Chapter 439: Chapter 439

Xu Yuanzhen ascended to the heavens.

Lei Jun did not follow.

He remained in the mortal realm, controlling the twelve talismans he had previously placed at the former site of the Great Han Longhu Mountain. These twelve talismans transformed into twelve beams of light, surrounding the ancestral grounds of the Great Han Longhu Mountain, pinning down the Dragon-Tiger Ancestral Altar.

With the altar locked in place, Ji Daocheng could neither operate the mountain-guarding grand array to destroy the arrangements Xu Yuanzhen had left in the mortal realm, nor stabilize the Longhu Mountain itself.

He could no longer employ his old trick of uprooting the entire main peak and merging it into the Taiqing Salvation Grotto.

Xu Yuanzhen and Lei Jun, the two from the Great Tang Longhu Mountain lineage, were both ruthless and formidable.

Their arrangements, though separate, didn’t interfere with each other. Each functioned effectively as intended.

The most critical part?

They had kept everything hidden from Ji Daocheng.

The Grand Tianshi of the Great Han nearly coughed up blood in frustration.

At the same time, an even deeper weight settled in his heart.

After years of cultivation in the Taiqing Salvation Grotto, he had reached the Peak Grandmaster realm of the Daoist talisman sect—Ninth Heaven Perfection, attaining the Five Qi Toward the Mysterious state and stepping onto the Bridge of Profound Understanding.

Leading the entire Great Han Longhu Mountain lineage into the Taiqing Salvation Grotto to avoid confrontation with Xu Yuanzhen and the Great Tang Tianshi Mansion had not hindered Ji Daocheng’s progress.

With Ancestor Zhou Tian’s help, his cultivation advanced further, making him the fourth Ninth Heaven Perfection cultivator of his era in the Great Han mortal realm—behind only Han Emperor Xiang Chengyuan, Crown Prince Xiang Jing, and Eastern Mountain Hermit Wang Xu.

In terms of realm, he stood above Zhou Tian’s direct disciples like Mu Weizi and Jiang Nan.

Yet now, back in the Great Han mortal realm, he had been utterly outmaneuvered by Xu Yuanzhen and Lei Jun.

Xu Yuanzhen was a Ninth Heaven Perfection cultivator too, fair enough.

But Lei Jun hadn’t even reached the Five Qi Toward the Mysterious state, yet his secret talismans and rituals had still slipped past Ji Daocheng’s notice.

This made Ji Daocheng cautious and wary.

Reports from the Great Tang suggested Xu Yuanzhen possessed an almost natural comprehension, her understanding of the Dao nearly innate.

Even as fellow Ninth Heaven Perfection cultivators, Ji Daocheng had to admit there was a gap between them in their mastery of Daoist arts and talismanic intricacies.

As for Lei Jun, there were many speculations circulating in the Great Tang.

Now, it seemed the rumors were not baseless—he was indeed no pushover.

Under different circumstances, Ji Daocheng might have tried to stall, exchanging moves with Lei Jun while awaiting further instructions from Ancestor Zhou Tian.

But now, his connection with Zhou Tian, somewhere deep in the endless void above, had been severed.

He could no longer receive any guidance or commands.

The sky above shimmered with brilliant light and trembled without cease.

Yet the Great Han Longhu Mountain lineage couldn’t reestablish their link with their ancestor.

Realizing this, Ji Daocheng dared not delay any further. He could only focus all his efforts on confronting Lei Jun.

His earlier hesitation and worries were swept away, replaced by calm focus.

The Dragon-Tiger Ancestral Altar was pinned down, the mountain-guarding grand array unable to function properly.

But Ji Daocheng stood firm within the altar, hands forming seals before his chest.

Eleven orbs of light hovered heavily around him, each containing a floating talisman.

These were not talismans forged from Ji Daocheng’s own divine power, but gifts from the supreme Ancestor Zhou Tian.

