Chapter 432: Chapter 432

The great battle within Luoyuan raged on, showing signs of further escalation.

But the true target—it was someone else.

Lord Youluo, Nether Moss, Bone Flood Dragon Emperor, and the newly arrived Mu Weizi—their true aim was secretly directed at two other major beasts in Luoyuan:

Silvermoon Nether Phoenix and Abyssal Nether Turtle.

They wouldn’t strike at both targets simultaneously, instead preferring the tactic of picking them off one by one.

Chen Yi could easily tell this was because the three great beasts and Mu Weizi didn’t truly trust each other.

There was no real unity between them.

With all sides harboring suspicions, even if the four top-tier beings joined forces, their collective power was limited.

When facing the Silvermoon Nether Phoenix and the Abyssal Nether Turtle, they naturally opted to play it safe.

He too remained cautious of the great beasts and Mu Weizi.

Still, that didn't stop him from pursuing his own goals.

"The Flood Dragon Emperor thinks... what exactly is Mu Weizi after, coming to Luoyuan for help?"

Chen Yi brought it up privately.

The Bone Flood Dragon Emperor responded in a cold, flat tone,

"He's from the Taoist Fulu Sect, an ancient branch of it even—connected to the Heavenly Palace. It's obvious: his real goal is likely Mount Longhu, where the human realm’s Taoism has flourished since the Tang’s Daoist reformation."

Chen Yi nodded quietly.

The Bone Flood Dragon Emperor continued,

"The human world, compared to the undersea realm, has more people—more living souls. If he’s set on the human realm, that’s perfect. Everyone can get what they want.

That Heavenly Palace Seal Register you’ve been obsessing over, isn’t it in that part of the human world?"

"Yeah, I’ve got a few scores to settle."

That said, both Chen Yi and the Bone Flood Dragon Emperor were fully aware:

The human realm of Great Tang was filled with formidable cultivators—

especially the lineage of the Celestial Master Mansion of Mount Longhu, which had no shortage of powerhouses.

Whatever Chen Yi’s personal ambitions, even he admitted that was a force he couldn’t confront alone.

Not even with the Bone Flood Dragon Emperor backing him.

And Mu Weizi surely understood that too.

Even if his sights were truly set on the Tang’s human realm and the Celestial Master Mansion, he wouldn’t act recklessly or without caution.

But if he had a true immortal Taoist faction behind him, then he was definitely planning something—

It was just a matter of timing.

Whether it was Lord Youluo, the Bone Flood Dragon Emperor, Nether Moss, or Chen Yi,

They were all waiting for that same kind of opportunity.

If the enemy didn’t move, they wouldn’t either.

And as long as Mu Weizi stayed still, so would they.

Human Realm of the Great Tang – Mount Longhu, Celestial Master Mansion.

Lei Jun was quietly cultivating on the mountain.

Nie Fang had already left, returning to Xuanji Temple.

He had gained much from Lei Jun’s teachings.

In turn, Lei Jun had also benefited from Nie Fang’s puppeteer techniques.

His comprehension was naturally strong—capable of grasping countless principles and techniques as if self-taught.

Though, due to his unique cultivation path, Lei Jun wouldn’t truly practice puppeteer arts.

Still, through their discussions, he had fully understood the secrets of that Daoist branch and used it as inspiration.

Celestial Sand from the Milky Way and Flowing Sand from the Ganges, paired with a Thousand-Facet Prism Jade,

were once again being refined. The resulting formation, reminiscent of the Starry River Net, floated before Lei Jun, suspended in the Green Nine Abyss True Flame.

But this time, things didn’t end there.

Lei Jun added in his previously collected Divine Sky Liquid Gold and Celestial Meteorite Iron,

pushing the refinement further.

A relatively large object began to take shape—

shaped like an ancient mirror, slowly forming in the True Flame.

The aura it gave off differed from both the Jade Purity Celestial Mirror and the older Grand Celestial Mirror.

Its powers of observation and detection were much weaker.

But it contained other profound mysteries.

