Chapter 104: The Second Opportunity to Enhance One's Foundation

Chapter 104: The Second Opportunity to Enhance One's Foundation

【True Yang Treasure Tree】.

【True Yang Miracle Flower】.

As Lei Jun gazed at the pristine flower, a sudden realization struck him, and these thoughts emerged in his mind.

He had not heard of these related terms before.

But he was certain that this was what he sought.

The Heaven Master Seal and the True One Law Altar were indeed reacting to this spiritual flower.

By nurturing this divine seedling with the Nine Saints' Clear Frost in the future, it could be combined with the True One Law Altar to further enhance Lei Jun's foundation.

Lei Jun's gaze swept across the True Yang Treasure Tree, and he noticed that only one True Yang Miracle Flower had bloomed on it.

Considering the timing, he made a swift decision and summoned his Soil Banner.

Layers of dim and murky light, resembling soil, enveloped the flower branch, severing it from the True Yang Treasure Tree, which bore the delicate white flower.

Despite appearing aged, the True Yang Treasure Tree remained sturdy, and breaking the flower branch proved challenging.

With the Soil Banner in hand, Lei Jun struggled for a brief moment before finally snapping the branch.

In this short span of time, the petals of the pristine True Yang Miracle Flower already showed signs of closing again.

It seemed that this flower only bloomed for a fleeting moment at sunrise under specific conditions.

The opportunity was fleeting, and the spiritual flower would retract its petals in a manner akin to reversing time, drawing them back into the flower bud, and then retracting the bud into the branch, a process so profound that it filled Lei Jun with awe at the wonders of the world.

No wonder the two upper-middle-tier fortunes could only be chosen one at a time, as their timings conflicted... Lei Jun thought to himself.

Although he was unsure of the exact situation at the Immortal Whispering Spring, he knew that rushing there now would most likely be too late.

It was similar to how, if he had chosen to go to the Immortal Whispering Spring first and couldn't resolve the situation quickly, spending some time there before heading to South Cliff, the True Yang Miracle Flower would have disappeared by then.

It would be as if it had never bloomed at all.

At this moment, although Lei Jun had broken the branch, the pristine spiritual flower still showed signs of closing.

With a thought, he channeled his spiritual energy endlessly from the Soil Banner, causing the True Yang Miracle Flower to remain open for a short while longer.

Lei Jun flicked his deep red Daoist robe sleeve, and the Soil Banner vanished.

He performed a Daoist salute toward South Cliff, expressing gratitude to the heavens for bestowing such a wonder, and then he descended from the cliff's steep face, returning to the ground while riding the clouds and mist.

He looked around and saw no one else nearby.

Lei Jun nonchalantly continued his stroll through the blessed land.

He wandered through many places, eventually passing by the Immortal Whispering Spring.

Having already made his choice, Lei Jun didn't dwell on the three-star opportunity there, but he was curious if anyone else would claim it and what would happen to them.

As soon as he arrived at the Immortal Whispering Spring, Lei Jun's gaze swept across, and he immediately spotted a woman standing on the opposite side of the spring.

Although she wore a Daoist robe, her features were exquisite, dignified, and serene. Standing by the water, she exuded an otherworldly allure.

The lady by the water seemed to be daydreaming at the moment.

It's Zhang Jingzhen, Senior Martial Sister Zhang... Lei Jun raised his eyebrows slightly.

Seeing her slightly peculiar expression, he couldn't help but speculate.

Although he was curious, Lei Jun maintained a casual demeanor and didn't ask any questions. Instead, he greeted her as usual, "Senior Martial Sister Zhang?"

His presence near the Immortal Whispering Spring had startled Zhang Jingzhen, and her gaze immediately focused as she snapped out of her reverie, "Lei Jun, Junior Martial Brother."

"I've checked over there, and there are no fellow sect members," Lei Jun said calmly.

Zhang Jingzhen nodded slightly, "I met two people there and instructed them to gather at the Immortal Bamboo Forest."

Her gaze shifted beyond the spring, toward the distance, "Have you been to that place yet?"

"Not yet, I was just about to head there from here," Lei Jun replied.

