Chapter 156: Yet Another Top Draw!

Chapter 156: Yet Another Top Draw!

As Chu Kun said, Lin Zhen's luck was less than ideal.

The ambush took place right at his family's doorstep in Jiangzhou.

If he hadn't been injured beforehand, Lin Zhen might have had a chance to escape back to the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Jiangzhou.

However, fate had other plans, and he was intercepted and killed by Xu Yuanzhen along the way.

The Big Sister of TianSIFU, true to her word.

Your Lin Clan messed with my TianSiFu, regardless of whether my people are harmed or not, I will retaliate in kind.

And I won't hold back in the slightest.

You ambushed my people;

I will ambush yours in return.

Whether they live or die depends on their own abilities.

One might say that Xu Yuanzhen was ruthless in her methods. Despite being an Eighth Heaven cultivator, she displayed none of the ethereal grace or master's demeanor expected of her status. Instead, she ambushed and suddenly attacked Lin Zhen, a Seventh Heaven cultivator.

And so, the outcome was sealed. Lin Zhen, the most promising young successor of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, perished on the spot.

If we were to draw a comparison, it would be akin to their Master Li Zhengxuan being killed by someone from our TianSiFu...

Lei Jun and Chu Kun, the pair of martial brothers, looked at each other, at a loss for words for a moment.

"To be honest, I expected Big Sister to target the Lin Clan's experts at the Third Heaven and above, but I didn't think she would directly take out Lin Zhen," Lei Jun remarked after a while, a mix of emotions in his voice.

"Big Sister... she certainly knows how to surprise us," Chu Kun added with a wry smile.

For some, it was indeed a pleasant surprise.

But for others, it was a shocking turn of events.

Lin Chi's death on Tian Song Mountain, had it occurred, would not have had such detrimental consequences, especially considering they were at the same Seventh Heaven cultivation level.

With Lin Zhen's demise, regardless of how the rest of the Lin Clan reacted, it was clear that they would respond in some way.

The tacit understanding in Poyang Marsh could no longer be maintained.

The front line instantly transformed into a cruel battlefield of blood and fire.

Those previously at the forefront, Li Ziyang and Shangguan Ning, among others, now faced immense pressure.

Whether they cursed Xu Yuanzhen in their hearts remained unknown.

For now, they had to withstand the Lin Clan's initial counter-attack.

Fortunately, Xu Yuanzhen didn't simply kill and leave the bodies unattended.

After taking out Lin Zhen, she remained between Jiangzhou and Xinzhou, continuing to face the retaliating experts of the Lin Clan.

The enmity between the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou and Dragon-Tiger Mountain of Xinzhou had deep roots and a long history.

Regardless of surnames or internal strife, the Dragon-Tiger Mountain TianSiFu had to put aside their differences and unite against their common foe.

Of course, to prevent other enemies from taking advantage of their situation, TianSiFu couldn't afford to send out all their experts.

Yuan Mo Bai remained at the Wanfa Zongtan, and Li Hongyu, clad in the invaluable and irreplaceable TianSi robe, didn't immediately leave the mountain either.

To counter the Lin Clan's large-scale counter-attack, the Grand Elder Li Song left the mansion and headed to Poyang Marsh to provide support.

At the same time, a message was sent to Li Zhengxuan and Tang Xiaotang, who were traveling far away in search of the TianSi Sword, urging them to return as soon as possible.

However, due to their unpredictable movements and frequent ventures into complex environments, it was uncertain if they would receive the message promptly, let alone return in a timely manner.

Among the remaining high-level elders on the mountain, apart from Yuan Mo Bai and Li Hongyu, everyone else was dispatched to the front lines.

Xu Yuanzhen, Li Song, Li Ziyang, Yao Yuan, and Shangguan Ning all engaged in intense battles between Jiangzhou and Xinzhou, facing off against the experts of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan.

And the main target of their wrath was, of course, Xu Yuanzhen herself.

