https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-147-A-Special-Sign-of-Misfortune-for-Special-People/12586576/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-149-New-Cultivation-New-Discoveries/12586578/
Chapter 148: Lei Daozhang Performs a Good Deed Anonymously
Chapter 148: Lei Daozhang Performs a Good Deed Anonymously
The black thunder-water was silent in its approach.
Thus, the Lin clan disciples were unaware of its presence until it was almost upon them.
Only when the thunder-water exploded around them did it emit a sizzling sound of electricity.
But by then, it was too late to evade, as the thunder-water had already drenched them.
As descendants of a prestigious clan, they had ample resources and protective spiritual artifacts bestowed upon them by their elders.
However, most of these artifacts had been exhausted during their time at Tian Song Mountain.
Now, as the black thunder-water enveloped them, they could only rely on their own cultivation to mount a feeble defense.
Those who practiced the Confucian path of classical studies channeled their sword energy outward, faring slightly better.
The archers, who followed the Confucian path of divine marksmanship, could only rely on their righteous qi to bolster their physical bodies in resistance.
The worst off were the reciters, who specialized in the Confucian path of poetry and prose.
If they had been given time to react, they might have been able to recite verses to invoke the natural spiritual energy of the world as protection.
But with the thunder-water already upon them, they were caught off guard, their physical bodies being the frailest, and they were instantly engulfed by the black thunder-water, their bodies scorched beyond recognition.
Three or four remaining Lin clan disciples, practicing either classical studies or archery, struggled to resist the encroaching thunder-water while attempting to flee.
However, they soon discovered that the area was filled with silent yet vicious thunder-water, shrouded in darkness.
It was Lei Jun's Gui Water Yin Lei, an evolution of Shui An Lei, which transformed the world's utmost hardness into utmost softness. The scale of this thunder-water had increased exponentially, turning from a dark river into a vast sea of black.
The Lin clan disciples were now trapped in an ocean of yin thunder, unable to extricate themselves.
They wanted to call out for help to the sixth uncle, who was in the direction of Tian Song Mountain behind them.
But as they turned back, their hearts sank.
In the distance, the intense clash between the great demon and the great Confucian had reached a fever pitch, sweeping across the surrounding mountains.
However, it was clear that the sword energy was at a disadvantage.
...Could it be a Two Extremes Heavenly Vulture with the strength of an eightfold heaven cultivator?!
The chaotic battlefield caused rampant demonic energy to affect the surroundings, rendering the Confucian cultivators' divine art of recognizing words at a distance unusable.
They were truly trapped, with no escape and no one to turn to for help.
The Lin clan disciples felt absolute despair.
Among them, one let out a painful wail.
Looking down, he saw that the lower half of his body had already been devoured by the black thunder-water, as if stained with a layer of viscous black ink.
The Lin clan disciple gritted his teeth, seemingly having made a resolute decision.
Suddenly, he produced a strange crystal in his hand.
The crystal shone with a radiant light, and the disciple shouted loudly, his body becoming rigid as if his soul had left it.
The strange crystal then floated up into the air of its own accord.
The other Lin clan disciples were surprised by this turn of events.
One of them, well-versed in the ways of the world, exclaimed, "That thing... Where did you get such an evil object? If the sixth uncle finds out, he'll flay your skin off!"
The strange crystal flickered with light, and the face of the Lin clan disciple who had used it appeared within, shouting, "Survival is the priority! Who cares about anything else?"
Of the remaining three, two hesitated, while the other shouted, "Let's go, let's go together!"
At this critical juncture between life and death, he cast aside his previous convictions and also released his soul from his physical body, joining the strange crystal.
The strange crystal's glowing light became increasingly dazzling and eerie.
However, in mid-air, a large patch of dull earthen-yellow spiritual light suddenly appeared.
This light seemed to have form as it converged from six directions—up, down, front, back, left, and right—instantly forming an earthen barrier that enclosed the strange crystal within.
The emotions of the other two Lin clan cultivators fluctuated between the regret of being so close to escape and the relief that they hadn't also separated their souls from their bodies.
But before they could think further, a small flame appeared on each of their backs.