Zhang Jingzhen nodded, "Then let's go together since that's the last one."

The two of them rose into the air, flying over the Immortal Whispering Spring.

Zhang Jingzhen's gaze swept swiftly across the lake's surface, seemingly casual, but her eyes still held a distant look.

Lei Jun flew past the spring, his gaze also glancing over the water.

It appeared no different from when he had come earlier.

Only the faint sounds of the Grand Dao lingered in his ears.

It was as if nothing had happened.

However, the slight fluctuations that had caught the attention of the Heaven Master Seal and the True One Law Altar earlier were now gone.

The three-star opportunity that might have existed here was indeed no longer present.

Lei Jun and Zhang Jingzhen surveyed the area once more and brought back two fellow sect members from elsewhere.

In the end, everyone gathered at the Immortal Bamboo Forest.

With Zhang Jingzhen taking charge, Lei Jun didn't interject much.

Instead, he focused on his own quiet breathing and cultivation, silently refining himself with the abundant spiritual energy within the Immortal Bamboo Forest.

When the allotted time was up, Zhang Jingzhen led everyone out of the Immortal Bamboo Forest and returned to the area they had entered from.

As expected, the ground rumbled with thunder, and the solidified cloud layer that formed the ground opened up once more.

Lei Jun and the others stepped inside, and their vision was filled with intertwining rays of light and thunder.

Once their vision returned to normal, they found themselves back on the summit of the main peak of Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

Looking up, they saw that the clouds had closed in again, leaving only the rumbling thunder and lightning snakes weaving through the clouds.

The high-achieving elder guarding the summit was no longer Ouyang Ning but Lei Jun's master, Yuan Mobai.

There weren't many high-achieving elders on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, and each had their duties, including a specialist on rotation at the High Achievement Pavilion.

Therefore, the Upper Clarity Thunder Palace blessed land also operated on a rotation system.

"Senior Martial Nie Zhang, are you alright?" Instead of addressing his own disciple, Yuan Mobai first greeted Zhang Jingzhen and checked on the injured ordained Daoist.

Elder Yuan always exuded a warm and reassuring presence, like a gentle spring breeze, to his fellow sect members.

Once all the aftermath matters were concluded, Yuan Mobai finally nodded to Lei Jun.

Lei Jun followed his master down from the summit to the residence halfway up the mountain, where the two of them finally had a proper conversation.

"The True Yang Treasure Tree..."

Yuan Mobai clicked his tongue in wonder, "It's truly rare for it to bloom. The timing is unpredictable, and the bloom only lasts for a brief moment. If you miss it, you might not know when it will bloom again.

Lei Jun replied, "I also stumbled upon it by chance. It only blooms at sunrise and shows signs of closing up again shortly after. Fortunately, I managed to pluck it just in time."

As he spoke, he handed over the Soil Banner, along with the True Yang Miracle Flower, to Yuan Mobai.

Yuan Mobai's expression turned emotional as he beheld the True Yang Miracle Flower. But when he laid eyes on the Soil Banner, his usually composed demeanor shifted, and a complex mix of emotions played across his face.

Lei Jun noticed the unusual display of emotions from his master and couldn't help but feel curious.

"I had a vague idea that you possessed an extraordinary artifact, but I never expected it to be this," Yuan Mobai said, shaking his head slightly.

Lei Jun made no attempt to hide his curiosity.

Yuan Mobai smiled, not elaborating further. He simply returned the Soil Banner to Lei Jun and said, "This treasure originates from Shu Mountain."

Lei Jun nodded silently. He had his suspicions but couldn't be sure until now.

Shu Mountain, also known as Shu Mountain House or Shu Mountain Sect, was renowned alongside Dragon and Tiger Mountain Heavenly Masters Mansion and Zhongnan Mountain Pure Yang Palace.

Dragon and Tiger Mountain was the sacred ancestral land of the Daoist Talisman Sect, known for their nature-based practices and the dual cultivation of body and spirit, merging dragon and tiger energies.

Zhongnan Mountain, on the other hand, was the sacred ancestral land of the Daoist Elixir Sect, where practitioners used their own bodies as cauldrons for internal elixir refinement, also focusing on the dual cultivation of body and spirit. This path often led to the cultivation of their physical bodies and Yang spirits.

