https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-105-Everyone-Loves-a-Good-Scheme-Part-Three-11-400-Words-/12586434/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-107-106-Auntie-I-ve-Enlightened-/12586436/
Chapter 106: 105. The True Fragrance
Chapter 106: 105. The True Fragrance
Li Xuan.
The eldest son of Li Ziyang, the High-Achieving Elder of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, and a prominent figure among the younger generation of the Li family.
Aside from the eldest martial brother, Li Zhengxuan, Li Xuan and Li Kong are considered the most exceptional descendants of the Li family of their generation.
Despite his junior status within the mansion, Li Xuan already holds many important positions and wields significant authority among the younger disciples.
The young Taoist priests in the Taoist Priest Academy refer to Lei Jun and his generation of direct disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion with respect, mostly addressing them as "Daoist Priest (name)."
However, when it comes to a select few like Li Xuan, they are already addressed as "Elder Li."
Normally, such important direct descendants would not be sent out, whether by the Celestial Master's Mansion or the Li family.
Even if there was a need to maintain close ties with the Tang court, Li Xuan's deployment to the Demon Suppression Guard should have been within the Mingya, the official government office.
Instead, he was sent to the Anya, the shadowy organization known for its dirty work.
It was risky and prone to offending others.
Being the Tang court's dagger in the dark, the target of its blade was anyone's guess.
To some extent, the Li family was going all in with this move, placing a significant bet to strengthen their relationship with the Tang Emperor.
Noble families were often a cause for wariness among emperors.
However, nothing was absolute, and the mind of an emperor was ever unpredictable.
While the Five Surnames and Seven Families constantly interfered in the various sacred sites, the Tang Emperor, in turn, attempted to counter them by fostering alliances with other aristocratic families.
Only the emperor himself knew the delicate balance he walked in this regard.
"Elder Ziyang and Elder Li may have intentions beyond just investing in the Tang imperial family," Lei Jun said.
Wang Guiyuan asked, "Is it to leverage the intelligence network of the Demon Suppression Guard to gather more information and search for the Celestial Master's Sword?"
Lei Jun nodded. "That's a possibility."
Of course, from Li Ziyang and Li Xuan's perspective, it also included searching for the Celestial Master's Seal.
If they could recover these two great treasures, the situation for both the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Li family would change drastically.
"It's also a way to keep their options open," Lei Jun added. "At least they didn't send the eldest martial brother."
"Elder Zhongyun..."
Yuan Mobai shook his head slightly at Lei Jun. "Watch your tongue."
"I was being rash, Master. Please forgive me," Lei Jun said.
The eldest martial brother, Li Zhengxuan, had been reflecting on his mistakes in the forbidden area of the ancestral mausoleum in the back mountain for a year now.
The loss of the Celestial Master's Sword was a grave matter, and to prevent further repercussions, Li Zhengxuan would have to remain in seclusion for a few more years even if he wanted to return to the world.
Of course, if he were truly sent to the Demon Suppression Guard, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to join the Anya.
Even though the title of Minor Celestial Master was no longer mentioned, he was still a high-achieving elder of the Celestial Master's Mansion with the cultivation base of the Upper Three Heavens.
If Li Zhengxuan were to fully dedicate himself to serving the Tang court, the impact would be far greater than that of Li Xuan.
It was hard to predict how the Five Surnames and Seven Families, including the Jingxiang Fang family and the Suzhou Chu family, would view this matter.
While the Li family was making a significant move, they were not betting everything on this single gamble.
As for whether this decision was correct or not, opinions could vary.
Lei Jun didn't pay much attention to it.
After all, he had no intention of getting involved in this matter.
While having an official position in the government sounded nice, he was currently doing well on Dragon and Tiger Mountain and saw no need to jump into the whirlpool of the capital and compete for another path.
Forget the Anya, he had no interest even in the Mingya.
Why bother with office politics when he could cultivate and practice Taoism in the Celestial Master's Mansion?
The Tang court wouldn't go as far as to forcibly conscript him, a mere Taoist priest.
If they did attempt such a thing, Daoist Priest Lei would immediately "lose his way" due to excessive joy, his heart overwhelmed with happiness but his body frail and weak, willing to serve but unable to fulfill his duty.
