Chapter 135: Another Lucky Draw!

Chapter 135: Another Lucky Draw!

Within the distant castle, Harry Potter withdrew his Invisibility Cloak, preparing to embark on his adventure.

Far from Dragon and Tiger Mountain, within the celestial bamboo grove of Shangqing Leifu Dongtian, Lei Jun encountered bamboo unlike any other—a stark contrast to the lush green bamboo sea of Shunan Zhuhai.

In this land of true yin grew tall bamboo with an unusual ashen hue, standing out amidst the vibrant greenery. Despite their peculiar appearance, they thrived with robust health, their leaves a lush emerald. Lei Jun could sense the rich spiritual energy emanating from them.

Not only did Lei Jun find the sight pleasing, but the giant creature accompanying him seemed even more captivated.

Its enormous eyes, like rolling marbles, spun curiously, its tongue sneaking out every now and then. Despite its massive frame, it managed to slink stealthily towards the peculiar ashen bamboo, only to be blocked by Lei Jun.

The creature, nicknamed "Rolling Rolling," gazed at Lei Jun pitifully, its round face expressing a very human-like yearning.

"You can eat as much of the spiritual bamboo beside you as you want, but this patch is off-limits. I have plans for it," Lei Jun said, patting its large skull and giving it a casual rub.

Rolling Rolling was clearly a picky eater. Throughout their journey, it had been munching non-stop, yet now that it had laid eyes on the superior ashen bamboo, it seemed to have lost interest in the green bamboo nearby.

Hearing Lei Jun's words, its eyes darted to the green spiritual bamboo beside them, its gaze filled with obvious disdain.

Lei Jun temporarily ignored the gluttonous giant. His attention was focused on the ashen bamboo.

His initial and most important goal in entering Bashu was this very land of true yin. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made a special trip here.

He had found this place, and according to the hints from the Heavenly Master Seal in his soul and the True One Law Altar, it was indeed what he had been seeking.

However, the challenge now was to turn this expected gain into an actual one.

Previously, when these bamboo shoots were still young, Lei Jun had discovered that they were not his true target, even though they grew in the land of true yin. While the land resonated with the True One Law Altar, the bamboo shoots did not. Thus, he hadn't rushed to harvest them.

Now, the shoots had grown into tall bamboo. Lei Jun carefully sensed their energy, but the Heavenly Master Seal and the True One Law Altar still did not recognize them. The faint resonance he felt still originated from the land of true yin beneath his feet.

It seemed that the spiritual energy of the earth had not given birth to the crystallization he sought, or at least, not in the form of these ashen bamboo before him.

Lei Jun began to seriously consider whether he should try to dig up all the spiritual soil from the entire mountainside with the help of the Xi Earth flag. Technically, it would be difficult but not impossible.

The question was, would doing so achieve his desired outcome?

Unless absolutely necessary, Lei Jun did not want to resort to such a drastic measure of uprooting everything.

The heavens and the earth are imbued with spirituality, and their energy attracts all manner of spiritual beings. Many spiritual objects are born naturally, and while human intervention may sometimes succeed in forcing their creation or accelerating their growth, it can also prevent the birth of other spiritual entities that were meant to be.

After careful consideration, Lei Jun decided to wait and see.

He noticed that the growth rate of the ashen bamboo seemed unusually rapid. Their natural lifespan, compared to other spiritual bamboo and his expectations, was significantly shorter.

"...Could it be that these bamboo need to flower?" A hypothesis suddenly sprang to mind.

As far as he knew, while not all bamboo did so, many bamboo species flowered when they reached the end of their lifespan. Could it be that the ashen bamboo's life force and spiritual energy would reach their pinnacle at that moment, leading to a transformation? Lei Jun wondered.

With this suspicion in mind, he felt even less urgency and chose to wait patiently.

Given the current growth rate and life force of the ashen bamboo, that day might not be far off.

Thus, Lei Jun decided to remain in this bamboo grove, building his dwelling in the mountains and quietly awaiting the flowering of the ashen bamboo. He maintained his usual lifestyle, continuing his tranquil cultivation.

The only diversion in his daily routine was the "battle of wits" with the super-giant Rolling Rolling, as he tried to curb its greedy impulses towards the ashen bamboo.

Even in his seclusion, Lei Jun remained connected to the outside world, keeping abreast of the changing dynamics across the land.

Finally, the waves of turmoil in Bashu began to subside.