The flames were tiny and weak, like flickering lamps, gently swaying as if a gentle breeze could extinguish them at any moment.
However, the next moment, the flames explosively expanded!
The extremely compressed Lei Fire, at its most intense, unleashed its full power in this instant, its burst of explosive force even surpassing the vast thunder-water.
It was one of Lei Jun's Yin Wu Lei Zheng Fa, the Ding Fire Yin Lei.
Ding fire resembles the shape of a candle flame and initially appears insignificant.
However, when it burns endlessly and accumulates, its sudden eruption yields astonishing power.
The remaining two Lin clan cultivators were quickly engulfed by the Lei Fire.
Their previous defenses were now broken, and the thunder-water below swiftly climbed upward.
With the combination of water and fire thunder, the two Lin clan disciples would soon be reduced to nothing.
As for the other two empty shells that had already lost their souls, they were the first to be devoured and eroded by the thunder-water.
From afar, Lei Jun waved the Xi Yang flag in his hand, beckoning.
The earthen barrier that had sealed the strange crystal in mid-air immediately flew back to Lei Jun.
Generally, Lei Jun rarely touched corpses, especially those from orthodox sects like the Shushan Sect, his own Celestial Masters Mansion, and the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou.
He did this to avoid any unforeseen troubles.
Earlier, his decision to not collect the demonic feathers from Yu Huixia was also made with the same consideration in mind.
However, after overhearing the conversation between the two Lin Clan disciples, Lei Jun learned that the strange crystal was privately owned and frowned upon by the elders of the Lin Clan. Thus, he decided to take it for himself.
Influenced by the demonic aura of the great demon, which disrupted the flow of spiritual energy in the area, Lei Jun decided to kill all the Lin Clan disciples to eliminate any potential future troubles.
He used the Xi Yang flag to wrap up the earthen barrier and, without inspecting it further, quickly cleaned up the scene and quietly left to ponder over his new acquisitions at a later time.
As for the battle on Tian Song Mountain, Lei Jun no longer cared about the outcome between the sixth uncle of the Lin Clan and the Two Extremes Heavenly Vulture.
Given the situation, the sixth uncle would not have an easy time.
Even if he managed to hold off the Two Extremes Heavenly Vulture, more troubles awaited him.
Lei Jun estimated the time, figuring that Zhang Jingzhen should have made her move by now.
...
Although Zhang Jingzhen was curious about who had helped her out of the predicament, she currently had no other choice but to seize the opportunity to escape first and get out of danger.
She traveled stealthily, quietly moving away from the mountain range.
After a long journey, estimating that she had exceeded the range of the seventh-heaven Lin Clan elder's screening of heaven's secrets, Zhang Jingzhen immediately contacted the ancestral hall of her sect.
Although she didn't want others to know about her secret of seeking a secluded place away from Chishan Manor to cultivate, she couldn't hide it anymore.
Tonight's safe escape would surely lead to news spreading within the Lin Clan.
Moreover, she didn't dare to say that she was truly safe now, so it was better to contact the sect as soon as possible.
As one of the top figures among the younger generation of the Celestial Masters Mansion, if something happened to Zhang Jingzhen outside and it was related to the Lin Clan, involving a Lin Clan expert at the Three Heavens Realm, the Dragon-Tiger Mountain sect would definitely not take it lightly.
To be safe, not only did the fifth elder, Shangguan Ning, who was familiar with Zhang Jingzhen, come out of seclusion to rush over, but the third elder, Li Ziyang, also joined him to prevent more Lin Clan experts from ambushing them.
On the sect's side, in addition to the Great Elder Li Song, there was also Yuan Mo Bai, who presided over the Wanfa Zongtan, and Li Hongyu, who wore the Celestial Master's robe, so they were not worried about the headquarters of Dragon-Tiger Mountain being empty.
As a result, the sixth uncle of the Lin Clan naturally faced a tragic outcome.
Having already been forced into a perilous situation by the Two Extremes Heavenly Vulture, he now had to face two powerful enemies from the Celestial Masters Mansion.
Fortunately, the Two Extremes Heavenly Vulture had no intention of continuing to besiege its previous opponent along with Shangguan Ning and Li Ziyang.
