https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-128-Respecting-Each-Person-s-Destiny-Part-III-10-000-Characters-/12586473/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-130-129-This-Time-the-Right-Place/12586475/
Chapter 129: 128. A Middling Fortune Can Still Get You Killed
Chapter 129: 128. A Middling Fortune Can Still Get You Killed
Ji Chuan halted his sword's glow and approached Lei Jun.
Lei Jun's face was ashen as he said, "I've lost control of my spiritual powers and dare not move recklessly."
Ji Chuan was in a dilemma.
Seeing Lei Jun in such a state, even if he wanted to take Lei Jun with him, he couldn't afford to act impulsively. The slightest disturbance might be more than Lei Jun could bear.
Ji Chuan turned back to look at his senior martial brother, Zhao Gang, but the latter had already headed east, leaving him unable to catch up.
"It's relatively safe here at Cang Boshan, but within the range of our master's battle with the powerful demon, it's still too risky," Ji Chuan said urgently.
Lei Jun said, "Life and death are predetermined. For now, I can only put my faith in Senior Master He."
Ji Chuan hesitated for a few breaths, his expression changing several times.
Finally, as if he had made a decision, he said, "Fellow Daoist Lei, please sit and meditate to stabilize your foundation and spiritual power."
With that, the Shu Mountain cultivator drew his sword and slashed it at Cang Boshan.
His action was not intended to bury himself and Lei Jun.
Ji Chuan's sword strike was well-measured.
The sword glow cut through the mountain rock without disturbing the earth veins beneath. Instead, it carved out a shelter in the mountain, providing a place for him and Lei Jun to hide nearby.
Lei Jun watched Ji Chuan's actions, feeling somewhat surprised.
At the same time, he also felt a bit worried.
Although the fortune stick he drew mentioned that staying near Cang Boshan would be safer, it didn't say anything about taking such deliberate actions.
Ji Chuan's actions were well-intentioned.
However, if his disturbance of the mountain's structure triggered an abnormal movement in the earth veins, ruining this rare safe haven, then Lei Jun would be as devastated as Lin Xinran.
Fortunately, Ji Chuan had sharp eyes and a well-controlled sword. This section of Cang Boshan was indeed more stable.
After Ji Chuan's excavation, the mountain did not collapse or fracture but remained solid.
Ji Chuan immediately led Lei Jun into the mountain's interior.
Reaching the mountain's belly did not mean they could rest easy.
While the earth veins below were still stable, the area above and outside the mountain was unsafe.
The human and two demons, three powerful beings, had already clashed with true fire in the sky, and the aftermath of their battle continuously swept the ground.
Hiding in the mountain's belly, Lei Jun and Ji Chuan faced the danger of the mountain collapsing and burying them at any moment.
Ji Chuan was prepared for this.
He sat down directly next to Lei Jun, assuming a meditation posture, and then closed his eyes.
The next moment, a spiritual light rose above Ji Chuan's head.
His spirit had left his body!
This Shu Mountain disciple had released his spirit from his body and infused it into his magic sword.
The sword glow became brighter than before.
His spirit had entered the sword!
Starting from the Middle Three Heavens cultivation, this was the strongest state of Daoist refiners in actual combat.
Free from the constraints of their relatively fragile physical bodies, they merged their spirits with their natal magic weapons, unleashing a more powerful and agile force.
At this moment, Ji Chuan did not attack. The bright sword glow illuminated the underground mountain belly, supporting the precarious mountain rock above, which was on the verge of collapse, to ensure that his seemingly meditative physical body and Lei Jun were unharmed.
To be honest, this development was somewhat beyond my expectation... Lei Jun looked at Ji Chuan's physical body with its closed eyes and the magic sword floating in the air, its sword glow flourishing.
His previous actions had mainly targeted Lin Xinran, who was from the Lin clan of Jiangzhou.
As for Ji Chuan and Zhao Gang, he had left their fate to destiny.
