https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-111-Second-Batch-of-Expression-Packs/12586456/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-113-A-Three-Star-Opportunity-and-a-Single-Page-Book/12586458/
Chapter 112: The 111th Fifth Upper Sign
Chapter 112: The 111th Fifth Upper Sign
Xu Yuanzhen was quite pleased with her new painting.
Lei Jun shrugged and laughed it off.
Their conversation was light-hearted, serving only as an occasional diversion.
For Lei Jun, the most pressing task at hand was to harmonize the true yin and yang powers of the new refined essence that had entered his body and imprinted on his primordial symbol.
After several days of effort, he finally stabilized his condition completely.
"Well then, it's time to part ways," Xu Yuanzhen said as she stood up. "I'll be heading north to the Red Abyss Cave to refine your Nine Earth Yin Wind Sha, while you continue on your journey."
Lei Jun was about to nod in agreement when the light sphere in his mind suddenly started to flicker.
Words appeared on its surface:
> "When the mountains and rivers move, and the dragon's calamity turns, a still heart brings clarity to the heavens."
Three fortune-telling sticks then flew out from the sphere.
Lei Jun read them carefully, and his eyes widened slightly as he read the first one:
> "The Upper Sign: Stay in the Valley of Qiro and do not leave. By remaining still and taking no action, you will obtain a third-grade opportunity tomorrow afternoon. This opportunity can be further expanded without any risk or trouble. Great fortune awaits!"
To obtain an Upper Sign here was unexpected.
Lei Jun's interest was piqued.
He read the other two fortunes and found them to be of medium grade:
> "Medium Sign: Leave the Valley of Qiro and travel far. Go beyond the main peak of Mount Youpeng and gain nothing, yet lose nothing. Neutral fortune."
> "Medium Sign: Leave the Valley of Qiro and head to the main peak of Mount Youpeng. Tomorrow afternoon, you will obtain an eighth-grade opportunity, but beware of hidden dangers. Neutral fortune."
After a moment's thought, Lei Jun said to Xu Yuanzhen, "I think I'll stay a few more days."
"Why?" Xu Yuanzhen asked.
Lei Jun then showed her the True Yang Miracle Flower.
Over this period of nurturing, the white flower had become more and more radiant, its lustrous glow now enveloping the entire branch.
"The environment here is favorable," Lei Jun explained. "I plan to take this opportunity to further nurture the True Yang Miracle Flower. I feel that this spiritual object will reach full maturity in the next few days."
He wasn't exaggerating.
This place, where the Shadow Hare and the Heart-Burning Serpent resided, had an environment that was relatively conducive to true yin and true yang spiritual objects.
And indeed, his True Yang Miracle Flower was close to maturity.
Of course, it didn't have to happen right away. Even if he left with the flower now, it wouldn't impact its maturation in a few days.
For now, he was simply making the most of his opportunities.
"If you're staying, I won't keep you company. But be careful, as there have been frequent abnormal movements in the earth veins lately," Xu Yuanzhen said, turning to wave goodbye. With the black thundercloud under her feet, she soon disappeared from the Valley of Qiro, leaving no stone unturned.
"Thank you, Senior Sister, for your guidance. I will be cautious," Lei Jun said, bidding Xu Yuanzhen farewell as her figure vanished from view.
Alone in the valley, Lei Jun looked around. He didn't need to change his position, so he sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and continued his cultivation in silence.
A third-grade opportunity was undoubtedly extraordinary.
Especially considering the Upper Sign's prediction, this opportunity might even have the potential for further expansion.
It was likely no ordinary treasure.
Previously, when Xu Yuanzhen had been searching for the Heart-Burning Serpent, she had thoroughly scoured the surrounding areas.
And in the days that followed, she had remained in the mountains.
If there was an extremely profound spiritual object hidden in Mount Youpeng, it stood to reason that it shouldn't have escaped Xu Yuanzhen's notice.
Since Xu Yuanzhen hadn't discovered anything, it suggested that the third-grade opportunity mentioned in the Upper Sign might not be present in the Valley of Qiro in the Mount Youpeng area yet.
It was more likely related to the prediction, "When the mountains and rivers move, and the dragon's calamity turns." Perhaps, after the described changes in the landscape, the opportunity would present itself in the Valley of Qiro.
Speaking of which, with such massive geographical changes, was there going to be a major earthquake in this area? Lei Jun looked around at the peaceful and serene valley.
Xu Yuanzhen's warning about frequent abnormal movements in the earth veins seemed to corroborate the description in the fortune.
Based on his past experiences, an Upper Sign not only indicated a significant gain but also implied minimal risk, at least a harmless outcome.
So, Lei Jun didn't dwell on it further and felt reassured as he remained in the Valley of Qiro, focusing on his cultivation with a calm mind.
Thus, he embodied the saying, "a still heart brings clarity to the heavens."
Now, he waited to see if "the heavens would clear on their own."
