https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-141-Master-Being-Too-Cautious-Won-t-Do-Sometimes/12586492/
Chapter 140: 139. Fellow Apprentice, You're Impulsive Again
Chapter 140: 139. Fellow Apprentice, You're Impulsive Again
Aside from Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang, the ordination ceremony two years ago had gathered Tian Shi Fu's most outstanding initiates over the past decade, with many promising candidates.
Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, two of them would perish?
If it weren't for Fang Jian, the fourth disciple personally taught by the previous Tian Shi, who had successfully broken through the heavenly tribulation and cultivated the Four Layers of the Heaven Seal a while ago, everyone would truly suspect that this batch of ordained disciples was cursed.
Fortunately, after Fang Jian, Xia Qing and Luo Haoran also successfully overcame their heavenly tribulations one after another.
Only then did everyone in Tian Shi Fu heave a sigh of relief.
As for Chu Antong and Li Zhenchang, everyone could only lament their misfortune.
"Uncle Chu is here," Chu Kun mentioned one day, referring to the little grand aunt of their Suzhou Chu Tribe. "Along with Heavysoul's parents."
In terms of generation, they were his granduncle and grandaunt.
Wang Guiyuan asked, "Are they here to take Chu apprentice back to Suzhou?"
Chu Kun shook his head. "They are indeed here to take Heavysoul apprentice back to Suzhou, but only for recuperation and a change of environment. Later, they will still send Heavysoul apprentice back to our sect."
Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan nodded slightly.
Although Chu Antong had failed his tribulation and was severely injured, he had managed to survive.
While the incident had occurred in Longhu Mountain, it was ultimately fate.
Chu Antong's tribulation failure was not due to external disturbances or persecution.
Such occurrences were not uncommon, neither in Tian Shi Fu in the past nor within the Suzhou Chu Tribe.
Therefore, neither Chu Antong nor the Suzhou Chu Tribe could hold a grudge against Longhu Mountain's Tian Shi Fu.
Despite his severe injuries, Chu Antong remained a true disciple of Tian Shi Fu.
In similar situations, the mansion had established practices and would make proper arrangements for the future duties and lives of such disciples, taking into account their individual circumstances.
However, before that, it was reasonable for his family to take Chu Antong back to Suzhou for recuperation and to calm his mind by changing his environment. The mansion would naturally facilitate this.
What was rather unusual, though, was that Chu Yu, who had now become a pivotal figure in the Chu Tribe, had come personally.
Lei Jun, Wang Guiyuan, and Chu Kun all speculated that Chu Yu's trip to Longhu Mountain was not only to take Chu Antong back but also to discuss other important matters with the higher-ups of Longhu Mountain.
The topics would most likely revolve around two main points.
First was the impact of the change in the Tang Dynasty's emperor, as well as the shift in the entire country.
Second was the long-awaited decision regarding the new clan leader of the Lin Tribe in Jiangzhou, which had been as difficult as selecting the new Tian Shi, according to rumors. It seemed that there were now signs of a conclusion.
The Suzhou Chu Tribe, located downstream of the Great River, would undoubtedly have much to discuss with Longhu Mountain in neighboring Xinzhou regarding this matter.
As Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan had already visited Chu Antong earlier, they did not participate further at this time.
Chu Kun, on the other hand, went to receive his fellow tribesmen, including Chu Yu.
Later, in accordance with etiquette, he would also see them off when they left the mountain.
Lei Jun continued to focus on his cultivation.
He had now reached a critical period in his training.
Relying solely on the Five Elements Great Derivative Treasure Sand was not enough.
Whether or not he could smoothly push open the door between the Fourth Layer and the Fifth Layer of Heaven depended on his own accumulation.
However, it seemed that Longhu Mountain, which had finally enjoyed a period of peace, was about to enter a new period of turmoil.
Lei Jun's cultivation was temporarily interrupted by certain external events.
Another true disciple of Tian Shi Fu had fallen.