The badly wounded Shu Mountain Sect needed time to heal and recuperate. Fortunately, during this period, no other forces caused them trouble.

...It was only because the external environment had become relatively stable that the internal strife within the Shu Mountain Sect could no longer be suppressed.

However, while Shu may have found peace, the rest of the world was not so tranquil.

Not long after Lei Jun settled in the southern bamboo sea of Shu, a momentous event occurred in the Great Tang Dynasty.

The current Tang Emperor, Zhang Qilong, passed away.

In the earlier Western Regions turmoil, humanity emerged victorious, slaying countless demons. The Great Tang Dynasty managed to defend its territory, not yielding an inch to the demon hordes.

However, in terms of casualties among cultivators, the Great Tang's cultivation world had essentially lost half its territory.

The Western Regions war could, at best, be described as a bitter victory for humanity.

Numerous cultivators of various levels had perished, and even Emperor Zhang Qilong himself had nearly perished in the West.

Although he returned to the capital, his injuries were severe and only worsened with time.

Finally, less than two years later, the emperor breathed his last.

The Great Tang Dynasty had reached a pivotal crossroads, and the hearts of countless people throughout the capital and beyond were stirred.

"He's been injured for so long, and now it's been dragged out even further. I suppose everyone has had some time to prepare..."

Lei Jun's fingertips ignited with a wisp of blue smoke as he burned a sound-transmitting talisman to ashes, dispersing it into nothingness. "Let's see what happens next."

The halls of power were still distant to him.

However, he kept a close eye on political matters.

After all, the turmoil in the country would have far-reaching consequences.

It would not only affect the Celestial Masters Mansion on Dragon and Tiger Mountain but also prominent clans like the Five Surnames and Seven Families... A cold glint flashed in Lei Jun's eyes before he quickly regained his composure.

He reined in his wandering thoughts and refocused on his cultivation, quietly awaiting further changes in the true yin land and the transformation of the ashen bamboo.

Time flowed unnoticed in the mountains.

The scorching summer quietly passed.

The mountain forest, which was never sweltering to begin with, now carried a chill in the night air.

Autumn was approaching.

One day, Lei Jun noticed that the ashen bamboo was undergoing another transformation.

The gray color on the tall bamboo stalks began to fade, replaced by a pristine white that extended to the branches and leaves.

Thus, this clump of white bamboo stood out even more amidst the verdant greenery.

Lei Jun carefully sensed the vitality and spiritual energy within the white bamboo, and a realization dawned on him:

This peculiar spirit bamboo, in an extremely short time, was about to reach the end of its life.

It would also undergo the most extraordinary transformation.

... But even at this moment, Lei Jun still couldn't feel any recognition from the Heavenly Master Seal or the True One Law Altar within his soul towards this spirit bamboo.

Not even after the bamboo had turned from gray to white.

Could it be that I really have to wait until it blooms? Lei Jun wondered as the light sphere in his mind suddenly flickered and then displayed some words:

【The True Yin Land, a masterpiece of nature, presents an opportunity for a stroke of good fortune.】

Lei Jun's heart skipped a beat.

Three fortune-telling sticks flew out of the light sphere.

After reading the fortunes, he raised his eyebrows: "This is quite something..."

First, the good news: there was another upper-upper fortune!

After waiting so many times, he finally received another upper-upper fortune.

Then, more good news followed.

All three fortunes were at least middle-middle, with no lower fortunes.

The previous two attempts at divining for good fortune and avoiding calamity had resulted in a double lower and then a double lower-lower.

Now, his luck had finally turned for the better.

Lastly, there was a slight problem.

The three fortunes were as follows:

【Upper-Upper Fortune: After three days, restore the Jade Belt Creek after cutting off its flow. Return to the north of Little Leaf Peak and obtain a fourth-grade opportunity. It can be expanded further, risk-free, and worry-free. Great fortune!】

【Upper-Middle Fortune: Wait quietly for three days north of Little Leaf Peak and obtain a fifth-grade opportunity. Risk-free and worry-free. Good fortune.】

【Middle-Middle Fortune: If the Jade Belt Creek's flow is not restored, return to the north of Little Leaf Peak. Nothing lost, nothing gained. Neutral.】

Lei Jun's thoughts were intricate as he read the fortunes.

He had been in and out of the Southern Bamboo Sea of Shu multiple times and had stayed in the area recently, so he had a basic understanding of the surrounding terrain.