Although this great demon was ferocious, it was also relatively cautious; otherwise, it wouldn't have quietly concealed its presence on Tian Song Mountain earlier.
When Shangguan Ning and Li Ziyang arrived, the Two Extremes Heavenly Vulture spread its wings and flew away from the battlefield, heading toward the mountains outside.
As the absolute advantage and initiating party in the battle, it naturally wanted to leave when it pleased.
Seeing this, Shangguan Ning and Li Ziyang temporarily refrained from pursuing the great demon.
Their target was now the Lin Clan elder, and they gave him no chance to catch his breath.
At this moment, the sixth uncle of the Lin Clan was powerless to search for any surviving clan members, so he immediately fled northward, trying to escape.
Shangguan Ning and Li Ziyang, the two high-achieving elders of Dragon-Tiger Mountain, pursued him relentlessly, inflicting severe injuries.
If not for another Lin Clan expert coming to his aid, this Lin Clan elder, named Lin Chi, would have likely lost his life trying to escape back to the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Jiangzhou.
Even with the temporary shift in numbers to two against two, the Lin Clan elders did not hold the advantage.
Li Ziyang cultivated the Thunder Law of the Celestial Law Codex.
Shangguan Ning, on the other hand, cultivated the Fire Law of the Earthly Law Codex.
The two high-achieving elders of Dragon-Tiger Mountain unleashed their sect's ultimate battle technique, the Dragon-Tiger Strike, with one displaying the Yang Thunder Dragon and the other the Yin Fire Tiger. This formidable attack severely injured Lin Chi and the other Lin Clan elder who had come to his aid.
Barely clinging to life, Lin Chi was carried away by his fellow clansman as they fled back to the Lin Clan's territory in Jiangzhou.
Only then did Li Ziyang and Shangguan Ning stop pursuing them.
They regrouped with Zhang Jingzhen and asked, "Have you found that person?"
Zhang Jingzhen shook her head. "I couldn't find any trace of them in the nearby mountains. I can only roughly sense that there is a high-level magical artifact or treasure with abundant earthen and stone spiritual properties, but I can't discern their sect's lineage or why they chose to save me."
Li Ziyang scanned the surrounding mountains and said, "I recall that you, Jingzhen, were cultivating in the Chibi Cave Heaven of Chishan Manor?"
Zhang Jingzhen nodded. "During my cultivation, I encountered some doubts, so I decided to travel the world and broaden my horizons.
I never expected to encounter such a calamity. It was my negligence that gave the Lin Clan an opportunity and disturbed the Third and Fifth Elders."
"It's nothing," Li Ziyang replied. "We've been old rivals for a long time. This time, we broke one of their schemes, which is a good thing."
Li Ziyang continued, "Now it seems that the previous killings of our sect's disciples, including Zhenchang and the others, were likely also perpetrated by the Lin Clan."
He briefly touched upon this matter before shifting his gaze toward the direction of Chibi Cave Heaven. "As for the mysterious person who saved you, Jingzhen, who are they, and why are they unwilling to reveal their true identity?"
Shangguan Ning said, "Perhaps, this person merely intervened out of a sense of justice, but didn't intend to get involved in the conflict between our sect and the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou."
Li Ziyang glanced at his fifth junior sister. He believed that she also had her suspicions, but at this moment, she chose to remain silent and not agree with his speculation. This was not a good sign.
"This place is frequented by a powerful demon. I just hope that this person doesn't get entangled with the demon again." Li Ziyang smiled. "Or maybe I'm overthinking it, and it's just a coincidence."
The two of them escorted Zhang Jingzhen back to the main gate of Dragon-Tiger Mountain.
At Shangguan Ning's suggestion, Zhang Jingzhen followed her back to her private residence.
"Brother Zhongshan, Lei Chongyun, the disciple of Master Yuan, seemed to have gone to Chibi Cave Heaven in Chishan Manor as well."
Shangguan Ning instructed her senior disciple, Lin Shan, "Find out if Lei Chongyun has returned to the mountain."
Lin Shan withdrew to carry out the task.