Due to their cultivation methods, the Daoist Elixir Sect was commonly referred to as the Inner Elixir Sect by the outside world.

In contrast, the other Daoist sacred land of comparable stature was the Shu Mountain Sect, the ancestral land of the Outer Elixir Sect, also known as the Daoist Artifact Sect.

Contrary to the common perception of 'dan' referring exclusively to elixirs, in this world of Daoist cultivation, anything refined externally from one's body was collectively termed as 'outer elixirs.' This included not only elixirs and magical medicines but also various artifacts and treasures.

Shu Mountain was renowned as the foremost artifact-refining sacred land. Thus, many also referred to the Outer Elixir Sect as the Daoist Artifact Sect.

The Dragon and Tiger Mountain Heavenly Masters Mansion harnessed the power of nature, communicated with the heavens and the earth through talismans, and cultivated both body and spirit, merging dragon and tiger energies.

The Zhongnan Mountain Pure Yang Palace used their bodies as cauldrons for internal elixir refinement, also focusing on the dual cultivation of body and spirit, channeling all their efforts into their physical bodies and Yang spirits.

The Shu Mountain Sect, on the other hand, cultivated their spirit, soul, and consciousness while crafting their own signature artifacts and treasures. It was a challenging path, akin to sailing in a bitter sea, but the ultimate goal was to unite body and artifact, infuse their spirit into the artifact, and roam the nine heavens.

The revered Shu Mountain Sword Immortals originated from this path.

In truth, while many cultivated flying swords as their signature artifacts, it was just one of the many branches of the Shu Mountain Daoist tradition.

Over the years, the Shu Mountain Sect had produced a diverse array of artifacts, each with its unique wonders.

In addition to their signature artifacts, Shu Mountain cultivators would also craft other artifacts when time and circumstances permitted or when there was a specific need.

Thus, many of the artifacts circulating in the Great Tang Dynasty could trace their origins back to Shu Mountain.

The Dragon and Tiger Mountain Heavenly Masters Mansion also crafted artifacts and treasures, boasting a long and illustrious history, with their own unique strengths. However, in terms of scale, they paled in comparison to Shu Mountain.

When Lei Jun had first encountered the Soil Banner, he had a hunch that it belonged to one of the Daoist sects, though it didn't seem to follow the traditions of his own Talisman Sect.

Among the other two major sects, the Elixir Sect, or the Pure Yang Palace, rarely crafted artifacts outside of their bodies.

That left the most likely origin as the Outer Elixir Sect or the Artifact Sect—the Shu Mountain Sect.

However, as he hadn't interacted much with the Shu Mountain Sect, he couldn't be sure. Now, he had his master's confirmation.

Lei Jun proceeded to recount the story of how he had obtained the Soil Banner, mostly sticking to the truth while omitting a few details and replacing them with a vague mention of a fortunate encounter.

Yuan Mobai didn't press for further details, merely commenting, "It seems that the treasures from the Great Chen Dynasty are indeed relics from many years ago."

The True Yang Miracle Flower was enigmatic, and in theory, it would close up again shortly after blooming.

Lei Jun's use of the Soil Banner to nurture the flower branch could only sustain it temporarily.

If left unattended, the flower would eventually retract and disappear.

Following Yuan Mobai's guidance, Lei Jun took out the Nine Saints' Clear Frost.

After bathing the delicate white flower in the frost, a subtle glow began to emanate from its petals.

The radiance was lustrous and warm.

With this glow, the True Yang Miracle Flower remained perpetually in bloom, never wilting.

"Now, all we need to do is wait patiently," Yuan Mobai said. "After being nurtured by the Nine Saints' Clear Frost, it will need some more time before it's ready for your use."

Lei Jun nodded in agreement. Based on his own observations through the Heaven Master Seal and the True One Law Altar, he shared the same sentiment.

"The True One Law Altar, combined with the True Yang Miracle Flower cultivated by the Nine Saints' Clear Frost, can be considered two strokes of fortune," Lei Jun mused.

"It seems that according to the current situation, there's one more thing missing..."

