https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-137-Master-Do-You-Have-Relatives-in-Bashu-/12586487/
Chapter 136: 135. Expandable Opportunities, True Yin Bamboo Pith
Chapter 136: 135. Expandable Opportunities, True Yin Bamboo Pith
The old Taoist priest, Huang Sanqian, was on the brink of death, yet his face no longer held the sinister and fanatical expression from before. Even at the moment of his passing, he wore a look of peace.
"It... it was I who lost my sanity and strayed from the path... I was wrong..." Huang Sanqian gazed at Lei Jun with difficulty and asked, "May I ask for your name, friend? Thank you for stopping me..."
Lei Jun nodded slightly, then shook his head, and honestly said, "I indeed dislike your methods, but there is another reason. I cannot allow you to use the Blood River technique to block the Jade Belt Creek for seven days."
Huang Sanqian paused for a moment, then bitterly smiled, "You also need the Jade Belt Creek? Haha... Regardless, my life has come to an end. Even without your intervention, attempting to forcefully refine a magic weapon with the heretical Blood River technique would go against my own principles and would never succeed... If I dared to cross the heavenly tribulation, I would have no hope at all... I would only die without a burial place."
As he spoke, his voice gradually weakened.
Then, the old Taoist priest's breath ceased altogether.
Lei Jun looked at him and shook his head slightly.
He waved his hand, disposing of Huang Sanqian's remains as well.
The Jade Belt Creek had been successfully blocked, and in a relatively normal manner that did not pollute the water source.
Due to Lei Jun's magic, the creek water began to gradually accumulate.
Lei Jun quietly waited for three days.
Not only did the creek need to be temporarily blocked, but later on, he would also have to restore its flow.
Otherwise, the 'top-grade lottery' would turn into a 'medium-grade lottery'.
As Lei Jun sensed no disturbances from the flag of breathable soil on the north side of Little Leaf Peak or the spiritual talisman he had left behind, he decided to remain on the upstream side of the Jade Belt Creek for the time being.
The unexpected turn of events caused by Huang Sanqian forced Lei Jun to spend some time cleaning up the mess.
He had no desire to attract attention and only wanted to prevent others from approaching the upstream area of the creek.
A very small number of the escaped cultivators returned within less than three days.
However, Lei Jun had detected their presence early on and sent his panda to scare them away, preventing them from daring to come close.
The good news was that there were no further unexpected developments.
The escaped cultivators now knew that the so-called 'Predecessor's Cave Mansion Treasure' was Huang Sanqian's trap.
As a result, there wouldn't be anyone calling on their friends to come and venture here in a short time.
As the 'top-grade lottery' fortune had foretold, Lei Jun's journey could be described as smooth and safe.
There was also no sign of any true Blood River Sect disciples.
Lei Jun estimated that Huang Sanqian was similar to Chen Yi, who had accidentally obtained the Blood River secret technique.
Then, the old Taoist priest took a gamble, hoping to use the Blood River secret technique to aid him in refining a magic weapon and break through the cultivation bottleneck he had always faced.
Unfortunately, it was destined to be an illusion.
Chen Yi, aside from possibly harboring other deeper secrets, cultivated the Blood River secret technique merely as a secret killing move for battles.
His own lineage was solidly focused on the Daoist Talisman Sect, practicing the authentic and orthodox teachings of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion.
On the other hand, the Blood River technique had already begun to erode Huang Sanqian's foundation.
Assuming there were incredibly talented individuals in this world who could transcend the limits of 'body and law as one,' integrating the completely different methods of the Shamanic and Daoist paths, that person was not Huang Sanqian.
Deep down, Huang Sanqian himself probably understood that even if he had successfully refined the Blood River magic sword, he had no hope of crossing the heavenly tribulation and achieving the Fourth Heaven realm to extend his lifespan.
If he dared to face the heavenly tribulation, he would undoubtedly perish in the calamity, and there would be no other outcome.
... Yet, he was still unwilling to accept his fate.
Like a drowning man grasping at straws, even the most illusory glimmer of hope was something he wanted to cling to.
"But now that I think about it, the Blood River Sect really is everywhere, aren't they? Among the five lineages of the Shamanic path, they are both annoying and active."
Lei Jun's gaze turned towards the northwest.
Although he couldn't see it, that direction led to the Shushan Sect's mountain gate and the ancestral hall at Xiaoding.
Huang Sanqian had obtained the Blood River secret technique by chance.
As for why there were suddenly Blood River disciples appearing in Bashu, the reason was likely the recent internal strife within the Shushan Sect.
Blood River disciples were like sharks that sensed blood; they were drawn to wherever there was slaughter.
On the one hand, they were inherently bloodthirsty and murderous.
On the other hand, even if they didn't personally take action to kill, places filled with blood qi, killing qi, and death qi were their ideal cultivation spots.
During the previous great battle around Dragon and Tiger Mountain, a Blood River expert had stuck his hand into the pie.
This year's bloody internal strife within the Shushan Sect had also attracted people from the Blood River Sect.
