Chapter 117 - A Propitious Omen

Chapter 117 - A Propitious Omen

Perched in the southwestern direction of Dragon and Tiger Mountain lies the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven, nestled within a lush and secluded mountain range.

While it may be an isolated place rarely visited by ordinary folk, it is a blessed and revered site for cultivators.

Among the external properties of the Celestial Master's Mansion, the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven is one of the most important blessed sites.

Well-established over the years, it boasts an early-built branch mansion, with an elder from the Mansion stationed there to preside over affairs.

Similar to the Yang Mountain Branch Mansion built alongside the Xuan Yang Cave Heaven, the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven is also located deep in the ancient forest. Nevertheless, a bustling town has flourished at the foot of the mountain, despite its secluded location.

During the successive major battles involving the Celestial Master's Mansion, the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, the Yellow Heaven's Way, and the South Wilderness Shaman Gate, the area near the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven remained untouched by conflict.

Thus, the local town has retained its vibrancy and prosperity.

Lei Jun made his way through this town, soaking in the lively atmosphere and enjoying the unique charm of the mortal world.

At the town's center stood a bustling Daoist palace, bustling with visitors.

With his cultivation base already established, Lei Jun naturally exuded an ethereal aura in the eyes of ordinary people, and his attire as an ordained Daoist priest of the Celestial Master's Mansion made him stand out even more.

However, Lei Jun had no intention of drawing attention to himself. As he concealed his presence, he even created a veiling effect, causing passersby to glance over him as if he were a wisp of cloud, their gazes unknowingly slipping past him.

Only the Daoist priest in charge of the local Daoist palace, who had undergone a proper initiation and ordination by the Celestial Master's Mansion, noticed Lei Jun. He smiled and came forward to greet him.

"Greetings, Junior Brother Lei."

"I apologize for not receiving you earlier, Senior Brother," Lei Jun replied, returning the greeting.

His arrival at the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven had been announced by the sect beforehand, but as Lei Jun had intended to visit You Peng Mountain in northern Jiang first, the timing of his visit here was uncertain.

The Daoist priest, glad to finally receive him, invited Lei Jun to sit down, offered him tea, and engaged in small talk before asking, "Junior Brother Lei, would you like to rest in the town first, or shall we head directly to the branch mansion in the mountains?"

"Senior Brother has much to attend to, so I wouldn't want to trouble you further. I'll head straight into the mountains," Lei Jun replied.

After some more polite exchanges, the Daoist priest instructed the Daoist acolytes in the palace to lead Lei Jun into the deep mountains.

The branch mansion of the Celestial Master's Mansion located here was called the Crimson Mountain Branch Mansion, and it had been operating for many years. Its scale was even more impressive than that of the Yang Mountain Branch Mansion by Xuan Yang Cave Heaven.

Deep in the ancient forest, a sprawling complex of Daoist palaces and mansions extended as far as the eye could see, resembling a small city from a distance.

What drew the eye the most was the sky above the Crimson Mountain Branch Mansion, where auspicious clouds lingered perpetually. Amidst the cloud layers, a faint red glow flickered, radiant like the evening sunset.

Even the sunlight couldn't diminish its splendor.

It bore a resemblance to the Upper Clarity Thunder Palace Cave Heaven on the Dragon and Tiger Mountain ancestral grounds.

Lei Jun nodded slightly at the sight.

The crimson auspicious clouds floating overhead did not mark the location of the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven.

Like the Xuan Yang Cave Heaven, the entrance to the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven was on the ground.

The crimson clouds in the sky, however, were formed by the spiritual energy of the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven, where pure Yang energy and top-grade Yin energy converged and condensed.

This place was not only abundant in spiritual treasures but also possessed the finest Yin energy.

Lei Jun's goal for this trip, the Nine Nether Yin Wind Yin, was located within the underground Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven.

In fact, if he had the opportunity to successfully cultivate the Fifth Heaven Dao Palace realm in the future, he might have to pay another visit to the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven.

Because, in addition to top-grade Yin energy like the Nine Nether Yin Wind Yin, this place also boasted the finest Yang energy.

Up in the crimson clouds floated the finest Yang energy, the Red Dragon Suppressing Abyss Yang, which was on par with the Azure Dragon Controlling Thunder Yang of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain ancestral grounds.