Zhao Gang was fine, but Ji Chuan's actions surprised Lei Jun.
Although Ji Chuan's actions added a twist to Lei Jun's middling fortune, Lei Jun had no heart to observe and appreciate the mysteries of the Daoist refiner's spirit entering the sword.
He took several deep breaths, and his pale face gradually returned to normal, as if he had stabilized his state.
Then, Lei Jun stood up and offered a top-grade Golden Locking Talisman. As the light flowed, it seemed to form a huge light shield, helping Ji Chuan support the precarious, teetering mountain rock above.
"Are you alright now, Fellow Daoist Lei?"
At Ji Chuan's current cultivation level, with his spirit completely detached from his body and housed in a magic weapon, he couldn't persist for too long.
With Lei Jun's help, his spirit returned to his body, and his physical body opened its eyes. He smiled bitterly, "Unfortunately, we probably can't head to the eastern mountain now."
Outside, sword glows and demonic aura continuously slashed down, shifting their focus to cover not only the sky above Cang Boshan but also the path eastward.
Charging out at this moment would be even more dangerous, as they had to be wary of being affected by the battle between the Upper Three Heavens experts above and the changes in the earth veins below.
Lei Jun repeated, "I believe in Senior Master He's strength."
Ji Chuan was about to say something more when a violent shock interrupted him.
The intense tremor did not originate from near Cang Boshan but from a distant place.
"That is..."
Ji Chuan discerned the direction and was stunned.
...East.
Lei Jun finished the sentence for him.
The new upheaval was indeed coming from beyond the eastern mountain.
Sure enough, the danger mentioned in another ill-fated fortune stick had come to pass.
Lei Jun remained calm, but his expression mirrored Ji Chuan's surprise as he said, "It doesn't seem like an earth vein tremor, but rather..."
"...another powerful demon!" Ji Chuan completed his sentence this time.
The Shu Mountain disciple's expression turned grave. "We've fallen into their trap!"
By 'their trap', he didn't mean Lei Jun's plan, but rather that they, the group of Shu Mountain cultivators who had come to hunt the Nine-Clawed Stone Lion, had fallen into the demons' scheme.
There were three powerful demons gathered in this mountain range.
Now, in a three-on-one situation, they were attempting to hunt down He Dongxing, the human cultivator! The hunters had become the hunted.
"Zhao Shixiong... and Lin Shixiong, what about them?" Ji Chuan's face darkened.
After parting ways at the western mountain pass, he hadn't seen Lin Xinran again and didn't know if he had left through the western mountain range, encountering the earth vein gale, or if he had also turned east.
As for Zhao Gang, Ji Chuan had watched him flee towards the eastern mountains.
With that, he would have run straight into the third demon's lair. Even cultivators of Shu Mountain like Zhao Gang and Lin Xinran, with their strength, would be no match for a demon of the Upper Three Heavens. It would be like walking into the tiger's den, with no chance of return.
Ji Chuan's next concern was for his master, He Dongxing.
Although his master's strength was extraordinary and he could take on three opponents at once, Ji Chuan still couldn't help but worry as he watched his master face the siege of these powerful enemies.
What made it worse was that he was currently powerless to change this situation.
Lei Jun, on the other hand, remained relatively calm.
To be honest, his only concern was that Ji Chuan's earlier actions might have accidentally caused the earth veins under Cang Boshan to collapse.
Since no mishaps had occurred, the current situation was not entirely unfavorable.
At most, it was startling.
But not perilous.
As expected, the change soon came from the west.
A radiant treasure light flew in from beyond the western mountains, relieving He Dongxing from his predicament.
Another high-achieving elder from Shu Mountain had arrived.
With the odds now two against three, the demons no longer had a clear advantage.
Although He Dongxing and his companions had failed to exterminate the demons, they at least managed to stabilize their situation and avoid being surrounded by the demons.