Little Leaf Peak referred to the mountain forest where he currently was.

The True Yin Land was located in the bamboo forest north of Little Leaf Peak.

As for the Jade Belt Creek, it was a mountain stream flowing through Little Leaf Peak.

The stream wasn't particularly large, and while it was rich in spiritual energy, it wasn't abundant.

To Lei Jun, who had already reached the Middle Heaven stage, it was an insignificant mountain stream.

However, according to the fortunes, this Jade Belt Creek would directly determine his gains in the north of Little Leaf Peak.

Lei Jun carefully read the contents of the upper-upper fortune.

Fourth-grade opportunity.

Can be expanded.

He intuited that this corresponded to the true yin spirit object that could enhance his root bone, just like the True Yang Miracle Flower.

The previous opportunity pointing to the True Yang Miracle Flower was also fourth-grade, and the fortune was upper-middle, without the 'can be expanded' clause. Perhaps this was because the True Yang Miracle Flower alone was insufficient to enhance his root bone.

Now, Lei Jun was just one step away from his goal.

This upper-upper fortune indicated a path towards enhancing his root bone once again.

To achieve his goal, he couldn't simply guard this True Yin Land. He also had to do something at the Jade Belt Creek...

Lei Jun made up his mind.

He turned back to glance at the white bamboo, waved his hand, and the Xi Earth flag flew out, landing on the ground below the white bamboo.

A dull yellow spiritual light flashed and then disappeared.

The spiritual energy no longer flowed out of this patch of bamboo, and the white bamboo, hidden among the lush green, seemed less conspicuous.

Lei Jun then buried several of his spiritual talismans around the area.

The talismans seamlessly merged into the soil, leaving no trace of their existence.

After making the necessary preparations, Lei Jun left Little Leaf Peak with the reluctant Rolling Rolling.

If possible, it would have been ideal to leave a reliable helper here to guard the place.

But this giant Rolling Rolling was not suitable for the task yet.

Elder Lei certainly didn't want to give it the opportunity to steal from under his watch...

The two of them, man and bear, traveled through the vast Southern Bamboo Sea.

Soon, a clear stream came into view.

Lei Jun oriented himself and headed upstream with the giant Rolling Rolling.

"A cave mansion... birth of a treasure..."

Suddenly, snippets of conversation drifted on the wind into Lei Jun's ears.

He focused his attention and the voices became clearer:

"...Who would've thought that there would be a cave mansion left by a senior in this bamboo sea, and there's even a secret treasure within! Let's hurry and take a look!"

A group of people hurriedly made their way through the bamboo forest on the opposite bank of the Jade Belt Creek, their voices filled with excitement.

As he observed their appearances, there seemed to be a mix of both men and women, old and young.

Their cultivation levels varied, with some at the Second Heaven stage, while others were still at the Qi Refinement and Nourishment stages.

Lei Jun raised an eyebrow upon hearing the commotion.

While he couldn't speak for other areas of the Southern Bamboo Sea in Shu, he had already explored the surrounding area near Dragon and Tiger Mountain extensively.

He hadn't come across any caves left behind by senior cultivators.

Even the light sphere in his mind remained silent on the matter.

Lei Jun shook his head slightly, pausing briefly before continuing on his way.

His goal was clear: to obtain the new upper-upper fortune and the true yin spirit object.

Even if there truly was a cave left by a senior immortal, Lei Jun wasn't going to let it distract him for now.

Regarding the fortune's mention of disrupting the flow of Jade Belt Creek, he had made a preliminary judgment.

It wasn't a matter of blocking the creek at any random point.

Instead, he needed to choose an appropriate location. By disrupting the creek's flow, he would influence the spiritual energy and terrain changes affecting the true yin land north of Little Leaf Peak.

However, as luck would have it, as Lei Jun followed the creek upstream to find a suitable spot, he discovered a gathering of people up ahead.

A faint scent of blood hung in the air, and the creek waters were tinged with a faint crimson.

Lei Jun frowned at the sight.

He didn't reveal himself immediately but instead gestured to the massive figure beside him, urging it to stay put.

The Wind and Thunder Talisman "Night Wind" constantly surrounded them, ensuring that neither man nor bear would be detected.

Although Lei Jun noticed that the highest cultivation level among the brawlers was only at the Third Heaven realm, their choice of location was indeed too coincidental.