As night fell and the sun set, Lei Jun remained immersed in his cultivation, oblivious to the passing of time.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked toward the entrance of the valley.
Several people were walking into the valley together.
The two leaders wore apricot-yellow Daoist robes.
Following them were three young Daoist disciples dressed in gray robes.
As they entered the valley and spotted Lei Jun in his deep red Daoist robe, they paused in surprise.
One of the yellow-robed Daoists, having recovered from his surprise, exclaimed with delight, "Is it Daoist Lei?"
"Have we met before?" Lei Jun asked.
The man in yellow quickly replied, "I am a disciple of the Jade River Sect, and it is understandable if you haven't paid attention to me, Senior. However, I once caught a glimpse of you from afar when I returned to the mountain with my senior sect members."
Similar to the Heavenly Void Sect and the Purple Cloud Sect, the Jade River Sect was a lineage of the Talisman Sect in Daoism, a branch that had spread from the Celestial Master's Mansion. They all considered Longhu Mountain as their ancestral court.
Although the other man in yellow had never met Lei Jun, he immediately realized who he was from the way his fellow sect member addressed him.
There was only one Talisman Master with the surname Lei in the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion at present.
He was Lei Jun, the proud disciple of Elder Yuan Mobai - Lei Zhongyun.
While he might not be as famous as Xu Yuanzhen, Li Zhengxian, or Tang Xiaotang, Lei Jun was nonetheless an up-and-coming exceptional successor of the new generation in the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion.
Lei Jun's name was already on the list of top forces, let alone the various branches of the Daoist Talisman Sect.
The two Jade River Sect disciples immediately greeted Lei Jun and introduced themselves:
"Jade River Sect disciple Chen Xi, pays respects to Senior Lei."
"Jade River Sect disciple Lu Boyuan, pays respects to Senior Lei."
Two of the remaining three Daoist apprentices were still a bit clueless.
They hadn't realized who Senior Lei was yet.
One of them, who was well-informed, had heard of Lei Jun's recent reputation and quickly responded, "My name is He Bin, and I pay respects to Senior Lei!"
"No need for formalities." Lei Jun smiled and nodded.
Although he had not interacted with the Jade River Sect before, they were all part of the Daoist Talisman Sect lineage, stemming from Longhu Mountain.
Lei Jun looked at Chen Xi, the Jade River Sect disciple who had recognized him first, and asked, "I recall that the Jade River Sect is quite a distance from here. How did you end up here?"
Chen Xi respectfully replied, "Please forgive me, Senior. My master and several elders of our sect brought us out to broaden our horizons. They allowed us to wander separately for a while, and we will meet up with them and our fellow sect members at a designated location later. We were wandering in the You Peng Mountains when we discovered that a valley here was unusually warm before the arrival of spring, so we came to take a look. We never expected this place to be your resting spot, Senior. We are truly sorry for disturbing your peace."
"This is just a natural spot in the mountains. How could it be my resting place? Anyone can come here; there's no such thing as a disturbance," Lei Jun said.
Chen Xi and Lu Boyuan heaved a sigh of relief.
It seemed that this Senior Lei was relatively easy to talk to.
Their minds became more active as they thought about the possibilities.
Even though Lei Jun was from the main lineage of the Celestial Master's Mansion, and they were from the branch sect of the Jade River, if they could establish some rapport, it would undoubtedly benefit them greatly in the future.
Whether it was a casual pointer from Lei Jun about their Daoist techniques or a compliment during their conversations, it would be a significant gain for the two Jade River Sect disciples.
Thus, the two disciples enthusiastically started to attend to Lei Jun, bringing forth the same fervor they had when serving their own masters.
As for the fact that Lei Jun was actually younger than them, they conveniently chose to ignore it.
What concerned them more was gauging the right level of enthusiasm so as not to overdo it and end up displeasing Senior Lei.
Lei Jun was not particularly fond of others hovering around him, but he didn't stop Chen Xi and Lu Boyuan from expressing their enthusiasm.
On the other hand, He Bin and the other two junior Daoist apprentices looked on with a hint of envy.
With Chen Xi and Lu Boyuan, who were officially recognized disciples, taking on the role of apprentices, it wouldn't be appropriate for them, as proper Daoist apprentices, to join in as well.
Unless they could catch Lei Jun's attention and impress him enough for him to bring them back to the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, He Bin and his companions would have to continue their training in the Jade River Sect.
He Bin's eyes darted about as he helped out behind Chen Xi and Lu Boyuan, looking for an opportunity to impress Senior Lei as well.
Lei Jun observed everything with a keen eye.
Whether it was Chen Xi, Lu Boyuan, or He Bin and the others, Lei Jun maintained an attitude that was neither encouraging nor discouraging.
After a night's rest, Chen Xi, Lu Boyuan, and the others came to bid Lei Jun farewell the next morning.
"We will meet again if we are fated to," Lei Jun said with a slight smile.
