https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-140-139-Fellow-Apprentice-You-re-Impulsive-Again/12586490/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-142-Unraveling-the-Heavenly-Master-s-Sword-Part-III-/12586495/
Chapter 141: Master, Being Too Cautious Won't Do Sometimes
Chapter 141: Master, Being Too Cautious Won't Do Sometimes
Much to everyone's surprise, the culprit ultimately eluded capture and escaped. Despite being struck by another of Chu Yu's arrows.
Some of the Tian Shi Fu disciples harbored even more suspicions about Chu Yu, the Chu clan master.
While others felt a chill in their hearts.
If Chu Yu hadn't intentionally missed, then the escaping culprit was truly formidable.
He might even be a cultivator of the Upper Three Heavens?
Who could it be?
If it truly was someone of the Upper Three Heavens, why would they make things difficult for the Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples of the Lower Three Heavens?
"Interesting. I didn't expect to encounter such a situation."
Even though their target got away, Chu Yu didn't feel discouraged.
With the situation in Chu An Dong still unstable, Chu Kun and the others stayed behind to take care of it.
To prevent any mishaps, Chu Yu didn't pursue the culprit to the end and instead returned to reunite with the rest of the Chu clan.
Facing the gazes of her clan members, Chu Yu shook her head, "He's definitely a cultivator of the Upper Three Heavens, and his cultivation is not to be underestimated. He has been deliberately concealing his true abilities. Otherwise, even if he still couldn't defeat me, he would have been able to put up a fight."
Hearing this, Chu Kun and the others were stunned.
Such a person would undoubtedly be famous and well-known throughout the world.
Who would resort to such sneaky tactics?
And why would they do so?
"Was it also this person who killed Li Zhenchang, Senior Brother?" Chu Kun couldn't help but ask.
Chu Yu removed the bone arrow from her finger, "Without witnessing it myself, I can't answer that. But..."
Her gaze shifted towards the window of the cloud car, "I don't think so."
Chu Kun fell silent.
Through Chu Yu's words, he seemed to sense a new dark cloud gathering over Dragon Tiger Mountain.
"Let's head back to Jiangnan first. Be careful when you return to the mountain." Chu Yu said.
Chu Kun nodded, "Yes..."
......
Liang Chen, Li Kong, and the others returned empty-handed, their moods growing heavier.
It wasn't just because the enemy had escaped, but also because they felt that the truth behind the incident was not so simple.
The others privately discussed the matter as well.
Amidst their discussions, they also felt a sense of relief.
If it hadn't been for the members of the Chu clan leaving Dragon Tiger Mountain and Xinzhou, coincidentally heading in the same direction, the outcome of their attempt to capture the culprit would have been unimaginable.
Because the enemy might have already been a cultivator of the Upper Three Heavens.
Even Liang Chen, who was at the Sixth Level of the Heaven Realm, would not have been a match for them.
Everyone speculated that the culprit had probably been planning an ambush to wipe them all out.
The reason for his hasty escape was not out of fear of Liang Chen and the others, but because he had sensed Chu Yu's presence and was forced to abandon his original plan.
This realization sent a shiver down everyone's spines.
They had been a bit too overconfident this time.
The peaceful days of the last two to three years had made them lower their guard... Liang Chen and Li Kong reflected inwardly.
Such a vicious incident occurring right at their doorstep seemed to indicate that the peaceful days of Dragon Tiger Mountain were coming to an end.
Amidst the crowd, Lei Jun followed everyone's movements and returned to the mountain gate.
After bidding farewell to Li Kong, Liang Chen, and the others, he prepared to visit his master, Yuan Mo Bai.
However, he received news that Yuan Mo Bai was currently receiving a guest.
As his only disciple on the mountain, Wang Guyuan was attending to him.
"Who is the guest?" Lei Jun asked the fellow disciple.
The disciple replied, "It's His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wu, from the Tang Dynasty."