"Disciple Xu Yuanzhen is holding up fine for now," Yuan Mo Bai reported to his two disciples on Dragon-Tiger Mountain. "Although the Jiangzhou Lin Clan is counter-attacking fiercely, they won't completely leave their ancestral land undefended."

Lei Jun and Chu Kun both nodded in agreement.

In these tumultuous times, everyone had to be extra cautious.

Not to mention the increased frequency of powerful demons appearing.

Under the influence of the demonic aura, these demons craved blood and flesh, and they didn't discriminate between cultivators and ordinary humans.

While they didn't cultivate spiritual energy, they were still attracted to those with abundant spiritual energy, seeing them as delicious meals.

Whether it was the TianSiFu or the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, neither could afford to leave their homes undefended and risk having their homes raided by these demons.

History was a testament to the tragic consequences of such negligence.

During the incident on Tian Song Mountain, the Lin Clan disciples had encountered the Bipolar Sky Eagle, resulting in heavy casualties.

Although Lin Chi's timely arrival had saved many, some of the dead had already been devoured by the eagle.

In the current battle between TianSiFu and the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, while the intensity had escalated beyond the previous unspoken agreement, both sides still retained some level of rationality and remained vigilant against other threats.

"The Lin Clan members are driven by a desire to save face and the bond of blood that unites them," Chu Kun commented. "Those who are determined to avenge Lin Zhen's death at all costs are likely a minority."

With the Lin Clan's internal cohesion and external reputation at stake, their experts wouldn't simply go through the motions.

However, expecting them to fight to the death was clearly unrealistic.

Likewise, it was unreasonable to expect Li Ziyang, Li Song, and the others to risk their lives to help Xu Yuanzhen fight to the death.

"While what you say is true, this battle won't be easily resolved," Yuan Mo Bai said. "Everyone in our sect must do their best and remain vigilant."

"We will heed your teachings, Master," Lei Jun and Chu Kun replied in unison.

In a way, Senior Brother Wang Guiyuan had indeed shown great foresight.

Lin Zhen's death had escalated the conflict.

The entire Dragon-Tiger Mountain was mobilized, operating with even greater precision than before.

Not only did several high-ranking elders emerge, but a large number of elders and trusted successors from the sect also joined them.

The Lin Clan of Jiangzhou did the same.

On both sides of Poyang Marsh, a fierce battle ensued, with neither side willing to yield an inch.

The intensity of the conflict was almost on par with the battle that had taken place a few years ago under the leadership of the previous clan head, Lin Qun, and the former Celestial Master of Dragon-Tiger Mountain, Li Qingfeng.

Fortunately, the top experts on both sides maintained a tenuous sense of rationality and tacit understanding.

Overall, the confrontation maintained a balanced state, with both sides matching each other in terms of soldiers, generals, and kings.

There was no indiscriminate slaughter of lower-level disciples by the top experts.

Without absolute advantage, such actions would likely result in mutual destruction, leaving both sides with nothing but casualties and grief.

However, despite the cautious maneuvers, the bloodiness of this war was still significant.

Injured disciples were sent back to Dragon-Tiger Mountain for recuperation almost daily.

From time to time, news of those who had perished in battle also reached the mountain.

The once peaceful atmosphere of Dragon-Tiger Mountain's Celestial Master's Mansion had become tense once more.

Across the way in Jiangzhou, the situation was equally intense.

Lei Jun and Chu Kun, the martial brothers, remained on Dragon-Tiger Mountain.

Chu Kun's reason for staying was due to his recent initiation and the need for a personal disciple to accompany Yuan Mobai.

Lei Jun, who had become the new representative of the outstanding disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion, also stayed behind, which seemed unusual to outsiders.

Protecting their outstanding disciples was not a valid reason.

While nurturing talented seeds was important, keeping them under the shelter of the sect indefinitely would hinder their growth.

In the past, Xu Yuanzhen, Li Zhengxuan, and Tang Xiaotang had all been sent out for early training instead of being coddled and protected.