In the Daoist Talisman sect, cultivators refined Yin energy in the Fourth Heaven realm and combined it with Yang energy in the Fifth Heaven realm.

When the time came for Lei Jun to combine Yang energy again, he would carefully consider which type to choose.

For now, his goal was the Nine Nether Yin Wind Yin.

After entering the Crimson Mountain Branch Mansion and paying his respects to the elder in charge, Lei Jun chose a mansion that suited his taste within the branch mansion to set up his temporary residence.

Later, he made his way to the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven at the core of the branch mansion to cultivate.

As it turned out, Lei Jun also encountered a familiar face at the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven.

"Daoist Lei!"

A slender young Daoist priest, clad in a light yellow Daoist robe, bowed to Lei Jun.

The young Daoist priest, named Zhang Yuan, was a fellow disciple whom Lei Jun had known back when he was still a Daoist acolyte. Zhang Yuan had been ordained into the sect one year after Lei Jun.

It had been over three years since he officially became a true disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

"We're fellow junior brothers. Just call me Senior Brother," Lei Jun said, his gaze sweeping over the group. "What brings you all here?"

In addition to Zhang Yuan, there were several other ordained disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion who had come to greet Lei Jun.

"We were selected by the sect to come to the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven to gain experience and broaden our horizons," Zhang Yuan replied.

...Just like when we first went to the Yang Mountain Branch Mansion at Xuan Yang Cave Heaven, Lei Jun thought, understanding their situation.

After offering some words of encouragement to Zhang Yuan and the others, Lei Jun asked, "Which Daoist Master from the Mansion is leading your group this time?"

"This time, Left Uncle-Master and Daoist Master Chongyu are leading us," Zhang Yuan replied.

Lei Jun nodded.

The reason Zhang Yuan addressed one by their surname and the other by their given name had nothing to do with seniority or closeness.

As for Left Uncle-Master, his name was Zuo Li, and he was an elder of the mansion, but that was a topic for another time.

The so-called Senior Brother Chongyu was actually named Li Yucheng, with the Taoist name of Li Chongyu, and he was a descendant of the Li clan.

Unlike the direct descendants like Li Kong and Li Xuan, he was a distant relative like Li Zhenchang. However, he was older than Li Zhenchang, Li Ming, and the others. Having received his ordination over a decade ago, he was now a distinguished figure among the younger generation of the Li clan.

There were indeed too many Taoist priests named Li in Dragon Tiger Mountain, so when Zhang Yuan and the others mentioned him, they referred to him as "Taoist Chongyu" or "Senior Brother Chongyu".

Lei Jun hadn't interacted much with him.

However, out of courtesy, after chatting with Zhang Yuan and the others for a while longer, he took his leave to visit Left Uncle-Master Zuo Li.

After watching Lei Jun's departing figure with respectful gazes, the group of ordained disciples excitedly exclaimed, "Senior Brother Lei is really easygoing!"

Everyone envied Zhang Yuan for being able to strike up a conversation with Lei Jun so easily.

Generally speaking, anyone who had undergone the initiation and become a true disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion, even outside of Dragon Tiger Mountain, would be considered extraordinary.

But here in the Celestial Master's Mansion, geniuses were a dime a dozen.

Even among geniuses, there were differences.

The initiation ceremony was a significant hurdle.

Among the ordained disciples, there could also be vast disparities in talent and achievement.

If it weren't for these differences, the crowd wouldn't have paid much attention to the fact that a bunch of promising candidates had failed during last year's ordination ceremony.

And Lei Jun was the only promising candidate who had passed the ordination ceremony last year.

In recent years, his fame had spread, and he was now a figure of attention both within and outside the mansion.

Many people acknowledged that as long as nothing unexpected happened in the future, Little Taoist Lei would undoubtedly become another pillar of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Most of the fellow disciples in the mansion were eager to forge a good relationship with this rising star.

However, a strange expression flashed across Zhang Yuan's face.

He quickly returned to his usual demeanor and laughed it off. "Senior Brother Lei has always been like this, both back then and now. He's always been easygoing."

Zhang Yuan relished the feeling of being the center of attention and being envied by the others.

But when he thought back to the past, he couldn't shake off a sense of unease.

The reason was simple: his memories from that time were not particularly pleasant, and they kept haunting him.

To be precise, he had no issues with Lei Jun himself.

Lei Jun was talented and amicable. Even as he climbed the ranks, he didn't put on airs or look down on others.