As Lei Jun continued to ponder it, purple and black lightning began crackling around his body.

Amidst the thunderous roar, two talismans took form:

Heaven Book Thunder Talisman

Mystic Sky Five Thunder Talisman

These two talismans merged, the twin thunder energies of Yin and Yang rotating continuously.

As Lei Jun formed hand seals, the fused purple-black talisman slowly sank into the mirror’s surface.

The mirror instantly began to tremble violently.

Snakes of purple and black lightning slithered across its surface.

The current seemed as if it would shatter the mirror.

But with Celestial Meteorite Iron as its base and Divine Sky Liquid Gold as its core,

paired with Lei Jun’s masterful precision,

the two divine talismans were finally sealed into the ancient mirror.

At this point, Lei Jun exhaled deeply, knowing the hardest part was done.

With the twin thunder talismans as the foundation, the next steps would be easier.

He raised one hand to his chest in a seal and pointed with the other toward the Green Nine Abyss True Flame.

The flames surged and soon formed another green talisman—

the Earth Book Fire Talisman.

Opposite it, a mass of crimson-golden flames gathered beside Lei Jun, like a real solar deity descending.

At its core, a brilliant red-gold talisman appeared—

the Mid-Solar Celestial Talisman.

The dual fire talismans of Yin and Yang merged together.

They too sank into the mirror.

Once more, purple and black electric snakes appeared on its surface.

But this time, with the twin thunders stabilizing the field, they didn’t damage the mirror—

instead, forming a magical domain that helped stabilize and accept the fiery talismans.

A flash of light, and brilliant radiance began to flow from the mirror—both heat and light emanating continuously.

Seeing this, Lei Jun nodded slightly.

So far, both the Divine Polar Thunder of Yin and Yang and the Limitless Starfire of Yin and Yang had been sealed within this mirror.

Unlike the Jade Purity Celestial Mirror,

this artifact could now be called the Heavenly Punishment Mirror of Yin and Yang.

Although it seemed stable, it was strictly a single-use treasure, unlike the perpetually stable Celestial Mirror.

“The thunder and fire of Yin and Yang are still separate within,” Lei Jun murmured as he looked at the mirror.

“There’s still room for improvement—I’ll refine it further.”

He did not extinguish the Green Nine Abyss Fire, but rather began merging it with newly formed silver lightning.

The soft and steady Silver Lightning, when combined with the True Flame, continued the refinement process.

The mirror’s edge began taking on a faint silver hue.

Lei Jun looked up toward the sky.

Far above, in the starry heavens, multiple points of starlight began to shine.

A network of faint silver threads connected them all, forming a vast celestial map.

Under his control, the Heavenly Punishment Mirror rose into the air, entering the luminous galaxy he had created.

The silver edge of the mirror gleamed, linking with the Starry River Net.

A new star joined the galaxy.

Back on Mount Longhu, Lei Jun’s eyes glimmered with the Heaven-Earth Comprehension Talisman, silently watching and adjusting.

Under his control, the Heavenly Punishment Mirror descended again, back to Mount Longhu.

After making a few more tweaks and enhancements, he launched it once more.

After repeating this a few times, the mirror finally merged with the Starry River Net, never to descend again.

“Pity the materials are limited. Only one for now,” Lei Jun sighed.

“Hopefully I’ll find more suitable resources soon.”

He turned his attention back to the Grand Celestial Dragon-Tiger Array he was constructing.

The current array diagram still lacked materials.

While he possessed the Three Celestial Treasures of a Taoist Master,

Only in the ancestral shrine of Mount Longhu could he borrow the power of the Universal Altar of Myriad Laws.

All three conditions were crucial.

Without them, he was left at a disadvantage.

Lei Jun now explored alternative methods, ones he had already laid some groundwork for.

He headed to the Universal Altar.

Under the curtain of countless talisman lights, he appeared as if he were his second apprentice, Han Xiaofei, just beginning to learn talisman crafting.

With solemn reverence, he laid out an incense table.