"May the ancestral masters forgive my dark thoughts," Lei Jun said.
"My only expectation regarding this matter is whether Elder Li Xuan will meet Chen Yi in the Demon Suppression Guard," Lei Jun said.
Upon hearing this, Wang Guiyuan's expression turned a little strange.
Yuan Mobai looked at Lei Jun and sighed softly. "You..."
He didn't continue on the topic but instead shifted the conversation to Lei Jun's cultivation. "Zhongyun, it's commendable that you've reached the Yuan Fu realm. However, the path of cultivation is still long, and you must not slack off or be impatient."
"Disciple will heed Master's teachings," Lei Jun replied.
"To advance from the Fourfold Heaven Yuan Fu realm to the Fivefold Heaven Dao Palace realm, you need to forge four Yuan Fu, as well as refine the Sha Qi."
Lei Jun nodded.
In Taoist cultivation, whether it was the Talisman Sect, the Pill Cauldron Sect, or the Artifact Refinement Sect, reaching the Middle Three Heavens stage required the fusion of Yang (hard/masculine) and Sha (killing/ destructive) energies.
For the Artifact Refinement Sect, the gang and sha energies were used to temper the divine soul and the lifebond artifact, intertwining seventy-two earthly sha energy patterns and thirty-six heavenly gang energy patterns.
The Pill Cauldron Sect used sha and gang energies as fuel to continue refining their human elixir and the yang spirit within the elixir.
In comparison, the Talisman Sect of Taoism was more akin to an architect.
At the Fourfold Heaven stage, while forging four Yuan Fu, one also refines sha energy, unifying the Yuan Fu, in preparation for constructing the Dao Palace of the Fivefold Heaven.
Once the Dao Palace of the Fivefold Heaven is achieved, it is combined with gang energy, unifying the energies and laying the foundation for forging the Dao Seal of the Sixfold Heaven.
Generally, at the Fourfold Heaven Yuan Fu realm, the refinement of sha energy is synchronized with the forging of the subsequent Yuan Fu. This ensures a harmonious unification rather than waiting until all four Yuan Fu are complete before beginning sha energy refinement.
Therefore, disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion should start preparing to refine sha energy when they are at the initial stage of the Yuan Fu realm, possessing only one talisman.
"The top-tier gang and sha energies in the world are actually limited and are occupied by various major forces," Wang Guiyuan said with a smile. "Of course, our sect is no exception, so we don't have to worry about the quality of sha energy.
Chapter 107: 106. The Best of the Best
Dragon Tiger Mountain, revered as the ancestral home of the Taoist sect and a blessed land of wonders, boasted an abundance of the finest gang sha energy.
Direct disciples like Lei Jun need not endure the hardships faced by heirs of smaller sects or solitary cultivators in their search for gang sha.
Without even stepping beyond the mountain gates, they could cultivate the highest grade of gang sha right there on Dragon Tiger Mountain.
"There are three types of top-tier sha energies found on this mountain: the White Tiger Divine Wind Sha, the Azure Sky Divine Thunder Sha, and the Earth-core Yin Fire Sha." Wang Guiyuan introduced, "Typically, most people choose to refine the White Tiger Divine Wind Sha. The other two are somewhat unconventional choices.
Not that they are inferior; on the contrary, these two sha energies, one leaning towards yin and the other towards yang, each have their unique benefits. The Azure Sky Divine Thunder Sha can enhance the power of a cultivator's thunder arts to some extent. As for the Earth-core Yin Fire Sha, it can improve a cultivator's alchemy and artifact refining skills."
Speaking up to this point, Wang Guiyuan took a slight turn in the conversation, "However, these two sha energies deviate from our sect's principle of balancing yin and yang. Thus, cultivating them will result in slower progress compared to those who refine the White Tiger Divine Wind Sha. On another note, our sect also possesses an ultimate gang qi meridian, the Azure Dragon Commanding Thunder Gang, which complements the White Tiger Divine Wind Sha. Later on, when you reach the Fivefold Heaven, you can combine them to refine gang qi. By then, dragon and tiger will converge, and gang sha will unite."
At this point, he glanced at Lei Jun, offering a reminder, "Of course, I'm not saying that you must choose the White Tiger Divine Wind Sha. It's perfectly fine to cultivate other sha energies or even leave the mountain to find an earth sha meridian that suits your fancy. Just remember one thing: don't be greedy and attempt to cultivate two sha energies simultaneously."