In the current war against the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, Zhang Jingzhen and Fang Jian were also at the forefront.

Normally, Lei Jun would be expected to join them.

At most, he would be assigned a more favorable location and environment for battle.

The reason he remained on the mountain was not due to his own request or Yuan Mobai's partiality.

Instead, it was because the sect's treasure pavilion had specifically submitted a report requesting that Lei Jun stay on the mountain.

With the outbreak of war, there was a massive consumption of raw materials, as well as various talismans, spiritual artifacts, and elixirs.

Lei Jun was not only the creator of innovative talismans like the Chain Fireball Talisman and the Flying Fire Talisman, but he also excelled in refining an upgraded version of the Green Peak Pen.

Thus, the pavilion master of the treasure pavilion specially requested the High Achievement Pavilion to allow Lei Jun to remain on the mountain, as he could contribute more to the logistical support.

At least, he would be dispatched to the front lines at a later time.

This request was granted by the High Achievement Pavilion, and so Lei Jun spent his days on the mountain crafting talismans and refining artifacts.

He had no objections to this arrangement.

Aside from continuing to guard the secret of the unity between the Celestial Master's Seal and himself, Lei Jun dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the logistical production, supplying ammunition to the front lines.

Until one day, he received news.

As the war escalated, the flames of battle spread to various aspects, and manpower shortages became evident in some of the external branch compounds of Dragon-Tiger Mountain.

It was imperative to further mobilize members from the main compound, especially Conferring Register Elders and disciples at the Middle Three Heavens level, to preside over and reinforce these external branches.

"Currently, there are mainly two places with vacancies."

Despite the urgency, Master Yuan Mobai's tone remained gentle, and his smile was unwavering, "One is the Immortal Stream Palace, and the other is the Green Jade Grotto."

Lei Jun nodded slightly.

Although he had not visited these places, he had heard of them.

The Immortal Stream Palace was located on Immortal Stream Mountain and was not a branch of the sect but another external compound established by the Celestial Master's Mansion to facilitate the exploitation of Immortal Stream Mountain's resources and attract local talents and population.

As for the Green Jade Grotto, situated in Green Jade Abyss, it was a cave heaven established by the Celestial Master's Mansion outside of their mountain gate courtyard. Its status was inferior to that of Crimson Abyss Grotto and Mysterious Yang Grotto, but it was still a key area, especially since Green Jade Abyss was abundant in resources.

Green Jade Abyss and Green Jade Grotto were the main producers of the raw materials for the Green Peak Pen, supplying a large quantity of spiritual objects to the Celestial Master's Mansion on Dragon-Tiger Mountain every year.

Immortal Stream Mountain and Immortal Stream Palace were mainly responsible for producing Five Qi Stones, which aided the cultivation of Middle Three Heavens level Daoist talisman sect cultivators, as well as high-grade talisman ink and immortal stream ink.

They were important resource regions controlled by the Celestial Master's Mansion outside of Dragon-Tiger Mountain.

With the expansion of the war, they had successively become targets of attacks by the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou.

However, at this moment, Yuan Mobai's expression was gentle as he looked at Lei Jun, "Although we are short on manpower, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to go. The treasure pavilion has been requesting your extended stay on the mountain three times a day."

Lei Jun exchanged glances with his mentor.

Yuan Mobai's gaze remained warm and calm, soothing to the heart.

His words were sincere.

From Yuan Mobai's perspective, while he cared for his disciples, he had no intention of keeping Lei Jun and the others under his protective wing indefinitely.

Young birds had to be allowed to leave the nest and forge their own paths, even if it meant facing some bloodshed.

Although the Daoist cultivation advocated a life of tranquility and non-action, the current world did not entirely align with those principles.

In addition to subduing inner demons, cultivators also had to learn to subdue external evils.

One might choose not to subdue them, but one must know how and not be at a loss when faced with external threats.

Hence, the necessary training was inevitable.

