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Chapter 109: 108. Traveling with the Senior Mistress
Chapter 109: 108. Traveling with the Senior Mistress
Lei Jun's musings didn't last long. Just as when he had first entered the mansion and Wang Guiyuan had helped him settle into his new home and prepare all sorts of necessities, it was now Lei Jun's turn to do the same for Chu Kun.
Chu Kun was thrilled to have this opportunity to interact with his senior martial brother, Lei Jun. He changed into the symbolic apricot-yellow robe of a transmitted disciple, following Lei Jun, who was now clad in a deep red robe, his mind filled with curiosity.
This curiosity stemmed from his two senior martial brothers. His second senior martial brother, Lei Jun, had already received his talisman and donned the deep red robe, as was customary. However, his senior martial brother, Wang Guiyuan, still wore the apricot-yellow robe, just like Chu Kun.
Rather than looking down on Wang Guiyuan because of this, Chu Kun was mostly intrigued. His young aunt, Chu Yu, had once mentioned that Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan were both quite extraordinary.
Chu Kun had already witnessed Lei Jun's capabilities, but what about the other senior martial brother, Wang Guiyuan? After all, Master Yuan Mobai only had these two disciples, so the gap in their mentor's discernment shouldn't be that significant, should it?
"Hmm, it's hard to say," Chu Kun thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile. "I'm actually quite ordinary."
In terms of talent, he knew he wasn't lacking. Compared to the general populace, he was definitely a cut above average. However, having grown up in the Chu family and surrounded by countless geniuses and prodigies, Chu Kun was well aware of his own limitations.
Fortunately...
The young Taoist priest shook his head and followed closely behind Lei Jun.
But this moment of reflection was fleeting, as Chu Kun knew that his primary focus from now on would be on learning the Taoist arts from Master Yuan Mobai and striving to build his foundation as soon as possible.
As for Lei Jun, after the transmission ceremony concluded, he prepared to descend the mountain with the senior mistress, Xu Yuanzhen, and head north to cross the great river.
"The Shadow Hare is incompatible with your True Yang Miracle Flower. If you want to enhance your innate talent and constitution, you'll need to try your luck elsewhere," Master Yuan Mobai said before Lei Jun's departure. "The distant northern frontier beyond the desert and the Bamboo Sea in southern Shu are both uncertain in timing. You'll have to seize the opportunity when the time comes."
Lei Jun replied, "Although I yearn to improve my innate talent, such matters rely on opportunity and cannot be forced. Moreover, I shouldn't let it distract me from my regular cultivation. This trip with Senior Mistress Xu to Youpeng Mountain will be most opportune if we can successfully find the Burning Heart Snake. Later, I will go to the Chiyu Cave Heaven to refine the Nine Earth Yin Wind Sha, and then return to stabilize my cultivation before making further plans. Everything must be done step by step."
Chiyu Cave Heaven was one of the most important blessed lands of the Celestial Master's Mansion outside Longhu Mountain, well-developed and abundant in resources. During the great war, Huang Tiandao had even launched a smoke bomb attack on Chiyu Cave Heaven, creating confusion and dispersing the energy of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
In addition to various spiritual creatures, the place was known for producing another high-quality earth sha, known as the Nine Earth Yin Wind Sha.
The Earth-Heart Yin Fire Sha on Longhu Mountain was showing signs of depletion, and its power was waning. Lei Jun had no choice but to seek another negative earth sha to balance it with the Positive Chioxus Thunder Sha.
The Nine Earth Yin Wind Sha from Chiyu Cave Heaven was just what he needed.
"Your plans are well-organized and disciplined, following the natural order. I have no worries about you," Master Yuan Mobai said with a smile.
Despite these words of assurance, Master Yuan Mobai still gave Lei Jun an extra talisman as he embarked on his journey outside the mountain.
With Lei Jun's current cultivation, he could draw an extremely fine Gold Pass Talisman himself, without any help from his master.
And it was precisely because his cultivation had reached such heights that Master Yuan Mobai directly bestowed upon him a high-grade talisman this time.
It was the Supreme Five Thunder Rightful Law Talisman.