Moreover, all signs indicated that it had happened within Xinzhou, not far from Longhu Mountain.
"So close?" Lei Jun frowned.
Wang Guiyuan sighed, "Elder Li and Elder Liang are now in a difficult position. We should avoid them for the time being."
The deceased disciple was once again a descendant of Elder Li, the Grand Elder.
As the elder with the highest generation and the oldest age in Tian Shi Fu today, Elder Li had numerous disciples and grandchildren.
Elder Li's own children were relatively mediocre.
Among his disciples, the one he was most proud of was Liang Chen, who was a pivotal figure among the second-generation elders and possessed the cultivation of the Sixth Layer of Heaven. He was renowned alongside Xia Bo and others.
And Elder Li's grandson, Li Kong, was also a disciple of Elder Liang Chen.
What gratified Elder Li was that unlike his relatively mediocre children, his grandson, Li Kong, was exceptional. Although he was not as outstanding as Xu Yuanzhen, Li Zhengxian, and Tang Xiaotang, he could compete with Zhang Jingzhen, Li Xuan, Xia Xiushan, and others, making him an outstanding figure among the new generation of Tian Shi Fu.
After Li Kong, there were also very talented disciples like Li Zhenchang and Chu Antong.
However, not long ago, Li Zhenchang and Chu Antong, both outstanding descendants of Elder Li, had perished one after the other.
And now, there was another one? Were they specifically targeting this branch of Elder Li's descendants?
Even with Elder Li and Elder Liang's good temperaments, they could not tolerate this.
Tian Shi Fu could not allow its young disciples to be harmed right under their noses.
The mansion immediately launched a full-scale investigation and manhunt.
Li Kong visited several fellow disciples, earnestly requesting their help.
He didn't force Lei Jun to join, but to Lei Jun's surprise, he agreed.
Wang Guiyuan, standing by, was astonished. He wanted to signal Lei Jun discreetly, but with Li Kong present, he refrained from making any overt gestures.
"With such rampant criminals, our sect's prestige is at stake if we don't apprehend them swiftly and severely. Our younger disciples are in danger whenever they venture out." Lei Jun spoke with righteous indignation.
Turning to Wang Guiyuan, he said, "Brother, shall we go together?"
Wang Guiyuan sighed, "Master is refining pills, and we need to tend the pill furnace for him. Brother Zhongguang has gone to send off Master Chuzhai and the others, and now Brother Zhongyun, you're also leaving. I'm afraid I must stay."
"Senior Brother Yuan has his hands full managing daily affairs and high-level cultivation tasks, so it's understandable that he can't spare the time." Li Kong didn't press Wang Guiyuan further. He then bowed to Lei Jun in the Daoist style and thanked him. "Thank you, Brother Lei!"
After bidding farewell to Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan, Li Kong hurried off to seek more helpers.
Once Li Kong was out of sight, Wang Guiyuan turned to Lei Jun with a bemused expression. "Your sense of justice and heroism is admirable, Brother, but this matter is fraught with danger and strangeness. We should think it through and act with caution to avoid recklessly rushing into peril!"
He had assumed that as Lei Jun's cultivation and age increased, his second junior brother would become more level-headed and refrain from impulsive actions.
But this time...
"Brother, you're being impulsive again!"
"Thank you for your concern, Brother. I'll be careful," Lei Jun replied, then paused before adding sincerely, "Perhaps we could go together and watch out for each other?"
Wang Guiyuan smiled bitterly, "If it were any other time, I would, but I really can't these days. Did you think I was just making excuses earlier? I truly need to tend to Master's pill furnace."
Lei Jun nodded silently.
With the glowing sphere in his mind and Wang Guiyuan before him, he could only sigh in his heart.
He appreciated his senior brother's concern and understood the wisdom in his words.
However, just as Li Kong came to invite them, the glowing sphere in Lei Jun's mind shone, revealing:
> "Go out and seek good fortune while avoiding calamity. Stay within and calamity lurks within good fortune."