... Sometimes, Lei Jun wondered if there were Blood River cultivators secretly stirring up trouble and even orchestrating events behind the scenes during many intense battles.
Although they appeared bloodthirsty and violent, not the type to have the patience for such delicate work, Lei Jun couldn't help but think deeply, given their cultivation methods.
"Troublemaker..." Lei Jun shook his head, reining in his wandering thoughts.
His attention returned to his primary objective at hand.
As time passed, with the creek's flow blocked, the accumulating water grew more and more turbulent.
The spiritual energy within it began to stir restlessly.
It was as if a small flood or tidal wave was brewing.
Fortunately, the volume of water in the Jade Belt Creek was limited, and Lei Jun's current cultivation strength was far superior to that of a Three Heavens cultivator.
He only needed to continue channeling his Earth Yin Thunder to maintain the blockage and gradually form a small lake upstream.
Then, after three days, as expected, the time had come.
Lei Jun released his Earth Yin Thunder.
The accumulated water immediately surged forth in a mighty rush.
Lei Jun leaped onto the giant panda's shoulders, and the two of them rode the torrent downstream together.
The raging waters of the Jade Belt Creek flowed once again past Little Leaf Peak, curving around its northern side and continuing on their downward path.
Lei Jun returned to the north side of Little Leaf Peak, to the True Yin land.
With the Concealing Soil Flag no longer in place, the once-lush bamboo grove now looked pitiful and withered.
In just three short days, the white bamboo seemed to be on the brink of dying.
Despite this heart-wrenching transformation, Lei Jun remained calm.
The spiritual bamboo that grew in this True Yin land was very special.
Such an unusual change actually indicated that there was a profound mystery at play.
Indeed, as the Jade Belt Creek flowed again, the white bamboo that had appeared to be withering suddenly began to sway.
The True Yin land beneath them stirred with spiritual energy.
Right before Lei Jun's eyes, the white bamboo regained its vitality.
Then, these spiritual bamboos bloomed.
Countless delicate white flowers clustered together, a beautiful sight to behold.
Even as they bloomed, the white bamboo did not immediately wither.
Instead, the True Yin energy beneath them rapidly dissipated.
Lei Jun could clearly feel that deep within his soul, the Heavenly Master Seal and the True One Altar were reacting, sending a gentle breeze that reached his physical body through his spiritual soul.
After the True Yin energy dissipated, the object that triggered their response finally changed into those white bamboos.
No, they were no longer just white bamboos.
On the surface of the bamboo, a faint purple glow appeared.
The purple light flickered and vanished.
It seemed to slide from the bottom up, like a fleeting glimmer.
As the purple light passed, the white bamboo quickly withered.
This time, it was truly dead.
It was as if their lifespan had come to an end, reaching the limit of their existence.
The dense cluster of tiny white flowers on top of the bamboo scattered, their color changing from white to purple, resembling scattered stars in the sky.
The white bamboo revealed purple stamens.
Lei Jun watched this scene silently.
The giant panda, who had been drooling at the sight of the white bamboo flowers, was also stunned for a moment when it saw the purple stamens.
Lei Jun's mind sank into the depths of his spiritual soul, where the True One Altar, derived from the Heavenly Master Seal, resided.
In the altar, the forty-nine lamps flickered together, and the Taoist banners and canopies fluttered incessantly.
He took out his True Yang Miracle Flower.
The gleaming white flower, radiant with a dewy luster, swayed gently without any wind.
Without needing to come closer, the purple bamboo flowers at the top of the withered white bamboo seemed to respond to the True Yang Miracle Flower, trembling as if in unison.
Everything was clear without needing to be said.
This was exactly what he had been searching for.
Lei Jun exhaled slowly and then stepped forward to pluck the purple bamboo flowers.
True Yin Bamboo Pith.
The name appeared in his mind.
Lei Jun carefully collected these purple True Yin bamboo piths and then looked at the now-withered white bamboo.
The white bamboo quickly turned to ash, crumbling into gray fragments that fell onto the soil of the mountain forest below.
Then, the white color faded away.
Everything seemed to return to the heavens and the earth, merging with nature.
Lei Jun could no longer sense the True Yin spiritual energy here.
The spiritual nature of this True Yin land had also dissipated.
It seemed that everything had happened for that moment of ultimate sublimation, giving birth to the gorgeous purple stamens.
...But all of this was not certain to occur.
Comparing it to the three fortunes, Lei Jun's heart was as clear as a mirror.
If he had done nothing and simply stayed by the True Yin land on the north side of Little Leaf Peak, the white bamboo would have bloomed, but the flowers would likely have been white stamens.
That would have been the five-grade opportunity mentioned in the upper-middle fortune.
While it would still have been a good thing, it probably wasn't the True Yin spiritual object that Lei Jun desired.
And according to the fortunes, this True Yin land might not have been reusable for cultivating the white bamboo.
After producing the white pistils, there was still a significant chance that the spiritual energy of the True Yin land would dissipate, essentially wasting a portion of it.
