came back to his senses and added, “But with the reputation you've earned recently, Senior Brother, I think just you alone would be enough to intimidate many from acting rashly.

If Datong has also heard of Senior Sister and Tang Shijie, then even if they fully believe your message, I bet they’d still tread carefully.

And I remember you said before—we’re going to take the initiative this time. Once the situation in the Tang Mortal Realm stabilizes, we’ll head to Datong ourselves?”

Lei Jun nodded. “Exactly. So I sent that message back not expecting to bait them out.

It was more of a summary and trial based on what we’ve gathered.

I’m not hoping they’ll come to the Tang Realm. I just want them to stay put and not go hiding elsewhere.”

Chu Kun understood. “Senior Brother, classic you.”

Lei Jun smiled. “Just something I did while I had the chance. Normally, we should just focus on our own cultivation.”

“Indescribable,” Chu Kun replied with a grin. “So many truths I’ve learned actually align perfectly with what I’m now sensing.”

Lei Jun asked, “So, what’s your pick for the second life-bound ability?”

In this regard, the Celestial River Physique was similar to the Cosmic Physique, Stellar Radiance Physique, Grand Void Physique, and Forest of Myriad Manifestations Physique—enhancing the user's existing divine abilities rather than directly granting a new one like the Two-Element Physique, Pure Yang Physique, Pure Yin Physique, or the Tai Ting Celestial Physique sometimes could.

Each came with its own pros and cons.

Those with the same physique might still diverge based on their own cultivation path and unique circumstances.

Chu Kun had long thought this through. “You guessed it, Senior Brother. I actually wanted your guidance on my second divine ability.”

Lei Jun asked, “The Heavenly Sun Ascendant Talisman, with the Heavenly Sun Flame Ancestor Apparition?”

Chu Kun nodded. “Yeah. I have some ideas tailored to myself.”

Lei Jun chuckled. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.”

As he spoke, a brilliant red-gold flame suddenly appeared in midair, condensing into a profound talisman.

Fire licked at its edges, intense and radiant like the rim of a blazing sun.

“Compared to Little Shijie’s Pure Yang Talisman, my Heavenly Fire Talisman still isn’t quite refined enough—let alone compared to the Fire Law Talismanic Canon from our core legacy.”

“But it’s fine for combat,” Lei Jun added. “Just that younger disciples watching should be cautious. Good thing you’ve already formed your Divine Court and can nurture it properly.”

Chu Kun gave his thanks and stored the Heavenly Sun Ascendant Talisman inside the internal realm of his newly formed Divine Court.

Inside his body’s universe, stars twinkled brightly like a river in the sky.

At the Eighth Heaven Divine Court stage, Talismanic Daoist cultivators constructed an inner cosmos. Since their methods were rooted in the laws of nature, these inner realms usually resembled vast, quiet space.

Most had sparse stars that seemed distant and static, orbiting silently by natural law.

Chu Kun’s universe, however, was packed with dazzling stars, far more brilliant and numerous than others’.

Even so, the Heavenly Sun Ascendant Talisman entered like a sun among stars—still the most massive and radiant presence.

Its red-gold flames rippled outward, illuminating the deep cosmic void.

“Reflect on it yourself first,” Lei Jun said casually. “If anything confuses you, ask Master or come straight to me.”

Chu Kun thanked him again and left.

Lei Jun, meanwhile, went to visit his Little Shijie—Tang Xiaotang, who was still in seclusion.

This retreat had gone longer than expected, but Tang Xiaotang was fine.

She was simply refining her new life-bound divine ability.

She had purposely skipped her third Pure Yang ability to wait until she completed the Primordial Dao Body, using it to forge an entirely new divine art. As the Tang State Preceptor, she was clearly aiming for perfection.

Lei Jun entered the Upper Qing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven and climbed to the summit of Biyou Immortal Mountain.

There, a tall Daoist priestess in a purple-gold robe sat cross-legged in meditation.

In the past, when Tang Xiaotang pushed her Pure Yang powers to the limit, her eyes and hair would glow with a golden sheen, the same as when she was in battle.

But now, as she cultivated to a new critical level, her appearance remained calm and unchanged.

The Primordial Dao Body had shed many former traits, turning wholly serene and clear.

Lei Jun observed quietly, sensing a return to the pure and essential.

Around Tang Xiaotang, faint, colorless currents swirled—subtle, elusive, and almost imperceptible.