The Yang Five Thunder Rightful Law complemented Lei Jun's own Yin Five Thunder Rightful Law Talisman.
"Little Junior Uncle, let's go," said Xu Yuanzhen, who had been sitting quietly beside them, as she rose to her feet.
Master Yuan Mobai spoke, "Senior Nephew Xu, your cultivation and strength need no introduction. However, as you will be traveling for a long time, stay vigilant. The Great Tang is not as peaceful as it once was."
Xu Yuanzhen nodded noncommittally.
After bidding farewell to Master Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen left together.
Wang Guiyuan and Chu Kun waited for them in the courtyard outside. Seeing Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen emerge, they approached to see them off.
Xu Yuanzhen didn't require much preparation, and she didn't bother bringing many things. On the other hand, Wang Guiyuan had helped Lei Jun with his luggage, which seemed a bit excessive.
"...Hmm, a little too much," Lei Jun thought.
"It's better to be overprepared than caught unprepared," Wang Guiyuan said with a sigh. "Last time, I thought you were just going to the Yunxiao Mountains, which are nearby and within our sect's territory, so I was a bit negligent. Every time I think about it, I regret it deeply. This time, rest assured that I've prepared more than enough."
"... ..."
"Thank you, Senior Brother," Lei Jun said.
He looked at the small mountain of luggage before him, neatly stacked and clearly organized, with each batch of items distinct despite the overwhelming quantity.
Without Wang Guiyuan's introduction, Lei Jun could distinguish them himself:
"The main selection."
"Spare."
"Backup for the spare."
"Backup for the backup's backup."
"Backup for the backup's backup's backup."
At a glance, there were at least five identical sets.
"Senior Martial Brother, I know that Second Senior Martial Brother has our Chu family's dimensional box, and after receiving his talisman, the Celestial Master's Mansion will also bestow upon him a special bag used by cultivators to store items. But do you have to pack as if you're moving houses?" Chu Kun said, his eyes widening at the sight.
Wang Guiyuan reached out and grasped Lei Jun's hand, shaking it vigorously. "Little Junior Brother, the world is a dangerous place. Be extra cautious when you're out there!"
"Senior Brother, your words are wise," Lei Jun replied.
"Second Senior Brother isn't venturing into a tiger's den, he's just going on a normal journey. Senior Brother, the way you're acting makes it seem like you're bidding farewell forever, which only fills my heart with unease..." Chu Kun lowered his head, unable to bear the dramatic display.
Letting go of Lei Jun's hand, Wang Guiyuan turned back to his luggage, deep in thought. "Or should I prepare another set just in case?"
"..." Chu Kun was speechless.
"Senior Martial Brother, are you actually planning to have Second Senior Brother sell your goods at the markets along the way?"
"Take care, Senior Brother," Lei Jun said.
"Take care, Chu Kun," Wang Guiyuan replied.
Lei Jun thanked Wang Guiyuan and then turned to the Confucian dimensional box. He began to store the mountain of medicines, items, daily necessities, magical artifacts, and cultivation materials in front of him... four sets in total.
Then, he used the Taoist shrinking bag to wrap up the last set.
After bidding farewell to their fellow sect members, Lei Jun left Master Yuan Mobai's residence.
Xu Yuanzhen had already come out and was waiting outside the mountain gate below.
When she saw Lei Jun, she wasted no time and turned to leave.
The black thundercloud appeared automatically, carrying Lei Jun with it. The two immediately rose into the air and flew northward.
"Senior Mistress, I apologize for the wait," Lei Jun said.
Xu Yuanzhen replied, "This is why I don't like interacting with people."
Lei Jun smiled. "It depends on the person."
"Wang Guiyuan is a good person, but I don't like interacting with him. These two things aren't contradictory," Xu Yuanzhen said.
"Alright, it does depend on the individual," Lei Jun agreed.
He lowered his head to look at the black thundercloud beneath his feet.
Speaking of which, this was the same black cloud that he had ridden the first time he had flown.
Back then, when he had first transmigrated to this world, it was Xu Yuanzhen who had ridden this black thundercloud to bring him back to the mountain.