To a certain extent, it would be akin to squandering a part of its potential.
Only by acting as he did now, by interrupting and then restoring the flow of the Jade Belt Creek after three days, could he fully harness the spiritual energy of the True Yin land, wasting not a drop, and channeling it all to the white bamboo.
This process elevated the white pistils to an even higher level, causing them to bloom into purple pistils.
These were the true True Yin bamboo pistils, a fourth-grade opportunity.
As for the waters of the Jade Belt Creek, if they had not been restored within three days after being interrupted...
Congratulations, you drew the lowest-grade lottery. The white bamboo would have withered and died.
No purple pistils, no white pistils.
While it's true that nothing would have been lost and there would have been no risks, the outcome would also have been gaining nothing, rendering all the effort wasted.
"To be honest, I think that would have counted as a lower-middle grade lottery. Time and energy were invested as well," Lei Jun mused.
Fortunately, he didn't return empty-handed.
Putting everything else aside, just obtaining these True Yin bamboo pistils made his trip to Bashu worthwhile... Well, and you too.
Lei Jun smiled and patted the giant furball by his side.
He casually ruffled the fur on its round head.
The giant creature turned its head away, pouting.
After all this fuss, it hadn't gotten any tasty treats.
On top of that, Lei Jun had used it as a projectile to smash into the Blood River Formation.
Its fur had been soiled by the filthy blood, and it had taken a long time to wash it clean.
However, this big guy soon turned back, its little eyes spinning, looking at Lei Jun pitifully.
"I definitely can't let you eat this True Yin bamboo pistil."
Lei Jun now held the Upper Clarity Golden Bamboo, which resembled a bamboo shoot, and waved it at the giant creature, "But, we can go home now, and when we get back, we'll try to find something for you to feast on."
The giant furball retracted its head and spun its eyes again, this time with a very human-like expression.
Lei Jun felt that he could see a hint of suspicion in its eyes...
But the giant creature shook its head and nodded, ultimately surrendering to its gluttony, and followed Lei Jun closely.
After laughing, Lei Jun turned back to look at the Little Leaf Peak and the Shunan Bamboo Sea, his expression becoming more solemn.
Today, he once again experienced the wonders of nature.
Just as the fortunes had foretold.
A masterpiece of nature, an opportunity created by heaven.
Although he had added the final touch, it was only possible because of the inherent wonders of nature.
A slight difference could have resulted in a completely different outcome.
Lei Jun took out his Taoist Shrink Pouch.
The so-called pouch contained a miniature world, similar to the Buddhist concept of the mustard seed and the Confucian idea of spanning the heavens and the earth, allowing one to carry a small space within a small pouch for convenience.
From the pouch, Lei Jun retrieved an incense burner, a censer, Taoist banners, a clear mirror, tokens, a magic sword, a ritual ruler, and other items.
Then, he performed the Taoist ritual of stepping on the trigram and fighting the stars, setting up a formal Taoist altar, burning incense to pray to the heavens, and offering sacrifices to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains and rivers.
At his signal, the giant creature also followed his actions and burned a stick of incense with him.
The blue smoke rose into the cloud-filled sky.
After completing all this, Lei Jun put away the altar and the ritual tools.
He leaped onto the giant creature's shoulders and said, "Alright, now we can officially head back to our mountain!"
Lei Jun didn't rush to refine the True Yang Miracle Flower and the True Yin Bamboo Pith immediately.
After all, he was still away from home.
Previously, he had no choice.
Now that he had the option, he decided to return to his sect first.
Once he was back and had prepared everything, and the environment was stable, he would then formally begin the ritual to enhance his root bone for the second time.
Before leaving, Lei Jun paid a visit to the Rain Mountain Abbey and left a letter for the old abbot to pass on to Shu Mountain Jichuan and the others, thanking them for their hospitality and inviting them to visit Dragon and Tiger Mountain when they had the time.
Then, he officially departed from Shu and began his journey back.
Compared to his journey there, where he had to rely on his own two legs, this return trip had Lei Dao upgraded to a four-legged ride.
The giant creature strode forward on all fours, climbing mountains and fording rivers with ease, at a rapid pace.
From time to time, it would stumble and roll around, adding some fun to the long journey.
The duo of man and beast strolled and wandered, traveling through mountains and waters, and finally returned to Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
In the distance, the majestic immortal mountain remained as it always had.
Below, the bustling town was filled with the lively atmosphere of human life.
Above, the summit was shrouded in thunderclouds, with lightning flashing, creating a scene akin to a fairyland.
Lei Jun entered the mountain gate and arrived at the Heavenly Master's Mansion on the mountainside, where he first encountered his junior disciple, Chu Kun.
Chu Kun was surprised to see Lei Jun and exclaimed, "Senior Brother Lei, you're back?"
Lei Jun, on the other hand, looked him up and down:
"Junior Brother, you've grown taller."
PS: This is the second update for today. Although there are two updates, they total 10,000 characters. I will continue to work hard tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
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