Though their potency didn’t equal Zhou Tian’s personal might, they were still far beyond ordinary treasures, instruments, or talismans.

They were the Three Caverns and Twelve Supreme True Talismans, the cornerstone treasures of the Great Han Longhu Mountain.

Without the Heavenly Master’s Seal, Heavenly Master’s Sword, or Heavenly Master’s Robe, these twelve talismans were the sect’s defining artifacts.

At present, one had been given to Pan Hailin—better known as Crown Prince Xiang Jing—while the remaining eleven were here.

These eleven talismans flared in succession, trying to stabilize the Dragon-Tiger Ancestral Altar.

But Lei Jun’s twelve beams of light focused on the altar, condensing into twelve profound talismans that appeared tailored specifically to counter the Three Caverns and Twelve Supreme True Talismans.

Though they couldn’t seal the talismans completely, they disrupted their link to the altar.

Seeing this, Ji Daocheng silently acknowledged Lei Jun as a formidable opponent.

Yet he remained composed.

Ji Daocheng formed a hand seal at his chest to stabilize the grand array, while his other hand’s seal shifted, pointing into the air.

Though the gesture seemed to target nothing, far away in the East Sea, a seemingly ordinary desolate island suddenly shook.

On that island, the Yellow Heaven Dao's senior figures—Kang Ming and the others—had been quietly cultivating, avoiding the world’s storms.

The three-story Yellow Heaven Ancestral Altar had been stable, its people focused on refining themselves and observing the wider situation.

But now, the entire altar trembled.

Symbols and talisman patterns appeared on its surface.

Kang Ming’s face darkened immediately.

After years in the Great Han mortal realm, he could tell at a glance:

These were the Daoist talisman patterns of the Ancient Talisman Sect.

Their Yellow Heaven Ancestral Altar had already been discovered by the other side.

Though not entirely unexpected, this was the worst-case scenario Kang Ming had feared.

If the Great Han Longhu Mountain’s Ninth Heaven ancestor truly existed, then no matter how well-hidden their altar, it was always at risk of being found.

Even with altered Daoist arts, the gap in cultivation power was simply too vast.

Yet Kang Ming felt no fear or despair.

He ordered Chen Ziyang and others to calm the few remaining Yellow Heaven Dao disciples, while he himself scrutinized the altar’s changes.

It became clear: the altar had been tampered with by the Ancient Talisman Sect long ago.

Kang Ming’s initial analysis suggested it wasn’t the Great Han Longhu Mountain ancestor’s direct handiwork, but that of a Ninth Heaven cultivator.

Most likely, the ancestor had simply pinpointed the location for them.

Their goal wasn’t to destroy the Yellow Heaven Ancestral Altar, but to use it for some ritual.

Kang Ming suspected they intended to temporarily substitute the Dragon-Tiger Ancestral Altar with the Yellow Heaven Ancestral Altar via a secret method.

His eyes narrowed in contemplation before swiftly deciding on a course of action.

He drew numerous talismans and affixed them to the Yellow Heaven Ancestral Altar, slowing down the other side’s efforts to refine and take control of it.

For the Great Han Longhu Mountain to resort to such a risky strategy, their situation must be dire—likely facing formidable enemies themselves.

Kang Ming had just thought of this when the altar suddenly quaked again.

The Daoist talisman patterns, once growing rapidly, now faded just as swiftly.

It was as if another invisible force had intervened, neutralizing the Great Han Longhu Mountain’s actions.

Kang Ming’s heart stirred.

Standing atop the island, he looked inland, toward the lands of the Great Tang.

Recent reports indicated the Great Han Longhu Mountain was clashing with the Kongsang Grand Witches.

But what Kang Ming now considered was this:

The Tianshi Mansion of the Great Tang…

However, Master Nobu, representing the Sumeru Treasure Division, had firmly stood on the side of the Han cultivators in this battle, targeting the Kongsang Grand Wu.