Surrounded by radiant talisman lights, a glowing symbol pen formed and settled in his hand.

Lei Jun circled the table and finally stood still, solemnly writing a Talisman Edict.

He wrote only one per day.

Twelve days later, he had twelve such edicts—

Their glow restrained and appearance unassuming.

Still, Lei Jun took them with great care to the ancestral tombs in the back mountain of Mount Longhu, offering them in tribute to the lineage of Celestial Masters.

Only then did this phase conclude.

The twelve talisman edicts were returned to the Celestial Master Hall,

Where Lei Jun continued to nurture them with his own cultivation.

The world bustled on.

Because of the threat once posed by Huangjin Khan Angqinfu and Sumeru,

the Tang and the current Han were now completely severed in formal contact.

This inevitably created barriers in exchange between them.

Thanks to early warnings issued during the chaos in the undersea realm,

Tang disciples who were visiting the current Han realm had time to return.

Likewise, Han cultivators who had come to visit the Tang realm made haste to go back before the void was sealed.

Still, a few remained in the Tang realm.

Among them was Wang Bujie, the most talented of the younger generation in the Langya Wang Clan.

The Wang family stood at a major turning point.

Because of Wang Xu of Dongyang Mountain,

they had resolved to change their ancestral path.

Wang Bujie had come to the Tang realm for exploration and investigation with this purpose in mind.

He himself was a symbol of the Wang Clan’s new direction.

With Uncle Wang Xu’s approval, Wang Bujie’s extended stay in the Tang would not alter the clan’s renewed course.

And so, he chose to remain.

A few Wang family members accompanied him.

Clan Chief Wang Yan had indeed considered seizing the opportunity to leave a branch of the family behind in the Great Tang to establish a new lineage.

Even if some earth-shaking upheaval were to strike the Han Dynasty in the future, the Langya Wang Clan would still retain a bloodline beyond its borders.

Wang Bujie was well aware of this and didn’t oppose the idea.

What mattered more was the clan’s new approach in the days ahead.

With a vessel so massive, turning it around required thorough preparations on multiple fronts.

The Tang Imperial Court didn’t object to the Wang Clan’s presence—

At most, they paid closer attention to them at the beginning.

During his time in the Great Tang Empire, Wang Bujie spent most of his time and energy visiting various figures of the Tang realm.

His visits focused primarily on:

Xiao Hang, current head of the Xiao Clan beyond Long

Ye Dongming, a senior elder of the Shushan Sect

Chu Yu, an important minister in the Tang court

—all of whom hailed from former aristocratic families of the Five Surnames and Seven Nobles of Great Tang.

Wang Bujie had long been acquainted with Fang Yue, who also returned from the current Han realm.

And naturally, this group included Chu Kun, a senior elder of high status from Mount Longhu’s Celestial Master Mansion.

Although the Fulu Sect of Daoism didn’t forbid marriage, Chu Kun remained unmarried and childless to this day.

However, several branches of the Chu Clan who had migrated with him from Suzhou of Tang had already taken root and were thriving.

Chu Kun received Wang Bujie calmly, and the two spoke at length.

After Wang left the mountain, Chu Kun, moved by the conversation, uncharacteristically sent a private message to Luoyang, the imperial capital, to exchange thoughts with Chu Yu.

Meanwhile, Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen returned from her travels to Mount Longhu’s Celestial Master Mansion.

“Still playing your little tricks, I see.”

That was Xu Yuanzhen’s first remark upon seeing Cheng Rongrong, the personal disciple of Tang Xiaotang.

Despite her youth, Cheng Rongrong remained composed, bowing respectfully:

“Disciple greets Martial Aunt.”

Tang Xiaotang raised a brow and smiled,

“Senior Sister, how do you find my disciple?”

As Han Xiaofei, standing nearby with Lei Jun, bowed to Xu Yuanzhen, her mind was filled with question marks.

She couldn’t understand why the strongest Martial Aunt on the mountain would say something so strange.

Zhuo Baojie, on the other hand, kept his eyes on the floor.