Most couldn’t detect them, not even Upper Heaven cultivators.

Even Lei Jun, with his exceptional perception, could barely grasp their shape and movement.

“The Primordial Qi,” he whispered, “the very beginning of existence, from nothing to something.”

He smiled and waited. Only when Tang Xiaotang finished did he speak: “Little Shijie, even with this new divine art, you still go for bold and forceful, huh?”

Tang Xiaotang rose from the mountain peak. “Of course. I said I wanted something big.”

Then she pouted slightly. “Too bad not many people can tell how powerful this move really is.”

Complaining about the lack of flashy effects… Lei Jun chuckled.

He shook his head. “Shijie, loud lights and thunder don’t always mean it hits hard. True power depends on who you hit—and what happens after.”

Tang Xiaotang: “I know. But it’d be even better to have both.”

Lei Jun: “We’ve got time.”

The two sat down together and exchanged insights on divine abilities and cultivation.

Unlike their sparring sessions back in the Eastern Sea, this was more casual—driven by mutual curiosity.

Both were exceptionally talented, so even their small talk revealed valuable insights others could only dream of.

Afterward, Lei Jun shared the latest updates with Tang Xiaotang.

Everything else was fine, but when she heard that Zhang Hui had reached the Ninth Heaven—Balance of the World Realm—she curled her lip.

“He’s fifty-three this year, right?” she asked.

Lei Jun replied, “Yeah. Eighteen years younger than me, sixteen years younger than you.”

He knew her well enough to read her tone and expression.

Zhang Hui achieving Ninth Heaven a year younger than Tang Xiaotang would naturally catch her attention.

Especially since he had superior innate aptitude and bone structure—unlike Lei Jun and Chu Kun, who improved theirs through cultivation.

That said, Tang Xiaotang’s current physique was even better, so she wasn’t as bothered anymore.

“How’s Senior Sister doing in the Ming Mortal Realm?” she asked.

Lei Jun replied, “She’ll be back soon. Right now, she’s actually somewhere else—not in the Ming Realm.”

Tang Xiaotang grinned. “With the Cosmic Physique, there aren’t many places she can’t reach now.”

Lei Jun nodded. “She broke through the boundary between the Ming Realm and another mortal world—one that briefly clashed with the Ming Dynasty in the Southern Wasteland.”

Tang Xiaotang raised an eyebrow. “And their background?”

Lei Jun explained, “According to her, that world is about six hundred years ahead of us. There’s no single empire—just many warring kingdoms constantly toppling one another. A brutal mess.”

He paused. “It actually reminds me a lot of the old Southern Wasteland—but on a bigger scale.”

Sounds like… the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, he thought to himself.

Tang Xiaotang was intrigued. “I heard martial artists dominate over there?”

Lei Jun nodded. “Yeah, warriors rule. Buddhism and witchcraft are common. Confucianism and Daoism aren’t mainstream—at least not right now.”

Tang Xiaotang recalled something. “Then what about those noble families like the Five Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans?”

Lei Jun said, “Centuries of bloody warfare have already wiped them out over there. Just history now.”

He felt oddly emotional.

The hidden Purple Star—his fourth—had been nudged by the leyline flow, passing from the Tang lands into Tianli, and then from there into the Ming Realm.

But before the Ming Realm could fully absorb it, the star had followed the energy flow and slipped into the new war-torn realm through the portal opened by Xu Yuanzhen.

Where it would land next… who knew?

As for why Xu Yuanzhen left the Ming Realm?

Because the things she’d been watching were already settled.

The Xiaoming Court was completely gone—just history now.

Tang Xiaotang asked, “What’s going on in Datong?”

Lei Jun replied, “Through the void between realms, we’re only picking up scattered bits of text. Nothing very complete.”

The most useful intel was that the Han Dynasty’s imperial court and Mount Longhu’s Tianshi Mansion had sent people to Datong to meet the clan heads.

“There’s also some slight movement from the Eastern Sun Hermit’s branch residence,” Lei Jun added. “They may have sensed a brief link between the Tang Realm and the Han Realm due to the Hermit’s relic.”

If the Han Realm could connect directly to the Tang Realm without going through Datong, the clans in Datong might just sit back and watch.

Tang Xiaotang’s brows rose. “Didn’t you say we should study the option of heading into Datong ourselves? Any progress?”

Lei Jun: “It’s coming together. Once Senior Sister is back, we’ll head out together.”

Xu Yuanzhen didn’t care much for Datong itself.