Lei Jun's gaze drifted past the crowd, toward the distance.

Farther away, on the bank of the creek, there seemed to be a cave entrance among the bamboo groves on the mountain cliffs, emitting a faint glow.

It appeared to be the so-called cave left by a senior cultivator that people had been discussing.

But...

"Did I really overlook this so-called cave of a senior cultivator when I passed through here before?" Lei Jun wondered.

Either he had truly missed it, or this "cave left by a senior" had been newly dug out.

With so many people attracted to the place, the news of its existence had spread far and wide. Lei Jun found it hard not to suspect that someone had done this intentionally.

"So, is it the person who created this so-called senior's cave?" Lei Jun scanned the crowd, and his suspicions gradually solidified.

He sensed a faintly familiar aura...

While the Shushan Sect occupied a large swath of the Southern Bamboo Sea, they didn't prohibit others from entering other areas of the bamboo sea.

It was common for cultivators from all over Bashu to come and go in this vast and lush spiritual land.

Among the brawlers present, Lei Jun didn't spot any disciples of the Shushan Sect or the Jade Mountain Monastery.

However, there were a few cultivators practicing the Taoist alchemy path, though they didn't seem to be from the main branch of Shushan but rather distant descendants or scattered cultivators who had obtained a fragment of their teachings.

Additionally, there were body tempering warriors, weapon-wielding warriors, Confucian swordmasters, Buddhist monks, and more.

Several dozen people were engaged in a chaotic melee.

However, none of them seemed to be heirs of top-tier sects or the offspring of elite families.

Most were from minor sects, clans, or families, as well as scattered cultivators from Bashu.

At the moment, they were fighting for their lives.

But unfortunately...

It was all a trap.

Suddenly, streaks of blood-red light appeared in the mountains, rising into the air.

In the sky, a small blood river formation gradually took shape.

As the formation turned, it devoured the vital energy and blood essence of the cultivators below, channeling it to the center of the blood river formation.

Lei Jun, observing from a distance, understood what was happening.

No wonder he had sensed a faintly familiar aura earlier.

He hadn't detected any Blood River Sect cultivators hiding nearby, but he now realized they must have blended in with the fighting crowd.

Indeed, a figure detached itself from the battle and flew up to the blood river formation.

However, it wasn't a Blood River Sect cultivator but rather an elderly Taoist priest practicing the Taoist alchemy path.

He seemed to have obtained some Blood River secret techniques, just like Chen Yi had.

The Taoist priest, whose name was Huang Sanqian, sat on the blood river formation, his hands forming intricate seals as he meditated.

The formation exerted a powerful suction force, drawing not only the vital energy and blood essence of the cultivators below but also the waters of the Jade Belt Creek upward.

As the creek merged with the formation, a new blood river was about to be born.

Under the influence of the bloody murderous aura, the cultivators with lower cultivation levels and weaker spiritual senses became bloodthirsty and aggressive, driven to kill everything in sight.

Only those with higher cultivation levels managed to maintain their sanity.

They looked at the Taoist priest on the blood river formation in shock. "Huang Sanqian, so you're a follower of the Blood River Heresy?"

Huang Sanqian sighed softly. "I am not a follower of the Blood River Heresy, but..." His voice trailed off in regret.

Although he had a reputation as a scattered cultivator in the Bashu region and was somewhat well-regarded for his assistance to fellow cultivators, he had mostly relied on his own hard work to reach the Third Heaven stage.

"I, Huang Sanqian, am not a follower of the Blood River Heresy. I merely..." He sighed again.

Today, although Huang Sanqian had come to the cave mansion to fight for treasures, he seemed to be holding back and was unwilling to completely sever ties with everyone.

Who would have thought that he would suddenly reveal a Blood River Formation?

"I apologize to my fellow daoists... but today, I must take this chance. I am already one hundred and twenty-seven years old... I don't have much time left!"

Within the Blood River Formation, the old Taoist priest's face was blurry under the red light, and his expression flickered with shame for a moment before turning resolute.

He even looked a little crazy.

One hundred and twenty-seven years old.

For a cultivator at the Triple Heaven realm, this was already considered middle-aged, and their power would gradually decline.

From fifty to a hundred years old, one could be considered in their prime, and although their progress might be slow, there was still some room for improvement. However, starting at the age of one hundred, a cultivator at the Triple Heaven realm would almost certainly be stuck at the Lower Three Heavens.