Wang Guiyuan was aware of Lei Jun's previous pursuit of the Water Marrow Yin Fish after obtaining the Fire Marrow Yang Fish, so he spoke with added solemnity, "It's best to avoid cultivating two sha energies with opposing yin and yang attributes like the Azure Sky Divine Thunder Sha and the Earth-core Yin Fire Sha. While cultivating two sha energies does offer benefits, such as increasing the power of a cultivator's spells, the drawbacks outweigh the advantages. Firstly, it's challenging to control, time-consuming, and will slow down your progress. Secondly, it's extremely easy to stray off the path and fall into madness. Our sect has no shortage of talented predecessors who attempted this path, but ultimately, none of them achieved desirable outcomes. This is a lesson learned through the collective experiences of countless ancestors."
Lei Jun listened attentively to Wang Guiyuan's words, not feeling that he was exaggerating in the slightest. Just like before in the Upper Clarity Thunder Grotto-Heaven, it was never a good idea to deliberately try something just because it was prohibited.
Unless...
[Divination for Sha Refinement, a tricky path with unforeseen twists and turns. No need to rush, for there will be a turn for the better.]
[Upper-Middle Sign: No need to hurry. Wait until after the new year to refine sha energy. A Fifth-Rank opportunity will present itself, bringing additional gains with no risks or drawbacks. Auspicious.]
[Middle Sign: Begin refining the White Tiger Divine Wind Sha before the new year. Conventional and orthodox, with no extra gains or losses. Neutral.]
[Middle Sign: Begin refining the Azure Sky Divine Thunder Sha before the new year. An unconventional path, with future developments left to your heart's desire. Neutral.]
[Lower-Middle Sign: Begin refining the Earth-core Yin Fire Sha before the new year. An unconventional path, with hidden obstacles and added troubles. Inauspicious.]
Lei Jun stared at the four fortunes that appeared simultaneously in his mind's eye, feeling a bit speechless at this rare occurrence.
...Could people truly escape the irresistible allure of the 'true fragrance'? As he examined the four fortunes together, he felt that there was an underlying suggestion that it was possible to cultivate two sha energies.
Although he didn't know what the Fifth-Rank opportunity mentioned in the Upper-Middle Sign specifically referred to, Lei Jun instinctively felt that it wasn't targeting the White Tiger Divine Wind Sha, which offered the most optimal and stable outcome among the single sha energies.
Another key aspect of the fortunes was the mention of timing, with the new year serving as a critical juncture.
Additionally, the Lower-Middle Sign indicated that there might be something amiss with the Earth-core Yin Fire Sha...
Regardless, with the new year fast approaching, Lei Jun decided not to rush things and instead wait for the turn of events that would lead to a better path.
"Master, Senior Brother, I'm also a bit undecided at the moment and plan to visit and observe the three earth sha meridians before making a decision." Lei Jun said, "Moreover, I intend to focus on mastering my first innate law first."
Having witnessed his enthusiasm for researching and innovating spells, Yuan Mobai and Wang Guiyuan were not surprised by his words and nodded in agreement.
"That's fine." Yuan Mobai smiled and nodded.
After bidding farewell to his master, Lei Jun first went to inspect the three earth sha meridians on the mountain.
His primary focus was on the Earth-core Yin Fire Sha.
After observing for several days, he didn't discover anything unusual.
Lei Jun suppressed his curiosity and chose to concentrate on his cultivation instead.
The innate law he ultimately decided on was the Stepping on Gang Sha.
As usual, he favored movement techniques and versatile state arts, especially during the initial stages of laying a solid foundation.
Mastering the Stepping on Gang Sha would further benefit him in developing and manifesting other spells.
In the following days, Lei Jun dedicated himself to cultivation and quietly refined his spirit while delving into the various high-level spirit talismans he had recently learned.
The arrival of the new year was fast approaching.
For the Celestial Master's Mansion on Dragon Tiger Mountain, another significant event during this new year period was the Triennial Initiation Ceremony, which would be held once again after three years.
PS: The first update of the day is a bit late. My apologies.
(End of Chapter)
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