Kongsang and Kunlun—one sorcery, one Dao.

Whether the Golden Khan Ongqinfu succeeded or Ancestor Zhou Tian achieved his goal, it was bad news for Sumeru either way.

Now that their hopes of freely walking the mortal world had been dashed, the entire Sumeru was more than happy to hear the news.

As the Sumeru representative, Master Nobu turned his attention elsewhere.

In Kunlun, there might be more than one Daoist immortal still in existence.

Although Ancestor Zhou Tian and the Tang Dynasty’s Tianshi Sect were in fierce conflict, the situation in Kunlun remained complex—Master Nobu had no interest in getting involved.

As for Tang Xiaotang, he respectfully kept his distance.

Master Nobu's current priority was quietly gathering intelligence on Kongsang.

The Golden Khan had suffered another setback.

Tianjing and Ditu were at odds.

The situation there was worth watching.

Not just Master Nobu—after he reported the news back to Sumeru, they made an exception and sent additional capable personnel to assist him.

While Tang Xiaotang fought with unbridled enthusiasm, Master Nobu worked behind the scenes.

Meanwhile, in the Tang Dynasty’s mortal world, Mu Weizi felt no joy at all.

Not to mention the pressure and threat brought by Yuan Mobai and Chu Yu—when he recently received a direct transmission from Ancestor Zhou Tian in Kunlun about the latest developments in the Han Dynasty’s mortal realm, it hit him like a bolt of lightning.

Ancestor Zhou Tian’s tone was calm, but whether it was the failure of the ritual or news that Xu Yuanzhen and Lei Jun were nearby, it shook Mu Weizi to his core.

Still, a veteran of storms, he quickly composed himself.

Whether it was attacking where they must defend or seizing that pure gold hall closely tied to the Heavenly Court, action had to be taken swiftly in the Tang Dynasty’s mortal realm.

With Ancestor Zhou Tian’s ritual having failed and losing the ability to freely walk the mortal world, whether it was Tang Emperor Zhang Wantong ascending to the celestial realm or the Tang Dynasty’s Tianshi Sect securing the pure gold hall, it would only make things harder for Mu Weizi and his disciples.

They absolutely could not sit and wait for death.

Mu Weizi immediately raced north at full speed to meet up with Lord Youluo and Lord Heishan.

Along the way, the strange attacks that had severely wounded the Nether Moss and killed Chen Yi did not reappear, easing Mu Weizi’s heart slightly.

Though the true cause of those earlier events remained unclear, it now seemed like a one-off.

After regrouping with Lord Youluo, the first thing Mu Weizi did was ask him to retreat back to Luoyuan.

Of course, he had no intention of letting things go just like that.

The current retreat was temporary—a prelude to an even fiercer counterattack.

With the Nether Moss unexpectedly crippled and the Bone Flood Dragon Emperor injured by Xing Feng while avoiding Chu Yu’s cold arrows, the Luoyuan demon forces seemed weakened.

Yet this also created a new dynamic:

The already strongest Lord Youluo was gradually becoming the dominant figure in Luoyuan.

Normally, Mu Weizi wouldn’t have welcomed this, but the situation now was special—he needed a single dominant figure in Luoyuan!

“The Reverse Origin Heart Fruit?”

The massive black fog-shrouded tiger flashed a fierce gleam in its eyes, as if flames were blazing within.

Mu Weizi replied, “You’ll see for yourself soon enough. But a decision must be made quickly—otherwise, not just the Tang Emperor, but other Tang Dynasty and Dragon Tiger Mountain experts could soon return to this mortal realm.”

Lord Youluo fell silent for a moment, then decisively said, “Back to Luoyuan!”

The silver Pure Yin Thunder Dragon coiled around the cyan Heavenly Thunder Pillar.

Just as Ji Daocheng’s other talismans were about to activate, the vast, night-sky-like Xuanhuang Universe once again unfolded, centered around Lei Jun.