Of course, there was a prerequisite to all of this.

The ultimate purpose of disciple training was to gain experience, not to send them into obvious death traps.

And compared to Zhang Jingzhen, Fang Jian, and even Li Zhengxuan, there was something slightly unique about Lei Jun.

It was true that he was a direct disciple of Yuan Mobai.

But his relationship with Xu Yuanzhen was no longer a secret.

After all, it was Xu Yuanzhen who had killed Lin Zhen, setting off the curtain for this full-scale war.

If any other true disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion went to the front lines, it would be fine, but if Lei Jun went, the Jiangzhou Lin Clan might just give him special treatment.

Furthermore, if they could successfully take him down, many members of the Lin Clan would have a way out and be content to call off their troops.

Although Lei Jun's current cultivation and strength couldn't compare to Lin Zhen's, considering his relationship with Xu Yuanzhen and the potential and talent he had already displayed, he was a big enough target for the Jiangzhou Lin Clan.

Therefore, for this campaign, Yuan Mobai himself didn't have the intention to arrange for Lei Jun to go to the front lines, but instead consulted Lei Jun for his opinion.

Before Lei Jun could answer, his heart suddenly stirred.

The light sphere in his mind flashed and displayed words:

> The wind and rain rush forth, the sky soars above the vast sea. You may ride the wind and soar straight up, or you may be trapped in the Nine Abyss, unable to move.

Immediately after, three divinations flew out from the light sphere and appeared in Lei Jun's consciousness:

> Top draw: Go to Xianliu Mountain. In seven days, travel north and obtain a third-grade opportunity. There will be surprises but no danger, and no worries. Great fortune!

>

> Middle draw: Stay in Longhu Mountain and do nothing. There is nothing gained, but nothing lost either. Neutral.

>

> Lower-middle draw: Go to Qingyu Grotto and obtain a sixth-grade opportunity. However, it is full of dangers and disasters. Ominous.

Hmm, a top draw?

Lei Jun's heart leaped with joy.

As he carefully read the divination, it pointed towards Xianliu Mountain.

This slightly surprised Lei Jun.

Yuan Mobai's concerns were something he had also thought about.

On their way back to the mountain from Chiyu Cave Heaven, a group of Lin Clan members had originally intended to ambush him in the Cangling River Valley.

Zhang Jingzhen had just happened to stumble upon them by coincidence.

So now that the war had escalated, with the Treasure Pavilion requesting Lei Jun to stay on the mountain, he wholeheartedly devoted himself to logistics and didn't go down the mountain to give the Lin Clan another chance to ambush him.

But unexpectedly, Xianliu Mountain offered a top draw?

There will be surprises but no danger... Lei Jun read the divination carefully, deep in thought.

His previous caution should have been correct.

However, something must have existed to resolve and dispel the danger, thus revealing a path of no danger in the divination.

Lei Jun had a realization and looked at his master.

Seeing Lei Jun's expression, a smile appeared on Yuan Mobai's face, becoming a little brighter.

Lei Jun's guess was confirmed, and he said, "Master, what you mean is..."

Yuan Mobai's smile faded, and his expression became solemn as he said slowly, "There are still some risks, so it's up to you to decide. If you don't want to go down the mountain, you can stay on the mountain for a few more days."

He then smiled again and said, "Even if you stay on the mountain, you won't be slacking off."

Lei Jun lowered his head and thought for a moment before replying, "Master, I plan to go down the mountain and give it a try."

Yuan Mobai nodded, "You can go to either Xianliu Palace or Qingyu Grotto. What do you think?"

"I want to try Xianliu Palace," Lei Jun replied.

He smiled, "Although it's a little farther away, it's quieter there."

Hearing Lei Jun's somewhat unusual reason, Yuan Mobai also smiled, "Prepare yourself and set off."

Lei Jun agreed and bid farewell to his master. He then returned to his residence to prepare.