She was more interested in the Han Realm’s Mount Longhu Tianshi Mansion.

Meanwhile, in Datong—

The head of the Xiao family, Xiao Jing, wore a calm expression. “I’m going to make a trip to the Han Mortal Realm to meet that crown prince. I’ll be leaving the rest of Datong’s affairs in your care, Brother-in-law.”

Standing before her was a middle-aged scholar: Han Tian, current clan head of the Han family—one of the Five Prominent Clans of Datong.

Of these five, the Han and Xiao families had the closest ties, often intermarrying and cooperating closely on major matters.

Right now, Datong’s situation was delicate. Though the clans guarded against one another, they also worked together in the face of external threats—a rare display of unity.

Still, closeness varied.

“The Han Realm’s not exactly peaceful these days,” Han Tian said slowly.

Xiao Jing nodded. “I’ll be careful.”

She departed from Datong and set off for the Han Realm.

She wasn’t traveling alone—accompanying her was a Daoist named Zhao Huai, from the Tianshi Mansion of Mount Longhu in the Han Realm.

He had stayed in Datong for some time, and now, he was returning.

Mountains may change, fortunes may shift.

The Han Realm and the Tang Realm were geographically similar, but with subtle differences in detail. Rivers and mountain ranges largely aligned.

Zhao Huai returned to Xunzhou and ascended Mount Longhu.

From afar, the mountain exuded a spiritual radiance.

The most visible difference compared to its Tang Realm counterpart was that atop its peak, there was no Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven.

Instead, pillars of mist and cloud shot into the sky.

The upper skies were cloudless, but the multicolored glow above the mountain blazed endlessly—hinting at a connection to some invisible, divine presence.

Upon arrival, Zhao Huai bypassed all formalities and made straight for the Tianshi Hall to report to his sect’s master.

The current head of the Han Realm’s Mount Longhu Tianshi Mansion was Ji Daocheng—widely acknowledged as the top Daoist in the Han Dynasty.

Even the emperor and crown prince treated him with utmost respect.

Or rather, they respected the Tianshi Mansion as a whole.

Dynasties may rise and fall, but the Tianshi Mansion stood unshaken.

Why? Because even if their cultivation system made major breakthroughs difficult, their constant emergence of formidable cultivators—like Ji Daocheng—meant that someone powerful was backing them from above.

At least, that had always been the belief.

Zhao Huai stepped into the hall, his face serious, and bowed to Ji Daocheng and an elderly Daoist in a purple robe. “Disciple Zhao Huai greets Master Uncle Ji and my master.”

Ji Daocheng, dressed in a radiant nine-colored robe, gestured for him to rise. “What news?”

Zhao Huai replied, “The people of Datong weren’t entirely truthful, but most of what they said checks out. That other mortal realm does exist—and it still holds the Three Treasures of the Tianshi and the Altar of Ten Thousand Methods.”

His master, Ma Zongxiang, frowned deeply at this.

“Go rest,” Ji Daocheng said calmly.

After Zhao Huai left, Ji Daocheng turned to Ma Zongxiang, an elder of the Tianshi Mansion. “When your alchemy furnace finishes that batch, I’ll have to trouble you to head to Datong on my behalf.”

Ma Zongxiang nodded. “Understood, Master.”

After a pause, he asked softly, “Aside from what we’ve heard from Datong, there seems to be some unrest even within the Han Realm lately.”

Ji Daocheng nodded lightly. “I’m aware. There are Talismanic Daoists here who don’t belong to this realm—they likely came from the Tang Mortal Realm.”

Ma Zongxiang responded, “I’ve already sent disciples to investigate, but they haven’t found anything solid.”

Ji Daocheng said, “Someone on our side is aiding or sheltering them in secret.”

“What should we do next?”

“I’ll be making another formal prayer soon,” Ji Daocheng said. “I will report the state of this realm to the Ancestor.”

Ma Zongxiang replied solemnly, “May the Ancestor reveal divine will.”

Mount Longhu had stood strong through the ages.

No dynasty had dared challenge it.

And yet, in recent years, some had grown bold enough to test its patience.

One such force was the Vast Void Temple.

Since its rise, it had clashed repeatedly with the Tianshi Mansion, the foremost Daoist stronghold in the Han Dynasty.

So far, the Tianshi Mansion retained the upper hand and remained revered.

But the prolonged stalemate had stirred doubt.