As he looked at the group from the Jade River Sect, he paused for a moment before asking, "Are you going to meet up with your fellow sect members now?"
"There's still some time before the appointed date, so we plan to continue exploring the You Peng Mountains before heading to the meeting spot," Chen Xi and Lu Boyuan replied.
"The surrounding earth veins and spiritual energy have been unstable lately, with frequent anomalies. Be extra cautious. The You Peng Mountains are generally safe, but stay away from the main peak to avoid any natural disasters or dangers," Lei Jun advised.
The Jade River Sect disciples exchanged glances and quickly promised, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Lei. We will be careful!"
Lei Jun nodded and closed his eyes to resume his meditation, ending the conversation.
Chen Xi, Lu Boyuan, and the others quickly withdrew and left the valley.
As the sun rose, the daylight gradually climbed towards its zenith.
Noon was approaching.
Lei Jun stopped his meditation and stood up, squinting as he gazed up at the sky, "Is it here? What could it be?"
......
In a quiet mountain forest valley, far away from You Peng Mountain and seemingly unrelated to it, something similar was happening.
A cloud ship hovered outside the mountains, concealed by mystical techniques to hide its presence.
In the valley below, several people were busy at work.
In the center of the valley, a massive pit had been dug, spanning several acres in size. From the peak above, the visual effect was stunning.
Surrounding this deep pit were neatly arranged giant inkstones, each exceeding ten feet in size.
Ye Cheng and the other Ye family disciples stood on a peak overlooking the valley, their expressions solemn as they gazed down at the scene below.
"The appointed time is almost here. Let's begin," Ye Cheng ordered.
At his command, the Ye family members quickly entered the valley.
Soon, the numerous giant inkstones began to release a torrent of thick ink, pouring it into the deep pit.
The pit was vast and deep.
But the ink seemed endless.
As time passed, the pit began to fill.
The valley seemed to have transformed into an ink lake.
The ink continued to flow into the center, causing the ink lake's surface to rise above the edges of the giant pit.
Yet, it did not overflow.
The ink seemed restrained by an invisible force, hovering above the pit's edges and solidifying in mid-air.
This terrifyingly massive amount of ink reshaped itself.
Finally, it solidified completely, turning into a solid.
From a distance, it appeared as if a gigantic black chess piece had been placed in the valley.
Even with the black chess piece in place, Ye Cheng's expression did not ease; instead, it turned even more solemn.
He took out a scroll and slowly unfurled it.
Instantly, literary and artistic talents condensed into entities, like clouds and smoke, soaring to the heavens and illuminating the surroundings.
The other Ye family members gathered behind Ye Cheng.
Ye Cheng released the scroll, allowing it to hang in mid-air without falling.
With him at the forefront, the Ye family members bowed nine times towards the scroll.
The next moment, without any wind, the scroll floated forward and descended into the valley, landing on top of the massive black chess piece, which had a diameter of nearly a hundred meters. It flashed with light before disappearing into the surface of the chess piece.
Then, the enormous black chess piece trembled.
The tremor affected only a few of the surrounding peaks, not causing widespread destruction.
However, it seemed to trigger a strong vibration that penetrated deep into the earth, following the earth veins and spiritual energy in all directions.
As it extended, it seemed to merge with other sources of vibration, creating a combined effect that had a profound impact.
......
Far away, in the seemingly peaceful You Peng Mountain, the earth suddenly shook and mountains trembled.
Except for the stable main peak, the surrounding mountains began to shake violently.
Fragments of rocks tumbled down the mountainsides.
Amidst this natural disaster, the five members of the Jade River Sect hurriedly fled for their lives.
Fortunately, the violent tremors didn't last long and soon subsided.
"Lei really predicted this," Lu Boyuan said with lingering fear.
The acolyte He Bin gazed at the main peak, deep in thought, "The main peak doesn't seem to have shaken much..."
Chen Xi speculated, "Could it be that some treasure has emerged, causing such a huge disturbance?"
He, too, looked towards the main peak, "Is it over there?"
The others followed his gaze, and indeed, they saw a radiant treasure light flickering at the top of the You Peng Mountain's main peak.
The group rejoiced.
But Lu Boyuan soon came back to his senses, "It's not safe in the mountains. Let's not get involved."
He took a few steps but noticed that Chen Xi wasn't following. He turned back.
Chen Xi hesitated, "The earth veins have calmed down, and opportunities like this are rare!"
Lu Boyuan reminded him, "But Lei warned us about the dangers of the main peak."
Chen Xi's eyes sparkled, "We find fortune in peril!"
......
In the Qiro Valley, the tremors were also significant.
However, they posed no threat to Lei Jun, who easily dodged the falling rocks.
The more dramatic change was the earth veins twisting, causing the valley floor to crack and form a massive fissure. This new rift added to the depth of the already sunken valley, resembling a beast's mouth ready to devour.
The rift was deep and dark, like the gaping maw of a giant beast.
(End of Chapter)
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