Even with his Bridge of Mystical Comprehension, Ji Daocheng could no longer evade—he was finally engulfed by Lei Jun’s Mahāyāna Dao Domain.

He steadied his mind.

The Nine Abysses Candle-Yin Talisman flickered with an eerie blue glow. Wisps of faint, imperceptible blue flames—like ghostly candlelight—ignited in the void.

This was the Candle-Yin Heart Flame: exceedingly yin, designed to attack an opponent’s soul, a rare example of a talisman from the Daoist Fu School used specifically for soul attacks, forming the Candle-Yin Lamp Manifestation.

Yet, before it could even target Lei Jun’s soul, the candlelight abruptly exploded where it stood!

It was as if an invisible thunder had burst from the lamp’s wick, scattering the already-dim flames into oblivion.

Ji Daocheng blinked in surprise.

The Candle-Yin Lamp Manifestation was notorious for being fragile, more suited for attack than defense—but to shatter it outright required a method just as illusory and soul-focused.

Does the Tang Dynasty’s Heavenly Master Sect have soul-attacking techniques too now?

Almost simultaneously, in the dark void, starlight shimmered, and cosmic flames swirled.

Golden-red Stellar Skyfire condensed into a massive Solar Flame Tiger, burning like a real star, and pounced toward Ji Daocheng.

Though his Pestilence Heaven Talisman was absent, Ji Daocheng had another: the Main Pox Bi-Light Talisman.

A faint green glow flickered, forming the Spot Calamity Brush Manifestation. The brush tip lightly tapped, and wisps of strange power silently seeped into Lei Jun’s Mahāyāna Dao Domain, subtly eroding it.

Yet, wherever the blazing Stellar Skyfire roamed, it incinerated the strange green wisps in an instant.

Among the Three Caverns Twelve Upper True Talismans, the Ruyi Altar Talisman wasn’t known for offense, but it excelled at defense and energy gathering.

Golden light converged into a Golden Ruyi Manifestation, protecting Ji Daocheng while steadily supplying him with energy.

But the Golden Ruyi suddenly shuddered in midair. Though it didn’t completely collapse, it trembled incessantly, struggling to maintain its full effectiveness.

Ji Daocheng quickly realized that this disturbance stemmed from the dense Primordial Magnetism Star Tracks crisscrossing Lei Jun’s Xuanhuang Universe.

The Ruyi Altar Talisman wasn’t inherently metallic, yet the sheer concentration of magnetism specifically disrupted its stability, interfering with the energy supply it provided Ji Daocheng.

As countless Primordial Magnetism Star Tracks pulsed with light, sword glints shimmered around Lei Jun.

Ji Daocheng, a Grandmaster of the Han Dynasty’s Heavenly Master Sect and a man of vast experience, was left speechless when he saw the six flying swords manifesting around Lei Jun.

The Qingming Sword, one of the founding treasures of the Shushan Sect—he had never seen it in person, but he had heard of it for years.

But why is it with Lei Jun?

Two Confucian Gentleman’s Swords, one broad, one narrow: Ji Daocheng instantly connected them to the Hanhai Sword and the Guangmo Sword—ancestral heirlooms of the Datong Xiao Clan and Datong Lin Clan, respectively. He had heard of these as well.

It wasn’t entirely unexpected that the Tang Dynasty’s Heavenly Master Sect had claimed these swords after pacifying the Five Great Families of Datong.

What Ji Daocheng couldn’t fathom was how a Daoist master like Lei Jun could wield two Confucian Gentleman’s Swords.

As for the Taiyi Break-Vault Sword, the Hanging Sky Whip, and the Northern Polaris Sword, Ji Daocheng was completely unfamiliar with them.

But given his cultivation and insight, he could tell these three Daoist treasures were no less formidable than the Qingming, Hanhai, and Guangmo Swords.

...So, without even carrying the Heavenly Master Sword, Lei Jun still had six top-tier offensive treasures at his side?