The three fortunes that appeared this time indicated the following:
> "Upper-middle fortune: Join the search and capture outside the mountain. After noon, go to the mountain's outer peak, Xiexing Peak, to obtain a fourth-grade opportunity. There is no risk, but be cautious in the future due to the entanglement of cause and effect. Good fortune."
>
> "Middle fortune: Join the search and capture outside Xiexing Peak. No risks or future troubles, but no special gains. Neutral."
>
> "Lower-middle fortune: Stay in the mountain and don't go out. No gains, no risks, but hidden future troubles. Calamity."
Staying in the mountain was risk-free, but there might be some hidden troubles ahead.
This basically foreshadowed that something would happen on the mountain as well.
On the other hand, joining the search outside wouldn't lead to any dangers, and one might even gain a fourth-grade opportunity.
Thus, Lei Jun chose to follow the path of the upper-middle fortune.
He wanted to include Wang Guiyuan, but his senior brother was resolute in his decision.
Lei Jun could do nothing but pray that their destinies differed.
What was a lower-middle fortune for him might be harmless for Wang Guiyuan.
Lei Jun bid farewell to Wang Guiyuan, packed his belongings, and made his way to the mountain gate.
There, he met up with several fellow disciples.
Among them were true disciples of Tian Shi Fu of the same generation as Lei Jun, as well as a few elders from the previous generation.
He heard that Elder Liang, who had lost several disciples, had already left the mountain and was personally rushing to the scene.
Soon, Li Kong and several others arrived at the mountain gate, gathering everyone before they set off together.
Lei Jun and his group traveled about three hundred miles from the mountain.
Geographically, they were still within the mountain range that extended from Longhu Mountain.
Xiexing Peak was located nearby.
Li Kong led the group to meet up with Elder Liang.
Elder Liang sat atop the mountain peak, his head crowned with numerous shimmering spiritual talismans that spread out in all directions, covering the vast sky.
"The culprit is hiding in these mountains. Search carefully and be vigilant. At the first sign of movement, I will rush there immediately," Elder Liang instructed calmly.
Li Kong and the others acknowledged and sprang into action.
Lei Jun glanced at the sky to gauge the time and didn't rush.
Like the others, he maintained a vigilant posture while slowly searching through the mountains.
As the time gradually approached noon, Lei Jun began to make his way towards Xiexing Peak.
However, before he even got close to the peak, a series of loud explosions erupted from that direction.
Someone had engaged the target of their search near Xiexing Peak.
As soon as the commotion started, Elder Liang was the first to arrive at the foot of Xiexing Peak.
The clash intensified.
However, much to everyone's surprise, Elder Liang failed to detain the culprit.
The figure seemed to be hidden within a patch of black mist, blocking Elder Liang's spirit talismans before transforming into a gust of black wind and darting away in the blink of an eye, aiming to escape into the distance.
Just then, a dazzling rainbow suddenly tore through the sky!
A refined and swift beam of light seemed to cleave the heavens in two, stretching across the horizon.
Lei Jun recognized the radiant beam that pierced the sun, as he had witnessed it a few years ago.
It belonged to the divine archer cultivator from the Upper Three Heavens of Confucianism.
And there was someone from that sect currently in the vicinity of Longhu Mountain.
Chu Yu.
Coincidentally, Chu Kun had just escorted her and the Chu Antong family down the mountain.
However, Lei Jun had no idea which route they were taking back to Suzhou.
Could they be passing by Xiexing Peak?
These thoughts flashed through Lei Jun's mind in an instant, and in that moment, the rainbow had already struck the patch of black mist.
The mist immediately exploded and scattered in the air.
However, there seemed to be a fleeting glimpse of a figure within the black mist, too quick for others to discern.
As the black shadow flickered, it continued to flee at great speed.
Amidst the mountains, a cloud chariot emerged.