Though Han Xiaofei was clever, she didn’t know Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang well enough.

Zhuo Baojie, who had been around longer, had a vague sense of what was going on:

Though not entirely alike, that little Martial Sister Cheng under Martial Aunt Tang…

In some ways, she reminded him of Martial Aunt Xu.

Not in appearance—one was a person, the other a red panda.

But in attitude and approach, there were similarities.

And that resemblance made it hard to believe Tang Xiaotang hadn’t done it on purpose.

“Disciples should act like disciples. You? Not much of a master,” Xu Yuanzhen remarked casually.

Tang Xiaotang grinned,

“Well, that’s between me and my disciple.”

Xu Yuanzhen glanced at Cheng Rongrong again.

“If you ever feel like killing your master, come see me.”

Cheng Rongrong stayed calm and replied earnestly,

“Martial Aunt jests. I have no such thought.”

Tang Xiaotang pulled her disciple into a hug and, without thinking, grabbed her fluffy tail, then flashed a smug smile at Xu Yuanzhen:

“Our bond is deep. You won’t get between us. Shame on you for trying!”

Though Cheng Rongrong didn’t resist, she discreetly slipped her tail out of her master’s grasp.

Lei Jun waved his hand.

Zhuo Baojie understood and led the two younger disciples away.

“Senior Sister, I saw what you left behind at the old site of Mount Longhu in the Han realm. I added a few things, preparing for what’s to come.”

She sat down and continued,

“I’ve returned this time to refine some items at the Universal Altar, but I’m currently missing a key material.

I could proceed with the refinement, but to avoid any flaws, it’d be best to find a heavenly treasure called Dust of the Shattered World.”

Tang Xiaotang looked intrigued,

“That’s got a doomsday vibe to it, doesn’t it? Where would you find something like that in the normal world? Didn't you find anything in Guixu?”

Xu Yuanzhen shook her head,

“Indeed, the regular human world wouldn’t have it. But the Han-End Calamity made it possible.

I didn’t find it on this round, so I’ll let it go for now—focus on refining the item first. If I can’t get it, so be it.”

“I’ll keep an eye out too.”

“How’s it going on the Han side?”

“The Lin Clan of Jiangzhou in the Han realm seems to be stirring. I’m waiting on more news—might get results soon.”

The whispers came from the Way of Yellow Heaven.

Initially, it was just news that the Lin Clan was moving more than usual.

Though Kang Ming and the Way of Yellow Heaven had long left the Great Tang, they always kept tabs on the Lin Clan.

Upon hearing the rumors, Lei Jun began collecting intelligence as well—

This became a new information channel concerning the current Han realm, in addition to what he already had from the Way of Yellow Heaven.

Though the two realms were separated by void and had no current connection, Lei Jun had his own methods.

He first studied the Confucian letter-transmission techniques from the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, Great Tang,

Then later explored similar systems used by the Ye Clan of Jinzhou, the Ye Clan of Qingzhou, and other prominent Confucian families.

Among them, he remained most familiar with the Lin Clan.

Despite having split for thousands of years, the Lin Clans of the Han and the Tang shared a common textual and scholarly heritage.

Their changes gave Lei Jun clues to work with.

Thanks to his extraordinary perception, he could’ve become a great scholar if he’d chosen the literary path.

Understanding the Lin Clan’s legacy was well within his grasp.

The Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, Jin Realm, was also on his radar.

While he could observe the Jin Realm via the Jade Purity Celestial Mirror atop Penglai Observatory, the distance still posed a challenge.

So for now, Lei Jun focused on the Lin Clan of Han Jiangzhou.

Unexpectedly, he soon got a surprise:

“Jin Realm... Lin Clan... Ye Clan... Jade Purity Miluo Grotto-Heaven...?”

Lei Jun raised a brow.

The Lin Clan of Han Jiangzhou had indeed made a move.

They’d successfully established contact with their Jin Realm counterpart.

Even more, the Ye Clans of Qingzhou and Jinzhou were involved.