Ji Daocheng, armed with eleven talismans and full of confidence, suddenly felt a deep sense of absurdity.

Is this man truly a Daoist Fu School cultivator, or is he actually a master of the Artifact Forging School?!

Before coming to the Han Dynasty’s mortal realm, Lei Jun had specifically visited Penglai to borrow the Shushan Sect’s Hanging Sky Whip and the Tang Dynasty Shushan Sect’s Qingming Sword.

“Still, I have fewer than you.”

Lei Jun calmly regarded Ji Daocheng’s stunned expression. “Fortunately, your talismans and manifestations aren’t as nimble as you are.”

As he spoke, countless Primordial Magnetism Star Tracks surged, the immense force gathering.

The six precious weapons, forged from rare celestial and earthly metals, let out a unified hum—then vanished from Lei Jun’s side.

In the blink of an eye, they reappeared around Ji Daocheng.

As the six swords reappeared around Ji Daocheng, the Doumu Three Treasures activated simultaneously, radiating starlight.

The Doumu Middle Heaven Talisman manifested the Northern Polaris Diagram.

The Doumu Four Saints Talisman manifested the Four Saints Diagram.

The Doumu Seven Luminaries Talisman manifested the Seven Luminaries Diagram.

These three manifestations could either project outwards as star maps to attack enemies—just as Ma Zongxiang once wielded the Doumu Four Saints Talisman—or be infused into the cultivator’s body to enhance their strength, embodying the form of a Doumu Star Deity.

But before the star maps could fully empower Ji Daocheng, they shattered in unison!

The Northern Polaris Sword cleaved the Northern Polaris Diagram.

The Taiyi Break-Vault Sword sundered the Four Saints Diagram.

The Qingming Sword split the Seven Luminaries Diagram.

At the same time, the Hanging Sky Whip obliterated the Heavenly Lord Talisman’s Tai Sui Seal manifestation.

The Hanhai Sword, strengthened by the primordial magnetism, swept through the void with searing heat, severing the Northern Dipper Darkwater Talisman’s Northern Sea Inkstone manifestation.

Meanwhile, the icy and razor-sharp Guangmo Sword targeted the Nine Abysses Flowing Gold Talisman.

Like the Nine Abysses Candle-Yin Talisman, the Nine Abysses Flowing Gold Talisman cultivated molten golden earth-fire, bursting forth like rivers of golden magma. Although it shared the yin nature with the Candle-Yin Heart Flame, its roaring momentum exuded a fierce, masculine energy—one soft, one strong—forming the twin pillars of the Han Dynasty’s fire methods.

The Goldflame River manifestation, birthed from the Nine Abysses Flowing Gold Talisman, was severed on the spot by Lei Jun’s Guangmo Sword.

With all six sword strikes shattering the six great manifestations, Lei Jun did not directly attack the talismans themselves.

Instead, the Primordial Magnetism Flying Swords swirled, and the star tracks spun ceaselessly.

Under the influence of the primordial magnetism, the six talismans were suppressed, their power stifled.

Lei Jun refrained from destroying these talismans outright, but Ji Daocheng didn’t feel relieved—instead, a deep sense of foreboding welled up in him.

Without his own Mahāyāna Dao Domain, he couldn’t unleash the wonders of Profound Dust, Threefold Radiance, Five-Colored Clouds, Sevenfold White Light, or Ninefold Flowing Splendor.

All his hopes now rested on the eleven talismans trapped within Lei Jun’s Xuanhuang Universe.

But at this point, he had to rely on himself.

He shouted, his voice resolute.

Three more talismans materialized in the dark void, glowing brilliantly.

These were not talismans bestowed by Ancestor Zhou Tian—they were Ji Daocheng’s own life-bound True Talismans.

Lei Jun took one glance and immediately noticed the resemblance to his own Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen’s style.