Although he couldn't fly as fast as Xu Yuanzhen, Lei Jun could now fly on his own.
Perhaps due to his first impression, the memory of overlooking the rapidly passing landscape from the clouds had left a deep impression on Lei Jun, igniting his initial aspirations for cultivation and easing his discomfort in this strange new environment.
He shook his head slightly, reining in his wandering thoughts.
Looking down at the thundercloud again, Lei Jun suddenly remembered something. "Little Senior Sister once said that she wasn't very interested in the Thunder Law Heavenly Script Talisman. She wanted to create a completely new Thunder Law that would surpass the sect's original legacy..."
Xu Yuanzhen casually commented, "Xiao Tang? It's challenging, but not impossible."
"Then what about you, Senior Mistress?" Lei Jun asked.
Xu Yuanzhen replied succinctly, "I don't have that kind of free time."
Lei Jun raised his eyebrows. "But Senior Mistress, you also said that you're not very interested in the Thunder Law Heavenly Script Talisman."
"I'm interested in seeing what the Thunder Law Heavenly Script Talisman is about, but only interested in taking a look," Xu Yuanzhen clarified.
"I'm more interested in the fact that the mansion is forcing me to inherit the Heavenly Script Talisman," Xu Yuanzhen said, turning to look at Lei Jun. "As for what I learn, I'll still be myself. Look at Song Shizu, Er Shibai, and Li Zhengxian. They all learned the Heavenly Script Talismans, but have you ever seen them beat me?"
Senior Mistress, the way you phrase it, it sounds like you could also be talking about replacing the Heavenly Script Thunder Law with the Taoist arts of the Celestial Master's Mansion...
"Senior Mistress, are you saying that even if you don't learn the Taoist arts of the Celestial Master's Mansion and instead turn to another path, you can still dominate everyone else?" Lei Jun asked, looking at Xu Yuanzhen.
Xu Yuanzhen casually replied, "Regarding Master's offer, a few years ago, I felt uncertain about my chances, but recently, I've felt more confident. However, I won't be taking any action against him."
Lei Jun understood Xu Yuanzhen's reasoning for singling out the previous Celestial Master, Li Qingfeng.
This was because Li Qingfeng was the only one who had cultivated both the Thunder Law Heavenly Script Talisman and the Fire Law Earthly Script Talisman, possessing the Law Images of the Nine Heavens Thunder Ancestor and the Nine Abyss Flame Ancestor, also known as the Yang Thunder Dragon and the Yin Fire Tiger.
Therefore, this previous Celestial Master had mastered the sect's most powerful combat techniques.
It was called the Yin-Yang Junction, Dragon-Tiger Strike.
Of course, such possibilities were now completely gone.
This was a move that other forces outside the sect greatly feared.
With two elders of the Upper Heaven Realm, one cultivating the Yang Thunder Dragon and the other the Yin Fire Tiger, the Dragon-Tiger Strike would create an effect greater than the sum of its parts.
Celestial Master Li Qingfeng, having reached the pinnacle of the eightfold heavenly realm in the Taoist Talisman Sect, possessed immense spiritual power and abilities that far surpassed others. When he employed the Dragon-Tiger Strike, his strength was truly earth-shattering.
In contrast, the other two eightfold heaven realm experts from Dragon-Tiger Mountain, Xu Yuanzhen and Li Song, were not on equal footing. Firstly, Li Song had not yet perfected his realm, and secondly, neither of them could perform the Dragon-Tiger Strike alone.
Xu Yuanzhen cultivated the Fire Law Earthly Script Talisman and the Life-Bestowing Human Script Talisman.
Senior Uncle Li Song cultivated the Thunder Law Heavenly Script Talisman and the Life-Bestowing Human Script Talisman, and he was also advancing in age.
Thus, within and outside the Celestial Master's Mansion, it was unanimously acknowledged that among the three of them, Celestial Master Li Qingfeng's position as the foremost expert was unwavering.
Earlier, when Tang Xiaotang had brought up this topic in Xu Yuanzhen's presence, she had not objected. Like Tang Xiaotang, she knew nothing of being polite.