Together, they’d secretly opened a void portal between the current Han realm and the Jin realm—

Lin Clan youths from the Han realm had already traveled through and returned with news.

Their nemesis, the Celestial Master Mansion of Mount Longhu, was no longer present in the Jin realm—it had become history.

Previously, Lei Jun could only see images via the Celestial Mirror, not hear anything.

With the Daoist Talisman Tradition in decline in the Jin realm, information was scarce.

Now, through the back-and-forth between Lin Clans, Lei Jun gained an unexpected lead:

Jade Purity Miluo Grotto-Heaven.

In ancient times, it had stood alongside Shangqing Thunder Palace Grotto-Heaven and Taiqing Salvation Grotto-Heaven as the Three Great Grotto-Heavens of Mount Longhu.

“It’s in the Jin realm?” Yuan Mobai was equally surprised when he heard.

“For now, it’s just something the Lin Clans mentioned while discussing their lineages—nothing confirmed.”

To the Mount Longhu lineage, the Jade Purity Miluo and Taiqing Salvation Grotto-Heavens were long-lost names—swallowed by history.

The Taiqing Salvation Grotto-Heaven had likely been lost to worldly chaos.

As for Jade Purity Miluo, “vanished” would be the better word.

Each of the three had unique traits.

Shangqing Thunder Palace constantly birthed divine thunder and rare treasures, powering the mountain’s protective arrays.

Taiqing Salvation Grotto-Heaven was the largest, capable of housing entire sects like today’s Han Mount Longhu.

Jade Purity Miluo, though, was special—

It could shift locations with the flow of the earth's veins, rather than being fixed above the mountain like the others.

That was likely why it vanished so early.

What happened back then remained a mystery.

Still, to Lei Jun and his disciples, Jade Purity Miluo Grotto-Heaven was more enticing than the Lin Clan alliance.

“With nothing urgent here, I’d like to check out the Jin realm,” Lei Jun said.

“All’s well at the mansion. Just be careful.”

With disciples like Lin Shan, Liu Xiao, Zhuo Baojie, Ke Sichen, Qin Caiwei, and Xu Rui all reaching the Seventh Heaven,

And elders like Chu Kun and Zhang Jingzhen stepping into the Eighth Heaven, the Celestial Master Mansion was thriving.

Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai were increasingly free to focus on cultivation and mentoring, like Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang.

So Lei Jun’s temporary departure caused no ripples.

Formally, he hadn’t “left the mountain.”

Privately, Lei Jun concealed his presence and quietly left Mount Longhu, heading for the northern frontier of Great Tang.

There, in a remote, desolate spot,

He used the Dongyang Jade Pendant to open a void portal from the Tang realm to the Han realm—

The same general location where Kang Ming and others once departed.

He masked the portal with his own cultivation.

Having refined divine tools like the Taiqing Eight-Scenery Rain Cloak, and seen Zhang Hui’s methods in Guicang,

This was a breeze for Lei Jun.

Upon entering the Han realm, he did the same concealment.

To stay cautious, he disguised himself as Wang Xu of Dongyang Mountain,

And with the help of Haoran Xuan Gui, masked his Taoist energy with Confucian righteousness.

Back in the Han realm, Lei Jun studied its spiritual energy flows.

He didn’t go straight to the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou,

Instead stopping in Xinzhou.

Mount Longhu’s main peak in the Han realm was still missing—only serene green hills remained.

There, on his previous groundwork, he added the twelve new Talisman Edicts.

They vanished in a flash of light.

Lei Jun nodded and crossed the Poyang Marsh, heading north.

He passed the Lin Clan's ancestral grounds and arrived near the secret void portal.

With his mastery of the Heaven-Walking Talisman,

Lei Jun could walk in plain sight and leave no trace unless he wished otherwise.

Even when crossing realms, he caused no ripples.

The Lin Clan disciples stationed on both sides of the portal had no idea.

Quiet as a shadow, Lei Jun stepped into a new realm:

Indeed—this realm’s spiritual energy tide had yet to begin.