Although Lei Jun didn't exude the same warmth as his master, Yuan Mobai, who always made people feel like they were basking in spring sunshine, interacting with him was mostly a pleasant and relaxing experience.

However, the problem was...

Every time Zhang Yuan tried to get closer to Senior Brother Lei and solidify their relationship, it marked the beginning of a nightmare.

Back when they were still acolytes in the Taoist academy, things had been fine, and there hadn't been any major disasters.

The explosion of Elder Du's altar had nothing to do with Lei Jun either.

But three years ago, right after Zhang Yuan had undergone the initiation ceremony and entered the mansion, the Celestial Master's Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain had just held an exchange and competition with the disciples of Pure Yang Palace of Mount Zhongnan.

Elder Yuan Mobai had opened his furnace to refine pills and instructed Lei Jun to go to the Grand Pill Room and the herb garden to retrieve cauldrons and medicinal ingredients.

Lei Jun went to the Grand Pill Room, and Zhang Yuan, wanting to leave a good impression on Elder Yuan Mobai and Senior Brother Lei Jun, eagerly volunteered to help and went to the herb garden.

Then, he ran straight into Fang Mingyuan and Li Ying, who were strolling through the garden, and was severely injured by Fang Mingyuan.

Zhang Yuan dared to swear by the ancestors that when Fang Mingyuan attacked him, he saw a clear intention in his eyes.

An intention to silence him.

It had happened so suddenly that not only Zhang Yuan but even Li Ying beside him had been caught off guard.

Fortunately, Luo Hanran, who had a higher cultivation base, happened to pass by and quickly intervened.

Otherwise, Zhang Yuan felt that he might have lost his life.

Thankfully, Fang Mingyuan had also been injured by Luo Hanran.

Later, he even heard that Fang Mingyuan had died in the Blood River Underground Palace, which gave Zhang Yuan some semblance of satisfaction.

But at the time, the severe injury and the subsequent recuperation had set him back significantly.

Now, three years had passed, and although Zhang Yuan had successfully built his foundation, he had not yet reached the middle stage of foundation establishment.

His injuries back then had indeed hindered his progress.

Of course, this wasn't Lei Jun's fault.

However, sometimes, Zhang Yuan couldn't help but wonder if he was just exceptionally unlucky, encountering so many disasters. Or was it that the ways of the world were so profound that he should stay away from Senior Brother Lei to avoid calamity? Amidst his helpless laughter, Zhang Yuan felt a moment of bewilderment.

................

"The Nine Nether Yin Wind Yin here is of excellent quality, but it's also very violent. The Crimson Mountain Branch Mansion has been managed by our sect for many years, but it's not as stable as the main compound in Dragon Tiger Mountain. Nephew Lei, you must be extra cautious."

Left Elder Zuo Li smiled at Lei Jun, his eyes shining with appreciation that he made no attempt to hide.

However, there was also a hint of sigh in his tone.

Compared to a new generation genius like Lei Jun, Left Elder was not as outstanding.

Left Elder Zuo Li was over a hundred years old, and his cultivation had reached the Fifth Heaven Dao Palace realm.

The golden opportunity to enhance his cultivation had passed, and he had entered a stable plateau phase. Although the possibility of further advancement was not completely extinguished, his best outcome would be to break through to the Sixth Heaven realm before the age of two hundred.

Ascending to the Upper Three Heavens was now nothing more than a distant dream.

At times, Zuo Li couldn't help but feel envious of prodigies like Lei Jun.

However, he was genuinely happy about the constant emergence of exceptional talents from the Celestial Master's Mansion.

"Thank you for your guidance, Left Master Zuo," Lei Jun bid farewell to Zuo Li and then turned to the relatively indifferent Li Yucheng beside him. "Brother Li, it's time for me to take my leave."

Li Yucheng nodded in acknowledgment. "Take care, Brother Lei."

After leaving Zuo Li and Li Yucheng, Lei Jun made his way to the core of the Crimson Mountain Branch Mansion, the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven.

The Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven was located deep within the mountain's belly, and the entrance, which had been stabilized over the years by the Celestial Master's Mansion, was now extremely sturdy.

As Lei Jun stepped inside, his vision was filled with crimson red.

But unlike the scorching heat of the Xuan Yang Cave Heaven, the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven gave him a subtle sense of coldness.