On it stood a woman clad in hunting attire, her fingers adorned with bone rings, and she held a massive bow in her hand. She gazed at the fleeing shadow with a hint of surprise, astonished that despite being struck by her arrow, they were still able to escape so swiftly, seemingly shocked by their hidden strength.
"Chu Sect Master?!" Elder Liang and the other elders of the Heavenly Lion Sect looked at Chu Yu, who had appeared here by coincidence, with a mix of shock and suspicion.
Chu Yu briefly greeted Elder Liang and the others before urging her cloud chariot forward, continuing the pursuit of the fleeing figure.
Li Kong and the other disciples of Tian Shi Fu were equally astonished.
Everyone began to speculate about Chu Yu's presence here and whether she had any connection to the fugitive.
Some even went so far as to suspect that Chu Yu's arrow was not meant to help capture the culprit but to silence them permanently. Despite their confusion, the true disciples of Tian Shi Fu hurriedly gave chase.
All except for Lei Jun.
Seeing their actions and recalling the prediction of no danger, only a lack of gain or loss, Lei Jun set his mind at ease.
His goal now was Xiexing Peak.
Checking the sky and calculating the time, he realized it was just past noon.
After the others had gotten a head start, Lei Jun quietly made his way towards Xiexing Peak without alerting anyone.
He performed a simple search of the peak but found nothing.
Lei Jun remained calm and collected, pondering for a moment before sitting down cross-legged and quietly absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy, carefully sensing his surroundings.
As time passed, Lei Jun gradually detected something unusual.
There seemed to be a faint yet enchanting aura of yin and coldness lingering in the air.
This aura was so subtle and veiled by some kind of sealing barrier.
Under normal circumstances, even if Lei Jun's cultivation were slightly higher, he might not have been able to discover it in a short period.
The reason he could sense it now was due to his root bone marrow recently advancing from the Hidden Dragon Spirit Body to the Yin-Yang Sacred Body.
Thus, Lei Jun was more sensitive to the yin and yang energies than others.
And it was this heightened sensitivity that allowed him to perceive the faint trace of yin and cold energy.
Lei Jun followed the trail of the aura.
Eventually, he discovered a small pouch.
The pouch seemed to be made of leather, but it was extraordinary.
Lei Jun recalled the books he had read in the mansion and thought that it resembled the legendary mustard seed bag used by Buddhists to carry a vast amount of items in a tiny bag.
It was said that the bag could contain the universe within, creating a small world of its own, and it was often compared to the Daoist Shrinking Pouch and the Confucian Coordinate Box.
Sensing the faint yin and cold aura emanating from the mustard seed bag, Lei Jun nodded slightly, guessing that this was the fourth-grade opportunity mentioned in the upper-middle fortune.
As for its origin, it was likely left behind by the fleeing figure.
They had been struck by Chu Yu's arrow above Xiexing Peak and managed to escape, but something had fallen from them.
However, with Chu Yu and Elder Liang focused on the pursuit, no one had noticed this yet.
Even through the mustard seed bag, the yin energy was palpable. If the bag were opened, the cold aura would likely spread far and wide.
Given the current unstable situation, Lei Jun decided to refrain from inspecting his find for now.
The Shrinking Pouch couldn't contain another item of its kind.
Fortunately, Lei Jun had the Soil-Yellow Spirit Soil Flag.
With a dull yellow spiritual light, the mustard seed bag vanished from sight.
After ensuring he left no traces behind, Lei Jun quietly disappeared into the mountain forest.
When he reappeared, he had almost caught up with the other true disciples of Tian Shi Fu.
They were scattered throughout the forest, converging from different directions toward a common point, while Chu Yu and Elder Liang were the fastest, their figures gradually fading from view in the distance.
Li Kong and the others could only follow the traces of the battle on the ground.
As they moved, Lei Jun seamlessly blended in with the group.
PS: First update for today.
(End of Chapter)
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