Zhang Jingzhen spoke softly, "When I left Chishan Manor, Lei Chongyun hadn't left yet."
Shangguan Ning nodded slightly.
Zhang Jingzhen asked, "Do you think it was him?"
Shangguan Ning replied, "Although Lei Chongyun is becoming more and more outstanding, in terms of his current cultivation and strength, he still falls short. Even if he could help you escape, he wouldn't be able to do so without leaving a trace or revealing his identity in front of so many people."
She paused before continuing, "But let's not jump to conclusions yet. Perhaps this Lei Chongyun has some more surprises in store for us?"
Later, Lin Shan returned with an update, "Master, according to some people at the mountain gate, Lei Chongyun returned to the mountain before midnight and went to Master Yuan's cave abode. Meanwhile, the message from Chishan Manor states that Lei Chongyun left in the afternoon."
Zhang Jingzhen calculated the time. Based on Lei Jun's current cultivation, if he had rushed back without any distractions, the timing of his return to the mountain would roughly match up.
Lei Jun's return to the mountain coincided with the time when the mysterious person helped her out of her predicament.
If the mysterious person was indeed Lei Jun, he wouldn't have had enough time to shake off the Lin Clan members and rush back.
But...
Zhang Jingzhen's doubts remained as Lei Jun's figure appeared in her mind.
"Alright, Jingzhen, go and get some rest now," Shangguan Ning said ambiguously.
............
Lin Shan's information was both accurate and inaccurate.
In fact, Lei Jun had just returned to the mountain not long ago.
However, once he left the area around Tian Song Mountain, where the demonic aura no longer interfered with the spiritual qi veins, and Lin Chi, the sixth uncle of the Lin Clan, no longer needed to conceal the secrets of heaven, Lei Jun immediately contacted his master, Yuan Mo Bai.
As the master of the Wanfa Zongtan, Yuan Mo Bai rarely left the mountain.
But he could help disguise and cover up for his disciple while on the mountain.
Thus, it appeared as though Lei Jun was still outside the mountain when he had already returned, confusing those who tried to track his movements.
When Lei Jun truly returned to the mountain, his master, Yuan Mo Bai, helped him once again to conceal his presence.
"Do good deeds without seeking recognition, and expect no reciprocation for your kindness."
The purple-robed youth smiled as he appraised Lei Jun, "Chongyun, you truly embody the spirit of the ancient knights of honor."
Lei Jun replied earnestly, "I am merely following Master's teachings. I still have many shortcomings, so please continue to guide me."
Yuan Mo Bai shook his head with a smile, "It's good that you are diligent and ambitious in your cultivation, even if it attracts attention. Just remain true to yourself and don't be affected by external factors. As for the favor you did today, Jingzhen may have a chance to repay you in the future."
Lei Jun said, "Whether it's considered a favor or not, let it be. I didn't do it solely for Sister Zhang's sake."
Otherwise, he wouldn't have finished off those Lin Clan disciples.
According to his previous habit, if the lottery draw was bad and someone was destined to die, then so be it. It didn't matter if they died or not.
Everything was a gift of fate.
Lei Daozhang himself would not get his hands dirty.
In this exceptional case, he certainly wouldn't publicly claim responsibility for his actions.
Hearing Lei Jun's words, Yuan Mo Bai looked at him seriously.
His smile remained unchanged, but his gaze turned solemn, "Was it not because of the enmity between our sect and the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou?"
Lei Jun answered honestly, "Not entirely."
Yuan Mo Bai nodded slightly, not saying anything further. He changed the subject and smiled, "Since you returned to the mountain early, you probably don't know what happened tonight and yesterday. Go and get some rest now."
Lei Jun also smiled, "Yes, Master."
He bid farewell to Yuan Mo Bai and returned to his residence.
Now that he finally had some free time, Lei Jun carefully inspected his gains from the night.
In addition to the Antarctic Cold Iron, there was also the strange crystal he had obtained from the Lin Clan disciple.
He removed the soil, revealing the crystal once again.
Lei Jun used his spiritual power to touch the crystal.
A name appeared in his mind:
[Soul-Scattering Crystal]
PS: First update of the day
(End of Chapter)
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