Yuan Mobai said, "Based on your current condition and the path of cultivation you've chosen, there's already an invisible connection forming. If my guess is correct, the final opportunity you seek should be the counterpart to the True Yang Miracle Flower."

Lei Jun understood what Yuan Mobai was implying.

Previously, with the help of the Fire Marrow Sunfish, Water Marrow Moonfish, the Unfulfilled Bowl, and the Fulfilled Stone, he had nurtured his spirit and soul, enhancing his comprehension abilities.

In a sense, he had been walking the path of Yin-Yang harmony and the balance of the Two Extremes.

There was no need to elaborate on his cultivation of the Daoist arts, as Dragon and Tiger Mountain Heavenly Masters Mansion was renowned for emphasizing the harmony of Yin and Yang and the merging of dragon and tiger energies.

Given this synergy, as he sought to transform his bones and enhance his innate talent, continuing down this path of Yin-Yang balance would be the most suitable choice.

The creation of the Potential Dragon Spirit Body had been a serendipitous and unintentional achievement.

At that time, Lei Jun had barely any foundation in the Daoist arts, akin to a blank slate, allowing him the freedom to explore.

Now that he had established a foundation, it wasn't that he was constrained, but from the perspective of future cultivation efficiency and compatibility with his current state, seeking to improve his innate talent and finding a spiritual object that complemented the True Yang Miracle Flower was undoubtedly the best choice for his current situation.

"To find the counterpart to True Yang, we should start by exploring True Yin," Yuan Mobai said. "From now on, we'll keep an eye out for anything related to True Yin."

"Thank you, Master, for your guidance and support," Lei Jun expressed his gratitude.

After leaving his master's residence, Lei Jun returned to his own estate.

First, he carefully tended to the True Yang Miracle Flower that was cultivating.

Then, Lei Jun calmed his mind and sat down to meditate, regulating his breathing to harmonize his inner energies.

Although he had not spent much time in the Immortal Bamboo Forest, the Upper Clarity Thunder Palace blessed land was still abundant in spiritual energy.

A walk through this place was like receiving a spiritual baptism, benefiting both Lei Jun's body and mind.

He carefully adjusted his breath to nurture his spiritual power, summarizing and absorbing the gains from his recent journey to the blessed land.

As for the spiritual object of True Yin, which was the counterpart to the True Yang Miracle Flower, Lei Jun was not in a hurry to find it. He remained attentive while continuing his daily life as usual.

Time passed, and the months of August and September brought the arrival of autumn.

Lei Jun focused on his cultivation within Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

While the world outside the mountain was in turmoil, a familiar figure appeared one day as Lei Jun prepared to visit the Treasure Pavilion to collect some Vermilion Cloud Paper.

It was someone he knew well—Officer Hong Shangguan, who had participated in the same initiation ceremony as Lei Jun, becoming a true disciple of the Heavenly Master's Mansion.

Accompanying Shangguan Hong was a moderately built, unremarkable-looking Taoist priest with a light and agile aura. He appeared to be in his thirties, and his expression was calm and unperturbed.

"Brother Lin, Brother Shangguan," Lei Jun greeted them.

The young Taoist priest in his thirties smiled upon seeing Lei Jun, "Brother Lei?"

The man was named Lin Shan, the senior disciple of Elder Shangguan Ning, and the senior brother of Shangguan Hong, who was from the same sect.

Lin Shan kept a low profile within the Heavenly Master's Mansion, always keeping a low profile and never showing off his skills. Unlike Li Xuan and Li Kong, he was not well-known, but he was nonetheless considered a young genius among the new generation of the Heavenly Master's Mansion.

Shangguan Hong hesitated slightly before addressing Lei Jun with respect, "Daoist Lei."

Out of respect, the young disciples from the Taoist Academy addressed all true disciples of the Heavenly Master's Mansion who had undergone the initiation ceremony with the honorific title.

In theory, initiated Taoists were also supposed to address ordained Taoists with the titles of "Daoist" or "Elder."

Hence, it was often said, "Initiated Taoists, ordained Daoists."