After finalizing the handover at the Treasure Pavilion and packing his belongings, Lei Jun left the mountain gate and prepared to depart.

This time, the giant Rolling didn't accompany him.

That lazy creature had been unusually diligent in its cultivation lately, as it had reached a critical moment in its cultivation of the Degree Human Scripture, so Lei Jun didn't bring it along on his journey, leaving it on the mountain to continue causing trouble for his junior disciple, Chu Kun.

Lei Jun left the ancestral court of Longhu Mountain and made his way towards Xianliu Mountain.

Xianliu Mountain was located west of Longhu Mountain.

Lei Jun had passed by on his way to and from Shu Mountain, but he had only glanced at it from a distance and had never climbed it.

Now, the green mountains and clear waters were shrouded by the flames of war.

It was a real war.

The outer perimeter of Xianliu Mountain was surrounded by a flowing river.

At that moment, on the river's surface, several Confucian scholars stood side by side, chanting in unison:

> "The fish and dragons spit flames, often emerging from the waves. They are terrifying, and suddenly there are countless manifestations."

Thus, wave after wave of blazing fire rose from the river's surface, like countless fire dragons, intertwining and surging towards Xianliu Mountain from all directions.

This was the power of the Confucian chanting lineage.

On Xianliu Mountain, the disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion were divided into two groups.

One group held up defensive talismans, using their radiant light to fend off the opponent's attacks.

The other group rushed down the mountain, closing the distance between the two sides, and attacked the Lin Clan disciples on the river's surface.

However, among the Lin Clan disciples at the foot of the mountain, there were not only those who cultivated the Confucian chanting lineage but also those who cultivated the Confucian scholarly lineage.

At this moment, a forest of swords and sword energy emerged, blocking the Celestial Master's Mansion disciples.

The two groups, one at close range and the other at a distance, worked together to suppress the counterattack of the Celestial Master's Mansion disciples.

Lei Jun, watching from a distance, raised his eyebrows slightly.

The aristocratic families cultivated the Confucian orthodoxy, but the Five Surnames and Seven Nobles, whether in terms of family lineage or the choices of their descendants, might have a certain focus, but they were not singular.

Thus, when a large-scale war broke out, they could often have disciples of different orthodoxies working together.

From this perspective, disciples of the Heavenly Masters Mansion who cultivated the Daoist Talisman Sect lineage on their own were at a slight disadvantage when it came to group battles, despite faring well in one-on-one fights.

Fortunately, Talisman Sect cultivators were relatively versatile and adaptable.

Heavenly Masters Mansion disciples who cultivated different innate magic arts could also form complementary teams with distinct characteristics.

However, the Confucian Chanting lineage and the Divine Archery lineage of the aristocratic families had longer-range attacks, making the Heavenly Masters Mansion disciples seem somewhat suppressed on the battlefield.

Lei Jun had a habit.

Even when traveling, he often cast the "Night Wind" from the Wind and Thunder Talisman on himself to increase his speed and conceal his presence.

While this wasted some spiritual talismans and magic power, it proved useful in the current situation.

From a distance, he saw that Xianliu Mountain was on fire, and his figure disappeared into the mountains.

When he reappeared, he was already approaching the river at the foot of the mountain.

The Heavenly Masters Mansion disciples below were still engaged in a chaotic battle with the enemy and had no spare attention to look further afield.

The Heavenly Masters Mansion disciples who remained on the mountain were a little disorganized.

Some advocated going downhill to further support and break through the Lin Clan's formation.

Others suggested continuing to guard the Daoist temple in the mountains to prevent more enemies from sneaking up and cutting off their retreat.

As they were arguing, they looked down from the mountain and suddenly wondered if their eyes were playing tricks on them.

Because everyone saw that the large number of Lin Clan chanting monks on the river surface suddenly began to decrease in number.

From one end, the originally neat row began to decrease in number one by one.

Everything happened without warning and very suddenly.

The Lin Clan elders who led the group soon discovered the problem.