People began whispering—why hadn’t any of the legendary Tianshi Ancestors revealed themselves to subdue the bloodthirsty heretics of Vast Void?

Ji Daocheng stepped into the Ancestral Altar of the Tianshi Sect.

Moments later, dazzling radiance burst skyward, reaching into the clouds.

Within the light, countless talismanic glyphs wove together, forming a divine petition that vanished into the azure heavens.

Ji Daocheng knelt silently, surrounded by eleven glowing orbs floating above the altar.

Then, light surged from above—brighter than ever before.

Moments later, a few talismans drifted down from the sky.

“Disciple Ji Daocheng, receives the decree of the Ancestor,” he said with deep reverence.

Elsewhere—far from Mount Longhu, yet still able to see its blinding radiance—

A group of monks in black robes and kasaya stood, gazing from a distance.

“Hmph, those Daoist blowhards are bluffing again,” one elder monk snorted.

At the center stood a chubby, middle-aged monk, cheerful like a wealthy landowner.

But this was Abbot Juexiang, head of the Vast Void Temple—and the most feared heretical cultivator in the Han Realm today.

He always wore a smile, cautious and composed—very different from the typical wild fanatics of his sect.

But even fierce elders like Elder Buhui followed his lead without question.

“We haven’t heard from our Tang Realm branch for a while,” Buhui said casually. “They might have been wiped out.”

Juexiang nodded. “I thought so back then, just didn’t know who did it.”

Buhui added, “Based on Datong’s timeline, their disappearance matches the Tianshi Mansion’s rise to power in the Tang Realm.”

“Quite the coincidence,” Juexiang said, chuckling. “Though weren’t they focused on rooting out corrupt Confucians in the Tang?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he went on. “As long as that Tianshi Mansion is part of the old Talismanic Branch—rumor has it they have the full set of the Three Treasures?”

Buhui: “Yes, that’s what I heard too.”

Juexiang smiled as he gazed toward Mount Longhu. “Well then… how wonderful.”

Back in the Tang Mortal Realm—

Lei Jun remained at Mount Longhu.

The entire Tianshi Mansion was at peace—an unusual stretch of calm in recent years.

Lei Jun himself cultivated patiently, improving his divine arts. In his spare time, he trained disciples or refined new Daoist tools.

With the Nine Abyss True Flame and Heavenly Sun True Flame combined, a new treasure mirror had been forged.

It looked almost transparent, with barely visible reflections.

But when Lei Jun’s Celestial Ground-Through Talisman spun in his eyes, he could see clearly through vast distances.

Compared to the old Grand Celestial Mirror, this one was far more agile and adaptive.

Infused with Traversing Star Radiance and Tenfold Patterned Jade, the mirror now had the ability to pierce certain void realms.

Even if Lei Jun entered a realm like the Deep Sea, this mirror—high above—could still reflect remote details through the void.

Sitting cross-legged, he had three light orbs floating before him.

These were the Dao Foundation Artifacts he had crafted after reaching the Upper Heaven Realm:

Upper Qing Jade Celestial Bamboo

Supreme Purity Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle

And the newest—Jade Purity Celestial Mirror

He nurtured them with care.

Later, with a wave of his hand, the bamboo and mantle vanished into his sleeves.

Only the Celestial Mirror rose skyward, transforming into a pinpoint of light.

So subtle that not even Ninth Heaven cultivators could detect it now.

Hundreds of twinkling lights rose with it—each one a mirror fragment, forming the Starry River Heavenly Net.

The mirrors linked together with silvery beams of light.

They orbited the central Celestial Mirror and, once in the sky, scattered outward like falling stars.

Though scattered, they remained linked, covering over ten thousand miles of territory.

Even in this vast world, few could imagine such a sweeping network.

Each star-point linked to Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing Talismans and Thousand-Mile Transmission Talismans across the Tianshi Mansion’s true disciples.

And so the net expanded.

After refining and testing it to his satisfaction, Lei Jun waved again.

The starry lights all vanished—silent and unseen.

Only the central Celestial Mirror remained, drifting quietly.

“In the past, it was just a clever idea,” he murmured. “Now it’s truly become something real.”

From behind, a clear, quick voice rang out—like raindrops on jade.

A petite priestess in a black cloak entered.

Lei Jun smiled. “Welcome back, Senior Sister.”

Xu Yuanzhen replied, “From what I’m hearing about Datong and the Han Realm’s Talismanic Branch… interesting things indeed.”