After a fierce battle, both sides suffered casualties.
Fearing that more Shu Mountain cultivators might arrive as time passed, the Nine-Clawed Stone Lion and the other demons eventually retreated after a long and grueling fight.
Sheathing his sword, He Dongxing shook his head repeatedly. "Today was truly embarrassing. After hunting geese all day, I ended up getting my own eye pecked."
Only then did he have the leisure to pay attention to the area below. "Are there any juniors still here? What's the situation?"
Once the dust settled, Lei Jun and Ji Chuan flew out from the mountain's belly.
Without their spiritual power to support it, Cang Boshan immediately collapsed, shortening by half.
"Master!" Ji Chuan bowed first. "Uncle Master Ji!"
Hearing his address, Lei Jun looked at the Shu Mountain elder who had arrived from the west.
The man appeared to be a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, looking much younger than He Dongxing. His features bore a resemblance to Ji Chuan.
Comparing him to some portraits he had seen before, Lei Jun confirmed that this man was indeed Ji Chuan's father, Ji Dongquan, a Shu Mountain elder.
...Or the man whom Lei Jun's master, Yuan Mobai, had offended in the past.
Back then, the 'Rolling Rolling' beast had accidentally eaten a spirit flower cultivated by Elder Ji, forcing it to flee its homeland in Bashu.
Of course, Ji Dongquan's actual age was much older than his appearance suggested.
He was even older than Yuan Mobai, having spent nearly sixty years cultivating that spirit flower.
Although Ji Chuan was his son, in front of outsiders, Ji Dongquan did not refer to him as 'son', and Ji Chuan addressed him as 'Uncle Master' instead.
"As long as everyone is safe."
Ji Dongquan scanned the area, and although he noticed Lei Jun, he didn't show any particular reaction. He simply asked, "Are all the juniors here?"
He Dongxing looked at Ji Chuan and asked, "Where are Zhao Shidi and Lin Shidi?"
Ji Chuan's expression turned solemn as he described what had transpired from his perspective.
...From his point of view.
Hearing this, He Dongxing stroked his beard and scowled. "I don't know if I should say you two are incredibly lucky or incredibly unlucky!"
Ji Dongquan added, "I came from the direction of the western mountains and didn't encounter anyone."
He exchanged a glance with He Dongxing.
So, Zhao Gang and Lin Xinran must have gone towards the eastern mountains.
And beyond the eastern mountains was where the third demon had been lurking, emerging from its hiding place...
Had they walked straight into the demon's trap?
"That thunder demon..." He Dongxing's face darkened. "There is indeed a bloody aura in its mouth, as if it had just eaten someone!"
Along with Ji Dongquan, he brought Lei Jun and Ji Chuan along as they hurriedly searched towards the east.
Along the way, there was no sign of Zhao Gang or Lin Xinran.
With the disordered earth qi and the abnormal movement of the earth veins, the surging gale made it difficult for He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan to sense their junior disciples, making the search even more challenging.
After a while, the expressions of the two high-achieving Shu Mountain elders changed simultaneously.
Among the mountain rocks that had clearly collapsed due to external forces, they discovered something.
Whether alive or dead, they had to find the people or their bodies.
However, they only found the remains of two damaged magical artifacts.
One was an elegant and exquisite jade flute, mostly crushed to pieces, with only a small fragment that could barely be pieced together to form half of the flute's body.
The other was a long spear, starkly contrasting the flute with its rugged and fierce style. Yet, at this moment, it lay in several broken segments.
Lei Jun recognized both of these magical artifacts.
The former was Lin Xinran's natal magic weapon.
The latter belonged to Zhao Gang.
For Daoist artificers, their natal magic weapons were of utmost importance, as they were cultivated alongside their own lives. Countless efforts and heartblood were poured into these artifacts, making them exceptionally sturdy.
Hence, they managed to leave behind these scant remnants...