Lei Jun raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing this.
An unexpected yet reasonable guest.
The Prince of Wu was a cousin of the late Emperor Zhang Qilong and the current Empress Zhang Wantong.
After the death of Emperor Zhang Qilong, there had been some controversy regarding the new emperor.
The name of the Prince of Wu had also been mentioned.
But in the end, the imperial throne went to the empress.
After her ascension, the other contenders had kept a low profile during this period.
It was rumored that the Prince of Wu had shut himself in, spending his days reading, transcribing Buddhist scriptures, and cultivating his moral character.
It was only at the beginning of this year that he reopened his mansion and started receiving guests again.
The Tang Dynasty prohibited feudal kings from leaving their fiefdoms.
However, such situations were extremely rare.
The Prince of Wu had also not left the Wu and Yue regions for many years.
Now, he had come to Dragon Tiger Mountain.
The implications of this visit were indeed thought-provoking.
Lei Jun suddenly thought of the unlucky fortune stick he had drawn.
The fortune had mentioned no danger, but it might bring future troubles.
Could this so-called future trouble be related to the Prince of Wu?
Lei Jun's lips twitched.
If that was the case, then Wang Guyuan might have taken the bullet for him.
If Lei Jun had stayed on the mountain, he would have either accompanied Yuan Mo Bai to meet the prince or gone with his senior brother.
But now...
Senior Brother, most of the time, you don't cause trouble, but trouble finds you.
Being cautious is usually a good thing, but there are always a few exceptions in life.
For now, he could only hope that different people had different destinies and that the so-called future trouble would not befall his senior brother... Lei Jun silently muttered, "My fault," and recited the mantra of Fosheng Wuliang Tianzun, praying for Wang Guyuan.
Unfortunately, his prayers were in vain.
When Lei Jun saw Wang Guyuan again, his senior brother was full of wry smiles.
"What happened?" Lei Jun asked.
Wang Guyuan sighed, "It's nothing serious. It's just that His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wu, wants to hold a gathering of Buddhists and Taoists in his mansion and has invited members of our sect to attend."
Lei Jun looked at him, "Our master is definitely occupied at the moment, so that means..."
Wang Guyuan nodded with a bitter smile and pointed to himself, "Yes, he said he wants to invite several of Master Yuan's outstanding disciples."
With Lei Jun and Chu Kun absent, Wang Guyuan had no choice but to take the forefront. Fortunately, Yuan Mobai acted as a buffer, and Wang Guyuan himself repeatedly declined with humility, preventing the matter from being settled due to Prince Wu's enthusiastic persistence.
It's uncertain if this incident had offended His Highness, the Prince of Wu. Only the prince himself knew his true thoughts. However, there was no doubt that Wang Daozhang had caught the prince's attention and left an impression.
This development gave Wang Guyuan a headache. The feeling of being on guard against thieves for a thousand days was unpleasant.
"Well, there's no danger for now, but there may be hidden troubles ahead," Lei Jun sympathized as he looked at Wang Guyuan.
However, his senior brother had an open-minded attitude and didn't let this incident change his usual style. "It's normal to have bad luck occasionally. Fortunately, there's no real danger. All is well."
Lei Jun returned early, but Yuan Mobai still had to attend to other matters. The visit from the Prince of Wu was no small matter for Dragon Tiger Mountain at the moment.
Although only one high-ranking elder, Yuan Mobai, received the prince earlier, they would still need to discuss the matter with their fellow sect members afterward.
From Yuan Mobai's perspective, he had no intention of involving Tian Shi Fu in the royal family's internal affairs. The Prince of Wu had indeed presented them with a dilemma.
On the other hand, after learning about the incident at Xiexing Peak earlier in the day, Yuan Mobai's heart grew heavier.
After returning from the High-Ranking Elder's Pavilion, the smile on his face had faded significantly.