"You and I entered the mansion in the same year, and we often interact," Lei Jun shook his head. "There's no need for formality between us, Brother Shangguan."

"Please guide me more in the future, Brother Lei," Shangguan Hong said, changing his address.

However, as he looked at Lei Jun, he couldn't help but feel amazed, "Not to mention that I entered the sect after you, Brother, but your achievements are far superior, and you are truly an example for me to learn from."

At this point, Shangguan Hong sighed with emotion.

Speaking of his progress over the years, he had also been diligent in his cultivation, never daring to slack off.

Although Elder Shangguan was his aunt, she was a strict teacher most of the time on the mountain.

Shangguan Hong's cultivation speed was not slow.

Generally speaking, given his superior understanding and high-quality roots, it would take him about ten years to reach the Foundation Establishment realm.

With the help of various opportunities and spiritual objects, Shangguan Hong had now reached the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Furthermore, he was confident that he would reach the peak of Foundation Establishment by next year.

By then, it would have been six or seven years since he officially entered the sect through the initiation ceremony.

This speed, whether in the Taoist holy land of the Heavenly Master's Mansion or in his own Shangguan clan, was well above average.

However, the problem was that the tall and sturdy young man in front of him was a monster...

In less than six years since he entered the sect, he had not only successfully established his foundation but had also progressed from the Three Heavens Law Altar realm to the Four Heavens Primordial Symbol realm.

As the saying goes, comparing goods makes one want to throw them away, and comparing people can be frustrating...

When the gap reaches a certain point, it's no longer frustrating; it's just demoralizing.

Shangguan Hong just felt helpless.

Coming from the Shangguan clan and being a disciple of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, he rarely felt this way, but he certainly didn't enjoy it.

Although calling Lei Jun "Daoist Lei" made him feel complicated, Shangguan Hong didn't mind it at all.

"Brother Shangguan seems to have some physical discomfort?" Lei Jun glanced at Shangguan Hong.

Shangguan Hong nodded, his expression turning solemn, "I sustained some minor injuries during my recent excursion for training. After returning to the mountain for treatment and recuperation, I'm mostly recovered now. Thank you for your concern, Brother Lei."

Lin Shan, standing beside him, calmly added, "Brother Hong and a few other junior disciples encountered Chen Yi, that traitor."

"Oh?" Lei Jun asked.

Shangguan Hong continued, "It happened not long after we left the mountain, not far from here. We happened to encounter Chen... Chen Yi.

So we fought him, but embarrassingly, several of us were injured and still couldn't capture him.

In fact, if he hadn't been in a hurry to leave because his whereabouts were exposed and he was afraid that more of our sect's experts would arrive, some of us might have fallen victim to him."

Shangguan Hong turned to Lin Shan beside him, "After that, Brother Lin went out to search for Chen Yi, but there was no trace of him in that area. It seems he had already fled far away."

After a slight pause, Shangguan Hong added, "That Chen Yi, compared to when he betrayed the sect last year, has improved even further. When we met him this year, he had already successfully crossed the tribulation between the Second Heaven and the Third Heaven, reaching the Law Altar realm!"

At this point, Shangguan Hong sighed again.

Although he couldn't compare to Lei Jun, Chen Yi had also left the rest of their batch of initiates behind.

"Has Chen Yi joined the Yellow Sky Path?" Lei Jun asked.

Shangguan Hong was unaware of the situation, so Lin Shan, standing beside him, answered, "According to the information we gathered while hunting down the Yellow Sky Path demons and the traitor Chen Yi, Chen Yi had attempted to join the Yellow Sky Path but was not accepted. The specifics are unclear, and the information may not be accurate, so further verification is needed."

"I see..."

Lei Jun raised his eyebrows, "So why did he come back to Dragon and Tiger Mountain?"

Even if he had some powerful trump card, shouldn't he be biding his time and working hard to improve his strength before returning to seek revenge?

It didn't make sense for him to come back now, with only a Third Heaven realm cultivation base, intending to take revenge on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, did it?

PS: This is the second update for today, another 5k chapter. It's the last day of the month, so let's finish it on a good note. I'll continue working hard, and hopefully, I'll be able to bring you another update tonight.

(End of Chapter)

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