Ji Daocheng’s life-bound True Talismans were:

One thunder talisman: Nine Heavens Jade Pivot Talisman.

One fire talisman: Nine Abysses Flowing Gold Talisman.

One stellar talisman: Doumu Middle Heaven Talisman.

Each aligned with blue thunder, golden fire, and the violet brilliance of the stars—perfectly complementing the traits of his Mahāyāna Dao Domain that he had been unable to manifest.

Despite the interference of the primordial magnetism, Ji Daocheng poured his spiritual energy into the talismans, forcing his mana into them at great cost.

The Northern Polaris Diagram and Goldflame River reappeared in the dark starry sky, while the Heavenly Thunder Pillar surged in size.

But at that very moment, beside the Guangmo Sword, the Lonely Aspect Water—a manifestation of Lei Jun’s cultivation, aligned with the Five-Colored Clouds—appeared. It assisted the icy-cold Guangmo Sword in suppressing and continuing to tear apart the Goldflame River.

Atop the cyan Heavenly Thunder Pillar, a golden Pure Yang Thunder Dragon joined the previously existing silver Pure Yin Thunder Dragon.

One gold, one silver, the twin dragons coiled around the pillar—not exuding overwhelming power, but rather appearing illusory and ethereal.

Compared to Tang Xiaotang’s Primal Qi, it was similar yet different.

This was a direction Lei Jun had been exploring for years, drawing inspiration from Tang Xiaotang’s Primal Qi, using his own cultivation and comprehension of natural laws to forge his path.

For now, it was still in its infancy—not yet a complete fusion like the Yin-Yang Divine Radiance formed by the Pure Yin and Pure Yang Thunder Dragons—but the twin dragons twining around the cyan Heavenly Thunder Pillar already caused cracks to appear along the pillar’s surface.

As for the Northern Polaris Diagram, it wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Lei Jun’s own manifestation of the Doumu Star Deity shattered it on the spot!

The Solar Flame Tiger continued to suppress the Main Pox Bi-Light Talisman. The Pure Yin Thunder Dragon kept the Nine Heavens Celestial Capital Talisman under control.

Lei Jun himself, flanked by the purple Yang Thunder Dragon and the green Yin Fire Tiger, charged directly toward Ji Daocheng.

The two clashed at close range.

Even with the Northern Polaris Diagram bolstering him and the Doumu Middle Heaven Emperor Manifestation empowering his body, Ji Daocheng’s physical form and vitality still couldn’t match Lei Jun’s.

He tried to summon the Bridge of Mystical Comprehension, but Lei Jun was already too close—there was no chance to create any distance.

For the first time, Ji Daocheng felt a deep sense of absurdity.

On this shared cultivation path, higher realm cultivators had always suppressed those of lower realms with overwhelming superiority.

But today, the roles were reversed!

His Doumu Middle Heaven Emperor punched Lei Jun’s Doumu Star Deity in the chest—yet Lei Jun’s figure didn’t even flinch.

In contrast, Lei Jun, embodying the Doumu Star Deity, struck Ji Daocheng with a single punch, making him tremble violently.

Ji Daocheng stared fixedly at Lei Jun.

Even with eleven talismans supporting him, he was completely overwhelmed—encircled and crushed without a single avenue of resistance.

At this point, he even wondered if Lei Jun was still holding back.

The three grand manifestations that now surrounded him—weren’t they the ancient, core legacies of the Longhu Sect?

The purple Yang Thunder Dragon and green Yin Fire Tiger roared together, intertwining into a massive purple-green Taiji Diagram.

Dragon-Tiger converging.

The most orthodox, profound divine art of the Longhu Sect—the Dragon-Tiger Combined Strike—reappeared.

As the purple-green Taiji Diagram rotated, brilliant light burst forth, engulfing Ji Daocheng.

From this day forward, the Han Dynasty would no longer have a Heavenly Master.

Only the Tang Dynasty would have a Heavenly Master.