But people disappeared too quickly. By the time he became alert, there were already several fewer disciples in the row.

People didn't disappear out of thin air.

They just fell softly and sank into the river below, then were washed away by the current.

It was broad daylight, but a tall figure appeared like a ghost behind the crowd.

At the same time, he held a club high in his hand...

"Bang!"

Seeing this, Lei Jun no longer restrained himself and cleanly smashed another Lin Clan disciple's skull.

The opponent's body sank into the water, fully exposing Lei Jun's tall and straight figure behind him.

What happened next was simple.

Lei Jun and his fellow disciples attacked from the front and back.

The Lin Clan disciples, whose formation had been disrupted, were unable to hold on and soon suffered heavy casualties.

Blood quickly stained the river red.

Then, with the current, the water quickly returned to its clear state.

This time, Lei Jun did not pursue the fleeing enemies too much.

Since he had come to Xianliu Mountain, it was impossible to completely block the news.

In an unfamiliar environment, it was better to stabilize first and not rush into pursuit blindly.

Lei Jun gathered the Heavenly Masters Mansion disciples on the spot and returned to the Daoist temple on the mountain.

The elder who had been in charge of the temple earlier was seriously injured and had to be sent back to the ancestral mountain gate for treatment and recuperation, so Xianliu Palace was temporarily leaderless.

Lei Jun came to temporarily take on the role of guarding the temple.

As a Fifth Heaven cultivator, he was naturally qualified for this position.

Although there were Heavenly Masters Mansion disciples present who were older and had entered the sect earlier than him, they all took the initiative to greet Lei, a Fifth Rank Daoist priest, at this moment.

Lei Jun was also straightforward. Since he had come to take on this responsibility, he did not hesitate to give orders while undertaking the task.

The first thing everyone did was to clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and repair the defensive restrictions of the Daoist temple.

Later that day, the Lin Clan attacked twice more but were repelled each time, failing to make any significant progress.

However...

On the third morning of Lei Jun's arrival at Xianliu Palace...

The sky turned a fiery red.

It was hot, but the redness was heart-pounding.

It was as if the sky was dripping blood.

"The sun shoots blood beads that will drip to the ground, and the wind flips flames that want to burn people." Someone sang in a long, drawn-out voice.

The chanting seemed to come from all directions.

And the fiery sky, under the sweeping wind, instantly enveloped the entire Xianliu Mountain.

A Seventh Heaven cultivator of the Chanting lineage!

When a Grand Scholar displayed their prowess, it was indeed like the sun dripping blood, with flames filling the sky.

Lei Jun looked up at the sky from within Xianliu Palace.

As expected, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou had brought out a bigger show of force targeting him.

A Sixth Heaven cultivator was not enough to satisfy them.

They had sent a clan elder at the Upper Third Heaven.

With their attack, they intended to avenge Lin Zhen's death and eliminate a highly promising disciple of the Heavenly Masters Mansion.

However, the wind and fire did not truly fall upon Xianliu Palace.

There, a young Daoist in purple appeared, like a gentle spring breeze, dispersing the fiery sky.

"Yuan Mobai?! " The Lin family elder shouted, "How dare you leave the Wanfa Zongtan and come here?"

"We know each other well, and if we don't make some unexpected arrangements, how can we give Lin a pleasant surprise?"

Yuan Mobai said, "There's no big problem with the Wanfa Zongtan. As for you, Lin, I won't take up too much of my time."

PS1: This is the first update of the day, a 6k chapter. I originally considered not dividing it into chapters, but as I wrote it slowly and didn't want to keep you waiting too long, I decided to release the first update first. There will be a second update later today.

PS2: The poems in this chapter are excerpted from "Self-Encouragement on the Shu Road" by Shi Jie of the Song Dynasty and "Mountain Hawthorn Sent to Yuan Jiu" by Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty. Both poems are quite long, so I won't copy them here, but if you're interested, feel free to look them up. They're excellent poems.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end