However, her attitude seemed to have changed subtly, as if the present was different from the past.
Moreover, from her words, it seemed that her newfound confidence did not stem from learning some other sect's ultimate technique, like Chen Yi, but rather from the Earth and Human Script Talisman.
This piqued Lei Jun's interest.
Nevertheless, such speculation was now meaningless.
Li Qingfeng had already perished.
Setting aside the fact that Xu Yuanzhen had no intention of competing with her master, even if she wanted to, there was no longer any need.
As the two conversed, the black thundercloud swiftly traversed the vast rivers and mountains.
From afar, a tremendous roar of water reached Lei Jun's ears.
Looking ahead, he beheld what appeared to be a vast ocean stretching across the heavens, dividing the land on either side as if it were a boundary between two worlds.
Indeed, the scale of the river was far grander than what Lei Jun had witnessed on Earth before his transmigration... As he gazed upon the shores, he felt a sense of grandeur and majesty.
It was winter, and although the river raged and roared, it could still be considered calm.
If it truly ran rampant, the destructive force of its waters would far surpass the flooding of the Qinglan River that Lei Jun had witnessed in the Yunxiao Mountains.
Not to mention cultivators of the Lower Three Realms, even those of higher realms would drown in the river if they were not careful.
For when the river raged, it was not just the waters that wreaked havoc, but also the earth veins, water veins, and spiritual energy that swirled together, forming a vortex of spiritual energy.
Any living being caught in its path would be reduced to dust.
This was a true natural disaster.
In more ancient times, the term "heaven's moat" originally referred to this place.
Due to the sheer ferocity of this location, cultivators later used the term "heaven's moat" to describe the risks and tribulations faced when transcending to higher realms.
Xu Yuanzhen's expression remained unchanged as she sat atop the black thundercloud, flying over the river's surface.
Lei Jun, seated on the same cloud, did not feel much, but he vaguely sensed that the whirlpools in the river seemed to exert an invisible, enormous suction force, as if trying to pull them down from mid-air.
Fortunately, the black thundercloud remained stable, seemingly unaffected, and calmly flew across the river.
As they approached the northern shore, Xu Yuanzhen's eyes flickered.
Without changing her expression, she glanced downwards.
Lei Jun followed her gaze and saw, in the distance, a cloud vessel that was much larger than a cloud carriage hovering above the northern shore, away from the river.
The vessel was surrounded by a vast expanse of white clouds that spread out like a small sea of clouds.
Within the cloud sea, there seemed to be faint silhouettes of dragons and snakes.
Someone on the vessel cupped their hands and bowed, their voice carrying across the distance, "Could it be the esteemed Xu Xianzi of Dragon-Tiger Mountain? I am Ye Cheng of Qingzhou Ye, paying my respects. May I request a moment of your time, Xianzi? I have a matter to discuss, and it won't take too long."
Lei Jun thought for a moment, "Ye Cheng, Ye Jifeng..."
He remembered.
Ye Cheng, styled Jifeng, was the eldest grandson of the main branch of the Qingzhou Ye clan, one of the Five Surnames and Seven Families of the Great Tang. He was one of the most outstanding young figures in the Confucian path.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, one day he would be the head of the Qingzhou Ye clan.
Among the Five Surnames and Seven Families, the most influential were the two Ye clans and the two Lin clans.
Tracing their roots to ancient times, the two Ye clans and the two Lin clans all originated from the same family.
Strictly speaking, the Jinzhou Ye clan had branched off from the Qingzhou Ye clan in the past.
Even in the present Great Tang Dynasty, the Qingzhou Ye clan was the most prosperous of the aristocratic families.
The current Empress was a direct descendant of the Qingzhou Ye clan.
However...
The black thundercloud continued its flight without stopping.
Xu Yuanzhen's expression remained unchanged as she glanced downward and then retracted her gaze, as if she hadn't heard the person below speaking.
The person on the cloud vessel seemed to be expecting this, as his tone, volume, and speed remained unchanged. He continued, "I have some information regarding your sect's Tang Xianzi, which I wish to share with Xianzi."
PS: First update of the day.
(End of Chapter)
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