There were also traces of other magical artifacts at the scene, most of which had been completely shattered into powder, rendering them unrecognizable.
They must have been the other artifacts refined by Zhao Gang and Lin Xinran.
However, they had all been destroyed by the mighty demon named Leihou.
As for the people...
Lei Jun remained calm and collected.
After all, these were just unfortunate accidents.
If blame had to be assigned, it undoubtedly lay with that formidable demon.
"Today, I, as your senior, have failed in my duty, resulting in the unfortunate demise of our two disciples."
He Dongxing slowly spoke, "For the rest of my life, I swear to slay this demon, or I shall never rest in peace!"
Ji Dongquan added, "It pains me to lose two promising juniors from our sect. However, with the surging heavenly qi and the constant emergence of powerful demons, we often face the unexpected. This is the will of heaven, beyond our control. Brother He, please take comfort."
Zhao Gang was his direct disciple, so it was up to Ji Dongquan to comfort He Dongxing.
The two high-achieving Shu Mountain elders couldn't dwell on their grief and quickly joined forces to calm the restless and chaotic earth qi in the area.
Only after the gale that surged from the deep valley beneath the mountain cracks gradually subsided did He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan stop.
"The senior disciple of Dragon-Tiger Mountain's Yuan Mobai?"
Only then did Ji Dongquan finally turn his full attention to Lei Jun.
Compared to He Dongxing, a sword cultivator, this elder, whose natal magic weapon was not a flying sword, had sharper eyes and an even more imposing demeanor.
However, he showed no hostility, merely possessing a stern and solemn nature that made him seldom smile.
Lei Jun took out another jade slip and handed it to Ji Chuan, who stood beside him. "I am Lei Zhongyun from Dragon-Tiger Mountain. My master sends his regards to Elder Ji. He has asked me to deliver this letter to you."
Ji Chuan took the jade slip and presented it to his father.
After receiving the jade slip, Ji Dongquan nodded and immediately infused it with his spiritual power to activate it, right before Lei Jun's eyes.
Clouds and mist rose from the jade slip, and faint words appeared within, visible only to Ji Dongquan.
"Hmm. Aside from some blessed lands, you may freely travel through Bashu. However, be cautious, as the situation in Bashu is currently unstable."
After reading the contents, Ji Dongquan nodded at Lei Jun but didn't say more.
According to He Dongxing, his fellow Shu Mountain elder, Ji Dongquan privately held high regard for Yuan Mobai. However, it was unclear if this was genuine or not, as his expression gave nothing away.
Zhao Gang's attitude and Ji Chuan's initial reaction upon meeting earlier indicated as much.
... Only Ji Dongquan himself seemed indifferent towards Yuan Mobai, and his son, Ji Chuan, and disciple, Zhao Gang, seemed to have been influenced by his outward demeanor.
However, as Yuan Mobai had said, although Ji Dongquan would still seek him out for sparring, he wouldn't go out of his way to make things difficult for Lei Jun, a junior.
Following this, he instructed Ji Chuan to act as a guide, just like He Dongxing had done with Zhao Gang, to help Lei Jun familiarize himself with the various places in Shu.
As for the two high-achieving Shu Mountain elders, they had other matters to attend to.
On the one hand, they had to deal with the unexpected demise of two core true disciples of Shu Mountain.
On the other hand, there were the two Nine-Clawed Stone Lions and the Leihou, all of whom possessed the strength of the Upper Three Heavens.
Their presence in Bashu couldn't be ignored.
However, these matters had little to do with Lei Jun.
He would now be guided by Ji Chuan on a tour of Bashu.
Lei Jun didn't explicitly mention his specific goals for this trip to the Shu Mountain disciples.
With ample time, he decided to explore the region as if he were truly on a vacation, following Ji Chuan to various locations.
This included the Bamboo Sea in southern Shu.
PS: This is the first update for today, and it's a bit late. My apologies. Rest assured that there will be more updates to come.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