Both killing Qi and rigid Qi were high-quality spiritual energies in the world, but they were challenging to refine and dangerous to humans.

Disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion had to be cautious of the killing Qi when entering the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven.

However, at this moment, Lei Jun was deliberately invoking the killing Qi.

Deep within the abyss, as Lei Jun's magic power stirred, a sinister wind began to rise.

Nine Netherworld Yin Wind Killing Qi.

The sinister wind wasn't fierce, but it silently eroded one's soul and physical body without them even realizing it.

By the time one noticed, it was already too late to resist or escape.

People would find themselves dragged into the abyss by the Yin Wind from the Nine Netherworlds, much like drowning.

Lei Jun sat cross-legged, his expression calm as he quietly breathed and adjusted his breath, focusing his mind and visualizing.

His Yuan Fu, like a grand flag, fluttered majestically, its patterns profoundly mysterious.

As the Yuan Fu fluttered, its mysteries unfolded, and the invisible and silent sinister wind took form for an instant, transforming into a black mist-like entity.

Lei Jun didn't linger for long, only briefly touching the wind before retreating.

In that fleeting moment of contact, he drew a tiny strand of killing Qi into his body.

However, having the killing Qi enter his body didn't mean all was well. The real catastrophe was just beginning.

Lei Jun had to refine the absorbed killing Qi and make it his own.

At this moment, the killing Qi was no longer silent and sinister but wildly ferocious, like a tiger unleashed from its cage, rampaging through Lei Jun's body.

Yet, Lei Jun's mind was focused, his Yuan Fu shone brilliantly, and his magic power flowed endlessly, ultimately succeeding in subduing the black tiger.

That strand of killing Qi was then refined by Lei Jun.

On his Yuan Fu, a faint trace of black Qi appeared, no longer gloomy and vicious but instead, uniquely profound.

Repeating this process, Lei Jun absorbed and refined strand after strand of killing Qi.

The killing Qi in his body grew thicker, and his magic power became increasingly robust during this process.

As he would be returning to the mountain after this trip, and his future cultivation would still require the Nine Netherworld Yin Wind Killing Qi, Lei Jun gathered more and temporarily stored it on his Yuan Fu.

The refined spirit powers of the Shadow Hare and the Heart-Burning Serpent that he had obtained earlier were not used to balance Yin and Yang. Instead, they formed a red and blue revolving ring, first serving another purpose—helping Lei Jun temporarily store more of the Nine Netherworld Yin Wind Killing Qi.

Time passed unnoticed during cultivation.

Within the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven, Lei Jun continued to cultivate silently.

...

The cloud boat of the Ye Clan from Qingzhou no longer lingered north of the Great River. Instead, it crossed to the south, arriving on the southern bank.

Here, they repeated their previous actions, once again searching for a suitable location to place another massive "chess piece."

And so, the earth veins' spiritual energy stirred once more!

The tremors spread far and wide, but hidden underground, they went unnoticed by the outside world.

Their influence often didn't manifest locally.

Yet, the vast rivers and mountains had quietly changed.

The Crimson Mountain Branch Mansion and the Crimson Abyss Cave Heaven remained safe and sound.

After accumulating for several tens of days, Lei Jun estimated that he had gathered enough Nine Netherworld Yin Wind Killing Qi for his cultivation. He thanked the senior members of the sect who presided over this place and didn't tarry further, setting off on his return journey to the mountain.

However...

"What's this now?" Lei Jun's consciousness suddenly projected the words that appeared in the light sphere in his mind:

【The world's energy surges like a spring, opportunities intertwine, and paths diverge. Choose your path, and fortune and misfortune will follow.】

Along with this were four fortune-telling sticks:

【Upper-middle fortune stick, sunset, passing by Lonely Peak, you will obtain a fifth-grade opportunity, smooth sailing, no danger, no worries, auspicious.】

【Upper-middle fortune stick, sunset, passing by the Azure Spirit River, you will obtain a fifth-grade opportunity, there will be waves, but no danger or worries, auspicious.】

[Middle fortune stick, traveling through places other than Lonely Peak, the Azure Spirit River, and Nine Creek Valley, there will be no harvest, no risk, nothing gained, nothing lost, neutral.]



【Lower-middle fortune stick, sunset, passing by Nine Creek Valley, you will obtain a seventh-grade opportunity, but there is a great hidden danger, be extremely cautious, inauspicious.】

PS: First update of the day.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end