"Zhengyun, tell me in detail about what you saw and heard at Xiexing Peak today," Yuan Mobai instructed in a soft voice.
Lei Jun nodded and clearly informed his master of what he had witnessed and heard, except for the reason he chose to join the pursuit, which he briefly mentioned as his intention to contribute to the sect. He did not hide any other details and honestly shared them with his beloved master.
Yuan Mobai listened attentively. Regarding Lei Jun's mention of accidentally picking up the mustard seed bag, he did not give it priority but instead inquired more about Chu Yu's confrontation with the mysterious person.
After hearing Lei Jun's account, Yuan Mobai fell into deep thought.
"Although Chu Zhuzhai was concerned about Chong'an Shidi and Chongguang, and did not exert all his efforts in the pursuit, he did not show any signs of deliberately letting them go or killing them to silence them. It seems that she just happened to be there.
On the other hand, the culprit did not use all his abilities to fight Chu Zhuzhai, indicating that he intentionally hid his identity."
Lei Jun and Wang Guyuan listened quietly. Intentionally hiding one's identity often implied ulterior motives or a well-known true identity.
"What's in the mustard seed bag?" Yuan Mobai asked at this point.
Lei Jun took out the mustard seed bag. "To be honest, I haven't had time to open it yet. I only know that it exudes a rare cold and yin energy, which is quite mysterious."
As he opened the Buddhist mustard seed bag, a surge of yin energy filled the room, making it exceptionally cold.
Peering into the bag, it seemed as if the bright moonlight was emanating from within, adding to the chilling atmosphere.
Lei Jun examined the mustard seed bag and noticed that the internal space was relatively empty, containing only a stone that wasn't particularly large.
The stone was flat and round, resembling a giant Go stone, a round mirror, or a full moon.
The stone was pale, and a clear and serene glow emanated from it, leaving a lasting impression.
Lei Jun felt that the coldness didn't just affect his physical body but seemed to reach his soul within his shell, causing a chilling sensation.
Both he and Wang Guyuan curiously gazed at the stone, asking with uncertainty, "Master, is this the legendary Yin Moon Soul Stone?"
After observing it for a moment, Yuan Mobai slowly nodded. "Indeed, it is the Yin Moon Soul Stone. It's rare to find one with such excellent quality and size. It has been many years since a Yin Moon Soul Stone of this caliber has appeared in the world."
The three of them looked at each other, silent for a moment.
As direct descendants of Dragon Tiger Mountain, they were well-versed in the sect's literature and had extensive knowledge.
Yuan Mobai had even personally handled a similar spiritual object in his early years, though its size and quality were far inferior to the one before them.
The so-called Yin Moon Soul Stone was a purely yin spiritual object, gathering the essence of the most pure yin energy from heaven and earth. It was extremely rare, if not entirely extinct.
For cultivators who practiced yin-based techniques, this was one of the most valuable treasures.
For a sect like Dragon Tiger Mountain, which followed the path of balancing yin and yang, this treasure could also be refined and utilized.
However, aside from these relatively peaceful uses, the Yin Moon Soul Stone had a more eye-catching and violent application.
It was incredibly effective against cultivators who practiced pure yang techniques, especially those from Pure Yang Palace, the other major sacred site of the cultivation world in the Great Tang Dynasty.
Thus, the Yin Moon Soul Stone was considered an absolute forbidden item by the Pure Yang Palace.
In the past, there were even incidents where cultivators from Pure Yang Palace actively searched for and destroyed Yin Moon Soul Stones.
The fact that the mysterious person carried such an extremely high-quality Yin Moon Soul Stone sparked intriguing speculations about its intended use.
"Master..."
Lei Jun fell into deep thought at this point, looking at Yuan Mobai. "If we delve deeper, aside from the cultivators of Pure Yang Palace, are there perhaps others who would be particularly... concerned about this treasure?"
PS: This is the second update for today. There will be another update later.
(End of Chapter)
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