There were exceptions, but they were extremely rare.

In the millennia-long history of the cultivation world, there had only been a handful of special cases where a cultivator broke through to the Quadruple Heaven after the age of one hundred.

So rare that even if a cultivator made no further progress after breaking through at that age, their name would still be remembered in the annals of history!

As for one hundred and fifty...

Huang Sanqian did not dare to think any further.

That was the period of old age, where one's condition would rapidly deteriorate, and they could only watch as their two-hundred-year lifespan limit approached.

He was not willing to accept that!

He wanted to make one last desperate attempt! Even if it meant abandoning all his principles, dignity, and bottom lines.

As long as he succeeded! And the key to success lay in...

He reached out and summoned a treasure sword from the fake cave mansion, which landed in front of him within the Blood River Formation.

The others exclaimed in shock, "Did you set up this cave mansion yourself?!"

Huang Sanqian remained silent, his gaze fixed on his treasure sword.

The spiritual power of the Blood River Formation continuously circulated, aiding him in refining the sword.

The others struggled to resist.

But having already expended a lot of energy in the previous battle, and now facing Huang Sanqian, who was the strongest among them, they found it difficult to withstand the Blood River Formation.

At this moment, Huang Sanqian's expression, illuminated by the blood-red light, looked sinister and distorted.

He spat out essence blood from his mouth, sprinkling it onto the treasure sword.

The sword flashed with even brighter treasure light.

The suction power of the Blood River Formation also intensified.

Under the influence of the grand formation, the Jade Belt Creek had already ceased flowing, and its waters had transformed into the source of the blood river.

"I can succeed, I can succeed!"

The old Taoist priest in the formation was so excited that he seemed manic:

"As long as I can hold on for seven days, I will definitely be able to refine this treasure, definitely able to overcome the heavenly tribulation and achieve the Quadruple Heaven cultivation..."

"Bang!!!'

Just as the old Taoist was rejoicing, a black shadow suddenly appeared before him.

The shadow quickly moved from far to near, growing larger as it approached.

Like a meteor, it slammed into Huang Sanqian, not giving him any time to react.

"Boom!!!"

The black shadow, like a giant cannonball, crashed into the Blood River Formation.

A spiritual light seemed to flash.

The Blood River Formation shook violently before collapsing and tearing apart.

The treasure sword trembled violently, losing control and being pulled by the vicious spiritual power of the formation. Cracks appeared on its surface, and then it shattered into pieces.

It seemed as if a rain of blood fell from the sky.

The creek, no longer under the influence of the formation, fell back down, but it was stained red and took a long time to return to normal.

Those who had survived the disaster were all stunned.

Together, they turned to look at the source of the commotion and saw a huge, round black shadow shaking its head and standing up from the collapsed bamboo forest.

It was a mountain piercer!

And the old Taoist priest, Huang Sanqian, was still lying on the rocks, as if he had been flattened...

This mountain piercer looked quite formidable. It opened its big mouth and let out a low roar towards the Jade Belt Creek, like rolling thunder.

The others, having just survived the Blood River Formation, were already severely injured and weak. Seeing the fierce appearance of the mountain piercer, they dared not linger, even though they had questions. Taking advantage of the collapse of the formation, they quickly fled the scene.

Soon, the only ones left by the Jade Belt Creek were the dead and their corpses.

Lei Jun appeared beside Rolling Rolling.

The giant turned its chubby face away, refusing to look at him, sulking on its own.

Lei Jun patted its shoulder and removed the Heaven General Talisman from its back.

He sighed softly at the mess that was the Jade Belt Creek, then waved his hand, sending out an extremely precious Exorcism Talisman to purify the creek's water.

After that, he cleaned up the remains of the dead.

Once he had finished, Lei Jun snapped his fingers, and his Yin Five Thunders, derived from his life-bound Earth Yin Thunder, fell into the creek.

As the silent thunder rumbled, it seemed as if a soil was endlessly growing in the water, eventually blocking the Jade Belt Creek.

After taking care of everything, Lei Jun turned to look at the old Taoist priest lying in the bamboo forest behind Rolling Rolling.

The old man was barely clinging to life, breathing weakly.

Lei Jun looked down at him and said, "Although you have the determination to become immortal at all costs, I cannot let you succeed."

PS: This is the first chapter of the day. I felt that it would be better without any splits, so it's a big 6k chapter. We'll have the second chapter later.

(End of Chapter)

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